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officials taking part in such games shall be subject to the applicable IIHF Statutes, Bylaws, Regulations/Codes and Official Playing Rules. A club that wishes to participate in and/or organise an international game or other competition must first obtain the permission of its Member National Association. A club that wishes to play in a cross-border league and/or league of a Member National Association where the club is not located must first obtain the permission of the Member National Association where the club is located. The Member National Association where the club is located must consult with the necessary national league. If the club obtains the permission of the Member National Association where the club is located, it must then obtain the permission of the Member National Association of the country where the club’s future league is located. The IIHF Council shall exercise oversight authority over the aforementioned approval and consultation process and shall refer all violations to the Disciplinary Board. For purposes of this Bylaw and Bylaw 502, location means the place where the club is conducting its daily operations, specifically including but not limited to, the venue where the club is holding it home games. For all international games, the IIHF Official Rule Book shall apply and official game sheets must be completed. All international senior club team and national team games must be officiated by IIHF licensed referees and linesmen.
The Russian Ice Hockey Federation does not want to work without approval from the SIHA. According to 'Team Crowns', the RIHF received a letter from SIHA that cleary indicates their displeasure with a Swedish team in the KHL.
What it comes down to is that there is no team as of yet. The potential Swedish KHL team wants the SIHA to treat them fairly, but when pressured they did not reveal how they would operate within the regulations of the SIHA.
The intention is still to start a team next season, the most likely opponent in the opening home stand on the 10th of September would be CSKA Moscow, and a game versus Jokerit shortly thereafter. They would play at either one of the football arenas in Stockholm; Friends or Tele2.
The fact that they won't have any fans to begin with is a problem that the team sees as "something positive" and "a great challenge".
In order to complete the train wreck of a press conference, one of the partners in 'The Crowns' minted the expression "Crowns or Clowns" in regards to the planned team.
Uppföljningsmötet hos Sweden Crowns just nu. "Ja, hur tycker ni att presskonferensen gick?" pic.twitter.com/TbuutaaFGf — Patrik Sjögren (@SjogrenPatrik) April 22, 2016
It feels like the support for this project might have died when he said that, even as far away as MoscowThomson Reuters Corp. plans to invest $100-million (U.S.) to help build a permanent home for its growing Toronto technology hub.
The news and information company has snapped up naming rights and all of the commercial office space in a major redevelopment of the former Southam Press Building. Sitting at the corner of Duncan Street and Adelaide Street West, the original brick structure with a history steeped in journalism was built in 1908.
A year ago, Thomson Reuters announced it would add 400 high-tech jobs over two years to create a centre for exploring new technologies in machine learning, cloud computing and big-data analytics. The expanding centre has made a temporary home in a tower just south of the city's financial district but is ahead of schedule on its hiring plan and could outgrow its current space by the end of next year.
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With a 12-year lease on the revamped Duncan Street building and plans to move in early in 2021, the company has secured a foothold that can accommodate its eventual goal of having 1,500 staff at the hub. And it sends a signal about its ambition to tap the hotly-contested talent pool in the region's technology sector. Thomson Reuters is emerging from a years-long turnaround plan and showing early signs of growing momentum in its financial results. But chief executive officer Jim Smith has cast the challenge of keeping pace with technological advances as a matter of long-term survival for his company.
"Our hiring experience [in Toronto] has exceeded my expectations," Mr. Smith said. "It's confirmed, frankly, my greatest hopes for the market as a place to source talent."
The building is being developed by Westbank Projects Corp. and Allied Properties REIT. Thomson Reuters will occupy a 10-storey office space that preserves part of the building's heritage facade, and its $100-million expenditure will pay the lease and build out the offices to meet the company's specifications.
The development, designed by Hariri Pontarini Architects, also includes a 58-storey residential tower atop the offices.
In Toronto, Mr. Smith hopes to recruit a young, diverse work force, which helps to explain the new office's location in a trendy corridor just west of the city's financial core. The Toronto hub is one of six large technology centres Thomson Reuters operates between Bangalore and Dallas, connecting developers spread across 43 countries.
It was launched to build new software and products to serve financial and legal clients in tandem with a global team, employing developers and software engineers. So far, Thomson Reuters has hired about 150 new people in Toronto, 30 per cent of them women, and installed former Intel Corp. engineer Shawn Malhotra as the centre's first vice-president. The company expects to have 400 staff by the end of 2018, and to double that number the following year.
The overarching goal is to make Thomson Reuters more efficient about the way it sources and ingests vast amounts of data, then sifts and analyzes it to make it useful. Even as the company hosts more of its data on cloud-based servers, it still holds a massive 60,000 terabytes of information in its own data centres.
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"Certainly, the explosion in the volume of data means that we have to continue to move faster," Mr. Smith said in an interview. "I would guess that there will be elements of AI and cognitive computing built into virtually every new product that we release, beginning next year."
In the Toronto technology centre's early days, one team has helped apply artificial intelligence to improve the effectiveness of the company's World-Check database, which provides intelligence on the risks in doing business with certain people and companies. Other staff contributed to a project to shrink the computing resources required to run the company's Eikon desktop platform, which competes with Bloomberg LP's financial terminals.
"We have some of the world's largest technology problems to solve," Mr. Malhotra said. "Technologists love that."
Woodbridge Co. Ltd., the Thomson family holding company and controlling shareholder of Thomson Reuters, also owns The Globe and Mail.Demian Maia has the fourth most submission wins in UFC history. He wants to top the list when all is said and done.
Maia (21-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC) has been one of the sport’s great submission threats since he joined the UFC roster in October 2007. He earned his first five UFC wins by submission and is still the only fighter in modern history to force five consecutive opponents to tap out.
Over the years his high-level opponents have become privy to Maia’s tactics, and the rate of submission victories has slowed. He’s earned just two finishes by submission since 2009, the most recent a second-round rear-naked choke of fellow welterweight Neil Magny at UFC 190 earlier this month.
The stoppage marked Maia’s seventh overall submission win in UFC competition. Only Royce Gracie (11), Frank Mir (eight) and Nate Diaz (eight) have earned more such wins inside the octagon.
Maia believes he can catch up with those ahead of him on the list. That includes Gracie, who has stood alone at the top of the category since 1994.
“That’s a good goal to chase,” Maia told MMAjunkie. “Now that’s one of my goals.”
At 37, Maia should be slowing down and looking at the end of his career. His performances haven’t showed much indication of decline, though. The former middleweight title challenger is currently on a three-fight winning streak and has won six of his past eight overall.
Maia said he doesn’t know exactly why he’s found success at an advanced age.
“I feel in my prime,” Maia said. “It’s something that’s very strange. A lot of people this age start to slow down, but every fight I feel better. I’ve never been so ready for a fight.”
Maia has long been considered one of the top grappling specialists in the sport. His record backs up that claim because he’s fought the biggest and best athletes in the UFC’s welterweight and middleweight divisions for nearly nine years.
The Brazilian said he has the ultimate goal of becoming UFC champion. If he can submit his opponents as he pursues that goal, he said it would make his road to the top far less turbulent.
“When it’s a submission in a fight or a knockout, it always puts you in a different spot,” Maia said. “People see you from different eyes. I need to train like I did for this fight and I will submit more guys.”
For complete coverage of UFC 190, check out the UFC Events section of the site.When: Thursday September 25th 2014 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Where: IAHS Room 103 @ McMaster University
Register: eventbrite.ca/e/introduction-to-html-css-tickets-13079835139
Join HackItMac for our first free workshop!
WHY HTML & CSS?
If you are looking to get started with coding, then this is the workshop for you!
HTML and CSS are the backbone of all websites, and knowledge of them is a necessity if you are interested in things like web development, creating marketing emails, or even blogging! The web without HTML and CSS would be would be a world without colourful, pretty websites, not to mention the web applications we all use daily. It’s easy to learn, and was designed so that everyone – even non-programmers – can do it. No fancy programs are needed, just Notepad and a web browser!
IS THIS WORKSHOP FOR YOU?
This workshop has been designed for absolute beginners. If you know absolutely nothing about coding or computer programming, you’ve come to the right place!
Workshop Format
This workshop will not have an instructor teaching it. Instead we have prepared lessons that you can go through on your own or with a partner at your own pace. We recommend pairing up with some of a similar experience level. There will be mentors around, so feel free to ask questions!
Don’t forget to bring your own laptop and power cord!
Questions? Email us at hello@hackitmac.comPlease check the print settings section, it is important to ensure the Lightsabers components are printed correctly.
This is my original, modular and fully customisable Lightsaber!
You can see the cover video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ltv0F1Etztc
The basic saber is comprised of 4 components, these being the hilt top half, hilt bottom half, button and a blade guard. This gives you a standard saber; you can add more components to customise it however you like! You can use the double ended adapter to make a Darth Maul style double ended saber.
All of the components can be printed without support material; the pieces pressure fit together and so over time may come too loose; however through assembling and disassembling these sabers over and over throughout a two day period the pieces have never come too loose to fall apart on their own.
Please check out my YouTube channel and Instagram for more: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWRyzFmzOnutHKeKtiF-8qw
https://www.instagram.com/sodacanhobbyman/ (@SodaCanHobbyman)
04/09/16 -
As you may have noticed, there are only 6 models that you can download to create your saber, I have decided to upload this thing as a 'Work in Progress' just so you guys know that I will be adding more and more files for added customisation in the near future! I have plans for new blade guards, new hilt top and bottom halves, new buttons and even more customisation options to make the saber truly your own.
I have noted that some of the pressure fit pieces are rather tight, so please take care when assembling and disassembling the saber as you may break the connectors (which I have done a few times myself).
I am always open to suggestions on what to add and how to improve the parts that already exist :)Cats can change the area of their pupils 135-to-300-fold. tdlucas5000/Flickr Cats have pretty unusual eyes.
Instead of having circular pupils like humans, they have vertical slits — which can adapt quickly and can open and close like the aperture of a camera.
Why are cat eyes so special? It all comes down to how they use their vision, new research says.
By analyzing 214 different species of land animals, researchers at UC Berkeley found that the way animals spend their day determines the shape of their pupils.
The team published their study August 7, 2015 in the journal Science Advances.
Pupil shape and size determines how much light gets to the eyes — and is then translated by the brain into a picture of the world around us. When it's dark out our pupils expand to let in more light and enhance our vision, but when it's bright out, our pupils get smaller to prevent overstimulation. Cat eyes do the same thing, but with much more finesse than humans.
Previous research has suggested that the thin-slitted pupils of domesticated house cats and other predatory animals allow for a wider range of muscle movements and for more light to enter the eye.
Thin slits in cats — as opposed to circular pupils — allow for a huge change between the constricted and dilated states, and are capable of undergoing a 135-to-300-fold change in area.
Human pupils, for comparison, can only change their pupil area 15-fold, according to a press release from UC Berkeley.
Since cats are nocturnal and are most active at night, this gives them a huge advantage when they're hunting. They can open their pupils super-wide, allowing even small amounts of light into their eyes so they can see on dark nights, while also being able to squeeze them down to a tiny slit during the day.
Since humans mostly operate during the day and sleep when it's dark out, our pupils don't have to to adapt to as many different light conditions.
There are even a bunch of animals — grazing sheep, deer, and horses — that have super-weird horizontal pupil slits. Using computer models, Banks found that these animals are able to see an expanded panoramic field of view, even when their head is down while eating.
Creepy. David Goehring/Flickr "The first key visual requirement for these animals is to detect approaching predators, which usually come from the ground, so they need to see panoramically on the ground with minimal blind spots," study author Martin Banks, a professor of optometry at Berkeley, said in a press release. "The second critical requirement is that once they do detect a predator, they need to see where they are running. They have to see well enough out of the corner of their eye to run quickly and jump over things."
The team found that horizontally-slitted pupils minimize how much light from the sun above gets into their eyes, helping them to see the ground better. And after spending hours at the Oakland Zoo, Banks found that the eyeballs of many grazers — such as horses, goats, and deer — also rotate when their head lowers to the ground to keep the line of their pupils parallel to the ground, like in the gif below.
The vertical pupil slits found in cats, snakes, and crocodiles also give these predators a competitive edge, the team found, by allowing them to better approximate their prey's distance by honing their depth perception and focus on the target. But not all large predators have vertical slits.
Larger cats like lions and tigers have circular pupils like human. The team hypothesizes this difference in pupil shape may be due to their large size. Since larger predators are further away from the ground than their shorter counterparts, such as the domesticated cat, their eyes don't have to pull as many tricks to focus in on a target.
All this eye complexity leaves a lot of questions still open, leading some researchers to doubt the paper's conclusions.
"There are so many exceptions to the rules the authors think to have discovered, that there must be much more to pupil shape than being predator or prey, big or small," Ronald H.H. Kröger, a biologist from Lunds University, told The New York Times.
This study is just another piece of the puzzle of how diverse and remarkable eyes and vision are.
And now, next time your cat gives you the slitted-pupil-side-eye, you'll know that it looks the way it does because of its intent to kill... a rat, hopefully, and not you.NEWS BRIEF In late April, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe announced, to great fanfare, that he was restoring voting rights to 200,000 felons who’d been stripped of the franchise when they went to prison. The move won McAuliffe, a Democrat, praise from social-justice advocates, but it inspired an immediate backlash from Republicans in the commonwealth, who vowed to block the move.
In July, the Virginia Supreme Court sided with the GOP, ruling by a 4-3 margin that while the governor had the ability to grant clemency to felons, including restoring voting rights, he did not have the power to do so en masse—such decisions could only be made on a case-by-case basis. Chief Justice Donald Lemons wrote:
Never before, however, have any of the prior 71 Virginia Governors issued a sua sponte clemency order of any kind, whether to restore civil rights or grant a pardon, to an entire class of unnamed felons without regard for the nature of the crimes or any other individual circumstances relevant to the request. What is more, we are aware of no point in the history of the Commonwealth that any Governor has even asserted the power to issue such an order.
McAuliffe, a man known for his irascibility, promised to find a way to restore voting rights anyway, using an autopen to sign individual orders for all 200,000 felons within two weeks. A fortnight came and went with no news.LONDON (Reuters) - Gold prices inched lower on Monday as traders cashed in gains as they waited to see whether the U.S. central bank would start to trim its extraordinary stimulus measures.
Though no major policy change is expected when Fed officials meet on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, most recent U.S. economic data suggest that the beginning of the end of the massive bond-buying program will come sooner rather than later.
Spot gold was down 0.1 percent at $1,236.16 an ounce at 1301 GMT, having ended last week up 0.8 percent as uncertainty ahead of the Fed meeting triggered a flurry of short covering.
U.S. gold futures for February delivery were up $2.30 an ounce at $1,237.00
Expectations that the Fed will taper stimulus have already knocked gold prices 25 percent this year - their biggest annual drop in 32 years. As such, the impact of an eventual start to tapering is uncertain.
"Whether tapering might come this week or whether it might come in January or in March, the market is fairly convinced that tapering is coming," Mitsui Precious Metals analyst David Jollie said. "In that sense, a lot of the impact is built in."
Jollie acknowledged that tapering would be negative for gold, but he added that could be "only marginally negative".
"I think that what people will realise once tapering does start is that tapering is not the end of QE, it's a slowing in the pace of QE," he said.
Investment interest in gold remained soft, with the world's largest gold-backed exchange-traded fund, New York's SPDR Gold Trust, reporting an outflow of 8.1 tonnes last week.
In the year to date its holdings have fallen 523 tonnes, or 39 percent, to a near five-year low at 827.6 tonnes.
E Fund Management Co Ltd launched China's third gold-backed ETF on Monday but, like its predecessors, the fund failed to make a splash as investors in the world's biggest bullion user show a preference for physical metal.
GOLD VULNERABLE
Buying was quiet in Asia's physical markets overnight, with consumers expecting prices to drop further this week after the Fed meeting.
Data released over the weekend showed India's exports of gold jewellery fell by almost a third year on year in November as restrictions continued to hit shipments. New rules imposed this year require export volumes to be at least 20 percent of imports.
From a chart perspective, gold remains vulnerable to further losses after running into heavy resistance last week at $1,268, a key technical retracement of its October to December drop, analysts said.
Among other precious metals, silver was up 0.1 percent at $19.67 an ounce, while spot platinum was down 0.4 percent at $1,355.75 an ounce and spot palladium was down 0.5 percent at $717.75 an ounce.
Palladium was last week's biggest faller, with a drop of 2.4 percent. The platinum/palladium ratio, which measures the number of palladium ounces needed to buy an ounce of platinum, recovered to 1.91 from last week's 11-year low of 1.85.
(Additional reporting by Julia Fioretti; Editing by Jason Neely and David Goodman)
This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Firstpost is now on WhatsApp. For the latest analysis, commentary and news updates, sign up for our WhatsApp services. Just go to Firstpost.com/Whatsapp and hit the Subscribe button.Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption "The SDP did not die in vain": Lord Owen
Two founding members of the SDP have speculated that there could be another breakaway from the Labour Party.
Former Labour foreign secretary Lord Owen told the BBC's Newsnight critics of Jeremy Corbyn should "fight like hell" for the next two years but that creating a new party was an option.
Baroness Williams said she saw a new party of the centre-left party reviving "the concept of the SDP".
She said Mr Corbyn was "an idealist" being "manipulated" by others.
Two of the so-called "Gang of Four" former Labour MPs who set up the Social Democratic Party in 1981 have been talking to Newsnight ahead of the 35th anniversary of the establishment of the party.
Lord Owen, who served in Jim Callaghan's Cabinet before leading the SDP-Liberal Alliance, told the programme that Labour MPs opposed to Jeremy Corbyn should remain where they are for the timing being and fight for their values.
"For at least two years fight like hell I would say," he said. "I wouldn't contemplate a new party until the end of 2017."
But he said what the SDP stood for and achieved was still relevant four decades later.
"Labour MPs are thinking about creating a new party. Why? Because they see you can do it; It may not have succeeded in every aspect but that's an option open to them. So the SDP did not die in vain, it planted many new ideas into British politics."
'Foot's son'
Baroness Williams, who later became Lib Dem Leader in the House of Lords, also told the programme she thought the exact same people who made her feel compelled to leave Labour in 1981 had returned to the party under Mr Corbyn's leadership.
"I think he [Corbyn] is like Michael Foot's son - a kind of idealist - who is I think being manoeuvred and I think manipulated by exactly the same people as I couldn't stand but who are not visible in the same way."
She added: "I think the one way we get out of the mess at the moment is the SDP concept struggling back and becoming eventually there will be a new party of the centre left."
Former Labour deputy leader Roy Hattersley advised Labour centrists not to emulate the Gang of Four's example and to stay within the party and fight, as he did in the early 1980s. But he acknowledged that Labour's situation is "now is worse than the 1980s".
"I think our chances of getting back are still there and we will get back but it will take longer," he said. "I think it's more difficult for a number of reasons; I think the leader is less susceptible to reason than Michael Foot was, he was a sensible and mature politician although of the left.
"I think the trade unions are in a different position to what where they were in 1979 and 1983. But somebody has got to carry on the fight and must carry it on internally not externally. The lesson of the Gang of Four is you don't win by leaving you win by staying and fighting."Anonymous asked: AU idea: slightly cliche but.. Elsanna, mAU, no icest, The Vow style. Elsa and Anna have known each other for 4 years, been married for 2. Until one day, on the road to spend a holiday with Elsa's parents in another city and/or state, they're involved in a car accident that leaves Elsa with a few broken bones and bruises, and Anna in a coma for a few weeks. Only to have Anna waking up with retrograde amnesia, thinking it's 6 years ago and she's still dating Hans. How will they make it?
(But… I need my heart to live.)
Anna wakes up and really doesn’t know how to respond to this beautiful crying stranger who’s sitting where her boyfriend should be.
That doesn’t really change when she hears about what’s happened.
It sort of gets worse when multiple people explain what happened to end her and Hans. It definitely gets worse when the full Facebook logs of it get brought up.
And it turns out that it is really, really hard to cry over your apparently ex-boyfriend breaking your heart in front of the wife you’ve never met, especially when your wife is the kind of sweetheart who loves you enough to hand you the tissues while you’re stuck in a hospital bed. And part of Anna loves feeling so cared for, what with her just being dumped, then she remembers it isn’t really her that her wife loves, and she isn’t sure who she should feel worse for over that.
Elsa wants Anna to remember with an aching need that has her sobbing in the hospital corridors, but more than anything, she wants Anna to be happy.
She doesn’t know to help with that, anymore. Her very existence is confusing–frightening, even–for her wife, and she doesn’t know how to spare her that when she promised her Anna that she would always, always be there.
She doesn’t know what to do. But she does know what kind of chocolate Anna likes. She knows which books to bring to the hospital. She can keep her ring hidden when she visits–and take Anna’s away.
Most of their conversations involve apologizing and large amounts of guilt on both sides–and that is what eventually breaks through the awkwardness. Both of their lives have undergone a massive upheaval, and the only one they know who understands the heartbreak and confusion is sitting right next to them.
Falling together in a crumpled mess of mutual uncertainty is not how their original love story went. But for their second, it’s a start.Abstract
Background Depression presents a significant burden to both patients and society. One treatment that has emerged is vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), an FDA-approved physical treatment for depressive disorders. However, the application of this intervention has been limited by the involvement of surgery and potential side effects. The aim of this study is to explore the effectiveness of stimulating the superficial branches of the vagus nerve as a solo treatment for MDD.
Methods This is a nonrandomized, controlled study. The first cohort of patients (n=91) only received transcutaneous auricular VNS (taVNS) for 12 weeks. In the second cohort (n=69), patients first received 4 weeks of sham taVNS followed by 8 weeks of taVNS. All treatments were self-administered by the patients at home after they received training from the hospitals. The primary outcome measurement was the 24-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale measured at weeks 0, 4, 8, and 12. Data analysis included a timelag analysis comparing (1) real and sham taVNS groups at week 4; (2) the real taVNS group at week 4 vs the sham taVNS group at week 8 (fourth week of real taVNS following 4 weeks of sham); and (3) the real taVNS group at week 8 vs the sham taVNS group at week 12 (eighth week of real taVNS following sham).
Results After four weeks of treatment, MDD patients in the taVNS group showed greater improvement than patients in the sham taVNS group as indicated by Hamilton score changes as well as response and remission rates at week four. In addition, we also found that the clinical improvements continued until week 12 during taVNS.
Limitations Patients were not randomized in this study.Jazz greats Annie Ross and Janis Siegel also honored at the 31st ANNUAL BISTRO AWARDS GALA Tuesday, March 8th
Multi-award-winning vocalist Kurt Elling will present the ASCAP Bob Harrington Lifetime Achievement Award to Jon Hendricks at the 31st annual Bistro Awards on Tuesday, March 8 at 6:30 at Gotham Comedy Club.
Elling, who is also performing, has stated, “Jon is undoubtedly the greatest jazz singer alive and an internationally. His recorded scat solos stand up to those of the most accomplished improvisers of his generation; his lyrics are on a par with the masters of any genre of writing. He is living history, and his is the standard to which any jazz singer must aspire.”
Mr. Hendricks co-founded the pioneering vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks & Ross in the ’50s. Together with Dave Lambert and Annie Ross, he mastered the art of vocalese — that of adding lyrics to instrumental compositions and instrumental solos, as well as complex vocal treatments for the Big Band arrangements of the likes of Duke Ellington and Count Basie. Their work influenced countless well-known singers, including Van Morrison, Al Jarreau, and Bobby McFerrin. As a solo vocalist, he has recorded several albums, made frequent television appearances, and toured extensively internationally, and he has served multiple times on the Kennedy Center Honors committee.
Being honored with a Bistro Award for her Outstanding Contributions to the World of Jazz, Annie Ross was part of the famed Lambert, Hendricks & Ross trio for six years. After leaving the group, she ran a jazz club in London and has enjoyed a long career in film and theatre. She has been a celebrated solo jazz vocalist for many years. Janis Siegel has been a member of Manhattan Transfer since 1973 and is also an acclaimed solo jazz vocalist; she is being recognized for Sustained Excellence in Jazz Performance and Recording, And being honored with a Bistro Award for Ongoing Artistry in Cabaret and Concert Performance is Christine Andreas, who has maintained an international career in theatre, television, concert halls, and clubs.
This year’s other recipients and their categories are:
Jarrod Spector & Kelli Barrett / Major Engagement
“Another Hundred People” (KT Sullivan, Jeff Harnar, Sondra Lee, Jon Weber) / Musical Revue
Sharon McNight / Commanding Cabaret Artistry
Matt Baker / Ira Eaker Special Achievement Award
Molly Pope / Creative Cabaret Artist
Ann Dawson / Vocalist
Dawn Derow / Vocalist
Rob Sutton / Vocalist
Charlie Johnson / Entertainer
Aaron Morishita / Recording (“Singing Sondheim”)
Urban Stages’ “Winter Rhythms” (Frances Hill, Peter Napolitano) / Series
Hosting the 31st annual show is Jason Graae, whose varied career spans Broadway, Off Broadway, opera, television, and film. He is a four-time Bistro Award recipient for his various one-man shows which have toured all over the country and for his special musical material. This will be the fourth year in a row that the Bistro Awards show will be under the directorial helm of Shellen Lubin. A director, songwriter, performer, and vocal and acting coach, she has been in the forefront of attaining parity for women in the arts.
The gala event will be held on Tuesday, March 8 at 6:30 pm at Gotham Comedy Club. 208 W. 23rd Street. As is the Bistro Awards tradition, the evening will feature performances by nearly all of the winners. Sherry Eaker, the former longtime Editor-in Chief of Back Stage and the producer of the event since its inception, heads up the Awards Committee that includes BistroAwards.com critics Gerry Geddes, Roy Sander, Robert Windeler, and Mark Dundas Wood. Sander is also the award show’s associate producer.
The Bistro Awards is sponsored by ASCAP. Premium Tickets are $120.00; General Admission tickets are $70.00. Ticket-buyers in both categories are invited to the “After-Bistros” party as guests of the Bistros.
Click here to buy tickets.
Category: NewsHappy Earth Day
Take a look at a sample from a Retrosheet event file:
com,"call was upheld by replay" play,7,1,donaj001,00,,NP sub,dysos001,"Sam Dyson",0,0,1 play,7,1,donaj001,20,.BBX,46(1)/FO/P.3-H(UR);2-3 play,7,1,bautj002,11,FBX,HR/78/L.3-H(UR);1-H(UR);B-H(TUR) com,"ej,buehm001,P,scotd901,Coming onto the field (not on roster)" com,"$Jose Bautista stood at HP admiring his homer"
Now if I hadn’t watched 4 replays of this game already, a lot of this CSV file would be unclear to me. This format is also difficult to use in a web API or mobile app which why I was surprised when I couldn’t easily find a JSON version of the Retrosheet Database.
The JSON
GitHub Link
Download the repository, and see the Readme.md file for instructions on how to run the tool. You have to provide the Retrosheet files yourself; just extract them into the JSONRetro/data folder after you download them from retrosheet.org
Here’s a sample JSON from a different play in that game:
"play" : { "inning" : 7, "team" : 0, "batter" : "choos001", "count" : { "balls" : 1, "strikes" : 2 }, "pitches" : "FBFB", "event" : "OA/UREV.3-H(UR)(E2/TH)(NR)" }, "play" : { "inning" : 7, "team" : 0, "batter" : "choos001", "count" : { "balls" : 2, "strikes" : 2 }, "pitches" : "FBFB.FS", "event" : "K" }
I still haven’t decided on a way to parse “event” and “pitches” but that’s why the tool is open source.
The Java
I made heavy use of Apache Commons libraries to simply iterate the CSVRecords in a CSVParser and build a string that gets written to a.json file. There is a 1:1 mapping of event files to json files and the output is 3 times the size but a single json file is still typically less than 1 megabyte. That means you can easily store a large number of these in memory at one time even on a mobile device.
The tool can probably be made much quicker with some multithreading and maybe by not writing out the StringBuilder to file on every iteration. What it does do is provide 100% compliant JSON as validated by JSONLint in about a minute.
I have MLB Gameday Data, the Lahman Database in JSON, and now a JSON version of Retrosheet. This is the starting point to being able to parse every MLB game down to the pitch level with more recent years including details such as the spin rate of every pitch and a description of every play in both Spanish and English.
AdvertisementsThe Escapists: Walking Dead Review (PS4)
Zack Hage Blocked Unblock Follow Following Feb 14, 2016
Over the years, zombie games have become a tired yet true staple of the medium. Games like The Last of Us and Dying Light show us what can be done in such a crowded genre, while games like Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z and Land of the Dead: Road to Fiddler’s Green accomplish the exact opposite. But lately, it’s become more and more apparent that all these rushed and artistically haywire are due to laziness. So when an already acclaimed developer takes the helm yet again, I can’t help but look forward to it, which was exactly the case with the newest Escapists spinoff.
Gameplay:
Just don’t look behind you!
The gameplay of The Escapists mostly relies on a mix of crafting elements and fetch-quests, in order to successfully complete your newly found escapade. In the Escapists: Walking Dead, the crafting elements and mission structures stay the same, with new combat mechanics and of course, zombie adversaries introduced to fit the theme. Missions can vary in entertainment, with some including carrying dirty laundry while others give you the objective to kill zombies. The game also has a community morale system of something like State of Decay, which is implemented really well. However, certain elements are not completely perfect. Shooting and melee objects feel clunky and disproportionate, and a simple mistake can lead to death and a restart. Although this is expected off of a game like this, it feels very cheap because of these particular sloppy controls.
Story & Design:
As shown in this picture, the game can have some really fascinating enviroments
Another skillfully placed aspect of the game is it’s fanservice, which is notably present in missions and story. Characters don’t feel rushed in or placed pointlessly, and there’s a wide variety for newcomers and long time series professionals. The story on the other hand is nothing special, but the game is more centered around your party, which is more important in |
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Sed congue placerat sollicitudin. Vivamus molestie blandit magna, ut ullamcorper metus condimentum vel. Quisque in ipsum ut arcu rutrum varius. Proin est diam, eleifend non ipsum a, dictum euismod velit. Ut sodales facilisis rutrum. Donec porttitor aliquam nisi, quis fermentum ipsum euismod eget. Sed sit amet velit a dui tempus cursus. Vestibulum elementum mattis ligula sed porttitor. Aliquam iaculis varius iaculis. Pellentesque volutpat pretium massa, ut aliquet massa porta lobortis. Curabitur est justo, faucibus id urna dignissim, posuere suscipit nibh.
Donec auctor, odio non accumsan laoreet, ex mi ultricies nulla, vel suscipit est magna sodales lectus. Donec viverra dictum tortor eu semper. Praesent mollis ac purus eu ultricies. Morbi eget mollis lorem, sit amet porta eros. Integer placerat sodales aliquam. Nam vel enim tortor. Etiam dapibus sed ligula vel efficitur. Cras turpis lectus, semper non aliquet nec, venenatis eget erat.
Curabitur aliquam, magna ac faucibus iaculis, nibh felis efficitur lectus, vitae sagittis ex ligula vitae leo. Ut ut sapien et diam fermentum dapibus. Quisque purus mauris, vestibulum at augue non, fermentum feugiat risus. Curabitur in dignissim nibh. Morbi sodales quam vitae dui convallis, vitae euismod lectus mattis. Duis quis arcu auctor, laoreet mauris quis, feugiat lacus. Donec id placerat mauris, ut consectetur tellus. Quisque eget bibendum dolor. Donec vitae lectus a elit venenatis dictum. Praesent et elit in lectus laoreet consequat. Quisque finibus tempus euismod. Nulla hendrerit felis non dapibus elementum. Nam eget est eget enim bibendum sollicitudin in eu nulla. Integer fringilla ante in semper commodo. Donec quis gravida lacus, a ornare velit.Spaera Beta2 Patch 0.9.0.4
Spaera Patch 0.9.0.4 is LIVE!
System Changes
Magic Orbs are no longer wildcard blocks. Magic was too easy to obtain and clear, making the total “value” of a piece with an Orb too high compared to other piece combinations. Orbs can now only be cleared in two ways: Being part of / in a cascaded explosion OR in proximity of a 3 block matched clear. We feel this better fits the new playstyle of the system and was a better option than making magic orbs more rare. Joseph’s level 3 is now also useful again. Yay!
We have experimented with adding 6 random lines and 2 magic orbs to both sides of the playing field right from the beginning so players can start problem solving, attacking, and planning right off the bat. We think it makes the game feel more fast paced and exciting, but as always, please give us your feedback in the discord channel.
During Panic mode, two extra colors have been introduced into the attack lines added from your opponent. These colors can only be cleared by matching up with each other or through explosions. They essentially act like bricks with the minor bonus of being able to be matched up to each other.
Character and Balance Changes
-There has been an overall effort to nerf defensive spells to fit our current system to encourage more offensive playstyles.
Harland
Nerfed Gas to Solid to changing only one line. The line will consist three blocks of an EX-color. Clearing any block after this will guarantee an explosion clear, but overall should make it harder to use as a survival skill.
Rafael
Skyward Cadenza has been changed to randomly clear 1-5 lines instead of 1-7 lines.
Joseph
Hose Lasso now clears 3 lines instead of 4.
Pone
Sky Splitter is now Pone’s level 4 spell instead of his level 2 spell.
Lava geyser has been reduced to adding 3 lines instead of 4, due to it now being a level 2 spell.
Graphical Changes and Fixes
New Updated *placeholder* graphical blocks that fills cells completely on the board. When we moved to geometric shapes, the feedback was that blocks were still easier to understand/see. We took a hybrid approach here and now we have full blocks with geometric shapes embedded inside. ***We are still looking for feedback, so if you are affected by color blindness, please let us know if this is better or worse or just as good as the previous shape based blocks.***
Block Clearing animations have been slowed down slightly in order to make cascades and clears more visible.
Misc. UI and graphical updates.
MiscellaneousIsuzu continued 117 production until 1981, when it still looked great but was in utter need of a replacement. Having driven a late-model 117 in Ohio for a week, shifting with my left hand and giving thumbs-up to passersby with my right, I can attest to the car's ability to draw plenty of attention more than 30 years after the last one rolled off the line.
But, as General Motors absorbed more of Isuzu -- and concurrently Britain's Lotus -- something funny happened. GM's piggy bank met the Lotus' rock star chassis engineering team and the curiosity of Isuzu's engineers at a crucial intersection of time and economies of scope.
By the time Isuzu's third-generation sports coupe rolled around in 1989, it was brought downmarket to compete against the likes of the Acura Integra, Honda Prelude, Mitsubishi Eclipse, and Toyota Celica. It was GM's attempt to qualify a player into that market, tapping into the Japanese manufacturing philosophy that had for so long befuddled GM's management. Designed as a world car and built in Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan, it was designated as an R-body in GM's hierarchy, consolidating the Impulse onto a front-drive platform with the Isuzu Stylus and Geo Storm in the U.S. as a replacement for the Chevrolet Sprint.
Where you might think that GM, which by now owned half of Isuzu, would start cross-pollinating engineering with other brands such as the upstart Saturn, it didn't. Instead, GM left Isuzu to independently develop a 95-hp, 1.6-liter SOHC four-cylinder for the Storm in addition to a DOHC version with 130 hp for the more powerful Geo and the base front-drive Isuzu Impulse XS. Isuzu engineers weren't done tinkering, though. For 1991, Isuzu threw every last piece of know-how it had into the Impulse, turbocharging and intercooling the DOHC engine for 160 hp at 6600 rpm and 150 lb-ft of torque at 4800 rpm, adding a viscous-coupling all-wheel-drive system with a 43:57 rear-biased torque split, new rear-suspension geometry unique to the all-wheel-drive model, ABS, and a trick Nishiboric passive rear-wheel steering system that would naturally change toe angle with suspension travel -- no expensive sensors required.
Fine-tuning was handled by Lotus in exchange for being able to use Isuzu's engine and five-speed manual transmission in the Elan roadster. The Isuzu Impulse RS also employed thicker anti-roll bars, softer springs, and firmer struts than what were found on normal Impulses. In the process, it gained more than 300 pounds, tipping the scales at a still relatively svelte 2738 pounds. But even at that, Isuzu was still weight conscious, opting to employ decals instead of badges and a not-so-subtle "ALL WHEEL DRIVE/INTERCOOLED TURBO" logo across the back just in case you ever needed a reminder.
Styling for the R-body platform was directed by Shiro Nakamura, who worked for GM and Isuzu for more than two decades before departing for Nissan in 1999. Nakamura took inspiration from GM's classic 1960s and '70s designs, adapting cues such as the wraparound rear window from the 1960 Chevrolet Impala sedan.
Working under GM design chief Chuck Jordan at the time and taking inspiration from Jordan, Bill Mitchell, and Harley Earl, Nakamura says of the Impulse, "You see this particular shape is quite elegant. At that time, I was influenced by that kind of direction. I was still young. I was in my late 30s. I was trying everything that our superhero designers were doing. Those guys impressed me a lot. I really appreciate working at GM at that time. At the same time, I have learned what not to do. I learned a lot at GM."
Nakamura also told me that the front end was changed from his original, more flowing design to the sinister scowl of the production model. His years at GM would go on to further influence his design philosophy.
"I admire a lot of GM designers because, at the time, they had the most beautiful, authentic designs. They had a very good feeling of what design should be."
View 33 Photos
After I took the key on a humid summer evening just outside of Detroit, I sank down into the car, widened the adjustable seat bolsters to properly fit my short, stocky frame, depressed the clutch, and cranked the key. With a deep rasp and snarling exhaust boom, the 1991 Isuzu Impulse RS awoke. I had to remind myself that most cars weren't exactly crude in 1991, even by today's standards. This one sounded like a menace when it rolled off the showroom floor.
Putting it into gear and getting going yielded more theater, with a mighty snort from the blowoff valve at every shift point. If that weren't enough, the car did nothing to conceal its driveshaft whine or the various buzzes and burbles. Under normal driving, steering felt heavy and direct, as if it were unassisted. Gear throws through its five-speed were short and notchy, with short gearing allowing the engine to rev freely throughout its 7000-rpm range.
But letting it loose in more spirited driving introduced a whole 'nother dimension. The steering was lightened up considerably to the ready-to-pounce feel we've come to associate with small Japanese cars. How you'd throw the car into a corner would indicate whether it'd oversteer or understeer, with the rear suspension sorting out all of the details. An excerpt from Motor Trend's September 1992 "Bang for the Buck" performance car comparison: "With its Lotus-tuned suspension and all-wheel drive, you can fling the Impulse with abandon around the racetrack. Toss it into a turn and, when it's rotated enough, stand on the gas; it'll straighten out and scoot down the next straight."
Later in the review: "Though entertaining on the track, the Impulse was more than a challenge to drive in our slalom test, confounding and confusing the test driver with a weird combination of under- and oversteer."
Says owner Adam Barrera, "It's loud. It's harsh. It's a caricature of what we've grown to love about cars -- everything that's missing from cars today. You can feel everything. It's gritty, but that's why I love it."
Old magazine comparisons shed plenty of light on what made the Impulse RS special. Never finishing above mid-pack -- and often finishing near the bottom -- the 1991 Isuzu Impulse RS was still an impressive machine for producing giant-killing numbers in its day in a field of excellent competition. Zero to 60? That other magazine that used to reside on Hogback Road in Michigan got as low as 7.0 seconds. Braking from 60 mph put it into supercar league: 116 feet versus 115 for the contemporary Toyota MR2 Turbo, 121 feet for a '91 Lamborghini Diablo, and 122 feet for a similar vintage Chevrolet Corvette.
View 33 Photos
Lap times varied considerably depending on which driver and publication were testing it. Sometimes, the RS finished near the back of the pack; other times, it was quicker than the S13 Nissan 240SX, Honda Prelude Si, and Acura Integra GS-R. This wasn't a car that could be picked up and driven at its limits with confidence in a matter of minutes; it was a tool that had to be studied, if not mastered, to get the best out of it.
"Building something for a niche audience is a good thing," Barrera says. "This was back at a time when they didn't build a car for everyone. Just because didn't sell in big numbers doesn't mean it wasn't successful."
Alas, all good things eventually have to come to an end. Though it shared so much with the mainstream Storm and Impulse models, just 800 were built for 1991 -- 600 for the U.S. and 200 for Canada -- and two more found their way to North America the year after. Of those, Barrera says 130 are still known to exist, not including the Isuzu Gemini sedan and Wagon Irmscher-R models that shared the same drivetrain and suspension in Japan.
The scarcity of the Impulse RS have earned it a cultlike following. "All kinds of people drive these cars," Barrera says, noting he knows an older woman who owns one and hardly fits the Gran Turismo stereotype. "But they all have one thing in common: They all know what they're driving."
Barrera first saw an Impulse RS in 2009 and purchased his car in 2011. He has become fascinated with the orphaned cars and the friendships fostered between owners and enthusiasts to keep them running. He has a parts car that's among the other 672 inoperable or scrapped Impulse RSs out there. Other people have resorted to sourcing parts from Geo Storms, reverse-engineering shocks using Toyota MR2 parts for replacements, or even going so far as to import Kia Elan parts from Korea.
It's an inelegant solution to keeping such a car on the road without factory support, but Isuzu's North American operations are now devoted solely to industrial vehicles, returning to the company's roots. No one is quite sure why Isuzu's car operations failed, whether politics at GM, the "Lost Decade" Japanese recession that wiped out most sports cars in the 1990s, or just "kuruma banare" -- the Japanese term meaning "demotorization." With such apathy towards new cars as younger shoppers moved towards less driving and more handheld technology, automakers were disincentivized to keep building low-volume niche performance cars. In Isuzu's case, the engineering company took its resources from making innovative coupes that were intentionally limited to developing more profitable diesel engines for its commercial wares.
View 33 Photos
Isuzu would go on to build a few more provocative vehicles like the Vehicross and Axiom SUVs after shuttering car production in 1993. Shiro Nakamura left his long career at Isuzu to design a turbocharged, all-wheel-drive sports car known as the Nissan GT-R, bringing as many members of his team with him as he could. One of Nakamura's colleagues, Peter Stevens, would go on to borrow cues from the all-wheel-drive 1989 Isuzu 4200R concept sports car to adapt for a three-seater called the McLaren F1. Or at least that's what Infiniti chief designer Simon Cox told me one time over a few rounds of bourbon. Isuzu's engineering team left to develop a turbocharged, all-wheel-drive sports car known as the Subaru Impreza WRX, launched in 1992. And Lotus purchased bits and pieces of the Isuzu Impulse RS for use in the Elan before selling the design to Kia in the mid-1990s.
That's how it ended. But even though this seemingly obscure sports coupe left without much fanfare, its impact and the impact of the people who made it reached and continues to reach far beyond the car. As for the Isuzu Impulse RS's owners, they know they've got something far more special than just another Craigslist throwaway, even though few others do.
View 33 Photos
Ask the man who owns one
Adam Barrera is the former social media manager of Chrysler's SRT and currently serves as an automotive industry analyst.
Why I like it: "Even after so many years after buying it, it's still fulfilling to look at and satisfying to drive. It's everything that we love about cars."
Why it's collectible: Underappreciated for what it was in the face of stiff competition, the Impulse RS introduced many new concepts to small sports coupes. It's now incredibly rare to find one.
Maintaining: Many wear items are common with the Geo Storm, making regular maintenance possible most anywhere. Sourcing RS-specific replacement parts is a matter of joining the owner forum or acquiring a parts car. Even its Japanese cousins are rare, so importing spares isn't always possible.
Beware: Isuzu provides little support for its defunct car operations. Rust can also be a serious issue in salt states.
Expect to pay: solid driver, $3500-$7500; tired runner, less than $2000.
Join the club: IsuzuWeb
Our Take
Then: "A skilled driver in this car will be able to embarrass many drivers of better cars," said one editor. Said another, "Unlike some other cars, which I liked away from the track but not on it, I don't particularly like care for the Impulse on the highway, but I sure do love it on the track." - "Bang for the Buck" comparison, Motor Trend, September 1992
Now: A little rough around the edges, sure, but like Bill Clinton's presidency or wine, the Isuzu Impulse RS has gotten better with age and distance. Rare and technology-packed, this bargain-priced sports coupe is an autocross hero you'll want to drive again and again.Original Title: Windows 8.1 Update 1 Failing to Install
I've been trying to get the Windows 8.1 Update 1 to install for a couple hours now. I installed a series of files using windows update earlier in the day. Later I tried installing the update file (KB2919355) that popped up in the Windows Update window. The downloading process look over 45 minutes for a 800 MB file even thought I have an internet connection over 20 MB/s. After that it spent 20 minutes installing the update until it failed giving an error code of 80070020. From that I restarted the computer to see if I could try another stab at it, nothing changed or improved.
Now I looked in the Windows update history to see if the other required updates like KB2919442, KB2932046, KB2937592 and KB2938439 were installed and they aren't in the update history. I thought they were installed already for KB2919355 to be installed. Are all of these update files included in the KF2919355 update that pops up in the windows update?
Also, my update history can is only up to date in the control panel and doesn't show any updates installed in the modern PC settings app. Did windows update fail to properly install updates required before trying to install later updates? What can and can't I install right now?
So far I've manually downloaded the links to KB2919355, KB2919442, KB2932046, KB2937592 and KB2938439 posted in this thread:
http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows8_1-windows_update/windows-81-update-1/493e4360-1581-4dcd-9211-e4eb725b5f53
I haven't installed anything yet.
Any help on why nothing has worked or installed properly?O is for orgasm denial, for the A-Z Challenge, something that seriously turns me all the while frustrating me at the same time.
**I haven’t had any of these experiences, these are four separate dreams or fantasies that I’ve had this last week.
I had a fantasy where I am suspended (face down) up in the air, my weight making the ropes painfully dig into my body, you put your cock right in front of my mouth, slowly eased it passed my eager lips and then pulled it just out of reach. I whined, I wanted so badly to pull it back into my mouth, to taste you, to slide my tongue against your hardness and feel your plump head against the back of my throat. I cannot move at all towards you suspended as I am. You ease it past my lips again and tell me if I want it bad enough then I had better suck to pull my body closer to you.
….I try.
On a bed, I am on my knees, legs parted and tied, with my wrists spread out bound to the headboard; a rope goes around my waist and pulls through my lips and on other side of my clit, you tug repeatedly on the rope. Sometimes as you pull you ask me lovingly to come closer to you, the painful pull of rope making my hips rise, though with my wrists and legs bound I can only arch like a rope marionette. It hurts.
…..You’re aware.
In the middle of a room, standing up on tip toes, you tied me with wrists high above my head and asked demanded me to have sex with you. I’m so wet you could just glide right in. You don’t. You’re so big almost any position could be manageable, but instead you tease your tip right at my entrance and it doesn’t matter how much I strain against my wrists and rope, shuffle on tiptoes to try to position closer to you, bend my knees and legs to adjust, I simply cannot lower myself enough with the rope; I am not getting you any further in.
….You mock my attempts.
For some reason there is an audience of men sitting down on the floor in front of us as you suspend and tease my body. I am desperate to have you inside of me already. You tie and lower me with legs spread at cock level, face up, and since I am unhindered, my head drops back and sees the faces of the men watching us. You coax my body to come close to orgasm and then deny the sensation. My thighs and breasts are abused with impact and I am edged close to orgasm again. I beg you to take me, uncaring now that there are others present. My neck becomes strained with holding my head to not see them and to try to watch what you are doing. You take some silk and wrap it around my eyes for a blindfold, wrap again to support my head and tie the material to the suspension point so that I can relax my neck – almost more comfortable if it weren’t for the rope holding the rest of my body up in the air. I beg again for you fuck me, made even more keen once I can no longer see you. I hear your voice far off, you offer me…
…to the men watching.In the last few years, researchers have noticed the appearance of an unusual southern species in New England waters, the delectable blue crab.
Populations of the crabs are typically found between the Gulf of Mexico and Cape Cod in Massachusetts, but in 2012, shellfish wardens and wildlife managers started noting sightings of the crustaceans miles north of the cape.
From 2012 to 2014, there were reports of individual blue crabs showing up in parts of the Gulf of Maine from Duxbury Bay and Marblehead, Mass., to New Hampshire and even as far north as Nova Scotia. While it's not unheard of for the crabs to venture so far north, there aren't any established populations in the colder waters.
David Johnson, at the time an assistant research scientist at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Mass., first heard about the crab sightings 80 miles north of Cape Cod at a dinner party. At first he was skeptical, but after other people backed up the reports, Johnson decided to investigate for himself. A trudge through Plum Island Sound estuary in northeastern Massachusetts yielded four blue crabs in 2012, though he couldn't find any the next two years. Johnson scoured the Internet for other reports of the crustaceans and found several instances of the crabs showing up around the Gulf of Maine.
"Their densities were very low, but they were certainly there," said Johnson, who recently published his findings in the Journal of Crustacean Biology.
Given the crabs' affinity for warmer waters, Johnson hypothesized that increasing ocean temperatures could be facilitating their limited northward migration.
"Basically we have this southern crab found in northern waters. The implication may be a result of climate change," he said.
In 2012, ocean temperatures in Massachusetts Bay were 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.3 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than the average temperature between 2001 and 2013. The following year, temperatures were 0.7 C above the average.
'This is a time-will-tell issue'
The appearance of the blue crabs has sparked interest from researchers, particularly because they are a commercially important species. In 2013, fishermen caught 61,119 metric tons of blue crab, at a value of $192 million. More than 80 percent of blue crabs were caught in Louisiana, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's most recent "Fisheries of the United States" report.
Johnson said that the recent sightings do not mean the blue crabs have already established a permanent population in the Gulf of Maine. It would take one and two decades to determine whether the crabs are there to stay.
"This is a time-will-tell issue," Johnson said. "If we saw the population [in the Gulf of Maine] completely disappear within a decade, it will be like a crystal ball into the future. They will be back by the time I retire, which will hopefully be in 30 years."
Virginia Institute of Marine Science researchers Rochelle Seitz and Romuald Lipcius were both skeptical of the blue crabs' capacity to establish populations north of Cape Cod. Neither researcher was involved with the study, though Johnson has recently joined the VIMS staff as an assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences.
"Because blue crabs are tropical marine species, we don't believe they can breed in cooler waters," said Seitz, a research associate professor.
Lipcius, a professor of marine science, said he wasn't surprised that individual blue crabs had been sighted in the Gulf of Maine.
"[Blue crab] is extremely resilient and opportunistic. It can use different habitats and it can eat a wide variety of prey, it can even be cannibalistic. It's also very tolerant of different environmental conditions, extremely cold temperatures it can't tolerate very well," he said. "To see a self-replenishing population, I don't think the cold temperatures would allow that."
Ocean temperatures below 5 C in the Gulf of Maine would be too cold for the crabs to persist, especially during the winter months. They will continue to show up in the Gulf of Maine as ocean currents can carry larvae into the region, the researchers said.
The crabs may be more likely to flourish farther south near New York City, where water temperatures have noticeably increased in recent years, than near Boston.
"I expect that in time we'll see a persistent population in New York and Long Island Sound. But around the cape it will be patchy," Lipcius said.
Climate puzzle complicated by drought and rain
While the possible expansion of blue crab to the Gulf of Maine is in doubt, there is already strong evidence of a number of species either shifting or expanding their ranges along the Atlantic coastline, said Janet Nye, quantitative fisheries ecologist at Stony Brook University in New York, who was not involved with Johnson's study.
In a survey of 36 fish stocks conducted about five years ago, 24 had either moved northward or shifted to deeper, cooler depths, she said.
As with most species on the planet, it is difficult to predict how climate change will affect the blue crabs' long-term success along the East Coast.
Increases in the length or severity of droughts could make some estuaries, especially those in the southeastern United States, less hospitable to the crabs because of increased salinity. Conversely, more precipitation could make estuaries less saline and could lead to higher numbers of blue crabs, Nye said.
Blue crabs found in warmer southern waters tend to spawn more times in a year than their more northerly counterparts. Females in the Gulf of Mexico can spawn as many as eight times, compared with just once for crabs near Cape Cod. There is speculation among researchers that as ocean temperatures rise, crabs that are farther north will be able to produce more offspring and populations could increase, according to Lipcius.
Even if the crabs themselves are able to adapt, it is unclear what will happen to the crabs' main sources of food, or to their predators. Effects of climate change are further confounded by the simultaneous impact of crab fishing, which can have an even greater impact on populations, researchers said.
As for this summer's crab catch, initial reports suggest that Maryland crabs have experienced some winter mortality from this year's cold winter, particularly among females, but Virginia's blue crabs appear to be doing well.
"We're cautiously optimistic, but we're always concerned about blue crab populations, especially given that there are these other factors beyond our control," Lipcius said.
Reprinted from Climatewire with permission from Environment & Energy Publishing, LLC. www.eenews.net, 202-628-6500Recently, a producer of the idol TV show “Produce 101” came out and openly admitted what I’d already known and had been telling people for years – that the show (and by implication, all idol groups with a similar theme) is basically jack-off material, or “healthy porn for men” as he describes it. Several people were shocked – could this be true? How come they hadn’t noticed? More importantly, how to identify this “healthy porn”? Come on a journey with Kpopalypse into the world of dog-whistle concepts!
Here’s an activity that you can all do the next time you’re feeling adventurous and like a bit of social shaming. Or you can just imagine yourself doing this, if you’re a pussy but enjoy living life vicariously through other people’s snarky blogging.
Step 1: go to a place that meets the following criteria:
Somewhere in public
Has a computer with Internet access and a big screen in full view that people can easily watch over your shoulder
Plenty of people of all ages milling about doing stuff but no people very familiar with k-pop anywhere around
Step 2: pick a YouTube video to watch. If you’re male, pick this video, or something with a very similar visual presentation, something that you believe is completely innocent.
If you’re female, instead you can pick something along the lines of this:
Step 3: as you watch, occasionally look around at all the people watching YOU. What do you think people will say? How do you think they will react?
I do the above process fairly often at the radio station where I work, not as some kind of social experiment but just because it’s part of my weekly routine to check out new k-pop. If I put on something like pretty much anything with a group of girls dancing in it, regardless of the levels of flesh shown or where the video sits on the “cute/sexy” scale, over-the-shoulder commenters (of both genders) will always say stuff like “okay, I know why you like this group” with a wink-wink-nudge-nudge-say-no-more kind of tone. People who are new to k-pop and slightly older/wiser than the average k-pop fan (demographically) haven’t been desensitised to the constant sugar-rush of young men and women releasing cheesy videos every week and therefore they can detect what you can’t – the dog-whistle.
I’ve discussed the power of the dog-whistle concept before, but a brief recap: a dog-whistle can only be heard by dogs, not by humans. Likewise, the dog-whistle concept is one that has a certain meaning on the surface, but a completely different meaning just for a specific audience. Let’s quickly look at a western example before we get into the k-pop.
If you’re a fan of classic Hollywood movies you’ll know that women in them are getting spanked all the time. Why? Was there a massive sexual preference for spanking that swept through Hollywood at this time, that then mysteriously vanished a few decades later? Doubtful, rates of people enjoying BDSM have never changed much. Was it some sort of anti-female conspiracy to promote domestic violence and keep women in their place? Maybe misogynistic scriptwriters were the reason in some cases, but it wasn’t a very effective Hollywood conspiracy if Mae West was also allowed a long, active career in the very same system. A much more likely reason for the proliferation of spanking is that you couldn’t show sex on screen in Hollywood due to the Hollywood Code that regulated film production, but spanking was permissible because you could dress it up with moral values in the script. Make the woman naughty, and later in the script punish her for misbehaving, then you can have a scene where she gets bent over by a man which is the closest thing to fucking that you could show on screen back then, but because according to the script the woman deserved it you could say “but we’re just promoting good moral values” if anyone called you out on it. The people who put these scenes in the films knew that the audience members were actually imagining the people on screen having sex instead. Not many people get spanked in movies anymore, and it’s because the sexual activities that people really want to see in films are more permissible now, so the need for a substitute is no longer required.
In k-pop however, not much is usually permissible. EXID’s “L.I.E” is a nice basic example to look at, to get started. The video is overtly sexy by k-pop standards but also full of innuendo that’s reasonably obvious:
At the start of the video, a couple pull up to a hotel. The receptionist gives them the key and smiles. The date then changes from 6/8 to 6/9. The insinuation is that the couple are checking into a love hotel.
The key to the room is also “690”.
The lift control is phallic and gets “fingered”.
The two bells on the desk clearly represent boobs.
The receptionist “beats her meat” in time to the song, presumably while thinking about the couple in the hotel room.
And that’s not even a complete list, just the first one and a half minutes. Before any of you accuse me of “reaching”, we know that this is all deliberate because in a rare case of industry candour the director freely admitted to it. The song has the girls looking hot and so he’s given them a hot, sexually suggestive video to match, but he’s also upped the ante with the extra messages which might slip under the radar of the very naive but make perfect sense to anyone with a bit of wisdom about sexual matters. In k-pop idol territory showing too much flesh or sexual activity is a risk to their brand (will teenage girls want to buy beauty products that a female idol endorses if she acts slutty?) but moving these messages just under the radar of the very naive is enough to get the intended message over the line on the surface without dulling the intention for the dog-whistle’s target audience.
This is a pretty basic example, because the overt message of the video and the underlying message are more or less in sync, the dog-whistle is just a slightly more extreme version of the same thing, implying actual sexual activity rather than just “sexiness”. However, many k-pop MVs are a lot more subtle than this, and the really advanced dog-whistle deployment comes when the overt message and the underlying message of the video are more contradictory. Let’s now look at such an advanced example. Be warned – this is completely disturbing and may make you hate me, yourself, k-pop and/or life in general.
There’s nothing overtly sexual about April’s “Dream Candy” whatsoever, right? On the surface it’s just an everyday little-girl fantasy about gardens and unicorns or some stupid bullshit, and if that’s all you saw when you looked at this, congratulations, your mind has been unsullied by the wicked ways of the world, and you would be well advised to retain your precious naivety and stop reading this post right now.
Actually, “Dream Candy” is under the surface as creepy as fucking shit, absolutely the worst of the worst of pedophile-pandering in k-pop. It’s also a perfect example of the kind of “healthy porn for men” that Produce 101’s director was talking about.
Let’s break it down. Get that bucket handy.
For a start, the girls might be wearing some baby-doll style dresses but boy did they get the 18+ makeup applied to their faces. There’s nothing innocent about that particular shade of ultra-glossy pink lipstick which whether you like it or not is straight out of porn where matching lip tone to labia tone is used to heighten sexual suggestion.
From the second verse, the girls are wearing dirndls during their dance routines. Dirndls are colloquially known as “German milkmaid outfits”. These are also standard porn attire (what – don’t believe me? Google search “dirndl porn” with Safesearch off if you dare!), especially in the modified form they appear in here, because unlike April’s dresses a traditional dirndl doesn’t rise above the kneecap.
The rest of the time the girls are in either bed clothes or baby-doll dresses, creepily exaggerating their extreme youth (but still with adult makeup on!) They also spend a fair bit of time in the video in bed, which I suppose should be expected for a song called “Dream Candy”, but if that name alone doesn’t ring alarm bells, your parents haven’t taught you well enough about “stranger danger“. Don’t accept “dream candy” from strangers, kids!
Lots of blowing kisses and lovey-dovey eyes straight to camera all throughout the video, which would be fine and could |
1%, those rare people who are free not to be observed, and whether ministers should be reminded that FOI does not mean unaccountability through a freedom from oversight.Yes, the Federal Aviation Administration announced a plan last month to hire and train over ten thousand air traffic controllers over the next decade, according to its Air Traffic Controller Workforce Plan 2013-2022. According to the plan, the FAA expects to hire 6,200 controllers over the next five years to staff its 315 air traffic control facilities and its national Command Center and even more thereafter. These facilities range from the air traffic control towers passengers commonly see at airports to radar control centers that provide air traffic control services outside the areas handled by the control towers. Some of the air traffic control towers are radar towers and some, at smaller airports, are non-radar towers. Jobs will be opening throughout the country at all levels of facilities.
Of particular importance to interested applicants, the FAA is opening its hiring to the general public. This is not always the case as sometimes the FAA recruits exclusively from the military or students who have completed an FAA-approved air traffic course of study at the collegiate level. This year the FAA will be opening a general recruiting announcement seeking applicants from the general public who have no air traffic control experience. According to the FAA, this is to add “more depth and diversity to our controller hiring sources.”
If you are interested in applying, the FAA is sponsoring two virtual career fairs, January 29 and February 12 from noon to 4 pm EST in advance of a scheduled public jobs announcement in www.USAJOBS.gov some time in February. Registration for the virtual career fair is at vshow.on24,com/vshow/network/registration/5492# or follow the link on www.faa.gov/jobs/career_fields/aviation_careers/.
To be eligible, members of the general public must pass an Air Traffic Selection and Training exam which tests for qualifications the agency deems necessary for success as an air traffic controller. These include: numeric ability, prioritization, planning, ability to work in a high-stress environment and visualization. In addition, as for all jobs with the United States government, applicants must be US citizens. But for these jobs, they must also be able to speak English clearly enough to be understood over electronic communications and pass stringent medical, psychological and security requirements. Last but not least, applicants can be no older than age 30 as there is an age limit of 31 on beginning training and of 32 on becoming a controller. Further information is available at www.faa.gov/jobs.
I've worked with air traffic controllers my whole aviation career and I can say that it is a demanding job but certainly one with many rewards both professional and financial.Story highlights For decades, the component stereo system was the way to listen to audio
Now it's all about computers and MP3 devices
Has quality been lost? Maybe -- but convenience hasn't
Today's young music fan: "All you need is a good pair of headphones and an iPod"
For many years, it was a rite of fall.
You moved into your dorm room or new apartment. You started unpacking the car. And the first thing you set up in your new place was the stereo system: receiver, turntable or CD player, tape deck and speakers.
The wires could get tangled, and sometimes you had to make shelving out of a stack of milk crates. But only when the music was playing on those handpicked CDs, mix tapes or (geezer alert!) vinyl records did you move in the rest of your stuff.
Daniel Rubio wouldn't know.
To the 23-year-old, new dorm rooms and new apartments have meant computers, iTunes, Pandora and miniature speakers.
"All I had to bring was my laptop. That's pretty much what everyone had," says Rubio, who attended Emory University in Atlanta and now works for a local marketing and communications firm. "It was actually pretty good sound. It would get the job done."
"Get the job done"? That sounds like the white flag for an era that used to be measured in woofers and tweeters, watts per channel and the size of your record collection.
Indeed, the days of the old-fashioned component stereo system are pretty much over, says Alan Penchansky, an audiophile and former columnist for the music trade publication Billboard.
"What's happened in the marketplace, the midmarket for audio has completely been obliterated," he says. "You have this high-end market that's getting smaller all the time, and then you've got the convenience market, which has taken over -- the MP3s, the Bluetooth devices, playing on laptops."
He wishes more people knew what they were missing. At its best, he says, audio reproduction has "a religious aspect."
"There's a primacy to audio," he says. "It's a form of magic."
Wires and jacks
Of course, new technology changes things all the time. When was the last time you bought a roll of film for your camera?
Still, for a long time -- and for a certain, often youthful, audience -- the stereo system was a point of pride.
Greg Milner, the author of the audio recording history "Perfecting Sound Forever," remembers the process. There were components. There were boxes of tapes and CDs. There might even be some vinyl.
It could be a pain, no question. The equipment was heavy. There were all those wires, plugs and jacks -- Line In, Line Out, Aux, Phono, CD, keeping track of the positive and negative strands of speaker wire. It was an effort just to break down and set up the stuff, never mind moving it.
Milner, for example, grew up in Hawaii, and when he went away to school in Minnesota, he had to figure out what he was going to do with his system.
"I remember agonizing, what do I do? I can't take my stereo," he recalls. "There was this thing that, looking back on it, took up a ridiculous amount of psychic energy."
Whole stores were once devoted to stereo components. That hasn't been the case in years.
Audiophiles vs. AM radio
However, he observes that the history of audio technology has often been one of convenience.
Even in the '50s and '60s, when stereo sound first became widespread, the audiophiles had their hi-fis -- and the younger generation listened to tinny AM radios and cheap phonographs.
Indeed, music styles had a lot to do with music consumption, he points out. Audiophiles listened to classical and jazz, music from clubs and concert halls. On a good system, you could hear every pluck of a violin pizzicato, every inflection of a jazz singer's vocal, recreated in your living room.
The kids, on the other hand, listened to cruder rock 'n' roll.
"The seeds of the decline of what it meant to own a stereo were planted way back then, because the original audiophiles were people who were baby boomers' fathers and mothers," he says. "As rock 'n' roll starts to become more of a thing, a lot of that stuff is produced so it's meant to be heard on AM radios."
A Phil Spector Wall of Sound production -- in glorious mono! -- would probably have driven a hi-fi enthusiast up a wall, says Milner.
The mass market moves on
In the '70s and '80s, the twain did meet, for a time. Rock and pop music production techniques improved. At the same time, grown-up baby boomers, now working adults, invested in better audio equipment, all the better to listen to Steely Dan's "Aja."
There were whole mass-market stores devoted to audio gear -- Sound Trek, Hi-Fi Buys, Silo -- and no issue of Rolling Stone was complete without several ads for turntables, cassette decks and equalizers.
But technology marched on, and so did change. Some was for the sake of convenience: Cassettes had more hiss and less range than LPs, but were more portable -- especially when listening on your handy Walkman or boombox.
However, we also started focusing more on visuals. Penchansky traces the decline of the stereo system to the early '80s rise of the music video, which brought visuals to the fore. Suddenly, the concert hall in your living room -- or the audio imaging in your head -- was gone, replaced by surrealist pictures overwhelming the television's tiny speaker.
That branch of consumption has helped lead to the home theater.
Penchansky has nothing against HDTVs and 7.1 systems, but believes that, for the most part, it's a "sonic compromise." With a pure audio system, "There was no way that television, even today, simulates the realism of visual experience the way (good) audio can simulate an audio experience."
Sure, technology has adjusted.
New materials and processing technology have improved the sound of small and inexpensive devices, says Patrick Lavelle, president and CEO of the consumer electronics giant VOXX International, which manufactures such brands as Klipsch, Acoustic Research and Advent.
Headphones and an iPod
And there's still a consumer market for good audio, adds Geir Skaaden, an executive at the high-definition audio company DTS. The top-selling products in Apple Stores, after Apple's own devices, are headphones, he says. (DTS recently introduced technology for an immersive system called Headphone:X, intended for mobile devices.)
Still, convenience still rules. Which means it's out with the component stereo system and in with the computer.
That suits Rubio, the Emory graduate, fine. He grew up in a house with a component system but doesn't believe he's missing anything.
"All you need is a good pair of headphones and an iPod and that's pretty much it," he says.
Milner, the author, can't question his decision.
"Now, why even bother?" he asks. "If you can take your entire music collection and more in something that fits in your pocket, why would you not do that?"After 12 years and a UFC record 22 middleweight fights inside the Octagon, Chris Leben is calling it quits. "The Crippler" appeared on Monday's episode of The MMA Hour to make his announcement official.
"It's been a fantastic, wonderful ride," Leben said. "I've landed more strikes than anybody out there. Definitely highs and lows, ups and downs, but I think I'm starting to realize that, for me, it might be time to make that transition away from competing and get more on the coaching side of things.
"After [UFC 168], I wanted to go back and reevaluate things, make sure that the decision wasn't based purely on emotion. That it was really what I wanted to do. And now, yes, I can say, I've really retired from competing in MMA."
Leben, who began his mixed martial arts career in 2002, recently signed on to become a team coach at Victory MMA & Fitness, a state-of-the-art gym in San Diego, CA. He says that while he always felt he was a good fighter, his true skillset lies in coaching.
"I'm 33 years old now, which isn't the oldest for a fighter. But like I tell people, it's not how old you are, but it's how long you've been doing it. And I've been doing this game for quite a while," Leben said.
"I've got a lot of years ahead of me. I would like to still have my head on my shoulders and have a brain when I'm raising kids and doing all the other stuff that I want to be part of. I think it might just be time for me to gracefully bow out."
A perennial fan favorite and one of the founding cast members of The Ultimate Fighter, Leben retires with a 22-11 career MMA record, along with a 12-10 UFC record -- although five of those 10 losses came over the course of his final six bouts, including the most recent of which, a stark TKO loss to Uriah Hall at UFC 168.
After nearly getting finished by Hall at the end of the opening frame, Leben quit on the stool before the second round could commence. The gesture, which is unfortunately rarely seen in mixed martial arts, was admirable, and though Leben isn't happy about it in retrospect, he still understands the logic behind his decision.
"That first five minutes was just absolutely horrible," he said. "It was more of the same, as far as what my last couple opponents have been doing, to where nobody really wants to -- and I understand why -- but they're not going to stand in front of me, toe to toe, and just swing like guys used to try before. Now I've got a guy with six or nine inches of reach advantage that's definitely a better athlete than I am, that's running away from me as fast as he can and is only going to hit me with these little shots. It was one of those things where, personally, I knew the only thing that was going to happen was two more rounds of that, until he really got me upset and I was rushing in and he hit me with that crazy spinning kick that he does.
"The bottom line is, I've been with the actual UFC now for almost 10 years and I really feel like I've kind of grown with them, parallel with them. In this sport, you're either moving forward or you're moving backward," Leben continued.
"I really can't be upset. I've had a wonderful career. And again, I didn't start fighting until I was 21 years old. Back then you could actually get in the UFC, win and do well, just on being a tough guy. I was a tough guy, I had some techniques, and that always worked for me. But when you look at these guys now, like Uriah Hall, they're just a different breed of athlete than I am. The game has been evolving and changing so much, so rapidly, that I'm actually pretty happy that I can say I was in it for as long as I was in it."
Known as one of the most game fighters in the sport, Leben racked up six post-fight bonuses throughout his UFC career, while fighting a collection of the best talent the 185-pound division had to offer.
His career peaked in 2010, when Leben accepted to meet Yoshihiro Akiyama two weeks after a ‘Knockout of the Night' win over Aaron Simpson, then subsequently submitted Akiyama via third-round triangle. Although, it was the memory of the win that came next that Leben treasures the most.
"Wanderlei (Silva) has always been my hero," Leben remembered fondly. "When I started fighting, I used to walk two miles down to the store, where I could buy these bootleg Pride videos to watch Wanderlei fight. Really, watching him is what got me into the sport. So that win over Wanderlei (at UFC 132) was probably, for me, that was icing on the cake."
Throughout his up and down and sometimes troubled road, Leben also received two suspensions from the UFC for his use of banned substances. Leben first tested positive for the anabolic steroid Stanozolol in 2008, then tested positive for oxy-morphine and oxycodone in 2011.
Following his second suspension, Leben made an emotional appearance on The MMA Hour where he admitted to battling addiction problems his entire life and called the positive drug test "the best thing to ever happen to me."
Regardless of any setbacks, though, Leben says he leaves the sport without any lingering regrets about how his career played out.
"None. It was a wild ride, like I said, and a lot of times it was really uncomfortable. I definitely made some decisions that were not very good. But I think all that goes into... the reason I'm in the situation I am now, and (why) I'm who I am right now, and I'm where I'm at right now. I think everything really happens for a purpose," Leben said in closing.
"I really am happy, and I think that's the biggest thing. I just don't have that mean streak anymore like I used to. I really am in a good place. I'm happy with my life. I have a good life. I'm not angry at anybody, so yeah, pretty amazing, but I definitely turned things around. [My wife and I have] been continuing to walk down the right road, She's kind of like my 401k. I've got her in law school down here in San Diego, so only the brightest is in the future for us."In case it wasn’t already obvious, I don’t hold the news media in high regard:
Why the News Is Still Mostly Pointless
The Financial Media: It’s Still Useless
Right now the left is losing their collective minds over so-called ‘fake news’, blaming it (along with fraud and racism) for Hillary losing and demanding that Facebook and Google do something to stop it.
The reality is, as the links above show, almost all news sucks and is pointless.
The left elevates ‘the news’ as somehow being an incorruptible, unimpeachable institution that answers to a higher calling in the pursuit of the truth, when in reality the news media is just another for-profit venture, like selling shoes or running a casino. Without advertising, the news media would have no reason to exist. The purpose of ‘news’ is to fill the spaces between the ads, but the only difference between ‘real’ news and ‘fake’ news is that the former supposedly has more ‘integrity’, but even that is suspect…remember, ‘real’ news gave the world rape hoaxes, ‘rape culture’, and an imaginary ‘college rape epidemic’. ‘Real’ news said that the US economy and stock market would implode if Trump won (stocks are now at 52-week highs two weeks after Trump’s win), or, between 2009-2015, that there would be ‘dollar collapse’, hyperinflation’, ‘stock market crisis’ and ‘recession’, none of which have happened. Or the WMDs in Iraq, that apparently didn’t exist but the New York Times said they did. One can argue that real news, through spreading lies and sensationalism wrapped in a veneer of ‘credibility’ and ‘respectability’, is far more destructive than fake news can ever be.
Also, fake news is fun, whimsical…real news is depressing (terrorism, death, murder, etc.)…fake news may be an escape for some people from the drudgery and monotony of day-to-day life. There is also a social element to it: conservatives may share fake news on Facebook, not because they always believe it, but to ‘signal’ a political position to their followers, in much the same ways liberals share Onion articles to their friends.
Third, the ‘left’ doesn’t hold their own fabulists and satirists to the same standards that they hold the ‘right’. How is fake news different than Colbert or The Onion, yet not a peep of outrage by the left over those. So really, it’s about censorship of websites and views that threaten the left’s pursuit of political power and media dominance, than promoting ‘journalistic integrity’.
A retort is that The Onion is an obvious satire and fake news is not…or is it? Nowhere on theonion.com is the word ‘satire’ or ‘fake’ mentioned. I guess the left, in a usual display of insularity and lack of awareness, just assumes ‘everyone’ knows what The Onion is, and that anyone who could possibly misconstrue it as ‘real’ is an idiot, but those ‘fake’ news sites, on the other hand, are apparently so convincing that they threaten the institution of democracy and something must be done about these sites, urgently.The NFL has distributed in the press box at Cowboys Stadium a statement that will keep some fans who have tickets from actually getting in to tonight’s game.
“There are a limited number of sections in temporary seating areas inside the stadium that have not been fully completed,” the statement reads. “We are working to resolve the matter and expect that by game time most of the fans affected will have been accommodated in their seats or relocated to similar or better seats.
“Those fans that are affected by this will be directed to the Party Plaza area while the matter is resolved.
“Fans who are not accommodated with seats inside the stadium will each receive a refund of triple the cost of the face value of their ticket.
“We regret the situation.”
Regret is an understatement.
Frankly, a triple-cost refund isn’t enough. The NFL also should reimburse the affected fans for all travel and lodging expenses. Regardless of how this happened, it’s inexcusable for the fans to find out upon arriving at the stadium that they’re S.O.L. At a bare minimum, the affected fans should be refunded every dime spent to make a trip they otherwise would not have made.
And how is this something that comes up now, on game day? Surely, the league knew about this before Sunday. Why not be candid about it so that the affected fans could choose either not to make the trip to Dallas or not to make the trek to the stadium.
Of course, that would have increased the numbers of folks who’d be eligible for refunds, and it would have prevented the league from getting as many folding chairs as possible crammed into the venue so that refunds of some big-dollar tickets wouldn’t be required.
It’s disappointing to see a league that gets so many things right whiff on something so fundamental as ensuring that every ticket sold will translate to a corresponding seat.Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, said the government’s move to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes was a form of “organised loot” and that it would reduce the country’s gross domestic product by 2% or more. Singh, who has also served as the finance minister and the Reserve Bank of India governor, said ordinary people were suffering because of the imposition of the move overnight by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“The prime minister has been arguing that this is the way to curb black money, to prevent the growth of fake currency notes and help control terrorism. I do not disagree with these objectives, but in the process of demonetisation, monumental mismanagement has been undertaken.” Singh quoted economist John Maynard Keynes to dismiss the Centre’s defence that the move would help in the long run, saying “In the long run, we are all dead.”
The Congress leader also said that the Centre’s insistence that people should wait 50 days to estimate the effects of the move was not good enough, as “50 days can bring about disastrous effect for the poor”. Singh said more than 60 to 65 people have lost their lives since the move was announced on November 8. Moreover, he said, the decree could “weaken and erode people’s confidence in the currency and banking system”.
“People have money in the bank, but they are not allowed to withdraw it. This alone is enough to condemn what has been done,” he said. Singh added that given the way the scheme has been implemented, it will hurt agricultural growth, small industries and the informal sector. “The GDP of the country can decline by about 2% points as the result of what has been done, and this is an underestimate and not an overestimate.”
Singh said Modi must come up with “a constructive proposal on implementing the scheme while preventing the distress caused to common people.” He said bringing in modifications to the system every day reflects poorly on the Prime Minister’s Office and, the Finance Minister’s Office and the RBI. He said he was sorry that the RBI had been exposed in this way.
Singh urged Modi to “find practical, pragmatic ways to relieve the distress of the people, who happen to be a majority. After all 90% of our people work in informal sector, and 55% of workers in the agricultural sector are reeling.”
He concluded his address by saying that the way the scheme has been implemented is “a monumental management failure and is a case of organised loot and legalised plunder”.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said the Centre should consider Singh’s opinion on the matter, as he is an eminent economist, NDTV reported.Kings fire Terry Murray!
The King’s have relieved Terry Murray of his coaching job this afternoon. Dean Lombardi will be out at 3:30 pst to talk more about the changes. Asst Coach John Stevens is the interim coach as the Kings are in Boston getting ready for their game tomorrow night.
Rumors all around the internet on Tony Granato being a replacement. Not sure about that as he is with the coaching staff in Pittsburgh. How could they break the contract? More likely Stevens will stay coach mabye all the way through this season before a reliable replacement is found.
Thanks TM for how far you brought the Kings. It’s now time to pass the torch to another to take them to the higher level. Be proud of how much you taught the D. Time for a change, but not with malice. Good Luck!
AdvertisementsFinn Jones, the soon-to-be star of Marvel’s Iron Fist, might have been killed off as Loras Tyrell on Game of Thrones, but he’s still very much entrenched in the world of Westeros. Jones stopped in Chicago recently to play Thrones virtual-reality games ahead of the sixth season’s Blu-ray release, and he quickly discovered he’s great at dodging boulders, but lousy at archery. (“Ugh, forget it.”) When Vulture caught up with the actor soon afterward, he chatted about his theory for the show’s endgame, shooting his last scenes, what Loras might have become had he lived, and how Thrones can give people hope in a post-Trump, post-truth era.
Let’s start with the DVD commentaries, because you didn’t get a chance to do one for season six. If you had, what scene would you have picked, and what would you want people to know about it?
The scene in the Sept that was filmed over four days. That episode was directed by Miguel Sapochnik, who also directed episode nine. To prep for this scene, where I’m getting my head carved by Lancel Lannister, we did an insert. They made a template of my forehead, which was like a hardened surface with blood already in it, and they put a prosthetic on my forehead so when he cuts my forehead, the template can drip blood. It was really believable, really well-thought out. Eugene Simon [who plays Lancel] just had to make sure he got the right starting point, and carved around it. The cool thing was that he could dig his knife in and it would leave a wound, but once you took the knife out, it was almost like the prosthetic would reset itself to be like unbreakable skin. It was like it was self-healing. It’s amazing how much work goes into even just a small scene, how much goes into every detail.
But here’s the thing: So I’m on my knees, I’ve got two dudes behind me, and as we’re about to start filming this really harrowing, excruciating, violent scene where I’m getting my head carved, Miguel’s 2-year-old daughter and his wife come to set! It was like the first time that Miguel’s daughter had seen her dad at work. [Laughs.] So on the one hand, Miguel is trying to be a good dad and support his daughter, show her what a cool dad she’s got, show her his job, and then on the other hand, I’m supposed to be tortured within an inch of my life. It was quite a funny juxtaposition.
Was Will Tudor on set? When I scanned the scene, it looked like his character, Olyvar, wasn’t even present to testify against Loras. Did that mean Loras might have had a chance?
I’m not even sure Olyvar’s alive at this point. I doubt he is. A lot of people said, “Oh, Loras is weak. Why didn’t he stand up for himself? He’s supposed to be a warrior!” All this shit. The show didn’t show much of Loras’s torture, so it might be hard to find empathy with his situation, but when you get into the mindset of what it must be like to be down in those dungeons, he would have been abused. Pretty badly abused. I think a Theon-level of abuse when on down there. His spirit, his body, and his mind were broken to such a drastic extreme that he was willing to just do anything to make it stop. I believe what happened is they gave Loras a speech to read and said, “Look, you just turn up on the day, say this, and then you’ll be free.” So the way I played it, the speech that you hear me do, those weren’t my own words. I was pretty much forced against my will to deliver that speech. There’s a resistance there, because it’s humiliating for Loras to have to denounce his dead boyfriend, his family, everything. It goes against everything he is. But he had been pushed to his limit, and he saw no other way around it. He had to go through this terrible, embarrassing ordeal, but he thought at the end of it, he might be able to restore himself and go back to Highgarden. He was so brainwashed.
Olenna Tyrell is looking to avenge her grandchildren by lending her support to Daenerys …
Here’s what I think would be interesting: What would have happened to Loras if the Sept hadn’t been blown up? He would have been scarred, he would have been stripped of all of his titles, and I think he would have made a really incredible character. He would have turned into this kind of vengeful, war-torn warrior, because he’s lost everything — his love, his title, his looks. All of the things that made him this arrogant, gleaming young knight have been taken from him. It would have been really interesting to see what would have happened next, because you’ve got this really powerful warrior still inside him. I think he would have gone on a revenge path. He could have become a really serious bad ass, like what we’re seeing happen with Arya. That would have been really interesting to play, you know? But Daenerys is coming to town, and HBO needed to wipe out a bunch of characters so that they could get on with the story and finish it. [Laughs.] “Okay, we have to kill a bunch of people. Let’s just blow up the whole Sept! Alright, that’s eight down …” It was a very creative way to get rid of a bunch of us, wipe the slate, and make room for Daenerys. Otherwise, it could just go on forever and ever and ever! [Laughs.]
The books can go on for a bit longer, but the show is looking for a tighter conclusion. What do you think will happen? What do you want to happen?
I’ve had this theory for a while, but I think there needs to be a message with the end of Game of Thrones. You know? I think what needs to happen is ice and fire are going to go to war, a huge war between those two factions, and I think in that war, they will destroy themselves. There will be complete chaos, complete destruction. It’ll just be a war-torn map. And I think out of that winter carnage, spring will follow, and what we’ll see is power being given back to the individual realms. I think the Iron Throne will be dissolved, both physically and ideologically. A Small Council will be set up — not to take power, but to give power back. Hopefully, a more democratic and more progressive era will arise on Westeros. I think that’s a really nice, positive way to end the story, and I think we need that right now. The world is a really fucking weird place right now, and we need someone telling a hopeful, positive, progressive story about politics and power. Why not let it be Game of Thrones, one of the most watched shows, if not the most watched show, in the world? Have a real powerful statement that the power should not be in a throne, or in one centralized pinnacle of power. The power should be in individual democracies, in individual communities. It shouldn’t be an oligarchy, or some small group of elite. Power should be with the people and not with some politician or some heir to the throne or some madman. Fuck that. The world’s dying. We really need to take a look at ourselves and decide what’s next. Thrones would be the perfect platform to send a progressive message because right now, our politicians aren’t telling us any truths. It’s hard to find a good, meaningful message, so I think it’s up to storytellers, television shows, and films to have an impact on the world conversation. Is that not what film and television is for? And if not, what is it for?
Have you been shooting Iron Fist in the States during this whole election season?
The whole time. It’s been really eye-opening to see how it all plays out. I do feel like the media is one of the biggest problems. If you look at all these rolling news channels, they sensationalize the story, they focus on gossip, and they don’t actually tell the full story. If we had journalists on TV who actually tried to seek out the truth, then I don’t think we’d be in the situation where we are. But unfortunately over here, news is entertainment. It’s used by corporations to make money. The result is that we don’t have a clue about what’s going on, and we’re looking at news stories that aren’t even real! You know? It’s just maddening. I can’t walk around this city without seeing something from a 24-hour news channel. I’m so disgusted that they’re giving a voice to the “alt-right.” The fact that the “alt-right” even has a name now! It’s white supremacy. It’s neo-Nazi fascists.
Did you see what the Associated Press did with their style guide for the “alt-right”?
I did, and I thought that was a really good move, so that every time you use that word, you have to use it in quotation marks or give it context. That, hopefully, is the beginning of the pushback and the reformation of the media. We’re staring at such a huge problem, we can’t look away from it now. It will force people to try and make a difference. You’ve got to see optimism and hope in all of this. If there’s going to be anything good to come out of what’s happened, it’s that people will take a stand and make good choices. And I’m hoping Thrones can inspire that. George R.R. Martin stands up for a lot of really good causes, and [showrunners] David [Benioff] and Dan [Weiss] are really good people, so it’s in good hands. I have no doubt that the show will end in a fantastic way.
This interview has been edited and condensed.On the day after the EgyptAir crash, BBC journalists compiled photos of fake victims that had been circulating online.
Who is this man? France 24 investigates
Screengrab of a tweet posted on Tuesday, June 28 after the attack on an airport in Istanbul.
The perpetrators of this hoax were out for revenge
This man used to be my friend but he’s cheated money out of me and at least four people who I know. I lodged both civil and criminal complaints against him, but because the legal proceedings are dragging on and he still hasn’t given us back our money, we decided to punish him by posting his photo online. Our goal is to ruin his reputation. We want the whole world to recognise his face.
This man’s photo was included in a New York Times video memorialising the victims of the Orlando shooting. The video is still online; you can watch it by clicking here. His photo appears at 2:45.
To verify this story, FRANCE 24 managed to contact the man pictured in all these photos. We decided not to publish his real name.
When speaking to our team, he didn’t deny being caught up in legal proceedings. He said:
My photo is everywhere because of someone who started it as a prank after a legal dispute. I never reported the people who did this to me because, in Mexico, nothing ever happens in these kinds of cases.
Now, my photo has appeared in several stories that were widely shared on Twitter. I contacted several media outlets like the BBC and the New York Times and asked them to delete my photo but they never responded.
If these social media users are to be believed, it appears that this man’s photo keeps popping up because a group of people have a personal vendetta against him.To verify this story, FRANCE 24 managed to contact the man pictured in all these photos. We decided not to publish his real name.When speaking to our team, he didn’t deny being caught up in legal proceedings. He said:
This man’s enemies have shared multiple photos of him, from all different points in his life.
Are there any legal consequences for someone who posts someone else’s photo online in an act of revenge?
The man's photo shows up on Twitter in all sorts of different contexts.
These days, people can take to social media instantly if they want to get revenge on someone. It’s a new situation because, before the Internet, only traditional media outlets had such wide reach. These media organisations have a moral code as well as legal restrictions they have to comply with.
If this situation had taken place in France, however, the person who first tweeted this man’s photo could face serious legal consequences and even jail time. He could be tried in a civil court for infringing image distribution rights.
He could also face criminal charges if the photo was taken in a private place without the subject’s consent or if the comments published with the photos are considered defamatory or injurious.
One interesting thing about this case is that it shows that traditional media outlets are more and more influenced by social media. Numerous websites shared this man’s photo without verifying its origins!
>>
How to verify photos and videos on social media networks
This same mysterious man made it onto the lists of victims of the shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida on June 12. His photo was even included in a New York Times video showing images of the victims.And that’s not all. This man’s photo pops up in connection with all sorts of different tragedies. On June 19, for example, Mexican police shot at a crowd of people protesting against education reform, killing at least eight people. Social media users shared his photo again, only this time they claimed that he was the official who ordered the police to shoot.After the EgyptAir crash, several media outlets, including the BBC, saw through this scam and reported that Internet trolls had been putting up fake posts about crash victims, apparently to trick the media. Though BBC journalists said that this man did not really die in the EgyptAir crash, they weren’t able to identify who he was or establish how his photo ended up online. They did, however, note that the social media accounts |
come with it.
Some of the ISL franchises have taken a step into grassroots development while founding chairperson of the Indian Super League, Neeta Ambani, has regularly made a point to mention this in any public comments that she makes. This again leaves even the most strongest of skeptics feeling a bit positive because a long-term grassroots plan will have the most impact on Indian football, and any of its long-term goals.
The National Team
Ultimately, what Indian football needs is the improvement and growth of the national team. Qualifying for a World Cup remains the primary dream for anyone associated with the sport. The Indian national team has for far too long been flirting with embarrassing FIFA rankings in the bottom half of the table, while regularly struggling to beat even the most weakest of teams (including a recent defeat to arch rivals, Pakistan). Yes a strong domestic league ultimately has it’s positive effect on the national team, but a country like India that is already struggling in the sport can’t afford to have a situation where a ‘club vs country’ issue develops like we constantly see in England. If inspiration is to be taken, Indian football will need to be based more on the German football model, rather than the more glamorous one in England.
Recently there was a lot of uproar on Social Media as just days before the ISL was set to kick-off, India were participating in a friendly with Palestine (which they ultimately lost 2-3). Yet not a single mention was given by any of the 8 franchises on their well established Social Media platforms, nor any comment from the official Indian Super League accounts, and shockingly not even by the official body, the AIFF. Yes it was just a meaningless friendly, but given the hype the ISL and it’s franchises generated, establishing vast fan bases, a simple comment would certainly have had a positive effect.
But even with English football being light years ahead of India, a similar disinterest in the national team is at risk. This isn’t helped by the fact that the Indian national team captain and currently the country’s most popular player, Sunil Chhetri, isn’t even participating in the ISL.
Steps need to be taken to ensure that above the Indian Super League, and beyond the I-League, focus remains on improving and establishing the national team; any trickle down effect should be directed there as a priority. Indians are generally passionate people, so even the most casual football fan will grow into a passionate national team supporter with a simple push. If someone like Zico who worked wonders for another Asian giant were to show an interest in the national team, then the Indian Super League would have had one of the most positive effects on Indian football that one can imagine. Given that India will be playing host to the U-17 World Cup in 2017, ensuring that the generation of players that represent the country at that tournament have reaped maximum benefits from whatever the game is offering domestically would be an excellent start for the future of the sport..
Though I remain a skeptic of the whole product based on what I think will happen, I’m ready to eat my words if the Indian Super League does end up taking any of the right steps. Indian football doesn’t have time for an ISL vs I-League war; Indian football is on the minds of all isn’t it?
Written by Sami Faizullah. Chief Editor of this Website.AMES, Iowa – Iowa State head football coachannounced his captains for the 2015 season this morning.Senior quarterbackand junior linebackerwere voted by their teammates to lead the Cyclones during the 2015 campaign.A native of Winter Park, Fla., Richardson enters his third season as Iowa State's full-time starter at quarterback. Richardson, who has started at least one game in each of his first three seasons, has a team-high 21 career starts.The Manning Award watch list member posted an outstanding season in 2014, breaking ISU's school record for completions in a season (254) and completions in a game (37 vs. Toledo). He also tossed 18 TD passes, tying for the third-best total in the history of Cyclone football.Rhoads noted numerous times the improved leadership qualities Richardson exemplified in the offseason and fall camp.Peters, who hails from Gilmore City, Iowa, has become a Cyclone fan favorite in his time in Ames. He's also been a leader in the locker room.Peters came to Iowa State as a greyshirt walk-on in 2012. He quickly earned the trust of his teammates and coaching staff by becoming the Cyclones' special teams dynamo in 2013 and 2104.After the 2014 season ended, Peters was awarded a scholarship. He's now an ISU captain, the first underclassman to be picked as a captain since James White in 2012.Peters' work in community service projects has earned him spots on the Wuerffel Trophy watch list and the AFCA Good Works Team.The federal government took measures to bolster food safety this week as more potentially contaminated food was pulled off shelves. Raw tahini, soup and packets of dried plums were recalled as a new rule required manufacturers to tell the government about any potentially contaminated product within 24 hours. Michael Taylor, the new senior adviser to the FDA's commissioner, said the database means that instead of waiting until people get sick, the agency will be able to act as soon as it has information about potentially contaminated food. Also this week, the White House unveiled a new Web site that brings together information on food safety from various agencies, including the FDA, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The site, www.foodsafety.gov, is designed to make it easier for consumers to get information about recalls, find tips on safe food handling practices and get their questions answered. These actions are part of a campaign by President Obama to bolster America's food safety network, which has been hit with successive outbreaks of food poisoning involving salmonella, E. coli O157:H7 and other pathogens that have tainted everything from ground beef to spinach to peanut butter and cookie dough. At the end of July, the U.S. House passed the Food Safety Modernization Act which would give the FDA authority to recall tainted food, examine company records and carry out more frequent inspections. The Senate is set to consider its own version of the bill this session. In the meantime, the recalls continue. This week the FDA said that Premier Organics of Berkeley, Calif., was pulling 840 cases of Artisana Raw Tahini, a sesame-seed paste, sold in 16-oz. glass jars, over fears they might be contaminated with salmonella. The agency also warned consumers that tests turned up high levels of lead in Saladitos con Chile (salted plums with chili powder), made by Chulada, Inc. of Burbank, Calif. They are sold in 1/4-oz. and 1-oz. packages. And the USDA said Bay Valley Foods of Pittsburgh, Pa., was pulling 6,490 pounds of a chunky grilled steak and vegetable soup that may be undercooked. The soup was sold in 18.6-oz cans under the Stator Bros. brand. -- Lynne Terry; lynneterry@news.oregonian.comI've been mulling over what to write for the review of The City Stained Red for a little while now. The problem being this book is messy. The characters motivations and relationships - messy. The city of Cier'Djaal, it's politics, merchants, militaries - so messy. The various races, all the non-human ones, seem to understand that the humans will soon supplant them - more messiness. All of it combined creates a sort of kaleidoscope of a world that is visceral and honest. It's unlike most books I've read, and that's why I had so much trouble wrapping my head around it. The messiness drew me in, and I swiftly became emotionally invested.
The book is centered around a group of mercenaries, going to a large economical juggernaut of a city Cier'Djaal, to collect the fee for their last job. Lenk, the default leader of the group, wants his big pay day so he can live the old merc dream of putting down his sword and and putting down roots in the great city. The simple objective gets Lenk and his cohorts involved with city politics, a street war, and a cult. Of course Lenk is in love with Kataria, a schict of the forest, who is feeling the psychological strain of being away from her own people, and cannot fathom the idea of living as another second class non-human in Cier-Djaal. Lenk seems to want a fantasy life because he should, more than any real desire, and as the book goes on, it becomes obvious he doesn't really know what he wants. He's good at fighting, but scares himself with it, and knows there's no guarantees. He's not a noble warrior from a line of noble warriors, he's not an embittered former soldier, he's just a guy who stumbled into a vocation he was good at, and wonders if it's really what he should be doing with his life. I think most readers can relate to the sentiment, I know I can.
The other characters, Gariath, the dragonman, last of his tribe, carrying with him the memory of losing all he loved. Denaos, man of many faces, returning to a city a different man than the one who left it after his actions drove it into chaos, he finds old scores, old debts, old wounds opened. Asper, the healer/priestess, doing her best and fighting her own demon within that urges her to destroy as she's trying so hard to do good. And Dreadaeleon, (a great name btw) the young wizard with too much power, and all the cocksure confidence that brings. He finds his first love, and it staggers him.
The great thing about all these characters, they are loyal despite themselves. They don't really like each other, they sometimes seem to hate each other. They have different and conflicting goals. Yet they still manage to look out for each other, want the best for each other. Not to say they are a self-sacrificing lot, for the most they are not.
Like I said, it's hard to pin down, maybe because while The City Stained Red is certainly a fantasy novel, emotionally it feels true. There's no band of heroes meeting at the inn, discussing a great evil over mutton and heading out for their quest to vanquish it with all good intentions. As it so happens, intentions, good or bad, only seem to lead deeper into disaster with this book. And my god is it FUN! The dialogue, and the actions, and the shifting world views as we move from character to character is a hellova good time.
I'm absolutely looking forward to the next installment."There is a real law in Texas that says it’s illegal to own more than six dildos."
Saying individual Americans should own fewer guns, a co-host of the news-like Weekend Update segment on NBC’s "Saturday Night Live" wrapped in a claim about Texas.
Colin Jost, who also wondered aloud about the mass shooter in Las Vegas owning 47 guns, said in the Oct. 7, 2017 episode: "No one should own 47 of anything." Cats, for instance, Jost went on, before adding: "There is a real law in Texas that says it’s illegal to own more than six dildos. And I get why—no one needs that many! If you have more than six dildos, it’s a clear sign you are training for something awful."
Cue laughter. But does Texas have such a law?
An NBC spokeswoman, Lauren Roseman, declined to comment when we sought the basis of Jost’s statement. We similarly failed to draw comment--about Jost's accuracy--from the Texas attorney general’s office, law professors and representatives of Texas law officers and district attorneys.
A law found unconstitutional
For our part, we suspected that Jost was referring to a state law restricting "obscene devices" that remains in place despite being found unconstitutional by a federal appeals court nearly a decade ago. We recently looked into the law, which dates to the 1970s, in finding Mostly False a claim that U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, the former Texas solicitor general, once supported a ban on sex toys. Cruz’s defense of the law, we concluded, came as part of his duties as the state’s top appellate lawyer at the time.
Section 43.23 of the Texas penal code does not specify dildos. It states: "A person commits an offense if, knowing its content and character, he wholesale promotes or possesses with intent to wholesale promote any obscene material or obscene device." Another provision specifies: "A person who possesses six or more obscene devices or identical or similar obscene articles is presumed to possess them with intent to promote the same," the implication being that the person would violate the restriction on promoting such devices.
In ruling against the state in February 2008, judges on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals cited Lawrence and Garner v. Texas, the U.S. Supreme Court's 2003 opinion striking down bans on consensual sex between gay couples, in violation of the 14th Amendment. State lawyers did not appeal the dildo ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court.
"Just as in Lawrence," the circuit court judges wrote, "the state here wants to use its laws to enforce a public moral code by restricting private intimate conduct. The case is not about public sex. It is not about controlling commerce in sex. It is about controlling what people do in the privacy of their own homes because the state is morally opposed to a certain type of consensual private intimate conduct. This is an insufficient justification after Lawrence."
Law remains in place
Lawyers familiar with the appeals court ruling agreed, when we asked, that the sexual devices statute remains in Texas law — but that’s an empty reality, most said.
James C. Todd, a since-retired Texas assistant attorney general who defended the law in federal district court, said by phone he wasn’t surprised that legislators haven’t acted to repeal the law. His speculation: "They don’t want to go back and in the next election have it said (that) my opponent voted against a law to prohibit indecency."
Todd said that while the law remains on the books, it’s unenforceable; since it’s declared unconstitutional, no prosecutor would prosecute someone for violating it, he said.
Gary Krupkin, a Dallas lawyer who represents vendors of sex toys, said by email that the circuit court’s ruling had the same effect as the Texas Legislature repealing the law. Krupkin said he’s unaware of any other state law that could be used to ban, restrict, or otherwise impede the purchase, ownership, commercial sale or use of multiple dildos.
Former judge suggests legal limbo
We should otherwise note a legal twist explored by PolitiFact Florida in 2015. In 2008, a Texas state appeals judge upheld a conviction stemming from the sale of a vibrator by a store in Corpus Christi. The majority opinion upholding the Texas law was issued months after the federal circuit court had found it unconstitutional.
In 2015, legal experts commented on this contrast by saying that technically, federal rulings are not directly binding on state courts, but plaintiffs still would be assured of relief if they pursued their case in federal court.
In the July 2008 state appeals court ruling, Linda Reyna Yañez, a judge on the 13th District Court of Appeals covering Brownsville north to Wharton, wrote that though the court embraced the circuit court’s ruling against the law’s constitutionality, it wasn’t required to follow it.
Yañez wrote: "Fifth Circuit precedent is not binding on Texas courts." The judge also wrote that because the state’s chief criminal appeals court earlier held that the same law didn’t violate due-process rights, the state appeals court had no binding basis to hold otherwise.
In 1985, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals had held that the statute did not violate an individual's right to privacy, concluding that there was no constitutional right to "stimulate another's genitals with an object designed or marketed as useful primarily for that purpose."
At our request, Yañez, an Edinburg attorney who’s no longer a member of the appeals court, re-read the ruling in October 2017. Next, she told us by phone that she stands by the conclusion despite her personal backing of the circuit court’s ruling.
"I remember," she said, "not being able to do what I really wanted to do," which would have been to find the law at fault, she said. But because the U.S. Supreme Court hadn’t taken up the law’s constitutionality while the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals had previously upheld it, she said, "I had absolutely no choice."
"Theoretically a law enforcement officer could still arrest somebody" for violating the law, Yañez said. "This is the way it works. Sometimes you have these inconsistencies and people are left in limbo."
Todd later agreed by phone that it’s a rule of judicial decision-making that Texas appeals courts follow the highest state court’s ruling even on a matter of federal constitutionality. Then again, Todd said, "I’ve always felt like they’re not going to ignore what the 5th Circuit says."
Krupkin said by email that we’d have to check every Texas county to cement whether anyone has been prosecuted under the law. "However, there is a very small cadre of attorneys that specialize in dildo defense. As part of that group, I have not heard of any prosecutions," Krupkin said.
Our ruling
Jost said: "There is a real law in Texas that says it’s illegal to own more than six dildos."
Such a cap on "obscene devices" has been state law since the 1970s though it’s worth clarifying that the law mostly hasn’t been enforced since federal appeals judges found it unconstitutional in 2008.
We rate the claim Mostly True.
MOSTLY TRUE – The statement is accurate but needs clarification or additional information. Click here for more on the six PolitiFact ratings and how we select facts to check.Maryland's Ben Carson may run for president in 2016. The conservative Republican ought to think better of it, pocket the royalties from increased sales of his book and stay out of the contest.
From his television appearances, the world-renowned Baltimore neurosurgeon seems like a smart, personable guy. His bootstrap personal story is compelling, and his surgical genius is unquestioned. All of which is well and good if one needs brain surgery or an extra dose of inspiration.
But with all due respect, nothing on Dr. Carson's resume qualifies him to be president, and it's too important of a job to trust to amateurs. To elect him president based on his neurosurgery expertise makes about as much sense as hiring me to perform brain surgery because I can spell medulla oblongata.
I realize many Americans are sick of Washington and its permanent ruling class. From government to Wall Street to the media, public confidence in American institutions is low. Dr. Carson would — medical metaphor alert! — offer a powerful antidote to a beltway full of career politicians.
But we should be wary of people who believe their successes in one field somehow transfer automatically to politics and public affairs. The truth is that successes rarely transfer across occupations.
Consider the greatest basketball player ever, Michael Jordan, who failed in his bid to play major league baseball and has mostly failed as a National Basketball Association executive. And these jobs were closely related to Mr. Jordan's primary expertise. Image if he decided his jump shot qualified him to be a hedge fund manager or world-class violinist.
Mr. Carson's ambitions remind me of a powerful essay about 2004 Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean penned by Marjorie Williams in December 2003.
At the time, Ms. Williams had been spending more time than she preferred with physicians: She was battling the liver cancer that took her life a year later, at age 46. Suddenly, she realized that Dr. Dean's medical background explained a lot about his political style.
"Where else but in medicine do you find men and women who never admit a mistake? Who talk more than they listen, and feel entitled to withhold crucial information?" Ms. Williams asked rhetorically.
I'm not suggesting Dr. Carson has a "god complex." Nor am I qualified to psychoanalyze Dr. Carson. (That's precisely the point of this column!)
But I am qualified to judge his public pronouncements. And what they reveal is an amateurish, even naïve understanding of how government works.
At the 2013 Conservative Political Action Committee conference in Baltimore, for example, Dr. Carson expressed support for a flat income tax.
But the allure of a simple flat tax — or the gimmicky "9-9-9" tax plan another political amateur, Herman Cain, touted last presidential cycle — is precisely the problem: It's an idea worthy of simpletons. American households differ in income, size, marital status, number of dependents and myriad other ways. Proposing a flat tax that removes the incentivizing power of various tax deductions and privileges is as intellectually lazy as proposing that people simplify their wardrobes by wearing the same clothes no matter the weather conditions.
Last month during his Iowa speech at the "Freedom Summit" co-hosted by Rep. Steve King and Citizens United, Dr. Carson did it again. His solution to a federal bureaucracy he thinks is too big? When federal employees retire, don't hire replacements.
The problem is that some of those retiring bureaucrats perform vital roles. Worse, Dr. Carson seems blithely unaware that public sector employment, which grew by 1.7 million workers during the eight years of the Bush Administration, has actually shrunk during the Obama presidency. Peddling top-of-the-head solutions to imagined problems is a tell-tale sign of an amateur politician.
Such ideas are like the classic Henny Youngman joke about the patient who tells the doctor that it hurts "when I do this," and the doctor replies, "Then don't do that."
That line was good for a laugh, but little more, which I suspect will be the fate of Dr. Carson's presidential candidacy, if he runs. A brain surgeon with a very impressive noggin of his own should know better. Stick to house calls, doc.
Thomas F. Schaller teaches political science at UMBC; his most recent book is "The Stronghold: How Republicans Captured Congress but Surrendered the White House." His column appears every other Wednesday. His email is schaller67@gmail.com. Twitter: @schaller67.Check out this photo of a seemingly happy family (mom is on the far left):
She decided to get involved with the Occupy Wall Street movement. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that except she completely abandoned her family in Florida in order to do so. From devoted mother to dreadlocked protester…
A media reporter asked how she could leave her four children. Her answer: “It’s important for their future.” We also get to see the Indian man she “cozies up to” at night. A fellow supporter adds that “She’s a good mom.”
In the next video you see her making out with a bearded guy at 1:29…
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She did respond when a Post reporter asked about a YouTube video showing her making out with another protester during an Occupy “Kiss In” on Valentine’s Day. “I actually made out with four guys,” she said, laughing wildly.
This seems to be an open-and-shut case of a neglectful mother, but the American judicial system still believes she deserves some cash. She was awarded the $85,000 in her husband’s 401k, which is money that was controlled by a bank and earned through his job as a banker.
The ultimate insult is that she compares her cavorting with male protesters to being a soldier fighting a war:
“Military people leave their families all the time, so why should I feel bad? I’m fighting for a better world.”
Delusional or inspirational? Maybe we should ask the kids she left behind.
Source: New York Postneed
/agar agar powder
/coconut milk
/a vanilla bean
/agave nectar (or sugar)
I love this recipe for how minimalistic and uncomplicated it is; only four ingredients, very few steps, very little time and it is vegan (meat/dairy production wastes natural resources). Usually I like my food as colorful as possible, but these creamy vanilla coconut cubes just screamed Love Aesthetics. So here it is; my first ever food related blog post! I am not a very good cook so don’t expect more recipes, but these are so easy to make and the result is so beautifully that I could not not share this with you guys.
Ingredients explained/
Agar Agar is an Malaysian/Inonesian desert, very similar to jelly pudding with a sightly more bitable texture, if made with water it is incredibly thirst quenching. Though unlike gelatin jelly which is an animal product (made out of animal bones and pig skin), Agar Agar is plant based made out of seaweed. It comes in a variety of colors and flavors but for this recipe you’ll need the flavorless, colorless kind (avoiding all the artificial ingredients). You can find it at almost every Asian supermarket, it is also known as Kanten in Japan. Instead of sugar I used agave nectar, but you can use whatever sweetener you want.
1/ Prepare the Agar Agar as instructed on the package. But instead of using water, use coconut milk. Bring the coconut milk to a boil, add the powder, the agave nectar and the seeds of the vanilla bean. Stirr well and take your pan off the heat.
2/ Pour the mixture into a container. Let it cool off outside the fridge for a while to give the vanilla seeds a chance to sink to the bottom before the pudding sets.
3/ After about an hour in the fridge, cut the agar agar into cubes. If you insert your knife a little diagonally like I did, you’ll get slightly inclined cubes with visually more 3D effect.
4/ Take them out, flip them over to expose the black vanilla speckles and eat!The level of joblessness continued to fall in May as the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 7.8% from April's rate of 7.9%.
The latest figures from the Central Statistics Office show that the seasonally adjusted number of unemployed stood at 169,700 in May, down 1,500 from April.
It also marked a fall of 38,300 compared to the same month last year.
The Irish jobless rate compares with a current euro zone average of 10.2% and is the lowest level since the end of 2008.
Today's CSO figures show that the male unemployment rate fell to 9.2% in May from 10.9% the same time last year.
The female jobless rate was at 6.2%, down from 8.1% in May 2015.
Youth unemployment was also lower in May, easing to 15% from 15.3% in April.
Commenting on today's figures, Merrion economist Alan McQuaid said that while emigration has been a factor to some degree in keeping unemployment down, the labour market has improved dramatically over the past few years due to strengthening of the economic recovery.
The economist noted that employment rose in 12 of the 14 economic sectors on an annual basis and fell in the other two in the first quarter of 2016.
The greatest rates of increase were seen in the administrative and support service activities, with employment up 9.9%, and in the construction sector, which rose by 7.8%.
But Mr McQuaid said the labour supply has begun to rise in response to the improved economic situation, and this is likely to slow down the decline in the jobless rate over the coming months.
"Still, we expect the downward trend in unemployment to continue for a while yet all things being equal," he added.Most weeks, New York Magazine writer-at-large Frank Rich speaks with contributor Alex Carp about the biggest stories in politics and culture. Today: Donald Trump and the Matt Lauer scandal, James O’Keefe’s shoddy brand of journalism, and the prospect of a federal government shutdown next month.
In the wake of Matt Lauer’s sudden firing from NBC after a colleague’s complaint of “inappropriate sexual behavior,” President Trump took to Twitter to accuse the network of “fake news” and lobbed nasty (or already disproven) allegations against morning MSNBC host Joe Scarborough and NBC News chairman Andy Lack. What could he hope to gain with that kind of response?
More than a dozen women have accused Trump of sexual harassment or assault with, as yet, no legal consequences — even though he was caught admitting guilt (gleefully) to Billy Bush on the Access Hollywood tape. As our mad president’s delusional thinking has it, accusing others of his own crimes is always the best defense; it’s the same impulse that has led him to repeatedly claim that it was Hillary Clinton who colluded with Russia in the 2016 election. That said, we should not let Trump’s tweets distract us — either from his own history as a sexual predator or NBC News’ own dubious history in dealing with alleged sexual predators, including both Trump and Lauer. NBC and NBC News should not be allowed to play the victim here just because Trump smeared Scarborough and Lack. This network and its news division have a lot to answer for.
5 Times Matt Lauer Was Inappropriate
As the Lauer story broke yesterday, some (including talking heads on MSNBC) applauded the network for being proactive and firing Lauer on its own volition rather than waiting to respond until journalists elsewhere reported his transgressions (as Fox News waited with Bill O’Reilly, and CBS, PBS, and Bloomberg did with Charlie Rose). That praise is unwarranted. When NBC News fired Lauer, it knew that both Variety and the New York Times were preparing to publish investigative accounts about his serial abuse of women. Indeed, the imminent unmasking of Lauer’s offenses was widely known among journalists; I first heard that Lauer stories were in the offing more than three weeks ago. So all the shock and tearful emotional consternation that made for such great drama on the Today show yesterday (as well as at Morning Joe on MSNBC) involved a certain amount of playacting. There was no way the Today “family” could have been surprised by the revelations of Lauer’s sexual abuses; the only surprise was that NBC had so suddenly fired him.
Prior to this, it’s impossible to forget, NBC News had dropped the ball on two major stories of sexual assault. It had passed on airing the Access Hollywood video of Trump, even though NBC owned the show, ceding that scoop to the Washington Post. And it had retreated from airing the reports of its own correspondent, Ronan Farrow, on Harvey Weinstein, ceding that investigation to The New Yorker. NBC News has never credibly explained either of these punts.
I suspect we are soon to learn much more about who at NBC knew about Lauer’s behavior and enabled it or chose to look the other way — just as we will surely learn more about what those managing House of Cards knew about Kevin Spacey’s sexual predation when the show was in production in Baltimore. We will also learn more about those who either enabled Weinstein at Miramax or (like the disgraced lawyer David Boies) sicced attack dogs on his victims. If NBC wants to start making amends, it could finally make public any Apprentice archival video that sheds further light on its star’s behavior. As the Associated Press reported last year, more than 20 former crew members, editors, and contestants affirmed that Trump repeatedly demeaned women on the show. Bill Pruitt, a former Apprentice producer, said there are “far worse” tapes than the Access Hollywood video that surfaced. NBC must stop sitting on any additional evidence of potentially criminal Trump behavior.
NBC News might also bring back Lauer’s former co-star Billy Bush for on-camera testimony. Ann Curry could conduct the interview.
The failed attempt to plant a fake story in the Washington Post by James O’Keefe of Project Veritas seems like the biggest of his long list of backfires, but previous botches don’t seem to have hurt his esteem in the eyes of his conservative donors. Will the conservative money move on?
Let’s take a moment to acknowledge the moral atrocity of what O’Keefe did: He created a fake sexual-assault crime by Roy Moore in a failed attempt to discredit the real Moore predation that the Post uncovered. What could be more depraved than that?
But even though this stunt blew up, possibly blowing up the punk O’Keefe with it, this incident is only a tiny cog in a much larger right-wing effort, led by Trump, to discredit the news media and to destroy the whole idea of fact-based news as we know it. As the Times has reported, Trump is now revving up to peddle a fiction that the incriminating Access Hollywood video is a hoax — and perhaps to revive his birther calumnies against Obama. Last week he went on yet another tirade attacking CNN, and particularly the brave war-zone journalists of CNN International, for perpetrating “fake news.” Yesterday, he posted on Twitter bogus videos earlier tweeted by the fringe ultra-right group Britain First purporting to depict Muslims engaging in vicious violence. (The videos are about as true-to-life as a Monty Python sketch if you watch them.) Not for nothing had the Trump Foundation (surely “Foundation” should be in quotes) given at least $20,000 — its rare “charitable” contribution — to O’Keefe’s Project Veritas.
Whatever the fate of Project Veritas, Breitbart and its like aren’t going anywhere. Trump and right-wing money will continue to support the blitzkrieg to undermine actual news and install fake news in its place. Count me among the skeptics who do not believe that the Koch Brothers invested in the Meredith Corporation’s purchase of the Time Inc. magazine empire to make money. You don’t invest in print to make money. You invest to make Betsy DeVos Person of the Year.
An attempt at bipartisan budget negotiations this week regressed into Trump airing complaints to television cameras while sitting between two empty chairs. Is the country headed for a government shutdown?
Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi were right to pull out of a supposedly bipartisan White House summit after Trump (again on Twitter) accused them of deluging America with floods of illegal immigrants and condoning crime. How could they have done otherwise?
Meanwhile, I’m all for the Democrats having the spine to shut the government down. Dick Armey, the Texas congressman in Newt Gingrich’s leadership who argued against Newt’s shutdown gambit in the Clinton years, had it right when he said that Republicans would always “get blamed for shutdowns.” It is “counterintuitive to the average American” that Democrats want to shut down the government, he said, because “they’re the advocates of the government.” Meanwhile “it is perfectly logical to them that Republicans would shut it down because we’re seen as antithetical to government.” Go for it!
Another wild card that could shut the government down, at least figuratively, has nothing to do with the Democrats’ debatable spine. If Roy Moore, now ahead in three recent Alabama polls, wins on December 12, the Senate will be thrown into turmoil as it weighs the question of whether to admit him to its ranks. Or will it? Now that even John McCain has surrendered to an outrageous tax bill that violates his own stated principles about fiscal probity and congressional process, perhaps he and his colleagues, for all their bluster, will surrender to Trump’s inevitable demand that they let a sexual predator join the Senate too.Even at low levels, radiation can make people sick over time. But brief periods of intense exposure, like after the destruction of the Fukushima reactor in 2011, can cause more immediate health threats, especially on the gastrointestinal tract, or even death. Now researchers have developed a drug that can stop damage to the intestines as long as it’s administered up to 24 hours after a patient is exposed, according to a study published recently in the journal Laboratory Investigation.
Physicians use gastrointestinal symptoms to judge the severity of a person’s radiation exposure. A high dose of radiation can destroy the intestinal barrier, a thin layer of cells that acts as the interface between our bodies and the millions of bacteria that live in our intestines. Normally these bacteria work with us, breaking down our food and regulating our mood, but with the intestinal barrier gone, the body has trouble absorbing water or nutrients in food. Plus, the bacteria can stray and infect other parts of the body. As a result, a person with radiation poisoning often shows severe dehydration, nausea, vomiting, and intestinal pain. Without treatment, a patient will die—usually of infection—within two weeks.
The existing treatment, a compound called Prussian blue, absorbs some of the radiation that causes damage in the body, but doesn’t protect the intestinal barrier specifically. This has inspired a search for drugs that can “mitigate the effects of radiation post exposure, accelerate tissue repair in radiation-exposed individuals, and prevent mortality,” the researchers write.
The new drug, called TP508, was originally designed to help patients regenerate cells by increasing blood flow and decreasing inflammation, according to the press release—it’s been used to ensure that diabetic patients don’t lose a foot, or to help patients with wrist fractures heal more quickly. In this study, the researchers exposed mice to acute levels of radiation, then gave them an injection of TP508 after 24 hours. Not only did the drug prevent the destruction of the intestinal barrier cells, it boosted biomarkers characteristic of cell repair.
Even if this treatment proves to be as effective in humans as it was in this experiment on mice, it would have limitations—it’s not a panacea for all the damage that acute radiation can cause. But if its efficacy holds up in future studies, TP508 would be an important new tool in radioactive emergencies by buying doctors more time to get patients more sophisticated treatments.Tesla, end-of-year 2017: The tech giant's CEO Elon Musk is continuing to assure consumers that Tesla will have a coast-to-coast autopilot demo by the end of this year. At a Ted Talk in April, Musk said, "We should be able to go from a parking lot in California to a parking lot in New York, no controls touched at any point during the entire journey."
General Motors, 2018: Reuters reported in February that GM plans to have "thousands of self-driving electric cars in test fleets...beginning in 2018," in partnership with Lyft. Kyle Vogt, CEO of Cruise Automation which was bought by GM last year, did not confirm this with Forbes in March, but said they plan to "deploy in a rideshare environment, and very quickly."
Hyundai, 2020: According to Forbes, the South Korean motor company is "slated to release highly autonomous vehicles by 2020...and fully autonomous vehicles by 2030," meaning level four and five automation.
Renault-Nissan Alliance, 2020: The partnered companies plan to " |
“General Order” to members of the police department on “Video Recording, Photographing, and Audio Recording of Metropolitan Police Department Members by the Public.” The order, which was part of the settlement of an ACLU lawsuit, includes some very interesting, groundbreaking provisions.
The order reminds police officers in Washington that:
• Still and video photography “of places, buildings, structures and events are common and lawful activities.”
• “A bystander has the right under the First Amendment to observe and record members [of the police force] in the public discharge of their duties.”
• “A bystander has the same right to take photographs or make records as a member of the media” as long as the bystander has a right to be where he or she is.
Of course, the order also makes clear that these protections only apply insofar as individuals are not impeding or interfering with the performance of police duties. The full text of the order is here—and for those interested in the right to record, worth a look.
One of the most interesting portions of the order has to do with those cases where police believe that a smartphone or other recording device may contain evidence of a crime. Generally police do not have the right to seize anyone’s camera or phone—though (as we explained in our Photographer’s “Know Your Rights” piece) the only exception might be when the police believe that a device contains evidence of a crime.
I spoke with my ACLU colleague Art Spitzer, who handled this case for the ACLU of the National Capital Area, and he told me how the case unfolded, and how that issue was addressed:
Our client is a young African-American guy named Jerome Vorus who is still a student but is also a budding photojournalist and has had a number of jobs at well-known media outlets around town—internships and summer jobs. And so he carries his video equipment with him everywhere he goes, and is especially interested in police and fire activity. He was walking in Georgetown one day in July 2010 when he saw some DC police officers conducting a traffic stop, and he stopped on the sidewalk and started taking still pictures. And when the police officers saw what he was doing, they came over and essentially told him he was not allowed to do that, and detained him for about half an hour on the scene. He very commendably stood up for his rights and told them that he had every right to do that. And eventually, they backed down, and gave him back his driver’s license which they had asked for, and let him go. And he actually did an audio recording of a lot of the transactions with the police, so we had a good record of what had happened. We saw his blog about the incident and contacted him. We wrote to the police chief—a long letter describing what had happened and stating our view that what the officers had done was improper. We got no response to that. So eventually we filed a lawsuit, which got their attention. At that point, they asked us if we thought we could work out a settlement, and we said what Mr. Vorus really wants—he’d like some money for the fact that he was improperly detained—but mostly what he’s interested in and what we’re interested in is getting the police to understand how they should behave: when someone’s taking their picture, basically they should just smile. It took us a long time, negotiating back and forth, and they agreed they would issue some guidance to the police department about this. It took a long time to come to agreement on the form, which is a General Order—the highest level of instruction in the police department. There are general orders on most basic subjects—how the police should do things, how they should conduct searches and seizures, how they should conduct investigations, what various parts of the law mean. The part that actually took longest to negotiate was the question of what do you do if the police have reason to believe that someone’s camera has evidence that might be important, either in prosecuting a crime or in perhaps in showing police misconduct. We didn’t want the police to be just grabbing people’s cameras—which has certainly happened sometimes—and we also certainly didn’t want police to be browsing through people’s photographs and video to see what else might be there that’s really of no legitimate interest to the police. And we eventually agreed. I think the most creative thing about this order—my idea was, why can’t the police department set up an email address so that someone can simply email the relevant photographs or video, so you’ll have it, but I get to keep my camera. So that’s been incorporated in the order. There still may be some situations where the person refuses to do that, where the police believe they need the evidence. In that case they have to call a higher-ranking official to the scene, who would presumably first try to persuade the person to voluntarily hand over the photographs. But if the person won’t, then eventually that higher official can make a decision on whether it’s necessary to seize the camera. If the camera is seized, the police are not allowed to look at what’s on it without going to a judge and getting a search warrant, which would give them permission only to look at the relevant photographs or video, and not to look at everything. So we thought we protected that about as best we could, understanding that there surely may be some cases where the pictures are important evidence, and the government has a right to get that evidence.
As far as we know, this DC general order is the first time that anyone has tackled this issue, and it looks like Art and the DC police department reached a very good resolution of this issue, which sensibly preserves everyone’s interests. It also (in DC at least) helps further the long overdue and frustratingly intractable process of educating officers on the street about citizens’ right to record.
Jerome Vorus’s blog and photos from the incident are online, as is a Monday local television interview with him, and earlier local press coverage and a Reason TV interview.SAN ANTONIO — The world’s leading authority on the heavens is bringing his otherworldly smarts down to San Antonio.
Noted astrophysicist and “Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey” host Neil deGrasse Tyson will grace the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts on June 16, 2015, for “An Evening with Neil deGrasse Tyson.” Tickets officially go on sale Friday, Nov. 14, at 10 a.m.
But the Tobin Center is offering a special “presale opportunity” now for the Tyson event. Click here and use the promo code COSMOS, which is valid for purchasing tickets online, in person or by phone at 210-223-8624. Tickets look to start at $47.50, with meet and greet tickets at $165.
The director of the Hayden Planetarium is famous for making scientific topics both enlightening and entertaining, be it breaking down exploding stars and the many wonders of the Milky Way or just breaking apart the science sins of “Gravity” and cracking us up with his beloved Internet meme. Like Bill Nye the Science Guy without the bow ties, Tyson popularizes science for the masses on various popular media platforms, including “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report.” He once even appeared as himself in the comics to tell Superman what star Krypton once orbited, while in the real world helped pick a real star to approximate it.Game of Thrones is a show where the decisions of the past affect the lives of the generations after them. But for all the flashbacks and mind-swaps and ancient tomes, have you ever considered the pasts of the actors who make the show so memorable? Here's some rare photos we found that will blow your mind (that is, unless you're familiar with European character actors from the past 40 years).
1. Young Cersei Lannister (in 1994's Waterland)
Lena Headey as a teenager, and she still had the RBF on lockdown.
2. Young Ser Jorah Mormont (in 1988's Gorillas in the Mist)
Iain Glenn proving that cheekbones are forever.
3. Young Euron Greyjoy (in 2008's To verdener)
Actor Pilou Asbæk starred in a bunch of sincere dramas in his home country of Denmark before becoming the scourge of the Narrow Seas.
4. Young Yara Greyjoy (in 2010's The Wolfman)
Despite her famous no-nonsense role in Game of Thrones, Gemma Whelan is actually an award winning standup comedian in England.
5. Young Jaqen H'gar (in 2008's Spoons)
A man is given a name, and it's Tom Wlaschiha.
6. Young Qyburn (in a 1988 adaptation of Twelfth Night)
Though we know him as Cersei's personal Mad Scientist, Anton Lesser has been with the Royal Shakespeare Company since 1990!
7. Young Bronn (in 1991's Soldier Soldier)
Jerome Flynn was not only a TV star, but he had a pop hit in 1995.
8. Young Walder Frey (in 1971's A Family At War)
Hard to believe that David Bradley once had a role that wasn't "bitter old dude in genre fiction".
9. Young Ellaria Sand (in 2008's Jinnah)
Indira Varma played the second wife of Pakistani founding figure Muhammad Ali Jinnah in this biopic starring Christopher Lee.
10. Young Tormund Giantsbane (in 2001's Fox Grønland)
16 years ago, Kristofer Hivju graced Norwegian televisions WITHOUT his now-legendary beard.During the year that my baby was sick, I learned an awful lot about empathy. Never before did I know how meaningful it is to hear the simple words, “I’m sorry this is happening to you” or “This is tough.” Whenever someone simply let me feel, let me express myself, and let me not have to justify my feelings, it lifted me.
On the flip side, whenever someone told me a story of another person who had it worse, how this was just a moment, or how it wasn’t as bad as I thought, it devastated me.
While I sometimes initially felt angry hearing those careless words, I always eventually realized they were coming from a good place — from someone who really wanted me to feel better. How did I know that? Because I can think back on so many times when I’ve said those same words in a desperate effort to think of something — anything — positive.
In my church congregation, I work with young women who are 12 to 18 years old. One thing they keep telling me is how much it just stinks to have grownups trivialize their problems. They want me — and all the grownups in their lives — to know that finals and boyfriends and sports and homework and friends are hard… REALLY hard.
These girls are such intelligent girls — they recognize that adult problems are hard too, and they even understand why their problems seem small to those of us who crossed the teenage threshold long ago. But they just want adults to quit comparing. Yes, they know homework isn’t as big of a deal as unemployment. But homework is still hard. It’s still all-consuming, and it’s still a major stressor. Don’t we remember how hard it was at the time?
We should.
I’m learning so much from these teenagers.
Yesterday, my 8-year-old and 4-year-old were watching a Tinkerbell movie. When it ended, 4-year-old Emma came and gave me a very strong hug. She was whimpering. 8-year-old Lydia soon followed with a suspicious look on her face.
“Lydia, is she hurt?” I asked after Emma refused to answer my questions.
Lydia shook her head, that suspicious look becoming more and more mischievous by the second.
“Did you hurt her?” I asked again.
Suddenly, I realized her mischievous grin hadn’t been mischievous at all; it had been a front to the deeply sad emotions she was holding back and now letting go. Her “grin” turned upside down as she began to relate to me what had happened.
“The movie ended, and the sob sob sob…” Her voice broke away as the floodgates opened — for both her and Emma. Suddenly I had two sobbing girls clinging to my arms. I wasn’t sure what exactly had happened, but I knew the movie had a sad ending.
At first, I was going to laugh. It was so cute and sweet — and such a trivial thing to get worked up about. But then, because of my year with a sick baby and because of the teenagers who give me perspective, I realized this was a devastating moment in my daughters’ lives.
“Let’s go over to the couch so I can hold you both,” I said. Once we arrived, the crying reached heights I’d never heard before. I think the permission to cry released an unearthly amount of sadness and emotion.
When the crying had calmed a bit, I asked, “Did someone die in the movie?”
“No,” they both choked.
“What happened?”
“The (something I never could understand) saved all the fairies, and then it had to go back into the Earth for 1,000 years, and the fairies will never see him again!!!!” Lydia managed to sputter out.
The tears doubled in intensity as they both relived the sad moment.
I admit — I did smile when they weren’t looking. It was adorable that they cared so much. But then I held them close, told them I was sorry, and just let them cry.
And as I felt their shuddering sobs, tears began forming in my own eyes. Was I really crying for this cartoon character thing I didn’t see and didn’t know or care about?
No. I was crying because my girls were sad. Letting them be sad allowed me to feel their feelings right there with them. And that was actually a big blessing and lesson to me — one I hope I remember when they’re devastated over breaking up with a boy I never liked, not getting into a college I didn’t want them to go to, or any other number of experiences we’re going to have through the years when I simply won’t see things from their perspective.
The tears ended shortly thereafter. I think they would have gone on indefinitely had I told the girls they were silly to cry over a movie. But being allowed to grieve — even over a character in a fairy movie — helped them move on quickly. Soon, they were playing a game together and had no thought for the mysterious character that returned to the ground for 1,000 years.
I don’t always let my children grieve over their problems. I don’t always let them feel what they need to feel. I’m impatient, and I want to get out the door, get back to my work, get dinner ready, get their wails and tears out of my ears and head.
But this time, I’m glad I was able to see that their problems were real to them. They just needed someone to hug them and let them simply feel.
We all do.India could have achieved as much as China in terms of development had it been less democratic, former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said here today.
Mahathir, who ruled Malaysia for 22 years, said though democracy was the best form of government, it was not the easiest way to govern.
"If India is not too democratic it will be like China in terms of development," he said in an interactive session at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit here.
Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jyotiraditya Scindia and BJD MP Jay Panda disagreed with Mahathir's contention arguing that India looked towards development as a marathon and not a sprint.
Panda said the Indian democratic system was evolving and there were plenty of countries in the world which did not have democracy and have not developed.
"As far as whether democracy is more of a hindrance to India, it is certainly more difficult. Our system is evolving, our trajectory of growth is certainly better than it was in earlier decades. We do need to tweak our system, but we do not need to change our system," Panda said.
Mahathir said though India has been a democracy for a long time, its socialist leaning had come in the path of growth.
Suggesting a model of a strong Centre and less powerful provinces for India, he said such an approach would help promote development.
"You need a much stronger central government and less powers to the provincial governments, because there will never be an agreement between the Centre and the provinces. This makes it difficult for the government to promote any policy," Mahathir said.
Referring to the recent multi-nation military actions in Iraq and Libya, the Malaysian leader said when people are killed they do not enjoy the democracy foisted upon them.
... contd.
Please read our terms of use before posting commentsOn Saturday, we showed what EVE's lead game designer Kristoffer Touborg and senior producer Jon Lander had to say about their own game. Today, we ask them what they think about some other games currently in development and they don't pull any punches.
PCG: Earlier this month on PC Gamer we posted an interview with Matt Firor, the game director for Elder Scrolls Online. And I just want to get you guys' thoughts on something he sai. He told us, "At this point in the evolution of MMOs, every MMO has tried something at one point or another that you're going to do in your game. There aren't any more truly innovative features." I'm curious, do you think that's true?
Kristoffer Touborg: No, and if I ever said that, Jon should fire me. No, really. That's... Yeah. I think that's... Yeah, I wouldn't agree with that. The best MMOs are entirely different. If you want my top five MMOs, they're all completely different. Other people have tried to replicate it afterwards, but the fact is that the unique MMOs are the ones that are going to survive for a long time. Those are the interesting ones. This genre has so much left.
Jon Lander: I'll be honest: nobody in the world has ever mixed a PlayStation game with a PC game, where you can interact with each other in the game world and shoot each other in a third-person-style sci-fi spaceship game and a first-person shooter. If that's not unique I don't know what it is.
I've come out of some meetings where we're talking about what we're going to do next and... No, I fundamentally don't believe that. I think that if we thought that [there was nothing left to innovate in the MMO genre], I would probably leave the industry, because what's the point?
I know we've got a lot of things up our sleeves which nobody else has done. You can't force innovation. You can't think about what the next innovative thing is—you won't find it. The harder you try and look for it, the more difficult it is to find. You've just gotta have a crazy dream and roll with it, see what happens. Sometimes that doesn't pay off, sometimes it does. But when it does pay off, you get something which is absolute gold dust. I've seen it happen here. I've seen unique things that have never been seen before in the world, in the history of gaming, that have happened at CCP. I wouldn't agree with that statement.
KT: I think also, it's kind of waving a white flag. Like, yeah... I don't like that statement. Because I think that's part of why there's such an attrition with MMOs. People go in and play an MMO for a month and they just want to throw up because they've leveled to 60 in ten different titles
Just assuming that that's the only thing that's out there is deeply wrong. I think the next time there's a massive smash hit MMO, I hope it's something different. Otherwise the same ones are just going to continue on the trend we see every time, where they sell a load of boxes and people play it for three months and then they go somewhere else. There has to be something else out there.
We see it, even with shooters. Shooters, I think, is one of the least imaginative genres, really, but tons has happened anyways. Team Fortress, PlanetSide. Something always comes up with something fairly awesome. DayZ for example. I enjoy playing Diablo, but DayZ is the best game I've played for months. That's innovation, that's taking something. A sandbox shooter is awesome.
When we were playing Left 4 Dead, we had people claiming that it was an open-world game with multiple solutions, but there's always really one optimal route. With DayZ, there is no optimal route. DayZ is, you're on a beach with a gun and a can of beans.
I was about to say "Here's a Rubik's cube, go f%$^ yourself," because that's what we do with EVE Online. DayZ is super innovative, and that's a shooter—one of the least innovative genres in my opinion, and there's tons to do. Somebody is going to do the same for MMOs, and hopefully it will be soon so we can see some new fun stuff.The first eight names of the 49 people killed in a mass shooting at Orlando’s Pulse nightclub had been released by Sunday evening.
One of the victims on the city of Orlando’s website was Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36, who lived in Miami for a period of time, a friend said.
The mass shooting, at the hands of 29-year-old Omar Mateen, is now considered the deadliest in U.S. history.
SHARE COPY LINK Mourners gathered at Iglesia El Calvario for a bilingual vigil for the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting. Governor Rick Scott lead a moment of silence for the victims lost and injured on Sun., June 12, 2016.
More names will be released as families are notified.
“Our city is working tirelessly to get as much information out to the families so they can begin the grieving process,” the website stated.
SHARE COPY LINK A gunman killed at least 49 people inside a gay nightclub in Orlando early Sunday morning. After holding hostages for hours, the gunman was killed by authorities in a shootout. More than 50 others were injured in the attack.
Edward Sotomayor Jr., 34: Sotomayor, who lived in Sarasota, was a national brand manager for Al and Chuck Gay Travel.
His friend James De La Fuente described Sotomayor — affectionately known by his friends as Top Hat Eddie because he had a signature look with his top hat — as “genuinely good.”
“He was worldly,” said De La Fuenta, who had been friends with him for three years. “Diversified and fair. Honest and true. Edward really went above and beyond for people.”
His cousin David Sotomayor, who lives in Chicago, discovered that he was related to Edward after meeting him at Orlando’s Gay Days festival about 10 years ago. They last saw each other earlier this year at a filming of the reality television show RuPaul’s Drag Race.
“He was just always part of the fun,” David Sotomayor said on Sunday to The Associated Press.
Stanley Almodovar III, 23: Almodovar, a Springfield, Massachusetts, native, was a technician at a pharmacy in Clermont, where he lived, according to his Facebook profile. Friends and family flooded his page with condolences and disbelief.
“Stanley was one of the most friendly people I’ve ever had a chance to meet,” said Caitlin Rodrigues, one of Almodovar’s friends. “He had the personality anyone could get along with.”
Luis Almodovar, 24, no relation, said he and Almodovar bonded on Facebook over their shared last names nearly four years ago. While they never got the chance to meet, Almodovar had talked about visiting Luis in Philadelphia.
“All I can say is, he’s a really good person,” Luis said.
“My heart literally broke, because he was one of my best friends that I could talk to when I was upset about something.”
Luis Omar Ocasio-Capo, 20: Ocasio-Capo was a dancer, according to his Facebook page.
Juan Ramon Guerrero, 22: Guerrero started attending college at the University of Central Florida and worked as a telemarketer, his cousin Robert Guerrero said on Sunday.
“He was always this amazing person, he was like a big brother to me,” Robert Guerrero said of his cousin. “He was never the type to go out to parties, would rather stay home and take care of his niece and nephew.”
Eric Ivan Ortiz-Rivera, 36: Ortiz-Rivera was originally from Puerto Rico and lived in Miami in recent years. “He was an amazing guy. I’m sure that he’s the best friend you can ever have,” said Jose Morales, a friend from Puerto Rico. Morales and Ortiz-Rivera moved to Orlando together in 2007.
“He was a very, very, very good friend,” Morales said. “Very careful, very humble. He was something out of nothing.” Ortiz-Rivera had recently moved back to Orlando.
SHARE COPY LINK Members of the Islamic Center of Orlando gather for a vigil in memory of those who perished during the attack on Pulse Night Club.
Peter O. Gonzalez-Cruz, 22: Gonzalez-Cruz graduated from Colonia High School in 2013 and worked at UPS, his Facebook page said. He was from Benoni, South Africa.
Luis S. Vielma, 22: Vielma, who lived in Orlando, worked at Universal Orlando Resort, according to his Facebook page.
“Luis was by and far the best person I knew,” his friend Will Randle said. “He inherently made us all better people by simply existing around us. Part of him will always live on in every good decision I make.”
Kimberly Morris, 37.The National Rifle Association (NRA) and other gun rights groups are fighting to change the public perception of “silencers” — or “sound suppressors" — that reduce the noise of gunfire.
Although the gun industry originally popularized the word “silencer” a century ago, now lobbyists are hoping to gain some distance from the term in large part because of fears that Hollywood has distorted the name. Their concern is that the popular concept of the device prompts fear about their use, which could in turn influence policy.
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Unlike their portrayal in Hollywood films, pro-gun groups have noted that silencers are not completely silent and claim it would be more accurate to refer to these devices as sound suppressors.
They reduce the noise of gunfire enough to protect ears, but not so much that mass shooters could go undetected, the NRA says.
"The [sound suppressors] were a victim of the success of his marketing," said Knox Williams, president of the American Suppressor Association, which is working with the NRA on this issue. Williams referenced Hiram Percy Maxim, who first used the term in the early 1900s when he invented what he referred to as the Maxim Silencer. The term later caught on with legislators and regulators. "He labeled it as a silent firearm, and people took it for gospel," Williams said of Maxim. The NRA, American Suppressor Association (ASA), and National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) all invited the media to gun ranges this week to demonstrate that sound suppressors are far from silent.
But gun control groups fear using the term “sound suppressor” risks watering down the danger such devices, according to them, represent.
“It’s all semantics,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
“Focusing on the name distracts people from the real conversation,” Watts said. “They did the same thing with the debate over whether to use the term ‘assault rifles’ or ‘semiautomatic rifles,’ and then the whole conversation shifted to ‘What are we going to call these things?’”
“They want to get into semantics about the language, so we don’t talk about how dangerous they are.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) reported last August there are more than 900,000 privately-owned silencers in the U.S. More recent reports indicate that number is growing.
The expanding focus on silencers has intensified the debate over terminology.
Sound suppressors are “less loud, not quiet,” said Larry Keane, senior vice president of government affairs at the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF).
“We prefer to refer to them as ‘suppressors,’ because that more accurately describes what they do,” he explained. “They reduce the noise of gunfire, but they don’t block it.”
“They are simply a muffler for your gun,” Keane said. “You hear a car go by without a muffler and it’s loud, but you can still hear it with a muffler.”
Former ATF agent David Chipman agreed, in part, with this argument — even though he now works for a gun control group.
“If it was up to me, I would feel much more comfortable with the word ‘suppressor,’ because that term is a more accurate description,” said Chipman, who now serves as senior policy advisor at Americans for Responsible Solutions, the gun control group founded by former Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-Ariz.), who survived a 2011 mass shooting.
“That phrase — ‘suppressed gunfire’ — just rolls off your lips,” he said. “Unfortunately, that word is not found in the law that regulates silencers, which I enforced for 25 years.”
Both the National Firearms Act and Gun Control Act exclusively use the term “silencer.” The term was first used by Hiram Percy Maxim in the early 1900s, when he invented what he referred to as the Maxim Silencer. The term later caught on with legislators and regulators.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, people who are exposed to noises louder than 140 decibels may face permanent damage to their ears.
On one side of the spectrum, whispering is about 30 decibels, while a normal conversation is 60 decibels. The ring of a telephone comes in around 80 decibels, and a lawn mower can be as loud as 90 decibels.
But a typical gun shot can be louder than 160 decibels.
The NRA claims suppressors can reduce the sound by more than 30 decibels. That brings it just below the hearing danger level.
But gunfire masked by silencers is far from silent, the NRA argues. They point out it is still louder than jackhammers (130 decibels) and ambulance sirens (120 decibels).
Gun control groups, in turn, raise concerns about humanizing silencers by comparing them to regular sounds.
“I don’t think it matters, because lawn mowers aren’t responsible for the deaths of about 90 Americans each day,” said Erika Soto Lamb, spokesperson for Everytown for Gun Safety, the group run by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Silencers not only distort the sound of a gun shot, but they also mask the muzzle flash, making it difficult to spot a shooter, said Chipman.
“It could confuse you long enough for a shooter to hit you with a second round of gunfire,” he said.
Gun manufacturers enjoyed huge profits during President Obama’s time in office, as gun owners rushed to purchase firearms before the government crackdown that some feared would hit firearm sales.
With a gun-friendly President Trump now in office, this frenzy has declined and critics say the NRA is looking for other avenues to make money.
“The silencers are an accessory to make up for the loss of guns sales since President Obama left office,” Watts said.
“They’ve sold the Barbies, and now they need to sell the Barbie Dreamhouse, and the Barbie shoes, and the Barbie car,” she added. “That is essentially what suppressors are.”A prominent journalist has registered a complaint with Delhi Police that he was receiving threatening calls and text messages from unknown people for the past few days after his channel telecast a programme in which the claims of a self-proclaimed godman were questioned.
Rajat Sharma, editor-in-chief of India TV, in his complaint two days ago, said he was receiving threatening calls and messages. A case was registered under sections of Information Technology Act at Greater Kailash police station.
“According to the complaint filed by an official of the channel, the channel had telecast a programme on June 22 questioning the claims of a godman and allegations were raised against him that he fooled people by holding religious programmes,” said senior police officer.
The godman had also participated in the programme to answer allegations against him.
“Immediately after the programme was telecast, Sharma started getting abusive and threatening calls and messages from various phone numbers calling themselves to be the devotees of the godman,” the complaint said.
Apart from abusive messages, he received threatening calls to face dire consequences for telecasting the programme. He allegedly got calls and text messages from at least 35 mobile numbers, according to the complaint.Bram Stoker's Dracula is a 1992 American gothic horror film directed and produced by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker.[4][5][6] It stars Gary Oldman as Count Dracula, Winona Ryder as Mina Harker, Anthony Hopkins as Professor Abraham Van Helsing, and Keanu Reeves as Jonathan Harker.
Dracula grossed $215 million on a $40 million budget. Rotten Tomatoes's consensus cited "some terrific performances", although Reeves' work has been widely criticized. It was nominated for four Academy Awards and won three for Best Costume Design, Best Sound Editing, and Best Makeup. Its score was composed by Wojciech Kilar; closing credits theme "Love Song for a Vampire", written and performed by Annie Lennox, became an international hit.
Plot [ edit ]
In 1462, Vlad Dracula, a member of the Order of the Dragon, returns from a victory against the Turks to find his wife Elisabeta having committed suicide after receiving a false report of his death. The priest proceeds to tell him that his wife's soul is condemned for committing suicide. Enraged, Dracula desecrates the chapel and renounces his faith, declaring that he will rise from the grave to avenge Elisabeta with all the powers of darkness. He then stabs the chapel's stone cross with his sword and drinks the blood that pours out of it.
In 1897, newly qualified solicitor Jonathan Harker takes the Transylvanian Count Dracula as a client from his colleague Renfield who has gone insane. Jonathan travels to Transylvania to arrange Dracula's real estate acquisitions in London, including Carfax Abbey. Jonathan meets Dracula who discovers a picture of his fiancée Mina Harker and believes that she is the reincarnation of Elisabeta. Dracula leaves Jonathan to be attacked and fed upon by his brides, while he sails to England with boxes of his native Transylvanian soil, taking up residence at Carfax Abbey. His arrival is foretold by the ravings of Renfield, now an inmate in Dr. Jack Seward's insane asylum.
In London, Dracula emerges as a wolf-like creature amid a fierce thunderstorm and hypnotically seduces, then bites Lucy Westenra, with whom Mina is staying while Jonathan is in Transylvania. Lucy's deteriorating health and behavioral changes prompt her former suitors Quincey Morris and Dr. Seward, along with her fiancé Arthur Holmwood to summon Dr. Abraham Van Helsing who recognizes Lucy as the victim of a vampire. Dracula, appearing young and handsome during daylight, meets and charms Mina. When Mina receives word from Jonathan who has escaped the castle and recovered at a convent, she travels to Romania to marry him. In his fury, Dracula transforms Lucy into a vampire. Van Helsing, Holmwood, Seward and Morris kill the undead Lucy the following night.
After Jonathan and Mina return to London, Jonathan and Van Helsing lead the others to Carfax Abbey, where they destroy the Count's boxes of soil. Dracula enters the asylum, where he kills Renfield for warning Mina of his presence. He visits Mina who is staying in Seward's quarters while the others hunt Dracula, and confesses that he murdered Lucy and has been terrorizing Mina's friends. Confused and angry, Mina admits that she still loves him and remembers Elisabeta's previous life. At her insistence, Dracula begins transforming her into a vampire. The hunters burst into the bedroom, and Dracula claims Mina as his bride before escaping. As Mina changes, Van Helsing hypnotizes her and learns via her connection with Dracula that he is sailing home in his last remaining box. The hunters depart for Varna to intercept him, but Dracula reads Mina's mind and evades them. The hunters split up; Van Helsing and Mina travel to the Borgo Pass and the castle, while the others try to stop the gypsies transporting the Count.
At night, Van Helsing and Mina are approached by Dracula's brides. Initially, they frighten Mina, but she eventually succumbs to their chanting and attempts to seduce Van Helsing. Before Mina can feed on his blood, Van Helsing places a communion wafer on her forehead, leaving a mark. He surrounds them with a ring of fire to protect them from the brides, then infiltrates the castle and decapitates them the following morning. As sunset approaches, Dracula's carriage arrives at the castle, pursued by the hunters. A fight between the hunters and gypsies ensues. Morris is stabbed in the back during the fight and Dracula bursts from his coffin at sunset. Harker slits his throat while the wounded Morris stabs him in the heart with a Bowie knife. As Dracula staggers, Mina rushes to his defense. Holmwood tries to attack but Van Helsing and Harker allow her to retreat with the Count. Morris dies of his wound, surrounded by his friends.
In the chapel where he renounced his faith, Dracula lies dying in an ancient demonic form. They share a kiss as the candles adorning the chapel light up and the cross repairs itself. Dracula turns back to his younger self and asks Mina to give him peace. Mina thrusts the knife through his heart and as he finally dies, the mark on her forehead disappears as Dracula's curse is lifted. She decapitates him and gazes up at the fresco of Vlad and Elisabeta ascending to Heaven together, reunited at long last.
Cast [ edit ]
Production [ edit ]
Ryder initially brought the script (written by James V. Hart) to the attention of Coppola. The director had agreed to meet with her so the two could clear the air after her late withdrawal from The Godfather Part III caused production delays on that film and led her to believe Coppola disliked her.[8] Coppola was attracted to the sensual elements of the screenplay and said that he wanted portions of the picture to resemble an "erotic dream".[9] In the months leading up to |
the night is over, getting a taxi over from Ocejanners because you simply can’t walk in your heels anymore, or if you’re literally next door in Bang Bang (which is now Switch but it will never be the same, RIP Bang Bang) you can always rely on Cuba to play some absolute bangers and have one last boogie with your mates, who have all slowly dropped like flies so it’s usually just you, and a stranger, doing the Cotton Eye Joe.
No matter what mood you are in, Cuba will always find a way to get you up on that side, argue with people who are hogging the pole, swing around on the pole, grind on the person next to you, and continue drinking Jägerbombs. You know the end of is near when they play Fleetwood Mac, but you still refuse to leave, you then find yourself to the Macerena at 6am, the sunlight is coming through the windows and you look at the door, where your next move should be, which has a big poster saying “Keep the noise down” and question when your life got so tragic.
Long live Cuba.
The Diamond Tap, Newbury
19th May 2016. Probably one of the darkest days in West Berkshire history when the people of Newbury were informed that J.D. Wetherspoon had put the legendary Diamond Tap up for sale.
Although this bastion of market-town nightlife is still functioning, each visit is a reminder that one day in the future it will be no more. Every time you pay £3 entry, you walk along the carpet floor to the bar. You look up at the opulent chandelier whilst you order a drink.
You longingly look over to the dancefloor engaging the ever familiar crowd of 18-year-olds dressed up to the nines, boys from Thatcham, and that one middle-aged bloke who dances by the DJ booth like he’s back at his first Fatboy Slim concert. You take a sip of one of four of the VKs you ordered (because there is a high chance by 1am they’ve sold out of the liquid nectar), sigh, and think how much you’re going to miss this place.
So each time you go there now you go all out, like it might be your last ever DT session. You’ll spend half your night battling your way outside for a fag; you’ll go upstairs for a “civilised drink” and a chat but then run back down as soon as you hear Pitbull; you’ll pretend you’re pleased to see everyone from school, when actually you’re not at all.
And although you vow never to return, that you’re “too old” or “over” the Diamond Tap, you secretly love this tragic pubclub, and can’t imagine Newbury without it.
Dusk, Stirling
Dusk is a night out you can’t handle without a few drinks, and if that’s not a sign of a brilliantly awful club, then what is?
People from far and wide – well, from places where the taxi fares there are up to about £15 – gather in this tiny room for the best night of their week. There aren’t many other options and it’s not the time of year for casual drinking in the woods. Sheltered teens from Dunblane take advantage of the open train station barriers and fill their Snapchat stories with the top moments from their night out at the best worst night out in the country.
If you get there at the right time, one of the many wonders of Dusk is there is hardly ever any queue. When you first get there, still only tipsy on Wetherspoons vodka mixers, the music will be somewhat questionable. Once the drinks kick in however, you’ll be screaming and grabbing your friends every time you recognise the starting beat of the next song, and reeling off the lyrics like you have been practising since your last night there. Sweet Caroline mixed into Avici? That’s child’s play.
We can even say our favourite club is newly renovated. There’s a VIP area with a fantastic balcony to overlook those less fortunates who are standing, while you sit in your booth. Some parts even have carpets. That’s right, carpets. And sofa corners for when you’re close to having danced until you dropped. I mean if that mixed with the ambient lighting behind the bar doesn’t say luxury to you, then I don’t know what would.
The bathrooms are jazzy with a 365 degree disco-ball effect. So even when you leave the dance floor, the party continues while you pee.
E11evn’s, Chippenham
For a long time it was the only club here, so there’s no real choice: full of punters who are far too dressed up for such a club, sticky floors and the same sad DJs mixing every overplayed club song in existence. There are no card machines, and one ATM that charges loads to take cash out.
The VIP areas? Try tatty leather sofas with rope across to make you feel important. And a smoking area that is a lot more exciting than the rest of the club. Still, you can’t help but have a good time there.
And yes, that’s actually how they spell the name. Maybe it’s meant to sound edgy?
Emma’s, Gosport
The Star should be the apex of the degeneracy in the squalid little backwater that is Gosport, but no. The depravity continues the party a mere 100m down the street, at Emma’s Disco Nightclub.
If a glimmer of fun is to be had at this “club” you must be at least 11 pints deep and have never visited another drinking establishment in your life. A floor reminiscent of the Pacific Ocean, a preposterous card limit of £15, £5 single vodka mixers, a clientele with an average age of 47 and playlist so repetitive it makes the O2’s look diverse.
I say these things, yet I still go whenever it is foolishly suggested. See you there next week.
Establishment, Widnes
You grow up wanting to club in Liverpool, but your bank balance and the unreliable nature of Northern Rail mean you’re stuck in Widnes (a small chemical town) for your night out, there’s only one club, and it’s Establishment.
Known locally as Estabbo or (fittingly) Stab for the diehard clubbers, the best thing anyone’s ever said about this club is that it only really gets good around 3. It closes at 3. If the bright purple lighting weren’t enough, DJs like Basshunter are regular favourites – and that’s before this year’s batch of Creamfields clubbers arrive. Chaos.
Everyone you’ve ever met will be in there at the same time. You’ll likely get off with that one person from high school you hated and we’re 90 per cent sure VKs and Cheeky Vimtos are all they serve to wash down the poor life choices. It’s the kind of club you’ll probably recall to the paramedic after you’ve gone a bit too hard, but people still dress like they would for Liverpool – so expect to get stood on by heels a lot.
It’s so gloriously shit, not even a flaming sambuca could redeem it – but it’s the only club in Widnes and despite years fighting it, you’ll inevitably end up there after piling out of the Imperial spoons.
Evoque, Preston
Evoque in Preston is by no means the best club in the world, but it’s the best Preston has to offer.
It caters for mainly two music tastes – the small, cramped and sweaty top floor plays R&B hits and throwbacks for you and your friends to get down and dirty to, and the larger bottom floor (mind the stairs) plays house music and some of the best remixes out there.
Why are there so many toilets, though? Three floors, three ladies’ bathrooms and three men’s. At least you have plenty of choice of where to do your business when you’ve broken the seal.
Faces, Gants Hill
Drinks served in white or black plastic cups, some guy on the trumpet, a VIP area that looks like an area of Crystal Maze, a wall that lifts up off the floor to reveal the light-up dancefloor, two poles up on podiums for you to grind on.
It’s a ram packed A-level results night with everyone from Chigwell to Bancroft’s to Woodford County High to Roding Valley, and it’s everything you wanted Essex to be is in this very club.
Faces is a place for glass-half-full kind of people. It’s a step up from Sugar Hut, and it’s the crown jewel of clubbing for anyone aspiring to be on TV in that orange county east of London.
Fever, Aylesbury
Fever is a funny place. You have to be next-level smashed in Fever or else the presence of the creepy men standing around the edge of the dancefloor looking at you is quite unnerving. The light-up floor and cheesy bangers upstairs are a favourite, loved by all, but if you’re keen for some rhythmical dry humping to shitty chart music, downstairs is the place for you.
Sure, it’s tragic, but what did you expect from South Bucks?
Flex, Bury St Edmunds
It hasn’t been the same since it stopped being Xtreme? After all, Flex markets itself on its swanky flashing dancefloor, even though it’s never actually deemed busy enough for them to open the the floor it’s on.
Seriously, though, you’ve never seen true Christmas spirit until you’ve been drenched in VK in a Flex dancefloor brawl on Christmas Eve. Yes, that happened to me last year. No, I don’t want to talk about it.
Fusion, Tunbridge Wells
Do you miss Fusion as much as me? While Fusion deserves to win the award for grimmest hometown club in the country, it doesn’t half make you miss it when it’s gone. It’s like if an old man with incontinence and a habit of smacking the young nurses’ bums was magically turned into a nightclub. It’s just Fusion, you can’t hate it.
Fusion is desperation. Fusion is carnage. Fusion is what happens when you open just one nightclub in a county which insists on sex segregating 90 per cent of schools and giving them no proper sex and alcohol information. It was Thursday Night Fusion or bust and damn it, there’s never been anything quite like it.
The George, Chorley
At one time in our adolescent lives, The George, Chorley, was a big night out at its prime. Yes, it is technically a pub, but it has the vibes, atmosphere and clientele to match any reputable venue. Firstly it had the tunes: the playlist was strictly R & B bangers until 4AM, so not a night went by without Sean Paul and Get Low. And boy did the girls get low: so low that legend has it that once a girl fell over in her heels and broke her ankle and her bone came through the side.
There really was nothing quite as terrifying as walking up to one of those two front doors at 16 – the fear was being turned away in front of a queue as literally everyone from Parklands and St Mic’s partied away inside, necking their £1 drinks wondering whether to fork out the £6 for AJs or not.
Whether you liked it or not, The George was an inevitable part of your youth – if you didn’t stumble out of there on a Saturday and head to The Nile, you were a nobody. Let’s raise a glass to The George, Chorley’s glorified school disco, but more importantly, its most tragic club – we’re currently unsure of the damage caused by the fire, but we wish them a full return to the glory days.
Havana, St Albans
You don’t get a lot of young people in Havana’s – and it’s not just because of the over-21 door policy. In fact, most of the people in here are closer to 50 than 21, which is weird considering the whole place is more like a disco in a school hall than an actual nightclub.
Seriously, they literally do salsa classes for middle-aged women in here during the day. So how can it be so much fucking fun at night?
Hustle, Lancaster
Hustle is Lancaster’s worst establishment, or perhaps its best – it’s a frequent dispute.
The sickly purple doorway is a dirty sight in the daylight but past midnight it seems to herald something great. You never see the club empty on a weekend despite its questionable reputation, often with lengthy lines of teens queueing for free entry.
Once you enter, you are sure not to leave until the doors are closed at 5am – whether it’s because of the DJ who keeps us on our toes with relentless renditions of “Stacy’s Mom,” the all-night one pound shots or the sambuca-coated carpets which keep you stuck firmly to the floor.
Illusions, Sunderland
Formerly known as Passion, who can forget the days of 50p drinks on a Monday. 5op for a vodka and lemonade – you can’t even get a bag of crisps for that. Unfortunately, like all good things we like in this life, the prices went up – but that’s not to say you still can’t have a good time at Illusions.
The biggest mistake is always getting to the club far too early and seeing about three people on the dance floor busting some moves more embarrassing than The Inbetweeners. As the night picks up the dancefloor isn’t just a place for dancing. All sorts will happen on that dance floor from dozens of empty plastic cups to some weirdo trying to pull your drunk mate
You’re now wondering if pound drinks are such a good idea because it’s now down to you to keep an eye on you’re mate for the rest of the night and make sure they don’t end up in an even bigger state – but let’s face it, you’re at Illusions, of course they will. Best pack it in early and get a 2am Meatball Marinara across the road.
Inn on the Green, Enfield
Inn On The Green was the place you went to in Enfield when you really really really REALLY couldn’t be bothered to go further afield into London. Seriously, it was the definition of last resort. It couldn’t decide whether it was a pub or a bar, evident in its clientele of old, angry regulars aggressively clutching pints mixed with young overly-dressed teens downing Breezers before jumping in the queue.
The dancefloor was always empty due to the weird, ageing band singing dated songs you’d only hear at painfully awkward family functions, which meant the bar and smoking area were constantly rammed. This would then lead to a one-in-one-out policy, which in turn would lead to an enormous queue, which obviously would make any passer-by assume, “damn, Inn on the Green is LIT.” Which it wasn’t.
Pricey, terrible music and the least-suited blend of people you could ever imagine. But, you know, we still went. You’ll be missed, sweet prince. Kind of.
Kasbah, Coventry
Donald Trump even thinks that Kasbah is tragic. They were threatened with legal action by the President after his face was mocked as the Joker for a Halloween poster, which is fitting because Kasba itself is a joke. Yet despite a well-deserved reputation as being pretty shit, Kasbah (Colly to the locals) is unavoidable if you plan on staying out beyond about 12:30.
Open for a few nights a week, they attract ‘celebrities’ such as Cascada, Fatman Scoop and the Vengaboys. At night, Kasbah looks opulent; screaming Las Vegas in the Midlands. In reality, it’s as glamourous as a contoured face melting in the sweat that drips from the ceiling of the dancefloor.
Notorious for its 80p shots, Kasbah gets you drunk but that’s about it. Nobody has their best night at Kasbah. In fact, Kasbah is the club you only go to go when you want to embrace your cheesy, tacky side. Pictures of Kasbah may look like the club to be, but that’s only because you physically can’t get off the floor for all the spilt VS. You’re trapped in trap music, but you’re proud of your collection of photobombing other girls at Kazzy B. To be fair, the smoking area is still pretty good, with the outside bar and all-night barbeque letting you keep the night going without having to venture inside.
You can always be guaranteed to bump into someone you know in the Colly though, and there’s nothing quite like that moment when you catch someone’s eye across the dancefloor, and silently acknowledge that yes, you’re both fucking tragic for being in here, but fuck it, you’re from Coventry – how much worse can it get?
Koolers/The Kirkhouse, Merthyr Tydfil
When a night out in the South Wales Valleys in planned, there is no doubt that it is going to be an absolute spectacle of an evening, and there is nothing more weird and wonderful than Kirkhouse, which looms like a magical beacon in the centre of Merthyr’s town centre.
Known to those who love it most as Koolers, shouts about the lengthy walk across the bridge echo throughout the streets as you pray you don’t have to queue in the rain. Screams of “Wheeeeeey Koolaaas” are amplified as you scurry along, desperately trying to avoid that girl you hate from school on the other side of the kerb.
Then, once you’re inside and have paid the extortionate £5 to get in, which you forget you’ve paid by the end of the night, you have to make a decision: do you spend time downstairs, dancing to music that’s great on a dancefloor filled with older, civilised people? No, of course you fucking don’t.
You head up the deathly red stairs towards the shine of the spiky lights and you go to whatever corner your high school has claimed as their own, listening to the shitty remixes they play over the speakers. It’s tradition. You bump into your exes, your school friends, people you don’t want to see, and you get slaughtered from vodka you have to drink through a paper straw, followed by sambuca poured by the bartender you last spoke to when he was in your ICT class.
And you pray, oh you pray, through all your will and strength, that they finally make episode 8 of Koolers TV on YouTube, and you’re the star of the show; the star of Merthyr nightlife, just like the lights of The Kirkhouse.
Liquid/Diva, Gloucester
All-hail Liqqy! I mean, it is the only place to be on a Saturday night if you’re one of the few lucky enough to inhabit the glorious city of Gloucester.
There are two types of customer: the ones who accept the fact they’re tragic enough to enjoy a sticky, sweaty (but still, downright brilliant) night in Liquid, or you’ll swear down that you’re over it and will never step foot in there again.
With each being said… FACT, every single individual between the ages of 18-25 will either be spotted air guitaring to All The Small things on a cheese-ridden Saturday night in Diva, leaning on the metal fence out the back, chain smoking whilst trying and failing to chat up that kid you used to fancy back in year 11, or hustling at the bar with that bartender whose name you know, purely because you’re there every weekend.
I imagine that majority (if not all) of us, constantly take a short moment and question our lives, as we stumble through the doors, into the arms of a place that has tragically become a second home. Yes, the music may be repetitive, with constant replays of Ayo by Chris Brown and Tyga. Yes, your shoes might stick to the carpet with every step that you take. And yes, the queue for the smoking area may be the most tedious thing that you’ve ever had to live through.
But despite ALL of that, our lowly little small-town nightclub is very much a force to be reckoned with. Long live Liq.
Lux, Wigan
Wigan, for those unacquainted, is home to the world’s greatest pies, Vernon Kay, and the North’s clubbing Mecca, King Street. It’s where people of all ages (literally) come out in force and in questionable costumes on Boxing Day ceremoniously every single year.
It’s hard to pick one single club out of Wigan’s infamous strip, but Lux deserves this crown more than any of the others for several reasons. Firstly, the bouncers aren’t judgemental – they let anyone in, and for that reason Lux’s dancefloor is filled with the most unlikely mix of characters and misfits: people from Winstanely college, Wigan and Leigh, people you went to school with, other people who just go to high school, and a few old fat regulars who just really like the indie music.
This was a place where emo-fringed teenagers could buy singular cigarettes for 50p behind the bar, and dance on those ridiculously high podiums with carpeted walls to the Killers and Pigeon Detectives. It was a place of no judgement; where you could get fingered on the dancefloor, throw up everywhere and run around with no shoes on, without anyone blinking an eyelid.
Lux, we miss you dearly, you were leagues above the Jumpin Jaks and Revolutions of this world. Give this long lost rite of passage the tragic crown it deserves.
Moo Moo, Tunbridge Wells
The loss of Fusion to Tunbridge Wells nightlife might well be the greatest tragedy of this generation – no more will the youth of T Wells know the horror of walking into Fusion for the first time, and feeling as if you may have contracted an STI from the floor – which has inevitably stuck to the soles of your shoes – while being hit by a palpable wall of sweat.
Since Fusion is no more (and was really just a room above an M&S anyway), MooMoo’s – which sounds like a frozen yoghurt shop – is the only available port of call. With its three floors and three themes, you can’t go wrong on a Thursday.
Unless you’re middle aged, needing to put your bag in the cloakroom or looking for a genuinely shite time, nobody stays on the middle floor. The décor is somewhat reminiscent of a sex dungeon – I won’t elaborate too much, but it has purple velvet walls. If you have any sense, the top floor is where it’s at. T
he DJ is the kind of bloke who (correctly) describes Mr. Brightside as a “banger” and plays it every hour, on the hour. Once you’ve been taught how to strawpedo a VK, and you got so good at it you do it twice, there really seems like no better place in the world to prove to everyone in sight how well you know every single word to Gold Digger.
MooMoo Clubrooms, Cheltenham
One cannot fully comprehend the tragic townie club that is MooMoo’s without first grasping the context of Cheltenham. You see, that what is so perfect about a night at MooMoo’s is that it is SO Cheltenham.
Chelt is the place where the word “chav” was actually coined: we’ve all heard it, stemming from the mixture of “Cheltenham” and “average”, you know when entering Moo’s you’re going to find them there and in big numbers. However, it’s also here that you can find a selection of the most poncey posh schools all squashed together in a small place. Quite a mix.
Some have said it would be the perfect setting for a retelling of Cinderella, as often a Bournside babe may find herself getting off with a Cheltenham College prince. Oo la la. Also, expert dirty r’n’b beats to get you bumpin and grindin all night long…. well, until they shut at 3am and the entirety of Moo’s heads to KFC.
Could there be a better night out? Yeah, probz.
Music Box, St Ives
Loved by many, hated by more: Music Box is one of the best worst nights out in Britain.
For anyone who grew up in one of the many towns and villages surrounding St Ives, Music Box is a ritual – an initiation into the world of clubbing. And having been open for over 20 years, Music Box has survived the test of time.
Music Box is a middle ground, a meeting place between Peterborians and Cambridge dwellers. Hidden down a rather sinister looking alley, Music Box offers drinks cheaper than any Cambridge club, with a much lower chance of getting robbed than Peterborough. Men in full suits dance on the same floor as college students, local roadmen drink just across from the occasional middle-aged builder. Forget the student-only vibe you’re used to at uni – Music Box takes everyone, and it’s all the better for it.
The most glorious part of Music Box is simply having fun. You don’t need to make an effort – by all means dress up, but nobody is judging you for wearing jeans and trainers. Throw yourself around the infamous pole by the DJ booth, dance like there’s no tomorrow – Music Box is about a legendary night out, all topped off with a glorious kebab from Chicken Lickin.
The New Inn/Village Inn, Corby
Wind Inn. Where to start! You walk in and the dancefloor is split in two, with a raised platform full of the best elderly women gaeing! Absolutely hoaching with the fandan it is!
Once you’ve walked down the channel of love and made it to the bar, that’s when the real party starts. Get your drink, have it walloped out your hans so you have to buy another, head to the lavvies where there’s some geezer trying to flog ciggies and aftershave, then back to the dancefloor. You’ll end up taking a wee lassie back to hers only to find out the next day she’s married with three kids.
Anyway, if you can’t tell from this review, it’s a truly smashing place.
Nu Bar, Loughton
It’s not even a club, but for one of the busiest towns in Essex, flocks of fake tanned bodycon dressed girls and turtle neck wearing mushroom haircut blokes will venture there on a weekend.
You go in because you’ve not really got another option. Luxe turned you down because it was too busy, and you’re not really up for getting on the tube because London is too expensive. Face it, so is Nu Bar. When you were 18, the last thing you wanted to do was shell out £30 for four drinks, but that’s what you’ll do here.
And just when you thought it was upmarket, you’ll walk outside and someone will get their hand chopped off with a machete.
Oceana, Southampton
An Oceana alone in the world is a terrible thing. Long after most city centres got themselves a sparkly new Pryzm, Southampton keeps it old school. Which means if you’re here, you’re either old or at school.
There is a reason you always end up here though. It’s remarkable how a club interior copy and pasted across the entire country can feel so homely, yet so fresh. The cavernous main room plays host to the school disco your 15-year-old self dreamed of. When you lose a friend, you know exactly where to look. If they’re not staring at the technicolour dance-mat floor in disco, or playing Louis Theroux-esque spectator to a mild beef in the freezing smokers’, they’ll be chewing through a plastic hot dog somewhere on the stairwell.
Rumours it’s going to be knocked down do spark a hint of nostalgia though. Oceana’s always been there for you, whether it’s a nappy night when you’re too young to go clubbing, or at 3am when everywhere else is closed. And while people might ask what they’d do without it, we all know the answer is something much better.
The Outback, Isle of Man
Living on the Isle of Man, of course, means being confined to a cold rock in the middle of the Irish sea and having to make do with what’s on offer. In this case, that’s the OB.
The goal of any young person on the island is to turn 18 (or have someone who looks like you turn 18) so you can experience the nightlife on offer the pinnacle of which is The Outback. Known colloquially as the OB, this is where you will experience the stickiest nights of your life – shoes have been sacrificed to the dancefloor in there and God help you should you wear anything white.
This mystical place is actually a rather grim sports-bar-cum-god-awful-nightclub. This is a place we often recall at pre-drinks with our coursemates who have absolutely no idea what we’re talking about – we’ll tell you about it all the same though because it’s the stuff of legend.
The love/hate relationship towards the OB has divided young people for decades: those who hate it claim you’ll regret it in the morning, while those who love it (me) call them bores.
Pryzm, Kingston
While many people’s guilty pleasure is eating Ben & Jerry’s or watching Love Island, mine is much guiltier: going to Pryzm in Kingston.
There’s no other club in which you can queue for three hours, get to the front door and be told that you’ve been banned, but have absolutely no recollection as to why. It’s a place that unites all people, whether it be those that live for the cheese room, those that find meaning in dutty wining or those that “cut shapes” – emphasis on those quotation marks.
It’s also a place where you will inevitably see all of your exes or, if you’re that unfortunate, all of your one night stands, forcing you to flee into the pamper room which is strangely heavily equipped with makeup and hair straighteners.
And let’s not forget about all the people from secondary school you’ll see, the ones you’d hoped to avoid for the rest of your life.
Even when you’re throwing up on the security team, they kick you out with such grace. Yep, it’s certainly a night to forget.
Pryzm/Oceana, Watford
Any other Oceana just will not do. You all have that special place in our hearts for the club(s) you went to when you just turned 18, but what Watford has to offer is of a magical supremacy and will always be number one in our eyes.
Sure, it may have always seemed just a bit too large for the measly crowd and there may have always been a palpable smog of sweat hanging over the dancefloor which you could actually taste, but Oceana (not Pryzm, never Pryzm) was home – and you could just about stomach it after a couple of hours in Yates’s or Walkabout before.
You’ll end up having the time of your life, until you’re thrown out for trying to take a piss in the wooden smoking area on the roof.
The Purple Turtle, Reading
What would a big Reading night out be without the delights on Purple Turtle? It’s home to Reading’s biggest and most undeserving queue every Friday and Saturday night. Inside you’ll find lots of very young people dancing awkwardly and shouting very loudly along to Don’t Stop Believing.
Some of its edgier revellers enjoy a skank in the dark, damp basement – and it’s a real sight to behold – but the true heroes of the night are in the vast smoking area. Some would argue that this is the jewel in the club’s crown. It’s the Purple Turtle’s redeeming feature, and it might just be the best in the South West.
Say what you want about the Purple Turtle but you cannot deny its cringe-inducing playlist, people and vibes. A few Jägerbombs in and it becomes the greatest club on earth: it’s the tragic club that puts Reading on the map.
The Quay, Blyth
The Quay is a a club that has been around in Blyth for years – my aunties used to go there every Friday night for instance – that’s how old it is. It’s gone through loads of re-branding projects in the name, but nevertheless, the inside always remains the same.
Your first visit to The Quay is quite something: going in to see what all of the fuss is about. You get your ID checked by the bouncers, and as soon as you walk in, well the club is pungent to say the least.
Memories and stories from The Quay go on and on, with rumours of people shitting themselves on the dancefloor just some of the stuff which has made it into Quay legend – the rest we can’t even publish. It is without a doubt that The Quay in Blyth is one of the, if not the, most tragic hometown clubs in the country.
Revolution, Beaconsfield
Going to Revs for the first time is an exciting occasion. You’ve heard all about the flavoured shots and your friends will definitely buy you the birthday cake one which is quite frankly disgusting. You’ll migrate en masse to the dance floor, where the choice of dance moves on a Revs night are the “my heels are too high” wiggle and the “I don’t want to look too enthusiastic” bop.
There’s usually at least one girl in the loos with makeup and snot running down her face because she’s just seen her ex, but at least Revs has a veneer of class. There may be a couple engaging in some risky touching but at least it’s in dim ambient lighting on plush leather sofas so there’s some sophistication in the act.
Revolution, Ipswich
In Ipswich, Revs and Sin stand in direct competition for our clubbing nights out. Sin, as the cheap, cramped box it is, versus the seemingly classier and more “grown-up” alternative. Still I, and I’m sure many of my fellow hometown compadres, would still rather a night in Sin than even a few hours in Revs.
I mean seriously, who can even remember what music they play in Revs? It’s easy to forget, especially after a few drinks you can’t pronounce and shots of many colours and variety. Sure, Revs is bigger, pricier and looks better than dear old Sin, but the clientele are also more mature – at least in age.
Speaking as a girl, walking across the dancefloor to the toilets and being ogled by men who look like they could be old enough to be your dad, quite frankly, isn’t wanted or needed. Stay classy, Revs.
Roof, Bridgend
A Saturday night is not complete without a couple of jugs in Spoons followed by a trip to Roof, the shining light in the distance that is Bridgend’s otherwise non-existent clubbing scene. Named so because of it’s main feature – a roof you can stand and drink on in the summer months (and more recently the winter ones too, delightful) – Roof is a rite of passage for those who live in and around Bridgend.
The dancefloor is wasted as it just becomes extra space for the queue to the bar to spill on to, patiently you stand and wait for your drink while awkwardly trying not to accidentally grind on the guy in front of you who you probably haven’t seen since year 13.
But what is it you’re drinking? Ah, The Lazyboy. Two double vodkas and a pint of energy drink. Potentially lethal, especially when you don’t pre drink hard enough and think you can stomach more than two in a night. It’s hard now to smell Red Bull without thinking about how exactly you embarrassed yourself the weekend before.
Realistically though, while there are too many stairs, not enough seats and you only ever sit outside so wake up on Sunday morning with a cold, Roof is the only place to be on a Saturday night.
Rosies, Chester
Rosies Nightclub in Chester has had its fair share of attention over the years, mostly because it’s notoriously shit. For the people who grow up in Chester, you know it’s bad, everyone tells you it’s bad. It’s only when you experience it for yourself do you realise how bad it is. After going to uni and experiencing what a good night actually feels like however, you can never look at the place the same way. Even though you’ll still probably end up going when you come back for the holidays.
Its reputation has made headlines in the past: after all, many remember it for the controversial Halloween costume contest where two Chester uni students dressed up as the twin towers, and fucking won. For anyone who hasn’t been to Rosies it has three floors, which oddly enough seems to be the main focus of their “multi-floor experience” tagline they advertise so much with.
The various hallways are awkward to get around, with a small staircase leading to all the floors that have seen many people slip on rogue WKD and fall – only for the resident medic to take you to the mystic sick room, a clinical cell that is oddly right next to where they serve food. They even sell food in the club, so for only £3 you can pick up a whole slice of pizza. Bargain mate.
Sin & Bushwackers, Worcester
Sin & Bushies. Two clubs for twice the level of tragic.
You’ll start your night off in Sin – free entry – grafting on someone before realising they’re actually five years younger than you. Shortly after dodging that bullet you’ll get hit on by someone who’s 41. To take a timeout, you’ll cop six Jägerbombs for a tenner – perhaps Sin’s only saving grace – and drink them all at the bar, shameless, before getting very emotional just as “Will Griggs on Fire” comes on.
Proceed to the dancefloor to belt it out; realise your friend’s dad is there on a work social; as is her mum; dance with them; get a picture; practically cry over “Mr Brightside”; haul yourself onto one of the poles and give your potential one-night stand the worst lapdance of their life. Wonder what on earth the dress code is as a girl in lace-up heels and a Missguided dress spills her drink on your leggings and trainers.
Come 1am you’re too plastered to realise the usual £3 entry for Bushies has gone up to a fiver (blame Brexit) but you’ll pay it anyway. Do a lap of the smoking area, where you will meet every single person you have ever met. A few stolen cigs later and you’re ready to face the crypt: the grimy, humid hole in the ground where sweat runs down the walls in streams.
Find yourself getting with the 41-year-old creep who followed you from Sin before escaping upstairs to bust some moves on the raised |
(aeronautical mobile) or /MM (maritime mobile). The number following the prefix is normally a single number (0 to 9). Some prefixes, such as Djibouti's (J2), consist of a letter followed by a number. Hence, in the hypothetical Djibouti call sign, J29DBA, the prefix is J2, the number is 9, and the suffix is DBA. Others may start with a number followed by a letter, for example, Jamaican call signs begin with 6Y.
When operating with reciprocal agreements under the jurisdiction of a foreign government, an identifying station pre-pends the call sign with the country prefix and number of the country/territory from which the operation is occurring. For example, W4/G3ABC would denote a licensed amateur from the United Kingdom who is operating in the fourth district of the United States. There are exceptions; in the case of U.S./Canadian reciprocal operations, the country/territory identifier is, instead, appended to the call sign; e.g., W1AW/VE4, or VE3XYZ/W1.
Special call signs are issued in the amateur radio service either for special purposes, VIPs, or for temporary use to commemorate special events. Examples include VO1S (VO1 as a Dominion of Newfoundland call sign prefix, S to commemorate Marconi's first trans-Atlantic message, a single-character Morse code S sent from Cornwall, England to Signal Hill, St. John's in 1901) and GB90MGY (GB as a Great Britain call sign prefix, 90 and MGY to commemorate the 90th anniversary of historic 1912 radio distress calls from MGY, the Marconi station aboard the famed White Star luxury liner RMS Titanic).[3]
The late King Hussein of Jordan was issued a special amateur license number, JY1, which would have been the shortest possible call sign issued by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.
When identifying a station by voice, the call sign may be given by simply stating the letters and numbers, or using a phonetic alphabet. Some countries mandate the use of the phonetic alphabet for identification.
Military call signs [ edit ]
In wartime, monitoring an adversary's communications can be a valuable form of intelligence. Consistent call signs can aid in this monitoring, so in wartime, military units often employ tactical call signs and sometimes change them at regular intervals. In peacetime, some military stations will use fixed call signs in the international series.
The United States Army uses fixed station call signs which begin with W, such as WAR, used by U.S. Army Headquarters. Fixed call signs for the United States Air Force stations begin with A, such as AIR, used by USAF Headquarters. The United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and United States Coast Guard use a mixture of tactical call signs and international call signs beginning with the letter N.
In the British military, tactical voice communications use a system of call signs of the form letter-digit-digit. Within a standard infantry battalion, these characters represent companies, platoons and sections respectively, so that 3 Section, 1 Platoon of F Company might be F13. In addition, a suffix following the initial call sign can denote a specific individual or grouping within the designated call sign, so F13C would be the Charlie fire team. Unused suffixes can be used for other call signs that do not fall into the standard call sign matrix, for example the unused 33A call sign is used to refer to the company sergeant major.
Transmitters requiring no call signs [ edit ]
No call signs are issued to transmitters of long-range navigation systems (Decca, Alpha, Omega), or transmitters on frequencies below 10 kHz, because frequencies below 10 kHz are not subject to international regulations. In addition, in some countries lawful unlicensed low-power personal and broadcast radio signals (Citizen's Band, Part 15 or ISM bands) are permitted; an international call sign is not issued to such stations due to their unlicensed nature. Also, wireless network routers or mobile devices and computers using Wi-Fi are unlicensed and do not have call signs. On some personal radio services, such as Citizen's Band, it is considered a matter of etiquette to create one's own call sign, which is called a handle (or trail name). Some wireless networking protocols also allow an SSID or a MAC address to be set as an identifier, but with no guarantee that this label will remain unique.
International regulations no longer require a call sign for broadcast stations; however, they are still required for broadcasters in many countries, including the United States. Mobile phone services do not use call signs on-air because the phones and their users are not licensed, instead the cell operator is the one holding the license. However, the U.S. still assigns a call sign to each mobile-phone spectrum license.
In the United States, voluntary ships operating domestically are not required to have a call sign or license to operate VHF radios, radar or an EPIRB. Voluntary ships (mostly pleasure and recreational) are not required to have a radio. However, ships which are required to have radio equipment (most large commercial vessels) are issued a call sign.[4]
Callbooks [ edit ]
Department of Commerce callbook, 1919
A directory of radio station call signs is called a callbook. Callbooks were originally bound books that resembled a telephone directory and contained the name and addressees of licensed radio stations in a given jurisdiction (country). Modern Electrics published the first callbook in the United States in 1909.[5]
Today, the primary purpose of a callbook is to allow amateur radio operators to send a confirmation post card, called a QSL card to an operator with whom they have communicated via radio. Callbooks have evolved to include on-line databases that are accessible via the Internet to instantly obtain the address of another amateur radio operator and their QSL Managers. The most well known and used on-line QSL databases include QRZ.COM,[6] IK3QAR,[7] HamCall,[8] F6CYV,[9] DXInfo,[10] OZ7C[11] and QSLInfo.[12]
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Further reading [ edit ]
United States Federal Aviation Administration, Aeronautical Information Manual, Official Guide to Basic Flight Information and ATC Procedures, 2004. Chapter 4, Section 2The Trans-African Highway network
The Trans-African Highway network comprises transcontinental road projects in Africa being developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the African Development Bank (ADB), and the African Union in conjunction with regional international communities. They aim to promote trade and alleviate poverty in Africa through highway infrastructure development and the management of road-based trade corridors. The total length of the nine highways in the network is 56,683 km (35,221 mi).
In some documents the highways are referred to as "Trans-African Corridors" or "Road Corridors" rather than highways. The name Trans-African Highway and its variants are not in wide common usage outside of planning and development circles, and as of 2014 one does not see them signposted as such or labelled on maps, except in Kenya and Uganda where the Mombasa–Nairobi–Kampala–Fort Portal section (or the Kampala–Kigali feeder road) of Trans-African Highway 8 is sometimes referred to as the "Trans-Africa Highway".
Overall features of the network [ edit ]
Countries served [ edit ]
The network as planned reaches all the continental African nations except Burundi, Eritrea, Somalia, Equatorial Guinea (Rio Muni), Lesotho, Malawi, Rwanda, South Sudan, and Swaziland. Of these, Rwanda, Malawi, Lesotho and Swaziland have paved highways connecting to the network, and the network reaches almost to the border of the others.
More than half of the network has been paved, though maintenance remains a problem. There are numerous missing links in the network where tracks are impassable after rain or hazardous due to rocks, sand, and sandstorms. In a few cases, there has never been a road of any sort, such as the 200 km gap between Salo in the Central African Republic and Ouésso in the Republic of the Congo on highway 3. The missing links arise mainly because the section does not have a high national priority as opposed to a regional or transcontinental priority.[citation needed]
As a result of missing links, of the five major regions—North, West, Central, East, and Southern Africa—road travel in all weather is only relatively easy between East and Southern Africa, and that relies on a single paved road through southwestern Tanzania.
While North Africa and West Africa are linked across the Sahara, the main deficiency of the network is that there are no paved highways across Central Africa. Not only does this prevent road trade between East and West Africa, or between West and Southern Africa, but it restricts trade within Central Africa. Although there may be paved links from West, East, or Southern Africa to the fringes of Central Africa, those links do not penetrate very far into the region. The terrain, rainforest, and climate of Central Africa, particularly in the catchments of the lower and middle Congo River and the Ubangui, Sangha, and Sanaga Rivers, present formidable obstacles to highway engineers, and paved roads there have short lifespans. Further north in Cameroon and Chad, hilly terrain or plains prone to flooding have restricted the development of local paved road networks.
Through this forbidding environment, three Trans-African Highways are planned to cross in the east-west direction (highways 6, 8, and 9) while one will cross north to south (highway 3). As of 2014, all have substantial missing links in Central Africa.
Background and need for trans-African highways [ edit ]
Africa has a relatively poor history of international cooperation in road-building. Colonial powers and, later, competing superpowers and regional powers, generally did not encourage road links between their respective spheres except where absolutely necessary, and in newly independent African states, border restrictions were often tightened rather than relaxed as a way of protecting internal trade, as a weapon in border disputes, and to increase the opportunities for official corruption.
Poverty affects development of international highways when scarce financial resources have to be directed towards internal rather than external priorities.
The agencies developing the highway network are influenced by the idea that road infrastructure stimulates trade and so alleviates poverty, as well as benefiting health and education since they allow medical and educational services to be distributed to previously inaccessible areas.
On 1 July 1971 Robert K. A. Gardiner, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), established the Trans-African Highway Bureau to oversee the development of a continental road network.
Wars and conflicts [ edit ]
As well as preventing progress in road construction, wars and conflicts have led to the destruction of roads and river crossings, have prevented maintenance and have often closed vital links. Sierra Leone, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola are all in rebuilding phases after war. Wars in the Democratic Republic of the Congo set back road infrastructure in that country by decades and cut the principal route between East and West Africa. In recent years, security considerations have restricted road travel in the southern parts of Morocco, Algeria, Libya and Egypt as well as in northern Chad and much of Sudan.
Trans-African highways can only develop in times of peace and stability, and in 2007 the future looks brighter, with the southern Sudan conflict being the only one currently affecting development of the network (highway 6). Lawlessness rather than war hampers progress in developing highway 3 between Libya and Chad, and though economic instability could affect maintenance of paved highways 4 and 9 though Zimbabwe, there are practical alternatives through neighbouring countries. Conflicts in Somalia do not affect the network as that is the largest African country with no trans-African highways, but they will affect the development of feeder roads to the network.
Principles and processes [ edit ]
Using existing national highways as much as possible, the aim of the development agencies is to identify priorities in relation to trade, to plan the highways, and to seek finance for the construction of missing links and bridges, the paving of sections of earth and gravel roads, and the rehabilitation of deteriorated paved sections.
The need to reduce delays caused by highway checkpoints and border controls or to ease travel restrictions has also been identified, but so far solutions have not been forthcoming. Rather than just having international highways over which each country maintains its regulations and practices, there is a need for transnational highways over which regulations and practices are simplified, unified and implemented without causing delays to goods and travellers.
Description of the highways in the network [ edit ]
Nine highways have been designated, in a rough grid of six mainly east-west routes and three mainly north-south routes. A fourth north-south route is formed from the extremities of two east-west routes.
East-west routes [ edit ]
Starting with the most northerly, the east-west routes are:
Trans-African Highway 1 (TAH 1), Cairo-Dakar Highway, 8,636 km (5,366 mi) : a mainly coastal route along the Mediterranean coast of North Africa, continuing down the Atlantic coast of North-West Africa; substantially complete, although the border between Algeria and Morocco is closed. TAH 1 joins with TAH 7 to form an additional north-south route around the western extremity of the continent.
: a mainly coastal route along the Mediterranean coast of North Africa, continuing down the Atlantic coast of North-West Africa; substantially complete, although the border between Algeria and Morocco is closed. TAH 1 joins with TAH 7 to form an additional north-south route around the western extremity of the continent. Trans-African Highway 5 (TAH 5), Dakar-Ndjamena Highway, 4,496 km (2,794 mi), also known as the Trans-Sahelian Highway, linking West African countries of the Sahel, about 80% complete.
, also known as the, linking West African countries of the Sahel, about 80% complete. Trans-African Highway 6 (TAH 6), Ndjamena-Djibouti Highway, 4,219 km (2,622 mi) : contiguous with TAH 5, continuing through the eastern Sahelian region to Indian Ocean port of Djibouti. The approximate route of TAH 5 and TAH 6 was originally proposed in the early 20th century as an aim of the French Empire.
: contiguous with TAH 5, continuing through the eastern Sahelian region to Indian Ocean port of Djibouti. The approximate route of TAH 5 and TAH 6 was originally proposed in the early 20th century as an aim of the French Empire. Trans-African Highway 7 (TAH 7), Dakar-Lagos Highway, 4,010 km (2,490 mi) : also known as the Trans–West African Coastal Road, about 80% complete. This highway joins with TAH 1 to form an additional north-south route around the western extremity of the continent.
: also known as the, about 80% complete. This highway joins with TAH 1 to form an additional north-south route around the western extremity of the continent. Trans-African Highway 8 (TAH 8), Lagos-Mombasa Highway, 6,259 km (3,889 mi) : which is contiguous with TAH7 and forms with it a 10,269-km east-west crossing of the continent. The Lagos–Mombasa Highway's eastern half is complete through Kenya and Uganda, where locally it is known as the Trans-Africa Highway (the only place where the name is in common use). Its western extremity in Nigeria, Cameroon and Central African Republic is mostly complete but a long missing link across DR Congo currently prevents any practical use through the middle section.
: which is contiguous with TAH7 and forms with it a 10,269-km east-west crossing of the continent. The Lagos–Mombasa Highway's eastern half is complete through Kenya and Uganda, where locally it is known as the Trans-Africa Highway (the only place where the name is in common use). Its western extremity in Nigeria, Cameroon and Central African Republic is mostly complete but a long missing link across DR Congo currently prevents any practical use through the middle section. Trans-African Highway 9 (TAH 9), Beira-Lobito Highway, 3,523 km (2,189 mi): substantially complete except in the eastern half but the western half through Angola and south-central DR Congo requires reconstruction.
North-south routes [ edit ]
Starting with the most westerly, these are:
Trans-African Highway 2 (TAH 2), Algiers–Lagos Highway, 4,504 km (2,799 mi) : also known as the Trans-Sahara Highway : substantially complete, only 200 km (120 mi) of desert track remains to be paved, but border and security controls restrict usage.
: also known as the : substantially complete, only 200 km (120 mi) of desert track remains to be paved, but border and security controls restrict usage. Trans-African Highway 3 (TAH 3), Tripoli–Windhoek–(Cape Town) Highway, 10,808 km (6,716 mi) : this route has the most missing links and requires the most new construction, as only national paved roads in Libya, Cameroon, Angola, Namibia and South Africa can be used to any extent. South Africa was not originally included, as the highway was first planned in the Apartheid era, but it is now recognized that it would continue to Cape Town.
: this route has the most missing links and requires the most new construction, as only national paved roads in Libya, Cameroon, Angola, Namibia and South Africa can be used to any extent. South Africa was not originally included, as the highway was first planned in the Apartheid era, but it is now recognized that it would continue to Cape Town. Trans-African Highway 4 (TAH 4), Cairo–Gaborone–(Pretoria/Cape Town) Highway, 10,228 km (6,355 mi): the completion of the stretch of highway from Dongola to Wadi Halfa in Northern Sudan and the road from the Galabat border crossing in North-Western Ethiopia leaves only 1 stretch unpaved: the gravel section between Babati and Dodoma in central Tanzania. The section between Isiolo and Moyale in northern Kenya (dubbed 'the road to hell' by overland travellers) has recently been completed creating a smooth crossing across Kenya. Crossing the Egypt-Sudan border by road has been prohibited for a number of years, a vehicle ferry on Lake Nasser is used instead. As with TAH 3, South Africa was not originally included as the idea was first proposed in the Apartheid era, but it is now recognized that it would continue to Pretoria and Cape Town. Except for passing through Ethiopia, the route roughly coincides with proposals for the Cape to Cairo Road in the early 20th century British Empire.
As noted above, TAH 1 and TAH 7 join to form an additional north-south route around the western extremity of the continent between Monrovia and Rabat.
Regional highway projects in Africa [ edit ]
Regional international communities are heavily involved in trans-African highway development and work in conjunction with the ADB and UNECA. For example:
The Arab Maghreb Union drives the development and maintenance of the Tripoli to Nouakchott section of TAH 1.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) drives the development of and maintenance of TAH 5 and 7.
the Southern African Development Community (SADC) has an extensive network of road projects and trade corridors in southern Africa. TAH 9 and the southern ends of TAH 3 and 4 utilize regional highways developed by SADC or its forerunners. In particular SADC manages road and rail corridors from landlocked areas to ports.
See also [ edit ]
Citations [ edit ]
References [ edit ]Welcome to clickme, where you and an artificial intelligence (AI) partner will play to win prizes and help us understand differences in how humans and machines see the world. Your score is tied to the generated user name in the top-left of the screen. This user name will stick with you even if you close the screen -- feel free to resume your work at any time!
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Since July 2014, the St. Clair County women have shared another similarity: Both of their homes were raided by the St. Clair County Drug Task Force. Hency and Shattuck are registered medical marijuana caregivers. Among the things taken in the raid were their medical marijuana cards issued by the state, televisions, a bicycle and documents including driver’s licenses and insurance cards.
“It was devastating,” Shattuck said.
Hency and Shattuck were charged with marijuana-related counts several months after the raids. Three of the six charges against Shattuck were dismissed. Both charges against Hency were dismissed this month, but she has still been unable to reclaim her property.
They are just two examples of people affected by civil asset forfeiture in Michigan, a process by which someone’s assets may be forfeited if the property is judged to be related to crime, regardless of whether that person is ever charged or convicted. That’s because the assets are tried in civil court, separate from the criminal process.
House Republicans listed civil asset forfeiture reform as one of their priorities for this legislative session. A bipartisan package of bills, approved by a House committee last week, would make changes, including raising the standard for forfeiture to the highest in civil court, one of clear and convincing evidence rather than a preponderance of the evidence.
The bills also would require detailed reports from local police to the state police on property forfeited. Reporting is now required for forfeited assets related to drug crimes, but not for other criminal activities. The Michigan State Police has not taken a position on the package, but a representative at a committee hearing expressed support for the added transparency.
Stephen Guilliat, chief assistant prosecutor for St. Clair County, couldn’t comment specifically on cases like Hency and Shattuck’s but said checks and balances are in the forfeiture system to make sure it’s done right.
Asset forfeiture is a tool that’s used to make sure crime doesn’t pay, Guilliat added, and all of the money generated by the process “goes right back to the enforcement of the criminal laws of the state of Michigan.”
“We will help fund things that otherwise we wouldn’t be able to do,” he said.
Some advocates for reform say that’s part of the problem.
The system “creates an incentive for police to be more aggressive with enforcement” as they look to fill holes in their budgets, Irwin said.
Even some who were once part of the forfeiture process now advocate for reform.
Steve Miller worked for the Canton Police Department for 18 years, including five years on a special weapons and tactics team.
He retired as a sergeant and now is a speaker for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, a group supporting legalization and regulation of drugs.
He said after his time being involved with forfeiture in Wayne County, he believes the description of “policing for profit” is appropriate.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Read or Share this story: http://detne.ws/1HYIq7NOne of this country’s greatest soccer players of all time has received one of the highest honours in Canadian sports.
Craig Forrest, a former goalkeeper with the Canadian national team, was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame on Wednesday. Forrest is only the fifth soccer player to enter the Hall. He joins Andrea Neil, Charmaine Hooper, Dave Turner and Bruce Wilson.
“It’s an incredible honour. To be included in the Hall with so many legendary athletes, a list of who’s who in Canadian sports, it’s humbling,” Forrest told Sportsnet.
“My hope is that in some small way my induction will lead to more soccer players being inducted down the road, and inspire more boys and girls to take up the sport.”
Forrest, 47, didn’t start playing soccer until he was 12 years while growing up in B.C., but he made up for lost time—as a 16-year-old he travelled to England and signed a two-year apprenticeship with Ipswich Town. While on loan to Colchester United, he made his professional debut during the 1987-88 season.
Forrest would stay at Ipswich for 14 seasons and make over 300 appearances, helping the team win promotion to the Premier League in 1992. Amazingly, Forrest was one of only 11 active foreign players in the Premier League that season—a far cry from today where foreign players dominate starting line-ups of the biggest clubs in the English topflight.
After a short loan with Chelsea at the end of the 1996-97 campaign, Forrest joined West Ham United in 1997.
His greatest success, though, came while playing for his country. Forrest was an integral part of the Canadian side that won the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup, still the only major tournament Canada has won at the senior level. Forrest was named to the Gold Cup’s all-star team, and was named the tournament MVP—he only gave up three goals and stopped two penalty shots in five games.
“In all modesty, it was the best I’ve ever played in all my years suiting up for the national team. I just felt I was really strong in net, supported by a defence that was very well organized,” Forrest told Sportsnet in a 2014 interview.
“It was definitely the highlight of my career. But then I flew back to England to re-join West Ham and in my very next game after beating Colombia (in the Gold Cup final) I was in net as we got shelled 7-1 by Manchester United at Old Trafford. How’s that for karma?”
Forrest was also in goal for Canada’s famous 1-1 draw in a friendly with Brazil in Edmonton a month before their victory in the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
Paul Dolan, a former goalkeeper who played for Canada at the 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico and was teammates with Forrest, marvelled at how Forrest often “single-handedly kept Canada in games.”
“He had a presence and a confidence about him on the field that never seemed to waiver even under heavy pressure. I know that trying to win the number one position from him and from Pat Onstad, who I also have great respect for, pushed my own game to higher levels which might be the biggest compliment I could pay to Craig. He made me and every other player on the team push themselves to be better players when he was in the squad,” Dolan said.
Regarded as the best goalkeeper Canada has ever produced, Forrest earned 56 caps from between 1988 and 2002. He still holds the Canadian shutout record, posting 19 clean sheets.
In 2001, Forrest was diagnosed with testicular cancer. He beat the illness, but was forced to retire from the game in 2002. After retiring, Forrest started working as a soccer pundit in Canada. He currently serves as a soccer analyst for Sportsnet.
“Craig’s playing career speaks for itself. It was truly Hall of Fame both in professional soccer and as Canada’s stalwart keeper for many years. He continues to work at growing the game in his role on television. He is now truly Canada’s pre-eminent voice on soccer. A great choice for induction into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame,” said Scott Moore, President of Sportsnet and NHL Properties for Rogers.
Gerry Dobson, Forrest’s long-time broadcast partner at Sportsnet, characterized the former goalkeeper’s transition from player to media pundit as seamless.
“Whether it was for Canada or Ipswich or West Ham, he always wore the jersey with pride and was an incredible shot stopper. But more important than that, he’s a generous and standup guy who believes in soccer and growing the game in Canada. I’m honoured to call him a friend.”
Former NHL star Paul Coffey, freestyle skier Jennifer Heil and women’s hockey player Danielle Goyette are other members of the Hall of Fame’s Class of 2015.
The induction ceremony will be held Oct. 21 at Toronto’s Mattamy Athletic Centre.Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports has some numbers on Alex Smith's contract with the Kansas City Chiefs. Smith was working in the final year of his contract set to pay him $7.5 million in 2014.
Let's take a look at the changes.
The money
Signing bonus: $18 million
2014: $1 million
2015: $11.9 million
2016: $14.1 million
2017: $10.2 million (+ $2 million roster bonus)
2018: $14.5 million (+ $2 million roster bonus)
The guaranteed money
The $18 million signing bonus and $1 million 2014 salary is fully guaranteed.
If he is on the roster on the third day of the 2015 league year (next March - very likely), his 2015 and 2016 salaries totaling $26 million become fully guaranteed, according to La Canfora's report.
Those figures total the reported $45 million guaranteed and his three-year pay-out. You hear people talk about the three year pay-out because NFL contracts aren't real contracts and teams will just cut players with few penalties in the back end of contracts.
The cap hit
Let's preface this with I am not a salary cap expert so I'm just going off the numbers reported here.
Smith's previous cap number was $8 million. If the signing bonus pro-rates over the life of the deal ($3.6 million per year) and you add in his 2014 salary ($1 million) that comes out to a $4.6 million cap hit this year, which actually saves the Chiefs money against the cap. Funny how contracts work, huh?
How long are the Chiefs tied to Smith?
The way I read this, Smith is solidly tied to the Chiefs three more years through the 2016 season. It's very likely he's going to be on the roster next March, which would trigger guarantees in 2015 and 2016. Smith turned 30 last May.
It's interesting that his base salary drops in that fourth year. If he's playing well, that looks like a reasonable figure to pay.
Note: Here is another good breakdown of the contract.Payment
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Payment is required in full before I ship out a completed miniature/figure. If payment is not received before the private listing expires, which is a four month window, the miniature/figure will be considered abandoned and ownership will transfer to me. (Please don't let this happen!!!)Hundreds of students at Antioch High School walked out due to multiple grievances they said they have with the school and administration.
The walkout began around 8:30 a.m. Friday and lasted about an hour. The students initially stood in the parking lot and toward the edge of the property before moving onto the football field near the school.
Friday morning, the students released a list of grievances, which they said were as follows:
Administration’s decision to deny all applicable students the opportunity to take the PSAT, ruining their chances to qualify for National Merit Scholar scholarships
Extremely strict dress code that removes students from their learning environment based on what they are wearing
The fragmentation of school clubs and activities due to the denial of fundraising
Cancelation of Senior Week and all senior activities
Lack of adequate facilities
Vacancy of teachers for crucial classes
Unorganized administration
Failure to involve students in the decision making of school policies
Unfair and unequal treatment of staff members
Failure of administration to respond to student concerns in a timely manner
Cafeteria food that is moldy or undercooked and therefore unable to be consumed
Lack of fair discipline
Having an unlicensed principle for half of the school year
Discontinuation of Fee Waivers for students in tough financial situations
Tardy Policy that is extremely strict and unwarranted
"We wanted to all come and show that as a student body, this is our school and our voice," said Jerome Dooley Jr.
Many of the grievances surrounded first-year principal Dr. Keiva Wiley.
Earlier this year, NewsChannel 5 Investigates discovered Wiley was one of several new hires by Superintendent Dr. Shawn Joseph who weren't properly licensed in the state of Tennessee.
Administration had not yet responded to each individual grievance; however, they confirmed they were working with the community and staff to work through the issues.
The students also released a speech written for and given at the walkout. To read it in its entirety, click here.
Dr. Wiley's latest action, however, is being called the straw that broke the camel's back. On Friday, she fired popular head football coach Mike Woodward.
"Winning is sort of the cure all to everything. When you win, everybody is happy. When you're not winning you do run into some bumps in the road," said Metro Schools Athletic Director Roosevelt Sanders. While Antioch only won three games last season - parents and players said the program was making big improvements.
"The kids were excited, and we were getting kids to go to college and we were stressing things beyond what happens on the football field," said Woodward, speaking to NewsChannel 5.
Students and alumni said they believed Woodward's firing is just the tip of the iceberg.
"From what they've said it's been an intense work environment and you can see that as evidence in the teachers that have left and the amount of subs they have at Antioch High School." said Demarco Moore an Antioch High alumni and former football player.
"i don't think they're doing what's best for the kids," said Woodward.
Teachers there told NewsChannel 5 more than half the staff has already decided not to return next year. In fact, many teachers have already left.
"Let the numbers speak for themselves," Woodward said. "See how many teachers put in, that they plan on transferring."
NewsChannel 5 tried to talk to Dr. Wiley, but the district insisted she was unavailable |
Harden will play their first game together, at Golden State. Short of a Golden State-Cleveland rematch, Houston against the defending champs is the game we want to see.
Did the Rockets close the gap between themselves and the Warriors by adding CP3? How will Paul and Harden coexist given that each guard is used to having the ball in his hands? On the other side, will the champs be even better in Year 2 with Kevin Durant?
The Warriors and Cavaliers are back at it on Christmas Day. Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The following night we get to see "The Process" the way former Philadelphia 76ers GM Sam Hinkie likely envisioned it. Hopefully the Sixers will be healthy, with Joel Embiid ready for his second season and the past two No. 1 picks in the draft -- Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz -- making their debuts against the Washington Wizards.
Washington owner Ted Leonsis opened his vault to re-sign Otto Porter Jr. and extend John Wall this summer, so excitement and expectations haven't been this high in D.C. since Michael Jordan was in a Wizards uniform.
That same night, Tom Thibodeau unveils his revamped pack of Timberwolves, with Jimmy Butler, Jeff Teague, Jamal Crawford and Taj Gibson joining Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins. Minnesota will get to measure itself right away against the San Antonio Spurs, who added Rudy Gay in the offseason.
On Oct. 19, the Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers face each other before a nationally televised audience that will get its first look at No. 2 overall pick Lonzo Ball. What sneakers will the rookie be wearing, and what provocative prediction will "Big Baller" patriarch LaVar Ball make this time?
On the court, Ball shined at the Las Vegas Summer League, racking up a few triple-doubles and reminding some league execs and coaches of a young Jason Kidd. If Ball outplays the Clippers' new point guard, European sensation Milos Teodosic, LaVar and Lakers Nation might explode.
Unfortunately for the New York Knicks and Carmelo Anthony (if he is still with the Knicks by the start of the season), New York will be served up as a sacrificial lamb to Westbrook and George on Oct. 19. Maybe the reigning MVP will post a triple-double himself and help George get one against the lowly Knicks.
And on Oct. 20, opening week's nationally televised slate ends with New Orleans Pelicans star big men Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins getting an early shot at Golden State.
The Celtics and Wizards will take their rivalry to one of the NBA's biggest stages. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
The NBA's Christmas Day schedule provides more of the usual drama and rivalries that make this holiday tradition so exciting, led by another Cavaliers-Warriors showdown.
Besides Kyrie watch (if Kyrie is still a Cavalier), we have LeBron against Curry and LeBron against Durant. Throw in Draymond Green and new Warrior Nick Young, and surely we will have a drama-filled Christmas matchup once again.
And what would NBA Christmas Day be without some beef? Look no further than Celtics-Wizards, a budding rivalry that went seven games in the East semis and gave us the "funeral game" and "Death Row DC" during the regular season.
There's also a rematch between last season's top two MVP candidates when Westbrook's Thunder play Harden's Rockets.
One thing the NBA might've missed on Christmas Day? It could be the decision to have Embiid and the Sixers playing the Knicks and the Timberwolves facing the Lakers. It would have been much more entertaining to see the Sixers play the Lakers and the No. 1 overall pick (Fultz) face the No. 2 pick (Ball) along with Simmons and his Showtime-like passing ability.
And Milwaukee against New York would have been fun to watch with the Greek Freak (Antetokounmpo) against the Unicorn (Kristaps Porzingis) at Madison Square Garden. But we're nitpicking.
As they say in "Game of Thrones": "Winter is coming." In the NBA's case, not only can winter not come soon enough, but we can hardly wait until opening week, when we get to see Kyrie and LeBron back together again -- or not.Saudi forces have killed a Shia activist during a raid on his house in the Qatif region, Eastern Province.
The Taghrid Ahrar Twitter account reported that Salman al-Faraj was killed during the raid on Tuesday.
The Riyadh regime’s forces briefly arrested his wife, Sakina al-Faraj, who was injured in the attack.
The victim's brother Zaki al-Faraj and his nephew Salman were also arrested.
Meanwhile, Saudi sources claimed that a soldier named Khaled al-Sameti was also killed during the raid. The sources claimed that Salman al-Faraj was involved in the kidnapping and murder of Mohammed al-Jirani, a judge in Qatif, last year.
The Shia-populated Eastern Province has been the scene of peaceful demonstrations since February 2011. Protesters have been demanding reforms, freedom of expression, the release of political prisoners, and an end to economic and religious discrimination against the oil-rich region.
The protests have been met with a heavy-handed crackdown by the regime. Security forces have increased security measures across the province.
Over the past years, Riyadh has also redefined its anti-terrorism laws so as to also target activism.
In January 2016, Saudi authorities executed Shia cleric Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr, who was an outspoken critic of the policies of the Riyadh regime. Nimr had been arrested in Qatif in 2012.Last year, University of Miami professor Karen Dawisha authored the book "Putin's Kleptocracy: Who Owns Russia?" She traces the rise of Vladimir Putin and chronicles his rule. Her thesis is this: After a major political change — in this case, the breakup of the Soviet Union — most countries go through a period of instability and corruption but gradually bring lawlessness under control. In Russia, however, the exact opposite has happened: Russia has developed corruption into a fine art.
I've traveled to Russia twice in the past year, and friends and complete strangers have told me how corrupt it really is. Surprisingly, Russian media have depicted this in the award-winning film "Leviathan," and a compelling drama, "The Loser." Against all odds the "little guy" fights corrupt courts, police and city council members. But these tales don't end well. One "hero" was jailed, the other nearly beaten to death by the people he was trying to help.
One Russian friend believes that many regional governors are corrupt. In the absence of a strong federal system, governors run their regions like mobsters. He may be onto something. Earlier this year, the governor of the Far East Sakhalin region was arrested for bribes.
At the highest levels, the U.S. and European Union believe that corruption in Russia is so extensive that after the invasion of Crimea and Ukraine, they directed many sanctions toward Russia's elite. Western powers went after super rich "oligarchs" and wealthy "friends of Vladimir," hoping to punish financially Mr. Putin's inner circle and pressure it into changing his calculus about Russia's aggression. John McCain maintained in 2013 that Putin rules by "corruption, repression and violence," and various news commentators calls Mr. Putin a "thug" at every turn.
Yet, considering some of the legislation and behavior of our own political class, these claims seem sanctimonious. U.S. politicians would do well to examine themselves and consider the admonition to take the log out from their own eye.
Take for example the "Cromnibus" bill, which was rammed through Congress last year. Thanks to K-Street lobbyists, the law allows banks to undertake very risky investments. In some cases, if the banks suffer a loss, the U.S. taxpayer will get the bill. This is a corruption of our system; Congress has sold out the little guy.
Or look at the trade legislation now under consideration by Congress. The details of the bill are still apparently classified. The American people do not know what is in it, and most in Congress have not read it, which requires going to a secret room and not divulging details. This is Soviet-style lawmaking, which is only rivaled by the secretive side deals the Obama administration cut with Iran. Lenin would be proud.
CNN's Drew Griffin reported for "AC360" that 78 members of Congress can count federally registered lobbyists as family members. Those lobbyists number 100, and according to congressional watchdog Legistorm, have worked on lobbying contracts worth $2 billion. Russians are all too familiar with bribes, like an envelope filled with cash. In the U.S., we specialize in "soft bribes" — take care of legislators' families, and the lawmaker will take care of you.
Our system is rife with abuses of power, conflicts of interest, and paybacks to the rich through sole-source contracts, tax preferences or beneficial regulations. These "pay-to-play" schemes are endemic to corruption, making it hard to understand how our politicians are any better than Russia's, whom they are quick to condemn. Of course, many will point out that at least we don't assassinate or jail opposition voices.
The recent indictment on multiple corruption charges of Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey is chilling, however. His ethical challenges have been alleged for years: Why was he only recently indicted? Could this have anything to do with his strident opposition to the president's foreign policies?
On my last trip to Russia, I had the opportunity to speak to a Russian Federal Security Service agent. I asked him, "What are you guys doing about corruption?" He said they were pursuing what they could, but that corruption was hard to prosecute.
That sounded about right, in both our countries.
Jerome Israel is a former senior executive at NSA and the FBI. His email is vseznayushe@gmail.com.One of the last of rugby league's straight-shooters: Brent Tate. Credit:Getty Images Another Australian team insider informed this column at the weekend that "some players want to play" next spring and "others don't". What other sport, in what other country, allows its athletes to dictate whether or not it plays internationals? Lunatics, please meet asylum. There is a strong belief – shared by Discord – that if Great Britain want to embark on a full-scale tour in October and November next year, their first since 1992, Aussie players who are not interested in playing can watch from their Bali barstools. Paul Kind of the NRL had pencilled in a wonderful itinerary that involved travelling from Brisbane to Sydney by bus and dropping in on country towns, just like days of yore.
Other sports have accepted they do not have to always field their strongest sides in internationals, weathering the negative publicity associated with "rotation", and the Aussie league team will have to go through this eventually, too. Why not next year? Many players you might see as "nailed on" for the Australian Four Nations team THIS year – let's use Justin Hodges as an example – may opt for surgery instead. We could get "rotation" sooner rather than later – like, in six weeks. Players' association boss Dave Garnsey told me some time ago the "year off" for representative players is not in the collective bargaining agreement. Australia was offered a year off once – after visiting Britain four times in five years, including in the months after the September 2001 terrorism attacks. It was not intended to be a permanent concession between each World Cup, which is what it has become.
I repeat, if you don't want to play then don't. Someone will fill your spot. Meanwhile, if Australia are the prettiest/most handsome person in the 2015 room and have now left, the cashed-up English are the next most attractive. And they've stolen the frumpy Frenchmen's date from them, just like in the Dolly Parton song Joelene. Nigel Wood, please don't take her just because you can! More on the Mata'utia brothers' moniker Further to our Set of Six item about the Mata'utia brothers, it's great to see they have decided on a "house style" for the pronunciation of their surname.
We were joking on Monday when we said that Sione probably has a third way of saying his name but, according to the Australian Schoolboys organisation, he does. He told his schools coach to say it: "Mata-tia". Let's be blunt – era of NRL players being candid is nearly over With the retirements of sterling blokes Luke Bailey and Brent Tate, the era of engaging honesty among NRL players is just about over. As colleague Phil Lutton says, the outcry over Tate's decription of how an Origin tackle made him feel this year will probably rub out any lingering thoughts among young players of being candid in interviews.
Prepare yourself for the Era Of The Dougs – Doug Deep and Doug In. Ice hockey and rugby league don't compare Comments time – and first to last week's Discord. Bob said the NRL should become an international niche competition, as is the NHL. But ice hockey has a thriving international scene, Bob, and when an exhibition game was played in Sydney it was between national sides, not clubs. Travis kind of touched on the issue raised in the first item this week – the idea of Australia fielding a less-than-full-strength side in internationals.
I promised to work my way through the entire 241 comments on the image yarn and so I will – even though it's something of a pain in the butt. Matt said I was "a sports journo needing to whip up something to keep him employed". Matt, I was paid no more for that column than I'm being paid for this, which is about trainspotting international matters. I am paid no more if this column is on the back of the Herald than if it appears only online and is read by no one. RM said my story disrespected 99 per cent of players as much as Carney did. You're right. It did. Lgrsydney said players were allowed to "run amok" under David Gallop. I'm sure Brett Stewart (found innocent in court after being suspended) would disagree, and so would casual Sydneysiders who knew Gallop only because he was on the news every second night talking sternly about the punishment meted out to another miscreant. Bob says rugby league has provided me with my livelihood. Wrong. Journalism has provided me with my livelihood. I can no more be disingenuous in my summation of an issue in rugby league than a referee can leg-up a team because their victory would be "good for the game". Bad player behaviour, the absence of private schools, poor international administration, suffocating TV contracts and other problems hold rugby league back, and I am entitled to say that if I believe it.
Particularlynastyweather said "role models are for losers". Role models are an accepted societal phenomenon, as is rebellion against one's parents. If one rebels against one's parents but also has no-one else to look up, then what is left? A world without heroes is a world without sun, you can't look up to anyone (said someone who turned out to be rather dodgy role model himself). Loading Forum. Podcast.Australia is one of two continents that are also countries, the other being Africa. It is also the Great Southern Land, Bogan Land, Ozi, Down Under, The Sunburnt Country, The Best Version Of New Zealand, The Best Island Of All, The Terra Australis, Oz or (Terra australaeionesia cowardiana), quite the spiffing continent.
Australia is a Commonwealth country known mostly by foreigners as Great Britain with a less fruity accent, with sun in the sky that you can actually see and get third degree burns from. It is also called "Oz" for short, or "Down under", after a popular position among ibis rapists. The name "Australia" originates from the Aboriginal word "Walla'borongamala" meaning "where the bloody hell am I?".[1] Australia is the world's second favourite desert wasteland with only one or two interesting cities and a medium level of social-censorship, behind the UAE.
Potential tourists should note that Australia is populated by vicious, venomous creatures (both native and feral) that can kill a full-grown man in seconds.[2]
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Pre-History
Australia was originally part of a super-continent called "GoneAwayland" which included "The Other America" (South America) and Canada, as well as "African America" and Caucasia. The mythical islands of Aotearoa (Noy Sealand) were also thought to be joined to the super-continent. However these countries decided to "split" from Oz (as they put it). But do we care? Huh! We don't care one bit! It's their loss! We took our ball and went home... Australia then became the largest island in the world, but was later discovered to be nothing more than a hilariously undersized continent.
Australia was first colonised by the Bogans around 60,000 BC (Before the Great Bogan Lader Costello), known as "Tell Him He's Dreaming Time". The following account accurately summarises the history of the ensuing years: "Back to 8th century AD, Australia still consists of many tiny islands. There was a tribe of natives, living confined from outside. The island was named beautifully as AuLai. Kangaroo was divinised as sacred animal, the embodiment of God. The animal was named KAIGELU (kangaroot), meaning Son of the God. In 17th century, Talise, the English navigator, arrived in AuLai with European civilisation. The island residents saw Talise curiously writing diary, using sharpened stick dipped in ink. Talise presented sharpened sticks to tribe leader as gift, which were treated as sacred things and carved with pattern of kangaroo later." -Handbook of Kaigelu Kangaroo Australia Holdings Limited, translated from Chinese.
Natives
Before a group of Asian-Phillipinos decided to see how long the water was 10 metres deep for, there were a bunch of ugly and sloppy group of people called bogans. As the Asians arrived, they brought food,which the bogans tried to scab at and this caused a war. The Asians won and bogans have been hated ever since. The Asians got a tan and became Aboriginals.
History
Main article: History of Australia
The British took control after a bizarre administrative error which also created North Korea, Poland, That other country with the two Islands and Sweden. The first Queen of Australia, Captain James "Jimmy" Chook, built the first Aussie "barbie" (barbeque, not the doll - she came later after Ken moved in), on Lady Macquarie's Chair on Point Bennelong. After the chair was extinguished, a great celebration called Australia Day was held, and a lot of beers were drunk. Then the flag of Sweden was raised in error, then taken down, then the North Korean flag was raised, then taken down, then the Polish flag was raised, it was found there was no British flag available, so a Union Jack was drawn on to the Polish flag and the country was declared to be the possession of General Kosciuszko, who nobody had heard of, and the highest mountain was named after him.
After the English arrived in Australia, they immediately set up a camp and began saying Good Ay' to each other. The phrase came about after immigrants suffered from ear infections after the long boat journey. Good Ay' was meant to mean, Is your ear ok? A prison was soon built after crime was rife on the Island. The problem was the amount of criminals that arrived on a large pirate ship full of booty. When the Australia Force was formed, prisons were easily built with slave labour from trained crocodiles (affectionately known to the locals as "salties"). The prisons were very crude, and the sound of bells was used as a deterrent to crime, although just what that means no-one has ever worked out.
Other countries, however, viewed Australia as a tourist resort and Europeans came by the thousands - and after having had sex in Australia's drinking water supply - sunbathed on the pristine white beaches. After some undue violence with the prisoners, the English retreated back to England to support their Queen as well as their reigning Monarch, Victoria Beckham.
The governments of the UK and Australia met up in 1902 to discuss the possibility of burning a man, made from half an "Aussie" and half a "Brit" (one of the race unaffectionately known to the locals as "pommie bastards"), put the ashes in a small urn and then play test matches for possession of "The Urn". Australia were quick to dismiss the idea, but after China had started to play Cricket, they knew they must "play up, play up, and play the game". Originally the game was played naked in the burning sun, but clothes were introduced after the first team all died of skin cancer several years after the first match.
In 1978, a giant boat arrived on the shore of the Island, loud disco was booming out of it, but no one got off the boat was several days until the army was called. Once on board the army found a large group of sleeping party people. The people were awoken and welcomed to the Island. This is believed to be the origins of Australia's Gay Scene. The Police of Australia met with the people of the boat, and once they had all had massages on the beach from some nearby aborigines, then it was down to business. The party people agreed to keep the party scene going if they could have immunity from the country's drug laws. This was granted and the party scene grew from the boat. The first party was named "The Liberal Party", then "The Country Party" started up, followed by "The Labour Party". Other parties quickly formed including Democrat, Communist, Green, Brownish, Slightly-Puce, Even More Gay, and the Bugger-All (New Gay) Party.
Early British prisoners in Australia used their pickpocketing skills to steal a captain's ID and set sail in the direction of Antarctica, where they hoped to find Father Christmas and his tireless elves. Unfortunately, recent scientific discoveries have discovered that Santa actually lives at the North Pole, and not the South. Luckily for the ship crew, however, one Henry Barrington Smith had actually constructed his 3/4 flood pants entirely out of magnetic rock sourced from the motherland, England. And as he greatly enjoyed circling the ship's rim, he caused the compasses of the captain to go in random directions - east, west, north, up, into the fourth dimension, and so on. This lead them in a complete circle and back to the beach from which they had left. This is described in the captain's diary as such: "Antartica, I have found, is unlike Australia. It has the water, more culture, and much better night life."
Subsequently becoming the part of the Empire where the sun never set - mainly because Lord Voldemort doesn't trust God and also doesn't trust an Englishman in the dark - the former convicts (now Australians) cleverly got around the eternal daylight hours by the introduction of Daylight Saving Time, thereby throwing out all reckoning of time during the summer months - and so ensuring no one was ever again certain that the sun had indeed risen, or whether it was just a particularly bright moon that night.
From here the newly founded Australia built itself on a strong trade in being anal retentive, awesomely bogan-like, pathological cheats at any number of sporting fare, and drunken-destructive by nature. With this booming trade, the first brewery was founded in Sydney, finally freeing the locals from the unpopular practice of drinking each others urine. This transition from traditional English seafaring beverage to locally-produced products can be seen today in the architecture of the Sydney Opera House. Only with sufficient drunkenness could the local population have agreed to produce something worthy of being deemed erected, and allow the locals to miss the fact that it had been "erected" and not giggle at the term. The obsession that Australians found in gambling was finally put to good use - when they decided (like the dense lot they are) to follow blindly any lead the "good ol' US of A" lays down... They say "Hump", Oz says "How dry?"..."
From here the rest of Australia's arrested-development was chosen, and the Australian national motto decided: "Be wicked which you can't help anyway because you're Australian and criminal behaviour is your birth right!" This cryptic motto comes from an early regional dialect often referred to in early cave paintings as "boof-head/bogan".[3] It has yet to be fully translated, but its impact on Australia is unmistakable.
Australians don't not have tax, they have buckets in the street where people throw money they don't want. It has provided enough money to keep things under control. The buckets have a large vacuum inside that sucks notes in. In recent years, the machines have been repeatedly filled with dog excrement and photographs of money.
Politics and government
See also: Australian Parliament
Australia is the only nation in the world to completely occupy an entire continent. This gives Australian government officials a +4 influence bonus, one extra Special Power usage, and two extra armies each turn. Another notable aspect about Australia is that it possesses the detached province of Tasmania, which are used in the Australian Army as shock troops, as well as making good moving targets down at the shooting range or as an alternative to abortion. Occasionally the government hold elections *cough* *cough*.
However, Australians are relatively passive in world affairs, preferring to save up their extra armies every turn and turtling in Indonesia or Siam until they have a sufficient force in reserve to suddenly envelop Asia and thereby enact world domination. Damned lamers. Despite having the best-trained, well-equipped army in the entire world consisting of all the cannons in the black army, half the cavalry, 15 solders and a shit rugby team, the Aussies generally choose to just own the Americans at war games and send them out on beer runs for the rest of us.
For most of the 20th century, Australia was ruled by England's Queen Elizabeth II, a tyrannical and insane monarch who also runs things in New Zealand, Canada, America and India. The current government's international policy seems to be "No Worries, She'll be Right" and apparently consists of doing the American army's work for them, before heading off to the local pub while the Americans take the absence as an opportunity to claim credit for winning the war.
Contrary to Popular Belief among the English, Australia is no longer a colony of criminal miscreants and has grown annoyingly wealthy. The new 21st century Queen of Australia, Victoria Beckham, has pleaded with Australia to grow up and be independent. However, Australia prefers to still be governed by Great Britain for the sake of tradition, just like Americans prefer to be fat because they can't get off their behinds to save their lives, and the Japanese like to be productive and creative because they're stuck in the 1600s. Not that Australians think they are superior...
Australia, despite being ruled by the monkey queen, has escaped the iron grip of a mutant Grue-eating slug since mid/late-2008, and was controlled by the secret service double agent for SPECTRE, "Double-O-Kevin", until he got knifed by the nation's hottest ranga (don't tell Pauline), Julia Gillard. Comedy ensues! Everyone from the Labor Party hates each other! And yes, KRudd knifed Julia back in June 2013 looking for votes, but ended up getting stabbed by right-wing echidnas... ouch. So then, the not-so-secret reformation of the Liberal Party, lead by the ever ladsy, gracious, glorious overlord Tone Abet, resulted in the beautiful destruction of the ALP at the 2013 election! Now fellow Strayans are rejoicing in a party that proclaims to have great sex appeal (even more than the Aussie Sex Party) and a definite mission to stop the boats. Yeah, we're waiting for y'all, okay.
Wars
Australia has a long tradition of supplying cannon fodder for its imperial overlords - (Britain 1788-1958, and America 1958-Armageddon) - any time they decide to embark on a new adventure. This first began in the Boer War, which wound up with Edward Woodward being tied to a chair and shot. Australians recently commemorated this event by briefly renaming a pub on Chapel St, South Yarra, "Rorke's Drift".
The You-Beaut War
In World War I Australians performed an outstanding service to the British Empire by acting as bullet-collectors in the Somme and Gallipoli. The "idea" for the latter was conceived by the then British Monster of Navy, Winston Churchill. Churchill's reward for his brilliant strategy to reduce the population of Australia was to be eventually made leader of the Tory Party and subsequently elected as Prime Monster. Churchill famously neve visited Australia, because he was warned there were Anzacs queuing up to shoot him.
During a famous truce at Gallipoli the Turks lobbed tobacco into the Australian trenches and Australians lobbed their tinned beef into the Turkish trenches. The Turks tried the beef before promptly lobbing it back. Australians are particularly proud of having been slaughtered at Gallipoli, which is commemorated each year by thousands of young Australians booking a package tour to Turkey, getting pissed and throwing up on war graves.
In popular Straylian mythology (not the black mythology, the other unreal one), The Great War (or "The Bonza, You-Beaut War", as it is known in Australia) was the beginning of the modern Australian nation. The real pre-John Howard mythology, dating from 1989 BC (Before Costello) is that the beginning of the Australian nation was forged on the goldfields and at the "Eureka Stockade" (which was a stockade or corrale where "ideas" or "eurekas" were kept fenced in). Australia's most dramatic and successful war campaign during the You-Beaut War was its valiant relieving the Germans of Papua New Guinea, or "German New Guinea" as it was then known, distinguish it from "Dutch New Guinea" which was to west and spoke Dutch but now speaks Indonesian ("Don't mention West Irian"). Famous prisoners-of-war (POWs or Piss-Weaks as they are known to Aussie non-combatants) from the First You-Beaut Papuan Campaign included Bronislaw Malinowski (Who?), the father of modern Anthropology and well-known Stella Artois enthusiast.
The most potent icon to emerge out of the Gallipoli conflict was that of Simpson and his Donkey (pictured), who risked life, limb, hoof and tail ferrying wounded Australian soldiers away from the front line under heavy Turkish fire. However, it was recently discovered that Simpson was in fact an illegal Scottish immigrant, so his shattered remains were dug up and sent back to Britain at the British government's expense. Dirty yobbo, pretending to be an Aussie hero, may he rot in peace!
The Shit, not Again You-Beaut War
Main article: The battle of Brisbane
In World War II, the Australians were all over The Place, planting gum trees in Syria, liberating France, causing riots in Egyptian brothels, building the Burma Railway and the Bridge over the River Kwai. Note: the Burma War history was later amended to include William Holden, famous American (aka "Septic") car designer and other yanks and Brits, but Aussie soldiers were deleted by David Lean the infamous "historical revisionist" greatest man ever (see John Howard) and movie director.
Other You-Beaut Wars
Australians were also in Malaya at some point in the '50s, though nobody seems to remember why. It may have been something to do with Britain's War on Communism. Then they piled into Korea. Returning soldiers tried to interest their loved ones in kimchi, which led to an unprecedented spike in the Australian divorce rate. Then it was Vietnam, though nobody seems to remember why. It may have been something to do with America's War on Communism. Then the "First Bush War" in Iraq, then the undeclared war in East Timor against those tricksy Indonesians who took away Dutch New Guinea ("Don't mention West Irian" again), then the "Second Bush War" in Afghanistan, and the Third Bush War" - Iraq again. Australia valiantly attacked the Solomon Islands, East Timor again, and is probably due to attack the World again. Australia enthusiastically joined the "Bush War on Terrierists" - which arose from a misinterpretation of the American accent of President George Bush who was angry at people keeping terrier dogs (he preferred poodles) but was later taken to mean anyone from the Middle East or an Arab (see Muslim or anyone wearing a towel on their head such as Cronulla residents or Maroubra expatriates).
The Hard War
In 1972, a war erupted between Australia and Hungary, after Australia declared that it did not like the country. Australia started to heavily bomb the country, and was joined in force by Italy, Japan, Russia, Jersey, Isle Of Wight, and London in the war. Hungary teamed up with Jamaica, but never started it's war effort due to everyone in the country evapourating after a lot of steam was poured on the country by Japan. Australia denies it being a hard war, because they do't want bogans saying how bad the country is.
More You-Beaut Wars
Japan and Australia went to war in 1967, after a disagreement about flared trousers. The war was settled with a massive game of conkers using cranes. Japan declined to comment after losing the war, and went into what is now known as 'The Great Japanese Silence'. The rest of the world were not to hear from Japan until 1978, when the country recorded a version of the 'Boy's are back in town'.
In 1983, Australia was embroiled in a war with Jamaica over the running man dance. It was never settled and the countries remain enemies.
Economy
“Insert Money Here” Kevin Rudd
See also: WorkChoices
Aussie Land is famous for its domestication of the bizarre eucalyptus tree, on which wooden kangaroos and emperor penguins grow. These animals are harvested, painted a variety of pleasing colours and exported around the world. Large amounts of raw alcohol are also annually excavated from mines and refined into beer through complex chemical processes.
Australia is also famous for its wide and diversified exports, these include such valuable commodities as: cheap, bad beer (all the good beer remains in Australia), emigrants (i.e. human excrement), putrid food, reconstituted putrid foof, child sex offendors (especially to Thailand and Vietnam), "innocent" drug traffickers (and their "specially packaged" surf-boards), Kylie Minogue Fan Club kits, AC/DC, unique and endangered fauna, putrified alcohol, crappy melodrama TV shows, and selling useless junk to American tourists.
After switching to the metric system in 1983, Australian currency now takes the form of stubbies (single items), six packs, and slabs (of 12 or 24) - and as any Australian mathematical genius would deduce these are all perfectly divisible by 10. This is often broken down into various types, most common being VB and XXXX,[4] then progressing on to slightly classier brews, such as Crown Lagers or "Crownies" as they are affectionately referred to. Trade with such delicate currency can have devastating effects on the local economy. NOTE: the item Foster's Lager is not a true beer as it comprises (at least) 50% horse urine - hence it being the chief sponsoring product for the so-named "Foster's Melbourne Cup".
Geography
Adelaide : Regretted labelling itself the "city of churches" since the 60's. Commonly referred to as "never heard of it". Home to 72% of Australia's bogan population, and, ironically, a best expensive wine and cabaret in the world. Go figure..
Regretted labelling itself the "city of churches" since the 60's. Commonly referred to as "never heard of it". Home to 72% of Australia's bogan population, and, ironically, a best expensive wine and cabaret in the world. Go figure.. Brisbane : Population including Cane Toads: 5.2 million. Population minus Cane Toads : Nowhere near Melbourne and Sydney's. Interstate migrants have been introduced to correct this problem.
Population including Cane Toads: 5.2 million. Population Cane Toads Nowhere near Melbourne and Sydney's. Interstate migrants have been introduced to correct this problem. Canberra :AKA: The biggest hole on earth! The love child of a dummy spit between Melbourne and Sydney. The solution : Put the capital somewhere between the two cities. Everyone's a winner. Except if you have to move to Canberra.
The love child of a dummy spit between Melbourne and Sydney. The solution Put the capital somewhere between the two cities. Everyone's a winner. Except if you have to move to Canberra. Darwin : Hot, humid and crappy with the slight chance of crocodile. Only capital city in the world where businessmen wear shorts and long socks to meetings about resources, company mergers and acquisitions.
Hot, humid and crappy with the slight chance of crocodile. Only capital city in the world where businessmen wear shorts and long socks to meetings about resources, company mergers and acquisitions. Melbourne : Best State-that's-really-a-city in the Country. All the cool (or deep frozen) people live there. It poops on Sydney's face frequently. Sporting capital, culture capital, should really be the Australian capital except that no-one living there can reliably spell the word "capital". The city's favourite sport is "AFL" and all its dwellers hate Sydney but worship a strange variant of Gaelic Football called "Aerial Pingpong".
Best State-that's-really-a-city in the Country. All the cool (or deep frozen) people live there. It poops on Sydney's face frequently. Sporting capital, culture capital, should really be the Australian capital except that no-one living there can reliably spell the word "capital". The city's favourite sport is "AFL" and all its dwellers hate Sydney but worship a strange variant of Gaelic Football called "Aerial Pingpong". Perth : A city that far away from the East coast cannot still be in Australia, can it? Getting to back to civilisation is a month-long walk through the desert. Its only tourist attraction is a phallic Bell Tower, hence making it the perfect secluded city for gays.
A city that far away from the East coast cannot still be in Australia |
possibility, voting despite ineligibility, is also unlikely to purposefully happen because the risk of an undocumented immigrant subjecting himself to detection is not worth the low potential reward of a single extra ballot cast for one side. Although a recent academic article claimed to show that some noncitizens vote, these claims have since been debunked. (But that hasn’t stopped the Trump campaign from holding it up as evidence of voting fraud.) Finally, votes cast twice within the same state—as Trump hinted might be happening in Colorado—are easily detected and eliminated by the state’s election administrators. Previous research turned up little evidence of such efforts to game the system.
This leaves interstate double voting as the most promising route for would-be fraudsters, and that was the focus of our analysis. Dick Morris, a prominent conservative political pundit, has claimed this type of activity led to more than 1 million fraudulent votes in the 2012 U.S. presidential election. It’s true that interstate double voting is harder to detect because voting records cannot be easily linked across state lines. Kris Kobach, the Republican secretary of state of Kansas, promotes the Interstate Crosscheck Program, which coordinates the collection of registration records across states as a way to resolve this issue. As of 2014, 28 participating states (up from 15 in 2012) provided the organization with their registration records and in return received a list of registrations in their own state that matched the first name, last name, and date of birth recorded on a registration in another member state. In the 2012 election, for instance, Crosscheck flagged more than 1.4 million registrations as potential duplicates that member states should further scrutinize and potentially purge.
Here’s the problem with Crosscheck’s approach: In a country where 130 million votes are cast in a presidential election, there is a surprisingly high chance that two ballots cast under the same first name, last name, and date of birth actually belong to two different people. While it is unlikely that any two randomly selected vote records would share a common first name, last name, and birthdate, a sizable number of these cases will occur once we aggregate over the 10 quadrillion pairs of vote records in the population. This phenomenon is what statisticians call the birthday paradox.
In the 2012 presidential election, for example, 8,575 ballots were cast under the name John Smith among the votes we analyzed. Just considering people born in 1970, 141 votes were cast by people named John Smith. And among these 141 John Smiths, there were 27 pairs that had the exact same birthdate and so would be flagged as potential double voters under Crosscheck’s methodology. But in a group of 141 people, you would in fact expect to see 27 pairs that share the same birthday by chance alone.
Applying this statistical strategy to all the votes cast in the 2012 election, we estimate that, at most, 1 in 4,000 votes had the potential to be double votes. Then we went further and compared some of the electronic vote records to the original poll books. We occasionally discovered errors in the electronic records, indicating someone voted when the poll book revealed they had not. Nearly all purported double voting can be explained by the birthday paradox coupled with such errors in the voter data (i.e., our estimate for double voting approaches zero).
A closer inspection of the data Crosscheck sent to Iowa—which we obtained through a public information request—corroborates our statistical estimation. In both 2012 and 2014, Crosscheck flagged more than 100,000 Iowa registrations as potential duplicates, with a matching registration in another state. In only about 5 percent of these cases were both registrations used to cast a ballot. And in all but six total cases (in both years combined), the two registrations used to cast a ballot had inconsistent middles names or different Social Security numbers, indicating they are likely different people. If Iowa used Crosscheck’s guidelines for purging registrations, as some counties have done, about 1,200 registration records used to legitimately cast a single vote would have been purged in order to prevent these six potential double votes.
The current specter of voter fraud was promoted by Republicans and carried forward aggressively by the GOP’s current nominee. Republicans argue that Trump’s volunteer poll monitors thwart voting by ineligible voters, that stringent voter identification laws block voter impersonation, and that ending early voting prevents double voting. While once again it’s been demonstrated that there is little voter fraud for these tactics to prevent, such rhetoric and policies disenfranchise actual voters. Election rigging is not the problem. Our electoral integrity is not threatened by the little voter fraud that may occur, but rather by the disproportionate response that makes it harder for so many eligible Americans to vote.
Read more Slate coverage of the election.Story highlights Former House speaker released in July after serving 13 months in prison
He pleaded guilty in hush money case related to sexual abuse of teen boys
(CNN) Former US House Speaker Dennis Hastert is banned from having contact with anyone under 18 unless an adult is present who's aware that he pleaded guilty in a hush money case related to the sexual abuse of teen boys, according to new restrictions imposed by a federal judge.
"You shall not have contact with any person under the age of 18, except in the presence of a responsible adult who is aware of the nature of his/her background and current offense, and who has been approved by the probation officer and treatment provider," the restrictions state.
Hastert never faced sexual abuse charges because the statute of limitation had expired, but he pleaded guilty in October 2015 to structuring bank transactions in a way that evaded requirements that he report where the money was going.
The money was part of a deal to keep a former student quiet about Hastert's prior sexual abuse of teenage boys when he was a teacher and coach, according to investigators.
The former Republican congressman from Illinois was released from federal prison in July after serving 13 months of a 15-month sentence
Read MoreAt more than twice the size of the Titanic, the Costa Concordia was the largest passenger vessel ever to sink when it capsized off Italy's northwest coast on January 13. So far, Italian authorities say of the more than 4,200 passengers and crew on board, at least 18 are confirmed dead and 14 unaccounted for, and the insurance costs may reach $1 billion, according to Moody's Investors Service. Now salvage companies around the world are gearing up for the mammoth task of recovering the ship, a challenge made all the more complicated by its precarious spot. "The wreck's on the edge of deep water, and can drop another 200 feet [60 meters] or more," says Mike Lacey, secretary general of the International Salvage Union.
The Costa Concordia was the flagship of Costa Cruises and was christened only in 2006. The luxury vessel cost roughly $600 million to build and had an internal volume of about 112,000 in gross tonnage—the Titanic, in comparison, only had a gross tonnage of about 46,000. It now lies on its starboard side partially submerged in shallow water after hitting a reef near the island of Giglio. ((Last week, more than 1,000 passengers and crew members on another Costa Cruises ship endured unpleasant conditions for three days after a fire broke out on board and knocked out the ship's power. The Costa Allegra was adrift for several hours on February 27 before receiving a tow that brought all on board to the Seychelles where they disembarked on March 1.)
Dutch salvage firm Smit began pumping fuel out of the wreck on February 12 to keep it from polluting the water. In all, the company will have to remove about 2,400 metric tons of bunker oil from 17 separate tanks. The viscous fuel can get thick, making it hard to pump, so Smit is piping in steam to warm and loosen it. It is also pumping in seawater to replace the extracted fuel and keep the wreck from shifting on the seabed.
After the tanks are emptied, salvagers can haul the wreck away. Ten companies are now in the bidding to do that and will present their proposals the beginning of March. The cleanest and most straightforward solution would be to set the ship upright and tow it to a scrapyard, Lacey says. "That way you can get rid of the ship all in one piece," he explains.
One idea for righting the wreck would involve giant inflatable bags placed under the ship to prop it up. Lacey is less than enthusiastic about the notion: "Everyone keeps talking about the damn inflatable bags, but there aren't any big enough to do the job. They might contribute, but they won't be enough to do the job on their own."
An exotic solution would involve pumping air-filled polystyrene balls into the Costa Concordia to make it float to the surface, an idea tried in the past in Iceland and Kuwait. (A similar concept, using ping-pong balls, was actually first mentioned in a 1949 Donald Duck comic, and science fiction legend Arthur C. Clarke invoked a similar idea in The Ghost from the Grand Banks, suggesting billions of glass bubbles could raise the Titanic.) Lacey doesn't think much of this idea, either. "I haven't heard of them being used in years and years—they make a hell of a mess, since you can't control them, and they get all over the sea and every damn place," he says. "They're a real problem to clean up, so I don't think the authorities would take too kindly to their use here."
More likely, salvagers would rely on cranes. It would not be easy—the wreck is far too massive for any single crane, Lacey says. The cranes not only would have to turn the ship upright, but hold it in place to keep it from sliding downward. To make their task easier, salvage teams would want to pump out as much water as possible, which would mean patching the massive gashes in its hull so that water does not rush back in, says Peter Tromp, manager at Dutch wreck removal company Euro Demolition.
Tromp doubts it could be done. Euro Demolition and Texas-based salvage firm T&T Bisso are partnering on a proposal to cut up the ship. "We think there's too much weight and too much damage to refloat it," Tromps says. Using cranes armed with metal shears capable of slicing five-centimeter-thick steel, the companies would carve the wreck into liftable chunks 200 to 300 metric tons in weight. Afterward, they would use electromagnets three meters in diameter to clean the seafloor of debris.
Towing, if it can be done, would be faster. "I've heard it's feasible to do it within six months," Lacey says. If Tromp and his colleagues do end up doing a chop job on the Costa Concordia, they estimate they can have it done in eight to 10 months.
Even if the Costa Concordia can be brought back to port in one piece, it seems very unlikely that it will be repaired and put back into service. "No one would want to travel on it," Lacey says.TWO east Belfast loyalists have been warned by police they are under threat, amid ongoing tensions in the area following the intimidation of a number of Catholic families.
The community workers are linked to the East Belfast Community Initiative, a group that claims to mediate on behalf of loyalists linked to the east Belfast UVF and includes former flag protester Jamie Bryson as a spokesman.
It said the men, who are both pensioners, were visited by police on Tuesday and warned of a threat to their lives.
Last week four Catholic families were forced to flee their homes in a shared housing development at Cantrell Close off Belfast's Ravenhill Road.
Sinn Féin blamed the east Belfast UVF and the PSNI said they are investigating a paramilitary link, although senior loyalists linked to the UVF have denied responsibility.
On Monday a statement was released on behalf of the leaders of the DUP, Sinn Féin, SDLP, UUP, Alliance and Green Party condemning sectarianism and the threats to residents.
The East Belfast Community Initiative said yesterday it believed the threats against loyalists were a result of "misplaced retaliation".
"It is disgraceful that two elderly community workers have been threatened by republicans. This is the latest attempt to heighten tensions in this area," it said.
"This comes after false allegations linked the east Belfast UVF to a threat against Catholic families."15.95
Meet Phil Connors, a disgruntled big-city weatherman mysteriously stuck in small-town America reliving the same day over and over and over again – with no consequences, no regrets, no tomorrows and no hangovers. But once he starts getting to know associate TV producer Rita Hanson, he discovers it’s a day of second, third and fourth chances. The 1993 Columbia Pictures film, with a screenplay by Danny Rubin and Harold Ramis, starred Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. Now widely regarded as a contemporary classic, Groundhog Day was cited by the Writers Guild of America as one of the 101 Greatest Screenplays ever written.
Based on the iconic film, Groundhog Day is re-imagined by the award-winning creators of the international hit Matilda The Musical, including songwriter Tim Minchin and director Matthew Warchus, with a book by original film screenwriter Danny Rubin. Starring two-time Tony Award® nominee Andy Karl as Phil Connors, reprising his Olivier Award-winning performance from the show’s award-winning West End production in London, with newcomer Barrett Doss as Rita Hanson and a stellar ensemble cast. The creative/design team for Groundhog Day includes Christopher Nightingale (orchestrator and musical supervisor), David Holcenberg (music director), Simon Baker (sound designer) and Rob Howell (set and costume design). Groundhog Day is the new musical comedy about living life to the fullest one day at a time.
A Masterworks/Broadway Records release
Digital Release Date: April 21, 2017
Physical Release Date: May 12, 2017
Related: Matilda the MusicalWhen it released iOS 7.1, Apple thanked the hackers that had jailbroken iOS 7.0, therefore allowing it to patch several security exploits. Since then, no iOS 7.1 version has been successfully jailbroken – at least on 2013 devices. However, it looks like an untethered iOS 7.1.1 jailbreak is possible, with two independent sources confirming it.
Well-known security researcher @i0n1c posted a photo on Twitter showing an iPhone 5c running iOS 7.1.1 that was successfully jailbroken. The image clearly shows that Cydia is installed on the handset, that that is obviously only possible after a successful jailbreak.
“That iOS 7.1.1 jailbreak is not based on a long vulnerability chain,” he wrote. “It uses a single beautiful kernel bug that goes from mobile to kernel.”
Considering that the iPhone 5c running iOS 7.1.1 has been jailbroken, that means other iOS devices released last year that were updated to Apple’s latest OS version can also be jailbroken in a similar manner. However, that doesn’t mean a public tool to jailbreak iOS 7.1.1 will be released anytime soon, as hackers may be more interested in keeping the vulnerability private until iOS 8 rolls out, so Apple can’t quickly patch it up with a following update.
A different hacker, known as Winocm, also obtained an iOS 7.1.1 untethered jailbreak, but on an iPhone 4, an older device which should still be jailbreakable.
An image and video showing the iOS 7.1.1 Jailbreak on iPhone 5c and iPhone 4, respectively, follows below.Councillors previously voted against rival plans for a luxury hotel at the Edinburgh site.
Vision: An artist's impression of how the site would look. RHSPT / Cropped
Plans to transform an A-listed neoclassical building in Edinburgh city centre into a music school have been approved.
Ambitious proposals for the former Royal High school at the foot of Calton Hill feature three performance spaces and a 300-seat concert hall in the former debating chamber.
It would provide a new home for Scotland's only independent music school, St Mary's School, which is based on Grosvenor Crescent in Haymarket.
Councillors unanimously paved the way for the development following a meeting on Wednesday.
Planning officers had already backed the plans, which rival proposals to transform the listed Royal High building into a luxury hotel.
The £75m hotel option has already been turned down by councillors but developer Duddingston House Properties is appealing the decision.
The firm previously won a commercial bid with the council to develop on the site, which technically means that they have until 2022 to submit any new planning application.
However, the planning approval for the music school also includes an extended seven-year timescale for planning and listed building consent.
The Royal High School Preservation Trust's (RHSPT) fully-funded proposals for the music school would result in the new facilities being made available to the public as well as pupils.
Royal High: The prominent listed building is at the foot of Calton Hill.
Trust chairman William Gray Muir said he was "delighted" that the proposals had been approved.
He added: "The former Royal High School is pivotal to Edinburgh's World Heritage Status and our plans are designed to celebrate, conserve and enhance the site for the people of Edinburgh.
"By making it home to St Mary's Music School we also hope to reinforce musical education at the heart of the city's cultural heritage.
"This is a wonderful opportunity to transform a building at risk into a dynamic asset for students, residents, visitors to the city, educational and cultural organisations and the creative sector as a whole.
"Our plans are fully funded, they bring together world-class culture and heritage in a highly visible and meaningful way and have overwhelming support from local residents and heritage organisations concerned about preserving our UNESCO World Heritage Status. All of this can be achieved without any adverse change to the setting of the historic site."
Dr Kenneth Taylor, Headteacher at St Mary's Music School, added: "Everyone associated with the school and our supporters within the wider musical and cultural community will be hugely excited by today's good news.
"A move to the Royal High School under the Trust's plans would enable St Mary's Music School to have the performance space we have always aspired to. It will enable us to bring music lovers into the school and greatly expand our outreach activities.
"We look forward to a wonderful and unique opportunity to raise our profile on the international stage, drawing attention to the world class standard of education at St Mary's Music School, with music at the heart of everything we do."
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Download: The STV News app is Scotland's favourite and is available for iPhone from the App store and for Android from Google Play. Download it today and continue to enjoy STV News wherever you are.In August 2009, the then 24-year-old resigned from her job at Apalachee High School after someone claiming to be a parent sent an e-mail complaining about pictures of Payne smiling while holding alcoholic drinks during a trip to Europe. Payne had also written an expletive on her page, saying she was headed to a game of "Crazy Bitch Bingo" at a Midtown restaurant.
Payne said she was pressured to resign over the e-mail; the district said she volunteered.
A year later, Payne is waiting for a court to decide whether she is entitled to a due process hearing. She is also seeking back pay and money for legal fees, said her attorney Richard Storrs.
Since leaving Barrow, she hasn’t been able to find another teaching position.
“She never was able to find a job because things have been kind of bad for teachers,” Storrs said. “She’s done some part-time jobs and seasonal jobs but not a teaching job.”
When interviewed last year, Payne said she didn’t friend students on the social networking site and that she took steps to ensure the content of her page was private. The Georgia Professional Standards Commission, which investigates ethics complaints against teachers and can bar them from the classroom, reviewed the case last fall and determined there was no probable cause to issue a sanction.
Since the incident, Barrow County Schools has changed leadership, which Storrs hoped would bring resolution to the case.
Wanda Creel, who took over as superintendent of the district April 1, would not comment in detail except to say the lawsuit had not been resolved. Speaking generally, she did offer some advice to educators.
“I always encourage our educators to recognize that the network is a public forum and that we need to always set our professional image and standard for how we are depicting ourselves for our students and community,” she said.
A hearing is expected to take place before the end of the year.As we get older, learning something new becomes more complex, tedious, and time-consuming than ever, and those child geniuses who can speak five different languages become our favourite dinnertime conversation, because how do they even do that?
But mastering unfamiliar subjects, whether you’re still in school or not, doesn’t have to be so painful. Take it from Nobel Prize-winning physicist, Richard Feynman. He stumbled on a three-step formula that makes you learn anything not just faster, but on a deeper level too.
As Shane Parrish explains over at Medium, Richard Feynman exemplified the difference between "knowing something" and "knowing the name of something".
What does that mean? Feynman explained it once in an interview, saying that someone could show you a little golden-breasted bird, and tell you it’s a brown-throated thrush. They could tell you it’s called a halzenfugel in German, and the Chinese call it a chung ling.
You could remember these facts for the rest of your life, but you’d still know nothing about the actual bird - where it lives, how it migrates, what its calls sound like.
That’s a really obvious example of Feynman’s point, but it applies to far more complex subjects too.
Take water conducting electricity - it’s a fundamental part of how we understand the world around us, but after 200 years of searching, scientists have only just figured out how it actually happens.
A deep understanding of a new subject is crucial - even if you’re just trying to make it through an exam, because you have no idea what aspect of that subject they’re going to probe you on.
So get ready to 'learn how to learn' from a legit genius using the Feynman Technique.
Step 1: Teach it to a Child
Get a notebook out, write the topic you’re learning at the top of the page, and explain it, from start to finish, as if you were explaining it to a child.
If your first response is, "Um, how do I explain quantum mechanics to a child?" remember that xkcd once explained rocket science using only the 1,000 most common words in the English language.
That’s the key here - when you’re writing out your explanation for an eight-year-old, you can’t hide behind complicated jargon that you don’t actually understand.
"When you write out an idea from start to finish in simple language that a child can understand (tip: use only the most common words), you force yourself to understand the concept at a deeper level and simplify relationships and connections between ideas," says Parrish.
"If you struggle, you have a clear understanding of where you have some gaps."
Step 2: Review your knowledge gaps
Now that you’ve identified the gaps in your knowledge, you can study those specifically, get the answers, and repeat Step 1. Keep doing this until there are no gaps at all.
Step 3: Organise and simplify
You now should have a complete explanation for your new subject, that’s simple and comprehensive enough that even a kid could follow it.
Try to boil this down and simplify it, and read it out loud - that will help you identify any shaky, unconvincing bits.
Step 4 (optional): Try it on an actual human
You could recruit an actual eight-year-old and try explaining it to them, but assuming there’ll be attention span issues, grab a friend and try it on them.
If they don’t understand something in your explanation and you can’t explain it - there’s another gap.
And that's all there is to the Feynman Technique.
It's no quick fix (spoiler: there isn't one), you still have to do your study, but if you do it right, you're guaranteed to have a deep understanding of the subject you're trying to learn, and it's not all going to fall out of your head the minute you leave the exam hall.
Check out the video below to see the technique in action:“While I was with Tokyo Electric Power Co. (Tepco), a question was raised internally as to whether or not the measuring pipe installed at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, the diameter of which is about the same as that of a human thumb, can withstand an earthquake. But Tepco has yet to make clear whether or not the March 2011 earthquake damaged that pipe,” says Toshio Kimura, a former Tepco plant engineer.
Kimura, 49, who served the company for 17 years from 1983 to 2000 and worked at Fukushima No. 1 for 12 years, is strongly of the view that pipes in the plant were damaged seriously by the quake before a subsequent tsunami struck the plant.
He thus casts doubt on Tepco’s position that the tsunami caused loss of all the power sources, thus leading to the disaster. He says, “An effective means of determining the true cause of the accident would have been to analyze recorded data related to transient phenomena — data that show what happened near the reactor cores. Even though more than two years have passed since the disaster, however, Tepco has only released partial data.
“So I demanded that Tepco release the relevant data. It made public the data on Aug. 19 for the first time.” But it was found later that the data did not represent the whole data.
In September, Kimura prepared a report titled “Leakage from the piping in the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant caused by vibrations from the earthquake.”
The transient phenomena recorder records various measurements in a nuclear power plant at every one-hundredth of one second. It accumulates such data as a reactor’s output, pressure and temperature and coolant’s flowing volume. Analysis of these data makes it possible to accurately identify “process behaviors” or what is happening in an nuclear reactor.
Specifically the analysis clarifies the time sequences of a process like, for example, a pump having stopped first, causing a coolant flow to decline, then lowering the water level and raising the reactor core temperature.
For Kimura, Tepco’s failure to release these data for such a long time looked only too unnatural.
In analyzing the data, Kimura took special note of the fact that natural circulation of coolant stopped. Along with an isolation condenser, natural circulation of coolant constitutes the “lifeline” in case loss of all the power sources occurs. Even if a primary loop recirculation pump, which pumps coolant water into the reactor core, stops functioning due to loss of all the power sources, natural circulation of coolant is supposed to maintain 10 percent of normal core flow of coolant.
Analysis of the data showed, however, that immediately after the earthquake hit, about 30 percent of coolant inside the core started flowing backwards and that after the coolant flow returned to the normal flow direction, the core flow fluctuated and eventually became less than zero. All these occurred before the nuclear power plant was struck by the tsunami.
Why is it that cooling by natural circulation of coolant became dysfunctional along with the isolation condenser right after the earthquake? Kimura believes that piping rupture was the very cause of the loss of these two “lifelines”
There are a couple of phenomena that seem to correspond to what Kimura believes happened. One is that a pump designed to draw up water from the bottom of the containment vessel seems to have been activated frequently, indicating that damage to piping caused coolant to leak and accumulate at the bottom of the vessel.
The other is that radioactive contamination was taking place at a much faster rate than was estimated by Tepco. A Tepco report said that the reactor water level reached the top of nuclear fuel approximately three hours after the earthquake, i.e., at around 5:46 p.m. (on March 11, 2011) and that radioactive vapor leakage from the containment vessel due to damage to the reactor core started afterward.
But the same report contained a contradictory statement that when a plant operator tried to enter into the reactor building at 5:19 p.m. on the same day, he had to give up because the dose of radioactivity was too high. This shows that the meltdown was taking place earlier than Tepco estimated. This corroborates Kimura’s inference that immediately after the earthquake, piping was damaged and coolant started leaking, thus rapidly lowering the reactor water level and igniting the meltdown.
Behind Tepco’s continued refusal to release all the data and to admit that the earthquake damaged the piping is a fear that serious doubts will arise about the safety of its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture, which it hopes to restart as soon as possible. It has been known that at the time of the 2007 Chuetsu offshore earthquake, damage to piping due to the quake caused a fire at the nuclear power plant.
Niigata Gov. Hirohiko Izumida played a leading role in remedying the situation at the time. Because of this experience, he strongly demanded that Tepco construct pipes related to venting radioactive vapor underground to make it quake-proof.
Since the governor accepted Tepco’s proposal to build pipes for the second venting equipment underground in addition to the first venting equipment, whose pipes are built on the ground level, mass media reported that restart of the nuclear power plant is certain. But this is wrong. Izumida explained that Tepco’s proposal does not constitute a request for restart. The truth is that the hurdle for restart has been raised. The Niigata prefectural government has created a technical committee on nuclear plant safety. Among the subjects of discussion at the committee is “the impact of an earthquake on important equipment.”
If a theory that the earthquake damaged piping in the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant gains credibility during the discussions, Tepco will have to build underground pipes for the second venting equipment. This means that restart will be impossible until the completion of the quake-proof second venting equipment and that Tepco will have to push new measures to make the nuclear power plant quake-proof. Then financial institution may refuse to give new loans to Tepco or call on it to revise its management plan or resume discussions on resolution of Tepco. This is why Tepco will never accept the theory that the quake, not the tsunami, caused the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Discussions at Niigata Prefecture’s technical committee on nuclear plant safety will have great impact on restart of not only the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant but also other nuclear power plants in Japan. It likely will not be long before “lies” by Tepco are brought to light.
This is an abridged translation of an article from the November issue of Sentaku, a monthly magazine covering Japanese political, social and economic scenes.Image copyright AFP Image caption The seven accused appeared before some 3,000 members of the Nasa community
An indigenous court in western Colombia has convicted seven left-wing Farc guerrillas over the murder of two leaders of the Nasa tribe.
Five were sentenced to between 40 and 60 years in jail and two others will receive 20 lashes.
The two victims had been removing posters praising a Farc leader when they were killed.
Indigenous authorities in Colombia have jurisdiction in their own territories unless this contravenes national law.
The verdict and sentences were decided after several hours of debate by an assembly of about 3,000 members from the indigenous reserve in the Cauca province town of Toribio.
Gabriel Pavi, leader of the Northern Cauca indigenous councils association, said the guerrillas were captured "in uniform and with rifles" and that "all are indigenous".
The harshest sentence - 60 years in jail - was given to a man who confessed to killing the two native leaders.
Four other defendants received 40 years each for having "fired indiscriminately" on other members of the community, said Mr Pavi.
Two teenagers also arrested - reportedly aged 14 and 17 - were sentenced to 20 lashes. They are to be held at a rehabilitation centre until they are 18, at which point a new assembly will reconsider their cases.
Following the trial, the weapons used by the guerrillas were destroyed in front of the tribal court.
The sentences will be served in the state prison at Popayan, capital of Cauca.Hostile foreign actors successfully gained access to several email accounts Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton regularly contacted on her unsecured email server while she served as secretary of state, according to investigation notes released by the FBI.
The released notes gave no further details regarding the nationality of the hostile hackers, but the FBI was able to confirm that hacking the accounts allowed them to gain access to emails sent to or from Clinton from other users’ email accounts.
“The FBI did find that hostile foreign actors successfully gained access to the personal email accounts of individuals with whom Clinton was in regular contact and, in doing so, obtained emails sent to or receive by Clinton on her personal account,” stated the FBI notes.
FBI investigators found the domain for Clinton’s email server, ClintonEmail.com, did not have a SSL certificate, which left it “potentially vulnerable to compromise” from January 2009 to March 2009. SSL certificates are used to encrypt information sent between a user’s computer and a website, or server, in this case.
The lack of standard encryption, in combination with the generally unsecured nature of the server, left it particularly vulnerable while Clinton traveled abroad. The former secretary of state also reportedly connected her private account to her personal BlackBerry, which was also unsecured.
“FBI investigation determined that hundreds of emails classified CONFIDENTIAL during the State FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) process were sent or received by Clinton … on … occasions while OCONUS (outside continental United States),” said the FBI report.
While accounts in correspondence with Clinton’s email were found compromised, the FBI’s forensic team was not able to find evidence “confirming” the server had been “compromised by cyber means.” That said, the FBI noted it did not have all the server equipment and devices tied to it, meaning there was potential for possible intrusion from hostile foreign actors.
“As a result, FBI cyber analysis relied, in large part, on witness statements, email correspondence, and related forensic content found on other devices to understand the setup, maintenance, administration, and security of the server systems,” the FBI admitted.
Clinton tech aide Bryan Pagliano admitted to FBI investigators that in a conversation with an unknown individual, he said, “he would not be surprised if classified information was being transmitted to the server,” making it a ripe target for hostile hackers.
Pagliano noted that while he was not aware of any “security breaches” into the server, he was aware of an abnormal amount of failed login attempts on some accounts, which he referred to as “brute force attacks.” The failed attempts increased over time, but he could not recall if they originated from any particular country.
Hackers often try to guess the passwords of accounts based on information they know about the person. The tactic is rudimentary, but fairly effective if the password is not particularly complicated.
Pagliano said the server was also the victim of several phishing attacks. Phishing is a tactic in which a hacker tries to acquire information, like passwords or usernames, from a user by masquerading as someone they know over email. Hackers will often create fake accounts with the names of friends or colleagues of their target in order to appear more legitimate. In at least one case, Clinton nearly fell for the tactic, and responded to one of the phishing emails.
“Is this really from you? I was worried about opening it!” said Clinton in her reply.
The FBI’s notes recalled one instance when the entire server had to be shut down when an unknown hacker broke into the system on January 9, 2011. The hacker used the encryption network Tor to break into an account that belonged to a Clinton staffer and subsequently browsed several emails and attachments. Forensic investigators were unable to determine how the hacker got access to the account.
While the FBI investigation into Clinton’s server certainly appears to be thorough, the exact damage done by potential breaches is still unknown, since Clinton did not provide all devices connected to the server. Investigators are currently missing 13 devices, including two iPads, that could have been “subject to compromise.”
Follow Russ Read on Twitter. Send tips to russ@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
Copyright 2016 Daily Caller News FoundatinFor non-keto eaters, the title of this post may be off-putting, but in the ketogenic world, “fat bombs” are widely used in order to boost the daily fat percentage without spiking the carb count. These chocolates pack a fatty punch while satisfying the small sweet tooth I sometimes have at the end of the day. I always favored savory carbs (bread, pasta, potatoes) in my pre-keto life and rarely craved chocolate, candy or ice cream. Sometimes in the summer I enjoyed fruit popsicles or mint chocolate chip ice cream, but it was never a daily habit. I do enjoy saving some calories at the end of the day for 1 or 2 of these when I can, especially in these warmer months when I’m in need of something cold and refreshing. To non-ketoers these may not taste very sweet, but since I consume such a small amount of natural/added sugar each day, they taste like a sweet fudgey frozen dessert. The best part is these take less than 5 minutes to make!
The ingredients you’ll need are 100% unsweetened cocoa powder (I prefer Ghiradelli cocoa), unsweetened peanut butter (I use creamy), butter, 1 packet of Stevia and virgin & unrefined coconut oil. I recommend you purchase virgin and unrefined coconut oil as opposed to refined for the added health benefits. If you’re curious about the differences between refined and unrefined, you can read about them here.
You’ll also need a microwave-safe dish/container (I use a measuring cup), a whisk and either a silicone mold or an ice cube tray. Silicone molds are definitely easier to handle once the fat bombs are frozen, but I used a regular plastic ice cube tray for |
Sources and additional referencesAdvertisement California water cuts ignore past changes by some cities San Diego launched quest for water independence in 1991, but still under rules Share Shares Copy Link Copy
In California's second-largest city, memories are still fresh of a devastating drought 25 years ago that saw the area's water supplies slashed by about a third.Billions of dollars were invested to prepare for the next drought, an effort that included building the Western hemisphere's largest desalination plant, which opens this fall.Yet the moves count for nothing under sweeping statewide cuts to urban water use approved this week that require hundreds of cities, counties and local agencies to reduce consumption between 8 percent and 36 percent from 2013 levels, starting June 1. The largest per-capita users must make the biggest percentage cuts, no matter how and where they get their water.San Diego isn't the only place complaining. The Orange County Water District, which serves 2.4 million people near Los Angeles, wanted credit for sending wastewater through ground basins for drinking. It started recycling water in 2008 and is boosting production to 100 million gallons a day from 70 million.San Diego, which imports nearly all of its water, launched its quest for water independence in 1991, after the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California said it was cutting deliveries in half. Metropolitan, a giant wholesaler based in Los Angeles, supplied 95 percent of San Diego's water at the time.Surprise rains reduced the cut to 31 percent, which lasted 13 months. Still, businesses led by the city's biotech industry demanded change."That really was a wakeup call," said Dana Friehauf, water resources manager for the San Diego County Water Authority, which supplies 3.1 million people in the city of San Diego and its suburbs. "We heard loud and clear from residents and businesses in San Diego County that we needed to take action to avoid that from happening again."Metropolitan now supplies less than half of San Diego's water and will deliver less than a third in 2020. But the diversification has been costly.In 2003, San Diego began buying water from California's Imperial Valley in the nation's largest farm-to-city water transfer, a move that San Diego leaders said would offer protection during drought because Imperial Valley's senior rights to Colorado River water put them at the front of the line.In 2012, San Diego sought more protection by agreeing to buy water from a $1 billion desalination plant in suburban Carlsbad. The hemisphere's largest such plant will produce 50 million gallons a day by 2020, enough to satisfy 7 percent of regional demand. It will raise the region's average residential water bill by $5 to $7 a month.San Diego's march to independence earned little sympathy from the State Water Resources Control Board, which approved the cuts to achieve Gov. Jerry Brown's target of reducing urban water use 25 percent. Board officials say those who prepared for drought will be better off in the long run."This is not about being fair, giving kudos for past performance," said board Chairwoman Felicia Marcus. "This is about dealing with what is an emergency out in front of us that may not be right here, but we can see coming at us."In November, the city of San Diego moved ahead on a $2.5 billion plan to recycle 83 million gallons of wastewater a day for drinking by 2035, about one-third of the city's supply. It warns, however, that public support may wane if cities don't get credit for such investments."The frustrating thing is it feels we have done the right things, invested in the right things and tried to be very responsible," said Mark Cafferty, chief executive of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp., a business coalition."I absolutely agree with the narrative" to diversify supplies, said Mayor Steve Vaus of Poway, a San Diego suburb that must cut use 32 percent. "The problem is that, to date, it has fallen on deaf ears."Steve Erie, a political science professor at University of California, San Diego, said the cuts "absolutely blindsided" the region, which erred by locking in long-term contracts for desalinated water and with the Imperial Valley deal."They were overeager investors," he said. "It's a failure of planning."Many San Diego government officials and business leaders insist it is a temporary setback. They say any unused water can be stored in a newly retrofitted dam and tapped if drought persists.Gary Arant, general manager of Valley Center Municipal Water District, said state regulators had to act quickly. His agency, which serves homes with fruit trees on large lots north of San Diego, must cut use 36 percent."In the short term, the investment hasn't worked out as we hoped," he said. "We think, in the long term, the San Diego region will be better off."(Music plays.)
Chris Neff: You're listening to Open for Discussion, a University of Sydney podcast that discusses research through a personal and critical lens. I'm your host, Chris Neff.
Usually we begin each discussion with a question to our guest but today I'd like to begin with a question to our listeners. What do you know about insects, slime mould and other brainless organisms? Did you know that they comprise the majority of life on earth? Did you know they inform next generation engineering, optimal transport systems and help us build resilient metropolises?
With me today is Dr Tanya Latty, an entomologist and head of the Insect, Behaviour and Ecology Lab at The University of Sydney's School of Life and Environmental Sciences.
Thank you for joining us Tanya.
Dr Tanya Latty: Thanks for having me.
Chris Neff: So can I begin by asking how you got into insects? This is a niche within a niche but it's fantastic.
Dr Tanya Latty: Yeah...yeah, it's great. It's a great job. I don't really remember when I got into insects. I've sort of always been that way since I was a little kid catching things and bringing them home to my parents and then they'd escape and they'd freak out.
They're just, they're fascinating organisms. They're hyper diverse, you've got insects that can eat almost anything you can imagine. You know... some of them have wings, some of them are burrowing in the ground and really if you like animals, insects make up 75 percent of animal life so you kind of have to like insects too.
Chris Neff: Insects make up 75 percent of animal life?
Dr Tanya Latty: At least 75 percent. It's probably higher than that because we haven't actually identified the vast majority of insects on the planet.
(Laughs.)
Chris Neff: That's brilliant. So how popular is entomology? Do we know much about insects?
Dr Tanya Latty: Well... I'd say entomology is relatively popular. You get lots of really strong communities of amateurs going out and catching butterflies and bees. But yeah we actually know very, very little about insects in general.
So I'm going to ask you a question, how many species...how many different types of insects do you reckon there are on the planet?
Chris Neff: Oh gosh...
Dr Tanya Latty: (Laughs.)
Chris Neff:... I'm on the spot. A lot. Many.
Dr Tanya Latty:... A lot.
Chris Neff:... There are many species.
Dr Tanya Latty: Well there's about 1 million that we've identified but we estimate there's between 5 and 10 million species of insects altogether. That's huge but what should be really striking there is that we don't really know, so between 5 and 10 million is a huge, huge difference.
So we've probably only identified at best maybe 20 percent of them and not just in rainforests and things. There's this neat study a few years ago in LA where they got citizen scientists to put up collectors all over their backyards and they found 30 new species of insects in urban LA. So it's a highly urbanised city, by no means is this like a rainforest of diversity and 30 new species so there's lots of insects and we know almost nothing about most of them.
You know, 25 percent of animal life are beetles. They're the biggest group of organisms that we have.
Chris Neff: So 75 percent of the animal life was insects and then 25 percent of that is beetles alone?
Dr Tanya Latty: No: 25 percent of animals are beetles, not 25 percent of insects... 25 percent of basically everything.
Chris Neff: Ohhhh...
Dr Tanya Latty: So most animals are beetles really. Beatles are in charge of the world.
Chris Neff: OK. Very interesting. Now can I ask you about slime mould?
Dr Tanya Latty: Yeah, of course.
Chris Neff: OK. ‘Cause I'm wondering what they are and why they're important?
Dr Tanya Latty: (Laughs.) Well slime moulds are probably the closest thing we have to aliens on the planet. They are so bizarre... they're like... if you imagine just a gigantic blob of moving mucus, that's pretty much what a slime mould is.
So they have no brain, they have no neurons, they have no central information processing of any kind, but we know from experiments by some of my collaborators in Japan that they can solve mazes for example.
And more than that, if you take a map of a metro system, so in this case it's the Tokyo metro system, and you put little bits of food over all the stations and then let the slime mould connect up those points however it wants to, it typically will be able to connect those exactly like the metro system that we actually use.
So this takes engineers and computers lots of time to come up with these yet the slime mould’s able to do it despite the fact it has no brain. And so a lot of the research I've been doing in my group is to try to understand first of all how slime moulds are able to do anything at all really given that they have no brains, but also to start to look at the huge numbers of different behaviours and problems that slime moulds can solve despite the fact they have no brain. But most people don't even know that they exist.
Chris Neff: So where should we look to find a slime mould?
Dr Tanya Latty: …weirdly...
Chris Neff: I've probably been missing slime moulds my whole life and I didn't know it.
Dr Tanya Latty: (Laughs.) Well you're not alone. So I've got a student currently who's going out and sampling to try to learn a bit about slime mould ecology and she just goes out and finds leaf litter. So leaf litters in the city and it's basically anywhere and she's starting to find slime moulds there. Weirdly one of the best sources of slime moulds I've found are dried banana peels. No idea why.
Chris Neff: Ohh... OK, very interesting. Now can I ask you a personal question?
Dr Tanya Latty: (Laughs.) That's worrying. Yes.
Chris Neff: What is your favourite insect and why?
Dr Tanya Latty: That's a really hard question to answer because some days I love praying mantises... today I'd say probably my favourite is a species of ant called a meat ant. Meat ants are all over Australia. They're pretty aggressive so if you harass them they all come running out and try to bite you. But they build really cool transportation networks by cutting all the grass along their path, their trails. So right now I'm kind of fascinated by meat ants so I'd say that they're my favourite but some days it's cockroaches, some days it's mantises... it's kind of all over the map. There's so much to like in the insects, it's hard to pick.
Chris Neff: How much of your work focuses on ants?
Dr Tanya Latty: Yeah a lot of it. It depends... it sort of varies year to year but ants are super important for a lot of ecosystems. They also have really cool behaviour so... for example ants have evolved agricultures. So there are several different species of ants that actually have what are very similar to farms.
In some of them it's these little tiny sap-sucking insects called aphids that suck out plant juices. And they secrete this sort of sugary food source that the ants harvest. Kind of the way human farmers look after cows, dairy cows. And they'll protect those herds of aphids from predators, they'll move them to better places if they need to. In some species those aphids are so important for the colony that when a new queen is born and she's flying off to go start her own colony, she'll actually take one of the little aphids with her to start a new herd.
It's amazing when you think that most species of ants have brains smaller than the head of a pin yet they've got these sophisticated colonies, sophisticated systems that they're able to run.
Chris Neff: Can I ask what is the research application of the work that you're doing, so when you're dealing with ants or when you're dealing with slime moulds?
Dr Tanya Latty: Well one of the things that we're really interested in is trying to take ideas from these natural systems and then apply them to human systems. So... for example we know that ants are running these amazing, decentralised societies where you know... nobody is in charge and there's no blueprint yet; they're able to run all these things and it would be great if we could take some of that and use it to apply to our increasingly decentralised computer systems for example.
We can also learn about how to build better transportation systems for example. So... we're trying to apply that and to do that I work with a lot with computer scientists and people in civil engineering, mathematicians to try to make that transition from things we learn about the natural world and put it on human systems.
Chris Neff: So how often do you see the behaviour of... you know ants or a bee swarm and you think OK... this is a group of people or I've seen this behaviour?
Dr Tanya Latty: Well that... that part happens all the time so there's lots of times when I'm watching a natural system and I go ahh... that's brilliant! We can use that. The difficulty then though is really taking it and making it something that works for humans because of course ants aren't humans. They're optimising different things.
It's more that if we figure out how brainless systems are able to do these kinds of problems, we can take those algorithms that are driving their behaviour and then we can use those to optimise our systems instead. Especially for these really large scale, optimisation problems where our current computer algorithms struggle a little bit. So we're not asking the systems directly, we're using them as inspiration to extract algorithms that we can then use.
One of the best examples is something called an ant colony optimisation algorithm based on the way ants harvest foods. So when an ant finds a really nice food source, she lays this chemical trail back to her nest and the other ants will find that trail and it allows them to focus on food sources.
They took that general idea and then started using it to optimise computer systems. So... we're just trying to find other versions of that and new examples that we can use.
Chris Neff: What do you think... what would be the dream application of the work that you're doing based on what you know?
Dr Tanya Latty: OK. I think if everything went exactly the way I'd like it to go, I'd love to be able to look back in say 5 years and say here's an algorithm that we developed from watching say the meat ants optimise their transportation networks. Or now we're using it to help coordinate autonomous vehicles so that we reduce traffic load. That would be kind of the dream application.
Chris Neff: It seems like there's a lot that we can learn from the resilience of these different insects or different creatures. What are some examples of the bio-inspired engineering that are built in our cities?
Dr Tanya Latty: Well one of the really good examples is architecture. So there's a building in Harare, Zimbabwe that was inspired by the termite mounds you get in the deserts. Because it gets so hot and so dry in the desert, these termite mounds have this passive cooling system that allows them to expel heat and keep the middle of the colony at a nice constant temperature, no matter how hot... well within certain ranges of temperatures outside.
And so architects took that general idea of passive cooling and built buildings that can now do the same thing. So they're able to use a lot less air conditioning, even on hot days, than a normal building would be able to.
So it's really about looking at all of these systems, figuring out what they do really well and then picking and choosing our inspiration because at the end of the day we know very, very, very little about the vast majority of ants and the species out there. So there could be all sorts of inspiration just hiding there that we're just missing because we haven't started to study them. So we really need to start looking and embracing that huge diversity of solutions that could be out there.
(Music plays.)
Chris Neff: You're listening to Open for Discussion, a University of Sydney podcast that discusses research through a personal and critical lens. I'm your host, Chris Neff. Today I'm having a fascinating discussion with entomologist, Dr Tanya Latty.
Tanya can I ask about some of the other areas that you work in and what some of the other applications of your research are?
Dr Tanya Latty: Sure. So we currently have a student looking at how we can rear insects as a form of protein. So not only for livestock but potentially for humans.
Insects are really high in protein, they're low in fat, you can rear heaps of them with a very small environmental footprint and you can rear them anywhere. So you can imagine having skyscrapers of mealworm farms in the middle of your city without using any new agricultural land.
But in particular we're super interested about being able to develop techniques for rearing insects on waste streams. So for example all the things that get thrown out during agriculture, all the things that people throw out – so food scraps, things that we normally compost – we might be able to use those to rear insects that we can then feed either to our livestock or potentially even to ourselves. So it's a nice way of being able to close that loop and make everything more efficient and more sustainable.
Chris Neff: Can we just pause on the food...
Dr Tanya Latty: (Laughs.)
Chris Neff:... insect food...
Dr Tanya Latty: Yum! (Laughs.)
Chris Neff: I mean... cause I am totally... I mean put it in a bar. I mean that's all I'm saying is if you're going to do insect protein, put it in a bar. I'll eat anything...
Dr Tanya Latty: (Laughs.)
Chris Neff:... I'm American. I'll eat anything you put in a chocolate bar.
Dr Tanya Latty: (Laughs.) Yep there's lots of chocolate covered insects. Actually dry roasted with chilli powder crickets, pretty good.
Chris Neff: OK, alright, noted.
Dr Tanya Latty: My recommendation to you!
Chris Neff: Can I follow up for a moment... you said bioconverters to deal with waste streams. Can you tell us a little bit more about it? Is this something that you're doing with the behaviour and ecology lab?
Dr Tanya Latty: Yes this is pretty cool stuff because we generate heaps and heaps of waste, most of it goes to landfill and it turns out that insects are really good... ah some species of insect are really good at breaking down that food waste and turning it into protein which we can then use to feed livestock or people.
So we've got projects on a species of insect called a black soldier fly. They're really good at breaking down food wastes and they end up being very high in proteins so you can feed them to things.
There's research in other labs, really exciting, new research that shows that this little caterpillar called a wax worm can degrade plastics. Other experiments have shown that say mealworms can break down Styrofoam.
So there's this huge potential that we could be using insects to break down all of these products rapidly and then hopefully we can actually use the insects themselves for protein so it's kind of a new area we've started getting into. We've got a few students working on different aspects of getting those types of bio-conversion systems up and running for waste management and protein production.
Chris Neff: Well this sounds like very exciting research and we're lucky to have you here at The University of Sydney...
Dr Tanya Latty: (Laughs)
Chris Neff:... to learn more about sort of animal systems and the way that they impact human systems. Can I ask about bees? What can bees tell us?
Dr Tanya Latty: Yeah so we've studied a few different aspects of bee behaviour. On one hand it's interesting to watch how bees choose amongst lots of different flowers because in a bee colony... or in an environment there's lots of different patches of flowers and the bees are very, very good at selecting the most rewarding patches.
They do this by this really incredible communication mechanism they have called a waggle dance. And so a bee, by waggle dancing, it's able to tell the bees following that dance the direction of a food source relative to the sun; so the bees know exactly where to go; the length of a waggle tells the observing bees how far to travel; and how excitedly they kind of do that dance and how many circuits they do tells them how good that resource is.
So they have this really neat communication system that lets them exploit patches of good food really quickly and so again part of what we do is trying to understand how resilient that system is in terms of what happens when you disrupt the communication system, what happens when the environment changes and then trying to get a sense of the algorithms that those bee colonies are using.
And of course bees are super important for pollination so 75 percent of our crops are pollinated by bees and almost everything that we like to eat, all the delicious crops are insect pollinated so we really need to get a handle on bee systems. So our work is partly learning about bees and other systems that we can use what we learn from them and technology systems but another strand of our research is trying to understand say the resilience of honey bee colonies so we can understand why they collapse sometimes and then we can prevent that.
Chris Neff: The conservationist in me asks one overall question which is if any of this is going to work, if you're going to learn from them, be inspired by them, be able to apply it to any kind of human activity, then you have to appreciate it...
Dr Tanya Latty: (Mmmm.)
Chris Neff:... and then not treat it as a pest species that you want to eradicate or that you let passively or actively go extinct. To what extent is that an issue ‘cause you sort of mention that we know about millions of species but there's lots that we don't know.
Dr Tanya Latty: Yeah I think the big risk is that we are starting to lose species at a really alarming rate. Some of those species will never have had names and most of them will never have been studied. So even if from a totally selfish sort of, not thinking about bio-diversity angle, we are losing all of that information, we are losing all of that potential inspiration and we don't even know that it exists.
So it's a huge problem I think and yeah... it's not that it's the only reason that we should consider biodiversity but again from a selfish perspective, it's a good reason. We need to look after the planet a lot better than we are.
Chris Neff: That's a great note to leave it on...
(Music plays.)
... ahh but thank you so much for joining us on Open for Discussion Dr Tanya Latty.
Dr Tanya Latty: Oh thank you.
Chris Neff: Thank you for joining us on Open for Discussion. You can subscribe to this podcast on iTunes or SoundCloud and you can find me on Twitter @christopherneff. If you'd like to know more about our research be sure to visit our website sydney.edu.au/news.If Ana Maria Alves Caiado and Olivia Rocha dos Santos were given one surprise Christmas present, it would be the right to pay taxes in Ireland.
“We don’t want to take anything from anyone, we just want to give and to feel we belong here by contributing,”the Brazilians say.
The two women – one a young mother of two and one a recent Leaving Certificate student – are among dozens of undocumented migrants living in “limbo” in the south Galway community of Gort.
The town close to the Burren on the Galway-Clare border was once home to 1,000 Brazilians, many recruited by Sean Duffy’s meat plant in better economic times. When the factory closed in 2010 and work permits expired, there was no obligation on the employer to fly former staff home.
The Portuguese speakers had married, started families, put down roots. Among those who returned to south America, but then failed to settle, was champion hurler Leonardo Gomes. After Galway reached the All-Ireland hurling final, he packed up his hurl and returned to Gort.
Insecure jobs
The experience of other Brazilians seeking to stay in Ireland has not been easy. Undocumented migrants are forced to take insecure and often low-paid cash jobs to survive, and have no access to State supports and no right to medical cards.
They risk deportation if their application for status is not successful, as a report due to be published on Thursday outlines.
Joyce Correa da Silva (35), who came over with her husband 14 years ago when he was offered work with horses in Co Kildare, applied for documentation after she separated.
“I moved to Gort in 2009 with my son, who is now 16,” she explains. She waited two long years after she applied for residency and risked deportation.
“My son wrote begging letters to the Minister for Justice,” she says. “ I kept copies – they are so sad and so beautiful that I still have them all.” She has finally got her papers.
As Ms Alves Caiado, who continues to wait for hers, says, returning home with a child who might have fluent English and much weaker Portuguese, is not straightforward.
Cannot unite her family
She has a two-year-old in Ireland and a 10-year-old son in Brazil. She cannot unite her family until she knows where she can call home.
The women have much in common with the Irish undocumented in North America, according to the Gort Justice for Undocumented group.
They bring new social capital to a rural town hit by emigration, the group points out. It says that the Government action plan on social inclusion has “failed” the highly valued community.
Women and children are particularly vulnerable, fearing adverse consequences if they seek help over work exploitation, financial poverty, ill health or instances of domestic violence.
Gort Resource Centre co-ordinator Annie Rozario says that many of the estimated 400 Brazilians in Gort are “invisible” and living in fear.
“These people are worse off than if they were asylum seekers in direct provision,” says Dr Margaret Brehony, who conducted a survey for the Gort Justice for Undocumented group.
“Direct provision is very challenging, but undocumented migrants outside that system have neither shelter, nor the right to shelter or food.”
Hurler Gomes is due to turn on the lights for a Christmas “tree of hope” for his compatriots when the justice group publishes preliminary findings of Dr Brehony’s survey in Gort on Thursday evening.Nestle and Cadbury have discreetly removed the word ‘Easter’ from their chocolate eggs this season. It is not for religious reason or about being politically correct, the confectioners say.
If it was the word ‘cheaper’ that was being banned instead, the joy in Ireland would be unconfined at never again having to hear that Enegria ‘cheep-purr’ ad, with its tweety bird cheeping and its brooding cat purring, inciting rage in a peaceful nation. But it’s not.
The sensitive folk at Nestle and at Cadbury just want everyone to know this divorce of ‘Easter’ from ‘egg’ is NOT about the Christian connotation of Easter putting people of other religions, or of none, off their eggs. Nor is it about the sexual connotations in the word derived from Eostre, Norse goddess of fertility.
Not at all. Dropping the ‘Easter’ word may even have been accidental, they said. According to Nestle there was “no deliberate decision to drop the word Easter from our products.”
It just... happened. It just... went missing.
Would someone out there please tell Interpol that ‘Easter’ has gone awol?
The Cadbury spokesman said: “The word Easter is still there in small print on the back of the packaging to reassure people that they are actually eating a chocolate Easter egg.”
This was “just in case people aren’t sure what they’re actually biting into,” he added.
“Most of our Easter eggs don’t say Easter or egg on the front as we don’t feel the need to tell people this - it is very obvious through the packaging that it is an Easter egg.”
The Nestle person, of no definite gender as befits the times, added: “Chocolate eggs have been synonymous with Easter and the Easter story since the beginning of the last century and the association is now an automatic one.”
The oval shape is the giveaway. And no, that rugby ball is not an Easter egg “just in case people aren’t sure what they’re actually biting into.”
First they came for Christmas, and we said ‘Happy Holiday’. Then they came for Easter, and we said ‘thanks for the egg’. But when they come for St Patrick’s Day we’ll tell them “...feck off back where you came from.”With the debut new product categories promised by Apple in 2014 will likely come entirely new platforms, and a fresh job listing from the company discloses that such plans are in fact currently in the works.
iWatch concept by Todd Hamilton
A newly advertised opening for the position of "Instrumentation Design/NPI Engineer" posted by Apple this week, and first discovered by AppleInsider, seeks a hardware expert that will help usher in the introduction of new products. That Apple is working on new products is no surprise, but the listing also mentions that the position will cover all of the company's existing major platforms, as well as "new platforms as of now unannounced."Apple's current business is driven by its iPhone, iPad and Mac platforms. While each of those has grown with the introduction of new hardware and form factors, their respective operating systems offer users familiar, consistent experiences across a variety of products —for example, the software experience on the iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display is identical.But the new job listing suggests that Apple is working on a new way to experience its devices, whether future platforms are based on existing iOS or OS X platforms or represent something entirely new.The new position advertised by Apple is described as "always moving," and will also cover the Mac, iPad, iPhone and assorted accessories. The incoming member of Apple's New Product Introduction team will serve as hardware engineering test design lead.As for what new platforms Apple could be working on, the most obvious potential choice could be a wrist-oriented operating system for the company's anticipated "iWatch" accessory. Rumors of such a device have persisted for months, but have picked up considerable steam at the start of 2014, suggesting that the introduction of such a product could occur this year.After not introducing any major new products in early 2013, Apple has promised that this year will be different, pledging launches throughout 2014. And in an interview last week, Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook pledged that his company will enter "new categories" with its upcoming productsAFTER a last supper of fish, chips, tomatoes and tea, killer Peter Manuel swigged brandy and stepped up to the noose.
Turning to the hangman, he quipped: “Turn up the radio and I’ll go quietly.”
12 Peter Manuel's savage killing spree in the late 1950s led to the coining of the term serial killer
It was July 11, 1958, when Manuel, 31, plunged through Barlinnie prison’s trapdoor into oblivion.
Now detective William Muncie could at last breathe a sigh of relief. After 12 years pursuing Manuel, Muncie had kept up his impeccable police record.
In his obsessive hunt to bring Manuel to justice he risked everything as the killer toyed with him — even visiting Muncie’s home.
Rex Features 12 Chief Inspector William Muncie spent over a decade obsessed with Manuel
Starting on Wednesday, ITV drama In Plain Sight shines a light on their complex relationship.
Manuel killed at least eight people between 1956 and 1958, his savage spree leading criminologists to coin the term “serial killer”.
Their paths first crossed in 1946, when Muncie was sent to investigate a spate of housebreakings in the Mount Vernon and Sandyhills areas of Glasgow.
12 Eventually what Munice had long since suspected was proven true, and he was hung for his murders
Sat in his car after searching a burgled property, Muncie saw Manuel, then 19, walking towards him.
Muncie searched him, finding a distinctive ladies’ watch he knew had been stolen.
The man who would later be dubbed the Beast of Birkenshaw was jailed for 12 months.
The series’ writer, Nick Stevens, says: “Long before anyone else, Muncie saw Peter Manuel for what he was — a psychopath.
“Almost a decade before Manuel’s first murder, Muncie arrested him for a slew of housebreakings.
Manuel never forgave him.”
Rex Features 12 Peter Manuel was one of Scotland's last prisoners to be hung
That wasn’t Manuel’s first brush with the law.
Born in New York, he was five when his family returned to their original home of Birkenshaw, in Lanarkshire.
Aged ten he was known to police as a petty thief, his housebreaking habit landing him in and out of reform schools.
By the time he was 15 Manuel was off the rails completely.
He broke into a young woman’s house, waking her, pulling down her underwear and battering her with a hammer. He attacked several other women before being caught and jailed for nine years in Peterhead prison.
12 New ITV series will tell the gruesome tale, starring Martin Compston as Peter Manuel, pictured with Bobby Rainsbury who plays his sister Theresa Manuel
His first murder was in 1956. He met Anne Kneilands, 17, in East Kilbride on New Year’s Day and took her to a tearoom.
Later he dragged her to a deserted golf course and bludgeoned her to death with an iron bar. He was questioned but released without charge.
In September 1956, Glasgow police were called to a house in High Burnside and found the bodies of invalid Marion Watt, 45, her daughter Vivienne, 17, and Marion’s sister Margaret Brown, 41.
Each had been shot in the head at close range.
At first, Marion’s husband William was the prime suspect. But Muncie was convinced Manuel, out on bail for burglary, was involved.
William, a bakery boss, was held at Barlinnie prison and hired lawyer Lawrence Dowdall to represent him.
Rex Features 12 Manuel killed three members of the Watt family in their own home, leading to William Watt being arrested
Dowdall started getting letters from another Barlinnie inmate — Manuel, who had been jailed for robbing a colliery.
Dowdall later called Manuel “the most vicious psychopath it has ever been my misfortune to meet”.
In a series of notes, Manuel claimed another prisoner had confessed to the murders, including details of the crime.
When Manuel said one of the women had been shot twice — a fact police had not made public — William was freed.
Alamy 12 Manuel was found guilty of seven of eight murder charges, although some suspect he killed more
But a search of Manuel’s parents’ home found nothing.
Muncie’s obsession grew and colleagues joked he had “Manuelitis” — suspecting he was linked to almost any case.
Shetland star Douglas Henshall, 51, who plays Muncie in the ITV drama, says: “Manuel’s case took up a huge chunk of his life and he was derided by some in the force because he was so obsessed. But he knew Manuel was guilty and needed to put him away.”
12 Douglas Henshall plays the cop who was so obsessed by Manuel his colleagues joked he had 'Manuelitis'
The fascination was mutual. Manuel taunted Muncie by leaving clues, even sending him birthday cards. The cop began to fear for his family’s safety.
Martin Compston, 32, who plays Manuel, says: “He dropped birthday cards through his door just to let Muncie know he was close by. It was quite horrific.”
Manuel’s next victim was Isabelle Cooke, 17, who he attacked on December 28, 1957, as she walked to a dance in Uddingston, Lanarkshire.
Getty Images 12 17-year-old Scottish schoolgirl Isabelle Cooke was murdered as she walked to a dance
Then, in the early hours of January 1, 1958, the Smart family — Peter, 45, wife Doris, 42, and son Michael, ten — were killed at home in Uddingston, shot in the head as they lay in bed, just like the Watts.
Afterwards, Manuel munched biscuits, fed the family cat and drove their car around town.
Underworld figures told Muncie’s team Manuel had been seen flashing cash in Glasgow’s East End pubs.
With the help of pub landlords, the money was identified as new notes issued to Peter Smart.
A police raid on Manuel’s parents’ house found items stolen from the Smarts, plus loot from other burglaries. He was arrested and his family quizzed.
Getty Images 12 Police search the river at Uddingston following a triple murder of the Smart family, killed just days after Isabelle
His father Samuel confessed to owning an electric razor stolen in one of Peter’s break-ins. Police charged him with housebreaking.
Despite his shocking crimes, Manuel was loyal to his parents.
To spare his father, Manuel came clean, telling cops: “Bring my mother and father here and I will see them in your presence.
“ |
ed balconies.
As regards public space proper, located just north of San Diegoʼs downtown is Balboa Park, which occupies an impressive 1200 acres of real-estate in this booming seaside city. In its central western portion (Iʼll admit that I only had time to explore this small quadrant), one finds an impressive collection of Spanish Colonial Revival buildings laid out along a central promenade known as El Prado and home to a plethora of museums, cultural institutions, fountains, and statues. This, taken together with the arid, jutting terrain and temperate climate, results in a space strongly reminiscent of the Ibero- American Exposition Grounds in Seville, Spain (there is even a replica of Sevilleʼs El Cid Statue). It is difficult to imagine a space of this scale and one boasting a comparable mix of amenities in Milwaukee – it is of course the product of a different cultural milieu – but a hypothetical equivalent might be something like a Kosciuszko or Humboldt Park housing the Museum of Natural History, Milwaukee Art Museum, Science Museum, etc, all together along a handsomely laid out and furnished central axis. This is not to suggest that Milwaukee has somehow missed the mark with the siting of these spaces, but only to give readers unfamiliar with Balboa Park a sense of what it is about.
Perhaps San Diegoʼs signature “public amenity,” however, is the cityʼs impressive trolley system. Running in a dedicated right-of-way and comprised of three primary, colorcoded lines, the system offers insight into the way in a which a properly executed mass transit system can not only enhance mobility, but can go further by greatly enhancing the public realm through its network of stations and adjacent amenities, such as bike paths and squares. The stations themselves become focal points for local commerce and activity, giving form to an otherwise diffuse urban fabric and in the process also serving as a prominent wayfinding device for visitors (itʼs hard to get lost when you can simply follow a lineʼs rails and cables to the next station). Among the systemʼs transfer points, the America Plaza offers a particularly compelling model of what might be aspired to here at home. Open, airy, and tightly integrated into the surrounding street network, the space stands not in contrast to the area outside, but compliments and enhances it, offering a gracefully curving path that results in a diagonal shortcut across the block it occupies that is inviting and attractive. Likewise, rather than severing the pedestrian connection, track crossing points throughout the city are comfortable and accessible, acting as tidy seems. This cannot be said of the cityʼs larger automotive arteries, such as Harbor Driver, that sever San Diego from its gorgeous waterfront both visually and physically.
Finally, the cityʼs Little Italy offers an instructive model of balanced public-realm design at the street level. Replete with ample sidewalks, bump-outs with public furniture, and a couple of quirky, yet deftly utilized traffic calming/public park amenities, thereʼs plenty to like. My favorite was a large bumpout occupying approximately one corner of an intersection – essentially a larger “chocker” – that included a small fountain and circular stone benches. Apart from providing a place sheltered from the flow of traffic, this space also works to enforce the transition between the two-way and one-way lengths of this east-west street. The result is an amenity that functions on both a traffic engineering and public space level. Pleasantly practical.
As a first time visitor to the city, the transition from my airport-adjacent motel to the convention center located downtown was seamless, intuitive, and a real delight. Thereʼs no denying that the cityʼs modern trolley system had a large role to play in setting the tone of that experience, as did its litany of thoughtful public space amenities, only a few of which have been mentioned here. There are a number of lessons to be taken away. Indeed, the optimist in me sees good things in store for Milwaukee should a resolution ever be reached regarding the current utilities debacle and resulting streetcar impasse here at home. Perhaps nothing new or groundbreaking, but a reminder of what could be achieved here in Milwaukee.
Photo GalleryLately we’ve witnessed some crass but unsurprising opportunism from the Labour Party. Recent student and trade union demonstrations in Liverpool and elsewhere have been addressed by Labour politicians and officials cynically attempting to convert widespread public anger and uncertainty into Labour votes.
Some see the current attacks on our jobs, services and living standards as merely Tory cuts or Lib Dem sell-outs. This is fundamental mistake. In reality the attacks constitute a total onslaught by the entire political and economic elite on the working-class as a whole. As chancellor, Alistair Darling promised to implement cuts that would be “deeper and tougher” than during the Thatcher era if Labour won the last general election. Labour politicians were first in line to milk the expenses system, tax pensions, send young working-class men and women to fight neo-con wars, enact increasingly authoritarian laws, privatise public services through the back door, as well as introduce university tuition fees despite promising not to, and the list goes on. The fact is, the career politicians of the left are no better than those of the right, they both play the same corrupt and grotesque party political game. Right now, both conservative and supposedly socialist governments around the world are inflicting austerity measures on their citizens, making them pay for an economic crisis they did not create.
The cuts will not be defeated through the ballot box by voting for candidates offering voters lukewarm reforms and a few more crumbs from the tables of the wealthy. They will be defeated through mass, self-organised campaigns of direct action on the streets of our local communities, on the student campuses and on the picket lines. The current struggle must also be part of the longer-term fight against all forms of exploitation, wage slavery and social injustice. As anarcho-syndicalists, we believe a new society must be built based on workplace and community self-management, without bosses or bureaucrats.
For too long, the parties of the reformist and revolutionary left have suckered in and neutralised the efforts of decent working-class militants. By now it should be clear that these parties offer nothing but false hope and inevitable betrayal. Only when we take matters into our own hands as a class, and shun those who seek to lead and control us, will we have any chance of bringing about radical social change.
As the Liverpool-born trade union militant Jim Larkin said: “The great appear great because we are on our knees: Let us rise!”
DON’T TRUST POLITICIANS OR BUREAUCRATS!
FOR SOLIDARITY, DIRECT ACTION AND LIBERTARIAN COMMUNISM!
Liverpool Solidarity Federation (International Workers’ Association)National Public Radio has taken a beating over the last two weeks: first its chief executive was forced to resign amid a scandal caused by a right-wing frame-up, and then, on Thursday, the GOP-dominated House voted to cut off all federal funding to NPR. For the moment, that bill seems unlikely to get far in the Senate, but it suggests just how much public radio has been undermined in recent weeks and months. What’s almost as disturbing as the persistent right-wing attacks on an institution respected and relied upon by the broad public is NPR’s seeming unwillingness to stand up for itself.
The trouble began on March 8, when the right-wing video gotcha artist James O’Keefe released an edited version of a tape he’d made of a conversation with an NPR fundraiser named Ron Schiller. In O’Keefe’s account, Schiller was lured to a meeting with potential donors—who were really “journalists” from O’Keefe’s Project Veritas posing as members of a Muslim organization dedicated to spreading sharia law throughout the world—by the bait of a possible $5 million donation. In the meeting Schiller referred to the Tea Party as racists. When O’Keefe released his tapes on March 8, NPR did its best to set a new record for prostration, with Schiller resigning in a time that might have beat the Obama administration’s ditching of Shirley Sherrod from the US Department of Agriculture after a similar videotape scandal last year (Sherrod was portrayed as making racist comments in a speech to the NAACP). A day later the head of NPR news, Vivian Schiller (no relation) was tossed overboard by NPR’s board as well, in an apparent effort to appease the Republicans—many of them Tea Party members who pushed through the House bill to eliminate NPR’s federal funding. Apparently they weren’t appeased.
So let’s start with the tape. When Sherrod was forced from her post last July, it took a few days for people to actually look at the whole videotape, which turned out to show the opposite of the rightwing claim: she wasn’t in fact a racist, and hadn’t discriminated against white farmers. The Obama administration apologized; the USDA tried to hire her back. So you would think that NPR (a journalism outfit after all) might actually have asked to see the whole tape, not the edited version. They didn’t—even though O’Keefe posted what he claims is the raw video on his website soon after the release of the edited tape, urging viewers to “judge for themselves.” In fact, the first real scrutiny of it came from, of all places, Glenn Beck’s website The Blaze. I don’t pretend to understand the various fractures in the far right, and I have recent personal reason not to trust Beck’s own journalism, but in this case his associate Pam Key did a remarkable job of demonstrating what a fraud O’Keefe pulled with the sound-bites he initially released. The comments about Tea Party racists turned out to be mainly Schiller’s reporting of what he’d heard from top Republican politicians; the part where he seemed to be laughing about the possibility of imposing sharia law turned out to have been lifted from a discussion earlier in the tape “recounting an unrelated and innocuous issue about confusion over names in the restaurant reservation. “
What you’re really watching on the tape is the usual embarrassing and craven work of fundraisers hoping that rich people will give them money. And what you’re really watching in the hair-trigger reaction of NPR is the constant fear that they’ll be caught out as liberals.
That fear is the interesting part of this story. Since NPR, as I’ve written recently in the Review, is (along with a few non-NPR programs that also run on public radio stations) pretty much the only radio operation actually drawing large numbers of listeners that’s not controlled by the right wing, movement conservatives have long wanted to wreck it—GOP congressmen have fought to cut its funding several times over the years. They’ve been beaten back each time because their constituents, especially in rural areas otherwise underserved by quality journalism, have crossed party lines to demand that the network be maintained. O’Keefe’s tape—released at the height of the recent funding battle—was a transparent effort to tar the network. And in large measure it worked. As one California newspaper editorialized, “NPR is the radio equivalent of Fox News—just on the other side of the bandwidth.”
But of course that’s not true. Fox News has resolutely ideological owners and managers, and they’ve turned their network into an ideological propaganda operation (anyone who doubts that should tune into Jon Stewart on any given evening). NPR may be run by spineless liberals, but the broadcast is impeccably balanced. Balanced to a fault—the great weakness of its news coverage has become an addiction to the Washington conventional wisdom, I suspect precisely because it’s the safest place to moor in our stormy partisan seas. I mean, on All Things Considered serious time is devoted every week to a discussion of the news between the Times’s mild conservative David Brooks and the Post’s mild liberal E.J. Dionne. The chance of a new or alarming idea getting out in the course of that segment are dim, if not nil.
It’s why NPR’s news coverage gets better when its correspondents are looking at events overseas, or dealing with science, or culture, or anything that doesn’t require them to become crouched and cowering because it might provoke the charge of “liberal.” That addiction to safety is interesting—NPR’s news team is not nearly as bold as its counterparts at either the CBC or the BBC, which for instance fought a running battle with the Blair government over whether it had fudged its rationale for the war in Iraq. Those services get far more of their money from the government and sometimes seem out to prove that this hasn’t turned them into lapdogs. NPR’s direct federal grants are small—about $5 million per year—but member stations use much of their $64 million worth of federal funding to purchase programming from the network; under the House resolution those stations would have to stop sending that money through and would have to use it on their own local programs. It would in many ways be nice if the network could someday escape from this political mess, but as Schiller explained cogently in the unedited portions of the tape, the GOP measure, if approved by the Senate and White House, would probably spell doom for a number of rural stations.
As usual, Ira Glass, host of the remarkable This American Life, put it best. As he told the public radio program On The Media, NPR should have defended its newscast: “I feel like public radio should address this directly, because I think anybody who listens to our stations understands that what they’re hearing is mainstream media reporting,” Glass said. “We have nothing to fear from a discussion of what is the news coverage we’re doing. As somebody who works in public radio, it is killing me that people on the right are going around trying to basically rebrand us, saying that it’s biased news, it’s left wing news, when I feel like anybody who listens to the shows knows that it’s not. And we are not fighting back, we are not saying anything back. I find it completely annoying, and I don’t understand it.”
And an addendum to my previous piece about great radio: for anyone looking for a really amazing sampling of what producers and reporters are up to, check out Remix Radio, a terrific around-the-clock stream of random pieces that will clean your ears out.Washington state has introduced a measure to ban the use of Bitcoin in transactions with its burgeoning legal marijuana industry. According to GeekWire, a state senator has introduced the bill claiming that the cryptocurrency is not transparent enough for marijuana sales. Marijuana businesses have flocked to Bitcoin as an alternative to holding on to large sums of cash, since many banks will not service the pot industry as marijuana is still classified as an illegal substance at the federal level, despite being legal for medicinal and recreational use in many states. The ban on Bitcoin would force marijuana entrepreneurs back to square one when it comes to holding on to cash, which brings with it security risks and expenses. (For more, see: Is Legal Pot a Boon for Bitcoin?)
Lawmarkers Want Bitcoin Out of Pot Shops
Coindesk reports that, "under the proposed rule, businesses that work in the local marijuana industry would not be allowed to either pay for goods with digital currency or accept those kinds of payments from customers. The bill also includes a definition of "virtual currency" that explicitly targets "digital representation[s] of value used as a medium of exchange, a unit of account, or a store of value", but excludes the "the software or protocols governing the transfer". Bitcoin is a digital, borderless form of money that is controlled by a decentralized network of computers and not by any government or central bank. (See also: The 5 Most Bitcoin Friendly States)(Please be aware this isn't any kind of scoop, rumour, or even wild speculation that TFC actually are trying to trade for Le Toux, merely a bit of thinking out loud suggesting Le Toux as someone who might be worth looking into, so don't be saying "Waking the Red says TFC are after Le Toux!" cos that's not what we're saying here at all. Cheers. - Ed)
Could the answer to Toronto FC’s midfield issues lie in the city of brotherly love? Out of favour midfielder Sebastien Le Toux has been in John Hackworth’s dog house for quite some time and Toronto could provide the Frenchman with a welcomed change of scenery.
Le Toux started out the season as an unquestioned starter in the Philadelphia midfield but since the Union’s 2-1 loss in New York on April 16th, Le Toux has been on the field at the opening whistle just once in 7 games, a long time to leave a player like Le Toux on the bench. His lone start since then was May 3rd away to Seattle and in all seven of those games Le Toux has only featured for 170 minutes.
Keeping Le Toux on the bench wouldn’t be noticed if not for Philadelphia’s form. The Union sit second to bottom in the Eastern Conference, only ahead of Montreal, even though they have played 14 games this season (in contrast Toronto FC have played just nine). Philadelphia isn’t losing nail biters or tight 1-0 games either, 4-1 this past weekend in Los Angeles and 5-3 to New England before that. The Union is a team that has been in need of scoring and yet leave a player capable of providing some offense off the field.
The move to acquire Collen Warner from the Montreal Impact in exchange for Issey Nakajima-Farran solidified the central midfield depth but opened up a hole out wide. Le Toux has the versatility to play both outside and in the striker position, though striker depth was improved with the addition of Luke Moore and helped by Roy Hodgson’s decision to leave Jermain Defoe off the World Cup roster. Adding Le Toux would allow Jonathan Osorio to move back into the middle where he is more effective and have Kyle Bekker move to the bench.
Rumours of reinforcements to the wide midfield positions have been running for some time. Toronto, holding the number one spot in the allocation order for returning US internationals seemed to have the inside track on bringing Brek Shea back to MLS, however recently that well has dried up. The need to strengthen the squad in that area remains however.
Toronto FC have all of the pieces to make a deal with Philadelphia. With one open international spot at the moment adding the Frenchman wouldn’t pose an issue there. The next hurdle would be salary and at a quarter million Le Toux doesn’t come cheap, but all signs are pointing to Julio Cesar not returning after the World Cup ends, and that would open up a lot of cap space for a high profile/cap hit player. Lastly would be what Philadelphia would be looking for in return. Toronto have plenty of draft picks for the 2015 Superdraft, packaged with some MLS monopoly money and that may be enough for the Union.
Le Toux isn’t the same player he was when he scored 11 and 14 goals for the Union and then the Whitecaps but he can still provide quality on the ball, the ability to take dead balls and the odd goal from midfield. All qualities Toronto could use more of.Like the barren desert landscape which has been leeched of all colours but browns and dead grays, living here has similarly leeched the creativity and passion from me as time has gone on.
(Seriously, this is where I live. This is not a filter, the air is orange from the dust in the air during a haboob, and yes, that's a tumbleweed zooming by. And it's really that flat and devoid of greenery.)
My blog has been a tiny lamp in the obscuring gloom of life here, and last night, it sent me deep into the darkened recesses of our storage closet to find my art supplies.
Details
Full product name
Purpose
Postpones aging
Firms
Hydrates
Retains Water
Moisture
Nourishes
Radiates
Scent
Quantity
Availability
Price
Rating
Repurchase
And with that, we're done!
-Cat
Like me on Facebook or Follow me on Twitter; I will be doing giveaways as milestones are reached!
It's a good thing that I don't particularly care about having dark circles, because I am rocking the Panda Chic today.I'll get to what I thought of the MBD Natto Mask here in a moment, but first I wanted to talk about what I was doing all night and why I'm feeling flushed with accomplishment today.After my fiasco with RoseRoseShop and paypal's refunding of my money, I was gloomily sifting through various vendors online trying to find the products that I will now not be receiving. While searching for coupons/discounts, I noticed that one of them tends to post a lot of their flash sales and discounts on Twitter.Now, I hate Twitter on principle. It always seems infested with a lot of self-aggrandizing navel gazing and I detest that. However, if getting on Twitter means that I can keep up with sales from various Asian vendors, I will happily jump on that bandwagon!While pondering what to cover for a cover photo, suddenly I was struck by the urge to paint a image of my namesake, since "Snow White" is public domain but images are trademarked. I should just make my own! I used to be very involved with design as a career until I got married and was whisked away to a life of being the breadwinner, and it's been at least 7 years since I picked up a pencil or brush.So, while the idea of whipping up my own image was exciting, I was also filled with trepidation because I'm so out of practice that it was unlikely to be any good and would probably be an exercise in frustration and a hit to my self esteem. I had no idea if I could pull this off.I was looking for my watercolour pencils, but like I said it's been seven years since I touched anything, and I could only find a motley of graphite and coloured pencils. I am total crap at anything involving pencils, but it was already 10 pm and I wasn't going to dare watercolour pigments or gouache when I'm almost a decade out of the game.I'm also not great at drawing, nor am I fast. When I sat down to put pencil to paper, it was a disaster, and I had ruined some of the fancy sketch paper that was in my collection, so I decided that this was going to be unusable anyway, I might as well use printer paper.I realized, in the hours that followed, that 1. I have totally forgotten everything I ever learned about drawing, not that there was much in the first place, and 2. I had forgotten what it was like to use my creativity for something other than solving problems at work. Even if the work I was doing was total garbage, I felt ALIVE. It was like a large part of what makes me who I am has just atrophied over the years, becoming gnarled and wizened like something left out in the desert for too long.At 3 am, I was still going strong. I normally stumble around in a haze of insomnia and perpetual chronic exhaustion, but I was wide awake and intent- even with poor tools and faded skills, I was excited and full of purpose.After I finally took my photos of the finished piece, all half-assed and glaringly faulty, I stumbled into bed brimming with accomplishment like I haven't felt in years.So this means that I now have a Twitter account ( click here ) and a Facebook Page ( click here ) to boot!And lastly, here's a short review of the MBD Natto mask, which wasn't exciting enough for a full review:: My Beauty Diary Natto Mask: It's a sheet mask infused with Natto in some way, which, if you aren't familiar with Natto, is a fermented form of soybeans that is famous for being an 'acquired taste' and has a consistency that looks like congealed phlegm. Mmm.According to prettyandcute.com, which is where I bought it, this maskI was expecting some sort of ~*~*super sexy hydration and firming action*~*~, but it was nothing unique, just a typical mask. Fermented products are all the rage right now (SK II, Missha's First Time Essense, Su:m37 products, etc) so I was really looking forward to seeing what a fermented mask would do, but this was a dud.: Your granny's perfume exploded alllllll up in here. It was so bad I kept sneezing while I was wearing the mask, and that's not the time you want your sinuses getting frisky. I can only imagine what sort of fetid fermented funk must have been going on for them to liberally douse the whole thing in. I will never buy this mask again just due to the scent alone.: Single use sheet mask, and like all MBD masks, leaves behind enough essence for you to pat it on your face, in case you want to smell like a senior citizen before crawling into bed with your honey. Thankfully my husband was fast asleep, so I didn't have to worry about inflicting the stench upon his innocent person.: MBD masks are all over the place, but please be careful to buy them only from authorized retailers, because resellers and buyers alike are being bamboozled by counterfeit syndicates who are cleverly mixing in genuine MBD masks with fakes to trick wholesalers into thinking the entire order is legit: Customs officers bust syndicate supplying fake masks of popular Taiwanese brand : Single mask $2, box of 10 $16: Sheet masks are scored out of a possible 3, and this one is a 1/3. I didn't give it a zero because it didn't damage my skin, but it was nothing special in the effects department and it REEKED.: UH NO. Nononononononono.OH, KAZAKHSTAN!
When the mockumentary Borat opened in theaters in 2006, it delighted in offending all sorts of people, mainly Americans. But Kazakh officials were also not exactly thrilled about the portrayal of their country. The film was banned in Kazakhstan, and the government launched an advertising campaign to salvage the nation's battered image. In all the controversy, virtuoso violinist Marat Bisengaliev, saw an opportunity. "Finally, there would be an interest for people to find out about the real Kazakhstan," he tells reporter Arun Rath.
Marat went after the composer of the music for "Borat" — Erran Baron Cohen, the brother of the film's star Sacha Baron Cohen. Erran had composed a mock Kazakh national anthem with the lyric: Kazakhstan's prostitutes, cleanest in the region, except of course for Turkmenistan's.
"They were going to use the real Kazakhstani national anthem and they couldn't get permission," explains Erran, who had just one night to compose a replacement. "The idea was to have this very big choir. But because it was the middle of the night, I couldn't get a hold of anybody. So I just had to sing every part myself. So I multi-tracked about 40 times."
When Marat called Erran out of the blue and asked him to write a symphony for the aggrieved country, Erran was incredulous. He thought it was a prank. "I mean, it was not their favorite movie." But he eventually accepted Marat's challenge to write a symphony including Kazakh folk music. It became known as "Zere."
The symphony was performed to critical acclaim in England, but Marat had been apprehensive about performing Erran's work in Kazakhstan. Feelings were still raw, and some called him a traitor. But he agreed to present the piece if Sound Tracks would film it. How would people react? Can music ever make amends?
CREDITS
Victoria Gamburg, Producer
Arun Rath, Reporter
Stephanie Challberg, Editor
Elena Ivanova, Camera
Jim Iacona, Camera
Patrick Stewart, Additional Camera
Kirill Sharypov, Video Engineer
Jon Ailetcher, Sound Engineer
Yan Kasyanov, Gaffer
Tamer Batniji, GafferHow far can a middle-of-the-pack quarterback take an NFL team? It’s one of the most heavily debated topics in professional sports, and to properly conduct this discussion we must first understand that there are two types of “average” quarterbacks: those who achieve averageness through mediocrity, and those who achieve it through inconsistency.
Those mediocre quarterbacks would be the guys who are incapable of making all the throws. They’re risk averse. You must run a controlled, balance offense for these players and emphasize things such as field position. These are your Alex Smiths, your Trent Dilfers. They tend to attract a small but ardent group of supporters who often ask anyone who’s willing to listen (and even those who aren’t) why nobody ever gives their guy any credit.
The inconsistent quarterbacks are the guys who reach the middle of the pack through ups and downs. They have extreme strengths offset by maddening weaknesses, usually stemming from sloppy mechanical habits. Think Cam Newton or Jay Cutler. These guys tend to have immense but uncultivated talent. But not always. Sometimes they reach this class the way Andy Dalton has: by offsetting outstanding decisions with horrendous ones.
• ALSO ON THE MMQB: Andy Dalton Still Hasn’t Earned His Stripes
When you have a so-so arm and shaky accuracy (usually stemming from poor footwork), you must almost always make sharp decisions. Dalton fulfills this, but only in the presnap phase. He’s a borderline genius at adjusting protections, altering run plays to exploit a defensive front and, to a slightly lesser degree, identifying coverages. But once the ball is snapped, the 27-year-old becomes a crapshoot. Which is why defensive tactics that involve a changing picture—say, an outside coverage rotation or a zone blitz—have been known to bait him into turnovers. And there are plenty of times when Dalton simply makes mind-blowing predetermined throws into nonexistent windows.
Unlike the mediocre average quarterbacks, the inconsistent average quarterbacks don’t tend to attract vocal supporters. Fans aren’t wired to accept these sorts of mistakes. (These aren’t hard and fast rules, of course. Right now Newton has ardent supporters. But watch: in about three years, he’ll be the exact same quarterback he is today and people will start treating him the way they treat Cutler.) Inconsistent average quarterbacks—especially one like Dalton, who can’t mesmerize a crowd with immense raw talent—attract vocal critics.
Fans are always calling for a replacement, but that’s easier said than done. It’s funny how often we forget, but an average quarterback is a better option than a subpar or outright bad quarterback, of which the NFL still has many.
Dalton is the most scrutinized average quarterback in the league today. The Bengals have been to the playoffs all four years of his career, and they’ve been one-and-done each time. Fair or unfair, the former second-round pick has taken the overwhelming brunt of the blame.
But debating Dalton’s postseason culpability is oversimplifying the discussion. Important as playoff games are, they present too small a sample size to render conclusive declarations so early in a player’s career. In Dalton’s case, we’re talking about judging a four-game body of work. And contrary to what lazy talk show hosts would have you believe, there’s no way to judge a player’s heart or moxie or whatever nebulous trait these hacks ascribe to playoff success and failure.
Bengals owner Mike Brown, director of player personnel Duke Tobin and head coach Marvin Lewis have been judging Dalton’s entire body of work—playoffs, regular season, practice and meeting room sessions—and have come to this conclusion: the fans are right, he is very average. But they feel the fans are wrong to think the Bengals can’t win with him.
But doing so continuously can be difficult. First, it takes discipline from play-caller Hue Jackson, who must commit to conservative game plans and take his shots selectively. Second, you have to surround your quarterback with a lot of talent. You can’t afford to miss on many players. You can afford to keep those players around, however, because your quarterback’s contract won’t destroy your salary cap (Dalton’s $9.6 million salary in 2015 takes up about 6.5 percent of Cincy’s cap, ranking 17th in the league among quarterbacks, according to OverTheCap.com). Still, it’s hard to find quality talent at every other position.
But the Bengals have done just that. They’ve given Dalton an elite wide receiver in A.J. Green, who they’ll re-sign for big money after this season. Beneath Green on the receiver depth chart is an athletic cast, starting with the versatile Mohamed Sanu and working down to the gifted (when healthy) Marvin Jones. At tight end, the Bengals spent a first-round pick on Tyler Eifert in 2013 and a third-rounder on Tyler Kroft this past offseason. Kroft will replace the unreliable Jermaine Gresham.
Despite those receivers, the Bengals will want their offense defined by the rushing attack. That’s the ultimate way to help an average QB. They drafted Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard each in the second round over the last two years. Hill, at 235 pounds, has the powerful thighs and light, balanced feet to be a 1,500-yard downhill runner. As a rookie, he shined behind pull-blockers on “power” and “counter” runs, as well as on outside zone concepts. You can’t ask for much more diversity. Accumulating 1,500 yards will be difficult, though, because Bernard, a shifty, surprisingly stout scat back, is worthy of 18 touches a game. Bernard is also very dangerous in the passing game. (So is Hill.) The nice thing about throws to running backs: they’re safe and defined. The Bengals have invested up front, too. This offseason they spent a first-round pick on RT Cedric Ogbuehi and a second-rounder on LT Jake Fisher, both of whom will likely spend the first year developing on the bench behind a sturdy O-line.
It’s imperative that Hill and Bernard keep Cincinnati ahead in the down and distance. That allows Jackson to employ Dalton in the play-action game, which creates many of the offense’s deep shots. It also makes defenses more predictable and less focused on Green, who has been the target receiver for 27 of Dalton’s career interceptions—the most in the NFL between a quarterback and receiver over the past four years. As valuable as Green is, he’s dependent on Dalton to throw him the ball. Hill and Bernard are dependent on Dalton to hand them the ball. And remember, Dalton, average as he may be, is tremendous at making adjustments in the ground game prior to the snap.
Bengals Nickel Package
1. Being a run-based offense requires stingy defense, because running the ball tends to keep games artificially close. Here, the Bengals have also built a fine cast of players. The most important of the bunch is one of the few who wasn’t drafted: weak side linebacker Vontaze Burfict. The athletic fourth-year pro missed 11 games last season with concussion and knee problems. (The later required offseason microfracture surgery.) In his absence, defensive coordinator Paul Guenther drew away from the double A-gap pressure concepts that have long defined a very good Bengals D. Guenther didn’t feel he had the depth or athleticism at linebacker to run many facets of the pressure-based scheme. The problem was, despite having a talented D-line, Guenther did not get productivity from his four-man pass rush. The Bengals finished the season with 20 sacks—the fewest in the league, which isn’t good when you wind up playing as much zone coverage as they did.
2. At least Guenther doesn’t play straight zone coverage. Often the Bengals get to their assignments via disguised rotations. One of their staples is the inverted Cover 2, which they usually run on the short side of the field. In this, the cornerback drops back over the top, and the safety plays underneath. Both safeties, George Iloka and especially Reggie Nelson, have the coverage aptitude to do this. Nelson is particularly dangerous here because when the Bengals are able to go with double A-gap looks, he’s often an edge blitzer (a very good one, too). That puts him in ideal position to drop outside into an inverted Cover 2 position.
3. If the aforementioned “talented” defensive line plays up to its potential, Guenther shouldn’t feel as compelled to blitz this season. End Carlos Dunlap is limber, long and explosive. So limber, long and explosive, in fact, that his occasional prolonged disappearances are completely inexcusable. At three-technique, Geno Atkins is now almost two full years removed from his ACL surgery. As Guenther intimated at the beginning of the offseason, the squatty, incombustible sixth-year pro needs to recapture his destructive nature.
4. Domata Peko has been a very stellar starting nose shade for the last eight years, but it’s time he be replaced in the base 4-3. Not because he can’t play. At 30, Peko remains deft at shedding blocks and identifying run designs. But his backup, 25-year-old Brandon Thompson, is quicker and plays with just as much strength and leverage. Thompson is too good to keep getting only 15-20 snaps a game.
5. Dre Kirkpatrick, a presumed first-round cornerback bust, replaced an aging Terence Newman late last season and now becomes the most important player in this underrated secondary. Kirkpatrick has a long frame, but he sometimes has trouble swiveling his hips against receivers in space. In order to succeed, he’ll have to make a lot of plays out of recovery mode.You can’t buy votes.
That bit of the Illinois state election code is sort of a big deal. Scratch that … it’s illegal, corrupt and wrong. (So much so that anyone caught violating this rule is guilty of a class 4 felony.)
So what does a violation of this law look like?
Sort of like this: A Chicago alderman offering the chance to enter a raffle to win prizes from local businesses to anyone who can prove they voted.
Fifth Ward Alderman Leslie Hairston did just that when she used her Facebook page to issue the following instructions: “Vote--you're eligible no matter the candidate, then put their name and contact information on the back of their voter receipt.... And stop by the Fifth Ward office and drop it off,” according to FOX 32 Chicago.
Source: FOX 32 Chicago
FOX 32 Chicago reported that Hairston issued the following statement:
"... my only intent was to encourage people to exercise their right to vote... There was no subterfuge involved at any time. It may not have been well thought out, but it was well intentioned."
Hairston has removed the Facebook post.
Only in Chicago.
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an archaeologist at the University of Florida in Gainesville, who was not involved in the research, points out a possible discrepancy in the sampling methods employed by McMichael’s team. The terra preta sites used to make the statistical model, he says, “just happen to be the areas where there’s been intensive archaeological survey.” The areas designated as terra preta-free, on the other hand, were sampled and categorized by ecologists and geologists, often long before anyone was looking for terra preta or other signs of pre-Columbian settlements in the Amazon. Just because a region is labeled terra preta-free now, Heckenberger suspects, doesn’t mean there isn’t any terra preta there. It just means archaeologists haven’t been there to look for it—yet. McMichael’s map “serves as a reminder of what we don’t know” about the Amazon’s past, he says.
McMichael agrees that a terra preta-free label should not be taken as proof that humans never settled a region. The relative lack of terra preta around the Llanos de Moxos earthworks proves that humans didn’t necessarily enrich the soil, or do so in the same way, everywhere they lived, she says. “I would think that cultures adapted differently to the different environmental conditions,” creating terra preta where the natural soil was particularly poor and modifying their environment in other ways in regions where they didn’t necessarily need to enrich the soil to support large populations.
McMichael hopes to use her statistical methods to model all different kinds of ancient human impacts on the Amazon. Her team has a paper in press at the Journal of Biogeography predicting the locations of earthworks, and eventually she hopes to create a map correlating past human settlements with various ecological patterns. If pre-Columbian humans encouraged the spread of particular plants and animals they found helpful in the regions around their settlements, for example, that might affect species distribution in the Amazon today. Soon, scientists might be able to go beyond earthworks and agriculture and read the Amazon’s history in the forest itself.By Madison Rutherford
Senior, Journalism, San Francisco State University
Suits and Legally Blonde convinced you that you want to be a lawyer. Will you get to argue a high profile case during your three years? Probably not. But law school offers rewarding experiences you won't find anywhere else. Here are 22 perks of law school that will help you decide if a legal career is your calling.
1. Know Your Rights
Ever heard someone say, "Is that even legal?" Come to the rescue with an educated answer. Knowing your rights as a citizen, employee or tenant will come in handy before you make an assumption and accidentally cross the line.
2. Contest a Ticket Like a Boss
After law school, you'll finally know how to dispute that pesky parking ticket. Most people just give in and pay fines because they don't feel like reading the fine print or going through the trouble of writing a convincing explanation. However, learning the ins and outs of the law -- and how to use it to your advantage -- is just one valuable thing you'll gain from a law degree. You'll no longer have to groan when you see that white slip neatly tucked under your windshield wiper or panic when you see flashing lights in your rear view mirror. Even though going to law school doesn't mean you're above the law, it will teach you how to stand up for injustice.
3. Make Any Agreement Iron Clad
Did your friend agree to build you a professional website in exchange for LSAT tutoring? A law degree provides you the legal writing skills to make any contract binding, even a friendly agreement between pals. Avoid those conflicting interpretations like when your friend swears he only agreed to a couple lines of code.
4. Become an Interview Snob
Andrew Metzar, a 2009 law school graduate, said that law school was extremely helpful in helping him through the job interview process. "You have to teach yourself or learn how to be a good interview, sitting across from someone and presenting yourself in the best and most favorable way possible, which I guess is an extension of what you're trying to do as a lawyer as well," he said.
5. Convince Others
Do you and your girlfriend disagree on whether or not robots are taking over the world? Do you and your best friend fight over which posters best represent the vibe of your apartment? Does your boss think you're slacking when you think you're overworked? Law school will teach you how to approach conflicts with different types of people, how to understand their mindset and how to deliver your points of view. This will position you to win any argument. A law degree won't ensure that you're always right, but it will teach you how to convince others that you are.
6. Get Real World Experience
Law schools offer externships or legal clinic programs to give students an experiential education. Kristin Moore, a third year law student, already works directly with clients, which gives her a sense of real cases she'll experience in the future. For Moore, it's her favorite part of law school.
7. Negotiate a Raise
You will, without a doubt, graduate from law school knowing how to handle any argument like a pro. It will also teach you that nearly everything is negotiable -- including that starting salary. Studying law will help you see both sides of a situation in order to craft a top-notch counterargument.
8. Be Purposeful
Studying law trains students to speak with conviction, act with poise and write with purpose, which filters in to all aspects of their lives. "You're just a lot more intentional in your actions and your thinking," said Moore. "You're thinking about strategy and about outcomes a lot more than I think I did before I went to law school."
9. Expand Your Views on Diversity
Law school exposes you to varying viewpoints, some you agree with and some you don't. "I grew up in Kansas so it's not a very diverse place," Moore said. "Going to a school that's known for its diversity was a really intentional move for me because I wanted to learn about the law from a lot of different perspectives."
10. Know How to Act When Disaster Strikes
Being a law student prepares you to plant both feet firmly on the ground while the walls are caving in around you. The high-pressure environment and multi-faceted curriculum of law school force you to think fast and deal with problems rationally and in a timely manner. "(Law school) teaches you to anticipate potential disasters to sort of appease them or mitigate them before they occur," Metzar said. Keep calm and get a law degree.
11. Speak Klingon... aka Legalese
Going to law school is like learning a new language. You will learn not only concepts and theories that are completely foreign to you, but begin using jargon you've never used before. "My legal dictionary was my best friend," Moore quipped. Similar to learning a different language, it starts to flow naturally the more you practice. Expect to graduate fluent in the language of law.by BAR managing editor Bruce A. Dixon
Assata Shakur could not have been named “most wanted terrorist” without the explicit approval of the first black president and his attorney general. In doing so, they have declared open war on the black liberation movement, something that J. Edgar Hoover and COINTELPRO were only able to do in secret.
Not Your Daddy's COINTELPRO: Obama Brands Assata Shakur “Most Wanted Terrorist”
by BAR managing editor Bruce A. Dixon
Whoever imagines our first black president and his first black attorney general had little or nothing to do with naming Assata Shakur its “most wanted terrorist” list is deep in denial and delusion. “Terrorist,” as my colleague Glen Ford points out, has never been anything but a political label, applied by the authorities for their own political purposes. The international legal angle as well, with Assata Shakur receiving political asylum from the Cuban government the last 30 years, also makes her placement on that list something that Attorney General Eric Holder and President Barack Obama absolutely had to carefully consider and approve..
A lot has changed in the forty years since Assata Shakur was wounded and captured in New Jersey. The press conference announcing her capture was doubtless headed up by white police and district attorneys. Back then, black faces were pretty scarce in the top ranks of cops and prosecutors anywhere, and J. Edgar Hoover had only recently left the FBI.. Last week's announcement of the $2 million bounty on Assata's head was anchored by a high ranking black cop, and of course, there are black faces in the offices of president and US Attorney General. People who call themselves progressives, do call that “progress,” don't they?
The premiere federal initiative for political policing was something called COINTELPRO. COINTELPRO was a secret “counterintelligence,” as in “counter-intelligent” and/or evil multiplied by stupid federal program which for 25 years labeled thousands of civic organizations, churches, labor unions, and grassroots movements as threats to “national security.” Federal agents secretly coordinated local police and media assets in hundreds of campaigns to discredit and destroy those organizations, utilizing illegal surveillance, agents provocateur and media slander. Individual leaders and participants were harassed, falsely prosecuted and imprisoned, and sometimes murdered. COINTELPRO's existence only came to light as a result of US Senate select committee chaired by Senator Frank Church hearings in 1975.
The good news about COINTELPRO was first, that the government of those days wasn't bold enough, that it felt too hemmed in and prevented by the American people from openly targeting political dissidents for assassination and murder, and second, that it eventually did come to light. Government officials even had to pay token damages in a handful of cases, such as the murder of Illinois Black Panther chairman Fred Hampton, and publicly claim their official misconduct had ended.
Forty years later though, we live in the era of secret kidnappings, regular torture, ghost prisons and executive branch murder by drones or special ops teams. Today the federal Department of Homeland Security funds counter-terrorism fusion centers which openly disseminate the kind of inflammatory and fanciful disinformation to local police and security contractors about those the government wants targeted that J. Edgar Hoover's FBI agents had to come around and whisper in their ears. Now that is progress.
Forty years and change ago, the whole constellation of African American leadership wrapped its arms around the segments of the black movement that came under vicious police assault. I was a member of the Black Panther Party in Chicago in 1969 and 70, and we never had as many friends as we did when our offices were riddled with gunfire or our members murdered by police. Back then when, everyone from the Urban League and NAACP to Operation Breadbasket and the Afro-American Patrolman's League stood up for us. Those who've viewed the recently released documentary Free Angela Davis & All Political Prisoners can see the same phenomenon of four decades ago, with Rev. Ralph David Abernathy wrapping his arms around “our sister Angela Davis” when she was accused of murder in the deaths of a judge and others in California.
It's been a week now since the $2 million dollar bounty and “most wanted terrorist” announcement. In that time, not a single nationally noted African American “leader” has raised his or her voice. Not Ben Jealous. Not a single black mayor or member of the Congressional Black Caucus. Not Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, and certainly not the presidential lap dog Al Sharpton. Sharpton has worn wires for the FBI more than once, and is credibly accused of trying to get close to people who were rumored to be close to Assata Shakur in the 1980s. Those people wisely avoided Rev. Al.
Such is the pressure of subservient conformity among the black political class that not a single African American politician, religious leader, or personage of national note has opened his or her mouth in Assata Shakur's defense, with the solitary exception of Angela Davis, once a political prisoner and fugitive in the days before the word “terrorist” had been coined. Lockstep conformity like this is hard to shake. In their 45 minutes in an otherwise excellent Democracy Now show mostly devoted to Assata Shakur's case, neither Shakur's attorney Lennox Hinds nor Angela Davis could bring themselves even to hint that the president and attorney general were responsible for branding her as the nation's “most wanted terrorist.”
Four decades have seen the flowering of elite affirmative action in the military, corporate America and in American political life. Our black political class never tires of holding their own illustrious careers up as “the fulfillment of Dr. King's dream.” But the fact is that US corporations couldn't do business in Africa without black faces. The US couldn't give military aid and training for a quarter century to 52 out of 54 African governments, arming all sides of every civil and international conflict in the most war torn regions of the planet, without black diplomats, black admirals and black generals. It couldn't deploy the world's most massive prison and police state without hundreds of thousands of black prison guards and police, some in the most senior positions and many more in line behind them.
All these are the fruits of what passes for social and racial “progress” in these United States.
This then, is the real function of corporate and elite affirmative action, and of the black political class itself. Whether it's moving the corporate agenda of gentrification through the destruction of public housing, carrying out social security and Medicare cuts, or waging open war upon the unapproved segments of the African American movement for justice and liberation, black faces in high places have repeatedly proven themselves the more effective evil, able to blunt leftish opposition and carry out policies that white elites can only dream of without their help.
Assata Shakur is not a terrorist. She was shot with her hands in the air, and no residue from gunfire was detected on her hands or clothes or that would have been introduced as evidence at her trial. Her all white jury was instructed to convict her for simply being there, and they did just that. She was a political prisoner, and the only “crime” she can reasonably be accused of is escaping and living out her life the last three decades in Cuba. Government officials do admit that her “terrorist” activity consists of occasional writings and speeches which advocate radical change, and the example of her peaceful life and political asylum 90 miles from Florida.
If that's all it takes to be a “terrorist,” many thousands of today's yesterday's and tomorrow's black and non-black political activists inside the U.S. are “terrorists” as well. There's a global war on terror, and now it openly includes the black liberation movement, basically everybody to the left of the established black political class. In the wake of this announcement, can there be any doubt that many more names are or will soon come up at the president's “terror Tuesday” meetings, at which the White House boasts it considers who next to kidnap or murder? We're all fair game now.
President Obama obviously hopes the label “terrorist” will scare present and future activists from learning what there is to know from the proud traditions of African American and other resistance to empire. He hopes to intimidate and frighten ordinary people, especially young people, into the same kind of conformity as their supposed “leaders.”
Back in 2007 and 2008, candidate Barack Obama confided to editorial boards and others a number of times that Ronald Reagan was his favorite president. We should have listened to him a lot more closely. It's a safe guess now, that J. Edgar Hoover is his favorite cop.Tattoo Spotlight is a new feature in the Tattoo Corner section of the site. It will focus on the work of tattoo artists and ink owned by tattoo collectors, with brief synopses and links.
Today's Tattoo Spotlight features the gorgeous creations of Den Yakovlev. I had the pleasure of interviewing Den for an issue of Tattooist Art Magazine and was quickly captivated by his portfolio.
This Russian tattooist is steadfastly making a name for himself in the tattoo world. An artist for nearly a decade now, Yakovlev owns Negative Karma Tattoo Studio in Moscow, Russia and keeps extremely busy with an eager clientele.
His portraiture/realism skills are incredible; producing beauty in both the color and black & grey genres.
*Check out more of his work at negativekarma.ruOne more time on the bus: new roads and ebola controls
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Can I write another post about the Bamako to Abidjan bus? Let’s find out.
I was not looking forward to this trip. I was not worried about Ebola (neither Mali or Cote d’Ivoire have recorded a case, and the localities in Guinea closest to the Ivorian and Mali borders have not reported cases in over a month). Side note: I haven’t neglected this blog out of disinterest. I just haven’t had any time to write. Obviously things have changed since I first started writing this post, and there has now been several cases of Ebola in Mali. I will say a few things about that later on.
I also wasn’t concerned about the length of the journey or the discomfort of a crowded Sama Trans bus.
The trip has just lost its luster. The police checkpoints where everyone gets ID’d and a few passengers inevitably get pulled off because they don’t have any and then the negotiations for a bribe so that they can get back on. The customs agents that take off every piece of baggage, looking for one too many pieces of bazin, trying to find the hidden comerçants in order to tax them.
I have been hearing the same Affou Keita songs on these buses for almost four years now.
But this trip did offer something new. Ebola checkpoints and a brand new highway in Cote d’Ivoire. On the Ebola front, Cote d’Ivoire has closed their border with Guinea, and they won’t accept Guinean passengers using Mali as a transit point. Buses originating from Bamako, however, have been traveling freely.
Another novelty of this trip? I took the night bus. Leave at 8PM, arrive in Abidjan at 7 the following evening. It’s still an exhausting trip, but 23 hours beats 33.
I got to the station at 730PM, and the station boss had already started calling passenger names. A knot formed around the door, as it does, and everyone took their position on the starting block, listening for their cue to leap forward. “Traore, Aisha!!!!” “Konate, Ablaye!!!!”
Missing your name can be catastrophic. All bus seats are not created equal. “Polatta, Philippe!!!!!” fell down to the bottom third of the list, and I found myself in the cramped right column of seats, with rows of 3 seats instead of 2. I was fortunate to snag an aisle seat in one of these rows, and I sat down next to a mild mannered high-school-age brother and sister pair. Good start.
I started eating a sandwich I had brought with me. Half of it fell into my lap and on the floor as the bus staggered through the station. Getting buses in and out of these stations is complicated. Space is limited, and there is no coordination between the bus companies, the ambulant vendors, the push cart guys, the ticket hawkers, the taxis, the motos, the tomato can boys begging for coins, and errant toubabous like me. Bus drivers depend on hard slaps against the sides of the coach, indicating when they are about to knock over a boutique or crush a pedestrian. Hard slaps and shrieks.
And then you’re out of the station, fueling up, getting ready to hit the open road for a few kilometers before arriving at Bamako’s exit checkpoint. The starts and stops, so predictable now, are the most frustrating part of this journey.
I stretched my legs in Bougouni and sipped a hyper-sweet nescafe, which made me a bit more social on the way to Sikasso, Sama’s hub and the biggest city in southern Mali. I learned my seatmates were half Ivorian, half Malian. Since their parents got divorced and returned to their respective countries, the brother sister pair regularly made this trip. They were exceedingly polite, offering me every biscuit, pure water sachet and pygmy banana that they purchased through the window. I couldn’t have asked for more from two people with whom I would be sharing a confined space for nearly 24 hours.
I started nodding off in Sikasso, lapsing into that in-between-sleep where your brain shuts down, and your head becomes a pinball ricocheting off the window, the seat in front of you and your neighbors. I didn’t get off the bus, and doing so would have been difficult anyway. The rear door was barricaded with sacks of potatoes and the aisle was a tight rope walk.
At the border, I was herded down the aisle by a vieille mere who possibly had to urinate. She kept tapping my back as I stumbled over the aisle hurdles, but I couldn’t go any faster without falling down or losing a shoe.
Checking out of Mali was straightforward, as it typically is. On the Ivorian side, things had changed. Mali had not yet registered a case of Ebola, but you wouldn’t have known this from Cote d’Ivoire’s efforts to screen passengers. Cote d’Ivoire is – and has been – taking the Ebola threat very seriously.
When I stepped off the bus a temperature gun was pointed at my head. A cool 36 degrees celsius. No one on the bus had a fever apparently. We shuffled off to part two of our health screening.
Both Bintou and I have had our arms jabbed at this checkpoint. Me for meningitis and her for meningitis and yellow fever. There is little in the way of bedside manner. Wince in pain and the guys in lab coats start cackling. But it’s a cheap place to get caught up with your vaccinations ($16 and you have two vaccinations and the yellow certificate).
For the majority of bus passengers on this trip, $16 is too much. So passengers get out before the border, hop on the back of a moto taxi, cross the border freely and then wait for the bus to arrive with the rest of the passengers. This moto ride will set you back $2. For passengers that don’t have money, ID and a vaccination certificate, this clandestine passage is the only option. Unfortunately, it makes it difficult to control for ebola.
Back at the border, we crowded around the counter inside of the health tent. Chicken wire separated us from the nurses and doctors. The lead doctor spoke slowly. “Has everyone noticed that we are doing things differently at the border?” Nods. “We took your temperature, because.. etc etc” It was actually a very informative discussion. Too often here – and when I say “here” I am talking about most of the places I have been to in West Africa – governments impose new policies sans explication. It was encouraging to see this doctor slow things down, take questions, check for understanding — all best teaching practices really.
A few passengers had their vaccination certificates torn up. The certificates were allegedly fake (you can buy fake vaccination certificates in many bus stations). A few passengers had their arms poked. And then we were back on the bus, rolling towards Ferkessédougou, one of Cote d’Ivoire’s larger towns in the north of the country. The sun was coming up, and I slept for an hour or two.
In Ferke, a smooth talking medicine vendor got on the bus and annoyed the shit out of me. I don’t have much more to say about these guys. They sell mystery pills that supposedly cure everything from impotence to “toxic blood,” and they typically make quite a few sales. Like Affou Keita’s ancient tunes, I am tired of them. I wanted to bring up ebola with the pill hawker, but I didn’t have the strength at that point.
Breakfast in Korhogo changed everything. Omelet folded into a baguette and a mug of nescafe half-filled with condensed milk. The guy behind the kiosk has been running this show for a long time, and it is a pleasure watching him work. Pouring the condensed milk from great heights with one hand, cracking an egg with the other. The magic of street food is not just the cheap and delicious eats, it’s also the artistry of the vendor.
Between Korhogo and Bouake, I was feeling very fine. I was at peace with all of my neighbors on the bus, my belly was full, the air was warm but not too hot and the road was smooth. In these conditions, I could have stayed on the bus forever.
But then we arrived in Bouake, the air turned hot, and the driver’s apprentices began causing numerous problems. Apparently one of the passengers gave money to one of the apprentices in order to stop in a village so that he could unload baggage. A big brouhaha followed, because this passenger had his luggage on the roof, and now we were stopping in a place we weren’t supposed to stop in. Everyone was sweating, sucking their teeth, throwing their hands up and yelling at the driver. A very enjoyable 45 minutes.
In Yamoussoukro, I caught a glimpse of the world’s largest basilica on the way in, and I watched about 15 minutes of a Cote d’Ivoire – Cameroon AFCON qualifying match in the Sama station, snacking on peanuts and drinking a tampico. The match was an embarrassment for Cote d’Ivoire, and between Yamkro and Abidjan much of the conversation centered on the deplorable state of Les Elephants.
After 22 hours, we arrived in Abidjan. One additional hour to get settled in the crowded Adjame bus station. I shook off the dust and bid farewell to my seatmates and the vielle mere across the aisle. I glared at the apprentices and walked out of the station.
I had the good fortune of landing in a taxi with a driver that rarely paid attention to the road. Instead, he relentlessly teased the two female passengers in the backseat. Every now and then he turned towards me, shouting “les filles Ivoiriennes sont belles n’est-ce pas?????!?!” It was a very entertaining ride. When I am away from Abidjan, Ivorians’ sense of humor ranks at the top of things I miss.
At Venya, I put my bags down and enjoyed a cold beer on the patio. Drinking a beer in the company of a cool Abidjan evening breeze is heavenly. It’s not difficult to understand why the streetside bar is so successful in Cote d’Ivoire. After a few beers and a delightful poisson braisé, I went to bed for a very long time.
My stay in Abidjan was a short one, and I have been spending some time in Mali over the past several months. In a future post, I will share the latest developments in restaurant world — namely some catering projects that may help us get to where we want to be revenue wise — and what exactly I’m doing in Mali. I might talk about Ebola also.
à tout moment
If you enjoyed this post, consider sharing it with the buttons below or subscribing to the blog by RSS or Email Thanks for reading 🙂A Central government appointed Committee on Friday came down heavily on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi, saying it has been splurging exchequer's money on projecting the Chief Minister Kejriwal and his party in violation of the guidelines and asked the ruling party to reimburse it.
The three-member committee, headed by former Chief Commissioner B B Tandon, had been constituted by the I&B ministry on directions of the to address issues related to Content Regulation in Government
The committee had received a complaint from leader accusing the government in of splurging public money on
In its order issued on Friday, the Committee came to the conclusion that the Government of has violated guidelines issued by the Hon'ble of in six of the nine areas listed by the complainant.
The violations include outstation advertisements, false/misleading advertisements, for self- glorification and to target political opponents, advertisements against media, advertisements mentioning the party in power by name and also advertisements issued on incidents occurring in other states.
In its order, the panel which also comprised adman Piyush Pandey and journalist Rajat Sharma, has said that the should be made to reimburse the expenditure since the violation of the Supreme Court order of May 13, 2015, has taken place.
The assessment of the expenditure should be made by the government, it said.
The panel has directed the Delhi Government to assess expenditure incurred by it in issuing advertisements outside the territory of Delhi on the occasion of various anniversaries (except those tender or appointment advertisements which are outside the purview of the Supreme Court laid guidelines in a judgement delivered in May 2015).
It has also directed that the Delhi government assess expenditure on those advertisements or advertorials in which the name of the is mentioned, which publicized the views of the chief minister on incidents that took place in other States, and advertisements which targeted the opposition.
"The Committee further directs the Government of NCT of Delhi to get the entire expenditure so incurred on the above mentioned category of advertisements reimbursed to the State exchequer from the Aam Admi Party," the order of the has held.
The panel issued notice to the GNCT of Delhi on August 17 and then on 24the August, 2016 seeking its response after which the Kejriwal led government submitted its comments on August 33.
In its order, the panel felt that a state government should not advertise outside its boundaries, but it should be for attracting investment, business, talent etc and the advertisements should be designed accordingly for the purpose and released for the specific target group.
It added that if some chief ministers think that they are very special and their policies are relevant to the entire country, in such cases their political parties should bear the expenditure of such publicity and not the Government.
The panel also upheld the charge of false and misleading advertisements against the AAP government.
In two allegations in this regard — augmentation of bus fleet in the capital and Rs 350 crore saved in construction of elevated corridor — the panel has asked the Delhi government to verify the facts and take appropriate action.
On Maken's complaint related to large-scale ads on anniversary of party in power, the panel did not indict the Delhi government. Since the SC guidelines permit issue of advertisements highlighting completion of a fixed period of government's tenure like anniversaries, the Committee does not find any merit in the allegation, the panel said.
It also did not find merit in the complaint against the AAP government regarding publication of advertisements in the form of newspaper reports has violated the guidelines.Aw look. Hanky Panky and Keslord are total besties now. Cuuuuute!
Maybe Daniel will get jealous and score 5 goals to win back his brother’s affection.
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Game Day Recon: Western Conference Final Game 2 – Sharks @ Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks look to take a commanding 2-0 series lead tonight as they host the San Jose Sharks in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final.
In Game 1, the Canucks used their most potent weapon to overpower the Sharks in the third period – their team speed.
And they may be bringing more speed for Game 2.
Broadcast Info
Game Time: 6:00 PM PT
TV: CBC Radio: Team1040
The Intel
As Game 1 wore on, the Canucks speed willed out. And the effects of a grueling 7-game series against the Red Wings took its toll on the Sharks. With 2 days off between games, the Sharks get some much needed rest, but that doesn’t help them get any faster as a team. And the Canucks used the same game plan against the Sharks in Game 1 as they did against Chicago in Game 1 of their opening round series – hit everything in an opposing jersey. The Canucks racked up 38 hits against the Sharks and wore them down. Hits and speed. Good recipe to beat a big, lumbering team that likes to grind out a game in the corners and against the boards.
The Canucks need that again and more for Game 2. As a result, it looks as though Alain Vigneault is likely bringing back Jeff Tambellini into the lineup, at the expense of Tanner Glass. Glass has not been a factor in the playoffs yet while Tambellini, in less than 5 minutes of TOI these playoffs, made one of the Canucks’ most memorable plays, sprinting back to catch Martin Erat, who was 40 feet ahead of him on a breakaway, knocking him off the puck and saving a goal. Even though Tamby will only see fourth minutes (less than 6 minutes probably), any additional speed he can bring will be an added bonus against these slower Sharks.
As for the Sharks, it looks like Jason Demers may be out again for Game 2. While he isn’t a #1 defenseman, Demers has played decently these playoffs, and moves the puck well. Kent Huskins, who drew in to the lineup in Demers’ place, hadn’t played since February and is a noticeable step down in terms of puck-moving ability and mobility on the blue line, something the Sharks need to counteract the speedy Canucks forechecking. If Demers is available, and Huskins does come out, the Sharks have to consider that an upgrade on their back end, as they will up their ability to move pucks up ice and to keep up with the Canucks’ forwards.
The Sharks have said that they’re going to come out stronger physically in Game 2, hitting and playing the body more. I find this funny, because according to the Sharks, the Canucks go down like they’ve been shot every time they’re touched. So if they’re such rampant divers and embellishers, why would you play them so physically, giving them a chance to slap on their bathing suits to go all Greg Lougainis on the ice or let them snap their heads back faster than the top of a Pez dispenser?
In any event, the big, bad pouty Sharks are gonna come out a-hittin’. And the Canucks had better be on their toes. The Sharks are going to do whatever they can to play this game at half-tempo, and hitting is a big element of that. The more the Canucks can keep the pace up in this game, the better. And if the Sharks come within 5 feet of them, just crumple to ice clutching your legs like they’ve been cut off with a chainsaw.
Oh wait, it’s Joe Thornton who does that.
The Three Keys
Here are the three keys for the Vancouver Canucks tonight:
1. Keep skating. As I just said, the more pace there is to tonight’s game, the better it is for the Canucks. As the Canucks continue to keep the speed of the game at their preferred higher tempo, the Sharks’ D will start chasing and will have a more difficult time clearing their own zone, keeping the puck deep.
2. Go upstairs on Niemi. He plays really well down low on the ice. No better evidence was the ridiculous scramble in his goal mouth near the end of the second period of game 1. Get the puck off the ice on Niemi.
3. Forecheck, forecheck, forecheck. Pressure on the Sharks’ D was a key factor in Game 1. If the Canucks keep it up for Game 2, they’ll force the Sharks to play in their own end, which they just don’t like to do, or do well.
The Links
Here are your top 5 links for today’s game:
1. Tale of the Tape: Sharks @ Canucks (Canucks.com)
2. The 3.0 version of the Canucks seems much better equipped — and that includes gamesmanship (The Province)
3. Canucks expect Sharks to bite back in Game 2 (Vancouver Sun)
4. Canucks/Sharks Preview (Yahoo! Sports)
5. Sharks Gameday: You Just Crossed Over Into…The Neutral Zone (Fear The Fin) << SEE WHAT THE ENEMT HAS TO SAY!To avoid creating and destroying the DB pool and only set up the DB once, you need to use withSqliteConn in your main function on the outside and then transform each property to use that connection, like in this code:
share [mkPersist sqlSettings, mkMigrate "migrateAll"] [persistLowerCase| Person name String age Int Maybe deriving Show Eq |] type SqlT m = SqlPersistT (NoLoggingT (ResourceT m)) prop_insert_person :: PropertyM (SqlT IO) () prop_insert_person = do personName <- pick arbitrary personAge <- pick arbitrary let person = Person personName personAge -- This assertion will fail right now on the second iteration -- since I have not implemented the cleanup code numEntries <- run $ count ([] :: [Filter Person]) assert (numEntries == 0) personId <- run $ insert person result <- run $ get personId assert (result == Just person) main :: IO () main = runNoLoggingT $ withSqliteConn ":memory:" $ \connection -> lift $ do let -- Run a SqlT action using our connection runSql :: SqlT IO a -> IO a runSql = flip runSqlPersistM connection runSqlProperty :: SqlT IO Property -> Property runSqlProperty action = ioProperty. runSql $ do prop <- action liftIO $ putStrLn "
DB reset code (per test) goes here
" return prop quickCheckSql :: PropertyM (SqlT IO) () -> IO () quickCheckSql = quickCheck. monadic runSqlProperty -- Initial DB setup code runSql $ runMigration migrateAll -- Test as many quickcheck properties as you like quickCheckSql prop_insert_person
The full code including imports and extensions can be found in this gist.
Note that I did not implement the functionality to clean the database between tests, as I do not know how to do that in general with persistent, you will have to implement that yourself (replace the placeholder cleanup action that just prints a message right now).
You should also not need instances for MonadCatch / MonadThrow for PropertyM. Instead, you should catch in the NwApp monad. So instead of this:
let test = do run a... run b test `catch` \exc ->...
you should use the following code instead:Lotus Engineering, in collaboration with Jaguar, is starting up a project they're calling "Omnivore," a task which, if successful, could see traditional internal combustion engines go the way of the dodo. Lotus is planning to meld the two-cycle engine with new technologies — direct injection and a variable compression ratio — to create an engine able to run on almost any fuel. If you've ever wondered what the future of the internal combustion looked like, you're getting a peek now. Put your propeller cap on and join us for a pocket protector talk after the jump.
Used to be that a gas engine was a gas engine and a diesel was a diesel. With the advent of reliable direct injection, variable displacement cylinder heads that don't turn into grenades, and incredibly sensitive |
you a new gameplay experience. In order to advance the story in Master Mode, your skills and knowledge gained by playing the normal mode will definitely be useful. It’s extremely fun to blast through Master Mode while fully utilizing my past experiences!
In Master Mode, some enemies and chests are located in midair! You may even be able to restore your Stamina Wheel if you use it wisely.
Also, even if you’ve already beaten the game once, there must be many things you didn’t notice or see before in the vast world of Hyrule. I recommend changing the order in which you visit locations like towns and villages in the second playthrough—it might give you a different impression. Above all, I hope you will enjoy the world of Hyrule even more.
Lastly, we are currently working very hard to deliver you DLC Pack 2, called The Champions’ Ballad, this holiday.
When you purchase The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Expansion Pass, you will get access to both DLC Pack 1 and Pack 2 (when it releases). We are hard at work on DLC Pack 2 right now, making sure you can explore this world even longer, so please stay tuned.
Now, please go enjoy The Master Trials!If we assume that the range of numbers will always be 2^n (an even power of 2), then exclusive-or will work (as shown by another poster). As far as why, let's prove it:
The Theory
Given any 0 based range of integers that has 2^n elements with one element missing, you can find that missing element by simply xor-ing the known values together to yield the missing number.
The Proof
Let's look at n = 2. For n=2, we can represent 4 unique integers: 0, 1, 2, 3. They have a bit pattern of:
0 - 00
1 - 01
2 - 10
3 - 11
Now, if we look, each and every bit is set exactly twice. Therefore, since it is set an even number of times, and exclusive-or of the numbers will yield 0. If a single number is missing, the exclusive-or will yield a number that when exclusive-ored with the missing number will result in 0. Therefore, the missing number, and the resulting exclusive-ored number are exactly the same. If we remove 2, the resulting xor will be 10 (or 2).
Now, let's look at n+1. Let's call the number of times each bit is set in n, x and the number of times each bit is set in n+1 y. The value of y will be equal to y = x * 2 because there are x elements with the n+1 bit set to 0, and x elements with the n+1 bit set to 1. And since 2x will always be even, n+1 will always have each bit set an even number of times.
Therefore, since n=2 works, and n+1 works, the xor method will work for all values of n>=2.
The Algorithm For 0 Based Ranges
This is quite simple. It uses 2*n bits of memory, so for any range <= 32, 2 32 bit integers will work (ignoring any memory consumed by the file descriptor). And it makes a single pass of the file.
long supplied = 0; long result = 0; while (supplied = read_int_from_file()) { result = result ^ supplied; } return result;
The Algorithm For Arbitrary Based Ranges
This algorithm will work for ranges of any starting number to any ending number, as long as the total range is equal to 2^n... This basically re-bases the range to have the minimum at 0. But it does require 2 passes through the file (the first to grab the minimum, the second to compute the missing int).
long supplied = 0; long result = 0; long offset = INT_MAX; while (supplied = read_int_from_file()) { if (supplied < offset) { offset = supplied; } } reset_file_pointer(); while (supplied = read_int_from_file()) { result = result ^ (supplied - offset); } return result + offset;
Arbitrary Ranges
We can apply this modified method to a set of arbitrary ranges, since all ranges will cross a power of 2^n at least once. This works only if there is a single missing bit. It takes 2 passes of an unsorted file, but it will find the single missing number every time:
long supplied = 0; long result = 0; long offset = INT_MAX; long n = 0; double temp; while (supplied = read_int_from_file()) { if (supplied < offset) { offset = supplied; } } reset_file_pointer(); while (supplied = read_int_from_file()) { n++; result = result ^ (supplied - offset); } // We need to increment n one value so that we take care of the missing // int value n++ while (n == 1 || 0!= (n & (n - 1))) { result = result ^ (n++); } return result + offset;
Basically, re-bases the range around 0. Then, it counts the number of unsorted values to append as it computes the exclusive-or. Then, it adds 1 to the count of unsorted values to take care of the missing value (count the missing one). Then, keep xoring the n value, incremented by 1 each time until n is a power of 2. The result is then re-based back to the original base. Done.
Here's the algorithm I tested in PHP (using an array instead of a file, but same concept):
function find($array) { $offset = min($array); $n = 0; $result = 0; foreach ($array as $value) { $result = $result ^ ($value - $offset); $n++; } $n++; // This takes care of the missing value while ($n == 1 || 0!= ($n & ($n - 1))) { $result = $result ^ ($n++); } return $result + $offset; }
Fed in an array with any range of values (I tested including negatives) with one inside that range which is missing, it found the correct value each time.
Another Approach
Since we can use external sorting, why not just check for a gap? If we assume the file is sorted prior to the running of this algorithm:When security operations centers or security teams have data output from our security devices or from threat intelligence sources, it all too often lacks any sort of reasonable context on which to base an investigation.
When we have Indicators of Compromise (IoCs) that define a particular type of attack, often largely IP addresses and file hashes, this can make a very difficult starting place; inefficient at best, paralyzing at worst. Data with no intelligence lacks context and we need context in order to succeed. Let’s use a real world example to demonstrate this.
Grizzly Steppe
A somewhat recent example that we can look to for contextual issues can be seen in the attacks that occurred during the 2016 US election, which came to be known by the code name Grizzly Steppe. These attacks, purported to have been carried out by the Russian Intelligence Services (RIS), attempted to influence the course of the election through exfiltration and exposure of sensitive information, undermining of confidence in the election process, and disruption of critical infrastructure, all backed by a variety of phishing attacks, malware, stolen credentials, and a host of other means.
In an effort to combat these attacks, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), released a Joint Analysis Report (JAR) in December of 2016. Accompanying the report was a file containing IoCs that might be used to detect the presence of the Grizzly Steppe attack groups, Fancy Bear (APT28) and Cozy Bear (APT29), in a given enterprise.
The Data, As Released
The IoC file contained:
1 URL
10 FQDNs
876 IPv4 IP addresses 1 YARA rule
24 file hashes, 7 with accompanying file information
Unfortunately, much of the information was very general, and a large portion of the included IPs pointed to the address space of large cloud companies such as Google, Yahoo, and Twitter. While this is not necessarily incorrect, as the attackers were indeed making use of these services, it is not useful from an investigative standpoint.
If we were to query a security device, such as a Security Information Event Monitoring (SIEM) tool, with these IoCs, we would be returned an enormous number of results in most environments, as we would be asking for information about very common user activity. In particular, the results in the Grizzly Steppe IoC was so general that it would return literally millions of results when querying the common set of security devices in a large enterprise environment.
Given this, is there anything we can do to get to a place where we have something that our Incident Response team can actually sink their teeth into? Fortunately, yes there is.
Gaining a Little Context
In order to get something useful from the general information that we have, we can do a bit of analysis on it using various tools. Many of these analysis tasks are very similar in nature, so one we have tooling for our efforts, we can continue to reuse and refine it whenever we have reason to apply it again. Here we will be focusing on the IP addresses and file hashes.
IP Addresses
We can query Shodan about the IP information that we have, making use of the command line client. Let’s take a quick look at the first IP:
Shodan host 167.114.35.70
We can see a bit of basic information about that one -- nothing much interesting there, but let’s look at all the rest of them. For this, we’ll want to use a script, and there are a host of existing examples that we can make use of. We’ll pull the IPs out of the IoC file into their own text file called hosts, and use a script from John Matherly, the developer of Shodan, to process the IPs and download the information:
python./shodan-ip-download.py hosts hosts.json.gz
We will end up with a json formatted file, suitable for parsing with the Shodan command line tool, like so:
shodan parse --separator, hosts.json.gz
This will give us a CSV file which we can then browse at our leisure.
Upon doing so, one of the interesting points of information is that many of the IP addresses, about 20%, are Tor exit nodes.
File Hashes
To handle the file hashes, we can likely submit these to an anti-malware platform in our environment. However, it might be nice to know a bit more about them. After all, if the files listed in the IoC are malware, we’ll likely see new variants of them shortly, and it might be nice to have some idea what family we should be looking out for in general. For this, we can turn to VirusTotal.
For the very small number of files that we are dealing with, 24 as we mentioned earlier, we could just bang them through the VirusTotal search field, returning some interesting commentary:
This works, but doesn’t scale well. Fortunately, Didier Stevens has a Python tool to help us out with this very problem. We can provide the script with a list of all of the files hashes from the IoC file that we have, in a text file called samples, and it will dutifully ask VirusTotal (we’ll need an API key for this) about them, which will ultimately provide a CSV file back to us with all of the results:
./virustotal-search.py samples
You can also use Komand to automate the data enrichment process from both Shodan and VirusTotal. The data would like something like this:
Where do we go now that we have a bit more specific data? Now we go investigate a bit. We have a much more specific list of IP addresses to work with. Presuming that the use of Tor is not common in our environment, this is a good place to start.
From there, we can see what else the systems using Tor have been touching internally and investigate further. We also have a good set of malware, and potentially variants, to investigate. Both of these items are specific enough that we may get a more manageable set of results out of querying our SIEM.
Once we have a good look at the systems that have presented themselves as being outliers among normal system activity immediately, by communicating via Tor or displaying malware-like behaviors, in addition to catching the bad guys, we can also use these results to help refine our security tools. IDSs can be tuned, YARA signatures added to our anti-malware devices, and better querying and altering configured on our SIEMs. As we discussed earlier, through developing better tools for investigation, we ease the path for ourselves the next time we need to do this.
Conclusion
In our daily duties as security professionals, we need context in order to be successful. As the old saying goes, “garbage in, garbage out”. Fortunately, with a little elbow grease, some command line kung-fu, and just a quantum of clever, we can often get to a place of better context by processing the data through a few simple tools. Like a magician’s trick, it doesn’t seem like much once we know how it was done, but these are the tactics on which much of the security industry survives.
The next time you find yourself facing down a mountain of log file or a pile of useless-looking data, get a fresh coffee, roll up your sleeves, and see where you can get by crunching the data a bit to gain some context and hone in on the interesting bits.Even though it’s just our first year trying to call the Academy Awards race for best animated feature, we’re getting pretty strong signals that the Oscar will go to “Zootopia.” The Annie awards, given by the Hollywood branch of the International Animated Film Society, will be awarded this weekend — the second-to-last animation prize we’re tracking this year. If they crown “Zootopia” the winner, this thing is pretty much sealed up.
Over the 15 years that the Oscars have had an animation award, the film that won at the Annies also won the Oscar 10 times, a strong batting average. But more importantly, it’s the award with the best data. The Annies are one of the few animation awards that precede the Oscars, and even though the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and American Cinema Editors awards have better track records in matching the Oscars winner, both those groups’ animation awards have been around a decade or less.
“Zootopia” has won at multiple critics awards and at insider guilds, including the American Cinema Editors and Producers Guild. It’s usually here where I’d have to say something like “FiveThirtyEight is owned by the Walt Disney Company, which made both ‘Zootopia’ and ‘Moana,’” but I’m actually incredibly biased toward rival “Kubo and the Two Strings” because I am a Laika Entertainment fanboy and it’s a visually stunning movie that filled my miserable heart with joy. So, you know, full disclosure.
Anyway, Oscar season hasn’t been great for “Kubo,” but it won the National Board of Review animation award and the Chicago Critics award, and with the other nominees — “Moana,” “The Red Turtle” and “My Life as a Zucchini” — winless so far, it’s the main competition for “Zootopia.” It’s possible that late-breaking wins at the Annies this weekend and the BAFTAs on Feb. 12 could move the needle, but without a “Kubo” sweep, “Zootopia” will go into the Oscars as the favorite.
We’re tracking which nominees are favored in the race for eight major Academy Awards. Read now »
The animators, then, will tell us if this race is truly over. If they pick “Zootopia” — a movie that is “Crash” (2004) with animals but actually really good — we’re probably going to get a good Oscar speech about how the movie is more relevant than ever or some tasteful pseudo-political-but-not-divisive chunk like that. Or they could go with “Kubo,” and they very well might. Laika won a technical Oscar last year for the technology it uses in the movie, and that’s the kind of thing an animation guild may recognize. A win at the Annies would be a sign that Laika still has a chance in this.INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 23: Quarterbacks (from left) Teddy Bridgewater, Johnny Manziel and Derek Carr look on as they sit out workouts during the 2014 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 23, 2014 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) Quarterbacks (from left) Teddy Bridgewater, Johnny Manziel and Derek Carr look on as they sit out workouts during the 2014 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 23, 2014 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
: Just outside of the big three names at quarterback in this year’s NFL Draft sits a familiar name to Houston Texans fans, Carr. Derek Carr, the younger brother of the first pick of the Houston Texans inaugural season, David Carr, is most commonly placed as the fourth best quarterback in this year’s draft. Sitting behind Teddy Bridgewater, Johnny Manziel and Blake Bortles, Carr has done enough to garner attention from the Texans.
The Fresno State quarterback confirmed on Texans Radio with Marc Vandermeer on SportsRadio 610 that he met with the team he grew up around while at the NFL combine this week.
“There has been conversations with Houston. It went great,” Carr said. “Everything has gone good. The good thing about this week so far for myself is that there’s a lot of, not attention, but a lot of good evaluations, good reports coming back. And people saying a lot of things that would probably shock some people.”
Derek is familiar with the Houston Texans. He was a preteen when his brother was drafted and spent a lot of time around the team growing up. But it wasn’t easy for Derek to watch his big brother go through a career with the Texans that saw him finish with a 22-53 record as a starting QB.
“It was hard. To say the least,” Carr said to Vandermeer. “He never opened his mouth and pointed one finger. He just let people blame him.”
Derek did some research on his brother’s career and he thinks that David has a bad rap for being the cause of the Texans poor record.
“I went back and I watched those games. He doesn’t even know that I did that. And I went back and I watched them and I can assure you it wasn’t his fault.”
Derek Carr has been projected to go somewhere in the first or second round by most analysts. CBSSports.com Mock Draft expert Rob Rang has Carr going 8th to the Minnesota Vikings. None of the other experts have Carr going in the first round.
Would their be a Houston/Carr reunion? We don’t know, but Derek loved his time in Houston.
“I want to say, right now, from the bottom of my family and I’s heart: the city of Houston was great to us,” Carr said. “They loved our family. Everywhere we go, when we see people from Houston, whenever we are in Houston, the city of Houston was so great to us and I just want to say ‘thank you for that.'”
Latest Sports Stories:Visit our Re-post guidelines This article is copyrighted by GreenMedInfo LLC, 2017
Getting a mammogram seems like a "no-brainer." The diagnostic test detects, by emitting allegedly harmless ionizing radiation, breast cancer early, thus it prevents the premature demise of the patient. Yet, many solid scientific facts invalidate these, on the surface, seemingly legitimate, highly plausible notions or claims about the value of mammography.
Some "Inconvenient" Facts Women Should Know About Mammography
"The interaction with the unaccountable, self-regulating business called "modern medicine" is analogous to buying a used car from a stranger: you never really know what you're getting because of the things you're not being told. And what is not being disclosed can (seriously) hurt you." (Rolf Hefti, in "The Mammogram Myth: The Independent Investigation Of Mammography The Medical Profession Doesn't Want You To Know About", 2013)
Would you (still) have mammograms if you knew that:
● many, if not most, "breast cancers" detected by screening with mammography are non-cancers;
● practically all non-cancers get treated with biopsies, surgery, radiation therapy, and other orthodox cancer treatments. That is, many essentially healthy women receive unnecessary treatments, therefore they get seriously injured -particularly because these treatments frequently induce secondary cancers;
● primary tumors tend to spread (metastasize) predominantly after a person received surgery, radiation or chemo therapy, and early detection of breast cancer by mammography increases the use of these invasive cancer treatments;
● early detection of breast cancer by mammography does not decrease (or only non-significantly) the mortality rate because the orthodox theories on cancer progression, from early to advanced stages, rest on flawed research and erroneous medical dogmas;
● mammography increases total mortality;
● a single mammogram can cause severe, complex DNA damage, the type of genetic injury that increases the risk of (breast) cancer;
● the lowest possible dose of ionizing radiation increases the risk of cancer, and medical x-rays are probably the principal cause of breast cancer;
● ionizing radiation doesn't merely cause genetic defects but induces other damaging, systemic cell-destabilizing disruptions and carcinogenic effects (which, however, are ignored by the medical profession in their assessment of the safety of x-rays);
● the claim that the low radiation exposure from mammograms is a "hypothetical" risk is derived from corrupted raw databases on irradiation (the corruption, i.e., "re-adjustment" of the data, entailed to hide the great toxicity of radiation (at low levels). This allows big corporate entities, such as the medical industry, to claim "officially" that low dose medical x-rays are a small, "speculative" or "negligent" risk);
● the highly influential pro-mammogram research studies that led to the global introduction of mammography are seriously flawed;
● the medical orthodoxy has a long history of denying the various real dangers of mammography and exaggerating the benefits of mammographic screening, respectively;
● an extensive, intricate web of politics, corruption and bias in science research, vested interests, incestuous interrelationships between the cancer industry and government authorities, and sociological factors obfuscate or hide the real facts about mammography from the public at large;
● you have a small chance of receiving a benefit but great odds of getting harmed?
All of the statements above are comprehensively referenced and discussed in my recently released (e)book The Mammogram Myth: The Independent Investigation Of Mammography The Medical Profession Doesn't Want You To Know About.
At http://www.TheMammogramMyth.com, I disclose some more compelling details about "The Mammogram Myth".
An (e)book Kindle version of "The Mammogram Myth" is available for purchase, for only $7.99, from Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EJWYG7S (non-affiliate link)
For an (e)book version in multiple formats (e.g., ePub, MOBI, PDF, HTML), at a one-time purchase ($7.99), go to Smashwords at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/344427 (non-affiliate link)Need Help In Puerto Rico? Here's $100
Enlarge this image toggle caption Angel Valentin for NPR Angel Valentin for NPR
Before they hand over the cash, Mercy Corps staffers are going door to door to find out: What would people buy?
If Karian Batista had $100, she would buy food. "I don't have enough for the kids," she says.
Batista, 30, lives at the bottom of a hill on the outskirts of Maricao, a mountain town. Hurricane Maria tore the roof off her prefab house, and now she is living with her husband and two kids at her father-in-law's house next door. There's a plastic receptacle that looks like a giant blue trash bin on the roof for collecting rainwater. There still isn't running water or power in the area — like much of the island.
Family members are barely scraping by. They live on the income from her husband's part-time job, where he works four hours a day, and the $412 they receive in monthly food assistance from the Puerto Rican government.
Batista is visibly worried. She wants to move the family to New York, where her husband's father lives. "I'm an adult. I can handle the difficult times," she says, holding back tears. "But not the kids."
Enlarge this image toggle caption Angel Valentin for NPR Angel Valentin for NPR
Mercy Corps, an international aid organization, has handed out emergency cash to Syrian refugees in Greece and families affected by war and violence in Mosul, Iraq. And now, it has come to do the same for survivors of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
House by house, the group is feeling out what $100 can do for 2,800 hard-hit families across the island.
"Just a little something"
It could cost billions of dollars for Puerto Rico to recover and rebuild — so a little over $300,000 from one aid organization doesn't sound like a huge investment. But these are uncertain times. Electricity is on one day and suddenly out the next. Many people haven't had a steady paycheck in weeks or received government aid.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Angel Valentin for NPR Angel Valentin for NPR
The extra money could make a significant dent for a family of four or five. The idea is to let people decide what they need, right now, be it food, water, a tarp for the roof or diesel fuel for their generator.
Cash helps give people back dignity and choice for determining their most basic needs.
"Just a little something to address immediate needs," says Jill Morehead, the head of Mercy Corps' relief efforts on the island. "Cash helps give people back dignity and choice for determining their most basic needs, in addition to supporting local markets and small businesses."
That's one of the main reasons cash distribution is a growing trend in disaster settings. Since 2014, Mercy Corps has implemented cash programs in 31 countries. But this is the first time the group is trying it out in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Angel Valentin for NPR Angel Valentin for NPR
Case studies have shown that cash aid is an effective way to help people in need. In crises where people have had to flee their homes, it can buy the next meal. It can also supplement incomes for people living below the poverty line. Rigorous, independent studies have shown that people generally don't spend the money on nonnecessities like tobacco or alcohol.
"It's more or less the same as welfare, which the U.S. has had for a long time," says Amanda Glassman, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development. "But what makes this really interesting is that it's an NGO giving out the cash in lieu of the government."
Since Mercy Corps arrived four weeks ago, it has already distributed 290 MasterCard prepaid debit cards, in $150 to $200 increments, across the island. Funding comes from private and individual donors.
Now, the group is focusing on giving out another round of money in two municipalities in the west of the island: Las Marias and Maricao. It worked with Long Term Recovery Group, a local organization that operates in this region of Puerto Rico, to identify the most vulnerable communities. Many residents are still waiting for money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Angel Valentin for NPR Angel Valentin for NPR
That includes Eugenio Beniquez, 46. Since the hurricane, no officials from FEMA or the Puerto Rican government have come to his home to offer emergency relief. The visit from Mercy Corps, he says, is the first time outsiders have come to his home.
"There's 1,000 people in this barrio," says Beniquez. "We've been forgotten."
Beniquez lives with his wife, two daughters and two young grandchildren in a low-income neighborhood deep within the sunken hills of Lares. His house is at the dead end of a long and winding road.
Soon after the storm, he went down to the community center in Lares to see whether he could get any help. "One group gave me one bottle of water and the choice of one pear or one apple," he says. "But not both."
He begged local officials for water, and they finally gave him some. But it was for cleaning and washing – not to drink.
Beniquez's biggest problem right now is "not the food. It's the water," he says. That's what he would buy if he had $100.
Cash can get you only so much
For the most part, the local grocery stores in Lares and San Sebastian, where people from Las Marias and Maricao shop, have some food. The meat aisle may be halved, but there are so many people living without power, most have been buying precooked meats like ham and canned Vienna sausages. What they don't have — but residents desperately need — is enough water and ice.
People from all over western Puerto Rico shop at Mr. Special, a local supermarket on the main road in Lares. Store manager Jose Mendez says the water and ice shipments have been arriving irregularly — sometimes not even the full amount. When he puts out the goods, they run out in about a half-hour. A line forms, and customers are allowed to buy one bottle of water and one bag of ice per person.
Mendez has another problem: Mr. Special can only take cash payments at the moment. Because the storm has disrupted telecommunications, Mendez can't get the computers at the cash registers online.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Angel Valentin for NPR Angel Valentin for NPR
It also means people can't use their tarjeta de la familia, or family card. It's a monthly stipend of money that the Puerto Rican government gives low-income families to purchase groceries. And on this part of the island, thousands of families depend on it. A family of two gets about $200 a month; a family of four, about $400.
When he is not able to use his card, Beniquez says, he leaves his shopping cart right where it is — even though it's full of groceries — and walks straight out the door. It pains him to have to return to his family empty-handed.
For Morehead, a trip to Mr. Special validates what she has seen and heard in her surveys. Because of the problems with the registers in Lares and San Sebastian, Mercy Corps will have to give this round of money to people in actual cash. The group previously distributed MasterCards, but the supermarkets in those areas had more reliable payment systems.
Morehead also saw that people continued to have difficulty accessing clean drinking water. The shelves at Walgreens, Mr. Special and Econo, another local supermarket chain in Lares, were empty. When there is water, it is expensive — about $1.25 a bottle.
The shortage of water has made people desperate. On the outskirts of Maricao, people are siphoning water dripping from a main that has been damaged by severe mudslides after the storm. They told Morehead that they were just using it for cleaning and cooking. But she suspects some are drinking it, too. She doubts it's safe to drink.
Mercy Corps has added water filters to its upcoming aid delivery. It will also provide solar lanterns with USB ports. Many people have been using their cars to charge up their cellphones, then driving 30 minutes out of town to find a signal.
The group hopes to deliver the aid package at the end of the month. But if workers make it back to Beniquez's home, it will be too late.
He and his family are leaving Puerto Rico next week, driven by something Beniquez saw and said he will never forget.
Enlarge this image toggle caption Angel Valentin for NPR Angel Valentin for NPR
One of his granddaughters was lifting an empty plastic bottle to her mouth. Over and over again she was trying to drink.
Beniquez had run out of water and had nothing to give her. He says, "That's when I knew it was time for us to go."The chugging, industrial metal of Rammstein is a resilient beast, surviving fluctuating trends over the last 25 years. With the German band’s much-anticipated seventh album allegedly due to land in the not-too-distant future, we take a look back over the records that built the legend.
6) Rosenrot (2005)
Originally dubbed Reise, Reise Volume Two, Rammstein’s fifth LP is a curious tome that the band didn’t even bother touring. Containing six cuts previously slated for Reise, Reise, it’s a disjointed effort glued together with some iron-clad bangers. Zerstören, Benzin and Mann gegen Mann all boast brutishly brilliant riffing synonymous with Rammstein, while Sharleen Spiteri and Bobo’s guest vocals on Stirb nicht vor mir are genuinely goosebump-inducing. Otherwise, a definite ‘fan-only’ affair.
5) Herzeleid (1995)
Now it’s just a matter of going, “So which album is less perfect?” While Herzeleid brought Rammstein into this horrible world and gave us Du riechst so gut and Wollt ihr das Bett in Flammen sehen?, their debut lacks the variety of later efforts. Still, it cemented their titanic Neue Deutsche Härte racket and proved that, despite all opposition, keyboards are cool.
4) Reise, Reise (2004)
The band could have easily just made Mutter Two but, to our merriment, decided against it. Reise, Reise expands the band’s sound beyond the confines of industrial metal; Ohne Dich and Amour are lovelorn ballads, the latter boasting a ripping guitar solo; Amerika is catchy as they come and the evil, darker-than-Dementors-at-bedtime Mein Teil documents cannibal Armin Meiwes’ disgusting exploits. Wouldn’t hear the Scorpions writing about that, eh?
3) Liebe ist für alle da (2009)
Till Lindemann bellowing, “You’ve got a pussy! I have a dick!” on Pussy is one of Liebe ist für alle da’s innumerable highlights. Elsewhere, Rammlied’s grandiose openingassured us the four-year wait was worth it, Haifisch is just as musically cheeky as Amerika and the gorgeous Frühling in Paris borrows lyrics from Édith Piaf’s Non, je ne regrette rien. Six records in and still surprising us – now surprise us even more by dropping your seventh album next week, please?
2) Sehnsucht (1997)
The one with Du Hast on it. You know the one. Building on Herzeleid’s muscular sound, Sehnsucht delivers dollops of gothic noir alongside the usual punishment. Spiel Mit Meir’s tales of incest are laced with Flake’s perversely playful keyboard, while Klavier’s dense, epic riffing showcases a mind-set that’d be properly addressed on Mutter.
1) Mutter (2001)
One of the greatest industrial metal albums of all time. That’s it. It’s up there with Ministry, KMFDM and Nine Inch Nails’ best. Mutter cemented Rammstein as serious contenders, proving that Du Hast was no fluke. The album’s first half is literally just singles, even the ballad-esque title-track proving a hit; Adios blesses us with the greatest guitar line ever (2:08. You’re welcome) and Nebel eases us out, back into reality. Into safety. Mutter is Rammstein’s defining statement and a record that has yet to be bested by the band or their contemporaries.Prerequisite
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All Magisk compatible devicesMy Xposed zip is universal across all architectures, so arm/arm64/x86 devices should all download the same zip.SDK 21: Android 5.0 | SDK 22: Android 5.1 | SDK 23: Android 6.0 | SDK 24: Android 7.0 | SDK 25: Android 7.1 | SDK 26: Android 8.0 | SDK 27: Android 8.1 rovo89 for creating Xposed wanam for his modified Xposed to expand more compatibilities with devicesAll binaries are downloaded and repacked from either places:I did not recompile/change anything how Xposed works, the behavior should be 100% identical to original sources, if you experience any Xposed issues, please directly report to the original threadsHere is the script I used personally to download from original sources and patch all modules automaticallyPlease donate to rovo89, the master of XposedIf you like my work, you can also donate to meDifferences Between ASLR on Windows and Linux
Posted on February 10, 2014 by in Vulnerability Analysis
Hi folks, it's Will again. In my last blog entry, I discussed a behavior of NX on the Linux platform. Given that NX (or DEP as it's known on the Windows platform) and Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) work hand-in-hand, it's worth looking into how ASLR works on Linux. As it turns out, the implementation of ASLR on Linux has some significant differences from ASLR on Windows.
On the Windows platform, ASLR does not affect the performance of an application does not affect runtime performance, but it can slow down the initial loading of modules. A program or library that |
an orderly transition must be meaningful, it must be peaceful, and it must begin now.”Bernie Sanders. (Michael Reynolds/European Pressphoto Agency)
Bernie Sanders isn't too happy these days with the party he ran to lead in 2016. And he wants to make sure you know it.
In a lengthy — and very good — New York Times Magazine piece on the future of the Democratic Party, Sanders was asked what the party stands for. Here's his response:
You’re asking a good question, and I can’t give you a definitive answer. Certainly there are some people in the Democratic Party who want to maintain the status quo. They would rather go down with the Titanic so long as they have first-class seats.
That's remarkable. Not only did Sanders run for president in 2016 — and win almost two dozen states! — but he also is now a member of the Democratic Senate leadership thanks to Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer. And, when asked one of the simplest questions in all of politics — what does your party stand for — he admits he can't really answer it.
Part of that is simply for effect. Of course Sanders can offer his own vision — a liberal one — of what the Democratic Party stands for and where it needs to go. He chooses not to because he views the party as still too in thrall of the power brokers, donors and consultant class and not committed enough to real change. By saying you don't really know what the party stands for, you are making sure people know you're not happy.
If you need to understand the roots of Sanders's annoyance, look no further than the just-concluded Democratic National Committee chairman's race.
Sanders was an early and active backer of Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison's bid, believing that Ellison was committed to a bottom-up approach to party building that represented real change after the devastation of the 2016 election. Ellison began the race as a clear favorite, but establishment Democrats — including former president Barack Obama — helped urge former labor secretary Tom Perez into the contest.
Former labor secretary Thomas Perez narrowly defeated Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) for chair of the Democratic National Committee following a contentious battle over the fate of their party. Ellison called on his supporters to rally behind the new chairman. (Alice Li/The Washington Post)
Perez beat Ellison rather easily on a second ballot, proving that the establishment is the establishment for a reason — and it isn't planning to fold up shop solely because Trump won in the fall.
What you have, then, is a party at odds with itself. Its most prominent voices (Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren) are calling for radically overhauling the party and what it stands for. Its permanent political base remains in control of the party apparatus, however, and it views the changes that the party needs as largely superficial ones. Caught in the middle are Democratic voters.
Much of this divide has been glossed over in the months since the election due to the fact that President Trump has been busy chewing the scenery and leaving very little oxygen for other political fights. Democrats may even be able to gloss over these disagreements for the 2018 election, making the midterms a referendum not on their party but on Trump. (This strategy worked exceedingly well for Republicans in 2010.)
The problem will come in 2020 when it seems near certain that the Democratic primary process will force candidates not simply to slam Trump but also to offer their own positive vision for how they might govern if elected. What that vision will look like, as Sanders rightly notes, is anyone's guess.Portland, OR – Portland Cider Company announces the release of 22oz seasonal bottles for the first time in 2017, starting with their new Pineapple cider. Like a sun filled day cruising down the Valley Isle, this pineapple cider brings a tropical oasis to your mouth. Sweetened with 100% fresh pressed pineapple juice, this seasonal cider calls for a little paper umbrella. With a semi-sweet finish, this 6% ABV fruit cider pairs beautifully with barbacoa pork quesadillas, Asian chicken salad and, of course, traditional Hawaiian foods like mac salad and Kahlua pork.
“We use whole pineapples that we squeeze fresh, right here in the back of our cidery in Clackamas. It makes the entire building smell like this incredible tropical oasis for a couple of days – we love it,” says Deron Davenport, head cider maker at Portland Cider Company. “There are no artificial flavorings or concentrates used here, keeping the flavor of the pineapple delicate and delicious.”
Other Seasonal 22oz Bottle Releases for 2017 include:
Strawberry: Our award-winning 100% pear juice Perry, blended with Oregon strawberries to create a delicate and delightful cider; available June – August 2017.
Our award-winning 100% pear juice Perry, blended with Oregon strawberries to create a delicate and delightful cider; available June – August 2017. Pumpkin Spice: A combination of the perfect Fall flavors of Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Allspice, and Ginger, with our NW apple cider base; available September – November 2017.
A combination of the perfect Fall flavors of Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Allspice, and Ginger, with our NW apple cider base; available September – November 2017. Cranberry: A fan favorite, our cranberry cider is fermented with fresh Oregon cranberries and a hint of orange peel; available November 2017 – January 2018.
To kick-off the Seasonal Bottle Line-up, the Pineapple bottle will launch Friday, February 3, at the official Pineapple Bottle Release Party & Winter Luau held at both Portland Cider Company taprooms (Hawthorne-Portland or Clackamas). Portland Cider fans can then find Pineapple bottles at select retailers within Portland Cider Co.’s distribution area or either taproom (Hawthorne-Portland or Clackamas). Portland Cider Co. is currently distributed in the states of Oregon, Washington, Colorado, and the Los Angeles area of California.
About Portland Cider Company
The Portland Cider Company was started in October 2012 by an Oregonian and a family of British expats with the mission of bringing cider, handcrafted in the English tradition, to the Northwest. They have two taproom locations: Hawthorne, Portland Cider House (3638 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland, OR 97214) and Clackamas, Taproom & Cidery (8925 SE Jannsen Rd, Bldg. F, Clackamas, OR 97015). For more information, visit www.PortlandCider.com.Not sure if this has already been confirmed, but I thought I'd take a screenshot of the Braben video and do a bit of star cartography and match it all up. CMDR Marseira Faulkner wondered if I could match a system backdrop to the source video, and Electra is the closest I could find that has a blue star in the system.I haven't been able to get it perfect, but from the Electra system the view towards the California nebula is almost identical.Note the similar pairings of stars in both the video and in-game pictures. Whilst not perfect positioning, it's clear that this is a view from some position of the Pleiades looking out towards the California nebula. The most obvious giveaway is the brightest star next to the nebula that has a slightly dimmer partner - this is visible in both pictures. The bright star in this case is Atik, halfway between the Pleiades and the California nebula.However, the colour of the Pleiades is not blue in-game. The colour as it is currently presented in game is via the infra-red spectrum, which looks like this:Looks quite like the game as it's presented now! However, let's look at the visible light:If Frontier are planning to change the colour of some of the nebula, then it seems obvious to me that the Pleiades will turn blue as it should be represented in visible light. That would then match what is visible from the video!If this is correct, then the alien ship makes its appearance (at least in the video) somewhere in the Pleiades.I haven't had any luck finding the exact system yet, but hopefully a community effort should bring some results!JWST user documentation, informally known as "JDox," is available as a collection of articles on the Web. Unlike conventional HST handbooks, JDox is intended as an agile, user-friendly source of information that follows the Wikipedia-like Every Page is Page One (EPPO) philosophy. Our goal is to provide short, focused, well-linked articles that provide the kinds of information found in traditional HST instrument handbooks, data handbooks, and calls for proposals. These articles go on to provide details about the observatory and instruments, descriptions of tools used for proposing, advice on observing strategies, “cookbooks” that guide users through the proposal preparation process, as well as information about calibration and analysis of JWST data.
Downloadable PDF collections of the documentation are provided as a courtesy, made available and updated when feasible. The online documentation is the authority, and will be updated with the latest information.The Boeing logo is seen at their headquarters in Chicago, in this April 24, 2013 file photo. REUTERS/Jim Young/File Photo
(Reuters) - Boeing Co (BA.N) said on Thursday it opened its first commercial airplane plant in St. Louis that is expected to add about 700 jobs by early 2020, when the company is scheduled to start deliveries of the 777X.
The world's biggest airplane maker said it had committed more than $300 million to build the 424,000-square-foot plant, which will initially make composite parts for the 777X, the company's newest jetliner. (bit.ly/2e0KoeP)
Production of 777X wing edge and tail parts is expected to begin at the plant in early 2017, the company said.
Boeing opened a $1 billion factory in Washington state in May that will make carbon-composite wings for the 777X. (reut.rs/2e0XpVF)
The future of some of Boeing’s facilities in St. Louis, where the company currently has about 15,000 employees, had been in question due to slowing fighter jet sales.
Boeing had 306 orders for the 777X through September. The 777X replaces the highly successful 777, introduced in 1995.
Boeing plans two versions of the 777X, the -8 with about 350 seats and a range of 9,300 nautical miles, and the -9 with about 400 seats and a range of 8,200 nautical miles.on •
Source: https://www.connexionfrance.com
On October 31, the Marks & Spencer on the Champs-Elysée will close its doors for the very last time, with 517 workers set to lose their jobs as a result, reports French newspaper Le Monde.
Marks & Spencer will still be present in France, but only through its 17 food shops, and online.
The company has pledged that each employee to lose their job will continue to receive their usual salary for one year, and will be given up to €12,000 towards further training. This could cost the company up to €20 million, according to estimates by workers’ union Seci-UNSA.
The closure of the Paris site comes six years after it opened in 2011, which in itself had been hailed as a “return” for the brand to France, ten years after it was forced to closed 18 shops across the country and put 1,700 people out of work.
The Paris closure will also mark the final non-food Marks & Spencer shop to shut in France; the company’s four other shops – in the centres of Beaugrenelle (Paris 15th arrondissement), So Ouest (Levallois-Perret) Aéroville (Tremblay-en-France) and Quartz (Villeneuve-la-Garenne) – closed in early September this year.
The closure has come about after the company failed to secure any buyers for the site, including from companies that have jumped on similar opportunities before, such as Galleries Lafayette, Primark or Zara.
This could be a sign of a wider crisis in fashion retail, according to some analyses.
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Categories: Brands, France, RetailGetty Images
The St. Louis Rams are planning to activate center Scott Wells from injured reserve this week.
Wells suffered a fractured left foot in the Rams season opener against the Detroit Lions. He was placed on injured reserve with a designation to return making him ineligible for the next eight weeks of the season.
According to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, head coach Jeff Fisher wouldn’t commit to Wells playing this week against the Arizona Cardinals.
“We’ll see how the week goes and hope to get him back in the lineup,” Fisher said.
Wells returned to practice for the first time on Nov. 8 and, according to Thomas, received a large workload with the scout team in practice last week. The Rams will need to release someone to make room for Wells on the 53-man roster.
Wells made the Pro Bowl as a member of the Green Bay Packers in 2011. Wells spent the first eight years of his career with the Packers before signing with the Rams this off-season.Lisa Webb GM (née Potts) is a former nursery teacher noted for saving school children's lives from a machete attack on 8 July 1996
The attack was made at by St Luke's Primary School in Blakenhall, Wolverhampton, England, by a man with severe paranoid schizophrenia.
Potts' arm was almost severed in the attack, in which four children were also injured. Potts, who was 21 years old at the time, also suffered severe cuts to her head, back, and to both arms.[1] In 1997, Queen Elizabeth II presented Potts with the George Medal.[2] Her attacker, Horrett Campbell, was sentenced to indefinite detention in a secure mental hospital.[3]
Potts suffered severe scarring, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. She was awarded £68,000 compensation more than four years after the attack.[4][5] The compensation was widely criticised as inadequate, especially by comparison with high libel awards. Potts subsequently worked as a counsellor and, in 2001, founded a charity, Believe To Achieve, based in schools in Wolverhampton. The charity aims to encourage independence and to increase self-esteem in children.[6]
Potts published an autobiography entitled Behind the Smile in 1998. A foreword was contributed by Cherie Blair.[7] Potts went on to study a degree in Counselling in 2004. She has two sons. 2010 Potts trained as an Adult Nurse at Wolverhampton University and then went on to become a specialist Public Health Nurse.[8]
Books by Lisa Potts [ edit ]
Thank You God: Book of Children's Prayers (editor) (1997) Hodder Children's Books, London ISBN 0-340-70981-2
(editor) (1997) Hodder Children's Books, London ISBN 0-340-70981-2 Behind the Smile: My story by Lisa Potts (1998) Hodder & Stoughton, London ISBN 0-340-72148-0
(1998) Hodder & Stoughton, London ISBN 0-340-72148-0 Heroes for a Day (2000) Hodder & Stoughton, London ISBN 0-340-74586-XClick to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
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This gives new meaning to the term training lab.
Beginning this winter semester, the UC Davis Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science is offering a general education course called “ECM 1: The Design of Coffee,” created as “a non-mathematical introduction to how engineers approach and solve problems, as illustrated by the process of roasting and brewing coffee.”
(more: WVU Student Program Creates its Own Fair Trade Model with Nicaraguan Co-op)
The course, which grew out of a seminar that focused on the workings of a Mr. Coffee automatic drip brewer, will be run by Professors William Ristenpart and Tonya Kuhl, who will begin each class with a 50-minute lecture on a chemical engineering principle related to coffee. Students will be led through lab work involving only water and green coffee beans that test the effects of design choices on the sensory experience of coffees.
(more: Researchers Find ‘Early-but-Promising’ Results Converting Coffee Grounds to Biodiesel)
For the final project, students will be asked to roast and brew to create the best-tasting cup of black coffee possible — without the use of creams, sweeteners, etc. — and they will also keep track of the Joules of electrical energy used in the process. As judged by coffee experts, the best cup using the least amount of energy will win a grand prize in an Iron Chef-style throwdown.
The best part about this course? It comes from the course FAQ: The “Q” is “What if I don’t like coffee, do I have to drink it?” The answer is no, however, “One of the things you will learn in this class is that properly prepared, fresh roasted coffee can taste nothing like the bitter stuff you might have tasted before.”
For those students who are still not sold, here’s a promotional video:1. The Pokémon Live musical, featuring Ash's dad
It's hard to remember a time when Pokémon wasn't huge, but the hugest Pokémania ever got was probably in the late '90s. Nintendo, likely confused by the hysteria surrounding Y2k bug and the meteoric rise of Britney Spears, struck a deal for the production of Pokémon Live. The musical stage show toured America from 2000 to 2001, (very) loosely adapting the Western dub of the anime into a format that heavily favored dudes in giant foam suits.
Fans once considered this oddity lost to time, until the stage manager uploaded a filmed version to YouTube. Now we all get to enjoy this:
Looking back on it now, it seems strange that Nintendo let the stage show take such liberties with the characters and creatures in the storied franchise. For instance in the anime, Misty's feelings for Ash are ambiguous but still obvious in a Jim-and-Pam-in-the-first-two-seasons-of-The-Office kind of way. But in the musical, Misty has an entire ballad that makes her feelings crystal clear.
Another example: In the anime, Mewtwo is a bioengineered Pokemon initially controlled by Giovanni. In the musical Mewtwo is still kicking around -- but he's joined by MechaMew2, a robotic monstrosity that can learn any move that is used against it. Never appearing outside of the stage show, MechaMew2 looks like what you'd get if Freddy Fazbear had sex with a zamboni.
Maybe the most interesting tidbit in the show involves Giovanni himself. If you remember, he's initially the leader of Team Rocket and one of the principle villains of the series. Gio is much the same in the musical, albeit with some uncomfortably Nazi-esque backup dancers.
via BuzzFeed
Most troubling of all, however, is the subplot with Ash's mother. Delia Ketchum admits that she ran with Team Rocket for a while in her youth, and was involved with the enigmaticGiovanni. Both the musical and the behind the scenes featurette strongly imply that Ash is the result of a tryst between the two of them, back when fascist terrorism was one of Delia's turn-ons. All these years we thought it was tragic that Ash didn't have a dad, when in reality he was better off imagining someone better than an evil crimelord.
Giovanni's reign of terror ends when MechaMew2 pulls a Voltorb and self-destructs while holding onto its master. Ash, Mewtwo and Pikachu just walk away and leave him to his fate. That's okay though, Giovanni probably just woke up in a Pokemon Center with some of his money missing.
2. Pokémon Adventures, the ultraviolent manga
Most fans agree: Ash will probably never be a Pokemon Master. Dude's been working on it for over a decade and still remains a chump. It's not really his fault, though. The creators of Pokémon decided to make the series cyclical, since viewers of the series are mainly young children that grow out of the series, and there are always new youngin's to take their place. This means that there are no long-running narratives, and each story arc is the same general repise of a) Ash and Pikachu going to a new region, b) hooking up with a new girl, c) fighting off Team Rocket, d) beating the eight Gyms and e) losing in the finals. Then new viewers are indoctrinated taught the ways of Pokemon, and the whole thing begins again. Fans old enough to drive a car have long wanted a single serialized narrative, with answers to some of the series oldest questions (the identity of Ash's father, what was inside the GS Ball etc.), culminating in Ash finally becoming a Pokémon Master. Sadly the chances of this happening are slim to none.
Those diehard will have to settle for Pokemon Adventures, a long-running manga with some (comparitavely) more adult themes and with the added bonus of graphic violence. See: Arbok getting straight-up cut in half.
The series has become infamous among fans for its depiction of violence towards Pokémon, at least during the arcs set during the first Gen of the series. Sure, that bisected Arbok later has a Piccolo-tier asspull and regenerates himself, but this wild Magmar has no such luck.
Even humans aren't safe from PA's bleak storylines. Lance of the Elite Four was a cheap ass cheating bastard in the games, but in the manga he's also a high-ranking member of Team Rocket. Which means he's not above nuking a chunk of Vermillion City with his Dragonair's Hyper Beam, likely killing scores of innocent people.
We haven't even reached the most graphic part of the series. Some of Pokemon Adventures make Lavender Town look like Disneyland -- like the scene where a Gastly uses the corpses of Lickitung, Slowbro and Psyduck to fight his battles for him.
With all this in mind, it's good to know that Pokemon creator Satoshi Tajiri has named it the most faithful adaptation of the series. Hear that Nintendo? This is what a console Pokemon should look like.Emanuel Antener, star at Floorball Köniz and the Swiss national team, has decided to retire from floorball.
After some long thinking Antener (29) decided to quit playing floorball. This was today announced by his club Floorball Köniz. Antener is one of Switzerland’s biggest stars. What he’ll do in the future is unsure for now.
Floorball Köniz
Köniz has been Antener’s club for ages, although he’s also played at AIK. In nine seasons in Switzerland the forward played 256 official games, in which he scored exactly… 256 times. besides from that he gave 519 assists. He scored the most points during the 2012/2013 season, as he in those 40 games gained 107 (59+48) points. Despite having reached the NLA Final three times, he’s never won the Swiss championship. In 2008 Wiler-Ersigen was too strong, in 2013 the team got defeated by Alligator Malans and in 2016 GC Zürich won the final.
Last season Köniz finished at 6th place and lost the quarter final series vs. GC Zürich (4-2). Antener ended up at 3rd place in the top scorers ranking of his team, he scored 40 (17+23) points.
Swiss national team
Antener has started his international career in 2005, when he played at the WFC U19. In five games he scored 8 (6+2) points, helping his team win the bronze medal vs. Latvia. In 2008 he played his first World Floorball Championships, scoring twice – but giving no more than eleven assists. His team won the bronze medal and Antener ended up at 5th place in the top scorers ranking.
The following WFC’s Switzerland always finished at 3rd or 4th place. In 2010 (4th) Antener made it to #8 on the top scorers ranking with 3+13 points. Two years later another bronze medal was won in what was probably Antener’s best tournament ever. He became top point scorer with 26 (9+17) poins, making it to the All-Star Team. In 2014 (4rd place) and 2016 (3rd place) he scored 6 (2+4) and 7 (2+5) points.
Record-breaker
By scoring this many points at the World Floorball Championship Antener wrote history. In the all-time top scorers ranking he’s at 4th place (18+50). His 50 assists are a record as well: no one has given this many assists at WFC’s. In 2012 Antener got two more records: he gave the most assists ever in just one edition (17!) and he scored the most points ever in one edition: 26 (9+17).
Future
Emanuel Antener has also been a member of the IFF Athletes’ Commission from 2012-2016. It is unsure what he’ll do after his retirement.
Floorball Worldwide Facebook Group - 1.920 members! Become a member For lovers of floorball worldwide! Here you find the latest news about floorball!
Join the Floorball Worldwide Facebook GroupThe Lower Rio Grande Valley isn’t turning out a lot of aerospace engineers these days, but that could change in coming years, now that the world’s first commercial orbital rocket pad is on its way to Boca Chica Beach.
High-tech, high-skilled jobs are coming in one form or another — SpaceX would be a prime example — and Pat Hobbs, for one, hopes to see the day that they can be filled by a homegrown workforce.
This requires a level of training that’s new to the Valley, though efforts are underway to ramp it up as quickly as possible.
“If you look at (SpaceX’s) website and the job postings that they have on there, 95 percent of them have ‘engineer’ attached to the end,” said Hobbs, executive director of Workforce Solutions Cameron.
Some of those positions could be filled via currently available training, though the majority are “way out of our league,” at least for now, he said.
The STARGATE spacecraft/ satellite-tracking facility, a project between SpaceX and the University of Texas System, will supply training for higher end jobs, as will future programs of UT Rio Grande Valley, Hobbs said.
“But that’s long term,” he said. “An engineer takes six years to produce. We don’t have the regular civil engineers, mechanical engineers — just the regular engineers that potentially could be trained up to be a space engineer of some kind. That’s where we lack.
It’s not just SpaceX, Hobbs said. Multiple projects are on the horizon over the next few years, including proposed power plants in Brownsville, Harlingen and possibly Edinburg, he said.
Even before the question of staffing all those facilities comes up, they have to be built, which itself requires scores of skilled workers, Hobbs said.
“That’s the scary part: They’re all big building projects, and any one of them could potentially suck up all the skilled labor that we’ve got in the area,” he said. “It’s all going to be welders, pipe fitters, carpenters, foundation people. If they were to all hit at more or less the same time, we could be in trouble.”
As such, it’s not surprising that Hobbs is preoccupied with timelines: What companies need workforce- wise and when they need it — information he lacks so far regarding SpaceX and other major projects looming.
“That’s why I’d like to see the schedule so I can ease my mind that we’re not going to, just by circumstance and timing, fall into a crunch,” he said.
“Once the plant is built, maintenance is probably within our realm. But the high-level engineering jobs, the computer analyst and the software tracking programmer and all of that stuff: out of our league.”
Progress is being made, though, Hobbs said, citing BISD’s STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) career pathways program as an example.
The program, based on the Achieve Texas model, puts middle school students on a multiyear career path toward a STEM field, culminating in either certification, a two-year degree or a four-year degree, depending on the career goal.
Texas Southmost College, Texas State Technical College and UTRGV will likewise play central roles in educating the workforce to meet future demand — as will industry itself in helping pay for the necessary training labs and other expenses, Hobbs said. Most SpaceX jobs will require a fouryear degree, he noted.
“Every school district needs to get on the Achieve Texas bandwagon,” he said. “Even if SpaceX wasn’t coming, this is still needed.”
Elon Musk, SpaceX founder and chief designer, said at the launch pad’s Sept. 22 official groundbreaking that his company plans to recruit heavily from local higher education institutions and even high schools.
“We’ll definitely recruit locally,” he said. “That’s the best place to recruit. We’re doing it by default.”
Musk said the ideal candidate for employment with the company is just out of college, “really driven, they like hard work and have a technical aptitude.”
“That’s what’s really needed,” he said. “We also want to make sure that people don’t think that they have to have prior space experience in order to work here.”
Hobbs said SpaceX is the perfect “carrot” to attract students to STEM fields, which too many students have veered away from in the past.
Not that every STEM graduate is going to land a job as a rocket engineer, though SpaceX likely will foster other job opportunities as firms that supply and support the aerospace company move in, he said.
“Around SpaceX there are going to be all kinds of opportunities,” Hobbs said.Deep Space Network glitches worry scientists
Earlier this year, the pulse of planetary science skipped a beat.
In January, the NASA Cassini spacecraft was climbing from an orbit around Saturn's equator to a polar orbit, which would allow the spacecraft to cap its 13-year exploration of the planet with gauntlet runs through its rings and a final dive into the atmosphere. Cassini's thrusters would burn for less than a minute to torque it into a new orbit, but fuel was scarce and every second mattered. When the moment came for an uplink, the radio signal connecting the spacecraft to Earth went haywire. By the time a fix came, Cassini had missed its mark.
A day later, managers did get the spacecraft moving toward polar orbit. There had been no problem with Cassini. The problem was on Earth.
The Cassini incident was one of several recent glitches in the Deep Space Network (DSN), NASA's complex of large radio antennas in California, Spain, and Australia. For more than 50 years, the DSN has been the lifeline for nearly every spacecraft beyond Earth's orbit, relaying commands from mission control and receiving data from distant probes. On 30 September, in a meeting at NASA headquarters, officials will brief planetary scientists on the network's status. Many are worried, based on anecdotal reports, that budget cuts and age have taken a toll that could endanger the complex maneuvers that Cassini and Juno, a spacecraft now at Jupiter, will require over the next year.
"Everyone is concerned that there is a problem," says Larry Nittler, a planetary scientist at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, D.C. NASA's science advisory committee is also likely to take the issue up, adds its chair, Brad Peterson, an astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. As NASA launches increasingly complex and data-hungry missions, Peterson says, "the need for DSN is only going to increase."
It's worked so well for so many years that people do take it for granted. Are proper investments being made so we can continue to? Clive Neal, lunar scientist at the University of Notre Dame
For most of its life, the network, run by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California, has been metronomic in its reliability. Its three sites, spaced 120° apart around the globe, all have a 70-meter dish built in the 1960s or '70s, and several newer, 34-meter dishes, which can be arrayed together to match the larger dishes' downlink performance. The network allows continuous contact with spacecraft anywhere in the solar system—or beyond it, as in the case of Voyager 1, which officially entered interstellar space in 2013. Currently, 35 missions rely on the DSN.
Ironically, the glitches this past December and January largely stemmed from problems with the network's newest 34-meter antenna, DSS-35, in Canberra, which began operating in 2014, NASA says. Rain and dust compromised an instrument that helps aim it, several other pointing components overheated, and contaminants leaked into a cryogenic refrigerator used to cool an amplifier. NASA says these problems have mostly been fixed, and the Canberra station's reliability will increase when its next 34-meter antenna, DSS-36, begins operating on 1 October.
Staffing issues have also compounded the hardware problems. In January, the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission, which measures the boundary between Earth's magnetic field and the solar wind, was, like Cassini, having trouble connecting to DSS-35. Communications could have shifted to another Canberra antenna. But on 22 January, a snowstorm shut down the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. No one was there to reconfigure the spacecraft, and so the retrieval of a day's worth of data was delayed.
Pete Vrotsos, a deputy program manager at NASA's Space Communications and Navigation office in Washington, D.C., which oversees the network, says that in January, the network still delivered 95% of both outbound and incoming signals, its minimum goal. Since then, he says, it has nearly returned to its typical 99% reliability. Still, many scientists worry about the network's future.
It's no secret that, like many parts of the federal government, it has been asked to do more with less. In 2009, network managers began a plan to find $227 million in efficiencies to help pay for upgrades, like the construction of the new 34-meter dishes. But in 2013, as these plans were underway, NASA asked the DSN to cut its budget by $100 million over 7 years. In late 2015, the DSN was asked to find further cuts. "If you look at NASA's budget for the DSN it tends to go down in time, rather than up," said Leslie Deutsch, deputy director of JPL's interplanetary network directorate, in an August presentation to a NASA working group.
These cuts do not hit day-to-day operations, Vrotsos says. "Our first, second, and third job is to return all the science data possible." But they have delayed the start of new antennas and transmitters in Madrid and California, and they could complicate repairs to cracking, degraded concrete in the pedestals of two Madrid dishes. Last year, a report from NASA's Office of Inspector General warned that these postponements could jeopardize the network's reliability, especially for older missions, like Voyager 1 and 2, that depend on congested radio bands only supported by some of the network's older dishes.
If there's hope for further investment in deep-space communication, it might be international: In 2013, the European Space Agency (ESA) finished its own 120° network of 35-meter antennas in Spain, Australia, and Argentina, which now communicates with ESA missions like Rosetta, Gaia, and Mars Express, and also backs up the NASA network. India and Japan have individual antennas to communicate with their missions, and NASA has been in talks with South Korea and the United Arab Emirates as potential DSN partners.
Further on, JPL plans to save money by operating the antennas remotely rather than staffing each location continuously. It also plans to move to an internet-inspired scheme for transmitting data packets that is more tolerant of faults.
Meanwhile, NASA has begun testing laser-based systems as possible successors to radio transmissions. Optical signals, with wavelengths 10,000 times shorter than radio waves, allow far higher rates of data transmission and aren't subject to interference from Earth's cacophonous radio bands. As a result, the transmitters can be small, light, and energy efficient. (However, clouds can easily block the signals, which means that low-Earth-orbit relay satellites may be needed for an "interplanetary internet.")
For now, scientists want to be certain the DSN has the support it needs to stay in the background, says Clive Neal, a lunar scientist at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. "It's worked so well for so many years that people do take it for granted," he says. "Are proper investments being made so we can continue to?"
*Correction, 30 September 2016, 10:36 a.m.: A previous caption incorrectly suggested that a picture showing a 34-meter dish was a 70-meter dish at the same NASA complex.OUT Magazine Reveals OUT 100 List 2013
Marriage equality advocate Edie Windsor, film director Lee Daniels and out actors Wentworth Miller and Jim Parsons take top honors on Out Magazine’s OUT 100 list for 2013.
Edie Windsor, the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) plantiff, received the magazine’s Lifetime Achievement honor, while Lee Daniels (‘Precious’ ‘The Butler’) was named Artist of the Year.
Miller, who came out while rejecting an invitation to attend the St. Petersburg International Film Festival in Russia, was named Newsmaker of the Year while Parsons nabbed the Entertainer of the Year honor.
Miller, who confessed to having attempted suicide before coming out, penned a poignant letter to his 15-year-old self for the new issue. It reads, in part…
“There are plenty of things I’d say to my 15-year-old self, especially prior to his suicide attempt. However, I’d have things to say to him in the aftermath as well. I remember carrying around deep feelings of shame after I tried to kill myself, feeling like I’d stumbled or failed life’s exam. That I was now ‘damaged goods.’ |
, hulking golem who would probably just trash everything he came into contact with as soon as he broke down the bars. Little did we know that he would turn out to be way more sinister than that.
When we finally had our screenshots and early clips of him, reactions were….mixed to say the least. The way Discord carried himself made him seem like a lame Frankenstein of Steven Magnet. Everything about him seemed to be cute and/or goofy, that little buck tooth, his lame clichéd jokes, he was just a little bit of a letdown.
“WTF are you?” seemed to be the main response.
—-
Well it would seem that we could not have been more wrong about him. Discord is a very dark, creepy, and quite interesting character. As his stone statue cracked and that horrible little chuckle leaked out…I found myself genuinely worried about him, and apparently so did Celestia.
Up until this point, Celestia has always been calm, cool, and totally in control, even when faced with Nightmare Moon. She was an unquestionable authority without peer, so it was quite refreshing to see her become panicked, desperate, angry and confused when Discord got the upper hand on her by stealing the elements of harmony. She has shown her first signs of actual weakness, and that’s exactly what I think her character needed.
Discord is obviously a much bigger threat to Celestias rule than Nightmare Moon was. While Nightmare was just a facade put on by a hurt and bitter Luna, Discord is a frighteningly real danger whose mere presence causes total chaos in Equestria. He upsets the natural balance for the fun of it, he causes mayhem because he finds it to be much more colourful than normal life, and he does so in macabre, surreal fashion.
Huh…where have I seen a character like that before? And why so serious Celestia?
Anyway, Discords plan to turn the ponies against each other by reversing their personalities is already a bit more cruel than the show is used to, but the way he does it to each one is what gets me. It’s like he operates within his own dream world, and is capable of putting on the weirdest, and frankly, spookiest little carnival of horrors you’ve ever seen. Putting his face in the balloon to upset Pinkie Pie…operating those piles of apples to create loathsome ghoul faces…it was as if Tim Burton and H.R Giger were having simultaneous night terrors.
—-
As to the episode structure itself….events raced by at Rainboom speed. Characters spoke quickly; things happened quickly….this episode had ALOT to get done. It had to reintroduce the mane characters, introduce a problem, introduce a villain, have the mane six attack that problem, have them fail, and set up the next episode.
All that is not easy to cram into twenty or so minutes, so the episode felt a little schizophrenic and fast paced. All the detail and quality was still there, but it never got a chance to take a breath because it had so much going on. Maybe that is just reflective of Discords presence though.
—-
But this is ALL stuff you can figure out for yourselves isn’t it? Celestia is a bit of a badass, Discord is a freaky nightmare, the cutie mark crusaders are officially the biggest troublemakers in history….but what’s coming up next? How will they undo what Discord has done, and what is likely to go down?
Well, here are my top three predictions, organised from most likely to least likely.
1:
This is simultaneously the most likely and most disappointing thing that could happen. You know the drill.
Heroes face up against unspeakable evil, hunt for a magical maguffin that will solve all their problems, evil starts winning, all seems lost, but lo and behold the power was within our heroes all along! Chances are they will just…y’know….REALISE that being nice is nice, and being not nice is not nice, they will return to their former selves, unite and shoot Discord down with their magical cannon of friendship.
A tried and true formula but a little dated and predictable.
2:
Rainbow Dash has up and left the maze remember? Without Discords direct influence, it’s entirely likely that she could come back with Celestia, or even Luna in tow, and save the day.
In fact, I’m willing to bet Luna will have something major to do with these events before we move on to more standard episodes. Wasn’t she supposed to be a more exposed character for this season? Who’s up for some reformed Nightmare Moon vs. Discord? Me that’s who.
3:
Discords plans are interrupted by a pony whom his influence of chaos has no effect on. A Pony who is already in a state of semi-permanent chaos.
A pony who likes muffins.ANALYSIS/OPINION:
FARMVILLE, Va. | America, consider yourself warned.
If you run Donald Trump off from the American political scene, you will have ruined your last, best chance to Make America Great Again and be forever condemned to torturously boring political debates the likes of which we saw here Monday night.
Who won? Mike Pence, obviously, because he seemed to understand just how annoying and tedious the whole thing was with Tim Kaine constantly butting in like a little loser twerp on the playground who has confused “having all the answers” with “being cool.”
But who really won? Nobody. Except maybe Major League Baseball, which saw a massive surge of starved television refugees wandering hopelessly through the channels, shellshocked by boredom, trying to get away from the mindless blather that was sucking the life out of any poor soul who tried to watch the debate.
Who won? Certainly not the American people, who have grown fat and spoiled on the great political spectacle that has been this year’s presidential race. What that debate was really missing was a showman. Someone with a sense of timing. Comedic skill. Some daring. Someone who knows how to deliver a cutting insult and sell himself in any situation.
What that debate lacked was, well, Donald Trump.
I mean, that moderator lady was quite possibly the worst moderator in the history of human disagreement. She was more lost than the poor viewer who could not understand anything anyone was saying as all three interrupted and over-talked each other.
I don’t know, Mr. Trump would have been a great moderator. Maybe the Commission on Presidential Debates — an insufferable outfit of do-gooders dedicated to boring the innocent American voter to death — would object to such excitement on the grounds that it might benefit one of the candidates over another. Well, it’s no different than letting Lester the Media Molester Holt moderate a debate with Hillary Clinton in it. It couldn’t be any more unfair than what we saw from that moderator lady here in Farmville.
But, okay, fine, don’t let Donald Trump moderate the debate. How about letting him be time-keeper? He could sit between Howdy Doody Kaine and Glass of Warm Milk Pence and keep track of how much each politician spouted their political pablum.
Mr. Trump could make duck lips, close his eyes and nod approvingly when Mr. Pence said his political words. And when Mr. Kaine made political words, Mr. Trump could stop his nodding, droop his head a little and pop open his mouth and eyes.
He would not have to utter a word and the whole thing would be a thousand times more interesting.
To be honest, the only one who really seemed to enjoy the debate was Mr. Kaine’s large left eyebrow. Did you see that thing?
It was jumping and dancing and fluttering and at one point strapped on black leotards and pink leggings and broke into an entire yoga routine with arched back hissing cat and downward dog and then stretching fruit tree.
Mr. Kaine’s left eyebrow consumed so much of Mr. Kaine’s political face energy that it threatened to entirely shut down whole right side of Mr. Kaine’s face, which nearly went completely limp. That poor, flaccid right eye, hooded by a sleepy and sluggish eyebrow would go dim as his left eyebrow danced and pirouetted across his political forehead.
The enthusiastic eyebrow got so worked up at several points during the debate that it nearly became dislodged from Mr. Kaine’s face. It pulled away from his face and stretched open his eye socket so far that it looked like Mr. Kaine’s left eyeball might just pop out of his political head and go rolling around on the Commission on Presidential Debates-approved political debate table.
That would certainly have made political history and been most unfortunate for Mr. Kaine and his long-suffering family. But at least it would have been interesting to watch.
• Charles Hurt can be reached at [email protected]; follow him on Twitter via @charleshurt.
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Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.Video: Introducing Python - Click to download!
This 24 minute video contains interviews with luminaries from the Python community interspersed with A Python Love Story. It was created for use as an introductory activity in a computer science course using Python.
A joint, interdisciplinary project between Arlington Career Center Multimedia and Yorktown High School Drama and Computing, the Python Project builds on the successful use of Python as a teaching tool in Yorktown's Computer Science Program. It was shown at the 9th and 10th International Python Conferences.
Funding was made possible by a grant from the Python Software Foundation. It is released under the OpenContent License v1.0, which means that it may be shown freely by anyone who would like to do so, and it may be modified for use in other contexts.Ani Pachen
Ani Pachen (1933 – February 2, 2002) was a Tibetan freedom fighter and activist.
Early life [ edit ]
Pachen Dolma was born around 1933 in Gonjo, Kham, eastern Tibet. She was the only child of Chieftain elder son Pomda Gonor of the Lemdha clan, of the Phomda Tsang line.[1]
Pachen took refuge in the Dharma when she was 8 years old and was subsequently initiated into the deity practice of Dorje Phurba, a Nyingma tradition.[2] When she was 17, she discovered her father's plans to marry her off and attempted to run away to Gyalsay Rinpoche's monastery at Tromkhog. However, she returned after a few days of traveling with her father's promise to annul the engagement.
The 14th Dalai Lama and the PRC officially signed the Seventeen Point Agreement in 1951. Increasing tensions led her father to train her in the use of firearms and begin organizing militant resistance.[1]
For the next few years, Pachen sat in on her father's administrative meetings with local chieftains. In 1954, Pachen and her mother spent 6 months in Gyalsay Rinpoche's monastery, during which she completed Ngondro, or preliminary religious training. She returned at the request of her father, who wanted to officially teach her the duties involved with being the heir to a chieftain.[1]
Rebellion [ edit ]
By the end of 1956, tens of thousands of armed Khampas had taken to the surrounding hills in armed resistance. When her father died in 1958, she assumed her role as chieftainess of the Lemdha clan. In 1959, she rode at the head of their 600 resistance fighters into the nearby hills. Her clan joined with others from Derge and Lingkha Shipa.[1]
After news of eminent Chinese attack, Pachen returned to Lemdha to warn her family and gather their valuables. Their group grew to thousands as families from the towns of Derge, Lingkha Shipa and Markham fled with the ultimate plan of joining Chushi Gangdruk, the principal resistance group centered in Lhasa at the time. After rejoining the earlier Lemdha resistance fighters, Pachen aided in dividing the refugees into smaller, less visible groups, organized and dispatched defensive patrols, and actively engaged in armed warfare.[1] During this migration, her group was aided by CIA paramilitary support.
Their camp was attacked by overwhelming Chinese forces in the area around the Pelbar village in Tingri County in late 1959, shortly after they heard of Chushi Gangdruk's defeat. Pachen, her mother, aunt, and grandmother took refuge in a nearby forest. They successfully traveled towards India for the next 25 days, until they were captured by Chinese forces along with around 300 other refugees.[1]
Imprisonment [ edit ]
Immediately after being captured, Pachen and her family were held in nearby abandoned houses that served as temporary prisons. Over the course of a week, Pachen was interrogated and beaten. Soon after, many of the women, children and elderly people were released (including her mother, aunt, and grandmother), and Pachen was transferred to a 'collection center' in Lhodzong, where she was held for a month. She reported being the only woman held there.[1]
After that, Pachen was transferred to a monastery in Chamdo that was being used as a Chinese prison. For the next 10 months, she was regularly questioned, until she was transferred to another part of the monastery known as Deyong Nang, where she was further questioned and was forced to wear leg irons for over a year. She was held there from 1961 to 1963.[1]
In 1963, she was moved to Silthog Thang, a prison 'where those...considered guilty of the most serious crimes were sent,'[1] located between the Mekong (known as the Zachu river in Tibet[3]) and Ngomchu river (a tributary of the Mekong[4]). At Silthog Thang, she was sectioned according to gender and level of devotion. She was also held in isolation for 9 months after refusing to denounce her religion and rebuking an officer.[1]
After hearing that her mother was living and working in Kongpo and that a number of prisoners were being sent there, Pachen convinced the prison officers to transfer her as well. She spent a year there and was transferred to Drapchi prison, one of the most notorious Chinese prisons, in 1965. She was held there for 11 years. At Drapchi, she reported that prisoners were forced to wear a Chinese uniform and were forbidden to speak Tibetan, pray, or practice Tibetan customs.[1]
After Mao Zedong's death, Pachen was transferred to the 5th division of Tramo Dzong in Kongpo Nyingtri. She was released in 1981, after being imprisoned for 21 years. She was 48 years old.[1]
Release [ edit ]
After her release from prison in January 1981, Pachen went on a pilgrimage. She visited the monasteries of Sera, Drepung, and Ganden, which had all been destroyed in the Cultural Revolution, during her imprisonment. Over the course of the next year, she visited monasteries in Lhokha, Shedra, Drolma Lhakhang, Dhalakhampo, and stayed for eight months in the Samye monastery. There, she learned the Buddhist practice Chud len, or Essence Extraction, and the Chöd practice, before deciding to return to Lhasa to continue support for the cause of Tibetan independence.[1]
She advertised and participated in three notable demonstrations before fleeing to India; the September 27 and October 1 demonstrations of 1987 and the March 5 demonstration of 1988. In 1989, she discovered that she was to be arrested again and made plans to escape to Nepal over Mount Kailash. After 25 days, she was airlifted to Dharamshala. Her dream to meet the Dalai Lama came true when she was granted a personal audience soon after her arrival. She settled in the Gaden Choeling Nunnery in Dharamsala, India.[1]
Autobiography [ edit ]
Ani Pachen's autobiography, Sorrow Mountain: the Journey of a Tibetan Warrior Nun, was published in 2000, and she toured the United States and Europe. In 2001, she visited the United Kingdom at the invitation of the Tibet Society, and led the annual march through central London to commemorate the Lhasa Uprising.
Death [ edit ]
Ani Pachen died in Dharamsala on February 2, 2002 of heart failure.[5]
References [ edit ]Welcome to the BBS Guide
We love Bulletin Board Systems! The look of the ANSI art, the feeling of the navigation, FidoNet the games! All of these things have touched our lives and made us who we are today. But the years have passed, and it seems that the Bulletin Board System has taken a back seat to many of the newer protocols being used on the internet. But we here at the BBS Guide believe that there has been a grand lack of resources tying together all the folks who still love, live and run Bulletin Board Systems. This is our mission, to create a modern, up-to-date site that connects you to the active Bulletin Board Systems of today, as well as the websites, twitter, youtube and facebook locations where you can connect to the modern BBS community. Enjoy!Join the ESPN college basketball conversation and follow on Twitter: @ESPNCBB
Downloadable ESPN Images Photos
ESPN’s College GameDay Covered by State Farm – the Saturday morning and evening roadshow that discusses the top storylines of the college basketball season – will travel to Dallas, and the campus of No. 23 Southern Methodist University on Saturday, Feb. 14. The show’s visit is in advance of the Saturday Primetime presented by DIRECTV matchup between American Athletic Conference foes – SMU vs. defending national champion UConn at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. GameDay’s first hour begins at 10 a.m. on ESPNU, continuing live at 11 a.m. on ESPN, plus an evening edition leading into the primetime game at 8 p.m. on ESPN.
ESPN3 Surround will be available for the SMU-UConn game, featuring in-arena natural sound and views from above the rim cameras at each end of the floor.
This will be GameDay’s first stop in Dallas and a first-time appearance for the Mustangs. UConn will be making its seventh appearance as part of the Saturday Primetime game at GameDay.
First-year College GameDay Covered by State Farm analysts Seth Greenberg and Jay Williams will join host Rece Davis onsite. Doris Burke and Dave O’Brien will have the call of the game.
Dan Shulman, Jay Bilas and reporter Shannon Spake will have the call of No. 4 Duke at Syracuse at 6:15 p.m. on ESPN. Bilas will contribute to the GameDay telecasts from the Carrier Dome.
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One of the things that concerns a lot of Americans lately is the increase in plain old nastiness in our political discussion. It comes from a number of sources, but Rush Limbaugh is a major carrier.
I should explain that I am not without bias in this matter. I have been attacked by Rush Limbaugh on the air, an experience somewhat akin to being gummed by a newt. It doesn’t actually hurt, but it leaves you with slimy stuff on your ankle.
I have a correspondent named Irwin Wingo in Weatherford, Texas. Irwin and some of the leading men of the town are in the habit of meeting about 10 every morning at the Chat’n’Chew Cafe to drink coffee and discuss the state of the world. One of their number is a dittohead, a Limbaugh listener. He came in one day, plopped himself down, and said, “I think Rush is right: Racism in this country is dead. I don’t know what the niggers will find to gripe about now.”
I wouldn’t say that dittoheads, as a group, lack the ability to reason. It’s just that whenever I run across one, he seems to be at a low ebb in reasoning skills. Poor ol’ Bill Sarpalius, one of our dimmer Panhandle congressmen, was once trying to explain to a town hall meeting of his constituents that Limbaugh was wrong when he convinced his listeners that Bill Clinton’s tax package contained a tax increase on the middle class. (It increased taxes only on the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans.) A dittohead in the crowd rose to protest: “We don’t send you to Washington to make responsible decisions. We send you there to represent us.”
The kind of humor Limbaugh uses troubles me deeply, because I have spent much of my professional life making fun of politicians. I believe it is a great American tradition and should be encouraged. We should all laugh more at our elected officials—it’s good for us and good for them. So what right do I have to object because Limbaugh makes fun of different pols than I do?
I object because he consistently targets dead people, little girls, and the homeless—none of whom are in a particularly good position to answer back. Satire is a weapon, and it can be quite cruel. It has historically been the weapon of powerless people aimed at the powerful. When you use satire against powerless people, as Limbaugh does, it is not only cruel, it’s profoundly vulgar. It is like kicking a cripple.
On his TV show, early in the Clinton administration, Limbaugh put up a picture of Socks, the White House cat, and asked, “Did you know there’s a White House dog?” Then he put up a picture of Chelsea Clinton, who was 13 years old at the time and as far as I know had never done any harm to anyone.
When viewers objected, he claimed, in typical Limbaugh fashion, that the gag was an accident and that without his permission some technician had put up the picture of Chelsea—which I found as disgusting as his original attempt at humor.
On another occasion, Limbaugh put up a picture of Labor Secretary Robert Reich that showed him from the forehead up, as though that were all the camera could get. Reich is indeed a very short man as a result of a bone disease he had as a child. Somehow the effect of bone disease in children has never struck me as an appropriate topic for humor.
The reason I take Rush Limbaugh seriously is not because he’s offensive or right-wing, but because he is one of the few people addressing a large group of disaffected people in this country. And despite his frequent denials, Limbaugh does indeed have a somewhat cultlike effect on his dittoheads. They can listen to him for three and a half hours a day, five days a week, on radio and television. I can assure you that David Koresh did not harangue the Branch Davidians so long nor so often. But that is precisely what most cult leaders do—talk to their followers hour after hour after hour.
A large segment of Limbaugh’s audience consists of white males, 18 to 34 years old, without college education. Basically, a guy I know and grew up with named Bubba.
Bubba listens to Limbaugh because Limbaugh gives him someone to blame for the fact that Bubba is getting screwed. He’s working harder, getting paid less in constant dollars and falling further and further behind. Not only is Bubba never gonna be able to buy a house, he can barely afford a trailer. Hell, he can barely afford the payments on the pickup.
And because Bubba understands he’s being shafted, even if he doesn’t know why or how or by whom, he listens to Limbaugh. Limbaugh offers him scapegoats. It’s the “feminazis.” It’s the minorities. It’s the limousine liberals. It’s all these people with all these wacky social programs to help some silly, self-proclaimed bunch of victims. Bubba feels like a victim himself—and he is—but he never got any sympathy from liberals.
Psychologists often tell us there is a great deal of displaced anger in our emotional lives—your dad wallops you, but he’s too big to hit back, so you go clobber your little brother. Displaced anger is also common in our political life. We see it in this generation of young white men without much education and very little future. This economy no longer has a place for them. The corporations have moved their jobs to Singapore. Unfortunately, it is Limbaugh and the Republicans who are addressing the resentments of these folks, and aiming their anger in the wrong direction.
In my state, I have not seen so much hatred in politics since the heyday of the John Birch Society in the early 1960s. Used to be you couldn’t talk politics with a conservative without his getting all red in the face, arteries standing out in his neck, wattles aquiver with indignation—just like a pissed-off turkey gobbler. And now we’re seeing the same kind of anger again.
Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting, the organization that provided the absurd Limbaughisms that you see to the right, has a sweet, gentle faith that truth will triumph in the end, and thinks it is sufficient to point out that Limbaugh is wrong. I say it’s important to point out that he’s not just wrong but that he’s ridiculous, one of the silliest people in America. Sure, it takes your breath away when he spreads some false and vicious rumor, such as the story that Vincent Foster’s body was actually discovered in an apartment owned by Hillary Clinton. Or when he destroys an important lobby-control bill by falsely claiming that it would make the average citizen subject to lobbying laws. Yes, that’s sick and perverse.
But it’s important to show people that there is much more wrong with Limbaugh’s thinking than just his facts. Limbaugh specializes in ad hominem arguments, which are themselves ridiculously easy to expose. Ted Kennedy says, “America needs health care reform.” Limbaugh replies, “Ted Kennedy is fat.”
Rush Limbaugh’s pathetic abuse of logic, his absurd pomposity, his relentless self-promotion, his ridiculous ego—now those, friends, are appropriate targets for satire.
Molly Ivins is a contributing writer to Mother Jones.Erwiana Sulistyaningsih, a 23-year-old Indonesian maid, returned to her home province of Java from Hong Kong last month hardly able to walk. Cuts and burns covered most of her body. Her employer in Hong Kong allegedly beat her and locked her up for weeks.
Each year hundreds of thousands of young Indonesian women like Ms. Erwiana fan out across Asia and the Middle East to live in the homes of local people and serve as their domestic helpers — cooking, cleaning and caring for children and the elderly. Most send a portion of their salary home to their families every month, fueling an Indonesian economy that relies on remittances. More than 320,000 foreign domestic helpers live in Hong Kong, a city of seven million people, and close to half of them come from Indonesia.
Although Hong Kong has better legal protections for foreign domestic helpers than other Asian countries like Singapore and Malaysia, the laws that govern their living and working conditions are discriminatory and foster an environment that can lead to abuse. Ms. Erwiana was by no means the first victim in Hong Kong of a horrible beating, and unless changes are made to the law, she won’t be the last.
The most restrictive requirement on foreign maids in Hong Kong is the so-called live-in law, which requires that the guest workers reside with their employers. Many employers give maids small windowless closets for bedrooms, and sometimes worse. The live-in rule means that maids are often on call 24 hours a day. And maids with abusive employers have few places to go or people they can turn to for help.The CIA created and accumulated from other sources a huge array of malware and cyber attack capability capable of stealing information from any individual, any government, any corporation, any intelligence agency and either leaving no trace or leaving a “fingerprint” of an innocent party. The CIA, being arrogant and incompetent, lost control over its monster which escaped and now is in the hands of we know not who. Floating around the Internet, it was sent to WikiLeaks. Listen to Julian Assange’s explanation of the capability of the CIA’s spyware, which includes end runs around encryption.
The presstitute media’s response was not outrage over the CIA’s criminal behavior, compounded by its incompetence in failing to keep the package from escaping. Rather, the whores who comprise the US media turned on Julian Assange for making known what we need to know. Brian Ross, the chief presstitute at ABC, wanted to know if WiliLeaks took money from Russia. Presstitute Andrea Mitchell, faithful to the CIA, quickly got former CIA director Michael Hayden on TV to agree with her that “Wikileaks has struck again” and revealed information damaging to the US about the CIA’s foreign intelligence operations. You can see what a great lie Andrea and Hayden have conspired to tell by listening to Assange explain the information delivered into his hands.
The American print and TV media are servants of the police state. This makes the US media the principal threat that Americans face. The US media is the handmaiden of war, the police state, lies, and evil. The presstitutes have no shame over their lack of integrity and the risk of thermo-nuclear war to which they expose humanity.Mike Randolph is excited for a fresh start.
The new Ottawa FC defender, who signed here this off-season after having played for the Atlanta Silverbacks since 2012, is determined to make up for lost time.
The California-born Randolph was hobbled last year by an ankle injury that kept him out for much of the fall season. But the starting left back spot in Ottawa appears to be his to lose and the 29-year-old is encouraged by what he’s seen so far during camp. Fury is his third NASL stop after Atlanta and Miami/Fort Lauderdale in a career including a three-year stint in the MLS with the Los Angeles Galaxy, a team that included soccer royalty David Beckham and Landon Donovan.
The early portion of camp was more fitness-oriented for the players but ball touches and game situations have gradually increased, with the team using the full length of the pitch for the first time Tuesday at training in Gatineau.
“(Fury) has a kind of European style of playing,” Randolph said. “It’s very technical, very good at getting out of difficult situations. It makes possession fun, it makes practice a lot of fun, so I’m having a great time.
“I’m still trying to get my touch back and work on my fitness a bit, but it’s coming.”
Having captained the Silverbacks last season, Randolph is looking forward to being a piece of the leadership puzzle.
“I got a lot of great qualities out of (being captain) last year, learning to speak up and having a voice,” Randolph said. “That’s definitely going to be helpful here. You don’t want to have to have the same guy yelling at everybody by himself. It helps when other people are chiming in (and) we’re all on the same page.
“But I like not having to talk all the time, let somebody else take over.”
Fury will once again be led by captain Richie Ryan, a guy who, like Randolph, likes to lead by example.
“When you see him get (go in) for a tackle and put everything on the line, it makes you want to do the same, it’s contagious,” Randolph said.
Jarun still M.I.A.
Fury FC defender Omar Jarun remains absent from training camp but the club isn’t saying much about why.
While the 30-year-old centre back signed a two-year deal with the club before last season, he has yet to take part in any of camp.
“Omar’s resting,” said coach Marc Dos Santos on Tuesday before adding Jarun “needs to be with his family.”
He remains on the roster, Dos Santos confirmed.
“Omar is a player of the Ottawa Fury today.”
The 6-foot-5, Kuwait-born Jarun played nearly 1,100 minutes with Fury last season, featuring in 16 matches.
Inaugural game
Fury FC will get its first taste of game action this year when the club travels to Toronto to take on TFC II on Friday.
Dos Santos said the club will travel with 23 players, including all three goalkeepers, and everyone will play. The coach has been happy with the early stages of training camp.
“We’re 10 times more advanced than where we were last year at this time,” he said, adding the first road trip is also significant with so many new faces on the squad. “To get out, to be together at a hotel and on a bus together, it’s going to be good, mentally, for the guys.”
Twitter: @chrishofleyAs beer weeks begin popping up across Australia, here is your chance to sample everything from British-style real ales to a brew tasting of bacon and truffles
There has been a kaleidoscopic array of beers on offer this week in Sydney: sour and barrel-aged beers, traditional British-style real ales, and a brew featuring bacon and truffles that, against all reason, is rather delicious. Such adventurous quaffing is the result of Sydney Craft Beer week, enlivened by tap takeovers, degustations, meet the brewers sessions – even a beery high tea and an animal-themed onesies bike crawl around Newtown.
And it’s not just Sydney. Western Australia and Hobart are preparing for beer weeks next month, Newcastle’s celebration of the drink returns in February, Brewsvegas debuts in Brisbane in March and Good Beer week is back for a fourth time in Melbourne in May (Full disclosure: I’m a director of the festival.) So here’s a selection of top Australian brews across a range of styles.
The beer scene in Brisbane has really come alive in the past couple of years, driven by a handful of passion-fuelled small bars, such as Archive, The Scratch, Bitter Suite, Kerbside and Tippler’s Tap, alongside a growing number of microbreweries, including Bacchus, Green Beacon and Fortitude.
Predating them all is Burleigh Brewing, founded by Hawaiian brewer Brennan Fielding and his Australian wife Peta. Their beers regularly pick up major awards, with the HEF perhaps the most surprising of them all.
It’s a take on the Bavarian hefeweizen (wheat beer) style – think cloudy and awash with banana and clove aromas. And it’s a style that the Germans didn’t just invent, but have perfected. So when a brewery from the Gold Coast took gold in this category at last year’s World Beer Cup in the United States – the biggest beer awards of them all – there were more than a few raised eyebrows.
Manly microbrewery 4 Pines is one of the great success stories of Australia’s beer renaissance. Having established a reputation as a brewer of quality beers at its brewpub venue overlooking the Manly ferry, its owners invested in an offsite production facility that dwarves most local micros.
The transition has been seamless, with the beers losing nothing in the translation from 500 litre to 5,000 litre system and the original brewhouse still used to create all manner of small batch releases. They’ve not lost any of their joie de vivre either; at last weekend’s Australian Hotel Beer festival, owner Jaron Mitchell spent the entire time dressed as Batman, complete with growl, cavorting with drinkers.
The ESB is the latest beer to be added to their permanent range – a rich, multilayered, malty treat that smells and tastes like a quality English boozer.
We’re starting to see more Australian brewed saisons – with a growing number of Belgian inspired sour beers also in the pipeline. It’s a style of beer ideally suited to the Australian climate – light and zesty, yet frequently possessing fruity, spicy, herbal, even tart characteristics – approachable for newcomers, yet with enough interest for seasoned craft beer drinkers. Bridge Road’s was one of the very first and remains one of the best found in champagne style 750ml bottles in beer bars and restaurants; it’s a wonderful food beer.
Lager is often viewed as a dirty word in the craft beer world; associated with homogenised offerings from the brewing behemoths. But there are other reasons that most small breweries don’t brew them. For a start, traditional lagers and pilsners are such refined beers that there is nowhere to hide – that’s why people hold the lager brewers of Germany in such high esteem. But to brew one properly requires an extended period of conditioning; roughly six weeks to an ale’s two or less.
Tasmania’s Moo, part of the David Walsh empire that includes MONA and Moorilla Estate wines, has been brewing their pilsner for years. It’s as crisp as you could wish, with spicy aromatics and a refreshing, bitter finish.
A stout when it’s getting warm? Why not – this beer from Coopers, the South Australian family brewery that was making craft beers before the term was even coined, is a cracker.
Perhaps best known for their ubiquitous Pale Ale and English-inspired Sparkling Ale, this is my favourite from the Cooper’s range. There’s nothing flash or trendy about it, just an immaculate, traditionally brewed, higher alcohol stout; a reminder that, for all the cool stuff going on in the beer world today, you can always learn from the past.
It was only three years ago that a Melbourne pub, the Great Northern Hotel, first secured a few kegs of beer from WA’s Feral Brewing. The brewery kept winning trophies at the Australian International Beer Awards year in, year out, yet its head brewer refused to send beer east until he could guarantee refrigerated transport.
Now the trophies keep on coming and, thankfully for the discerning drinkers of Australia outside WA, so does the beer. The entire range, from wild-fermented sours to high-alcohol Imperial Stout, is worth sampling. But the highly hopped, impeccably balanced Hop Hog is the jewel in Feral’s crown, as near to the perfect beer as you will find.Atlanta GA: Georgia C.A.R.E. will host a rally for marijuana legalization to show support for law reform in Georgia.
The event will be at the Plaza Park just west of the Gold Dome across from Atlanta City Hall 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm. Featured musical guest Natti Love Joys from Tennessee and special guests.
The public is invites to attend. The event will feature activist speakers, medical patients and various organizations.
Polls indicate more than 60% of voters support decriminalization in Georgia.
The event will focus on criminal law reform, medical cannabis and industrial hemp production.
• What: Georgia Rally for Marijuana Legalization
• When: Saturday October 18, 2014 – 12:00 Noon to 4:00 pm
• Where: Plaza Park across |
of varying types -- found that high school grades do predict student success. And this extends to those who do better or worse than expected on standardized exams. So those students with low high school grades but high test scores generally receive low college grades, while those with high grades in high school, but low test scores, generally receive high grades in college.
The study was led by William C. Hiss, who has conducted many previous studies of test-optional policies at Bates College, where he was vice president and dean of admissions. His report was released by the National Association for College Admission Counseling. (NACAC has encouraged colleges to more carefully consider whether they need to require admissions testing, but the association has not called for all colleges to go test optional.)
More colleges -- including competitive colleges -- have gone test optional in recent years. The National Center for Fair and Open Testing maintains a list of more than 800 four-year colleges that do not require the SAT or ACT, although some of those colleges are not competitive in admissions.
As the numbers on that list have grown, there has been speculation about whether colleges that are test optional are paying any price in terms of the academic performance of their students. While many individual test-optional colleges have studied the issue (answering in the negative), the new report is the largest such analysis (also answering in the negative, saying that the differences are so small as to be "trivial"). Further, the report backs the thesis of test-optional advocates that such policies may help diversify the applicant pool.
Among the findings:
The difference in grades between submitters and non-submitters is five one-hundredths of a grade-point-average point.
The difference is six-tenths of 1 percent in graduation rates.
About 30 percent of students who enroll at these colleges did not submit test scores.
Students who do not submit test scores are more likely than those who do to be the first in their families to go to college, non-white, female or Pell Grant recipients.
By income group, those with the lowest and highest incomes are more likely than others to apply without test scores.
In 2008, NACAC issued a report on admissions testing, calling for colleges to step back and see if they really needed to require it. Another recommendation of the report was to produce more independent research on admissions testing (much of which is done by admissions testing organizations), and the study released came from NACAC (with foundation support) as part a response to that latter recommendation.
The new report says that its findings suggest many more colleges can drop testing requirements without any fear of an academic impact. And the report says that doing so may be especially appropriate now, when concerns are growing about "undermatching" -- the idea that many students don't end up at the best colleges at which they could succeed.
Colleges that move beyond testing requirements can attract these students, the report says. "There are dramatic choices to be made," the report says. "The numbers are quite large of potential students with strong [high school grades] who have proved themselves to everyone except the testing agencies."
The College Board released a statement from Cyndie Schmeiser, chief of assessment, that defended the SAT. "The predictive validity of college entrance exams like the SAT is an essential part of the admissions equation for the vast majority of colleges and universities in the this country. The SAT is among the most rigorously researched and designed tests in the world and dozens of internal and external studies show that the SAT is a valid predictor of college success for all students," she said.
Schmeiser said that in "nearly all validity studies, high school G.P.A. and SAT scores in combination are shown to be the best predictors of college success. The College Board continues to advocate for a variety of factors to be considered in the admissions process and high-quality research including our own shows that neither the SAT nor high school G.P.A. should be used alone when making admissions decisions."
However, she added: "It’s important to note that test-optional schools are our members and our partners. We respect the decisions they make about their admissions processes and we will continue to listen to our members, evolve our programs and work to expand access to opportunity for all students."
But Joseph Soares, professor of sociology at Wake Forest who has written extensively (and critically) about standardized admissions tests, said via email that he saw Tuesday's report as significant.
"This is important because it is our first national assessment of how well test optional is doing, and the results are solid," he said. "As we have experienced here at Wake Forest, which was one of the participants in the study, being test-optional expands opportunity for low [socioeconomic status] youths and minorities of color. The study confirms that high school grades remain the best predictor of college grades; and suggests that anyone relying on test scores reduces the breadth of their applicant pool for no good reason. Test scores transmit social disparities without improving our ability to select youths who will succeed in college."
Added Soares: "This study raises again, in my opinion, the question: If you are not test optional, how can you justify requiring a metric more social Darwinist than academic in its effects?"Usually, running news clips of Trump administration officials doing bad things is more of the Daily Show’s beat than Jimmy Kimmel’s, but on Tuesday night, the host got his hands on some footage of Attorney General Jeff Sessions that was so damaging he had no choice. Sessions appeared at a House Judiciary Committee meeting on Tuesday, but it looks like the ol’ MSM really dropped the ball on covering the most damning moments in Sessions’ testimony, because the highlights Kimmel focuses on don’t seem to have made the news. Take this telling—and utterly damning—exchange:
Senator: Attorney General Sessions, what we really want to know is, where exactly is your pot of gold?
Sessions: I don’t recall.
In less tempestuous times, an Attorney General refusing to answer questions about his pot of gold—Sessions wouldn’t even confirm that he kept his gold in a pot!—would be A1 news. It’s a sad marker of just how thoroughly Trump and his cronies have corrupted American democracy that this sort of interaction is treated as normal. The only hope for the country going forward is that the media can keep its spotlight on Sessions’ antics, refusing to look away until he leads us to his pot of gold, even if he points behind us and hollers “Look out,” because, as you can see, there’s nothing behind us, and—oh. He’s gone.SPRINGFIELD, MA – The Springfield Thunderbirds would come back from a two goal deficit last night against the St. John’s Ice Caps to win 5-4 in overtime in front of a sellout crowd at the MassMutual Center.
The Ice Caps dominated the first period. They went on the power play as defenseman Mark Barbario took a slap shot and Charles Hudon would deflect it in and beat Springfield Thunderbirds goaltender Mike McKenna to give the Ice Caps the early 1-0 lead. Dryden Hunt responded as Ice Caps goaltender Yann Danis came out to play the puck and turned it over to Hunt as he would capitalize and tie the game at 1-1. The Ice Caps responded with another power play goal as left winger Chris Terry took a slap shot and it skidded by Thunderbirds goaltender Mike McKenna to give the Ice Caps a 2-1 lead.
The Ice Caps kicked off the second period with their third power play goal of the game as Charles Hudson scored his second goal of the game off of a reflection to give the Ice Caps a 3-1 lead. The Thunderbirds picked up the momentum in the second period but could not capitalize on the scoring chances.
In the third period, Thunderbirds forward Paul Thompson cut into the Ice Caps lead after he deflected a Dryden Hunt wrist shot from the blueline to cut the deficit 3-2. Ice Caps forward Sven Andrighetto responded with a wrist shot to give the Ice Caps a 4-2 lead. The Thunderbirds got two goals 90 seconds apart. Thunderbirds defenseman Ian McCoshen fired a slapshot to beat Danis and cut the deficit to 4-3. Hunt got the equalizer and his second goal of the game with 6:10 left in regulation.
In overtime, Chase Balisy setup MacKenzie Weegar on the left circle and beat Danis to get the game winner.
“It was a lot of character out on the ice. A lot of young players but we found a way to get it back in the back of the net and we had them on their heels the whole game. We just kept coming onto them. Fortunately we came back and we needed that win at home.” Weegar said of the win.
Logan Shaw will tell you last night’s win was a good team win and a character win.
“The first 20 minutes, they took it to us and we learned our lesson from that. Next 40 minutes was our game. We played the way we wanted to play. We played fast. We played hard and took pucks to the net and we were awarded for it.”
Mike McKenna made 24 saves for the Springfield Thunderbirds in the win last night. McKenna, who played for the Springfield Falcons back in the 2013-2014 season, said it was the best crowd he has ever seen at MassMutual Center.
“It was phenomenal. I mean they were our seventh man on the ice. No question about it. We went to the playoffs a couple years ago and had half of that. This was fantastic. It’s a credit to our front office how great of a job they have done ramping up all the excitement for this season and it sure helped us tonight. They were great.” McKenna Said
Springfield will be back in action in next weekend when they will play two home games against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers and the WB/Scranton Penguins on Friday and Saturday and then play in Bridgeport against the Sound Tigers next Sunday afternoon.A Linux kernel flaw that potentially allows miscreants to remotely control vulnerable servers, desktops, IoT gear, Android handhelds, and more, has been quietly patched.
The programming blunder – CVE-2016-10229 – exposes machines and gizmos to attacks via UDP network traffic: any software receiving data using the system call recv() with the MSG_PEEK flag set on a vulnerable kernel opens up the box to potential hijacking. The hacker would have to craft packets to trigger a second checksum operation on the incoming information, which can lead to the execution of malicious code within the kernel, effectively as root, we're warned.
Exploitation of this security shortcoming appears to be non-trivial, luckily. Programs from the Nginx web server and wget to the Mirai botnet code and various others set the MSG_PEEK flag on some connections, leaving the underlying machine open to attack if the kernel is vulnerable. The bug can also be potentially exploited to kick off a local privilege escalation. Kernel versions below 4.5, all the way down to 2.6, are possibly at risk.
The issue was discovered by Google's Eric Dumazet, and quietly dealt with at the end of 2015 with a small fix applied to the open-source kernel. Linux distros, such as Ubuntu and Debian, were distributing fixed builds of the kernel by February this year. Red Hat told us its flavors of Linux were never affected.
"The code was never included in the kernel that Red Hat ships," Red Hat spokesman John Terrill confirmed to The Reg.
Then this month, Google issued a bunch of security fixes for Android, which contained an update addressing CVE-2016-10229 in smartphones, tablets and other gear. NIST also put out an updated advisory this week, and that's when people started taking notice. The warning explains:
udp.c in the Linux kernel before 4.5 allows remote attackers to execute arbitrary code via UDP traffic that triggers an unsafe second checksum calculation during execution of a recv system call with the MSG_PEEK flag.
Those Google Android updates can be applied to Nexus gadgets. Samsung and LG have also issued patches for their handsets.
So, in short, yes, there is a remote kernel-level code execution vulnerability in Linux, which sounds like the worst of the very worst, but it is pretty much patched by now – and it appears to be tricky if not impossible to realistically exploit. It was silently addressed in the kernel source over a year ago, and fixed in updates to machines earlier this year, but only now has it come to wider attention.
If you stick to a regular update cycle, you should be OK: your devices are cured after installation of the fix and a restart. Just pray for people who don't want to, or who can't, install kernel-level fixes and reboot their machines – maybe because the machines are neglected home routers, or phones that can't get security tweaks, or maybe for some other reason. ®WeAreAllOne
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Link to Post Back to Top Post by WeAreAllOne on [ORIGINAL RESEARCH] The Mountain of Evidence for a Massive International Pedophile Ring Protected by Police and Intelligence Agencies
Source:
Two high profile pedophilia cases have come to light in recent years, the abuses of Jerry Sandusky at Penn State and those of famed British entertainer Jimmy Savile. While both cases certainly garnered their fair share of media attention, their time in the spotlight has ended and we are led to believe that their horrific abuses were the result of a lone pedophile preying on children, while esteemed institutions turned a blind eye to their discretions.
Occasionally, however, the media would pick up on a story such as “Jimmy Savile was part of satanic ring"
1, EXPRESS UK,
or “Jerry Sandusky was part of pedophile ring, victim claims”
2, GLOBAL POST.
These stories seem absurd at first glance. Yet if they are investigated further, we are lead down a horrific and disturbing rabbit hole of pedophiles populating positions of power in government, finance, and entertainment.
This post will lay out the evidence for an international pedophile ring of massive proportions. The information contained within is of tremendous importance, for we are sitting on our very own modern holocaust, a holocaust of children. I promise that this statement is by no means an exaggeration, and urge you to not be scared away by these walls of text, which are as concise as possible while still conveying the necessary information. Throughout, I will be completely transparent with my sources, and will not beat you over the head with conclusions, but rather present you with evidence and let you decide for yourselves. (CONTINUED IN COMMENTS)
THE DUTROUX AFFAIR
I will begin in Belgium, with a case known as the Dutroux affair. This case is important because it illustrates how investigations can be undermined by a cabal able to place its members in crucial positions of power, and how powerful people can be implicated in abusing children. The Dutroux affair is was covered extensively by the mainstream media, 3, NY TIMES, I use the MSM as most of my sources and was HUGE 4, NY TIMES news in Belgium, where 350,000 people took the streets to protest the handling of the case, known as the famous White March, from a nation of just 10 million.
The case begins in 1995, when multiple young girls began disappearing around the area of Bertrix. Young girls had been disappearing in this area for a couple of years but the BOB (equivalent of the FBI) was unable to develop any solid leads. A breakthrough was made when a suspicious white van was reported, and the police were able to trace it to Marc Dutroux, a known pedophile. Dutroux had been released from prison just a few years earlier, after serving a third of his sentence, despite reservations among those involved in the hearing and his own mother, who had warned the parole board that he would certainly cause harm again 5, BBC. It was also revealed that Dutroux, though unemployed and receiving welfare from the state, owned seven homes and lived quite lavishly 6, NBC, from his involvement in selling children and child porn. It turns out that his mother was right, and Dutroux was responsible for the recent abductions. Girls as young as 8 reportedly starved to death in a makeshift dungeon in his basement, after months of sexual abuse 7, GUARDIAN UK.
The horrible transgressions committed by Dutroux are widely available knowledge and thoroughly documented, and though disturbing, are not important enough to focus on this case. Now, I will attempt to highlight the incompetence of the investigating police, and the subsequent cover-up of evidence by the state. Police had investigated Dutroux multiple times without any arrests. Once, they entered his home and witnessed the outside of a makeshift dungeon in his basement, while two girls were being held and starved inside. They even reported hearing voices, though they said they believed Dutroux's story that the voices were coming from the street outside 8, FOX NEWS. Police ignored a tip from an informant, who said that Dutroux offered him between 3,000 and 5,000 dollars to kidnap young girls 9, CRIME LIBRARY. Again and again, police failed to act on information, or acted with complete incompetence. Incredibly, Police had in their possession a video tape of Dutroux constructing the makeshift dungeon in one of his basements, and would have saved the lives of two girls who were being tortured while the police held on to the evidence, had they viewed the video tape and acted on it 10, GUARDIAN UK.
By September 1996, the official body count had reached 8, and public outrage over police incompetence mounted 11, GUARDIAN UK. Why had a known pedophile been released so early from his original prison term, and allowed to terrify a country while the police stumbled about, seemingly complicit in the carnage?
When the case transferred from the police to the courts, the coverup became much more egregious. The lead prosecutor, Jean-Marc Conorrette, was dismissed from the case, which drew huge criticism from across the nation 12, NY TIMES. Conorette became a hero because it was his initiative that led to the police actually finding two girls in Dutroux's captivity. He also was instrumental in finding the bodies of four more girls. Conorette would later break down in tears in court while describing the death threats he received when he was still involved with the investigation 13, TELGRAPH UK.
Fuel to the fire would be added when a highly regarded childrens activist, Marie France Botte, claimed that prosecutors were sitting on a politically sensitive list of high profile customers of Dutrouxs thousands of video tapes 14, LA TIMES.
Marc Verwilghen, the Flemish parliamentarian who became the most popular politician in the country after leading the inquiry into Dutroux, claimed that many in the Belgian establishment, including heads of government, refused to cooperate, and sought to stifle and ridicule his report. He claimed that magistrates and police were officially told to not answer certain questions, in what he described as a 'characteristic smothering operation'. He was further quoted as saying 'For me, the Dutroux affair is a question of organized crime'. 15, GUARDIAN UK. A parliamentary panel revealed the names of 30 government officials it said were complicit in the hiding of Dutrouxs misdeeds, none have been punished 16.
(CONTINUED)
The most important information on the case comes from a victim of Dutroux. Regina Louf was the first to come forward, and was candid about the abuse she received at the hands of Belgiums child abuse networks. In 1996, she named and described in great detail, to a specially assembled police team, the people and places involved in the paedophile ring. Senior judges, one of the country's most powerful politicians - now dead - and a very influential banker were included. 17, BBC. The BBC article [17] says, “The sessions not only involved sex, they included sadism, torture and murder; and again, she described in detail, the place, the victims and how they were killed.” She corroborated that one of Dutrouxs associates, Jean-Michel Nihoul, was instrumental in the abuse parties. "At these parties Nihoul was a sort of party beast while Dutroux was more on the side." Nihoul had significant connections among Belgian political and financial elite. He confessed to organizing an orgy at a Belgian chateau attended by government officials 18, TELEGRAPH UK. It emerged that Dutroux and Nihoul were part of a long distance child trafficking ring that imported children from Slovakia 19, BBC.
Lets get back to the questioning of the witnesses. The primary witnesses to step forward all suffered from Dissociative Identity Disorder. In 98% of DID cases, the person suffered extreme sexual abuse as a child 20, MERCK WEBSITE. The abuse that the Dutroux witnesses attested to is beyond comprehension. Louf, and other witnesses, recounted being raped by dogs and snakes, and being forced to witness the murders of other children which were captured on video tape 21, REGINA LOUFS BOOK. That Louf spoke the truth about witnessing these murders is laid out HERE in an excellent manner. She gave a tremendous amount of detail to her prosecutors that she simply could not have known without being there herself, and there is simply way too much evidence to lay it out here. I recommend reading the whole page, which is as long as a short book, as the research is simply phenomenal. She also reported being involved with Satanic rituals, which I will address in greater detail later in the post.
Despite evidence that linked Dutroux and Nihoul to abuse parties and murder snuff films, the prosecutor that replaced Conorette, Jacques Langlois, completely dismantled the investigation. He sent police out on false tips and helped spread disinformation in the media. Although nearly 100 high profile people in government, religion, entertainment and finance being accused of involvement in child abuse 22, ISGP, no one of significance other than Dutroux was ever jailed. 9 police officers would eventually be arrested in connection with the murders 23, LA TIMES contains dozens of suspicious deaths among those who were helping the case. I have only presented a small picture of what amounts to a mountain of documentation on Dutroux. For further reading, look HERE, ISGP and HERE, CRIME LIBRARY.
(CONTINUED)
I understand that my discussion on the Dutroux affair does not validate any of the claims in the title of this post. It is only one small piece of the puzzle. It shows how, from the bottom level of police work to the top level of prosecution politics, people complicit with pedophiles can be placed into key positions to ensure that investigations never bear fruit. Now I will briefly highlight pedophile rings that operated parallel to Dutrouxs during the same time period, again in which no high level officials were brought to justice, although they undeniable participated, to illustrate how widespread the child porn and child abuse epidemic is. I will then move on to more important cases. In Latvia, three top officials, including the Prime Minister, were named in connection with a pedophile ring in which 2000 children in the country were abused 24, LA TIMES. An online ring known as Wonderland was busted and yielded 750,000 images of children 25 BBC. From the article [25]: “Wonderland originated in the United States but also operated in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and Britain.”
None of the men charged in relation to the ring served more than 30 months in jail, and only two were put on the sex offenders registry (in the year 2000!!!) 26, GUARDIAN UK. A child porn ring in Mexico was busted and said to have thousands of clients in the United States 27, BBC. Child porn videos reportedly made a Russian ring 410 million dollars being sold in Germany, Italy, and the United States 28, GUARDIAN UK. A Dutch ring was discovered in which images and videos of abuse of infants were circulated 29, NY TIMES. A magistrate leading an investigation into an Italian pedophile ring denounced what he called a “paedophile lobby” of powerful politicians which he said openly obstructed his investigation 30, INDEPENDANT UK. French police arrested 250 people associated with child pornography within a year of the Dutroux affair [31, NY TIMES](http://www.nytimes.com/1997/03/14/world/french-police-arrest-250-men-linked-to-child-pornography-ring.html
(CONTINUED)
THE LINCOLN, NEBRASKA SCANDAL
From here on out the post gets more surreal. These child abuse and pedophile rings are not by any means limited to Europe. Rather, the United States has perhaps the biggest child trafficking epidemic in the world. It is important to note, before I begin the next segment of this post, that the FBI does not track statistics for missing children. Of all the statistics it keeps tabs on, rape, homicide, domestic abuse, what amounts to perhaps the single most important one in terms of citizen safety is ominously missing. Perhaps they simply do not want us to know how bad the epidemic is? It should also be noted that FBI prosecution of major child trafficking rings had been virtually non-existant.
Take a good look at THIS, WASHINGTON TIMES frontpage story, published on June 29, 1989. The first chapter reads: “A homosexual prostitution ring is under investigation by federal and District authorities and includes among its clients key officials of the Reagan and Bush administrations, military officers, congressional aides, and U.S. and foreign businessmen with close social ties to Washingtons political elite, documents obtained by The Washington Times revealed.” The story never fully hit the streets, as agents grabbed the copies from newstands in the early hours of the morning. Another good article for background before I move on to American organized pedophilia and satanism is THIS, CHICAGO TRIBUNE. The first paragraph reads: “All nine children tell the same story, a grisly tale of being taken out of school and abused in a blue house. They name the same culprit, a school administrator who, they say, performs satanic rituals as part of his twisted routine. In the 14 months since the first child came forward, police said they have conducted 150 interviews and cannot substantiate the claims of the children, who range in age from 5 to 9. Prosecutor Stanley Levco is more blunt: He doesn`t believe them, and he plans to publicly clear the accused.”
I will now talk about America's own Dutroux affair, which began in Lincoln, Nebraska, in the late 1980s. A good part of the story, minus the satanism aspect, is covered in a documentary called The Conspiracy of Silence. The documentary was set to air on the Discovery Channel in 1994 but at the last minute, it was pulled and destroyed. We only have access to it now because of a “cutting room copy” leak a year later. The story begins with Omaha businessman Lawrence King, who was a rising star in the Republican party at the time. In 1988, it was revealed that he had diverted millions of dollars from the Franklin Community Federal Credit Union, the investigation of which spawned an investigation into a pedophilia ring of mind blowing proportions 32, OMAHA WORLD HERALD. Soon enough, investigators into the embezzlement scandal began receiving reports of sexual abuse 33, NY TIMES. Omaha newspapers were running stories of how young boys from Boystown were being prostituted among local business leaders and sometimes traveled to Washington. Parties would include sex, and abuse such as “beatings with extension cords while naked”[33]. Immediately, the FBI began claiming that there was no substance to the sexual abuse allegations 34, OMAHA WORLD HERALD. The stories of the victims told a drastically different story. “The older sister alleged that King arranged for her to fly to parties in Washington, D.C., and other cities where men engaged her in sexual activity,”35, OMAHA WORLD HERALD. Apparently, the abused were all foster children, and they would miss weeks of school each year taking these trips [35].
(CONTINUED)
The head of the investigative committee, known as the Franklin Comittee, Gary Carodori, was also convinced of the rampant child abuse and was determined to bring perpetrators to justice. As a side note, you can view Caradori's interviews with the victims here. Early on in the investigation, Gary Caradori would meet an untimely death, during a flight on his way to Chicago to review new evidence. There was a scattered wreckage pattern, indicating that the plane broke apart in the air, and not upon impact 36, OMAHA WORLD HERALD. The new head investigator would repeatedly lead the committee in the wrong direction, away from child abuse and satanic ritual claims. A state senator resigned from the investigative committee and said, “"I really don't think the things Larry King knew will ever be made public,” 38, OMAHA WORLD HERALD. He also cited concerns about the change in leadership.
A New York Times article 39 confirms that state investigators were given thousands of files regarding sexual abuse from children and testimonies from people involved in the foster care and education system. What happened next is amazing. Instead of indighting the accused perpetrators to develop cases against them, Grand Juries twice ordered the thousands of files to be sealed, and then brought charges of perjury against some of the victims! 40,SALEM NEWS. The mainstream media did their part to defend the grand jury and to marginalize the testimonies of the victims Example, NY TIMES. One of the victims was sentenced to 9-15 years in prison, and spent two years in solitary confinement!!! [40]. 8 years later the woman in question, Alisha Owen, was denied a hearing to commute her sentence 41, OMAHA WORLD HERALD. Lawrence King, however, would leave prison after just 10 years, being found guilty only of financial crimes 42, OMAHA WORLD HERALD. As with the Dutroux affair, I have again only shown a small portion of a truly mind blowing and exceptionally well documented story. Many victims in their interviews cited being forced to participate in satanic rituals, and had named King as a participant. What I hope I have laid out here is that there are certainly child prostitution rings in the United States and that kids are transported across the country for high profile customers. When people get in the way of these activities, they are silenced or killed. To learn more about the Franklin Coverup (and there is a lot more to learn!!), read this book by John DeCamp, watch this documentary, and view this website which has a great collection of information.
(CONTINUED)
PRESIDIO MILITARY BASE ABUSE
Unfortunately, the next step in this expose takes us to truly bizarre and disturbing places. A particularly disturbing child abuse case involving a military day care center came to light in 1987 43, NEW YORK TIMES. Allegations of abuse involving 60 children, some infants, surfaced at the Presidio military base in San Francisco. I would like to point out that this article claims that child abuse allegations had surfaced at more than 30(!!!) military day care centers across the country in the previous 3(!!!!) years before its publishing, including some of the most esteemed bases such as West Point and Fort Dix. It would be impossible to lay out the cases for each one here, but I would like to share this quote from the San Jose Mercury News: “Children at West Point told stories that would become horrifyingly familiar. They said they had been ritually abused. They said they had had excrement smeared on their bodies and been forced to eat feces and drink urine. They said they were taken away from the day care center and photographed. “ [44]. At the Presidio, at least 4 children were found to have chlamydia, and up to 60 had shown clear signs of abuse. The most important exposes into the Presidio case were written by Linda Goldston of the San Jose Mercury News. In an article titled 44, “Abuse Case at Presidio Quietly Closed By U.S.”, the events are told in chilling detail. The first victims to come forward were aged 3 and 4. Interestingly, the Presidio child care center was not closed until over a year after these allegations came to light. Initially charges were only brought against one man, Gary Hambright, a civilian employee. Later, however, it was revealed that police were investigating a man named Michael Aquino, a Lt. Col. Aquino was the founder of a satanic church known as The Temple of Set. Army documents showed that children were often taken on unnanounced trips outside the center, and many children could accurately describe Aquinos house. The search of Aquinos house got investigators thousands of videos and photographs, and what appeared to be a soundproof room, but charged were never brought against him. [44]
The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 45 wrote an extensive analysis of the victims of the Presidio. They stated: “The severity of the trauma for children at the Presidio was immediately manifest in clear cut symptoms. Before the abuse was exposed, parents had already noticed the following changes in their children: vaginal discharge, genital soreness, rashes, fear of the dark, sleep disturbances, nightmares, sexually provocative language, and sexually inappropriate behavior. In addition, the children were exhibiting other radical changes in behavior, including temper outbursts, sudden mood shifts, and poor impulse control. All these behavioral symptoms are to be expected in preschool children who have been molested.” [45]
The San Jose Mercury News expanded on the story a few months later with an article titled Army of the Night, 46. This article dives into the satanic aspect of the child abuse at the Presidio. Satanism had apparently surfaced at the Presidio years earlier. Military Police had investigated some buildings after reports of a man dressed in all black holding a little girls hand had been reported. An MP was recorded as saying: “We kicked the door open and here's this nice little bedroom. In a corner was a mannequin with a gun aimed at the door. On the left side there was a bunk against the wall. There was a pentagram on the floor, a huge one. There were dolls' heads all over the ceiling, just off-the-wall stuff... We were sitting there, we've got a cult on the Presidio of San Francisco and nobody cares about it. We were told by the provost marshal to just forget about it.” As a side note, in February 1987, Aquino appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show and gave a passionate defense of his Satanic beliefs. On the Autumnal equinox of 1987, an occult day of importance, fire would strike a building adjacent to the day care center, destroying many records relating to the center. A month later, fire would destroy the day care center itself. The ATF found that the causes of both fires had been arson, contrary to the Army which claimed faulty wiring. Prosecutors would once again bring charges against Gary Hambright, but suspiciously they did not include the allegations of children with serious documented abuse such as missing hymens and rectal lesions. Apparently the children were chosen on the basis of who would make the best witnesses. The strategy did not pan out, the judge ruled the charges as “too vague” and Hambright walked free, and no charges were again brought against the Presidio military base day care center [46].
(CONTINUED)
FALSE MEMORIES SYNDROME FOUNDATION
The next case I will address is known as the McMartin Preschool abuse scandal. But before I delve into that, I need to address the False Memories Syndrome Foundation, FMSF. They are a prominent group promoting the idea that children who claim they have been abused in satanic rituals have either wild imaginations, or were prodded along by zealot psychologists. They have been tremendously successful in their mission. Recently a Reddit post promoting the false memory theory received over 2000 upvotes in r/TIL. Members of FMSF have been called to appear as expert witnesses in dozens of court cases. I have already established that there have been hundreds of different children reporting satanic abuse not only across the country, but in different continents as well.
This alone should be enough to make the false memory theory very flimsy. However, there is a lot more interesting information about the FMSF to discuss. A huge amount of members of the FMSF have not only been accused of pedophilia themselves, but are also a part of the military industrial complex. Peter J. Freyd founded the FMSF after being accused of sexual abuse by his daughter. David Dinges, a member of the scientific advisory board of the FMSF, was involved with Navy Intelligence. Harold Leif was involved with CIA mind control experiments. Paul McHugh has been a very vocal critic of Dissociative Identity Disorder and has worked at many military hospitals. Martin T. Orne was funded by MKULTRA Harvard Crimson. Ralph Underwager claimed it was 'gods will' when adults engage in sex with children.
There are more suspicious members of the FMSF but I feel that this list suffices. I will end this paragraph with a quote from the Columbia Journalism Review: "Rarely has such a strange and little-understood organization had such a profound effect on media coverage of such a controversial matter. The [False Memory Syndrome] foundation is an aggressive, well-financed PR machine adept at manipulating the press, harassing its critics, and mobilizing a diverse army of psychiatrists, outspoken academics, expert defense witnesses, litigious lawyers, Freud bashers, critics of psychotherapy, and devastated parents.”
(CONTINUED)
MCMARTIN PRESCHOOL ABUSE
Now, on to the McMartin Preschool case. The McMartin preschool, located in California, was the center of a massive child prostitution and pornography ring, and appears to be the center of an equally massive coverup. Concerns began in August 1983, when a mother told police that her two year old son had been sexually abused 47, LA TIMES. By 1984, 360 children had come forward claiming abuse 48, NY TIMES. A significant number showed physical evidence of abuse 49, NY TIMES. These kids also described wild satanic rituals they were forced to participate it, such as eating feces, necrophilia and coprophilia, with some claims as bizarre as a babies head being chopped off, and being forced to drink the blood 50. CRIME LIBRARY. The children told stories of being transported in underground tunnels. The mainstream media did their best to discredit the tunnel theory.
However, archeologist E. Gary Stickel, PhD |
company, Uniview Technologies, according to a March report in The New York Times. Uniview is the largest supplier to the government's Safe Cities program, a controversial monitoring system that allows the Chinese authorities to watch over university campuses, places of worship and other gathering places through centralized command posts.
After The New York Times published its story, the Romney stressed that his investments were managed by a blind trust, underscoring that he didn't have direct control of where Bain invested after he left the private venture firm. "I don't make investments in Bain or anywhere else," Romney told reporters at the time. "That's done by a trustee who makes decisions that he thinks are correct."
In his unsuccessful 1994 Senate campaign against Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., Romney at the time criticized the senator for using a blind trust to manage his investments, calling it "an age-old ruse." He added, "You can always tell the blind trust what it can and cannot do. You give a blind trust rules."
Immigration
Claim: Obama said Romney called Arizona's controversial immigration law a "model" for the rest of the nation.
Facts: Romney quickly corrected Obama on this one, saying he was referring only to the E-verify provision of the Arizona law.
"You know, I think you see a model in Arizona," Romney's said in a Feb. 22 debate in Mesa, Ariz. But he continued: "They passed a law here that says — that says that people who come here and try and find work, that the employer is required to look them up on E-verify. This E-verify system allows employers in Arizona to know who's here legally and who's not here legally."
But Romney has also said he would drop the federal lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the Arizona law "on Day One" — a position now mooted by a Supreme Court ruling that overturned some provisions of the law and upholding others.
At an event sponsored by Spanish-language Univision last month, Romney softened his stance. "My inclination would be to have them go with the rate of inflation."
Gas prices
Claim: Romney said a gallon of gasoline in Nassau County, N.Y., was $1.86 when Obama took office. It's now "4 bucks a gallon." He also said the cost of electricity is up.
Facts: Gas prices were going through a period of exceptional volatility when Obama took office — largely because, as Obama noted, gas prices plummeted as the recession took hold and people drove less. The day before Obama was sworn in, the national average for a gallon of regular gas was $1.83, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). As of Monday, it was $3.71.
But gas prices are still 34 cents below their all-time high during the Bush administration. In the summer of 2008, the national average hit $4.05 a gallon.
The average retail price of electricity has also risen — but just barely. It's up 2.5% from 2008 to 2011, according to the EIA. Abundant natural gas — thanks largely to new controversial new drilling methods known as "fracking" — has helped keep electricity costs below inflation.
DREAM Act veto
Claim: Obama said Romney said he would veto the DREAM Act, which would help young adults brought to the United States as illegal immigrants by their parents when they were children.
Facts: When asked by a voter in Le Mars, Iowa, on Dec. 31, 2011, if he would veto the DREAM Act if Congress passed it, Romney affirmed he would.
"The answer is yes," Romney said. "I'm delighted with the idea that people who come to this country and wish to serve in the military can be given a path to become permanent residents in this country. Those who serve in our military and fulfill those requirements, I respect and acknowledge that path. For those that come here illegally, the idea of giving them in-state-tuition credits or other special benefits I find to be the contrary to the idea of a nation of law. If I'm the president of the United States, I want to end illegal immigration so that we can protect legal immigration. I like legal immigration."
The Romney campaign also said later in a statement that the former Massachusetts governor supports allowing "young illegal immigrants who were brought to the United States as children <ellipsis> the chance to become permanent residents, and eventually citizens, by serving honorably in the United States military."
Tax breaks to ship jobs overseas
Claim: "You can ship overseas and get tax breaks for it," Obama said. "Now, Gov. Romney actually wants to expand those tax breaks."
Facts: A version of this claim came up in the first presidential debate, when Romney replied: "The idea that you get a break for shipping jobs overseas is simply not the case."
They're both right. There's no provision in the tax code that gives a company a specific deduction for moving jobs overseas — although they can take the same deduction for business expenses as they would for any other expense that comes off their bottom line. And once a subsidiary of an American company sets up shop overseas, federal tax collectors have no jurisdiction over those profits until they're sent back to the United States.
So no, there are no specific tax breaks for shipping jobs overseas. But the effect of the tax code does allow companies to realize tax advantages for doing so. Obama wants to eliminate those tax incentives and create a new tax deduction for expenses incurred by companies that move foreign operations back to the United States. Romney has not supported that position.
Romney's 47% comments
Claim: Romney said he cares about "100% of the American people."
Facts: At a private May 17 fundraiser, Romney claimed that 47% of Americans will support Obama "no matter what" because they are "dependent upon government" and "pay no income tax." Romney added: "My job is not to worry about those people." After the comments were made public by Mother Jones in September, Romney has had to shift course on the facts as well as the politics. According to a July 2011 study from the Tax Policy Center, about 46.4%, or 76 million people, didn't pay federal income taxes in 2011. They projected that 46% won't in 2012, and 44% won't in 2013, under current tax law. However, those individuals do pay other taxes in the forms of payroll taxes, which help fund Social Security and Medicare, state and local taxes, and other forms of taxation, like property taxes.
People who do not pay federal income taxes include senior citizens and the working poor who have incomes so low that they can't afford to be taxed. Romney's claim that these Americans will support Obama is also false. According to recent Gallup polling, 37% of low-income earners said they intended to vote for Romney, who has also led among those 65 and older. Many of the voters who Romney lumped in as Obama supporters fall clearly under his coalition.
Romney said in an interview on Fox News Channel earlier this month that those comments were a mistake.
Terror attack in Libya
Claim: Romney said Obama took two weeks to acknowledge the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, was a terrorist attack.
Facts: In a Rose Garden statement on Sept 12, Obama described the incident as "acts of terror."
Later, speaking on Late Night With David Letterman, a week after the attack, Obama said "terrorists and extremists" had attacked U.S. diplomatic installations in Libya and elsewhere, using a controversial video that portrayed the prophet Mohammed as a pedophile as a pretext. U.S. intelligence agencies, however, surmised by the day after the assault that the incident was indeed a terrorist attack and there was no protest prior to the incident, according to multiple news reports.
Other administration officials were slower to describe the incident as a terrorism.
The White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters on Sept. 20 that the incident was a terrorist attack. And U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, continued to describe the incident as part of a protest outside the U.S. diplomatic mission for several days after the incident.
5.4% unemployment
Claim: Romney said Obama said unemployment would be 5.4% by now.
Facts: Two economists who would soon join the Obama administration issued a report in early January 2009 – before Obama's inauguration – predicting that an economic stimulus plan would prevent unemployment from rising above 8% and would push it down to about 5.4% by the third quarter of 2012. However, the economists underestimated the severity of the recession. Even without the stimulus, they forecast in that report that the jobless rate would be 5.9% by now.
Last year, the Commerce Department said the slump was far worse than it had estimated, with the economy contracting almost 9% in the fourth quarter of 2008 and 5.3% in the first quarter of 2009.
Bain Capital
Claim: Obama said Romney's business strategy is you can invest in a company, bankrupt it and still make money.
Facts: The Obama campaign and Democrats have repeatedly hit Romney on his connections to the private venture capital firm, Bain Capital, which it has claimed has loaded companies with debt to give investors dividends earlier.
The Wall Street Journal found that about 22% of Bain's companies either filed for bankruptcy or liquidated within eight years after the private-equity firm acquired them. Four of the companies that produced Bain's 10 biggest gains ended up in bankruptcy court, according to the Journal.
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/TsrWGqBUDAPEST — With thousands of migrants pouring out of Afghanistan and the Middle East, the business of smuggling them across the Balkans into the European Union has grown even larger than the illicit trade in drugs and weapons, law enforcement officials said.
In Greece alone, there are 200 such smuggling rings, said Col. Gerald Tatzgern, head of the Austrian police service fighting human trafficking.
“It has developed into a business worth billions,” said Johanna Mikl-Leitner, the interior minister of Austria. Smugglers have spread out through the region, in Bulgaria, Hungary, Macedonia, Romania and Serbia, she added.
Their presence is evident at Budapest’s Keleti train station, where thousands have had their route to the West cut off by Hungarian officials. The smugglers’ agents roam the crowd, quietly offering rides to Austria for hundreds of dollars.For the past few years, people have accused E3 of becoming a rather dull affair. Companies show their games, fans support whoever they're most loyal to, and journalists are forced to give press conferences silly report card grades. Rinse and repeat.
But not this year. In over a decade of watching E3 events, I've honestly never seen one company completely and utterly destroy a competitor like what happened last night between Sony and Microsoft. It may sound like hyperbole, but what took place over the course of the day will send shockwaves through this entire next console generation. Sony is now simply in a position to dominate Microsoft when both the Playstation 4 and the Xbox One launch side by side this year. They weren't content to merely watch Microsoft stumble, rather this was a targeted effort to directly humiliate their competition in a way that's seldom been seen in this market before.
Things actually started out pretty well for Microsoft. They had a solid press event themselves, at least for 99% of it where they showed game after game after game in order to reassure their base that yes, this was indeed the system for the hardcore gamer. No talk of TV tuning or fantasy sports, and the Kinect wasn't even mentioned, all items that core fans celebrated, and the games looked great too.
But it was in that last 1% where things took a turn. Microsoft announced the price of the Xbox One: $499. It was a shock for the wrong reasons. Many had expected the system to be no more than $399 at launch, or possibly even lower. The idea was that as an "entertainment box," everyone should want one in their homes, regardless of whether they're a die-hard gamer or not. A low price would encourage that. But a high one? It would surely have the opposite effect.
With that price, Microsoft immediately became solely reliant on hardcore gamers to make the Xbox One a success at launch, as they're the only ones who would pay that much money for a game console. Unfortunately for Microsoft, that's exactly the group they've been aggravating to no end over the past few weeks as they announced restrictive and confusing policies about reselling used games, lending them to friends, and having to have the console check in over the internet once a day. All of these were issues that weren't even touched on during their press conference, and Microsoft hoped drowning their fans in new games would make them forget all about those concerns.
Enter Sony.
Ahead of the event, I remarked that Sony had an unprecedented opportunity to take advantage of Microsoft's plight. By simply sticking to the status quo, allowing players to play offline and trade-in used games without restriction, they could not only retain their own fans, but steal legions from Microsoft in the process. I had my doubts they would do this however, as whatever system they had in place was likely to be fixed at that point ahead of E3. They may have adopted some variant of the Xbox One's policies, and the two systems would simply be on equal footing in those areas, and consumers would suffer the consequences.
But that's not what happened.
Normally, a standing ovation during an E3 press conference comes after the announcement of a specifically beloved title, or a demo of some truly amazing gameplay. But during Sony's event last night, that reaction came after Sony said that the PlayStation 4 would fully support used games, allow for easy lending and would have absolutely zero online requirements to play single player games. The crowd, quite literally, went wild.
At that point, the tide was shifting in Sony's favor. Fans and journalists alike mulled over what they'd just heard as Bungie showed footage from Destiny. But when the lights came back on, Sony's knockout punch came with them. The system would be $399.
The ability to support used games and offline play would have been enough to give a distinct advantage to Sony, even if the prices were matched, but to have a full $100 difference between the two systems at launch? Sony didn't just capitalize on Microsoft's mistakes over the past few weeks. They picked up the ball Microsoft dropped, tossed it in the air, then smacked it out of the park. Then they turned and laughed in their faces, as seen in the video below, which already has 1.5M hits in the last twelve hours alone:
This is a combination of Microsoft creating a horrible mess for themselves, and Sony being smart enough to capitalize on the situation to the point where they outright embarrassed their rivals in front of millions. I've never seen anything like it at E3. Sony's VP of Worldwide Studios spoke to Polygon about the feeling that accompanied these announcements, and the thought process leading up to them:
"It's something that we believe in. We know gamers come first; we know what they want. I was personally overwhelmed with the massive explosion on Twitter, with everyone essentially begging, 'Please don't do this Sony, please don't do this PlayStation!' It was so hard not to say, right away, 'Well, we never were going to do that, but now let's have a little fun and announce it in a fun way at the PlayStation press conference.'
"I mean, that was such an amazing message," Rohde said. "We kind of had a feeling; we kind of knew we were gonna land a little bit cheaper than those green guys. When it was verified this morning, we've just been walking around with smiles all day."
Microsoft, as of now, is a bit harder to get a hold of, and is likely carefully crafting some sort of PR spin for all this (see their latest non-response at the end of Daniel's post here). They have to get a handle on things, but it's not just the press they have to contend with. Fans across every form of social media, even many self-proclaimed Xbox loyalists, are unanimously declaring Sony not only the winner of E3, but of the entire next console generation. Obviously, that's going a bit far, but the messaging problem is more real now than ever. "RIP Xbox One, 2013-2013" said one Reddit user, the sentiment posted on top of a picture of the console. This is a scary position for Microsoft to be in.
There are so many ways that Microsoft shot themselves in the foot here, it's hard to even keep track of them all. First and foremost, the used game issue simply didn't need to exist. Microsoft took far too long to convey the message that it was up to publishers to activate or deactivate used game sales, and by the time they did, people were already permanently upset with them. I completely empathize with their desire to push for digital distribution, but they got too far ahead of themselves. They could have set up an easy, convenient digital download network for new games that people could use if they so chose. But they also should have kept physical discs around for those who wanted them, and not used them as mere licenses to install content to a hard drive.
The same goes for the online check-in requirement. Microsoft was far too slow to clarify their position there, and though a once-a-day check-in is not "always on," it's not convenient either for those lacking internet, like soldiers deployed overseas. Is console piracy really so rampant that this system was necessary? I don't believe so, and this was a fight that never should have been picked in the first place. Though again, this system also ties back to an ability to restrict used games.
And then there's the price, driven up to an uncomfortable level by the burden of the Kinect. Across both the Xbox One reveal and Microsoft's E3 press conference, we've seen the new version of Kinect do only a few things, namely control menus and TV inputs with gestures and voice commands. The Kinect wasn't even mentioned when it came to nearly all of the games shown during yesterday's conference. Microsoft is torn between wanting everyone to have a Kinect, but also realizing many of their fans hate hearing about it, which is why it was almost completely absent from the presentation yesterday. They can't have it both ways, and its stuck them with a system that's expensive because of a peripheral most of their fanbase didn't want before, and certainly don't want now as it's been reclassified as some sort of Orwellian, always listening surveillance device. Even if it isn't, again, it's yet another Microsoft PR problem that spun out of control. It will be interesting to watch their stock prices this morning, and at the time of writing just after opening, MSFT is down 1.3% while SNE is up the same amount.
It would have been enough to let Microsoft dig its own grave, but Sony knocked them out with a shovel and started piling dirt on top of them for good measure. Metaphors aside, the Xbox One faces a very real challenge in trying to come up with selling points as to why it's a more worthwhile purchase than the PS4.
There are its handful of exclusive titles that Sony doesn't have like Titanfall, Halo, Gears of War, Dead Rising, and so on, but Sony has just as many worthy exclusives, if not more, on its side. Then there's the Kinect, and the Xbox One's TV tuning abilities, but in the end neither adds anything that you can't do with a cable box and the "input" button on your remote control, items which people already own and don't cost $500. I'm really stretching my brain here to carefully weigh both sides of the issue, but I simply cannot come up with a logical reason why someone on a limited budget would purchase an Xbox One over a PlayStation 4 this fall given the price and consumer friendly policies of the latter, and the complete disregard for common sense of the former.
All of this isn't to say that Sony is guaranteed to "win" the next console generation outright. It will certainly have an advantage at launch, but after this fiasco Microsoft may do everything in their power to change the narrative, perhaps even walking back some of these controversial policies at some point, or shooting for an early price cut. And in the long run, I still believe deep down the Kinect has an incredible amount of untapped potential.
Or really, no one could win. Video game consoles face increased entertainment competition now more than ever before with mobile devices and the ever-present shadow of increasingly affordable and popular PC gaming. That said, I don't subscribe to the idea that consoles are dead or dying. I just think there might be less of them in the future. Microsoft needs to hope the Xbox isn't one of the first casualties.
There are many lessons to be learned here, the first and foremost being "listen to your customers." Sony did, Microsoft didn't, and the result was nothing short of a gut-wrenching fatality, and a flawless victory for the wiser party.
Read The One PS4 Caveat You Should Know About.
Follow me on Twitter here and subscribe to my Forbes blog here.The federal government must pay for some of the flooding damage from Hurricane Katrina caused by failures of the hurricane protection system in the New Orleans area, a judge ruled Friday.
Judge Susan G. Braden of the United States Court of Federal Claims in Washington focused her decision on a navigation project built by the Army Corps of Engineers, a canal known as the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet and nicknamed MR-GO.
The canal has been linked to devastating flood damage in the Lower Ninth Ward neighborhood of New Orleans and damage to nearby St. Bernard Parish after the hurricane struck on Aug. 29, 2005. The canal has since been closed.
Judge Braden referred to the 76-mile canal, which had “substantially expanded and eroded” over the years, as a “ticking time bomb.” She praised the Corps of Engineers in the suit, saying that it had been “open, transparent and helpful in educating the court to understand what happened.” She was harshly critical of the Department of Justice, however, stating that it had “pursued a litigation strategy of contesting each and every issue.”The Future of Disqus Aims at Better Discovery (Trolls Not Welcome)
Disqus is already everywhere you’ve been on the Web. It’s the most widely utilized commenting platform on the Internet, spread across two million Web sites both small and large (including, may I add, AllThingsD).
Thing is, Disqus gets little time in the spotlight. It’s the space on the Web page where you respond to content, the little blank box at the bottom of an article where users can weigh in. Disqus may already be ubiquitous, but it’s a secondary thought at best, not a destination.
At least, not yet.
The company recently had a “hack week,” piecing together features that could end up in the final Disqus product. The result: Taking the strengths of Disqus’s existing massive network of active comment discussions across the Web and filtering them, surfacing the most popular material for users to browse.
In essence, Disqus wants to build something greater than the sum of its disparate discussion parts, the “destination” experience that the company is missing.
Think of it as an amalgam of features popular on other social sites like Reddit, StumbleUpon and even Pinterest. In Disqus’ early hacked sketches, CEO Daniel Ha and company built a conceptual main homepage where the most active discussions across the network — or “trending” discussions, in familiar social network parlance — will show up.
There are other early projects focused on local discussions centered around the smartphone user out in the world, as well as a media-centric “color it in” feature that aims to add more life to the usual text-based discussions seen on some commenting platforms.
The thinking behind the experiments makes sense. If the company can create new ways to drum up user engagement through a central portal like a Disqus homepage, that activity can be channeled out to the disparate discussions occurring across the hundreds of thousands of sites Disqus currently lives on. Harness the power of a strong, traffic-feeding homepage and you can deliver millions of page views out to sites across the Web.
In turn, Web publishers will be more apt to implement Disqus on their sites at the possibility of that traffic influx.
That’s similar to the power of a site like Reddit, which can send massive swarms of traffic to third-party sites after a link ends up on Reddit’s powerful front door.
But Reddit wasn’t built in a day. The site has an almost cult-like following of devotees, complete with their own jargon, in-jokes and even a loosely defined code of what should and should not show up on the homepage. Disqus’ aim is to go beyond the cliquishness that seems to define Reddit, appealing to the massive consumer base that logs on to Disqus across any given site on the Web.
In terms of community-building, Disqus has its work cut out for it. You may have noticed on a number of Disqus-based comment sections that many conversations devolve into vitriolic spitting matches, often the lifeblood of Web trolls and anonymous sharpshooters whose only aim is to derail a thread. It ruins any hope of fostering dialogue, which Disqus needs in order to make any notion of being a destination site a success.
These are early days and fledgling ideas, and the company hasn’t ironed out all the kinks quite yet. As of Friday, the company is only previewing a taste of the direction it intends to take.
But I’m told we should see more on this front in the coming months, as the company builds better, more finished versions of the products it wants to introduce. Expect to see new features slowly roll out in the new year, including the company’s experimental “Labs” arm.
If you don’t like Disqus’ new experiments, I’m sure there’s room for discussion — just try not to be a troll about it.i don’t usually rant on here. not gonna readmore either bc anger so bare w/ me this once pls, and sorry.
look. i’m a wr fan, i will die and still ship wr. look at this monochrome i drew. this is not my ship. do i care?? did drawing this leave me wishing i could catapult myself into the top floor of a burning 80 story building, effectively killing myself in arguably the most painful way possible for my sins???? the answer iS NO BC WEISS LOOKS FUCKING HAPPY AND AS LONG AS MY LITTLE SHITLORD IS HAPPY, IN A NONABUSIVE RELATIONSHIP, WHO TF CARES WHO SHE WITH??
not gonna tag anything/anyone since i’m over a week late to the news as always, and i’m sure it’s something that she probably doesn’t want brought up now, especially from someone who draws mainly wr/bb and who only followed her blog from the shadows of my search history for such a long time, but liSTEN UP i’m rly upset that it got as far as her leaving the fucking fandom. i’ve liked her art since the negitoro days for christs sake and i was fucking ecstatic to see her into rwby, EVEN THOUGH HER SHIP WAS NOT MY SHIP, because guess what??? HER ART CUTE YOU FUKCERS how dare?????? keep ur shiphate to yourself don’t!!! tag fucking shiphate on other people’s art posts, fanfic posts, text posts, inBOX MESSAGES WHAT thE EVEN FUCK?? you are free to hate a ship who cares but DONT’T SHIT ON ANYTHING THAT’S NOT YOUR POST, ON YOUR BLOG bc guess what THAT’S RUDE AF??? the op can SEE your fucking replies, your tags, your comments. these are actual people. please think about others before u empty ur hate fueled bowels all over a person who is just trying to find enjoyment in contributing to a fandom you are also a part of.
the fact that it got so far really jimmies my jammies and i’m so disappointed in the fndm in general, especially the wr/bb that i loved so god fuck much. byeMOSCOW — Asserting himself abroad with his customary disruptive panache, President Vladimir V. Putin on Wednesday jumped into the furor over President Trump’s disclosure of classified information to Russian diplomats, declaring that nothing secret had been revealed and that he could prove it.
Mr. Putin, who has a long record of seizing on foreign crises to make Russia’s voice heard, announced during a news conference in Sochi, Russia, the Black Sea resort that has become his equivalent of Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago, that he has a “record” of the American president’s meeting at the White House with two senior Russian officials and was ready to give it to Congress — so long as Mr. Trump does not object.
Referring to reports that Mr. Trump had revealed highly classified intelligence, Mr. Putin said, “It’s hard to imagine what else these people who generate such nonsense and rubbish can dream up next.”
Mr. Putin’s offer to release a record of what was said, made after a meeting with the visiting prime minister of Italy, Paolo Gentiloni, suggested less an effort to create clarity over what Mr. Trump actually said in the Oval Office last Wednesday than a headline-grabbing assertion of his own authority and a reminder that he should not be ignored.Ask an Expert
I heard a scientist say that a day was 21 hours long during the time of the dinosaurs. Is this true and if so why?
The 24-hour clock is locked into our mammalian biology, our technology and our culture. But it hasn't always been that way.
The length of an Earth day has been increasing slowly throughout most of the Earth's 4.5-billion-year history, says Dr Rosemary Mardling, mathematical scientist at Monash University, and it all has to do with the Moon.
"The reason is that the Moon is attempting to slow down the spin of the Earth. The Earth was spinning very much faster when the Moon was formed," says Mardling.
Back when the Moon was formed the length of an Earth day was a very brief two to three hours, and a much closer Moon was orbiting the Earth every five hours.
So how did the Moon slow us down? It has to do with gravitational force and the transfer of angular momentum.
"If someone was sitting on a chair that could spin and you tried to slow them down with your hand, they would slow down a little bit and you'd be flipped around a bit. You'd get some angular momentum."
And that's what is happening with the Earth-Moon system. Much like the hand interrupting the spinning chair, the gravitational pull of the Moon exerts a force on the Earth that transfers angular momentum from the spin of the Earth into the orbit of the Moon.
"In doing so, the Earth slows down a little bit and the Moon moves away from the Earth," says Mardling.
We can measure the speed of the Moon's retreat — reflective panels on the Moon allow for fine calibrations that show that it's currently moving away one to two centimetres a year.
We also know that the spin of the Earth is slowing.
"The spin down rate is very slow," says Mardling, "It's about two milliseconds per century. So the Earth's day is getting longer by a 500th of a second every century"
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In the time of the dinos
So would the day length during the age of the dinosaurs have been 21 hours?
"The dinosaurs were around 100 million years ago, which at the current rate [of day lengthening] adds up to 2000 seconds, which is less than an hour."
But while the lengthening of the day adds up, "the spin down rate was probably greater in the past," she adds.
Geological evidence for increasing day length can help us pin this time down more accurately. Tidal records laid down in ancient estuaries can show daily, monthly and seasonal cycles in alternating deposits of sand and silt. They indicate that 620 million years ago the day was 21 hours, says Mardling.
Since the dinosaurs lived during the Mesozoic era, from 250 million years ago to 65 million years ago, day length would have been longer than 21 hours and probably closer to 23 hours.
At that time the Moon would have been closer to the Earth too. So the world the dinosaurs lived in would have been different to ours in more than the obvious ways, she says.
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Earthquakes and day length
Significant earthquakes can also affect the length of the day, but only very slightly.
They do so be changing the Earth's "moment of inertia" which describes how mass is distributed inside the Earth. The principal of conservation of angular momentum means that a change to the moment of inertia results in a change to the spin rate.
"Imagine the Earth is made of lots of little bricks. You can measure the position of each brick and its position from the rotation axis of the Earth. If you squared that distance, multiplied it by the mass of the brick and then you added it all up over all the bricks, you would get the moment of inertia.
If you move the bricks around a little bit you get a different answer, and that's what can happen during some very large earthquakes.
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The future
The Moon and Earth's celestial dance theoretically will take billions of years to end.
"This process finishes when the length of the day is the same as the length of the (lunar) month," says Mardling, who once worked this out to be around 45 (current Earth) days.
This means that the Moon will take 45 days to orbit the Earth and the Earth will take 45 days to complete a rotation that currently takes 24 hours.
"At that point the Earth will always show the same face to the Moon, as the Moon already does to us."
This will occur when the Moon has "spun down" the Earth, says Mardling.
"We spun down the Moon a long, long time ago because it is so much less massive than the Earth".
"However", says Mardling, "it's such a ridiculously long time away that by then the Sun will have become a red giant."
And if humans are still around then we'll have bigger things to worry about than day length.
Dr Rosemary Mardling is a senior lecturer at Monash University's School of Mathematical Sciences. She studies the dynamical evolution of stellar and planetary systems. Dr Mardling spoke to Kylie Andrews.Underground rivers are about so much more than geology."
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Newspaper accounts described it as a "Mystic River" beneath the streets of Birmingham, a vast stream with river banks once inhabited by people who left behind mummies and Masonic symbols and containing remains of "extinct sea monsters."
It was, of course, a huge hoax.
The story of Birmingham's underground river stretches back to articles in the Birmingham Iron-Age in 1884 and has been recounted by Bhamwiki and in a 2013 unpublished manuscript -- Underground Rivers -- by Thomas J. Heggen, professor emeritus of civil engineering at The University of New Mexico.
It is no secret there are underground bodies of water in Birmingham and across Alabama.
Alabama has more miles of underground rivers than any other state. Those rivers, known as groundwater, are responsible for most sinkholes.
"Groundwater is moving through cracks and crevices in the limestone, forming caves or caverns underground," Sandy Ebersole, with the Geological Survey of Alabama, told AL.com in March. "Eventually, the caves or caverns get so big, or the weight above gets so heavy, the roof of the cave collapses. That's what forms a sinkhole."
That became an issue last year when a 100 foot deep sinkhole formed at the entrance of Birmingham's new baseball stadium.
The idea of an "underground river" captured the imaginations of Birmingham residents 130 years ago.
Birmingham Public Library archivist Jim Baggett discussed the "river" and its role in Magic City history in "noir tours" he gave in October.
"There's debate as to whether it's an actual river, but there are huge bodies of water under Birmingham, pretty close to the surface," Baggett said at the time.
Birmingham's water issues helped shape early Birmingham - how buildings were built, where they were built, and how high they could go, Baggett said.
"Especially in the early years, it was very much on people's minds. It kind of helped shape the psyche of Birmingham, too."
That was driven in large part, Heggen writes, by the arrival in the early 1880s of Joseph Mulhatton, a traveling salesman well known for pitching tall tales to any newsman willing to listen.
By the early 20th century, after having claimed to discover the petrified body of George Washington, monkeys trained to pick hemp, and cacti able to magnetically attract human bodies, "to lie like a Mulhatton" had become a commonly used pejorative term, Heggen wrote.
A website called Museum of Hoaxes describes Mulhatton as "perhaps the most famous hoaxer in America."
In 1880, the Atlanta Constitution debunked a claim by Mulhatton of oil having being struck in Birmingham, Heggen wrote.
It was at about that time underground water sources became an issue for the young, growing city.
This comes from the Bhamwiki entry about the "underground river":
"In August 1884 it was observed, during a hard rain, that water flowing along a large, open sewer on 5th Avenue North, disappeared into the ground at a certain point between 21st and 22nd Street.
An investigation revealed a hole in the bottom of the sewer opening into a large cavern. Mayor A. O. Lane directed an exploration by "two strong men with ropes tied around their waists," elsewhere identified as "Mr. Lacy, boss of the street gang, and a Negro man."'
The two worked their way through the rock and and that they heard rushing water below, but could not locate the bottom of the cavern, even with 9-foot poles they took with them. Complaining of headaches from "impure air" they returned to the surface.
The Birmingham Iron-Age of August 21 of that year reported that crews were working to open inlets to the underground river at 5th Avenue between 22nd and 23rd Street North, and at East Park, near Central High School. Mayor Lane was interested in determining the value of such a stream either for water supply or drainage.
Later reports indicated that it was expected to be used as a sewer."
Mulhatton, evidently, saw in this stream an opportunity to capture headlines.
A week after the Iron-Age article appeared, another article ran, entitled "Underneath Us," about a group of men who contacted Mulhatton -- described in the article as a "great Kentucky scientist and cave expert" -- to explore the "river."
Mulhatton reported that the 45-to-70-foot-deep river was suitable for steamship travel and led to the Gulf of Mexico. The river was said to be |
should be directed to a login page
When the user submits valid credentials
Then they should be redirected back to the restricted content
Now we have exactly two domains, namely the “what” of user authentication (words like unauthenticated, user, credentials) and the “how” of web-based security (words like restricted asset, submits, redirected, content). If either of these domains changes then we would expect the scenario to change too. If we decide valid credentials are no longer enough we’ll probably need to add some more steps. Or if we decide to turn the app into a thick client then there will no longer be a login “page” so we might need to change that step to be a “modal dialog” or “screen” or something else thick-clienty.
Notice how we don’t explicitly say what it means to “submit valid credentials.” We’ve pushed this down into the implementation of the step. If we were to change the authentication model, say from name/password to OpenID, then the scenario would break, which we want (the implementation of the how has changed) so we would change the implementation of the step “the user submits valid credentials” to provide an OpenID URL rather than name/password pair, say.
But the wording and sequence of the scenario itself wouldn’t change because the intent is still the same and the behaviour is still the same – it’s the implementation of the behaviour – corresponding to the step’s implementation – that has changed, and that shouldn’t affect the meaning of the scenario.
Chunking – or the myth of “declarative”
Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) describes a technique called chunking, that’s useful for either solving problems or creating options. For any statement, you can chunk up by asking “Why..?” or “What for..?” questions and chunk down by asking “How..?” questions. The further you chunk up, the broader your perspective becomes, and the further you chunk down, the more detailed. The power of chunking comes when you start to chunk sideways, by asking “How else..?” questions.
For instance with our login scenario, we could chunk up with: “What are you logging in for?” Perhaps it’s to restrict access to premium content, or for regulatory reasons. If it’s the former we could chunk sideways with: “How else could you restrict access?” Perhaps we could filter on IP or MAC address, or use cookies, or single sign-on. Then we can chunk down again to consider solutions: “How could we filter on MAC addresses? What new security issues could this raise?”
Once you realise you can ask “What for?” or “How?” at any layer of abstraction, concepts like “declarative” or “imperative” suddenly become relative. Any layer is the what of the layer below, and the how of the layer above. SQL is often described as a declarative language: you describe what you want to select but you don’t tell the database how to find it. However, the statement select employee_id, salary from employees where salary > 100000 could equally be considered imperative, a command, if the “declared” requirement is “find all employees paying higher rate tax” (tacit knowledge: higher rate tax kicks in at 100k), which itself is an imperative implementation detail if the original request is “establish our income tax liabilities by rate type.”
Be deliberate in your use of domain language
So tying this all up, when writing your scenarios keep in mind that you are writing them for two audiences: the person the feature is for and the person implementing it. Check the wording to see if you can spot anything from neither the problem nor the solution domains. If you find you are using language from outside those domains, you might be over-specifying the implementation or specifying unnecessarily broad requirements that mix concerns.
If you really care about how the behaviour is implemented, you should probably be specifying that elsewhere in a more fine-grained story – in other words chunking down to provide more detail – that won’t be interesting to the audience of this one. If not, you might want to push the detail down into the implementation of the steps.On Monday, September 24, Poets Speak Loud will present our Third Annual Celebrity Roast! Break out the presidential BBQ sauce because this year the poet on the spit is none other than our own Thom Francis.
You read it right! We are not holding back on the man that makes it all look so easy.
There will our usual open mic and in lieu of a feature we present to you some of Albany Poets best ball busters to try to bring Thom to tears and then he gets his turn to make them cry!
The roast panel includes: Keith Spencer, Dan Nester, Mojavi, Dan Wilcox, Kevin Peterson and keeping all these boys in line will be host/roast master Mary Panza!
Bring your poetry and let the games begin!
Thom has been reading, writing, and performing poetry in the area for almost 20 years. He has been featured at many of the open mics and events in the upstate region in that time. In 2000 he and R.M. Engelhardt started Albany Poets and in 2004 Thom and his trusty Board of Directors took the reigns of the organization and the rest is history.
Poets Speak Loud is a monthly open mic for poetry and spoken word with a featured poet hosted by local poet Mary Panza at McGeary’s (4 Clinton Square, Albany) in downtown Albany on the last Monday of each and every month.
Sign-up for the open mic is 7:00pm, we start around 8pmSinn Fein accused of 'burying' report into Lough Neagh future BelfastTelegraph.co.uk It's where Northern Ireland gets almost half of its water supplies. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/sinn-fein-accused-of-burying-report-into-lough-neagh-future-29772233.html https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/article29772232.ece/d80c3/AUTOCROP/h342/NWS_20131121_NEW_012_29691146_I1.JPG
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It's where Northern Ireland gets almost half of its water supplies.
And recent surveys show Government agencies are beginning to turn the tide on the water quality of Lough Neagh.
But now, however, the future of the Lough is emerging as the latest issue on which the two top parties at Stormont – Sinn Fein and the DUP – are at loggerheads.
Sinn Fein Agriculture Minister Michelle O'Neill is expected to come under fire from the DUP after it was confirmed no action has been taken on a report on the Lough produced almost a year ago.
Paul Frew, chairman of the agriculture and rural development committee, is to tackle Ms O'Neill on the delay in the Assembly next week.
The DUP MLA, who recently met with the peer who owns the Lough, the Earl Of Shaftesbury, said: "He is very keen to engage and be pro-active and I cannot fault him on that.
"I suspect the reason we have not seen the report is that it does not suit the Sinn Fein agenda and that therefore the minister has attempted to bury it.
"We (the committee) were given a preliminary briefing on this last November and it was then supposed to be going to the Executive very quickly. I will be wanting to ask the minister why has it stalled and why is it taking so long?
"It was very clear during the debate in the Assembly that Sinn Fein wanted to take the Lough back into public ownership.
"I have always been of the mind that we do not need to do that."
There was no comment from Sinn Fein but its Mid-Ulster MP Francie Molloy, who first raised the potential 'nationalisation' of the Lough in the Assembly, has said: "The situation is that you cannot drive a post down into Lough Neagh without paying a fee to the Shaftesbury estate."
A statement from Mrs O'Neill's department added: "The report from the Lough Neagh Working Group was a significant piece of work and requires due consideration.
"That consideration includes whether additional consultancy work be undertaken."
STORY SO FAR
The Northern Ireland public own the water in Lough Neagh, but not the Lough itself. The land, including the shore and the lough bed, belongs to the 12th Earl of Shaftesbury (below). The Assembly set up a 'working group' to look at taking the Lough into public ownership.
Belfast TelegraphSunday marks The Walking Dead’s fourth mid-season finale, and we know how things work on AMC’s zombie series. Someone is going to die. In fact, it’s possible that more than one major character may die. The Governor is expected to attack the prison (likely in a tank), and that sort of move doesn’t come without casualties. There will almost certainly be several minor characters who die in the mid-season finale, as well, including a few from The Governor’s new camp. But which major character (or characters) is the most likely to die? Let’s investigate the likely possibilities.
5. Maggie — There’s no real reason for Maggie to die at this point, and it would be dumb for Scott Gimple to kill her off since she’s one of the most popular characters on the show. Nothing this season has in any way foreshadowed her death, nor has her character’s utility been exhausted. However, she’s one of the featured guests on this week’s The Talking Dead, and The Talking Dead has a history of booking guests on the episode after their characters die. Fortunately, there’s also a “mystery guest,” which is the more likely person to die. I hope.
4. Tyreese — Tyreese has been on The Walking Dead since the season three mid-season finale, and that’s a long time for a black male character in a series that likes to kill off black male characters. With Bob Stookey around, can the The Walking Dead carry two token black guys? Besides that, Tyreese may have already exhausted his utility: Chad Coleman is a great, warm, and affectionate actor, but they haven’t really taken advantage of that. Tyreese has been in a depression since his girlfriend died. He’s already put himself in danger a couple of times, so there’s no reason to think he won’t try to sacrifice himself again when The Governor attacks. Plus, if the show wants to bring Carol back at some point in the second half of the season, it would be much easier without Tyreese around, since he’ll want to kill her.
3. Judith — If Scott Gimple wants to get maximum devastation out of the mid-season finale without actually killing off a necessary character, it makes sense to let Lil Ass Kicker go. In the early part of the season, in a scene with Michonne, we saw enough of Judith that it would break our hearts to see her die (and a zombie Judith would probably be too much to handle). Moreover, if there’s any possibility of The Governor actually taking over the prison during the attack, the easiest way to cripple Rick is probably through Judith. Narratively, Judith is also dead weight: She ties up Beth’s character (who is always on babysitting duty), which prevents her from growing. Moreover, Andrew Lincoln warned of a painful mid-season finale for his character, and the death of Judith makes more sense than the death of Carl.
2. Hershel — It’s time. Hershel was already supposed to die at the end of season two. Hell, he probably should’ve died during the infection. He had his hero moment in episode five, and showrunners love to kill off characters after they’ve had heroic turns. What else has Hershel got left to prove? The Greene family has been resilient, but it’s probably time they lost one member of that clan.
1. The Governor — I mean, come on. He has to, right? He should’ve died at the end of season three. However, they gave him two episodes to redeem his character, before once again dooming him to his fate as The Governor, illustrating how history repeats itself. What else is left for The Governor? If he takes over the prison, then we just see another repeat of Woodbury, and it’s not narratively sustainable for a mad man to be in charge. Plus, despite protestations to the contrary, David Morrissey is not going to have time to play the role once he’s the lead on his new AMC series. It just makes sense from both the character and the actor’s perpective to kill off The Governor.ASD
With 1 in 68 children being diagnosed with autism this year, its time to seriously look at what is causing this surge, and figure out how to further prevent it. Research tells us that environmental toxins play a large role in autism development, so some type of toxic reform would likely help tremendously, but what else can be done? Likely surprising to many, compounds in marijuana have actually been found to be useful in treating the symptoms of autism. Perhaps it’s time to look at medical marijuana for the healing plant that it is.
Stanford University has said that the debilitating effects of autism are primarily caused by a gene mutation that blocks the body’s natural production of cannabinoids, called endocannabinoids, hindering the way those molecules communicate with the brain. We all have our own natural endocannabinoid system.
In some individuals it works better than others. In parents who have autistic children, they are observing blank stares become loving hugs with medical marijuana use.
Researchers discovered that a mutated gene, neuroligin-3, responsible for creating and sustaining normal communication between brain cells, appears to have a direct relationship with autism. By introducing derivatives of cannabis to the brain, they could ease symptoms associated with the disease.
While the exact way in which the endocannabinoid system is disturbed in autistic persons is still not understood, researchers say there is significant evidence that suggests medical marijuana may be a highly feasible treatment for autism.
Researchers from the University of Irvine in California believe the scientists at Stanford are on the money. They have also uncovered a link between endocannabinoids and autism.
In a study of mice with fragile X syndrome, it “showed dramatic behavioral improvements in maze tests measuring anxiety and open-space acceptance.”
The active compound in marijuana, THC, stimulates the same receptors as the endocannabinoids:
“...increasing natural marijuana-like chemicals in the brain [that] can help correct behavioral issues related to fragile X syndrome, the most common known genetic cause of autism.”
Researchers are not advocating giving children medical marijuana just yet, though, stating that more research is needed. But some parents of autistic children think otherwise.
Chrissy Hetrick-Leonard is one mother with a child that suffers from a list of ailments, including autism, Dandy Walker Syndrome, and epileptic seizures. After trying an array of pharmaceutical drugs which gave her daughter no relief, marijuana compounds ‘saved her.’ This same story is not uncommon among other parents, who found that cannabis could save their children from terrible seizures. The plant even shows promise in combating cancer – especially brain cancer.
“Within the first week, I saw her come out of almost like a closet,” Chrissy says. “I got eye contact, direct smiles at me … The improvement after six months is mind blowing.”
Once again, medical marijuana is helping people change their health and lives for the better.
Additional Sources:
The Huffington Post
The ScientistIT WASN'T GOOD enough.
Kyle Schwarber's first step didn't have the explosion his trainer, former pro football player Yo Murphy, wanted.
The drill consisted of Murphy calling out which cone the Chicago Cubs slugger should run to out of a square of four. After Schwarber switched directions three or four times, Murphy threw a tennis ball over his head, mimicking a fly ball. Schwarber's job was to track it down, but on this occasion, he missed. Murphy instructed him to do it again.
That kind of a scene played out over and over again between player and trainer in three different locations in Tampa Bay throughout the day, as it has nearly every day this offseason. Since early November -- not long after the Cubs were knocked out of the National League Championship Series -- Schwarber has been on a mission. And not just to track down tennis balls or lose a few pounds. He isn't just looking for a comeback season after a rocky 2017. He wants more -- much more.
"Everyone is caught up in the weight-loss thing," Schwarber said between workouts Friday. "I'm not. I'm training my body for 162 games times nine innings or maybe more. I want to be an MVP. I want to be a Gold Glover. I want to set my standards really high."
Schwarber is a "don't tell him he can't do it" kind of guy, perhaps because he already achieved the nearly impossible in returning several months early from a devastating knee injury to help the Cubs win the 2016 World Series. But this winter is about more than playing well over the course of a few games. It's about dominating all 162. Schwarber calls it a "lifestyle change."
His workouts include agility drills on a football field -- that's where he eventually tracked down that tennis ball -- followed by indoor training sessions at the Applied Science and Performance Institute (ASPI), a popular workout facility among elite athletes in the area. Finally, Schwarber's day ends with him doing what he does best: hitting a baseball really far. But as any Cubs fans knows, he needs to make more contact.
That's just one of Schwarber's goals in a transformative offseason for the 24-year-old player.
'I want to be great. You have to do all those little things to be great.'
Kyle Schwarber has lost just about 20 pounds working with trainer Yo Murphy this offseason. Will his newfound agility help him make plays in left field for the Cubs? Jesse Rogers/ESPN
IT'S 9 A.M. and Schwarber is beginning his day on an artificial football field at Skyway Park, where he'll spend an hour on agility. His day starts here, but the genesis of his makeover began moments after last season ended. In reality, it might have come before that -- about the time Schwarber was sent to the minors -- but after he hit.211 and saw his playing time decrease, Schwarber knew changes were needed. His minus-9 runs saved in left field also screamed at him to get to work.
"As soon as that season ended, I wanted to do everything in my power not to have the feeling that I had this past year," Schwarber said later in the day while sitting in his truck. "I want to be great. You have to do all those little things to be great. I don't want to just be known as some guy that played for the Cubs. I want to be a leader. I want to be the best player I can be. And that means getting in the best shape I can be."
Schwarber waves off questions about how much weight he has lost because he isn't concerned with a number, though his trainers believe it's 17-20 pounds. Schwarber sees that only as a means to an end. To become a great player, he needed to get into great shape.
"Since November we've focused on a good base," said Murphy, who spent nine years playing professional football including NFL stints with the Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. "Stability in his knee, and then it's all been power, speed and agility. Everything about him I want to be quick. He'll be as strong as he needs to be to hit a baseball far the rest of his life. Now you focus on quickness and position to the ball."
Schwarber has rid himself of the brace on his leg that as recently as last spring he said he thought he would wear for the rest of his career. Not anymore. With weight loss has come less stress on his surgically repaired left knee. Anyway, Murphy believes the brace was a crutch.
"The guy came out of the womb hitting a baseball," the trainer said. "Anything you put on his body hinders that."
No brace, a new diet and a strict workout routine mapped out backward from Feb. 10 are how Schwarber approached the winter. He eliminated non-necessary travel and minimized vacation time in a commitment to make the most of his most important offseason to date.
"It's only things that are going to benefit your professional career. I'm already a strong guy. The best thing to do now is to train to be more baseball-specific: get faster, get more explosive because I'm playing the outfield," Schwarber said. "I want better first steps to the ball. Instead of diving for that ball, I want to catch it on my chest. That's the goal."
After an hour of showing off his newfound agility on the football field, Schwarber hopped into his Dodge Ram truck to take a quick trip to ASPI for some strength and conditioning, with a focus on balance and core strength. Like with the weight loss, it isn't about aesthetics -- Schwarber isn't looking to build muscle and look good in the gym. He's trying to become more flexible.
"That's collateral damage -- in a good way," Murphy said of Schwarber's new look.
When Schwarber came to Murphy this offseason, the trainer asked what he wanted. After Schwarber hemmed and hawed for a moment, Murphy told him to just come out say it.
"'I want to be the best,'" Murphy recalled Schwarber telling him. "I said, 'OK, here is what we have to do to get there.'"
"I would not take back the last couple years at all."
Even though the past two seasons have been filled with ups and downs for Kyle Schwarber, the Cubs slugger says he wouldn't take any of it back because of the success his team has had and the lessons he has learned. AP Photo/Matt Slocum
SCHWARBER HASN'T CHEATED on the plan Murphy laid out for him in the gym -- not even once, according to the trainer.
"In fact, he's held me to it," Murphy said with a laugh while watching Schwarber power through another set in the gym.
Schwarber's only cheating comes with his new diet. But that's limited to once a week.
"It used to be a cheat day," Murphy said. "Now it's a cheat meal."
Schwarber confirms the schedule. On many days, it's eggs for breakfast, chicken for lunch and salmon for dinner.
"The key is it has to be stuff you like," Schwarber said. "I like that stuff. I would say the diet hasn't been tough."
Meals are prepared by a professional so he can just microwave them for "two or two-and-a-half minutes, and they don't taste like they've been microwaved," he said. "I really like the chicken parmesan."
As for that cheat meal?
"It varies," Schwarber said with a smile. "You get cravings. Sometimes fast food. They have Skyline Chili here [in Tampa Bay]. I like pizza. Saturday is my cheat meal day."
Fast food was far from his mind at this point in the day, though.
After "rotational work" with a medicine ball and some resistance training, Schwarber departed ASPI and made the short drive to Jefferson High School's baseball field, where he worked on his hitting at the same field that produced major league stars Tino Martinez, Fred McGriff and Luis Gonzalez. As he waited in his truck for someone to unlock the gates to the field, Schwarber reminisced about what brought him to this point.
"I would not take back the last couple years at all," Schwarber said of his knee injury and hitting struggles. "We won the World Series. We've been to the playoffs the three years I've been in the big leagues. Personally, it hasn't been the smoothest ride. Everyone says you learn from your failures. It's true. All these things that have compiled up the last couple years, I feel like I've learned a ton about myself. It's only going to be beneficial as I head into a long career."
'Hitting is a reaction. I'm trying to hit the ball where it's pitched.'
Despite his offseason weight loss, the ball still goes a long way when Kyle Schwarber makes his contact, but the goal of his hitting work this offseason is making sure he makes contact more than ever before. Jesse Rogers/ESPN
SCHWARBER STEPS INTO the batter's box at Jefferson High with few onlookers. A couple of high school prospects are hanging out along with one of Schwarber's agents, former major leaguer Jason Romano, and a friend who will throw batting practice to him. First is work off a tee, which Schwarber moves around the box while raising and lowering it. He won't get too technical right now, saving that for when he works with new hitting coach Chili Davis in the spring.
"The swing is not bad, just making it more functional," Schwarber said. "I'm addressing some weaknesses. And you want to keep your strengths still strong."
If you're concerned that Schwarber has lost some power with his loss of weight, watching him crush balls over the fence off a tee would quickly put you at ease. It takes a lot of strength to hit a ball 400 feet without the velocity of a pitch aiding the process.
As the session expanded to underhand toss to different areas of the strike zone, the goal remained simple.
"Hitting is a reaction," Schwarber said. "I'm trying to hit the ball where it's pitched. Trying to barrel the ball that way."
Again, his strength is on display as balls rocket to all parts of the field with a whizzing sound. Many land on the other side of the fence. About 15-20 leave the yard on this day -- 35 home runs is the most Schwarber has hit during a batting practice this winter -- including some of the epic blasts expected of a player dubbed "Bam Bam," after the Flintstones character, by a former hitting coach.
But the goal for 2018 isn't to hit them farther. It's to hit them more frequently. Last season, Schwarber missed on nearly 30 percent of his swings, according to ESPN Stats & Information. That was 5 percent more than the league average.
"I'll get with Chili [Davis] in the spring, and we'll come up with a plan," Schwarber said. "He's seen some video, but we haven't gone in depth."
For now, Schwarber isn't concerned about upcoming swing tweaks, where he'll hit in the order or even the constant stream of trade rumors. He doesn't care because the speculation isn't anything he can control. Plus, everyone knows how Theo Epstein and the Cubs front office feel about him.
"He's always been someone teams have had interest in, I guess, but we probably have the most interest," Epstein said of Schwarber last week at the winter meetings.
It's because they believe. They believe he'll be the hitter they saw when they drafted him, the player he was when he first arrived in the majors and then later, in the World Series. He wants that and more. That's what this winter is about: becoming a complete baseball player -- not just a slugger and not even just a good hitter.
"It was on my mind right when the season ended," Schwarber said. "I wouldn't say it's been hard to get up and do. It was something I've been looking forward to for a while."Exclusive: Number undermines Eric Abetz’s claim that ‘mums and dads all around Australia’ do not want anti-bullying program in children’s schools
Only one school has pulled out of the Safe Schools program as a result of pressure from concerned parents, the program’s organisers say, despite comments from conservatives who say parents do not want the anti-bullying initiative.
On Tuesday, the federal education minister, Simon Birmingham, announced that an independent review of the program would be undertaken.
About 495 schools take part in the voluntary program, which aims to stamp out homophobia and transphobia in students.
The Safe Schools Coalition says that parents and the school community are consulted before a school decides to take part in the program.
“Only one school in Australia that had registered with Safe Schools has reported deregistration from the program as a result of parental concerns,” a spokeswoman said.
State and territory governments criticise review of Safe Schools LGBTI program Read more
The former frontbencher Eric Abetz said on Tuesday night he was voicing the concerns of the “mums and dads all around Australia” who do not want the program in their children’s schools.
“I trust that it [the review] comes to a landing which will listen to the views and aspirations of the mums and dads of Australia who, when they get the opportunity, vote with their feet and don’t want their schools participating,” Abetz told ABC TV.
Under questioning in the Senate, Birmingham implied that the review would bolster the program rather than find deficiencies.
“I would hope that, at the end of what will be a fairly quick process, we can have confidence that this program is meeting its objectives, we can all have confidence that the content of the resources that are produced under this program is age appropriate, is in accordance with the national curriculum and, most importantly, that parents and school communities have confidence, that they’re aware of the resources that are being used,” Birmingham said.
The managing director of the Australian Christian Lobby, Lyle Shelton, thinks the opposite.
“I would be surprised if, once it’s reviewed, the program remains in our schools,” Shelton told Guardian Australia. “I hope it’s a fair and independent review.”
Shelton and other opponents of the initiative say it promotes “dangerous” and “radical gender ideology”.
Cory Bernardi, the Liberal senator who first raised objections about the program in the party room on Tuesday, has called for the program to immediately be defunded.
“It would beggar belief that anyone would say that there’s nothing wrong with this program,” he told Guardian Australia.
Bernardi had the support of at least six other Coalition members in the party room and some stood in Parliament on Wednesday to criticise the program.
“This is state-sanctioned, state-funded social engineering at its absolute worst,” the Liberal backbencher Brett Whiteley told the House of Representatives. “This is not [done] to stamp out bullying, or stamp out gender inequality. It’s done to stamp out gender entirely, to create confusion and doubt in children’s mind.”
The Nationals senator Barry O’Sullivan went one step further, saying the range of gender identities and non-heterosexual options in the material allows children to choose an identity like choosing a meal from a takeaway menu.
“Here we have a program with young people in this very vulnerable state, being educated that here are your options,” he told the Senate. “You can go and shop down like a Chinese menu – you can pick any one of the following that you like, it’s OK, it’s all perfectly normal.”
Many opponents have expressed concern with the suggestion that transgender children should be able to wear uniforms or use the bathroom ascribed to the gender that they were not assigned to at birth.
“We’ve been trying for a very long time to raise concerns about this program,” Shelton said. “Because the material is so extreme, people didn’t believe us.”
Shelton said the program had “flown under the radar” as both parents and teachers were unaware of the extent of its content.
The Safe School Coalition provides a range of resource materials for educators to choose from. Principals and teachers can choose to adopt or ignore aspects of the material if they deem it inappropriate for their schools.
Labor broadly supports the program, which it initiated before the last federal election.
The tension on the issue led to a terse exchange between Bernardi and the leader of the opposition, Bill Shorten.
Safe Schools LGBTI program researchers'receiving abusive emails' after Christian lobby campaign Read more
Shorten was speaking to the media on Wednesday morning, criticising the right wing of the Liberal party, when Bernardi walked past.
“At least I’m honest, Bill. You’re a fraud,” Bernardi shot back.
“At least I’m not a homophobe either, mate,” Shorten replied.
Labor went out on the front foot with the offensive against Bernardi and Coalition conservatives.
“What planet is someone living on that they say it’s a bad thing to educate other students to make sure that they are accepting and not bullying those kids?” the opposition spokeswoman on foreign affairs, Tanya Plibersek, told ABC TV. “What planet is Cory Bernardi living on that he says kids shouldn’t be safe in our schools?
“The idea that you can make kids gay if you talk to them about homosexuality; what a ridiculous proposition.”
The Greens senator Janet Rice labelled Bernardi a “backwards honcho” who was undertaking a “hateful campaign” against vulnerable children.
The review, which was ordered by the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, will report back in less than three weeks. The terms of reference and the make up of the independent committee leading the review are yet to finalised.Unicorns are startups with more than a billion-dollar valuation +
India grabs the third spot with 10 +
CHENNAI: If you aspire to create a billion-dollar business in India, one of the IITs is your best bet. Sage, a UK-based accounting and payroll company, stated this in a research released on Friday.In a study that lists universities that have produced the most unicorn founders, the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) bagged the fourth spot. US-based Stanford University claimed the top rank with 51 unicorn founders, followed by Harvard University with 37. The University of California came third with 18 unicorn founders and IIT followed with 12 founders.. India is home to 10 unicorn companies, making them the poster boys of the country’s startup ecosystem. From e-commerce giants Flipkart, Snapdeal and ShopClues to cab aggregator Ola, restaurant aggregator Zomato, classified ads platform Quickr, digital payments company Paytm, mobile adtech player InMobi, messaging app Hike and analytics company Mu Sigma, these startups have grabbed spots in the elite club and almost all the founders have had stints at one of the IITs.Within the various IITs, it is Delhi that produced the maximum unicorn founders. Sachin and Binny Bansal of Flipkart, Sanjay Sethi of ShopClues, Zomato founders Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah, Snapdeal’s Rohit Bansal and Quikr’s Pranay Chulet and Jiby Thomas (now founder of Webbutterjam Digital) are all products of IIT Delhi. Ola’s founders Bhavish Aggarwal and Ankit Bhati went to IIT Bombay. Inmobi’s founders Naveen Tiwari, Abhay Singhal and Amit Gupta studied at IIT Kanpur while their co-founder Mohit Saxena went to IIT Roorkee.“Good students and faculty is a given with IITs. What is probably the differentiator with IIT Delhi is the culture of the institute which has been cultivated over several decades. They are more connected to the society and have a deep awareness of the problems that exist. Hence, they are able to look for solutions and become entrepreneurs,” said IIT Delhi director V Ramgopal Rao, who is an alumnus of IIT Bombay.Industry experts say that while earlier it was the rigour of the entrance exams and the competitive culture within the IITs that led to the creation of such companies, over the last 5-7 years, there has been a structured effort to foster unicorns.“Over last 5-7 years, each of the IITs have made significant strides in creating the right ambience to promote entrepreneurs. From bringing in seasoned alumni to assist startups to encouraging students and alumni to take the entrepreneurial plunge, setting up mentoring clinics and offering assistance of professors, a disciplined effort has been made to create the right structures to foster startups and their founders,” said Suresh Kalpathi of Kalpathi Investments, an alumnus of IIT Madras who is involved with PanIIT Alumni Association, a volunteer-driven organisation that brings together IIT alumni on a single platform.According to the study, for over 60% of the founders, the current unicorn was the only company they had ever built. However, indicating that experience pays, the research said those who founded more than one company have, on average, a 34.5% higher valuation than those who founded just one company ($4.29bn vs $5.88bn).In terms of countries that are home to the most number of unicorns, US tops the list with 144 unicorns, followed by China with 47.. The study also found 2007 to be the bumper founding year, with 29 companies joining the club, including Flipkart, while 2015 was identified as the year of the unicorn with 86 companies achieving the unicorn status. In contrast, 2016 came out poorly, with only 41 companies.The family of former North Korean hostage Otto Warmbier blasted the Obama administration for its handling of his plight in a press conference on Thursday, as his doctors spoke of extensive brain damage and appeared to dismiss Pyongyang’s claims he was felled by botulism.
“He shows no signs of understanding language or responding to verbal commands,” neurologist Dr. Daniel Kanter said of 22-year-old Otto Warmbier. The doctor described his condition as “unresponsive wakefulness.”
The University of Cincinnati Medical Center said he was in stable condition but suffering from a “severe neurological injury.”
“I’m proud of Otto, and the courage he showed by going to North Korea,” Otto’s father Fred Warmbier said at a press conference on Thursday, wearing the same jacket Otto wore when he appeared in a North Korean courtroom. He spoke without wife Cindy at his side because he said she stayed at the hospital with their son.
He praised Otto’s “adventurous side” and said it was “tough to process” how his son was treated by the North Korean regime.
“The fact that he was taken and treated this way is horrible. They’re brutal and they’re terroristic. We see the results of their actions with Otto,” he said. Warmbier made it clear he does not believe North Korea’s explanation of botulism combined with a sleeping pill for Otto’s condition.
“I don’t know what being in shock is, but I’m pretty sure I was,” Fred Warmbier said when asked how he took the news from North Korea’s government that Otto was in a coma. Although the North Koreans say Otto became comatose immediately after he was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for allegedly stealing some propaganda signs from a hotel, his family was only notified of his condition last week.
“There is no excuse for any civilized nation to have kept his condition secret and denied him top-notch medical care for so long,” he said. In response to a reporter’s question, he stressed that “nobody has seen Otto since March of 2016.”
He also spoke of feeling “relief that Otto is now home in the arms of those who love him” mixed with “anger that he was so brutally treated for so long.”
Fred Warmbier thanked Ohio Senator Rob Portman for his help with bringing Otto home and said the family received “ |
policies, furniture and every other possession have lived in exile, many in squalid refugee camps maintained by Israel and Arab states. Over 80 percent of the Palestinians now besieged and starved in the Gaza Strip are refugees from towns now in Israel. But what Palestinians could never be forced to part with — and this we do celebrate — is our attachment to our homeland and the determination to see justice done.
Palestinians all over the world are commemorating the start of our ongoing tragedy, but we are also looking forward. We are at an important turning point, where two things are happening at once. First, despite ritual declarations of international support, the prospect of a two-state solution has all but disappeared as Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip are caged into walled reservations by growing Israeli settlements and settler-only roads — a situation that resembles the bantustans of apartheid South Africa.
Second, despite Israel’s efforts to keep Palestinians in check, the Palestinian population living under Israeli rule is about to exceed the five million Israeli Jews. Today there are 3.5 million Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and another 1.5 million Palestinians who are nominally citizens of Israel. Sometimes called “Israeli Arabs,” Palestinians in Israel are increasingly restive about their second class status in a Jewish state that regards them as a hostile fifth column. While Palestinians in Israel call for equal rights in a state of all its citizens, some Israeli Jewish politicians threaten them with expulsion to the West Bank, Gaza Strip or beyond.
Official projections show that by 2025, Palestinians, due to their much higher birth rate, will exceed Israeli Jews in the country by two million and though few in the international community have woken up to this reality, a surgical separation between these populations is impossible.
Israeli leaders understand what they are up against; Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said last November: “If the day comes when the two-state solution collapses, and we face a South African-style struggle for equal voting rights, then, as soon as that happens, the State of Israel is finished.”
This struggle has already begun as more and more Palestinians, recognizing that statehood is unrealistic, debate and adopt the one-state solution, offering Israelis and Palestinians equal rights in the land they share. Last year, I was part of a group of Palestinians, Israelis and others who published the “One State Declaration.” Inspired partly by South Africa’s Freedom Charter, we set out principles for a common future in a single democratic state. Most Israelis, unsurprisingly, recoil at comparisons with apartheid South Africa. The good news for them is that the end of apartheid did not bring about the disaster many feared. Rather, it was a new dawn for all the people of the country.
Co-founder of The Electronic Intifada, Ali Abunimah is author of One Country: A Bold Proposal to End the Israeli-Palestinian Impasse (Metropolitan Books, 2006). A version of this essay was originally published by The Sydney Morning Herald.When Canadian-born Michael Ibsen, 55, was invited to the dig to find the Plantagenet king Richard III, he felt "pretty surreal".
In 2005, a historian, Dr John Ashdown Hill, after years of painstaking research, had telephoned his mother, Joy. Joy, a UK-born journalist who emigrated to Canada in her 20s, was, he informed her, the 16th-generation niece of Richard III – a direct female descendant of his eldest sister, Anne of York.
"My mother was quite sceptical, but he was persuasive and she agreed to give a DNA sample. We thought it was something so abstract it was difficult to be emotionally involved, just a nice story to tell grandchildren, if we ever have any."
When Joy died four years ago, Michael, a furniture-maker who moved to London, and his brother and sister in Canada, promptly forgot about it.
Then Michael received a call. There was to be a dig, and, as a 17th-generation nephew, would he like to be present? Oh, and would he mind giving a fresh DNA sample? He was delighted.
"I really hope it is him," he said of the remains found. "It's been so surreal, I feel stunned. It's one thing to have in some way a link to history. It's another altogether to be directly involved in something of such historical significance.
"At first there was just a car park. Now you can see the trenches, and you think if you just hop down, you would be walking the same path trodden by those who brought Richard III for burial." The mitochondrial DNA being tested is passed along the female line. Michael, who has no children, and his brother both have it. But their sister, who also has no children, is the only one capable of passing it on. "So, once she's gone, that's it. I feel John Ashdown Hill got there in the nick of time," he said.Serving a life sentence for murdering his wife, retired Scranton police Sgt. Michael Serge collects an annual pension of more than $38,000.
A convicted arsonist, former Scranton firefighter Thomas Gervasi receives a $36,000-plus a year pension.
The payments, which began in 1997 for Mr. Serge and in 2001 for Mr. Gervasi, have long frustrated members of the city’s pension boards.
They did not stop the payouts, however, because the state’s pension forfeiture law does not apply to either man, pension board solicitor Larry Durkin said.
Mr. Gervasi, who owes more than $140,000 in restitution and court costs from his criminal case, has also benefited from other laws that protect pension benefits from being used to pay financial judgments. To date,he has not paid any restitution, which is owed to the county, state and victims of the fire, court records show.
The forfeiture law, enacted in 1978, allows for forfeiture of a pension if the employee uses his or her public position to commit any of 23 specified crimes. The crimes deal primarily with financial misdeeds, including theft and bribery, and abuse of power, such as official oppression, committed during the course of the worker’s employment.
While murder and arson are certainly serious crimes, Mr. Durkin said they are not among the specific crimes outlined in the forfeiture law. Furthermore, Mr. Gervasi and Mr. Serge were convicted of their crimes after they retired. The forfeiture law only applies if the person used their position to commit the offense.
Mr. Serge was convicted of first-degree murder in February 2002, for the Jan. 15, 2001 shooting death of his wife, Jennifer. He received a monthly pension of $3,242, or $38,904 annually, in 2012, the latest year for which data was available. He exhausted all his appeals and is serving his sentence at the State Correctional Institution at Albion.
In his case, the city also looked into ending his pension based on a provision within the city code that allows the pension board to revoke the pension of any police officer who, after retirement, is convicted of a felony. Mr. Durkin determined the ordinance is unenforceable because the pension forfeiture act trumps it.
“He was convicted of one of the worst crimes there is, but it is not one of the crimes under the state’s pension forfeiture act,” Mr. Durkin said. “There is a pecking order in the law. At the bottom of the list are municipal laws.”
Mr. Gervasi was convicted in December 2011, of arson and several related offenses in connection with the June 17, 2008 fire that started in a garage at 1021 Mark Ave. The blaze spread to an adjacent apartment building he owned, displacing 14 tenants. He is now serving his sentence of five to 10 years at the State Correctional Institution at Smithfield.
Two state appellate courts upheld his conviction. He continues to maintain his innocence and has an appeal pending before Lackawanna County Court under the state’s post conviction collateral relief act — a statute that allows a defendant to claim new grounds for appeal, most often for ineffective assistance of counsel.
Mr. Gervasi is no stranger to controversy. His disability payments previously came under scrutiny in 2002, after he was videotaped racing stock cars while collecting his disability pension and receiving workers’ compensation. The city was able to modify his workers’ compensation payment, but it could not touch his pension.
A firefighter for eight years, Mr. Gervasi received a monthly $2,330 disability pension from the firefighter’s fund in 2012. He also got $693 a month from the nonuniform pension fund for the 22 years he worked for the Department of Public Works. That brings his total annual pension to $36,276.
Pittston criminal defense attorney Michael Butera, who has handled many pension forfeiture cases, said he understands the public will be outraged that convicted criminals are collecting public pensions. However, the pension forfeiture law is written to punish people only if they use their public employment to commit crimes.
Mr. Gervasi’s and Mr. Serge’s cases are no different than someone employed in the private sector who commits a crime, he said. That person would not be subject to losing his or her pension, he said, so why should public employees face that punishment if their crime was not related to their employment?
“You are taking away something a person who may have worked 20, 30 or 40 years for the government earned,” Mr. Butera said. “It’s like being punished twice: you are sent to jail, and now you are going to lose your pension on top of that? That’s not fair either.”
Mr. Gervasi’s pension is also protected from any financial levies that might be lodged to pay the restitution he owes, Mr. Butera said.
Court records show Mr. Gervasi owes $130,887 in restitution to insurance companies and several tenants of the building who lost their belongings in the fire. He also owes $9,460 in court costs, for a total of $140,347.
Most pensions are exempt from any type of financial levy, Mr. Butera said. The idea is to protect retirees, many of whom receive minimal to modest pensions, to ensure they have enough money to survive. As with any law, it also protects people who may not be deserving of that protection.
“We all read about the spectacular pensions of $5,000 a month, but the reality is the vast majority of pensions people get are less than $1,000 a month. At the end of the month, after they pay their bare necessities, they have nothing left,” Mr. Butera said. “The pension law is aimed at protecting those people, not those who collect a spectacular pension.”
Public outcry over several recent high-profile cases, including former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky, has helped fuel efforts to alter the pension law to include more crimes. An arbitrator recently ruled Mr. Sandusky, who was convicted of multiple counts of rape for abusing 10 young boys, is entitled to collect a nearly $5,000 monthly pension because his crimes were committed before the forfeiture law was modified to include certain sexual assault charges.
Several bills introduced in the Pennsylvania Legislature last year, including House Bill 136, sought to amend the pension forfeiture law to include more offenses, including violent crimes. The bill never made it to the floor for a vote, however. It is not known whether the bill will be re-introduced.
State Sen. John Yudichak, D-14, Plymouth Twp., said the Legislature should re-examine the law. He would support giving judges more power in deciding if a pension should be subject to forfeiture.
“In egregious cases, judges should have that power,” he said.
State Rep. Marty Flynn, D-113, Scranton,said he also understands the public’s desire to preclude convicted criminals from receiving public pensions. However, the legislature needs to analyze carefully the situation, he said, as there are many legal and constitutional issues to be considered, as well as the impact on the retirees’ family.
“People who are retired earned that benefit, and have families,” Mr. Flynn said. “You have to be careful. It’s not just that person you are hurting. You are also hurting their family.”
Contact the writer:
tbesecker@timesshamrock.comCoding for NXT Crypto Platform #5: Transactions on the Nxt Blockchain
Bas Wisselink Blocked Unblock Follow Following Feb 25, 2016
by Tosch
Nxt Blockchain
The Nxt Blockchain is the heart of Nxt. Every Transaction ever made is recorded on the Blockchain. The Blockchain is a decentralized database, which is saved on your computer. To prevent spam, for every transaction you have to pay fees in the native currency, which will be NXT for us using the Nxt Blockchain. In previous articles I have shown how to setup and configure your Nxt Software as well as how to read data, this time we write data on the Blockchain, starting with a simple example. Throughout the article I want to focus on tools you can use while creating Transactions on Nxt.
Send Nxt
Codewise, creating a transaction on Nxt is very similar to reading data from the Blockchain; There are some topics we have to cover before creating our first tranasction. To create a transaction, we first need a Nxt Account and some NXT, in order to pay for Blockchain fees. So, let us login to Nxt and create our first account.
Create a Nxt account
In order to have a secure Nxt account, you need a strong passphrase. Working With virtual currencies we use the term passphrase instead of password, this describes strong entropy and should be more secure than a regular password. When you are using the official Nxt Client, you can use the implemented passphrase creation function, which will give you a passphrase which contains 12 words.
Create your own passphrase
You can also create your own passphrase, make sure it contains enough characters and entropy. To generate a passphrase it is recommended to use Software such as KeePass, LastPass, Dashlane or Online Tools as PasswordsGenerator.net or Fourmilab.ch.
Nxt passphrase generator
When running Nxt on http://localhost:7876 you will get to the client, a click on the link quoting
“DON’T HAVE AN ACCOUNT? CLICK HERE TO CREATE ONE!”
will bring you to the passphrase generator. Afterwards (or with your self created passphrase), you can login to your Account. If you do not have NXT yet, the quickest method is when you already got some virtual Currencies like Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum or others. You can exchange them via Shapeshift or buy your coins on another exchange and transfer them to your wallet.
In the next steps, we use your passphrase to sign and broadcast transactions. Your passphrase can also be seen as your private Key.
Create the Transaction
With a secure passphrase, we can now look into the code of creating a send-NXT-Transaction. We send out 1 NXT to a recipient, which you see in the code and change it there for another recipient. Insert your passphrase in the following code and run it to create the transaction.
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<!-- Latest compiled and minified CSS -->
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/3.3.6/css/bootstrap.min.css" integrity="sha384-1q8mTJOASx8j1Au+a5WDVnPi2lkFfwwEAa8hDDdjZlpLegxhjVME1fgjWPGmkzs7" crossorigin="anonymous">
</head>
<body>
<div class="col-md-12">
<h2>Outgoing Transaction JSON</h2>
<div class="well" style="word-wrap:break-word;" id="transactionJSON"></div>
</div>
<script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-2.2.0.min.js"></script>
<!-- Latest compiled and minified JavaScript -->
<script src="https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/3.3.6/js/bootstrap.min.js" integrity="sha384-0mSbJDEHialfmuBBQP6A4Qrprq5OVfW37PRR3j5ELqxss1yVqOtnepnHVP9aJ7xS" crossorigin="anonymous"></script>
<script>
$.post('http://localhost:7876/nxt', {"requestType": "sendMoney", "recipient": "NXT-5RB8-KJD3-BT3B-E2QWW", "amountNQT": "100000000", "secretPhrase": "YourPassphrase", "feeNQT": "0", "deadline": "800", "broadcast": false}, function(request) {
var response = JSON.parse(request);
$("#transactionJSON").html(JSON.stringify( response, null, 4));
});
</script>
</body>
</html>
This script is creating a sendMoney transaction. As you see we have been changing the function used in previous articles $.getJSON to $.post. When creating transactions, it is necessary to switch to POST format instead of GET requests as with the previous functions. For reference to the API details, have a look at http://localhost:7876/test?requestType=sendMoney.
The output you see on the page contains various information, the variable feeNQT has been filled in with the correct information, you can check how much the fee is for the transaction you have created. You see the whole transactionJSON you have inserted in JSON format and you receive the transaction transactionBytes. The transactionBytes embeddes all the transaction information you have in the tranasctionJSON.
The above created transaction will not be broadcasted to the network yet, because we set “broadcast”: false in our object. When setting this true the transaction will be broadcasted and will cost you 1 NXT. As you can see, we do not need many variables to create our first tranasction.
The recipe for a transaction is:
requestType sendMoney
sendMoney recipient You can use either the RS format e.g. NXT-XXX-XXX-XXX-XXXX or the numerical account format
You can use either the RS format e.g. NXT-XXX-XXX-XXX-XXXX or the numerical account format amountNQT The amount you want to send needs to be calculated in NQT, the smallest number in NXT (1 NXT / 10⁸ = 1 NQT)
The amount you want to send needs to be calculated in NQT, the smallest number in NXT (1 NXT / 10⁸ = 1 NQT) secretPhrase Your secret passphrase
Your secret passphrase feeNQT Place 0 if you want the server to calculate minimum fees for you
Place 0 if you want the server to calculate minimum fees for you deadline measured in minutes, when the transaction expires
measured in minutes, when the transaction expires broadcast false will not broadcast and just create the transaction. Set to true will broadcast the transaction to other peers and will cost you NXT
Broadcast transaction
Now as we know how to create a sendMoney transaction that has not yet been broadcasted, we can use a script that looks similar to the above one to broadcast the transaction. To make it more understandable I am extending the above script with a button that takes the previously created transaction and transfers it to the network on submitting the button. Effectively when running the script you have your first (small, not yet secure) interactive Nxt wallet.
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<!-- Latest compiled and minified CSS -->
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/3.3.6/css/bootstrap.min.css" integrity="sha384-1q8mTJOASx8j1Au+a5WDVnPi2lkFfwwEAa8hDDdjZlpLegxhjVME1fgjWPGmkzs7" crossorigin="anonymous">
</head>
<body>
<div class="col-md-12">
<h2>Outgoing Transaction JSON</h2>
<div class="well" style="word-wrap:break-word;" id="transactionJSON"></div>
<button class="btn btn-primary" id="submitTransaction">Submit this transaction</button>
<hr>
<div id="broadcastedTransaction"></div>
</div>
<script src="https://code.jquery.com/jquery-2.2.0.min.js"></script>
<!-- Latest compiled and minified JavaScript -->
<script src="https://maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/3.3.6/js/bootstrap.min.js" integrity="sha384-0mSbJDEHialfmuBBQP6A4Qrprq5OVfW37PRR3j5ELqxss1yVqOtnepnHVP9aJ7xS" crossorigin="anonymous"></script>
<script>
$.post('http://localhost:7876/nxt', {"requestType": "sendMoney", "recipient": "NXT-5RB8-KJD3-BT3B-E2QWW", "amountNQT": "100000000", "secretPhrase": "YourPassphrase", "feeNQT": "0", "deadline": "800", "broadcast": false}, function(request) {
var response = JSON.parse(request);
$("#transactionJSON").html(JSON.stringify( response, null, 4));
$("#submitTransaction").on("click", function() {
$.post('http://localhost:7876/nxt', {"requestType": "broadcastTransaction", "transactionBytes": response.transactionBytes}, function(broadcast) {
var broadcastResponse = JSON.parse(broadcast);
$("#broadcastedTransaction").html(JSON.stringify( broadcastResponse, null, 4));
});
});
});
</script>
</body>
</html>
Loading the site will directly load the transaction not yet broadcasted. As the button click function is nested within the first call, it can access the data from the transaction not broadcasted. To broadcast the transaction we use the following recipe
requestType broadcastTransaction
broadcastTransaction transactionBytes The transactionBytes we have created with the previous declared function.
With these few lines of code we can create a transaction and broadcast it. Yet, we are still defining all the variables directly within the code. In the next articles I am going to show you how to add encrypted messages to a transaction and how to get these data from a user input you have on the page. We will have a deeper look into phasing and pruning of transactions.
Subscribe to see you next time!Catching one of nature’s jaw-dropping light shows, the auroras, can be a chilly experience, especially in the northern hemisphere. Away from the distracting city lights and city comforts and into dark, cold wilderness can be a daunting experience for some. So for those of us who would still like to catch a glimpse of the awe-inspiring northern lights, but would prefer to be relatively warm, there is a place out in northern Finland, amongst the reindeer, where you can find a field of igloos. Except the igloos here are not made from snow. Instead, the igloos here are made from glass that might be mistaken for clear transparent ice. This is Hotel Kakslauttanen, where the experience of viewing the northern lights can be done from a comfortable bed in a warm room with a special glass that keeps all the heat in. But the star attraction is the panoramic view of the majestic night sky. And hopefully, from your bed, you’ll be able to catch a glimpse of nature’s light show, the aurora borealis.
The use of snow and ice in the buildings is a large theme at Hotel Kakslauttanen. In addition to the ice igloo, the hotel has other attractions such as a glass teepee for cocktail parties under the northern lights, a snow chapel for services, and this stylish ice lounge. Any guy in a tux here would feel right at home as a penguin.
Oh, and for the record, (most) Canadians do not live in igloos.
Via Travelphant
Update: Alila Villas Uluwatu in Bali is the perfect getaway to connect with nature and enjoy the sun.Former Iowa State University men’s basketball player Bubu Palo has filed a lawsuit against a woman who accused him of sexual assault in 2012, accusing her of defamation and harassment.
Former Iowa State University men’s basketball player Bubu Palo has filed a lawsuit against a woman who accused him of sexual assault in 2012, accusing her of defamation and harassment.
In the lawsuit, filed May 16 in Story County District Court, Palo alleges the woman "used the criminal legal process primarily to harass Palo" through fraudulent accusations of sexual assault.
Palo and the woman knew each other prior to college, as they both attended Ames High School and graduated in the same class, according to the lawsuit.
Both the woman, who is identified in the filing only by her initials, and her mother are named as defendants in the lawsuit.
Palo was suspended from the Cyclone men’s basketball team in September 2012 during the proceedings of the criminal charges.
Those accusations, the lawsuit argues, caused Palo to suffer legal costs in order to defend himself and "exposed Palo to public hatred, contempt and ridicule, and injured Palo in the maintenance of his occupation."
The Story County Attorney’s office dismissed the charges against Palo in January 2013 after conflicts were found between the woman’s sworn testimony during depositions and evidence from the alleged sexual assault.
The woman had claimed a 6-inch tear in the blouse she was wearing the night in question was made during the alleged sexual assault; however, further investigation while Palo was preparing his defense found the tear had been fabricated, according to the lawsuit.
Palo was reinstated to the team for the final 17 games of the 2012-13 season.
Palo also was charged by the ISU Office of Judicial Affairs. After a hearing, an administrative law judge ruled the complaint was not founded.
In June 2013, the woman appealed that decision to ISU President Steven Leath, who again suspended Palo from the Cyclone men’s basketball team.
Palo was reinstated to the team a second time after a January 2014 ruling in Story County District Court that stayed the university’s sanction against him. He rejoined the team for the rest of the 2013-14 season, but did not play in any games.
Palo, through his attorney Matthew Boles, is seeking punitive damages "in an amount of just, reasonable and adequate compensation for the injuries and damages he has sustained." A specific amount is not listed in the lawsuit.
A phone message left for the woman’s mother Thursday was not returned.
Reached by email Thursday afternoon, Boles declined to comment on the lawsuit.Posted on October 17, 2011 in Articles
As the conscience of America seems permanently mired in economic worries, it is nearly impossible to find anything worth smiling at, let alone cheering for. However, in a recent GOP debate, Rick Perry was able to rouse a seemingly comatose audience not only into consciousness but also rousing applause. He didn’t do it by lambasting Obamacare or proposing a fiscal policy to get Americans out of the proverbial hole; he did it by saying nothing.
While asking Governor Perry’s opinion on the record number of executions that occurred under his watch in the state of Texas, moderator Brian Williams was unable to finish his question before the audience began to yawp and clap their hands as one would during the final thirty seconds of a basketball game. After the audience’s heartbeats finally slowed, Perry went on to state that Americans have a keen sense of “justice,” and that “if you come into our state and you kill … you will be executed.”
The ancient Hammurabi-esque similarities do not go unnoted. This institutionalized bloodlust is rarely practiced in democratic and industrialized countries, but is fairly common in nations like Iran and Saudi Arabia, two countries that certainly do not claim to be international vanguards of liberty and human rights like the United States so often does.
However modern and civilized the United States tries to present itself to the world, capital punishment is one of the ugliest aspects of the American system, and is something that many leaders try to conceal when patrolling the globe and insisting on others’ adherence to human rights. However, as the contentious execution of Troy Davis ignited international outrage, it is a flaw that many around the world can plainly see and one that has consistently contributed to others’ doubts about the United States’ role as a champion of modern justice and progress.
Yet at home, support for the death penalty is very public and popular. To make matters more difficult, it is impossible to point the finger at a single perpetrator: Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike have favored the practice throughout the years despite its many proven failures and weaknesses. As a consequence, the self-injected and macabre fascination with capital punishment in the American bloodstream is something that has reduced the United States’ already slothful pace toward universally compliant judicial systems and human rights to that of a snail’s crawl.
According to Scott Henson, a criminal justice blogger, Rick Perry has picked up on the popularity of capital punishment among voters and has tried his best to take as much credit as possible for every single execution administered during his time in office. To date, there have been a whopping 236 executions. While Perry’s attempts to show strong ties between the governor’s office and the capital punishment process are a bit misleading, his position is emblematic of a cowboy-style approach to justice in America.
Since 1608, over 15,000 people have been executed in the United States and its preceding colonies. In 1608, the man first recorded as executed on American soil was Jamestown colonist Captain George Kendall. Accused of being a spy for the Spanish government, a score of bullets kissed Kendall a final adios.
As means of further separation from the British Crown after the Revolutionary War, legislators tried to remove the death penalty as punishment for a majority of crimes. In 1846, Michigan took the title of being the first English-speaking government in the world to abolish the death penalty for all crimes except treason. Yet in the midst of the sectional schism of the American Civil War, Vermont legislators transferred execution authority from local to state government, and many other states soon followed suit. According to historian William McFeely, this was done in hopes of restraining overzealous “hanging judges.” However, the opposite happened: Vermont’s upward transfer of the power to execute set the stage for the institutionalized practice that many Americans clap about today.
After the conclusion of World War I, nearly all of the nine states that had previously abandoned the death penalty toward the end of the 19th century began to re-embrace it. Consequently, lynching and false accusations of crimes committed by African-American men largely helped define the post-World War I judicial scene. However, many white and corrupt state governmental bodies used legalized execution as yet another way to manifest their racism, as evidenced by the fact that the two largest mass executions in United States history were administered to Native Americans and African-American soldiers.
Especially prevalent in the South and only pardoned posthumously, states executed many African-Americans and those who dared to aid them in their pursuits of equality. Setting the standard for backwards politics and general barbarism, in 1825 South Carolina was the last state that utilized the antiquated practice of burning someone at the stake as a valid execution method. Additionally, in 1859 a South Carolinian male named Starling Carlton was executed for aiding a runaway slave, while in 1860 Alabama, three African American slaves committed the then-capital crime of protesting against slavery. And as Southern justice would have it, they paid with their lives.
In the 20th century, African-American George Stinney became the youngest person to be executed in the United States. Despite the lack of evidence and rumors of being promised ice cream by the police if he confessed to the crime, Stinney was accused and convicted of killing two young white girls in South Carolina in 1944. Barely able to fill the seat of the electric chair with his 95-pound body, Stinney’s 14-year-old life ended before it could even begin.
Largely coinciding with the anti-Vietnam movement opposition toward government-funded killing, the effects of the Civil Rights movement finally made their way to the highest source of change, the United States Supreme Court. By reviewing the consolidated cases that comprised the Furman vs. Georgia ruling, the Court rendered the death penalty to be a violation of the Eighth Amendment, as it constituted “cruel and unusual punishment.” However, the decision did not abolish the death penalty altogether, but rather essentially stated that a lack of enforceable and equitable standards might lead to selective sentencing on behalf of the state. And as Justices Stewart and Douglas expressed, these selections could potentially be the result of racial discrimination.
Still unable to satiate the grisly American desire for “justice,” many states quickly instated and adjusted their own death penalty statutes to comply with the Court’s decision. In order to appear “fair” and therefore constitutionally permitted to deliver their fatal condemnations, certain states mandated the prescription of the death sentence for those convicted of certain forms of murder.
Contrary to the Charlie Daniels Band’s lyrical legend, the devil never left Georgia: only four years passed since the Furman v. Georgia verdict when Georgia and several other Southern states’ morbid impulses returned to the halls of the Supreme Court. In 1976, it was in the form of the Gregg v. Georgia case. This time, five defendants engaged in an ultimately futile attempt to get the Supreme Court to extend its Furman ruling and declare capital punishment as unconstitutional once and for all.
However, the more conservative Court used the precedence of the Furman case only in its determination of administrative fairness in the states’ death penalty statutes, not to decide if the death penalty was constitutionally legitimate in the first place. Subsequently, the Court upheld the Florida, Texas, and Georgia death penalty statutes as constitutionally sound, and thereby ended the fledgling four-year moratorium on the death penalty.
As a result, the heavily disproportionate presence of the African-American male as a death row inmate is entirely unsurprising. Despite comprising only 13% of the general population, African Americans make up 41% of the people on death row. In fact, the non-partisan U.S. General Accounting Office found “a pattern of evidence indicating racial disparities in the charging, sentencing, and imposition of the death penalty.” In a similar 2007 study conducted by the Yale University School of Law, the results revealed that African-American defendants in Connecticut courts receive the death penalty at three times the rate of white defendants in cases where the victims are white.
Even less shocking, of the 37 states that have legalized executions, the majority of them take place in southern states like Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and Texas, all of which help comprise what is known as the “Death Belt.” Equipped with confederate and racist roots, the number of executions in these four states alone constitutes over half of those administered by all 37 participating states since Gregg v. Georgia’s reopening of those fatal floodgates.
Furthermore, as a result of the re-examination of certain death sentence prescribed cases and the influence of more modern times and technology, 138 death row inmates have been exonerated on the basis of possible innocence since 1973. And as expected, over half of those released were African American.
Despite the combination of deeply entrenched yet visible roots of racism in the American prescription of capital punishment, the scientific and legislative advances that have resulted in the reversal of fates, and the explicit concern from nationally renowned and reputable organizations like the American Bar Association, capital punishment still remains popular among Americans. In a 2010 Gallup poll, those who supported capital punishment in cases of murder more than doubled those who did not. And even when life in prison without parole was listed as an alternative in a similar 2001 poll, a majority (albeit a narrow one) of Americans still favored the death penalty.
It is safe to say that scientific evidence does not matter to most Americans; improved societal norms do not matter; state and federal legislative progress do not matter, nor do the opinions of accredited legal experts. And as evidenced by the Troy Davis execution, the movements and opinions of international organizations and communities especially do not matter to the majority of Americans and their elected officials. They rarely have.
In spite of its permanent membership with the United Nations, the United States only signed the UN-adopted International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights with ostensible reservation in 1992. The covenant, rather dated at this point, was originally adopted in 1976. And as expected, the United States’ diplomatic dip-set came in response to Article 6, which stated that the ultimate objective of the agreement was to abolish the death penalty.
In 1997 Bacre Waly N’diaye, a UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary, or Arbitrary Execution, accepted an invitation on behalf of the Clinton Administration to examine claims of arbitrary and racist application of the death penalty. Upon his arrival in D.C., however, his requests to meet with the President and various members of his cabinet were denied. And as a later and typically American response, Senator Jesse Helms publicly chalked N’diaye’s requests as insulting and nothing more than another “absurd UN charade.”
Together, the federally permitted Troy Davis tragedy juxtaposed by the warm praise generated by audience members in regard to capital punishment at a recent GOP debate represent all that is wrong with the American justice system and why the United States cannot continue to spread the lie that it provides equal justice to its citizens. Until these institutionalized and internal wrongs are rectified, the United States should be not regarded as a global moral authority. If the country chooses not to change, its international legitimacy will perish just as its many citizens have in the past: by the government’s own accord.Scientists at Facebook have published a paper showing that they manipulated the content seen by more than 600,000 users in an attempt to determine whether this would affect their emotional state. The paper, “Experimental evidence of massive-scale emotional contagion through social networks,” was published in The Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences. It shows how Facebook data scientists tweaked the algorithm that determines which posts appear on users’ news feeds—specifically, researchers skewed the number of positive or negative terms seen by randomly selected users. Facebook then analyzed the future postings of those users over the course of a week to see if people responded with increased positivity or negativity of their own, thus answering the question of whether emotional states can be transmitted across a social network. Result: They can! Which is great news for Facebook data scientists hoping to prove a point about modern psychology. It’s less great for the people having their emotions secretly manipulated.
In order to sign up for Facebook, users must click a box saying they agree to the Facebook Data Use Policy, giving the company the right to access and use the information posted on the site. The policy lists a variety of potential uses for your data, most of them related to advertising, but there’s also a bit about “internal operations, including troubleshooting, data analysis, testing, research and service improvement.” In the study, the authors point out that they stayed within the data policy’s liberal constraints by using machine analysis to pick out positive and negative posts, meaning no user data containing personal information was actually viewed by human researchers. And there was no need to ask study “participants” for consent, as they’d already given it by agreeing to Facebook’s terms of service in |
. It did some things well, others not so much, and even Windows enthusiasts were complaining about various features of the new OS.
Yes Virginia, Windows 8.1 is a mobile OS
While updates are the natural order of things in the OS world, make no mistake, Windows 8.1 was largely created to address those things people didn't like about the first release. It was intended to make the OS work better on tablets, as mobile is very important to both Windows and Microsoft.
In that effort Microsoft succeeded, as Windows 8.1 has turned the platform into a good one for tablets. It does so while also becoming a good engine for notebooks, the other side of the mobile coin. The update has turned Windows into a valid competitor in the mobile space, while keeping it a solid platform for running PCs of the non-mobile variety.
Besides bringing Windows into the mobile age, Windows 8.1 is significant for a couple of other major reasons. First, it is a strong basis for Microsoft's new devices and services mission. That mission brings hardware to mind, like the Surface tablets, but for that to work it must be built on Windows. That is why Windows 8.1 is so important not only to the mobile space, but to Microsoft in particular. With the latest version, the company has strengthened its foundation for the devices it will build.
Read this A closer look at what's new in Windows 8.1 Most of the attention devoted to Microsoft's Windows 8.1 update has focused on the Start button. But if you get past that controversial addition, there's plenty more to see. New and improved apps, Internet Explorer 11, tweaks to the onscreen keyboard, and a surprising change to File Explorer are all there too. Read More
Secondly, Windows 8.1 is equally important to the PC segment, as OEM partners of Microsoft need a strong OS to make products desirable. The latest version of Windows handles tablets and notebooks so much better than before, so OEMs can start taking advantage of that and making it a selling point. It's especially good that Windows 8.1 runs nicely on tablets of all sizes, and we'll start seeing those appear in greater numbers. That's good for Microsoft, OEMS, enterprises, and consumers.
The most impressive thing about Windows 8.1 is not how well it addressed the shortcomings of Windows 8, rather how fast Microsoft did it. Long a company known to slowly change its software products over many years, Microsoft not only listened to customers but took complaints to heart in a very short period. This is almost shocking for Microsoft, and a sign of the way things will be done going forward. This alone makes Windows 8.1 one of the biggest things we've seen this year.
Arguments can be made that other mobile tech events in 2013 were more significant: the appearance of smartwatches, Google Glass, Chromebooks, KitKat, and iOS7 to name a few. Those are all important but in this writer's view none will have the far-reaching impact as Windows 8.1 will in the mobile space. It is even more signficant than the release of the original Windows 8 for the reasons detailed. It will affect tablets, laptops, consumers, and the enterprise, and that makes it a very big deal.
See related:After six years of construction, “Moscow-City Tower” now is the tallest building in Europe” wrote the German edition Financial Times. Its height – 338 meters. Thus, the record of the London skyscraper The Shard, presented this summer and reaching 310 meters in height, broken. This was announced by the president of the Russian group of companies “Mercury”.
The publication says that the effective area “Mercury City Tower” is 174 thousand square meters. At 40 floors are office and retail space, and on the upper floors – Apartment class “luxury”.
However, according to the publication, “Mercury City Tower” could soon lose its title of the tallest building: the next year there in Moscow should be completed an “East Tower complex “Federation”, which will reach 360 meters, while in St. Petersburg Gazprom will construct a new headquarters, height – over 400 meters.
So, Russia proves once again that it is the country we have to watch, they have something the West is missing, money and a lot of it! The publication notes that the Moscow in several years can boast the most modern achievements of architecture, contrary to recession we have here.A group of construction workers made an unusual discovery while working in the mountains of California — whale fossils.
According to the United Press International, the construction work was taking place at a residential location in Scotts Valley, California, a community in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The project had to temporarily be put on hold as a group of archaeologists worked to remove the ancient whale fossil, believed to be as many as four million years old.
A team of experts were called in from the Paleo Solutions, a Los Angeles County-based archaeological consulting service, to safely, and carefully, remove the bones from the ground, a process which started on September 17. With small shovels, brooms, and hand tools, the archaeologists began excavating the whale, which is an ancestor to the baleen whale. The bones were very soft, making it nearly impossible for the scientists to remove them without them breaking. Therefore, they decided to encase the bones in plaster so that they could take them back to the Paleo Solutions’ office in Monrovia, in Southern California, to be examined and removed from the rocks.
Wow! 4 million year old whale fossil in Scotts Valley. Predates Turbo Pascal and Windows 3.11. http://t.co/qGXeP4pVYb — Anders Ohlsson (@suited_aces) September 18, 2015
“If the bone is softer than the rock, it makes it very difficult because it’s hard to chip through the rock without breaking the softer bones, but we’ll get it,” Paleontologist Scott Armstrong said.
So, how did whale fossils end up in the mountains?
Armstrong told the Santa Cruz Sentinel that in California, “most places where you see a hill, somewhere there’s a fault line nearby pushing it up,” meaning that the bones have been pushed upwards by tectonic pressure.
“They’re relatively inactive faults. But yeah, it’s from lifting thousands, maybe millions of years ago,” Armstrong said.
Last week, the team of excavators carefully unearthed parts of the skull, a large portion of the jaw, vertebrae, shoulder blades, and arm bones from the 25-foot long whale. While it is common to find shark teeth and other marine fossils in Scotts Valley, Matthew Clapham, a paleontologist at the University of California, Santa Cruz, said this find is very impressive and important.
“I think of the fossils you get along the coastline, it’s more common to get a piece of the skull or the brain case or some bones,” Clapham said. “So this sounds like it’s a very impressive find.”
“That’s an interesting time in whale evolution,” Clapham added. “A lot of whales were starting to evolve from their early ancestral group so this specimen, depending on how complete it is, could say a lot of interesting things about the evolution of whales.”
The discovery of the whale fossil comes just days after the Inquisitr reported that a humpback whale nearly crushed a pair of kayakers off the coast of Northern California.
[Photo via Shutterstock]Ryan Miller made a statement to USA Hockey while helping the Buffalo Sabres avoid matching a dubious NHL record.
Article continues below...
Miller outplayed fellow American Olympic goaltending hopeful Jonathan Quick, making 43 saves as Buffalo edged Los Angeles 3-2 in a shootout Tuesday night to avoid tying the worst home start in NHL history.
”It’s nice to get a win,” said Miller, the Most Valuable Player of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. ”We obviously needed to do that at home. These are the kind of games where guys hang around and understand that we need to do little things to stay in hockey games when things don’t go our way, and we can get a win.”
Cody Hodgson scored twice in regulation while Matt Moulson and Tyler Ennis scored in the shootout for the Sabres (4-15-1). Miller stopped both Los Angeles shooters.
”It felt great to win a game like that when you’re outshot bad and outplayed,” Hodgson said. ”But when you have one of the best goaltenders in the world that’s what happens, you know?”
Buffalo was winless in its first nine home games, one short of the NHL record set by Pittsburgh in 1983-84.
Justin Williams and Dwight King scored in regulation for the Kings (11-7-0), who had won their previous two games.
Despite the loss, Los Angeles was the dominant team and controlled most of the play. The Kings outshot the Sabres 45-17, holding a 15-4 advantage after one period and 30-7 after two.
Quick wasn’t tested much until the third period and left the game with 1:20 to go in overtime with an injury. Kings coach Darryl Sutter said he ”didn’t really check” on Quick and did not have an update on the injury.
Ben Scrivens played the remainder of the game and faced the unusual task of not seeing a shot on goal until the shootout.
”It’s obviously tough going into the game late like that and going into the shootout but I’ve got to find a way to make a save in the shootout there,” Scrivens said. ”That’s my job.”
The Kings scored just over a minute into the game when Justin Williams’ shot deflected off Sabres defenseman Mark Pysyk, beating Miller low and right.
The Sabres didn’t register their first shot until 5:22 into the game, a moment met with one of the many jeers from the crowd.
Buffalo trailed 1-0 after the first period, continuing a trend that’s seen the Sabres outscored 27-3 this season in the opening 20 minutes.
Hodgson tied the game in the second period off pass from Steve Ott and then gave the Sabres their first lead since Nov. 5 when he tipped home a pass from Ville Leino.
”He was outstanding tonight for us, big in all areas,” said Sabres head coach Ron Rolston. ”He did good job out against their best players defensively and obviously he got two goals driving the net, both of them hard net drives.”
King forced overtime with 3:34 to play when he found a rebound in the crease and shot it past Miller. The Sabres nearly got the game-winner with under a minute to play when Ott found a streaking Moulson, who tapped the puck off the outside of the net.
Miller’s 30th save was perhaps his finest, sticking his right pad out to deny Mike Richards’ look at an open net less than a minute into the third period.
Miller downplayed the Olympic talk.
”Hopefully they’re just looking at the way they think you’re playing,” Miller said. ”Again, it’s not really about making the team right now for me, it’s about coming off of Anaheim and making a statement coming back that I’m going to be a pro and rebound with these guys and help give them a chance to win.”
The Kings did not convert on any of their five power play chances, making them 0 for their last 10.
Moulson also had two assists, while Ott was credited with 10 of Buffalo’s 31 hits.
NOTES: Los Angeles D Matt Greene and C Jarret Stoll each missed their third-consecutive game with upper body injuries. … Buffalo LW John Scott was scratched for the second-straight game after serving a seven game suspension. … It was the first of a four-game road trip for Los Angeles, which continues Thursday against the New York Islanders.Melbourne, Australia (openDemocracy) – The spectacle of asylum seekers fleeing death and destruction in the Middle East has generated widespread concern in Australia. Due to popular pressure, the government recently agreed to accept 12,000 refugees, mostly from Syria, in addition to its usual humanitarian programme. However, this apparent generosity hides something less well known and less savoury. Successive Australian governments have detained asylum seekers arriving by boat in remote detention centers and done everything possible to hide their harsh treatment from scrutiny.
Earlier this year, the Australian parliament passed a law concerning workers at the detention centers. It is now a criminal offense for them to reveal to outsiders what is happening to asylum seekers, with a potential penalty of job loss and two years in prison.
Why is the government so afraid of workers speaking out? And why, in particular, is the treatment of refugees such a sensitive topic?
The detention story
Australia has no land borders with any other country, so asylum seekers outside the humanitarian quota can only arrive by air or sea. Although relatively few undertake the perilous sea voyage, successive governments have raised the alarm about asylum seekers arriving by boat, while maintaining a massive planned immigration programme.
In the early 1990s, the government set up detention facilities for asylum seekers, and for years 90 percent of them were eventually officially classified as refugees. In following years, refugee policies became ever more draconian. These policies have been supported by both major political parties, seemingly trying to outbid each other in being tough on those who are most vulnerable.
The effects of long-term detention are horrific: After months or years in isolated camps in unhealthy conditions, with uncertain futures, limited opportunities for self-development, and incidents of sexual abuse, many detainees suffer physical and mental problems. Traumatized in their home countries, they are additionally traumatized by their life in the camps. Children — some of them born in the camps — are especially badly affected.
Harsh, punitive treatment of asylum seekers is a scandal. Australian politicians cultivate a fear of “boat people” for electoral purposes. Each major party has tried to outflank its opponent by being tough in the hope of causing splits in the other party, a process called “wedging.” However, the government, whichever party is in power, also needs to reduce public outrage from its policies.
Outrage management
When governments break the law, harm people or do something else that might generate concern, they typically use several methods to reduce public outrage. One common method is cover-up: If people don’t know about an abuse, they won’t be worried. Most detention centers were set up in remote parts of Australia. In recent years, they have been set up outside the Australian mainland, in Nauru and Papua New Guinea. Most journalists are prevented from gaining access to the camps.
Another key method to reduce outrage is devaluation of asylum seekers. They have been persistently called “illegals,” even though seeking asylum is legal, and “queue jumpers,” even though there is no formal queue for refugees. Some politicians suggest, without any evidence, that asylum seekers might be terrorists, though actually most are fleeing wars and terrorism.
The government provides numerous rationalizations for its policy. “Stopping the boats” has been reinterpreted as a matter of national security, to be handled by the Australian Navy, rather than a humanitarian issue. The government has undertaken legal manipulations that are ingenious in getting around refugee commitments. For example, in 2013 parliament excised the Australian mainland from “Australia” for the purposes of the refugee convention, so that arriving at Darwin or Sydney by boat does not count as arriving in Australia and thus triggering treaty commitments. It is now impossible for asylum seekers arriving by boat to be permanently resettled in Australia.
Then there is intimidation, a technique used for several purposes. The idea of detention and, in some cases, indefinite imprisonment in harsh conditions is to send a message to potential asylum seekers not to come to Australia. Intimidation is also applied to those seeking to expose the government’s actions. This brings us to the 2015 Border Force Act, criminalizing the reporting of conditions in camps.
The perils of speaking out
The Border Force Act shows the synergy of the techniques of intimidation and cover-up. By threatening criminal sanctions, the act seeks to hide what is happening in the camps from the general public. The sanctions apparently apply to teachers, healthcare workers, humanitarian volunteers and perhaps even guards.
Another law passed this year requires that telecommunications and Internet service providers retain metadata on electronic communications for two years. This act, supposedly introduced to enable detection of criminals and terrorists, will almost certainly be used for surveillance of whistleblowers.
A worker at a detention facility is thus in a precarious position. The telephone numbers and email addresses of anyone contacted might be traced and used to identify a leak. Criminal penalties loom large. In essence, the Australian government has created a system for monitoring and penalizing dissent characteristic of a repressive regime.
Resistance
For decades, Australian refugee supporters have opposed the political panic about asylum seekers arriving by boat and have made persistent efforts to advocate on behalf of refugees and provide support for them. Some Australians have made regular visits to detention centers, providing personal support to individuals. Whistleblowers have exposed conditions in the camps and journalists have written powerful stories. Lawyers, many of them pro bono, have supported asylum seekers through the maze of regulations that serve to delay and block official approval of permanent settlement in Australia. Campaigners have written innumerable letters, held meetings, organized rallies and used other forms of protest. Asylum seekers themselves, in the camps, have protested in various ways, including by the drastic step of sewing their lips together to symbolize how their voices are muzzled.
When refugees are released into the community, many Australian communities have accepted them wholeheartedly, helping them with learning English, learning to drive and getting jobs. The generosity of the Australian people provides a stark contrast with the hard-hearted policies implemented by successive Australian governments. Most politicians seem to believe there are more votes in appearing tough than in being compassionate or in respecting the spirit of treaty obligations.
The Border Force Act is the latest installment in the government’s attempts to shut down exposure of the consequences of its policies. But it may be a step too far.
Most of the workers at detention centers, for example cooks and cleaners, do not have any special obligation to report problems. When they leak informationabout the adverse effects of detention, they are acting on the basis of their general humanity. However, the parliament, in passing the Border Force Act, included teachers and health professionals who feel a professional duty to report on conditions affecting their students and patients.
Health professionals have been expressing their opposition to the act. The Royal Australasian College of Physicians has called for mandatory detention to be stopped. Groups of health professionals, outraged by the act, have taken various initiatives, including organizing petitions and rallies. A few have spoken out about camp conditions, challenging the law. There are plans to develop a statement challenging the law, as a form of civil disobedience.
In practice, it is very unlikely that a doctor would be sentenced to prison for reporting on the health of asylum seekers: This would generate too much adverse publicity. Even so, the threat of criminal penalties for doing what many professionals would believe is in the best interests of their patients is a powerful stimulus to express opposition.
Government apologists have long dismissed refugee advocates as “bleeding hearts” whose concerns should not dictate policy. Doctors and other health professionals are not so easy to dismiss. The Border Force Act has actually weakened the government’s position in two important ways: It has turned refugee policy into a free speech issue, and it has mobilized sections of the powerful medical profession to oppose the government’s policy more strongly. This case shows the value to a social justice campaign of drawing in a wide variety of groups.
The fact that the government is taking extreme measures to hide the way asylum seekers are treated in detention centers is a good indication that it is afraid of public scrutiny. Making injustice visible is a powerful technique. The Border Force Act is not the end of the story, but rather the beginning of a new stage in the struggle.
This article was originally published by Waging Nonviolence.
Written by BRIAN MARTIN.France's election campaign commission said Saturday "a significant amount of data" — and some fake information — has been leaked on social networks following a hacking attack on centrist Emmanuel Macron's presidential campaign. It urged citizens not to relay the data on social media to protect the integrity of the French vote.
France's government cybersecurity agency will investigate the attack, according to a government official who said it appeared to be a "very serious" breach.
The leak came 36 hours before the nation votes Sunday in a crucial presidential runoff between Macron and far-right candidate Marine Le Pen — and just as a two-day blackout on campaigning began so that voters could reflect on their choice.
Voting started Saturday in France's overseas territories and in some embassies abroad.
Docs appear mundane
The leaked documents appear largely mundane, and the perpetrators remain unknown. It's unclear whether the document dump will dent Macron's large polling lead over Le Pen going into the vote.
The election commission met Saturday after the leaks emerged just before midnight Friday. The commission said the leaked data apparently came from Macron's "information systems and mail accounts from some of his campaign managers." It said the leaked data had been "fraudulently" obtained and that fake news was probably mingled in with it.
A poll worker stands next to posters for presidential candidates Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron in New York. Macron's team said it had been the victim of a'massive and co-ordinated' hack. (Joe Penney/Reuters)
The commission urged French media and citizens not to relay the leaked documents. French electoral laws impose a news blackout Saturday and most of Sunday on any campaigning and media coverage seen as swaying the election.
The Macron team asked the campaign oversight commission Saturday to bring in cybersecurity agency ANSSI to study the hack, according to a government official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the details publicly.
ANSSI can only be called in for cases where the cyberattack is "massive and sophisticated" — and the Macron hack appears to fit the bill, the official said.
'Massive and co-ordinated' hack
Someone on 4chan — a site known, among other things, for cruel hoaxes and political extremism — posted links to a large set of data Friday night.
Macron's team quickly confirmed that it had been hit by a "massive and co-ordinated" hack some weeks ago, in which
unidentified hackers accessed staffers' personal and professional emails and leaked campaign finance material and contracts — as well as fake documents — online.
In a cursory look at the leaked documents, they appear to be day-to-day communications, with a few items so out of character that they might be fakes. Other documents, which seem to date back several years, don't appear related to the campaign at all.
Le Pen's campaign could not formally respond due to the campaigning blackout, but National Front official Florian Philippot, asked in a tweet: "Will the #Macronleaks teach us something that investigative journalism deliberately buried?"
The Macron hacking announcement came just 10 days after the campaign's digital chief, Mounir Mahjoubi, said it had been targeted by Russia-linked hackers — but that those hacking attempts had all been thwarted.
Mahjoubi and other campaign staffers would not comment Saturday.
A child looks out from a voting booth in Washington as French citizens living in the United States cast their ballots for the French presidential run-off. (Mike Theiler/Reuters)
The documents leaked Friday were widely circulated on U.S. far-right sites. Experts dissecting the data say they spotted a couple of Russian names in the dump. Matt Suiche of cybersecurity firm Comae Technologies said "there's Cyrillic script in the metadata," but added it was hard to tell whether that's due to carelessness or a deliberate misdirection.
In other voting issues, the French voting watchdog urged the Interior Ministry to look into claims by the Le Pen campaign of tampering with ballot papers in a way that favours Macron.
St-Pierre-Miquelon opens voting
The first French territory to vote Saturday was Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, an archipelago near Newfoundland, where voters came dressed in scarves and jackets to ward off the chilly weather. Shortly afterward, voting started in French Guiana and the French West Indies, where voters wore shorts.
French citizens also turned out in droves to vote in Quebec. The French consul general in Montreal said more than 57,000 people had registered to vote in the province, the vast majority in Montreal.
A woman takes a photo as French citizens wait in line to cast their votes in Montreal. (Chris Wattie/Reuters)
The last polling stations on the French mainland close at 8:00 p.m. Sunday, when the first pollsters' projections and official partial results are expected.
The campaign has been unusually bitter, with voters hurling eggs and flour, protesters clashing with police and the candidates insulting each other on national television — a reflection of the country's deep divisions.Uber plans to shut down UberRush, its backend logistics and courier service, for restaurants on May 8, Quartz has learned.
Uber introduced Rush in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco in October 2015. It was an important addition to Uber’s portfolio, an attempt to make good on CEO Travis Kalanick’s promise that ”if we can get you a car in five minutes, we can get you anything in five minutes.”
The company echoed that language at launch, saying Rush would use the technology behind on-demand rides to “get customers pretty much anything in minutes.” Early businesses to sign up for Rush included Blockheads, a New York burrito chain; ChowNow, a Grubhub competitor; Delivery.com, an online ordering platform for anything from food to dry cleaning; and BloomNet, a flower delivery service.
But a year and a half down the road, Rush’s future looks uncertain. Uber last week emailed Rush clients informing them that as of May 8, restaurants will no longer be able to use the platform. The company is encouraging restaurants to switchover to UberEats, its designated food delivery service. Restaurant deliveries have historically made up the majority of orders on Rush, two former employees familiar with Uber’s operations told Quartz.
Uber also plans to restructure pricing on Rush beginning in May. Currently, Rush deliveries cost $6 for the first mile and $3 for each additional mile in San Francisco; $6.30 for the first mile and $1.80 for each additional mile in Chicago; and $5.50 for the first mile plus $2.50 per extra mile in New York, according to the company’s website.
“We built UberEats to specifically meet the needs and support the growth of our individual restaurant partners,” a spokeswoman for Uber said in an email. “Moving forward, we will focus UberRush on powering backend delivery logistics for merchants and enterprises such as grocery stores and florists.”
Uber has struggled to balance the needs of its various on-demand platforms—rides, UberRush, and UberEats—which at times rely on the same network of drivers and couriers. Uber hires these workers as independent contractors to avoid paying them benefits or a guaranteed minimum wage, but because of that it can’t tell drivers when or where to work. The company has also had a hard time retaining workers, with only about 50% remaining after one year.
As Uber invested more in Rush and Eats, the delivery services ate into the labor supply for Uber’s core rides business, one of the former employees told Quartz. “We got into a situation where dinner rush would mean a lot of people were taking food deliveries, but then they weren’t driving for UberX, so it was causing surge pricing,” the person said. “We were attacking our own business.”
Uber said it is actively working to expand its pool of delivery people for Rush and Eats. Workers go through a separate signup process to deliver for Uber than to drive (though they can sign up to do both). Delivery is open to people ages 18 and older and doesn’t necessarily require a car. Drivers must be at least 21 years old and, of course, need a car.
Uber last year intensified its focus on UberEats, a service that competes with food delivery startups such as Postmates and DoorDash. The company poured money into UberEats, with a focus on expanding the platform’s reach and ordering options. Approximately 25,500 restaurants were registered on UberEats as of March, concentrated in big cities, according to data from financial analysis firm Thinknum.
Removing restaurants from Rush could help Uber streamline its dispatches, especially if those restaurants migrate to Eats. While Uber will likely continue to face supply constraints from its Eats push, the food delivery platform offers a more attractive value proposition than Rush did. That’s because with Eats, customers place their orders through Uber’s app. The company collects a delivery fee ($5 in most cities), a cut of around 30% from the restaurant, and a cut of 25% to 30% from the courier on each order, rather than the flat mileage-based fees on Rush.
Uber can also book the full value of an order on Eats as revenue, or gross merchandise value (GMV), a number startups often tout to investors when they seek funding. Rush deliveries are typically placed through third parties, meaning Uber’s only revenue from each transaction is the delivery fee. “The GMV is much more attractive with people using their app,” said Adam Price, CEO of Homer, a Rush competitor in New York.
The new focus on Eats created “infighting” among Uber’s teams, tech news site The Information reported (paywall) last November, with local city managers unwilling to make drivers available to the Rush and Eats platforms. The UberRush team also reportedly hoped to cut a deal with Yelp-owned Eat24 but was blocked by people at UberEats, who had already integrated some Eat24 restaurants into the UberEats network.
This story has been updated to include additional information from Uber.A Toronto businessman who ran for city council in the 2010 election pleaded guilty Monday to breaching the Municipal Elections Act by voting for himself in a ward in which he did not live. Gus Cusimano was a candidate in Ward 9 (York Centre) who lost to Councillor Maria Augimeri by 89 votes.
Toronto businessman Gus Cusimano, left, and his lawyer Lorne Honickman outside Old City Hall on Monday after Cusimano pleading guilty to breaching the Municipal Elections Act by voting for himself in a ward where he did not reside. ( BETSY POWELL / TORONTO STAR )
“Mr. Cusimano voted in an advance poll at North York Civic Centre on Oct. 7, 2010, based upon his belief at that time that he could vote where he leased property,” lawyer Michal Fairburn told court, reading from an agreed statement of facts. “However, since Mr. Cusimano resides in Ward 24 (Willowdale), he should only have been able to vote for candidates for the elected offices applicable to Ward 24.” Cusimano leased property at 951 Wilson Ave., Unit 18, which he used as his campaign office. It is within the bounds of Ward 9.
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Fairburn told Justice of the Peace Sandra Anstey that prior to the 2010 election the city took steps to inform the public that individuals must vote where they reside. Defence lawyer Lorne Honickman told court that Cusimano made an “honest, inadvertent mistake.” Nevertheless, the Ontario Court of Appeal, in 2011, ruled offences under Section 89 of the Municipal Elections Act were “absolute liability offences.” “That is, it does not matter if an individual had an honest but mistaken belief about where he or she can vote,” said Fairburn, a prominent lawyer hired by the city of Toronto to prosecute Cusimano. “Once it has been shown that the act of voting in a ward other than where an individual resides took place, the offence is complete.” By contrast, candidates can run in wards even if they don’t live there. Anstey agreed to the joint position that Cusimano should pay a $1,000 fine. Fairburn withdrew a second charge of providing false and misleading information to election officials.
Cusimano, who owns an insurance company, said he is “definitely” running in next year’s municipal election. “I truly believe I did nothing wrong at the time,” Cusimano said outside the Old City Hall courtroom. Honickman credited his client for “exposing errors of election officials” by taking the city to court over irregularities.
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“Because of the microscope that he put on the City of Toronto election process, we can say now it’s going to be a better process in 2014,” Honickman said. Augimeri is a frequent critic of Mayor Rob Ford who has represented the area, in the city’s north end, since 1985. Ford endorsed Cusimano in the last election.The upcoming mobile game World Without End looks absolutely stunning, as if it were ripped straight out of a comic book.
This is no coincidence: The mind behind the game is Steve Uy, a writer and illustrator of Marvel and DC books including Uncanny X-Men and Avengers: The Initiative. And now he's trying to break into videogames with World Without End, which he will release for $3 on iOS and Android when it is completed.
Though he has enlisted a programmer and musician, Uy is writing, illustrating and designing the game on his own.
"This may be a single-man indie game, but it won't feel like one," Uy said in an e-mail to Wired.com. World Without End, Uy says, will take upwards of 15 hours to finish and let players explore several branching storylines.
Uy is asking for donations on Kickstarter to help him finish the project. He's hoping to reach $15,000 by late August.
World Without End is a strategy role-playing game heavily inspired by Final Fantasy Tactics. Each character can take two actions per turn, moving around the board and attacking enemies. Players will have make smart decisions with every individual move: More powerful moves expend up more Action Points, which are a limited resource.
"Using powerful skills might suck you dry," Uy said. "Should you use a special skill to kill an enemy right now and leave yourself helpless in the next turn, or should you just move out of range and try to tackle them again next time, when you have more AP?"
Unlike many other strategy RPGs, World Without End doesn't have a movement grid laid across the terrain. Characters can move freely, with the player guiding them across the gorgeously drawn backgrounds by tracing his finger along the phone screen.
The game will also feature an overworld not unlike that of the Zelda series. "By sheer content alone it's bigger than a Pokémon game," he said.
Wary of spoilers, Uy wouldn't tell us much about the story. He would only say that players will control an amnesiac hero who runs into a prescient old man. When the man cajoles the hero into helping clear their land of monsters, they run into unexpected consequences.
"The game is about freedom, and choice," Uy said. "That theme will permeate everything you do in the game, and the multiple playthroughs you can go through afterwards."
See Also:- 7 Fantastical Indie RPGs Worth PlayingTEL AVIV – Palestinian children performed in a play depicting “Zionist jailers” executing “heroic prisoners” as part of a closing ceremony for summer camps organized by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party.
Pictures taken at the event and published by independent Palestinian news agency Donia Al-Watan show children in the role of Palestinian prisoners kneeling blindfolded and handcuffed in a row on the floor, while their Israeli “jailers” stand over them with guns aimed at their heads.
The text accompanying the images reads: “A play about the suffering of our brave prisoners and the cruel attitude of the Zionist jailer towards our heroic prisoners.”
In one image, three children play dead on the floor, having been “executed.”
The Fatah summer camp was named after terrorist Muhammad Al-Shubaki, who stabbed and wounded an Israel soldier last November. Al-Shubaki was wounded by Israeli forces and treated in an Israeli hospital, where he later died of his wounds.
The terrorist’s father spoke at the summer camp ceremony, expressing his “pride and thanks for the gesture of memorializing the heroic martyrs,” the report translated by Palestinian Media Watch said.
The Palestinian Authority has repeatedly disseminated the libel that Israel kills Palestinian prisoners.
The libel extends to the claim that Palestinians are being framed for incarceration, for example by having weapons hidden on their persons by Israelis.
In May, PMW reported on a high school play showing Israeli soldiers planting knives on innocent Palestinians and then proceeding to murder them in cold blood.
The report also exposed children in an elementary school play acting out the execution of an Israeli soldier.It’s official: a Pacific Rim sequel is coming. Pacific Rim 2 has been set for a 2017 release, which Universal will bring to theaters. Additionally Guillermo del Toro says he’s also developing an animated Pacific Rim show that will debut before the film sequel.
BuzzFeed reports, and Legendary offers this info:
Guillermo del Toro returns to direct Legendary Pictures’ PACIFIC RIM 2, the next chapter of the epic action-adventure he created with 2013’s hit original film. Zak Penn will write the script with del Toro. Legendary’s Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni once again produce alongside del Toro, Mary Parent and Callum Greene. Jillian Share will executive produce. Universal Pictures will release the film worldwide in 3D and IMAX 3D.
April 7, 2017 is the official release date for the sequel. Zak Penn (X-Men: The Last Stand) is working on the sequel script, and original screenwriter Travis Beacham is working on the sequel and overall franchise development, too.
For more info, let’s go to del Toro, who told Buzzfeed:
The characters I love will return. Raleigh, Mako, Newt, Gottlieb and who knows, maybe even Hannibal Chau – but we are taking them into a fresh territory that will display amazing sights and battles. The first film set the stage and now we’re ready to have a blast.
We don’t have any info about returning cast at this point.
The director gives us all the info in a short video clip:
Before this goes anywhere near production, Guillermo del Toro will have his series The Strain hitting TV, and the haunted house film Crimson Peak going into theaters in 2015. He’s working constantly, which is a welcome development after several years of start and stop development.
Also interesting here is that Warner Bros. took a pass on Pacific Rim 2, despite having a claim to the series after releasing the first film. Legendary produced Pac Rim, and now has a deal with Universal, and in truth the sequel seems more like a Universal film than a Warner Bros. one at this point. Regardless, we’ll be happy to see it.Building cross-platform native apps
Callan Hodgskin Blocked Unblock Follow Following Aug 10, 2017
There is a lot of busywork when you are developing for multiple app stores. Each |
, a Super PAC supporting Obama
Total raised: $19.9 million
Raised in June: $5.7 million
Total spent: $18.0 million
Spent in June: $4.2 million
Cash on hand: $4.5 million
AMERICAN CROSSROADS, a Super PAC supporting Republicans
Total raised: $40.1 million
Raised in June: $5.7 million
Total spent: $9.5 million
Spent in June: $3.7 million
Cash on hand: $31.5 million
Source: ReutersThe story of the famed castrato, Farinelli, will be arriving to Broadway this December for a limited engagement in “Farinelli and the King.”
This British production, written and composed by Claire van Kampen, is a real-life tale of one of history’s most famous Italian singers of the 18th century. After a premiere at the Shakespeare Globe, the production, directed by John Dove, transferred to the West End’s Duke of York Theater, where it won the title of the house’s highest grossing show.
Castrati, boys castrated before puberty, were a common occurrence in the earliest days of opera. With no male hormones to produce the transition from boy to man, their voices never dropped, leaving them with their unusually strong boy-soprano. Early 1700 is the period that these emasculated men took opera houses by storm, putting Farinelli right on time for a celebrity career.
His reputation of powerful vocals and virtuosic talent swept through Europe and upon his arrival in Madrid, his talents were summoned by the Queen of Spain with the hopes that his talent could cure her husband, King Philip the V’s, depression.
The play focuses on this piece of history in Spain, the period in which Farinelli becomes a chamber musician for the sad king, ending his public-performing career. Grammy-award winning countertenor, Iestyn Davies, is cast as the ghost singer, providing the vocals for actor, Sam Crane.
Within the play, Handel arias originated by Farinelli himself are featured, accompanied by a band of period, baroque instruments set in a gallery above the stage.
With the Metropolitan Opera audience 20 blocks down the street and a countertenor whose reputation is comparable to that of Farinelli’s, this 3-month, Broadway run will have theater and opera fans alike clamoring for a ticket in the Belasco Theater.The government says a referendum is not needed on the treaty
The House of Commons turned down the Conservative proposal by 311 votes to 248 - a margin of 63.
The result means Parliament itself will decide whether to ratify the treaty, signed by EU leaders last December.
Thirteen Lib Dem MPs rebelled against the party's orders to abstain on the referendum vote, with three frontbench spokesmen resigning their posts.
MPs rejected the Conservative amendment to the EU (Amendment) Bill, but 29 Labour MPs supported it. Three Tories defied their party leadership.
Manifestos
All EU parliaments must ratify the treaty before it can come into force. The only country which has committed to a referendum is Ireland.
We hope that in this case the Lords will hold the government to their manifesto commitment
William Hague, Conservatives
Clegg revamp after rebellion
The three main UK political parties promised a public vote on the EU Constitution in their 2005 general election manifestos.
But the constitution was rejected by the French and Dutch electorates later that year. The Lisbon Treaty was drawn up to replace it.
The government and the Lib Dems say the treaty does not have constitutional implications, so a referendum on it is not needed.
The government says most changes are minor and procedural and it has secured "opt-outs" where necessary.
Month-long debate
But the Conservatives, some Labour and Lib Dem MPs and the UK Independence Party among others, say that it is effectively the constitution under a different name - so there should be a referendum.
Shadow foreign secretary William Hague said: "This treaty will now go to the House of Lords.
"It is convention that the House of Lords does not stand in the way of manifesto commitments. We hope that in this case the Lords will hold the government to their manifesto commitment.
"The Liberal Democrats' position will once again be pivotal. We will see if they follow their three-line whip in the Commons to abstain."
The Lib Dem leadership, which instead wants a referendum on whether the UK should stay within the EU, ordered its MPs to abstain in the Tory-led debate.
But 13 refused to do so, instead voting for a referendum on the treaty.
Scottish affairs spokesman Alistair Carmichael, countryside spokesman Tim Farron and justice spokesman David Heath resigned from the Lib Dem frontbench team.
MPs have been debating the different elements of the treaty over the past month.The Bristol Cable
Data suggests racial profiling in 11 major UK cities.
This story was produced in collaboration with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism’s Bureau Local project – featuring in 10 publications.
Illustration: Jasmine Thompson
Home Office data uncovered by a Bristol Cable investigation suggests that immigration officers have used racial profiling techniques to stop and question over 19,000 British citizens over the past five years.
One in five of the 102,552 spot-checks by immigration officers in 11 of the UK’s major mainland cities* were British citizens, making British citizens the national group most stopped by far.
This is despite the fact that British citizens cannot be immigration offenders, and that Home Office guidance states operations are meant to be carried out on an ‘intelligence-led basis’.
Barristers specialising in human rights from Garden Court Chambers said the data suggests “that rather than immigration officials carrying out checks on an intelligence-led basis, as required, the checks are led by racial profiling”.
They went further to say that “by reason of those individuals being British, by definition, any intelligence relied on to spot-check them must have been wholly flawed”.
Thangam Debbonaire, MP for Bristol West and Kerry McCarthy, MP for Bristol East, have responded to the data seeking answers from the Home Office along with six other MPs across the country, including calls for an “urgent review” by MPs Stella Creasy and Gill Furniss.
From edition 13, OUT NOW! Read more from this edition.
New evidence: a seven month dispute for the data
The new data obtained by the Bristol Cable, following a seven-month Freedom of Information (FOI) dispute with the Home Office, breaks down the number of nationals stopped by immigration officers in 11 of the UK’s major mainland cities.
The figures provide the first public evidence to challenge the strength of the ‘intelligence’ used by immigration officers and the basis on which British citizens are stopped and checked for crimes they cannot commit.
They were not publicly available when the issue was brought to light four years ago, when the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) wrote to the Home Office concerning possible racial bias of immigration officers. At the time, claims of racial profiling at transport hubs were dismissed by Mark Harper, the then minister of state for immigration, who insisted that the operations were evidence-based.
Pragna Patel of the advocacy group Southall Black Sisters said: “This data clearly points to racial profiling practices by the Home Office. Unfortunately this is part of the ‘hostile environment’ immigration policy that this government is intent on pursuing, no matter the impact on communities and individuals.”
Prominent Glasgow human rights lawyer Aamer Anwar said “There is definitely racial profiling going on and we’re increasingly concerned about the intelligence.”
Disproportionate stops
In the 10 major cities in England and Wales, Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan nationals make up 11% of the non-British population but accounted for a far greater 38% of stops made by immigration officers among non-British citizens.
By comparison, Irish and Scandinavian nationals make up 6% of the non-British population of these cities but were stopped only once for every 250 checks performed by immigration officers among non-British citizens, a markedly smaller proportion.
The data has also brought to light the weak stop-to-arrest ratio of these ‘intelligence-led’ operations. Of the non-Brits stopped and checked, nearly 70% (70,760) were not subsequently arrested, again raising questions on the evidence used in these checks. Conviction data was not made available.
The Home Office’s guidance states that immigration enforcement must be in accordance with the Equality Act 2010, citing that officers “must be able to demonstrate and record their ‘reasonable suspicion’, supported by their clear rationale, in all cases”.
Other relevant guidance states, “Reasonable suspicion can never be supported on the basis of personal characteristics. It must rely on intelligence or information about, or some specific behaviour by, the person concerned.”
In a joint statement commenting on the Cable’s FOI data, barristers Christopher Williams and Nicola Braganza of Garden Court Chambers said that “the intelligence, to the extent it existed, must have been flawed”.
They added: “The data uncovered by the FOI request gives rise to the serious concern that rather than spot-checks being intelligence-led they appear to be driven by a scattergun approach influenced by speculation and, as a result, creating a real risk of being informed, whether on a conscious or sub-conscious level, by racial and ethnic bias on the part of the immigration officers carrying out the checks.”
A ‘hostile environment’
In 2012, Theresa May, then home secretary, gave an interview to the Telegraph explaining how she would reduce illegal migration. “The aim is to create here in Britain a really hostile environment for illegal migration,” she said.
As part of this policy stance, the public have been empowered to provide reports of suspected illegal immigrants. But the result can be weaknesses in the quality of intelligence used by the Home Office.
Gracie Bradley, advocacy and policy officer for human rights organisation Liberty, said, “[The] so-called ‘intelligence-led’ immigration enforcement is rarely anything of the sort – in practice these are often fishing expeditions based on ‘intelligence’ as paltry as a call from a disgruntled neighbour.”
According to a 2016 report by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration (ICIBI), over two-thirds of enforcement intelligence relies on allegations made by the general public. Commenting on the reliance of tip-offs from the general public, an official audit recognised that this is “not the most efficient way for Immigration Enforcement to direct its activity”. A another report by the ICIBI found that 68% of all workplace raids in the five years to 2014 failed to find any illegal migrants.
The Brexit debate will create renewed scrutiny of immigration enforcement following recent reports from the leaked Home Office document that indicate the government’s intention to extend elements of the ‘hostile environment’ immigration policy to EU citizens. Policies have been introduced that require public sector workers, employers and landlords to determine an individual’s immigration status, along with encouraging members of the public to provide information to Immigration Enforcement. In September, politics.co.uk revealed that the Home Office had received 482 tip-offs from MPs between 2014 and 2016.
“This move to in-country immigration enforcement is spreading division, exploitation and destitution across the UK,” Bradley said. “It blocks people from accessing education, healthcare, fair working conditions and shelter at the time they need it most, and it’s a damning indictment of our government.”
MPs Thangam Debbonaire, Kerry McCarthy, Afzal Khan, Tulip Siddiq, Hilary Benn, Gill Furniss, Preet Gill and Stella Creasy have called on the Home Office for explanations.
Calls for safeguarding against racial profiling
Unlike with police stop-and-search powers, the Home Office is not required to collect the ethnicity of those spot-checked. This makes positive identification of racial profiling difficult.
“[Even if] the statistics give rise to a reasonable suspicion of racial profiling on the part of officials, with no breakdown by ethnic minority no firm conclusions can be drawn,” said Frances Webber, a former barrister and vice-chair of the Institute for Race Relations.
Asked whether the data indicated racial profiling, a Home Office spokesperson said that “all Immigration Enforcement activity is intelligence-led and fully compliant with the Equality Act 2010”.
Responding to the latest data, an Equality and Human Rights Commission spokesperson said that it would be “deeply worrying” if immigration officials and the Home Office were not following the law and their own guidance regarding immigration spot-checks, because “there must be reasonable evidence for carrying out inspections”.
The spokesperson added, “If British people are recorded as being encountered by immigration enforcement, it doesn’t necessarily mean they were victims of racial profiling. We would need more information to determine that.”
In their statement to the Cable, barristers Williams and Braganza called on the Home Office to provide explanations for the flawed intelligence process, the failure to collect ethnicity data and to introduce safeguards to prevent and monitor possible racial profiling.
“On [our] analysis what is clear is that if spot-checks are intelligence-led, the intelligence is not working,” they said. “It also begs the question as to what the intelligence comprises – whether it is limited to a tip-off from a member of the public, who may not like the look of his or her neighbour, or extends to more. Without disclosure of the basis for the spot-checks, there is no safeguarding against racial profiling.”
Are you a British Citizen? Have you been stopped by Immigration Enforcement? Get in touch confidentially: adam@thebristolcable.org / 077 291 240 80
*The 11 cities are:Bristol, London, Birmingham,Cardiff,Glasgow,Leeds,Liverpool,Manchester,Newcastle, Sheffield and NottinghamFormer CIA counterterrorism officer John Kiriacou claims that renewed US diplomatic ties with Cuba boost President Barack Obama’s hope to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center.
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Renewed US diplomatic ties with Cuba boost President Barack Obama’s hope to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center on the island before he leaves office, former CIA counterterrorism officer and Senate Foreign Relations Committee investigator John Kiriacou told Sputnik.
"For the Obama administration the key issue is not any security concern with Cuba about returning the Guantanamo base, it is what the disposition of the Islamic prisoners being held there could be if the facility were closed," Kiriacou said on Thursday.
Guantanamo’s continued importance for the US government was to continue to hold suspects captured in the War on Terror. Therefore, Obama needed a legal strategy allowing him to continue to hold detainees on US territory before he could feel free to close the facility, Kiriacou said.
"If Congress were to agree to take some of the Guantanamo prisoners, those against whom a legal case can be constructed so that they can be tried within the US justice system, then all of these could be transferred to be held in US federal penitentiaries," Kiriakou said.
The real legal problems, he explained, would come in disposing of detainees in Guantanamo who had suffered torture at the hands of CIA officers there.
© AP Photo / ANDRES LEIGHTON Pentagon Blocking Release of Guantanamo Prisoners Held Without Charge
Kiriacou was a CIA whistleblower who served two and half years in prison for exposing CIA torture.
"Concerning those who have suffered torture at the hands of the CIA, the Justice Department will be unable to prosecute them because the potential evidence against them will all have been tainted," he pointed out.
However, the US government could explore the option of getting permission from the courts to continue holding those who are deemed by the CIA to pose dangerous risks in a military penitentiary in South Carolina, Kiriacou continued.
"If legal approval for such a course of action can be won, then I think the way would be open for the Obama administration to move ahead to close Guantanamo and for President Obama to fulfill his 2008 campaign pledge to do so before he leaves office," he stated.
Kiriacou also noted that Cuban diplomats have remained patient on the issue of Guantanamo and had not allowed the continued presence of the facility on the US military base there to threaten their successful negotiations to restore diplomatic relations with Washington after a 54-year freeze.
"Cuba has been very quiet on the Guantanamo issue. They have not put it in the forefront of their concerns," he said.
However, "There is no doubt the Cubans would like to regain control of the Guantanamo base. After all it is on their territory," Kiriacou concluded.
In December 2014, Obama announced his administration would pursue a path toward normalizing relations with Cuba.Silvopasture over the years.
Silvopasture (Latin, silva forest) is the practice of integrating trees, forage, and the grazing of domesticated animals in a mutually beneficial way[1]. It is one of several distinct forms of agroforestry[2].
Properly-managed silvopasture can increase overall productivity and long-term income due to the simultaneous production of tree crops, forage, and livestock, and can provide environmental benefits such as carbon sequestration. The trees are managed for high-value sawlogs, lumber, brushwood, foliage, fodder, and, simultaneously provide shade and shelter for livestock and some forage, reducing stress and sometimes increasing forage production.[3]
History [ edit ]
Fruit and nut and silvopasture systems covered large portions of central Europe until the 20th century, and are still-widespread in some areas.[4] Wood pasture, one of the oldest land-use practices in human history,[4] is a historical European land management system in which open woodland provided shelter and forage for grazing animals, particularly sheep and cattle, as well as woodland products such as timber for construction and fuel, coppiced stems for wattle and charcoal making and pollarded poles. Since Roman times, pigs have been released into beech and oak woodlands to feed on the acorn and beech mast, and into fruit orchards to eat fallen fruit.[4]
Practices [ edit ]
Silvopasture is the integration of trees, forages, and livestock for mutually-beneficial outcomes.[5]
Two methods of establishment are 1) Integrating trees into existing pasture, and 2) Developing forages under existing trees.
Ireland, Wales, Scotland, lower regions [ edit ]
Veteran pollard oak, a sign of ancient wood pasture at Windsor
Tree species and planting densities are studied over a range of sites at The Silvopastoral National Network Experiment.[6] Natural England's Environmental Stewardship scheme defines Wood Pasture, in the Farm Environmental Plan booklet, as a structure of open grown or high-forest in a matrix of grazed-grassland, heathland, and/or woodland floras.
Their experience shows sheep use the trees for shelter from wind. This could provide significant animal-welfare benefits. However,'sheep time' close to trees results in soil compaction with the greatest-compaction after trees are planted at very-low densities. Some botanists recommend trees be planted at no-less than 400 per hectare to ensure good-establishment.
Evidence of old wood-pasture management is detectable in many of the ancient woodlands of Scotland, such as Rassal Ashwood in Ross-shire,[7][8] and at Glen Finglas in the Trossachs. The Dalkeith Old Wood, belonging to the Duke of Buccleuch, cattle grazing beneath ancient oak, is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) [8] (or 'SSSI').
Aldermaston, Berkshire [ edit ]
Ancient pollard oaks with a couple sweet chestnuts in western Berkshire's Aldermaston Court's derelict wood pasture.
Ancient pollard oak.
Ancient pollard oak.
Ancient pollard oak.
Ancientpollard oak.
Ancient pollard oak.
Veteran pollard oak.
Dead pollard oak.
Oak
Oak
Oak
Oak
Vintage pollard oak.
Vintage pollard oak.
Vintage pollard oak.
Vintage pollard oak.
Vintage pollard oak.
Vintage pollard sweet chestnut.
Vintage pollard sweet chestnut.
Vintage pollard oak.
Vintage pollard oak.
United States [ edit ]
Silvopastures are the most-viable and prominent agroforestry practice in the United States.[citation needed]
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Further reading [ edit ]
Venator, Charles R., Jurgen Glaeser and Reynaldo Soto. 1992. "A Silvopastoral Strategy" in Development or Destruction: The Conversion of Tropical Forest to Pasture in Latin America. pp. 281–292. Westview Press/Boulderdpa
Der Kreml wird sich massiv in den Bundestagswahlkampf einmischen und versuchen, die Lage in Deutschland und Europa zu destabilisieren, warnt Igor Eidman, russischer Soziologe, Wahlkampf-Experte und Cousin des 2015 ermordeten Oppositionsführers Boris Nemzow. Im Interview erklärt er unter anderem die Nähe Putins zu Europas Ultrarechten.
FOCUS Online: Sie behaupten, Deutschland sei jetzt das Haupt-Angriffsziel der russischen Propaganda. Wie kommen Sie zu diesem Schluss? Igor Eidman: Nach der Annexion der Krim durch Russland und der Aggression gegen die Ukraine hat ein neuer Kalter Krieg begonnen. Der Westen versucht die Expansion Putins durch Sanktionen und diplomatischen Druck zu stoppen. Russland dagegen versucht, diesen Widerstand zu schwächen, indem es Politiker besticht und Moskau-freundliche Kandidaten bei Wahlen unterstützt. "PR-Fachleute sind damit beauftragt, die russischen Interessen in Deutschland voranzubringen" FOCUS Online: Wie genau funktioniert das? Eidman: Der Kreml gibt viel Geld aus, um die öffentliche Meinung in Deutschland zu beeinflussen. Das weiß ich aus erster Hand. Von Kollegen. Einige Moskauer PR-Fachleute, mit denen ich in der Duma, dem Parlament, zusammengearbeitet habe, sind jetzt damit beauftragt, die russischen Interessen in Deutschland voran zu bringen. „Weißt Du, wo der Kreml gerade am meisten Geld aus seinen PR-Budgets ausgibt?“, sagte mir kürzlich einer dieser Kollegen: „Nicht mehr in Moskau, sondern in Berlin“. FOCUS Online: Wie genau läuft diese Beeinflussung der öffentlichen Meinung? Eidman: Es wurde eine ganze Arme von Internet-Trollen auf die Beine gestellt, also Leuten, die im deutschsprachigen Internet Kremlpositionen verbreiten. Einige bekannte deutsche Journalisten und Publizisten arbeiten mehr oder weniger offen für Moskau. Der Kreml unterstützt Kräfte und Parteien, die gegen das System sind – etwa AfD und Pegida.
Über Igor Eidman Igor Eidman, 48, ist ein bekannter russischer Soziologe und Cousin des 2015 ermordeten Oppositionsführers Boris Nemzow. Er war als Kommunikationsdirektor beim Allrussischen Meinungsforschungszentrum (WZIOM) sowie Politberater in Moskau tätig und lebt seit mehreren Jahren im Exil in Deutschland. 2016 erschien sein Buch „Das System Putin“ (Ludwig Verlag, 16,99 Euro)
Eidman: "Gezielte Informationskampagne" für Russischsprachige in Deutschland FOCUS Online: Welche Rolle spielen die drei bis vier Millionen russischsprachigen Menschen in Deutschland? Eidman: Auf die hat der Kreml eine besondere Informations-Kampagne gerichtet. Sie werden gezielt von elektronischen Medien beeinflusst. Das bekannteste Beispiel sind die Demonstrationen gegen Angela Merkel nach der erfundenen Vergewaltigung der 13-jährigen Lisa in Berlin. FOCUS Online: Was ist das Ziel dieser Propaganda? Eidman: Die Situation in Deutschland zu destabilisieren, Extremisten zu helfen, den Feinden der Demokratie ermöglichen, in die Köpfe der Deutschen einzudringen. Wichtigstes Mittel ist dabei im Moment das Schüren von Anti-Emigranten-Hysterie. Ob Moskau die Bundestagswahl beeinflussen kann? - "Der Kreml wird es aktiv versuchen" FOCUS Online: Kann Moskau die Bundestagswahl 2017 beeinflussen? Eidman: Auf jeden Fall wird der Kreml aktiv versuchen, das zu tun. Putin und seine Führungsriege haben einen wichtigen Vorteil – sie haben riesige, unkontrollierte Geldmittel zur persönlichen Verfügung. FOCUS Online: Wie genau soll das funktionieren? Eidman: Putin und seine Leute werden dazu das bereits in anderen Ländern erprobte Arsenal krimineller Mittel nutzen: illegale Finanzierung der „eigenen“ Parteien, Hacker-Attacken, Anstacheln von Anti-Emigranten-Hysterie, das Verbreiten von provozierenden Gerüchten, Falschmeldungen im Internet und so weiter. "Wichtigste taktische Aufgabe ist der Sturz Merkels" FOCUS Online: Was ist das Ziel Moskaus? Eidman: Wichtigste taktische Aufgabe ist der Sturz Merkels. Ihre kritische Haltung gegenüber Putin ist richtungsweisend für die Russlandpolitik der EU. Ohne Merkel werden die Russland-Sanktionen höchstwahrscheinlich abgeschafft und die EU-Politik gegenüber Moskau wird sich grundlegend ändern. Putin träumt davon, ihm gegenüber loyale Kräfte an die Macht zu bringen. Der Kreml würde dann unausweichlich zur dominierenden Kraft in einem geschwächten Europa. Putin würde dann faktisch der Chef Europas. FOCUS Online: Wie kann sich Deutschland wehren? Eidman: Gegen Lüge hilft nur Wahrheit. Man muss breiten Raum schaffen für unabhängige Informationen, journalistische Recherchen über die Kreml-Provokationen, man muss alle Versuche, die Wahlen zu beeinflussen, öffentlich machen. FOCUS Online: Warum unterstützt Putin rechtsradikale Parteien in Europa? Eidman: Der Putinismus und die Ultrarechten haben den Wunsch gemeinsam, das Rad der Geschichte zurückzudrehen. Weg von der Globalisierung zurück zur nationalen Isolation, von Toleranz zurück zu Xenophobie, Nationalismus statt Multikulti, Klerikales statt Säkulares, vom Sozialstaat zurück zum wilden Kapitalismus. Putin und die Rechten haben ideologische Gründe für ihre Zusammenarbeit. Es ist also kein Betriebsunfall, dass sie fast überall zusammenarbeiten: Von Griechenland bis Deutschland, von Frankreich bis Ungarn. Die größte Gefahr 2017 ist ein Ausbreiten des Putinismus, also dass Ultrarechte oder andere putinnahe Parteien in führenden europäischen Staaten an die Macht kommen. Video: Merkel macht Russland und Iran für Verbrechen in Aleppo verantwortlichThe Cincinnati Bengals went out and made a statement during the 2017 NFL Draft. They picked the fastest player in combine history, John Ross. They drafted perhaps the best running back in terms of talent and ability in Joe Mixon. They grabbed the fastest defensive lineman in Jordan Willis. Do I need to go on?
The first-three rounds netted Cincinnati with some amazing talent, but the Day 3 prospects the team drafted are no slouches either. Carl Lawson, Josh Malone, Jake Elliott and even Brandon Wilson are all players who have a chance to make a name for themselves this coming season.
Look, we all know the Bengals like to sit their rookies early on, but I’m not going to address that here. Instead, I want to talk about which of these rookies will make the biggest impact for the team in 2017.
Let’s get the obvious out of the way. If Elliott wins the kicking battle during training camp, I fully expect him to make the biggest impact. But, if we’re talking about offensive and defensive players, it gets a little more complicated.
For one, Ross will have an uphill climb to prove that the team can trust him enough to be the No. 2 receiver in 2017. They just re-signed Brandon LaFell. Tyler Boyd had himself a nice rookie season and Cody Core was starting to come on late in the season. With all of these factors working against him, Ross will have to prove that his previous injuries are no longer an issue and that he’s smart enough to pick up the playbook by the time the regular season rolls around.
Secondly, Mixon is coming into a crowded running back room as well. The Bengals now have three second-round running backs in their stable. With Giovani Bernard, Jeremy Hill and Mixon all bringing something to the table, we could actually see a three-back rotation this coming season. With so many running backs to feed, who can say if Mixon will make a large impact?
As for defensive players, I expect both Willis and Lawson to get their snaps. I can see Willis beating out Will Clarke during training camp and backing up either Dunlap or Johnson this season. We saw Cincinnati use Dunlap in a similar rotation his rookie season and he ended up with 9.5 sacks that year. Although I believe Dunlap was a little further along than Willis is now, I believe Willis has the potential to make an impact early on. The same goes for Lawson, I think he has the potential to carve out a niche in the defense this coming season.
In regards to the other rookies, Brandon Wilson has a chance to make his mark in the return game, but everyone else in my opinion will be relegated to back up positions.
As for my opinion, I believe that Mixon will have the largest impact out of the Bengals’ 2017 rookie class. I know I mentioned that the running back depth chart is a bit crowded, but Mixon is such a talented runner, I just don’t see him staying behind either Bernard or Hill all season. I can see him potentially reaching 1,000 yards rushing and at least 300-400 yards receiving if he’s given a chance to start.
Which rookie do you think will make the largest impact this coming season? Vote below and share your thoughts in the comments section!SINCE KAKÁ WAS gilded with the title in 2007, no player other than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Ballon d’Or. In the years that have followed, the world of football has changed remarkably. A man who probably, but not certainly, is the best English right-back in the Premier League became the most expensive defender of all time. Red Bu … sorry, RasenBallsport Leipzig qualified for the Champions League at the first attempt, while the England manager may well have implicated himself in a corruption scandal whilst drinking a pint of wine. Oh, and Neymar.
This is an age where a Portuguese super-agent is essentially running one of the Championship’s most historic clubs, and there is little wholesome or innocent about the modern game. In the decade since he was named the finest footballer on the planet, the fall from grace of the boy who belonged to Jesus and the club he epitomised has been startling.
Kaká was tempted by Florentino Pérez’s poisoned chalice of a world-record transfer to Real Madrid, shrinking to an injury-prone shadow of his Milan self who could not hope to eclipse the man who smashed that record later in the same window. Milan have flunked to as low as 10th, their lowest league finish this millennium, and though the signs are promising of better days ahead, they are pretenders to the Italian throne rather than opulent kings.
Given the decline of Kaká’s career in the last decade, it is easy to forget just how good he was. This seems a little strange given that he was, by popular consensus, the best footballer in the world, with a 20-year-old Messi and 22-year-old Ronaldo in second and third behind him. “This is a new era in football,” the Brazilian said after lifting the award. “A new cycle is starting. There were great players before, but now the new players are starting to make history.”
He was almost right, but the new era started the following year and left him behind, seen through the rear-view mirror sitting meekly by the side of the road as Messi and Ronaldo left him and all others in their dust. As he graciously admitted more recently, Kaká was the last Ballon d’Or winner born on this planet – and how elite-level football misses him.
Read | Robinho: the legend we waited in vain for
Looking back at Kaká’s bare statistics from the 2006/07 season, it isn’t obvious why he was named the finest player on the planet. Eighteen goals and 10 assists in all competitions doesn’t seem all that impressive in the Messi-Ronaldo era, where 50 goals a season has become a remarkable norm. And, in fairness, Kaká wasn’t able to exert too much influence in Serie A that year as Milan began their decline.
A team containing Dida, Cafu, Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Nesta, Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf, Gennaro Gattuso, Filippo Inzaghi and Brazilian Ronaldo stumbled to fourth after initially being docked eight points in the Calciopoli scandal. Performances were poor, attendances at the San Siro were tumbling and Inter stormed to the title, finishing 36 points clear of their city rivals and doing the double over them. The first Derby della Madonnina, a 4-3 victory for Inter, was one of the finest games Serie A has produced and fully deserving of a rewatch 10 years on.
Kaká did his bit in that game. Trailing 4-2 in the dying minutes, he plucked a clearance out of the sky and lifted a featherweight chipped volley over a crowd of defenders and goalkeeper from the edge of the area to give Milan hope, but it wasn’t enough. The Rossoneri lost their next two games, and Inter never looked back.
In Europe, though, things were different. A straightforward group containing AEK Athens, Lille and Anderlecht was swatted away, with Kaká notching the first five of his eventual 10 European strikes along the way. Throughout the knockout stages, he was an elegant blend of poise and panache, drifting between defenders, persevering through tough spells and commanding the ball with an effortless grace that only a Brazilian playmaker truly can.
Against Celtic, 180 goalless minutes in the first knockout round were swept under the rug in one extra-time movement as Kaká flowed unstoppably through the centre of the pitch, sidestepped the bruising Stephen McManus and Paul Telfer, and stroked the ball languidly under the advancing Artur Boruc.
In the next round, Bayern Munich posed more commanding opposition. In the first leg, the scores were tied up at 1-1 in the closing stages of the match before Kaká won and converted a penalty. Cynically scythed down by compatriot Lúcio as he burst to the byline, he fired the spot-kick into the bottom corner to give Milan the lead, before Daniel van Buyten’s late equaliser snatched an away-goal advantage for the Bavarians.
Read | Playboy or the Bible? Choosing your path as a Brazilian footballer
In the return leg, he reverted back to the role of provider to turn the tie back on its head. Stepping into a pocket of space on the right and buying himself an extra split-second with a chop inside, he picked out Seedorf at the edge of the area and the Dutchman nutmegged Van Buyten before rippling the bottom corner. Four minutes later, Seedorf flicked a back-heel through for Inzaghi to whip the ball around Oliver Kahn and book a ticket for the semi-finals.
The first leg, against Manchester United at Old Trafford, was possibly Kaká’s magnum opus. Finding and manipulating space seemingly at will, his first goal was a good one – one touch to burst past the line of defence, another to thread the ball through the eye of the needle between Edwin van der Sar’s outstretched leg and the far post – but his second was an act of sheer brutal artistry.
Chasing a long ball towards the left wing, he outmuscled Darren Fletcher and nodded the ball on, bursting away from the Scotsman and directing the ball back inside. From there, he flicked the ball over Gabriel Heinze and ghosted around the Argentine before stooping to nudge the ball on with his head once more. He knocked it on again with pinpoint accuracy through the spot where Heinze and Patrice Evra were converging, breezing in a wide arc around them as the defenders collided.
From a spot on the left flank with three defenders between himself and the goal, Kaká had earned himself a luxuriant amount of time and space in the penalty area and capitalised on it, defining what a finish should look like with one smooth, languorous stroke of the ball past Van der Sar and into the net.
Goals from Wayne Rooney and, more ominously for Milan’s star man, Ronaldo meant United took a 3-2 advantage into the second leg, but there was little chance of the Rossoneri letting a shot at a second final in three seasons pass by in their own cauldron of footballing romance, the San Siro.
Read | Adriano: football’s monumental ‘what if’ tale
Glistening under the floodlights in driving rain, it only took the world’s best player 11 minutes to hole United below the waterline with a pinpoint half-volley from the edge of the area. Another technically superb strike, it set Milan on their way to a 3-0 drubbing and Kaká raised his arms aloft in recognition of his divine inspiration. Seedorf and Alberto Gilardino completed the rout with unstoppable finishes of their own, and Milan packed their bags for a return to Athens in the final.
Kaká didn’t find the net against Liverpool this time around but he sizzled throughout. He went close to opening the scoring with an early long-range sighter, left John Arne Riise for dead with an age-restricted spin and flick in midfield and tapped through a simple pass for Inzaghi to kill the game with his second poached effort of the match. Milan had redemption for Istanbul, and Kaká dropped to his knees in thanks, revealing the iconic ‘I Belong to Jesus’ undershirt in an image which will likely define his career.
Of course, he isn’t the first religious footballer to profess their talent as a gift from the |
Street in an awesome loop I’ve been especially fond of, lately. You get about 15 miles of off-road riding and a ton of technical, rocky climbing up trails that more closely resemble streambeds.
The weather behaved, too:
Some sections of trail are gorgeously smooth sailing, but others are unrideably steep and technical. With the variety, we started “cooking and cleaning,” or trying to clear as many of the technical sections as we could. Since we all traveled at different speeds, I took up yelling “I’m cooking!” if I had the momentum to get to the top of a climb and needed someone to step a bit to the left or right. Ryan is arguably a better descender than I am, and Jimmy cleared a particularly slippery downhill section that I walked, but nothing climbs like a fatbike – I ruled the upward slope.
The highlight of the route is the descent to the B-Street Gate from the base of Mt. Norwottuck. You transition from deciduous forest to coniferous forest through a thrilling, rocky descent into what looks like a tunnel of Hemlock trees. All your climbing, all the effort of the day, is completely rewarded over the 1/2 mile downhill stretch into what feels like a completely different region, landscape-wise.
We had a grand old time. Jimmy and Ryan are awesome riding buddies. We’re all pretty close in skill level, and morale is always outrageously high.
After about three hours, we got back, completely coated in mud from intentionally slamming into every puddle left over from the morning rain. Our bikes were filthy, our muscles exhausted, and our grins permanent. What a great weekend!
I did something else this weekend, too. I just finished a Master’s degree in Sustainability Science, focusing mostly on urban systems. I dig trying to make a difference in the built environment so much, I’m continuing on for a Ph.D. in Regional Planning, with a focus on adaptation and resilience to climate change in urban areas. I love my work, and I love teaching for UMass, and I love having the freedom to ride, write, and adventure as much as I do.
Just in case you were curious what I do when I’m not Max, The Cyclist.
Anyways, if anyone wants to be talked into buying a Karate Monkey, I have never had a more convincing argument. Surly for life!
Keep Riding,
MaxThe first thing you usually hear about the fighting in South Sudan is that it’s “tribal.”
It’s true enough that there’s a big tribal, or ethnic dimension, to the slow, simmering war there, but that doesn’t tell you much. Wars are always tribal, even wars supposedly fought over religion, like the Thirty Years War.
When Europe tore itself apart at the start of the 17th century, religion was the pretext but tribe was the working principle, the organizing principle. The war broke down on ethnic lines, because no matter what well-meaning liberals try to tell you, religion is almost always adopted by an entire tribe, and used to distinguish “our” group from “their” group. Cultures aren’t in the business of promoting diversity. Maybe they can be in the future, but they never were in the past.
Even the U.S. Civil War was tribal, on one level, in the sense that it was a war between two very different ethnic groups, with very different religions—Yankee/Anglican/immigrant North and Ulster/Calvinist/Scot South. Those two tribes fought over the fate of a third group, the African-American slaves. Both world wars were tribal; as soon as the guns boomed in 1914, working-class solidarity was forgotten and socialists signed up for the tribal army that was recruiting in their neighborhood.
So most wars are tribal—among other things. Rather than avoiding that colonial-sounding word when talking about Africa, it makes more sense to realize that it works just as well in non-African contexts. Africa is tribal because the world is tribal. What happened on the Malaysian Peninsula in the mid-twentieth century, for example, was bitterly tribal: The Malay and the Chinese who’d briefly coexisted under the rule of an alien tribal empire, Britain, reacted to independence with a bloody apartheid, ending up with two ethnic hegemonies, a Malay one call Malaysia and a Chinese enclave, Singapore. You could multiply examples like this from recent history just by opening an atlas and jabbing your finger at any random spot. Like the man said about turtles, it’s tribal all the way down.
Still, it’s a very tricky word to use, “tribal.” Very easy to twist to a nasty purpose. A lot of diehard colonials, who’d have been mortally insulted if you’d called them a “tribe” in their glory days, have done a little post-colonial word-judo by wrapping their oligarchies in the word “tribe” as if it gave them a backdated title to whatever scrap of land they grabbed. It gives them a soppy, sentimental claim to pity, like when pro-Unionists call Ian Paisley’s folks “The Faithful Tribe.”
That’s what you get after generations of victim-rhetoric: Colonials claiming to be tribal, and trust-fund kids shining up their hard-luck stories to impress the admissions committee.
Most wars are also about money, though that part isn’t always as easy to see as the ethnic angle. The war in South Sudan is about ethnic identity and wealth, but the wealth is in two totally different forms: oil and cattle. It’s easy for us to understand that oil equals money, but a little harder to understand that in South Sudan, cattle are money too, and a lot more than money—something very close to religion. Until oil came along, cattle were the only way you could maintain, show, and trade wealth in this landlocked, isolated swampland. A man was only as good as his herd.
There’s something weirdly Texan about the cattle culture of South Sudan. The president of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, always shows up wearing his trademark cowboy hat, looking like an African J.R. from Dallas, ready to wheel and deal for grazing, oil, or the odd assassination.
The real reason it looks so Texan to us urbanites is that Texas stereotypes are about as close as most of us get to cattle-worship. And yet it used to be standard practice among the Indo-Europeans, from “sacred cows” to stories about the horrible fate awaiting anyone who touched Apollo’s private herd.
Cattle are the oldest form of wealth, and still one of the most sensible. They produce their own interest, in the form of calves; they supply milk, blood, horn, leather, and meat—but meat isn’t part of the deal very often. You don’t want to eat up your capital. What you want is to grow your herd. You buy brides for your sons with cattle, and if your herds are big enough, you can choose the best available. To put it brutally, you breed prime grandchildren by breeding prime cattle.
It’s a great system, if you’re a cattle baron—and if you have the military power to protect your herd. When the rain fails and the grass withers on your home pastures, you move the herd to someplace greener. If there’s somebody grazing their herd there, you have a little war to see who gets the good grazing. Herding cultures don’t usually have the concept of private land; you take what your herd needs, by force if need be.
So cattle inevitably lead to little armies and little range wars. The fact that cattle are a portable feast means you can grab them out of an enemy’s territory and drive them back to your own. And that leads to the concept of the cattle raid. In every culture that worships cattle—which is most of them, from India to Sudan to Ireland—cattle raiding is an honored tradition, the most glorious and practical form of warfare.
It’s worth looking at the whole tradition of cattle raiding, just to remind yourself that humanity didn’t use to think bloodshed was a bad thing. Bloodshed, in fact, was the first and best fireside entertainment in every culture, and cattle raids were the socially acceptable way to provoke it on a large but manageable scale. You see it in culture after culture. For example, the big epic of Irish literature is something called the Tain bo Cualgne (pronounced “Toyn vuh Cooley,” because it’s a rule that no Irish word is allowed to be pronounced how it’s spelled).
“Tain” means “cattle raid,” and the whole plot of this clunker is a bunch of Irish thugs go to steal a bull from a bunch of other Irish thugs. And they kill each other in various elaborate and graphically described ways, one after another--kind of like Gangs of New York but with swords and bare feet.
It’s kind of a pint-sized Iliad, organized in classic death-porn style, starting out with the slaughter of smaller critters—one chapter is titled “The Killing of the Squirrel and the Tame Bird”—and going on to loving descriptions of the evisceration of various Celtic heroes, one by one—you don’t want to waste deaths, so they do it one at a time for maximum fireside-narrating pleasure. The Achilles of this pocket epic is Cuchulain, “He of the goddamn unpronounceable name,” as students of Irish lit. like to call him. He kills like a stripper disrobes, drawing it out slow. He kills one guy by first cutting a divot out from under him—you have to imagine them busting a gut around the fireside here at the sheer humorosity of it:
“Thereupon Cuchulain gave him a long-blow whereby he cut away the sod that was under the soles of his feet, so that he was stretched out like a sack on his back, and his limbs in the air and the sod on his belly. Had Cuchulain wished it, it is two pieces he might have made of him.”
But that would spoil the comic timing, so C.—let’s just call him “C.” so I don’t have to look up that spelling again—gives him another demonstration, this time a Vidal Sassoon sword trim:
“Cuchulain dealt him a well-aimed edge-stroke. With the edge of his sword he sheared the hair from him from poll to forehead, from one ear to the other, as if it were with a light, keen razor he had been shorn. Not a scratch of his skin gave blood.”
But sooner or later, you have to get to the point—“point,” geddit? That would’ve slayed’em around some smoky peat fire in the rain, believe me—so C. dispatches his straight man with an admirable cranium-to-navel stroke, and just when you think this Mozart of the sharpened tire-iron can’t top his latest bravura performance, he chops the fresh corpse into three pieces before it can even hit the ground:
“Cuchulain dealt him a cleaving blow on the crown of the head, so that it drove to his navel. He dealt him a second crosswise stroke, so that at the one time the three portions of his body came to the ground.”
The whole motive of this epic is the King and Queen are lying in bed doing an Irish version of pillow talk, which is ‘My family is just as rich as your family you bastard,’ but it turns out the Queen isn’t quite as rich because she can’t match the King’s bull, the bull being the original wealth-growing device. The bull was hers in the beginning but it “scorned being owned by a woman” and defected to the King’s herd. So the queen tries to negotiate for stud rights to the best bull in Ulster, but her envoys get drunk and mouth off, and the war is on. Which is what everybody wanted in the first place, so all is well in ancient Ireland.
Cattle raids, very much like the one described in the Tain, were the normal form of warfare among the tribes in South Sudan. For the average citizen of South Sudan, cattle are still the hot-button issue, as shown by the fact that a Nuer army threatened to wipe out a neighboring tribe in 2011 in order to keep Nuer cattle safe. But like politics in most countries, the issues that get the suckers excited aren’t really what’s behind the trouble. South Sudan has a lot of oil, and that make it an attractive target for meddling from the Islamist regime in Khartoum which supposedly let the south go free a couple of years ago. Outside powers have been raiding this part of the world, playing one tribe against another, for generations. It’s a grim history, with the tall black people of the South getting used by one invader after another. They weren’t colonized, because no foreigner could last long in the fever swamps of the Upper Nile, but those swamps were full of elephants, and ivory was worth money. So the African Elephant, maybe the most magnificent animal on the planet, was slaughtered to make billiard balls and cane handles for Victorian assholes.
Killing all those elephants, hacking off their tusks, and carrying them north to the Mediterranean required a lot of labor, and since the cheapest labor is the kind you don’t have to pay, the people of the swamps were turned into slaves by the Ottoman and Egyptian ivory traders who sold to the Europeans. That led to the creation of whole armies of Southern slaves, and to the grim spectacle of Dinka, Nuer, Shilluk and other Southern tribes slaughtering each other not just in the traditional cattle raids but for the profit of foreign entrepreneurs.
In the 1880s, when Europe was doing a supposedly final division of Africa, the British joined the swamps of the South to Northern Sudan, a dry, Arab, ultra-Islamic region that had nothing in common with the South—and so the accursed, artificial country we used to call “Sudan” was born. It was always two totally different countries forced into one; worse yet, one of them, the Muslim/Arab North, was always much stronger than the other, the South. There are tribal divisions even among Sudanese Arabs, but there’s also a common “Arab” identity and religion uniting the whole North. The South had no single identity; South Sudan is divided up among dozens of tribes, with only two, the Dinka and Nuer, big enough to form real power blocs. And since the North was the part that had most contact with the rest of the world, the South was left to the very un-tender mercies of the Arab/Muslim cliques that rule in Khartoum.
The South began rebelling against the North very soon after independence in 1956, organizing the SPLM/A, Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement/Army. The Khartoum government has acted exactly like any brutal regime faced with insurgency in a multi-ethnic region always acts: When the two biggest tribes are temporarily united against you, you make an alliance with the third-biggest, arm it and use it against them.
The third-biggest tribe in the South is the Murle, who are the most isolated of all, stuck east of the Nile, up against the Ethiopian border in the Pibor region of Jonglei. The Murle are paying a big price for siding with Khartoum against the South; they’ve been starved of what little funding there is in the South, and even tried an insurgency of their own under the whimsically named David Yau Yau, which was brutally crushed by the SPLA.
The Nuer have an especially intense fear of the Murle, because the Nuer provinces butt up against the Murle’s land east of the river. The Nuer have been the wild card ever since the South got its independence, because they see themselves as surrounded by old enemies—the Dinka, who dominate the new government, to their west, and the Murle, who steal their precious cattle, to the southeast.
You can see the resentment of the Nuer educated elite in this bitter, detailed blog listing the new government’s preference for Dinka, especially those from President Salva Kiir’s home province.
This is the stuff that fuels coups among tiny elites in new countries like South Sudan. The number of embassy posts available is even tinier than the pool of Western-educated candidates, so any perceived tilt in the ethnic origin of the winning candidates makes for lifelong hatred. Kind of like tenure-track job competitions I could name.
Among the rural masses, resentment has a much more traditional cause: cattle raids, water rights, all the plot devices you remember from old Westerns, but still deadly serious in places where cattle are the only form of wealth. It was probably inevitable that the two biggest tribes, Dinka and Nuer, would split once they no longer had a common enemy to fight. Dr. Riek Machar, the man causing all the trouble in the country at the moment, got off to an early start in his splittin’ ways. Unhappy with Dinka domination of the rebel movement, he started his own SPLM/A-Nasir faction and took his fighters on a horrible, bloodthirsty rampage through Dinka territory, culminating in an atrocity in the very same neighborhood Machar’s Nuer fighters are terrorizing now, the Bor district.
That episode ended in the Bor Massacre. Ever hear of that? Not many people have, but it was one of the worst. At least 2,000 Dinka civilians were killed around the town of Bor, and another 25,000 died when the local population fled the massacres, hunkered down in the bush, and starved. It’s the little kids who die first in that situation, so massacres like this, as horrible as they are, are not “senseless.” Heartless yes; senseless no. By killing a few thousand people, you force a much bigger group to flee. And in Central Africa, fleeing your village for the bush means death for a good percentage of the group, especially the youngest. Most likely, the real death toll was much, much higher than the estimates, because this is a part of the world where the death tolls are always low-balled. So Dr. Riek managed to kill a big part of the next generation of Dinka, and he did it without incurring the wrath of the world community, such as it is, because the world doesn’t care what happens to inland Africans.
But the Dinka remember. Check out their comments on this story about the time Machar got around to issuing the inevitable tearful apology these creeps always make, once they’re sure they won’t be prosecuted. This is from a London newspaper aimed at African immigrants, and you can see that some of the Dinka readers aren’t willing to let Dr. Machar squirt a few and move on:
Nyanditjuny says:
September 11, 2012 at 12:12 pm
Dear Dr. Riek.
Even if you shed the tears of blood. It will very hard to forgive you. In 2011, the Nuer “White Army,” which is now trending for the first time in history in Google searches, struck out at the Nuers’ other enemies, the Murle. This group of armed young men from the Lou Nuer officially declared that it would “wipe out the entire Murle tribe on the face of the earth as the only solution to guarantee long-term security of Nuer’s cattle.”
That particular raid fell way short of its genocidal goal, but only because the Murle have weapons of their own, courtesy of the Arabs of the North, and aren’t all that easy to wipe out. But the intention was clear: tribe-on-tribe genocide. If cattle mean your family’s only wealth, your only hope of a good marriage or status in the group, you will kill for cattle. And it’s more than wealth involved. There’s real love between people and cattle among pastoral African groups. I remember a letter someone got from a friend among the Maasai of Kenya. The writer signed off with this unforgettable message: “People and cows are in a good mood.”
So the trend for what happened recently was set a long time ago. The Dinka are in power, the Nuer are in a paranoid mood, and the most prominent Nuer in South Sudan, Dr. Riek Machar, is more than willing to use that bad mood among Nuer people and cows to turn the whole country upside-down and kill large numbers of people to put himself on the presidential throne. He did it in 1991, and for all his tearful apologies, he’s perfectly ready to do it again.
As usual, there are no clear good guys in this situation but there is one very clear bad guy, Machar. And if you know your insurgencies, he has one obvious move left, now that he’s alienated both the Dinka and the Murle: Make a deal with the Arabs in Khartoum.
After all, it always did seem a little suspicious that the North let the south go so easily after the South voted for independence in a 98.83% landslide.
And no one, not even the Islamist, Arab-chauvinist bastards ruling in Khartoum, even suggested there was anything inflated about that result. Once you’ve been “governed” by the Sudanese Army under Omar el-Bashir, you don’t ever want to be inside their big tent again, and even they know it.
But that doesn’t mean they accept the results. Bashir and his genocide-specialist army know they’ve done horrible things in Darfur, too—Bashir even admitted it, more or less, or came as close as an animal like him can to it— but that doesn’t mean Khartoum has any intention of giving up Darfur. Khartoum is like the Deitzes in Beetlejuice: they don’t walk away from equity. And the South is a big, oil-rich equity. So why did the North seemingly walk away so easily from big money and all that land?
Maybe they didn’t. Maybe they always intended to let the South fall apart, collapse in the inevitable inter-tribal feuds—at which point their brothers in the North would march south to save the day. Bashir himself laid out the scenario for the South’s collapse with very weird, uncharacteristic honesty in a 2011 interview (HT Paul Skallas):
"Unfortunately, we notice that there is a lot of complaining, divisions and insurgency, because the government in the South has serious problems in dealing with its people. [The Sudan People's Liberation Movement] have all the rights, and others who are not with the liberation movement don't have any rights.
"Inside the liberation movement there are influential groups controlling everything, authority and money, while other groups are being marginalised." There’s Omar el-Bashir, the organizer of the Darfur genocide, head of a clique that considers Southerners, and all black Africans, “abeed” (slaves) and “Kufr” (unbelievers), suddenly waxing eloquent about the unequal division of political rights among these people he considers subhuman. It’s a very odd spectacle, and if you’re part of the South Sudanese government, it’s a very worrying one.
It’s possible Machar and the Khartoum government have already made a deal, with Machar getting some kind of puppet-ruler guarantee in the event he manages to wreck South Sudan thoroughly enough to allow the North to step back in. The very good Africa analyst who goes by the Twitter name @tresthomas_HOA hinted at this by asking a very good question: Who’s paying the Nuer fighters Machar has unleashed on the South?
Horn Of Africa @tresthomas_HOA26 Dec SPLA claims of pro-Machar forces looting in Bor raises broader? of how rebel troops are getting paid http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1312/S00453/spla-flushes-rebels-out-of-bor.htm … #SouthSudan
Eric Reeves laid out the Machar/Khartoum alliance scenario in an excellent article, pointing out that, though this is a high-risk strategy, Khartoum doesn’t have a lot of others left:
“Riek will certainly feel free to make a better offer than Khartoum now receives from Juba…In assessing what Khartoum makes of this overture…it is important to realize that the most militaristic and "anti-South" elements predominate in the regime, especially on decisions about war and peace (it was this security cabal that demanded President Omar al-Bashir renege on the agreement of June 2011 to negotiate a peace in South Kordofan, an agreement signed by senior regime official Nafie Ali Nafie). Regard for international opinion among these brutal men is minimal.”
You have to hope that Reeves is wrong in this analysis, but it makes a lot of sense. Machar has a huge ego, a history of brutality, and no other way to make it back into power. He can scare ordinary Nuer herders by raising the terror of cattle raids on an ever-larger scale by Murle and Dinka enemies, but at the level that really matters, Riek’s level, this isn’t about cattle. It’s about a much more modern form of wealth: oil, and the blood that keeps it flowing.
If Machar can give the oil-rich parts of the South back to Khartoum, they’ll be more than happy to let him rule a Vichy state in the rest of the South. The only losers would be the people of the South, and no one cares much about them.
[Images via Wikimedia (Creative Commons): 1, 2, 3]In the flesh: Exhibition at National Portrait Gallery explores 'what it means to be human'
Updated
A new exhibition examining the nature of the human experience through the works of 10 contemporary Australian artists opens this week at the National Portrait Gallery (NPG).
In the flesh includes a larger-than-life, three-metre sculpture of a naked man by Ron Mueck, artworks by controversial Skywhale artist Patricia Piccini, and a range of paintings, drawings and works in other media.
Curator Penny Grist said the central theme of the exhibition was "humanness", and what it meant to be human.
"It's about those moments in life when the nature of your mind being enfleshed in your body comes into conflict, or becomes heightened in your mind. Moments of mortality, as well as intimacy and empathy, vulnerability, restlessness, acceptance and self-reflection."
Ms Grist said Mueck's Wild Man sculpture, with its muscular frame and hairy face and limbs, was a "extraordinary piece of work" that exemplified the theme.
"He's in such a dominating, enormous size... and yet his pose is one of utter terror," she said.
"As you approach him, it almost looks like he's afraid of you. And so that is a fantastic and extremely powerful way of exploring that idea of human vulnerability."
Mueck's very early career included work on the 1986 cult-classic fantasy film Labyrinth, starring David Bowie.
Originally from Melbourne, the artist is now based in the United Kingdom.
Skywhale artist Piccinini returns to Canberra
Piccinini's contribution is a sculpture called The Long Awaited, a dugong-like grandmother figure in an intimate sleeping pose with a child.
The artwork was crafted from silicone, fibreglass, plywood and human hair.
Speaking at the gallery prior to the exhibition's opening, Piccinini said the work was a meditation on intimacy.
"In a lot of ways this work is about how we relate to the nature that's around us, but ultimately its a portrait of love," she said.
Other artists showcased included Natasha Bieniek, Robin Eley, Yanni Floros, Juan Ford, Petrina Hicks, Sam Jinks, Jan Nelson and Michael Peck.
In particular, Ms Grist described Nelson's psychedelic oils of adolescent youths, and the paintings of Eley and Ford, as "incredible" works of art.
Ms Grist said one of the reasons the exhibition was called In the flesh, was because it had to be experienced in person to be fully appreciated.
"You can’t really get a sense of the work and of its impact, from a photograph or from a screen," she said.
The NPG said the exhibition was the largest and most demanding it has ever put together, with 63 works from 37 lenders.
In the flesh opens on Friday, November 7 and runs until March 9, 2015.
Topics: visual-art, arts-and-entertainment, canberra-2600, act, australia
First postedThis post has not been edited by the GamesBeat staff. Opinions by GamesBeat community writers do not necessarily reflect those of the staff.
Two weeks ago, Valve released its first documentary, Free to Play. The developer allowed viewers to preload and download the full film via its digital-distribution service Steam or watch it on YouTube. Fade in to an introduction about Dota 2, and I’m questioning whether this is a documentary or a promotional spot for Valve’s multiplayer online battle arena game (MOBA).
Admittedly, I was hard-pressed to separate Valve’s intentions as a video game producer and a film producer. I feared Free to Play would turn into a feature-length ad. After the first 15 minutes, however, the film dismissed my concerns. Valve doesn’t push the promotion of Dota 2. The passion of the fans and players do the work for it. Watching players scream, fans cheer, and everyone treating a video game as a professional sport builds integrity for the e-sports scene. Free to Play is a beautifully filmed documentary, and for Valve’s first, it entertains and educates viewers about professional gaming.
The film follows top professional players of Dota 2, who are gathering to compete in The International, a tournament touting a grand prize of $1 million. Tensions are high among players as this is the largest prize money in any e-sports tournament.
For many gamer professionals, money isn’t the only thing at stake. Players are often subject to family disapproval. Danil “Dendi” Ishutin, Benedict “Hyhy” Lim Han Yong, and Clinton “Fear” Loomis are the three players profiled in the film. Although they come from different countries (Ukraine, Singapore, and the U.S., respectively), they each struggle with family issues because of their pursuit to play Dota 2 professionally.
Ishutin’s family was adamant at first to support his professional goals, Lim Han Yong endures the sarcastic remarks from his aunt and family while suffering academically, and Loomis’s mother kicked him out of her house because of his gaming habits. Even though these players come from different cultures, it’s clear that professional gaming still isn’t seen as a legitimate career — with the exception of many Asian countries and the avid fan base surrounding pro gamers.
There’s room for improvement if Valve were to produce another documentary. I would have liked to see more of a historical look at Dota 2, the tournament scene surrounding the game, and how video game players in general earn money. But what Free to Play did was make me more curious about Dota 2 even though the focus was on the players.
I have faint memories of the original Defense of the Ancients (Dota) when I played Warcraft III, but the mod was still in its early stages then. Matches required hour-long sessions, and it was too aggravating as a beginner to get my ass handed to me. Plus, I was working on my WOW addiction at the time, so I set Dota aside for the time being. After watching Free to Play, I’ve downloaded Dota 2, cruised through the training courses, and played several bot matches extending into half-hour and hour-long sessions. (The film has scared me away from jumping straight into match-made games.)
So, am I honing my skills to become the next The International tournament winner? Not likely. I still get caught reading item tooltips while an enemy tower blasts into my hero. I’m content to rekindle my Dota memories in the prettier package of Dota 2 even if I’m mumbling words of frustration at the screen. Intentionally promotional or not, Free to Play influenced me to download Dota 2 and sold me on Valve’s potential as documentary producer.Troops guard the Republican Guard barracks where deposed president Mursi is believed to be held. Credit:AFP Mr Assem had been on the scene as the pro-Muslim Brotherhood protesters knelt for prayer shortly before dawn on Monday. According to friends and relatives, the moment of his own death was captured as the grainy film culminates. News of Mr Assem's death filtered through after his bloodied camera and mobile phone were found at the site of the makeshift camp. "At around 6am, a man came into the media centre with a camera covered in blood and told us that one of our colleagues had been injured," said Ahmed Abu Zeid, the culture editor of Mr Assem's newspaper, who was working from a facility set up next to the Rabaa al-Adawiya mosque, about a mile away.
Supporters of deposed Egyptian president Mursi. Credit:Reuters "Around an hour later, I received news that Ahmed had been shot by a sniper in the forehead while filming or taking pictures on top of the buildings around the incident. "Ahmed's camera was the only one which filmed the entire incident from the first moment. Troups guard Cairo's Egyptian museum. Credit:Reuters "He had started filming from the beginning of the prayers so he captured the very beginnings and in the video, you can see tens of victims. Ahmed's camera will remain a piece of evidence in the violations that have been committed."
Horror Ahmed Samir Assem. Ahmed's camera will remain a piece of evidence in the violations that have been committed As with much else about Monday's incident, the exact circumstances of the shooting are hard to prove. However, other witnesses to whom The Daily Telegraph spoke have described snipers being stationed on buildings overlooking the site, which is in an area dominated by military installations. Excerpts of a 20-minute video said to have been recorded by Mr Assem as the horror unfolded in front of him were shown at a Muslim Brotherhood press conference and are now being touted as evidence of a massacre on the streets of Egypt's capital.
The other video, which purports to show the final seconds before Mr Assem was shot, have now been put on to his Facebook page, although the provenance of it could not be independently verified by The Daily Telegraph. What is certain, friends say, is that Mr Assem has left a vivid testimony of events whose origins have been hotly disputed. Mr Mursi's supporters say they were fired on from behind without provocation while they were praying. The army insists that security forces only fired after protesters attempted to storm the Republican Guard facility. There have also been suggestions that the original firing may have come from agents provocateurs, triggering a wave of violence. Whatever the truth, the Muslim Brotherhood says Mr Assem's last film bears out its version of events and says it plans to use it as evidence - though it had not responded to requests for a physical copy by the time of publication. However, Mr Assem's brother, Eslam, 29, said the footage's last seconds showed a soldier shooting demonstrators from a roof. The soldier then turned his gun towards Mr Assem and the film suddenly went dead, he added.
Front line Colleagues described Mr Assem, a graduate of Cairo University's communications department, as a dedicated professional who had amassed an archive of 10,000 photographs since starting his career as a photographer three years ago. His work for Al-Horia Wa Al-Adala - the official newspaper of the Freedom and Justice Party, the Muslim Brotherhood's political wing - put him in the front line of Egypt's political turmoil. It had also put him at odds with his family, who were supporters of the late Egyptian nationalist leader, Gamal Abdal Nasser. As Mr Assem's friends and family mourned, Adly Mansour, Egypt's new interim president, unveiled a draft constitution to replace the one drafted by Islamists and suspended last week.
A committee will be set up to make final improvements to the document before it is put to a referendum. Parliamentary elections will then follow within three months and a date for a presidential election will be set once the parliament has convened. Loading Mr Mansour also named Mohammed ElBaradei, the former head of the UN atomic energy watchdog, as vice-president in charge of foreign affairs and Hazem al-Beblawi, a former finance minister, as prime minister. The Telegraph, LondonMadison, Wisconsin (CNN) -- Republicans retained four of the six state Senate seats that were in jeopardy in Tuesday's recall elections in Wisconsin, news media in the state reported.
Democrats won two seats but needed three to take control.
The Wisconsin Government Accountability Board, which certifies election results, said official results will begin to come in Thursday and will be certified that day at the earliest. The unofficial results released Wednesday were collected by The Associated Press and distributed to newspapers, television and radio stations.
The recall election stems from the bitter battle last winter that saw pro-union protesters camping out in the state Capitol and Democratic senators fleeing the state in an unsuccessful attempt to halt legislation by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker that some felt was anti-union.
Democrats were angling to win GOP-held seats to capture control of the upper chamber. Before the election, Republicans held a 19-14 majority in the state Senate. With a victory, Democrats had hoped to build momentum for a planned effort to recall Walker.
Walker, who was elected in November with strong support from tea party activists, can't be recalled until after he serves a year in office.
Republicans have countered with their own recall attempts against three Democrats. One of them survived a challenge in July, while two others will be on the ballot next week.
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus applauded the results of the Tuesday vote.
"Today, Wisconsin voters rejected the reckless spending of Wisconsin Democrats and the downgrade-inducing policies of their Washington counterparts. They have given their seal of approval to Republicans' successful efforts to balance the budget and ensure a healthy economy," he said.
Priebus also said the vote was an affirmation of Walker's policies.
Walker set off a firestorm in January when he moved to curtail the collective bargaining rights of most state employees. With majorities in both houses of the Legislature, Walker and his GOP allies voted to limit raises for public employees except police and firefighters to the rate of inflation, bar unions from deducting dues from workers' paychecks and force them to hold a new certification vote every year.
Republicans insisted that the legislation was necessary to control skyrocketing public employee benefit costs and close a budget shortfall, while Democrats called it an attempt to gut public-sector labor unions, one of their core constituencies. The state Supreme Court upheld the legislation in June.
While Democrats would not have been able to roll back the union restrictions with control of only one chamber of the |
be adopted.
The decision, related to petrol and diesel, is aimed at supporting the national economy, lowering fuel consumption, protecting the environment and preserving national resources.
Suhail Al Mazroui, Minister of Energy, said that in accordance with the new pricing policy that has been ratified by the UAE Cabinet, a fuel price committee has been set up to review fuel prices against average international levels prior to their implementation in the UAE every month.
UAE oil price deregulation: How will it work?
Petrol prices to increase after deregulation
Chaired by the Undersecretary of the Ministry of the Energy, the committee includes as members the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance, CEO of Adnoc Distribution, and CEO of Emirates National Oil Company (Enoc).
Making the announcement, Suhail Al Mazroui, Minister of Energy, said: “The decision to deregulate fuel prices has been taken based on in-depth studies that fully demonstrate its long term economic, social and environmental impact. The resolution is in line with the strategic vision of the UAE government in diversifying sources of income, strengthening the economy and increasing its competitiveness in addition to building a strong economy that is not dependent on government subsidies.
This step will put the UAE on par with countries that follow sound economic methodologies. It is also anticipated to improve the UAE’s competitiveness while positioning the nation on international indices.”
Speaking on the environmental benefits of the decision, Suhail Al Mazroui said that deregulating fuel prices would help decrease fuel consumption and preserve natural resources for future generations. It will also encourage individuals to adopt fuel-efficient vehicles, including the use of electric and hybrid cars.
He noted that the decision would encourage the use of public transport. The transport sector was responsible for 22 per cent of the total greenhouse emissions in the UAE in 2013 amounting to 44.6 million tons of carbon dioxide.
Given this stark reality, he added that increasing the use of public transport and reducing dependence on individual vehicle usage will have a positive impact in lowering carbon emissions.
In this regard, the Minister of Energy pointed out that the UAE has an advanced public transport system with options that are environmentally friendly such as taxis that work on natural gas.
The Minister said: “Considering the international prices of oil and petroleum derivatives, we expect diesel prices to go down. This will stimulate the economy as lower diesel price would mean lower operating costs for a wide number of vital sectors like industry, shipping and cargo among many others.”
He added that the cost of petrol represents 3 per cent to 4 per cent of an average income in the UAE, which is a reasonable percentage compared to international costs.
Consequently, deregulating prices would not have a notable impact on individuals’ costs of living.
Al Mazroui elaborated that the decision will contribute positively to the UAE’s investment environment, enhance its economic competitiveness, and support the policy of a free-market economy with no direct interference from the government.
Stating that the deregulated fuel prices will also lead to a sustainable economy that is based on open market standards, he said the decision will further strengthen the UAE’s status as an attractive destination for foreign investments, complementing its advanced legislative economic environment, state of the art infrastructure, ease of conducting business, free movement of capital, and other competitive features that set the country’s economy apart from others.
For his part, Dr. Matar Al Nyadi, Undersecretary, of the Ministry of Energy and Chairman of the petrol and Diesel Prices Committee, said that the role of the Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Finance as the government’s representatives in the committee will focus on consumer protection and ensure that petrol prices are balanced according to international standards.
He added that the pricing mechanism is structured in a way that it does not rely on just one global market and will facilitate distribution companies to make reasonable profits and to limit their losses while offering premium services.
Al Nyadi also said that the committee will urge distribution companies to increase their operational efficiency to lower their costs, and eventually impact positively the prices of petrol and diesel at petrol stations. He added that the committee will hold periodic meetings and monitor global prices.
On the 28th of each month, the committee will announce the prices for the following month. In line with this decision, prices of petrol and diesel for August will be announced on July 28, based on the average global prices with the addition of operating costs.
The Ministry of Energy has assigned a dedicated number (0565467942) and email id (fuelprice@moenr.gov.ae) for public inquiries on the new deregulated fuel prices.Once you hear the first note, it's as if you're in the midst of a lush forest. And as the second note passes, the danger approaches, it's as if someone was watching you from behind. You turn around, no one is there. You try to move closer to the noise, but nothing was there. It's as if you just imagined it all. The third note is heard. You second guess yourself. Are you imagining it? Are you over-thinking the situation. You think to yourself, "No one is watching you, of course, not. It's just me and nature. A tree there, and tree here. Nothing can ever go wrong." Finally, you hear the fourth and final note. You turn around, and a F*#@in' hatchet is flying in front of your face and you die slowly.Trees, especially drought-tolerant, native species, also provide critical services that directly attack some of the consequences of drought. Native trees send out deep, water-seeking roots into the soil to tap into local groundwater and draw it to the surface. This water is redistributed laterally and vertically through the root system in a process called hydraulic redistribution. Trees do this to prevent root death and retain soil moisture. In the process of redistributing water along root systems, trees filter water and make some available to plants with shallower root systems. As the plants use water in photosynthesis it is released from the leaves in a process called transpiration, which cools the surrounding air. In semi-arid, Mediterranean climates, like ours, this cooling can be 80% dependent on water redistribution by trees. Tree cover also prevents evaporation from rivers, reservoirs and soil, saving water for drinking and agriculture.
Tree cover shades and cools the surrounding area. In cities this is particularly important. If you’ve ever stepped onto asphalt on a summer day you have some idea of why. Urban landscapes are made of materials that absorb sunlight and heat more than soils or planted landscapes, making cities hotter than the surrounding landscape. Scientists call this “the heat island effect”. Tree cover can cut the temperature by about 10 degrees F in heat islands, meaning trees can be the difference between a comfortable 80 and a hot 90.
Benefits like these don’t happen overnight. Trees are a long-term investment, requiring thought and tender care throughout their lives. If we want to reap the long term benefits of trees we need to water and care for the trees we already have and plant trees for the future. We also need to avoid planting things, like lawns, that waste water and provide no drought benefits. Drought in California is cyclical. There’s strong evidence that cyclical drought has been a part of California for the past 7000 years, if not the entirety of California history, with some droughts lasting decades. Planting and maintaining trees to help us cope with drought is essential for the long-term health of our cities and towns.Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images
Woody Guthrie has been having a blowout of a 100th birthday party, and it's lasted all year long. Forty-five years after his death in 1967, you can suddenly hear him everywhere.
Tribute concerts have been held around America and in Europe, many with conferences attached, and the annual Woody Guthrie Folk Festival in his Oklahoma hometown this summer swelled to extra-large proportions for the centennial. Smithsonian Folkways has released a lavishly documented box set, Woody at 100, that couples well-known compositions with rare and unreleased performances. On October 14th, all will culminate in a Kennedy Center Celebration Concert with an honor roll of musicians.
A handful of fine books have also been timed to appear this year—including a "song biography," This Land Is Your Land: Woody Guthrie and the Journey of an American Folk Song, by Robert Santelli, executive director of the Grammy Museum, and a biography cum memoir, Woody's Road, by Guthrie's younger sister, Mary Jo Guthrie Edgmon, and the Oklahoma historian and folklorist Guy Logsdon. Guthrie's archives, long housed in Mt. Kisco, N.Y., are being shifted amid great fanfare to Tulsa, Okla. There was even an announcement by the historian and television personality Douglas Brinkley and the polymathic performer Johnny Depp of a deal to publish the recently located manuscript of Guthrie's previously unknown 1947 Dust Bowl novel, House of Earth.
But after the confetti flutters to the ground and the crowd disperses, exactly what will remain?
The instability of Guthrie's renown owes something to his leftist politics, but that's only part of the story. Some of it surely has to do with how he lived his life. He was a nonstop creator, but never an entrepreneur. As a result, lots of his work went unnoticed until he was "rediscovered" after he stopped performing—and despite recent excavations, there's still a rich trove in the archive, including thousands of song lyrics that he never recorded. Nor should we overlook the nature of Guthrie's art itself: The accessibility of his writing masks its depth.
But it still remains to explain why it has taken so long for Guthrie to get his due—not least from scholars. The man was quite simply a titan in his field. In less than two decades of public life, Guthrie created a vast body of work that continues to influence artists and listeners. His subject matter—immigration, unemployment, bank foreclosures, climate disasters—could not be more topical. Almost every American knows at least a song or two by Woody Guthrie, so why don't they know more about the songwriter?
The disjointed nature of Guthrie's artistic life, in which fame followed him like a long-delayed echo, is the first place to search for answers.
Woodrow Wilson Guthrie was born in the small town of Okemah, Okla., a few months before his namesake was elected president in 1912. Guthrie's family never knew stability. His father's work waned more often than it waxed, and Guthrie's mother, Nora, showed signs early in her son's life of the Huntington's disease that eventually killed her—and later him.
The Guthries were plagued by fire. Woody's beloved older sister, Clara, died in 1919 of burns suffered in a kitchen accident, and the family home burned down in 1927 as a result of a fire that Nora Guthrie may have started. She was eventually institutionalized. Guthrie's father, Charley Edward, permanently disabled by burns, moved to the farming town of Pampa, Tex.
Guthrie later joined his father in Texas, and there he found his musical vocation. He learned the guitar and started to perform. He also married for the first time at age 21, and quickly became a father himself. But beginning a lifelong pattern of restlessness, he soon drifted to Los Angeles, alone.
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Guthrie's stay in Depression-era Southern California politicized him. New Deal reforms were slow to reach the coast, as powerful agribusiness interests fought hard for control of a poor and itinerant labor supply. That labor force included the "Okies" who had fled the ecological disaster of the Dust Bowl in search of any sort of work. Appalled by the inequality he saw, Guthrie began to write songs about it:
California is a Garden of Eden, a paradise to live in or to see,
But believe it or not, you won't find it so hot
If you ain't got the do-re-mi.
He became a popular Los Angeles radio host in the late 1930s, and honed a persona that was part Okie, part homespun storyteller, and part singing activist. But Guthrie soon abandoned his radio gig and moved on—first back to Texas in a failed attempt at family life, and then to New York City in 1940, the year he wrote "This Land Is Your Land." In New York, Guthrie found a welcome among the city's left-wing intelligentsia and began to make a living performing at rallies, union halls, and other political gatherings.
He cut a record, Dust Bowl Ballads, for RCA in 1940. It turned out to be the only record he would make for a major label, and it was modestly received. He also recorded at the Library of Congress at the invitation of the folk archivist Alan Lomax that year, though those recordings weren't released until 1964.
Even in such congenial artistic surroundings, Guthrie could not stay put for long. He bounced back and forth from coast to coast in the early 1940s, sometimes with his new friend Pete Seeger, a Harvard dropout who sensed the genius of this guitar-wielding knight errant who was writing and singing on behalf of the poor, the disenfranchised, the workers: people who needed a voice.
Guthrie—and also Seeger—was a Communist sympathizer at this time, but Guthrie probably didn't join the party. When asked about his politics, he had a one-liner at the ready: "I ain't a Communist necessarily, but I have been in the red all my life." You could say he was never an official joiner—or perhaps that he could never belong to a group that would exclude anyone. In response to a question about his religion toward the end of his life, he quipped: "All or none."
Guthrie was turning out words at an astonishing rate during these years. "You rarely see a cross-out," Barry Ollman, owner of the largest collection of Guthrie's writings outside of the singer's official archive, told me at this past summer's WoodyFest in Okemah. "He knew what he wanted to say." In the spring of 1941, for example, Guthrie took a 30-day songwriting job with the Bonneville Power Administration, a New Deal project in the Pacific Northwest. His assignment was to write songs about the dams that were being built along the Columbia River. He wrote 26 songs that month, including "Roll on, Columbia," now the official state folk song of Washington.
Courtesy of The Woody Guthrie Archives
None of those songs gained any sort of wide acclaim at the time. "This Land Is Your Land," for example, has had a career arc as eccentric as its author's. Guthrie didn't record his lyrics to the song until 1944, four years after he wrote them, and probably sang it on the radio for the first time in 1945, the same year that the words were first published. His recording wasn't released until 1952, when it appeared on a children's record and was barely noticed. Not until the late 1950s did the song gain prominence.
Guthrie paid little attention to the financial workings of the music business. He acted not so much out of principle—he was glad to make money—but because he was perpetually on the move, creatively as well as personally. In that respect, he was a true folksinger, happy to just share his songs with folks. In a 1999 essay, Seeger recalled that his friend's view of copyright was not exactly exclusive, and ran something like this: "Anyone caught singing one of these songs... will be a good friend of mine, because that's why I wrote 'em."
The 1940s were the most stable period in Guthrie's life, and his most creative. His autobiographical novel, Bound for Glory, was published in 1943 to wide notice. Not only was he celebrated as the newest man of letters of the Popular Front, a loose collection of leftist groups, but he was also lauded by mainstream critics. The book received about 150 reviews; The New York Times described him as "a poet" who was "on fire inside." Guthrie recorded scores of songs for Moses Asch's small, privately owned label during the 40s, but Asch released very few at the time, and they had no commercial impact. Most of the recordings did not appear until the early 1960s—but they eventually became a cornerstone of Guthrie's legacy.
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Outside of a stint in the Merchant Marine during World War II, Guthrie remained based in New York City for the rest of the decade, now with his second wife, Marjorie, and a second set of children. That second family included his son Arlo, who would become a famous musician in his own right, and daughter Nora, her father's future archivist.
By the early 1950s Guthrie was displaying the erratic behavior that eventually led to his own diagnosis with Huntington's disease in 1952. Acquired from his mother (and passed on to two of his eight children), Huntington's usually presents in midlife. Like Lou Gehrig's disease, it is incurable. Unlike Gehrig's disease, which leaves the mind intact as it destroys the body, Huntington's destroys brain cells and causes cognitive changes (which led to a misdiagnosis of insanity for Guthrie's mother), even as it erodes muscle control. It's a long, bad death.
Courtesy of The Woody Guthrie Archives
Always impulsive, Guthrie became mercurial and quarrelsome. He divorced again, returned to California, remarried. He repaired to New York after his third marriage ended and was taken in and cared for by Marjorie for the rest of his life. Intermittently, and then continuously, confined, he lingered at various hospitals for more than a decade before he died. In the process, he became, in the words of his biographer Ed Cray, "a vague, almost legendary figure."
He had always been well known among folk musicians, with Pete Seeger in the lead. As a member of The Weavers, Seeger helped make Guthrie's "So Long, It's Been Good to Know You" into a hit, and his thousands of performances of "This Land Is Your Land" did much to fix the song in national and international memory.
The publisher Howard (Howie) S. Richmond also did unsung but crucial work to keep Guthrie's music in public view during the 1950s. At a time when Seeger and other performers were being blacklisted for their Communist associations, Richmond touted Guthrie's songs when Guthrie no longer could. Richmond sold many to publishers of songbooks, especially those assembled for children—thus allowing Guthrie's words to elude the blacklist. "This Land Is Your Land" Richmond gave away free.
A New York concert in 1956, organized as a benefit for Guthrie's family, first brought the singer out of the shadows to stand alongside his songs. The show put wind in the sails of the folk revival, and Guthrie became a hero to a new generation of folkies that included Phil Ochs, Joan Baez, and most famously, Bob Dylan. Ochs and Dylan wrote memorable songs about their idol ("Bound for Glory" and "Song to Woody"). Guthrie's recordings from the 1940s now began to appear, with extensive liner notes. So did tribute collections of others singing his songs.
He was incredibly well read. He ate books for lunch, just took in everything that was around him, from American history to biology.
Performing at this year's WoodyFest, the singer-songwriter Larry Long described Guthrie's life as a "creative explosion that subdivided into thousands of subatomic particles that turned into little Woodys." The efforts of those "little Woodys"—or Woody's children, as they're more often described—enabled Woody Guthrie to finally take his public place in the music he had helped to grow.
But Guthrie also remained a divisive figure. David Amram, who has written a suite of "Symphonic Variations of a Song by Woody Guthrie," suggested that Guthrie "was marginalized by people who wanted to put a political slant on him." He became a lightening rod for true believers right and left. "He was either a hero against the enemy, or he was the enemy," said Amram. "That's understandable in a boxing match, but not for a poet. Great artists are on everybody's side."
Nevertheless, Guthrie's personal politics made him an easy adversary. The American Legion blocked an attempt to honor him in his hometown in 1967 on the grounds that he was a Communist. Guy Logsdon recalled at the folkfest that, in 1982, Gov. George Nigh of Oklahoma forbade the mention of Guthrie's name at the celebration of Oklahoma at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. (Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, and others helped organize an alternative "Tribute to Woody Guthrie." Thousands attended.)
Guthrie has also received surprisingly little scholarly attention. There have been two good biographies—Joe Klein's Woody Guthrie, in 1980, and Ed Cray's Ramblin' Man, 2004. (There's also a new short biography, Woody Guthrie: Writing America's Songs, by Ronald Cohen, an emeritus professor at Indiana University Northwest. And last year brought us the U.K.-based literary critic Will Kaufman's Woody Guthrie, American Radical.) But given Guthrie's immense stature and influence, there is much less scholarship on his work than one might expect. His radical politics would presumably not discourage academics, many of whom lean left themselves. Why the diffidence?
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To begin with, Guthrie did his own part to discourage scholarly treatment. He affected a down-home, "aw, shucks" Okie persona adapted from the manner of Will Rogers, who was immensely popular when the folksinger was growing up. But the image can "defeat the interest that writers might have in him" today, the Princeton University historian Sean Wilentz told me in a recent interview.
In fact, Guthrie's self-presentation disguised considerable learning. "He was incredibly well read," Santelli said to me. "He ate books for lunch, just took in everything that was around him, from American history to biology." The Smithsonian's Folkways archive contains Guthrie's heavily annotated copy of the Federalist Papers. "He's arguing with the founders" all across the margins, Jeff Place, the head of the archive, told me.
Guthrie also wrote more than songs. Logsdon estimates that in addition to more than 3,000 poems and songs, Guthrie wrote dozens of essays, "at least three" novels, and thousands of letters. There are also more than 500 illustrations, some photography, and even a few oil paintings. "How many people," asked Logsdon admiringly this summer, "can illustrate their own writings?"
The Okie image, though crafted from reality, was really a conscious work of performance art. Guthrie described himself on his L.A.-radio business card as "Th' Dustiest of Th' Dustbowlers," an image that eased his entry into left-wing New York political society at the time when he was ready to assert himself as an artist. The intellectuals there welcomed him, said Santelli, as the "poet of the people."
But the "real" Woody Guthrie is hard to see. Bruce Springsteen has spoken of the power of "Woody's gaze"—but it's usually turned outward. While Nora Guthrie, speaking at a recent Guthrie conference at Brooklyn College, compared her father's songs to diaries, the music critic Dave Marsh told me afterward that Guthrie had more of a painter's perspective. An artist draws your attention to some things and away from others.
"All you can write is what you see," wrote Guthrie at the bottom of his handwritten lyrics to "This Land Is Your Land." And he saw plenty. The itinerant folksinger spent much of his life traversing the country, meeting countless other people, and his experience of them gives his art a matchlessly expansive view of the national panorama.
That ceaseless interest in others, coupled with a self-presentation that was only partly real, deflects the viewer from Guthrie himself. "The worst thing that can happen is to cut yourself loose from the people," Guthrie wrote in one of his notebooks, "And the best thing is to sort of vaccinate yourself right into the big streams and blood of the people." But when you inject yourself into the bloodstream, you also become indistinguishable within it.
Reflecting on that before his own set at the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, the California singer-songwriter Joel Rafael remarked, "There's an element of Woody that was detached from those around him." When I visited Seeger in Beacon, N.Y., to talk about Guthrie, he suggested that his friend "had to keep his independence." Perhaps "independence" and detachment were intertwined for Guthrie. Bound for Glory may be the world's least revealing autobiography, which could explain why it's fictionalized.
Woody Guthrie's guitar
Guthrie's sister Mary Jo offers a clue to psychobiographers in Woody's Road. "Don't you never cry," she reports that their older sister, Clara, told Woody as she lay dying from her burns. He was not quite 7 years old. When Guthrie's own daughter Cathy, the inspiration for many of his best-loved songs for children, died at age 4 from burns she suffered in a 1947 electrical fire, Mary Jo detected in her brother's relentlessly upbeat letters ("We are holding up in fine shape") his older sister's injunction.
Nor did Guthrie discuss his creative process. Seeger described to me how he once told his friend that "people like me envy you your ability to write verses wherever you are, whenever you are, however you are." But Guthrie didn't talk about it; he just did it. Said Seeger: "I just watched it."
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That leaves us with Guthrie's work, which is much less obvious than it appears. Guthrie's songs, writes Seeger in his new book, Pete Seeger: His Life in His Own Words, "show the genius of simplicity." Such genius can be easily misunderstood. "People mistake Woody Guthrie as simpler than he is," said Sean Wilentz. "With Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, it's a puzzle. These guys are obviously difficult. And academics are attracted to the difficult."
David Shumway, a professor of English at Carnegie Mellon University and a scholar of popular music, noted in an e-mail that "white working-class artists have no dedicated constituency in the academy." Even so, Shumway found it surprising that "almost no one has thought it necessary to offer readings of Guthrie's activist songs." Critics are taught that "didactic art is bad, even though didactic criticism is fine."
"Any damn fool can get complicated. It takes genius to attain simplicity," Seeger has memorably said of Guthrie. But Guthrie is remembered, Wilentz pointed out, "by too many people as a naïf, as a simple singer of ballads and teller of stories."
Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, the most read and perhaps the most influential novel in American history, was ignored by generations of critics for much the same reason. Now scholars attend to Stowe's artistry because "how it works" can be as complicated and important as "what it says"—and because those two inquiries illuminate each other.
With that in mind, consider the tension between the general and the particular in Guthrie's work. An early version of his "Oklahoma Hills" (written in the 1930s, now the official folk song of Oklahoma) unfurled the names of all of the American Indian tribes in the state, but later versions excised the list.
"Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)" was inspired by the crash of a plane full of illegal immigrants being returned to Mexico in 1948. "He was outraged," Seeger told me. If white people had died, the newspapers would have listed their names. "That's the main point of the song." Guthrie's elegiac refrain evokes those names but also effaces them:
Goodbye to my Juan, goodbye, Rosalita,
Adios mis amigos, Jesus y Maria;
You won't have your names when you ride the big airplane,
All they will call you will be "deportees"
Like Walt Whitman, to whom he has been compared by many (including himself), Woody Guthrie is drawn to the roster for aesthetic reasons—even when that roster doesn't appear in the finished song.
The philosopher Adam Smith writes that sympathy depends on proximity. For Guthrie, the particular creates an intimate proximity that enables sympathy. Much of Guthrie's creativity sprang from an effort to learn the particulars and translate them to wider audiences. "Woody believed that no man should be anonymous," Dave Marsh has written. Seeger goes further: "He felt that every human being was important." Guthrie's rhetoric of protest is therefore part of a larger one of intimacy. Of course, that observation only skims the surface of his work's complexity, and how his politics may be implicated with his music. Much more remains to be done, especially with the trove of Guthrie's released and unreleased words, lyrics, and art.
The curators of Woody Guthrie's extant recordings now treat his work as important American art, as the new Smithsonian boxed set amply shows. But curation has its limits. The English musician-activist Billy Bragg told me at the Okemah conference that "we've not yet heard what Woody had to tell America and the world."
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Santelli concurred. As director of the Grammy Museum, he has done more than anyone to set up the series of conferences and concerts that have dotted the national landscape this year. "My goal," he said, "is to set Woody Guthrie up for the next hundred years." So far, the results have disappointed him. "There have got to be younger academics, kids in college, who can continue this," he said. But he has seen little interest in Woody Guthrie among members of the next generation.
Not that it's always easy to embrace Guthrie. Joel Rafael, who has released two fine albums of Guthrie songs, observed, "There's an element to Woody that takes study. You have to apply yourself." Rafael describes Guthrie as a "Zen hobo." But hobos are complex figures in the American tradition. On the one hand, a hobo is a rebel who lives a life of adventure. On the other, a hobo is a bum, even if he's sometimes, as a well-known Guthrie refrain goes, a "great historical bum."
Indeed, while it's easy to romanticize Guthrie's ceaseless movement, that particular romance tends to appeal most strongly to men. "He was terrible to women," Elizabeth Partridge, another Guthrie biographer, told me bluntly. Especially to those close to him. Guthrie would say, "I've got to go recharge my batteries," Seeger told me. "He used that phrase more than once." Then he'd go hitchhiking, maybe to "reconnect with regular working people who had to make enough money to live—not left-wingers, not progressives." After awhile, he'd turn up again. Seeger, who has remained married to the same woman for nearly 70 years, has long wondered if Guthrie's life of creative "scatteration" was "the price of genius."
Guthrie wrote and sang at a time when music was part of the political ferment. Wilentz described his career as "a political venture," not a commercial one. But today music no longer serves as a vehicle for social change as it once did. "People play folk instruments," the Boston folk musician Ellis Paul told me, "but I'm not hearing the social commentary."
Springsteen is an exception. However, Santelli worries that Springsteen's well-known identification with Guthrie may be a two-edged sword: "Springsteen is so connected to Woody Guthrie in the pop world that people won't go there," he said this summer. Even if they do, Guthrie himself may get lost. Wilentz described Springsteen's recent album of songs about the Great Recession, Wrecking Ball, as "essentially a Woody Guthrie album." He thinks that's the form Guthrie's legacy will take: It will go forward through other people.
Others are more optimistic about Guthrie's own place: "Now is the time for Woody Guthrie," said Amram, the composer. While once Americans shunned their own artistic roots, now they celebrate them. And venues like YouTube offer "a license to search for buried treasure."
In Guthrie's case, the idea of buried treasure carries special meaning because of his vast and mostly untapped archive. Billy Bragg in particular, one of the first artists to delve into that archive, stresses its future value. "The scholars don't notice Woody Guthrie," Bragg said in Oklahoma, because they "are only working on the records Woody made between 1935 and 1945." The archive contains a Guthrie who is "very different from the one that people try to put on a pedestal." This Guthrie, has "many more facets than a Dust Bowl balladeer," said Bragg. "There's a Woody Guthrie for everyone—for the patriot, the dog lover, the punk fan."
Even when institutionalized and slowly losing control over himself, with a burn-damaged arm with which he could no longer play the guitar (another loss by fire), Guthrie wrote hundreds of lyrics to melodies he heard only in his head, on subjects as disparate as sex and flying saucers. "He turned everything into a song," his daughter Nora, the head of the Woody Guthrie Foundation and director of the archive, told me. "I heard the songs in my head and was surprised by the content of the lyrics."
The family saved all those words. For some years now, Nora Guthrie has invited other artists to write music for them and record the songs. Somehow, Woody Guthrie seems to land on his feet.
Maybe that's because so many other people have helped break his fall. Most of his admirers learned his songs from others. My mother learned them at Pete Seeger concerts while she was a college student. I learned them from her when I was a child, and my daughter has learned them from me. They're good songs, and, as Seeger observed, they grow on you "until they become part of your life."
Viewing Guthrie's compressed epic of a life can be disorienting, like watching a movie whose soundtrack trails the picture. He produced the bulk of his creative output in a blistering decade and a half ending in the early 50s, but his public reception didn't gain momentum until he was already in decline. "Woody was born out of time," said Bragg. "Had he been born 20 years later, he would have been recognized as a classic singer-songwriter. He was an alternative artist before the idea was even invented."
Woody Guthrie wrote a soundtrack of America as seen from below. One gets the feeling that he somehow knew he had half the usual time, yet wanted to live twice as much. So he spun off words like a sparkler that seemed that it could never burn out. "Why do we continue to talk about Woody so many years on?" Bruce Springsteen asked recently. "Never had a hit, never went platinum, never played in an arena, never got his picture on the cover of Rolling Stone." Springsteen's answer: Guthrie is a "big, big ghost in the machine."
In 2009, Springsteen and Pete Seeger sang "This Land Is Your Land" in front of the Lincoln Memorial, joined by more than 100,000 people and viewed by millions around the world, before President Obama's inauguration. The event marked Guthrie's increased visibility, and something more. It was a celebration, Springsteen later said, of the "sense of freedom that was Woody's legacy."
Correction (10/9/12, 11:45 a.m.): The original version of this article misstated the year Pete Seeger and Bruce Springsteen sang "This Land Is Your Land" at the Lincoln Memorial. It was in 2009, not 2008. The text has been corrected.Over the last few years, contentious public debates have emerged on issues involving religious liberty, traditional values and civil rights for LGBT people, including whether wedding-related businesses should be required to provide their services to same-sex couples, and – more recently – over the use of public restrooms by transgender people.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) could face questions about these issues in the vice presidential debate tonight. Pence, a Republican, signed a state law in 2015 that provides a legal defense for business owners who deny services to LGBT couples on religious grounds.
The general public is close to evenly divided on both of these issues, according to a Pew Research Center study released last week. There also are deep religious and demographic clevages, including wide partisan divisions, over both issues.
Clear majorities of Democrats and independents who lean Democratic say that, regardless of religious objections, those providing wedding services should treat same-sex couples the same as other customers (67%), and that transgender people should be able to use facilities for the gender with which they currently identify (68%). In contrast, similar-sized majorities of Republicans and Republican leaners say that wedding-related business owners should be able to refuse service to same-sex couples on religious grounds (71%), and that transgender people should be required to use the public restrooms of the gender they were assigned at birth (67%).
Within both parties, there also are sizable internal divisions. Among Republicans, there are age and gender differences on each of these issues. And Democrats are split along racial lines on both.
Younger Republicans – whose support for legalizing same-sex marriage has consistently exceeded that of older Republicans – are less likely than their older counterparts to say that business owners should be able to refuse to provide wedding services to same-sex couples. Still, a 58% majority of Republicans under age 30 say this (compared with about three-quarters of older Republicans).
Nearly eight-in-ten Republican men (78%) say businesses should be able to refuse their services to same-sex couples on religious grounds, a view shared by smaller majority (64%) of GOP women.
By comparison, just three-in-ten Democrats overall, including comparable shares of men and women and younger and older Democrats, think owners of wedding-related businesses should be permitted to refuse services to same-sex couples on religious grounds. However, black Democrats are more likely than white Democrats to say this (43% vs. 27%).
The issue of public bathroom use by transgender people follows the same pattern, with older Republicans substantially more likely than younger Republicans to say that transgender people should be required to use the bathroom of the gender they were assigned at birth.
Republicans under age 30 are the only group of Republicans evenly divided on this question: 52% say |
. Cambridge University Press, New York, New York, USA. Shackley, S., P. Young, S. Parkinson, and B. Wynne. 1998. Uncertainty, complexity and concepts in climate change modeling: are GCMs the best tools? Climate Change 38(2): 159-205. Shackley, S., and B. Wynne. 1996. Representing uncertainty in global climate change science and policy: boundary-ordering devices and authority. Science, Technology, and Human Values 21(3): 275-302. Shindler, B., and K. Cheek. 1999. Integrating citizens in adaptive management: a propositional analysis. Conservation Ecology 3(1): 9. [online] URL: http://www.consecol.org/vol3/iss1/art9 Schlesinger, M., and Jiang, X. 1991. Revised projection of future greenhouse warming. Nature 350: 219. Sims, J. H., and D. D. Baumann. 1974. Human behavior and the environment: interactions between man and his physical world. Maaroufa, Chicago, Illinois, USA. Smith, J. B. 1996. Adapting to climate change: assessments and issues. Springer-Verlag, New York, New York, USA. Steel, B., and N. Lovrich. 1997. An introduction to natural resource policy and public lands: changing paradigms and values. Pages 3-15 in B. Steel, editor. Public lands management in the west. Praeger, New York, New York, USA. UN (United Nations). 1997. Protocols of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. UN, Tokyo, Japan. U.S. House of Representatives. 1995. Scientific integrity and public trust: the science behind federal policies and mandates: case study 1, stratospheric ozone, myths and realities: hearing before the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment of the Committee on Science, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Fourth Congress, first session, September 20, 1995. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., USA. USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture). 1999. National forest system land and resource management planning. Federal Register 64(192): 54074-54112. USDA, Committee of Scientists. 1999. Sustaining the people's land: recommendation for stewardship of the national forests and grasslands into the next century. USDA, Washington, D.C., USA. USDA, Office of Forestry and Economic Assistance. 1996. The Northwest Forest Plan: a report to the President and Congress. USDA, Portland, Oregon, USA. USDA and USDI (U. S. Department of the Interior). 1994. Record of decision for amendments to Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management planning documents within the range of the Northern Spotted Owl; standards and guidelines for management of habitat for late-successional and old-growth forest related species within the range of the Northern Spotted Owl. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., USA. Vitousek, P. M., H. A. Mooney, J. Lubchenco, and J. M. Melillo. 1997. Human domination of earth's ecosystems. Science 277: 494-499. Walters, C. 1986. Adaptive management of renewable resources. McMillan, New York, New York, USA. Walters, C. 1997. Changes in adaptive management of riparian and coastal ecosystems. Conservation Ecology 1(2): 1. [online] URL: http://www.consecol.org/vol1/iss2/art1 Wynne, B. 1995. Public understanding in science. Pages 361-388 in S. Jasanoff, E. Markle, J.C. Petersen, and T. Pinch, editors. Handbook of Science and Technology Studies. Sage, Thousand Oaks, California, USA. Yaffee, S. L. 1994. The wisdom of the spotted owl: policy lessons for a new century. Island Press, Washington, D.C., USA. Yearley, S. 1995. Environmental challenges to science studies. Pages 457-479 in S. Jasanoff, E. Markle, J.C. Petersen, and T. Pinch, editors. Handbook of Science and Technology Studies. Sage, Thousand Oaks, California, USA. Address of Correspondent:
G. A. Bradshaw
USDA Forest Service
Pacific Northwest Research Station
and National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS)
735 State St., Suite 300,
Santa Barbara, California 93101 USA
Phone: (805) 892-2515
Fax: (805) 892-2510
bradshaw@nceas.ucsb.eduThe House passed a resolution Thursday to repeal an Obama-era rule that allowed states to drug test only certain people applying for unemployment benefits.
Members voted 236-189 under the Congressional Review Act to repeal the labor rule finalized in August. Under the rule, states can only drug test individuals applying for unemployment benefits if the work they are suitable for is a job for which workers are regularly drug tested.
The White House supported GOP action to remove the rule, claiming it imposed an arbitrarily narrow definition of occupations and constrains a state's ability to conduct a drug testing program in its unemployment insurance system.
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Supporters, however, claim repealing the rule gives states the ability to randomly drug test workers who through no fault of their own are unemployed, poor or in need of public assistance.
“Suspicion-less drug testing of government benefit recipients likely violates the Fourth Amendment, and it is cruel and inhumane treatment of individuals,” Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee Sheila Jackson LeeCongress allows Violence Against Women Act to lapse Five takeaways from acting AG's fiery House hearing Democrat to acting AG: 'We are not joking here' MORE (D-Texas) said.It’s interesting what you can find when you look around a bit on Google. I thought I’d look for a few new ebooks to read. I found 20 different ones that might be interesting to you. It never hurts to get a few different perspectives. In all cases, the first link is to a PDF file, the second link is to the site where it’s hosted.
Have any more that you’ve found online that you like? Share them in the comments section. And if you want to re-post the list to your site, by all means, please do! Just please be kind and link back to 20 Free eBooks About Social Media.
***Update I really love Brian Solis and all he does. He pointed out a few of his works that I would highly recommend these, as well:The Science Museum in London is to open a gallery devoted to mathematics, thanks to a £5m donation from a City hedge fund manager – the largest private gift the museum has ever received.
"This is very exciting for us," said the architect Zaha Hadid as she unveiled her design for the new gallery at the museum. "Mathematics and geometry have an amazing influence on our work."
The layout of the new permanent gallery, which will open in late 2016, is inspired by mathematical ideas. A plane will be suspended from the ceiling and the position of the displays will follow the lines of aerodynamic flow around it. Lines representing a turbulence field from the plane's flight will form the basis of a curved surface dividing the gallery into different spaces.
Funding for the gallery has come from The David and Claudia Harding Foundation. David Harding is the founder of Winton Capital Management, one of London's most successful hedge fund companies, and his charities have made many donations to fund academic research and science communication in recent years.
Harding said that since his company had been very successful at using mathematical ideas he was "in the lucky position to be able to indulge in my expensive hobby" of supporting museums.
Science Museum director Ian Blatchford said of the donation: "This is a game-changing gift to the museum, and it is my hope that this will inspire further transformational philanthropy."
He added: "With this gallery we want to evoke the kind of excitement around mathematics as our Collider exhibition has done around particle physics, and with Zaha Hadid's extraordinary designs this project is off to the best start imaginable. This appointment reflects our ambition to deliver the world's foremost gallery of mathematics both in its collection and its design."
The Science Museum says the gallery will "tell the stories that place mathematics at the heart of our lives, exploring how mathematicians, their tools and ideas have helped to shape the world from the turn of the 17th century to the present". It will replace the current computing and mathematics gallery, which was opened in 1975.
A centrepiece of the gallery will be a 1929 Handley Page aircraft with a 12-metre wingspan suspended from the ceiling. The experimental plane was made as part of a competition to design aircraft that could land slowly and steeply without stalling, and required advances in the mathematics of aerodynamics and material stress.
Hadid, who gained a degree in mathematics before she became an architect, said that it was important to get rid of negative cultural stereotypes about maths. "When I came to do architecture people said you must know how to add. There is that aspect to maths, of course. But there is another aspect that was of interest to me and that was abstract thinking, and that was when I realised how important that degree was."
Harding said: "We hope the gallery will bring pleasure and interest to Science Museum visitors and feel privileged to be able to associate ourselves with it. Mathematics is a fascinating and mysterious but, for some, forbidding subject. The new gallery has been created to convey something of that fascination in a way that will appeal to a wide audience."
The David and Claudia Harding Mathematics Gallery will be curated by David Rooney, who was in charge of the Codebreaker exhibition about Alan Turing. It is part of a wider plan that will redevelop a third of the museum over the next three years.To protect Americans against “fake” news, Facebook will now use filters so that only “reputable” articles can appear at the top of users’ trending news stories. And Facebook is going to media fact checkers for help (initially ABC News, The Associated Press, FactCheck.org, Politifact and Snopes). But guess what? These fact checkers have their own biases — usually the same liberal biases that we see in the rest of the mainstream media.
Before the 1990s, the mainstream media had a monopoly on the news. Then came the rise of talk radio, Fox News, and the internet. This was a wonderful thing for freedom of information.
Facebook has already faced a scandal for having “filtered out stories on conservative topics from conservative sites.”
But to get an idea of how bias also affects fact checkers, just consider a few evaluations from Politifact.
— "We’re the highest taxed nation in the world. Our businesses pay more taxes than any businesses in the world. That’s why companies are leaving.” Donald Trump on "Meet the Press" on May 8, 2016
Donald Trump was clearly talking about tax rates for businesses. But in rating the claim as “False,” Politifact focuses on total federal tax burden as a share of GDP. Trump was correct that the U.S. has the world's highest corporate income tax rate (combined federal and state). In 2016, that rate was 38.9 percent France came in second with 34.4 percent. But Politifact conveniently overlooks state taxes, which are really what put the U.S. over the top compared to so many other countries.
— On November 9, California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom claimed that his state’s gun control laws were responsible for a "56 percent decline in the gun murder rate" since the 1990s. Politifact rated this statement as only "mostly true,” but only because the drop in murders was even greater than 56 percent between 1993 and 2014.
Bizarrely, Politifact didn’t question the claim that this drop was due to California’s gun control laws. Pete Wilson, who was the Republican governor from 1991 to 1999, did very little on gun control.
Probably the only significant new regulation was the 1994 California Gun Free School Zone law, but this didn't even forbid permit holders from carrying on school property.
The major gun regulations only started after Democrat Gray Davis took office in 1999. During the first five years of the period Politifact studied when there was little change in gun laws, gun murders fell by 54 percent, over 80 percent the total 67 percent drop between 1993 and 2014.
Politifact ignores all of the other major crime legislation that was enacted by the Republican governor. For instance, California passed the 1994 Three Strikes law, which doubled the penalty for a second felony if the first one was serious or violent. A third felony carried a prison sentence of 25 years to life. Much research showed that significantly higher criminal penalties likely played a role in reducing crime rates.
— “Of course there is large scale voter fraud happening on and before election day.” Donald Trump on Monday, October 17th, 2016 in a tweet
Politifact didn’t just say that this claim was false, they deemed it worth the designation: Liar, Liar “Pants on Fire.” While the term “large scale” fraud might be in the eye of the beholder, voter fraud in 2008 gave Al Franken the Senatorship in Minnesota and even control of entire state legislatures have been determined (e.g., the Pennsylvania state Senate in 1994). From California to Pennsylvania to Virginia to Indiana, many thousands of illegal aliens, dead people, and just non-existent ones were caught being registered to vote just a month or so before November election.
A 2014 study published in the journal Electoral Studies used survey data to estimate that 6.4 percent of the nation’s non-citizens voted in 2008 — that would be over a million votes. Another 2012 study from the Pew Center on the States estimated that one out of every eight voter registrations is inaccurate, out-of-date or duplicate, 2.8 million people are registered in more than one state, and 1.8 million registered voters are dead.
In an undercover video, a New York City Board of Elections member was recently caught complaining about the amount of voter fraud created by New York City mayor Bill de Blasio’s decision to give out ID cards without checking recipients’ identities.
A similar problem exists in other states, such as California, where illegal aliens are given driver’s licenses and nothing to verify citizenship during voter registration.
To say that vote fraud isn’t common is itself a pretty absurd claim.
— Compare two statements evaluated by Politifact earlier this year.
"Ninety percent of Americans want our background check system strengthened and expanded to cover more gun sales.” Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Murphy in a July 27th, 2016 speech at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia
"Everywhere that we have more citizens carrying guns, crime is less.” Texas Lt Governor Dan Patrick on NBC's "Meet the Press", January 3rd, 2016 (Focusing on the part of his statement discussed in the “our ruling” section)
Politifact deemed Murphy’s statement as “True” and Patrick’s as “Mostly False.” In assessing Patrick’s statement, they noted one pro-carry study by myself but several others that claimed that concealed carry had no effect on crime.
I was interviewed by Politifact in their evaluation of Patrick’s statement and provided them with a long list of studies, but this list was ignored.
Politifact characterized my peer-reviewed research as "a disputed study by a gun rights advocate” and indicated that the other research was conducted by academics.
Nowhere was it mentioned that the vast majority of research found benefits from concealed carry.
Now take Murphy’s statement about 90 percent of Americans wanting stronger, expanded background checks. Some polls don’t show anything even close to 80 to 90 percent support for background checks on private transfers of guns. Some even show overall opposition to laws.
Yet, even better than polls, three states have had ballot initiatives on expanded background checks and none have been close to 80 percent. In 2014, an initiative in Washington state passed with 59 percent of the vote., Maine’s 2016 initiative was defeated by 8 percent, and Nevada’s passed this year with less than 50.5% of the vote. And who knows if any of them would have passed if not for funding from Michael Bloomberg, who thoroughly outspent opponents of the initiatives by upwards of 50-to-1.
-- Throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, fact checkers continually defended Hillary Clinton from claims that she wanted the Supreme Court to reverse itself and allow complete gun bans. But the reasoning was always strained. Fact checkers just argued that Clinton wasn’t trying to revise the Constitution. But the real concern was the impact that Clinton would have on the Supreme Court and its interpretation of the Second Amendment.
The bias here could include dozens of additional examples. Facebook will also be relying on fact-checking by ABC News, Factcheck.org, and the Associated Press. Yet all have shown similar left-wing bias (here, here, and here).
There is a way to deal with these supposedly dangerous “fake” news stories. Simply nip them in the bud by explaining why they're wrong. Unable to deal with the truth, however, liberals are again resorting to attempts at censorship.CLOSE After an incident in Tombstone, Arizona, involving real bullets being fired at a staged gunfight, the city passed an ordinance clamping down on safety of guns that fire blanks. Wochit
Duane Brown stands guard over a locked box of ammunition during a performance by the Goose Flats Gunslingers on Allen Street in Tombstone on Oct. 20, 2017. Brown’s role as an armorer, the rope marking the performance area and the locked ammo box are mandated by a city ordinance. (Photo: Richard Ruelas/The Republic)
TOMBSTONE — There was going to be a gunfight on the dusty street in the middle of the city. Renegade Red would square off with Trouble in front of Big Nose Kate's Saloon, and people would come out of the saddle store and taverns to stand on the wood-plank sidewalk to watch.
But before they settled their beef with each other, the gunslingers wanted to make sure no one would get hurt.
After all, it was the law.
It was Helldorado Days, and tourists from around the state, country and world were descending on this city's historic district to step back in time and soak in the Old West atmosphere that Tombstone has worked to preserve.
In 2015, reality pierced the illusion. A gunfighter mistakenly loaded his gun with real bullets. A fellow actor was hit and hospitalized. A tourist down the block at the Bird Cage Theater was slightly injured.
A sign marks a street closed in Tombstone on Monday, Oct. 19, 2015, after an actor staging a historical gunfight in the Old West town was shot with a live round during a show that was supposed to use blanks. (Photo: Associated Press)
Tombstone's leaders immediately halted fake gunplay on the streets. Within months, the City Council enacted comprehensive regulations governing firearms loaded with blanks, rules that required an "armorer" to inspect weapons and dispense the ammunition.
Now some of what plays out on the streets of Tombstone are scenes decidedly not out of an old Western movie.
MORE: The new Old West: Is Tombstone's gunfight ordinance legal?
Chris Douglas, head of the Goose Flats Gunslingers, took out a locked case that held fake bullets and counted them out to make sure there was enough ammo to pretend to get the job done.
They needed three for the 10:30 a.m. show, between Trouble's handgun and Renegade Red's shotgun; seven or eight for the pretend duel at 11:45 a.m.; and some extra shells for demonstration purposes.
For the right to perform a staged gunfight in the city's historic district, Douglas, along with every other gunfighter who would perform that weekend, subjected himself to a background check so he could obtain a license. He would allow himself to be frisked just before the show and have his weapon inspected before he could load it with blanks.
Douglas had a real gun on him that carried no such restrictions. He holstered the handgun on his jean shorts that were part of what he called his “tourist camouflage” outfit. He would change later to proper Old West gear and take part in the tightly controlled process that allowed him to shoot a gun loaded with blanks on Allen Street for the entertainment of tourists.
Despite years of mass shootings — at nightclubs, schools, movie theaters and outdoor concerts — and hundreds of deaths, gun regulation has proved difficult to pass.
In contrast, after one relatively minor incident, Tombstone didn’t hesitate to pass tough rules that dictate steps individuals must take to pretend to shoot each other in public.
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Douglas saw the seeming paradox between the regulation of guns shooting phony bullets and those that shoot real ones.
“Do we need to fix the problem? Yes,” Douglas said. “Do I know how to fix it? No.
“But there is a problem.”
Old West gun laws and gunfights
In the Old West days that Tombstone tries to replicate, the city's leaders worried about the proliferation of guns in the urban area. A law said any person entering the city had to check in their firearms at the nearest saloon or hotel.
The famed Gunfight at the O.K. Corral erupted in 1881 because Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday were looking to enforce that ordinance against a group of outlaws known as the Cowboys, who had been seen within the city limits carrying firearms.
In modern-day Tombstone, the city celebrates gun freedom and culture. The famed gunfight is re-enacted four times daily for anyone willing to pay the $10 admission. In January, at the behest of a hotel owner, Tombstone declared itself America’s first and, to this point, only, Second Amendment City.
The proclamation, as quoted on secondamendmentcity.org, the website started by the hotel owner, states with the usual flourishes of whereases that the city celebrates the amendment, which guarantees the people’s right to bear arms shall not be infringed, and also celebrates the Supreme Court decision that decreed that such right is not connected to an individual being part of a militia.
Neither the proclamation nor the website says anything about the fact the city passed what appears to be the harshest infringement in the country on the people’s right to fire guns loaded with blanks.
When the bullets in the gun were real
Tom Carter showed up late for the gunfight and didn’t realize he was armed.
It was October 2015, and Carter was taking part in that year's Helldorado Days, widely known for the rotating gun shows performed on Allen Street, the tourist-heavy thoroughfare in the center of town. The road is asphalt and used to carry traffic, but it was covered with dirt years ago to mimic the Old West.
When lawmen in black frock coats begin their walk down Tombstone's Allen Street, gunplay can't be far behind. (Photo: Roger Naylor)
Carter's group, the Tombstone Vigilantes, had a protocol in place that involved checking weapons to make sure they were loaded only with blanks, according to a summary of the event Tombstone’s marshal gave to the City Council. But Carter showed up late and didn’t have his gun checked.
He figured it was clear, the marshal said, because he thought he hadn’t touched it since taking part in Wyatt Earp Days in April and believed it was still filled with blanks.
It wasn’t.
Carter was facing off with fellow re-enactor Ken Curtis. Re-enactors are trained to shoot low for safety reasons. The.45-caliber bullet struck Curtis in the groin.
Curtis, in a phone interview, said he didn't realize what happened right away. "We finished the skit," he said.
He said he felt some minor pain but thought it was a small rock that kicked up. "I reached down and found blood," he said, "and went and told them I'd been hit."
In the hospital, Curtis said, the surgeon told him the bullet struck the double layers of leather on his gun belt and a rivet, slowing it down. It struck his abdominal wall, but didn't penetrate it, he said. The surgeon told him that had it done so, "we wouldn't be talking."
'I pressed myself against that wall'
As the gunbattle continued, Carter, who couldn't be reached for comment, fired more bullets.
One whizzed along Allen Street, striking a tourist near the Bird Cage Saloon about two blocks away. Another caused the historic “undertaker” sign in front of the Sisters Paranormal business to flip around.
Tessa Wooden, a re-enactor with the Goose Flats Gunslighters who plays Renagade Red, happened to be standing outside Big Nose Kate’s Saloon watching the gunfight. She knew something was wrong immediately.
“When you're used to the shots going off in town, there's a difference and you hear it.” Tessa Wooden, a re-enactor who plays Renagade Red, on the sound of real bullets
“I pressed myself against that wall,” Wooden said.
Her clue was the sound of the live bullet, she said. It was much different than the blanks that commonly go off at the various gunfight shows around the city.
“When you’re used to the shots going off in town, there’s a difference and you hear it,” she said.
The incident made national and international news.
"It was quite a thing for a while," Curtis said. Some out-of-town network television types called the Curtis home and asked Curtis' wife if there was some bubbling animosity between the two men, he said, trying to make the story more than the accident it was.
Curtis said he bore no hard feelings toward Carter, describing him as a good friend.
Both men are still in the Tombstone Vigilantes. Curtis now leads the group.
Prosecutors would eventually rule the incident an accident and not charge Carter with a crime.
Fast action after the accident
Wooden said the re-enactment group she was part of at the time, a precursor of Goose Flats, had a series of preshow safety checks similar to the ones used by the Vigilantes, the ones that failed to catch the late-arriving Carter.
“I just figured that’s how everybody did it,” she said, “because that’s what everybody’s supposed to do.”
But after the shooting, the honor system wouldn’t be good enough. The city’s leaders vowed it wouldn’t happen again.
Mayor Dusty Escapalde ordered an immediate halt to all gun shows on the street.
“This is a position that the city, I feel, has to take in order to guarantee the health, safety and welfare of our visitors and our citizens,” he said at a City Council meeting days after the incident.
In January 2016, the council gave preliminary approval to Ordinance No. 2016-01, which imposed the stricter rules for re-enactors. There was no debate before the unanimous "aye" vote.
Escapalde did not return a request for comment.
Armando Villa, who was a council member at the time, said he had hoped the council would single out the Tombstone Vigilantes group for punishment, maybe with a six-month ban.
“But no one else did,” Villa said. “They’re untouchable, this and that.”
Villa said the Tombstone Vigilantes are the city’s best-known re-enactment group and have some clout with the council. “They’ve been around forever,” he said. “They call themselves the ambassadors of Tombstone.”
Making it as safe as possible
Villa said some groups thought the ordinance went too far, but he said the council thought it was needed because safety protocols had obviously relaxed. “I think people got complacent, taking too much for granted,” he said.
Curtis said the Vigilantes and other groups initially balked at the idea of an ordinance. "There's always a little resistance," he said. But, he said, the gunfighters worked with the marshal's office and the city attorney to craft something all could live with.
"I think what the city did and what the groups did makes everything as safe as possible right now," he said.
Curtis likened the hassles of complying with the ordinance to airport security. "It may be time-consuming, but safety is very important," he said.
The ordinance mandates that each gun group carry $1 million in insurance, with the city of Tombstone being named an insured party.
It also required performers to apply for a permit from the Tombstone marshal’s office. In the application, performers must affirm they are not currently facing felony charges, have not been convicted of domestic violence within the past year and are not prohibited possessors of real firearms under Arizona law.
Though the ordinance doesn’t specify it, Douglas said that, in practice, the marshal’s office does conduct a rudimentary background check, akin to what a motorist encounters when pulled over for a traffic ticket.
The marshal’s office keeps a registry of permitted performers, Douglas said, and makes it available upon request.
The ordinance also mandates that groups designate at least one armorer who is also registered and approved by the marshal.
Under the ordinance, that armorer must inspect each weapon that will be used in the show to ensure it is empty. That person also dispenses, from a locked container, the blank ammunition and, under the ordinance, collects spent shells after the show.
Duane Brown inspects Ed Wooden before a performance of the Goose Flats Gunslingers along Allen Street in Tombstone on Oct. 20, 2017. Brown’s role as armorer and the inspections are mandated under a city ordinance. (Photo: Richard Ruelas/The Republic)
The ordinance also requires that the gunfight be held in an area marked off with ropes. Performers may only enter and exit through a “staging area” and only with permission from the armorer.
“Let’s face reality,” said Douglas, who as part of the Goose Flats group helped craft the ordinance. "That rope is not going to stop a round if somebody slips a live one in. But it gives (the audience) the illusion: There’s a barrier. I better not be out there.”
The rope also has stopped what was a tradition of post-show photographs immediately following the gunbattle.
The exit procedure took about four minutes following the conclusion of a recent Goose Flats show. By the time the performers were clear, many in the audience had already wandered off.
Douglas said the ordinance was still a "work in progress" and that gunfighter groups are still suggesting ways to tweak the mandated procedures.
Arizona statute dictates that cities cannot pass their own regulations regarding firearms. But no one has yet challenged the validity of Tombstone's ordinance in court.
'You need to go home in one piece'
Duane Brown was brought into the Goose Flats group to be its armorer. Over the past year, he has been slowly persuaded to act also, he said.
In the day’s second show, he would be engaged in a comic duel. Renegade Red would instruct Brown and another man to take five steps, face each other and then "fire at will." Brown and the other gunslinger would then shoot several rounds at a man named Will, felling him, at least until the skit ended.
“You come here to watch us safely in one piece,” Brown said as he prepared to dispense the blank ammo before a show. “You need to go home in one piece.”
The city regulation was important, he said, because the gunfights present a unique experience among people used to handling weapons. It is the only time, he said, when a person holding a gun — and the person at whom the gun is pointed — is supposed to assume it is not loaded.
Brown wants to make sure that is true during the shows.
Most re-enactment groups would have made extra efforts to follow good security practices simply to avoid another international shooting incident, Brown said. But, he said, it did mean that everybody had to follow the same procedures and might pay extra attention to them.
Brown pointed to a small scar on his face, the result, he said, of taking a live bullet while working security.
“I’ve been on the business end of a round,” he said. “I know the feeling. It’s a nasty feeling.”
It’s a feeling he doesn’t want tourists or his fellow re-enactors to know. “Handling blanks safely is very big with me,” he said.
When the gunfight was real
Of course, the ordinance only applies to those pretending to shoot others.
Tombstone doesn’t have a lot of crime. There is so little that the marshal is able to give a rundown of incidents at council meetings.
But there was a shooting in October that sent one person to the hospital.
It took place at Wyatt Earp’s saloon on the night of Oct. 13.
A couple who entered the bar were told they couldn’t have their weapons with them while inside, according to the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office. They left them with the bartender. While there, the couple got into an argument with two men, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Later, the couple was readying to leave and retrieved their weapons from the bartender. They got into another confrontation, officials said, and the man with the gun shot at least once, striking the victim in the lower leg.
The gunman was arrested. The victim was taken to a Tucson hospital.
It was a shooting that had echoes of the gunfights played out for fun on the main street of Tombstone.
At Helldorado Days, the rudimentary set on Allen Street includes a bar, some tables and a doorway. Most scenes involve alcohol, arguments and gunplay, the same ingredients that figured into the real-life shooting in October.
The crowd claps at the end of those scenes, cheering especially hard when the person who mimicks being killed rises from the dusty street.
The gunfighters are volunteers who have a passion for the Old West history.
“I eat, breathe and sleep this,” said Douglas of the Goose Flats Gunslingers. He moved from central Indiana to be near his wife’s family in nearby Sierra Vista. But he was hooked on Tombstone since seeing the eponymous 1993 movie. He wore out four video cassette copies of it and two DVDs, he said.
The gunfight that never ends
Three were killed in that 30-second gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
That 1881 gunbattle still resonates, not as a tragic event, but as something to be scrutinized and celebrated. It has been re-created in Hollywood films, and the city where it happened has embraced the tourists who come to soak in the Old West atmosphere.
Plaques along the street mark places where people fell during gunfights, though such battles were relatively rare, Douglas said.
“Tombstone had its share of gunfights,” he said. “It had way more stabbings than it did gunfights. Everybody thinks it was middle of the street at high noon. No, it was this close across the poker table.”
The tourists probably don’t understand much of the gun culture, figuring the city is more a large movie set than an actual place, Douglas said.
He said once he felt a tug on his actual handgun, secured in his holster with a leather strap across the top. He brought his elbow back and broke the nose of the British tourist who tried to grab it.
“It’s a toy, it’s a toy,” he said, mimicking a common tourist belief.
Douglas said he found it odd that he has to keep his blank ammo under lock and key. But, if he chose, he could sell his actual handgun to a random person walking the street.
“That lady in the floral shirt can hand me $1,000,” he said, pointing to a tourist across the street. He then pretended to offer up his handgun. “There you go.”
Douglas said he prefers to buy his guns from a dealer who knows the gun’s history and conducts a background check on the buyer. But he wasn’t certain whether making that mandatory was a good idea.
“There’s so many gray areas and so many loopholes,” he said.
He walked down the wooden planks that form the sidewalk along Allen Street to join the rest of his group who were eating snacks, sitting on camp chairs and taking occasional photos with tourists.
It would be about an hour before one of them would shoot another again, just for show and under tight government regulation.
READ MORE:
Inglorious Arizona: What's the truth about Tombstone's 'Buckskin' Frank Leslie?
Inglorious Arizona: The deadliest shootout may not be O.K.
Inglorious Arizona: Was Tombstone's rowdy reputation exaggerated?
Arizona ghost tours: Spooky haunts from Jerome to Tombstone
Read or Share this story: http://azc.cc/2zYag1ZDoctor Who has been celebrated in many forms. One popular way for fans to express their love for the show is by creating web comics.
References to Doctor Who show up in all sorts of media and artistic expression. In past articles, we have explored such things as fan fiction, art, handmade crafts, web parodies, music, as well as references in graphic novels, movies, and other television shows. In this article, we will be taking a look at some of the many fan-created web comics that are based on Doctor Who.
Our first example of a Doctor Who web comic is Comic Who. It depicts various chibi incarnations of the Doctor, as well as other characters from the show (and other franchises), simultaneously coexisting in the same alternate universe. There are also a couple of offshoots of the main strip. One is Comic Who Confidentials, a parody of Doctor Who Confidential. The other is Simmy’s Tales, a spin-off starring John Simm‘s Master who is somehow also Simm’s character, Sam Tyler, from Life on Mars. Throw Torchwood into the mix and you have a wonderfully strange mashup.
As an aside, the above example is not to be confused with Torchwood Babiez, an equally adorable chibi web comic of characters from both Torchwood and Doctor Who, with the added element of a Muppet Babies parody.
Next on our list is In Print by Jim Wilkins and Alasdair Shaw. Years ago, it was originally a physical publication, eventually moving to the internet. Much like Comic Who, In Print features all of the previous incarnations of the Doctor, but as memories “stored in a post temporal psycho construct housed within the Doctor’s mind |
be seen whether this will affect the YouTube ban in Pakistan. A team of artists has taken a grassroots approach to challenging the ban. Adil Omar, Ali Gul Pir, and Talal Qureshi just released this song [Ed. note: This clip contains profane language] in which they take on the government of Pakistan and protest the ban of the video-sharing website in the country. Directed by Aisha Linnea Akhtar and Shahbaz Shigri of InCahoots Films as part of the #KholoBC initiative ("Kholo" means "open" in Urdu), the song is a mixture of Urdu, the national language of Pakistan, and English (the second verse of the song is in English, starting at 1:36). In a Consider This Q & A, Islamabad-based Adil Omar talks about about the YouTube ban and the new song.
Portrait of Adil Omar. Aisha Linnea Akhtar
Q. As a musician who probably uses YouTube quite a bit, what did it feel like to be cut off from it? A. As far as the music industry goes, Pakistan has no concept of fans buying albums off iTunes (as online banking is still a relatively new concept here), no concept of songwriting and publishing royalties, [and] very few live gigs as well, so it's almost impossible for a recording artist to earn an actual living in Pakistan unless they're tied to a corporation. YouTube gave many of us a global platform — to get fans from all around the world, to get ad revenue, to get shows overseas and to have an opportunity to actually make a modest living off our music. When YouTube was banned, that was all practically taken away. Q. How did the song come about? A. The song and video — from recording to shooting to completion to release — was a 10-day process. It was very organic, very quick, on pretty much no budget, and we all just had fun doing it. We had no idea it would become this big. Ali Gul Pir and I both launched our careers on YouTube so when I met with a Pakistan For All (the organization we did this with) co-founder and he suggested that I do a song for their #KholoBC campaign, Ali instantly came to mind and I sent him a message. It all happened very organically.
[YouTube is] a lifeline in the modern world of information and technology and to take it away altogether is ridiculous and damaging. Adil Omar
Q. How has the reception to the song been so far? A. Pretty insane. It's safe to say that most people in Pakistan who use the Internet do want YouTube back now. We want to be global citizens, not confined within our walls and cut off from the rest of the world. YouTube is a beautiful tool for showcasing talent, learning, entertainment, business, making money, and countless other things. It's a lifeline in the modern world of information and technology and to take it away altogether is ridiculous and damaging. Of course, there has been some opposition and criticism, mostly due to the language — the ban-chor pun in the hook [which sounds similar to a common Urdu curse word] — but that's also because we're a conservative society and at times have ridiculous double standards when it comes to our art. Q. Has anyone from the government contacted you or replied to the song in any form? A. Not yet. I'm sure they've heard about it though.
A still from #KholoBC YouTube video. InCahoots Films
Q. The video is part of a youth initiative called “Pakistan for All.” Can you tell us more about it? A. Pakistan For All is an organization based in Karachi, co-founded by friends of ours, and they launched the #KholoBC campaign back in 2013 with a “Hugs For YouTube” video in which their YouTube mascot (also used in the music video) was walking around Karachi and getting hugs from people who wanted YouTube back. I met with my friend and co-founder Ziad Zafar in London a few weeks ago and the topic of doing a song for the campaign came up very casually. I don't normally do music for a cause, or create music with a purpose, but this felt natural, fitting, and it was something I wanted to be a part of and create. Q. At the start of the song your fellow rapper Ali Gul Pir comes up to you and producer Talal Qureshi and says “Let’s go and get YouTube unbanned.” Realistically speaking, how much do you think the music video and the reception it got will affect the government’s decision with regards to the YouTube ban? A. I have no idea. Let's see how the next few weeks play out. Q. During the song you talk about how the government enforces censorship but ignores the bigger threats. What exactly are you referring to? A. Everything. Literally everything and anything. These people clearly have bigger fish to fry, yet they're busy blocking adult websites, YouTube, and trying to filter certain words on text messages. It's ridiculous.
[The Pakistani government has] bigger fish to fry, yet they're busy blocking adult websites, YouTube, and trying to filter certain words on text messages. Adil OmarAs we’re getting closer to the end of the year we’ve got upcoming releases that we want to start sharing some details about with you, and we’re kicking off that train with information about Ajin: Demi Human. We’ll be bringing the complete first series of this to Blu-ray and DVD on 27th November. Have a read of the information below for details on what to expect from our release.
ABOUT AJIN: DEMI-HUMAN
Synopsis: When you have an infinite number of lives ahead of you, death is only the beginning.
When the truck slammed into Kei Nagai’s body, he should have died instantly. Instead, the high-school student finds himself resurrected, with all of his wounds somehow healed. However, Kei’s real problems are just starting. Now revealed to be an Ajin, one of a mysterious new breed of demi-human that have begun appearing around the world, he’s been marked with an international bounty, and in the eyes of the world’s governments, Kei is a specimen to be contained by any means possible.
On the run and unable to trust anyone except his closest friend, his only hope is to discover the terrifying secrets behind his new abilities before he’s forced to use them in battle!
Check out the trailer below –
WHAT’S IN THE BOX? WHAT’S ON THE DISCS?
Our release, due for release on 27th November, will be available as a Limited Collector’s Edition Blu-ray set and on standard DVD as well. Content across the discs themselves is identical.
The Ltd Collector’s Edition Blu-ray set (pictured above) comes packed in a rigid case with a digipack to store the three Blu-ray discs. Also included is a 64-page materials book that is divided into four sections: Characters, IBMs, Backgrounds and Artworks.
On the discs themselves you get –
The complete first season of Ajin: Demi-Human (13 episodes) in both English and Japanese with English subtitles
The first Ajin: Demi-Human movie “compel” in Japanese with English subtitles only
On-disc extras include: Clean Opening, Clean Closing, Animatic Process Scenes and Movie Teasers.
WHERE CAN I BUY IT?
(All going well – very much up to the production gods if this can indeed happen or not) your first chance to own this release will be at the MCM London Comic Con event this coming weekend at Excel London, as we’ll have limited quantities of it available to purchase.
You can pre-order this now ahead of its release from a number of retailers including –
Order at Amazon UK Order at Zavvi Order at Base.com Order at HMV Online Order at Anime-On-Line Order at AllTheAnime.com
Please note that pre-order of AJIN will commence at AllTheAnime.com during week commencing 13th November 2017.
We hope you’re looking forward to adding to this to your collection! Stay tuned to AllTheAnime.com and our social media channels for more news on Ajin: Demi-Human
Signing out~!
JeremyMore diseases, fewer barriers, more problems. Since 1980, the number and diversity of infectious disease outbreaks has increased significantly. There were fewer than 1,000 outbreaks of infectious disease from 1980 to 1985, according to a 2014 paper published in the Journal of the Royal Society. From 2005 to 2010, there were more than 3,000. Because this growth is linked to trends such as globalization, urbanization and climate change, scientists believe it’s likely that there will continue to be more outbreaks in the near future.
The good news, according to the authors of that 2014 paper, is that the number of infected people has gone down — thanks to coordinated efforts related to prevention, early detection, control and treatment. But all of that costs money. Lots of money. As the rate of outbreaks increases, then, it’s not surprising that the budgetary breather between infectious disease emergencies is getting shorter and shorter. Case in point: the overlap of Ebola and Zika. In December 2014, the United States mobilized against Ebola with a bill appropriating extra money for the 2015 budget, including $1.7 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But now, with Ebola in retreat in the West African nations most affected, the fear of an American outbreak is a distant public memory. Instead, it’s Zika that keeps us up at night, and the money is following that shift in attention. On April 6, the White House announced a plan to take $510 million of unspent Ebola money and earmark it for Zika-related activities.
Some Democrats think that’s still not enough money to combat Zika. A bill introduced by House Democrats on Monday called for $1.6 billion in additional 2016 spending for Zika-related activities. Although the bulk of the Ebola funds were designated for international assistance through the U.S. Agency for International Development, the biggest beneficiary of the Zika bill by far would be the CDC, which stands to gain $743 million in the bill’s current form.
FUNDING TARGET AMOUNT CDC $743m – Bilateral aid 325 – National Institutes of Health 277 – Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund 233 – State Department 32 – Multilateral aid 14 – FDA 10 – USAID 10 – Where the proposed Zika funding would go Source: U.S. House of Representatives
The Zika funding, if approved, could be spent over multiple years, but it would still represent a huge increase in the CDC’s resources to fight vector-borne and emerging infectious diseases. From fiscal year 2013 to fiscal year 2016, the agency spent about $695 million on those issues. The House bill would be like getting four years’ worth of money all at once.
DISEASE FUNDING Zika (proposed) $743m – Influenza 188 – Emerging infectious diseases 147 – Immediate Zika response (existing) 50 – Vector-borne diseases 26 – Parasitic diseases (global health) 26 – How new Zika funding would compare to the current CDC budget Source: CDC
The bill’s impact on the National Institutes of Health would be much less overwhelming — which makes sense, as the NIH’s role is less about immediate, boots-on-the-ground outbreak response and more about funding research that will help us fight future outbreaks. The NIH doesn’t have a categorized budget the same way the CDC does. But it does offer an imperfect estimate of how the research it funds affects different health categories. The $277 million proposed for the NIH in this bill would be a drop in the bucket compared with the more than $2 billion directed to research on emerging infectious diseases and $459 million for vector-borne disease research this fiscal year.
DISEASE FUNDING Emerging infectious diseases $2,200m – Vector-borne diseases 459 – Influenza 285 – Zika (proposed) 277 – Malaria (and vaccine) 217 – West Nile virus 42 – How new Zika funding would compare to the current NIH budget Source: NIH
All of that, however, depends on the bill actually passing. And it probably won’t. Congress is leaving the bill to stew over a weeklong recess. Congressional Republicans are concerned that the Zika funding is a “blank check” for the federal government to spend on whatever it pleases. On Thursday, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn told the Washington Post that these efforts amounted to a request for a blank check and that Democrats were set to play a shell game — taking funds for Zika but then using them for other projects.
This bill would certainly make that possible — at least to a point. All the bill’s funding requests include the provision that the money can be spent on “Zika virus, other vector-borne diseases, or other infectious diseases and related health outcomes, domestically and internationally.” Effectively, it would leave the door open to do exactly what the White House is doing with the Ebola money now: take funds earmarked for one emerging infectious disease and shift them to deal with another. As the rates of outbreaks go up, the desire for this kind of flexibility is likely going to increase, as well.MANILA (UPDATED) - Anti-crime watchdogs and a lawyer on Wednesday filed impeachment complaints against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno for supposed culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, corruption, other high crimes, and betrayal of public trust.
In their complaint filed before the House of Representatives, the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) and Vanguard of the Philippine Constitution (VCPI) accused Sereno of releasing administrative orders without the approval of the Supreme Court en banc.
These include the creation of a new judiciary decentralized office and the re-opening of the Regional Court Administrative Office in Western Visayas, according to the complaint.
They also accused 57-year-old Sereno of approving the allegedly irregular appointment of several officials, and using SC funds for the travel allowances of her staff.
Sereno also failed to fill the year-long vacancies for a deputy clerk of court, a chief attorney and 2 assistant court administrators, the complainants said.
The Chief Justice has not received a copy of the complaint, Supreme Court spokesman Theodore Te said.
The raps against Sereno however will not be considered as a verified impeachment complaint pending the endorsement of a congressman, according to the House Secretary General.
Sereno's predecessor, Renato Corona, was impeached and ousted in 2012 on allegations he misdeclared his wealth.
Lawyer Lorenzo Gadon, the other complainant, meanwhile said he met with congressmen he refused to name and gave them copies of his complaint and the attached documentary evidence.
Pressed for more details, Gadon said, “Marami-rami rin sila nag-closed door meeting kami, mga 5 sila."
"Sinabi lang sa akin kung matatapos ang pirmahan, baka next week," he said. "Kanina kasi, di nila maharap. May hearing kanina tungkol doon kay (BIR) Commissioner (Nicanor) Faeldon, hindi agad nila naharap, hindi nila agad nakita.”
Gadon claimed that the congressmen he met are looking at having the signatures of some 10 to 20 congressmen when it is filed.
He also said he met with House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez earlier but declined to give details. Alvarez previously expressed interest in impeaching Sereno.
VACC chair Dante Jimenez, on the other hand, said lawmakers should look at the merits of their complaint. "Let us give them the benefit of the doubt. Whether they endorse it or not, I don't care but of course look at it on the merits.”
Former Commission on Human Rights Commissioner Eligio Mallari, one of the co-complainants of VACC, said he expects "an endorsement from a minimum of 1/3 of the House of Representatives."
Their legal counsel, Manuelito Luna, said they have enough proof to substantiate their allegations.
The Gadon complaint alleges that Sereno failed to truthfully disclose her statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth or SALN—the same allegation that got Corona ousted from office.
He also accused Sereno of alleged falsification of Supreme Court documents; delayed action on the petitions for retirement benefits of justices, judges and the surviving spouses of deceased justices and judges; alleged manipulation and delay in a resolution on the request of the Secretary of Justice to transfer the Maute cases outside of Mindanao; alleged manipulation of the shortlist of the Judicial and Bar Council; among others.
Gadon also accused Sereno of corruption over alleged use of public funds by ordering the purchase of a new vehicle amounting to more than P5 million; alleged use of public funds to stay in hotels when attending local and foreign conferences; flying on business or first class with her staff and security; and bringing a huge entourage of lawyers in her official foreign trips.
Among the incidents he cited for other high crimes include alleged obstruction of justice by ordering Muntinlupa judges not to issue warrants of arrest against Senator Leila M. De Lima; alleged failure to report her attorney’s fees and pay the appropriate taxes; alleged embellishment of her personal data sheet. - with reports from Robert Mano and RG Cruz, ABS-CBN NewsAnyone can buy a Subaru WRX STI and tell their friends they drive a rally car for the streets. Not many people can buy one that's actually a rally car and was driven by both Colin McRae and Petter Solberg in actual races. But for just a tad under $250,000 (at current conversion rates), you could be one of those lucky people.
Yes, RallySales.com has a 2007 Subaru WRX STI rally car available right now that it claims was driven by both racers. Both the body and the engine have gotten full rebuilds, and the seller says it's in "showroom condition." It's not wearing its full racing livery, but it still looks ready to relive its glory days, even coming with an FIA passport log.
Speaking of its glory days, this is the car that placed second in the WRC rally in Portugal, third in Acropolis, and fourth in Wales. It's also reportedly the car being driven below by Colin McRae at the 2007 Goodwood Festival of Speed, which ended up being his final public appearance.
The asking price is currently £159,500.00, which works out to right around $230,000, but assuming the car's provenance, it's an excellent opportunity to own a historical rally car driven by two world champions. That's pretty awesome.
via CarScoopsSome years ago, when PostgreSQL version 8.3 was released, a new extension called tablefunc was introduced. This extension provides a really interesting set of functions. One of them is the crosstab function, which is used for pivot table creation. That’s what we’ll cover in this article.
The simplest way to explain how this function works is using an example with a pivot table. First, we will explain our initial point from a practical perspective, then we’ll define the pivot table we want.
Our Initial Point: Raw Data
As you read this article, imagine yourself as a teacher at a primary (elementary) school. We will assume that you teach every subject (language, music, etc). The school provides a system for you to record all evaluation or test results. The following SQL statement would show the evaluation results you’ve previously loaded into the system:
Select * from evaluations
Student Subject Evaluation_result Evaluation_day Smith, John Music 7.0 2016-03-01 Smith, John Maths 4.0 2016-03-01 Smith, John History 9.0 2016-03-22 Smith, John Language 7.0 2016-03-15 Smith, John Geography 9.0 2016-03-04 Gabriel, Peter Music 2.0 2016-03-01 Gabriel, Peter Maths 10.0 2016-03-01 Gabriel, Peter History 7.0 2016-03-22 Gabriel, Peter Language 4.0 2016-03-15 Gabriel, Peter Geography 10.0 2016-03-04
Our Target: a Pivot Table
The following grid could easily keep track of your students’ progress. In computer science, we call this kind of grid a pivot table. If you analyze how the pivot table is built, you will find that we use values from raw data as column headers or field names (in this case, geography, history, maths, etc.)
Student Geography History Language Maths Music Gabriel, Peter 10.0 7.0 4.0 10.0 2.0 Smith, John 9.0 9.0 7.0 4.0 7.0
Enabling the Crosstab Function
As we previously mentioned, the crosstab function is part of a PostgreSQL extension called tablefunc. To call the crosstab function, you must first enable the tablefunc extension by executing the following SQL command:
CREATE extension tablefunc;
How the Crosstab Function Works
The crosstab function receives an SQL SELECT command as a parameter, which must be compliant with the following restrictions:
The SELECT must return 3 columns.
The first column in the SELECT will be the identifier of every row in the pivot table or final result. In our example, this is the student’s name. Notice how students’ names (John Smith and Peter Gabriel) appear in the first column.
The second column in the SELECT represents the categories in the pivot table. In our example, these categories are the school subjects. It is important to note that the values of this column will expand into many columns in the pivot table. If the second column returns five different values (geography, history, and so on) the pivot table will have five columns.
The third column in the SELECT represents the value to be assigned to each cell of the pivot table. These are the evaluation results in our example.
If we think of our pivot table as a two-dimensional array, then the first SELECT column is the first array dimension, the second SELECT column is the second dimension, and the third is the array element value.like grid [first_column_value, second_column_value] = third_column_value.
In our example, the SELECT parameter will be:
SELECT student, subject, evaluation_result FROM evaluations ORDER BY 1,2
The crosstab function is invoked in the SELECT statement’s FROM clause. We must define the names of the columns and data types that will go into the final result. For our purposes, the final result is defined as:
AS final_result(Student TEXT, Geography NUMERIC,History NUMERIC,Language NUMERIC,Maths NUMERIC,Music NUMERIC)
Joining all these pieces, our final query will be:
SELECT * FROM crosstab('select student, subject, evaluation_result from evaluations order by 1,2') AS final_result(Student TEXT, Geography NUMERIC,History NUMERIC,Language NUMERIC,Maths NUMERIC,Music NUMERIC);
And we can see the result in here:
Student Geography History Language Maths Music Gabriel, Peter 10.0 7.0 4.0 10.0 2.0 Smith, John 9.0 9.0 7.0 4.0 7.0
One Raw Data Set, Many Pivot Tables
From a single data set, we can produce many different pivot tables. Let’s continue with the teacher-and-class example as we look at a few of our options.
Example 1: Monthly Evaluation Averages
As teachers, we may also need a report for a student’s evaluation results for the year to date. For instance, suppose we want to obtain the average evaluations for John Smith from March to July. In a grid like the following, the table would look like this:
month text geography numeric history numeric language numeric maths numeric music numeric 3 9.00 9.00 7.00 4.00 7.00 4 4.00 7.50 7.00 4.00 5.66 5 8.00 6.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 6 7.50 7.00 7.00 7.00 8.00 7 6.66 9.00 7.75 10.00 6.00
The SQL for this pivot table is:
SELECT * FROM crosstab('select extract(month from period)::text, subject.name, trunc(avg(evaluation_result),2) from evaluation, subject where evaluation.subject_id = subject.subject_id and student_id = 1 group by 1,2 order by 1,2') AS final_result(Month TEXT, Geography NUMERIC,History NUMERIC,Language NUMERIC,Maths NUMERIC,Music NUMERIC);
Please compare this output with the previous table:
Month Geography History Language Maths Music 3 9.00 9.00 7.00 4.00 7.00 4 4.00 7.50 7.00 4.00 5.66 5 8.00 6.00 7.00 7.00 7.00 6 7.50 7.00 7.00 7.00 8.00 7 6.66 9.00 7.75 10.00 6.00
Example 2: Finding Incomplete Student Records
We could also call this section ‘One Limitation of Crosstab and How to Fix It’. Before we get into that, let’s set the scene:
Suppose you want to see if some students don’t have an evaluation score for certain subjects. Perhaps you will try our previous query, adding a WHERE clause for July. The code would look like this:
SELECT * FROM crosstab('select student, subject, evaluation_result from evaluations where extract (month from evaluation_day) = 7 order by 1,2') AS final_result(Student TEXT, Geography NUMERIC,History NUMERIC,Language NUMERIC,Maths NUMERIC,Music NUMERIC);
The following pivot table is the result of this query. We can quickly see that we don’t have any grades for language, maths, and music for Peter.
Student Geography History Language Maths Music Gabriel, Peter 10.0 6.0 7.00 Smith, John 6.0 8.0 6.0 9.0 4.0
However, if we try a regular query to obtain Peter’s grades in July...
SELECT * from evaluations where extract ( month from evaluation_day)=7 and student like 'Gabriel, Peter'
… we get different results. Here we have grades for geography and language:
student subject evaluation_result evaluation_day Gabriel, Peter Language 6.0 2016-07-15 Gabriel, Peter Geography 10.0 2016-07-04
Of course, the second query is the correct one because it is showing raw data. The problem is in the pivot table building process – some categories are missing information. To fix this, we can use the crosstab function with a second parameter, which represents the complete list of categories. If there are missing values, the pivot table will still be built correctly. (I’ve highlighted the second parameter query in red.)
SELECT * FROM crosstab('select student, subject, evaluation_result from evaluations where extract (month from evaluation_day) = 7 order by 1,2','select name from subject order by 1') AS final_result(Student TEXT, Geography NUMERIC,History NUMERIC,Language NUMERIC,Maths NUMERIC,Music NUMERIC);
Now we have a correct pivot table with empty values in the proper places.
Student Geography History Language Maths Music Gabriel, Peter 10.0 -- 6.0 – -- Smith, John 6.0 8.0 6.0 9.0 4.0
Exercise
Pivot tables give us a different way to see our data. Moreover, we can create different pivot tables based on the same raw data by using the crosstab function. Try building a pivot table that shows the max temperature for each city and month based on the raw data in the table below.
CREATE TABLE weather (city text, when timestamp, temperature float);
City When Temperature Miami 2016-01-01 08:00:00 68.6 Miami 2016-01-21 08:00:00 73.3 Orlando 2016-01-01 08:00:00 72.5 Miami 2016-02-01 18:00:00 58.6 Orlando 2016-02-02 18:00:00 62.5 Miami 2016-03-03 08:00:00 55.6 Orlando 2016-03-03 08:00:00 56.7 Miami 2016-04-04 18:00:00 50.6 Orlando 2016-04-04 18:00:00 61.5
The pivot table should have one row for each city and one column for each month. If you like, you can think of other pivot tables that could be made using the same data.It’s a film! It’s personal journey! It’s the culmination of our undergraduate career!
If that heading is not enough, let us tell you more about our short film:
As the video above says, we are a group of students at the University of Texas-Austin currently producing our undergraduate thesis which will be a 10-12 minute short film, currently titled “HARBINGER”.
Of course, there are a lot of talented people out there on kickstarter, all vying for your support just like we are. We think this project is the among the best currently in production, but we’re biased, so we’ll let you decide. By all means, take a look at the story, the video, look us up on the google and if you feel inclined to help us produce the short film that we so desperately want to make, we would love your support.
The Story: it’s anything but bad news (even if “Bad News” is what it’s about)
The story revolves around Charlie Harbinger who works for a bad news messaging service, where he is essentially responsible for having those often awkward, mostly uncomfortable and generally unpleasant conversations in which someone is fired, divorced or dying. He acts as a surrogate, delivering the bad news for you so you don’t have to. With a job like that you can imagine how light and whimsical his life is (read: not light or whimsical at all).
His story changes dramatically when he runs into Miriam Day who sort of forces her way into his life and ruins his perfectly timed, tried and true method of doing his job while avoiding any and all personal connection. When she shows up, a new narrative begins capturing the transformation of a militant isolationist, challenging Charlie to feel many of the things he has so long avoided.
Of course, we can’t spoil the ending for you, the only thing we can tell you is that the main character isn’t dead the whole time (Or is he? He isn’t). Instead we’ll ask for your patience and provision so that we can make any of it (the end included) happen. There will be comedy, there will be drama, there will be bad news to spare. If you want to see how it all unfolds, now is your chance to make sure you can. Donate above!
Who are these people and why should I trust them with my money?
Valid question. If you just wanted to hand over your life savings, no questions asked, I’d be a little worried (but I might still take half or so). The way it shakes out, we can only rely on convincing you of our passion and commitment to this project. The idea here is that, with no way to reach through the interwebs and shake your hand, our only recourse to make it very evident what our intentions are so that you can put your trust in us as we try to make our vision come to life.
As stated in the video above, we want this film to be engaging, enjoyable and professional, so that we can leave university with a quality product that represents our hard earned undergraduate degree. So we can submit it to film festivals around the world and compete with the best of the best. And that means: the pressure is on.
The key members of our team, who will be responsible for delivering on all these things, are as follows:
MacGregor Greenlee (Writer, Director) – Having written a number of short film scripts and directed a wide range of projects, he is far and away fulfilling a number of dreams by working on this project and overjoyed at the chance to use sayings like “far and away” in regular conversation.
Sofia Sada (Producer) – As far as schedule handling, location scouting, organizational overlords go, she is superb. Sofia has long been passionate about film and cannot wait to get to work on this particular project, provided we have all the funding (wink).
Michael Pfister (Director of Photography) – With an eye for detail and a mind for mastery, Michael is using his talents to pursue dual degrees in both film and computer science. Not only does that mean he has all the technological chops we could ask for, but also he will temper any creative insanity prompted by our writer/director. This is key.
What will the money be used for?
Another good question and the simple answer is this: film stuff. That’s a general term but it encapsulates all of the different costs that we will need to cover in order to make this the project of our dreams. This list includes things like: Production design, location fees, insurance, craft services, post-production services, transportation, cast and crew fees as well as all other above and below the line costs. For a more detailed breakdown of the budget, feel free to email us (harbingershortfilm@gmail.com)
Are you almost finished?
Yes, I am. What it comes down to is this: we need your help. That’s it, nothing more nothing less. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us and we will be happy to clear up any confusion. Beyond that, we look forward to making something together.
All the best,
The Harbinger Team
harbingershortfilm@gmail.comFor this, I'm the GM -- for every team. Typically I'm asked to project picks. But for the "Grade A" draft, I make them. Each pick I select what I might for that team, in that spot, based on who is gone and who is available. Best outcome for each team at each spot.
The ground rules
1. At each slot, I make a pick in the best interest of only the team with the pick. I won't pass on a player at No. 5 just because I like how he fits better at No. 7.
2. There are no trades. I note team needs, but not all picks are specifically to hit a need -- same as the draft.
3. This is NOT A PROJECTION. It's more a look at how I currently value players at each slot.
You'll find the roundup for each team's draft haul below, but I've also included a pick-by-pick version so you can see how the order of the picks progressed and get an idea of who was off the board when each team selected.
Pick-by-pick Rounds 1 through 3.
Houston Texans
Top needs: QB, RT, OLB/DE
Round 1 (Pick No. 1) DE Jadeveon Clowney, South Carolina
Round 2 (33) QB Jimmy Garoppolo, Eastern Illinois
Round 3 (65) CB Bashaud Breeland, Clemson
Analysis: Quarterback is obviously a big need, but I'm simply not willing to forgo the high likelihood of stardom for Clowney -- at a critical position no less -- for the risk associated with taking one of the available quarterbacks so high. It's simply too big a leap in terms of value on my draft board. I'm not going to worry about system fit. Romeo Crennel and Bill O'Brien are smart enough to find a way for Clowney to be effective -- and he will be special. I consider Garoppolo a potential NFL starter, possibly a good one with O'Brien's guidance, and with one star in hand I'll take him ahead of Derek Carr early in Round 2. It's a little ahead of where I have him rated overall, but again, the value associated with the position is factored in against scarcity, and I take my shot. Cornerback isn't a huge need, but I like value for Breeland there, and it's impossible to have too many effective corners in the NFL of 2014. I think the pick at No. 1 represents not just how special Clowney is, but that this team is too good on paper to be waiting on a rookie to develop on the job. Take one at No. 1, and that's what you get.
St. Louis Rams
Top needs: WR, S, RT, LBOp-ed: Transgender Dinosaurs, Part Deux: The Revenge of Judith Butler
It was Gender Trouble and other writing by Judith Butler that first ignited my thinking about gender and made me believe a transgender politics that transcended both the binary and the demands of cis-gendered people was possible. There was a period of about three years when I seemed helpless to do anything but discuss and analyze gender theory, even over the most casual luncheon dates. Being able to finally deconstruct the oppression with which I struggled and see all the moving parts ignited in me a new desire to confront, rather than conform to, the gender system and informed my trans-activism for the coming two decades.
So I looked forward to eagerly devouring her ideas on contesting gender oppression when her book, Undoing Gender, was published.
But her ideas of what passed for gender activism seemed strangely oblique and bloodless to me—small, individual acts of insubordinacy that parodied and upset gender norms, while celebrating genderqueerness. WTF?
In Martha Nussbaum's well-publicized attack on Butler’s cosmology, she pinpointed the absence of such messy realities as organizing, policy change, and legislation — things to which I was now devoting my life. What was the point of being a happy gender warrior doing private acts of rebellion? How on earth was this going to be the big stick that would overturn a ubiquitous binary gender system?
The idea of embracing parody or celebration was in itself foreign to me. One of the primary attacks of radical feminists on trans-women like me was that we're parodying "real women" by appropriating their body parts, clothing and gestures. At the same time, non-radical guys on the street attacked me for simply not being real, period. Parody seemed to be the very air I was forced to breathe, hardly a great foundation on which to build personal or political liberation.
And whither celebration? What was there to |
moment, it was her right arm taking the blow as Evangeline's knife swiped along the edge of her skin.
Then steel met ice. Ignoring the pain, Anna finished her parry with as much force as she could muster. Evangeline was barely able to maintain a hold on her blade. The spymaster was sent stumbling backward wildly, her momentum only stopped by back crashing into a large tree trunk.
The Knight took the chance to look down at her arm. A long line of red had appeared along her skin, and pain began to flow as freely as her blood. But Anna's reflexes and toughed skin had relegated what may have been a crippling strike into a shallow wound.
She charged forward, striking at the winded spymaster. Evangeline reacted just in time, vanishing in a cloud of mist and leaving the tree trunk to be sliced in two by Anna's blade of ice.
"They'll hate you forever, you know."
Anna wheeled around, blocking another thrown knife with a flick of her sword. "What are you talking about?" she demanded. The Knight threw one of her own projectiles as she spoke, but Evangeline was far too experienced to fall for the trick. She vanished yet again, reappearing several meters to the right and continuing her verbal assault.
"You always enjoyed being well-liked by the small-folk, didn't you? Even as the nobles hated you-" she teleported to Anna's side, only to be forced away by an immediate attack. "The commoners loved having one of their own as consort to the Queen," Evangeline finished as she re-materialized again.
The spymaster leapt to the side, dodging Anna's next thrown knife. Then she was sprinting to a large tree trunk and...beginning to climb. Anna hurled yet another knife, but Evangeline quickly jumped to the next handhold, leaving the metal to sink harmlessly into the wood. Within another moment, the spymaster had disappeared within the dense foliage.
Why didn't she just teleport up?
Many of Arendelle's trees retained their leaves early in the winter. And in a forest such as this, all of the area above the thick branches was almost completely obscured from view.
Hiss!
Anna jumped backward, narrowly avoiding the arrowhead aimed at her heart. Looking up, she briefly glimpsed Evangeline teleporting above the forest canopy. Her bow was at the ready.
Arrows were coming at her from all directions. Anna blocked, dodged, and rolled, but the multi-directional attack strained her reflexes to the breaking point. And even as she continued firing and teleporting, the spymaster resumed her other line of attack.
Deflect! "You couldn't wait to be a 'Queen of the People', could you?" Dodge! "The reality can't be further from the truth. Thanks to my little smear campaign, and the threats you delivered to an entire village, Arendelle will remember you as nothing more than a demented serial killer." Move! "Even as they grow accustomed to their new lives as slaves to the Goddess, I'm sure many of them will tell tales of the Butcher of Elverum."
The Knight jumped into the trees. Elbowing her way through the canopy, she found purchase on a thick branch next to a large tree trunk. Hiss! Anna swerved around the arrow and threw two of her knives in rapid succession. Eyes widening, Evangeline disappeared into a black cloud.
A rustle of leaves erupted behind her, but it was her instincts that alerted Anna to her enemy's immediate presence. Anna ducked the swipe at her head, and- in the same, smooth movement, jumped off the branch entirely. Knowing it would take Evangeline only a moment to recover, the Knight slashed through the tree trunk as she fell.
Slam!
The results were immediate. Trunk, branches, and leaves crashed to the ground, burying both women under a tangle of wood. For a few moments, all Anna could see was an array of sticks and leaves. Then, overcoming her instinctive panic, the Knight called upon her inhuman strength and endurance to burst from the rubble.
Landing on her feet, Anna frantically cast her eyes about in search of Evangeline.
A rustle several feet away caught her attention. Two black-clad arms were moving frantically to clear away a path through the leaves. Anna jumped towards her target, but was only in time to see Evangeline's head briefly poke out of the devastation before dissipating into smoke yet again.
Why didn't she just teleport away immediately? Evangeline could have just... And then Anna began to understand. The spymaster couldn't teleport where she couldn't see; it was the only reasonable explanation for her actions.
Anna had assumed the limiting factor was simple distance, not eyesight. But this...this presented an opportunity.
Evangeline reappeared in front of her, hair and cloak tattered almost beyond recognition. Judging by her ready stance, however, the spymaster was far from finished. It was time for Anna to take the initiative.
Her eyes, her eyes...
\
The girl was proving a difficult opponent, Evangeline admitted to herself. Her wound was barely slowing her down, even as the spymaster herself began to tire from the constant teleportation.
Even her verbal assault had failed to noticeably unbalance the other woman. Perhaps Anna assumed that she was simply lying. If that was indeed the case, the girl would be disappointed. With or without the aid of further Faithful propaganda, Anna's name would live on as the moniker of a hated pariah, the perpetrator of one of the most evil crimes in the history of Arendelle.
It was a thought that gave Evangeline strength.
Anna was charging forward. The spymaster threw the last knife from her belt to slow her enemy's momentum, then transported herself behind the younger woman. It was time to trap Anna into a pattern.
Evangeline lashed out with her blades, found her strikes avoided once again, then teleported a safe distance away before the former Knight could land a counterattack.
Then she was preparing to meet Anna's next charge. Right before they could meet, she melted into darkness and rematerialized to the former Knight's side. Evangeline attacked, was evaded once again, and glanced just to the right. This time, there was to be no distant retreat. As Anna stabbed forward, the spymaster was already teleporting to her chosen location-
Pain!
Evangeline stared down in shock. Anna's sword was rising from its slash, the blade still shimmering with drops of the spymaster's blood. Looking upwards, Evangeline immediately teleported a dozen yards away.
The warm liquid running down her left calf confirmed Evangeline's worst fear. Anna had scored a glancing blow to the back of the spymaster's leg. For several moments, even the pain was drowned out by incredulity. How could Anna have predicted her destination with such accuracy?
Anna was staring hard into Evangeline's eyes, awaiting the older woman's next move.
She's learned how my abilities operate. This was nothing short of a disaster. Evangeline would be hard pressed to take her opponent by surprise from this point on, and it was clear that Anna was tiring slower than she.
Rage and frustration clawed at Evangeline's breath. All she wanted, all she needed, was to make Anna suffer. But if she continued to fight, there was every chance that Anna would walk away the victor. Evangeline would return to her Goddess empty-handed. In a coffin.
The spymaster met Anna's stare with her own. So triumphant. So arrogant. You'll wish that you had died here and now. An eternity as an ice statue would serve you well indeed-
Wait...
It was a course of action not completely in tandem with her orders. But given the circumstances involved, it would their objectives just as nicely. Anna and Eugene undoubtedly wanted to interrogate her for information. But there was nothing she could say that would help them now.
I could continue to fight. But I would just be doing you a favor.
\
"I surrender."
What?! Anna stared, open-mouthed, as her hated enemy knelt down in the snow. The Knight kept her guard up, but Evangeline's only action was to rip a large piece of cloth from her robe, place it over her eyes, and tie the ends behind her head.
"You've discovered my secret. I need my teleportation to see. This battle has become a hopeless one, and I have no desire to face my end today or return to my Goddess with another failure," the now blindfolded spymaster intoned. "Knock me out. Take me prisoner. That's what you wanted, isn't it?"
It made no sense. Evangeline could always teleport away now, heal, and strike again in a few days. Was she really so confidant that she could resist any and all of their efforts at interrogation? Even the Faithful's spymaster could not be so arrogant-
But Evangeline did nothing. Not when Anna approached her with the utmost caution. Not when Anna came to a stop at her side. And not when Anna (with a certain amount of satisfaction) slammed a fist into the back of her skull.
December 2
Evangeline was finally starting to stir.
Anna and Eugene had dragged the unconscious spymaster to an abandoned shack some miles from Elverum. Given the fear that the Knight had reluctantly instilled in the townspeople, it would likely be some time before a pursuit was sent out after them. Upon arrival, the Prince had firmly tied Evangeline to a chair using a convenient coil of rope that had been left on the dirty, wooden floor. Cloth taken from old clothes was serving as a tight, multi-layered blindfold.
They'd been waiting for an entire day. Anna had hit Evangeline's skull a bit harder than she'd intended.
Snow continued to fall outside, and only a soft glimmer of light managed to penetrate the cabin's small cracked window. The dusty, dark room wasn't doing much for Anna's morale, but she couldn't help but think that it was a perfect atmosphere for the task they were about to perform.
From the bottom of her heart, Anna hated Evangeline. The woman slumped in the chair before her had been responsible for too many atrocities to count, and few would deny that she deserved death for her actions. Drell, Pabbie, Kristoff, Gerda, Kai, and Elsa wouldn't be dead- or worse -if not for the Spymaster's leadership of the Faithful, and the Knight felt a powerful pull to avenge them.
And yet she couldn't bring herself to enjoy inflicting pain, even on a woman she despised. It just seemed so...pointless. Inflicting suffering for the sake of suffering wouldn't recall her friends to life, or annul any of the spymaster's crimes. It was a means to an end, and Anna had no choice but to weather it.
A groan from the chair. "I must admit, Anna, you managed to make that hit hurt," the spymaster grunted, her eyes creaking open. "Of course, it only makes me happier that I made the choice I did."
"Yes, you surrendered," Eugene supplied. The Prince stepped forward, grabbing Evangeline by the chin. "I can't say I'm not curious about that. Is the guilt over all the things you've done finally starting to catch up with you? No, probably not. So why didn't you simply poof away after Anna had you beat?"
Evangeline shrugged. "I didn't think I could win, and I swore not to return to my Goddess without her head." She smiled, her face a picture of graceful concession. "Only cowards run away rather than deny their enemies a rightful triumph."
"We all know by now that rightful isn't exactly a word in your vocabulary," Anna remarked. She stepped forward, walking slowly towards Eugene's side. "You were ordered to kill me, and you've never been one to disobey her orders. Why didn't you flee to try again later, or simply keep fighting to the death as if honor actually mattered to you?"
"Perhaps I simply enjoy our conversations."
Anna's eyes shifted to the side, finding the Prince's gaze. A mutual look of incredulity and fear passed between them. Something was very wrong. The spymaster had surrendered for a reason, and it certainly wasn't in anticipation of the ensuing 'discussion'. Evangeline had to have known that they would interrogate her for information...potentially useful information. So why...?
"I'm guessing I was asleep for around...twenty-four hours, was it?" Evangeline paused briefly, listening to their startled silence and finding confirmation of her assumption. "You did hit me pretty hard, Anna. A shame, really-"
Eugene darted forward, wrapping his hands around Evangeline's throat and shoving her back against the wall. "That's enough! You're going to tell us what you're up to, and then give us a way into the Castle. If not, I have no problem-"
"Torturing me?" The spymaster let out an amused chuckle. "Is that really what the brave heroes are up to these days? And it would all be such a waste, regardless. There is nothing I could tell you that would do you the slightest bit of good."
Anna frowned. "I think a way into the Castle would be more than enough."
"You still don't understand, do you?" the spymaster smirked. "You've been playing our game since the very beginning. Like I said earlier, Anna: you've already lost. You lost months ago, ever since you accepted our lies."
Anna had no idea what that older woman meant. But judging by the horrified gasp from the Prince, Eugene was beginning to catch on. "Oh gods...no. That was the real reason you came to the trolls' camp that night, wasn't it? But...but how...Kale heard you talking to Kayla..." he stuttered.
"The only ones aware of the truth were the Goddess and myself. Originally, it wasn't crafted for you, of course. The Goddess wasn't ready to discount the possibility that none of the Faithful would betray her, the very thing that wrong about her downfall millennia ago," Evangeline smiled. "Once you became a problem, we simply made sure you believed the same lie. It worked out well, all things considered. Tell me Prince, do you think your wife has gone into labor yet? I hope so. Two statues are better than one, after all."
Eugene's face was contorted in horror, and Anna had heard enough. "What are you talking about?!" she demanded. "What lie?"
Evangeline shook her head in exasperation. "How an idiot like you ever posed a threat to our plans, I will never know. The ritual, Anna. It won't be finished on the 21st. The Goddess had to begin preparations during last year's Winter Solstice, but she doesn't need to release the energy on any specific day. She just needed to wait for enough power to accumulate."
Anna's heart seemed to freeze in its tracks, refusing to pump its now ice-cold blood through her veins. Her mind going blank, the Knight only had enough conscious thought to utter a single word.
"When?"
\
Elsa sat on her throne and smiled.
On her orders, the entire interior of the Castle had been emptied of all mortals. All guards, servants, and guests now stood in the entrance courtyard. They were bewildered, even alarmed, but none of them could question her commands. Even the ranks of the Faithful stood among them, some perhaps having guessed what was about to happen.
The Goddess wanted complete solitude in this pristine moment. For thousands of years her essence had been scattered throughout the layers of magic, allowing humanity to flourish and take what was rightfully hers. They'd multiplied like ants, built their pitiful monuments, worshiped nonexistent phantoms, and celebrated a code of morality that protected weakness.
It all ended today.
Months ago, Elsa had calculated the date that would see her have collected enough energy to initiate the final ritual. Her prediction had been correct: the 2nd of December. Lying to her followers had been a stroke of brilliance. Hesitating to attack such a well-fortified Palace and determined to find any possible advantage, any of her enemies would have waited until the very end to make their move.
Now, it was too late for any of them. Elsa had been ready for any potential rebels to deduce what was happening and try a last ditch effort, but none had emerged. The Faithful had remained loyal, and for that they would be released from the ice that was about to engulf humanity.
She couldn't shield them from the wave of magic that would spread throughout the world, transforming everything in its path. All life had to be subsumed by the element of winter; only then would her lost divine power return to her. Elsa's connection with her lost divinity had been severed by her destruction, and the slight magical energies emitted by all life maintained that separation. Only once there was no other life or non-winter magic on the planet, eliminating all interference, would her true power reunite with the rest of her essence. It would return automatically and instantly, and Elsa would be invincible and all-powerful once more.
The Faithful would unfreeze and awaken to a new world. Two-thirds of humanity would join them, quickly learning how to serve their new overlords. The millions who remained frozen would serve as an excellent example to any who might have considered defying the new order.
Elsa reached into her very core, calling upon the magic she had been storing for months. Finally. The energy swept into her body, completely under the command of the Goddess. She focused all her will onto the task at hand, demanding that the energy spread across the entire planet and transform all sentient life into ice.
Now!
A wave of blue energy erupted from her body, spreading out in all directions. Within a few moments, it had passed harmlessly through the walls of the Castle and out of sight. Excitement building within her, Elsa left her seat and quickly made her way to the front hall.
The Queen couldn't resist the urge to attempt to leave the Castle and examine the statues more closely. As before, however, her body simply would not move beyond the confines of the Castle walls. An invisible force continued to bind her to the source of the ritual, and Elsa accepted that her imprisonment would continue until the ritual had done its work. Reluctantly, she settled for looking out through one of the Palace's large windows.
None of the architecture had been touched in the slightest way. But the formerly cloudless sky above the Castle had now been darkened by a sea of clouds, and a heavy snowfall had begun. Yet what truly made the Goddess's heart leap was the sight of every man, woman, and child in the courtyard now replaced by a statue of flawless ice.
None could reach her. None could harm her. An ever-expanding circle of energy now stood between Elsa and the remainder of humanity, transforming all in its path into helpless monoliths. Judging by the glint of blue she observed now moving somewhat slowly through the city, the process would take some hours or days to complete. But it didn't matter; Elsa had all the time in the world now.
She had won.
\
December 3
They had left the cabin running, ignoring Evangeline's manic laughter echoing behind them.
Their horses had been galloping for hours through the dead of night, spurred on by their desperate riders. But for all their speed, Anna couldn't ignore the horrible instinct that they were already too late. Evangeline had known what she was doing. The spymaster would never have given the game away if there had been a chance they'd reach the Castle in time.
Four hours at full speed had allowed them to cover a third of the distance between Elverum and the capital. Through it all, the same thought kept circling through Anna's head. We've been played for fools this entire time. I failed you. I'm sorry, Elsa. I'm sorry...
Anna and Eugene had reached the edge of the forest, making their way into the wide open plain that encompassed a portion of Northern Arendelle. Miles of grass, good farmland in the summer, were covered with multiple inches of snow. At the moment, however, the weather was clear.
So clear, in fact, that Anna could see a faint blue light cresting over the horizon. As the Knight watched, it grew ever closer, seeming to reach from one end of the world to the other.
It was moving fast. Most would not even notice it.
Storm clouds bellowed behind it, invading what had formerly been a completely clear night. Without even comprehending their actions, the two riders had brought their horses to a stop beside one another and stared silently at the approaching wave of magic.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry... Anna opened her mouth to say the words, but her muscles would not obey her. Eugene was trembling in absolute terror, and the Knight soon realized that she was doing the same.
The light was quickly growing brighter and closer, sweeping across the plain faster than any horse could travel. A single tear sliding down her cheek, Anna shielded her eyes as the wave of magic was about pass through them.
For a single moment, a bright blue light invaded Anna's vision as the magic finally reached her.
And then the light was gone.
A/N: Next chapter will be up in two days; it's small, but should give everyone a clear idea about where the story is headed. Anyone interested might want to read previous private dialogue between Evangeline and the Goddess; this development was hinted at more than once.
Responses:
Guest 1: She certainly is a bitch.
Claire Cooper: Kinda on point with that one.
Penguin Vuelve: Sure she will.
Arekanderu: The clues are there…
Andilite: Completely devoid of all empathy, that's for certain.
DimmensionalLover: Anna is a good person to the core, yes.
Spooths: You'll have an answer soon enough.
UnSweetForest: That's what the early chapters were for!
CoolNickNac7112: Thanks for the updates to that page!
Guest 2: They certainly deserve one.
LexQuest: Already tried that. Didn't work.
TheChronicle: I don't think Anna knew that beforehand. I couldn't find that anywhere in the story and I certainly looked.
Kurojistou: Plenty of unfortunate characters in this story.
Guest 3: Intended reaction.
Keanan765: Thanks! Character development is always tricky to get right.
JenniferSmith: Nice one!
FrozenChris: Consorts all had the same abilities as one another. Anna only has a small portion because Elsa doesn't have most of her power. Evangeline only cared about Kayla as a tool, not as a person. It's how the Faithful operate.
ObsessiveImaginings: She was certainly meant to be hated.
Danymah: I think this was the first chapter in December.
WinterWolfDragon: Thank you!
Coincidencless: Yes, I am telling you that. You picked up on the hint earlier. Well done!
Velasco Anna: I'm doing my best! Thanks!
Frost108: Keep waiting. Some injuries, though.
Striga889: Now it's missing. Odd.
Frost 108: Take a guess.
Kurei 555: Thank you very much! Is there hope? I hope so!FEBRUARY 18--After stripping off her clothes, a Florida woman walked into traffic, where she performed a lewd act before climbing atop a Lexus and jumping and stomping on the occupied vehicle’s roof and hood, cops allege.
Amie Carter, 31, “appeared to be under the influence [of] a heavy unknown substance," according to an Orlando Police Department report detailing her antics Sunday night. "She appeared in an altered mental state, displaying extremely irrational and volatile behavior."
Responding to a 911 call about a “reported naked woman climbing on top of cars and walking in traffic,” cops found Carter attempting to mount a vehicle stopped at a traffic light. After officers wrestled an uncooperative Carter out of the roadway, they “secured her in handcuffs and covered her in a blanket.”
Sarah Carlson, a passenger in the Lexus, told police that Carter approached the vehicle and “fondled herself in front of the car” before climbing on the auto. Carter then allegedly “started stomping” on the vehicle’s hood, said Carlson, who added that Carter also threw a cell phone at the car behind the Lexus.
Carlson’s husband told cops that Carter left dents in his car’s roof and hood, damage he estimated at upwards of $1500.
Carter, seen above, was arrested for criminal mischief and exposure of sexual organs. She was booked into the Orange County jail, where she remains locked up in lieu of $1100 bond.
According to court records, Carter’s rap sheet includes prior arrests for narcotics possession, theft, resisting arrest, burglary, drunk driving, and possession of drug paraphernalia. (2 pages)Springdale, Ark. - Alex Yarbrough collected four base hits on Sunday as the Arkansas Travelers earned their sixth win in seven games with a 5-3 victory over the Northwest Arkansas Naturals at Arvest Ballpark. Extending a hitting streak to 12 games, Yarbrough hit four singles to lead a 13-hit attack for the Travs' second win in a row against the Naturals.
The victory brings the Travs record to 14-16 including a 10-6 record away from Dickey-Stephens Park. The Naturals drop to 11-19 including a 2-12 mark in home games.
The Travs had a base hit from eight of nine starts including two hits apiece from left fielder Zach Borenstein and catcher Jett Bandy, who launched his second homer of the year.
Yeiper Castillo (3-2) got the win after tossing 5.2 innings and allowing just three runs on eight hits and two walks. Castillo also allowed a home run by Mark Threlkeld (5) but struck out five batters.
The Travs scored in the third inning to grab the lead against Benton's Andy Ferguson, making his fourth start for NW Arkansas. Designated hitter Alex Allbritton lined a hit off the left field wall for a single. A sacrifice bunt by Adam Melker and a bloop single by Yarbrough put Allbritton at third base. Then with Yarbrough running on the pitch, Allbritton scored when Zach Borenstein grounded out.
Naturals right fielder Jorge Bonifaco tripled to begin the fourth inning and scored on a one-out single from Whit Merrifield. Castillo then walked Threlkeld moving Merrifield to second base. Jared Schlehuber then sent a rocket toward right-center field that Melker dove for and caught in mid-air. Melker then caught another line drive sent right to him by Angel Franco for the third out.
With one out in the fifth inning the Travs rallied ahead with six consecutive batters reaching base. Melker began the rally with a single off the right-field fence. Yarbrough and Borenstein hit singles to load the bases for Brian Hernandez, who responded with a tie-breaking double to the right-field wall knocking in two runs. Ferguson was replaced by Angel Baez, who Kaleb Cowart greeted with an RBI single to right field for a 4-1 Travs lead.
Cowart's base hit gave him 12 RBI's during a seven-game hitting streak.
Castillo pitched into the sixth inning and allowed a two-run homer by Threlkeld to bring the Naturals within a 4-3 score.
However Bandy crushed a leadoff homer in the eighth off Wilking Rodriguez to increase the lead to 5-3.
The Travs got 2.1 innings of shutout relief from Carmine Giardina, who allowed one hit and one walk while striking out two. David Carpenter earned his second save with two strikeouts in a scoreless ninth inning.
Time of game was 2:59 and the paid attendance was 5,023.
On Monday night the Travs and Naturals are back at Arvest Ballpark at 7:05 for the third game of the series. Travs lefty Michael Roth (0-3, 5.48) returns to the starting rotation and takes on J.C. Sulburan (1-1, 3.57).Spread the love
Witnessing the slavery and imperialism being carried out by government during the mid-nineteenth century, Henry David Thoreau was compelled to apply his transcendental philosophy to challenge the fallacies of the state. Civil Disobedience is one of the greatest American texts, and was a prime influence for Martin Luther King, Jr., who said, “One has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.”
Civil disobedience is a familiar concept to those who realize that government does not possess a greater wisdom and justice than the individual simply because it is government. As Thoreau wrote, we have a duty to resist when the state is recognized as an agent of injustice.
This is sometimes even embraced by those working within the system. Rep. Allen Peake, a Georgia lawmaker, admitted that he defies unjust cannabis prohibition by bringing medical cannabis into Georgia from states where it is legal, such as Colorado. He recently delivered medical cannabis to a mother whose son suffers from seizures.
“I got a text this morning from the mother of a young child who I delivered product to,” said Peake. “And the heartfelt thanks from this mother, the difference in this child – the increase in cognitive ability, the reduction in seizures, has been worth every bit of risk that I’ve taken.”
Georgia residents have just begun their struggle to gain the freedom to treat their medical conditions with a plant that is proven to be effective for many ailments. The ability of medical cannabis to reduce or eliminate epileptic seizures—without harmful side effects—is astounding and is recognized by medical professionals. The biggest news at the last American Epilepsy Society conference was a landmark study showing that a cannabis extract vastly reduces seizures in children.
Yet this miracle treatment is denied to people in more than half of U.S. states and is still completely banned by the federal government as a Schedule 1 drug with “no currently accepted medical use.”
In the face of such injustice, some are moving to states with legal medical cannabis, some continue suffering or rely on prescription pills, and some engage in civil disobedience. Allen Peake is a model of virtue among a cesspool of state corruption.
He routinely visits former Georgians who now live in Colorado so they can treat their conditions without the fear of being locked in a cage.
“Listen, I made a commitment to these families when I got involved, that I was willing to do whatever it took to make sure they had access to a product from a reputable manufacturer. I’ve made good on that promise. If it involved civil disobedience, it’s been absolutely worth it,” said Peake.
Rep. Peake has also introduced a bill in the Georgia House of Representatives that would expand the number of diseases and conditions for which cannabis oil can be prescribed, and also calls for “a minimum of two and a maximum of six in-state manufacturers for the production of all medical cannabis within the state by Dec. 1, 2016.” More than 100 House members have signed the bill.
The proposed bill follows up on Georgia’s first step taken last year to decriminalize medical cannabis, called the Haleigh’s Hope Act. It gave limited protections to those who use or administer cannabis oil, such as desperate parents who witness their child having endless seizures.
An Atlanta mom is having to resort to the black market to get the only thing that works to stop her daughter’s violent autistic episodes—medical cannabis. She showed a heartbreaking video to the local Channel 2 station of the father trying to restrain his 5-year-old daughter so she doesn’t severely bite herself. After trying 30 different supplements and medicines unsuccessfully, cannabis is the only thing that prevents the violent episodes and allows here daughter to engage in normal tasks. She buys cannabis on the black market and makes the oil extract at home.
Mike Buffington is editor of the Jackson County Herald, a self-professed conservative, and father to a 21-year-old son who has suffered seizures for 15 years. He wrote a column last month called I’m Growing Marijuana.
“My pot plant is really something of a civic protest against absurd state policies that prevent children who suffer from seizure disorders from getting help,” said Buffington.
He found a variety of cannabis that is low in psychoactive properties and high in seizure-fighting substances. He is going to plant the seed and use an indoor grow kit, hoping to gain a green thumb through his act of defiance. Buffington will post pictures of the progress.
“I’m making a political statement, but I’m trying to show that it’s just a plant. If it has the potential to help people, why not open the door and see what we can do with it?” said Buffington. “Obviously, if you’re going to do civil disobedience, you know what the penalties potentially are, and you’ve got to be willing to take those penalties.”
In his case, possessing one plant would be a misdemeanor. No cops have come knocking on his door yet. Law enforcement must be in a quandary here, as charging Buffington would showcase the absurdity of “just doing their job.”
These acts of civil disobedience are enraging state prosecutors, who are undoubtedly working to derail Rep. Peake’s proposed House bill to expand medical cannabis access. The governor has already made his opposition clear, and there will be resistance in the Senate. Cannabis prohibition is too profitable for law enforcement and prison industries to give up easily.
The tide against these agents of injustice may already be too great for them to resist. Civil disobedience is among us and growing. Thoreau would be proud.Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone admitted in a radio interview that he wouldn't stand in the way of Diego Costa if he wanted to move to Chelsea, hinting that Fernando Torres could move in the opposite direction.
LONDON -- Eden Hazard is still a “major doubt” for Chelsea’s Champions League semifinal first leg against Atletico Madrid, and will definitely miss Saturday’s home match against Sunderland, assistant manager Steve Holland has revealed.
Eden Hazard was injured in Chelsea's Champions League defeat against Paris Saint-Germain.
•Brewin: PFA nominees rated
•Worrall: No complacency
The 23-year-old was named on the PFA Player of the Year shortlist on Friday but Jose Mourinho’s side will again be unable to call on him this weekend, as the Belgian will miss his second game since suffering a calf injury in the 3-1 Champions League win over Paris Saint-Germain.
“Eden Hazard won’t be fit for [Saturday], but everyone else trained, so we’re not in bad shape,” Holland told Chelsea's prematch news conference.
“I wouldn’t say he’s definitely out [of the Atletico game] at this stage, but the fact that he hasn’t yet trained with the group would suggest he still remains a doubt.”
Holland also believes that the vast trophy experience across the squad -- in terms of both personnel and manager -- could be crucial in successfully balancing the dual-challenge of the Champions League and Premier League. Next week will pose a particular problem, as Chelsea face the crunch game with Liverpool in between legs against Atletico Madrid.
“Experience is always vital in any competition and we have a good blend in our squad,” Holland said.
“We have many players that haven’t been in this situation before but also a good group that have. We also have a very experienced manager who has been in this situation before, and it's good to have that experience at this stage.
“We've got the circumstances we have; this is a club used to playing a lot of matches at this stage of the season. Last season we got to the final of the Europa League which was 15 extra matches, the year before we had 13 for the Champions League.
“We're in a situation we've been in in before. When Roberto was manager in 2012 we played Spurs at Tottenham on a Sunday evening, where the game could have gone to penalties. We then played Barcelona in the Champions League on the Wednesday then Arsenal at the Emirates for a vital game for fourth, then Barcelona at the Nou Camp.
“We realised to have any chance in the Nou Camp, to have the energy required to get over the line in that tie, something had to give. We made eight changes for Arsenal, we still drew the game, but something had to give.
"As you know we just managed to scrape over the line in the Nou Camp. It's a really challenging period emotionally; you've got to have experienced it to appreciate what it takes out of the players.
“That makes the challenge more difficult, but it's the way it is, it's something we've done before, we've got a good squad and we've got to do it again.”Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump gives the thumbs-up during the evening session of the Republican National Convention at the Quicken Loans arena in Cleveland, Ohio on July 18. | Getty Adviser: Trump 'actually operates now almost like a president'
The general election may be 84 days away, but Donald Trump is already acting like the president he is working to be, according to one of the Republican nominee's top foreign policy advisers.
Talking up Trump's proposal of "extreme vetting" immigrants to the United States, foreign policy adviser Walid Phares on Tuesday said the Republican nominee's speech Monday represented an evolution rather than an outright change in policy from his original position of banning all Muslim immigration.
Story Continued Below
“That exactly shows the evolution, a mature evolution, based on input, on information. He actually operates now almost like a president listening to advisers, people in the intelligence or [who] worked in the intelligence, defense, diplomacy," Phares said on "Fox & Friends."
Trump's position "is very normal," Phares continued, explaining that the candidate "made the initial statement because we didn’t know. We didn’t know a part. Now that we know better, the response is extreme vetting.
"The response is an alliance with Arab moderates and most of the moderates around the world," Phares said. "So that shows that basically there is a strategy, not just a static position.”
Although Trump in December initially called for a complete ban on Muslims entering the U.S., he has since offered multiple alterations and variations in the months leading up to his latest announcement Monday in Youngstown, Ohio. Trump said last month that his proposed ban on foreigners would affect those from "territories" compromised by terrorism, telling NBC's "Meet the Press" at the time that the change represented "an expansion."Free-roaming feral horse in Australia
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is trying to act as if our governor were some kind of emperor—something that was supposed to have ended when the Lord Mistborn stepped down after his century of rule.”
“But our taxes don’t pay Governor Aradel,” Wax said. “They pay for things like constables to police the docks and the maintenance of the railway lines.”
“Technically that is correct,” Steris said. “But then all goods are also taxed when they enter Elendel using the very railway lines and rivers we maintain. Have you noticed that there are almost no railway lines traveling directly from city to city outside of Elendel? Other than the interchange at Doriel, everyone wishing to go from one outer city to another must go toward Elendel. Want to ship something from Elmsdel to Rashekin? Have to pass through Elendel. Want to sell metals in Tathingdwel? Have to pass through Elendel.”
“A hub system makes perfect sense,” Wax said.
“And it also lets us tax practically all goods shipped throughout the entire Basin,” Steris said. “By outer cities arguments, that means we’re taxing them twice. First by our levies to maintain the railway lines, then a second time by making them pass everything through us. They’ve lobbied for years to get some direct lines running around the Basin in a loop, and have always been denied.”
“Huh,” Wax said, settling back.
“The rivers are just as bad,” Steris said. “We don’t control where they were placed, of course. But they do all flow toward Elendel, so we control water traffic. There are roadways between towns, but they’re horribly inefficient compared to water or rail travel, so Elendel tariffs basically set prices around the Basin. We can be certain that any goods produced in the city are never undercut, and can provide incentives for things we don’t produce to be sold at a discount in the city.”
Wax nodded slowly. He’d had an inkling, and had heard about the outer cities’ complaints. But he’d always read Elendel broadsheets on the matter; to hear it spelled out so directly by Steris made him marvel at his own shortsightedness.
“I should have paid more attention. Perhaps I should talk to Aradel about this.”
“Well, there are reasons Elendel does as it has.” Steris set her book aside and stood to get down a piece of luggage. Wax eyed the book, noting that she’d marked her page. He reached toward it, but a sudden jerk by the train sent Steris sitting back down with a thump, and she set her suitcase on the book. “Lord Waxillium?”
“Sorry. Continue.”
“Well, the governor and Senate are trying to maintain a single unified nation in the Basin, rather than letting it fracture into a bunch of city-states. They’re using the economics to push the outer cities to accept centralized rule in exchange for lowered tariffs. Even Aradel, as a moderate liberal, has accepted that this is good for the Basin as a whole. Of course, the noble houses don’t care so much about unity as reaping the benefits of a stranglehold on trade.”
“And I assume I’ve benefited from these policies?”
“Benefited?” Steris said. “You practically thrive on them, Lord Waxillium. Your textiles and metalworks would be undercut dramatically without these tariffs. You’ve voted for maintaining them twice and for raising them once.”
“I… have?”
“Well, I have,” Steris said. “You did tell me to see to your house’s interests in voting at—”
“Yes, I know,” Wax said, sighing.
The train rocked on its tracks, rhythmic thumps sounding from below. Wax turned back to the window, but they weren’t passing a town at the moment, and everything was growing dark. No mist tonight.
“Is something wrong, Lord Waxillium?” Steris asked. “Whenever we speak of politics or house finances, you grow distant.”
“It’s because I’m a child sometimes, Steris,” Wax said. “Please, continue your instruction. These are things I need to learn. Don’t let my foolishness discourage you.”
Steris leaned forward and rested her hand on his arm. “These last six months have been difficult. You can be excused for letting your attention toward politics lapse.”
He continued looking out the window. Following Lessie’s first death, he’d lost himself. He’d determined not to react that way again, and had thrown his attention into working with the constables. Anything to keep him occupied, and to prevent him from lapsing into the same melancholy inactivity that had struck him when he’d first lost her.
“I’ve still been a fool. And maybe there’s more. Steris, I’ve never had a mind for politics, even when I was trying to do my duty. It might be beyond me.”
“In our months together, I’ve come to see you as a fiercely intelligent person. The puzzles I’ve seen you solve, the answers I’ve seen you tease out… Why, they’re nothing short of remarkable. You are most certainly capable of caring for your house. Begging your pardon, I’d say it is not your mind, but what you mind, that is the issue.”
Wax smiled, looking toward her. “Steris, you’re a delight. How could anyone ever think you dull?”
“But I am dull.”
“Nonsense.”
“And when I asked you to help me review my list of preparations for the trip?”
That list had been twenty-seven pages long. “I still can’t believe you got all those things into our bags.”
“All of—” Steris blinked. “Lord Waxillium, I didn’t bring all of those things.”
“But you made a list.”
“To think of everything we might need. I feel better when something goes wrong if I’ve contemplated that it might. At least this way, if we run into something we’ve forgotten, I can feel good knowing I figured we might need it.”
“But if you didn’t bring all of that stuff, then what is in all those boxes? I saw Herve struggling to lug a few of them up to the train.”
“Oh,” Steris said, opening the suitcase she’d gotten down. “Why, our house finances, of course.”
Indeed, inside was a large stack of ledgers.
“This trip was unplanned,” Steris explained, “and I have to prepare an accountability report for the banks by next month. House Ladrian has recovered for the most part from your uncle’s spending— but we need to maintain strict books in order to convince lenders we’re solvent, so they will be willing to work with us.”
“We have accountants, Steris,” Wax said.
“Yes, this is their work,” she said. “I need to check it over—you can’t simply turn in someone else’s work without making certain the work was done properly. Besides, they’re off three clips in this quarter’s financials.”
“Three clips?” Wax said. “Out of how much money?”
“Five million.”
“They’re off three hundredths of a boxing,” Wax said, “out of five million. I’d say that’s not bad.”
“Well, it’s within the thresholds the banks demand,” Steris said, “but it’s still sloppy! These financials are how we represent ourselves to the world, Lord Waxillium. If you want to overcome the impression people have of House Ladrian and its indulgences, you must agree that we have a responsibility to present ourselves— You’re doing it again.”
Wax started, sitting up straighter. “Excuse me.”
“Distant look in your eyes,” Steris noted. “Aren’t you the one who is always talking about the responsibility men have to uphold the law?”
“Different thing entirely.”
“But your responsibility to your house—”
“—is why I’m here, Steris,” Wax said. “Why I came back in the first place. I recognize it. I acknowledge it.”
“You just don’t like it.”
“A man doesn’t have to like his duty. He just has to do it.”
She clasped her hands in her lap, studying him. “Here, let me show you something.” She rose, reaching for another suitcase on the rack above her seat.
Wax took her moment of distraction as a chance to slip the book she’d been reading out from its hiding place. He flipped forward to the page she’d marked, curious to discover exactly what about New Seran had captivated her so.
He was completely shocked, then, when the page didn’t contain a historical description, but instead anatomy sketches. Along with long descriptions explaining… human reproduction?
The room grew very still. Wax glanced up to find Steris staring at him with a look of horror on her face. She went beet red and dropped to her seat, covering her face with her hands and groaning loudly.
“Um…” Wax said. “I guess… hm…”
“I think I’m going to throw up,” Steris said.
“I didn’t mean to pry, Steris. You were just acting so odd, and so fascinated by what was in the book—”
She groaned again.
Wax sat, awkward in the shaking train car, searching for words. “So… you don’t have any… experience in these matters, I assume.”
“I keep asking for details,” Steris said, slumping back into her seat and leaning her head back against the wall, looking up at the ceiling. “But nobody will tell me anything. ‘You’ll figure it out,’ they say with a wink and a grin. ‘The body knows what to do.’ But what if mine doesn’t? What if I do it wrong?”
“You could have asked me.”
“Because that wouldn’t be embarrassing,” Steris said, closing her eyes. “I know the basics; I’m not an idiot. But I need to provide an heir. It’s vital. How am I supposed to do this properly if I don’t have any information? I tried to interview some prostitutes about it—”
“Wait. You did?”
“Yes. A trio of very nice young ladies; met them for tea, but they clammed up the moment they discovered who I was—they even got strangely protective, and wouldn’t give me any details either. I get the impression they thought I was cute. What about being a spinster could possibly be cute? Do you realize I’m almost thirty?”
“One foot in the grave, obviously,” Wax said.
“It’s easy to joke when you’re a man,” she snapped. “You’re not on a deadline to provide something useful to this arrangement.”
“You’re worth more than your ability to bear children, Steris.”
“That’s right. There’s my money too.”
“And all I am to this arrangement is a title,” Wax said. “It goes both ways.”
Steris settled back, breathing in and out through her teeth for a few moments. Finally she cracked one eye. “You can shoot things too.”
“What every proper lady needs in a man.”
“Murdering is very traditional. Goes all the way back.”
Wax smiled. “Actually, if you want to be strictly traditional—going back to the Imperial Pair—it was the lady in the relationship who did the murdering.”
“Either way, I apologize for my tirade. It was completely uncalled for. I shall endeavor to be firmer with myself following our union.”
“Don’t be silly,” Wax said. “I like seeing moments like this from you.”
“You like it when ladies are in distress?”
“I like it when you show me something new. It’s good to remember that people have different sides.”
“Well,” she said, taking the book, “I can continue my research at another point. Our wedding has been delayed, after all.”
This was to be the night, he realized. Our first night of marriage. He’d known, of course, but thinking about it made him feel… what? Relieved? Sad? Both?
“If it eases your mind,” Wax said as she tucked the book into her suitcase, “we won’t need to be… involved with any real frequency, particularly once a child is provided. I don’t imagine your research will be necessary for more than a dozen or so occasions.”
As he said it she wilted, shoulders slumping, head bowing. She was still facing away from him, digging in her suitcase, but he spotted it immediately.
Damn. That had been a stupid thing to say, hadn’t it? If Lessie had been here, she’d have stomped on his toe for that one. He felt sick, then cleared his throat. “That was injudicious of me, Steris. I’m sorry.”
“The truth should never be the wrong thing to say, Lord Waxillium,” she said, straightening and looking toward him, composed once again. “This is exactly as our arrangement was to be, as I know full well. I did write the contract.”
Wax crossed the train car, then sat next to her, resting his hand on hers. “I don’t like this talk from you. Or from me. It’s become a habit for us to pretend this relationship is nothing more than titles and money. But Steris, when Lessie died…” He choked off, then took a deep breath before continuing. “Everyone wanted to talk to me. Speak at me. Blather about how they knew what I was feeling. But you just let me weep. Which was what I needed more than anything. Thank you.”
She met his eyes, then squeezed his hand.
“What we are together,” Wax said to her, “and what we make of our future need not be spelled out by a piece of paper.” Or, well, a large stack of them. “The contract need not set our bounds.”
“Pardon. But I thought that was exactly the purpose of a contract. To define and set bounds.”
“And the purpose of life is to push our bounds,” Wax said, “to shatter them, escape them.”
“An odd position,” Steris said, cocking her head, “for a lawman.”
“Not at all,” Wax said. He thought for a moment, then crossed to his side of the chamber again and dug into Ranette’s box, getting out one of the metal spheres wound with a long cord. “Do you recognize this?”
“I noticed you looking at it earlier.”
Wax nodded. “Third version of her hook device, like the one we used to climb ZoBell Tower. Watch.”
He burned steel and Pushed on the sphere. It leaped from his fingers, streaking toward the bar on the luggage rack, trailing the cord behind—which he held in his hand. As the sphere reached the rack, Wax Pushed on a specific thin blue line revealed by his Allomantic senses. It pointed to a latch hidden inside the sphere, like the one inside Vindication that turned off the safety.
A hidden set of hooks deployed from the sphere. He tugged the cord, and was pleased to find that it locked into place, catching on the luggage rack.
Way more handy than the other designs, Wax thought, impressed. He Pushed on the switch a second time, and the mechanism disengaged, retracting the hooks with a snap. The ball fell to the couch beside Steris, and Wax pulled it into his hand by the cord.
“Clever,” Steris said. “And this relates to the conversation how?”
Wax Pushed on the sphere again, but this time didn’t engage the mechanism. Instead he held the cord tight, giving the sphere about three feet of line. It jerked to a stop in midair, hovering. He kept Pushing, upward and away from him at an angle—but also held the cord, and that kept the sphere from falling.
“People,” Wax said, “are like cords, Steris. We snake out, striking this way and that, always looking for something new. That’s human nature, to discover what is hidden. There’s so much we can do, so many places we can go.” He shifted in his seat, changing his center of gravity, which caused the sphere to rotate upward on its tether.
“But if there aren’t any boundaries,” he said, “we’d get tangled up. Imagine a thousand of these cords, zipping through the room. The law is there to keep us from ruining everyone else’s ability to explore. Without law, there’s no freedom. That’s why I am what I am.”
“And the hunt?” Steris asked, genuinely curious. “That doesn’t interest you?”
“Sure it does,” Wax said, smiling. “That’s part of the discovery, part of the search. Find who did it. Find the secrets, the answers.”
There was, of course, another part—the part Miles had forced Wax to admit. There was a certain perverse anger that lawmen directed at those who broke the law, almost a jealousy. How dare these people escape? How dare they go the places nobody else was allowed to?
He let the sphere drop, and Steris picked it up, looking it over with a meticulous eye. “You talk about answers, secrets, and the search. Why is it you hate politics so much?”
“Well, it might be because sitting in a stuffy room and listening to people complain is the opposite of discovery.”
“No!” Steris said. “Every meeting is a mystery, Lord Waxillium. What are their motives? What quiet lies are they telling, and what truths can you discover?” She tossed his sphere back to him, then took her suitcase and set it on the small cocktail table in the center of the cabin. “House finances are the same.”
“House finances,” he said, flatly.
“Yes!” Steris said. She fished in the suitcase, getting out a ledger. “See, look.” She flipped it open and pointed at an account.
He looked at the page, then up at her. Such excitement, he thought. But… ledgers?
“Three clips,” he said. “The tables are different by three clips. I’m sorry, Steris, it’s a meaningless amount. I don’t see—”
“It’s not meaningless,” she said, scooting over to sit beside him. “Don’t you see? The answer is here somewhere, in this book. Aren’t you even curious? The mystery of where they went?” She nodded to him, excited.
“Well, I suppose you could show me how to look,” he said. He dreaded the idea, but then, she looked so happy.
“Here,” she said, handing him a ledger, then fishing out another. “Look at goods received. Compare the dates and the payouts to the ledger! I’m going to study maintenance.”
He glanced toward the window in their door, half expecting Wayne to be out there in the hallway, snickering himself senseless at the prank. But Wayne was not there. This was no prank. Steris grabbed her own ledgers and attacked them with as much ferocity as a hungry man might a good steak.
Wax sighed, sat back, and started looking through the numbers.
Excerpted from The Bands of Mourning © Brandon Sanderson 2016The Healy-Rae brothers look set to pull off a coup in Kerry by taking two seats in the new five-seat constituency, a poll conducted for TG4 indicates.
The Ipsos MRBI survey for for channel’s Seacht Lá programme shows Michael Healy-Rae with support of 33 per cent, more than twice the quota.
With his brother Danny Healy-Rae on 4 per cent, a vote-management strategy could result in both brothers taking a seat.
The other big surprise is that the poll indicates Sinn Féin TD Martin Ferris, who has been considered a certainty, may struggle.
The findings show his support at 7 per cent, one point behind Labour Party TD Arthur Spring.
The two Fine Gael candidates, Jimmy Deenihan and Brendan Griffin, are on 13 per cent each. If they succeed in splitting the Fine Gael vote along similar lines on February 26th, both have a strong chance of election.
Vindication
Fianna Fáil candidate John Brassil lies in fifth place with 11 per cent of the vote. His running mate Norma Moriarty is on 6 per cent. In that scenario, Mr Brassil would likely take a seat on the back of transfers from his colleague.
The decision by the Healy-Raes to add Danny’s name as a candidate seems to be vindicated based on these findings. But his brother Michael would have to be willing to cede some of his huge tally of first preferences to his brother. The Independent TD and his councillor brother have appealed to their supporters in the east of the county to favour Danny.
The low showing for Mr Ferris represents a a big surprise as it comes at a time when Sinn Féin’s support nationally is on the rise. It is clear that some of his support base has been lost to the Healy-Rae machine.
The poll was conducted on Thursday and Friday last week among 500 adults throughout Kerry. Danny Healy-Rae announced his candidature on Thursday morning so the poll was in a position to gauge the levels of support he was attracting.
Constituency by the numbers
Michael Healy-Rae (Independent) 33%
Jimmy Deenihan (Fine Gael) 13%
Brendan Griffin (Fine Gael) 13%
John Brassil (Fianna Fáil) 11%
Arthur Spring (Labour) 8%
Martin Ferris (Sinn Féin) 7%
Norma Moriarty (Fianna Fáil) 6%
Danny Healy-Rae (Independent) 4%
Michael Fitzgerald (Green Party) 2%
Grace O’Donnell (Fine Gael) 1%
Michael O’Gorman (Independent) 1%
Donal Corcoran (Renua) 1%Quote EricMusco Quote: Originally Posted by Hey folks,
I have some information regarding the current issues with search on the GTN that I wanted to share. First off, the GTN issues will not be fixed with tomorrow's patch, 4.0.4. Now with that being said, we do think that we have started to isolate what is causing search to not work for some items.
I am going to post all of those details tomorrow, and we are also going to ask for your help in gathering information. I am sure you will ask, why wait until tomorrow? Well, we believe the issue is related to whenever a server comes online. Since we have a maintenance occurring tomorrow, it is possible, even likely, that some information will change. Tomorrow after the maintenance I will explain exactly what we think is happening and what information you can provide to help us work towards a fix. I wanted to make sure you all knew we are still actively working on it, especially since there wasn't a fix listed in the patch notes.
More information coming tomorrow, thanks everyone!
-eric
Much better. You are on the right track. More information, more often keeps the anger sharks away. Much better. You are on the right track. More information, more often keeps the anger sharks away. ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ H O L O C R ¤ N ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═ ═
^ My referral link above is like a one night stand ^
You'll enjoy it...I'll enjoy it...And no one has to sneak outFinally, welcome to the coop!
As some of you may already know, I enjoy a good pun using breed names. Hence the coop’s name. It translates to House of Antwerp.
The double doors open up into a nice roomy coop.
We painted the interior bright white. You may be wondering why anyone would paint a chicken coop white. That’s definitely a valid question, and sometimes I even ask myself that. The paint not only seals against moisture damage and extends the life of the coop, but the bright white shows any grime on the walls. Which sounds like a bad thing, but it’s not. When you can see the grime, you know it needs to be cleaned off instead of being missed and left to damage the walls. The paint also smooths the wood and makes it easier to sweep cobwebs out of the coop.
We also installed a sheet of flooring to help protect the wood from wear as well as make cleanup easier. Most of the chicken’s droppings don’t stick to the flooring, so a quick sweep with a broom and it’s good as new. For grimier messes it can also easily be scrubbed down with soapy water.
I didn’t necessarily plan on getting a fancy pattern, but who could really say no to this lovely woodgrain? It looks so fantastic peeking through the shavings as they get kicked around.
On the right is the entrance to the nesting box.
Or more accurately, the nesting room. Instead of building two divided boxes I built one extra long room for them to build their nests wherever they want. Hens generally like dark, private locations for laying their eggs, so the girls can pop over to the far side of the room and be completely enclosed.
On the left is the door to the run and their ramp. We cut both doors a few inches above the floor to keep the amount of shavings being kicked out to a minimum.
The entire coop is encased in 1/4-inch hardware cloth, making it 100% predator and rodent proof. Any opening larger than 1/4-inch is covered, right down to the ventilation holes at the top of the wall.
Nothing is getting into this coop. Even the bottom of the run is closed with 1/4-inch hardware cloth over a base of wood slats. Going back I would have opted to set the coop down a base of stone pavers instead of wood slats, but I guess that’s for the next renovation. We then filled the bottom in with half a yard of washed construction sand.
In addition to the hardware cloth everything is locked up. Regular latches should work against predators like coyotes, but raccoons can learn to open them. While we don’t generally get raccoons around our house, the best offense against predators and pests is a good defense and I opted to not take any chances.
Their food and water is tucked in under the sheltered area beneath the coop. Instead of a regular chicken feeder and waterer I chose ones designed for piglets. They can be pushed up against the far wall so they take up less floor space.
This is a feature we added at the last second, but it’s definitely one of my favourite things. On the outside is a tiny little door.
And when opened, it leads directly to their dining area. Cleaning and refilling their food and water is an absolute breeze now.
We also created this optional screen using the old 3/4-inch wire. Now even when the chickens are upstairs I can see what they’re doing, and at night I get to watch them march up to bed and jostle together for the best spot on the roost. I really like it, so there’s a good chance I’ll update it with 1/4-inch this summer.
I heart my coop, and I think the chickens heart it too.
AdvertisementsThousands of workers in hand car washes across Britain are believed to be modern slaves
By Kieran Guilbert
LONDON, Nov 8 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Tricked into washing cars in London for 12 hours a day without pay and treated like a slave, Bogdan quit after a week - hoping to find a better job after his move to Britain from Romania.
His hopes were short-lived. That night, three men visited the room he had rented from the car wash owners and ordered him to open a string of bank accounts using fake identity documents.
"They raised their voices, and were aggressive," the 31-year-old told the Thomson Reuters Foundation, declining to give his real name out of fear of retribution by his enslavers.
"I was very scared, and emotional, so I accepted it."
Thousands of workers in hand car washes across Britain are believed to be modern slaves - mostly men lured from Eastern European countries such as Albania and Bulgaria with promises of paid work, housing and better job opportunities in the future.
Yet many end up trapped in debt bondage, forced to live and work in squalid and unsafe conditions, stripped of their documents and subjected to threats, abuse and violence.
Some slaves, such as Bogdan, are coerced to commit crimes - afraid for their lives and for their families if they refuse.
At least 13,000 people across the country are estimated by the government to be living in modern slavery but police say that the true figure is likely to be in the tens of thousands.
While forced labour is rife among Britain's building sites, nail bars, factories and farms, car wash slavery is rocketing with unregulated sites sprouting up rapidly nationwide, according to the country's anti-slavery agency and chief.
Police are ramping up investigations but say the crime is tough to crack with 20,000 car washes believed to be flouting laws, most victims too scared to speak out, and the increasingly cash-squeezed British public hunting for ever cheaper services.
"This is modern slavery on an industrial scale," said Lysbeth Ford of the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), Britain's anti-slavery body. "The government and the police are not yet aware of the extent of car wash slavery".
"It has exploded because workers are being underpaid or not paid at all - creating an environment ripe for exploitation."
HIVES OF CRIME
In several London car washes visited by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, many employees were not wearing protective clothing while most were unwilling to talk about their pay or living conditions, and pointed to their bosses when questioned further.
While such workers are in plain sight - not hidden away like slaves in brothels, houses, and cannabis farms - their fear and reluctance to speak out makes it difficult to identify and help victims, said global anti-trafficking charity Hope for Justice.
"When you visit a car wash and ask workers about their situation, they parrot the same rehearsed line about being paid the minimum wage and not working more than 40 hours each week," said Lauren Batty, who works for the group in northern England.
When police suspect slavery at a car wash, they seek out all possible intelligence - from analysis of its finances to covert surveillance - before raiding a site in the hope of persuading workers to come forward, or securing a victimless prosecution.
If officers fail to get victims on board, and quickly, they often disappear and end up being re-trafficked, said detective sergeant Dan Parkinson of the police's anti-slavery unit.
"It's hard to get victims to engage," he said. "They may have negative perceptions of the police, or fear deportation."
"Many people don't even consider themselves victims because 1 pound ($1.30) an hour is better than earning nothing at home."
About a tenth of 400 live police operations tackling slavery in Britain involve car washes, up from 5 percent of nearly 200 at the end of last year, according to the latest police figures.
While the crime is ever-evolving in Britain, the 2015 Modern Slavery Act gave police new powers to restrict the movements and actions of suspected traffickers before and during operations, and imposed the threat of life imprisonment for slave masters.
Such measures are crucial to combat slavery and other crimes in car washes, where various offences - from drug trafficking to benefit fraud - often intersect, the police's Parkinson said.
"These are cash businesses, easy to run and hide criminality - ideal for exploiting people while generating high turnover."
PUBLIC POWER
The public also have a role to play - by refusing to use car washes offering rock-bottom prices and reporting possible cases of exploitation and signs of slavery - campaigners say.
Many London car washes provide a full valet for 30 pounds ($40), compared to 100 pounds ($130) just a few years ago.
Yet the death of a Romanian worker in 2015 - electrocuted in the shower of the derelict London flat owned by his boss - was a "wake-up call" about the harsh reality, and dangers, facing many car wash staff, said Britain's anti-slavery tsar, Kevin Hyland.
"Car washes have operated with impunity and popped up rapidly as they have gone unchallenged for so long," he said. "But this is in the public eye... we all need to do more."
And data from a British anti-slavery helpline, run by the charity Unseen, suggests the public are playing their part.
Of 112 cases of potential car wash slavery recorded between October 2016 and August this year and referred on to the authorities and charities - involving about 700 possible victims - two-thirds were reported by the public, Unseen said.
"It is so important to get the public understanding what they are looking at," said Justine Currell, executive director of Unseen. "If it appears too good to be true, it probably is."
But for most slaves in Britain, the idea of relying on anyone - whether police or public - is fanciful and risky.
While Bogdan is now free, having escaped his enslavers and gone to the police in 2015 after they got drunk one night and left the fake identity documents lying around, he recalled how fear and uncertainty trapped him in slavery for weeks on end.
"Before that night, I didn't run away, I couldn't run away, because I didn't think I would ever be believed," he said.
($1 = 0.7618 pounds) (Reporting By Kieran Guilbert, Editing by Ros Russell; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights, climate change and resilience. Visit http://news.trust.org)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.Two days after Calgary Liberal candidate Ala Buzreba stepped down due to distasteful online posts, a Quebec Conservative has halted his campaign for the exact same reason.
“To be fair, instead of speaking of superiority, it would be better to speak of the authority of men over women,” read a 2014 web comment by Gilles Guibord below a story in the Journal de Montreal.
The story was about how major religions seem to be obsessed with the female body. Guibord’s comment, in turn, was in response to another commenter who had been criticizing the idea that “the nature of human beings is that one sex necessarily has to be superior to the other.”
“I don’t think male-female relations were determined by religion, but by forces that came long before religion,” wrote Guibord.
“Men were stronger than women, women were placed under their protection. Because of the effects of pregnancy, women were often in a fragile or insecure state, thus men guaranteed and assured their safety.”
On Thursday, the Conservative Party confirmed to Quebec media that Guibord had been asked to resign after the comments became public.
The “men were stronger than women” comment, along with many others, were painstakingly dug up by a Montreal politics blog.
In others, Guibord questions Mohawk claims to Quebec, asserts that it is not a religious requirement for Sikhs to wear turbans and praises the Conservatives for attaining power with almost no representation in Quebec.
“The mark of a great political party is the ability to attain power, so if that means doing it without Quebec voters, that’s what needs to be done.”
Now retired, Guibord is a former electrician, truck driver and union rep. He had been running in the Montreal riding of Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie.
The seat is effectively a no-hope bid for the Conservatives. The Bloc Quebecois held the riding from 1990 until an NDPer took the seat during the Orange Wave of 2011. In that election, Conservative candidate Sébastien Forté scored only 4.3% of the vote, coming in a distant fourth place.
As a July article in Le Devoir noted, Guibord had a history of diverse political loyalties, including the Parti Quebecois, the Bloc Quebecois and the defunct right wing party Action démocratique du Québec.
National Post
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On December 29, preliminary reports appeared that an evacuation agreement was made between the Syrian military and militants operating in Syrian Ayn al-Fijah, Baseema and Dayr Qanoon in the Wadi Barda region northwest of Damascus. Local sources reported that militants are divided over the withdrawal issue. So, most likely, the Syrian military will be pushed to make a series of separate of withdrawal agreements until the whole region is liberated.
A day before, on December 28, the Syrian army and Hezbollah, backed up by the Syrian Air Force, continued to storm Jabhat Fatah al-Sham and Ahrar al-Sham defense lines. Clashes were reported at the villages of Souq Wadi Barada, Kafr al-Awamid, al-Husyaniyah and Baseema. As a result, the Syrian army and Hezbollah entered Baseema and seized a number of buildings there. According to local sources, a part of the militants holding a defense line there just fled to Dayr Qanoon and Kafr Az Zayt where no clashes were reported. About 20 militants were reportedly killed in the operation.
Kurdish YPG forces are withdrawing from the Sheikh Maqsoud neighborhood of Aleppo city, according to reports circulating in YPG- and rebel-linked media outlets and social media accounts. The Ara News press agency reported on Tuesday that about 50 YPG fighters had already left the neighborhood and headed towards the northern countryside of Aleppo. However, this report cannot be confirmed independently.
Earlier in December, information appeared that the Syrian government was going to demilitarize Sheikh Maqsoud after the YPG, or the SDF, as the mainstream media prefers to call Kurdish forces allegedly decided to accept into its ranks a group of 250 Fatah Halab militants that had fled from eastern Aleppo. If this decision is confirmed, the real reason of possible tensions between YPG/SDF units and pro-government forces in Aleppo will be exposed.
On December 28, the Turkish state-run Anadolu news agency reported that Turkey and Russia had agreed on a nation-wide ceasefire effort in Syria that was set to be launched at midnight local time on December 29. After Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the agreement, Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was pushed to clarify that the two countries had only prepared a text of the truce accord to be presented to the warring parties. On December 29, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said that the Syrian government and armed opposition groups have reached an agreement on a ceasefire in Syria and on readiness to start peace talks.
DonateA few months ago I wrote about how you can encrypt your entire life in less than an hour. Well, all the security in the world |
), we see things through the perspective of an Infected. It appears that the Green Flu alters the perception of a human, giving them that orange hue on everything they see, and they see all humans as Infected. This means that the Infection makes people think that everyone who hasn't changed is an Infected and everyone who already is an Infected must appear as a normal human to them. In Part 4 of The Sacrifice comic, the Survivors find a yacht, which is surprisingly full of Witches (in bikinis, alluding to Francis' dream). This backs up the theory of the Infection having multiple strains, possibly having the original person Infected with the "Witch strain", proceeding, then, to Infect the other girls, resulting in all of them turning into Witches.
References EditIt looks like Facebook's messaging system is about to get a long-awaited overhaul — possibly the rumored Project Titan of earlier this year.
Mashable has just received invitations for a press event Monday. Unlike previous Facebook events, this one takes place in San Francisco. The company chose not to have the event at its headquarters in Palo Alto due to the Web 2.0 Summit, where Zuckerberg will be speaking. The announcement will take place just a few blocks from Web 2.0 at Moscone Center in San Francisco.
The invitations we received prominently display the inbox icon used in the company's iPhone and Android apps. That's why we believe this event will almost certainly be about a revamping of Facebook's messaging and inbox system.
In our opinion, the current Facebook messaging system is broken. It is difficult to manage; users are unable to send messages outside of Facebook; and the system can't handle simple things like attachments and forwarding.
If Facebook really wants to take on Google, it needs to have a far more robust messaging system akin to web-based e-mail. Monday may be the day we see that happen.
What do you want to see Facebook do to its Messages application? What kind of overhauls do you think Facebook will announce on Monday? We want to hear your opinions.SECHSKIES is currently shooting a new music video!
On March 30, YG Entertainment revealed the news to Newsen, stating that the veteran K-pop group was “scheduled to shoot a music video in Seoul [that day].”
With their twentieth anniversary coming up on April 15, SECHSKIES is currently in the middle of preparing a special gift for the fans who have remained loyal for the two decades that have passed since their debut. The agency expressed that while nothing is concrete at the moment, they will announce the group’s comeback plans as soon as they are available.
Last December, SECHKIES released the album “2016 Re-ALBUM,” consisting mostly of updated versions of their well-known songs. However, the success of “Three Words,” their first single after reuniting, proves that the demand for new music from the group is still strong.
Who else is excited to hear new music from SECHSKIES?
Source (1)The disparity in the Afghan president’s reaction has been rued by American officials here, but little commented upon, to avoid a messy diplomatic squabble in an already troubled alliance. Now it has started to draw criticism among many Afghans, who complain that their president has been looking for excuses to besmirch the Americans and delay signing a vitally important security deal with them, while overlooking equally serious or even worse abuses attributed to the Taliban.
In short, many Afghans have begun asking, Who exactly are our enemies here? The Americans, who underwrite our government and military but now say they will be forced to withdraw in 2015 without a security deal? Or the Taliban, who have a history of killing officials even remotely connected with the government — a policy that has apparently begun to claim the lives even of some independent relief workers?
That unease has spread throughout governing circles, and several prominent officials have said that a meeting of the president’s cabinet last Monday was dominated by ministers who tried to persuade Mr. Karzai to sign the bilateral security agreement promptly, as his own handpicked loya jirga, or grand council, also urged him to do on Nov. 24.
“We were so shocked by the president’s decision on postponing the signing of the B.S.A.,” one high-ranking official said, on the condition of anonymity to preserve his job. “I think most of his advisers and members of his cabinet disagree with the president on the B.S.A. issue. They all want it to be signed.”
Atiqullah Baryalai, a former deputy defense minister in the Karzai government, said, “His entire cabinet is against him on this.”Before the so-called sequestration budget cuts began taking effect March 1, 2013, U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman had some alternative suggestions for the president.
On Feb. 22, he tweeted about one program he has suggested trimming: "Obama claims a small cut to federal means losing local police and firefighters, but he's spending $2.2 billion to give away ‘ObamaPhones.’ "
As far back as 2009, PolitiFact has checked claims about President Barack Obama handing out free cell phones. We decided to see how this statement compared.
The government initiative that helps low-income citizens pay for telephone service is the Federal Communications Commission’s Lifeline program. FCC spokesman Mark Wigfield told us by email that Lifeline began in 1985 because of concerns that local rates would rise after a government lawsuit broke up AT&T’s monopoly of the U.S. phone market.
Lifeline was enshrined in law in the 1996 Telecommunications Act, Wigfield said, then in 2005 and 2008 began to allow "resellers" of cell service -- companies that did not own their own networks -- to participate. Today, he said, "about 75 percent of Lifeline support goes for wireless service."
The program does not provide phones or phone service and is not paid for by taxes, Wigfield said. Rather, it pays $9.25 a month to a user’s phone company. Some companies give out free phones and price their plans at $9.25 a month, making the plans essentially "free," he said.
Money for Lifeline comes out of the Universal Service Fund; phone companies pay into the fund and then pass the cost on to customers via a fee on their phone bills. (Click here to read more detailed explanations in this story’s excerpted emails.)
Eligible Lifeline participants must have an income that is at or below 135 percent of the federal poverty level or use Medicaid, food stamps, federal public housing assistance or supplemental security income, among other things. In some cases, states administer their own programs.
In early 2012, the FCC implemented changes to Lifeline aimed at modernizing the program and eliminating fraud and waste. One goal: ensuring availability of broadband for all low-income Americans.
The term "Obama phones" has been attached to Lifeline since at least late 2009, when PolitiFact rated as Mostly False a chain email claim that Obama was giving away free phones. More famously, a viral video during the 2012 presidential campaign showed an Obama supporter saying "Everybody in Cleveland -- low (income), minority -- got Obama phones." Soon after, PolitiFact gave a Florida state official a Pants on Fire rating for saying the Obama campaign was giving out phones.
Both of those PolitiFact ratings cited the fact that the program existed years before Obama took office, so implying he created the program was incorrect. Stockman’s tweet similarly linked the program to Obama but added a financial factor: "He's spending $2.2 billion to give away ‘ObamaPhones.’ "
Stockman spokesman Donny Ferguson emailed us a Feb. 12, 2013, Wall Street Journal news story that said, "The U.S. government spent about $2.2 billion last year to provide phones to low-income Americans... Payouts under the program have shot up from $819 million in 2008, as more wireless carriers have persuaded regulators to let them offer the service."
Wigfield sent us the FCC’s total spending figures for Lifeline in recent years:
2007: $823 million
2008: $821 million
2009: $1 billion
2010: $1.13 billion
2011: $1.78 billion
2012: $2.1 billion
The post-2008 boom, he said, came after the FCC decided to open Lifeline to phone companies offering low-cost cell plans on networks they did not own. Tracfone was the first such provider to become an eligible carrier for Lifeline, he said. The Journal article said Tracfone has since become the country’s fifth-largest wireless carrier and that other companies have expanded as "Lifeline users have been a source of subscriber growth in the otherwise saturated U.S. market."
Our ruling
Stockman said Obama’s "spending $2.2 billion to give away ‘ObamaPhones.’ " That figure’s about right for 2012 federal spending on the Lifeline program, but as PolitiFact has noted before, attributing it to Obama is incorrect.
It’s important to note, too, that the money comes from phone fees, so it wouldn’t be possible to prevent public safety cuts by halting the phone program. The tradeoff Stockman asserts isn’t valid.
We rate his statement as Mostly False.In average, European workers work half of the year for the state, and the other half for themselves, daily Dnevnik analyzes.
Macedonians and Cypriots work least to pay their taxes and revenues, compared to other European nationals.
An average Macedonian worker celebrates the Tax Freedom Day on April 17. This means that by this date he is working for the state, and from then on, his income ends up in his pocket exclusively.
Dnevnik's survey is inspired by the latest study of the "New Direction" Foundation, conducted in cooperation with the Economy Institute Molinari in Paris. There is no information on the situation in Macedonia in this study, yet the comparison is based on official statistics.
The analysis shows that Macedonia ranks second in Europe, after Cyprus, according to the income tax. Cyprus citizens work to 'finance the government' until March 21. Thus, about 21.86% of their annual salary goes to the state.
Figures show that this average in Macedonia mounts to 31.7% and in Europe up to 45.27%. Greatest tax burdens have been noted in Belgium, where the tax rates go up to 60%.
"The truth is, we have some of the lowest income tax rates, which is a clear message to foreign investors on the benefits of running business in our country. But Macedonian employers should be well aware that we have lowest taxes in the region and in Europe and that they enjoy certain privileges thereof. That, as well, facilitates running business in the country. However, we could have the best business climate compared to other countries in the region and beyond if other parameters are taken into consideration," says Mile Boskov from the Business Confederation of Macedonia.
After Belgium, France is second highest ranking on the list of countries with greatest tax burdens.
The analysis conveyed by Dnevnik says that an average Macedonian worker earns EUR 6,087 per year (MKD 374,400). Out of this sum, some EUR 1.931 are allocated to the state as revenues.
The calculation was made after net income, overheads, taxes and interest payments are deducted from the gross income.
Data shows that the average gross salary in Croatia is EUR 14.014, whereas employers pay some EUR 1,849 per year to the state, while contribution amount mounts to EUR 2,433 and income tax is EUR 1,327.
Average gross salary in Belgium is EUR 61,122 per year. After deducting revenues, the worker receives some EUR 26,499 annually.
Tax rates in Europe are rising constantly. According to EU experts, the increase of 1.28% is due to the rise of VAT.Google
Video chatting in Hangouts is busting out of Google+.
Video calls among two or more Google+ users was the big draw when Hangouts launched, but now Google has flipped the switch the allow Google+ users to make phone calls to almost any phone number, not just within the Google+ ecosystem. That means that users will be able, for example, place a voice call from their computers and reach friends or family on their land line or cell phone.
The feature is limited to outbound calls and cannot accept incoming calls to your Google+ account. It's also currently desktop-only, and isn't compatible with Google+ on mobile apps.
Calls to phone numbers in the U.S. and Canada are free, and callers can buy credit to dial out to international lines.
To place a call, click the "Invite" button in Hangouts, then the "+telephone" link. After entering the number, hit "add." The dialer currently stores one number at a time.
The Google Voice platform powers the entire operation, though the feature bears the Google+ Hangouts name. You can similarly place calls to land lines and mobile phones using Google Voice's integration into Gmail.
Calling out with Hangouts is a third high-profile experimental feature that Google has pulled into the mainstream product, along with screen-sharing and support for Google Docs.Advertisement
An image captured by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has offered a stunning new look at Mars’ northern Meridiani Planum, where swirling deposits appear as though they’ve been slashed by massive faults.
The amazing new view shows the different effects of fault activity on the Martian surface, giving rise to everything from clean breaks to ‘stretched out’ distortions.
This is likely an indication that the faults formed at different times, when the layers were at various stages of hardening.
Scroll down for video
An image captured by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has offered a stunning new look at Mars’ northern Meridiani Planum, where swirling deposits appear as though they’ve been slashed by massive faults. The new view shows the different effects of fault activity on the Martian surface, giving rise to everything from clean breaks to ‘stretched out’ distortions
In a second image offering a closer look at some of the features, NASA has pointed out where the faults have displaced individual beds.
These areas, as noted by the yellow arrow, are where the faults produced a clean break.
In other regions, as noted by the green arrow, the layers appear stretched out as they span the fault.
‘These observations suggest that some of the faulting occurred while the layered deposits were still soft and could undergo deformation, whereas other faults formed later when the layers must have been solidified and produced a clean break,’ NASA explains.
In an image offering a closer look at some of the features, NASA has pointed out where the faults have displaced individual beds. These areas, as noted by the yellow arrow, are where the faults produced a clean break. In other regions, as noted by the green arrow, the layers appear stretched out as they span the fault
Speckling the surface of one of Mars’ oldest impact basins, NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter recently spotted a sprawling expanse of ‘honeycomb’ landforms, with individual cells of up to 6 miles wide.
The origin of these textured features has long remained a mystery, as scientists debate which type of natural process could be responsible, from glacial events to wind erosion.
It’s possible that multiple processes are at play, according to NASA, with evidence suggesting the honeycombs and the surrounding landscape in Mars northwestern Hellas Planitia may still be undergoing activity today.
MRO captured a look at the features with the Context camera and its HiRISE instrument, revealing greater detail.
Speckling the surface of one of Mars’ oldest impact basins, NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has spotted a sprawling expanse of ‘honeycomb’ landforms, with individual cells of up to 6 miles wide. The origin of these textured features has long remained a mystery
WHAT CREATED THE HONEYCOMBS? According to NASA, the area has features of different natural processes, suggesting activity may still be reshaping the land today. The honeycombs may be a product of glacial events, lake formation, volcanic activity, tectonic activity, or wind erosion - or, a combination,
Each cell is about 5-10 kilometers (3-6 miles), with rippling sand that suggests the region may have been subjected to wind erosion.
But, there may be other processes shaping the land as well.
Exposures of bedrock seen within the cells resemble features formed as dykes, NASA explains.
These are typically associated with volcanic activity.
According to NASA, ‘the lack of impact craters suggest that the landscape, along with these features, have been recently reshaped by a process, or number of processes that may even be active today.
‘Scientists have been debating how these honeycombed features are created, theorized from glacial events, lake formation, volcanic activity, and tectonic activity, to wind erosion.’
Recently, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spotted a potential sand-producing region that could be feeding the red planet’s stunning expanse of dunes.
In a breathtaking new image, the space agency revealed a look at the sloping sediments near the boundary of Mars’ Southern highlands and Northern lowlands.
The image shows dark material is being eroded from layers of the bedrock in a massive surface depression, indicating the sand grains were not carried there by wind, according to NASA.
NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has spotted a potential sand-producing region that could be feeding the red planet’s stunning expanse of dunes. In a breathtaking new image, the space agency has revealed a look at the sloping sediments near the boundary of Mars’ Southern highlands and Northern lowlands
The image, captured by MRO’s Context Camera, shows linear markings in the huge depression that appear to slope downward.
This helps to tell the story of the processes taking place at the surface.
‘The grains of sand that make up sand dunes on Earth and Mars have a hazardous existence because of the way that they travel,’ NASA explained.
‘Wind-blown sand is lifted above the surface of each planet before crashing onto the ground and bouncing in a sequence of repeated hops, a process called saltation.
‘Sand grains can also roll along the ground as they are blown by the wind, and they are also jostled by other sand grains that are similarly flying across the surface.’
MARS: A WET PLANET Evidence of water on Mars dates back to the Mariner 9 mission, which arrived in 1971. It revealed clues of water erosion in river beds and canyons as well as weather fronts and fogs. Viking orbiters that followed caused a revolution in our ideas about water on Mars by showing how floods broke through dams and carved deep valleys. Mars is currently in the middle of an ice age, and before this study, scientists believed liquid water could not exist on its surface. In June 2013, Curiosity found powerful evidence that water good enough to drink once flowed on Mars. In September of the same year, the first scoop of soil analysed by Curiosity revealed that fine materials on the surface of the planet contain two per cent water by weight. Last month, scientists provided the best estimates for water on Mars, claiming it once had more liquid H2) than the Arctic Ocean - and the planet kept these oceans for more than 1.5 billion years. The findings suggest there was ample time and water for life on Mars to thrive, but over the last 3.7 billion years the red planet has lost 87 per cent of its water - leaving it barren and dry.
As these impacts repeat, the sand grains are worn down and smoothed out, eventually forming their spherical shape.
And, the tiny fragments that break of add to Mars’ dust deposits.
Over time, this process destroys the grains entirely – but, the region spotted in the image may help to keep Mars’ dunes going.
‘The fact that we see active sand dunes on Mars today requires that sand particles must be resupplied to replace the grains that are lost over time,’ NASA says.
As Martian winter gives way to spring, the snow-covered features on the red planet begin to change form, driven by an influx of sunlight.
It might sound familiar to the seasonal changes that take place here on Earth – but, in Mars’ northern hemisphere, the snow and ice speckling the landscape is made not of water, but carbon dioxide. And, when this ‘dry ice’ is exposed to the sun, it creates remarkable patterns across the surface
It might sound familiar to the seasonal changes that take place here on Earth – but, in Mars’ northern hemisphere, the snow and ice speckling the landscape is made not of water, but carbon dioxide.
And, when this ‘dry ice’ is exposed to the sun, it creates remarkable patterns across the surface.
SNOW ON MARS As the atmosphere of Mars is cold and thin, water-ice clouds can form despite the limited amount of water vapour compared to Earth. But until now, it had been thought that any snow precipitation that fell from these clouds did so as slowly settling particles, rather than in rapid storms. A recent atmospheric model, however, revealed that the cooling of water-ice cloud particles during the cold Martian night can create unstable conditions within the cloud, triggering a descending plume of snow. These turbulent storms, which can only form at night, act to vigorously mix the atmosphere and, in some places, deposit snow on the surface.
A recent captured by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has revealed a look at these features, showing how ice, sand, and gases react to form wave-like designs that ripple across the dunes.
The image was captured on May 21, 2017 by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera, according to NASA.
At this time, spring was underway in the Northern hemisphere.
‘Over the winter, snow and ice have inexorably covered the dunes,’ NASA explains. 'Unlike on Earth, this snow and ice is carbon dioxide, better known to us as dry ice.
‘When the sun starts shining on it in the spring, the ice on the smooth surface of the dune cracks and escaping gas carries dark sand out from the dune below, often creating beautiful patterns.
‘On the rough surface between the dunes, frost is trapped behind small sheltered ridges.’
The Martian surface is covered in all sorts of remarkable features that have been brought to light by the spacecraft over recent years.
Earlier this summer, an infrared image from MRO showed a look at the worm-like fissures blanketing the floor of a mysterious crater on Mars.
A stunning infrared image from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has revealed the worm-like fissures blanketing the floor of a mysterious crater on Mars. The image shows the spread of features known as ‘ejecta,’ or the material thrown across the surface after an impact
WHAT IS EJECTA? Ejecta is the material cast across the surface after an impact. This can include debris from the impact itself, as well as rock that was kicked up during the event. The features also reveal insight on the'sometimes exotic subsurface.'
The image shows the spread of features known as ‘ejecta,’ or the material thrown across the surface after an impact.
In this view, the breathtaking colours indicate the presence of different rocks and minerals, including iron-rich minerals such as olivine and pyroxene.
While the blue features represent iron-rich areas, lighter colours such as yellow show where the rock has been altered, NASA explains.
The image was captured using MRO’s HiRISE instrument.
The experts say the features seen in this unnamed crater in Mars’ Mare Serpentis region are similar to those seen elsewhere, and can help to shed light on the subsurface materials kicked up after an impact.
It’s thought that the ejecta seen here comes from two unnamed craters.
‘These linear features indicate the flow direction of the ejecta from its unnamed host crater,’ according to NASA.
In this view, the breathtaking colours indicate the presence of different rocks and minerals, including iron-rich minerals such as olivine and pyroxene. While the blue features represent iron-rich areas, lighter colours such as yellow show where the rock has been altered, NASA explains
‘Therefore, if we follow them, we find that they emanate from the bottom of the two unnamed craters.
‘If the ejecta had originated from the top crater, then we would expect the linear features at the location of our picture to trend northwest to southeast.’
Molten rock once flowed along a crater rim in another region - Mars’ Tharsis volcanic province, creating stunning multi-level ‘lava’ falls.
A breathtaking image captured by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter revealed the incredible structures left behind, in a region reminiscent of Niagara Falls.
The experts say the features seen in this unnamed crater in Mars’ Mare Serpentis region are similar to those seen elsewhere, and can help to shed light on the subsurface materials kicked up after an impact
The photo shows a glimpse at the northern rim of a 19-mile-wide (30 kilometer) crater, with evidence that a lava flow once surrounded the region until it breached at four separate locations, to cascade down the walls.
The 3D image was captured by MRO’s Context Camera, according to NASA.
From this view, the western part of the Tharsis province can be seen.
The experts say the lava came in from the north-northeast around the crater rim – and when it got high enough, it breached the rim in four places.
The images even reveal a circular flow of now-dried molten lava (pictured) at the base of the feature. The lava once billowed and fanned outward from the crater's floor
Three of the falls, in the north-central region of the crater wall, can be seen in the image.
This is clear through their rougher appearance than the original features around, which are ‘smooth and knobby.’
‘These lava “falls” cascaded down the wall and terraces of the crater to produce a quasi-circular flow deposit,’ according to NASA.
‘It seems that the flow were insufficient to fill or even cover the pre-existing deposits of the crater floor.
‘This is evidenced by the darker-toned lavas that overlie the older, and possibly dustier, lighter-toned deposits on the crater floor.’
A breathtaking image captured by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter reveals the incredible structures left behind, in a region reminiscent of Niagara Falls (pictured)
While Mars doesn't have any water at the surface today, scientists say it had a watery past.
These particular features were carved by lava, which behaved like liquid water, but in other areas, NASA's rovers have turned their sites to investigate evidence of ancient lakes.
NASA’s Opportunity rover is set to explore the edge of a crater just above Mars’ ‘Perseverance Valley,’ to uncover new clues on the processes that left rocks scattered across its floor.
A new color-enhanced image captured just before the Mars rover’s ‘walkabout’ survey kicked off shows a landscape that looks almost like a beach here on Earth, and scientists suspect water may have played a role in the rocks’ transportation.
A new color-enhanced image captured just before the Mars rover’s ‘walkabout’ survey kicked off shows a landscape that looks almost like a beach here on Earth
The region may once have hosted a perched lake in the crater rim’s crest which acted as a spillway, the researchers say – or, they may have eroded in place by wind.
Opportunity has been investigating the areas on and around the western rim of the 14-mile-wide Endeavour Crater, which sits just above Perseverance Valley, since 2011.
Part of the crest at the top of the valley is marked by a broad notch, the researchers say.
And, just west of the feature, there are elongated patches of rocks lining a slightly depression.
The experts say this may have been a drainage channel billions of years ago.
‘We want to determine whether these are in-place rocks or transported rocks,’ Arvidson said.
‘One possibility is that this site was the end of a catchment where a lake was perched against the outside of the crater rim.
‘A flood might have brought in the rocks, breached the rim and overflowed into the crater, carving the valley down the inner side of the rim.
‘Another possibility is that the area was fractured by the impact that created Endeavour Crater, then rock dikes filled the fractures, and we’re seeing effects of wind erosion on those filled fractures.’
The researchers say examining the rocks along what could be a channel could help to reveal more about the site’s history.
And, recently NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter revealed another stunning look at the rugged terrain of the red planet, in a scene that could rival Britain’s beloved white cliffs.
The new view shows Mars’ breathtaking ‘white cliffs of rover,’ captured by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera.
According to the space agency, the ocean-like surface at the bottom right side of the photo is actually an expanse of dunes, creating a striking contrast with the ‘shoreline’ beside it.
NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has revealed a stunning look at the rugged terrain of the red planet, in a scene that could rival Britain’s beloved white cliffs. The new view shows Mars’ breathtaking ‘white cliffs of rover,’ at a site known as Meridiani Planum, captured by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera
The image has been enhanced to better show the differences in the terrain, creating what appears to be a ‘cloud-covered cliff edge’ and foamy waves.
‘The reality is that the surface of Mars is much dryer than our imaginations might want to suggest,’ NASA explains.
‘This is only a tiny part of a much larger structure; an inverted crater – a crater that has been infilled by material that is more resistant to erosion than the rocks around it – surrounded by bluish basaltic dunes.
‘The edge of these elevated light-toned deposits are degraded, irregular and cliff-forming.’
Overall, the region known as Meridiani Planum is smooth, unlike much of the rest of Mars.
And, according to NASA, this also means it’s younger than other sites.
It’s known to contain hematite, and salt-bearing rocks known as sulfates.
The landscape has been compared to the White Cliffs of Dover – the famed cliffs of the British Isles that are now rapidly eroding in what’s thought to be a result of human activity.Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.
Nov. 23, 2017, 11:12 AM GMT / Updated Nov. 23, 2017, 11:17 AM GMT By Reuters
People who drink three to four cups of coffee a day are more likely to see health benefits than harm, experiencing lower risks of premature death and heart disease than those who abstain, scientists said Wednesday.
A team which collated the findings of more than 200 previous studies also found coffee consumption was linked to lower risks of diabetes, liver disease, dementia and some cancers.
Three or four cups a day confer the greatest benefit, the scientists said, except for women who are pregnant or who have a higher risk of suffering fractures.
Robin Poole, a public health specialist at Britain's University of Southampton, led a research team in an "umbrella review" of 201 studies based on observational research and 17 studies based on clinical trials across all countries and all settings.
"Umbrella reviews" synthesize previous pooled analyses to give a clearer summary of diverse research on a particular topic.
"Coffee drinking appears safe within usual patterns of consumption," Poole's team concluded in their research, published in the BMJ British medical journal late Wednesday.
Drinking coffee was consistently linked with a lower risk of death from all causes and from heart disease. The largest reduction in relative risk of premature death is seen in people consuming three cups a day, compared with non-coffee drinkers.
Drinking more than three cups a day was not linked to harm, but the beneficial effects were less pronounced.
Coffee was also associated with a lower risk of several cancers, including prostate, endometrial, skin and liver cancer, as well as type 2 diabetes, gallstones and gout, the researchers said. The greatest benefit was seen for liver conditions such as cirrhosis of the liver.
Poole's team noted that because their review included mainly observational data, no firm conclusions could be drawn about cause and effect. But they said their findings support other recent reviews and studies of coffee intake.The AFL-CIO and affiliated unions have organized a day of action Wednesday, June 3, to urge Congress to stop “fast track” trade legislation.
The Senate voted 62-37 on May 22 to approve fast-track, which would let President Obama and his successor jam through Congress legislation implementing so-called “free trade” pacts with limited debate, no changes, no worker rights, no environmental protections and on single up-or-down votes.
Debate now shifts to the U.S. House, where Speaker John Boehner said he wants to pass fast-track by June 30.
To take part in the day of action, call 1-855-712-8441 or visit www.nofasttrack.com
Unions and their environmental, community, religious, retiree and human rights allies have marshaled forces to lobby lawmakers to oppose fast-track, notably the most-dangerous “free trade” pact it would allow, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a massive deal that would involve all nations bordering the Pacific Ocean.
“We’ve been preparing for this fight for two years,” said Communications Workers President Larry Cohen, who is particularly outspoken about the negative impact of the TPP.
The TPP, like other trade pacts, has been negotiated in secret, and Obama says he needs fast-track to keep the secrecy and assure other nations that once the pact is signed, it stays as all the nations agreed. Unions and their allies reply it’s not secret for companies, but only for the U.S. people and their lawmakers: Obama’s trade representative has 600 corporate officials and lobbyists “advising” him in the room during the talks.
“Who wants to buy a pig in a poke?” Bricklayers President James Boland asks of the TPP. “If it’s such a great deal, tell us what’s in it.
“And if I go into a union hall and make an agreement” – a contract with management – “I need to be able to explain it. If I couldn’t, I’d get thrown out at the next election,” Boland adds.
Teamsters President James Hoffa said fast-track’s road to the TPP “will jeopardize the U.S. economy by shipping jobs overseas and lowering wages at home” and “it will hurt democracy by making it possible for foreign corporations to pursue the overturning of laws they don’t like.
Because free trade deals lack meaningful worker and environmental protections, they often don’t benefit developing countries either, where wages for many workers remain low.Donald Trump surged to a 9-point lead over Hillary Clinton in the latest New Hampshire poll for president.
Inside Sources reported:
Trump Takes 9-Point Lead Over Clinton in Granite State
An InsideSources/NH Journal poll finds that incumbent U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte is gaining momentum in her race against New Hampshire Gov. Maggie Hassan. Ayotte leads Hassan 49 percent to 41.4 percent, with 9.6 percent undecided.
Meanwhile, days after officially receiving the Republican nomination in Cleveland, the poll shows businessman Donald Trump leads former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton 47.9 percent to 38.5 percent in New Hampshire, with 13.6 percent undecided.
InsideSources tested a negative message for each of the major party’s candidates for Senate. When voters were asked if Ayotte’s intention to vote for Donald Trump without endorsing him influenced their support for Ayotte, 46.7 percent reported that this information had no effect on their potential support for Ayotte, while 34.2 percent claimed it made them less likely to support Ayotte, and 17.5 said this information made them more likely to support Ayotte. Women were more likely to be positively swayed by Ayotte’s position on the Republican nominee than men, who were more likely to report the position had no effect on their support for Ayotte.GM food is coming in as a mixed form in some of the imports, sold without any consumer advisories on possible harm.
The official pointed to absence of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)-mandated labelling system that could inform consumers that a particular food does have GM element so the harm should be well known.
New Delhi: Imported genetically modified (GM) food appears to be circulating uncontrolled in the country without any consumer advisories on possible harm, according to admission of a top government official before a parliamentary panel which, for now, has red-flagged introduction of GM crops in the country without evaluation of biosafety and socio-economic desirability.
“There are certain GM food which we are told is coming in as a mixed form in some of the imports that is happening,” an official of the department of health research told the parliamentary panel, chaired by Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury, which recently submitted a report on “Genetically modified crops and its impact on environment”.
The official pointed to absence of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)-mandated labelling system that could inform consumers that a particular food does have GM element so the harm should be well known.
The department-related parliamentary standing committee on science and technology and environment and forest has now “strongly” recommended to the FSSAI that labelling on imported GM food must be done with “immediate effect”.
The committee took note of the official’s submission that FSSAI’s scientific panel for the genetically modified organism in food has recommended mandatory labelling for designated food products that have GM ingredient of 5 per cent or more.
Hinting at the existence of an unregulated system under which Indians may already be unknowingly consuming imported GM food, the official of the department of health research said, “Once the labelling comes into force, some of the imported items – where we are still not very clear what the elements of GM food are – is something they are still working on.”
By the official’s own admission before the committee no GM food product has “really been approved so far” yet there are such food coming into the country as a mixed form in some of the imports.
The official also hinted that there was virtually no system in sight, in the near future, on how or who will set standards for GM food consumption.
The committee in its 301st report presented to the Rajya Sabha chairman last month, also expressed surprise over absence of an in-house scientific study by the department of health research on impact of GM food on human health.
Ms Chowdhury noted with pain that the secretary of department of health research that no study till date has been carried out on impact of GM crops on human health.
The official told the committee, “In terms of food, it would be very difficult to design a study where you tell one group of people that you have to take only this GM food and, then, tell another group to not take that GM food. Then, you have to follow them for many years. |
04 Floating WorldScotland is to adopt a new approach to dealing with female offenders with a move towards custody in the community, backed by targeted support to address underlying issues and action to reduce the numbers of women receiving custodial sentences.
Under plans unveiled by Justice Secretary Michael Matheson, a new small national prison with 80 places will be created, alongside five smaller community-based custodial units each accommodating up to 20 women across the country.
The smaller community-based custodial units will provide accommodation as women serve out their sentence, with access to intensive support to help overcome issues such as alcohol, drugs, mental health and domestic abuse trauma which evidence shows can often be a driver of offending behaviour. The units will be located in areas close to the communities of female offenders so that family contact can be maintained.
There will also be more use of community-based alternatives to short-term prison sentences, including restricting liberty through the increased use of electronic monitoring, combined with support in the community, and more funding will be made available for community-based services which provide robust and effective alternatives to custody.
Ministers also plan to consult shortly on proposals to further strengthen the presumption against short-term prison sentences.
The proposals have been shaped by experts from both within Scotland and across the world who visited Scotland last month to share their expertise. The proposals are to be backed by capital investment of up to £82 million, with additional annual resource costs made available to ensure women both in custody and in the community are able to access key services.
Speaking during a visit to the acclaimed 218 centre in Glasgow, Mr Matheson said:
“When I announced in January my decision not to proceed with HMP Inverclyde as a large national prison for women, I said that it did not fit with my vision of how a modern and progressive country should be addressing female offending and that we needed a bolder, more radical and ambitious approach in Scotland.
“Following a period of intensive dialogue with our own experts in Scotland as well as international experts from across the world, I’m pleased to announce a new approach to how we deal with female offenders.
“These are progressive proposals, they draw on the best available international evidence of what works, but they are tailored to specific circumstances here in Scotland.
“I’ve seen various justice policies labelled as ‘soft’ or ‘tough’ in recent years, but I think the time is right to move away from this kind of narrative – what we are doing here is taking a ‘smart’ approach, just as we’ve seen in our strategy for reducing youth offending which has proven so successful.
“What is important is doing the right thing for Scotland and our communities, based firmly on the evidence of what works in reducing reoffending. That is what we are implementing here.
“Simply locking women up in a large facility doesn’t work. We’ve seen the damaging impact that going in and out of prison has for the women, for their families and for their communities.
“What we need is a new approach. We need to continue to transform and improve services for women so that we can help them to break the cycle of reoffending.
“I believe that accomodating female offenders, where appropriate, in smaller units, close to their families, with targeted support to address the underlying issues such as alcohol, drugs, mental health or domestic abuse trauma is the way ahead.
“It is also in line with previous expert reports by Dame Elish Angiolini and Henry McLeish in which it is recommended that we should target the use of prison where it can be most effective – in punishing serious crime and protecting the public.
“The Scottish Government is determined to reduce the number of women and men serving custodial sentences and we will work closely with local partners to test the most effective ways of reducing the use of remand and short-term sentences.
“It is totally unacceptable that Scotland has the second highest female prison population in Northern Europe, doubling between 2002 and 2012.
“I believe the ambitious vision we are announcing for the future in Scotland offers the best potential to turn around the growth we have seen over the past decade in the female prison population. It offers progressive and effective alternatives to custody which are based on evidence and I believe it will further reduce rates of reoffending right across the country.”
John Scott QC, convenor Howard League for Penal Reform in Scotland said:
“Howard League Scotland welcomed the Cabinet Secretary for Justice’s decision not to proceed with plans to build HMP Inverclyde. His decision was another step towards meeting the recommendations in the 2012 report of the Commission on Women Offenders which was clear that most women in prison in Scotland today do not need to be there for reasons of public safety and that their needs would be better met in the community.
“Since the Cabinet Secretary’s announcement in January, the Government has recognised that more needs to be done to reduce the size of the female prison population in Scotland and we welcome their efforts.
“The emphasis must be on preventing women from becoming caught up in the criminal justice system in the first place, diverting them at the point of arrest and prosecution wherever possible, and reducing the use of remand and short term prison sentences. There must too be sustainable funding for community-based services and there are lessons to be learned from the success of work with young offenders and the reduction in numbers at Polmont.
“If we redouble our efforts and take a ‘whole systems approach’, there is no reason why the success in reducing the number of young people in custody cannot be replicated for women in custody in Scotland.”
Sharon Stirrat, Director of Operations West, Sacro said:
“Sacro welcomes the Scottish Government's plans to address the problems associated with female offending and incarceration, as well as the wider measures aimed at reducing the prison population. Sacro supports the use of credible alternatives to imprisonment for women, many of whom present with multiple and complex issues. The strong focus on recovery, improved partnership working and the investment in community-based services offer an encouraging way forward.”
Martin Cawley, Chief Executive for Turning Point Scotland said:
“We are delighted to welcome the Justice Secretary to Turning Point Scotland 218 today.
“Any plan to focus on the underlying issues of offending is to be welcomed.
“Community based alternatives to custody, like our 218 service, support women to make positive long lasting change in their lives. By provided a structured environment, in an area they are familiar with will help them to tackle the issues that they have struggled with.
“We know from our experience that many of the women using 218 have a range of complex needs such as addiction, poor mental health or physical health and trauma. By addressing these, it reduces the likelihood of them reoffending in the future.”Do Fast & Furious Stars Still Look Cool In Kiddie Cars? By Sean O'Connell Random Article Blend
So far, in a head-to-head box office comparison, Fast & Furious 6 isn’t moving quite as successfully as Fast Five. As
The Photoshops are pretty damn funny, with the stars of the franchise added to the plastic kid cars we all stared practicing on when we were children. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson firing a gun over the smiley face of the Little Tike car is mildly disturbing. But Paul Walker seems to fit right in with the concept. I think that he could carry his own Little Tikes spinoff movie. Hey, if Vin Diesel can do The Pacifier, then anything is possible.
Not that the producers of the Fast series need ideas. As you might have already heard, they are moving ahead almost immediately in Insidious director
And then, maybe for part eight, we can get these road warriors in the kiddie cars, and see who still looks like a bad ass. So far, in a head-to-head box office comparison,isn’t moving quite as successfully as. As BoxOfficeMojo points out, after six days, the latest chapter is about $70 million behind its immediate predecessor … still impressive, but losing a little bit of steam. Perhaps it’s time for the franchise to start thinking about an overhaul, and NextMovie has an idea. Kiddie Cars.The Photoshops are pretty damn funny, with the stars of the franchise added to the plastic kid cars we all stared practicing on when we were children. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson firing a gun over the smiley face of the Little Tike car is mildly disturbing. But Paul Walker seems to fit right in with the concept. I think that he could carry his ownspinoff movie. Hey, if Vin Diesel can do, then anything is possible.Not that the producers of theseries need ideas. As you might have already heard, they are moving ahead almost immediately in a seventh Fast film, which will be in theaters next July.director James Wan is taking over for Justin Lin, with rumored filming locations to include Tokyo (DRIFT!!!!), Los Angeles and the Middle East.And then, maybe for part eight, we can get these road warriors in the kiddie cars, and see who still looks like a bad ass. Michelle Rodriguez Explains Why She Hasn't Signed On For Fast and Furious 9 Yet Blended From Around The Web Facebook
Back to topDo You Believe in Ghosts?
Are you an avid seeker of paranormal experiences or do you just get a sudden chill on the back of your neck when visiting spooky places? Perhaps you don’t believe in ghosts at all. I can’t say if there are really spirits from beyond that lurk around us, but I have occasionally been a frightened traveler in eerie places. Let me tell you about the Blue Lady ghost.
Yesterday, I decided to take a drive to the coast for a little lunch and ghost hunting. I was so brave.
The Setting
Built by Frank Torres in 1927, Frank’s Place operated as a speakeasy and was popular with silent film stars, notables such as writer Dashiell Hammett, and San Francisco politicians (which explains why it was never raided during Prohibition). Frank’s Place continued to be a successful business even after the Prohibition Act was repealed in 1933 and it’s now known as Moss Beach Distillery. The restaurant is located just off the Pacific Coast Highway in Moss Beach, California seven miles north of Half Moon Bay and about 25 miles south of San Francisco.
Although the sun was shining when I took the photo above, skies were more ominous most of the afternoon, as seen in this photo taken from inside.
The Lady and the Ghost
Opinions are varied about whether or not the restaurant is haunted, but there are psychics and paranormal investigators who believe that there is a ghost, rather famously known as the Blue Lady. Over the years, restaurant employees and customers have claimed to witness bizarre phenomena such as moving objects, and to have the eerie sensation that there is an invisible presence. Even customers who don’t know the story of the Blue Lady have asked if the place is haunted. From the 1930s to the 1960s, there were many who said they saw the lady dressed in blue, but now she mostly stays out of sight, favoring playful pranks and mischief.
According to those who say they’ve communicated with the spirit, the woman’s name was Elizabeth Claire Donovan. However, psychic Annette Martin says that Elizabeth prefers to be called “Catye”. There are various theories about Catye, a common one being that in the 1930s she was a married woman from San Francisco who had left an abusive husband. She met a handsome man who played the piano at the bar in Frank’s Place and was often there to be with him. One night, her husband found her and a fight erupted between him and Catye’s lover on the secluded beach below Frank’s Place.
Because there are no reliable records of what actually occurred, the story is pretty hazy. But it’s said that the next morning a beautiful woman dressed in blue was found stabbed to death on the beach — presumably Catye, murdered by her husband. According to legend, her lover was injured in the fight, but was back at the piano the next night; the husband was never found; and Catye continues to search for her lover at the Distillery.
A Table for the Blue Lady
Do you see Catye and her ghostly friends having lunch? Actually, people had just finished lunch and left, but some believe that table to be the Blue Lady’s favorite spot in the main dining room. Other paranormal investigators have said that she is often in the dining area on the lower level. A waitress told me that she has not yet seen any of the ghost’s shenanigans because she’s only been there for a year and always works in the daytime, but she’s looking forward to such an opportunity.
A Scary Restroom
Around the corner at the end of this dark, quiet hallway are the restrooms. I jumped a little as a woman was coming out of the Ladies’ just as I started to open the door. Once inside, I glanced at the mirror in which some have reported seeing the Blue Lady’s image, afraid of what I might find looking back at me. I felt a bit uneasy in there, so I got in and out as quickly as possible! I guess I’m not a very brave ghost hunter, after all.
Don’t Be Afraid of the Blue Lady
Ghost or no ghost, the Seal Cove Patio on the lower level is a wonderful place for sitting near a fire pit bundled up in blankets on a cool evening while watching a sunset over the Pacific Ocean. It is a dog-friendly patio, so bring your pet if it’ll keep your spirits up.
For more information: Moss Beach DistilleryDaredevil made its debut on Netflix a week ago and it is already the second most pirated show. Congratulations!
Episodes from Daredevil, the first television show in the Marvel-Netflix partnership, have been downloaded by 2.1 million individual users worldwide, according to data from piracy-tracking firm Excipio.
The most of the illegal downloads came from users from Brazil, USA, India, United Kingdom, France, and Australia. In the 10-16 time frame, HBO's Game Of Thrones was the only other show to be pirated more than Daredevil. The show is generally the most pirated but got extra attention last week when the first four episodes from season five leaked online before the season premiere. That show was downloaded by 6.5 million individual users worldwide.
It’s time to let the devil out. Marvel’s Daredevil is here to clean up the streets of Hell’s Kitchen, New York. Lawyer by day, street-level hero by night, Matt Murdock is on a mission to make his city a better place against an underground terror within the city.Donald Trump organization’s official website Trump.com was attacked by hackers yesterday and a message was posted in which Jon Stewart was praised vehemently as he bids farewell to The Daily Show.
Apparently, the Twitter profile @TelecomixCanada is responsible for the hack and message posting.
The message reads: “Know, Sir, that your steadfast dedication to the irony and power of Truth has inspired a generation which we ourselves now serve. That our collective thanks appear here will, we hope, amuse you as much as it will them.”
It is also stated that the message serves as,
“A measure of the respect with which we hold you and the depth of appreciation we have of your time with us.”
In case you are wondering why Trump’s website was targeted then it can be said that it has got something to do with the way, The Donald’s campaign has entertained Stewart in his final few shows.
This is not the first time when Tump’s website has been hacked. In 2011, trump.com was hacked and defaced by a Tunisian hacker.
The mirror link for the defacement in 2011 is available below
http://www.zone-h.org/mirror/id/14129781
In February 2013, Donald Trump had his official twitter account hacked where hacker posted Lil Wayne’s song “These hoes think they classy, well that’s the class I’m skippen,”
Trump’s hotels also came under attack with a massive credit card breach of its customers.
[src src=”source” url=”http://bigstory.ap.org/article/6ea25d51cf4d4d7c83643f5ecea6fb6e/attack-targets-trump-website-gawker-posts-old-cell-number”]AP[/src]The Steam Community has been blocked in China. According to those living behind the Great Firewall, all of Steam’s community features have been inaccessible since around December 15. The Steam client and Steam store are reported to be unblocked, but at least one user stated that their download speeds have been heavily throttled when accessing the service.
So far Steam has operated their Chinese store without explicit permission from the Chinese government. Many think that Steam has remained unaffected by the heavy censorship the Chinese government typically levies against foreign works because Perfect World, publisher of DOTA 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive in China, came to an agreement with the government to allow Steam to remain unblocked by the Great Firewall.
Steam in China had avoided government interference with content up to this point. Games like Gears of War 4, sold on PC through the Windows 10 store, were removed when the Ministry of Culture deemed them too violent or “counter-revolutionary.” However, till now Chinese gamers could purchase games like Grand Theft Auto 5 that have been banned from distribution through other means of retail.
China’s Steam store has been lucrative for video game developers, since it’s been the only avenue they could get their product onto the market there. China, with its improving conditions and vast population, may be the biggest potential video game market on the planet. However, due to government regulation, Chinese companies have traditionally been the gatekeepers of the video game industry in China. Valve has had to distribute their titles through Perfect World, and the PUBG Corporation and Bluehole have partnered with Tencent to begin bringing PUBG to the Chinese market.
There is a theory that the launch of Tencent’s new “WeGame” platform this September might be one of the reasons Steam is being cracked down on. Chinese companies are given heavy preferential treatment over foreign entities by the government, and this could potentially be a power play for PC game distribution hegemony.
For now, Chinese Steam users can still log into the app and access the store and their library. However, with no official release from Valve or the Chinese government, we’re left with a lot of questions on what’s going on.United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has confirmed the Palestinians will formally become a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on April 1 and the court's registrar said on Wednesday that jurisdiction would date back to June 13, 2014.
This means the court's prosecutor could investigate the 50-day war between Israel and Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip in July and August 2014, during which more than 2,100 Palestinians, 67 Israeli soldiers and six civilians in Israel were killed.
The Hague-based court handles war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. It could exercise jurisdiction over such crimes committed by anyone on Palestinian territory. Israel, like the United States, is not a an ICC member, but its citizens could be tried on accusations of crimes on Palestinian land.
On Friday the Palestinians delivered to U.N. headquarters documents to join the Rome Statute of the ICC and other international treaties, in a move that has heightened tensions with Israel and could lead to cuts in U.S. aid.
Ban announced in a letter posted to a U.N. website late on Tuesday that the Palestinians would formally become an ICC member on April 1. The United Nations is the official depositary of the Rome Statute and many other treaties.
The United States said on Wednesday it does not believe Palestine is a sovereign state and therefore does not qualify to be part of the International Criminal Court.
Experts said the only apparent way to challenge the Palestinians' eligibility to be an ICC member would be in court.
“The most likely challenge would be if an Israeli national ever came before the court,” said Dov Jacobs, a law professor at Leiden University in the Netherlands.
“A defense lawyer could try to challenge the case's legality by arguing to judges that Palestine was not a state,” he said. Few scholars say that such an argument would be successful.
The Palestinian government signed the Rome Statute on Dec. 31, a day after a bid for independence by 2017 failed at the U.N. Security Council.
The Palestinians, who have been locked in a bloody conflict with Israel for decades, seek a state that covers Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem – lands Israel captured in a 1967 war.
Momentum to recognize a Palestinian state has built since President Mahmoud Abbas succeeded in a bid for de facto recognition of statehood at the U.N. General Assembly in 2012, making Palestinians eligible to join the ICC.Ready to fight back? Sign up for Take Action Now and get three actions in your inbox every week. You will receive occasional promotional offers for programs that support The Nation’s journalism. You can read our Privacy Policy here. Sign up for Take Action Now and get three actions in your inbox every week.
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Never has a hurricane been more aptly, if tragically, named than Sandy, the superstorm that flooded New York City and battered much of the East Coast. At press time, the storm had killed at least forty-three people and caused an estimated $32 billion in damages to buildings and infrastructure—figures expected to increase in the coming days as emergency personnel pick through the wreckage—and left 8 million homes without electricity. Ad Policy
Sandy is short for Cassandra, the Greek mythological figure who epitomizes tragedy. The gods gave Cassandra the gift of prophecy; depending on which version of the story one prefers, she could either see or smell the future. But with this gift also came a curse: Cassandra’s warnings about future disasters were fated to be ignored. That is the essence of this tragedy: to know that a given course of action will lead to disaster but to pursue it nevertheless.
And so it has been with America’s response to climate change. For more than twenty years, scientists and others have been warning that global warming, if left unaddressed, would bring a catastrophic increase in extreme weather—summers like that of 2012, when the United States endured the hottest July on record and the worst drought in fifty years, mega-storms like the one now punishing the East Coast.
Hurricanes are fueled by hot ocean surface temperatures. The Atlantic Ocean is about five degrees Fahrenheit hotter than usual this fall, and as Katharine Hayhoe of Texas Tech University has noted, about 15 percent of this extra heat is directly due to global warming. The flooding unleashed by Sandy is especially destructive, Hayhoe adds, because global warming has caused sea levels in the New York region to rise by one foot over the past century.
But scientists’ warnings have been by and large ignored—at least within the corridors of power in Washington. As in the myth of Cassandra, today it remains unclear whether even the latest catastrophe—the devastation of America’s greatest city, its center of commerce, finance and, tellingly, the news media—will cause the nation to wake up and take serious action.
There are signs of hope. Speaking Tuesday in Minneapolis, former president Bill Clinton called out Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney for ridiculing the idea of fighting climate change, thereby becoming the first political heavyweight to explicitly link Sandy with climate change. Slowing the rise of the oceans, as candidate Barack Obama pledged to do in 2008, but which Romney mocked in his address to this year’s Republican national convention, sounds like a pretty good idea in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Clinton said, adding, “In my part of America, we would like it if someone could have done that yesterday.”
New York governor Andrew Cuomo, in a press briefing Tuesday morning, did not raise the climate connection himself but did affirm it. “We have a 100-year flood every two years now,” Cuomo said he told president Obama by telephone. “Anyone who thinks that there is not a dramatic shift in weather patterns is denying reality,” Cuomo added.
Obama himself, however, has not linked Sandy with climate change, thereby continuing the climate silence that has characterized both his and Governor Romney’s presidential campaigns. Climate change went completely unmentioned in all three of the Romney-Obama debates, as well as in the debate between Vice President Joe Biden and Congressman Paul Ryan. This was historic: it marked the first time since 1984 that climate change was not discussed in any of the campaign debates. And when Obama was finally questioned about the omission last week in an interview with MTV, what was his response? Obama said he was “surprised” that climate change hadn’t come up in the debates—as if he himself had nothing to do with that result. After all, he’s only the president of the United States. Yet somehow Obama found plenty of time in the debates to brag about the record amount of oil drilling and pipeline laying his administration has presided over.
As bad as the presidential candidates have been, the mainstream media continues to treat climate change as a third-tier issue that matters only to a niche audience of environmentalists. Moderating the second Romney-Obama debate, CNN’s Candy Crowley did an admirable job of keeping the discussion moving and correcting candidates’ misstatements. But she reflected the media’s beltway mentality when she later explained why she had not brought up the climate issue. She had thought about it, she said—apparently she had been deluged with requests to do so from what she called “you climate people”—but in the end decided that the economy was really the issue people wanted to hear about.
Tell that to the insurance industry, which now faces at least $20 billion in damage claims following Hurricane Sandy. Tell it to America’s taxpayers, who are on the hook for an estimated $10–12 billion in additional uninsured damages—a figure that happens to equal the amount taxpayers already provide in subsidies to the oil, gas and coal industries that are most responsible not only for causing global warming but also for blocking government action against it. “How about instead of using our money to fuel climate change, we start using it to help people and stop future disasters?” asks Steve Kretzmann, executive director of Oil Change International.
Above all, tell it to Valerie Baulmer, the heartbroken mother of 11-year-old Jack, who was killed with his best friend, 13-year-old Michael Robson, when the ferocious winds of Hurricane Sandy blew down a tree that smashed the Baulmer’s house in New Salem, New York. “I lost my son,” Ms. Baulmer wailed as she fell into the arms of the boy’s uncle. “I lost my son.”
If there were any poetic justice, this superstorm “would be named Hurricane Chevron or Hurricane Exxon, not Hurricane Sandy,” wrote Bill McKibben, the author and founder of the activist group 350.org. By funding the disinformation campaign that has frightened elected officials out of taking action and left the United States as the only country in the industrialized world where the scientific consensus on man-made climate change is seen as somehow controversial, Chevron, Exxon-Mobil and the rest of the fossil fuel industry have made catastrophes like today’s both more likely and more deadly.
But ours need not be a Greek tragedy. Especially in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, there is no reason to continue disregarding scientists’ warnings about where our current path leads. Nor is there reason to doubt that a better path is possible. The solutions we need—a dramatic increase in energy efficiency; a rapid shift to solar, wind and other clean energy sources; a reversal of our current government subsidy patterns to champion climate-friendly rather than climate-destructive policies; and much else—are already available. Moreover, they promise to advance economic prosperity and summon the best of the American people and spirit.
“We are free to make choices,” says Betsy Taylor, an environmental activist who leads Breakthrough Solutions.
“We can choose to garner all of our ingenuity, our workforce, our schools, churches, farmers, youth and military to transform our buildings, transit systems, food systems, and power sources to become the most efficient, clean energy economy on the planet. Or we can keep drilling and live with the nightmare of extreme droughts, floods and storms. And if fossil fuel companies stand in our way, they underestimate the fury of mothers and fathers who will lay down their lives to stop the drilling and protect their children.”
The challenge of climate change is no longer a technical one, if it ever was. The challenge has always been primarily political, political and ultimately economic, as exemplified by the de facto veto power the richest industry in human history, Big Oil, has long exercised over US federal policy. We as a civilization have known for more than 20 years how to stop global warming: we have to stop burning so much fossil fuel. But Big Oil won’t hear of it. They’d rather relocate the Farm Belt, as Exxon-Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson recently suggested, than leave the last drop of petroleum unburned.
The question Hurricane Sandy really raises, then, is how long Big Oil will be allowed to hold the government of the United States hostage. How long will Exxon-Mobil’s business plans take precedence over the wellbeing and indeed survival of our children? Neither of the two presidential candidates provides great inspiration on this point, though Obama is at least willing to talk about the problem, as when he advocates eliminating some taxpayer subsidies to oil companies. (Romney, for his part, thinks Big Oil has not been favored enough by Washington.)
But no president can cross Big Oil in the way that is required to defuse the climate crisis without the help of a powerful and sustained popular movement. If Hurricane Sandy contributes to building such a movement—and McKibben and his fellow activists at 350.org and allied organizations are launching a national tour shortly after Election Day that aims to do just that—America might still avoid the curse of Cassandra by heeding her warnings at last.Get ready for a new era in Canadian currency.
The Royal Canadian Mint will stop issuing the penny on Monday, Feb. 4, marking the official end of the one-cent coin in Canada. The little copper-coloured coins in your pocket will soon be historical artifacts.
Here are 11 things you should know about the changeover that begins Monday.
Text version below slideshow
Photo gallery 11 Questions About The End Of The Penny See Gallery Canadian Penny Discontinued: Feb. 4 Marks The Official End Of Canada's Copper-Coloured Coin 1 / 11
11 Questions About The End Of The Penny 1 / 11
When Does It End?
The Royal Canadian Mint stopped making new pennies in May, 2012, after the government announced in its spring budget it’s discontinuing the coin. On February 4, 2013, the Mint will stop distributing pennies to financial institutions, marking an official end to the era of the penny. But pennies will still be around, and will only fully disappear as stores stop using them over time.
Do I Have To Stop Using Pennies?
No. You can keep using pennies for as long as you want, but stores will no longer have to accept them. As time goes on, it will become harder and harder to use pennies as fewer and fewer stores accept them.
How Will Prices Change?
They won’t. Or at least they shouldn’t. The idea of “one cent” isn’t going away — a store can still advertise something as costing 99 cents, even if you can’t pay that price physically. It’s only at the point of sale that prices will be rounded up, once taxes and everything else have been calculated.
How Will Rounding Work?
Any price that doesn’t end in a five or a zero will have to be rounded up or down. The Mint has released a set of guidelines for this. If a price is a few cents above a five or zero, you round down; otherwise you round up. So if something costs $1.01 or $1.02, the price become $1.00. If something costs $1.03 or $1.04, it becomes $1.05. But these are guidelines, not the law, and some stores may choose to simply round up for everything.
What About Credit And Debit Cards?
For electronic transactions, cheques and money orders, nothing will change. A $1.03 purchase on Interac will still cost you $1.03.
Are We Ready For This?
Maybe. Almost. According to a survey from the Retail Council of Canada, nearly a quarter of Canadian retailers say they’re not prepared for the switch, with another quarter uncertain. So prepare for the possibility of a few glitches here and there at the checkout line, as retailers adjust to the new reality.
Has Anyone Tried This Before?
Sure. Australia got rid of its penny in 1966, when it switched from the Australian pound to the Australian dollar. The land down under has been doing nicely with five-cent pieces ever since. And over the years countries have often eliminated their smallest currency denominations as inflation ate into their value.
Will My Pennies Be Worth More Once The Penny Is Eliminated?
It’s inevitable that pennies will go up in value as they become historical artifacts. But don’t expect them to make you a millionaire anytime soon. There are literally billions and billions of Canadian pennies out there, with a market value of about 1.5 cents each, based on their metal content. It will take many years for pennies to become valuable collectors’ items.
But the pennies in your pocket are actually already worth more than their face value, thanks to the high price of metals in recent years. One of the main reasons for discontinuing the penny is that it costs more to produce than it’s worth. So if nothing else, you can always sell a penny for scrap metal, and make a (tiny) profit.
How Can I Get Rid Of My Pennies?
If you’re not interested in collecting pennies on the chance they’ll go up in value, you can take them to your local bank. They’ll pay you for the pennies’ value in a larger denomination, and send the pennies along to the government, which will in turn reimburse the bank.
How Many Pennies Are They Taking Out Of Circulation?
The Royal Canadian Mint says it’s nearly impossible to tell how many pennies there are in circulation, because of hoarding by consumers. But in recent years more than 800 million pennies were minted per year, typically, though the numbers fluctuated wildly from year to year. In 2011, the Mint issued 1.1 billion pennies, up from 486 million the year before. So it’s fair to say there are billions and billions of them out there.
What Coin Will They Get Rid Of Next?
It will probably be some time before Canada eliminates another coin denomination, but there is already chatter out there about the nickel being more trouble than it’s worth....Something always happens at Le Mans. Something happens at every MotoGP race, of course, but Le Mans seems to always have more than its fair share of happenings. Unlikely events, weird crashes, high drama. Marco Simoncelli taking out Dani Pedrosa. Casey Stoner announcing his retirement. Things that nobody had seen coming emerge from the shadows. News that was half suspected is suddenly thrust into the limelight. Something always happens at Le Mans.
This year, it was the turn of Honda to make the headlines, not something you want to do at Le Mans. The weakness of the bike was finally exposed, with three factory Hondas all crashing out, and the fourth one looking likely to do the same at any moment. Dani Pedrosa and Scott Redding suffered identical crashes, losing the front early in the race. Cal Crutchlow's crash was different. He made a mistake when his foot slipped off the peg, grabbing the front brake harder than he meant to and locking the front as he turned in to La Chapelle, the long downhill right hander. But up until that moment, he had been struggling with exactly the same lack of front end grip on corner entry. Marc Márquez' spectacular and wild first few laps saw him running off the track just about everywhere, as he tried to brake hard and enter the corner, but ended up running wide.
At last there was confirmation of something which all of the Honda riders had been saying since last year. Cal Crutchlow's first reaction when he got off the RC213V was "I'll tell you what, it's a hard bike to ride." Scott Redding said much the same. "It's a difficult bike to ride, a lot more difficult than the Open Honda." Such statements were met with outright skepticism by most observers. After all, this was the same bike on which Marc Márquez had won the first ten races of the season, before going on to wrap up his second title in a row virtually unchallenged.
That was probably part of the problem. The Honda was nowhere near as good as Marc Márquez was making it look. "In my opinion, the talent of Marc hides some limits of the Honda," said Andrea Dovizioso in the post-race press conference. "He's the only one able to go fast, also last year, but especially this year. I believe Honda in this moment doesn't have a perfect balance."
Sound familiar? Once upon a time, there was a manufacturer whose MotoGP bike got worse each year, as the engineering team failed to listen to the complaints of the riders. There can't be much wrong with the bike, they reasoned. After all, their rider won a championship on it and was still winning races, right? In 2015, history is repeating itself. The engineers are chasing the limits shown by the data, while ignoring the urgent message coming from the riders. What we once used to refer to as Stoner Syndrome – a bike being made to look much better than it really is by the sheer talent of the rider winning on it – we can now rename Márquez' Condition. This is not a new phenomenon. Back when Wayne Rainey was winning title after title on the Yamaha YZR500, all the while complaining about what a terrible bike it was, his team manager Kenny Roberts kept telling him that until he stopped winning, Yamaha's engineers weren't going to take a blind bit of notice.
The 2015 Honda is nowhere near as bad as the 2009 Ducati was, but it is clearly inferior to the current iterations of the Yamaha and Ducati. The 2015 RC213V is the third best bike on the grid, by some margin. When it is working right, it brakes deeper and turns better than any bike on the grid. When it isn't, |
as we find a greater amount of our time available to pursue the exploration of our inner dimension.
And though this is not a solution to every issue arising from human interaction – we will always have our personal disagreements – the overall health of society, and the individuals within that society, will skyrocket. Yes, we may still argue with others over the smaller issues in our lives, and some may choose to behave violently, but the numbers of occurrences will drop to a level we would consider statistically insignificant. Definitely a vast improvement over what we see today.
When you consider what I present here, ask yourself these questions:
Does this threaten a pet vision – passing laws, say, to solve a problem you see, or a view of striking it rich – that you have of your future? Does this scare you? Do you look for reasons that it won’t work? (All you envision as barrier issues – are scarcity paradigm views).
Then ask yourself why working towards what I present here won’t solve the issue you want to solve; why you wouldn’t be rich in what I show to you; why it wouldn’t fulfill your idea of heaven; why you are afraid; and/or why you look for reasons it won’t work – rather than apply the proactive will to make this happen.
If we each choose to create this, since we have all it would take, consciously co-creating towards this goal, what I present would happen. It would take enough of us reaching a tipping point before it would all be downhill, and you may choose your future behavior. Speak for abundance, or reduce the chances that this will ever happen by keeping silent.
In closing, I recommend any who work for someone else and also are privy to information (such as methods of extracting usable energy from the plenum) give strong consideration to coming forth with what is known. In the end, you and all of us will be better off – and even today’s power elite will retain their lifestyle, if not their power over us.
Further reading:
The Abundance Paradigm, by Amaterasu
Another Letter from the Future, by Amaterasu
Secrets of Antigravity Propulsion, by Dr. Paul A. LaViolette
To sign a petition for the release of electrogravitics technology:
Twitter: @AmaterasuSolar Blog: http://12160.info/profiles/blog/list?user=140qdp6r9v238 You can support this article by voting on Reddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/conspiracy/comments/rmh9o/the_end_of_entropy_a_look_at_our_entropic_world/CLEVELAND — Donald Trump has cleared room in prime time for more of his vanquished rivals at the GOP convention, adding Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to Wednesday night's lineup, which also features Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.
Neither is described as a headliner, unlike Trump's pick for the next first lady. Melania Trump will be a featured speaker on Monday night, assigned to showing more of her husband's personal side to the electorate.
Aides refrained from shooting down speculation that Trump — a consummate showman — will also appear at Quicken Loans Arena then, three days before he'll formally accept the Republican nomination for president. (Monday morning, Manafort confirmed that Trump will join his wife in the arena. They'll fly back to New York afterward, and Trump will more formally arrive in Cleveland on Wednesday.)
Until Sunday's announcement, Rubio had been expected to shun the convention, though Cruz met with Trump two weeks ago and accepted an invitation to speak. Neither has paid the expected price of that spotlight by offering an explicit endorsement.
Mike Huckabee on Sunday night chided other 2016 also-rans who've so far shunned Trump and the convention as "petulant" and dishonorable.
The senators will serve as warm-up acts of sorts for Trump running mate Mike Pence, the governor of Indiana, along with Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, an early casualty of the 2016 contest.
Speaking on Monday night will be former Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Like Rubio, he was a fierce critic of Trump before being forced from the race, labeling the eventual winner a "cancer on conservatism." Later, he backed Cruz, and when Trump was the last man standing, Perry jumped aboard, even eagerly offering his services as a vice president.
Trump also awarded prime-time slots to Pence's runners-up in the veepstakes. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie will address the delegates on Tuesday night. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is part of the Wednesday night lineup.
"We're not going to have the traditional wall-to-wall speakers from Washington,"said Trump campaign chief Paul Manafort. As for the candidate himself, he said: "Donald Trump will be Donald Trump. Scripted is the wrong word, asking me how we'll be."
Among the nonpolitical speakers: each of Trump's adult children; former Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell of Lone Survivor fame; actor Scott Baio; Dana White, president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship; golf pro Natalie Gulbis; and venture capitalist Peter Thiel, who brought the world PayPal.
Of 19 speakers listed as "headliners," six are named Trump — the candidate, his wife and children.
Perry, an Air Force veteran, Texas' longest serving governor and a two-time presidential candidate, will speak Monday night — the same night as Luttrell, whom Perry and his wife helped recover from the trauma of his Afghanistan ordeal. Pat Smith, whose son was killed in the attack in Benghazi, and two Marine veterans who survived that fight, will also speak.
The target clearly will be Democrat Hillary Clinton, secretary of state during that attack.
Thiel reportedly would be the first openly gay speaker at a Republican convention.
Manafort turned aside the idea that this explained his presence, though Trump is far more open to gay marriage and LGBT rights than many Republican activists. And the platform adopted last week contains anti-gay language, including a plank that gay rights activists view as an embrace of "conversion therapy," despite Trump's disapproval.
"Mr. Trump embraces many of the aspects of the platform," Manafort said, stepping carefully.
As for Thiel, he said, the investor is speaking because he's a successful businessman and knows Trump on a personal level.
"As far as his sexual preference, as [RNC chairman Reince] Priebus has said, this is an open tent party.... I don't think that's the basis for why he's on the program," Manafort said.
Convention organizers unveiled a night-by-night set of themes, all riffs on Trump's campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again" — Make America Safe Again, Make America Work Again, Make America First Again, and Make America One Again.
"The stage is incredible. Mr. Trump loves it. Mrs. Trump loves it more," Manafort said.
He also took a victory lap over the "conscience clause" fight in the GOP Rules Committee. A small "dump Trump" faction wanted to free delegates to vote for nominees other than the ones who won their states' primaries.
"The attempts to try and discredit the primary season and the votes of millions of Republicans and independents was rejected by the delegates overwhelmingly. It was crushed," Manafort said.
Even if the anti-Trump crowd succeeded, he said, Trump would still win the nomination.
"Of course, he would win. This is a Trump convention.... The party is united. There is much ado about very little," he said.
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Brexit leader Nigel Farage will attend Republican National ConventionEngland are playing Scotland at Wembley for the first time since August 2013
Fifa has turned down a request from England and Scotland for players to wear armbands featuring poppies when they face each other at Wembley on Armistice Day, says the Scottish Football Association (SFA).
The two nations meet in a 2018 World Cup qualifier on 11 November, the day when the United Kingdom traditionally remembers its war dead.
SFA chief Stewart Regan says Fifa, which bans political, religious or commercial messages on shirts, is "sticking to the letter of the law".
The two football associations hope to change Fifa's mind.
MP Damian Collins - chair of the Commons' Culture, Media and Sport select committee - has written to Fifa president Gianni Infantino asking for the world governing body to reconsider its decision.
Separately, the Football Association of Wales says it is seeking approval for its players to wear the poppy symbol on their shirts when they play Serbia at the Cardiff City Stadium on 12 November.
The football associations of England, Scotland and Wales also want to know what the potential punishments could be should they decide to flout the rules.
Fifa, football's world governing body, has not indicated whether a points penalty would be under consideration.
Regan said he and FA chief executive Martin Glenn would be meeting Fifa officials on Thursday to discuss the poppy issue.
"We will be asking for their support to try to give the people of England and Scotland what they want," Regan told BBC Radio 5 live. "That is to use this match of a way of remembering people who lost their lives in the war.
"I can understand why they are doing this, but it is nothing more than a mark of respect. It is a personal choice. This is not about making some political point."
The compromise of wearing a printed poppy on an armband was brokered for England's 1-0 friendly win over Spain at Wembley on 12 November, 2011.
A spokesman for the English FA said: "We are working closely with the Royal British Legion once again this year to honour and remember the sacrifices made by those serving in the armed forces.
"In recent weeks, the FA has led remembrance discussions with Fifa to allow the England team to show its support for the Poppy Appeal during the World Cup qualifier with Scotland."
England are top of their 2018 World Cup qualifying group with seven points from three games. Group F rivals Scotland are fourth with four points.
The top team qualifies automatically for the finals in Russia, with the second-placed side possibly entering a play-off.
Wales lie third in Group D, behind Serbia and the Republic of Ireland.The National Basketball Players Association is being investigated by the US Attorney’s Office in Manhattan after President Derek Fisher asked for independent reviews of its finances and business practices, the union said.
Union Executive Director Billy Hunter was notified of the investigation by subpoena for documents on April 25, according to two people with direct knowledge of the situation. The people were granted anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the investigation.
“The NBPA will cooperate fully with the government’s investigation,” the statement said. The association has appointed a six-member special committee that consists of player representatives and executive committee members to oversee an internal inquiry that will include a financial audit. The statement didn’t say which players would serve on the committee.
The committee has retained Theodore V. Wells, Jr. and the New York law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison to conduct the inquiry. Hunter has recused himself from the process, the statement said.
News of the probe comes a week after the union’s executive committee asked Fisher, an Oklahoma City Thunder guard, to resign following his request for an audit and review of how the organization runs its business. The committee, with the support of Hunter, declined to conduct the reviews and two days later voted to ask for Fisher’s resignation. He refused.
Bloomberg News reported this week that the New York-based union paid $4.8 million to Hunter’s family members and their professional firms since 2001, according to public records.
Hunter, 69, has a daughter and a daughter-in-law on staff at the New York-based association. Another daughter is special counsel at a law firm used by the union, and Hunter’s son is a principal at a financial planning and investment firm that advises the organization.It is time now—drumroll, trumpets, gongs—to announce the winners of the 2013 Eater Awards. In over a dozen categories in 27 cities, the winners comprise a diverse group of the finest and most interesting chefs, operators, and characters in the continent that have defined this year in dining. We applaud them. You are hereby instructed to applaud them. So, without further ado—actually, a few quick pre-ambling thoughts....
To recap, Eater's local editors in 27 cities nominated candidates for five major local categories: Restaurant of the Year, Chef of the Year, Bartender of the Year, So Hot Right Now Restaurant, and Stone Cold Stunner. Eater readers then voted to narrow the field to a final three in each category. From that final three, the Eater editorial team chose the winner. Our Eater National brain trust then got together to decide the national winners for those categories. In addition to these main stage winners, said Eater editorial team has named worthy winners in more specialized categories, for myriad notable achievements.
Nominees and winners alike will be feted at a party tonight in Manhattan. Those winners that couldn't make it should watch their mail for packages containing cans of Italian peeled tomatoes. And now, without further ado, the winners in Atlanta.
Click through for the full rundown of winners across the country on Eater National.
Eater Awards 2013
Restaurant of the Year
Nominees: BoccaLupo, The General Muir, Gunshow, King + Duke, Umi
Finalists: The General Muir, Gunshow, King + Duke
Winner: The General Muir
Chef of the Year:
Nominees: Kevin Gillespie, Todd Ginsberg, Josh Hopkins, Joe Schafer, Tyler Williams
Finalists: Kevin Gillespie, Josh Hopkins, Tyler Williams
Winner: Tyler Williams of Woodfire Grill
So Hot Right Now
Nominees: Gunshow, Ink & Elm, Kimball House, Paper Plane, Sobban
Finalists: Ink & Elm, Kimball House, Gunshow/Paper Plane (tie)
Winner: Kimball House
Bartender of the Year
Nominees: Greg Best, Paul Calvert, Arianne Fielder, Julian Goglia, Miles Macquarrie
Finalists: Arianne Fielder, Julian Goglia, Miles Macquarrie
Winner: Julian Goglia
Stone Cold Stunner
Nominees: The General Muir, Kimball House, King + Duke, KR SteakBar, Saltyard
Finalists: King + Duke, KR SteakBar, Saltyard
Winner: KR SteakBar
Empire Builder of the Year
Winner: Ford Fry
· All Coverage of the Eater Awards [-EATL-]Rather than joy and excitement, the unearthing of what an academic called "a Byzantine Pompeii" at the heart of modern day Thessaloniki, Greece's second city, has caused bitter controversy in a country clutching at economic straws.
We realise how important the find is, but it is impossible to keep it there... We are not willing to wait forever Stratos Simopoulos, Secretary general for public works
Instead of sealing off the ruins, the backers of a key rail project being built at the same site are threatening to have them removed within weeks.
Six metres below ground, archaeologists found what they say exceeded even their wildest dreams: the commercial heart of the ancient city below the commercial heart of the modern one - marked by a crossroads built by Caesar Galerius in the 4th Century and reconstructed two centuries later, when Thessaloniki had become the second city not of a nation-state, but of the multinational Byzantine Empire.
Descending the staircase to reach the closed-to-the-public dig site, you can see an incredibly well-preserved marble-paved road, complete with the remains of what used to be shops, workshops and public buildings and spaces. The road is still visibly etched by the passing of carriages, while the accompanying archaeologist even points to a marble block showing the markings of a noughts-and-crosses game, presumably carved by children playing in the open air market 17 centuries earlier.
Archaeologists and city authorities dream of a metro station combined with a subterranean museum, that will become a major tourist attraction and a constant reminder of the city's glorious past - a past lamentably hidden today by decades of anarchical construction and disastrous city planning.
Image caption One of the central features of the ruins is a 76m section of the city's main paved road (decumanus) which was found in excellent condition Image caption The marble-paved avenue formed a crossroads with the road (cardo) leading to the harbour. The columns were built by metro excavators Image caption Alongside the decumanus are the remains of shops, workshops and public buildings dating from the 6th-9th Centuries AD Image caption The sewer pipe ran alongside the main road Image caption Thessaloniki Mayor Yiannis Boutaris is determined to find a way for the new to live alongside the old previous slide next slide
Engineers with the company implementing the metro project, Attic Metro SA, however, say the two cannot exist together.
Keeping the ruins would mean scrapping the central subway station - and jeopardising the entire 3.5bn-euro (£3bn) EU-co-financed project - one of the few major public works under way in Greece's moribund economy.
It is scheduled to be complete in 2016, missing the initial target by at least four years. The main 9.6km (six-mile) line is meant to transport 250,000 passengers daily, decreasing traffic congestion and air pollution.
Thessaloniki Founded in 315 BC by King Cassander of Macedon; named after his wife, the sister of Alexander the Great
Under Romans, became key commercial and military centre, serving briefly as capital of all Greek provinces
Major early centre of Christianity, which was founded in the city by St Paul the Apostle. Paul's First Epistle to the Thessalonians, written in AD 52, is the first written book in the New Testament
It was the second city of the Byzantine Empire after Constantinople, and the most important imperial urban centre in Europe, with a population exceeding 100,000 in the 14th Century - larger than London's
Following centuries of Ottoman rule, it was annexed to Greece in 1913
Attiko Metro SA is armed with a decision by Greece's Central Archaeological Council, authorising the transfer of the finds to another area. But removing a road complex from its original position is considered by some archaeologists to be tantamount to destroying it.
"Moving it would be catastrophic. A road is not a portable monument. It would lose all reason for being," the director of the Thessaloniki Archaeological Museum, Polyxeni Veleni, told the BBC.
'Impossible to keep'
Stratos Simopoulos, Greece's secretary general for public works, says there is no alternative.
"We realise how important the find is, but it is impossible to keep it there. Everything else is hot air. I respect the archaeologists, but I ask them to respect our expertise as well", he told the BBC.
Mr Simopoulos adds that he is determined to follow the archaeological council decision and remove the road.
"The debate can go on for some weeks, but if a practical alternative is not found by then, we are not willing to wait forever. Politics is not only about consensus, but also about collisions," he said.
Moving it would be catastrophic. A road is not a portable monument. It would lose all reason for being Polyxeni Veleni, Director of Thessaloniki Archaeological Museum
About 450 workers demonstrated this week after being laid off, because the project is stalling.
Any further delay would certainly mean more gloom for the area's shopkeepers, already suffering not only from the country-wide recession, but also from the barricades and noise driving customers away.
Mauricio Serra, an Italian who moved to the city in 2004, owns an optics shop at Venizelos Street, a few metres from the main dig site. He is visibly agitated when asked about the issue.
"We have been plunged into financial trouble for six years already. The project must be completed as soon as possible," he told the BBC.
Despina Makropoulou, the head of the Ninth Ephorate of Byzantine Antiquities and of the excavation, insists it would be a crime to remove the antiquities.
"It is self-evident that we should preserve and showcase the finds for current and future generations," she says.
According to her, this makes even financial sense.
"In Greece, we are not in the business of making cars," she told the BBC at her office, housed in the courtyard of the magnificent 306 AD Rotunda of Galerius.
"Our heavy industry is culture, the heritage of our ancestors. We must be proud, but also worthy of this heritage."
Thessaloniki metro 3.5bn euros (£3bn)
Completion date: 2016-2017 (slipped from 2012)
13 stations
9.6km (six miles) of line
18 state-of-the-art driverless trains Source: Attiko Metro SA
Thessaloniki Mayor Yiannis Boutaris sounds remarkably calm, and confident that human ingenuity will solve the dilemma.
"In our age, nothing is technically impossible," he said.
"And not everything can be measured by money or time. The city needs the subway, but it also needs its heritage."
The City Council, despite having no official say in the matter, will vote on a resolution requesting that the Central Archaeological Council rescinds its decision to remove the finds.
The mayor is confident that the scientists at the city's Aristotle University and Technical Chamber will come up with a solution that has escaped the subway project engineers.
The fate of a road walked by Roman soldiers, Byzantine merchants and Christian saints, hangs in the balance.Virginia Tech head coach Justin Fuente has adjusted the titles of two employees on Thursday, Virginia Tech announced. Long time defensive coordinator Bud Foster has been promoted to associate head coach and linebackers coach Galen Scott to assistant head coach.
Scott officially joined the Virginia Tech staff on Monday. Foster has been on staff at Virginia Tech since 1987.
“Bud Foster and Galen Scott will both be taking on additional leadership roles on our staff,” Fuente said. “I’ve appreciated Galen’s counsel and perspective for many years. It hasn’t taken me long to gain an even deeper respect for Bud and the pulse he has on Virginia Tech and our program. I trust both of them implicitly, and I will lean on them to help ensure we’re always heading in the right direction.”
Want to stay up to date with Virginia Tech athletics? Sign up now for our FREE daily email. To sign up Click Here. Don't forget to download the 247Sports Bolts app in the Apple Store.President of the NAACP chapter in Spokane, Washington, adds in interview with Sky News she did not ‘give two shits’ what her parents said about her ethnicity
Rachel Dolezal strikes defiant tone over ethnicity: 'I consider myself to be black'
The civil rights activist in the middle of a tempest over her ethnicity has insisted she is black and denounced her parents for telling the media she is white.
Race v ethnicity: the curious case of Rachel Dolezal, explained (sort of) Read more
Rachel Dolezal, an outspoken activist for African American culture and racial injustice in Washington state, struck a defiant tone on Friday and said the controversy reflected ignorance over race and ethnicity.
Asked in an interview with Sky News if she identified as African American, Dolezal said she did not like the term.
“I prefer black,” she said. “If I was asked I would say, yes, I would definitely consider myself to be black.”
Dolezal, the head of the Spokane chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), added she did not “give two shits” what her parents said.
She said she was not in touch with the couple because of an ongoing lawsuit and does not view them as her real parents.
The combative statements were likely to inflame an already combustible mix of race, lies and identity that quickly dominated the airwaves and social media.
Rachel Dolezal's deception: her 'black' identity doesn't make sense – or make her black Read more
The city of Spokane is investigating whether Dolezal, 37, misidentified her race on her application for the ombudsman commission, where she serves as chair.
The Eastern Washington University professor has been a prominent activist in the Pacific north-west for years, speaking at demonstrations and giving interviews, including about hate mail and nooses allegedly sent to her, claims which are now also under scrutiny.
Her black persona unravelled this week when Ruthanne and Larry Dolezal, a couple named on her Montana birth certificate as her biological parents, told Spokane’s KREM 2 News that her ancestry was German and Czech, with traces of Native American.
“Rachel has wanted to be somebody she’s not. She’s chosen not to just be herself, but to represent herself as an African American woman or a bi-racial person and that’s simply not true,” said Ruthanne Dolezal. The couple showed a photo of her as a white child with freckles and blond hair.
When a reporter with the TV channel KXLY asked the activist, who now has frizzy hair and apparently browner skin, if she was African American she fled, abandoning her keys and purse. The clip has gone viral, provoking a range of astonishment, scorn, anger and sympathy.
In the interview with Sky, which appeared to be filmed at her office, Dolezal appeared poised and defiant.
Asked about her estranged parents’ statements, she replied: “What I’d say to them is I don’t give two shits what you guys think. You’re so far done and out of my life.”
She said she could “understand” why people may think she was guilty of misrepresentation but did not confirm or deny the accusation, saying she wanted to first discuss the matter with the NAACP: “It’s more important for me to clarify that with the black community and with my executive board than it really is to explain it to a community that, quite frankly, don’t really understand the definitions of race and ethnicity.”
The academic listed her ethnicity as a mix of white, black and Native American in her application to the office of the police ombudsman commission and has implied black heritage in lectures and Facebook posts.
Social media has seized on the story, turning the Eastern Washington University’s professor of African studies into a figure vilified and mocked for cultural appropriation in the midst of fraught debates over transgender identity and police shootings of black people.
There is no comparison between transgender people and Rachel Dolezal | Meredith Talusan Read more
The hashtags #transracial and #wrongskin trended on Twitter, with many expressing indignation and bafflement. Others found the whole affair hilarious. A fake Twitter account, @_RachelDolezal, added to the tumult.
A few voices defended her. A commenter on the Spokesman Review said there was nothing wrong with identifying as a different race. “Obviously she’s probably felt for years that she was black on the inside and denied it all through her childhood... since she’s transitioned and identifies herself as black, than we should just let her be and live her life in peace.”
Mary Elizabeth Williams, a Salon writer, echoed those who said Dolezal’s alleged fraud was unforgivable. “This isn’t about being an ally, or making the family of your choosing, or even how one feels on the inside,” she wrote. “It’s about, apparently, flat out deception.”
The television personality Montel Williams joked about Dolezal’s frizzy-haired attempt to pass as black. “Would love to see #RachelDolezal tanning and perm bills – must be astronomical,” he tweeted.
Rachel Dolezal exposes our delusional constructions and perceptions of race | Steven W Thrasher Read more
The NAACP Alaska-Oregon-Washington State Conference issued a statement sayings it stood behind the Spokane chapter president’s advocacy record. “One’s racial identity is not a qualifying criteria or disqualifying standard for NAACP leadership,” it added. The statement made no mention of her future.
The mayor of Spokane, David Condon, and city council president Ben Stuckart, said in a joint statement they were gathering facts to determine if city policies related to volunteer boards and commissions had been violated. “We are committed to independent citizen oversight and take very seriously the concerns raised regarding the chair of the independent citizen police ombudsman commission.”
Mike Wendling, a BBC journalist who interviewed Dolezal in 2011, said he had not suspected anything was amiss. “She told us that she was of mixed racial heritage but that she primarily identified with her black ancestors,” he wrote.
In recent years Dolezal has reported several hate crimes, including receiving a packet of hateful letters and pictures at the NAACP post office box in North Spokane – a claim that prompted rallies of support outside city hall.
Police are still investigating but said whoever placed the mail must have had access to the box as it was not processed through the regular mail. Dolezal denied any implication that she was responsible.Advertising
Assam had earlier opposed the Centre’s proposal to give work permit to Bangladeshi nationals. (Source: Reuters)
Assam government on Wednesday said it has opposed a proposal from the Centre to give visa-free entry to Bangladeshi nationals below 18 years and above 65 years of age.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said in a press conference here that the Narendra Modi government has sent a list of proposals to the state government this month seeking opinion on the same.
“Few days ago the Centre has sent us a proposal seeking our opinion regarding the lifting of visa for Bangladeshi
nationals for those below 18 years and above 65 years of age. We have expressed our opposition to this,” Gogoi said.
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It is already a very difficult task to trace all the foreign nationals coming in India with a valid visa and “no-visa will make the task even more difficult for government agencies,” Gogoi stressed.
“The Centre has sought our opinion for multiple-entry in a single visa. We have opposed this proposal too,” he said.
The Assam government has, however, accepted two other proposals — starting a Dhaka-Guwahati bus service via Shillong and allowing transit for water transport, he said.
Assam had earlier opposed the Centre’s proposal to give work permit to Bangladeshi nationals.
“We want good relations with all our neighbours, including Bangladesh. But we have to look into the security aspect also as it is very important for us,” he pointed out.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is scheduled for a three-day visit to Bangladesh from June 25 when she is likely to meet top leaders there and discuss vital issues including relaxation of visa norms.
Swaraj’s Dhaka-visit is considered as part of the Modi government’s outreach to neighbouring countries as was evident in the invites sent to top SAARC leaders to attend the swearing-in of the Prime Minister on May 26.
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Incidentally, Modi during his campaigns for this year’s general elections, had said that if BJP comes to power, all illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in India will be deported.Would be Virginia Tech redshirt freshman quarterback Andrew Ford has been granted his release, and is set to transfer according to Norm Wood of the Daily Press.
QB Andrew Ford has received a release from his #Hokies scholarship and plans to transfer, as confirmed by source w/i Tech's athletic dept.— Norm Wood (@normwood) June 2, 2015
Ford, the 2013 Gatorade Pennsylvania Football Player of the Year, enrolled at Tech in January 2014 and dressed for every game, but did not play any snaps. Although, Beamer Co. came close to burning his redshirt in last year's regular season finale against Virginia.
"That was a very physical battle as you'd expect in a rivalry game, and at one point, we had a very serious discussion of a last minute pulling of the redshirt off Andrew Ford," Virginia Tech offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler told BeamerBall.com last December. "Michael Brewer was hurting, Brenden Motley was hurting and we came within a millimeter of burning Ford's redshirt. But, Brewer sucked it up, showed what he has running up and down his spine, hung in there, and found a way to help us win."
Even with Ford's departure, the Hokies remain flush at the quarterback position. Brenden Motley (r-Jr.), Chris Durkin (r-Fr.) and incoming blue chip signal caller Dwayne Lawson will all be listed on the depth chart along with perceived senior starter Michael Brewer this season. Although, there will be less "Ford" puns to go around.
HokieHaven.com also reported redshirt junior tight end Dakota Jackson was granted a release.
According to @Hokie_Haven, QB Andrew Ford & tight end Dakota Jackson left the #Hokies. More on WSLS 10 at 11 p.m. pic.twitter.com/oX2jdSht49— wslsScores (@wslsScores) June 2, 2015
However, for the moment that doesn't seem quite as firm as the Ford news.Sen. Bob Casey, Jr. (D-Pa.) called on his fellow lawmakers on Sunday to increase the tax dollars available to Amtrak following a fatal crash in Philadelphia.
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“We should not, the Congress should not put Amtrak in the position of choosing between positive train control and fixing crumbling bridges,” Casey told host Bob Schieffer on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
“We have to do both,” he said.
“And we’ve got to make sure they have the resources to do that,” he said. “We don’t know the connection between funding and this incident, but regardless, Amtrak needs more funding.”
Amtrak Northeast Regional Train 188 overturned in Philadelphia late Tuesday evening, killing eight passengers and wounding at least 200 more.
Casey said that he backed the implementation of positive train control technology along that railway, Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor.
“It’s a technology that allows the train engineer, if he or she is not slowing the train down appropriately, it can override that human error if the train’s moving too fast,” he said.
“So if you’re a member of Congress, as I am, and the law says, as it does, that by the end of the year, positive train control has to be implemented and deployed, we have to make sure we do everything possible to support Amtrak in completing that assignment,” Casey said.
Casey additionally said he was eager to hear the results of an investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) into the derailment’s cause.
He hinted that Congress might launch its own research for answers depending on the report’s findings in the near future.
“I would guess that the Congress, in its oversight role, would have some sort of investigation beyond the routine appropriations debates,” Casey said.
“But that’s really up to the relevant committees in the House and Senate,” he said.
Congress has divided along party lines on the issue of future funding for Amtrak following Tuesday’s accident.
Many Democrats have argued that the incident was preventable if better safety resources had existed along the Northwest Corridor the train was traveling upon.
Some Republicans have countered that speed, not funding, might have been the primary factor in the deadly event.
Train 188 was reportedly going almost double the speed limit before the moment of impact.
Train 188’s engineer, Brandon Bostian, has since tried cooperating with the NTSB’s investigation despite his claims that he cannot remember most details of the actual crash.Canadian businessman Roland Lescure was so eager to get involved in France's presidential election that he stepped down last month as chief investment officer of the giant pension fund Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec to work on Emmanuel Macron's campaign in Montreal. Now that Mr. Macron has won, Mr. Lescure is going even further and he's been nominated as a candidate in next month's parliamentary elections as part of Mr. Macron's team.
Mr. Lescure is running in one of the 11 constituencies France has set aside in its 577-seat National Assembly to represent the 1.3 million citizens living abroad. His riding is known as the 1re Circonscription, or first constituency, and it consists of Canada and the United States, and has about 200,000 voters. He was one of 428 candidates unveiled on Thursday by Mr. Macron's organization, called La République En Marche! (REM). The remainder will be announced in the next few days.
Like Mr. Macron, Mr. Lescure is a political novice and comes from the world of finance. He also hopes to join the transformation in French politics that has seen voters move away from traditional politicians and parties.
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"It's exciting but also very, very intense," Mr. Lescure said from Paris where he filed his papers to become an official candidate. He won't have long to campaign. France holds two rounds of voting in parliamentary elections, with the top two candidates in the first round facing off against each other in the second round. The first round of voting for the overseas ridings is on June 7, one week before the rest of the country. The second round is on June 17, when everyone else votes as well.
"We basically have 2 1/2 weeks to go around North America and raise the profile of my candidacy," said Mr. Lescure, 50, who was born in Paris and holds French and Canadian citizenship. "The canvassing is going to be long distance." He plans to launch his campaign in New York on Monday and travel around both countries, but most of his team will be based in Montreal.
The parliamentary elections are crucial for Mr. Macron, who won 66 per cent of the vote in Sunday's runoff against Marine Le Pen of the National Front. Without a majority in parliament, he will be unable to pursue his agenda. And there are real questions about whether he can win enough seats. He launched En Marche! barely a year ago and the organization, renamed this week as La République En Marche! (REM), has a scant infrastructure and no political roots in any of the parliamentary ridings.
Mr. Macron, 39, has said he wants to transform French politics and REM has deliberately nominated candidates with little political experience, |
that I’ve missed, please call it out so that I can amend this post for future readers.
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A walkthrough of the H1B application process
This timeline is correct for the federal fiscal year of 2016, which begins on October 1st 2015.
You submit your H1B application on April 1st 2015, if approved, the employee can begin work on October 1st 2015.
January: Find a good lawyer
In all of the H1B applications I’ve been a part of we’ve had the assistance of a great immigration lawyer. It’s possible to hire a lawyer and do the entire application process in February, or even March alone. This timeline is a comfortable, ideal view.
Expect your immigration lawyer to cost $1,000–2,500. Their role is to:
Prepare your application based on information and documentation that you provide, ensuring that everything is order. If you’re missing anything, they should point it out.
Make sure the job title, qualifications, and proposed salary match DOL’s “prevailing wage” requirements.
Make sure that the candidate’s story—education, prior job experience, and immigration history—checks out, picking apart anything that doesn’t add up before the USCIS do.
File your LCA with the DOL and your H1B petition with the USCIS, ensuring that it arrives by April 7 2015.
February: Collect your documentation
Your lawyer will give you a comprehensive list of everything that’s needed. Here’s a list of some of the application documentation that you’ll need to put together. Additional documents will be required if your candidate has an existing visa, is petitioning for their family, etc.
Example H1B Application Documentation
Candidate’s resume.
Job offer letter to your candidate.
Copy of your candidate’s degree certificate and course transcripts.
Your candidate’s most recent prior immigration documentation (I94s, I20s for a candidate who’s studied in the US).
Copy of photo and US visa pages in your candidate’s passport.
Candidate’s contact information and social security number (if they have one).
Name, address and contact information for your company.
Name and job position of the manager at your company.
Your company’s federal tax ID, the year the company was established, number of employees, annual revenue.
Literature to prove that your company is real. If your company is new, you may be asked to provide financial information to prove that it can guarantee to pay the salary of the candidate. To avoid delays, it may be wise to provide this information from the get-go.
Title and salary of the job that you’ve offered to your candidate, preferably printed on company letterhead paper.
A detailed job description including your company’s requirements for the job (e.g. 3 years of web development experience, degree in Computer Science).
Salary information forother employees in the same title.
Completed I-129 form and any additional forms required.
The USCIS H1B webpage provides the canonical checklist for everything that you need. Here are some other checklists that I found helpful when applying:
March 1: Submit your LCA, and review your application with your lawyer
Submitting your information to your lawyer in early March gives them time to prepare your LCA and H1B application and submit them to you for review. You’ll have the time to make any updates you need before filing.
Expect to have to make revisions, discover that you’re missing parts of the documentation, or require supplementary information from your applicant. There’s a lot of documentation to include and it’s easy to miss something the first time around.
Here are some of the biggest pain points that hit us with our past applications:
Labor Condition Application (LCA)
Your company needs to gain foreign labor certification from the Department of Labor before submitting your H1B application. This can be done by electronically submitting a Labor Condition Application (LCA) and takes 7 working days to process. Your lawyer can take care of this for you—it’s critical to get it done as soon as possible as it’s required for your H1B application.
As part of this process, your company must create and maintain a “public access file” containing certain information about the job opening and the LCA. Your lawyer should provide you with the required documents for the public access file.
Your candidate might need to dig out some old documents like university course transcripts. Collecting these early is helpful, giving yourself time to order reprints if needed.
Diplomas and transcripts from foreign universities will need to be translated if not in English, and may need to be evaluated by a credentials evaluations service (possibly along with the candidate’s job experience) in order to show that it is equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree or master’s degree.
Prevailing Wages
You are required to prove that the wages that you’ll be paying your candidate are at least as much as the average wage paid to nearby workers with a similar occupation. This research and documentation must be provided by your lawyer, it’s a technical area involving some measurements unique to the immigration.
Cost Breakdown of an H1B Application
As the employer, you legally have to bear the cost of the H1B application. Here’s a breakdown of the costs of our past H1B applications:
$325: Base filing fee
$1,500: ACWIA (or $750 if you have less than 25 full-time employees)
$500: Fraud Prevention and Detection
$1,225: Optional premium processing (guarantees 15 calendar day processing of your I-129)
$1,000–2,500: Lawyer
$4k–$6k total
More information about all of these fees (and some additional, rare fees) on the USCIS H1B page.
March 31: Submit your application for delivery
The package containing your application must be delivered by the 7th of April. By law, USCIS must wait five business days starting on April 1st and, if more than 85,000 petitions are received during that period, conduct a lottery to determine which petitions will actually be reviewed.
Any packages that the USCIS receive before April 1st will be rejected and returned.
UPS and Fedex are good options for your lawyer to use for this delivery—they both provide services for delivering on a specific date and time.
April 1–7: The FY2016 H1B application is open
I’d love to see exactly what happens at the USCIS offices on April 1st. I imagine that a massive UPS truck rolls up and unloads ton after ton of H1B application packages on their doorstep. But maybe it’s it’s a less glorious affair.
Laurence Borten adds: “That’s exactly what happens.” :)
Based on the amount of demand for H1B visas for speciality occupations, like software development, it’s highly likely that the cap of 65,000 visas will be hit in one week again, just like last year, as well as the additional 20,000 available for jobs requiring US master’s degrees.
Historically, how long has it taken for the H1B cap to be hit?
FY 2011: 10 months. The cap wasn’t hit until January the following year. I was able to get my H1B in November 2011.
FY 2012: 8 months.
FY 2013: 2 months.
FY 2014: 5 business days with 124,000 applications received.
FY 2015: 5 business days with 172,500 applications received.
FY 2016: 5 business days (expected).
With increasing demand there’s hope that the H1B cap will get increased in the future. There’s a bipartisan bill in the senate just now, aimed at increasing the H1B cap to 195,000. Prior similar bills have been shot down.
April (end of): Expect to get a receipt if your petition was selected in the lottery
Good luck to you!
If your petition is selected in the lottery, you’ll get a receipt from the USCIS indicating acceptance of the petition much sooner than those who were not, usually by the end of April, but this time can vary.
May–July: If selected in the lottery, expect to get approval or denial
If you are selected in the lottery, your petition will then be considered and decided within two to three months. If you paid for premium processing, it will be considered and decided within 15 days after the receipt date—the date it was selected in the lottery.
If you are not selected in the lottery, the USCIS will send your package back, including your uncashed check.
October 1: H1B employee can begin work
Remember that, even you’re selected in the lottery and approved, your new employee cannot begin employment in H1B status until October 1st 2015.
Laurence Borten adds: “If your worker is already employed in F1 OPT status, that status is automatically extended through September 30, 2015, so no break in employment is necessary if the OPT status otherwise was set to expire before September.”
Worth noting that the H1B visa grants the employee access to work for your company, and only your company. It’s illegal for them to perform any other type of work, paid or unpaid. They can’t take on freelance projects or moonlight at other startups.
Laurence Borten adds: “The employer is also obligated to pay continuously, the stated wage on the approved LCA. “Benching” is not allowed. Also, the employer must pay cost of return travel home for any H1B employee dismissed prior to expiration of the H1B status, and the employer must notify USCIS so that the H1B is rescinded.”
Possible alternatives to an H1B
If your H1B application was denied there might be another visa that could work for you. Here are some possible alternatives we have researched:
Conclusion
The biggest things that I have learned from going through the H1B process as both a candidate and employer:
1. Prepare early
You only have one shot per year, and it’s on April 1st. Prepare early and ensure that all of your application and all of the required documentation is ready ahead of schedule. Be especially mindful of submitting your LCA early as it takes 7 working days to process and is required prior ro submitting your H1B application.
2. Get a good lawyer
The forms and paperwork are a lot of work. A lawyer will make your life a lot easier, both in getting the paperwork done and peace of mind that your application is sound. We’ve been extremely happy working with Laurence Borten.
3. Have a backup plan
Waiting for the result of your application is stressful. The approval or denial will be life-changing for the candidate. Your application might come down to a 50/50, or likely even worse odds this year. Having a solid backup plan, maybe to contract remotely or find a local position and apply again next year, will help you move on quickly if you application is denied.
Questions?
There are so many details to H1B applications that I’d highly recommend getting a lawyer to help answer your questions.
Feel free to ask me any additional questions and I’ll get back to you when I can: barry@barryclark.coAs if the Belgian government didn’t have enough people against its very existence, yesterday a site claiming to be linked to Anonymous, censorthis.be sent out a mass email declaring cyber war on the Belgian government. Claiming that the government is “actively blocking internet sites on the web, without even a trace of transparency,” Anonymous says that, on June 15th, they will “liberate the Belgian Web”. The entire email, sent from [email protected], has been transcribed below:
Your Belgian government is actively blocking internet sites on the Web, without even a trace of transparency.
The Web is not made for such restrictions. Censorship is a dangerous answer to social issues.
Information and a transparent strategy should form the true plan of approach.
Blocking internet websites are a costly, useless and blunt measure. We’ve had enough. On June 15, we will liberate the Belgian Web.
While there has not been many reports or allegations that have made media headlines regarding Belgian censorship, Google did recently sign an agreement with Belgian publishers ending a 6-year feud between the two. While the above accusation likely refers to what it sees as covert attempts to control the flow of information in Belgium, it is unlikely that anything crippling will happen on June 15th. Previous threats to the public sector have seen Anonymous attack the city of Orlando, Florida by taking town a series of country public sites.
The discordant Belgian government is not likely to take measures to react to this threat – back in 2011 the country of Belgium set a world record for the longest elapsed time without an official government (cf: Wikipedia).A social contract has existed between banks and the government since the early days of the republic. The government supports the banks through trust-inducing insurance, bailouts, liquidity protection, and a framework that allows the allocation of credit to the entire economy. Banks, in turn, operate as the central machinery of the economy by providing transaction services, a medium for trade and individual and business loans that spur economic growth.
This entanglement between the state and the banking system must surely mean that banks should not exclude a significant portion of the public from the bounty of government support. This is not just a banking market problem but a threat to our society's democratic principles. When the state becomes so heavily involved in the banking system, that system cannot create or contribute to such a vast inequality.
Many policymakers have inferred this obligation on the part of banks and have attempted to force banks to extend credit beyond their preferred customer base. The banking industry has vigorously opposed these efforts, but the democratization of credit is not an issue that should be left to the banks. The supply of credit has always been a public policy issue, with banks functioning as intermediaries. Insofar as the state enables credit markets, all creditworthy Americans deserve equal access to credit, especially because reasonable and safe credit can provide a smoother path both through and out of poverty. If banks are not providing credit to the poor, the state should provide it directly.
The existing post office framework represents the most promising path toward effectuating such a public option. American banks long ago deserted their most impoverished communities, but post offices, even two centuries later, have remained — still rooted in an egalitarian mission. There have never been barriers to entry at post offices, and their services have been available to all, regardless of income.
And so, it is not unreasonable to suggest that as America's oldest instrument of democracy in action, the post office can once again level the playing field, and in the process, save itself from imminent demise. In fact, the post office inspector general's office, a small regulatory branch of the post office, issued a White Paper report in January 2014 proposing just such a move. As of this writing, the postmaster general has not publicly sup- ported the proposal and no congressional committee has seriously considered postal banking.
But it is a proposal worthy of serious consideration. The basic idea of modern postal banking is a public bank offering a wide range of transaction services, including deposit-taking and small lending. The post offices could offer these services at a much lower cost than banks and the fringe industry because (1) they can use natural economies of scale and scope to lower the costs of the products, (2) their existing infrastructure significantly reduces overhead costs, and (3) they do not have profit-demanding shareholders and would be able to offer products at cost.
Although postal banking could potentially save an institution that predates the Constitution and made our first-rate democracy possible, the most important argument in favor of postal banking is its potential to bank the unbanked. Consider the social and economic benefits of a system that enables the unbanked in the United States to leave the expensive and time-wasting cash economy and pay their bills online, send funds to family, make debit card purchases, and save money without worrying about draconian overdraft fees.
And not just the unbanked stand to benefit. An even larger portion of the population do have bank accounts but have been forced to rely on high-cost fringe loans. Postal banking can provide small loans to the creditworthy among the low and middle-income without life-crushing fees and interest.
Critically, by making banking available to those deserted by a government-supported banking system, the state can minimize the threat to democracy posed by the heavily subsidized, exclusionary, and powerful banking sector. The social contract has been breached. Banks enjoy broad government support but do not serve the entire public. Direct government involvement remedies the breach and bridges the gap in services.
Because of the unique institutional capacities of a nationwide post office, its services can significantly underprice any of those on the market. This is not just a hope or an empty promise. The detailed post office white paper explains how to achieve this by using tools currently available only to the post office.
Most of these transaction services are straightforward products that do not require a high level of sophistication. The post office can build on its existing network to meet a significant market demand. Walmart, for example, came to dominate financial services to the poor, practically overnight, without causing a substantial ripple in its core business. The company has been able to use its size and existing infrastructure to offer financial products at a fraction of the price, while making a healthy profit offering them.
Current estimates show that the unbanked spend $89 billion each year on financial fees and services. All of this money goes to alternative financial service providers — payday lenders, check cashers and other nonbanks that charge high fees to store and move people's money. Providing these services at much lower costs has a triple advantage of reviving the beleaguered but too-important-to-fail postal service, putting the money back in the pockets of the poor, and providing an alternative to a harmful industry that has proved nearly impossible to regulate away.
Postal banking may seem radical to many in the U.S. who remain convinced that banking should be a "private market" free from "government intervention," but it is a mundane part of life for the rest of the world. Postal banking is the norm, not an aberration.
Postal banking has operated in many Western countries since the 1800s, and currently, 51 countries use postal banking as their primary method of financial inclusion — only 6% of postal carriers worldwide do not offer banking services. (It is estimated that postal banking has banked over one billion people worldwide.)
A variety of models exist worldwide — some focus on the poor and others offer postal banking services to the entire population. In fact, the U.S. is one of the only developed countries in the world without a postal banking network. However, we do not need to look abroad for a justification or even a model for postal banking when we can refer to our own rich history.
Just as our postal banks did successfully for half a century, their rebirth can lead to increased saving by the broader public. By providing low-barrier savings accounts, the post office can again offer a refuge for the countless small savers in the U.S. who have been shut out of the banking system because their too-small savings accounts are no match for high bank fees. Increased access to low-cost savings accounts can greatly benefit a population living without any financial cushion.
Postal savings accounts could provide a much-needed financial buffer that would even diminish the need for short-term credit. Having just a few hundred dollars stored away can make a significant difference to a moderate-income family facing an emergency.
Postal savings accounts can even reinvigorate a culture of saving that has been long lost in the U.S. but retained in Japan and Germany precisely because of their strong postal banking network. A 2015 survey shows that over half the population has savings that they do not deposit in banks and many admit they store their cash in sock drawers, cookie jars, under mattresses or in their freezers. It is possible that just as in the 1900s, hoarded money from across the country would pour into the postal banks from under mattresses, from prepaid cards or from funds otherwise wired abroad.
Mehrsa Baradaran is associate professor at the University of Georgia School of Law.
This piece is excerpted from How the Other Half Banks: Exclusion, Exploitation, and the Threat to Democracy, published by Harvard University Press. Copyright © 2015 The President and Fellows of Harvard College. Used by permission. All rights reserved.At Bitbucket (and throughout Atlassian) we are constantly dogfooding our own products. This helps us flesh out requirements and find bugs. So, naturally, we host the Bitbucket code in Bitbucket as well. We use pull requests to review team members’ code before merging it in and deploying. And, like many of you, we have been wanting inline comments on pull requests for a long time.
As we developed the inline comment feature for pull requests and commits, we discovered a couple of problems while dogfooding. The first was related to the comment drift algorithm, and the second related to performance. Keep reading to learn how we solved these problems!
When you are doing code reviews, the ability to leave comments on a particular line is not a new feature. Atlassian Crucible has had inline comments in reviews since 2007, and I’m sure there have been other examples before that as well.
The lack of inline comments was the primary complaint from other Atlassian developers when they moved their projects to Bitbucket. Many others held off on moving their projects to Bitbucket for this reason as well. We at Bitbucket felt the pain of not having inline comments every day. But we also had a pretty good idea of how we wanted it to work, from using Crucible reviews for years. We knew what we liked about Crucible, and what we wanted to do differently.
We thought a lot about Stash, which you can think of as Bitbucket for the Enterprise offering Git repository management behind the firewall. It is a great option for larger teams that have outgrown cloud code hosting services like Bitbucket, and want to bring their repositories inside of their enterprise infrastructure. While Bitbucket and Stash serve slightly different audiences, we wanted to be sure you could move between the two products without a steep learning curve. The new UI was one area that we wanted to make consistent, but we also wanted to be sure commenting on pull requests worked consistently.
To that end, Nic Venegas and I traveled to Sydney to work closely with the Stash developers for a few weeks. This trip helped us immensely learn the intricacies of each others’ products and achieve a level of consistency between the two products. Working with the Stash team naturally made us think more about the problems that we were trying to solve from a different angle, and helped us build a more robust product.
For example, here are some specific things we aligned on:
Tabbed view on the pull request (there are some differences on exactly what is in each tab)
Participants list (though Stash calls it ‘Reviewers’)
‘Approve’ functionality
Comment drift algorithm (see the next section for more details)
Probably the most complex part about inline comments on pull requests was handling ‘drift’ correctly. Drift (as we call it; I don’t know if there is a standardized word for it) is when additional commits amend a pull request after an initial comment is left on a line. This might change the line number of the commented-on line, and, of course, even if the line number changes, the comment should still appear in the right place.
Other times, new changes might change or remove a commented-on line, so the commented-on line no longer exists in the diff (at least, not as it was when the comment was made). We refer to these comments as ‘eclipsed’, since the new changes cover the line they were anchored to. We still show those comments in the Activity tab, with the diff as it was before the comment was eclipsed.
If keeping all this drift stuff straight sounds complicated, that’s because it is. We caught a few bugs that annoyed us EVERY DAY while we used the feature we were developing. One particularly nasty bug that caused the drift to be calculated incorrectly when the destination branch was merged back into the feature branch (or fork) after a comment was made. This is a pretty common thing to do, especially if conflicts arise in the pull request. The bug was tricky to resolve because we needed to re-think the way we were performing the diffs used to calculate drift. Instead of just relying on the diffs of the commits made, we needed to take the diff of the merges that would be applied if you were to merge the pull request. Big thanks to the Stash team for helping us figure out the cause of, and solution to, this problem. We caught this bug because we were bitten by it while using the feature we were developing.
The solution to the drift problem can be explained using the diagram above. If you aren’t interested in the nitty-gritty details, you can just skip ahead to the next section.
The first case to consider is when the source branch advances, which means that more changes are committed to the source branch of the pull request, and the pull request is edited to include these changes. Consider the diagram on the left. The original version of the pull request is to merge commit D into the main branch (which includes commits A, B, and C). The merge originally shown was M1. Now, commit E has been added to the pull request, and merge M2 is what should be shown.
The easy case, which we call the ‘fast-forward’ case, is when the comments are on files that are not touched by commit E. Since there is no further change to these files, their line numbers are unchanged, so we just need to update the comment objects in our database to confirm that they are relevant to the new revision anchors (E and C, in this case).
However, when the files commented on are touched by commit E, things get trickier. For comments on removed lines (colored red on the pull request view) and context lines (lines that were not changed at all in the pull request, but are shown to give the reviewer context), we can just fast-forward them, since these lines are coming from the main branch version of the file, not the new version described in the pull request. On the other hand, for comments on ‘added’ lines (colored green on the pull request view), we need to consider the ‘meta-diff’, or the diff between merges M1 and M2. For each hunk in this meta-diff, if it is before the line commented on, the system will drift the comment by net total of how many lines were added or removed in that hunk. If the hunk overlaps the commented line, then the comment is eclipsed. If the hunk is after the commented line, then it has no affect on the comment.
The next case to consider is when the destination branch advances (the right side of the diagram above). Suppose that now a new commit, F, was pushed to the destination branch. We can still fast-forward any comments that were not touched by commit F. The meta-diff between merges M3 and M4 is still used to calculate drift on comments on added lines. However, now we need to consider the diff represented by commit F to calculate the drift for comments on removed and context lines.
The bug that we encountered originally occurred in a case like the one pictured on the left; we were using the new commit’s diff instead of the meta-diff. This worked fine, until we merged the default branch back into our feature branch and updated the Pull Request (as you would to resolve conflicts, for example). This would be a case of the source branch advancing, but the diff from commit E wouldn’t properly express the drift.
We are constantly striving to improve the speed and performance of pull requests (and all of Bitbucket). In this process, we have made significant progress (while we were still dogfooding the feature internally). Our dogfooding server mirrors our production environment, but it is not nearly as powerful. So, code that will be slow in production will be REALLY slow there. As a result, we feel the pain of a slow site, and we work to improve it, long before the code ever makes it to production.
With all of the various diff comparisons we needed to do to render a pull request (especially on the activity tab, if there were a lot of eclipsed comments), there was a lot of work for the code to do. We ran into a few performance issues while we were developing this feature, and some of these issues were improved by code changes, while others were solved by adding caching. Some other improvements are still in the works, and should hit production in the next few days.
Specifically, we:
Reduced the number of SQL queries needed to render the page by making sure we used Django’s select_related function wherever appropriate.
Simplified logic used to build up the activity tab events that were displayed when commits were added to the pull request. Before we simplified this logic, it generated many more diffs than were necessary, so fixing that improved the performance immensely.
Added template caching to activity tab items. This improvement adds to the complexity of invalidating the cache when appropriate, but it can make the page load quickly.
Separated out the slow-loading part the main diff from quickly-loading parts, like general comments. This gets something onto your screen quickly, even if the time to getting all the content to your screen is unchanged.
With all this dogfooding, it might seem like we were just trying to solve our own problem, since on our team, we constantly use pull requests to review all code changes. Our team policy is that at least two team members need to ‘approve’ a pull request before we merge the changes in. That seems to work pretty well for us, but your team might be different. We wanted to make our solution useful to as many teams as possible. Many smaller teams find pull requests too heavy-weight, and prefer to just review commits instead. So, we made sure to include inline comments on commits as well. Hopefully this allows enough flexibility in the tool that your team can find a system that works.
So, check it out! Try browsing a few pull requests that are out there now, and get a feel for them. Create a pull request the next time you want to merge your code into your team’s main branch, and get a few extra pairs of eyes on it. I’m sure you will be able to find problems sooner, and fix them more easily!First thing that comes into your mind when thinking about politics in europe is probably the European Union.
In other words; The old Leaders vision for Europe 2.0! Its wrapped in a coat of nice “things” like: Solidarity, Unity, Political Correctness, Equality. But in reality it just means less individual Freedom, more regulations and a Centralized Government. After years of failure it’s not a suprise that Right-Wing parties are rising and most of these are not the good kind of Right-Wing Parties. I am talking about Populism/Nazism. Conservative parties care about votes, they are Flip-Flopping on Topics, so it is probably not the same as it was before. Because of this, the Libertarian movement is growing in europe, just back in April of 2015, Czech Republic Politician Vít Jedlička founded a new nation called “Liberland“. The group “Sons of Libertas” is also a big deal in Germany.
The situation in Switzerland is different, this country is not in the European Union, yet it can stand alone and taking care of itself. Switzerland is not a perfect nations and it still has to much regulations in my opinion but it is not lead by power hungry politicians. The system is similar to what Mr.Adams and Mr. Jefferson wanted for the United States of America. Switzerland has some very successfull Libertarian politicians, even though there is no such a libertarian party active, most libertarians are connected to the SVP (Swiss Peoples Party), it is similar to the Republican Party filled with Conservatives and Libertarians. Politicians such as Lukas Reimann, elected to the Swiss Parliament at the age of 25. He is one of the biggest advocates for direct democracy, he rates himself as a “radical-libertarian”. He also supported Ron Paul in his run for Presidency in 2012. It is people like him that are needed in the rest of Europe.
Direct democracy in Switzerland by Lukas Reimnn at EFDD conference PragueIn 1925, archaeologist Leonard Woolley discovered a curious collection of artifacts while excavating a Babylonian palace. They were from many different times and places, and yet they were neatly organized and even labeled. Woolley had discovered the world's first museum.
It's easy to forget that ancient peoples also studied history - Babylonians who lived 2,500 years ago were able to look back on millennia of previous human experience. That's part of what makes the museum of Princess Ennigaldi so remarkable. Her collection contained wonders and artifacts as ancient to her as the fall of the Roman Empire is to us. But it's also a grim symbol of a dying civilization consumed by its own vast history.
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The Archaeologist
Ennigaldi's museum was just one of many remarkable finds made by Leonard Woolley, generally considered to be among the first of the modern archaeologists. Born in London in 1880, Woolley studied at Oxford before becoming the assistant keeper at the school's Ashmolean Museum. It was there that Arthur Evans - himself a renowned archaeologist for his work with the Minoan civilization on the Greek island of Crete - decided that Woolley would be of more use out in the field, and so Evans sent him to Rome to begin his excavating career.
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Although Woolley had a longstanding interest in excavation, he had little or no formal training in how to actually go about doing it. He would be left to teach himself on the job, and many of the techniques and approaches he came up with would prove hugely influential to future archaeologists. Just before the outbreak of World War I, he excavated the ancient Hittite city of Carchemish alongside his younger colleague T.E. Lawrence, who would soon cast aside his archaeological career for his more famous role as...well, as Lawrence of Arabia. You can see the two together in the photo on the left.
But it was Woolley's work in the ancient Mesopotamian city of Ur that would really cement his legacy. Beginning in 1922, Woolley excavated huge swaths of an ancient city-state that had endured for thousands of years, from the ancient Sumerian civilization of 3000 BCE to the Neo-Babylonian Empire of 500 BCE. One of his biggest discoveries - you might call it the Sumerian equivalent of King Tut's tomb - was the tomb of Shubad, a woman of great importance in 27th century Sumer whose tomb had remained undisturbed through the ensuing 4,600 years.
However, it was the discovery of something from the very end of Ur's existence that interests us in this particular case. And for that, we might as well go straight to the words of Leonard Woolley himself.
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The Discovery
In his book Ur of the Chaldees, Woolley recounts his excavations of a palace complex in Ur. This particular palace dated to the very end of the city-state's long history, right before the absorption of its territories into the Persian Empire and the eventual abandonment of the city around 500 BCE. This was the time of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, and while Babylon was (unsurprisingly) the capital of this empire, the now ancient city of Ur was still important both for its strategic location near the Persian Gulf and for its legacy as a once great power.
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As Woolley explains in his book, he and his team were quite confident that they were excavating Ur from its latest period, which is why the artifacts they found in one particular chamber (a photo of which is on the left) made so little sense:
Suddenly the workmen brought to light a large oval-topped black stone whose top was covered with carvings in relief and its sides with inscriptions; it was a boundary-stone recording the position and the outlines of a landed property, with a statement as to how it came legally into the owner's hands and a terrific curse on whosoever should remove his neighbor's landmark or deface or destroy the record. Now, this stone belonged to the Kassite period of about 1400 BC Almost touching it was a fragment of a statue, a bit of the arm of a human figure on which was an inscription, and the fragment had been carefully trimmed so as to make it look neat and to preserve the writing; and the name on the statue was that of Dungi, who was king of Ur in 2058 BC. Then came a clay foundation-cone of a Larsa king of about 1700 BC, then a few clay tablets of about the same date, and a large votive stone mace-head which was uninscribed but may well have been more ancient by five hundred years. What were we to think? Here were half a dozen diverse objects found lying on an unbroken brick pavement of the sixth century BC, yet the newest of them was seven hundred years older than the pavement and the earliest perhaps sixteen hundred.
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In this single room, Woolley had discovered at least 1,500 years of history all jumbled together, a bit like if you randomly found a Roman statue and a piece of medieval masonry while cleaning out your closet. Left to their own devices, these objects would never be found together like this. Somebody had messed around with these artifacts - they just couldn't have guessed how long ago and to what purpose that tampering took place.
The Museum
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It quickly dawned on Woolley that this might actually be an ancient museum, the 6th century BCE equivalent of the sorts of institutions that were now sponsoring him. Indeed, a key piece of evidence was how the artifacts were arranged - while they were all mixed up from a temporal perspective, whoever had brought these items together had done so with considerable care and attention.
What sealed the deal was the discovery of the world's earliest known museum label. In his book, Woolley describes finding clay cylinders in the chamber, each with text written in three different languages, including the language of ancient Sumerian and the more modern (for the period) late Semitic language. He quotes one of these descriptions, along with a rather wry appraisal of what was said:
"These," it said, "are copies from bricks found in the ruins of Ur, the work of Bur-Sin king of Ur, which while searching for the ground-plan [of the temple] the Governor of Ur found, and I saw and wrote out for the marvel of beholders." The scribe, alas! was not so learned as he wished to appear, for his copies are so full of blunders as to be almost unintelligible, but he had doubtless done his best, and he certainly had given us the explanation we wanted. The room was a museum of local antiquities...and in the collection was this clay drum, the earliest museum label known, drawn up a hundred years before and kept, presumably together with the original bricks, as a record of the first |
Technochocolate, a club run by Pom Pom, with The Cheat DJing, and Bubs bartending. The House of Strong, where most Strong Bad Emails start (The Cheat is often spotted here as well), as well as Marzipan's house, Homestar Runner's house, and The King of Town's castle, are some of the more notable residencies. The Gremlin, an abandoned car, is occasionally featured, as is a brick wall reminiscent of the Peanuts specials, a fence, and the Drive-Thru Whale (the speaker for an odd fast-food chain called Blubb-O's).
The toon Summer Short Shorts features a sequence with Pom Pom that reveals that Bubs' Concession Stand, as well as a dense forest, is very near Strong Badia. A similar forest can be seen in Strong Bad is in Jail Cartoon. However, the Pom Pom short depicts the forest and Bubs' with Strong Badia set in between them, whereas Strong Bad is in Jail Cartoon shows Bubs' on the edge of the forest with no Strong Badia to be seen. This forest may or may not be the Spooky Woods that is usually seen at night in Halloween-themed episodes.
Homestar Ruiner and Baddest of the Bands feature a map of Free Country, USA, but eschews any sense of proper geography, in favor of allowing the player to move the various landmarks around the landscape to their liking. In Strong Badia the Free, The King of Town eats Strong Bad's map, forcing him to write the names of locations in the spaces on the board for an old Maps and Minions game that was lying around in Strong Badia (in this game, locations are placed on the map by the game rather than by the player, but as Strong Bad is simply writing the names of locations on a board game, this is still not a proper map of Free Country, USA). Coincidentally, the King of Town was using his own copy of Maps and Minions Deluxe to coordinate his own forces, though his map was more advanced than Strong Bad's.
edit] Characters' Homes
As with Free Country's locations, the homes of different characters do not exist in rigidly established locations. With the exception of Coach Z's locker room and The Cheat's home (which is also The King of Town's grill and therefore always near the King of Town's castle), none of the characters' homes have a clear geographical relation to each other. This ambiguity carries over into Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People, in which Strong Bad adds locations to his map at his (or more accurately, the player's) own discretion.
Some clues exist concerning this, however. In Marzipan's Answering Machine Version 9.2, Strong Bad (as Cableman Jorge) asks Marzipan to buy a "hundred-foot spool of coaxial cable" in an attempt to get free cable service; this would imply that Strong Bad's and Marzipan's houses are rather close to each other. In The King of Town DVD Commentary, Strong Bad claims that The King of Town does not live in the castle, but in a "run down and creepy" "two bedroom job... next door" to him, although this was probably slanderous. Also, the similar designs of the exteriors of Marzipan's and Homestar's houses may be a hint that they were built from the same blueprints, as houses within a development often are. In the email unnatural, a gigantic Bubs silhouette is seen walking from a silhouette of Strong Badia to The King of Town's castle, making it in several steps. This suggests that the castle is actually very close to Strong Badia.
edit] Flora and Fauna
The flora of the land is somewhat sparse. Most of Free Country's ground is covered in evenly cut grass and long rows of large green bushes. Other types of shrubs and bushes make appearances from time to time; some bushes have been known to have Senor Cardgage inexplicably emerge from them. These shrubs and bushes are most likely coniferous, as they appear green in winter. Though trees are seldom seen in Free Country, they are usually presented as being deciduous, evidenced by the barren branches seen during Free Country's autumn. Occasionally evergreen trees have been shown (usually around Decemberween). Flowers are incredibly rare and have only been seen in a couple of cartoons.
Fauna is in even shorter supply. Save for the fish in the pond, a few crickets, bees, birds, flies, a number of bats, and at least one cockroach, plus the characters themselves, no other animal life has yet been seen in Free Country, USA. Marzipan has also heard wolves in origins. Trogdor, a dragon, also appears in Free Country USA in Trogday 08.
The King of Town at one point had sheep. Whether he still owns them or ate them all is open to debate. It was at one time rumored that a dragon menaced the castle, but even if he really existed, a story line shows it being slain.
edit] Politics
Free Country appears at first glance to be a monarchy since it is nominally ruled by The King of Town. However, since Free Country is a municipality and not a kingdom, the King of Town would technically be a lord. However, the self-conferred sovereign's reign is not widely recognized by the populace, so Free Country could be considered to be in a state of anarchy, where there is no accepted centralized government but the members of the community co-exist with loosely established rules that maintain order.
To this end, Free Country can muster a meager police force consisting of Homestar Runner, Pom Pom, Coach Z, and Bubs to ensure that anyone engaged in criminal behavior have been placed firmly in jail (a large cardboard box). Since there is no need for an army (nor a government to stand one up), Free Country has no official military. It is, however, home to the Homestarmy, a meager militia that includes a popcorn machine and is led by Homestar Runner. The Homestarmy once attempted to conquer Strong Badia (see below), but appears to represent no cohesive political movement (other than expressing discontent stemming from "playing second fiddle to a two-bit wrestleman and his yellow dog"). The King of Town has occasionally expressed an intention to exercise actual power, going so far as to mobilize his own military force headed up by The Poopsmith, as seen in disconnected. A more legitimate prison apparently exists, as Coach Z (and later Strong Sad) both end up incarcerated in the Free Country USA Penitentiary, according to Marzipan's Answering Machine Version 17.2.
Besides the King's castle (which would be the seat of government if the King's rule had any legitimacy), there is a different building containing a smoky office which has been used for various purposes, including a newsroom, police station, and a set for the Dangeresque films.
The name and the currency used imply that this town is in the United States of America, and in trading cards, Strong Bad makes reference to himself "here in the states" when addressing a Canadian writer. Yet any further details, regarding what state or town "Free Country" is in is never mentioned. They may have to pay taxes, however, as evidenced by A Decemberween Pageant and Arcade Game.
edit] Strong Badia
Strong Badia
Within Free Country's borders, the territory of Strong Badia exists as an autonomous enclave. Strong Badia has a flag, a national anthem, and has even had to defend its autonomy from outside aggression, as seen in army. Although Strong Bad said that Strong Badia doesn't have/need an army, the local gang, On Point Kings, have transformed from being a simple group of guys hanging around to a band of shady missionaries mercenaries that specialize in "black ops, brown ops, and the occasional beige op". Whether or not Strong Badia is a "real" country is open to debate, since the permanent population of Strong Badia is a tire and it's only the size of a backyard. A few email senders seem to call Free Country by this name, presumably because the characters talk about Strong Badia more often than Free Country. However, Strong Bad specifically addressed this issue in keep cool, limiting the official borders of Strong Badia to the empty lot. It is described as "out beyond the dumpsters". However, no dumpsters are ever shown, so that doesn't help determine its location.
edit] Other Territories
Mentioned from time to time (and seen only via the depicted map) are other territories outside Free Country. If the circuitous path of Homestar's journey to Potamia for The Yello Dello is to be believed, Free Country borders the territory of Far Off Lands. Very little, if anything, is known about these territories or their relation to Free Country, although Prance is known to make at least one Homestar Runner-related product, and Dortugal is also mentioned.
According to the original Characters page and Marshmallow's Last Stand, The Brothers Strong come from a land called Parts Unknown.
Strong Bad claims to have a secret family (surnamed Mudgeman) in a community named Broiter Grove. If there is any shred of truth to this supposition, it can be assumed this community is near Free Country, USA, as Strong Bad is clearly without a working car.
edit] Economics
The economics of Free Country are as ambiguous as the locations and politics of the territory. The local currency is U.S. dollars, although this official currency is augmented by a strong barter system that allows trade of goods and services (further suggesting that the government has no central banking power); most local commerce occurs at Bubs' Concession Stand. Pencil shavings have been accepted by Bubs at least twice, in lackey and secret identity. Also, in an Easter egg in colonization, Homestar declares that 'Dirty Diapers' were to no longer be considered legal tender. In the email flag day, a coin is visible that resembles a quarter. It is the same color, appears to be the same size, and has a face and words on both sides of it as well as words on the top and bottom of the coin. The date on it would be on the wrong side, though. The face on this coin is Strong Bad's. This implies that it is Strong Badian money, which implies that Strong Badia is its own country. Strong Bad could be making this coin up because it has some of the words of the song he is currently singing printed on it. There was also a coin with a head of Trogdor on one side and his tail on another, seen in Kick-a-Ball. This somewhat suggests that Trogdor has his own type of currency, or the coin was made only for sporting events like kickball. It seems that there is some crabbing industry, as there are crab traps at the wharf (which often claim baby seals), even though this supposed wharf has never been seen, and its existence is doubted by Strong Bad in Homestar Presents: Presents.
Bubs' Concession Stand is known to accept these forms of currency:
Cash
Money
Cash Money
Pencil Shavings (added to the sign by the Cheat)
Quesos (Strong Badian currency)
First Born Children
Arms/Legs
Bubs' Concession Stand
It is also unclear as to how rent or mortgages on the houses owned by Free Country residents is paid. Strong Bad mentions in colonization that he had to give Bubs his first and last month's rent deposits, but other than that, no other characters have mentioned how or when they pay rent.
edit] Employment
Main article: Occupations
Bubs works at his stand as a general fix-it man. He has also been seen as a mechanical worker at the office, and as a bartender at Club Technochocolate. Homestar, Strong Bad, The Cheat, Strong Sad, Coach Z, and Pom Pom work in some kind of an office, at least occasionally. Homestar also hosts The Show. Strong Bad, in addition, had a "part, part, part, part, very part time job" as a giant Tragic Clown Dog mascot at Bubs' Concession Stand in part-time job. He quit that job, however, when he realized that he needed to rush back to Marzipan's house to finish his email before the Lappy 486 lost its battery charge, though it seems he was re-hired for the job in On Break. Strong Mad appears to work as a bouncer at Club Technochocolate. Coach Z is presumably some kind of a coach and a gym class teacher; he has also been seen working as a custodian at the office and as a mascot for Blubb-O's restaurant. The King of Town employs The Poopsmith for reasons he does not care to disclose as well as a chef, a blacksmith, a hornblower, a cleric, and a knight. Marzipan, The Cheat, and Strong Mad are in a band named Cool Tapes, which tours and sells "steven inches" for pi dollars. Marzipan additionally runs a kindergarten class which includes Homestar, Homsar and Strong Mad. Senor Cardgage has had several shady jobs, such as a mortgage seller, operator of Shady Daycares, and lastly, with a somewhat stable job as an usher at the local theater. There is likely a Board of Health in FCUSA, as evidenced in Donut Unto Others, where Strong Bad works as a health inspector. It has not been revealed whether the remaining characters have jobs.
edit] Free Country Through Time
In addition to its current, contemporary depiction, Free Country has been shown in the past and possibly in the future.
The Factory/Circus District
edit] Old-Timey Free Country
In the 1930s, Free Country (known back then as the Factory/Circus District) was characterized by dirt roads, picket fences, carnival tents, antiquated Industrial Revolution-era factories, and even a graveyard, only the latter of which may have survived the passage of time. As with the rest of the USA during this time period, Free Country was economically depressed, with the population being forced to subsist on dry meal, water soup, and parsnips. Commerce, such as it was, was located at a dilapidated depot.
There was a growing, through sponsorship funds, radio station (name still unknown) which had a drama— "The Fish Was Delish Progrum", in which Old-Timey Strong Bad was already building up his showman career.
Though there is some debate as to whether or not Free Country was still under prohibition during this time period, some residents enjoyed the occasional nip of hooch regardless.
Home to a bunch of plucky parameciums
In the email highschool, Strong Bad claims that the entirety of Free Country, USA was, in the past, merely on a petri dish, with all its inhabitants being single-cell organisms. However, considering his purported "unphotographic memory", it's unlikely that such a place ever truly existed.
20X6 Free Country
edit] Futuristic Free Country?
In the futuristic year 20X6, Free Country may or may not be one and the same as Planet K, which looks much like the current Free Country. If so, Free Country will grow to feature significantly more architecture to the extent of having a full city (a quality the territory currently lacks). Nothing is yet known about the economic or political state of this ultramodern version of Free Country, though there is a significantly higher frequency of fights and challenges faced by its residents, which include various robots. They appear to be located in the same region, however, as Strong Bad buries a time capsule that is later discovered by Stinkoman.
edit] Estimated Real-World Location
Viewers of Homestar Runner have variously speculated about the "real" location of Free Country, USA, though it is generally assumed The Brothers Chaps prefer to leave its location undetermined.
Each time the world is seen from space, the shape of the United States is easily recognizable. The characters speak with American accents, type and write with American spelling, celebrate many American holidays, and make references to elements of American culture (such as its presidents). Most obvious is the fact that "USA" is in the name. On a side note, America is widely known as a "free country". Therefore, it seems safe to conclude that Free Country, USA is somewhere in America. This may be the closest one can come to determining a location for Free Country, USA, as many of the following observations are contradictory to one another.A Hungarian MP has announced a proposal to “sweep away” non-governmental organisations linked to Hungarian-born left wing financier billionaire George Soros and his Open Society Foundations.
The move was announced Tuesday by Szilárd Németh, Vice President of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s ruling Fidesz party, who said the activities of Soros-affiliated groups were linked to the promotion of mass migration. Németh stated he will introduce legislation to effectively ban their activities in Hungary, the Budapest Business Journal reports.
“Fake civil organizations of the Soros empire are paid in order to encourage the spread of political correctness and global capital overcoming national governments,” Németh said. He added, “Every means must be employed to hold back such organizations, and I believe they should be cleaned out of here. And to this end, I feel, the international opportunity has arrived with the election of the new U.S. president.”
Prime Minister Orbán has been a leading supporter of U.S. President-Elect Donald J. Trump in Europe for months and was one of the first government leaders to endorse Trump for the presidency.
The new proposed legislation would see the financial records of the heads of the Soros-linked NGOs to be made public as the government claims that despite them not receiving public funds, their work is a matter of public interest.
The Hungarian government has long been a fierce critic of the work of the Open Society Foundations and its operation in Hungary, especially regarding the migrant crisis.
Hungarian government spokesman Zoltán Kovács told Breitbart London of the importance of transparency for NGOs especially when they are foreign funded and make “irresponsible” attempts at influencing policy makers through activism rather than democracy. He said the problem was not limited to Hungary, but was a worldwide issue.
Mr. Soros has admitted that he and his NGOs have directly had a hand in promoting mass migration and in a reply to a statement from Prime Minister Orbán he said, “Our plan treats the protection of refugees as the objective and national borders as the obstacle”.
Leaked documents last year proved also that the interests of Soros were not purely altruistic, as the Open Society Foundations claimed that the migrant crisis could be exploited to raise more money for the group and its agenda.
Former Hungarian intelligence chief László Foldi has also accused pro-migrant groups of conducting a “military operation” to weaken the sovereignty of nation states and their borders by mobilising migrants. “What we seeing every day here is a fourth generation military operation against Europe. Not using traditional weaponry to enforce a strategy, but using economic and social infrastructure, and one element of that is the actions carried out by civilian humanitarian organisations,” he said.
The legislation will likely be put to a vote in the Hungarian parliament in March and the coalition of conservative Fidesz and far-right party Jobbik are seen as likely to pass it. The Open Society Foundations replied to the Hungarian proposal Wednesday telling Bloomberg, “The Open Society Foundations will continue to work in Hungary despite government opposition to our mission of fairer, accountable societies”.
Listen: Breitbart London’s Oliver Lane discusses George Soros With Breitbart London Editor in Chief Raheem Kassam on Breitbart News DailyFrom the MoD…
Thank you John.
It’s always a pleasure to speak at Policy Exchange.
Policy Exchange has led the public policy debate over the past 14 years on issues as far apart as housing and the impact of lawfare on our Armed Forces.
So I’m delighted to launch the new National Security Unit here today.
I’m pleased to see Policy Exchange going global. I know – under John Bew’s direction – you’ll bring your trademark clarity to the broader issues of national security.
At the moment all our thoughts today must of course be with our friends in Brussels.
The Strategic Defence and Security Review identified terrorism as one of the greatest challenges we face and it set out plans to tackle it.
Today, however, I want to focus on another important national security issue: the case for our independent nuclear deterrent.
DEFENCE AND DETERRENCE
Defence is the first duty of any Government.
As our SDSR said…and I quote…: “Defence and protection start with deterrence, which has long been, and remains, at the heart of the UK’s national security policy”.
Deterrence means convincing any potential aggressor that the benefits of an attack are far outweighed by its consequences.
Deterrence draws upon the full spectrum of our capabilities… diplomacy, economic policy, law enforcement, offensive cyber, covert means…and, of course, our Armed Forces.
Which is why the most fundamental role of the Armed Forces is not to fight wars, but – through their very existence – to deter, and thus to prevent war.
For no part of our Armed Forces is that more true than our nuclear capability. If nuclear weapons are fired, they have failed. But they are used every day: to deter.
This Government was elected on a manifesto that included a commitment to build four new ballistic missile submarines … replacing the Vanguard submarines that come out of service from the early 2030s.
And we’ve committed to a debate and vote this year so that Parliament can endorse that decision. So now is the right time to set out why we should retain our nuclear deterrent.
There are three reasons.
Because we are realistic about the world we live in.
Because we take our responsibilities to the British people and to our Allies seriously.
And because that means that nuclear weapons are relevant now and are going to be relevant for the foreseeable future.
Let me take each in turn.
1. REALISM
First, it’s about realism.
Some characterise this debate as one of extremes. Between those who want to disarm and those who never will disarm.
Let me reject that artificiality. We all agree on the destructive power of nuclear weapons, and that we must do everything to ensure they will never be used.
We also have a shared ambition to see a world where nuclear weapons states feel able to relinquish them.
Where we really differ is how best to achieve this.
On the one hand are those idealists who believe that unilateral disarmament will make us safer…
…on the other are those of us who recognise that the real world threats to the United Kingdom are growing not diminishing.
So we must be realistic about the world in which we live.
The Labour Government’s 2006 White Paper on the future of the deterrent identified risks to the UK from major nuclear armed states from emerging nuclear states, and state sponsored terrorism.
Those risks have not gone away.
Indeed, nine years on, our own SDSR judged that the United Kingdom is facing challenges that are growing in scale, diversity, complexity and in concurrency.
Nor has the nuclear threat gone away. The SDSR recognised, and I quote, “continuing risk of further proliferation of nuclear weapons” and concluding that we could not “relax our guard… or rule out further shifts which would put us under grave threat”.
And Russian behaviour is a case in point here.
Russia has become more aggressive, more authoritarian and more nationalist. Its illegal annexation of Crimea and support of Ukrainian separatists through the use of deniable, hybrid tactics and media manipulation have shown its willingness to undermine the rules based international system in order to promote and secure its own perceived interests.
Russia is upgrading its nuclear forces; and Russia is threatening to base nuclear forces in Kaliningrad and in the Crimea.
The last two years have seen a worrying increase in both official Russian rhetoric about the use of nuclear weapons and the frequency of snap nuclear exercises.
And we should take heed of those developments.
North Korea is another worrying case study. North Korea is the only nation to have tested nuclear weapons in the 21st century. It now claims to have withdrawn from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It’s developing long-range missiles, and continues to flaunt its new found nuclear capabilities.
Just as we must be realistic about the growing nuclear threats, we also have to acknowledge that our prospects of single-handedly convincing the world to abandon its nuclear arms… are limited.
Now we are committed to creating the conditions for a world without nuclear weapons, in line with our obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
And we have led the way on disarmament.
We’ve cut our nuclear stockpiles by over half since the height of the Cold War
Last year I reduced the number of deployed warheads on each submarine from 48 to 40 last year
And we have pledged to reduce further our stockpile of nuclear weapons to no more than 180 warheads by the mid-2020s.
Other nations have not followed suit.
There remain about 17,000 nuclear weapons in the world… we have less than one per cent of them.
It is frankly naïve – even vainglorious – to imagine that the grand gesture of UK unilateral disarmament could change the calculations of nuclear states, or those seeking to acquire weapons.
Far more likely they would see it as weakness.
So the only way to create the global security conditions necessary for achieving nuclear disarmament is by working multilaterally…
by taking tangible steps towards a safer and more stable world
And by giving states with nuclear weapons the confidence they require to relinquish them.
Our recent efforts, working alongside other leading powers, secured a deal with Iran and showed what can be achieved.
But we should also be realistic about how long this will take.
As the great nuclear theorist and former MOD Permanent Secretary, Sir Michael Quinlan, once wrote:
‘no safer system than deterrence is yet in view, and impatience would be a catastrophic guide in the search. To tear down” he said… “the present structure, imperfect but effective, before a better one is firmly within our grasp would be an immensely dangerous and irresponsible act.’
2. RESPONSIBILITY
That brings me to my second point. We have a political and moral responsibility to our people and our Allies.
No-one would claim the nuclear deterrent solves all of our national security requirements.
Terrorist threats are all too real – as we saw so tragically yesterday. But nuclear weapons were never intended to combat terrorism.
They are intended to deter the most extreme dangers our nation might face.
What’s more, our independent deterrent isn’t just key to our security; it contributes to our NATO allies’ security as well.
NATO is the cornerstone of our defence. It is first and foremost a defensive alliance. And it is also a nuclear alliance.
By maintaining our independent nuclear deterrent, alongside the US and France, we provide NATO with three separate centres of decision-making.
That complicates the calculations of potential adversaries, and it prevents them threatening the UK, or our allies, with impunity.
Now some will ask why we possess nuclear weapons when other Allies such as Germany do without them.
But we can’t rewrite history. We were one of the original nuclear powers. Others were not.
And many of those Allies signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty in the late 1960s in the knowledge they were covered by NATO’s nuclear umbrella, including the United Kingdom deterrent.
It would not be the action of a strong and valued ally to withdraw that protection.
And how would the United States or France respond if we suddenly announced that we were abandoning our nuclear capabilities…
…yet will still expect them to pick up the tab and to put their cities at risk to protect us in a nuclear crisis?
Without our nuclear contribution to NATO, could we guarantee that a potential adversary might not miscalculate the degree of United States commitment to the defence of Europe?
As one of the leading member of NATO we shouldn’t now think of outsourcing our commitments.
That would not make us safer and it would have no moral merit.
It would weaken us now and in the future.
It would undermine NATO.
And it would embolden our adversaries.
3. RELEVANCE
That brings me to my third point: the relevance.
Our independent nuclear deterrent is relevant not only for today but also for the foreseeable future.
The UK case does not rest on our assessment of threats that face us now….
…but on our assessment of what the world could be like in the 2030s, 2040s, 2050s and beyond…
And the truth is we don’t know.
No-one accurately predicted the end of the Cold War…or the coming of the Arab Spring, Russia’s annexation of Crimea, or the rise of Daesh.
Those who argue in favour of scrapping our nuclear deterrent unilaterally must be certain – absolutely certain – no extreme threats will emerge in the next 30 or 40 years to threaten our security and way of life.
And they can’t be so certain.
That is why successive Governments for over sixty years have concluded that this country should retain its nuclear weapons.
Now the UK government last formally presented the case for the future of the UK’s Nuclear Deterrent to Parliament in 2006.
Launching that White Paper Tony Blair, said “an independent nuclear deterrent is an essential part of our insurance against the uncertainties and risks of the future.”
That was the right judgment then.
It’s the right judgment now.
Our nuclear deterrent has helped keep the peace between the major powers for decades.
Abandoning it, would undermine our security and that of our allies. It would not make us safer.
And once we gave up those weapons, there would be no going back to them.
OBJECTIONS
That is the case for retaining a nuclear deterrent.
And I put it to you that it is hard to argue against the principle.
But, before concluding, let me finally address the main practical objections that people have raised.
First, the claim that there are cheaper and more effective ways of providing a similar effect to the Trident system.
There aren’t.
Successive studies have looked at this in detail…
… under Labour Ministers in 2006…
…and more recently under the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Coalition in 2013.
They reached the same conclusion.
A minimum, credible, assured and independent deterrent requires nuclear submarines with ballistic missiles.
Other options were considered.
The Trident Alternatives Review in 2013 assessed what ships, aircraft, submarines and silos could deliver nuclear weapons; and which missiles, bombs or nuclear warheads were most appropriate.
It found that submarines were less vulnerable to attack than silos or aircraft.
They can maintain a continuous posture in a way that aircraft and land-based alternatives cannot.
It made clear that alternative delivery systems, such as cruise missiles, wouldn’t have the same range as the Trident missile … reducing the reach and capability of our deterrent.
Only the current submarine-based, Trident missile system offered the resilience but also the cost-effectiveness that successive UK Governments sought.
The second objection is that submarines will somehow become obsolete, through technological developments such as unmanned underwater vehicles or cyber threats.
The ocean is a vast, complex and challenging environment in which to conduct large scale anti-submarine warfare.
Our confidence that submarines will not be rendered obsolete by technology is partly based on classified analysis, but also on some obvious facts.
Operating quietly for long periods in the ocean is highly demanding. It requires endurance, a powerful energy source, resilience from high pressure and corrosion, and stealth.
The ability to track submarines and then communicate their position brings with it many significant challenges.
Now we dedicate considerable resource to assessing these emerging capabilities. And we judge that there is no inherent reason, for the foreseeable future, to believe that unmanned submarines will be substantially more difficult to counter, than manned submarines.
As for cyber-attack, while deployed, submarines operate in isolation. It’s hard to think of a system less susceptible to cyber-attack.
And it’s also worth asking, if nuclear submarines were redundant, or going to be redundant, why would the United States, China, Russia and France all be spending tens of billions of dollars on their own submarine based ballistic missile systems?
As practical as these objections appear, they are in fact simply the latest in a litany of arguments employed to justify an anti-nuclear position.
COST
The third practical objection is cost.
Now we must remember that security underpins all the Government’s priorities.
With the fifth biggest defence budget in the world…backed up by our commitment to invest 2 per cent of GDP in defence… we can afford conventional and nuclear capabilities.
Our estimate is that four new submarines will cost £31 billion to build. We’ve also set a contingency of £10 billion on top of that.
But the £31 billion acquisition cost will be spread over 35 years, which works out as an insurance premium of 0.2% per year of total Government spending.
Twenty pence in every £100 pounds the Government spends…for a system that will provide a capability through to the 2050s and beyond.
I believe that that is a price worth paying.
CONCLUSION
So let me say in conclusion…before nuclear weapons, major powers embarked on two of the most destructive wars imaginable.
Many millions died, millions more suffered.
Yet, for all the conventional conflicts since, and there have been many of them, there hasn’t been major conflict between nuclear armed states. The devastating possibilities of nuclear war have helped maintain strategic stability.
And our independent UK nuclear deterrent has played its part.
Those who still oppose it must prove to us how relinquishing it would make us safer.
Now we should not accept nuclear deterrence as the last word in ensuring freedom from major war. Our commitment under our Non-Proliferation Treaty obligations is clear.
But to abandon our deterrent now would be an act of supreme irresponsibility.
In 2007 Parliament voted to maintain the minimum strategic nuclear deterrent beyond the life of the existing system.
Last year Parliament voted twice to retain our deterrent.
This year Parliament will have the opportunity to vote on the principle of Continuous At Sea Deterrence and our plans for Successor.
This is not a judgment about short term threats.
It is about the threats we may face over generations to come.
We should not gamble with our national security.
The United Kingdom’s independent nuclear deterrent remains right for our nation – for as long as the global security situation demands.
Thank you.When golden point was introduced at the start of the 2003 season, few knew what to expect from the revolutionary rule change, but 100 games later, it's now become a celebrated rugby league tradition.
The Sea Eagles and Eels were the first teams thrust into sudden death on a dazzling Sunday afternoon in May, and 13 years later, Manly was there again, this time in Perth, to record their first extra-time win since the inaugural golden-point game all those years ago.
There have been some incredible games over the years with the 2008 under 20s grand final decided by an 88th-minute try to Canberra Raiders backrower Jarrad Kennedy, while it took 104 minutes for Wentworthville to win the NSW Cup decider earlier that day courtesy of a try to winger Iwi Hauraki.
Five NRL finals matches have gone to golden point, with the 2015 grand final decided by a Johnathan Thurston field goal, while the 2010 meeting between the Wests Tigers and Roosters remains the longest contest in history.
The Bulldogs have been the best-performed side over the years with eight wins from 11 attempts, while the Knights have managed just two victories from 12 matches.
Breaking it down, 57 of the 100 matches have been decided by a field goal, 21 by a try, nine by a penalty goal, and 13 have ended in draws – including three straight in 2009.
Wayne Bennett has featured in a record 18 golden points, but Matthew Elliott has the best record as coach with eight wins from 11 matches.
From a playing perspective, Chris Heighington and Frank Pritchard top the list with 16 appearances, with the latter joined by Luke Lewis on a record 10 wins.
To celebrate 100 golden-point thrillers, here's a look back at 10 of the best over the past 13 years.
Sea Eagles v Eels (2003)
It didn't take long for the golden point concept to be put to the test, with the Sea Eagles and Eels going to extra time in Round 10 of the 2003 season. There was no shortage of points at Brookvale Oval that day, with the teams scoring six tries apiece to eventually finish all square at 34-all. As the pioneers of golden point, the teams set the tone for what was to come with the previously all-out attack replaced by a territorial battle between the kickers. It would take a moment of controversy in the 87th minute to separate the sides, with referee Steve Lyons awarding the Sea Eagles a penalty after it was ruled Eels winger Matt Petersen had recovered the ball in an offside position. Manly five-eighth Ben Walker stepped up with time ticking down to slot the first 'golden points' to become the original 'extra-time hero'.
Rabbitohs v Wests Tigers (2010)
2010 wasn't a great year for the Wests Tigers in golden point, with the joint-venture club losing both of its extra-time matches. Exactly four weeks before their finals demise to the Roosters, the Tigers were handed a heartbreaking loss with an enthralling 34-30 defeat at hands of the South Sydney Rabbitohs. The Tigers looked home and hosed with a 30-18 lead with 15 minutes to go, but two late tries to the Bunnies sent the game into golden point. Both teams traded field goal attempts, with a combined seven misses forcing the game to the 90th minute. Having already scored a double on debut, Souths centre Dylan Farrell capped off his already unforgettable night with his third after Rhys Wesser and Shaune Corrigan combined to send him over as the siren sounded.
Broncos v Roosters (2015)
Was this the changing of the guard? The Roosters came into the game as competition favourites and were expected to make light work of a Broncos side brimming with potential. On a night that had the feel of something special in the air, Broncos halfback Ben Hunt scored a try but watched on as the Roosters raced out to an 18-12 lead late in the game. With time ticking down, the No.7 set up Alex Glenn for a late try before veteran Corey Parker added the extras to level the scores. With the clock about to expire, the game looked destined for golden point, until James Maloney – who had earlier crossed for a try – struck a drop goal that looked the goods until it cannoned into the crossbar and back into the field of play. It was fitting, then, that the two playmakers would feature in the game-winning play, with Hunt ducking under the Roosters pivot before dummying past Roger Tuivasa-Sheck to score a magical 85th-minute try to confirm many people's suspicions that the Broncos were genuine premiership threats.
Broncos v Storm (2003)
Brisbane's first foray into golden point was always going to be fun to watch. No one had been as against the concept of golden point as Broncos coach Wayne Bennett, and it took less than a season for his side to find itself in extra-time. A try at the death to winger Stuart Kelly sent the |
2005), but is the official policy of some American scientific organizations on the science-vs.-religion debate.
The booklet Science, Evolution, and Creationism from the National Academies Press, for instance, says this:
Because they are not a part of nature, supernatural entities cannot be investigated by science. In this sense, science and religion are separate and address aspects of human understanding in different ways. Attempts to pit science and religion against each other create controversy where none needs to exist.
The National Science Teachers Association asserts:
Because science is limited to explaining the natural world by means of natural processes, it cannot use supernatural causation in its explanations. Similarly, science is precluded from making statements about supernatural forces because these are outside its provenance... as noted in the National Science Education Standards, “Explanations on how the natural world changed based on myths, personal beliefs, religious values, mystical inspiration, superstition, or authority may be personally useful and socially relevant, but they are not scientific.”
A statement by the National Association of Biology Teachers:
Explanations employing nonnaturalistic or supernatural events, whether or not explicit reference is made to a supernatural being, are outside the realm of science and not part of a valid science curriculum. Evolutionary theory, indeed all of science, is necessarily silent on religion and neither refutes nor supports the existence of a deity or deities.
And Judge Jones wrote this in his decision on the Dover Trial:
…we find that while ID arguments may be true, a proposition on which the Court takes no position, ID is not science…ID violates the centuries-old ground rules of science by invoking and permitting supernatural causation…While supernatural explanations may be important and have merit, they are not part of science…This rigorous attachment to ‘natural’ explanations is an essential attribute to science bydefinition and by convention.
If you’ve frequented this site, you’ll know that I disagree with this stand. I adamantly maintain that science can indeed test the supernatural—at least those claims about the supernatural that involve its interaction with the real world. Indeed, you’ll be familiar with several claims about the supernatural that have already been tested, and refuted : the Genesis story of creation, the story of Adam and Eve, a 6,000-year-old earth, and the efficacy of intercessory prayer, as well as paranormal phenomena like near-death experiences, telepathy, and precognition. If you invoke a form of the supernatural that claims to have real-world consequences, then those consequences necessarily fall within the ambit of science. This means that any type of theistic faith involves hypotheses that are “scientific”. Dawkins was right to call the existence of God a “scientific hypothesis.”
One can think of many other supernatural claims that still remain to be tested. The idea that certain rituals by Native Americans can bring rain, for instance, could be easily tested with controlled experiments. Ditto for the notion that sending money to the American huckster evangelist Creflo Dollar will bring you prosperity via the grace of God.
I’ve just read a very nice paper on these issues by Yonatan Fishman in the journal Science and Education (2009, free download), which I recommend it to everyone interested in this question. Its main points are these (I’ll use quotation marks when I’m quoting Fishman directly):
Science doesn’t “prove” or “disprove” anything. It simply renders hypotheses more or less plausible (I’d argue, though, that science’s ability to render ideas implausible comes very close to what we all think of as absolute disproof). As Fishman says:
“Indeed, in science no hypothesis, regardless of whether it concerns ‘natural’ or ‘supernatural’ phenomena, can be definitively proven or disproven. The ultimate aim of science is to explain the world by means of models that are more or less supported by the available evidence. As new evidence may arise that conflicts with our currently accepted models, no scientific hypothesis or theory can be proven with certainty or be immune from potential falsification. Scientific theories and hypotheses are defeasible. Nonetheless, a rough probability value, perhaps assessed via the Bayesian framework outlined above, can still be placed on a hypothesis, such that the hypothesis can be ‘proven’ or ‘disproven’ beyond a reasonable doubt (a familiar example being the innocence or guilt of a defendant in a court of law).”
The boundary between the natural and supernatural is fluid, as phenomena previously seen as supernatural (like lightning) are brought by science into the bailiwick of the natural. Indeed, as I (JAC) see it, one shouldn’t really make a firm distinction between natural and supernatural phenomena, but simply characterize them as “produced by natural processes” vs. those “produced by divine causes.”
A Bayesian probability perspective on religious claims shows that they can be strengthened or weakened by science until they reach the status of scientific “proof” or “disproof” as outlined above. With respect to God and religion, Fishman says:
“It is important to note that in disconfirming the existence of an entity or phenomenon, the absence of evidence is evidence of absence only when there is a good reason to believe that the evidence would be present if the hypothesis is true, or conversely that the evidence would be absent if the hypothesis is false (see Oaksford and Hahn 2004). Thus, contrary evidence is constituted either by the lack of evidence that is expected to be observed if the hypothesis is true or by the presence of evidence that is not expected to be observed if the hypothesis is true.”
In other words, we can provisionally accept that there is no god because we don’t see the kind of evidence that we should see if god were present (answered prayers, confirmable miracles at Lourdes, and so on), and we see things that we don’t expect if there were a loving, omnipotent, and omniscient God (the most obvious, of course, is the presence of undeserved evil).
Indeed, if miracles, answered prayers, and regrown limbs were seen, the faithful would trumpet this as evidence for God, and of course many believers are always looking (in vain) for such evidence, viz. the search for the remnants of Noah’s Ark, the supposed authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, the ludicrous attempts of creationists to verify that the Grand Canyon was caused by the flood. In truth, believers want, need, and look for for evidence for their faith. But in the end, that evidence always comes down to a kind of “knowledge” that is neither confirmable nor convincing: revelation.
This all means that, contrary to the National Academies of Science, Judge Jones, the National Center for Science Education, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the idea of God and the supernatural are scientific (i.e., empirically testable) hypotheses, at least in principle. Science can—and repeatedly has—tested the supernatural. Sure, one-off miracles in the past, like the resurrection of Jesus, can’t be tested directly, but we can assess them as more or less credible by applying Bayes’s theorem (indeed, that’s what Hume was really doing when he asked whether it is more likely that a miracle happened or that the person reporting one was mistaken, deluded, or lying).
Claims about the supernatural should be prohibited from science classes not because they’re religious, but because science has “proven” them wrong. In that sense the U.S. courts are misguided in always relying on religion alone to prohibit the teaching of creationism in schools. (However, it is impermissible under our Constitution to bring religious ideas into the classroom, and perhaps it’s easier for judges to assess that than to judge the scientific validity of different forms of creationism.) Fishman notes:
“... claims should not be excluded a priori from science education simply because they might be characterized as supernatural, paranormal, or religious. Rather, claims should be excluded from science education when the evidence does not support them, regardless of whether they are designated as ‘natural’ or ‘supernatural’.”
Naturalism is not a presupposition of doing science, but a conclusion from doing science. That is, we learn about the natural world from assuming that divine intervention or influence does not occur, and that the “laws” of nature are all that exists. We do not learn anything about the universe from bringing in the added assumption of a god. In other words, naturalism wins because it works.
I could go on and on about all the great insights in this paper—it seems to leave almost nothing unsaid that’s relevant to the topic—but I do urge you to download it and read it for yourself. If you’re not into math, you can skip the stuff about Bayes’s theorem, since Fishman explains it perfectly well in words. But I’ll close with Fishman’s analysis of why scientific organizations and accommodationists keep claiming, in the face of reason, that the supernatural isn’t testable:
While the position that science cannot evaluate supernatural or religious claims —and hence that there can be no conflict between science and religion—may satisfy political aims (for instance, ensuring continued support for science by religious taxpayers), it is disingenuous, having the appearance of a ploy designed to protect religion from critical examination. Moreover, such a view is antithetical to the spirit of open and unbiased scientific inquiry, whereby any phenomenon, regardless of whether it is designated ‘natural’ or ‘supernatural’, should be a legitimate subject for study and critical examination.
Amen, brother. Fishman is right to call accommodationists making the science-can’t-test-the-supernatural claim “disingenuous,” for that is what they are. They should, and do, know better.
__________
Fishman, Y. I. 2009. Can science test supernatural worldviews? Science and Education 18: 1573-1901.When the Bruins hopefuls finally finished their testing and spilled out onto the ice, Jakub Zboril was the first one to hit the Warrior Ice Arena sheet.
It was no accident.
The Czech-born Zboril, taken with the 13th overall pick in the 2015 draft, had been known to be a bit of a goofball in his first couple of camps. That’s fine for the typical teenager, but NHL clubs are not looking for typical. That was made clear to the now 20-year-old, and it certainly seems like he’s listened. This is Zboril’s third B’s development camp, and he figured it’s time to get down to business.
“I’m one of the older guys here this year and I had to change my attitude and be a good example for younger guys and try to help them out and show them the way a little,” said the left-shot defenseman after a long day of physical testing and an hour-plus on ice session.
“When I came here the first time I didn’t know what to expect. I thought it would be fun. I’m a free-spirited guy, so I like doing jokes and all that. But I tried to let that go and be more serious about it.”
Jamie Langenbrunner, the B’s player development coordinator, watched Zboril grow up in the two years since the B’s drafted him, especially last season when his Saint John Sea Dogs won the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and played in the Memorial Cup.
“He’s gone leaps and bounds, and I think it’s a comfort level for him,” said Langenbrunner. “I think the maturation process throughout the year, from rookie camp to the end of the year, has been fantastic. You can see how he integrates himself into the group now, how he’s turning into a leader.”
Zboril had a strong bounce-back season for the Sea Dogs in 2016-17. He admitted that when he went back to his junior team after his first training camp in 2015, he didn’t have the best frame of mind, believing that after playing with pros, the junior game would be easier. It wasn’t.
He went from 33 points as a rookie to just 20 in his second season. But last season he got back on track, posting 9-32-41 totals with a plus-19. He was on the second power-play unit — the top spot went to standout Ottawa prospect Thomas Chabot, drafted five picks after Zboril and a player to whom the Bruin will probably be compared for years to come — and made the most of his chances.
“It was a much better year for me,” said Zboril. “When I went back to juniors I knew what to expect, so I was ready for it. I think I did a good job of adjusting to junior level again.”
He also got loads of playing time in the playoff run and posted a 3-4-7 and a plus-10 in 16 postseason games.
“It was so fun,” said Zboril. “Our team got really together for the playoffs and it was such a blast, and to go all the way to the Memorial Cup was so nice.”
Perhaps feeding into Zboril’s more business-like approach is the feeling he might actually have a shot at making the Bruins roster in September. A year ago at this time, the B’s were looking for a veteran right-shot defenseman until Brandon Carlo’s training camp performance called off the search party.
Now, the B’s seem to be in need of a veteran left shot blueliner. Could Zboril change management’s mind on that, too? He’s got a couple of players ahead of him on the depth chart — both Robbie O’Gara and Matt Grzelcyk have a year of pro hockey under their belts — and Zboril is yet to play a pro game other than an exhibition last year.
Still, he knows opportunity exists.
“When I saw Brandon got to play the full season and didn’t even get sent back to Providence, I was looking at it and was like, ‘Hey, maybe I’ve got a chance, too,’ ” said Zboril. “I’m looking forward to it. It’s a hard road but if I keep working hard maybe it will pay off.”"A brutal and violent beating of a 17-year-old girl is getting worldwide notoriety, and the victim wishes it would stop. The November 19 attack was recorded at an apartment complex on Mills Road near Cypress Creek Parkway. Cypress Creek High senior Shamichael Manuel believes she was set up by a former friend and a group of other girls. Manuel thought she was headed to a friend’s place to pick up some of her belongings. She was wrong. Cell phone video shows Manuel being punched in the face and kicked with relentless force. “I was just in shock. I was like on my god. Did she really do this? You’re supposed to be my close friend,” Manuel said. Manuel says she never saw the first hit coming. She’s seen in the video lying curled up on the ground. “We were talking in school earlier that day. She made it seem like there was nothing wrong with her,” explained Manuel. The 16-year-old former friend, called by the name ‘Sharkeisha’ in the video, was apparently upset over a boy. A neighbor ended up coming to Manuel’s rescue and driving her home." - KHOU11Image caption Edvard Moser, John O'Keefe and May-Britt Moser share the Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine has been awarded to three scientists who discovered the brain's "GPS system".
UK-based researcher Prof John O'Keefe as well as May-Britt Moser and Edvard Moser share the award.
They discovered how the brain knows where we are and is able to navigate from one place to another.
Their findings may help explain why Alzheimer's disease patients cannot recognise their surroundings.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Prof John O'Keefe: "There were thoughts of exhilaration and pleasure"
"The discoveries have solved a problem that has occupied philosophers and scientists for centuries," the Nobel Assembly said.
Inner GPS
Prof O'Keefe, from University College London, discovered the first part of the brain's internal positioning system in 1971.
On hearing about winning the prize, he said: "I'm totally delighted and thrilled, I'm still in a state of shock, it's the highest accolade you can get."
His work showed that a set of nerve cells became activated whenever a rat was in one location in a room.
He absolutely deserves the Nobel Prize, he created a cognitive revolution Dr Colin Lever, Former student of John O'Keefe
A different set of cells were active when the rat was in a different area.
Prof O'Keefe argued these "place cells" - located in the hippocampus - formed a map within the brain.
He will be having a "quiet celebration" this evening and says the prize money "should be used for the common good".
Mapping
In 2005, husband and wife team, May-Britt and Edvard, discovered a different part of the brain which acts more like a nautical chart.
These "grid cells" are akin to lines of longitude and latitude, helping the brain to judge distance and navigate.
They work at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim.
Prof May-Britt Moser said: "This is crazy, this is such a great honour for all of us and all the people who have worked with us and supported us."
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Secretary of the Nobel Assembly, Goran K Hansson, announces the winners of the Nobel Prize in medicine
The Nobel committee said the combination of grid and place cells "constitutes a comprehensive positioning system, an inner GPS, in the brain".
They added: "[This system is] affected in several brain disorders, including dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
"A better understanding of neural mechanisms underlying spatial memory is therefore important and the discoveries of place and grid cells have been a major leap forward to advance this endeavour."
He absolutely deserves the Nobel Prize, he created a cognitive revolution Dr Colin Lever, Former student of John O'Keefe
'Cognitive revolution'
Dr Colin Lever, from the University of Durham, worked in Prof O'Keefe's laboratory for ten years and has already dreamt on two occasions that his former mentor had won the award.
He told the BBC: "He absolutely deserves the Nobel Prize, he created a cognitive revolution, his research was really forward thinking in suggesting animals create representations of the external world inside their brains."
"Place cells help us map our way around the world, but in humans at least they form part of the spatiotemporal scaffold in our brains that supports our autobiographical memory.
"The world was not ready for his original report of place cells in 1971, people didn't believe that 'place' was what best characterised these cells, so there was no great fanfare at that time.
"But his work on hippocampal spatial mapping created the background for discovering grid cells and with grid cells, the world was prepared and we all thought wow this is big news."
Previous winners of the Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine
Image copyright SPL Image caption The pioneer of IVF won in 2010
2013 - James Rothman, Randy Schekman, and Thomas Sudhof for their discovery of how cells precisely transport material.
2012 - Two pioneers of stem cell research - John Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka - were awarded the Nobel after changing adult cells into stem cells.
2011 - Bruce Beutler, Jules Hoffmann and Ralph Steinman shared the prize after revolutionising the understanding of how the body fights infection.
2010 - Robert Edwards for devising the fertility treatment IVF which led to the first "test tube baby" in July 1978.
2009 - Elizabeth Blackburn, Carol Greider and Jack Szostak for finding the telomeres at the ends of chromosomes.
Also commenting on the announcement, Prof John Stein form the University of Oxford, said: "This is great news and well deserved.
"I remember how great was the scoffing in the early 1970s when John first described 'place cells'.
"Now, like so many ideas that were at first highly controversial, people say 'Well that's obvious!'"HARRISBURG — A county prosecutor is at least temporarily blocked from taking any action on a grand jury recommendation that Attorney General Kathleen Kane be charged criminally in an investigation of alleged leaks of secret investigative material by her office, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court said in an order unsealed Thursday.
The state high court justices took the action while they prepare to hear arguments on March 11 on Kane's challenge to the legality of the special prosecutor involved in the investigation of her office.
Kane's lawyers had sought the halt to the case against her.
The revelation came a day after the high court released 80 pages of records showing that a grand jury last month had recommended that Kane be charged with perjury, false swearing, official oppression and obstruction.
The records also showed that the judge supervising the grand jury had sent the case to the district attorney in Montgomery County to decide whether to file charges against Kane. The Montgomery County district attorney, Risa Vetri Ferman, has not spoken publicly about the matter and it is not clear whether she will obey the order.
Kane, a former prosecutor in Lackawanna County, took office in 2013 as the first woman and first Democrat elected as state attorney general.
She has not been charged.
Kane has said that she did nothing wrong, although she also has acknowledged that her office provided records about a 2009 investigation by Kane's Republican predecessors of the then-president of the Philadelphia NAACP to the Philadelphia Daily News.
The discovery that those records had become public motivated the May 29 appointment of special prosecutor Thomas Carluccio by Montgomery County Judge William Carpenter, who supervises the statewide grand jury in eastern Pennsylvania.
The existence of the investigation first became public in a Philadelphia Inquirer report in September citing unnamed sources.
However, the courts did not acknowledge the investigation until Wednesday, when it released the records about the grand jury investigation in connection with Kane's request to the Supreme Court to remove Carluccio.
Kane's lawyers argue that Carpenter had no legal authority to appoint a special prosecutor and that he violated the separation of powers doctrine in the Pennsylvania Constitution.
Carpenter told the high court in a Dec. 30 opinion that there was "strong precedent" of grand jury judges appointing special prosecutors to look into allegations of leaks and that he had no alternative, given that he believed the leak came from the attorney general's office.As Pittsburgh’s nationally competitive women’s roller derby league, SCRD is devastated at the closing of Romp n Roll, the roller rink where we practiced for nearly all of our ten-year history.
In that time, the league has grown from a ragtag bunch of skaters to an organization whose flagship team, the Steel Hurtin’, consistently ranks in the top 50 women’s flat track derby teams worldwide. When SCRD was founded, it was the only place to play or watch roller derby for hundreds of miles. Now, it is an established nonprofit that supports local charities and provides training and mentorship to nearby roller derby leagues in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. Pittsburgh also now supports a junior girls’ league and an adult co-ed league; off-duty Steel City skaters are among their coaches.
And through all the changes, Romp n Roll was the place where skaters came together, several nights a week, to forge their skills and strength.
“I loved Romp n Roll because it felt like home for the past ten years,” says Jennifer “Bonecrusher” Berardinelli, who has been with the league since the beginning. Nancy “Kace O. DaMondaze” Donnelly has played derby since 2011, and also remembers Romp n Roll from her childhood, when it was called Shaler Skateland. “The staff have always been nice to derby people, and the floor is great,” she adds.
We are now scrambling to find a practice space from January onwards. SCRD also puts on its monthly double-header bouts, open to the public, in the same space. That means games scheduled for early in the year are in danger of being canceled. Those include the bouts that make up the championship tournament among SCRD’s home teams: the Mon Monsters, Penn Bruisers, and Allegheny Avengers. In the spring, our nationally ranked travel teams the Steel Hurtin’ and Steel Beamers normally make their season debut. But without a venue for bouts, the future of the teams’ season is in doubt.
It’s hard to find space in Pittsburgh proper that meets a roller derby league’s needs. Those include a 75×108 foot open space plus room for audience seating, the ability to lay down rope and tape for track markings, and a location that is easy to get to and has ample parking. With the right, new space, we could even expand our audience: Romp n Roll capped out at just 800 tickets on a sold out night.
Anyone with leads on a new space, either for weeknight practices or monthly public events, should contact bod@steelcityrollerderby.org.
For information about joining SCRD or to learn about 2017 recruitment, please contact recruiting@steelcityrollerderby.org.CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Property owners and advocates have been saying it for years: Downtown Cleveland can create successful pockets - the Flats, the Warehouse District, East Fourth Street - but we can't seem to link those lively patches into a cohesive center city stretching from the Inner Belt to the lake.
A report set for release today argues that connections, ranging from pop-up shops to bike lanes and pedestrian bridges, will be critical to maintaining downtown's momentum during the next five to seven years. And, the report's authors say, national trends and Cleveland's recent downtown residential growth put nonprofits, the city and business leaders in a prime position to tackle street-level projects that will beget more private investment.
That's the crux of "Step Up Downtown," a strategic plan that stems from six months of interviews, community meetings, surveys and analysis. The Downtown Cleveland Alliance, which represents property owners, hired a set of consultants to study urban trends, dig into local demographics and present recommendations for extending the recent run of growth.
"Cleveland does a really good job of going after projects and also going after district planning," said Brad Segal of Progressive Urban Management Associates, a Colorado consulting firm that looked at market trends and real estate opportunities for the alliance. "What has been missing is a sort of comprehensive, holistic look at downtown that knits these things together."
Northeast Ohio's economic health is inextricably tied to the rise and fall of downtown, Segal argues. As cities compete to attract a limited pool of young, skilled workers, they're touting busy central business districts as sweeteners. Those amenities reach beyond office space, hotels and apartments, to safe sidewalks, inviting parks and clear pathways for people on foot or on bicycles.
Since 2000, downtown Cleveland has more than doubled its residential population, to upward of 12,000 people. Developers are filling obsolete office buildings with apartments, bringing new life to empty structures and starting to drive down high office-market vacancy rates. Retail is still a tough sell, but Heinen's Fine Foods expects to open a grocery store on Euclid Avenue next year. Other retailers, such as drug stores and service businesses, might follow.
New investments, including a bevy of hotels, helped the city emerge this week as the frontrunner to host the 2016 Republican National Convention. There's potential. Enthusiasm. And skepticism, as people brace for the next setback.
"We have this dynamic in downtown where, when there's something new, immediately people are worried that it's going to undermine something that we already have," said Terry Schwarz of Kent State University's Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative, another contributor to the new downtown plan.
"What good connections do is they make new investments not only good in their own right, but they also enhance what's already here," she said. "As the Flats spring back to life, that doesn't have to mean the demise of the Warehouse District."
Consultants think big and small
The alliance, the Kent State group and Segal's firm identified 18 opportunities for better connections downtown. Some of them play off larger investments, such as the planned $30 million makeover of Public Square or the emergence of the Campus District neighborhood around Cleveland State University. Others are more modest projects, including bike lanes on Huron Road and better lights near bus stops and along pedestrian paths.
The highlights include:
Constructing a pedestrian bridge from the downtown Malls - the green space in the heart of the city - to North Coast Harbor and attractions including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and the Great Lakes Science Center. The city, Cuyahoga County and the state have collectively allocated $25 million toward public-space projects, including the bridge. Other financing efforts and private fundraising are under way.
Pushing for public access to the Cuyahoga River behind Tower City Center when casino developer Rock Ohio Caesars moves forward on the second phase of its gaming project.
Adding bike lanes and creating better environments for pedestrians along several downtown streets, including East Sixth, East Ninth and areas north of Cleveland State.
Finding a way to allow bicyclists and pedestrians to traverse the old streetcar level of the Detroit-Superior (Veterans Memorial) Bridge between downtown Cleveland and the Ohio City neighborhood.
"Some of them are really inexpensive, low-hanging fruit," Segal said of the recommendations. "When you get into the connections, you're anywhere from probably six digits to eight digits on each.... If we were going to implement everything in that plan, it would probably cost tens of millions of dollars."
But, he added, "we're not suggesting we implement everything" - at least, not right away. Instead, the plan sorts potential investments by feasibility and timing. And it assigns a team to every task, pulling from the lineup of nonprofit groups, governments, institutions and private partners already working downtown.
The consultants also laid out broader challenges, such as filling vacant retail spaces and expanding school options for downtown residents with children.
On a list of economic priorities, they mentioned the need to provide housing that downtown workers and middle-income households can afford; recruit more casual, quick restaurants; and fill empty retail spaces with businesses, such as pet stores, that cater to nearby residents. Another list, focused on improving the downtown experience, touched on everything from scattering fitness stations across public spaces to adding bathrooms and water fountains across downtown.
"What keeps it from being just a plan on a shelf is a commitment from [the alliance] and its partners to execute," Schwarz said. "And a pretty detailed framework."
The 110-page report charts a potential course for the nonprofit alliance, which draws roughly 60 percent of its funding from special assessments levied on downtown property owners.
The alliance's current agreement with property owners ends in late 2015, and the nonprofit's leaders will start making their case for renewal later this year. So far, those assessments have helped pay for cleaning and safety crews to patrol city streets and business-development programs designed to land and keep office tenants and other companies.
Now, it appears, missing links could be a big part of the alliance's next pitch.
"One of the things that 'Step Up Downtown' does is it makes the connection between things like walkability and bicycle-friendliness and real estate development," said Michael Deemer, the alliance's vice president of business development. "In today's world, with Millennials and empty nesters so strongly gravitating toward mixed-use and walkable environments, creating an environment that is walkable and friendly and feels connected to things is important from a development perspective."
Apartment outlook stays strong
Across the country, cities are seeing residential growth thanks to young renters and aging Baby Boomers without children at home. Based on national trends and local developments, Segal looked at areas where downtown is likely to grow - and falter - during the next few years.
His takeaways:
Apartments: Residential demand will stay strong. The recent wave of building conversions doesn't seem to be putting much of a dent in renters' appetites, since downtown apartment occupancy has been hovering around 95 percent for nearly three years. Most of those conversions have involved historic buildings, which can qualify for federal and state preservation tax credits.
Based on the remaining pool of tax-credit-eligible buildings and the recent pace of apartment projects, Segal and the alliance predict that downtown Cleveland could add 2,000 to 2,500 apartments during the next few years.
That shakes out to 3,000 to 3,750 residents, putting the downtown population somewhere in the 15,000 range. And that potential growth doesn't include new construction, which is stirring on the edges of downtown and is planned for a site north of FirstEnergy Stadium.
"I think it affirmed some of the things that we've been seeing in the market," Joe Marinucci, the alliance's chief executive officer, said of the market research. "We were probably pleasantly surprised by that conversion number."
Offices: As older, less desirable office buildings become dwellings, the city's soft office market will get a boost. So far, most of the residential makeovers have eliminated empty buildings, which don't necessarily factor into market statistics. But developers are looking more closely at half-full buildings, such as the recently converted Hanna Building Annex and the Standard Building, which just changed hands. Forced to move, office tenants are soaking up empty space in other parts of downtown, helping to cut the overall vacancy rate.
The Newmark Grubb Knight Frank real estate brokerage in Cleveland estimates that apartment conversions have reduced downtown's supply of lower-rent office space - Class B and C buildings - by 15.2 percent during the past few years. Rents are inching up at the remaining office buildings, with the cheapest properties seeing the biggest boost.
Overall office vacancies remain high, at anywhere from 17.6 percent to 23 percent, depending on which brokerage you ask. But the success of the Ernst & Young Tower at the Flats East Bank project - downtown's first private high-rise since the early 1990s - demonstrates that tenants want new space and are willing to pay for it. Segal predicted that downtown Cleveland could see additional office construction, though it will be limited and, like the Flats, could require hefty public subsidies.
Shops and restaurants: Retail vacancies probably won't change much during the next few years. The alliance's new plan emphasizes the need to fill empty storefronts along major streets, including Euclid Avenue. Segal wouldn't rule out the possibility of attracting a discount retailer, now that giants including Target and Walmart are experimenting with smaller stores designed for cities. But he expects most new retailers to be small, and focused on residents.
"People have to realign their expectations," Segal said. 'You're not going to have Nordstrom. You're not going to have the big, high-end department stores in a downtown setting almost anywhere.
"Basically, what we've said is to be selective," he added. "We can't expect in a downtown the size of Cleveland that you're going to have miles and miles of retail."
Click on the map header for additional information and an explanation of the color-coding system. Click on each dot for details about the potential connection identified in the "Step Up Downtown" plan.If you think it’s hard being gay in the NFL today, imagine what it was like in the 1960s and ’70s. Yet at one point the Washington Redskins had two gay players on the team: Jerry Smith, a tight end, and David Kopay, a running back. And a new documentary from the NFL Network captures the brief moment when the two shared one night together.
Smith was a star on the team, and according to the film, A Football Life, he struggled with the closet throughout his career. While many teammates knew that he was gay, Smith never discussed his sexuality openly. Amazingly, Smith found a protector in Redskins coach Vince Lombardi, who had a gay brother. Lombardi, who was notoriously tough, made it clear to the team that he would not tolerate any homophobic outburst directed at gay players.
That included David Kopay, a journeyman player on the team. In the film, Kopay recalls the night he and Smith went out drinking and wound up in bed together. It is a heartbreaking vignette.
“I thought this was really good,” Kopay says. “At least I was sharing something of myself with someone who’s close and understood all that I had been through and understood so much of what we hoped for would come. And that’s where we left it. And it never happened again.”
After retiring, Kopay write an autobiography, published in 1977, when he became one of the first professional athletes to come out. In the book, he recounts having sex with another athlete, for whom he uses an alias. Smith never spoke to Kopay after that.
A few months before his death from AIDS in 1986, Smith gave an interview to the Washington Post where he spoke candidly about his disease. “I want people to know what I’ve been through and how terrible this disease is,” Smith said. “Maybe it will help people understand.” But even then, Smith would not come out as gay.
The documentary is playing throughout the month on ESPN and can also be viewed on ESPN.comSecret financial records link scandal-hit oil companies to dozens of offshore entities, many of them undeclared
China’s scandal-mired oil giants and their senior executives have made extensive use of offshore shell companies in the Caribbean, secret financial records reveal.
The country’s biggest oil companies – Sinopec, PetroChina and the China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) – are among the world’s largest businesses, but executives in the industry are embroiled in multiple corruption probes, many tied to networks of shell companies around the world.
Research by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) based on leaked financial records from the British Virgin Islands, reveal dozens of companies tied to the three oil giants, many of which are not disclosed on any publicly available filings by the businesses.
The ICIJ and Guardian, among other outlets, are blocked in China after reporting on Tuesday the offshore holdings of relatives of several current and former Chinese political leaders.
China’s senior oil executives are among the most powerful in the country, and often have extensive ties – some familial – with the country’s political elite.
The records show a long history of offshore use by the oil businesses and executives, with incorporations in the BVI, Cook Islands, and related jurisdictions dating between 1995 and 2008.
One executive, Zhang Bowen, is listed in the ICIJ data as the only director and shareholder of Adept Act Enterprises Limited, active from 2006 to 2008. Last month, Zhang took over as chairman of Kunlun Energy, a subsidiary of CNPC, the Hong Kong-listed parent company of PetroChina.
The chief executive of CNOOC, Yang Hua, was similarly listed as the only director and shareholder of a BVI entity called Garland International Trading Company Limited. His colleague, Fang Zhi, vice-president of CNOOC International, was the director and shareholder of Xin Yue Lianping Company Limited and Xin Yue (BVI) Company Limited.
None of the three companies, nor the executives, responded to repeated requests for comment from ICIJ reporters in China and overseas.
While some of the offshore entities were disclosed in annual reports, many have never been publicly listed. The companies also declined to reveal whether their full list of offshore entities had been reported privately to China’s government, as required under Chinese law.
It is also |
new character and with financial backing of a new kind.
The U.S. military and security establishment has sided with the president. And though the fact is little known here, so have the vast majority of Israelis who can speak with any authority on issues of defense and security. Even the president of Israel, Reuben Rivlin, has signaled his belief that Netanyahu’s interventions in American politics are wrong. Former Prime Minister Ehud Barak has advised that, however reluctantly, Israel should accept the nuclear agreement and forge an understanding with the U.S. about what to do in case of its violation. To this remarkable consensus should be added the public letter — signed by 29 American scientists, many of them deeply involved in nuclear issues, including six recipients of the Nobel Prize — which vouches for the stringency of the agreement and praises the “unprecedented” rigor of the 24-day cap on Iranian delays for site inspection: an interval so short (as no one knows better than these scientists) that successful concealment of traces of nuclear activity becomes impossible.
Two other public letters supporting the nuclear deal have been notable. The first was signed by former U.S. diplomats endorsing the agreement unambiguously, among them Ryan Crocker, the American ambassador to Iraq after 2003; Nicholas Burns, who negotiated with Iran for the younger Bush; and Daniel Kurtzer, a former ambassador to Israel and Egypt who served under both President Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. A further letter carried the personal and institutional authority of dozens of retired admirals and generals. So close an approach to unanimity on the benefits of an agreement among the U.S. military, diplomatic, and scientific communities has seldom been achieved. Even President Reagan could not claim this degree of support by qualified judges when he submitted the INF treaty to the Senate.
Such endorsements ought to represent a substantial cause for hope. But Obama’s supporters would be hard pressed to call the contest a draw on television and radio. The neoconservatives — and the Republicans channeling them — are once again working with boundless energy. Careers are being built on this fight, as in the case of Senator Tom Cotton, and more than one presidential candidacy has been staked on it.
On the day of Obama’s speech, even a relatively informed talk show host like Charlie Rose allowed his coverage to slant sharply against the agreement. His four guests were the Haaretz reporter Chemi Shalev; the Daily Beastcolumnist Jonathan Alter; the former State Department official and president of the Council on Foreign Relations Richard Haass; and the neoconservative venture capitalist, Mark Dubowitz, who has come to be treated as an expert on the nuclear policies and government of Iran.
Haass, passionately opposed to the agreement, said that the president’s speech had been “way over the top,” and hoped Congress would correct its “clear flaws.” Shalev rated the speech honest and “bracing” but thought it would leave many in the Jewish community “offended.” Dubowitz spoke of Iran as a perfidious nation that ought to be subjected to relentless and ever-increasing penalties. His solution: “empower the next president to go back and renegotiate.” Jonathan Alter alone defended the agreement.
Planning to Attack Iran, 2002-2015
By now, the active participants in mainstream commentary on the War on Terror all have a history, and one can learn a good deal by looking back. Haass, for example, a pillar of the foreign policy establishment, worked in the State Department under Bush and Cheney and made no public objection to the Iraq War. Dubowitz has recently co-authored several articles with Reuel Marc Gerecht, a leading propagandist for the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In a characteristic piece in the Wall Street Journal last November, Gerecht and Dubowitz argued that the P5+1 negotiations opened a path to a nuclear bomb for Iran. President Obama, they said, was too weak and trapped by his own errors to explore any alternatives, but there were three “scenarios” that a wiser and stronger president might consider. First, “the White House could give up on diplomacy and preemptively strike Iran’s nuclear sites”; second, “the administration could give up on the current talks and default back to sanctions”; third, “new, even more biting sanctions could be enacted, causing Tehran considerable pain.” The range of advisable policy, for Gerecht and Dubowitz, begins with “crippling sanctions” and ends with a war of aggression.
These scenarios typify the neoconservative “options.” Writing on his own in the Atlantic in June 2013, Dubowitz informed American readers that there was nothing to celebrate in the Iranian presidential election that brought to power the apparently rational and moderate Hassan Rouhani. “A loyalist of Iran’s supreme leader and a master of nuclear deceit,” Rouhani, as interpreted by Dubowitz, is a false friend whose new authority “doesn’t get us any closer to stopping Iran’s nuclear drive.”
Consider Gerecht in his solo flights and you can see what made the president say that these are the people who gave us the Iraq War. They were as sure then about the good that would follow the bombing and invasion of that country as they are now about the benefits of attacking Iran. Indeed, Gerecht has the distinction of having called for an attack on Iran even before the official launch of the Bush strategy on Iraq.
It is said that Dick Cheney’s August 26, 2002, speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars marked the first formal description of the War on Terror offered by a U.S. leader to American citizens. But Gerecht, a former CIA specialist on the Middle East, stole a march on the vice president. In the Weekly Standard of August 6, 2002, under the title “Regime Change in Iran?,” he declared his belief that President Bush was the possessor of a “revolutionary edge and appeal… in the Middle East.” The younger Bush had
“sliced across national borders and civilizational divides with an unqualified assertion of a moral norm. The president declared, ‘The people of Iran want the same freedoms, human rights, and opportunities as people around the world.’ America will stand ‘alongside people everywhere determined to build a world of freedom, dignity, and tolerance.’”
The analyst Gerecht took up where the evangelist Bush left off: the relevant country to attack in August 2002 — on behalf of its people of course — was Iran. Gerecht had no doubt that
“the Iranian people overwhelmingly view clerical rule as fundamentally illegitimate. The heavily Westernized clerics of Iran’s religious establishment — and these mullahs are on both sides of the so-called ‘moderate-conservative’ split — know perfectly well that the Persian word azadi, ‘freedom,’ is perhaps the most evocative word in the language now… Azadi has also become indissolubly associated with the United States.”
This was the way the neoconservatives were already writing and thinking back in August 2002. It is hard to know which is more astounding, the show of philological virtuosity or the self-assurance regarding the advisability of war against a nation of 70 million.
General prognostications, however, are never enough for the neoconservatives, and Gerecht in 2002 enumerated the specific benefits of disorder in Iraq and Iran:
“An American invasion [of Iraq] could possibly provoke riots in Iran — simultaneous uprisings in major cities that would simply be beyond the scope of regime-loyal specialized riot-control units. The army or the Revolutionary Guard Corps would have to be pulled into service in large numbers, and that’s when things could get interesting.”
That was how he had it scored. Bush, the voice of freedom, would be adored as a benevolent emperor at a distance:
“President Bush, of course, doesn’t need National Iranian Television broadcasts to beam his message into the Islamic Republic. Everything he says moves at light speed through the country. The president just needs to keep talking about freedom being the birthright of Muslim peoples.”
Such was the neoconservative recipe for democracy in the Middle East: beam the words of George W. Bush to people everywhere, invade Iraq, and spark a democratic uprising in Iran (assisted if necessary by U.S. bombs and soldiers).
For a final glimpse of the same “mindset,” look closely at Gerecht’s advice on Syria in June 2014. Writing again in the Weekly Standard, he deprecated the very idea of getting help from Iran in the fight against the Islamic State. “The Enemy of My Enemy Is My Enemy” declares the title of the piece, and the article makes the same point with a minimal reliance on facts. Sunni terrorists are portrayed as impetuous youngsters who naturally go too far, but it is too early to gauge their trajectory: the changes they bring may not ultimately be uncongenial to American interest. The Shiite masterminds of Iran, on the other hand, have long ago attained full maturity and will never change. Gerecht’s hope, last summer, was that substantial Iranian casualties in a war against IS would lead to the spontaneous uprising that failed to materialize in 2003.
“It is possible that the present Sunni-Shiite conflict could, if the Iranian body count rises and too much national treasure is spent, produce shock waves that fundamentally weaken the clerical regime… Things could get violent inside the Islamic Republic.”
The vision underlying this policy amounts to selective or strategic tolerance of al-Qaeda and IS for the sake of destroying Iran.
Will the War on Terror Be Debated?
How can such opinions be contested in American politics? The answer will have to come from what remains of the potential opposition party in the war on terror. Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut has been a remarkable exception, but for the most part the Democrats are preoccupied with domestic policy. If almost two-thirds of Congress today is poised to vote against the Iran settlement, this embarrassment is the result of years of systematic neglect. Sherrod Brown, Elizabeth Warren, Dick Durbin, Ron Wyden, Tammy Baldwin, and a few others have the talent to lead an opposition to a pursuit of the war on terror on the neoconservative plan, but to have any effect they would have to speak up regularly on foreign policy.
Meanwhile, the Republican Party and its billionaire bankrollers are playing the long game on Iran. They would like to gain the two-thirds majority to override Obama’s veto of a Congressional vote against the nuclear agreement, but they do not really expect that to happen. The survival of any agreement, however, depends not only on its approval but on its legitimation. Their hope is to depress public support for the P5+1 deal so much that the next president and members of the next Congress would require extraordinary courage to persist with American participation.
In the Foreign Affairs column mentioned earlier, Daniel Levy concluded that the long game is also Benjamin Netanyahu’s strategy:
”Netanyahu is going for a twofer — if he loses on the veto-proof super majority in Congress, he can still succeed in keeping the Iran deal politically controversial and fragile and prevent any further détente with Iran. The hope, in this case, is that the next U.S. administration can resume the status quo ante in January 2017.”
What we are seeing, then, is not simply a concentrated effort that will end with the vote by the Senate in September on the P5+1 nuclear deal. It is the earliest phase of a lobbying campaign intended to usher in a Republican president of appropriate views in January 2017.
One may recognize that the money is there for such a long-term drive and yet still wonder at the virulence of the campaign to destroy Iran. What exactly allows the war party to keep on as they do? Within Israel, the cause is a political theology that obliges its believers to fight preemptive wars without any end in sight in order to guard against enemies who have opposed the existence of the Jewish state ever since its creation. This is a defensive fear that responds to an irrefutable historical reality. The neoconservatives and the better informed among their Republican followers are harder to grasp — harder anyway until you realize that, for them, we are Rome and the Republican Party is the cradle of future American emperors, praetors, and proconsuls.
“Ideology,” as the political essayist and Czech dissident Vaclav Havel once wrote, is “the bridge of excuses” a government offers to the people it rules. Between 2001 and 2009, the U.S. government was run by neoconservatives; they had a fair shot and the public judgment went against them; but in a climate of resurgent confusion about the Middle East, they have come a long way toward rebuilding their bridge. They are zealots but also prudent careerists, and the combination of money and revived propaganda may succeed in blurring many unhappy memories. Nor can they be accused of insincerity. When a theorist at a neoconservative think tank, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies or the American Enterprise Institute, affirms that democracy is what the Iranian people will have as soon as the U.S. cripples the resources of that country, he surely believes what he is saying. The projection seems as true to them now as it was in 2002, 2007, and 2010, as true as it will be in 2017 when a new president, preferably another young man of “spirit” like George W. Bush, succeeds the weak and deplorable Barack Obama. For such people, the battle is never over, and there is always another war ahead. They will push until they are stopped.
David Bromwich, a TomDispatch regular, teaches literature at Yale University and is the author of Moral Imagination.Informal counts indicate support in Congress for Obama’s plans is in the low dozens. House GOP won't follow their leaders
The whip count on Syria has become like the war itself: No one in Washington wants to own it alone.
While most top congressional leaders have vowed to back President Barack Obama in seeking authority to launch missile strikes, there’s little evidence that they can — or even want to — help him round up the rank-and file-Republicans he’ll need to win a vote in the House.
Story Continued Below
Speaker John Boehner’s spokesman said that he “expects the White House to provide answers to members’ questions and take the lead on any whipping effort.” Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), whose aides and allies run the whip process, isn’t yet in favor of Obama’s request for military authority in Syria.
Several lawmakers and aides who have been canvassing support say that nearly 80 percent of the House Republican Conference is, to some degree, opposed to launching strikes in Syria. Informal counts by Obama allies show that support in Congress for Obama’s plans is in the low dozens.
( PHOTOS: Senate hearing on Syria)
While a handful of lawmakers pledged support for striking Syria inside a White House meeting with Obama Tuesday, the hell-no caucus in the House gathered steam outside, portending a vicious, multi-factional fight over the most somber issue that ever faces Washington — whether to deploy military force. In the House, neither Republican nor Democratic leaders are in a position to speak for their rank-and-file. Several lawmakers and senior aides interviewed by POLITICO Tuesday wondered about the fallout for leadership if the resolution is resoundingly defeated.
Of course, there’s time, and classified briefings and arm-twisting from committee chairmen can help change lawmakers’ moods and opinions. But at this point, the overwhelming narrative is that authorizing military action in Syria will be one of the toughest sells of Obama’s time in the White House.
The biggest problem for Obama — and now Boehner — is that the opposition is coming from precisely the places where many expected the president to find support. The thought throughout top levels of the House Republican Conference is that Obama needs to garner backing from Republicans on the Foreign Affairs, Armed Services and Intelligence committees, and the Appropriations subcommittees on Defense and Foreign Operations. He should also look in and around leadership, these sources say.
( Also on POLITICO: Senators craft Syria compromise)
But it is in those places where loud opposition is bubbling up.
Rep. Tom Rooney (R-Fla.) — a member of the GOP whip team and a natural ally of Boehner’s as a former Army attorney who sits on the Intelligence committee — told POLITICO leadership’s approval of the mission didn’t move him at all. He said that the U.S. has “the keys to escalate [the conflict] unilaterally.”
“I really do believe when you have an engagement confined within the boarders of Syria as bad as it could imaginably be to engage, you’re really really asking for it to spill outside the borders,” Rooney said in an interview Tuesday. “If I’m Assad and I get attacked, Tel Aviv is in my scopes.”
The clash of titanic interests, from national to political security, makes this vote the toughest for Obama since he narrowly won enactment of his health care law in 2010. It cuts so many different ways — across parties, philosophies, and parochial political considerations — that win or lose, its reverberations are sure to be felt well into the second term of Obama’s presidency.
( Also on POLITICO: Pelosi's test)
Division within each party and the matter-of-conscience nature of a war vote make it uncomfortable for party leaders to whip the votes. Republican leaders have said they won’t do it, and Democratic leaders aren’t likely to run a formal whip effort. That doesn’t mean, though, that they won’t keep tabs on where members are to make sure the White House knows whether it’s winning or losing.
The president’s informal whip team consists of most, but not all, of the top House Democratic leadership, several top lawmakers on national security committees, his Cabinet, France, and the pro-Israel lobby. The French Embassy sent members of Congress a nine-page intelligence report Tuesday afternoon to help persuade them to vote for military action. And the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the top pro-Israel advocacy group in Washington, released a statement encouraging lawmakers to back Obama.
The French embassy went as far to send members of Congress a nine-page French intelligence report Tuesday afternoon. The country offered up its Middle East political hand to lawmakers if they had questions. National Security Adviser Susan Rice will brief the Congressional Black Caucus Sept. 9. The House Armed Services Committee will also have a members’ only briefing that same day.
( Also on POLITICO: Senate all over the map on Syria)
The CBC is asking its members to stay mum for now.
“We ask that you limit any public comment on the subject of Syria until after the meeting,” a caucus official wrote in an e-mail to member offices.Ava Jindra can't take much more. An internal fight over the management of the Madison Community Cooperative, an organization that owns 11 housing co-ops, has left Jindra and many others feeling defeated.
"I'm terrified of checking my email every day just to see what terrible thing someone has said about me," says Jindra, MCC's coordinating officer. "It's been a psychologically horrible experience, and has prevented me from being productive."
Jindra isn't alone. Internal tensions between some members of MCC and its paid staff have sparked the staff to go on strike and residents of four of the co-ops to withhold rent.
The catalyst for the conflict was a fire last September that rendered Lothlorien co-op, the group's largest and most valuable property, uninhabitable. The MCC membership ultimately voted to rebuild rather than sell the property on the shore of Lake Mendota, but that decision was marred by controversy. Some members alleged that the staff inflated reconstruction estimates to encourage selling. The staff in turn accused pro-Lothlorien members and former residents of harassment and slander. The fight got ugly and personal.
Ultimately the MCC board of directors voted to not to renew one staff member's contract, effectively firing the person. Staff members contacted by Isthmus did not respond to requests for comment.
Enough members signed a petition to force a full membership vote on whether or not to renew the employee's contract. Votes from the roughly 200 residents in MCC's co-ops will be collected Dec. 28.
In the meantime, MCC staff -- including two remaining full-time coordinating workers and two contract maintenance workers -- went on strike Dec. 1. Other part-time staff members have either quit or are striking, in solidarity, according to membership officer Taylor Kestrel. Employee demands include the reinstatement of the staff member whose contract wasn't renewed as well as the resignation of several members of the board. They also want to ban members of the pro-Lothlorien contingent from the MCC staff offices.
At the same time, four houses -- Syntropy, Ambrosia, Sofia and Phoenix -- began withholding rent in solidarity with the staff. The houses are still collecting rent, but placing the funds in escrow until the conflict is resolved.
The rent strike is a symbolic gesture, and, for now, doesn't pose a serious threat to MCC's finances. Kestrel says it would take three or four months of continuous rent withholding before MCC would need to dip into its reserve funds.
Christian Hansen, a resident of Phoenix co-op, is participating in the rent action in support of the staff. He worries about how the situation will be resolved.
"It's difficult to see a resolution at this point because everything is just escalation, and I see that escalation as very one-sided," Hansen says. "Numerous, repeated allegations continue to be asserted by one side in this debate from outside the organization, and this needs stop. We need to get back to the business of rebuilding Lothlorien."
Lothlorien has been empty since the fire, and no repair work has been started, in part because of the conflict. MCC is currently seeking repair bids and getting new architectural drawings.
However, Tom Pierson, a former executive director of the North American Students of Cooperation, of which MCC is a member, blames the staff for inaction. "The fact that [Lothlorien] is still vacant is a major flag," he says. "This is clearly a failure on the staff level. There's a rat under that woodpile."
Members of the staff and board planned to meet with NASCO for advice on how to handle the conflict.
Although the issue has divided the MCC community, both sides have one thing in common -- the fight is wearing them out.
"The unfortunate thing is that the way that it has played out is that multiple parties have tried to reach out to the membership by distributing fliers," says Andy Bose, MCC's financial officer. "There has been factual information spread, rumors spread and emotionally impactful word choices. This has left the membership on all sides confused and quite frankly exhausted with the whole situation."
Bose, a former resident of Lothlorien, is one of the people that the staff is demanding resign.
Kestrel says the ongoing dispute has left many members confused. "People aren't super informed," Kestrel says. "One person says something, than another says the complete opposite. It's basically a flame war.”
MCC was formed in 1968 from eight independent housing co-operatives. It has had its ups and downs in four decades but in general has grown, providing residents both affordable housing and a more communal living experience. Many houses share food costs and rotate cooking duties for dinner. About 200 people now live in MCC houses.
It has become an integral part of Madison counterculture. And it recently began an experiment to help alleviate homelessness here. MCC teamed up with Briarpatch Youth Services to create a transitional living co-op for homeless teens, in a house near Sherman Avenue on the city's east side.BitID Will Verify Your Identity with the Bitcoin Blockchain
A new protocol called “BitID” promises to streamline identity verification for online services while protecting privacy – with tokens on the Bitcoin blockchain.
Also read: JPMorgan: Blockchain is the Real Deal, Get Off the Sidelines
Replacing User-Unfriendly ID Systems
BitID is now concluding a successful testing period, and should be ready for other services to use in the near future.
Although credit cards and e-commerce have opened up international markets and made spending money almost too easy, there’s a serious side effect – identity theft is rife, thanks to multiple companies storing highly sensitive personal ID data on systems prone to theft and data-mining.
Bitcoin wallet and business directory Airbitz has teamed up with BitPOS, an Australian payment processor, to trial BitID – which they hope will replace these user-unfriendly systems with a simple blockchain-based token.
Speaking to Bitcoin.com, BitPOS CEO Jason Williams said:
Identity is a concept central to our lives and our interaction with others, being able to prove who we are creates trust, integrity in our actions and, uncharacteristically on the internet, provides responsibility for our actions.
The two companies have been working on the protocol for most of the past year, after their founders met at the Inside Bitcoins conference in Las Vegas in 2013. Discussions about higher-purposes uses for wallet software and user security eventually morphed into BitID, despite them living on opposite sides of the world.
How BitID Works
BitID takes an already-verified identity that has been created by one online service, like a bank or bitcoin exchange, and creates an ‘identity token’.
That token consists of two things: an actual Bitcoin address derived from the domain where the identity was created, and eight bytes of code to signify what ID documents were used to verify it. The token is then recorded on the blockchain.
This identity token can then be used by any other service using the BitID protocol. Anyone who wants to verify that identity – another service or an individual – can simply scan a QR code to check that the identity token exists.
When verifying an identity, users also receive a link to the authority that created it, and can then look up the definition of any of the initial vendor’s verification documents.
ID Verified, But Data Still Private
The benefit is that no verifier needs to see, or store records of, data on the initial identity documents (such as passports, drivers’ licenses, contact details, utility bills etc). This adds a valuable protection against hacking attacks and data theft.
Unlike other similar services that have been proposed, Williams said, no detailed or identifying information is stored on the blockchain. BitID does not require any permission to use, is completely decentralized, and protects users’ privacy from data mining and theft.
As much as spokespeople like Andreas Antonopoulos point out that bitcoin itself does not require ID, there will always be other online services that do. That’s not likely to change for a long time.
“The benefit to the consumer is (at least in my mind) clear,” Williams said. “When you carry around a cryptographically provable identity things become easier. You can onboard with business easier, purchase products easier and generally prove who you are easier and with more certainty.”
Even though the current system is a proof-of-concept demonstration and not yet available for the public to use, he said Airbitz’s testing has shown it to work well so far.
Chaining Information to an Identity
A secure public blockchain is the best way to roll out such an identity system, Williams said, since there is no possibility of collusion and the identity record is verified by consensus, and agreed to be real.
As an information provider relying on more experienced verifiers, BitID does not tackle the issue of identity fraud itself. It simply records a definition of what a particular verified identity provides, and whatever documentation supports it.
One of BitID’s chief features, Williams said, is the ability to create an ID profile by “chaining information to an identity” – allowing future verifiers to add more supporting documents to the profile at later dates, depending on the strength of verification required.
Ultimately, this establishes a profile that enables others to trust what is presented to them. BitID merely provides the token and, once created, it is available for anyone to make use of – without the need for extra permissions.
If blockchain-recorded identity is found to be fraudulent, then that information is added to the information chain, rendering the token invalid. Anyone attempting to verify an ID via that token would see the latest information.
If BitID succeeds, and becomes the protocol of choice for public and private online services, verifying your identity would become even simpler than providing a public key.
The blockchain would already know who you are, and be able to vouch for you – without even knowing who you are.
Would a system like BitID make you feel more secure than having your documents stored on company servers?
Images courtesy of PixabayGetty Images Copyright: Getty Images
Scotland head coach Vern Cotter, speaking to ITV: "We're disappointed with the result and obviously we would have liked to put on a better performance - then when we got injuries early we came unstuck.
"We couldn't get a grip on the game and went backwards. We've had eight concussions in two away games and now I'm more focused on getting the team back together for next week.
"We didn't defend well off the set piece, they scored from those, and then you find yourself chasing the game. You start making changes because of injuries and your strategic options are limited.
"We're frustrated but I'm more looking at the problem of next week's game. We will take it on the chin and work hard to put something together that we can be proud of next week."Image recognition is very interesting and challenging field of study. Here we explain concepts, applications and techniques of image recognition using Convolutional Neural Networks.
By Savaram Ravindra, Mindmajix.com
What is Image Recognition and why is it Used?
In the context of machine vision, image recognition is the capability of a software to identify people, places, objects, actions and writing in images. To achieve image recognition, the computers can utilise machine vision technologies in combination with artificial intelligence software and a camera.
While it is very easy for human and animal brains to recognize objects, the computers have difficulty with the same task. When we look at something like a tree or a car or our friend, we usually don’t have to study it consciously before we can tell what it is. However, for a computer, identifying anything(be it a clock, or a chair, human beings or animals) represents a very difficult problem and the stakes for finding a solution to that problem are very high.
Image: CS231.github
Image recognition is a machine learning method and it is designed to resemble the way a human brain functions. With this method, the computers are taught to recognize the visual elements within an image. By relying on large databases and noticing emerging patterns, the computers can make sense of images and formulate relevant tags and categories.
Popular Application of Image Recognition
Image recognition has various applications. The most common as well as popular among them is personal photo organization. Who wouldn’t like to better manage a huge library of photo memories according to visual topics, from particular objects to wide landscapes?
The user experience of photo organization applications is being empowered by image recognition. In addition to providing a photo storage, the apps want to go a step further by providing people with much better discovery and search functions. They can attain that with the capabilities of automated image organization provided by machine learning. The image recognition application programming interface integrated in the applications classifies the images based on identified patterns and groups them thematically.
The other applications of image recognition include stock photography and video websites, interactive marketing and creative campaigns, face and image recognition on social networks and image classification for websites with huge visual databases.
Image Recognition is a Tough Task to Accomplish
Image recognition is not an easy task to achieve. A good way to think about achieving it is through applying metadata to unstructured data. Hiring human experts for manually tagging the libraries of music and movies may be a daunting task but it becomes highly impossible when it comes to challenges such as teaching the driverless car’s navigation system to differentiate pedestrians crossing the road from various other vehicles or filtering, categorizing or tagging millions of videos and photos uploaded by the users that appear daily on social media.
One way to solve this problem would be through the utilization of neural networks. We can make use of conventional neural networks for analyzing images in theory, but in practice, it will be highly expensive from a computational perspective. Take for example, a conventional neural network trying to process a small image(let it be 30*30 pixels) would still need 0.5 million parameters and 900 inputs. A reasonably powerful machine can handle this but once the images become much larger(for example, 500*500 pixels), the number of parameters and inputs needed increases to very high levels.
There is another problem associated with the application of neural networks to image recognition: overfitting. In simple terms, overfitting happens when a model tailors itself very closely to the data it has been trained on. Generally, this leads to added parameters(further increasing the computational costs) and model’s exposure to new data results in a loss in the general performance.
Convolutional Neural Networks
Convolutional Neural Network Architecture Model
Image: Parse
To the way a neural network is structured, a relatively straightforward change can make even huge images more manageable. The result is what we call as the CNNs or ConvNets(convolutional neural networks).
The general applicability of neural networks is one of their advantages, but this advantage turns into a liability when dealing with images. The convolutional neural networks make a conscious tradeoff: if a network is designed for specifically handling the images, some generalizability has to be sacrificed for a much more feasible solution.
If you consider any image, proximity has a strong relation with similarity in it and convolutional neural networks specifically take advantage of this fact. This implies, in a given image, two pixels that are nearer to each other are more likely to be related than the two pixels that are apart from each other. Nevertheless, in a usual neural network, every pixel is linked to every single neuron. The added computational load makes the network less accurate in this case.
By killing a lot of these less significant connections, convolution solves this problem. In technical terms, convolutional neural networks make the image processing computationally manageable through filtering the connections by proximity. In a given layer, rather than linking every input to every neuron, convolutional neural networks restrict the connections intentionally so that any one neuron accepts the inputs only from a small subsection of the layer before it(say like 5*5 or 3*3 pixels). Hence, each neuron is responsible for processing only a certain portion of an image.(Incidentally, this is almost how the individual cortical neurons function in your brain. Each neuron responds to only a small portion of your complete visual field).
The Working Process of a Convolutional Neural Network
Image: deeplearning4j
From left to right in the above image, you can observe:
The real input image that is scanned for features. The filter that passes over it is the light rectangle.
The Activation maps are arranged in a stack on the top of one another, one for each filter you use. The larger rectangle is 1 patch to be downsampled.
The activation maps condensed via downsampling.
A new group of activation maps generated by passing the filters over the stack that is downsampled first.
The second downsampling – which condenses the second group of activation maps.
A fully connected layer that designates output with 1 label per node.
How does a CNN filter the connections by proximity? The secret is in the addition of 2 new kinds of layers: pooling and convolutional layers. We will break the process down below, utilising the example of a network that is designed to do just one thing, i.e, to determine whether a picture contains a grandpa or not.
The first step in the process is convolution layer which in turn has several steps in itself.
At first, we will break down grandpa’s picture into a series of overlapping 3*3 pixel tiles.
After that, we will run each of these tiles via a simple, single-layer neural network by keeping the weights unaltered. This will change the collection of tiles into an array. As we kept each of the images small(3*3 in this case), the neural network needed to process them stays manageable and small.
Then, the output values will be taken and arranged in an array that numerically represents each area’s content in the photograph, with the axes representing color, width and height channels. So, for each tile, we would have a 3*3*3 representation in this case. (We would throw in a fourth dimension for time if we were talking about the videos of grandpa).
The next step is the pooling layer. It takes these 3 or 4 dimensional arrays and applies a downsampling function together with spatial dimensions. The result is a pooled array that contains only the image portions that are important while discarding the rest, which minimizes the computations that are needed to be done while also avoiding the overfitting problem.
The downsampled array is taken and utilized as the regular fully connected neural network’s input. Since the input’s size has been reduced dramatically using pooling and convolution, we must now have something that a normal network will be able to handle while still preserving the most significant portions of data. The final step’s output will represent how confident the system is that we have the picture of a grandpa.
In real life, the process of working of a CNN is convoluted involving numerous hidden, pooling and convolutional layers. In addition to this, the real CNNs usually involve hundreds or thousands of labels rather than just a single label.
How to Build a Convolutional Neural Network?
Building a CNN from scratch can be an expensive and time–consuming undertaking. Having said that, a number of APIs have been developed recently developed that aim to enable the organizations to glean insights without the need of in-house machine learning or computer vision expertise.
Google Cloud Vision
Google Cloud Vision is the visual recognition API of Google and uses a REST API. It is based on the open-source TensorFlow framework. It detects the individual faces and objects and contains a pretty comprehensive label set.
IBM Watson Visual Recognition
IBM Watson Visual Recognition is a part of the Watson Developer Cloud and comes with a huge set of built-in classes but is built really for training custom classes based on the images you supply. It also supports a number of nifty features including NSFW and OCR detection like Google Cloud Vision.
Clarif.ai
Clarif.ai is an upstart image recognition service that also utilizes a REST API. One interesting aspect regarding Clarif.ai is that it comes with a number of modules that are helpful in tailoring its algorithm to specific subjects such as food, travel and weddings.
While the above APIs are suitable for few general applications, you might still be better off developing a custom solution for specific tasks. Fortunately, a number of libraries are available that make the lives of developers and data scientists a little easier by dealing with the optimization and computational aspects allowing them to focus on training models. Many of these libraries including Theano, Torch, DeepLearning4J and TensorFlow have been successfully used in a wide variety of applications.
An Interesting Application of Convolutional Neural Networks
Adding Sounds to Silent Movies Automatically
To match a silent video, the system must synthesize sounds in this task. The system is trained utilizing thousand video examples with the sound of a drum stick hitting distinct surfaces and generating distinct sounds. A deep learning model associates the video frames with a database of pre-recorded sounds to choose a sound to play that perfectly matches with what is happening in the scene. The system will then be evaluated with the help of a set-up which resembles a turing-test where humans have to determine which video has the fake(synthesized) or real sounds. This is a very cool application of convolution |
the following words of the state’s most prominent former resident, Thomas Jefferson: “Reason and free inquiry are the only effectual agents against error. They are the natural enemies of error and of error only.” This was the setting for the second trip in as many years by the University of Virginia and climate scientist Dr. Michael Mann to the commonwealth’s highest court.
Photo: Morgan Riley/wikimedia
The first research privacy case was admittedly more ridiculous: an attorney general attempting to use the Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act to access the private correspondence of a group of climate scientists (he wasn’t successful). This time, an organization called the American Tradition Institute is looking to access the same emails and handwritten notes through Virginia’s open records law. A circuit court found that exemptions in the Virginia Freedom of Information Act protected the scientists’ discussions from disclosure; UCS joined the American Association of University Professors on briefs in support of the university with the circuit court and high court. For full background, see this preview of the case.
I was in court today to hear the oral arguments, and have reproduced the points that were most salient to me (although I acknowledge that my shorthand may result in slight typos or a missed word or two, I have done so to the best of my ability. Another caveat: I’m also not a lawyer. But here goes).
Each side had approximately twenty minutes to present its case, and the justices were clearly engaged, asking similar questions of the two attorneys for the university and the attorney for ATI, David Schnare.
Dr. Schnare began by claiming that the university wished to be exempt from the open records law, interpreting the law so broadly that it would not release any documents. “The university would like you to write them out of the act…the exception swallows the rule,” he said. He argued that once research is published that all data should be made available.
“We by no means took the position that everything they were asking for was exempt,” Richard Kast, representing the university, later countered, explaining that the university had already turned over significant numbers of documents to ATI, and pointing out that Dr. Mann’s research and methods have long been publicly available; this is not what is at issue in this case.
Much of the discussion, as expected, was around how to construe the legislative intent of various exemptions under the state’s FOIA. The justices engaged all of the attorneys at length as to whether academic work was copyrightable, and to whom the work produced belonged, which would affect how it is considered for disclosure under current FOIA law. Justice Bill Mims expressed concern that any exemption under FOIA should be narrowly construed, and wondered if the American Tradition Institute’s understanding of FOIA law was equally plausible to the university’s.
“ATI’s interpretation flies in the face of the plain language of the statute,” replied Kast. “Long-established protocols for scientific research and scholarship” is what the state legislature had in mind when constructing the FOIA exemptions.
The university’s Madelyn Wessel argued that scientists may build throughout a career off of previous unpublished research, data, and notes, and that what was once thought to be unimportant may be illuminating at some point in the future. Because of this, the idea that you would be able to tie specific email conversations to published research–which may then be disclosable–doesn’t work. She pointed to affidavits in the university’s court filing from UVa Provost John Simon as to how full disclosure would harm the research process. “The University of Virginia, and its scientists, would suffer demonstrable harm….and competitive disadvantages” with peers within the state and throughout the world, she said.
The court clearly understood the potential consequences of the actions it is being asked to take, with multiple justices talking about how the interpretive standard they set will apply not just to this case but to tens of thousands of cases. “A public university would be at such a gross disadvantage to a private university that nobody would ever want to work there,” suggested Justice Donald Lemons.
Yet the justices made clear that their decision would rest on their reading of the law and its intent.
“While I might agree with everything you just said,” said Justice Lemons to the UVa attorneys, “We have a statute to interpret.”
A decision in the case is expected on February 28.
Posted in: Global Warming, Science and Democracy Tags: AAUP, american tradition institute, attacks on scientists, climate-change, Cuccinelli, FOIA, harassment, subpoenas, University of Virginia
Support from UCS members make work like this possible. Will you join us? Help UCS advance independent science for a healthy environment and a safer world.Server Deployments Week 18
As always, please refer to the server deployment thread for the latest updates and news.
Main (SLS) Channel
On Tuesday April 29th, the Main channel received the server maintenance project that was on the Magnum RC in week 17, comprising:
A fix for “llTeleportAgent() and llTeleportAgentGlobalCoords() can break any script in any attached object that contains a change event.” ( )
A crash mode fix.
Release Candidate Channels
On Wednesday April 30th, all three RCs should receive the same maintenance package. This comprises the same fixes as deployed to the Main channel and sees the Magnum RC rejoin BlueSteel and LeTigre with AIS v3 support, which requires the use of the Sunshine RC viewer.
SL Viewer
As per my recent post, the Lab have updated their SL system requirements page for Windows and Mac OSX to better reflect the public status of both operating systems. There is an official blog post on the subject as well, which essentially confirms that Windows XP and OSX 10.6 are considered as no longer supported. While accessing SL from computers using these OS versions will not be blocked, users will no longer be able to obtain SL-related support should they encounter issues, and the Lab is advising people update wherever possible.
Additionally, the Lab is updating the Windows installer so that it will verify whether the latest service packs for Windows XP versions have been installed, otherwise viewer installation on XP will be blocked until such time as the relevant service packs have been installed.
The aim here is to help people enjoy improved stability in the SL experience. However, once these new requirements come into effect, they may cause some upset among those affected. How widespread this is liable to be is debatable; the Firestorm team have been running a similar process since the release of Firestorm 4.6.1, and they are reporting minimal complaints from among users.
Group Chat Optimisation
Following the last group chat tests on Aditi, Simon Linden reports that the optimised code has been deployed to a production server this week, but it is liable to be a little while longer before it is deployed to all of the chat servers, and time will be taken to see how it behaves with traffic on the server on which it is currently running.
Group Bans
Baker Linden is back on code merges for the viewer. It is thought he may have hit one or two problems, so assuming he makes the Server Beta meeting on Thursday May 1st, we may find out if this is the case and what is happening.
Experience Keys (/Permissions)
Expectations on what these are liable to be, how they will work, what limitations may be placed on them, and so on, is still running high, particularly after Danger Linden (Don Laabs, Linden Lab’s Senior Director of Product) mentioned them recently. As I’ve covered previously, the experience keys are essentially the culmination of a project which was initially prototyped with the Linden Realms game, and which have since been going through continued development, re-definition and enhancement and which should – hopefully – be appearing in the near future.
Other Items
URL Errors When Connecting to a Region
There is a known issue which can cause issues when the viewer is trying to connect to a region. In these circumstances, the viewer receives URLs containing the host name, but not the required “.agni.lindenlab.com” (e.g. to something like “https://sim10586:12043/cap/…” is received, rather than “https://sim10586.agni.lindenlab.com:12043/cap/…”).
This causes the viewer to fail to connect to the various capabilities using the URL calls, which in turn results in things like mesh load failures, inventory load failures, L$ failures, and so on, as well as having bad URLs shown for http-in. See also BUG-4704.
Should this happen, the advice to region owners is to contact support, indicating the region where the issues are occurring. The problem can be identified in the viewer log file, which will contain entries similar to the following:
2014-04-29T16:44:05Z INFO: LLCurl::completedRaw: Failed to deserialize LLSD. https://sim10586:12043/cap/01a64236-9a2b-4008-bef0-46a0f7afecae [499]: STATUS_ERROR 2014-04-29T16:44:05Z WARNING: BaseCapabilitiesComplete::errorWithContent: [status:499:] {'reason':'STATUS_ERROR'} 2014-04-29T16:44:05Z INFO: failedSeedCapability: posting to seed https://sim10586:12043/cap/01a64236-9a2b-4008-bef0-46a0f7afecae (retry 23) 2014-04-29T16:44:05Z WARNING: LLURLRequest: rocess_impl: URLRequest Error: 6, Couldn't resolve host name, https://sim10586:12043/cap/01a64236-9a2b-4008-bef0-46a0f7afecae
AdvertisementsCalifornia’s push to transform the market for grid-scale energy storage is working even better than expected — at least on paper.
Last year, California created a mandate calling for 1,325 megawatts of energy storage projects by 2020, to be scaled up every two years. The first installment of proposals due this year adds up to 200 megawatts.
As of mid-2014, more than 2,000 megawatts of energy storage projects have applied to interconnect with the state’s grid, according to recent data from state grid operator California ISO (PDF). In other words, project developers have received the market signal of a 1.3-gigawatt mandate and proposed enough storage to provide nearly double that amount over the coming years.
The list includes 1,669 megawatts of standalone battery storage, 44 megawatts of other standalone storage, 255 megawatts of batteries combined with generation projects, and a 90-megawatt project combining solar and batteries. They are all seeking interconnection under the initiative’s “Cluster 7” window, which closed on April 30, 2014. (A project-by-project breakdown of all the applications is available in PDF.)
What’s more, CAISO only tracks projects seeking interconnection to the high-voltage transmission grid, said Heather Sanders, the grid operator’s director of smart grid technologies and strategy, at last week’s Intersolar conference. That leaves out all the distribution-grid-connected and customer-sited storage systems, which make up a combined 875 megawatts of the state’s 1.3-gigawatt target.
However, just because a storage project is in the queue doesn’t mean it will be built, Sanders noted. (We’ve seen the same thing in solar in the past.) At this point, proposals don’t even require any money from the applicants. That step will come only after a first-phase study to determine the costs of individual projects.
Sanders compared the present storage rush to the early days of California’s renewable portfolio standard, when wind and solar power interconnection requests added up to enough projects to supply three times the mandate’s needs. Still, it’s certainly a sign that the storage mandate has provided a massive boost in interest from developers.
It’s also a challenge for CAISO and the other state agencies tasked with coming up with ways to value storage, she noted. One challenge is coming up with rules for a resource that both absorbs and discharges electricity, unlike traditional generation resources that only produce power, she said. That may sound like a simple problem to solve, but it will actually require significant reworking of the regulations for valuing both sides of the equation.
CAISO is also working on fitting energy storage into its new rules for flexible, multi-hour grid resources to help it manage the so-called duck curve problem. That’s the situation increasingly occurring on California’s grid, when lots of distributed solar generation pushes midday energy use way down, then fades away just as a steep rise in evening energy usage sets in.
How many hours of continuous ramp should these flexible resources provide? And should smaller-scale storage be aggregated into larger blocks for multi-hour availability? Those are some of the questions being asked in this process, she said. Energy storage paired with solar and wind power accounts for a growing portion of the capacity now being proposed, which further complicates how it should be treated.
Finally, CAISO isn’t ruling out the potential for distribution-grid-connected, or even customer-sited, energy storage to play a role in grid markets and programs. That brings the state’s utilities into the picture, as well as customer-owned systems being installed under the state’s Self-Generation Incentive Program.
Indeed, the complications involved in pulling distributed, independently owned assets into grid markets make the matter of transmission-connected storage seem simple by contrast.
Photo Credit: California Storage Boom/shutterstockelEconomista
A little less than a year ago, Miguel Blesa stood in front of Spain's Congress of Deputies to defend his actions as manager of Caja Madrid. Yesterday Judge Elpidio José Silva ordered him to be placed in jail under a 2.5 million euro bond and called his management of Caja Madrid strange and disastrous. The investigation uncovered irregularities in the purchase of Citi National Bank of Florida and showed signs of unloyal administration, money laundering and wrongful appropriation of funds. What was Blesa's goal for siphoning money to tax havens? Whatever the case, he is the first bank manager of this crisis to go to jail.
And another 90 bankers are being investigated by the courts. It's true that Blesa, who the Peoples' Party and the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party both helped get to his leadership position even though he was not elected unanimously, found Caja Madrid in perfect shape and has left it in ruins. elEconomista has reported on the shady activity from the start, and these dealings ultimately sent Blesa to prison.
We can't look the other way while Caja Madrid's future was put at risk by managers that don't even deserve the title and were a blight for the banking sector. Today we can rejoice that justice, even if slowly, has prevailed.
We were accused of blackmail for reporting on what is now evident, we were kept out of press conferences, and Caja Madrid refused us any form of support or information. Today we celebrate a victory for free information and justice now that Blesa will pay for abusing his role with a term in prision.Email Share +1 700 Shares
Vice President Joseph Biden said Saturday a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court in favor of same-sex marriage will be as big as the landmark decision in 1954 that ended school segregation.
Biden made the remarks during a speech at the OutGiving conference, an annual event for high-dollar LGBT donors that this year took place in Dallas. The vice president brought up the anticipated decision from the Supreme Court and mentioned in his remarks Mary Bonauto, the civil rights attorney who argued for same-sex marriage before the court and was present in the audience.
“If the court decides, as — and it’s always a jinx as a former trial lawyer to predict what a court is going to do — so I’m not predicting, Mary,” Biden said. “But let me put it this way, if the court does the right thing, this is going to be as consequential — and Mary is going to be as remembered — as Brown versus School Board and Thurgood Marshall. It’s that fundamental.”
Much of Biden’s speech was similar to others he’s delivered on LGBT rights in which he talked about the discrimination he witnessed growing up in Delaware, his endorsement of marriage equality on “Meet the Press” in 2012 and how the LGBT rights movement is a component of the larger civil rights movement in the country.
“Culture cannot be used as an excuse to denigrate, to persecute, to take advantage of another human being on any basis,” Biden said. “Because whether it’s about violence against women, or it’s about LGBT community, or it’s cultural differences — these really are — not a joke — they’re our brothers, they’re our sisters, they’re our classmates, they’re our neighbors, they’re our friends.”
Recalling that in 2004, 11 state bans on same-sex marriage passed at the ballot in the same year President George W. Bush was re-elected, Biden said Republican presidential candidates are acting differently on the issue headed into 2016.
“Think of the silence that’s going on among some of our — the candidates running for president,” Biden said. “I never thought I’d say silence is an improvement, but that’s a great improvement from that team.”
Biden also talked about the need to pass federal non-discrimination legislation, referencing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act several times as a possible remedy.
“We got to let the American people know what the law is,” Biden said. “Nine out of 10 think, in effect, that ENDA is already law. They don’t know ENDA from SNDA. Nor should they. They’re busting their neck just to put meat and potatoes on a plate, send their kids to school and live in a safe neighborhood.”
Biden spoke at OutGiving as 2016 presidential candidates are gearing up for the race.
Although he’s given no public indication that he’ll seek a run for the White House, Biden has been reaching out to key Democratic constituencies, including the LGBT community, and made trips to the early primary states of Iowa and New Hampshire.
On the same day Biden spoke in Dallas, his wife, second lady Jill Biden, delivered remarks at the Human Rights Campaign’s 28th annual dinner in Atlanta.
During her remarks, Jill Biden talked about the progress on LGBT rights during the past six years, attributing it to the efforts of the LGBT community and noting their significant impact.
“Now, I’m not a politician but I’ve been around politics long enough to recognize that nothing compares to the kind of sweeping change we have seen on LGBT issues in the last six years,” Jill Biden said. “But ultimately, this isn’t about changing laws – it’s about changing lives.”
Acknowledging remarks at the event from civil rights legend Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), Jill Biden said the struggle for equality in America won’t be over even with a ruling in favor of same-sex marriage.
“We know that the work doesn’t end with a Supreme Court victory.” Jill Biden said. “If we’ve learned anything from the story of civil rights and equality in America, it’s that real, lasting change requires long-term commitment. Just ask John Lewis. It means staying engaged and vigilant, and not taking progress for granted because, if you’re not careful, it can be taken away.”
TRANSCRIPT OF JOE BIDEN’S REMARKS AT OUTGIVING
One of the great things about being in the business I’m in, and I really mean it, is as you travel around the country, as you engage in the issues of the day, you actually make friends, friends for a lifetime, friends you know that even though you don’t see each other that much, you know if you picked up the phone and you called for help, they wouldn’t ask. They’d be there. That’s how I feel about Scott and Tim. That’s how I feel about you, and I don’t even know you guys that well. (Laughter.) No, I really mean it. I really mean it. You can tell. You can taste it. You can feel it. You can smell it. It’s just — as my mother would say, it’s that sixth sense.
I came for a simple reason. I came to say thank you. And I really mean that. Not only for what you’ve done for the LGBT community, but for what you’ve done for every straight man and woman in America. You so underestimate the consequence of the courage you’ve shown from the time you were kids. You’ve freed decent, ordinary Americans, the vast majority of whom are not homophobic, the vast majority of whom are just unsure, ignorant, not knowing, not exposed.
You allowed them to feel comfortable — comfortable in their skin in supporting basic human rights for all people. And I really mean it. It’s because so many of you, men and women in this room of character and consequence, were willing to step forward early, risking your positions, risking in some cases, your physical security. You stepped up and you spoke out.
As I said in the video, and I’ve said time and time again, Harvey was right and I got a chance to get to know Harvey a little bit: “Hope will never be silent.” But you’re the ones. You’re the ones that gave so many people hope because you weren’t silent.
Imagine what it would if you stayed silent. I mean it sincerely you so underestimate the power of what you’ve done.
So many Americans even 10 years ago knew it was wrong to discriminate, but they didn’t think it was socially acceptable to stand up and take issue. They weren’t bad. They didn’t know. But you made them comfortable. You made them realize it’s their brothers, their sisters, the neighbor, their roommate in school that they didn’t know at the time. You changed it all. You’re the ones that have changed the culture. And that’s what’s required, a fundamental cultural change. And it’s happening. It’s happening with real rapidity.
I’ve been asked by many of you in this room — and my wife, as I speak, is down in Atlanta, talking to the Human Rights Commission down there. She is — my whole family, everybody — I’m always asked, why did I speak out, why did I have — it was real simple, real simple. It’s the way I was raised. I was raised by a decent, gentle man — a true gentleman, definition of which is never inflicting harm on anyone else, without a prejudiced bone in his body.
He really did believe — my dad — he really did believe all God’s children are entitled to be treated with dignity. The word I heard him use more than anything else about everything was about dignity. Everyone is entitled to be treated with dignity and respect. I remember when I was a teenager — I told Scott this story before, and I think I did Tim because I was asked why — what was it about how I was raised. And I remember my dad, who ran an automobile agency, I was — I worked in a suburban not country club, a swimming club, and I was a lifeguard. And it was a great job. But I had an opportunity to work in the projects in the city of Wilmington. I was really — got very early on engaged in the Civil Rights Movement. So I was going down to the city hall in Wilmington, Delaware to get an application to work in the city park systems where the six big swimming pools. And because it was hard to get a parking spot, my dad was driving me in, going to drop me off, go around the block while I got the application, fill it in, and then drive me back — we weren’t very far from there — and go to work.
And I’ll never forget there were two guys by Rodney Square. And we stopped at a red light, and two guys on the corner, and they turned and kissed — embraced one another, and kissed. And each walked a different direction. And I looked at my dad quizzically — because I had not seen that before — and he just looked at me, he said, Joe, they’re in love.
That was the totality of the explanation, just self-evident: Joe, they’re in love. Simple as that.
So quite frankly, it’s been extremely simple for me ever since. There’s nothing complicated about this. Because I learned early on there is never, never, never a cultural justification for denying someone their basic human rights, or stripping away their dignity in any circumstance. Culture cannot be used as an excuse to denigrate, to persecute, to take advantage of another human being on any basis. Because whether it’s about violence against women, or it’s about LGBT community, or it’s cultural differences — these really are — not a joke — they’re our brothers, they’re our sisters, they’re our classmates, they’re our neighbors, they’re our friends. So thank you for everything you’ve done and continue to do.
Mary, I was talking about you — we got to talk a little bit earlier. Mary Bonuato is here tonight who has argued so brilliantly and well before the Supreme Court on the subject of marriage equality this past week. (Applause.)
If the Court decides, as — and it’s always a jinx as a former trial lawyer to predict what a court is going to do — so I’m not predicting, Mary. (Laughter.) But let me put it this way, if the Court does the right thing, this is going to be as consequential — and Mary is going to be as remembered — as Brown versus School Board and Thurgood Marshall. It’s that fundamental.
Like I said I got started in the Civil Rights Movement. The first case in separate but equal challenge that went to the Supreme Court was Gebhart v. Belton. It was a Delaware case. There were three cases — Delaware, Kansas. And the first African American made a member of the Delaware bar — I had the great honor of, as a young public defender, after leaving a white-shoe law firm because my city was in flames after Dr. King was killed — Louis L. Redding. And I got to know him. He was one of the lawyers in that case. And he helped change my life, just knowing him. Mary, there are going to be young lawyers who are going to say the same thing about you. And it is such — it will be such a well-deserved place in history you’ll have.
And Robbie Kaplan. (Applause.) You took Edie Windsor’s case for dignity and justice all the way to the Supreme Court, and you won.
And Jon Stryker, whose Arcus Foundation extends hope and support for organizations fighting for social justice in every part of the world. I was recently in Africa. And you may remember I got — I didn’t get in trouble because the President supported me, I made it clear that the policies Uganda has, the policy that exists in Africa, it’s just absolutely unacceptable if they want our help. (Applause.)
And as I’m proud to say, as my former intern Evan Wolfson, the architect of the Freedom to Marry campaign. He was a kid when he worked for me. (Applause.) I don’t know where you’re sitting, old buddy, but thanks for the public education. I appreciate it.
And because of you, all of you, I am extraordinarily optimistic. When I spoke in that clip you just saw on “Meet the Press” back on May 6, 2012, as Scott said, there were six states with marriage equality. Now there are 37; 224 million Americans now live where same-sex marriage is legal.
It didn’t happen because of me, it happened because of you, and your unrelenting determination to uphold the basic human rights of all Americans. This is a human rights issue. Because of all of you, we’re changing things in the boardrooms, in the chambers of commerce, civic associations, schools, and government at every level.
We’re changing the conversation in this country — literally changing the conversation in this country. Eleven years ago, discrimination against same-sex couples was considered really good politics. Think about it, just 11 years ago, 11 states passed marriage bans on the same ballot that re-elected George W. Bush. I’m not blaming him. I don’t mean that. No, I really don’t. But in that election — in that election — affirmatively passing bans because it was good politics.
Even some of our friends on the other side of the aisle they don’t find it so appropriate these days. (Laughter.) No, think about it. Think about how it’s changed because they’re not at all reluctant to — some occasionally — demagogue these issues. But think of the silence that’s going on among some of our — the candidates running for President. I never thought I’d say silence is an improvement, but that’s a great improvement from that team. (Laughter and applause.)
So you’ve changed the basic politics of this nation because of all of what you’ve done. Now, many of you — and by the way, the thing that’s unusual about this group — if you’ll speak in the Human Rights Campaign. I’ve had the great honor of speaking to the Human Rights Campaign in Los Angeles, and in Washington, and thousands upon thousands of people, but you’re a different group — all extremely important. And I’ve said this to you before, my friend Mel from Philadelphia — you’re all very exceptionally successful people. You’re powerful people. And you’ve changed an aspect of this debate that didn’t exist before and public pressure alone would not change it. You’ve actually changed the way boardrooms respond. Many in the business community have been leading the charge against discriminatory laws. You brought business off the sidelines, into the statehouses, advocating for the rights of their employers and customers. You’ve made it good business. Think about it. You’ve made it good business. You could not have done with all your leadership and power — the men and women in this room — have done that 10 years ago. I know you tried in Philly. No, I’m not joking. But it’s changed. You changed it.
You have the power to influence and reach a different audience than the grassroots community, which is essential. You have the reach to impact on attitudes, the statements and practices of major businesses.
Here in Texas, the way the business community came together to make a difference in Plano was amazing. Amazing. Really. (Applause.)
But we’ve got to do more. I know you know it. This is preaching to the choir, as they say. You have to awaken the American people to the realities in their midst. They’re not bad folks. They’re decent, basically good people. Because they’re with us.
When I got banged around for, as the President, “getting out over my skis” — (Laughter.) — I’m a better skier than the rest of them. (Laughter and applause.) I can ski. I’m a good skier. (Applause.) And by the way, he embraced it when I saw him Monday after “Meet the Press.” I walked into the Oval, and he just started laughing. He said, you told me. You told me you weren’t going to change your brand or wear funny hats. I love you for it. He really did. I mean he just totally embraced it. Not everybody was as happy I might add. (Laughter.)
But, for example, think about this right now — and by the way, I made a bet then. I made a bet inside the White House that by the end of the week, the polls would show the American people were with me. I believed it. I never doubted it, and they were — even then it was 53, 54 percent right off the bat.
But right now, think about this — we’re trying to fight for ENDA — it’s been an ongoing struggle — but right now the polls show nine out of 10 Americans think that it’s illegal anywhere in America to fire someone just for being a lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. Nine out of 10 Americans think that is already illegal. They think that. But in many places in this country, as you all well know, it is not illegal at all.
It shocks the conscience, that at this moment in American history, in 28 states including right here, by the way, where 7 percent of the LGBT population resides — in Texas, over 600,000 people — Americans are denied the basic dignity of work because of who they are or who they love. We’ve got to pass federal non-discrimination legislation.
And there’s a lot more we need to do. But first of all we have to do, and you’re able to do it — and I keep talking about it, but you’re more important — and I mean that sincerely — we got to let American people know what the law is. Nine out of 10 think, in effect, that ENDA is already law. They don’t know ENDA from SENDA. (Laughter.) Nor should they. They’re busting their neck just to put meat and potatoes on a plate, send their kids to school, and live in a safe neighborhood.
So there’s still a lot of people who need our protection. I know you know this. We live in a country where 15,000 LGBT youth are homeless, largely because their families wouldn’t accept who they were.
Nearly one in five transgender people have been homeless at some point in their lives –- kicked out or refused housing because of their identity. And in our schools, the LGBT students are twice as likely to be pushed or kicked, or mocked, laughed at, seen as different. I know this new generation, the younger generation my kids don’t think anything of marriage, et cetera. They’re with us. But these kids are still banged around by a minority in the schools.
And by the way, when the President and I separately — we didn’t talk to each other — both came out, against the unconscionable practice of conversion therapy, you know how many emails I got within 24 hours — how many responses? Seven hundred and ninety thousand. Folks, the American people are with us. The momentum is with us. This is no time to let up. I know you’re not. I meant what I said in the video and I’ll say it again: As long as I have a breath in me, I will not be satisfied till every lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community, is afforded the dignity, and the freedom, and the equality that my father spoke of so clearly.
And I’m going to keep on saying that until every one of them are really — it sounds corny afforded the life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness — the most basic, fundamental need is to not be legally, practically or politically rejected. Happiness in that sense is within the reach of every American, regardless of what state they live in, who they are or who they love.
I need you. My children and grandchildren need you. We need you. So keep it up. My Grandpop Ambrose Finnegan used to have an expression. Every time I’d walk out of his house, he’d yell, Joey, keep the faith. And my Grandmom would yell — this is the God’s truth, up in Scranton, my Grandma would yell, no, Joey, spread. Spread it, folks. Keep spreading it.
Thank you for all you do for all of us. I love you. (Applause.) Thank you very, very, very, very much. God bless you and may God protect our troops. (Applause.)Show full PR text
KEN BLOCK IS LATEST STAR TO JOIN WORLD RX
Hoonigan Racing Division's Ken Block will compete in at least three rounds of this year's FIA World Rallycross Championship
American Gymkhana star'stoked' about 'racing in three of the World Rallycross Championship rounds for the first time this year'
Latest signing follows on from news that former F1 world champion Jacques Villenueve will compete in this year's World RX
Ken Block is the latest driver to announce he will join the all-new FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy after the American star has confirmed he will compete in a minimum of three rounds in 2014.
Block – who will drive a Ford Fiesta as part of the Hoonigan Racing Division – will begin his World RX campaign in Hell, Norway from 14-15 June, and will also compete in Loheac, France (6-7 September) and Istanbul, Turkey (11-12 October).
This latest news follows on from last week's announcement that former Formula One World Champion Jacques Villeneuve will compete on the World RX grid which boasts a truly international and star-studded line-up.
Martin Anayi, Managing Director of World RX for IMG Motorsport – a division of IMG, the global sport, fashion and media company – welcomed the announcement as another positive story for motorsport's fastest growing championship.
"We're absolutely delighted to have Ken Block and Hoonigan Racing on board for three rounds of this year's FIA World Rallycross Championship," said Anayi. "Block's style epitomises World RX and his huge international following will help lift the profile of our championship to a younger and more digitally-savvy generation. He's a hugely exciting personality to have onboard in 2014 and his spectacular driving style will make for fantastic crowd-pleasing entertainment."
Ken Block added: "I'm stoked with how the new liveries for my Ford Fiestas have turned out, as well as the race schedule we've been able to put together for 2014. Once again I've been fortunate enough to put together a highly diverse schedule that has me going around the world... and, most interestingly, racing in three of the World Rallycross Championship rounds for the first time ever. I'm pretty sure nobody has a better job than me this year!"Part of the Truthout Series Climate Disruption Dispatches
Part of the Truthout Series Planet or Profit
We know things are a bit “off” when a rainforest is on fire.
Over 400 acres of the Queets Rainforest, located in Olympic National Park in Washington State, nearby where I live, have burned recently, and it is continuing to burn as I type this. Fires in these rainforests have historically been rare, as the area typically receives in excess of 200 inches of rain annually.
But this is all changing now.
The new normal is that there is no longer any “normal.”
The new normal regarding climate disruption is that, for the planet, today is better than tomorrow.
To see more stories like this, visit “Planet or Profit?”
Another perfect example of this is a crucial recent study led by James Hansen, the former director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies. The study, authored by Hansen and more than a dozen other scientists and published online, warns that even staying within the internationally agreed goal of keeping the planet within the 2-degree Celsius temperature warming limit has already caused unstoppable melting in the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets. The study shows that this will raise global sea levels by as much as 10 feet by the year 2050, inundating numerous major coastal |
are likely to help you in fantasy. Zunino has tremendous power, but makes so little contact that he has not been able to hit.200. If he can get to.240-.250 and show good defense, then he’d likely hit 20-30 HR per year. Ianneta was brought in mainly for his defense. He is good for a random HR binge every season, but does nothing else. If you knew when that binge was coming it would be great, but likely by the time you see it happening it is almost over. Clevenger is a good back up, but at 30 we’re not going to see more growth.
Adam Lind, 1B: Raise your hand if you forgot how good Lind was. He had a very productive season in 2015 with Toronto, and if his exposure to LH pitching is kept to a minimum, he should give some serious BA along with the power he has rediscovered. He is 32, so still in his prime. Don’t expect him to play every day, but he should give value if you draft him in the middle rounds. Raise you hand if you remember the last time the M’s had a league average 1B man. It was 2009 when the great Russell Branyan hit 31 HR.(1)
Jesus Montero, 1B/DH: Montero is running out of chances to give the M’s any value at all from the Pineda trade. He’ll need to get that chance as a RH hitting complement at 1b to Adam Lind, with Cruz locked in at DH. If any opening comes for more playing time, he’ll need to be ready. I’m not drafting him.
Robinson Cano, 2B: Chances are his best days are behind him at 33, but Cano can still hit. When it comes to power, there is no 2b I’d rather own, and he is saying all the right things this Spring about his approach and conditioning; he seems motivated to have a big season. I’d expect his BA to come back to.300 and his power to remain the same. That puts him, for me, in the late 2nd to early 3rd round. It seems he’s been working on his triple play skills as well.
Kyle Seager, 3B: Seager has developed into a good, consistent run producer at 3B for the M’s. At 28-years-old, and after cutting his K rate way down last season from 18% to 14%, Seager may have another growth spurt in him this season. Pencil him in for 28/90/.265, or maybe a little more. If you miss out on the elite 3b’s, grab Seager after the 5th round.
Ketel Marte, SS: There is a buzz around this guy for sure after hitting.283 in his first 57 MLB games. He has no power, but if he is as good as he was in the minors and last season, I could see him stealing 20+, scoring 80+ and hitting as high as.300. He could also be the next Alcides Escobar and be better in the real game than in fantasy. I’m not ready to invest yet, but I hope the M’s get good value from him, which they will if he consistently gets on base from the two hole.
Nori Aioki, OF: Another good, inexpensive (5.5M) signing for the M’s. Though he is 34, if Aoki gets enough at bats, he could be of value in fantasy. He hits both LH and RH pitchers. It may not happen with all the OF options, but he could score 80 while stealing 25 and great defense in RF. There is no power.
Seth Smith, OF: Smith has always been quietly productive vs righties, and even though 2015 was a down year, he should get back to mid-teens HR and a decent average. He is 33, though, so don’t expect improvement. He may not be drafted in some leagues. He should platoon with Gutierrez.
Franklin Gutierrez, OF: I always thought if he could get regular at bats he’d hit pretty well, like he did for a couple of years in his 20’s. Now injury prone and 33, it is doubtful he’ll be draftable again in fantasy. I always pick him up when he is on a roll, and last season he got me 10 HR in 40 games. He should platoon with Smith.
Leonys Martin, OF: This could be one of the steals of the year, both for the M’s and fantasy owners. The M’s have him for 1 year and 4.1M, and he may be largely forgotten in some leagues on draft day. If he can stay healthy and man the CF position and hopefully, but unlikely a top spot in the lineup for over 500 AB, you should get 80-90 runs and 30+ SB. I could see drafting him in the mid-teens as a low risk/high upside flyer. Batting 9th reduce that a bit.
Nelson Cruz, OF/DH: Cruz had another big year, setting career highs in hits, runs and HR, while slashing.302/.369/.566. But he also had a BaBip of.350, nearly 50 points higher than his lifetime mark. Of his 44 HR, 17 were hit in Safeco. He is also turning 36 in July. The M’s, the fans, and myself as a fantasy owner all hope he does it again, but between the BaBip and his age, some regression is likely. I could also see him being trade bait if the M’s were to fall out of it early. I’m debating whether to keep him in a 4 keeper league, and would probably not reach higher than the late 3rd or 4th round to get him at this point.
Home Grown and Imported Goods: Some guys who may help in 2016:
The M’s minor league system is not rated very highly, 28th by Baseball America (2), but there are some players whom may help in 2016, even if not impact players.
Tony Zych, RP: The 25-year-old Zych has been a reliever in the minors exclusively, saving 20 games over 4 seasons with a pedestrian 3.7 ERA and 1.3 Whip, and a K/BB rate under 3.0. In 2015 he seemed to find himself, sporting a 6.1 K/BB, 2.98 ERA, 1.97 WHIP and 9 saves in 40 minor league games. He carried that success to the majors, and while a small sample size, he had a 24 to 3 strikeout to walk rate in 18 innings. 2015 was so much better than the rest of his Milb career one has to wonder if it is sustainable. He should make the club out of Spring Training and some predict Zych closing by the 2nd half. The two run lead he gave up just yesterday won’t help, but he is worth watching for those speculating on saves. It is not like Chapman, Miller and Betances are ahead of him.
DJ Peterson, Sea, 1B/3B: This is what Minor League and Dynasty analyst Bryan Luhrs (3) had to say about Peterson: “Once a plus power and plus hit prospect, DJ was befuddled by AA pitching last season and has altered his swing. Potential is there, but he has fallen from a Top 50 prospect to barely hanging on to Top 200. Cautiously optimistic he figures things out.” Sounds like he could be anywhere from AAA to Lind’s platoon mate. Keep an eye on him.
Boog Powell, OF: Powell could see some time in the majors this season for defensive purposes, but I don‘t see him helping much in fantasy.
Alex Jackson, OF: Jackson is a plus defender who looks like he has some power, but at age 20 his hit tool has not shown up yet. I don’t see him helping in 2016 unless there is a breakdown at the MLB level.
Dae-Ho Lee, 1B: Lee has been a prolific right handed hitting 1b man in Japan for 15 years. The 6’4” 286 lb. Lee hit 323 HR, 1157 RBI and a.303 BA in Japan, once hitting HR in 9 consecutive games (World Baseball Record). In 2010 & 2011 he went 44, 133,.364 & 27, 113,.357. Those Ruthian numbers may not translate to MLB, especially now that he’ll be 34 in June. But the M’s got him for $4M for one year and we’ll see what he can do. We’ve seen him before, both in the Olympics and the World Baseball Classic. It would be fun to see him beat out Montero for the right side of Lind’s 1b platoon. This is a speculative pick, both in fantasy and for the M’s.
Guillermo Heredia, OF: Another inexpensive (4.4M) low risk signing for the M’s. Unlike Lee, Heredia just turned 25 last month, so he still has room to grow as a player. He defected from Cuba in January and has played in Cuba for 4 years including the World Baseball Classic. Known for stellar defense, in 376 games he hit.285 with an OBP of.376, 23 HR, 121 RBI & 20 SB. So, he gets on base, has a little speed and gives good OF defense. Aoki and Martin both bat left handed, while Heredia is a righty. He could end up in a bit of a platoon with them if he hits well and Gutierrez goes down for his annual injury. Keep an eye on this spec. pick.
See you next week when we’ll do a similar breakdown of the Texas Rangers.
Dave Schoenfeld, ESPN: http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/68206/ranking-the-teams-18-through-13-3 Baseball America: http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/organization-talent-rankings-list/ Major League Fantasy Sports, Bryan Luhrs: https://www.majorleaguefantasysports.com/2016/02/12/alluhring-strategy-dominating-your-dynasty-pre-season-prospect-rankings-1b/ All stats courtesy of Fan Graphs.com & Baseball Reference.com
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Major League Fantasy Baseball Weekly: Join Lou Landers and Kyle Amore live on Thursday March 3rd, 2016 from 8-10pm EST for episode #3 of Major League Fantasy Baseball Weekly. We will discuss player positions and help prepare you for the coming draft season. This will run every Thursday as a live broadcast that will take live callers at 323-870-4395. Press 1 to speak with the host. Our topic this week will be 1st base and 3rd base players to target or avoid this year.
Our guests this week are Zak Sauer and Eric Paulen. Zak is a writer with majorleaguefantasysports.com as well as an owner in MLFB and MLFF leagues. Zak’s articles publish every Thursday. Eric is an Emmy and Peabody Award winner with significant experience leading large film/video production projects spanning all genres of television. Eric has been successful at building and directing production teams in developing and implementing programming content for diverse audiences with well-known television networks and brands, including A&E, ESPN, HBO Sports, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated, The Travel Channel, WWE Network, The NBA, NHL Productions, NFL Films, and NCAA.
Come join a lively debate!
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Major League Fantasy Baseball Show: Join Corey D Roberts on Sunday March 6th, 2016 from 7-9pm EST for this week’s episode of the Major League Fantasy Baseball Radio Show. We are a live call in radio show so we encourage callers at 323-870-4395. Press 1 to speak with the host. This week we will help you build a better bullpen and we will also discuss catcher options for 2016.
This week’s guests are Joe Iannone and Mike Stromme. Joe is a writer with majorleaguefantasysports.com and you can check his articles out every Sunday. Mike is also a writer with MLFS and he is also the assistant editor.
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WhatsAppThe Coast Guard has put new restrictions in place across the Gulf Coast that prevent the public - including news photographers and reporters covering the BP oil spill - from coming within 65 feet of any response vessels or booms on the water or on beaches.
According to a news release from the Unified Command, violation of the "safety zone" rules can result in a civil penalty of up to $40,000, and could be classified as a Class D felony. Because booms are often placed more than 40 feet on the outside of islands or marsh grasses, the 65-foot rule could make it difficult to photograph and document the impacts of oil on land and wildlife, media representatives said.
But federal officials said the buffer zone is essential to the clean-up effort.
"The safety zone has been put in place to protect members of the response effort, the installation and maintenance of oil containment boom, the operation of response equipment and protection of the environment by limiting access to and through deployed protective boom," the news release said.
The Coast Guard on Tuesday had initially established an even stricter "safety zone" of more than 300 feet, but reduced the distance to 20 meters - 65 feet - on Wednesday. In order to get within the 65-foot limit, media must call the Coast Guard captain of the Port of New Orleans, Edwin Stanton, to get permission.
Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the national incident commander for the oil spill, said in a press briefing Thursday that it is "not unusual at all" for the Coast Guard to establish such a safety zone, likening it to a safety measure that would be enacted for "marine events" or "fireworks demonstrations" or for "cruise ships going in and out of port."
Allen said BP had not brought up the issue, but that he had received some complaints from county commissioners in Florida and other local elected officials who "thought that there was a chance that somebody would get hurt or they would have a problem with the boom itself."
Associated Press photographer Gerald Herbert, who has been documenting the oil spill, raised concerns about the restrictions within his news organization on Wednesday. He has asked for a sit-down with Coast Guard officials to discuss the new policy - and the penalties - but has not received a response.
Photographers have had similar problems viewing the oil's impacts from the air. Photographer Ted Jackson of The Times-Picayune was trying to charter a flight with Southern Seaplane in late May to photograph oil coming ashore on Grand Isle, but the pilot was told that no media flights could go below 3,000 feet, due to restrictions from the Federal Aviation Administration.
That FAA policy has remained in effect, requiring media outlets to get special permission in order fly below 3,000 feet.
"Often the general guise of'safety' is used as a blanket excuse to limit the media's access, and it's been done before," Herbert said Thursday. "It feels as though news reporting is being criminalized under thinly veiled excuses. The total effect of all these restrictions is harming the public's right to know."
Matthew Hinton, a Times-Picayune photographer who has been on boats throughout Barataria Bay and Breton Sound in recent weeks, said it is already difficult to capture images of oiled birds when at the edge of the boom. Adding an additional 65-foot buffer would mean "You'd have to mount a telescope" to the camera to get a clear picture, he said.
And from a practical standpoint, the 65-foot safety zone could serve to block photographers and reporters from accessing some waterways altogether. Boom is often placed along the water's edge in some bayous that are less than 20 meters wide.
"Just to go through a bayou, you'd need more than 20 meters," Hinton said. "Your whole path would be blocked."
Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser said he feels media access is important to getting the word out about the local impact of the spill, and said the Coast Guard's safety measures were an "overreaction."
"I think somebody came up with a good reason of how to justify keeping the press away," Nungesser said. "But guess what? That isn't gonna keep us away. Anytime you all want, you all can come in there wherever we go, on our boats.''
Although the order mandating the safety zone was carried out by the captains of the Ports of New Orleans, Morgan City and Mobile, Ala., a spokeswoman at the joint information center for the unified command said the order was a Coast Guard-wide directive from the top.
Chris Kirkham can be reached at ckirkham@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3321.Donald Trump made headlines at last night’s debate by refusing to acknowledge the fundamental legitimacy of the American electoral system, threatening to pursue his complaints about a "rigged" political process up to Election Day and beyond. This has Republicans despondent about Trump’s performance and worried about their long-term consequences. Their plan, after Trump loses, is to try to pick up the pieces, block Democratic legislation, and beat Clinton in 2020 — not tear down the entire fabric of American democracy.
But Republicans pushing back on Trump’s rigged talk aren’t owning up to their role in laying the groundwork for this. Trump is simply taking seriously their own longstanding strategy on voter ID laws and other aspects of election procedure.
Voter fraud is a key rationale for GOP election rules
When Republicans run state governments, they typically take advantage of state control over election administration to change the rules around what kind of ID you need in order to vote. The general idea is to try to do this in ways that shift the electorate in a more GOP-friendly direction.
In Texas, for example, a gun permit counts as a valid form of identification, but a student ID does not. The reason, obviously, is that gun owners are usually Republicans while college students are usually Democrats. Best practices for writing voter ID laws that will help Republicans win election are provided by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and other business groups who like it when Republicans win because Republicans tend to favor lower taxes and more business-friendly regulatory regimes.
The problem with this is that you can’t say the purpose of your voter ID regime is to tilt the partisan balance of power in elections. And you really can’t say that the purpose is specifically to reduce the number of black and Latino people who vote, because that will get your law struck down as unconstitutional.
So the thing to say is that you are trying to cut down on in-person voter fraud, a scenario in which I show up at a polling place where I am not eligible to vote and impersonate a different person who has either not voted yet or who is on the rolls improperly. Sophisticated political observers understand that this is bullshit — just something politicians say, like when Democrats vaguely invoke the Citizens United decision as the root of all campaign finance evil. It’s not a serious claim that in-person voter fraud is a large problem in the United States.
But you can see why a normal person might take it seriously and draw the exact conclusion Trump is making explicit — there is widespread voter fraud in the United States and it’s a huge problem.
Ordinary Republicans likely believe GOP rhetoric on voter fraud
This is what makes the efforts of Paul Ryan, Reince Priebus, and other Republican leaders to bat down Donald Trump’s threat to not concede the election so difficult.
After all, the kind of strict voter ID laws that Republican legislatures like to pass are not in effect in all of America’s states.
Indeed, several of the strictest ones have been struck down as unconstitutional by recent court decisions. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tried and failed to get a national voter ID law incorporated into immigration legislation.
A sensible rank-and-file Republican who thinks his party’s elected officials are mostly good people mostly working to pass good laws is going to conclude that thanks to liberal judges and Democratic Party politicians, there is now a big voter fraud problem in many parts of the country.
Today, Republican elected officials are freaking out about Trump’s irresponsible rhetoric. But he is only making explicit what’s been implicit in their own words.
Republicans should consider admitting the truth
The boring truth is that the reason mainstream Republican Party elected officials are confident the election will not be rigged is that they know in-person voter fraud is a trivially rare occurrence.
Loyola Law School professor Justin Levitt has tracked credible allegations of in-person voter impersonation for years, finding 35 total credible allegations between 2000 and 2014, when more than 800 million ballots were cast in national general elections, and hundreds of millions more were cast in primary, municipal, special, and other elections.
As Chris Ashby, a Republican election lawyer, writes, America has "a system of voting that is one of the cleanest and best in the world — in which all citizens should have faith and confidence."
The problem is that Republican Party politicians have had difficulty admitting this in recent years. They don’t actually think elections are being stolen through voter fraud, and they don’t engage in Trump-esque insinuations and violations of democratic norms. But they do say that voter fraud is a huge problem and that the United States does not have adequate legal protections in place to block it. That isn’t true, and their own actions and adherence to democratic norms shows they know it isn’t true, but it does provide a viable pretext for voter ID laws that they favor for separate reasons.
Faced with a looming potential crisis in the form of Trump potentially refusing to concede the legitimacy of the election, it’s about time they consider telling the truth.Defendant Josef Fritzl arrives for the last day of his trial at the court of law in Sankt Poelten in Austria's province of Lower Austria March 19, 2009. REUTERS/POOL/Helmut Fohringer
VIENNA (Reuters) - Josef Fritzl, who held his daughter captive in a cellar for 24 years and fathered seven children with her, has divorced his wife of 52 years for failing to visit him in prison, a magazine reported on Thursday.
The country’s most notorious living criminal, now 77, is serving a life sentence in a prison unit for the criminally insane for incest, rape, coercion, false imprisonment, enslavement and for the negligent homicide of one of his infant sons.
A spokesman for the Krems district court in the Lower Austria region where Fritzl is imprisoned said he was not authorized to speak about private matters such as divorce.
Austrian magazine News said Fritzl’s wife, Rosemarie, would receive no pension as a result of the divorce.
Fritzl imprisoned his daughter Elisabeth in the basement of the family home in Amstetten when she was 18. Rosemarie reported her missing but Fritzl ordered Elisabeth to write a letter saying she had run away.
Three of the seven children he fathered with Elisabeth lived with her until they were freed in 2008, and the other three surviving children were fostered by Fritzl and Rosemarie after being planted on their doorstep as foundlings by Fritzl.
When the case came to light, Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer said he would launch a campaign to restore Austria’s reputation.
The Fritzl case followed the emergence in 2006 of the case of Natascha Kampusch, who was kidnapped at the age of 10 by Wolfgang Priklopil and sexually abused in a windowless cell under his house near Vienna for eight years.Study finds central image of Aztec sun stone shows dying sun god killed by eclipse
A new study on one of the most important remaining artifacts from the Aztec Empire, a 24-ton basalt calendar stone, interprets the stone’s central image as the death of the sun god Tonatiuh during an eclipse, an event Aztecs believed would lead to a global apocalypse accompanied by earthquakes.
Many scientists believe the heart of the stone to be the face of Tonatiuh (pronounced toe-NAH-tee-uh), atop which Aztecs offered human sacrifices to stave off the end of the world. Researcher Susan Milbrath, a Latin American art and archaeology curator at the Florida Museum of Natural History, offers the new, ominous interpretation of this symbol in the February print edition of the journal Mexicon.
“They did perhaps have a more foreboding look on their future than people in today’s societies do,” she said. “But the Aztecs were more sophisticated in terms of astronomy than people realize.”
Stone’s grisly past
The Aztec Empire dominated much of present-day central Mexico from about 1325 until the 1520s, when the Spanish colonized the region, assimilating locals to live more like their European conquerors. The Spanish buried the 12-foot-wide calendar stone, also known as the Sun Stone, face down before it was uncovered in 1790.
The stone, which was displayed in the main square of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, in present-day Mexico City, was probably where the most treasured captives were sacrificed, Milbrath said.
“That almost made it like a stage for public ritual,” she said.
The original stone is housed at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, but the Florida Museum of Natural History displays a full-size replica in the Dickinson Hall courtyard on the University of Florida campus.
Studying the sun to predict the future
Milbrath said early cultures such as the Aztecs and Mayas tracked the sun’s movements to predict future events, such as weather patterns and astronomical cycles.
“It’s quite natural for people to want to predict cycles,” she said. “Once people started tracking both the sun and the moon and noticing the eclipses that occurred, it probably became central to their religion.”
Like other early Mexican societies, the Aztecs relied heavily on agriculture, growing maize, beans and squash to sustain their population. But their dependence on the sun for agriculture was also accompanied by a belief that they had to feed the sun with the blood of human sacrifice to keep it alive.
The Aztecs sacrificed a prisoner on the calendar stone on the date 4 Olin, the day they believed the world would end. The day repeats every 260 days in their calendar cycle. With succession of the cycle, another prisoner was sacrificed and the sun rose again the following day. Tonatiuh lived on.
The priests, high in the Aztec society chain of command, were responsible for charting astronomical phenomena, including the eclipse that would bring impending doom, Milbrath said.
They may have known that no eclipse would come on 4 Olin during the height of the empire. Based on the Aztec calendar system, a solar eclipse would not fall on that date until the 21st century, she said.
“When they created their mythology, they made sure that 4 Olin would never occur with an eclipse in their world,” she said. “The possibility of purposeful manipulation should not be ignored.”
Claws, human hearts and a darkened sun
One of the most important features of the stone, Milbrath said, may have been washed away over time: paint. In commonly used images, including one displayed beside the original stone, the surface is colorful, with a headdress- and necklace-adorned Tonatiuh depicted as a blue and red figure framed in yellow.
These colors are often used in Aztec paintings of Tonatiuh as a living god, Milbrath said. But some evidence suggests the image of Tonatiuh may have been left unpainted or colored black, like the sun during a solar eclipse. Black was also used in another important eclipse image of the dying sun in another Central Mexican codex. Tonatiuh’s tongue, shown on the Calendar Stone as a knife sticking out of his mouth, was a common icon of death as well, she said.
Surrounding Tonatiuh are claws clutching human hearts, alluding to an eclipse monster — the embodiment of eclipses in other Aztec paintings and drawings — and a circle of signs symbolizing the 260-day calendar used to predict agricultural cycles and future events.
On the outermost ring, fire serpents — open-jawed snakes with flames on their bodies and starry snouts — represent a constellation closely associated with the sun in the dry season, when the sun’s powerful rays were most brilliant, Milbrath said.
For Aztecs, astronomy blended with religion
The Aztec obsession with astronomy was not an anomaly, she said.
“Astronomy and religion have always been connected,” she said. “It’s just innate, because without electric lights, all you have to do at night is look up and see the vastness of the stars in the sky.”
Aztec people likely tried to defy and combat the forces they thought would destroy the sun during an eclipse, when darkness covered the sun and harm could come to people, Milbrath said.
“Pregnant women stayed indoors because they thought their children would be born with horrible deformities,” she said. “Most of the details of how the Aztecs dealt with solar eclipses are not well-known, but they definitely did try to scare away the monster they thought was eating the sun.”
Milbrath said although human sacrifice was an important practice in Aztec culture, scientists should not overlook what they accomplished by being able to predict eclipses.
“I hope people have an appreciation of the Aztecs not as some bloodthirsty population,” she said. “They probably killed a lot less people than we have in the 20th century through collective warfare.”
“I’m afraid that warfare is endemic to our cultures. We’re sacrificing people all the time, in different ways,” she continued. “I’m not sure that we’re more sophisticated than they were.”
Author
By Emily Mavrakis | More articles by Emily Mavrakis
• Learn more about the Latin American Archaeology Collection at the Florida Museum.
TagsThis takes place in the Superstition Mountains in Arizona The plan was for jumper 1 to jump from an upper exit and flyby a lower exit where a second jumper would take off. Free fall would separate the two jumpers, and then jumper 1 would do a 360 turn down and around 2. Unfortunately, jumper 1 miss judged his turn and hit 2, causing a dangerous parachute wrap nearly 200 feet over a boulder field. The collision caused them to rotate around each other nearly three times and the speed of the accident caused 1's parachute lines to cut through 2's lines, leaving him with only half an effective chute. Miraculously, at 125 feet above the ground, they unwrapped in mid-air, jumper 1 still has a fully inflated parachute and was able to kick his body around and untwists his lines before landing. Jumper 2 had half a parachute spinning up on its self while he uncontrollably spiraled to the ground, before crashing into a massive bolder. His parachute hung up on the top of the bolder stopping him from hitting the ground. The precise point that jumper 2 impacted the bolder saved him from severe injury. The angle of his body matched the angle of the bolder dispersing the initial impact was his body preventing trauma. Any smaller bolder would have broken him in half. Furthermore, if he was a mere foot lower he would have impacted a shear face, one foot higher and he would have missed the big flat spot and slammed into jagged rocks on the other side. In the sky dive/base jump world a parachute wrap at 200 feet could easily end in one or more fatalities or at least serious injuries. The fact that the jumpers untangled and walked away with bruises, cuts and a broken helmet is nothing short of a miracle.[credit: licensing@viralhog.com]Wikileaks released on Wednesday what it called the draft text of a secretly negotiated international economic treaty that critics warn could limit Internet freedoms.
The document-leaking organization published a draft of the Intellectual Property Rights chapter for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a proposed free-trade agreement between the US and 11 Pacific Rim nations that's been under negotiation for nearly three years. However, because the Obama administration has deemed the talks to be classified information, this appears to be the first time the public is getting a glimpse at the pact.
The 95-page chapter focuses on digital rights management, patents, copyrights, and ISP liabilities, as well as pharmaceutical issues. Calling it the "most controversial chapter," Wikileaks said the section harkens back to the surveillance and enforcement provisions in the now-shelved SOPA and ACTA legislation in the US. Critics say the TPP favors corporate interests over the rights of individuals.
"One could see the TPP as a Christmas wish-list for major corporations, and the copyright parts of the text support such a view," Matthew Rimmer, an expert in intellectual property law, told the Sydney Morning Herald. "Hollywood, the music industry, big IT companies such as Microsoft and the pharmaceutical sector would all be very happy with this."
Knowledge Ecology International said the draft "confirms fears that the negotiating parties are prepared to expand the reach of intellectual property rights, and shrink consumer rights and safeguards."
"The TPP text shrinks the space for exceptions in all types of intellectual property rights," the non-governmental organization said in a statement. "Negotiated in secret, the proposed text is bad for access to knowledge, bad for access to medicine, and profoundly bad for innovation."
Some US lawmakers have also expressed concerns about a lack of congressional oversight and jurisdiction over the pact due to an executive branch procedure called "Trade Promotion Authority," also known as "Fast Track."
"Under Fast Track, the executive branch is empowered to sign trade agreements before Congress has an opportunity to vote on them, and then unilaterally write legislation making the pacts' terms U.S. federal law," according to a letter (PDF) signed by 22 House Republicans on Tuesday. "Fast Track allows the president to send these executive branch-authored bills directly to the floor for a vote under rules forbidding all floor amendments and limiting debate. And by requiring the House to vote on the bill within a present period of time, it takes the floor schedule out of the hands of the House majority and gives it to the president."
The treaty negotiations have also attracted more than 100,000 signatures to an online petition that opposes possible government proposals for stricter Internet laws. The "Say no to Internet censorship" petition, which was launched in late September by advocacy organization OpenMedia, targets participants in the talks, which includes Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Peru, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, and Vietnam.Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said Wednesday the only way to continue Obamacare insurance subsidy payments is if they are "married up with reform," declaring he would rather "politically die than prop up Obamacare."
In remarks aired on Fox News' "Shepard Smith Reporting," Sen. Graham said a bipartisan deal proposed by Sens. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and Patty Murray, D-Wash., is unlikely to pass Congress — or be supported by President Donald Trump.
"Nobody on the Republican side is talking about propping up Obamacare," Graham said. "I would rather politically die than prop up Obamacare because it can't be saved."
Graham said continuing subsidy payments "have to be married up with reform."
"I appreciate what Sen. Murray did with Sen. Alexander," he said. "Sen. [Ron] Johnson [R-Wisc.] is working on a broader list of reforms."
"I think there's a lot of Republicans willing to continue the payments if the patients benefit, and if the we can get reform to a broken Obamacare system," he continued. "Nobody believes this fixes Obamacare permanently, but there's plenty of Republicans that are willing to continue the payments, including the president, if you get real reform."
He said Trump would back payments until it could be replaced by the healthcare reform proposed in legislation from Graham and Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La. — and "not throw good money after bad."President Pranab Mukherjee at the Amar Jawan Jyoti
10 decades after the start of World War I which saw at least 74,187 Indian soldiers martyred, the Army will be commemorating the gallantry and sacrifice of its troops by holding a tribute for them here this week.
The Army will be commemorating the centenary of the First World War (1914-1918) from March 10-14 in memory of the 1.5 million Indian soldiers who fought in the war.
March 10 coincides with the Battle of Neuve Chapelle marking the British offensive in Artois region of France in which the Garhwal Brigade and Meerut Division of the Indian Corps participated.
The period between 2014 and 2018 is being commemorated as the World War I's centenary.
As part of the commemorative events, on the eve of the centenary of the Battle of Neuve Chapple in which maximum Indian soldiers were martyred, President Pranab Mukherjee and diplomatic heads of nations part of World War I participated in a wreath-laying ceremony organised today at Amar Jawan Jyoti, India Gate.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will place his wreath tomorrow before he departs on a three-nation official visit.
The highlight of the commemoration is expected to be an exhibition at Manekshaw Centre, which will be inaugurated by the President tomorrow.
"This is an endeavour of the Indian Army to commemorate the supreme gallantry and sacrifice that Indian soldiers rendered in various theatres of the World War 1," Major General NP Singh, Chief of Staff of the 2 Corps told PTI.
Maj Gen Singh, who is organising the event, said the Indian Corps won 13,000 medals for gallantry including 11 Victoria Cross, the highest gallantry award in England.
He added that the exhibition promises to take one back to the World War I era. The 'Corner of Remembrance' in the exhibition will have old letters, an old home in neglect with belongings of soldiers, giving a feeling of anxiousness of the families waiting for their sons to return home.
The 'Sacrifice Hall' will include replicas of Amar Jawan Jyoti, Indian memorials, busts and paintings of Victoria Cross Winners in India and abroad.
The outdoor props of the exhibition will give a glimpse of the dress, equipment, bunkers, guns and replica of Brighton Hospital.
The miniature Brighton Hospital will depict the treatment and the trauma that the Indian Soldiers went through.A dynamic band display by the Indian Army brass and pipe bands will also be conducted as part of the mega event.The Army has also created a replica of a World War I bunker with live props showcasing the living conditions that the Indian soldiers endured for years during the war. Water jugs, guns, knives, plates and fl |
a lot of families who could not afford adoption," he said. "Even now, with the adoption tax credit, there a families who are taking out loans. They are doing second mortgages. You take away the credit, and they probably couldn't even get the loans."
A stand-alone bill (H.R. 4373) to make the adoption tax credit permanent was introduced this year by Rep. Bruce Braley, D.-Iowa, and has 18 co-sponsors. Some, though, believe a stand-alone will make little progress in Congress and that the tax credit -- if Congress supports it -- will have to be extended through passage of a larger tax bill.
Learn ways to help save the adoption tax credit at http://adoptiontaxcredit.org/ and facebook.com/AdoptionTaxCredit.
Michael Foust is associate editor of Baptist Press. Get Baptist Press headlines and breaking news on Twitter (@BaptistPress), Facebook (Facebook.com/BaptistPress ) and in your email ( baptistpress.com/SubscribeBP.asp).WHIPPING up good data journalism can involve painful research and number-crunching. The hacks at Delayed Gratification, a quarterly magazine that produces a slower, more reflective type of journalism, have achieved this with striking results. They combed through E.L James’s "Fifty Shades of Grey" trilogy, a best-selling series of safe-for-suburbia kinky novels, to identify, categorise and quantify the salacious bits. The result is a seductive infographic that shows when and where the naughty parts crop up, and how elaborate it is. The data reveal some interesting trends.
In the later books readers need only read the first 40 pages before the friskiness begins, whereas in the first novel they had to wade through twice that. And each successive tome contains less sex than the last, as an absolute number and as a proportion, giving you much less bang for your book. Yet later titles score higher on the ‘kinkiness index’, which tracks the use of apparatus, originality of venues and level of rough romance. We've republished the chart below, and we asked Rob Orchard, the editor of Delayed Gratification, to tell us the story behind it. (The original chart is online here.)
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Q&A with Rob Orchard, editor of Delayed Gratification magazine:
What gave you the idea to create a data-visualisation of the book? Were you adapting a technique that you had seen before?
The idea to pull together the data came from that old story about copies of "Lady Chatterley's Lover" falling open on the "interesting" bits, which made us think we should provide a user's guide to the "Fifty Shades" books. We were spurred on by the secret code we kept hearing between people reading the books on the train–"Have you reached page 348 yet?” As for the design, we’d not seen anything similar before: we wanted to present the data in a clean, almost clinical way.
How did you determine the two lower bar charts ("kinkiness" and "agglomerated") and the scale; that is, what "data" do they represent? Or is it, shall we say, a "subjective quantification"?
An infographic like this is always going to have a slightly subjective and impressionistic element to it—what one person thinks of as the height of sauciness, another will see as unexceptional—but we tried to make it as scientific as possible. We mapped out the sexual acts, locations and paraphernalia for the books, then rated them against scales we had created, running from 1 (Vanilla) to 5 (Kinky). So the sex acts scale ran from foreplay to flogging, sex locations ran from “in the imagination” to the infamous Red Room of Pain, and sex paraphernalia ran from Ben and Jerry’s ice cream to leather shackles and vibrating wands. The Agglomerated Kinkiness Index just pulls together all three ratings to provide an overall kink reading.
What are the one or two revelations that the charts uncovered that you hadn't known, or like best?
It’s interesting that the sex levels tail off in the third book ("Fifty Shades Freed") after Steele and Grey are married. However, they do have some of their kinkiest sex in this novel: it contains one of only two sessions rated at 15/15 on the Agglomerated Kinkiness Index in the entire trilogy.
Explain Delayed Gratification: when were you established, by whom and why?
Delayed Gratification launched in January 2011, and was the brainchild of five editors and a designer who had worked together on and off for years. The idea was to provide an antidote to increasingly speedy “fast” media by producing a beautiful print publication which looks back every quarter on the events of the preceding three months and revisits them with the benefit of hindsight. We’re interested in the final analysis not the knee-jerk reaction, and pride ourselves on being “Last to Breaking News”. We also pick up on a lot of quirky stories the rest of the media missed, and publish a lot of beautiful infographics which bring out new patterns in three months’ worth of data. Ultimately, you can see Delayed Gratification as either a very slow magazine—or a very fast history book.Five people have been confirmed dead after an explosive train derailment touched off massive fires in the town of Lac-Mégantic, Que., on Saturday. Police say that number will grow and confirm they have more than 40 others on the official missing list.
"We know there will be more deaths," provincial police Lieutenant Michel Brunet told a news conference early Sunday.
"I can tell you that we have met a lot of people... and what I can tell you is that about 40 people are considered missing," he added.
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Lac-Mégantic Mayor Colette Roy-Laroche reacted sternly to the latest death toll. "It is unthinkable that so many people could be gone. It is distressing. This is a huge loss for our community," she said.
The entire downtown core has been razed by the explosion and fires.
Two train cars are still burning and considered dangerous. Firefighters are staying 500 feet away from the burning train cars but are pouring a constant stream of lake water to fight the fires and to prevent further explosions.
In an interview Sunday evening outside the Polyvalente, Quebec's chief coroner, Louise Nolet, said her office has been slow to confirm the number of dead because it has not been authorized by police and fire officials to get close to what is expected to be the worst of the human carnage, at the bar Musi-Café.
"We've found only five bodies up to now," she said, adding she herself had not yet visited the scene since arriving earlier in the day. "It's too dangerous and we cannot go there before everything is under control. This is the beginning of a long, delicate process that requires expertise."
Her office's top priority, she added, was "to recuperate all the human debris," which is being shipped in refrigerated trucks to labs in Montreal.
The Montreal, Maine & Atlantic Railway singled out the air brakes of the runaway train, in a statement on Sunday afternoon.
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According to the company, the train's locomotive was "shut down subsequent to the departure of the engineer," depriving the train's air brakes of the power needed to keep the load from careening downhill.
Transportation Safety Bureau officials held a news conference on Sunday evening to say they will look at that scenario.
"Where the train was left in Nantes, from that location down to Lac-Megantic is down a grade, and certainly the manner in which the train was secured, both air brakes and hand brakes, we'll be looking very strongly at that," said Donald Ross.
He said officials have retrieved the black box of the locomotive which could hold invaluable data.
"It has data that captures things like throttle position, speed, time, distance, brake pressure," said Ross.
More than 2,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes, more than 550 people have registered with the Red Cross for assistance and meals and 163 people slept at the evacuation centre in a local high school, said Red Cross spokesperson Carl Boisvert.
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On Sunday afternoon, Prime Minister Stephen Harper toured Lac-Mégantic's downtown. "It looks like a war zone here," he noted in a press conference held in front of the high school that doubles as an emergency shelter for the evacuated residents. There, he met with the displaced residents and tried to comfort the families of the Lac-Mégantic residents who have gone missing.
Mr. Harper said investigations will continue "to make sure something like this never happens again." The Prime Minister left the Montignac high school under the applause of many evacuated residents.
"There are difficult times to come. Now, the mood is quite good, the solidarity is there, but I know there will be waves of emotions as the extent of this – and this is a very big disaster in human terms – becomes increasingly obvious," he cautioned.
Mr. Harper is well aware that as the waiting is turning into grief, anger is mounting in Lac-Mégantic against the derailment of the train operated by the Montreal Maine & Atlantic Railway. "In all fairness, I understand emotions on this subject are very high," he said.
"It is hard to imagine that we could have such an accident. We have regulations to prevent these kinds of things. But there will be investigations that will determine who is guilty, who is responsible," he later added in French.
Federal NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair said Sunday the owners of the runaway train should have given "a more active response" when the tragedy occurred.
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"Your first obligation should be to help out," Mr. Mulcair said of the company. "A more active response would have been expected."
The mayor of Lac-Mégantic criticized the company on Saturday for not speaking to her about the tragedy. Other officials have noted the slow response from the firm, which has focused on defending itself and not offering help.
With reports from Kim Mackrael, Les Perreaux, Sean Silcoff and The Canadian Press
More on the crisis in Lac-Mégantic:A fictional boardgame from the A Song of Ice & Fire seris by George R.R. Martin brought to life. As a fan of the books and a game designer I immediately wanted to create a version of this game. With only a few references I created this version of Cyvasse for the average day man in Westeros!
Feast of Crows
“There were ten different pieces, each with its own attributes and powers, and the board would change from game to game, depending on how the players arrayed their home squares.” pg 226
“He always sets his squares up the same way, with all the mountains in the front and his elephants in the passes…So I send my dragon through to eat his elephants.” pg 373
“She touched one of the cyvasse pieces, the heavy horse.” pg 719
Dance with Dragons
“as they arranged their tiles on either side of a carved wooden screen…Tyrion almost grabbed his dragon but thought better of it. Last game he had brought her out too soon and lost her to a trebuchet…He moved his light horse toward Haldon’s mountains…The Halfmaester moved his spears.” pg 105
“Young Griff arrayed his army for attack, with dragon, elephants, and heavy horse up front…Tyrion moved his elephants.” pg 151
“He picked up his heavy horse…Tyrion moved his crossbows…The dwarf pushed his black dragon across a range of mountains…” pg 152
“Smiling he seized his dragon, flew it across the board…Your king is trapped. Death in four.” pg 153
“onyx elephant…alabaster army…He moved his heavy horse.” pg 155
“Tyrion advanced his spearmen. Qavo replied with his light horse. Tyrion moved his crossbowmen up a square…toying with his rabble…plucking up his dragon. ‘The most powerful piece in the game’, he announced, as he removed one of Qavo’s elephants…He moved his catapult again, closed his hand around Tyrion’s alabaster dragon, removed it from the board.” pg 156
“Near the end of that final contest, with his fortress in ruins, his dragon dead, elephants before him and heavy horse circling around his rear…” pg 325
To download the rules click the link here: Rules Cyvasse EnglishStudents in one Florida county won’t have to worry about doing homework, thanks to a new policy that affects 31 elementary schools in that area, Today.com reports.
Instead of homework, Marion County Public Schools families will be encouraged to read to their children for at least 20 minutes each night. According to the Washington Post, students can choose what they want to read, and will get help from students and librarians. And if kids don’t have an adult at home to help them read, they can get help from volunteers or audio books. The policy only applies to elementary school students, so once they hit middle school, they’ll have to do homework.
Superintendent Heidi Maier said she made the decision based on research that shows making young children do homework doesn’t make them academically stronger, but reading to them every night does. “We are not only strengthening family involvement and strengthening the child’s love of reading, but we are providing the teachers with more time to teach,” Maier told WUSF, “and in the end, that’s what’s going to make a difference.”
The decision received mixed responses, with some parents praising the change while others noting homework helped them know what their kids were learning in school, and it also taught their kids how to be organized and responsible.
Overall, there hasn’t been a ton of research yet about the consequences of banning homework, but the small number of schools that have tried it haven’t reported any negative effects yet.Describing Stan Lee as "the original genius behind Marvel Comics and most of the superheroes you've ever loved or watched on the big screen" probably isn't doing the 91-year-old comic book veteran any favors as he tries, seemingly, to rehabilitate his reputation for glory-hogging in a wide-ranging conversation to be published in this Friday's new issue of Playboy. Indeed, the (in)famously self-promoting Lee uses the interview to deliberately undermine the public perception -- one he worked hard to create, as recently as last year with his reality show Fangasm -- that he's a tremendously wealthy comic book mogul primarily responsible for the success of some of Marvel Comics' most iconic -- and profitable -- superhero characters.
Like most expressions of Lee's history, the Playboy piece by David Hochman repeatedly references "Stan the Man" as "the creator" of characters including Spider-Man, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, while co-creators Jack Kirby an Steve Ditko's contributions are described merely as "working with" Lee, who was a Marvel staffer since the age of 18 (thanks to a familial relation with company boss Martin Goodman). Proponents of both artists have argued for decades to the contrary; that it was Lee whose contributions were the more meager of the partnerships. But here Lee comes off as almost contrite as he explains in unusually stark terms, free of pizzazz or superfluous alliteration, his view of the enduring questions about his role in Marvel's storied history, from character creation to Disney acquisition to his own monetary wealth.
On Lee's current role at Marvel:
“I have no standing at Marvel where I decide what projects get made or who gets hired, and certainly none at Disney, which now owns Marvel. I’m a guy they hire as a writer or producer and also to go to conventions and do things like that. Mostly I’m just a pretty face they keep for the public.”
On whether or not Lee owns rights to the characters he created:
“I never did. I was always a Marvel employee, a writer for hire and, later, part of management. My role at Marvel is strictly honorary. Marvel always owned the rights to these characters. If I owned them, I probably wouldn’t be talking to you now.”
On Lee's net worth:
“My daughter was looking at the internet the other day and read that Stan Lee has an estimated $250 million. I mean, that’s ridiculous! I don’t have $200 million. I don’t have $150 million. I don’t have $100 million or anywhere near that.”
On Lee's not profiting (directly) from the Disney acquisition of Marvel :
“You have to understand, growing up during the Depression, I saw my parents struggling to pay the rent. I was happy enough to get a nice paycheck and be treated well. I always got the highest rate; whatever Martin paid another writer, I got a least that much. It was a very good job. I was able to buy a house on Long Island. I never dreamed I should have $100 million or $250 million or whatever that crazy number is. All I know is I created a lot of characters and enjoyed the work I did.”
On the lingering controversy surrounding Lee's work with Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko:
“There was never a time when it just said ‘by Stan Lee.’ It was always ‘by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko’ or ‘by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby.’ I made sure their names were always as big as mine. As far as what they were paid, I had nothing to do with that. They were hired as freelance artists, and they worked as freelance artists. At some point they apparently felt they should be getting more money. Fine, it was up to them to talk to the publisher. It had nothing to do with me. I would have liked to have gotten more money too. And twice, not once, I offered a job to Jack Kirby. I said to him, ‘Jack, why don’t you work for Marvel with me?’ I was the art director at the time. I said, ‘You be the art director. I’ll just be the editor and head writer, and you’ll have that security.’ He wouldn’t do it. He didn’t want a staff job. With him, as with Ditko, I don’t see where they were unfairly treated. Jack was a great guy and so is Steve. I’m sorry anybody feels there’s any acrimony. I loved them both.”
It's worth noting here that for his part, Kirby did feel mistreated. "The King" passed away in 1994, but his heirs would later attempt to reclaim copyright to the Marvel characters he co-created in a lawsuit that was ultimately -- and always destined to be, our legal consultants tell us -- unsuccessful. Last year Deadline confirmed what had been rumored but discussed only off-the-record for some time; that Marvel attempted to settle with the Kirby estate, but that "attempts to strike a deal faltered." To the best of our knowledge, the court battle has effectively ended but situation remains unresolved.
As for the rest of Lee's Playboy interview, where things get sort of, well, horrifying is Lee's discussion of original artwork not returned to his freelancers.
"In those days we didn’t think of it. We were in a small office. After the book was printed, the printer would send the original pages of artwork and all the color proofs back to us. We had no room for them. We gave everything away. Some kid would come up to deliver sandwiches form the drugstore and we’d say, ‘Hey, kid, on your way out, take these pages and throw them somewhere.’ If one of those guys had brains enough to save some stuff, he’d be a very lucky man right now."
That such artwork was not properly returned to artists like Kirby and Ditko remains one American comics' most egregious... if the word isn't actually "crimes," then it's something very close to it. Much has been written about this topic, such as this piece by Michael Dean from The Comics Journal. In it, Dean explains how original artwork was "held hostage" by Marvel until artists signed a release characterizing "the art return as 'a gift' from Marvel to the creators. By signing the form, the creators agreed that the art had been work for hire and that Marvel was 'the exclusive worldwide owner of all copyright' related to the art. Creators were required to grant Marvel the right to use the artists’ name and likeness in promotions."
Kirby was willing to sign such a release in exchange for the ownership of what would turn out to be his extremely valuable original work, but Marvel had a special document prepared just for him that mitigated the nature of the "gift," describing Kirby as, legally, merely a custodian of only a portion of the physical material on behalf of Marvel. Meaning that if Kirby accepted the terms, he could not sell it, reproduce it, display it, anything. The document was imbued with other dubious implications that caused Kirby great concern. Ultimately a compromise was reached with respect to the legalese of the release, but even then, in 1987, only a fraction of Kirby's more than 8,000 pages of Marvel artwork was returned.
As Lee remarks in the Playboy interview, if "one of those guys had brains enough to save [some artwork], he'd be a very lucky man right now."
Well, there is some reason to believe it is Lee himself who may be in possession of that very material. In an episode of Hollywood Treasures, a 2010 SyFy series spotlighting lost relics from the entertainment industry, host Joe Maddalena presented Lee with the complete original artwork for Fantastic Four #12, the first Marvel Comics crossover, in which the FF encounter the Hulk. The footage is essential viewing, depicting a genuinely awestruck Lee inspecting the stunning Jack Kirby pages for the first time in nearly 50 years. But the most astonishing moment of the episode is an alleged exchange between Maddalena and an unidentified Lee associate, recounted by Maddalena as follows:
I said, “Does he have any artwork?” [Stan Lee's associate] goes, “Boxes and boxes in the garage.” I said, “What do you mean, garage?” He goes, “Storage units full.” I said, “Well, supposedly I’ve heard him say he doesn’t have anything.” The guy said, “Storage units full of artwork.” He goes, “He has no idea what he has. He’s never looked at it.”
Jack Kirby spoke at length about his history with Stan Lee in a must-read interview with Gary Groth for The Comics Reporter. The Lee remarks begin here, on page five.
You can read the entire Stan Lee Playboy interview at this link (it is safe-for-work).Experts race to save world's rarest wolf from extinction
A team of dedicated conservationists is battling to save the world's rarest wolf from a rabies outbreak by creating a 'barrier' of vaccinated wolf packs.
With less than 500 left, the endangered Ethiopian wolf teeters on the brink of extinction. They live in the Bale Mountains National Park near to the Oromo people, which places them at risk of catching rabies from dogs.
The wolves have been protected by the Ethiopian Wolf Conservation Programme (EWCP) since 1998, but the group say they are struggling in their mission.
An Ethiopian wolf is released after being vaccinated against rabies
'Despite the efforts of our veterinary team, who vaccinate thousands of dogs in Bale's villages every year, the virus has raised its ugly head again and jumped into the wolf population,' said Dr Claudio Sillero, the EWCP Director from Oxford University.
'Fifteen wolves have died to date, and laboratory tests have confirmed our worst fears that we are facing another potentially devastating outbreak.
'If left unchecked, rabies is likely to kill over two-thirds of all wolves in Bale's Web Valley, and spread further, with wolves dying horrible deaths and numbers dwindling to perilously low levels.
'These preciously rare wolves can ill-afford it another massive die-off.'
In 2003 a similar epidemic swept through, and a rapid response by the Ethiopian authorities and EWCP blocked the spread of the epidemic.
Ethiopian wolves are the rarest type of wolf in the world
A team led by Claudio, EWCP Coordinator Dr Graham Hemson and Dr Fekadu Shiferaw of the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority is implementing a plan to vaccinate wolf packs to create a 'barrier' to prevent the virus from spreading.
'Tracking and vaccinating these animals is a far from easy task,' said Dr Sillero.
'Our veterinary team are travelling on horse-back and camping out in remote mountains above 12,000 feet with temperatures falling as low as -15°C.
'But the first three weeks of the intervention have gone well with the team vaccinating to date forty-eight wolves in eleven vital packs that connect the Web Valley population with other wolves in Bale.'
Researchers at Oxford University have developed a detailed knowledge of the wolves from 20 years of continuous study. A sophisticated computer model of how rabies spreads developed with colleagues at Glasgow University guides their vaccination efforts.
The intervention has been sanctioned by the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority (EWCA) and Oromia Bureau of Agriculture and Rural Development.I love tequila sunrises. You know why? They're fruity, come with a little umbrella, and go down great with breakfast. Which, more often than not, is two quarts of mimosas I mixed into an orange juice carton. I SHOULD WRITE A BOOK ON EATING HEALTHY. But, for those of you that prefer a solid breakfast, maybe you'll be interested in this bacon sunrise, which is actually just some bacon, an egg and a couple sprigs of inedible greenery. Now imagine if you were miniaturized and walking those rolling bacon hills. Would you stop to enjoy the eggrise or would you be too busy driving bacon into your mouth to notice? No need to answer, I've got your number.
Hit the jump for another one of a bacon road.
Oscar Mayer: The art of baconmaking [jenntotten]
Thanks to Christian, a bacon-art connoisseur.PONTIAC, Michigan (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court on Saturday placed a temporary hold on a federal judge’s ruling that struck down Michigan’s ban on gay marriage, a move that followed hastily arranged and joyful wedding ceremonies in the state.
Two women exchange rings during their wedding ceremony in the hallway of the Oakland County Courthouse as the woman officiating the wedding reads the marriage vows from her cell phone, after a Michigan federal judge ruled a ban on same-sex marriage violates the U.S. Constitution and must be overturned in Pontiac, Michigan March 22, 2014. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook
The decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit came one day after the lower court’s ruling, which briefly made Michigan the 18th state in the nation to allow same-sex marriage.
With a temporary stay granted, same-sex couples married on Saturday could find themselves in legal limbo.
The federal appeals court issued a temporary stay in the case until Wednesday, and directed attorneys for the same-sex couple that sued in the case to respond to the state attorney general’s request to place the lower court’s ruling on hold pending an appeal.
“To allow a more reasoned consideration of the motion to stay, it is ordered that the district court’s judgment is temporarily stayed until Wednesday,” the ruling said.
The Detroit News reported that in total four counties issued 323 marriage licenses on Saturday before most clerks closed for the day at 1 p.m. local time.
At least 50 people had lined up in the Oakland County clerk’s office in Pontiac, on the outskirts of the Detroit metropolitan area, when Clerk Lisa Brown arrived to open it at 8 a.m. local time carrying a heart-shaped balloon.
Brown’s staff was among workers in several counties who handed out paperwork to couples undeterred by the Michigan attorney general’s immediate appeal of the judge’s decision.
Frank Colasonti, 61, and James Barclay Ryder, 48, became the first gay couple to marry in the county. They wore dark suits, with “Same Love, Same Rights” lapel pins.
“We’re going to celebrate with a nice quiet lunch and then go pick out our wedding rings,” Colasonti said following the ceremony, which took place 26 years after they met at a church.
Moments later, a lesbian couple emerged from the ceremony room, filling the corridor with elated shouts. As more couples arrived, Brown moved the proceedings to an auditorium for a mass wedding ceremony of a dozen couples or more.
Clerics who support gay and lesbian rights also arrived and found quiet corners in the hallways to conduct private ceremonies for couples clutching their newly issued licenses.
Clerks in at least three other counties - Washtenaw, Ingham and Muskegon - opened outside normal business hours on Saturday to issue marriage licenses.
LESBIAN COUPLE CHALLENGED BAN
Michigan’s ban on same-sex marriages became law in 2004 as a state constitutional amendment. It was challenged by a lesbian couple from the Detroit suburb of Hazel Park after the law prevented them from jointly adopting each other’s children.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman said the law breached equal protection rights guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution.
Bill Schuette, the state’s attorney general, asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit for an emergency order to stay the decision.
The appeals court initially said on Saturday afternoon the plaintiffs’ lawyers had until midday Tuesday to file a response, before later issuing the temporary stay.
Brown, the Oakland County clerk, said the appeal was “a waste of taxpayer dollars.”
“I’m no longer forced to discriminate in my office,” she said. “Couples who have been waiting years to receive equal protection now have it.”
Following the temporary hold in the case from the U.S. appeals court, gay rights group Equality Michigan in a blog post urged members to “this pause in marriage equality” to engage in activism, including signing a petition asking the Michigan governor and attorney general to end the state’s appeal.
Michigan same-sex couples find themselves in a similar situation to counterparts in at least four other states where lower courts have ruled to extend marriage rights to them.
In December, a federal district judge in Utah overturned that state’s ban on same-sex weddings and Utah’s attorney general appealed.
Some 1,300 gay couples were married in Utah in the few weeks before the U.S. Supreme Court granted a stay while the appeal is considered, leaving the newlyweds uncertain about whether they have the rights generally afforded by marriage.
April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse, the couple who successfully challenged the Michigan ban, said on Friday they would not marry until the legal uncertainty in their state was resolved.
Seventeen states plus the District of Columbia now allow same-sex nuptials, a number that would be substantially increased if a series of recent federal court decisions in Utah, Texas, Oklahoma and Virginia are upheld.
Supporters of the ban in Michigan, Utah and elsewhere have cited tradition, religious texts and the welfare of children to defend their belief that only opposite-sex marriage should be legal, arguments that several courts have ruled not sufficient.When a goalie is handling the puck, it’s like a lit fuse. This is especially true for a gunslinger like Mike Smith, who can connect with an absolute bomb…
or have it blow up in his face…
There’s a tendency to associate high-risk goalie puckhandlers with skill at playing the puck. If I asked you who the best puckhandling goalies are in the NHL right now, I’m betting Smith is the first who comes to mind, followed by Ben Bishop (another lover of the long bomb), and maybe Pekka Rinne (who enjoys nothing more than rimming the puck up the boards after stopping one behind his net). The big plays they make stand out in memory, and their occasional gaffes are forgiven as a small price to pay for a very useful ability.
So, if I were to ask you which of these active goalies has the most career points (goals and assists), who would you pick?
A. Pekka Rinne
B. Ben Bishop
C. Carey Price
D. Mike Smith
If you’re anything like the 112 respondents to my Twitter poll, you overwhelmingly chose Smith (50 per cent), followed by Rinne (21 per cent), Bishop (21 per cent), and Price (8 per cent). In fact, you may be wondering what Price is even doing on this list.
And that’s precisely what I’m here to talk about.
Surprisingly, Price leads all these goaltenders with 12 career points, followed by Smith (11), Rinne (10) and Bishop (7). These totals don’t tell us anything definitive about how well these keepers handle the puck, but they do suggest the way we evaluate that skill needs some work.
Measuring success
The goaltenders listed above were chosen because they handle the puck more than any other goalie. Whereas the average goaltender played the puck 9.58 times per 20 minutes last season, Smith and Bishop played it 13.8 times, Rinne 13.5, and Price 12.9 (thanks to Andrew Berkshire for providing this SportLogIQ data, referenced here and below).
In terms of effectiveness, the average goaltender connected 79.67 per cent of the time, meaning he achieved what he attempted, whether it was a quick outlet, setting the puck for his defence, rimming it out of the zone, or hitting a streaking forward with a long bomb. Bishop (75.3 per cent), Rinne (78.7 per cent), and Smith (78.7 per cent) all fell below average in how effective they were.
Price (81.4 per cent), meanwhile, exceeded the average. There’s an important stylistic difference at work here, which separates Price from the others.
Two ways of being an elite puckhandler
It’s obvious that even elite goaltenders can be poor puckhandlers: Henrik Lundqvist has been an elite goaltender for more than a decade, but he’s always been a liability with the puck on his stick. What’s not obvious is that there’s more than one way to be very good at most goaltending skills and playing the puck is no exception.
Smith prefers the high-risk, long-range pass (or shot!), epitomizing the “bomber” style of puckhandling. Price, on the other hand, prefers quick passes that have far lower risk and shorter range, which we might call the “archer” style (a term a bowhunter like Price would no doubt appreciate).
You might intuitively expect bombers to score more points than archers because they connect on passes so much further up ice. However, because their passes are higher risk, they’re less likely to be completed. Archers, on the other hand, don’t set players up at the far blue line very often, but they complete more passes and give their teammates more opportunities to get the goalie an assist.
A bomber’s primary skill is the strength and accuracy of his shot: Smith’s goal featured above is a perfect example of a powerful, rapid launch with superb technique. Clearly not every goalie, even at the NHL level, can shoot the puck like this.
An archer relies more on his dexterity in closer quarters. Watch Price deal with this tricky situation that most goaltenders would be better off avoiding:
Seeing his defenceman under pressure and unlikely to handle the flipping puck cleanly, Price deftly taps the it down and settles it for him. Then, noticing the forechecker about to overtake him, Price makes a quick backhand pass behind the net to his other defender, giving his team a better chance at exiting the zone.
Another key to the archer’s success is the ability to move the puck very quickly, including one-touching it to a defender when possible. Price demonstrates again:
This is a relatively risky play (don’t try this at home, kids!), but Price makes it work because he’s instantly able to move the puck to the waiting defender. Any delay on the pass or inclination to hold on to the puck for even a second would have, at best, led to Price having to fire the puck into the corner. At worst, he would have been stripped and scored on.
As is so often the case when it comes to goaltending, the splashiest plays tend to stand out, causing us to miss the subtle effectiveness of a more conservative approach. Once you know what to look for, however, you can start to see the position with far more discerning vision and pick out who really are the best puckhandling goalies.Adobe Systems today began selling Creative Suite 6, its mammoth but expensive collection of software for designers, artists, photographers, videographers, publishers, and others in the "content creation" business.
The software is available in the $2,599 Master Collection, the smaller $1,899 Design and Web Premium or Production Premium collections, or the yet-smaller $1,299 Design Standard collection. About three quarters of Adobe's unit shipments today are in these collections, but individual packages are available, too, such as Photoshop CS6 for $699 in its standard version or Illustrator CS6 for $599.
With CS6, Adobe tried to mix in performance improvements such as a cache-related speedup to After Effects for video effects, interface improvements such as Premiere Pro's simplified layout for video editing, splashy new features such as Photoshop's content-aware move tool and accelerated video, and hundreds of niggling "just do it" fixes.
Two new CS6 packages are Prelude and SpeedGrade. The first is designed to get an early start on video editing by letting editors ingest video right after it's shot, tag it with metadata such as comments linked to particular moments in the footage, and assemble rough cuts out of collections of clips. Rough cuts can be handed off to Premiere Pro for more refined work.
SpeedGrade is for color-grading video, which means applying a particular color and tonal look. It works in conjunction with Premiere Pro and After Effects, and entered the suite via Adobe's acquisition of Iridas. The software can give digital footage a film-like look through presets or custom settings.
For a tour of many of the new features, check CNET's earlier coverage. For a full breakdown of what's in each package and in the Creative Cloud, check the chart below.
Adobe Systems
Creative Cloud ahoy
CS6 product upgrades cost significantly less than the full versions, but starting Friday, there will be a very different purchasing option, Adobe's Creative Cloud subscription. This service costs $50 per month for customers who sign up for a full year or $75 per month for those who pay month by month.
The Creative Cloud service includes all the CS6 apps -- running locally on a customer's machine, not on some server on the far side of the Internet as some have supposed given the typical meaning of cloud computing. It also includes a variety of online services, most notably a 20GB file-sharing service similar to Dropbox, Microsoft's SkyDrive, Google Drive, and presumably any number of other services.
The Creative Cloud also includes use of the Touch line of tablet apps, Lightroom 4, and some new packages that aren't in Master Collection: |
leader to visit the Trump White House is that other European government are eager for information about what he actually plans to do. Both Handelsblatt and Spiegel have good pieces detailing the German government’s concerns about its lack of contact with, and information about, the new administration.
Spiegel reports that an offer from Angela Merkel’s team for her to travel to the US at short notice to meet the new president has not yet received a reply. While the German Ambassador to the US’s last meeting with Jared Ksuhner, Trump’s son in law and—by general agreement—the most powerful figure in the new White House, ended with Kushner asking, ‘What can you do for us?’ So desperate has the Merkel Chancellery become for tips on the new president’s thinking that her staff have taken to passing round a 1990 issue of Playboy in an attempt to understand his thinking on trade.
The German concern about Trump stems from three main things. First, Trump is reversing 60-odd years of US support for European integration. He often sounds like he’d quite like the EU to fall apart—which is, obviously, worrying for Germany. Then, there is his protectionist trade rhetoric; Germany had an almost $60 billion goods trade surplus with the US last year. To add to the German’s worries, some in the Trump team regard the Euro as a form of German currency manipulation. The Spiegel piece even talks about the possibilities of 15 percent tariffs on German goods under the 1974 Trade Act. Finally, there’s Trump’s desire for a rapprochement with Russia and his criticisms of Nato. As the Spiegel piece points out, it’ll be hard for Merkel to keep the EU united on sanctions on Russia if Trump maintains his position.
For May, the challenge will be to show EU leaders that she can both help move Trump into a better place on Russia and Nato while reminding them of how much more important the British contribution to European security will become if Trump does follow through on his isolationist rhetoric. At the same time, she’ll also want to demonstrate that she can get the wheels in motion for a post-Brexit US / UK free trade deal. But being the first foreign visitor to the White House gives May an opportunity to make progress on both these fronts.A fresh analysis of $670 million of budgeted capital projects in Baltimore found that predominantly white neighborhoods were slated for almost twice as much spending over the past five years as mostly minority parts of the city.
The findings exemplify how Baltimore continues to be shaped by a long legacy of racial segregation, according to the city Planning Department staffers who conducted the study. That legacy left Baltimore a divided city with largely black neighborhoods flanking a ribbon of largely white areas in the middle.
“This reflects what people feel, but it’s surprising to see it in numbers like this,” said Kristen Ahearn, one of the city planners involved in the project.
Money in the capital budget shapes the city’s public spaces — helping to renovate schools, libraries and museums, upgrade community centers, pave streets and overhaul sewer lines. This year, the city is budgeted to spend $1.1 billion on such projects.
Over the past five years, the budget allocated an average of $15 million for projects in Baltimore neighborhoods where more than 75 percent of residents are white. In areas where more than 75 percent of people are minorities, the figure was $8 million.
The Planning Department also compared parts of Baltimore with differing rates of poverty and found a similar pattern. The average neighborhood with more than 40 percent of residents below the poverty line was allocated $3.5 million in funding, while areas where fewer than 20 percent of residents lived in poverty received $14 million.
Lawrence Brown, a professor at Morgan State University who studies how racism affects public health, said the numbers show the city isn’t spending its money fairly.
“It’s not equitable,” Brown said. “Equity means investing the most where people have the least, or in communities that have the least to help address historical injustices or imbalances. When you’re giving more to those who have more, it really begs the question: Where is the focus on equity?”
That’s a question that the team at the Planning Department also has, and planners are now pushing city agencies to do more to consider whether their budgets help or hurt parity between the races and between rich and poor. They call the approach the “equity lens.”
The analysis stemmed from discussions between staff members at the Planning Department after protests in Ferguson, Mo., after Michael Brown, a black man, was killed by a white police officer in 2014. The work took on additional urgency, those involved said, after Baltimore experienced rioting following the death of Freddie Gray the next year.
The findings have not been widely shared in city government — outgoing members of the Planning Commission were briefed on them in the fall, and they were presented at a professional conference in New York.
Mayor Catherine Pugh, who took office last December, called them significant and said she wants to see changes in the way the city spends its money.
“These kinds of studies lay the groundwork and provide the background for what we should be doing and I am going to do,” the mayor said. “When you look at the same kind of study two years from now, I think you’ll see a remarkable difference because we are intentionally focused on low-income neighborhoods.”
Sean Davis, a community planner whom Pugh recently appointed to lead the commission that finalizes the annual capital budget, said the topic of whether money was being spent fairly came up in discussions he has had with members of the mayor’s team.
“It’s obviously something that the planning director is pursuing, and I'm interested in learning more about how they're approaching it,” he said.
To reach their conclusions, the planners analyzed five years’ worth of capital budgets, mapping city building projects and looking at demographic data. They cautioned that there are gaps in their analysis. They could not get geographic information on projects like road paving, and some school construction programs also were excluded.
The team did not consider spending by the Department of Public Works, which accounts for three-quarters of the spending this year, in part because much of the department’s spending is court-ordered under a long-running environmental case.
The planners also did not take into account the special tax-funded bonds that have been used to support large projects in waterfront areas in recent years.
The analysis only looked at how money was allocated, not how it was ultimately spent. So, for example, it takes into account some funding related to the Red Line light rail project. Gov. Larry Hogan canceled that plan, a move civil rights groups said would disproportionately hurt black and poor Baltimore residents.
Stephanie Smith, an assistant planning director hired to head up the department’s work on equity, said she is seeking more data and that despite the gaps, she expects the broad conclusions will hold up.
“It was important for us to start somewhere and not to have a lack of perfect data as an excuse not to begin,” Smith said.
The planners’ work does not address why the racially unequal patterns in city spending persist.
In the past, politicians in American cities often used their power to ensure money went to their own racial and social groups, but today the reasons for the disparities are likely more subtle.
“Racism is very sophisticated and nuanced,” Brown said. “It’s hardly ever that explicit as just ‘Screw it, we’re going to do this.’ ”
Smith said one factor might be that the capital budget is less well understood than the city’s operating budget and so communities do less to lobby for their share of the money.
“We want to make sure that community members even know that they can be a part of letting people know about priorities,” she said. “People who are more connected are able to get more things.”
And within city government, Smith is meeting with agencies to encourage them to take a new approach to projects and is working on developing a tool to help them think about the racial effects of their spending.
Smith said her ultimate objective is a budget that leaves people feeling “like the city is for everyone.”
“Right now, I think if you ask people on the street, they don’t feel that way,” she said.
iduncan@baltsun.com
twitter.com/iduncanBy Daniel Burke, Belief Blog Co-editor
Follow @BurkeCNN
(CNN) - Amid the iconic art in the Sistine Chapel on Sunday, Pope Francis told mothers that it's acceptable to breastfeed their children in public, even in holy sites like churches.
Children's voices, even when crying, make "the most beautiful choir of all," Francis said during a service in which he baptized 32 children.
"Some will cry because they are uncomfortable or because they are hungry," the Pope said. "If they are hungry, mothers, let them eat, no worries, because here, they are the main focus."
The Sistine Chapel, with its famous frescoes by Michelangelo, is the official chapel of the Apostolic Palace, traditionally the papal residence. Francis, though, lives in the Vatican guesthouse, Casa Santa Marta, saying it better suits his low-key style.
The Pope's remarks echo statements he made to an Italian newspaper in December in which he tied breastfeeding to the problem of global hunger.
At a recent General Audience - or public appearance by the Pope - a young mother sat behind a screen with her crying infant, Francis told La Stampa.
"I said to her: 'Madam, I think the child’s hungry.... Please give it something to eat!' " the Pope said.
"She was shy and didn’t want to breastfeed in public, while the Pope was passing," he continued. "I wish to say the same to humanity: Give people something to eat! That woman had milk to give to her child; we have enough food in the world to feed everyone."
Emer McCarthy, a journalist at Vatican Radio, told Catholic News Service that she breastfed her daughter discreetly during Sunday's baptism ceremony. "Who would have thought the Pope would be this great proponent?" she said.
Breastfeeding in public, particularly in sacred sites such as churches, remains a sensitive issue for families, as noted by a recent Religion News Service article.
A blog post on "Five Places Moms Need to Breastfeed Discreetly" listed churches as No. 5, following public pools, restaurants, airplanes and sporting events.
"It's wonderful when moms want to bring the kids to church and nurture their faith early on," wrote blogger Mary Fischer. "But a coverup is a necessity with a baby in tow. Do I really have to elaborate here?"Melbourne. Photo: Getty
I am a Sydney girl living in Perth, which means that my loyalties are divided between the two cities.
Sydney has long been the beacon for Australia with its globally recognised icon, the Sydney Opera House. It is Australia’s de facto capital, the centre for the banking and finance sectors and our only world city.
If you live in Sydney you have a certain arrogance about you, with little regard for the rest of Australia. The same as Londoners do about the United Kingdom and New Yorkers have about the United States.
A good friend who was also raised in Sydney and is now an academic focused on design and landscape is as fascinated about cities as I am. He says “Sydney is a pretty girl in a great frock.”
I think this is true and realised that, in reality, pretty girls in great frocks don’t have to try too hard to get attention.
While Sydney has been sitting smugly on her self-proclaimed throne as Australia’s best city in her great frock with her crown on, Melbourne has been chipping away for the past 30 years and has emerged as the World’s Most Liveable City. I can only imagine how much that riles Sydney, which sits in 7th place.
I know how much it smarts Perth, which sits at number 9.
The transformation of Melbourne from Sydney’s poor cousin to World’s Most Liveable City is almost fable-like and it goes something like this:
In the early 1990s, Australia’s most southern mainland state loses a big chunk of its manufacturing activity to cheaper offshore competitors and its capital city languishes into economic despair. From this crisis grows a coalition of the willing in and outside of government to work together to sort the problems out.
True leaders emerge and they paint a shared vision of becoming Australia’s cultural, sporting and entertainment capital. In their desire to achieve this goal, government is reformed and policies are overhauled. The private sector is welcomed and investment is aligned. They build roads, bridges, tunnels and extend their public transport system and renew their blighted areas at Federation Square, Southbank and Docklands.
They draw strength from being Australia’s only European-style capital, a reputation which has attracted so many migrants and they herald this widely. They use the benevolence of their ethnic communities to fund cultural infrastructure.
Through a belief in themselves and unified effort, they emerge victors, with Melbourne named the most liveable city in the world in 2011.
So does this tale mean that every city has to have a major crisis on which to regroup or is it enough to simply learn from it? Cities across the world are currently undergoing dramatic transformations both as a result of crisis and because they are willing to learn from the experience of others.
Christchurch is having a crisis of a monumental kind as it faces the devastation left behind after a series of earthquakes which rocked the city during 2010-11. A shared view of the future is yet to emerge, with some wanting to create a new future for the city and others wanting to put it back just as it was before.
San Francisco is having housing affordability and congestion crises that are being put out as if they were ‘spot fires’ rather than acknowledging they are part of the city’s overall challenges.
London’s competitive edge was all but gone as it lost ground to other European capitals for skilled people and investment dollars, and it used this crisis to regroup. As a result, the city is undergoing a transformation of stellar proportions both above and below the ground. The cross-rail project is the largest underground rail project ever undertaken in the city and new buildings such as Renzo Piano’s ‘The Shard’ are redefining the skyline.
Perth is undergoing a transformation too, with Elizabeth Quay which will reconnect the city and river, City Link which will reconnect the city to its inner city entertainment precinct Northbridge, and BHP Billiton’s new headquarters changing its skyline.
So where is Sydney whilst other cities are redefining themselves? Still sitting on her throne in her great frock looking pretty.
This may have been a good ploy in the 20th century when the world was a simpler place but it does not seem a wise response to the many competitive forces and challenges facing cities this century.
Everyday Sydney languishes is yet another day when the rest of us just get on with it. Melbourne (as much as it kills me to say this), I toast to your hard work and well-deserved good fortune.
Marion Fulker is the CEO of the Committee for Perth, a think tank focused on the future of the Perth region. She is also an Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at The University of Western Australia.
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Follow Business Insider Australia on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram.By Economy Watch Hong Kong has edged out the United States and the United Kingdom, for the first time, to come out tops in the World Economic Forum’s Financial Development Index.According to the Geneva-based non-governmental organisation, Hong Kong is also the first Asian country to top the scoreboard, in the WEF’s annual The Financial Development Report 2011 released on Tuesday, 13 Dec. Launched in 2008, the ranking is based on efficiency and size of banking and other financial services, the business environment and financial stability amongst other things.It is also the first time neither the United States nor the United Kingdom took the top spot since the WEF began the survey four years ago.The United States fell to second place while the United Kingdom settled for third place, mainly caused by a decline in its initial public offering activity and securitisation."While Western financial centres are understandably focused on short-term challenges, this report should serve as a wake-up call that their long-term leadership may be in jeopardy," Kevin Steinberg of the WEF said.Hong Kong jumped three spots to get to the top, boosted by high scores in the non-banking financial services segment such as IPOs and insurance.Hong Kong's ascent to the top of our index marks a major milestone, said Kevin Steinberg, of the World Economic Forum.Other Asian financial hubs likeandremained in the top ten rankings., theandmade up the rest of the top 10.rose three places from last year to 19th whereas euro zone countries slipped in the rankings as they struggled to contain their debt crisis, including Germany which dropped one place to 14th.According to the WEF report,in terms of ease of access to credit and loans, venture capital availability and financing through local equity markets., which could cause severe consequences down the line," said Isabella Reuttner, senior project manager at the WEF and editor of the report.at Economy Watch The views and opinions expressed herein are the author's own, and do not necessarily reflect those of EconMatters EconMatters All Rights Reserved | FacebookThe UK is sitting on a mountain of WEEE, according to a new survey by Dell. It asked 5000 people across Europe what they do with their old electronics, and only half of consumers in Britain recycle them properly.
Once more, it is our old nemesis, Germany, that can hold its head up proudly, with four out of five responsible Germans recycling old gadgets.
In awareness levels of manufacturers' recycling schemes and government initiatives such as the WEEE Directive, the British are also the least aware of initiatives and legislation compared to consumers in Germany, Italy, France and Spain.
Bottom of the high-tech recycling league
In fact, when it comes to understanding the importance of correct technology recycling, UK consumers claim to be more influenced by the media (hey! That's us! Go recycle stuff!) than by government legislation.
There are also pronounced regional differences within the UK. Sixty per cent of respondents in Yorkshire and the Humber had never heard of the WEEE directive, while in the North East, nearly three quarters claim they do everything they can to recycle – except that less than one percent recycles electronics.
In the capital, it's the opposite story, with nearly one in twenty Londoners claiming that they recycle more electronics than other form of waste (four times the national average).
There is one glimmer of hope, while the British are less informed about the correct procedures for electronics recycling, show little interest in recycling initiatives and are generally ignornant of relevant legislation, the level of British consumers who claim to regularly recycle paper, plastics and glass is actually higher than the European average.Edit Page
Multiplatform Programming
Multiplatform projects are an experimental feature in Kotlin 1.2 and 1.3. All of the language and tooling features described in this document are subject to change in future Kotlin versions.
Working on all platforms is an explicit goal for Kotlin, but we see it as a premise to a much more important goal: sharing code between platforms. With support for JVM, Android, JavaScript, iOS, Linux, Windows, Mac and even embedded systems like STM32, Kotlin can handle any and all components of a modern application. And this brings the invaluable benefit of reuse for code and expertise, saving the effort for tasks more challenging than implementing everything twice or multiple times.
How it works
Overall, multiplatform is not about compiling all code for all platforms. This model has its obvious limitations, and we understand that modern applications need access to unique features of the platforms they are running on. Kotlin doesn't limit you to the common subset of all APIs in the world. Every component can share as much code as needed with others but can access platform APIs at any time through the expect / actual mechanism provided by the language.
Here's an example of code sharing and interaction between the common and platform logic in a minimalistic logging framework. The common code would look like this:
enum class LogLevel { DEBUG, WARN, ERROR } internal expect fun writeLogMessage(message: String, logLevel: LogLevel) fun logDebug(message: String) = writeLogMessage(message, LogLevel.DEBUG) fun logWarn(message: String) = writeLogMessage(message, LogLevel.WARN) fun logError(message: String) = writeLogMessage(message, LogLevel.ERROR) ├compiled for all platforms ├expected platform-specific API ├expected API can be used in the common code
It expects the targets to provide platform-specific implementations for writeLogMessage, and the common code can now use this declaration without any consideration of how it is implemented.
On the JVM, one could provide an implementation that writes the log to the standard output:
internal actual fun writeLogMessage(message: String, logLevel: LogLevel) { println("[$logLevel]: $message") }
In the JavaScript world, a completely different set of APIs is availiable, so one could instead implement logging to the console:
internal actual fun writeLogMessage(message: String, logLevel: LogLevel) { when (logLevel) { LogLevel.DEBUG -> console.log(message) LogLevel.WARN -> console.warn(message) LogLevel.ERROR -> console.error(message) } }
In 1.3 we reworked the entire multiplatform model. The new DSL we have for describing multiplatform Gradle projects is much more flexible, and we'll keep working on it to make project configuration straightforward.
Multiplatform Libraries
Common code can rely on a set of libraries that cover everyday tasks such as HTTP, serialization, and managing coroutines. Also, an extensive standard library is available on all platforms.
You can always write your own library providing a common API and implementing it differently on every platform.
Use cases
Android — iOS
Sharing code between mobile platforms is one of the major Kotlin Multiplatform use cases, and it is now possible to build mobile applications with parts of the code, such as business logic, connectivity, and more, shared between Android and iOS.
See: Multiplatform Project: iOS and Android
Client — Server
Another scenario when code sharing may bring benefits is a connected application where the logic may be reused on both the server and the client side running in the browser. This is covered by Kotlin Multiplatform as well.
The Ktor framework is suitable for building asynchronous servers and clients in connected systems.
How to start
Tutorials and Documentation
New to Kotlin? Take a look at the Getting Started page.
Suggested documentation pages:
Recommended tutorials:
Example Projects
Even more examples are on GitHubHOUSING SCENE No more extensions of tax credit for first-time home buyers
The provision that puts up to $8,000 in buyers' pockets won't be renewed a third time, industry leaders and lawmakers say.
During the debate, Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), a former real estate broker and a longtime proponent of the tax credit, promised his colleagues, "This is the last extension."
Lawmakers "made us promise practically in blood that we would not come back" for another extension, Linda Goold, the Realtor group's director of tax policy, told her members.
Proponents of the $8,000 credit for first-time buyers and the $6,500 credit for move-up buyers made it clear during the debate on Capitol Hill that the benefits would not be renewed when they expire. And a lobbyist for the National Assn. of Realtors confirmed that at the group's annual convention last month.
Reporting from Washington — Home buyers hoping to take advantage of a new or extended tax credit should not procrastinate: This third bite at the apple will be the last.
And Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said, "It is important that this tax credit does not become a permanent fixture of the tax code."
As it stands now, buyers who meet the income eligibility requirements have until midnight April 30, 2010, to ink a deal and must close by midnight June 30 to qualify.
Congress enacted the original $7,500 first-time buyer credit as part of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. But because the credit had to be paid back it was more like a no-interest loan than a true credit and there were relatively few takers.
So in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, lawmakers upped the ante to a maximum of $8,000 for new buyers who closed before Dec. 1. They also said the new credit need not be paid back unless the taxpayer moves out within the three-year period following the purchase.
This second attempt at stimulating sales worked so well that the housing lobby implored Congress to help keep the momentum going. So lawmakers extended the deadline for first-timers and added a "long-term resident" tax credit for repeat buyers who owned their current home for at least five consecutive years out of the last eight.
Incidentally, the credit is not a flat $8,000 for new buyers and $6,500 for repeat buyers. It is 10% of the purchase price up to those ceilings. There is no credit if the price of the house is above $800,000.
Griswolds reunite for Super Bowl ad
How big is the second-home rental market? It's big enough to support a 30-second TV ad during the broadcast of Super Bowl XLIV on Feb. 7.
The sponsor, HomeAway.com, a site that lists some 425,000 rental properties both here and abroad, won't reveal how much the spot cost. But you can bet it will be a bundle. A 30-second ad for the upcoming contest runs from $1.9 million to $2.5 million, depending on when it appears during the game and other considerations.
The spot, which will reunite Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo, who played Clark and Ellen Griswold in the 1980s comedy classic "National Lampoon's Vacation," will kick off a national campaign aimed at showing the value and benefits of renting vacation homes as opposed to hotel rooms or condo apartments.
The first-time Super Bowl advertiser is hoping to reach the more than 100 million people who watch the big game, many of whom tune in just to see the commercials, with the message that vacationers can rent a whole house for half the cost of a hotel room.The news that Oculus VR was to be purchased by Facebook for $2 billion USD was met with much controversy when it was revealed last year. While many were excited by the announcement, others had a more negative reaction. Minecraft creator Markus Persson, for example, quickly announced that he had cancelled plans for a free version of his title for the Oculus Rift virtual reality (VR) head-mounted display (HMD). According to a report spinning out of the 2015 Game Developers Conference (GDC), the deal also caused conflict between Oculus VR and SteamVR creator Valve.
Rock, Paper, Shotgun Managing Editor Graham Smith revealed as much on a recent edition of The Crate & Crowbar podcast. Speaking about the HTC Vive HMD, which was created in partnership with Valve and its SteamVR system, Smith stated that the previously fruitful relationship between Oculus VR and Valve broke down after the former was purchased by Facebook.
“I asked an HTC guy, was it hard to change Valve’s mind?” Smith said. “And he said that he didn’t know the full story, but what he’d heard was that everything was cool and then Facebook bought Oculus and then stuff wasn’t so cool anymore. And he described it as Valve went to plan B at that point when Oculus stopped being so forthcoming with stuff. That was kind of interesting, seeing all the different prototypes they’d made in that light.”
Previously Valve had said that it didn’t intend to release a consumer product, and would be support Oculus VR itself. Smith’s story seems to suggest that the buyout turned this situation around. He went on to detail the beginnings of Valve and HTC’s relationship at the Steam Dev Days in 2014 in which Valve allowed attendees to see its prototype HMD in a specific room plastered with markers on the walls and ceiling. HTC reportedly approached the company after seeing its work and suggested working together to make it a commercial product. The HTC Vive is the result of that partnership.
The Vive is expected to launch in time for holiday 2015, while a release date for the consumer version of the Oculus Rift is yet to be announced. VRFocus will continue to follow work from both companies, reporting back with any further updates.“Imma get medieval on yo a**.” You know that line, regardless of if you know its source. The pastiche of high and low culture — historical references and the terminology “yo a**,” respectively — provides one clue as to its source. Considering the line’s speaker is a six-and-a-half foot tall, recently-sodomized, shotgun-wielding man played by Ving Rhames, there’s really no doubt that I’m talking about a Quentin Tarantino movie. And of course that movie is “Pulp Fiction,” Tarantino’s 1994 calling card that seemingly fulfilled the promise of the incipient indie-film boom of the 1980s and signaled the consummation of modern auteur filmmaking. That the scene described above sounds — even feels — like it belongs in a Tarantino movie alone supports his auteur status; even more revealing are the clear evolutions of his themes and style.
Lucy Du | The Observer
And if we hope to understand Tarantino’s latest movie, “The Hateful Eight,” then understand his style we must. Manipulation is at the heart of it: Tarantino prides himself on making audiences laugh just moments after he depicts extreme violence. More concrete recurring aesthetic elements in his work create films that are almost sinfully decadent, and naming a few of these elements is a reminder that the prudish need not purchase tickets. Non-linear storytelling, distinctive camerawork often characterized by intense close-ups, memorable and at times iconoclastic use of pop music, chatty scripts, strong women, themes of coincidence or chance, extensive homage to 20th century B movies, vulgar dialogue, black comedy and, of course, violence are not just fair game, but expected fare when viewing a Tarantino movie.
Violence proves Tartantino’s most controversial and interesting theme in “Reservoir Dogs,” a temporally fragmented tale of a heist gone awry. He casually dispenses with half of his cast off-screen, then coldly depicts every gory detail of the mutually assured destruction of the survivors as they search for a police informant — colloquially, a rat — in their ranks. The violence, much like the dialogue, is unmistakably Tarantinian: characters that are shot are lucky to die instantly, lest they bleed to death on the floor over an agonizing stretch of time; a hostage’s ear is severed with a razor blade in a spectacularly unsettling scene that plays out like an upbeat music video; and the climactic shootout, in a nod to Tarantino’s beloved Spaghetti Westerns, assumes the form of a Mexican Standoff.
Mexican Standoffs, with their successive close-ups of the three combatants, their crescendo of orchestral scores and their almost comically prolonged dramatic pauses, depict death in an exclusively cinematic way. That Tarantino would return to this trope in all of his subsequent movies except “Death Proof” says just as much about his worldview as it does about his much-discussed stylistic influences. It would be shortsighted to claim that Tarantino’s apparent fixation on violence stems only from his obsession with 20th century genre movies, and not also from a desire to make a statement about violence in art and society.
Nonetheless, Tarantino is not without his detractors, who often condemn the portrayal of violence in his films. Much of the critical narrative surrounding his career depicts a video store savant, an enfant terrible hell-bent on stripping his favorite genres — Westerns, martial arts movies and Blaxploitation films, to name a few — for parts, leaving pools of blood in his moral shattering wake. Stanley Kauffmann of The New Republic famously accused “Pulp Fiction” of aiding “cultural slumming.” For critics like Kauffmann, the escapist jaunt in the seedy underbelly of the L.A. mob seen through a kaleidoscope of influences — influences that were at times high-brow, but predominantly low-brow— could not possibly represent any relatable experiences. Haters, as the saying goes, gonna hate.
Unfazed by Kauffmann and Co. — or perhaps buoyed by the overwhelming praise his work drew from most critical circles — Tarantino soldiered on. Having made a name for himself with “Reservoir Dogs” and “Pulp Fiction,” both rebellious, postmodernist appropriations of genre aesthetics, he became even more ambitious. “Jackie Brown,” Tarantino’s underrated follow-up to the acclaimed “Pulp Fiction,” was a barrel of contradictions: an irreverent homage, an avant-garde Blaxploitation movie.
2003 saw the release of “Kill Bill,” a violently hilarious and hilariously violent two-part revenge epic that is the most unmistakably Tarantinian movie to date: its story disjointed, its characters seemingly caricatures and its body count absurdly high. As Tarantino’s own aesthetic became more refined — or, if you prefer, exaggerated — in works like “Kill Bill” and “Death Proof,” the tune of some of his early critics changed from “all style and no substance” to “I told you so.” “…‘Kill Bill’ feels much too taken with its own hip vision,” Stephanie Zacharek wrote for Salon, capturing the essence of the typical complaint against Tarantino’s early 21st century work.
Wrong as these critics were, an examination of Tarantino’s late work suggests he was compelled to prove the naysayers wrong, as his themes became more focused and his presentation less subtle. “Inglourious Basterds,” the director’s magnum opus, was a caustic revision of history, a challenging tale of revenge and the first film in his very violent filmography to truly be about violence. “Django Unchained” pushed the envelope even further, examining how race and violence bend the archetype of the hero by deconstructing both the Western and masculinity. With “Django,” the ever-racially-aware Tarantino sortied into a topic thought taboo by most filmmakers: slavery.
In his eighth and most recent film, a post-bellum Western appropriately called “The Hateful Eight,” Tarantino blends disparate genres — the Western and the drawing-room mystery, the melodrama and the psychodrama, the thriller and the character study — in a way he hasn’t since “Pulp Fiction.” But now, in keeping with the recent trajectory of his career, he overtly uses this aesthetic phantasmagoria to address themes like racism, sexism and police brutality. Tarantino, a director unabashedly infatuated with American popular culture, is now making films that are indubitably about America itself. Subtlety be damned.
The plot is simple: bounty hunter John Ruth, AKA “The Hangman,” has fugitive Daisy Domergue chained to his arm, the better to keep her from escaping into the Wyoming wilderness, or even worse, from being stolen by a rival bounty hunter. Ruth’s paranoia reaches a fever pitch when the pair is forced to wait out a blizzard in Minnie’s Haberdashery, an inn of sorts, along with six strangers, some of whom may or may not plot to set Daisy free or steal Ruth’s bounty for themselves. It’s no spoiler to say that the souls of all involved are at hazard. In addition to Ruth and Domergue, the doomed include a so-called hangman, a taciturn loner, a would-be pen pal to Abraham Lincoln, the newly appointed town sheriff and a disgruntled former Confederate General.
The majority of the three-hour long film takes place in the confines of the haberdashery, allowing ample time for these characters to share war stories and discuss politics. The quiet setting and plot mechanics call into question Tarantino’s decision to shoot on 65-millimeter film, an antiquated yet regal format typically associated with epics like “Lawrence of Arabia” or “Ben Hur.” The finished product, however, is filled with such beautiful texture and variations in light that you won’t even remember to wish they’d point their 65mm mega-camera at a snow-covered landscape — though you will nonetheless be thrilled when they occasionally do. And the photography provides more than just aesthetic pleasure. Light that enters the haberdashery through cracks in the door and walls is filtered through rogue snowflakes, combining visual cues from noirs and Revisionist Westerns, thus providing the audience with a framework to understand the film.
Lucy Du | The Observer
If you were forced to put a genre label on “The Hateful Eight,” it is a Revisionist Western-noir. The violence isn’t of the romantic, bloodless variety seen in classical Westerns like “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance” or “Rio Bravo.” Every punch hurts. Every bullet hits an artery. Each offense demands moral consideration and upsets your stomach. In that sense, “The Hateful Eight” is reminiscent of “Unforgiven,” Clint Eastwood’s Oscar-winning Revisionist Western that examined the psychological effects of violence.
But, in living up to its name, “The Hateful Eight” takes things further than “Unforgiven” by filling the screen with characters that are, well, hateful. Eastwood’s film provides a sympathetic surrogate for the audience in the form of The Schofield Kid, a self-named wannabe-gunslinger. When the big-mouthed Kid shoots a man on the toilet at point blank range, his carefully constructed façade of masculinity begins to crumble; the Kid talks the talk, but he sure as hell don’t walk the walk. And when he finally cracks, slipping into alcoholism as he realizes the man on the toilet “ain’t never gonna breath again, ever,” you feel for him. If you don’t exactly forgive him when he hangs up his six-shooters, you at least commend the act.
Conversely, all of the roughly eight characters in Tarantino’s picture are despicable. The n-word is casually tossed at Samuel L. Jackson’s Marquis Warren, and Daisy, the sole woman, is at the receiving end of even more insults. At their best these characters are sardonic (like when they mock one gullible tenant of the Haberdashery who actually believed the aforementioned Lincoln correspondence was real), at their worst they are truly, deeply hateful (like in the film’s most haunting scene, when one character tells the most disgusting yarn, just to incite a shootout). Don’t expect the idealized character arcs and moral revelations of “Unforgiven.” Even facing death, these characters are utterly disgusting. Remorse is not in their vocabulary.
What’s interesting is how some critics seem to think remorse is missing from Tarantino’s own vocabulary, as his conscious decision to omit the overt moral teachings of films like “Unforgiven” has been the source of much of the negative criticism of “The Hateful Eight.”
“‘The Hateful Eight’ is too extreme, too ghoulishly violent, too besieged by its ensemble’s overriding villainy, to feel like anything other than a dark chamber piece,” David Sims wrote for The Atlantic. But isn’t it this unrel |
and the Bush administration for giving money to Jews, and for us Jews for giving money to Israel, about Hezbollah, the war in Iraq, and he wanted to talk to CNN." Klein then offered Haq the phone and suggested that he tell the dispatcher what he had just told her.[7]
Still pointing his gun at Klein, Haq took the phone and informed the police that he had taken hostages. He repeated his previous explanation that he was upset about the war in Iraq and U.S. support of Israel. He also said, "[t]hese are Jews. I'm tired of getting pushed around, and our people getting pushed around by the situation in the Middle East." He also demanded that the U.S. military get out of Iraq.[8] He asked if he could be patched through to CNN. The dispatcher told Haq that was not possible, and informed him that talking with the media would not alter U.S. policy. Haq calmed down and told the dispatcher that he would surrender. He then put his guns down and walked silently out of the building with his hands on his head.[5][9] He surrendered at 4:15 p.m. and was taken into custody by police. At 10:38 p.m., he was booked into King County Jail on one count of investigation of homicide and five counts of investigation of attempted murder.[10][11]
Situation ends [ edit ]
After the shooting, a SWAT team entered the building, looking for other victims or suspects,[12] while police closed off several of the city's main streets. An FBI spokesman later said the shooting was most likely the work of a "lone individual acting out antagonism toward the organization," but added that "there's nothing to indicate that it's terrorism-related."[10]
Legal proceedings [ edit ]
On July 29, the day after the shooting, Haq appeared in court for his bail hearing. King County, Washington District Court Judge Barbara Linde found that the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office had probable cause to charge Haq with one count of murder and five counts of attempted murder. Before the proceedings began, Haq requested that the judge allow him to not attend the hearing. Linde denied both this request and another motion to bar cameras and video taping from the courtroom.[13] She also set Haq's bail at $50 million.[14] On August 2, Haq was formally charged with nine felonies: aggravated murder, five counts of attempted murder, kidnapping, burglary and malicious harassment. Malicious harassment is a hate crime under Washington State law.[4] Aggravated murder, the most serious of the nine charges, carries only two possible sentences in Washington: life in prison or the death penalty.[15] The prosecution, however, ultimately decided not to seek the death penalty because of Haq's history of mental illness.
During a hearing on August 10, 2006, Haq surprised the court by indicating that he wished to enter a guilty plea on all charges. The judge refused to accept this plea before a competency hearing had been conducted. Additionally, experts consulted by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer expressed doubts as to whether Haq would be allowed to plead guilty at such an early point in the legal process because the prosecution had not yet decided whether Haq would face the death penalty.[16] On August 16, C. Wesley Richards, Haq's attorney, told the court that Haq had changed his mind and chosen to plead not guilty. Additionally, Richards said that Haq was mentally competent to stand trial since he understood the charges against him and was capable of assisting in his own defense.[17][18]
One of the most difficult decisions faced by King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng was whether to charge Haq with the death penalty. Two of the victims, Layla Bush and Carol Goldman, publicly opposed charging the shooter with a capital crime, with both saying that death would be "too easy for him."[19] Additionally, prosecutors in Washington are required to consider "mitigating factors" when deciding whether to seek the death penalty.[1] In Washington State mental illness is considered a mitigating factor and Haq's lawyers provided the prosecution with records from Haq's 10-year history of treatment for mental health problems.[1] On December 20, 2006, more than four months after initially charging Haq with aggravated murder, Maleng announced that Haq would not face execution, but, if convicted, would be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.[1]
Haq's trial began in the King County Courthouse (Seattle) on April 14, 2008 and was covered on Court TV.[20] On June 4, 2008, the jury found him not guilty on one count of attempted murder (for victim Carol Goldman); on the remaining counts, the jury declared itself to be hung. The judge declared a mistrial.[21] His second trial commenced in late 2009,[22] and he was found guilty on all counts, including aggravated first-degree murder, on December 15, 2009.[23] He was sentenced to life without parole plus 120 years.[24]
Victims [ edit ]
Five of the women were taken to Harborview Medical Center, where three were initially listed in critical condition and two in satisfactory condition, with one of the victims 17 weeks pregnant.[13] Pam Waechter, the 58-year-old director of the Federation's annual fundraising campaign, was the only fatality in the shooting. She was described as a long-time volunteer for various social service organizations and as the mother of two adult children.[25] Waechter was shot first in the chest and then in the head while she was fleeing.[4]
Christina Rexroad, a 29-year-old bookkeeper[26] for the Federation and resident of Everett, Washington and Cheryl Stumbo, the Federation's 43-year-old[18] non-Jewish director of marketing and communications, were shot in the abdomen and critically wounded. Layla Bush, a 23-year-old office manager and receptionist, was shot in the shoulder and abdomen, the bullet lodging next to her spine. According to her physician, the bullets damaged Bush's "liver, stomach, pancreas, left kidney and 'bruised' her heart" and would have killed her had one of the bullets struck her a half inch to the right.[27] Bush, who is not Jewish, but wanted to work for charitable organizations, was released from the hospital in September 2006, has a bullet lodged in her spine and is unable to walk.[28][29][30]
35-year-old Carol Goldman was shot in the knee. The sixth victim was Dayna Klein, a 37-year-old pregnant woman responsible for development and major gifts to the organization.[31][32]
Tammy Kaiser, a 33-year-old adult education director for the Federation was briefly hospitalized for injuries she received after dropping from a second-story window to escape the shooter.[26]
Shooter [ edit ]
The shooter, Naveed Afzal Haq, was an American of Pakistani descent living in Pasco, Washington. Although Haq identified himself as "a Muslim American"[10] during the shooting, it appears that he "was rarely seen at a local mosque for more than 10 years" before the shooting, and even converted to Christianity at one point. He was baptized in December 2005 at the evangelical Word of Faith Center in Kennewick, but stopped attending church meetings a few months after his baptism. He appeared at his family's mosque two weeks before the shooting.[33]
Jewish Federation [ edit ]
According to its website, The Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, founded in 1926, exists to "ensure Jewish survival and to enhance the quality of Jewish life locally, in Israel and worldwide".[34] Jewish Federations are social service organizations that raise and distribute money for Jewish causes, particularly in their local communities, but also in Israel, and elsewhere in the world. The Jewish Federation Building, located at 2031 Third Avenue in Belltown,[35] also housed the offices of other local Jewish organizations, such as the Washington State Jewish Historical Society, the Jewish Education Council, and the JTNews, a local Jewish newspaper.[36] The building was demolished in 2017 to make way for the 3rd and Lenora residential tower.[37][38]
Reaction [ edit ]
The Federation issued a statement saying, "Our federation colleagues so unmercifully and viciously attacked were spending their day as they normally do, providing for social and humanitarian services that benefited all of metropolitan Seattle. The hatred and violence visited upon them today offends the values that drove their work and passion for improving their neighbors' lives."[10]
Greg Nickels, the mayor of Seattle, said the city will provide outreach assistance to the local Jewish community, and that security patrols will be deployed to protect synagogues and other Jewish buildings.[10]
Coincidentally, the July 2006 Seattle Jewish Federation shooting occurred on the same day as another major antisemitic incident in America, the Mel Gibson DUI incident, though, according to one opinion piece, the deadly attack received far less media coverage than the Gibson DUI incident.[39]
The Council on American-Islamic Relations issued a joint statement with the Ithna-Ashari Muslim Association of the Northwest, the Muslim Association of Puget Sound, the Islamic Educational Center of Seattle, American Muslims of Puget Sound, and the Arab American Community Coalition: "The Muslim community of Greater Seattle area watched in horror as news broke of a shooting at the Jewish Federation building … We categorically condemn this and any similar acts of violence … We pray for the safety and health of those injured and offer our heartfelt condolences to the family of the victims of this attack. … We refuse to see the violence in the Middle East spill over to our cities and neighborhoods. We reject and categorically condemn any attacks against the Jewish community and stand in solidarity with the Jewish Federation in this tragedy."[10][40]
Haq's parents also issued a statement. It read, in its entirety, "We are shocked and devastated with this tragic event. Our hearts and condolences go to the family of the deceased lady. Our deepest sympathies go to those who have been injured and we pray for their speedy recovery. We could not have imagined for a moment that our son would do this senseless act. This is utterly contrary to our beliefs and Islamic values. We have always believed and practiced in fostering love, peace and harmony with everyone, irrespective of religion, race and ethnicity."[41]
The Church Council of Greater Seattle issued a condemnation after the shootings. Rev. Sanford Brown, director of the Council, called the shootings a "senseless and immoral action in which a sick individual targeted innocent people."[42]
Motivation [ edit ]
Prosecutor Norm Maleng said, "Make no mistake, this is a hate crime," and that, "there is no evidence the shooting itself was an act of terrorism".[6] This statement has been used to describe Haq's actions as a hate crime rather than terrorism (see also definition of terrorism).
Others have taken a different view. Cinnamon Stillwell, the Northern California Representative for conservative organization Campus Watch, wrote:
News of the shooting rampage at Seattle's Jewish Federation building last month involved the usual avoidance of the term "terrorism." Instead, the attack was labeled a hate crime and the perpetrator, Naveed Afzal Haq, just another in a long line of lone gunmen with a history of mental instability. As Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels put it, "This was a purposeful, hateful act, as far as we know by an individual acting on his own." While this may be true, trying to separate Haq's actions from the larger context of the war on terrorism is tunnel vision at its worst. It is not just hate that motivates such acts, but ideology. One needn't be a bona fide member of an Islamic terrorist group to share their outlook.[43]
Writing in Seattle alternative weekly The Stranger, Josh Feit and Brendan Kiley viewed the matter entirely differently:
While Haq's violence exploded inside a political context — the Jewish Federation, Israel's war in Lebanon — his motivations were those of a frustrated man, who, according to [his friend] Renner, didn't fit in anywhere and felt persecuted and embarrassed by his parents' Pakistani background. Haq is not a jihadi, nor a radical Islamist; his anti-Semitic rhetoric seems more like a veneer of politics on a man disturbed by feelings of inadequacy and rejection.[44]
See also [ edit ]As you have doubtless noticed, the terrorist attacks in Paris have produced a rhetorical race to the bottom among the Republican candidates for President. Jeb Bush took an early lead in this descent by issuing a proposal that appeared to have been taken from the playbook of his elder brother George. Appearing on television over the weekend, Bush said that the United States should put together a multinational coalition to invade Syria, mash ISIS to smithereens, and knock off the Assad regime, and only then figure out how to establish peace and withdraw.
On Monday, Chris Christie, another struggling candidate, argued that the first priority was securing the homefront, which meant that the United States couldn’t risk allowing in any more Syrian refugees—not even young children who had lost their parents. “I don’t think orphans under five are being, you know, should be admitted into the United States at this point,” the New Jersey Governor told Hugh Hewitt, the conservative talk-show host.
For heartlessness, illiberalism, and irresponsibility, Christie’s statement seemed hard to beat. But Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner, isn’t one to concede defeat easily. Speaking to Sean Hannity, of Fox News, on Tuesday, Trump said that, in order to forestall possible attacks on American soil, the federal government might have to close down mosques. “Nobody wants to say this, and nobody wants to shut down religious institutions,” Trump said. But, he continued, “there’s absolutely no choice. Some really bad things are happening, and they are happening fast.”
In an interview with Yahoo News, which was also carried out on Tuesday, Trump expanded on his ideas for preventing another terrorist attack on this side of the Atlantic. “We’re going to have to do things that we never did before.” he said. “And some people are going to be upset about it, but I think that now everybody is feeling that security is going to rule. And certain things will be done that we never thought would happen in this country in terms of information and learning about the enemy. And so we’re going to have to do certain things that were frankly unthinkable a year ago.”
The reporter who carried out the interview, Hunter Walker, then pressed Trump about how far he would be willing to go. Walker asked whether the level of surveillance Trump was advocating might require registering Muslims in a database or, in Walker’s words, “giving them a form of special identification that noted their religion.” Trump wouldn’t rule out the idea. “We’re going to have to look at a lot of things very closely,” he said. “We’re going to have to look at the mosques. We’re going to have to look very, very carefully.”
Like many people in the media, I sometimes still have difficulty taking what Trump says seriously. Yes, I know that he’s leading the polls, and has been for months. I’m also aware that his poll numbers reflect widespread disaffection and alienation among some parts of the American population, especially the white working class, a feeling that he is cleverly exploiting. To that extent, the Trump phenomenon is real.
What’s hard to take seriously, or even literally, is what comes out of Trump’s mouth—statements like: the Mexican government is sending us their criminals and murderers. Deport eleven million undocumented immigrants. Cut the tax rate to ten per cent or less for anyone earning under a hundred thousand dollars a year. Megyn Kelly is a lightweight. Ben Carson’s youthful anger problem can be compared to child molestation. Since so much of what Trump says is hot air, it’s tempting to dismiss all of it as mere rabble-rousing or showboating.
In this case, however, it’s surely time to call him out—and some people are already doing just that. Picking up on the Yahoo interview, the Raw Story ran an article headlined “Trump Crosses the Nazi Line: Maybe Muslims Should Wear Special ID Badges.” A headline at Jezebel referred to Trump as “A Literal Fascist.” On Twitter, the astronomer and author Phil Plait commented, “There comes a time when decent, thoughtful, responsible people point out that this is, in fact, what Hitler did.”
It is important to be careful with language, which Trump often isn’t. Walker’s account at Yahoo makes it clear that he was the one who brought up the possibility of registering American Muslims or making them carry special identification, and that Trump didn’t endorse these proposals. But Trump didn’t dismiss them, either, even after stories appeared attributing the ideas to him. And he did tell Walker that some measures previously considered “unthinkable” were going to be necessary, such as closing down mosques, and that “security is going to rule.”
To some extent, Trump may simply be seeking to maintain an edge over his G.O.P. rivals in an atmosphere that is bordering on hysteria. “Everyone is now saying how right I was with illegal immigration & the wall,” he tweeted on Thursday. “After Paris, they’re all on the bandwagon.” But there is a difference between playing politics and deliberately targeting an entire religious group.
On Thursday night, Trump confirmed that if he were elected President, he would establish a database to track Muslims in the United States. “I would certainly implement that. Absolutely,” he told NBC News after appearing at a town-hall event in Iowa. Trump said that American Muslims would be legally obligated to sign up for the database and added, “It’s all about management. Our country has no management.” He also sought to link the proposed database to the debate about immigration, saying, “It would stop people coming in illegally.”
That’s more Trump bluster, of course. Forcing every Muslim in the country to register for some sort of database would do nothing to secure the borders or stanch the flow of undocumented migrants. It also wouldn’t prevent the possibility of some radicalized and disaffected American youths deciding to join the jihadi cause. Indeed, by stigmatizing an entire religious community, it would make such behavior more likely. Trump must know that his proposals don’t make sense, but he’s pushing on regardless. He has moved from rabble-rousing to demagoguery, or something even uglier. And this time, sadly, we have no option but to take him seriously.
*This post was updated to incorporate comments that Donald Trump made on Thursday night.New York City FC drew 1-1 with Red Bulls in Harrison on Friday night.
Here’s Managing Editor Mark Booth with five things we learned from a pulsating Hudson River Derby match…
The Balance of Play
Red Bulls may have had the lion’s share of the game’s best chances but this was a match that NYCFC could have won on another day.
As Patrick Vieira said in his post-game press conference, it was a soft penalty award which allowed the hosts to equalize 15 minutes from the spot after Maxi Moralez had put the visitors ahead.
The Frenchman was also disappointed that his team were not awarded a spot-kick of their own when David Villa’s header appeared to come back off Alex Muyl’s arm late on.
Although Jesse Marsch’s men struck the woodwork twice on either side of halftime and had more clear opportunities, NYCFC’s threat seemed to increase as the night wore on.
The home side’s pressing had forced us to retreat deep into our own half for sections of the game but this approach seemed to take his toll on Red Bulls in the late going and there were definitely spaces for the Boys in Blue to exploit in the dying embers.
That said, Vieira was satisfied with the point and no one in sky blue will have crossed the river back to the five boroughs feeling too disappointed with the final score, especially considering the two games that came before…
READ: Match Recap – NYCFC 1-1 Red Bulls
The Series
We had already won the Hudson River Derby series before a ball was kicked at Red Bull Arena but NYCFC returned to the city undefeated through three MLS Regular Season games.
Following a difficult run against our neighbors in the first two seasons of our existence, a 2-0-1 record for 2017 signposts great progress and a real sense that there’s a bright future ahead in this rivalry.
A series sweep would have been nice but we’ve got to leave ourselves something to look forward to in the coming years, right?
We’ll Meet Again?
It was the fourth time NYCFC and Red Bulls have locked horns in 2017 but it might not be the last…
While we will take nothing for granted, if current form holds, NYCFC will secure a second consecutive appearance in the MLS Playoffs in November where they might once again take on a familiar foe…
Could we be set for a first-ever postseason Hudson River Derby? That was the topic which dominated the post-match interviews in the locker rooms.
For eternal buster-of-bubbles (both on and off the field) Alex Ring, it’s fair to say that it doesn’t really matter who we would face…
Ring told reporters: “Of course, it would probably be something special in the playoffs. I understand that from your guys’ point of view and the fans, but for me I really don’t care. I came here to win and whoever stands in the way has to go.”
Fair enough.
READ: Villa Describes Spain Recall as “Dream Come True”
Lightning Almost Strikes Twice
Can you even imagine if this had gone in?
On the day Villa earned his recall to the Spain National Team, he came so, so close to celebrating his call-up with a second goal from the midfield this season.
Almost a carbon copy of his halfway line goal against Philadelphia, Villa had Luis Robles backpedaling and the Red Bulls ‘keeper might not have got there if the shot had been just a few inches lower.
As it was, David had to settle for his ninth assist of 2017, deliciously teeing up Moralez with an improvised flick in behind the Red Bulls defense.
Man of the Match?
Ben Sweat loves a derby, it seems…
He scored the game-clinching goal last time these teams met at Red Bull Arena in June and, while the Floridian defender didn’t have a chance to replicate that this time around, he did produce another excellent performance on both sides of the ball.
It’s easy to forget now that Ben came to NYCFC without a single MLS appearance and as a trialist in January, such has been his impact since his debut against Columbus Crew in April.
Solid in the tackle, tactically intelligent and athletic enough to both defend and get forward to decisive effect, he’s been a revelation this campaign and deserves recognition for the high level of consistency he’s shown in his first season on the team.Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can modulate mind wandering, which is a shift in the contents of thought away from an ongoing task and/or from events in the external environment to self-generated thoughts and feelings. Although modulation of the mind-wandering propensity is thought to be associated with neural alterations of the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) and regions in the default mode network (DMN), the precise neural mechanisms remain unknown. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we investigated the causal relationships among tDCS (one electrode placed over the right IPL, which is a core region of the DMN, and another placed over the left LPFC), stimulation-induced directed connection alterations within the DMN, and modulation of the mind-wandering propensity. At the behavioral level, anodal tDCS on the right IPL (with cathodal tDCS on the left LPFC) reduced mind wandering compared to the reversed stimulation. At the neural level, the anodal tDCS on the right IPL decreased the afferent connections of the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) from the right IPL and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Furthermore, mediation analysis revealed that the changes in the connections from the right IPL and mPFC correlated with the facilitation and inhibition of mind wandering, respectively. These effects are the result of the heterogeneous function of effective connectivity: the connection from the right IPL to the PCC inhibits mind wandering, whereas the connection from the mPFC to the PCC facilitates mind wandering. The present study is the first to demonstrate the neural mechanisms underlying tDCS modulation of mind-wandering propensity.On March 4 at 5:55 A.M. Japan time, the TV channel Fuji TV showed visuals from the upcoming One Piece movie, One Piece Film: Gold on its daily morning show, Mezamashi TV.
As we already knew from previous reveals in the Weekly Shonen Jump, the movie is set inside the ship of possible movie antagonist Gild Tesoro. The ship’s name: the Gran Tesoro (or Grantesoro depending on which spelling the movie will use).
The images shown today reveal just how imposing the 10km golden ship is — after all, the Gran Tesoro is apparently the One Piece world’s biggest casino and entertainment facility. Japanese One Piece super fan, Kamiki, was also quick to note how there was one person in the background who looks strangely familiar: Heracles.
“Heracles, what are you doing…”
To finish off the One Piece Film: Gold segment, the Mezamashi TV morning show also showed the special One Piece Film: Gold and Toho Cinemas’ collaborative teaser video that was made under supervision of One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda.
One Piece Film: Gold will be released in Japan on July 23 and no release dates have been offered yet in other countries. Previous announcements have already given us a few ideas on the Straw Hats’ different costumes throughout the movie, as well as an idea of what Gild Tesoro, the potential main antagonist of the movie, and his crewmates will look like in this golden city. For the latest news on One Piece Film: Gold, be sure to stick with the One Piece Podcast.
SOURCE: Mezamashi TVMatching donors cannot always be found, despite extensive registries A technique which may eventually remove the need for matched bone marrow transplants has been used in humans for the first time. It is hoped that "master cells" taken from umbilical cords could be used on any patient without rejection. The latest advance, published in the journal Nature Medicine, greatly multiplies the tiny number of cells from the cord ready for a transplant. UK charity Leukaemia Research said this could be the "holy grail" for doctors. Aggressive treatment The current system of bone marrow transplantation helps patients who have diseases, such as leukaemia, which affect the stem cells in their bone marrow where new blood cells are grown. The holy grail is to have an "off the peg" source of unlimited numbers of "neutral" stem cells
Dr David Grant
Leukaemia Research Their own bone marrow cells are killed off by aggressive treatment and cells from a matched donor are introduced in their place. However, a matching donor cannot always be found, despite extensive donor registries held by organisations such as the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust and, even with a carefully matched donor, there is still a risk that the patient's body will reject the new cells. Cells extracted from umbilical cords could overcome these problems - they do not have the characteristics which would normally trigger immune rejection, so it is likely that cells from a single baby's cord could be used in any patient, without the need for matching. However, there is one big disadvantage - there are not enough cells in a single cord to meet the needs of an adult patient. Scientists have been looking for ways to either combine the cells from more than one baby, or to "expand" the cell numbers in the laboratory. The second of these options is far from straightforward - simply allowing the stem cells to divide and increase in the laboratory means that many of the resulting extra cells will be simple blood cells, which do not have the ability to produce new cells themselves. Quick to work Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle believe they may have found a way. They manipulated a "signalling pathway" in the stem cells to trigger an increase in numbers without losing their stem cell status. After success in laboratory animals, these cells were used in human patients, and the researchers found that they were accepted by the body more quickly and contributed more to the rebuilding of functioning bone marrow than "non-expanded" cord blood transplants. Dr David Grant, Scientific Director of charity Leukaemia Research said: "The holy grail is to have an 'off the peg' source of unlimited numbers of 'neutral' stem cells which can be given to any patient safe in the knowledge that they will not cause the very difficult 'graft versus host' problems that lead to rejection and often the death of the patient. "This is a promising development towards this because the concern has been that once stem cells start 'growing' they lose their stem cell properties and progress to ordinary blood cells with a very limited lifespan." Henny Braund, chief executive of The Anthony Nolan Trust, said the potential for umbilical cord blood was "huge", and that the charity had already imported well over 250 units of umbilical cord blood. "Sadly in the UK, despite our scientific expertise, umbilical cord blood is still very much an untapped resource and we are only able to collect and store a tiny amount of the cords we need. "We really need a properly resourced UK cord blood collection programme. "Further investment is crucial if we are to capitalise on this amazing resource and save more lives."
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StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable versionBy Andrew Blumetti
Anyone who knows relatively anything about anything knows that Hey Dude is the best television show ever.
Well, maybe not exactly the best show ever, but if you grew up on late 80’s/early 90’s Nickelodeon, you’re no doubt as big of a fan of the western cowboy-comedy as I was. The plot was a simple fish-out-of-water one: A nerdy New York City accountant buys the “Bar None Ranch” an Arizona dude ranch smack dab in the desert, and brings his Hypercolor shirt-wearing son with him. Throw in a teenage staff of cowboys, Indians, and slackers, and you’ve got yourself a Nick home run, and I don’t mean Swisher. There was goofball troublemaker Ted and his on-again, off-again love interest, Brad, a rich girl with a boys’ name who was nowhere near as attractive as they made her out to be. Rounding out the bunch was goody two-shoes lifeguard Melody, Brendan Frasier-wannabe drummer Jake, pretty-boy cowboy Kyle, Lucy- the one actual adult who worked there, and Danny Lightfoot, a Hopi Indian who wore more denim vests than Ernest. He also had a great spiritual knowledge of the land, the way Hollywood assumes all Native Americans do.
Danny (fourth from left) was mad in this episode, as everyone put their money on him to go first in the “Hey Dude death pool”.
After the show’s cancellation, the cast mostly fell into obscurity. Protagonist Mr. Ernst (David Brisbin) did some minor acting on shows such as Seinfeld and ER, and Melody (Christine Taylor) married actor Ben Stiller. The tumbleweeds blew across the Hey Duders world for years until 2004, when it was reported (albeit unconfirmed) that Joe Torres, the actor who played Danny, had passed away from liver failure. It could’ve been an internet hoax, or it could’ve been true, and that’s the sheer genius of it. Report that Brad Pitt is dead and no one will believe you. Go for an obscure actor from a nearly 20-year old cable show, and it’s hard to disprove. Also, the longer the rumors went without being disproven, the more believable it became. With the show’s long-awaited DVD release finally here, and Nickelodeon mentioning it’s possible inclusion in the future of the network’s newly launched “The 90’s Are All That” retro-block, I had to do the closest thing to investigative journalism I’ll ever come to. Did the man-eating jack rabbits and killer cacti take Torres down?
(Yes, apparently Danny was a big Guns ‘N Roses fan. Did he ever get to experience the forgettable phenomenon that was Chinese Democracy?)
Finding information on Torres is about as difficult as you’d imagine. Go to his IMDB page, and help is sparse at best. It’s mostly a bunch of occasional message boarders disputing his fate and who saw him doing what and where. Hearsay does no good though- perhaps he was out playing darts with Elvis and Tupac. There were also stories that he was on the East Coast now. Some said he was living in Tarheel country in North Carolina. Personally, I figured he just dropped the “s” at the end of his name, got a gift certificate to the plastic surgeon, and managed the Yankees to four World Series titles.
Joe Torres and Joe Torre. Perhaps all those years of dealing with hothead Ted on the show prepared him to deal with Roger Clemens on the field?
Another possible theory was that Torres was still alive and working at a Toyota dealership in Runnemede, NJ. Any links on the website to his existence are gone, and this was the supposed picture of him from his shirt-and-tie job:
He was known as “Sells'em Camry” in Toyota circles.
Another theory that seemed to have legs was that Torres was still alive and kickin’… at a bar. Some had claimed to see him frequent the World Famous Golden Nugget Tavern in Tuscon, Arizona. Word has it that he’s not someone you want to meet up with on the felt, as he’s quite the pool shark. This seemed to be more likely than the other scenarios, seeing as the show filmed out there years before. After many failed attempts to find any contact source to help with Torres’s story, I got in touch with the Golden Nugget to see if they could shed any light on this. I received a very helpful email from a man named Tim Donaldson from the Golden Nugget. Donaldson kindly told me that Jose (Joe) “is alive and well”, thanked me for my message, and said he would pass it along to him.
Hey Danny, you’re alive! Don’t look so shocked.
So my fellow Nick fans, may this news make your weekend a little sweeter. We can all breathe a “yippe ki yi ya” in relief that the rumors of the demise of Danny from Hey Dude, were just that- rumors. No liver failure, no job selling The Situation a Corolla at a New Jersey car dealership, just a former actor looking to relax and enjoy his privacy. …unlike Sponge from Salute Your Shorts. We all know he’s really dead.
???Heavily backed by Saudi Arabia, former Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi’s ambition to return as the ruler of Yemen appears to be waning, with a new UN peace plan proposal making the rounds that would sideline him more or less entirely.
Hadi’s position has been contentious from the start. “Elected” in 2012 in a UN-mandated vote in which no opposition was allowed, Hadi was supposed to serve two years in office leading to a new constitution and free elections. The constitution never happened, and Hadi extended his reign unilaterally in 2014. He resigned in January 2015 when his anti-Houthi military offensive turned sour and he lost the capital.
The Saudis, primarily opposed to the Houthis because they’re Shi’ites, insists to this day that Hadi remains the rightful ruler, and in March 2015 attacked Yemen, vowing to reinstall him. While the Houthis have expressed openness to a unity government that ends the conflict, they’ve also opposed it involving Hadi or his vice president Ali Mushin Ahmar, who they say were too corrupt to work with in a transitional government.
The UN plan seems largely to agree, as it would require Ahmar to resign outright, and would allow Hadi to remain only as a figurehead with no real power, instead seeking to stack the government with people both sides are likely to accept.
The decision to leave Hadi in at all appears to be designed to placate the Saudis, who vowed to reinstall him through their war, and would be able to claim that they succeeded under this deal, even if it ultimately means Hadi doesn’t get any power.
Last 5 posts by Jason DitzWindows 10 is free; that much we know. There was initially some confusion about the length of time for which this would be the case, but one of the biggest questions surrounding the giveaway has been 'why?'. Is Microsoft aping Apple? Does the company feel that the operating system was not good enough to warrant a price tag?
The actual reason is rather interesting, and was revealed in an interview between Satya Nadella and ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley. This is not (really) a bid to compete with Apple, nor is it (particularly) meant to encourage as many people as possible to move away from Windows XP, Windows 7, and Windows 8.1 (although this will almost certainly be a happy side-effect). Rather it is a move to boost the profile of Windows Phone.
A large part of the move towards Windows 10 has been a drive towards a uniform, cross-platform experience. Using Windows 10 on a phone, computer, or games console should feel immediately familiar, and it turns out that phones are key to the pricing decision surrounding Windows 10. Mentioning the Windows Phone 'app gap' is very much treading old ground, but it’s something that Microsoft, like users and pundits, has noticed.
Creating an ecosystem in which universal apps can exist is central to the push of not only Windows 10 for desktops and laptops, but also Windows 10 for phones. Speaking to Foley, Nadella said:
The free upgrade for Windows 10 is meant to improve our phone position.
This is a slightly odd thing to say about an operating system that is, for the most part, destined for laptops and desktop computers.
In Windows 10, Microsoft is pushing the Store more than ever -- something that clearly translates to phones as well as computers. It seems that the thinking is that by presenting the Store prominently, the hope appears to be that users will become used to the idea of downloading apps on one platform and, thanks to the presence of universal apps, titles that exist on the desktop will also be available for phones.
In Windows 10, the store is right there and done in a tasteful way. I want that to translate into success for our developers. That's what's going to get them to write to the phone. If anything, the free upgrade for Windows 10 is meant to improve our phone position. That is the reason why I made that decision. If somebody wants to know whether I'm committed to Windows Phone, they should think about what I just did with the free upgrade to Windows. [...]If you come to Windows, |
civil liberties than Barack Obama or Mitt Romney.
“I think both parties are missing the boat,” he told The Shark Tank. “I think that Democrats have been historically good on civil liberties — not so good of late. Republican’s historically have been good on dollars and cents — not so good of late. I think I crush Obama when it comes to dollars and cents. I think I do better than Obama when it comes to civil liberties. I think I crush Romney when it comes to civil liberties, and I think I do better than Romney when it comes to dollars and cents.”
Johnson noted that an American Civil Liberties Union “Liberty Watch” report on presidential candidates ranked him higher than Obama and Ron Paul. He earned the high score because he thinks the PATRIOT Act should be allowed to expire, opposes the federal Defense of Marriage Act, supports a woman’s right to have an abortion, opposes the use of torture against terrorist suspects, supports the DREAM Act, and believes individuals detained anywhere by the U.S. should not be detained without charge or trial.
Romney, on the other hand, received zero “liberty torches” on seven key issues.
When it comes to immigration, Johnson said that he opposed building a border fence and believed legalizing marijuana would decrease border violence. He said the undocumented workers currently in the United States should all be given work visas.
Watch video, courtesy of The Shark Tank, below:Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) said Sunday that the state's concealed-carry law could help Texans confronted with mass shooters like the one at the church in Sutherland Springs.
Paxton said on Fox News that the mass shooting at a church in Texas “breaks my heart,” especially after reports that children were killed in the attack.
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“As far as what we can do in the future, I mean, the only thing I know — because you can’t necessarily keep guns out of the hands of people who are going to violate the law. If somebody’s willing to kill someone they’re also going to be willing to violate a gun law,” Paxton said.
“All I can say is that in Texas at least we have the opportunity to have concealed carry. And so if it’s a place where somebody has the ability to carry, there’s always the opportunity that gunman will be taken out before he has the opportunity to kill very many people.”
Texas residents can apply for a license to carry a gun, which includes the right to carry a concealed weapon.
Paxton’s comments came in the hours after a mass shooting at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said at a press conference Sunday that 26 people had been killed in the shooting but that the number could rise.
Multiple news organizations identified the shooter as Devin Kelley. He was reportedly killed after a brief car chase with law enforcement following the shooting.Harming an unborn child by consuming alcohol during pregnancy could be classified as a crime if an unusual legal challenge succeeds.
A council is planning to go to the Court of Appeal in an attempt to secure criminal injuries compensation for a six-year-old girl who was born with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder as a result of her mother’s drinking while she was in the womb.
A tribunal ruled in 2011 that the unnamed child had sustained personal injury “directly attributable to a crime of violence” and so was eligible for a payout.
Her mother, who drank “grossly excessive quantities of alcohol” during her pregnancy, was never convicted of any offence.
But she was alleged to have maliciously administered poison so as to endanger life or inflict grievous bodily harm, a crime under section 23 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861.
However, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority challenged the judgment, and it was overturned in December by the upper tribunal of the Administrative Appeals Chamber.
Judge Howard Levenson found that there had been “administration of a poison or other destructive or noxious thing, so as thereby to inflict grievous bodily harm”.
However, he concluded that the girl was “not a person” in legal terms at the time because she was still a foetus.
The judge added: “I conclude that the section 23 offence cannot be committed by a pregnant woman drinking alcohol during her pregnancy and thereby causing damage to her unborn child and that, in the present case, no evidence or argument has been offered in respect of the commission of any other offence.”
Now the council in north-west England which brought the original application for compensation on behalf of the girl, who is now in foster care, is preparing to take the case to the Court of Appeal, The Sunday Times reported.
Neil Sugarman, a managing partner at GLP Solicitors in Greater Manchester, who is handling the case, told the paper: "Sadly, we act for many, many children who have been damaged by excessive alcohol intake during pregnancy. We were approached by a local authority with responsibility for a child very badly damaged as a consequence of foetal alcohol spectrum disorder.
“They considered making an application under the criminal injuries compensation scheme because they thought there was an argument that the child had been damaged by being victim of a crime. The crime being the birth mother carrying on drinking knowing that it could damage the child.”
He added: "In all the cases we have, there is good evidence that warnings have been given either by social workers or treating consultants and nurses to say, 'you cannot go on doing this, you are going to damage your child'."It took the FDA decades to recognize the serious and potentially irreversible side effects of Cipro and Levaquin antibiotics. We hope the new warning works.
They’re called fluoroquinolones (FQs) or quinolones for short. Tens of millions of prescriptions have been written for:
Ciprofloxacin ( Cipro )
) Gemifloxacin ( Factive )
) Levofloxacin ( Levaquin )
) Moxifloxacin ( Avelox )
) Norfloxacin ( Noroxin )
) Ofloxacin (Floxin)
These antibiotics have been on the market for more than 30 years. Physicians and patients assumed that they were quite safe. These drugs were routinely prescribed for sinus, lung and urinary tract infections with barely a second thought. But now the FDA has issued a stern warning (May 12, 2016):
“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is advising that the serious side effects associated with fluoroquinolone antibacterial drugs generally outweigh the benefits for patients with sinusitis, bronchitis, and uncomplicated urinary tract infections who have other treatment options. For patients with these conditions, fluoroquinolone should be reserved for those who do not have alternative treatment options. “An FDA safety review has shown that fluoroquinolones when used systemically (i.e. tablets, capsules, and injectable) are associated with disabling and potentially permanent serious side effects that can occur together. These side effects can involve the tendons, muscles, joints, nerves, and central nervous system.”
We Have been Warning You about Cipro and Levaquin Antibiotics!
For more than 20 years we have been warning readers of The People’s Pharmacy that FQ antibiotics posed serious risks. The FDA has been very slow to 1) recognize the risks and 2) warn health professionals and patients how bad the problems could be. But a patient group called the “Fluoroquinolone Toxicity 24/7 Forum” pulled no punches in describing how some patients react to this class of antibiotics:
“Fluoroquinolone toxicity has been like an atomic bomb exploding in their bodies damaging their muscles and scrambling their DNA to the point many are too sick to work, too weak to walk.”
In July 1994 we heard from a reader of our syndicated newspaper column who had received a prescription for Floxin:
“I took it for a severe sinus infection followed by pneumonia last winter. After three days of utter misery and a rash on my back, I started hallucinating. Are there other people who have had a bad reaction to this antibiotic?”
People who have experienced bad reactions to fluoroquinolones sometimes call themselves “Floxies.” That’s because flox is part of the name for such drugs. Other people described being “Floxed” by these antibiotics. What is so extraordinary is that the side effects can be permanent in some cases. Only now does the FDA seem to have realized that FQs like Cipro and Levaquin antibiotics have been prescribed way to promiscuously and the complications can be irreversible.
Fluoroquinolone Side Effects:
Tendon problems, tendinitis, tendon rupture (potentially disabling)
Digestive distress, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, heartburn, vomiting; super-infections, including C. diff diarrhea
Arthritis, muscle pain, weakness
Headache, dizziness, anxiety, irritability, agitation, restlessness, confusion, insomnia
Retinal detachment
Allergic reactions, skin rash, anaphylaxis (life-threatening reaction requiring immediate medical attention!)
Hallucinations, psychosis, seizures
Depression, suicidal thoughts or actions
Irregular heart rhythms, QT prolongation
Kidney or liver damage
Blood disorders
Symptoms of Nerve Damage from FQ Antibiotics:
Pain
Numbness
Changes in sensation to light touch, pain or temperature, or the sense of body position
Burning, tingling, weakness
What do these Symptoms Mean for Real People?
Have your eyes glazed over yet? Whenever people see a long list of side effects they tend to tune out pretty quickly. That is why those terrible prescription drug commercials you see on TV are so successful for the pharmaceutical industry. After a few seconds people tend to ignore the calm voice of the announcer as he reads off a list of seemingly ridiculous adverse reactions. The problem is that these terrible complications do happen to people and sometimes change their lives forever:
Bonnie in San Luis Obispo, CA:
“I took Levaquin for a respiratory infection in May of 2008. I started having problems with my right leg shortly after, but didn’t make the connection to the drug. Then in October of 2008, I was prescribed Cipro for a UTI [urinary tract infection] and took one pill and could not move my arms or legs. “I looked at the insert and noticed the black box warning of tendon ruptures which had only recently been put on fluoroquinolones. It was then I realized that I had taken the Levaquin earlier and was suffering from muscle pain and weakness. I have gotten progressively worse over the years and been to numerous doctors. I have yet to find one who will acknowledge the connection between this drug and my deteriorating condition.”
Debbie in Chicago shares this sad story:
“In the early 90’s, I took Cipro for pneumonia and could not walk for 15 months. The pain was unbearable. I lost my job and was a single Mother. The pain disappeared out of nowhere. “In June of 2009 I took Levaquin, 2 pills total. I was healthy, happy, good job and no problems in my life. Until the pill I had a mild chest cold. I was in the doctor’s office for 10 minutes and was prescribed Levaquin. Pill #2 caused burning, painful feet. I was going to the health club after work with a co-worker. We both noticed something was really wrong with me. I had a sudden inability to walk due to horrible pain. I had to quit working out. I suffered in pain in order to work, shop, and care for my ill Mother. “I kept the pain to myself but slept as soon as work and dinner was done. Fatigue set in quickly and everything became worse even after seeing 12 different doctors to figure out why I wasn’t able to walk and why I was in so much pain. I got the usual diagnosis of plantar fasciitis and was offered physical therapy and orthodics. Each doctor who found me getting worse had no answer. “From June 2009 until now I have been in a wheel chair and cannot step down on my left foot. The severe pain and weakness has traveled from my foot through the whole left side of my body. I do not leave my home to socialize or shop. I only leave to see my doctor because of pain flare ups. Socializing in pain is not fun for me nor can I handle interaction. I cry daily, I am full of dread for the loss of my real self and all I worked for. ALL my dreams are gone. I still do not understand how I went to a doctor I trusted to make me well and instead he ruined my life in a very inhumane way.”
J.T. shares his horrifying psychological reaction:
“Several years ago I was prescribed Floxin. I took the first dose at bedtime. At 2:00 a.m. I woke up hallucinating that giant bats were flying around my room. It scared the heck out of me. “Interestingly, my older sister who was a pharmacy rep at the time warned me not to take it. I shrugged her comments off as nonsense. This little brother had to learn the hard way. It was terrifying. Absolutely terrifying. “It just makes me sad. Why do we even have to go through these experiences in the first place. Every time I hear the FDA mentioned, I simply shudder. Perhaps someone will expose the FDA similar to what has happened at the VA.”
Donnie’s mother suffered from Levaquin:
“My mother was given Levaquin and suffered terrible hallucinations, among other serious side-effects. There was talk about putting her in a nursing home. “I found a list of side effects from Levaquin, and the doctor took her off of it. She got over the hallucinations fairly soon, but other adverse reactions to the drug persisted.”
Jay experienced another devastating complication of FQs:
“I took Cipro 8 years ago and was never informed of possible side-effects because they weren’t known yet. I’m STILL experiencing inflammation of my tendons and ligaments, particularly my Achilles’ tendons. It can be crippling, and I have a part-time gig as a freakin’ fitness instructor! “During one flare-up I also experienced a partially detatched retina, and during other episodes of swollen tendons I experienced a peculiar muscle weakness that felt like I was coming down with the flu. I also had a persistent aching in my joints. These episodes can linger for WEEKS before they resolve.”
The Long Lasting Effects of Cipro and Levaquin Antibiotics:
Not everyone gets over FQ adverse reactions. Some people report that years later they are still suffering. The FDA seems to have finally acknowledged this when it stated that fluoroquinolones: “are associated with disabling and potentially permanent serious side effects that can occur together. These side effects can involve the tendons, muscles, joints, nerves, and central nervous system.”
The agency warns patients to:
“contact your health care professional immediately if you experience any serious side effects while taking your fluoroquinolone medicine. Some signs and symptoms of serious side effects include tendon, joint and muscle pain, a “pins and needles” tingling or pricking sensation, confusion, and hallucinations. Patients should talk with your health care professional if you have any questions or concerns.”
The only trouble with such advice is that for some patients it could be too late. Just one or two pills can produce lasting harm. Talking with your health care professional after the horse is out of the barn may not do much good to reverse the damage. Let’s hope that the new FDA warning to avoid FQ antibiotics for uncomplicated infections will be heeded by doctors, nurses and pharmacists.
Share your own story below in the comment section and please vote on this article by checking the stars at the top of the page.Quite a scoop for One America News, the “other” conservative cable news network.
If it’s true.
SCOOP: Three White House staffers have been identified for leaking classified info. POTUS will fire'multiple people' when he returns to DC. — Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) May 22, 2017
SCOOP INFO: I'm told the names of the leakers are being run by the Office of Government Ethics, which is why they aren't immediately fired — Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) May 22, 2017
Why wait until Trump gets back from his trip to fire people and give them an opportunity to leak further while he’s away, particularly now that they know the jig is up? If the answer is that they’ve already been removed from their positions at the White House to prevent them from doing more damage, why is OAN the only outlet that seems to know that? That would be a highly visible thing, plus this West Wing leaks like a sieve. If people had been busted, that information would have spread to the media in minutes, notwithstanding the sudden fear inside the White House of leak prosecutions.
And why does the administration need OGE’s advice on how to proceed? OGE consults on White House hiring, to make sure that new aides are taking steps to resolve conflicts of interest between their new government duties and their business interests. Leaking is a criminal matter. DOJ would be the relevant agency, I would think, not OGE. Even stranger, OGE has been conspicuously hostile to Trump and his administration. The director, Walter Shaub, pilloried Trump publicly for his weak attempt to resolve his own conflicts of interest a week before he took office, then accused Trump’s lawyer of claiming that she didn’t want him to certify that his financial disclosure was true by signing it. Just today the Times reported that Shaub has been sending letters to federal agencies asking for a list of former lobbyists who’ve received waivers to work there. Annoyed, the White House sent Shaub a letter asking him to withdraw his requests and challenging his authority to issue them in the first place. He’s not a guy whom Team Trump would want to involve in a matter as sensitive as firing leakers unless they absolutely had to. And I’m not sure why they’d have to.
Stay tuned.After the largest and deadliest mass shooting in modern American history, it was inevitable: pundits and politicians are saying it’s too soon to talk about the causes of gun violence. But for the hundreds of people shot at a country music concert last night in Las Vegas, it’s not too soon – it’s too late.
After a plane crash, no one says we can’t talk about how to make planes safer. After a massive building fire, no one says we can’t talk about ways to prevent fires. Yet after 59 Americans are shot and killed and over 500 are hospitalized at what should have been a safe and fun event, it’s too soon, according to the chattering class, to talk about why.
Not for me – not any more. I’m going to scream and kick and shout until Congress acts to make Americans safer. Because when guns are available to anyone, anywhere, our families are unsafe everywhere. In fact, Las Vegas was at least the eighth mass shooting (killing four or more people) in the United States this year, and the 162nd since 2009.
After the carnage in Las Vegas, America faces a choice | Eric Swalwell Read more
And even though most Americans agree with me – 90% support multiple commonsense gun safety policies – our laws reflect the extreme positions of well-financed gun industry lobbyists. That’s why the open carry of firearms is legal in Nevada. That’s why 93 Americans are killed with guns every day. And that’s why America’s gun homicide rate is 25 times higher than the average of other developed nations.
The National Rifle Association opposes commonsense gun safety laws, even though they are remarkably effective at preventing shooting deaths. Across the board, stronger gun laws correlate with lower rates of gun deaths, even after adjusting for sociological and demographic factors, according to a Harvard medical school research. In other words: when we pass real gun reform, fewer people die from gun violence.
Gun laws work, and they are worth fighting for. Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, the organization I founded, has millions of supporters in chapters in all 50 states, linking arms to protect our children and communities. While the National Rifle Association is a powerful foe, experience shows that grassroots activism can counter their deep pockets.
Our volunteers fight – and we win. Last month in Rhode Island, for example, our local activists helped pass legislation to keep guns away from domestic abusers, adding to the half dozen other states that have enacted similar laws. We can continue to win victories like this across this country if everyone gets off the sidelines and joins us.
Here’s how Americans can act today.
First, Congress is considering legislation that would gut silencer safety laws and make it easy for convicted felons and domestic abusers to buy gun silencers – which distort the sound of a gun and make it harder for law enforcement officers to stop a shooter – without a background check.
In Las Vegas, being able to hear gunshots helped first responders recognize the shooter’s location and end the incident before he could hurt even more people. It’s no surprise, then, that many of the nation’s top law enforcement organizations oppose efforts to roll back silencer safety laws.
Mourn the Las Vegas shooting, we're told. But don't ask why it happened | Richard Wolffe Read more
The gun lobby is also gearing up for their “concealed carry reciprocity” campaign, in support of legislation that would force each state to recognize concealed-carry standards from every other state, even though states have dramatically varied standards.
Countless people would be able to carry hidden, loaded guns in all 50 states, with no background check or gun safety training. These extreme measures would defy the pleas of millions of Americans crying out for sanity and safety. It’s important for Americans to call their members of Congress now and tell them to reject these bills.
Our country is at a defining moment: do we want to keep experiencing these horrific shooting tragedies because the gun lobby has convinced Congress that we should allow guns for anyone, anywhere, any time – no questions asked? Or will we demand safety in our daily lives – at church, school, concerts and movie theaters? Because we do have a choice, and I urge every person who is as disgusted and horrified by this routine violence to make their voice heard.
As we grieve the horrific tragedy in Las Vegas, we must start talking openly and honestly about how to solve our nation’s gun violence crisis. For Congress, that means demanding they reject National Rifle Association leaders’ radical and deadly agenda. In Nevada, that means elected officials enforcing the law their constituents enacted last November.
Doing what we’ve been doing for decades – essentially letting the gun lobby write our country’s gun laws – has led to America having the highest rate of gun homicides of any developed nation. Clearly it’s time to do exactly the opposite of what gun lobbyists have instructed us to do: use our voices and votes to save lives. We can’t be silent anymore.Witnesses and relatives recall the horrors of last November's Mumbai (Bombay) attacks. The BBC's Prachi Pinglay hears their stories. HARISHCHANDRA GIRKAR, FIRE OFFICER 'I feel God gave me this chance to do this good deed' We got the first call around 11pm from the Trident Hotel. From there we went to the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel at about 1am. We saw white smoke coming out from the heritage wing of the hotel. We could see flames behind the glass windows. Rescue work started around 3am. We would identify victims who were stuck, break open the window, go inside, comfort the guest and help him or her out. I entered the hotel from the second floor and went into the corridor. Somehow the door shut behind me and would not open. I was trapped there and was wondering if the gunmen would come. But my seniors arrived soon and we all went out with the remaining victims. The Taj Mahal Palace hotel was among the targets of the attacks At no point was I scared as we were trying to save people from a dreadful situation. Normally when we firefight, there is no risk of a gun fight. This was different. My experience of 16 years was put to the test and I am glad that I could save people from that height of the building. Our work was appreciated. I only managed to talk to my family the next day. They were worried, but it was all OK. I received many letters after the incident and still receive messages from some people we saved. Initially, I thought a lot about it for a few days, but now I think of the 26/11 attacks only when someone gets in touch with me. Though that night was horrible and something like this should never happen, I feel God gave me this chance to do this good deed by saving so many people. In that way, I am lucky that it was done through me. RAGINI SHARMA, RAILWAYS EMPLOYEE 'My husband was a kind and honest person' Even in the worst of times one hopes that nothing will happen to your loved one. We also hoped and prayed that my husband SK Sharma was OK when the news of attacks started coming in. He was a ticket inspector at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station. He was a kind and honest person. He liked to help everyone and he died trying to save a little girl. He could have taken cover and stayed inside, but he chose to help passengers even when the firing was going on. I have been looked after because we live in a joint family and my children have coped. My son was sitting an important examination and has done well. But I know how much he has suffered. I had never worked before I was given this railway job as part of the compensation. I think work keeps me occupied. I visit the station every day but what I really think about is that the railways did not recognise him as a martyr. We had to convince the authorities about the kind of pension we were entitled to. Nothing can fill the void but as a family we feel that when someone goes beyond the call of duty, then adequate respect and recognition is the least his family should get. We have started a foundation which will hold drawing and painting competitions. We will use the compensation money to give prizes to the brave youth, youth who have done good work, and winners of painting competitions in schools. I just want all the good work that he did all his life to be carried forward. And I hope my children recover and carry on with what my husband stood for. ISRAEEL ANSARI, TAXI DRIVER 'The city took away more from us than it gave us' (Photo: Prashant Ravi) We lost everything we had in Mumbai. I have shifted back to my village in Bihar because I simply cannot imagine living in the city where my brothers died in the attacks. Eleven of our family members were at the CST station and we lost six of them. I was parking my taxi and before I could figure out what was happening, the gunmen had done their job. Everything we had was wiped out in no time. My elder brother Ilyas Ansari had helped us settle when we came to Mumbai to earn a living. Without him, it is not possible to live there. Whatever this city gave us, much more was snatched away from us. Now I have to look after the family and worry about the future of my brothers' children too. We have been through many difficulties since the attacks and it is impossible to forget what happened that night at the CST station. It will always stay with us. Four of my brothers and two other family members were gunned down. How can a family cope with this? We have received compensation but we were told that four family members will get jobs with the railways. Nothing has happened so far. We take each day as it comes. Up to now I have spent most of my time completing formalities to secure compensation. Women cannot do this running around. I feel exhausted but we do not have much choice. BABLU KUMAR DEEPAK, ANNOUNCER AT RAILWAY STATION 'Even now I feel scared when I remember those moments' I was on a 3pm-11pm shift that night. At about 9.45pm we saw black smoke coming from platform number 13. The gunmen crossed platforms 13, 12 and 11 and were firing indiscriminately. They were going towards the section from where suburban trains leave. A train had just arrived at the station and I knew that a big crowd would get off. I immediately announced that everyone should use the rear exit instead of the main exit. I also informed the other announcer as the gunmen went towards the suburban area. From my work place I have a full view of the station so I could see what they did. We stayed in our cabin with lights off till the gunmen went out and then we started helping people on the platform. I have been coming here since then and there are times when I still think of that night. Even now I feel scared when I remember those moments. It was a difficult time and my family was worried for me. I have a daughter who is only eight. I was given 500 rupees ($10) and a certificate by my department for my timely announcements. Sometimes I wish the government had recognised my presence of mind and how my announcements helped. I have laminated the 500-rupee note and feel good about what I did. I come to the same station every day and work in the same office. It is not easy to wipe out those memories but one has to get on. SANJAY GOVILKAR, POLICEMAN 'I don't know how I survived but I do believe in God' I was at home when I heard about the attacks. As soon as we got a call about multiple attacks in the city we were asked to go to work. I was at Girgaum Chowpatty when we were informed on the wireless that the gunmen had hijacked a car and were coming our way. Soon we saw the car coming towards us. When we tried to stop it, it went past us but got stuck in the road divider. What happened after that is a blur as it happened in a matter of minutes. Qasab [the sole surviving gunman, now on trial in India] was sitting next to the driver. The other gunman fired as my colleague Tukaram Ombale and I leapt towards Qasab. Qasab fired too and Ombale sustained several bullet injuries. I too had a bullet injury, but we managed to capture him alive. I knew that Qasab had to be kept alive. I was in hospital for over a month, and later I went to court to identify Qasab. When I learnt about anti-terrorism chief Hemant Karkare's death, I felt very sad. I used to look up to him. We lost the best of our men that night. I don't know how I survived but I do believe in God. Anything could have happened during that encounter. Fortunately I have a large network of friends and a very supportive wife. She is stronger than me emotionally. So I could deal with the sense of loss. I do not feel that police can be armed like army soldiers. We are meant to help out citizens with everyday issues. That night we fought Qasab and Ismail with sticks. Everyone praised us and I feel that people's attitude towards the Mumbai police has become positive. However, I do not want to rest on past glory. One has to move on and strive all the time. I wish people from all religions would come together and stay united in these difficult times. DR SANJAY CHATTERJEE, BOMBAY HOSPITAL 'We initially thought it was a gang war' We initially thought it was a gang war when news of firing incidents came in. But as patients started arriving, the enormity of the situation revealed itself. We conducted at least 30 to 40 surgeries in one night. We formed a team of doctors who did triage so that patients were taken depending on the kind of injuries they had sustained. There was no time to think when it was all happening. We were completely overwhelmed and were doing our best to save as many as possible. All the departments of the hospital worked to their best and as we had enough blood in the bank we could perform all the surgeries. We did manage to save most of the injured and some of them kept coming to me later for treatment as they required multiple surgeries. I have kept in touch with some patients - which won't happen in normal circumstances. As medical professionals we do see a lot of cases but that night was different. We just kept working until the next morning. We even heard rumours that gunmen were roaming in the city in a police van. I wonder if the security systems in the city have improved since then. BHISHAM MANSUKHANI, MEDIA PROFESSIONAL 'We have a responsibility towards those who died' I was stuck in the Taj hotel on 26/11 and was rescued the next morning. Walking out of the Taj, I should have felt a great sense of relief. But I didn't. All I felt was infinite gratitude towards the Taj staff and the National Security Guard commandos. At this point, it's all about taking those small steps, the most important of which is to keep the incident as real and immediate in my mind. A lot of people died during these attacks and those fortunate to survive have a responsibility towards them. That morning, some time past 3.30am when the evacuation went horribly wrong and a few of us, my mother included, were cooped up in the Lavender Room of the Chambers, I braced myself for death. I was too blank to begin regretting not having done the many things I had complacently put off for the future. I do remember desperately trying to keep myself from weeping. It would have amounted to nothing but a dangerous noise that might have given everyone away. Six hours later, when we were rescued, I couldn't coax myself into elation. Death is the only guarantee and there's no telling when I would have to bring myself to accept it again. Given our current reality, it can't be too long.
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StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable versionHoward Zinn. (Photo: recubejim)Edited by Anthony Arnove, this new release from Haymarket Books offers the first collection of Howard Zinn’s inspiring, fearless speeches over the course of more than 40 years. Although he spent much of his life as a professor, Zinn is best known for reframing American history from a progressive perspective. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Zinn never forgot his working class roots as he advocated for equality and peace. Make a minimum donation and support progressive writers and Truthout. Just click here to receive a copy.
Mark Karlin: In your introduction to Howard Zinn Speaks, you refer to how he exemplified a saying from French leftists, “Be realistic: Demand the impossible.” Explain the seeming paradox in that statement.
Anthony Arnove: Howard understood that the commonsense understanding of what is “realistic” in any political moment is always slanted against activists. So if you let so-called realism define your politics, you will always be circumscribing your horizons and the possibilities of what you can achieve. I think by “demanding the impossible,” French activists from 1968 did not mean demanding change that literally could not be achieved, but change that could not be achieved within the flawed framework of the existing economic and political system. So, to give an example, universal health care is deemed politically impossible, “unrealistic,” in the United States. But the fact is, the US government could provide universal health care. The resources exist. It’s just off the agenda because it threatens powerful interests that are determined to have a for-profit medical system that systematically distorts health care. But that could be changed. Howard was brilliant at taking a small step back to look at current political issues in historical perspective and give you that sense of alternatives, of possibilities for change.
Mark Karlin: Zinn was trained as an academic, but all his speeches are impassioned and easily accessible; there is nothing pedantic about them. What in him propelled him to speak with what Naomi Klein calls “moral clarity?”
Anthony Arnove: Howard was always pushing the boundaries of the historical profession, challenging the limits of its language, its concerns and its priorities. I think in part that came from Howard’s work as an organizer in the shipyards and his experience in political reading circles before he came into academia. In his earliest days studying history, he realized the limits of existing historiography, which largely overlooked labor history and the other struggles he came to document in his work. Howard came into academia as an outsider and remained one in many ways, and repeatedly took actions that jeopardized his academic career whenever principle was at stake, whether that was supporting civil rights struggles when he was teaching at Spelman [College in Atlanta], which led to him being fired, or actively supporting striking union workers at Boston University. But, beyond that, you see from the earliest of the speeches in this book, a talk to members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in Atlanta in 1963, that Howard really had a great ability to connect with his audience through humor. He never spoke down to audiences, as so many academics do. He didn’t speak a language that was about showing erudition rather than communicating with people. As great organizers can, he spoke with people in a way that respected their intelligence, their humanity and their aspirations.
Obtain Howard Zinn Speaks: Collected Speeches 1963 -2009 with a minimum contribution to Truthout. Click here.
Mark Karlin: Can you speak to Zinn’s rousing defense of civil disobedience as found in his famous “Speech Against the Vietnam War on Boston Common?”
Anthony Arnove: I think Howard realized early on the power of protest and the limits of working within the official channels of politics. When he moved down to Atlanta to teach at Spelman, the civil rights movement profoundly deepened his sense of the importance of civil disobedience. He saw in practice how people had to break unjust laws in order to achieve their fundamental rights, and how in struggle people changed the courts, the law, the political institutions that held them back. Then with the bloody US intervention in Vietnam, he realized the war would just escalate and spread if people did not engage in acts that physically confronted the war machine and disrupted the normal functioning of the political process, which, left to its own devices, was leading to more and more devastation in Indochina. Howard had a historical perspective that informed his understanding of what you can achieve through civil disobedience. He points out in this speech that the United States was founded through radical acts of civil disobedience against the King of England. That civil disobedience, even revolution, is OK. We celebrate it in our schools and songs and movies. But now, no, you must obey the rule of law, no matter how unjust. Howard also understood how civil disobedience can shift public opinion. As he says in the speech you mentioned, “The history of civil disobedience in this country and in other parts of the world shows that people may at first sight be put off by civil disobedience, but at second sight, at second thought, they learn that the protesters against war are right, and after a while they join us in their own way, and that’s why we must carry on.”
Mark Karlin |
terrifying. So I think, I don’t know if I’d ever be happy if I weren’t taking chances. So to sort of be in the position that I was put in after the last record. “Cecilia and the Satellite” was so successful and it put me in a place where I could really reach out to collaborations and other artists that I was excited to get in the room with, and do that on so many different occasions. It made to where all I could do was take chances and have fun, play with this sort of freedom I had been given.
But you know of course the flip side to that coin is, as a person who has cultivated a fan base for a lot of years and who cares, you know deeply about how these things are received when they come out. On the other side, you know, you do the art thing first and you’re fearless and then once it all starts to come together. yeah there are these moments where you go, “Oh my gosh, what the fuck are they going to think about this”, haha. And you know, you get a little scared but it was a joy, truthfully it was a total joy. It’s been fun to sort of leak these tracks out one at a time and see the feedback be so positive. You know and start to begin to celebrate like ‘wow’ we did this thing kind of under the cover of darkness, while everyone thought that I was just working on promoting one record. Then to have this one come out so quickly It’s exciting for me.
With the last record and how well it was received and how much mainstream acceptance it got then going into this record, did you feel, sort of, typecast in a way in terms of a certain sound that people were expecting of you?
You know I…if that were the case I think I’ve given up on that notion so long ago. Just traveling from one band to the other so regularly and even within those acts changing sounds so frequently. You know I feel, I feel more comfortable changing things up from record to record than I would keep things the same. I mean I hope not everyone walks into this record like “oh it should sound like this thing”
But I can define the initial shock of a different sound wears off pretty quickly and hopefully with what people find next is the quality of the songs. And hopefully the quality of the experiment, you know. But I don’t think I walked into this with any sort of like “Oh I’ve gotta live up to some sonic expectation or some sort of idea with what the last record was”. You know I hope that doesn’t bite me in the ass, haha. But it wasn’t too big of a worry for me.
A lot of bands are doing anniversary tours for beloved albums, and I’m sure your fans would love a Something Corporate or Jack’s Mannequin anniversary tour. What are your thoughts on artists doing victory lap tours with old albums?
I…I mean I did or I think I did a close enough version to that, that I would consider doing where we did, I don’t know maybe nine or 10 shows. As Jack’s Mannequin we did some reunion dates around Everything In Transit and you know it was a blast. I had a really good time and I think 10 shows for me is about as much as I could stomach for that. Haha. I don’t mean that in a bad way, like I love that record, I still do some songs from that record every night. I just think you know and I have no issue with it, there are a lot of acts who 10 year anniversary records or 10 year anniversary tours that I would love to see.
But, out of no judgment for that you know I was really careful like to not make it about how much money can I pull out of this thing. When you play rooms the fraction a size of the ones we could sell out if we chose to. I think there’s a thing for me about like capitalizing too hard on nostalgia can make it stuck to be taken seriously as a modern artist. You know, so I always try to walk that line in a very fine way.
When I was in Jack’s Mannequin I was very careful with that, with Something Corporate not to go crazy with that. And I feel the same way now. It’s not to say “Hey don’t do it” but I think for me I want to be putting out modern records, I want to be putting out music now that’s being taken seriously. And I think you can run into some trouble trying to be taken seriously from music you are releasing this year if in the same year you’re cashing checks on nostalgia.
I think every artist has to find their own truth within that and what that means to them. And I think a lot of artists have done quite well and I think you just have to find a way to make it feel authentic, and not have it overshadow the career you’re trying to have in the modern day. Because there are a lot of people who want to be putting songs out right now and they’re not doing victory laps, they’re digging their heels in and making music. I just tried and make my focus about that.
Yeah, nostalgia definitely has an expiring date in that sense where people will know that you’re only in it for the money.
Well, when you take the money out of it, I just think there’s always going to be people who only like the music they listen to when they were in high school.
So there’s always going to be people who are only into the music that they connected with in a certain period in their life. And I get that, I’m the same way in a lot of ways. But like, I try to wake everyday “try to listen to what’s out today” and I think that it’s really easy to sort of glorify the past. If you are not choosing to live in the present. I think I just really tried my hardest to make my focus about today. And can I write a great song today. And I put out a new record that challenges myself and fans, and make new fans, you know.
Look, I probably won’t be able to keep up with that for the rest of my life but I am certainly going to try my hardest to keep doing that for the rest of my life. So yeah, at 34 it seems like a hard thing for me to want to like go relive my twenties. Like, my twenties were great but I’m having a fucking blast right now. I want to make new things and put out new things but sure if something comes up like I did a benefit show for the Dear Jack foundation this year, and I brought out all the Something Corporate guys and Jack’s Mannequin guys, put on a night of music where all the money went to charity. To me that felt like a really authentic way to relive the good ‘ole days. As a gift to people in need, you know.
And everybody is different I have no judgment for how anybody else wants to view that stuff. I think it’s just put me in a mindset where it’s like, if you face your past and you go “gosh what if they like the old songs better” well yeah, a lot of people are going to. You know, haha. I’m going to focus on the new ones and hope I can bring around a whole new audience and in 10 years they go, “Man, can you go tour the Zombies on Broadway record” and I’ll go “No man I’m making a new record”. And then just go from there, haha.
In terms of how you approach songwriting, has that changed in terms of when you were in your twenties to how you approach songwriting now?
I mean it’s always changing, as sort of corny as it sounds there’s no minimum, it’s always very much intact in the same thing as it was the day when I started writing songs when I was nine. I think I’ve without question, in the past five or six years have become so much more of a collaborator than I use to be. I think that’s something you sort of grow into or don’t. But I find, sort of the shelf life for my excitement and my sort of energy towards what I do has grown considerably.
Like bringing people into the room with me that I think are really talented to work with. I think that side of it has definitely changed, I’m much more inclined to like to open the door to a friend or an artist. Like “Hey let’s work on this together” that is certainly a different approach. Then yeah, I think technology has become much more of a collaborative tool in the studio for me than on the writing side than it had ever had been. Then like we would just finish a song and go into the studio and work on it. Now there’s, now It’s so much easier to just be like let’s put together a really great beat or find an aesthetic that’s inspiring that it’s fun to write again. Or sort of in the studio production and writing at the same time which I find to be fun if your end game is a finished song then when you start in the production space it can make writing come together in a different way which is unique to these last couple of records compared to what I’ve done.
With a track like “Walking In My Sleep”, it talks about living life on the road. Has it been difficult for you to balance both a home and tour life?
Well I’ve been really fortunate that my wife and my daughter have been able to be on tour with me most of the time since my daughter’s been born. I think that it would be really difficult, certainly that song is born of also difficult times. I remember the journal that I took a lot of those words from, where it was like… the lyric in the second verse is “this is me in a bedroom, broken windows, sunlight coming through” that verse in their and a whole bunch of “this is me”.
I remember specifically I was trying to get home and I had this crazy thing happen where like I got booked on one flight and landed in one part of the airport. And I had to get all the way across three terminals in under a minute to make a flight and it was like literally I got two bags, running and I made it. But I remember writing, starting to write that lyric in that moment. Like I wanted to be so badly at home with them that I’m fucking drenched in sweat, running across an airport trying to get there. It seemed like a pretty good metaphor for what that can be especially for this life.
When you’re making a living, sometimes you’ve gotta chance inspiration into far off places. And it doesn’t always coexist well with a subtle life. And yeah it can be tough but it is without question worth the fight and we all have those things. I mean, I think even people who have straight jobs and are at home, they have a completely different battle and I think we all understand each other on some level.
I really liked your collaboration with Lindsey Stirling. Are there any other artists you’d like to collaborate with?
Oh my gosh, that’s a tough one. The short answer is yes, there’s probably a huge list of them and there’s one or two circling around in the works that would be even silly to mention because you never know how those things will come together. But yeah, I love the idea of collaborating, doing features and finding artists to work with. But it’s so funny how little time I actually find that I have, you know I was lucky with somebody like Stirling, you know we have these mutual contacts that are friends and they were like “you guys should write together” and I was like “fuck yeah, that sounds great”. And you know, it was so fun to do it and Stirling proved to be a really great artist to carry a song like that into the world and I was glad to be a part of it. But hopefully I can do some more of that.
I read that you think of yourself as two people: One in search of peace and the other in search of whatever makes my hair stand up and my heart beat faster. How does that kind of outlook impact you as an artist?
Well it certainly keeps things interesting from day-to-day, haha. I think it’s kind of true for a lot of artists that I know. I mean were not all crazy all the time and were not all grounded all the time. I think in some ways it’s part partial of what makes the artistic mind continue to function and keeping it exciting.
You know this idea that you don’t want things to be the same ever, so you are always searching for these extremes. It informs a lot of how I operate and I’ve tried to sort of historically to get it close to the middle of those two extremes as I can because I tend to find that my life and my world and my personal life functions better when I can walk that line a bit closer to the center. And I would be remiss to not acknowledge the reality and I think there’s something important about when you make things for a living and create things, you have to be truthful. I think that’s a truth that became pretty evident in the course of making this record.
Zombies On Broadway is available for pre-order now.
Andrew McMahon will perform at The Opera House in Toronto on April 4th. Buy tickets here.NEAR SIMULTANEOUS TRANSLATION from English to German and back was demonstrated by Google CEO Eric Schmidt during his IFA 2010 keynote speech, using an Android smartphone.
"Live translate is the next logical succession, and may be possible in the future," Schmidt told the audience after Google's product management director Hugo Barra demonstrated the experimental app. The Google app translated parts of the conversation in turn so that the pair could communicate. Because it is experimental there is no roll out date as yet.
Schmidt went further and in typical keynote fashion made grandiose statements about where electronics is going. "In the future you won't forget anything because computers will be on hand to remember everything," he predicted. He added that people will never be lost and that cars will drive themselves.
Google TV also got a showing, with Schmidt saying that it will not be for passive viewing, but will encourage users to participate. But do they want to? During the keynote he demonstrated a seamless transition from watching TV to browsing the Internet on a Sony Bravia telly.
Sony told The INQUIRER yesterday it expects Google TV to be launched by the end of the year in the US. The Android platform will be integrated with Google TV, and people will be able to use smartphones and voice commands to change channels and get Android apps on their TVs. The software for Google TV is currently being tested, and three devices are to be launched in conjunction with Sony and Logitech later this year in the US, Sony said. It did not mention a European launch.
Barra also showed off improvements to the voice search app with the phrase "navigate to a museum with Egyptian stuff". The device found Berlin's Pergamon Museum. The firm has said before that mobile platforms will be crucial to the future of search. Schmidt told IFA audience that mobile search traffic grew by 50 per cent in first half of 2010, and that search traffic from Android phones tripled in the same period.
It was also announced that Chrome, while targeting the notebook space, could also be used for tablets, and that the firm will announce details of partnerships later this year. µRadioactive sign (Shutterstock)
A nuclear power plant north of New York City has leaked water contaminated with radioactive tritium into the groundwater below the facility, sparking an investigation by state officials, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Saturday.
Cuomo said he learned on Friday of “alarming” levels of radioactivity at three monitoring wells at the Indian Point plant in Buchanan, about 40 miles (65 km) north of New York City on the east bank of the Hudson River.
The governor has previously asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to shut down the plant because of doubts over the safe evacuation of the area in the event of an accident.
Cuomo said in a statement the plant’s operator, Entergy Corp, has informed him the contaminated water has not migrated off the site and poses no public health risk.
The governor said he has directed the state departments for the environment and health to investigate the leak.
“Our first concern is for the health and safety of the residents close to the facility and ensuring the groundwater leak does not pose a threat,” Cuomo said.
Entergy in a statement said the tritium likely reached the ground at Indian Point during recent work at the site.
“While elevated tritium in the ground onsite is not in accordance with our standards, there is no health or safety consequence to the public, and releases are more than a thousand times below federal permissible limits,” the company said.
Cuomo, in his letter ordering the state investigation, said Indian Point has previously had a problem with the release of radioactive water, and this time the levels of radioactivity reported by the company are worse than in past incidents.
One monitoring well showed a nearly 65,000 percent spike in radioactivity, from 12,300 picocuries per liter to more than 8 million picocuries per liter, the governor said.
On May 9, 2015, a unit at the Indian Point nuclear plant was shut down following a transformer failure and fire, in an incident that sent smoke spewing from the plant.
But the plant remained stable and the NRC that day said there was no threat to the public.
The company is seeking to relicense the two reactors at Indian Point for another 20 years, but Cuomo has asked the NRC to deny Entergy’s application for relicensing.
(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles; Editing by Nick Zieminski)This holiday season, you could make dreams come true for a puppy or kitten in need. And to illustrate that point, Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation released this adorable lip-dub of the staff doing "You Make My Dreams Come True" by Hall & Oates with the help of some four-legged friends.
Located in the San Francisco Bay Area city of Walnut Creek, Calif., ARF was established by the baseball Hall of Fame manager and his wife after an unusual incident with a cat.
In 1990, when La Russa was manager of the Oakland A's, a cat wandered onto the field. La Russa took it into the dugout and had planned to turn it over to a shelter, but adopted the cat himself when he learned it might be euthanized due to a lack of space in the facility.
When he found there were no no-kill shelters in the area, he started one of his own the following year, ARF said in a press release.Grave mistake mars Turkey's second face transplant
ISTANBUL - Hürriyet
DHA Photo
Organs that were to be used in Turkey’s second-ever face transplant were dropped on the ground on the way to hospital for the operation due to a problem with the cardboard boxes in which they were being carried, daily Hürriyet reported.Hacettepe University was conducting the operation on a 25-year-old woman whose face was gravely burned when a television set exploded nearby when she was 5.The donated face, legs and arms were brought carefully to the hospital until the box carrying them broke and the organs fell to the ground.Hospital personnel immediately intervened and handled the situation but voices of concern were raised over the insufficiency of the method of transport for the organs.The operation began as scheduled despite the minor hassle and is still continuing, Hürriyet reported.Richard Sherman Lists Every QB By Name Who’s Worse Than Colin Kaepernick
Video Playback Not Supported
Richard Sherman, the Seattle Seahawks outspoken cornerback, doesn’t have time for the bullcrap that everyone keeps saying regarding why Colin Kaepernick isn’t signed, when the reason is clear as day.
The Seahawks’ All-Pro questioned Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti’s priorities and savagely listed every single quarterback that is currently signed who is trash and that Colin Kaepernick is better than.
Via USA Today Sports:
“So what do you think about Colin Kaepernick?” Sherman asked to a reporter. “What is it about?” Sherman said. “It’s not about football or color. It’s about, ‘Boy, stay in your place.’ “He played in Chip (Kelly)’s system last year and went 16-4 (TD-to-INT ratio) on a bad team. He played well because he’s a good football player. He may not be the best, but he’s better than a lot of these dudes starting.” “For you to say you have to check with sponsors and fans because this guy took a knee and made a statement?” Sherman said. “Now if you told me this guy threw eight pick-sixes last year and played like a bum, had no talent, that’s one thing. But Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ryan Mallett or whoever is playing for the Jets right now – whoever is starting for the Jets is terrible – have jobs. You’re telling me fans would rather you lose and put a worse player out there because a guy took a stand? That’s where it’s so troublesome to me.” Sherman cited a few examples, including the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Blake Bortles and the Los Angeles Rams’ Jared Goff, as starters that don’t measure up to Kaepernick. “Blake Bortles has shown you enough to where you don’t think Kaep would be a solid fit?” Sherman added. “Kaep has won games.”
That is cold blodded, yet so true.
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Share ThisWe got lucky with the weather in Washington State. It’s a clear afternoon with a few scattered clouds, low wind speeds—ideal flying conditions. Mike Dubbury’s calm briefing helps, too. Honeywell’s senior test pilot talks me through the upcoming trip in the Beechcraft King Air C90, which I’ll be piloting.
I can’t quite relax, though. Not just because I’ve never flown a plane before, but because I’ll be doing it without touching the flight controls—by thought alone. And except for the guy who came up with this contraption, I’ll be the first person to fly the mind-controlled King Air.
While Dubbury delivers his safety instructions, Santosh Mathan wires me up. A neurotechnology researcher at Honeywell Aerospace, he invented this system. Mathan helps pull what looks like a navy blue swimming cap onto my head, with a series of holes in it. He squirts cold conducting gel into each, then threads 32 electrodes through the cap and onto my scalp. I’m left with an old-fashioned ribbon cable—the kind that would have connected a computer and a dot matrix printer—hanging down like a ponytail. I look like a steampunk Andre Agassi.
“We’ll be doing a bunch of basic maneuvers—climbs, descents, turns—around Puget Sound,” says Mathan, picking up from Dubbury. And by we, he means me, a guy with no pilot license and no flying experience. That’s what I’m thinking as we idle on the runway, waiting for our takeoff slot.
Honeywell has built a brain-computer interface into this six-seat twin turboprop’s autopilot. The system interprets patterns of electrical activity in the brain, watching for certain signals or patterns that almost anyone can produce with a few minutes of training. In this plane, those patterns translate to commands to climb or bank left or drop a few thousand feet. “We saw control of an aircraft as a nice target in order to develop, refine, and test our neurotechnology,” Mathan says. Today’s flight is the culmination of 12 years of work. They’ve shown that it works in a simulator, and now they want to push it further by taking it to the air, with the minimal (but real) risk of death by crashing.
A few minutes after Dubbury handles takeoff, the system is ready for me. Mathan tells me to make the plane climb.
While not quite as simple as “think up, fly up,” it’s close. I’m sitting in front of an iPad-sized screen, which has arrows for up, down, left, and right, plus a level flight indicator in the center. A green box flashes around each command, one at a time, seemingly at random. My job is to focus on the arrow that reflects what I want do.
Joshua Lim
When the box surrounds the command in question, my brain creates an electrical signal called an event-related potential. Those clues, which are born in the visual perception area at the back of the brain and ripple across the cortex, aren’t easy to spot. It’s not just that they register at under 10 microvolts, one-tenth of what you get from normal brain activity. Or that muscle movements like blinks create their own signals and obscure what I’m trying to tell the plane. Or that I had just 15 minutes of practice in a simulator before takeoff.
It’s also that the very act of focusing in the noisy, crowded, stressful environment of a small cockpit is difficult. I have air traffic control squawking in my ears, sunlight glinting off the gauges, propeller noise, and the disconcerting knowledge that I’m trying to fly a plane by thinking about a bunch of green arrows.
I relax and put all my mental energy into watching the up arrow. To make sure it’s picking up an intentional command and not an eye twitch, the computer waits until it’s registered several signals in a row. Then the plane climbs. Just like that.
The first few maneuvers, I can’t believe it’s actually me in command. And then comes the euphoria. I am swooping through clouds, climbing, diving, flying in circles, all at my whim.
Except it doesn’t feel quite that free. Each move takes at least 10 seconds of hard concentrating, sometimes longer, trying to ignore everything that’s going on around me. (Mathan says that if he had a couple of days to calibrate the system to my brain, he could speed that up.)
And then there’s the lack of feedback. The plane isn’t an extension of my body. Where birds and Chuck Yeager fly by feel and instinct, I have to look up to see whether my command is being implemented, and then look quickly back at the screen to start focusing on the next direction. And I’m only flying within the confines of the autopilot system. I’m issuing simple updated commands to it, nothing as complicated as taking off or landing.
By the time Dubbury puts us back on the ground, I have a headache starting. I can’t tell if it’s from focusing hard, the noise and bright sunlight in the small plane, or the physical pressure of the skullcap with headphones clamped over the top of it.
Jack Stewart/Wired
Whatever: I flew a plane with my thoughts. This is the stuff of my childhood science-fiction fantasies. Mathan and I grab a selfie in front of the plane to mark this moment. I suspect this test stressed him as much as me. “It’s one thing for us to do this in the lab, but seeing another user, with a limited amount of training data, well, that part made me curious,” he says.
Brain-computer interfaces already control cursors on a screen and fly small drones. They can even work in both directions, providing a sense of touch from an artificial hand, and researchers hope they’ll someday help people with disabilities communicate and interact with their environment. The most advanced work comes out of a consortium called BrainGate, which has so far implanted BCIs in about a dozen humans, intended to help them deal with paralysis from ALS or strokes. Some have even controlled a robot arm. That requires more precision from the signals, so most of those people get electrodes implanted under their skulls. (Honeywell accepts lower resolution as the price for skipping invasive surgery. My recovery process will be limited to lather, rinse, and repeat.)
But the swimming cap approach is less reliable, says neuroscientist Beata Jarosiewicz, who has worked on the project at Brown and Stanford Universities. “I wouldn’t depend on this to fly a plane in a fast-paced scenario where you’re trying to dodge cliffs or other planes, but it’s definitely an interesting example—how often will it do the right thing within a reasonable amount of time?”
We know there are limitations to human performance. We hope to create more robust technologies to monitor cognitive states that might affect pilots. Neurotechnology researcher Santosh Mathan
Even implantable sensors don’t match up to the accuracy and speed of natural human movement. Not yet, anyway. Darpa keeps a close eye on this space, and Jarosiewicz says that yes, someday, people might control electronics as naturally as their own muscles.
Still, the pilots of the future will not fly by thought. It’s a high-risk, low-return use for the technology. The planes of tomorrow will fly themselves, without plugs connected to human heads.
Mathan says his research could help in the cockpit, however. Pilots won’t fly by focusing on commands on a screen, but they might use the technology when they read through a checklist or zoom in on a map or flick switches for distracting, noncritical tasks. That would keep their hands free for other things. And the rest of us may get devices that let us scroll through pages or Tinder profiles on our phones just by thinking about it.
“If the consequences are not as dire, and you just accidentally end up on the wrong webpage or hit the back button, then sure, it’s totally fun to play around with these skullcap electrode-array-type interfaces,” says Jarosiewicz.
But Mathan says the real potential of his system builds on research into how to keep pilots engaged and attentive. “We all know there are limitations to how well a human can perform,” he says. “We hope that the work we’re doing will help create more robust technologies to monitor cognitive states that might affect pilots.” The same could apply to drivers, particularly of increasingly automated cars. A noninvasive way to measure how much or how little they’re paying attention could help the computer decide when to step in, and how much information to relay if it needs to hand control back to the human.
As I peel the skullcap off and start rubbing the conducting gel out of my hair, I can’t imagine pilots wanting to put one of these things on every time they fly. But once I’m relegated to the back of the plane again, I’d be perfectly happy if some ridiculous cap was helping my captain to function at peak performance.IMAX and NASA teamed up to create the Warner Brothers film Hubble 3D, which is ready to launch on the really big screen of your favorite IMAX or IMAX 3D theatre between March and August 2010.
The NASA STS-125 mission sent a team of hardy and well-skilled astronauts into orbit about the Earth, about 350 miles (565 kilometers) above the planet's surface, in order to make some delicate repairs and perform much-needed servicing to the ailing Hubble Space Telescope ( HST ).The STS-125 team onboard the space shuttle Atlantis included commander Scott D. Altman, pilot Gregory C. Johnson; and mission specialists K. Megan McArthur, John M. Grunsfeld, Michael J. Massimino, Michael T. Good, and Andrew J. Feustel.The May 2009 mission to Hubble involving IMAX is highlighted in the iTWire article'Hubble repair mission to be on IMAX 3-D.'The article mentions,Several IMAX 3-D cameras went along on the mission so astronauts (space cinematographers, one might say) could film the sequence of events that now is allowing the Hubble Space Telescope to continue its mission to explore strange new worlds and to see what humans have not seen before out there in the Universe.
Page two continues with information on where to see the space film Hubble 3D.
Directed by Toni Myers, the Hubble 3D film was introduced to the general public at the South By Southwest Film Festival (March 12-21, 2010) in Austin, Texas, during the past weekend in March.
The 43-minute long space documentary film will now go to forty IMAX and IMAX 3D theaters beginning on Friday, March 19, and than to over 100 theater locations beginning in August 2010.
The March 15, 2010 Reuters article "'Hubble 3D' a thrilling Imax ride into space' states, 'One watches in agonizing detail as the astronauts undertake the treacherous jobs of dealing with stuck or stripped bolts and intricate installations, all performed by space walkers with only their suits between them and instant death.'
And, 'In 3D, believe me, you are there. But here are the money shots: The telescope's new Wide Field Camera and infrared eye can look at-- and shoot -- stars, gas and dust 2.5 million light years out. Taking those photos and using advanced computer visualization, the film whisks viewers on scientifically realistic flights through time and space.'
Check out more about Hubble 3D at the IMAX website 'Change Your View of Our Universe.' Be prepared for an irregular countdown (10... 9............ 8.. 7......... 6... 5............ 4 and, well, you know the rest!).
Page three provides some quotes from astronauts Altman and Massimino, and director Myers.
After seeing the film on Tuesday, March 9, 2010, at the movie's world premiere from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (Washington, D.C.), U.S. astronaut Scott Altman, the commander of the STS-125 shuttle mission, stated,[Space.com:'Smithsonian Rolls Out Red Carpet for Hubble 3D Premiere ']
And, U.S. director Toni Myers, who directed, produced, and edited the Hubble 3D film, also stated while attending the premiere, "I think any film that flies you to the edge of the observable universe is... a new achievement." [Space.com]
U.S. astronaut Michael J. Massimino, one of the spacewalkers on the STS-125 Hubble mission, also commented on why this film is so important: "Probably the only frustrating thing about flying in space, or sad thing, is that you can't share everything that you see there with everybody. This format gives us an excellent opportunity to share this experience with many people." [Space.com]Fox & Friends Saturday recently claimed that Republican Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels will sign a bill that "strip[s] Planned Parenthood of government funding for abortions." In fact, Indiana and federal law already prohibit federal Medicaid funds from paying for abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or a threat to the life of a pregnant woman, and the bill will actually cut off government funding for Planned Parenthood of Indiana (PPIN) to provide basic women's health and birth control services.
Fox & Friends Saturday Falsely Claims Daniels Will Sign Bill "Stripping Planned Parenthood Of Government Funding For Abortions"
Huddy: "Daniels... Plans To Sign Legislation Stripping Planned Parenthood Of Government Funding For Abortions." On the April 30 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends Saturday, guest host Juliet Huddy claimed Daniels will be making "an unprecedented move on abortion rights" by signing "legislation stripping Planned Parenthood of government funding for abortions." Huddy added, "He says women's health and family planning services will still be available."
On-screen text during the segment claimed:
[Fox & Friends Saturday, Fox News, 4/30/11]
Bill Actually Ends All Medicaid Funding For Planned Parenthood in Indiana
WaPo: "Daniels... Plans To Sign Legislation That Would Prevent Planned Parenthood In The State From Receiving Medicaid Funds... Indiana Will Be The First State To Take That Step." From an April 29 article in The Washington Post:
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) announced Friday that he plans to sign legislation that would prevent Planned Parenthood in the state from receiving Medicaid funds. When he does, Indiana will be the first state to take that step. [The Washington Post, 4/29/11]
Politico: "The Bill... Would Bar The State From Entering Into Contracts With Abortion Providers." Politico stated in an April 27 article that "[t]he bill, which passed the Indiana State House late Wednesday afternoon, would bar the state from entering into contracts with abortion providers, making an exception for hospitals and ambulatory centers." [Politico, 4/27/11]
IN Bill States State Agencies "May Not" Contract With Or Provide Grants To "Any Entity That Performs Abortions." From Indiana House Enrolled Act No. 1210:
(a) This section does not apply to hospitals licensed under IC 16-21-2 or ambulatory surgical centers licensed under IC 16-21-2. (b) An agency of the state may not: (1) enter into a contract with; or (2) make a grant to; any entity that performs abortions or maintains or operates a facility where abortions are performed that involves the expenditure of state funds or federal funds administered by the state. (c) Any appropriation by the state: (1) in a budget bill; (2) under IC 5-19-1-3.5; or (3) in any other law of the state; to pay for a contract with or grant made to any entity that performs abortions or maintains or operates a facility where abortions are performed is canceled, and the money appropriated is not available for payment of any contract with or grant made to the entity that performs abortions or maintains or operates a facility where abortions are performed. (d) For any contract with or grant made to an entity that performs abortions or maintains or operates a facility where abortions are performed covered under subsection (b), the budget agency shall make a determination that funds are not available, and the contract or grant shall be terminated under section 5 of this chapter. [Indiana House Enrolled Act 1210, accessed 4/30/11]
Laws Already Prohibit Federal And State Funds From Paying For Almost All Abortions
NY Times: "Federal Law Prohibits Medicaid Money From Being Used To Pay For Abortions Except In Cases Of Rape, A Threat To The Life Of A Mother Or Incest." From The New York Times:
Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana said Friday that he would sign a bill cutting off Medicaid financing for Planned Parenthood, a move that lawmakers in several states have begun pondering as a new approach in the battle over abortion. Indiana becomes the first state to go forward. [...] "Any organization affected by this provision can resume receiving taxpayer dollars immediately by ceasing or separating its operations that perform abortions," Mr. Daniels said in a statement. Federal law prohibits Medicaid money from being used to pay for abortions except in cases of rape, a threat to the life of a mother or incest. Planned Parenthood says Medicaid dollars go toward paying for items like annual exams, birth control and breast cancer screening. [The New York Times, 4/29/11]
Kaiser Family Fund: Indiana Already Prohibits State Funds From Being Used To Cover Abortions Beyond Those "Involving Life Endangerment, Rape, And Incest" According to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), as of August 1, 2010, Indiana was one of 32 states that follows the federal standard for using state taxes to fund abortion, meaning that it funded abortion only in " |
group of travellers who were staying on vacant land in Battersea: 'Why what do I want with education? Any chaps of my acquaintance that knows how to write and count proper ain't much to be trusted into the bargain'
An Old Clothes Shop in St Giles: 'As a rule, secondhand clothes shops are far from distinguished in their cleanliness, and are often the fruitful medium for the propagation of fever, smallpox &c'
Caney the Clown once delighted at the pantomime but'since his exertions to please at Stepney Fair caused the bursting of a varicose vein in his leg, the mending of chairs brings him constant employment'
Street Doctor: 'Vendors of pills, potions and quack nostrums are not quite so numerous as they were in former days'
Dealer in Fancy Ware: 'It's not so much the imitation jewels the women are after, it's the class of jewels that make the imitation lady'
The Seller of Shellfish: 'Me and my missus are here at this corner with the barrow in all weathers, ¿specially the missus, as I takes odd jobs beating carpets, cleaning windows, and working round the public houses with my goods'
The Temperance Sweep: 'To his newly acquired sobriety, monetary prosperity soon ensued and he is well known throughout the neighbourhood, where he advocates the cause of total abstinence'
Survivors of Street Floods in Lambeth: 'As for myself, I have never felt right since that awful night when, with my little girl, I sat above the water on my bed until the tide went down'
The London Boardmen: 'If they walk on the pavement, the police indignantly throw them off into the gutter, where they become entangled in the wheels of carriages, and where cabs and omnibuses are ruthlessly driven against them' A Convicts' Home: 'It is to be regretted that the accompanying photograph does not include one of the released prisoners, but the publication of their portraits might have interfered with their chances of getting employment' Italian Street Musicans: 'There is an element of romance about the swarthy Italian youth to which the English poor cannot aspire' The Street Locksmith: 'There are several devoted to this business along the Whitechapel Rd, and each possesses a sufficient number of keys to open almost every lock in London' The Water Cart: 'It costs me about twelve shillings a week for my living and the rest I must save, I have laid aside eight pounds this past twelve months'Eminem disses Iggy Azalea on “Vegas,” a cut slated to appear on the forthcoming Shady XV album, according to rap-up.
“So swallow my pride, you’re lucky just to follow my ride / If I let you run alongside the Humvee / Unless you’re Nicki, grab you by the wrist, let’s ski / So what’s it gon’ be / Put that shit away, Iggy / You don’t wanna blow that rape whistle on me,” Eminem says on the song, according to rap-up.
Iggy Azalea has responded to the lyrics in a series of tweets.
They are as follows, as is a snippet of “Vegas”:
im bored of the old men threatening young women as entertainment trend and much more interested in the young women getting $ trend. zzzz — IGGY AZALEA (@IGGYAZALEA) November 20, 2014
its especially akward because my 14 year old brother is the biggest eminem fan and now the artist he admired says he wants to rape me. nice! — IGGY AZALEA (@IGGYAZALEA) November 20, 2014
women in music have the bigger balls anyhow we endure much more harassment and critic. good morninnggggg!!!!!! off to camera block for AMAs! — IGGY AZALEA (@IGGYAZALEA) November 20, 2014
RELATED: Yelawolf Says He’s Surprised About “Shady XV” Song SelectionKey Highlights Flash memory market registered 53% decline in units shipped in Q1 FY18.
Expansion of internal memory and levy of GST charges on flash drives also weakened demand.
Indians have now switched to buying lower flash memory devices of 4GB and lower.
The Indian consumer storage flash memory market comprising of Micro SD cards, flash drives, SD cards and pen drives registered a 53% fall in units shipped in the first quarter of FY18 (Q1 FY18) as against the same period a year ago.
The total number of units shipped amounted to 1.16 crore at the end of the quarter, CMR Insights report said on Thursday.
“The overall India Consumer Storage Flash Memory market, comprising Micro SD cards, SD cards and Flash drives, witnessed a 53% decline in 2Q CY 2017 as against 2Q CY 2016, in terms of units shipped,” the report said.
The units shipped were 8% lower than the previous quarter – Q4 FY17.
The growth of internal memory in smartphones led to the decline of demand of these external hardware options, the report said. This fall in units shipped was also attributed to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) which is now at 18% for flash drives.
However Micro SD cards registered a 2% growth from the previous quarter with total number of units shipped in the quarter at 69 lakh from 68 lakh in Q4 FY17.
“The Micro SD Cards are the largest contributor to the consumer storage flash memory market and therefore, the growth of large internal memory mobile phones has influenced the sector a lot. Lot of price variations among the branded products resulted in the stocks accumulation in 2Q CY 2017, this became one of the major factors of decline of overall Consumer Storage Flash Memory Market in 2Q CY 2017,” Shipra Sinha, Analyst, Consumer Storage Flash Memory Market.
She further added, “The sales were largely affected especially in June 2017 because of current Modi Government’s plan to introduce Goods and Services Tax (GST) in July 2017.The plan to launch GST forced the brands to buy very limited stocks which they could sell in that same period. Hence GST became the second most important factor of decline of Consumer Storage Flash Memory Market in 2Q CY 2017.”
Indians have now switched to buying lower flash memory devices of 4GB and lower.
The most popular brand in the flash memory market was SanDisk however the report said its market share had decreased from 50% in the previous quarter to 41% in Q1 FY18.
“Strontium grabbed the number two position and Sony captured the number three spot in terms of unit shipments in 2Q CY 2017,” the report added.
“Going forward the market will witness a shift towards higher capacity segments because of almost all major vendors moving towards implementing 3D Flash Technology in their manufacturing process,” Shipra added.In this Japanese name, the family name is Tajiri.
Satoshi Tajiri (Japanese: 田尻 智, Hepburn: Tajiri Satoshi, born August 28, 1965[1]) is a Japanese video game designer best known as the creator of Nintendo's Pokémon franchise and the founder and CEO of video game developer Game Freak. A fan of arcade games, Tajiri wrote for and edited his own video gaming fanzine Game Freak with Ken Sugimori, before evolving it into a development company of the same name. Tajiri claims that the joining of two Game Boys via a link cable inspired him to create a game which embodied the collection and companionship of his childhood hobby, insect collecting. The game, which became Pokémon Red and Pokémon Green, took six years to complete and went on to spark a multibillion-dollar franchise which reinvigorated Nintendo's handheld gaming. Tajiri continued to work as director for the Pokémon series until the development of Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, when he changed his role to simply executive producer.
Tajiri has also worked for other projects including Mario spin-offs. His work has earned him numerous accolades from his peers. He is also an executive producer for the live-action film Pokémon: Detective Pikachu.[2]
Early life [ edit ]
Satoshi Tajiri was born on August 28, 1965, in Tokyo.[3] Tajiri grew up in Machida, Tokyo, which, at the time still maintained a rural atmosphere.[4] As a child, Tajiri enjoyed insect collecting as a hobby, which would be an inspiration for his later video game work.[5] Other children called him "Dr. Bug",[4] and he wanted to become an entomologist.[3] As urban areas of Japan spread and more land was paved over, habitats for hunting bugs were lost. Tajiri wanted his games to allow children to have the feeling of catching and collecting creatures as he had.[5]
He became fascinated with arcade games as a teenager, though his parents thought him a delinquent for this pastime.[3] He particularly enjoyed playing Taito's Space Invaders, which drew him into other video games.[4] His interest eventually evolved into attempting to plan his own games. He took his Famicom apart to see how it worked, and won a contest for a video game idea sponsored by Sega.[4]
Because of his fascination with video games, Tajiri frequently cut classes and nearly did not graduate high school. This confused and upset his parents, who felt that he was discarding his own future. His father attempted to get him a job at The Tokyo Electric Power Company, but Tajiri declined to take the position.[3] He took make-up classes and eventually earned his high school diploma.[6] Tajiri did not attend university, but instead attended a two-year technical degree program at the Tokyo National College of Technology, where he majored in electronics and computer science.[3]
Career [ edit ]
Pokémon An animated history of how Satoshi Tajiri came to conceive
Tajiri wrote and edited a fanzine called Game Freak from 1981 to 1986, focusing on the arcade game scene.[7][8] Game Freak was handwritten and stapled together. It was illustrated by Ken Sugimori.[4] Satoshi created the Game Freak fanzine to help out gamers. It contained tips on winning games, as well as lists of easter eggs in games. The highest number of copies an issue of the magazine sold was over 10,000, attained by an issue detailing how to get a high score in the game Xevious.[9][10] Nonetheless, Ken Sugimori, who later illustrated the first 151 Pokémon, saw the magazine at a dōjinshi shop, and became involved.[11] As more contributors came to Game Freak, Tajiri began to realize that most games were lacking in quality, and he and Sugimori decided the solution was to make their own games.[4] Tajiri studied the Family BASIC game programming package, to better grasp the concepts of Famicom game design. He then purchased the requisite hardware for game development.[8] Tajiri and Sugimori evolved the magazine into the video game development company Game Freak in 1989.[1][12] Soon after, the two pitched their first game, an arcade-style game called Quinty, to Namco, who published the game.[13] Tajiri also wrote as a freelance writer for the magazine Famicom Hisshōbon, later called Hippon,[14] and reviewed arcade games for Family Computer Magazine and Famicom Tsūshin.
Tajiri first conceived the idea of Pokémon in 1990.[4] The idea came together after he saw a Game Boy and the ability to communicate between Game Boys,[4] and Tajiri decided Pokémon made the most sense on the handheld console. When he thought about the link cable being able to interact with two Game Boys, he envisioned bugs crawling back and forth, recalling his childhood love of bug collecting.[9] Tajiri pioneered the idea of connectivity between handheld game consoles, by suggesting that Game Boys could use their link cables in order to have friends do more than simply play against each other.[15] This idea of the two systems communicating with was for the players to be able to trade Pokemon with one another.
When he first pitched the idea of Pokémon to Nintendo, they could not quite grasp the concept, but were impressed enough with Tajiri's game design reputation that they decided to explore it. Shigeru Miyamoto began to mentor Tajiri, guiding him during the creation process.[3] Pokémon Red and Blue took six years to produce, and nearly bankrupted Game Freak in the process; often, there was barely enough money to pay the employees.[3] Five employees quit, and Tajiri did not take a salary, instead living off of his father's income.[3] Investment from Creatures Inc. allowed Game Freak to complete the games, and in return, Creatures received one-third of the franchise rights.[16]
Between the approval and completion stages of the project, Tajiri assisted in the design of two Mario spin-off games for Nintendo: Yoshi and the Japanese-only release Mario & Wario.[17] He also worked on 1994's Pulseman.[18]
Once the games were completed, very few media outlets gave it attention, believing the Game Boy was a dead console; a general lack of interest of merchandising convinced Tajiri that Nintendo would reject the games.[3] The Pokémon games were not expected to do well, but sales steadily increased until the series found itself among Nintendo's top franchises.[5] Rumors of a hidden Pokémon creature named Mew, which could only be obtained by exploiting programming errors, increased interest in the game.[3] Tajiri had included Mew in the game in order to promote trading and interaction between players, but Nintendo was not aware of the creature upon release.[19] The franchise helped Nintendo's waning sales.[20] Tajiri deliberately toned down violence in his games. In this vein, he designed Pokémon creatures to faint rather than die upon their defeat, as he believed it was unhealthy for children to equate the concept of death with losing a game.[4] After the completion and release of Red and Blue in Japan, Tajiri later worked on 1997's Bushi Seiryūden: Futari no Yūsha.[21] Tajiri continues to be involved in the more modern Pokémon titles as well. For Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen, he supervised the process from start to finish and approved all the text.[22] While developing games, Tajiri works irregular hours, often laboring 24 hours at a time and resting 12 hours.[4]
Inspirations [ edit ]
Tajiri cites Shigeru Miyamoto as a major influence, thinking of him as a sort of mentor. For this reason, his developmental style closely matches that of Miyamoto.[5] In the Pokémon anime, the main character is named Satoshi, and his rival is Shigeru.[5]
Tajiri drew much of his inspiration from old Japanese shows and anime,[23] including Godzilla and Ultraman.[4] He has stated that if he did not design video games, he would most likely be in the anime field.[4]
Awards and recognition [ edit ]
IGN named Tajiri one of the top 100 game creators of all time, mainly for his ability to have built Pokémon into a "worldwide phenomenon".[5] Electronic Gaming Monthly credited Tajiri as one of the 10 most influential people who made the modern video game market.[20] Video game magazine Edge placed Tajiri on their list of the "Hot 100 Game Developers of 2008".[24] Tajiri, alongside Tsunekazu Ishihara, received the Special Award from the Computer Entertainment Developers Conference in 2011.[25] The Economist has described Pokémon as "Japan’s most successful export."[26]
Works [ edit ]
See also [ edit ]The next time you scoff at grabbing one of those free NYC condoms at the bar, think of all the way-more-terrible methods people used to employ to prevent pregnancy. History is full of all sorts of horrible-sounding devices, tricks and superstitions women have used to try to avoid getting pregnant before the pill and latex condoms came along. Here are 10 of the weirdest birth control methods from throughout time.
Lemons
This method dates back to the Talmud. Women would soak sponges in lemon juice before inserting them into the vagina. The idea was that citric acid’s spermicidal properties would prevent impregnation.
Famous Lothario Casanova allegedly inserted the rinds of lemons in his lovers as a method of preventing little Casanovas.
Mercury
Your body temperature may be rising, but putting mercury anywhere near your privates is not recommended. But ancient civilizations, enamored with the mystery metal, assigned it healing properties for a variety of ailments.
Women in ancient China were told that drinking hot mercury would prevent pregnancy. Which is kind of true, since drinking mercury can lead to organ failure and death, so those women definitely wouldn’t be carrying a child anytime soon.
Coca-Cola
Not all crazy birth control methods date back to ancient pre-technology societies.
In the 1950s, the idea spread that the carbonic acid in Coca-Cola killed sperm, the sugar exploded sperm cells and the carbonation of the drink forced the liquid into the vagina. So it became an after-sex douche: Women would shake up a bottle, insert it and let the soda fly.
Research studies eventually debunked the method. It gives a new meaning to those “you’re on Coke” ads, however.
Animal intestines
As far back as the 1400s, China and Japan were using lamb intestines, sometimes soaked in milk, as primitive condoms that covered just the head of the penis. Maybe it was because the process of sausage-making looked familiar to horny people of the time.
But in Japan, some condoms were made of tortoise shell or animal horn, which would likely be significantly less pleasant.
Blacksmith water
Those ancient Greeks, always mindful of waste, found a way to reuse the water that blacksmiths used to cool materials. Some thought drinking it would prevent pregnancy.
The idea persisted up through World War I, when women volunteered to work in factories for the free exposure to lead. Of course, exposure to lead can cause lots of other health problems, so pregnancy was the least of their concerns.
Weasel testicles
This one was straight up for believers in magic, who were common during ye olde Dark Ages. Women in Europe wore amulets fashioned from weasel testicles, or bone taken from the right side of a black cat, to ward off pregnancy.
The chapter on this must have been cut from Harry Potter.
Flushing
Lots of women throughout history thought the answer to pregnancy was flushing it all away. Native American women tried steaming sperm out using a special kettle; others have tried seawater, vinegar, lemon juice and other acidic liquids.
As we all know, spermicide isn’t effective at stopping pregnancy once the seed is already inside the vagina, so steaming it never stood a chance.
Crocodile poop
The ancient Egyptians came up with this method, dating back to 1850 B.C. Women would stick a ball of crocodile dung and honey in themselves, hoping the alkaline qualities would prevent pregnancy.
It probably stopped pregnancy, but only because a big ball of reptile droppings is an effective mood killer.
Cotton
This one took some work. As cited in an ancient medical manuscript dating back to 1550 B.C., women were told to grind dates, acacia tree bark and honey together into a paste and apply the mixture to seed wool, which would be inserted vaginally.
The acacia in the cotton fermented into lactic acid, which has spermicidal properties, and the wool served as a physical barrier blocking insemination. These proto-diaphragms were buried with women so they wouldn’t get pregnant in the afterlife either.
Pennyroyal
Ancient Greeks and Romans used this plant from the mint genus for many things — flavoring, cooking and drinking to induce menstruation and abortion. The use of it as a birth-control device appears in 1st-century physician Dioscorides’ volume on herbal medicine.
But drinking too much of this tea can be toxic and lead to organ failure.When I started this blog with the silly name “Dude Where is My Gomar (Donkey),” I didn’t know if anyone would even read it. After surpassing 5000 views recently, I wanted to write about how the internet creates an opportunities for Peace Corps Volunteers to create cross-cultural understanding that just wasn’t possible before.
Peace Corps, the US government organization I work for in Albania, has 3 goals. Two of these goals are about increasing cross cultural understanding between the countries volunteers live in and the United States. The third is about providing skills to our host country partners.
After learning that about half my readers come from countries not America or Albania, I am reminded about my experience hosting European backpackers through the website couchsurfing. After serving as a personal tour guide for Belgian, Polish, German, etc folks, I realized there is something of a new cross cultural goal I was fulfilling. This goal I would describe as being a liaison between the rest of the world and my host country in a way that only a foreigner integrated into his community can. This goal has only been made really feasible with blogs and couchsurfing.org.
For example, had I not hosted backpackers they may never have ventured into villages, visited a small town in the mountains, experienced being invited to coffee in a villager’s house, or had a conversation (or friendly argument) with an Albanian who doesn’t speak English. I remember taking some Belgian folks to a village where we had coffee with an Albanian whose brother was in Belgium. Afterwords, the Belgians said to me ” I don’t know if we would have invited Albanians to our house in Belgium for coffee.” Albanians don’t have a great reputation in Europe so I took his reconsideration of Albanians to heart.
The idea of this fourth cross-cultural goal comes to mind when I think about people who read my blog. Would those people from Indonesia or Nigeria have ever understood why the 2013 election in Albania was so important or would they have ever listened to patriotic Albanian pop music if they hadn’t stumbled across my blog? Would they ever have read the wikipedia page about ethnic Albanians in neighboring countries, an article about sex-selective abortion in Albania, or the wikipedia article about the 1997 uprising in Albania?
I’ve had a great time learning about Albania and writing about my time here in this fascinating, oft-forgotten country. When I see in my blog’s visitor statistics that people from around the world have read my blog, I cant help but feel that by sharing Albania internationally that I have made Albania a little less forgotten globally. This may not be one of the Peace Corps’ goals, but it is certainly one of mine.
Thanks for reading 🙂
to read more about the Peace Corps, check out the wikipedia page.
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This article was published 3/6/2014 (1729 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Modest Mouse, which became one of reigning indie rock acts of the 2000s thanks to its Grammy-nominated breakthrough 2004 album Good News For People Who Love Bad News, has announced a 15-date summer tour that includes a stop at the Burton Cummings Theatre on July 28.
Tickets range in price from $52.50 to $58.50 and go on sale Friday, June 6 at 10 a.m. via Ticketmaster.
Broken Social Scene’s Kevin Drew and Mimicking Birds are also on the bill.
Modest Mouse, led by singer/guitarist Isaac Brock, has alluded to working on the long-awaited follow-up to 2007’s We Were Dead Before This Ship Even Sank, which is rumoured to include appearances from Big Boi and Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic. No release date has been set.In the course of his short but prolific career, writer-director Mickey Keating has been responsible for creating some memorably twisted characters, from Lauren Ashley Carter’s unraveling housesitter in the haunted house film Darling to Pat Healy’s homicidal sniper in the survival-thriller Carnage Park. But, if we’re understanding matters correctly, with his new film Psychopaths, Keating has set out to see what would happen if he filled a film with nothing but maniacs.
The film concerns a sort of Mischief Night for a group of serial killers which is triggered by the execution by electric chair of a madman in an unidentified prison. There’s Alice (Ashley Bell), an escaped mental patient who thinks she’s living in a 1950s glamour world; Blondie (Angela Trimbur), a beautiful seductress who lures men down into her suburban basement; a strangler (James Landry Hébert) who preys on unsuspecting women; and an enigmatic masked contract killer (Sam Zimmerman) whose next job sends him to seedy nightclub. As the night progresses, the body count rises and the fate of these deranged murderers is sealed in blood.
Psychopaths receives its world premiere at the forthcoming Tribeca Film Festival on April 20. Watch the exclusive first clip above.
OutbrainToei Animation revealed on Saturday at the Jump Festa 2018 event that it is developing the 20th anime film in Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball franchise. The film is slated to open in Japan in December 2018.
The film's theme will be "Saiyans: The strongest fighting race in the universe," and will depict the "origin" of the strength of the Saiyan race. Toriyama is credited with the original work, script, and character design.
The first Dragon Ball film, Dragon Ball Movie 1: Curse of the Blood Rubies, opened in Japan in December 1986. A new film opened once a year between 1986 and 1989, and then two films opened each year between 1990-1995. One more film then opened in 1996.
The film franchise then took a 17-year break, and the Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods film opened in Japan in March 2013. The film earned 2.99 billion yen (about US$26.5 million by today's conversion) in Japan. In 2015, the Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F' film opened, and it earned 3.74 billion yen (about US$33.1 million) in Japan.There is much speculation around when the Ferguson Grand Jury is likely to finally release their (widely expected) no true bill (non-indictment) of Police Officer Darren Wilson over the shooting death of Mike Brown.
A great many people, myself included, have suggested that the authorities responsible for the release of the Grand Jury’s findings would be prudent to wait for colder weather to do so, relying on the conventional wisdom that colder temperatures tend to diminish the frequency and intensity of riots and the other violent behavior (looting, arson) exhibited by the Ferguson protestors.
Legal Insurrection commenter Another Ed, however, has moved us past mere conventional wisdom on this subject by kindly linking to a scientific paper that studies precisely the correlation between riots and temperature.
That paper, “Ambient Temperature and the Occurrence of Collective Violence: A new Analysis,” by JM Carlsmith and CA Anderson of Stanford University, was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology in 1979. It is embedded at the bottom of this post, for those of you who enjoy reading primary research scientific literature.
The Carlsmith paper conducted a re-analysis of earlier research, and found that in fact rioting (or, as they more politely refer to it “collective violence,” as if it were a workshop of some kind) increases “monotonically” with temperature.
The results of their research and analysis?
We conclude that the likelihood of a riot in a given city increases as the maximum ambient daily temperature in that city increases.
They helpfully include a graphical representation of their findings:
(As an aside, this paper is old enough that the authors sill make use of a null hypothesis to validate their findings. Climate researchers, take note.)
How do these scientific findings apply to the Ferguson Grand Jury? Well, let us take a look at the average monthly high and low temperatures in St. Louis MO, immediately adjacent to Ferguson.
Mike Brown was killed in the month of August, during which the average high temperature is 88F and the average low 70F. August also “enjoyed” the most violent of the Ferguson protests, as illustrated in the image at the top of this post.
Now, of course, we are in the month of November, with average temperatures (H:56F, L:39F) having dropped roughly 40% from their August figures. This suggests, based on the research of Carlsmith and Anderson that rioting should be much reduced in November relative to August.
Fortuitously for Ferguson, however, they are currently presented with a unique suitable opportunity to take advantage of the riot:temperature correlation in releasing the Grand Jury findings.
Specifically, temperatures for tomorrow, Monday, November 17 are currently being forecast to be well below the historical November average, hovering in the mid-20F’s.
Of course, in considering the effect of temperature on outdoor human activity merely looking at the raw temperature is not enough. One must also consider the windspeed, in combination with that temperature. And tomorrow is forecast to be an exceptionally windy day in Ferguson MO, with wind speeds in the range of 20MPH throughout the day.
The website weather.com conveniently calculates a “Feels Like” temperature that illustrates this point. Their calculations show that the “Feels Like” temperature tomorrow will have a high of 16F and a low of (wait for it) 5F.
That’s five degrees Fahrenheit.
I’ve represented the forecast raw temperature, “Feels Like” temperature, and wind speed for November 17 in the graph below.
Based on that graph, I humbly suggest that mid-afternoon might be a particularly well-suited time for release of the news that the Grand Jury has (I expect) declined to indict Officer Darren Wilson.
Anybody care to set up a pool? 🙂
Here’s the Carlsmith and Anderson paper, for your scientific literature reading pleasure:
–-Andrew, @LawSelfDefense
Andrew F. Branca is an MA lawyer and the author of the seminal book “The Law of Self Defense, 2nd Edition,” available at the Law of Self Defense blog (autographed copies available) and Amazon.com (paperback and Kindle). He also holds Law of Self Defense Seminars around the country, and provides free online self-defense law video lectures at the Law of Self Defense Institute and podcasts through iTunes, Stitcher, and elsewhere.‘It’s Best To Build Them Up For One Big Trip,’ All-Star Says
SAN ANTONIO—Conversing with teammates during practice Friday, Spurs center Tim Duncan urged San Antonio’s players to be smarter with their frequent-flyer miles by accumulating the reward points for one big trip rather than squandering them little by little. “I can’t stress enough how important it is to practice restraint and never cash your miles for a domestic flight, even if it’s for a vacation,” Duncan was overheard telling guard Kawhi Leonard, at one point bringing the 22-year-old over to a whiteboard to explain how it was more prudent to save the frequent-flyer miles for a trip to an international destination. “Just remember to keep your composure and wait. You never know when an emergency might pop up and you’ll desperately need the miles. I also want to emphasize that if you’re not all using credit cards with miles bonuses, you’re missing out on an excellent opportunity.” At press time, several Spurs reported receiving emails notifying them that they had been shared on a Google doc titled “Tim’s Travel Tips” and a spreadsheet named “Budgeting Your FF Miles.”The 860 series is one of the most maligned of all Ducatis. Styled by auto designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, it was ahead of its time and sales were poor. But it’s also one of those bikes that has aged gracefully, and 35 years later, this lightly tweaked custom is an absolute traffic-stopper.
‘Paola’ is owned by Munich-based photographer Hermann Köpf, and she’s a hard-working bike, taking her owner on regular travels around Europe. And despite appearances, this Ducati has only been slightly modified. The bars have been raised, and fitted with vintage-style grips and discreet blinkers on the ends. The taillight was swapped for the ‘cheapest available’ mini light. From eBay, Köpf procured a pair of fenders—which he shortened—and Conti mufflers, which he sandblasted and repainted. The rims are 2.15×18, shod with Pirelli Scorpion enduro tires, which make a huge difference to the look of the bike.
Everything else is stock. ‘It’s a French model from 1976 that I bought years ago,’ says Köpf. The green color is something of a mystery, though. ‘It seems to be original, but even Livio Lodi, the Ducati Museum curator, couldn’t find any information about it.’ Lodi told Köpf: ‘I’ve tried to speak with some Ducati workers from that time, but nobody remembers such a strange version of the 860.’ The color gives the bike a military aesthetic that suits the angular, utilitarian styling: can any readers shed some light on this machine?
Head over to Hermann Köpf’s website for more excellent photography, including some wonderful vintage motorcycle images from the Course de Côte de Barr races in France.LESS THAN THRIVING: Capital Markets in Willis St originally offered 42 indoor sites for lease. When The Dominion Post visited this week, there were just eight stalls operating.
Disgruntled stallholders at Wellington's Capital Markets claim they are being squeezed for cash after trying to abandon the site, owned by brothel-business entrepreneurs the Chow brothers.
When the boutique markets opened in the previously vacant Willis St site at the end of last year, 42 indoor sites were advertised for lease.
When Fairfax Media visited this week, there were just eight stalls operating.
But stallholders who tried to give notice on their leases have been hit with bills amounting to thousands of dollars.
The Chows' representatives said the stallholders were offered good incentives because the markets were still being developed, and those who did not keep faith would have to pay.
The Chow Group has just gained a 10-year resource consent from the Wellington City Council to open new outdoor food markets at the site, which are planned to be ready by May.
However, the project has been plagued by difficulties from the outset - including the demolition of a historic restaurant on the land, and questions from the Wellington City Council over a lack of notification of plans to open a food market.
One stallholder, who did not want to be named for fear of legal action, said she had been led to believe a rolling monthly lease variation had replaced her original six-month fixed-term lease.
She gave a month's notice, and was horrified to be handed a bill amounting to thousands.
"It will be very, very difficult to pay. I'm just starting out and that's a huge amount for someone starting out.
"People are in a market for a reason - so they don't have the huge overhead costs and associated risks with going into a shop. For them to do that, if I had to pay that money, that would be horrible."
Chow Group corporate legal counsel Bradley Watson said all tenants asked to pay would have to do so. Their contract variations were "temporary" and did not supersede their initial tenancy agreement.
It was disappointing stallholders had withdrawn after receiving incentives including rent holidays and reductions, he said.
"This was a huge sacrifice that we made in our efforts to give support to these stallholders whilst the development proceeded."
When the stallholders first signed up, they were informed the food markets were still being developed, he said.
Those who stayed behind would reap the benefits once it was complete.
"Although disappointed with those stallholders who have chosen to break their licences and complain about us, we have never closed the door to any of them.
"What this means is that, if they want to reconsider, we would be happy to have them back."
However, another stallholder who was one of the first to leave called her time at the markets "a nightmare".
"I think I got out just in time."
Ken McFadyen also walked, saying his business never saw the foot traffic expected and he was dissatisifed with Capital Markets' management.
Lorraine Allison said she had expected the markets would flourish, but pulled out after three months when business didn't pick up.Twin doctors from Lake County team up on "The Amazing Race"
hello
The adrenaline is pumping for Lake County Dr. Jamil Abdur-Rahman as he find himself in the middle of the pack of contestants during the start to this season's "The Amazing Race," which premieres today on CBS. He and his twin, Idries, also a doctor, are competing to be the first team to circle the globe and win the $1 million prize. Courtesy of Monty Brinton/CBS
Sitting on a beach in Bora Bora isn't relaxing for Lake County Dr. Idries Abdur-Rahman because he has to search hundreds of sand castles to find the clue as a contestant on TV's "The Amazing Race." Courtesy of Robert Voets/CBS
Reality TV's "The Amazing Race" pits groups of two against each other in a grueling trek around the world that demands teamwork, smarts, endurance, a talent for getting along with all kinds of people, and the ability to work well under intense pressure while getting very little sleep.
Twin brothers Jamil and Idries Abdur-Rahman of suburban Lake County figure they can win this thing and the $1 million prize because that's pretty much been their lives.
Growing up in the diverse Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, the African-American, Muslim brothers attracted friends of all colors and religions. After high school, they completed their undergraduate work -- together -- at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Then it was on to Rush Medical School -- together. After their medical residencies, where they worked at hospitals less than 2 miles apart, they opened a women's health care practice -- together -- in Ottawa, Ill., and recently they were hired -- together -- at the Vista Health System's medical campus in Lindenhurst and state-of-the-art New Family Center at Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan.
Now 36, the brothers are teammates for the 22nd installment of "The Amazing Race," which premieres at 7 p.m. today on CBS. Jamil is in the process of moving his family to Barrington, and Idries is busy with his family's move to Grayslake, but they'll find a way to watch the show together.
"It'll probably be a little more fun to do that," Jamil says with big smile.
After all these years together, the twins still enjoy each other's company.
"There's always been competition," admits Idries, "but we're doing all these things together."
Teammates on a youth baseball team, they soon |
-negotiable, one-size-fits-none requirement pushing the service’s core workforce onto the career ledge … all the while behaving as though the causes of suicide, mental illness, and disciplinary infractions are irretrievably mysterious.
Cody and the service’s senior leaders are often the creators and fuelers of the problems they’re responsible for solving, and Course 15 is a great lens for catching a glimpse of that reality. It is held to the necks of NCOs like the Sword of Damocles, and they are ordered to learn on pain of career death. It doesn’t take a Mensa membership to see how misguided an idea this is.
But the worst part about something like Course 15 is the way it preys on the “can-do” attitude and team-play orientation of solid airmen. They desperately want to answer when duty calls. Led to do so, many will lean forward until they fall over. And among airmen are those with sufficient faith in their leaders that even in the face of abject stupidity, they will take up fighting wing and protect those same leaders … willfully blinding themselves to brazen malpractice.
While many NCOs were understandably reacting to the latest fiasco by re-labeling Cody “E9AF” … one guy (whose name we have deliberately withheld) took a different approach. Of all those flavors, he chose Blue Kool-Aid.
As you can see, what starts as a “shut up and color” broadside eventually wanders into an ambivalent meditation on the changing nature of the power structure of today’s volunteer Air Force, complete with an unwitting acknowledgement that the leaders he’s apologizing for have only themselves and their predecessors to blame.
Still, this guy seems to wish for a world in which no one mouths off, or at least a world in which mouthing off didn’t work. That world has never existed. What has existed before is a service climate marked by the kind of conflict we’re seeing now in the Air Force. See the Vietnam-era Army for an illuminating prequel illustrating that while history may not repeat itself, it rhymes.
What this poster is also missing is a large part of the story of how we got here. Social media may be fueling the disquiet of the disempowered by helping expose previously obscured BS and by helping channel a previously muffled voice that can’t be ignored without incurring steep institutional costs. But social media isn’t the cause of any new conflict under the sun. It’s just the medium for the playing out of that conflict.
A large part of how we got here is through the very brand of blind followership exhorted by this commenter. He envisions not just an obedient force of airmen, but a spineless, supine, unquestioning one that stands silent in the face of the obviously misguided, unduly punitive, or otherwise counterproductive. He ignores the fundamental duty of any NCO to spot and highlight and challenge anything that he believes in good faith will threaten the mission — no matter where it emanates from.
The brand of obedient conformity encouraged here is probably never appropriate. History — and particularly military history — is littered with stories of failure fueled by overuse of the word “yes.” But if it is ever appropriate, it’s when leaders are peculiarly skilled, conscientious, and capable … such that the policies they enact engender peculiarly high levels of trust and confidence.
We’re not in that world right now, which makes this comment wildly wrong, even if it is also entertaining and a useful learning device.
© 2016 Bright Mountain, LLC
All rights reserved. The content of this webpage may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written consent of Bright Mountain, LLC which may be contacted at media@bmaq.comIT is a sad day when Zac Goldsmith occupies the moral high ground over the Scottish Government.
The Tory MP’s decision to force a by-election rather than accept the UK Government’s imposition of a third runway at congested Heathrow is being dismissed as a political stunt. But at least he honoured a promise to resign.
That counts for something in an age when hypocrisy has been elevated almost to a principle of government: when the Foreign Secretary writes articles opposing Brexit and then becomes its leading advocate; when the Prime Minister tells bankers privately that leaving the EU will be ruinous and then turns into the apostle of hard Brexit. The attractions of office seem to over-ride not only moral constraints but rational ones, too. Nothing has changed since Mrs May told Goldman Sachs the economy would be seriously damaged by leaving the single market, nor since she pledged to oppose Heathrow’s expansion.
Read more: Nicola Sturgeon's post-Brexit blueprint to be published by end of 2016
She supported David Cameron’s “no ifs, no buts” promise to block runway three. The Scottish Government is also in the dock for hypocrisy. Nicola Sturgeon stands accused of abandoning her environmental principles and succumbing to lobbying from the Chinese-backed consortium behind the Heathrow expansion. The First Minister has apparently placed at Mrs May’s disposal the votes of her 56 SNP MPs at Westminster (technically 54 because two have had to resign the whip) so that she can defeat an expected backbench Tory rebellion.
I don’t know what the rest of the SNP group thinks but those in it should be worried about the reaction in Scotland if they troop into the Tory lobby when Heathrow is put before the Commons, probably next year. After all, the 56 defied Mr Cameron over fox hunting on moral grounds. Environmental issues don’t come much more clear-cut than Heathrow. It’s a funny sense of priorities if foxes are more important than the lungs of west Londoners.
Aviation lobbyists had been spending tens of thousands of pounds installing expensive lounges at the SNP conference but no one seriously believes Ms Sturgeon was easily swayed by lobbyists. So what is going on? Perhaps we will hear in future ministerial memoirs about deals being done with Mrs May behind the scenes. Was Heathrow discussed on the quiet after the Joint Ministerial Committee this week? It’s a coincidence that the announcement was the very next day. The Prime Minister surely couldn’t have made it had she not had the SNP MPs in her pocket, or a reasonable expectation that they would find their way there. With a majority of 12 and around 50 Tory MPs threatening rebellion, the UK Government’s Heathrow arithmetic doesn’t work without SNP support.
Yet SNP MPs could be helping break the law. Heathrow expansion breaches EU regulations on clean air, noise and other forms of pollution. The area around Heathrow is a noxious nitrogen dioxide (NO2) blackspot not just because of the 500,000 planes that fly there ever year, but because of the traffic that piles up around the most congested airport in Europe. Even without Heathrow’s new runway on stilts, the area is on course to breach EU limits on NO2. SNP MPs talk about the malign influence of the metropolis on Scotland but poisoning west Londoners seems to be a rather extreme way of punishing them for it.
Read more: Nicola Sturgeon's post-Brexit blueprint to be published by end of 2016
It also makes a nonsense of the Scottish Government’s commitments on CO2 emissions. We knew that the UK Government had given up on all of this “green crap” as David Cameron put it but we didn’t think the SNP was in the same climate-change camp. Moreover, to reconcile Heathrow with emissions targets, capacity will have to be cut from regional airports. This means even more short-haul flights through London; more business activity focussed on the south east; and more infrastructure billions spent on the city that already receives 24 times more investment per capita than the north of England.
If you were going to build a new airport, Heathrow is the last place you would put it. London is one of the very few major cities in the world where planes routinely fly over the city centre. It’s because of the prevailing winds, which mean they have to approach east to west. I have lived near, but thankfully not under, the Heathrow flightpath and I know what the noise is like. It’s like living under a motorway for planes.
The airport will have to become a no-fly zone for six-and-a-half hours a night so that Londoners can sleep. To make Heathrow’s surroundings tolerable, £700 million will be spent on sound insulation alone. Some 800 homes need to be demolished. The M25 will have to be expanded, according to Heathrow’s own publicity brochures, to a 14 lane mega-highway to cope with the millions of extra passengers trying to arrive at and leave the airport.
So why is the Scottish Government backing Mrs May in this project which many believe is so daft it will never actually be built? Well, they say that 16,000 jobs will be created in Scotland, which is speculative to say the least since it won’t happen for 15 years at the earliest. So, too, is the claim that, in some way, Prestwick airport, which is Scottish Government-owned, will benefit from Heathrow expansion. An industry expert I spoke to who knows a great deal about Prestwick described that as poppycock. This is a dreadfully thin rationale. The Scottish Government has an inconsistent record on the environment, despite its protestations to the contrary. It has sound missions targets but always seems to find money for roads and bridges while GP numbers dwindle and social services are cut.
Read more: Nicola Sturgeon's post-Brexit blueprint to be published by end of 2016
It has opted to cut Air Passenger Duty on the dubious grounds that businessmen will be encouraged to fly to Scotland to save £10 on a business-class ticket. The equivocation on fracking has also caused alarm among loyal SNP supporters. This matters. The Scottish Government can’t afford to be seen as just another tawdry administration that assumes the shape of the last corporate bottom that sat on it.
There seems no obvious reason why the SNP Government had to expend valuable political capital on a Heathrow project that is so obviously damaging. Ms Sturgeon could just have remained aloof, allowed the Gatwick and Heathrow lobbies to fight it out amongst themselves and said, in effect: nothing to do with us. Instead, her Government abandoned its previous agnosticism and its environmental principles and presented SNP MPs with the unedifying prospect of marching into the government lobbies to save an unpopular Prime Minister from defeat.
No one seems to know why she has done it. I don’t believe the First Minister is swayed by the wining and dining of Heathrow lobbyists so the best theory appears to be that she has been offered something in exchange. Well, all I can say is: it better be something pretty damned good.The pressure on social media companies to limit or take down content in the name of national security has never been greater. Resolving any ambiguity about how much the Obama administration values the companies’ cooperation, the White House on Friday dispatched the highest echelon of its national security team — including the attorney general, the FBI director, the director of national intelligence, and the NSA director — to Silicon Valley for a meeting with technology executives chaired by the White House chief of staff himself. The agenda for the meeting tried to convey a locked-arms sense of camaraderie, asking, “How can we make it harder for terrorists to leveraging [sic] the internet to recruit, radicalize, and mobilize followers to violence?”
Congress, too, has been turning up the heat. On December 16, the House passed the Combat Terrorist Use of Social Media Act, which would require the president to submit a report on “United States strategy to combat terrorists’ and terrorist organizations’ use of social media.” The Senate is considering a far more aggressive measure, which would require providers of Internet communications services to report to government authorities when they have “actual knowledge” of “apparent” terrorist activity (a requirement that, because of its vagueness and breadth, would likely harm user privacy and lead to over-reporting).
The government is of course right that terrorists use social media, including to recruit others to their cause. Indeed, social media companies already have systems in place for catching real threats, incitement, or actual terrorism. But the notion that social media companies can or should scrub their platforms of all potentially terrorism-related content is both unrealistic and misguided. In fact, mandating affirmative monitoring beyond existing practices would sweep in protected speech and turn the social media companies into a wing of the national security state.
The reasons not to take that route are both practical and principled. On a technical level, it would be extremely difficult, if not entirely infeasible, to screen for actual terrorism-related content in the 500 million tweets that are generated each day, or the more than 400 hours of video uploaded to YouTube each minute, or the 300 million daily photo uploads on Facebook. Nor is it clear what terms or keywords any automated screening tools would use — or how using such terms could possibly exclude beliefs and expressive activity that are perfectly legal and non-violent, but that would be deeply chilled if monitored for potential links to terrorism.
Nor are employees of social media companies well-positioned to analyze and interpret content for potential links to terrorism. It’s an open question whether anyone inside or outside the government can accurately and consistently distinguish users inciting terrorism from those who are observing it or reporting on it, but placing the onus for doing so on the technology companies themselves is folly.
That leaves existing content-flagging mechanisms, which rely on users to identify content that violates the companies’ rules or terms of service. Those rules vary: Twitter, for instance, prohibits users from threatening or promoting terrorism, and it recently announced an expanded prohibition on “hateful conduct.” The Google/YouTube content rules are generally similar to Twitter’s. Facebook’s Community Standards, on the other hand, outright prohibit expressions of support for “dangerous organizations” and ban “[s]upporting or praising leaders of those same organizations, or condoning their violent activities.”
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Even the narrowest of these content restrictions are inherently subjective and context-dependent, raising the likelihood of arbitrary, uneven enforcement. They also render minorities or those expressing unpopular views more vulnerable to reporting — or to manipulation of the reporting mechanism. That was the case, for example, when Facebook suspended the accounts of pro-Western Ukrainians accused of hate speech in a coordinated takedown campaign by multiple Russian-speaking users. In that way, users banding together can try to leverage the flagging tools for what amounts to viewpoint discrimination.
Content-flagging tools are proving irresistible to governments, which can use them to pressure social media companies to take down material that the governments themselves could not censor or that the governments simply find offensive. It’s not clear how often government agencies request that social media companies remove content that may violate their terms of service (as opposed to violating local law), because the companies don’t include those requests in their transparency reports (see, for example, here and here).
However, the United Kingdom and European Union have established teams dedicated to flagging social media content for removal. In the U.K., the Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU) was using content flagging to engineer the takedown of 1,000 pieces of content per week as of June 2015. Since its inception in 2010, the unit has prompted the removal of over 120,000 pieces of online content. YouTube has granted its invitation-only “Trusted Flagger” status to the CTIRU, enabling the unit to flag large streams of content for immediate action. The European Union has launched a comparable Internet Referral Unit, which began operations in December 2015. Content that companies take down through this process is inaccessible everywhere, meaning that a single government can try to use the process to impose its more restrictive speech standards on the rest of the world.
Lurking beneath these kinds of content restrictions is the perennial question of what constitutes terrorism or the promotion of terrorism — a question which has no clear or consistent answer in U.S. or international law, and which inevitably is subject to politics or chauvinistic impulses, and even manipulation.
In short, the considerations that counsel against pressuring or requiring social media companies to limit content on their platforms are the same considerations that animate the First Amendment. The Constitution does not prevent social media companies from choosing to limit content on their own platforms, but free speech is a value, not just a constitutional right. As speech has increasingly migrated online, today’s soapboxes are primarily digital. The free flow of information fosters issue literacy and leads to the kind of critical thought necessary for the rejection of racist or violence-inducing narratives. And limiting or censoring speech only puts it out of sight, not out of the minds of those who speak it.
Ultimately, censorship makes censored speech all the more dangerous, because we lose our most powerful tool in combatting ideas with which we disagree: the ability to identify them and respond with better ideas.* EU Commission to probe if Motorola sets unfair fees for its patents
* Microsoft filed EU complaint in February
* Google in the process of buying Motorola Mobility
By Foo Yun Chee
BRUSSELS, April 3 (Reuters) - EU regulators are investigating whether phone maker Motorola Mobility breached antitrust rules by allegedly over-charging Microsoft and Apple for use of its patents in their products, the European Commission said on Tuesday.
The European Commission, the EU antitrust regulator in the 27-country European Union, said it had opened two investigations into Motorola Mobility based on Microsoft’s and Apple’s grievances.
The Commission said it will investigate whether Motorola has failed to honour its “irrevocable commitments” made to standard-setting organisations, which produce international standards for information and communication technologies.
The EU watchdog said it would also investigate whether Motorola offered unfair licensing conditions for its standard-essential patents. It can fine companies up to 10 percent of their global turnover if found guilty of breaching EU rules.
Microsoft had asked EU antitrust regulators in February to intervene in its patent dispute with Motorola.
Microsoft’s deputy general counsel Dave Heiner said in a blog post at the time that Motorola Mobility “has refused to make its patents available at anything remotely close to a reasonable price.”
Heiner said Motorola Mobility’s action was akin to blocking sales of Microsoft’s Windows PCs, Xbox game console and other products. Microsoft also named Google, which is in the process of acquiring Motorola Mobility, in its complaint.
Google had pledged to license Motorola patents on fair and reasonable terms just before EU regulators cleared its bid to buy Motorola.
EU regulators are also investigating whether Samsung Electronics Co Ltd has infringed EU antitrust rules in its patent disputes with Apple in courts across Europe.
EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said last month that companies holding these “standard essential” patents had considerable market power, which could be used to harm competition and that this was unacceptable.WATCH ABOVE: An exclusive Ipsos Reid poll for Global News reveals nearly half of Canadians say their income causes them stress.
TORONTO – How are you feeling about your job these days? A little stressed out about the money coming in? A little less secure than your parents’ generation?
It may be small comfort, but a lot of Canadians are in the same boat.
An exclusive Ipsos Reid survey for Global News found that nearly half (45 per cent) of Canadians polled said their income, or keeping a steady income, is causing them stress.
Income as a source of stress led the pack, followed by:
Saving for retirement (40%)
Saving for big-ticket items (37%)
Making bill payments (33%)
Credit card debt (31%)
Mortgage or rent payments (30%)
Paying for dependents (24%)
READ MORE: Canadians stressed about finances as debt levels rise, exclusive poll finds
When asked if they felt secure in the current job, one quarter of Canadians said they didn’t.
Younger Canadians (under the age of 35) were the most likely to say they didn’t feel secure in their job, with one in three saying they felt anxious about job security.
One in three (34 per cent) working Canadians said they’re looking to jump careers in the next year, and younger Canadians are most likely to consider a career change, at 47 per cent.
“Some of this is likely a desire start climbing the ladder, as internal promotions are harder to come by in a time of economic uncertainty,” said Sean Simpson, Vice President, Ipsos Reid Public Affairs. “The other part is that there’s no pension tethering workers to the same employer for decades, so they feel more at liberty to shop around for the career they like best.”
When it comes to how the federal government is handling jobs and the economy, one in three (34 per cent) think the feds are doing a good job creating more jobs – but two-thirds (66 per cent) disagree.
“The sputtering economy hasn’t done much for the confidence of workers in Canada,” said Simpson.
The poll results paint a shaky picture for working Canadians – but when it comes to those who don’t have a job, the picture is even more grim.
A Global News analysis found that the percentage of Canadians who aren’t working – some of whom aren’t even looking for a job – is at historic highs.
Canadians want to work, but many of them are forced to take part-time, seasonal or temporary jobs. Some go back to school, others give up.
READ MORE: Canadians want work. Why have so many stopped looking?
Global News’ analysis showed that 66.1 per cent of Canadians (over 15 years old) are working or actively looking for work – the lowest point since 2001.
“It is indicative of a weak economy, no question,” said Mike Moffatt, an economist with the Mowat Centre and the Ivey School of Business.
And with a weak economy, you can expect that the job market will not improve — nor will Canadians’ stress levels — any time soon.
Collapsing oil prices triggered an economic shock in Canada. Many employers are looking at layoffs over hiring, according to the Conference Board of Canada. “Job seekers will have to wait until 2016 before more solid employment opportunities arise,” economists at the not-for-profit think tank said in an outlook this month.
This week on Global News’ Smart Money series, we’ll take a closer look at employment in Canada, how it could evolve in the future, and offer expert advice on how to navigate the Canadian job market.
Follow the conversation online at Globalnews.ca/smartmoney and on Twitter, #GNSmartMoney.
*With files from Anna Mehler Paperny, Jamie Sturgeon
—
The data, summaries and commentary in exclusive Global News / Ipsos Reid polling are subject to copyright. The data, summaries and commentary may only be rebroadcast or republished with full and proper attribution to both Global News and Ipsos Reid in all web articles, on social media, in radio broadcasts and with an on-screen credit for television.
This Ipsos Reid poll was conducted between Jan. 29 to Feb. 3, 2015. A sample of 1,003 adults was interviewed via the Ipsos I-Say online panel. This poll is accurate within +/- 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.A British backpacker troubled by weeks of nosebleeds found a three-inch long leech had been living up her nose for more than a month.
Daniela Liverani believed the persistent nosebleeds she suffered while travelling around south-east Asia were down to a burst blood vessel from a motorbike crash.
Days after returning to her Edinburgh home, however, she spotted an object in one nostril that she first dismissed as congealed blood.
The 24-year-old graduate was rushed to A&E at Edinburgh's Royal Infirmary after realising she had an animal up her nose.
Miss Liverani, originally from Glasgow, told the Sunday Mail: "Two weeks before I came home from Asia, I started having nosebleeds but I'd fallen off a motorbike so thought I'd burst a blood vessel.
"After I got home, the nosebleeds stopped and I started seeing something sticking out of my nostril. I just thought it was congealed blood from the nosebleeds.
"I tried to blow him out and grab him but I couldn't get a grip of him before he retreated back up my nose.
"When I was in the shower, he would come right out as far as my bottom lip and I could see him sticking out the bottom of my nose.
"So when that happened, I jumped out of the shower to look really closely in the mirror and I saw ridges on him. That's when I realised he was an animal.”
Daniela Liverani holding the leech that lived up her nose for a month (Caters)
Hospital staff examined Miss Liverani with a torch, before trying to remove the parasite with forceps and tweezers as they pinned her to the bed.
She said: “It was agony – whenever the doctor grabbed him, I could feel the leech tugging at the inside of my nose.
"Then all of a sudden, after half an hour, the pain stopped and the doctor had the leech in the tweezers.
"He was about as long as my forefinger and as fat as my thumb.
Mark Siddal, curator at the American Museum of Natural History in New York and an expert on leeches, said: "Daniela could have picked up this leech from water in Vietnam, if she had been swimming.
"Or it could have gone in through her mouth, as she was drinking water.
"Even though it was there for around a month, these leeches don't grow all that quickly, so it wouldn't have been much smaller when it went up there. It would have been quite sizeable.
"It's interesting that people don't feel these leeches go up their nose."
Read more:
Avoiding leeches when travelling
Leeches: bloodsuckers with 'a propensity for private parts'Sales of Los Angeles homes surged in March, according to a new report from the California Association of Realtors, while sale prices dropped off about 1 percent from February numbers.
The median sale price in Los Angeles County was $465,810 in March, down from $470,200 in February but well above the $441,700 price that median single family homes were selling for one year ago.
If those prices seem low, that’s probably because the association does not factor newly constructed homes into its calculations, which are typically more expensive. For comparison, a recent report from CoreLogic, which does include new houses in its analyses, found the county’s median sale price in February was $525,000.
The association’s data suggests that, even while statewide prices rose 4 percent since February, LA County isn’t quite seeing the same bump in cost for homebuyers. That trend may not last long, though, with the number of sales rising and homes spending less time on the market.
According to the report, total sales were up an impressive 45 percent since last month and 8 percent over March of last year.
Meanwhile, the median amount of time homes spent on the market before finding a buyer dropped below 30 days—from 38.8 in February and 43.2 last March. That’s the shortest amount of time on the market in at least more than a year, according to the association’s available data.
The group’s president, Geoff McIntosh, suggested that strong sale numbers statewide may be the result of rising interest rates and persistent warnings of future hikes that have inspired homebuyers to make purchases sooner rather than later.
Whatever the reason, the uptick in sales has cut into the total supply of homes available for purchase—which could in turn lead to higher prices down the road.Prosecutors argue that criminal defendants who won't willingly give themselves up shouldn't be allowed to use the resources of the court.
On Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Justice told a Virginia federal judge that Kim Dotcom and cohorts have no business challenging the seizure of an estimated $67 million in assets because the Megaupload founder is evading prosecution.
The government brought criminal charges against Dotcom in early 2012, but he's been holed up in New Zealand awaiting word on whether he'll be extradited. The government got antsy and this past July, brought a civil complaint for forfeiture in rem, a maneuver to firmly establish a hold over money from bank accounts around the world, luxury cars, big televisions, watches, artwork and other property allegedly gained by Megaupload in the course of crimes.
Kim Dotcom Fights U.S. Government's Attempt to Seize $67M in Assets
Dotcom is fighting the seizures by questioning the government's basis for asserting a crime, saying "there is no such crime as secondary criminal copyright infringement," as well as challenging how the seized assets are tied to the charges against Dotcom.
But according to the U.S. government, Dotcom doesn't get the pleasure of even making the arguments. In a motion to strike, the government cites the doctrine of fugitive disentitlement, which bars a person from using the resources of the court if that person is aware of prosecution and is evading it. The U.S. government has previously leaned on the doctrine to rebut an attempt by Dotcom's lawyers to dismiss the criminal complaint.
"Though disentitlement of fugitive claimants is discretionary, rather than mandatory, courts have found that the exercise of its discretion under § 2466 is necessary to protect the integrity of the judicial system," states the U.S. government in a motion to strike.
Dotcom could "consent to surrender," adds the government, "but has instead opposed extradition."
The U.S. government also raises the issue of timing. Dotcom's extradition hearing is currently set for June 2, 2015, but "for assets located in New Zealand, at least, the restraint sought based upon the order of this Court cannot, by statute, be extended beyond April 18, 2015."
The latest papers also offer some updates about the other defendants.
Bram van der Kolk, former lead programmer at Megaupoad, Finn Batato, former chief marketing officer, and Mathias Ortmann, former chief technology officer, are also in New Zealand awaiting extradition.
More notable are Julius Bencko, a co-founder who designed Megaupload's site, and Sven Echternach, who was the head of business development at the company. Slovakia is refusing to extradite Bencko while Germany won't hand over Echternach. According to the U.S., "they do not have to fear arrest there on the charges in this court."
Ira Rothken, lawyer for Dotcom, attacks the move as gamesmanship. He responds, "The issue is the government basically is looking to use the fugitive disentitlement doctrine as procedural mechanism to avoid arguing merits of criminal action. The issue here is that since Congress never created a statute that makes secondary criminal copyright infringement, this court doesn't have subject matter jurisdiction over this case or the defendants."
Rothken also disputes that Dotcom is a fugitive, saying he's never been to the United States, so the definition doesn't fit and the doctrine shouldn't apply on those grounds either.
This article was originally published by The Hollywood Reporter.What Isn’t New This Week – Decisive Liberty
Written by Garrett O’Brien Sept 29, 2017 (shared with written permission)
We all know WHAT has been happening this week with
> the NFL
> Puerto Rico
> Houston
> Florida
> Dr. Seuss
even the complete interruption and halting of his schedule as President Trump took to the phone and called the hospitalized police officer after having lost control of his motorcycle while motorcading the President, Vice President, Secret Service, and accompanying staff back to the President’s jet…
Which leaves what isn’t new this week as much of this has been chastised by the Left, the MSM, especially by the Regressives — and most of us already know precisely what they are going to say before they even say it as they have become THAT predictable.
Which also means they don’t get the patheticness nor do they care about liberties of others, only their own.
To which I say to those pushing back…
KEEP PUSHING BACK!
The left and the MSM and the newly born Regressives have been pushing since the days of LBJ — they are not about to give up, even at the expense of looking like ignoramuses to the right, to their friends, even their own family.
In some cases, it is the entire family.
Not Pushing Back?
Some will stand back and say the belligerent will be held accountable on Judgment Day, I don’t really need to do anything – besides there are many who are…
And I say, “Those that stand back and not do anything will be judged as well!” as omission is just as guilty as commission.
Omission means you know what you are seeing is wrong and not doing anything about it.
Omission means you know you can do something about it, even if just vocalizing, and not doing anything about it.
Omission is not do anything about what you know is incorrect.
It is something the GOP has been doing a LOT of lately and the alternative right has been rising because of it all…
It is something the private citizen Donald J. Trump saw and did something about it all, and won more than 3000 counties to Hillary’s just more than 50 counties.
What Are You Waiting For?
Many do not do anything until someone close to them becomes a victim — then they usually end up taking everything personally or they end up releasing all their pent-up aggravation.
To which I can only say two things…
It’s about time!
and
If the cumulative aggravation had been addressed when your liberties were first being infringed, do you really believe we would be in this mess in the first place?
Not putting blame anywhere, after all I was once a Democrat guilty of what the idiots are doing today.
What I am saying is like Saul of Tarsus who suddenly realizes the error of his ways, change that mind and heart of yours immediately (which is the definition of repenting) and start taking action so to own and be responsible for the liberties which are inherent from God Himself.
Otherwise, join the DNC — I hear their membership numbers are slipping to the lowest they have been for more than a century…
Have at it, don’t just sit there reading this – TAKE ACTION AND DO SOMETHING!
Everything we do affects 3 generations – our own, our children’s and our grandchildren’s – they get the blessings of our efforts as well as the curses of the things we did not correct.
Remember those words next time you look ANY child in the eye…
Then be VERY decisive about the Liberty you want to protect for yourself, your children, and your grandchildren.
Source – ForfeitLibertyForfeitAllStory highlights Castro did not offer any proof beyond his suspicion
Castro reaffirmed that it was his "impression" that it would be multiple "people"
Washington (CNN) Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro predicted Tuesday that the investigations into President Donald Trump's campaign's ties to Russia would lead to imprisonment for some of the key players.
"I wouldn't be surprised after all of this is said and done that some people end up in jail," Castro told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on "The Situation Room."
No hard evidence has been produced demonstrating that Trump or his associates colluded with Russia to interfere in the 2016 presidential election, though the FBI has told Congress at a public hearing that the agency is investigating Trumps' campaign as part of its probe into Russia's interference with the US election last year. Castro did not offer any proof beyond his suspicion.
Castro reaffirmed that it was his "impression" that it would be multiple "people" -- not one person -- who would end up in jail. Asked to elaborate, Castro declined.
"I wish I could, but I can't at this time," Castro, a member of the House intelligence committee, said. "My impression is that people will probably be charged, and I think that people will probably go to jail."Is ironically purchasing an ironic game with ironic money actually ironic? That's what Markus "Notch" Persson wondered when he unveiled his new simulator game, Cliffhorse.
Just as its name suggests, the painstakingly simple title follows a galloping horse through valleys and peaks, across grass, and under palm trees, with no particular goal in sight.
The Minecraft creator admitted in a Reddit post that he built the "early access" title in about the same time as it takes to wash a load of whites.
"I was watching PewGeminiLive streaming a blind playthrough of Skyrim, and kept jokingly referring to the game as 'Cliffhorse' because of the hilarious horse physics," Notch said. "After a while, people started saying I should make that game, and I said sure. About two hours and a bunch of free Unity assets later, Cliffhorse was done."
The free-to-download, PC-only game was released on Saturday, but with a twist: If you want to contribute some money to the project, you'll have to pay in Doge-based cryptocurrency.
As of Sunday, the game made 280,000 Dogecoin, which amounts to about $100, according to Notch.
We live in a world where Cliffhorse makes the news. Thank you for the publicity! What does it mean? Nobody knows. :) — Markus Persson (@notch) June 9, 2014
Notch called his new title "a 'haha only serious' take" on embarrassing minimum-effort greenlight games, like Goat Simulator.
So, for an added dose of parody, "it seemed to me like the 'haha only serious' angle of Dogecoin was the perfect match for it," Notch wrote on Reddit. "I also threw in a loving jab at paying for early access, which is how Minecraft got here at all."
Cliffhorse is available online. But the website specifically states that there is no guarantee of future updates.
For more on Dogecoin and other cryptocurrencies, check out PCMag's slideshow above. Also see Minecraft: A Guide for 'Old' People.JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A pledge by Hong Kong to ban its ivory trade has been welcomed by conservationists who describe it as a key step toward curbing the slaughter of African elephants.
Hong Kong's leader, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, said in Hong Kong on Wednesday that the semiautonomous Chinese city will take steps to implement a total ban on the sale of ivory because of concern about poaching that has sharply reduced elephant populations in many parts of Africa.
Hong Kong will take legislative measures as soon as possible to ban the import and export of elephant hunting trophies and explore other legislation as part of its effort to phase out the local ivory trade, Leung said.
Moves to ban the trade by the government in Hong Kong, a major conduit for ivory bound for mainland China, would dovetail with similar pledges by Beijing. Hong Kong's Basic Law, a kind of mini-constitution, grants the city a high degree of control over its own affairs.
In a statement, Peter Knights, executive director of San Francisco-based WildAid, congratulated Hong Kong for what he called "this historic step."
The World Wide Fund for Nature also welcomed the pledge, urging the government to quickly develop a clear timetable for implementation.
China is the world's largest market for illegal ivory, which has |
the escape, he said.
On Tuesday night, she drove the youth to a relative’s home in Delaware, then returned home. The youth used Miss Greenfield’s cell phone to call the family member, and that led police to discover her involvement, Lt. DeWees said.
Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.barely got this done before the special day came and went.This started back around the last Father's Day, where I read an emotional but also sad comic called "Breakdown". This is my attempt to give an optimistic look to a tough situation.I do regret that I couldn't include Big McIntosh. Time and cast size were a big factor here.I owe huge thanks to, who created both Ponyville backgrounds. I couldn't have finished this in time without them.Happy Mother's Day to all!: Someone once asked why online artists link back to Equestria Daily when they feature our comics. The simple answer is that it's a celebration. We put time and hard work into these comics, and the fandom reciprocates. It's a great feeling and a wonderful charge.Now, there are some recurring questions that have arisen, so here are my answers to each:- For the sake of this comic, they are all holding a table for lunch and waiting for Twilight and her mother to arrive.- I'm not on board with the fan theory that she is an orphan. After three seasons, we still haven't met all the parents of the Mane 6, and Scootaloo's enjoyed very little development. Until we have more info, I'm going to assume her parents have been off-screen so far.- Ah, here's a tricky one. Granny Smith is an important member of the Apple family and I don't want to dismiss the character's role. However, I think it'd be a disservice to say that, since they still have a caregiver, Applejack and Apple Bloom wouldn't miss their mother. On a day like Mother's Day, that absence can be difficult and I think a scene like this wouldn't be out of character.Thanks to every one who commented, faved, and took the time to read this comic!Paul Joseph Watson
Infowars.com
December 2, 2010
Senator Joe Lieberman, the man behind legislation to give President Obama a kill switch for the Internet in the move towards a Chinese-style government controlled world wide web, now has the power to shut down websites with a mere phone call, as was underscored yesterday when Amazon axed Wikileaks from its servers after being pressured to do so by Lieberman’s Senate Homeland Security Committee.
The revelation that Amazon had killed Wikileaks after the controversial whistle blower organization moved over its servers to Amazon’s cloud network came directly from Lieberman himself, stating that the, “Decision to cut off Wikileaks now is the right decision and should set the standard for other companies Wikileaks is using to distribute its illegally seized material.”
The decision was made after Lieberman’s staffers called Amazon to pressure the company to axe Wikileaks. “Committee staff had seen news reports yesterday that Wikileaks was being hosted on Amazon’s servers,” reports TPM. “Staffers then, according to the spokeswoman, Leslie Phillips, called Amazon to ask about it, and left questions with a press secretary including, “Are there plans to take the site down?”
Amazon later called back Lieberman’s office to tell them that they had taken down the website. Amazon claimed the take down was because Wikileaks had violated its terms of service, but as TPM’s Rachel Slajda points out, this was a somewhat nebulous reason.
“(Amazon’s) terms of acceptable use include a ban on illegal activities (it’s not yet clear whether Wikileaks has broken any laws) and content “that may be harmful to our users, operations, or reputation.” It also prohibits using Amazon’s servers “to violate the security or integrity of any network, computer or communications system,” although Wikileaks obviously obtained the cables long before hopping on Amazon’s servers.”
“Funny how Amazon spent days loudly refusing to delete a pedophile guidebook on free speech grounds, but this happened behind the scenes and the company is refusing to comment,” writes Rob Beschizza.
Wikileaks also responded to the shut down by slamming Amazon for its apparent disdain for free speech, tweeting, “If Amazon are so uncomfortable with the first amendment, they should get out of the business of selling books.”
A d v e r t i s e m e n t
{openx:49}
The London Guardian notes that the website was pulled after “US political pressure”.
Electronic Frontier Foundation senior staff attorney Kevin Bankston labeled Amazon’s decision to kill the website “disappointing,” adding that “pressure” from Lieberman’s office or any other authority serves to “limit the materials the American public has a First Amendment right to access.”
The fact that Lieberman has concentrated such power within the purview of Homeland Security and now wields it by intimidating hosting companies to take down websites with no due course or legal process is particularly alarming given his recent odious public statements concerning free speech and the web.
As we have documented, Lieberman’s vision for the Internet is less of an information superhighway and more of a government-controlled sanitized clone of cable television, where the web is purged entirely of dissent in a system even more draconian than that employed by the Communist Chinese.
The Senator has been vehemently pushing efforts to provide President Barack Obama the power to shut down the Internet with a figurative flick of a switch, and has made it clear that his Protecting Cyberspace as a National Asset Act is about big government deciding who can say what on the web.
“Right now China, the government, can disconnect parts of its Internet in case of war and we need to have that here too,” Lieberman told CNN’s Candy Crowley earlier this year.
However, China’s “war” is not against foreign terrorists or hackers, it’s against people who dare to use the Internet to express dissent against government atrocities or corruption. China’s system of Internet policing is about crushing freedom of speech and has nothing to do with legitimate security concerns as Lieberman well knows. It’s a system concentrated around state oppression of any individual or group that seeks to use the Internet to draw attention to political causes frowned upon by the authorities.
China has exercised its power to shut down the Internet, something that Lieberman wants to introduce in the U.S., at politically sensitive times in order to stem the flow of information about government abuse of its citizens.
Fresh food that lasts from eFoods Direct (Ad)
This is what Lieberman envisions for the future of the Internet in the United States, a highly regulated, state-controlled forum where the government can shut down websites it disapproves of on a whim, as is already being done by Homeland Security without court order in dozens of cases this week alone.
—
Paul Joseph Watson is the editor and writer for Prison Planet.com. He is the author of Order Out Of Chaos. Watson is also a fill-in host for The Alex Jones Show. Watson has been interviewed by many publications and radio shows, including Vanity Fair and Coast to Coast AM, America’s most listened to late night talk show.At the moment last week when marijuana entrepreneur Ross Vaisman received a license to open his recreational cannabis storefront on West Colfax Avenue, he made history as the first person in Denver to beat back an effort by city officials to stymie his plans.
The license granted Thursday to the Pig N’ Whistle came after a circuitous 15-month legal battle involving an initial denial by the Department of Excise and Licenses in March 2015, numerous challenges and appeals from the city and applicant and finally orders from two Denver district judges in Vaisman’s favor.
It marked the first time a denial of a license for recreational pot sales had been overturned in Denver.
“The law has spoken loud and clear,” Vaisman told The Denver Post on Monday. “I have the right to sell recreational marijuana at the Pig N’ Whistle location.”
But it’s a right that cost Vaisman what he estimates was at least $3.7 million in lost revenue while he waited for his case to be resolved. And it’s a case that points to the road bumps Denver continues to face in trying to lay down rules for the state’s most prolific retail marijuana sector — as of April Denver had 211 grows, 147 stores and 63 locations with both.
The sheer number of cannabis operations in the city prompted City Council members to impose a cap in April.
“I think it’s only natural that something this new is going to go through legal gymnastics,” said Dan Rowland, a spokesman with the Department of Excise and Licenses. “As stringent, strong and equitable as our regulations are, there are always nuances to each case.”
The department is in the midst of considering whether, for the first time, to deny a Denver marijuana grow facility the renewal of its license after neighbors complained of odors emanating from Starbuds’ operation at 4690 Brighton Blvd., near the National Western Stock Show complex.
Neighbor outcry was also at the root of the department’s decision last year to deny the Pig N’ Whistle its license.
The department’s director, Stacie Loucks, ruled in March 2015 that opening the pot shop at 4801 W. Colfax Ave. would “adversely impact the health, welfare and public safety” of the neighborhood, even though a hearing officer from the department had determined that the store met all of the city’s setback requirements.
Loucks determined that The Brandon Center for Women and Children, The Volunteers of America Family Motel and religious school Talmud Torah Zera Abraham, while not strictly meeting the definition of daycare centers or schools, were similar enough to those institutions to trigger the setback rules and block the license.
But when a district judge in January made it plain that city officials had “abused their discretion by arbitrarily and capriciously misconstruing and misapplying the law,” Vaisman’s attorney, Tom Downey, said that should have ended the matter. Yet the city continued for more than four months to refuse the Pig N’ Whistle its recreational cannabis license, claiming in part that the store would have to go through another hearing to show compliance with tougher licensing rules the city had put in place as of the beginning of 2016.
Downey, who once served as director of Denver’s Department of Excise and Licenses, was perplexed by the city’s decision to fight the licensure of the Pig N’ Whistle — which sits at the spot where the namesake historic West Colfax motel once stood — as hard and long as it did.
“My thought was disbelief — legally it made no sense,” he said.
Acting Denver city attorney Shaun Sullivan told The Post on Monday that his office advised Loucks in her decision and that it “diligently defended the denial of the license in district court.”
Last week, a different district judge ruled that the city had no right to retroactively apply new rules to a business that had applied for a license under old rules. Vaisman hopes to have the recreational side of his business — he opened a medical marijuana storefront in part of the Pig N’ Whistle building last year — open by the end of June.
“Probably, the most overwhelming emotion I have is to get back to business and back to real work,” he said.
Downey said the long battle is a testament to his client’s fortitude in standing up for what is right.
“The city has great power, but it’s not unlimited,” he said.Awards season is in full swing and Decider has you covered. Click here for our coverage on the 2015 Golden Globes.
Earlier this week, Team Decider put our heads together to try to predict who and what Tina Fey and Amy Poehler would rip into during their Golden Globes monologue. We figured that George Clooney and The Interview would get slammed, but we were curious to see if Tina and Amy would continue their long-running crusade against Bill Cosby and his multiple rape allegations.
Well, they did.
They duo segued out of a joke about Into The Woods into one that slammed Cosby. They talked about how in the Sondheim musical, “Cinderella runs from her prince, Rapunzel is thrown from a tower for her prince, and Sleeping Beauty just thought she was getting coffee with Bill Cosby.” The hosts then continued to mock the maligned comic by imitating him talking jovially about putting “the pills in the people.”
Here’s the complete transcript of their bit:
AMY: In Into The Woods, Cinderella runs from her prince, Rapunzel is thrown from a tower for her prince, and Sleeping Beauty just thought she was getting coffee from Bill Cosby.
TINA: You know, actually, I don’t know if you guys saw this in the news, but Bill Cosby actually has spoken out about the allegations against him. Cosby admitted to a reporter, [in Cosby voice] “I put the pills in the people! The people did not want the pills in them.”
AMY: Oh, Tina, hey! That’s not right. That’s not right. It’s more like [in Cosby voice] “I got the pills in the bathroom and I put ‘em in the people.”
TINA: You’re right. It’s like [in Cosby voice] “I put the pills in the hoagie.”
Now, while some people might want to applaud the female comics for calling out Cosby, the rich and famous crowd in the audience was less than enthusiastic. Until then, every joke hit with wild applause and laughter, but after they called out Cosby, the crowd was divided, awkward, stunned, and it was caught on film. Alexander Chee caught the reaction shot:
As you can see, Jessica Chastain was aghast, Emily Blunt and John Krasinski weren’t thrilled, and Jennifer Lopez gave someone bemused side-eye. The one person gleefully laughing at it? George Clooney.
RELATED:
TINA FEY‘S ANTI-COSBY CRUSADE ACTUALLY BEGAN ON ‘SNL’ IN 2005
’30 ROCK’ EPISODE SLYLY CALLED OUT BILL COSBY FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT BACK IN ’09
Like what you see? Follow Decider on Facebook and Twitter to join the conversation, and sign up for our email newsletters to be the first to know about streaming movies and TV news!IT IS now 30 years since anti-abortion groups succeeded in pushing their issue to the top of the Irish political agenda. We have had five referendums, numerous High and Supreme Court cases, interdepartmental working groups, all-party committees, green papers and European Court challenges. And what difference has it all made? None whatsoever.
The only thing that has changed is that better access to contraception and sexual health information has gradually reduced the number of Irish women going abroad for abortions. (For the main destination, the UK, the numbers dropped from 6,673 in 2001 to 4,149 in 2011.)
But it would be naive to expect that anti-abortion groups would follow this logic and conclude that giving women more knowledge and control is the best way to reduce abortions. For, of course, this is not a question of rationality. It is all about symbolism. The twist is that even the symbolism scarcely matters any more.
My main problem with Irish anti-abortion campaigners is not that they are too extreme. It is that they are not extreme enough. If they really believe what they purport to believe – that a fertilised ovum is a human being in exactly the same sense as Nelson Mandela or Lady Gaga or the pope – they are disgracefully moderate. Their basic proposition is this: about 5,000 Irish people every year are being taken out of the country and massacred in cold blood.
Over the last decade, the equivalent of the entire population of Limerick city has been murdered. If you believe this, it dwarfs every other question in modern Ireland – the Northern Ireland conflict (in its latter stages, one-fiftieth of the number of annual “murders”); the economic crisis; any and every abuse of human rights by the State. You have an absolute moral duty to do everything you can to stop it, including, at a minimum, demanding restrictions on the right of pregnant women to travel.
But most anti-abortion activists – sane, decent, well-motivated people, by and large – don’t really believe that the equivalent of the population of Limerick has been murdered over the last 10 years. They’ve adopted a position, overwhelmingly for religious reasons, that “life” is a single, indivisible, unqualified entity. And that position then forces them into an absolutism that most of them do not instinctively feel.
How do we know they don’t really feel this way? Because, almost without exception, they believe that abortion is sometimes both necessary and morally justified. There is a lunatic fringe that would deny life-saving medical treatment to a pregnant woman if it results in the termination of the pregnancy. But most anti-abortion activists have the decency and compassion to know that this is grotesque. They believe that a mother’s life should be saved, even if, as a consequence, her baby must die.
But they can’t reconcile this moral instinct with the intellectual absolutism of the position they have adopted. So they engage in a sleight-of-mind. They adopt two (actually rather inconsistent) positions: (a) abortion is never in fact necessary to save a woman’s life; and (b) even if it is, it’s not abortion.
The second of these is merely a silly linguistic game – the termination of a pregnancy is, by definition, abortion. But the first is exactly what is at stake right now. The European court ruled last year that Ireland is in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights because it has failed to implement the Supreme Court ruling in the X case that a woman can have an abortion when her life is at risk.
All the major anti-abortion groups deal with this by complete denial, claiming that it is simply never the case that an abortion is necessary to save the life of the mother. But this is demonstrably untrue. There is actually a jurisdiction whose abortion laws are similar to what those in the Republic would be if we legislated for the X case. It’s called Northern Ireland. The regime north of the Border is that a woman can have an abortion where her life is endangered.
Last week, for the first time, we got figures on precisely how often it is necessary to carry out an abortion to save a woman’s life: 44 times in 2008-2009; 36 in 2009-2010; 43 in 2010-2011. If we were to scale those figures up – very crudely – for the Republic, we would have about 120 women a year who need abortions to save their lives.
So why would otherwise rational people go on denying this? Because, for them, this is not actually about human realities. It is about symbolism. A blanket ban on abortion – which, in practice, they don’t actually believe in – is a statement about the nature of Ireland.
But here is the news: that symbolism is now empty. They started fighting this war 30 years ago, when the idea of Ireland as a theocratic state was still up for grabs. But that idea is gone and it’s not coming back. Sacrificing women in a war to save a genuine ideal is dodgy. Sacrificing them in a phoney war of dead symbolism is inexcusable.Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.
May 7, 2014, 5:30 PM GMT / Updated May 8, 2014, 8:43 PM GMT
An Israeli startup's new ad features the "fake" sign-language interpreter from Nelson Mandela's memorial service -- and the company says they pulled him out of a psychiatric hospital to film it.
The commercial featuring Thamsanqa Jantjie is a stunt from Tel Aviv-based Livelens, which recently raised $2 million for its social livestreaming app.
Jantjie's meaningless gestures at Mandela's memorial provoked anger from the deaf community, and Jantjie later blamed the incident on schizophrenia.
Despite the high potential for blowback from both mental-health and deaf advocates, Livelens insisted in an interview to NBC News that the company stands behind its choice.
"We decided that the guy who had the worst live show ever would be the best person," Livelens CEO Max Bluvband told NBCNews.
Sefi Shaked, the company's marketing manager, came up with the idea to approach Jantjie after seeing a "Saturday Night Live" parody. But they soon found out Jantjie had been in a South African psychiatric hospital since December.
Undaunted, Livelens said they worked with an Israeli production company to get a Zulu-speaking journalist to visit the hospital in February -- and tell staffers that Jantjie needed to be released for one day for a "family event."
The stunt worked, according to Shaked, and Livelens shot the ad in a few hours. The company wasn't concerned that Jantjie's status as a psychiatric patient could make him unable to do the job, Shaked said.
"We saw him with our own eyes; he's a normal guy," Shaked added. "Now he can have the closure and earn some money from it. It’s morally right."
Livelens wouldn't say how much the company paid Jantjie.
At least one advocacy group disagrees with Shaked's characterization of the commercial as a moral choice.
In an email to NBC News, the National Association of the Deaf expressed "outrage and disappointment that any company would think it appropriate to hire and portray any individual who has become synonymous with mockery of sign language interpreting." The association called for a boycott of Livelens.
Shaked said he isn't worried about controversy, however.
"We helped him get on the right track," Shaked said. "At the end of the day, a schizophrenic guy got paid and did a nice campaign... We see it as sort of a sad story with a happy ending."
Livelens is happy with the campaign so far, Shaked said, adding that the company has "a lot more exciting plans" coming.
"Richard Branson once said a good campaign is loved by 50 percent of people and hated by 50 percent," Shaked said. "A good campaign creates awareness and maybe an argument. We did that here."Help me win $25,000 for City Year this holiday season.
Mozilla Firefox just launched an awesome campaign where me and other celebrities will be pitted up against each other and the charity that raises the most money gets $25,000 to their cause, and I want City Year to win that money.
Many of us continued through school until graduation because we had a great support system, but did you know that every 26 seconds, a student gives up on school in America? City Year corps members serve as tutors, mentors and role models to help students stay on track – and get back on track – to graduate.
This year, City Year’s 2,000 young leaders, who are 17 to 24 years old, will complete nearly 3 million hours of service through the following activities:
Tutoring, mentoring and serving as role models to help children and schools succeed
Leading after-school and school vacation programs
Engaging students of all ages in community service and leadership development activities
Planning and leading transformational service projects
In order to continue these services and provide additional ones, City Year needs the proper funding and that's why we need to win the 25k for them.
Please join me and give the gift of a donation to City Year for the holiday and help us win the Mozilla Firefox Challenge. You can even send these really great e-gift cards with your donation to a friend or family member. That way they'll be receiving the gift of a donation in their name.
**Also, if you donate or raise $59, you’ll automatically get entered to win a visit to the Arrested Development set with me. For real. The prize doesn’t include travel, room and board. Official rules are below. **
Thanks for everything & Happy Holidays,
JasonNARC i SS i ST i C ABUSE doesn’t have to spoil your life
Not sure if he or she is a narcissist or just a jerk?
THE JOY OF EX : Freedom from relationship tyranny, control and manipulation.
When you are manipulated or treated badly, labels are less important than knowing that something needs to change. However, you can’t change anyone else but changing your thoughts and actions is under your control and something you can do.
You have options, but turning a jerk, sociopath, psychopath, or narcissist into prince charming isn’t one of them.
If the abuse is wearing you down, plan your exit. If you aren’t certain you can do so, pat yourself on the back for getting this far. The future may be bumpy, but if you think things through and keep emotions under control, don’t rush or make rash decisions, you can do it.
TIP: When leaving, don’t enrage and don’t engage. Stay calm; now is not the time to push buttons or get revenge.
All the things you wanted to know and need to know, because it’s time to take care of yourself:
Ann Bradley, M.A University of Pennsylvania, Antioch College, Stanford University
How You Got Here and How To Not Make the Same Mistake
You do not have to be the victim of narcissism (narcissistic personality disorder) forever. You don’t have to lose your confidence, hope and passion for life because you are in a relationship with a narcissist. This experience can be a catalyst for growth and self respect and learning how to cope with difficult events and circumstances. You can learn the skills to move beyond.
If you aren’t sure why you picked an abuser or how you got yourself in this position, you will feel better if you learn why. Understanding this can be a relief, and help you now and in the future.
Knowing the characteristics can help you so you never are involved, ever again, in a toxic relationship. Find out what the research says and how this can help you. When you understand you will find this will help you become happier, more self assured and you will not blame yourself, but will make good decisions and have good relationships.
TIP: Don’t enrage the narcissist in your life. He or she will make you pay. Stay calm and plan your exit. Don’t give in to ‘letting it all out’. Narcissists don’t forget and they like revenge. Your ‘outing’ of him or her adds to his narcissistic injury. A narcissist needs to look good in front of others and you gain nothing by proving he is not the best, smartest, wealthiest, most capable person he wants tobe seen as.
You have a right to a life without fear, anger, betrayal and put downs. The part of what makes someone a victim of narcissistic abuse is not cast in stone. Flexibility is at the core of human life and the ability to reinvent one’s self can be tapped into to leave the abusive situation.
Life isn’t always fair, but it can be good. I wrote this guide for women who want a good life and who want to make peace with their past so the future will be good, and want to laugh again. Embrace the joy, it’s yours for the taking:Excellent news from The New Observer:
The white birth rate in America has staged a near miraculous comeback and was a majority of live births in 2016—reversing a decade long decline—if the figures in the latest National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) report is accurate.
This new report, titled “Births: Provisional Data for 2016,” dated June 2017, although it was only released last week.
According to the report, the provisional number of births for the United States in 2016 was 3,941,109, down 1 percent from 2015.
The general fertility rate was 62.0 births per 1,000 women aged 15–44, down 1 percent from 2015 to a record low for the United States.
Among the race and Hispanic origin groups, the number of births ranged from 9,342 births for non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander (NHOPI) women to 2.054 million births for nonHispanic white women.
The report’s “Table 2: Births, by race and Hispanic origin of mother” claims that of the 3,941,109 births in 2016, some 2,054,564 were “white” nonHispanic.
This amounts to 52 percent of the total.
…The Hispanic birth rate—one of the biggest drivers of the nonwhite population explosion of recent years—has, according to these figures, fallen substantially.
In 2016, it was reported that the Hispanic birth rate had slowed, and the latest figures may be confirmation of this fact.
The figures must however be taken with some caveats. Firstly, the racial classification system used by the U.S. government is notoriously inaccurate, and includes all those it calls “Caucasian” as white, even if they come from North Africa, Arab nations and the Middle East.by William McKee June 5th, 2012
Next fall Community Colleges of Spokane (CCS) hopes to begin trial phases of a new honors program at its schools. CCS has published a request for proposals (RFP) from consulting firms to help create an honors program that will increase enrollment and revenues at Spokane Community College and Spokane Falls Community College.
According to the RFP, courses for the honors program will be developed and students recruited this summer. Next fall the two schools will pilot a total of three to five honors classes for as many as 100 students and provide some support services. More planning, design, recruitment and marketing will unfold leading up to fall 2013 when the honors program will officially start, with the goal of eventually enrolling 300 students.
Consultant candidates were required to submit written proposals to CCS by May 29 outlining their experience and how they plan to meet assignments including:
development of the honors courses, both on-ground and online;
marketing and maintenance of an honors program;
training of faculty and personnel;
student and college transfer services;
and career advising for students.
CCS officials declined comment on the planned honors program RFP, citing the pending contract award decision. So we spoke to others familiar with the general landscape.
Community colleges, transfers, and debt containment
As higher education gets more expensive, more students are starting off at community and technical colleges to save money. “The average student is leaving school with a huge amount of debt, and at the same time we hear about nobody being able to get a job. Lots of people have the opportunity to go to a great college or university, but don’t want to acquire that massive debt,” said Dr. Kelly Ward, chair and professor of the Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling Psychology at Washington State University’s main campus in Pullman. She explains that starting out at a community college, where tuition is much lower than at most four-year colleges, is a way many students are containing that debt.
David Prince, a senior manager of research and analysis at Washington’s State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC), said that according to a 2009 study by that agency, community and technical (two-year) college transfer students were 38 percent of graduates of four-year public colleges in Washington State in 2006.
Chris Rose, 23, attended CCS from 2008 through 2010. After getting his associate’s degree, he transferred to WSU and graduated this past May with a degree in communication-advertising. He’s currently working for WSU’s Alive! Program which helps orient new students. He said that overall he had “a positive experience at CCS. It helped me complete years of my education while saving money at a lower cost of attendance.” CCS full-time tuition in 2010-11 was $2,901.
Intimacy, cohesion are benefits, too
Whether at a four-year or two-year college, honors programs tend to result in closer relationships with teachers and better student-teacher ratios. Dr. Elizabeth A. Walker is the Dean of the Honors College at WSU. She used her own honors college as an example. “We hold all of our classes to 25 students, and many of them have fewer,” said Walker. “And they’re all taught by faculty members. So that means the students have the benefit of working closely with some of the best teachers on the campus.”
Dr. Ward agreed. She said it’s not just about working more closely with faculty, though. ‘What honors programs do in general is to create a cluster of the best of the best, to create a college within a college,” said Ward. “The student is part of a smaller, more tight-knit group, offering unique experiences. What it does is create a community for those students, which I think enhances their experience on campus.”
Academic requirements
Students in honors programs generally have to take certain classes that are designated as honors courses, attend special seminars, and complete an honors thesis or honors project. “The signature experiences vary depending on the program,” said Ward, “but those are typically the ways honors programs differ from those of regular students.”
eLearning a priority
One key criterion for contractors applying for the work at CCS is expertise with two-year honors programs at community colleges. Another is close familiarity with Canvas Learning Management System (Canvas LMS) for distance learning.
According to the 2010-11 Annual Report from the state’s community college board, two-year institutions last school year in Washington served 31,394 full-time enrolled students (FTES) through eLearning programs, an increase of only 1.6 percent from the previous year after “a number of years of double-digit growth.” Full-time students enrolled in hybrid courses in 2010-11 increased by 12 percent from the year before. These classes combine the face-to-face class experience with supplemental on-line instruction.
CCS is aiming to finalize by July 2 any agreements with a winning bidder or bidder consortium for the honors program services. No initial price cap is stated in the RFP; start-up and ongoing costs aren’t yet clear. The CCS system has combined enrollment of 18,680. Its service area is 12,302 square miles, serving Spokane, Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille and portions of Lincoln Counties in eastern Washington. Its annual budget is $90 million, the vast bulk coming from the state.
Public Data Ferret is a news knowledge base program of the Seattle-based 501c3 public charity, Public Eye Northwest. Ferret In The News. Donate; subscribe (free)/volunteer.A new form of imaginative games in the world of Remnant or an another world based from the hit anime series RWBY.
This is one of the coolest ideas that I had never thought off and wondering whether if it is possible to modify an entire Dungeons and Dragons system and apply all of the elements in the show to make the system balanced.
This drawing was one of the few tested mashups and planned in case of emergency because I'm currently taking a step up on doing something new and decide to sell them in my new art store that would happen soon.
Because of I am currently a Critical Role fan and learning how to play DnD, this would help create a bigger system for those who had created so many OC for RWBY. Here, for all the fans who love the show, I would imagine making your own weapons, aura, semblance, or race depending on who you played as.
This could be also a biggest request to make it for Kickstarter campaign just in case if Lazer Team or A Million Dollars But Stuff... became successful. Hopefully you guys would like the idea about modding an anime series into the game. Unless if Rooster Teeth runs out of ideas for trying something new, this thing could be a game changer and nothing can beat that.
For those who are expert in playing Dungeons and Dragons, who are smart in understanding the entire game, good luck on trying to add some tweaks or reformat the entire game and figuring out how it would fit in. Please add some input or suggestions on what players want and how they would be satisfied about it.
PS. If you guys are Critical Role fans, good luck trying to figure out fitting them into the RWBY series and knowing their powers.
PSS. There is a distressed version of the art poster and wondering what it would be look if it was old, i'll upload it and hopefully decide what you like the most.
Please follow my social business stuff to see what is happening so far.
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Tis the season for giving.
Given the overwhelming fan response to the game’s first Closed Beta in November, the company decided to offer a trial option to any player interested in joining this unique event.
“During the first Closed Beta, our company was flooded with requests from players around the globe. Each user was desperate play Age of Wushu and join the adventure. With this trial option, we have found a way to let them experience the game alongside the rest of the world.”
Originally slated to be accessible only to those players who had pre-ordered the game and select members of the press, we at Snail Games are opting to let their North American fans play the #1 game in China during the 2012 Holiday Season....
FOR FREE
Rather than limit the activities, abilities, or skill caps like many other free-to-play titles, any players on a trial period will have full access to Age of Wushu until the close of this Beta in early 2013. Players who have previously purchased a preorder package of the game will retain their benefits and in-game items.
All players will be able to engage in PvP battles, travel across Ming Dynasty Era China, and make a name for themselves as a martial arts legend, but those on the trial will have a playtime restriction. Any player who does not own an Elite, E3, New York Comic Con, or Deluxe Edition of Age of Wushu, but wants to play the game will be given:
· 10 Hours of Unrestricted Play: Players can start their virtual martial arts adventure for up to ten hours of in game time.
· 60 Minutes of Gameplay: Upon hitting the initial 10 hour cap, players will be given up to 60 minutes of gameplay each day until the close of the trial period.
Those who want to continue the journey can choose to purchase the Deluxe Edition and gain unlimited play during this period, as well as many other bonuses and in game items. The customization and progression of all characters, any skills learned and items attained during the Second Closed Beta will not be reset and will be available for players to resume upon the next play period of Age of Wushu.
For more discussions and questions you can visit our forums: http://www.ageofwushu.com/forums/index.php
Have a great weekened as you prepare for the enjoyment of Age of Wushu with the rest of North America on December 20th!YWN regrets to inform you of the Petira of NYS Assemblyman Michael Simanowitz of Queens. He was approximately 45-years-old and had been battling an illness for a few years.
He was an Assemblyman since |
blending going on. The real, honest way to render this ‘old meets new’ trope is that the anachronisms stay—even as they use FB and Whatsapp to aid in sustaining regressive social values in a spiffy modern way. The city still does the kind of moral policing that could earn consulting revenue doing training sessions for Saudi Arabia. The cops still demand to see marriage certificates of couples sharing a moment on Marina beach. The city still thinks that beer must be sold only at dens of state-run corruption and—unless silk saris, overrated veg food and formulaic Carnatic boredom is your thing—has no music scene. Yes, the city of Ilayaraja and A.R. Rahman is far too busy in a pointless multiplayer online death match over who is the better one when, truth be told, the creativity and innovation in indie Bolly music far outstrips the mind-numbing electro pop cringefests that play out on local radio all day. Heck, forget Bollywood and its large wallets, music from some of the newer films in Malayalam show more imagination in a single song than entire discographies from here. Yes, we are the ‘knowledgable’ Chennai crowd, the one that applauded a visiting Pak team for its historic win in the last Ice Age, but alas the only thing we don’t seem to be knowledgable about is that we’re stuck in the stagnant morass of our own illusory cultural sophistication. The day we get an inkling of that, I'll say we finally have a chance.
Krish is a techie, blogger, Madras liker and crow loverA representative for the independence-leaning group Hong Kong Indigenous has proposed to boost Hong Kong-Taiwan youth tourism by promoting democracy-themed tour packages, to lessen reliance on mainland Chinese tourists.
Activist Ray Wong Toi-yeung said in a joint press conference with the pro-independence party Taiwan Radical Wings on Thursday: “Hong Kong and Taiwan are both being suppressed by the Chinese Communist Party… Hong Kong and Taiwan need to break away from reliance on Chinese tourists by promoting ‘democracy youth tourism’ between the two territories.”
Wong said that mainland Chinese tourists have a negative impact on Hong Kong society, through things such as parallel trading and disruption to the everyday life of local residents.
“The problem is that Hong Kong businesses do not benefit from the influx of Chinese tourists, because businesses such as pharmacies and gold shops are backed by Chinese capital,” the activist said. “These businesses use our land and resources in Hong Kong to make money from Chinese people, but Hong Kong doesn’t get any profit from them.”
“This is a policy that betrays the people of Hong Kong,” he added, referring to the government’s tourism policy that aims at attracting mainland Chinese visitors.
‘Economic independence’
Wong said that encouraging Hong Kong-Taiwan tourism can help achieve economic independence and resist Beijing’s ambition of uniting different interest groups in the two territories through the tourism industry.
Taiwan Radical Wings proposed making “democracy maps” introducing places that relate to Taiwan’s history and human rights, and providing multi-lingual information services in tourist attractions for visitors to learn about Taiwan’s democratic development.
Veteran commentator Jonny Lau Yui-siu told Ming Pao that the rise of Hong Kong localism and self-determination would lead to more Hong Kong-Taiwan cooperation, and the Chinese government would want to suppress the emergence of such cooperation. However, the commentator said, any attempt by Beijing to suppress pro-independence voices in Hong Kong and Taiwan will likely backfire.
Wong is visiting Taiwan for two weeks to share his experience in politics with Taiwan activists. He said he hopes to meet Shih Chao-hu, a 97-year-old pro-independence leader and the author of the book Taiwan’s 400 Year History.
Wong will be meeting with members of the New Power Party and the Social Democratic Party next week.When Perception Neuron popped up on Kickstarter promising a $1,500 motion capture suit, many people jumped at the opportunity, resulting in a crowdfunding campaign that raised over $500,000. Noitom, the company behind Perception Neuron, was able to raise a $5 million A-round of investment on top of that, and has worked furiously to perfect and manufacture the device since then. Now all Kickstarter orders and pre-orders have been filled, and the company raised another $20 million last November. But how good is the suit? I’ve been using Perception Neuron the last three months for my own VR game development, and here’s what I found.
The Kit
Perception Neuron uses up to 32 Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) to track the motion of your body. These IMUs have a gyroscope, accelerometer, and magnetometer, the measurements of which combine for an accurate picture of how your body moves. For $1,500 you get 32 IMU sensors (dubbed “Neurons”), two magnet protection cases, a wearable black suit in which to network those sensors (with an extra pair of gloves), and a sleek black case.
To put things in perspective, their closest competitor Xsens offers an IMU-based motion capture suit for about $10,000, and a motion capture camera setup is $15,000 minimum when you include software (with high-end setups running in the $40,000+ range). The advantage of IMUs is they are more portable and less expensive than a camera setup, but at the cost of positional accuracy (meaning multi-character interactions are harder to capture and the data will need more cleanup).
The Setup
Setup is fairly simple. Once you’ve downloaded and installed Noitom’s Axis Neuron software (a free and pro version of which are available on their site), you’re ready to construct the suit. This involves laying out and connecting the individual suit pieces (upper body, 2 arms, 2 legs), then taking the sensors out of their protective case and snapping them into the suite one by one. Due to the nature of the sensors, they can become demagnetized, and so must be kept away from any kind of magnetic field. This unfortunately includes computers, which I had to connect the device to, leading to the awkward situation of avoiding my computer while using the keyboard. To ensure the sensors’ protection, you need to store them in the special cases provided while not in use, meaning you must perform the tedious task of popping in and out the 32 Neurons every time you use the suit.
Because of this, I’ve found setup takes an average of 20-30 minutes, which isn’t too bad, but combined with 10-15 minutes for storage is enough that I’ll pre-plan my mocap sessions rather than throwing the suit on in a spur of the moment. If you’re using the suit wirelessly, you’ll need to buy a battery separately. The battery is also advised for a 32 Neuron setup, so I recommend you get one even if you plan to use the wired option (a battery that Noitom uses for tradeshows can be found here, but any battery capable of outputting 2.1 amps through USB will work).
Finally, with the suit on and the Neurons in their proper places (instruction for which can be found here), you’re ready to launch the Axis Neuron software and connect the device by either USB or Wifi. After 4 initialization poses you’re ready to capture.
Animation Recording
If you don’t like how the initialization poses matched up, it’s easy to redo them, and although unnecessary, I found myself resetting the pose initialization every other animation capture. To see what capture in their software looks like, take a look at this video:
Essentially you hit a record button, perform whatever movements you want captured, then save the file in their format. Once an animation is recorded, it can be exported in an FBX or BVH format.
Production
The results of your motion capture for actual production use will depend on several factors. In an ideal setup, you would have a character model with the exact same rig as the Perception Neuron default (you can change the capture rig, but that’s more expert than I’m capable of). It’s also possible to retarget the animation data to a different skeleton, but with varying results. In the video above I download a random rigged character model from the Unity Asset Store and retarget it to Unity’s default humanoid skeleton. As you can see, the character model’s prior skeleton had odd finger rigging and I messed up the finger calibration, leading to some awkwardness with the hands. Cleanup from an animator would help immensely, but overall the motion capture looks decent (especially considering the poor skeleton match and lack of a battery pack).
The Perception Neuron workflow is typically: Capture->Export as FBX->Import to Engine->Retarget->Apply to Character
Real-time Capture (edge case)
It’s also possible to use Perception Neuron directly in a game as a full-body input method. Noitom’s Axis software makes this easy to do with a Unity plugin (video below), also supporting Unreal and Motionbuilder. Although I’ve only tested the Unity plugin, I imagine the others are just as effective. Unfortunately the cost and setup time of the Perception Neuron makes its use as an input device extremely edge case, at least for now. It’s fun (I made a quick app where I could give myself a hug in VR), but cost, drift over time, and ease of setup are all areas that need improvement for Perception Neuron to be used real-time outside of research labs and specialized attractions.
Prototype Hardware
Using my pre-order kit (order #927), I’ve been unable to get wireless capture to work via wireless setup (they recommend using a cable to attach directly to the router during setup, which I havn’t tested since it’s impossible with my router location). This may be due to interference (which is why they recommend a cable) or may be due to faulty hardware, but regardless requiring a cable to your router for setup can make things a bit tricky depending on your situation. Additionally, the suit’s buttons for recording and zeroing position were faulty from the get go. These problems caused some inconveniences, but did not prevent me from getting the mocap animations I needed for my game development. Noitom made it clear before I purchased that I’d be getting prototype hardware, so these issues were not overly surprising. Additionally, Noitom covers the Perception Neuron under warranty for 12 months in which they will replace any defective hardware. At the time of receiving my kit I was in head-down development mode and needed to use the product immediately, but now that I’m less stressed I’ll probably get it repaired/replaced.
Final Verdict
At the end of the day, Perception Neuron is the best low-cost motion capture system ever made. For $1,500 you are getting a motion capture suit capable of putting your body movement onto a 3D character, making animation much more affordable for indie 3D developers. It may not be the data quality of a $40,000 setup, but working with an animator to do basic animation cleanup and proper rigging will allow you to achieve smooth, lifelike animation in your content for a fraction of the cost. The Perception Neuron is the perfect item for indie developers, animators, hobbyists, and machinimators.
Tagged with: animation, motion control, Perception NeuronThe latest ThinkPad X1 Carbon (starts at $1,349; $1,629 as tested) is the thinnest and lightest one yet. Lenovo's flagship business ultraportable weighs less than 2.5 pounds, yet has the processing muscle to power through presentations, spreadsheets, and a lot more. And with almost 16 hours of battery life, this laptop is built to handle those long work sessions when a wall outlet is nowhere in sight. It's the best ultraportable for business, whether you're a C-level executive or the proprietor of a small-to-medium-size business.
Honey, I Shrunk the Laptop!
It was easy to tote last year's X1 Carbon around the office, and the fifth-generation iteration is even more portable. It measures a smaller and thinner 0.6 by 12.7 by 8.5 inches (HWD), and at 2.45 pounds, it's 14 ounces lighter too. The 14-inch laptop is closer in thinness and weight to the 12-inch Apple MacBook (0.52-inch thick; 1.99 pounds), though some of the X1 Carbon's extra thickeness is due to its wider port selection.
On the left side are a pair of USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 3. The Apple MacBook has just one USB-C port (sans Thunderbolt 3 support), while the Dell XPS 13 Touch gives you one USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 port, though like the X1 Carbon, it also has a selection of legacy ports. Both of the X1 Carbon's USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports support charging and DisplayPort (with an adapter, which is not included), in addition to data transmission at USB 3.1 (10Gbps) and Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) speeds.
You're all set for multi-monitor support (up to three displays) or a single-cable connection to a supported dock, like the Lenovo ThinkPad Thunderbolt 3 dock ($279.99) or ThinkPad USB-C Dock ($199.99), or to a Thunderbolt 3-equipped monitor. Good thing, because this X1 Carbon iteration loses the Lenovo OneLink+ docking connector you may use on your current Lenovo ThinkPad.
You'll also find an HDMI jack on the left side, as well as a USB 3.0 port, and a proprietary mini-Ethernet jack that works with an included dongle. The XPS 13 Touch also needs a USB-to-Ethernet dongle for wired connections, but that system is aimed at consumers, while the X1 Carbon is all business. The dongle is easy to forget in your office, a definite drawback if you travel to a hotel with iffy Wi-Fi service. On the right side are a headset jack, a second USB 3.0 port, and a security-lock port. Around back are a microSD card slot and a SIM card slot for an optional 4G LTE modem.
Another notable feature is Anti-Fry protection. All USB-C chargers will physically plug into the USB-C ports on the laptop so it's easy to plug the wrong cable into the X1 Carbon, but not all chargers and cables are as well engineered as the ones that come with Acer, Apple, Asus, Dell, HP, Lenovo, and other first-tier laptops. The X1 Carbon can prevent damage if you're using a non-standard AC adapter (say the one that comes with a no-name $125 Windows tablet). When we plugged a 36W USB adapter (made for Android phablets) in, it couldn't supply enough power to charge the laptop, but when we plugged the 60W AC adapter from the discontinued Google Chromebook Pixel into the X1 Carbon it charged the battery without incident. This is a good sign that USB-C charger interoperability is progressing, so you won't necessarily have to buy a Lenovo-sourced replacement if you lose yours.
The 14-inch In-Plane Switching (IPS) display has full HD resolution, with very small bezels around the screen, which helps shrink the overall depth and width of the laptop. The webcam is in its usual spot centered over the screen, avoiding the camera-angle problems of the Dell XPS 13 Touch, which has the it below the screen, so it almost looks up your nose if you don't readjust the lid. The screen is rated for 300-nit brightness, a bit less than the 400-nit display on the Dell XPS 13, but both are easily readable in direct sunlight.
Not surprisingly, the X1 Carbon's keyboard is one of the most comfortable in the business, and it has an embedded TrackPoint pointing stick for ThinkPad vets. There's also a one-piece, glass-surface touchpad below three physical mouse buttons. The fingerprint reader that sits to the right of the touchpad works with Windows Hello, and can be integrated into your company's security policies for one-touch logins to your accounts. The speakers are on the base, pointed toward you. They produce an impressive amount of sound, though it's understandably tuned for voice use in web conferences.
Our review configuration comes with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. While you can replace the SSD with something larger (up to 1TB). Memory is soldered to the motherboard, so you will have to choose between 8GB and 16GB when you order the system. Our unit has Microsoft Signature prep, a service that eliminates any added bloatware, so a Microsoft Office 2016 Trial, a few Lenovo utilities, and Windows 10 Pro are all that are on the drive.
A Productivity Workhorse
Our X1 Carbon test unit is equipped with an Intel Core i5-7300U processor with integrated Intel HD Graphics 620. Advances in the CPU technology and the SSD's data throughput helped the laptop achieve top scores in the PCMark 8 Work Conventional (3,240 points), CineBench (367 points), and Photoshop (3 minutes, 36 seconds) tests, ahead of rivals like the Apple MacBook, the Dell XPS 13 Touch, the Lenovo ThinkPad X260, and the VAIO S. With a score of 2:38 in Handbrake, the X1 Carbon trailed the Dell XPS 13 (2:08), though not enough for it to be a concern. The X1 Carbon was above average in our 3D benchmark tests, making it good enough for business-related 3D rendering. You can even play a casual game like Minecraft in your down time. This laptop will serve you well over the three to eight years it takes your company to depreciate its capital expense.
In our battery rundown test, the X1 Carbon lasted an impressive 15 hours and 59 minutes. That's hours longer than all the ultraportables in its category, save the Lenovo ThinkPad X260 (23:08), which has the benefit of an extended battery (it managed 10:45 with its standard battery). It certainly lasts longer than the the HP EliteBook 1040 G3, which lasted 6 hours, 55 minutes: less than the 8 hours we'd consider all-day computing. This means you're all set for any trans-oceanic trip, even if there's no AC power at your seat. It'll certainly last a couple of business days between charges, longer if you let the system sleep between uses.
The Best Ultraportable You Can Buy
The latest iteration of the Lenovo X1 Carbon is easy to carry everywhere, it's sleek enough to show off, it'll last all day (and then some), and it has the power to motor through office and multimedia tasks easily. In addition, the screen is brilliant, and the keyboard is top-notch. It's about $300 more expensive than the Lenovo ThinkPad X260, another favorite, but that extra cost gets you a thinner, lighter, and more powerful laptop, and adds forward-thinking features, like two USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports and two USB 3.0 ports, to the mix. It's our top pick for business ultraportables.You Can Have Your Own Private IMAX Theater At Home For Just $400K (Movies Not Included)
Do you have a very large room in your house and $400,000 burning a hole in your pocket? You can pay just under half a million to have a private IMAX home theater installed, but renting movies will cost you extra.
At more than 10 feet tall, the IMAX Private Home Theatre is a shrunk-down version of the exhibitor’s 60-foot-wide, 45-foot-high, curved screens, Bloomberg News reports.
The basic system for U.S. customers is called the “Palais” setup, for theaters up to 75 square meters — but a set-top box to pipe in movies and film rentals cost extra.
Want more? The “Platinum” system accommodates up to 40 guests and comes with a price tag to match at $1 million. There are plans for a smaller system called “Prestige” at about half the size and price of “Palais,” as well.
Though the systems are being targeted to high-worth individuals in China and the Middle East, IMAX is now expanding sales of both into North America and Europe.
When it comes to actually getting stuff to watch, IMAX home theaters in China and the Middle East will come with $10,000 secure set-top boxes to pipe in new movies, called IMAX Home Premier, with additional fees for each rental.
Robert Lister, IMAX’s chief business development officer, told Bloomberg the company is considering selling this service separately from its physical home theaters elsewhere.
“It is the perfect marriage of a lot of trends we are seeing in entertainment consumption and our technology,” he said. “People are demanding content, when they want it, where they want it, how they want it.”The PlayStation Vita is yet to reclaim any sort of traction in Japan, sinking to a brand new record low. It hit a record low last week, beating a record low from February. It is now playing sales limbo -- how low can it go?
This week, the PS Vita scrabbled to pull in 8,250 units, coming behind the 3DS (63,796), PS3 (17,765), and PSP (13,166). At least it was able to beat the five-year-old Wii, which scored 6,837 sales.
I certainly can't be surprised anymore. Sony hasn't done a lot with the thing since it launched, failing to convince the skeptical why it deserves to be bought at such a high price. It's lacking a must-have title, especially for the Japanese crowd, and since launch there's not been much of interest going on -- unless you really like Twitter.
Let's please not get into another "months between half-decent games" situation, please. That's really not what the Vita needs.
Super Robot Wars, Kingdom Hearts Remains at Top of Sales Charts [andriasang]
You are logged out. Login | Sign upWhy the 'Dark Knight Rises' soundtrack is missing some music
Mobile app " The Dark Knight Rises Z+ " aims to turn Zimmer's compositions into an evolving and immersive audio experience, one where the music heard can be dependent upon the time of day or the movement of the device. The app, available for iPhones and iPods, is a love letter to cinematic sound, coming complete with in-studio interviews with Zimmer and director Christopher Nolan, as well as giving fans the ability to re-create the film's original sound effects.
The 52-minute score, released by Warner Bros. imprint WaterTower Music, follows the chronological order of the film, a direct audio companion to what's on the screen. Yet for listeners to hear four of the film's original suites (musical compositions recorded by Zimmer in the early stages of the filmmaking process), the composer is hoping fans will opt for a more interactive experience.
"I wanted to make an exciting CD, but what’s on the CD is not even half the music," said composer Hans Zimmer.
When the score to "The Dark Knight Rises" was released last week, it was missing something: a significant portion of the music created for the film.
It also feeds into Zimmer's continuing mission to find a home for cinematic compositions outside of the multiplex and the collections of film music enthusiasts. The app has two modes -- autopiliot and manual. In autopilot, the app utilizes "augmented reality," meaning the sounds heard are more dependent upon the location and movement of the user. Manual is more self-explanatory, turning the app into one dedicated solely to music.
"The CD is maybe just a third, at most, of the music in the film," said Zimmer. "All the stuff on the CD is in the film, but I created this app because I believe there has to be a different way of involving an audience."
PHOTOS: Tom Hardy, the next Brando?
The app is free, but to get access to all of its available music, one will have to make a couple in-app purchases. The 21 tracks that compromise Zimmer's suites will cost $3.99. For $5.99, fans can purchase the atmospheric "Gotham City by Night" add-on, which will automatically play when using the app in the evening. Finally, an additional 99 cents will get the listener a set of the film's sound effects.
Musically, Gotham City is a murky, bass-heavy world, one full of rhythmically minimalist symphonic strikes and notes stretched thin for maximum tension. Zimmer's suites created for characters Bane (Tom Hardy) and Catwoman (Anne Hathaway) tap opposite ends of the spectrum, alternating between booming chants and playful piano prances.
The full suites formed the basis for all the music heard in the film and collected on the soundtrack.
"This shows more of the process," Zimmer said. "I wanted to divide the two worlds up. It’s a bad paradigm, but the suites are like the novel of this thing. The CD is like the screenplay. The CD follows the screenplay precisely. The suites are so much more based on all the more detailed conversations Chris and I were having."
Zimmer and Nolan first tried a mobile approach with the 2010 film "Inception." That app also used augmented sound to fold in a user's surroundings with the score's ambient noise. For the "Inception" app, developed with RjDj, users could record their surroundings and hear them woven into Zimmer's score.
"Because ‘Inception’ was a more dream-like world, I could take the atmosphere further," Zimmer said.
The app comes at a time when soundtracks aren't exactly dominating the charts. Only five soundtracks are in the top 200 on this week's pop tally, and one,"The Hunger Games,"features little music from the film.
It's likely, Zimmer said, that every piece of music created for Nolan's Batman trilogy will eventually be released in one collection. Ultimately, though, the composer and those at his Santa Monica studio Remote Control Productions have an underlying objective to bring greater awareness to the film composition trade.Our group at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is active on many fronts.
Our theoretical research program includes a broad particle phenomenology component, including efforts to develop new theories of dark matter and their possible signatures, model physics beyond the standard model with a focus on LHC phenomenology and to develop early-universe theories and study their connections to particle physics. Our lattice QCD effort aims to calculate the hadronic corrections needed for decoding measurements at collider experiments.
The theoretical effort also includes research into fundamental aspects of quantum field theory, string theory, AdS/CFT and quantum gravity. The AdS/CFT duality relates questions in quantum gravity to those in strongly interacting quantum many-body physics, so this effort includes strong interdisciplinary links to condensed matter theory and quantum information theory.
In the experimental program our running experiments are ATLAS at the Large Hadron Collider and the Dark Energy Survey in Chile. Data analysis from CDF at the Tevatron is still going strong. Our CDF and ATLAS groups are active in top physics, gauge boson physics, flavor physics with bottom hadrons, and studies of the newly discovered Higgs boson candidate.
Work on ATLAS upgrades is in progress, and our group is helping to build a hardware track finder (FTK) for the ATLAS trigger and the read-out system for the New Small Wheel muon upgrade. Much of our work has focused on understanding and improving the detector performance. We work on both TileCal and Muon subsystem commissioning and analyses. Our group is involved in searches for beyond-the-standard model physics using three complementary approaches: searches for new resonances, exotic Higgs decays, and searches for supersymmetric particles.
Work on future experiments is also going strong and we are involved in the muon g-2 and μ2e experiments being built at Fermilab, and The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) in Chile.
The g-2 experiment is the latest generation of an experiment to measure the magnetic moment of the muon and we are building a very challenging clock system for the experiment. The μ2e experiment searches for the (Standard Model) forbidden decay of a muon into an electron and no neutrinos. We are involved with the design and construction of the data acquisition systems for each of these experiments, developing the timing and control system for g-2 and are collaborating on the DAQ system. The group is also actively involved in the interface between the data acquisition system and the analysis, as real-time data processing and reduction will be needed.
The Dark Energy Survey (DES) studies dark matter and dark energy through their effect on the acceleration of the universe (supernovas and baryon acoustic oscillation) and on the history of structure formation (galaxy cluster formation and large-scale structure). DES started taking data in September 2012. Our data set will establish a new standard in the accuracy of cosmological measurements. The DES is in its third year (of five) of data taking, and the LSST recently passed its CD3 review, with full science operations scheduled for 2023.
LSST will provide digital imaging of faint astronomical objects across half of the sky every three days, opening a movie-like window on objects that change or move on rapid timescales: exploding supernovae, potentially hazardous near-Earth asteroids, and distant Kuiper Belt Objects. The superb images from the LSST will also be used to measure the distortions in remote galaxy shapes produced by lumps of dark matter, providing multiple tests of the mysterious dark energy.The Phoenix Police Department says a man was shot in a road rage incident Thursday evening.
The shooting happened near Interstate 10 westbound and 35th Avenue around 7:15 p.m.
Officials say the 31-year-old male was shot in the upper body by another driver after an altercation on the highway.
The man suffered non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to be OK.
Two other people who were also in the victim's car were not injured, a Department of Public Safety spokesperson said.
The suspect has not been located, according to police. Authorities believe the pair is strangers.
The alleged shooter is believed to be driving a gray Chevy Trailblazer. He is described as being African American and bald, but no additional description was released.
Stay with ABC15 and ABC15.com for the latest on this developing situation.ITHACA, N.Y. - Robo Brain - a large-scale computational system that learns from publicly available Internet resources - is currently downloading and processing about 1 billion images, 120,000 YouTube videos, and 100 million how-to documents and appliance manuals. The information is being translated and stored in a robot-friendly format that robots will be able to draw on when they need it.
To serve as helpers in our homes, offices and factories, robots will need to understand how the world works and how the humans around them behave. Robotics researchers have been teaching them these things one at a time: How to find your keys, pour a drink, put away dishes, and when not to interrupt two people having a conversation. This will all come in one package with Robo Brain.
"Our laptops and cell phones have access to all the information we want. If a robot encounters a situation it hasn't seen before it can query Robo Brain in the cloud," said Ashutosh Saxena, assistant professor of computer science at Cornell University. Saxena and colleagues at Cornell, Stanford and Brown universities and the University of California, Berkeley, say Robo Brain will process images to pick out the objects in them, and by connecting images and video with text, it will learn to recognize objects and how they are used, along with human language and behavior.
If a robot sees a coffee mug, it can learn from Robo Brain not only that it's a coffee mug, but also that liquids can be poured into or out of it, that it can be grasped by the handle, and that it must be carried upright when it is full, as opposed to when it is being carried from the dishwasher to the cupboard.
Saxena described the project at the 2014 Robotics: Science and Systems Conference, July 12-16 in Berkeley, and has launched a website for the project at http://robobrain. me
The system employs what computer scientists call "structured deep learning," where information is stored in many levels of abstraction. An easy chair is a member of the class of chairs, and going up another level, chairs are furniture. Robo Brain knows that chairs are something you can sit on, but that a human can also sit on a stool, a bench or the lawn.
A robot's computer brain stores what it has learned in a form mathematicians call a Markov model, which can be represented graphically as a set of points connected by lines (formally called nodes and edges). The nodes could represent objects, actions or parts of an image, and each one is assigned a probability - how much you can vary it and still be correct. In searching for knowledge, a robot's brain makes its own chain and looks for one in the knowledge base that matches within those limits. "The Robo Brain will look like a gigantic, branching graph with abilities for multi-dimensional queries," said Aditya Jami, a visiting researcher art Cornell, who designed the large-scale database for the brain. Perhaps something that looks like a chart of relationships between Facebook friends, but more on the scale of the Milky Way Galaxy.
Like a human learner, Robo Brain will have teachers, thanks to crowdsourcing. The Robo Brain website will display things the brain has learned, and visitors will be able to make additions and corrections.
###
The project is supported by the National Science Foundation, The Office of Naval Research, the Army Research Office, Google, Microsoft, Qualcomm, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the National Robotics Initiative, whose goal is to advance robotics to help make the United States competitive in the world economy.
Cornell University has television, ISDN and dedicated Skype/Google+ Hangout studios available for media interviews.7 years ago
Concord, New Hampshire (CNN) - No translator was needed to interpret Jon Huntsman's response to a pro-Ron Paul web ad that asks whether the former Utah Governor is a "Manchurian Candidate?"
"It's just stupid," Huntsman told a crowd of college students in Concord, New Hampshire Friday morning.
– Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @PoliticalTicker
Paul said Friday in an interview set to air on CNN's "John King, USA" he disavowed the ad, but that he couldn't control the actions of every one of his supporters.
"Of course I disavow him and he shouldn't do it, because you have one out of how many, a couple hundred thousand, five hundred thousand, I don't know how many people we have, because one does that, to bring that up just doesn't sound like a fair thing to do," Paul said. "Of course I denounce it, I couldn't even hear it, haven't looked at it, but people do that, and they do it in all campaigns."
Paul continued, "So obviously I just disavow him and try to go on and do the thing I'm supposed to do."
The full interview with Paul airs on CNN at 6 p.m. ET.
The web ad from the group, New Hampshire Liberty 4 Ron Paul, takes aim at Huntsman's ambassadorship in China, his ability to speak Mandarin, and even his adopted daughter, Gracie Mei, who is Chinese. The spot closes with an image of Huntsman dressed as China's communist leader Mao Zedong.
After a speech Friday, Huntsman told reporters Paul should disavow the ad.
"If the group is in any way affiliated with his organization of course he should," Huntsman said.
"It's just political campaign nonsense. It happens from time to time," he added.
In his remarks, Huntsman described how Gracie Mei was found abandoned in a vegetable market in China and taken to an orphanage shortly after she was born 12 years ago.
Gracie Mei, who is now 12, is a fixture on the Huntsman campaign. The GOP contender often endearingly refers to her as his top foreign policy adviser.
"And now she's in my family," Huntsman said.
Polls show Huntsman, Paul, Rick Santorum, and Newt Gingrich are all in a battle for second place in the upcoming New Hampshire primary.Untitled a guest Apr 12th, 2016 799 Never a guest799Never
Not a member of Pastebin yet? Sign Up, it unlocks many cool features!
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"); switch (b) { case 0: #define prinf printf prinf("Nooooo...%s","
"); endcase; case 1: printf("Yes!!!%s","
"); }; }Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) unveiled the legislation that would reshape a big piece of the U.S. health-care system on Thursday, June 22. Here's what we know about the bill. (Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post)
The Senate health-care bill is a blatantly cynical and political plan to reward the rich, squeeze the poor and give Republicans the chance to claim they protected the middle class — or at least those in the middle class who aren’t too sick.
The Republican |
ulsion, explains how rockets work and examines how engines convert chemical energy into thrust. Part III, Orbital Mechanics, discusses how space vehicles move under the influence of forces such as gravity, thrust, and drag. Part IV, Interplanetary Flight, studies the trajectories used to travel between planets.
This section is not for those with an aversion to mathematics as we focus largely on problem solving. Although some derivations use calculus, application of the derived formulae requires no more than an understanding of algebra and trigonometry. Each section includes example problems to demonstrate the use of the formulae.
I have personally authored only a small part of the text contained in Basics of Space Flight. The information was mostly assembled piecemeal from a variety of sources. I hope you find the final product a useful and well-organized compilation. All sources have been credited in my Bibliography page.
Space Hardware
The Space Hardware section describes many space vehicles and launchers. Part I, Spacecraft Systems, defines the most common types of spacecraft and describes their primary subsystems. Part II, Launcher & Spacecraft Specifications, provides detailed technical data and description of most manned spacecraft, space stations, selected launchers, and engines. Part III, Space Launch Vehicles, is a list of the world's launch vehicles, both past and present (although currently not up to date).
Space Missions
The Space Missions section provides comprehensive lists of all major manned and robotic space flights. Part I, Manned Space Flights, includes all piloted manned missions by all nations. Part II, Planetary Spacecraft, includes most interplanetary space probes and landers. Part III, Lunar Spacecraft, includes most unmanned probes and landers sent to the Moon. These lists include not only the successful missions but the many failed attempts as well.
Satellites such as Sputnik and Explorer I, and observatories such as the Hubble Space Telescope, although historically and scientifically important, are not included because they do not fall into any of the three classifications described above.
World Space Centers
In this section we provide a description of the work performed at each of the World's Space Centers. Included are both launch facilities and research & development centers. Also provided are a list of the number of orbital launches by site, complete through 1995, and a map showing the location of each launch center.
Miscellaneous
This site also includes a chronology of important Rocket & Space Milestones, a Glossary of many rocketry and space-related terms, and an Bibliography page where I give credit to all sources, both printed and Internet, used in the creation of this Web site.
Discussion Forum
The Discussion Forum, provided courtesy of The Space Race, is a good place to talk about space science and technology. You can ask questions and learn about rockets, space exploration, or any other related topic; or you can share your knowledge and help others. If you wish to engage in a discussion about any of the items found in this Web site, I recommend you visit the forum. Although I am happy to correspond via email, the forum will allow more people to contribute to the discussion.
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This photograph is a view of the Gemini 7 spacecraft taken from the hatch window of Gemini 6 during rendezvous and station keeping maneuvers at an altitude of approximately 160 miles on December 15, 1965 (NASA Photo ID S65-63188). This photo was chosen for this Web site's logo because of the historical and technological significance of the joint Gemini 6-7 mission (plus it's just a really cool photo). This mission achieved the first rendezvous of two spacecraft. It was a critical milestone that without which a landing on the moon would have been impossible. This mission and the Gemini flights that followed taught Americans how to maneuver and work in space.
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November-2017: Deleted Moon Landing Hoax section.
November-2013: Added "Gravitational Assist" to the Interplanetary Flight section.
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February-2012: Revised the Orbital Mechanics section. Added "The Hyperbolic Orbit" and added material to "Launch of a Space Vehicle."
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June-2007: Reorganized and renumbered the Basics of Space Flight section. Added new material to the Rocket Propulsion and Orbital Mechanics sections.
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October-2005: Made additions to the Rocket Propulsion section. Added Propellant Combustion Charts. Updated Atlas and Delta launch vehicles.
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August-2004: The entire Web site was given a major makeover. The home page was redesigned, several pages were consolidated, and site navigation was improved. Link to the discussion forum was added.When teens complain that school starts too early, they’re not wrong, according to new research.
This comes as school districts across the country—including in Colorado, California, Indiana, and Tennessee—consider starting school later.
The study, published last month in the peer-reviewed Journal of Human Resources, looks at districts in Florida and uses a novel approach: the fact that some areas in the state operate in the Central time zone while others use Eastern time. That means that if one district starts school at 8 a.m. Eastern and one right next door starts at 8 a.m. Central, students are actually heading to school at different times, relative to the sunrise—creating a natural experiment for the researchers to study how that affects student achievement.
Study authors Jennifer Heissel and Samuel Norris of Northwestern University followed students who move between schools in different time zones; they expected that students going from Eastern Time to Central Time will see their test scores improve because they get more sunlight prior to school.
In fact, that’s exactly what they found, particularly for older students. When an older student moved to a district that starts school later, their standardized test scores improved in the year they move and in later years. The effects are notable, but not huge: roughly equivalent to the impact of a substantial reduction in class size.
The research finds that is driven by the changes in ideal sleep patterns caused by entering puberty. That means girls are negatively impacted by late start times starting around age 11, and boys at age 13.Iranian lawmakers have adopted a motion to distribute diluted narcotics among drug addicts in a bid to cut off their relationship with drug traffickers, said Hassan Norouzi, the spokesperson for the Parliament’s Judicial and Legal Commission.
“The plan to distribute [low-grade] drugs is similar to what used to be implemented before the [1979 Iran’s Islamic] Revolution,” he noted, according to a Farsi report by ILNA.
He said all relevant authorities have given the go-ahead to the proposal.
“Given the special emphasis that the Establishment’s macro-policies put on the necessity of cutting off the relationship between drug addicts and narco-traffickers, we decided that the government hand out diluted drugs to addicts, so that they will be able to give up their addiction gradually and, instead of being drawn to drug-traffickers, turn to the Establishment and meet their needs through official channels,” he said.
He then noted that the commission will continue its work to finalize the plan’s approval.
As for what kinds of narcotics the government is to distribute among drug addicts, he said, “These drugs include methadone and substances more diluted than previous ones, and the authority to decide on that rests with bylaws which are to be jointly drawn up by the Ministry of Justice and [Iran’s] Drug Enforcement HQ, and which could come into effect after getting the all clear from the Cabinet,” said the top lawmaker.
He was asked whether or not the proposal provides for the substitution of industrial drugs. In response, the spokesman said, “The same bylaws will be the reference to make a decision on that, and our objective is to sever the relation between drug addicts and narco-traffickers.’
He underscored the representatives of all authorities involved in the proposal were present at the meeting of the commission and all agreed to the plan.This article is over 4 years old
‘The arrival of the first fleet was the defining moment in the history of this continent,’ PM tells audience at national museum
Indigenous leaders have reacted angrily to Tony Abbott’s assertion that white settlement was the defining moment in Australian history.
The prime minister made the comment in Canberra on Friday at the launch of a project on the 100 defining moments in Australian history at the National Museum of Australia.
“The arrival of the first fleet was the defining moment in the history of this continent. Let me repeat that, it was the defining moment in the history of this continent,” he said. “It was the moment this continent became part of the modern world.”
His remarks drew a prompt reaction from Warren Mundine, the chairman of Abbott’s Indigenous advisory panel.
“Well it was a defining moment, there’s no argument about that. It was also a disastrous defining moment for Indigenous people,” Mundine told the ABC.
Abbott said British settlement provided the foundation for Australia to become one of the most prosperous societies on earth.
Mundine said this might be true, but not everyone was benefiting.
“Does that mean that Aboriginal people have prospered from that? Of course not,” he said.
“We’re miles behind everyone else and in fact I wouldn’t be sitting in this job if Aboriginal people did prosper. There wouldn’t be a need for the chair of the Indigenous Advisory Council or the council as a whole.”
The head of the Stolen Generation Council for New South Wales and the ACT, Matilda House, called the prime minister’s comments ridiculous.
“I think politicians really don’t think when they make these one-liners,” she told the ABC.
“I can’t fathom how a ship or a boat sailed into Sydney Harbour can overtake the 60,000 years before.”
The co-chair of the National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples, Kirstie Parker, said Abbott was not speaking to all Australians.
“I think it speaks only to a particular section of Australian society. It doesn’t speak to all Australians,” she said.
“That’s a pity because I think it sets us back somewhat.
“This notion that the real Australia, the true Australia, the good and modern Australia started in 1788 is of course offensive to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.”
Six historians helped compile the list of 100 defining moments, including historian Professor John Maynard, who is also Indigenous.
“We were a little bit disturbed, to say the least, by that particular comment, the way that it was framed. But as I said, I mean, he’s open to have his opinion,” he said.
The deputy prime minister, Warren Truss, said white settlement was significant but not the only part of Australian history.
He told the ABC it had changed the country, but he acknowledged the contribution of the Indigenous population.
“There were Aboriginal people here before. Their way of recording history was different from what there has been since there has been European settlement,” he said.The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has made big news with the filing of a simple quarterly report.
When the behemoth business trade group reported its lobbying numbers for the second quarter of 2013 on Monday, it set a new record: The Chamber became the first organization to report total lobbying expenditures of more than $1 billion, according to OpenSecrets.org. Reporting that it spent $19.11 million from April through June, its grand total now stands at $1,002,845,680 since 1998, when the Center for Responsive Politics began tracking lobbying data.
For perspective, General Electric, the next highest spender, sits just under $294 million over the same period.
In 2012 alone, the Chamber — which boasts a business membership in the hundreds of thousands — devoted $136.3 million to influencing government policy, more than triple the total of the second highest spender. In fact, the lobbying expenditures of the next five firms added together still wouldn’t equal the Chamber’s outlays.
Yet the Chamber, which did not respond to requests for comment on this story, spent even more in previous years. In 2010, it dished out an all-time high $157.2 million on lobbying; 2009 was a close second.
The Chamber’s steady growth as a lobbying presence has occurred under the leadership of Tom Donohue, its president and CEO. Donohue, previously the head of the American Trucking Association, took the reins at the Chamber in 1997, at a time when the group was struggling. The next year, Donohue devoted $17 million to lobbying — a showing not at all shabby for most firms even today. Just six years later, that number had multiplied to $53.4 million, and by 2010, the group’s lobbying expenditures exploded to more than eight times the figure a decade earlier.
Although the Chamber employs its own large lobbying force — in the report filed this week, it lists 88 in-house lobbyists — it’s a major paycheck generator for dozens of outside firms as well. Last year, it was represented by 183 individuals from 33 different lobbying shops.
Like most lobbying clients, the Chamber has trimmed its spending recently. While it paid out $40.6 million for lobbying in the fourth quarter of 2012, the group devoted a relatively paltry $16.7 million to influencing legislation and regulatory policy in the first three months of this year. And its spending for all of 2012 was down 13 percent from the 2010 peak.
Numbers, of course, tell only part of the story of the Chamber’s influence. The organizations it speaks for lend the Chamber much of its credibility in Washington.
“Because of who [the Chamber] represents, I can’t believe it wouldn’t be effective if they only spent $10 on lobbying,” said David Plunkett, a lobbyist at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nonprofit that has often been at odds with what’s become the biggest force in the lobbying universe. “They represent the major companies of the businesses in this country. Members of Congress are going to listen to those guys.”
But the fact that it spends exponentially more gives it a far bigger megaphone.
The impact the group has had over the years is hard to measure, given the number of issues it has been involved in: worker safety, the environment, consumer protection, free trade, labor law, intellectual property, taxes, defense spending — the Chamber’s agenda includes just about any topic that its member organizations have a stake in, which, as it turns out, is quite a long shopping list.
Still, despite its invincible reputation, the Chamber doesn’t always come out on top. Despite its initial opposition, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is up and running, for example, with a Senate-confirmed director. A major piece of legislation was passed tightening up regulation of the financial industry in the wake of the Great Recession’s worst years. And President Barack Obama‘s health care overhaul was enacted.
Even when the Chamber loses, though, it rarely loses 100 percent. Countless times its efforts have helped shape legislation or regs to be more palatable to the business sector, or kept provisions it viewed as onerous from being adopted. Opponents never count the Chamber out in a battle: It forces a fight when it brings its deep pockets and formidable army to bear.
The health care throwdown
The Chamber was one of many organizations to lobby hard against the Affordable Care Act in 2009 and 2010 — its two biggest lobbying years ever in terms of raw expenditures — citing, among other sticking points, the employer mandate central to the legislation. The group proved to be a handy foil for individual health care companies that opposed portions of the bill but didn’t want to rile Democratic lawmakers who were backing it: In 2009, the Chamber received $86 million from insurance groups to bankroll opposition to the proposed legislation in the form of advertisements, events, and polls.
It was a loss for the Chamber when Obama signed the bill into law in March 2010, but it had achieved some of its aims, including keeping the “government option” — in which the government would be a health care provider alongside the private sector — out of the legislation. But the Chamber wasn’t done: It made the law an issue in the midterm elections. In the Pennsylvania Senate race, for instance, it spent $1.7 million on ads targeting then-Sen. Joe Sestak‘s (D-Pa.) support of the health care bill, urging constituents to ask themselves whether he was representing their interests. Sestak was defeated in the election.
And in September 2010, the Chamber launched an ad titled “The Flip Flopper,” highlighting how then-Gov. Charlie Crist (I-Fla.) did exactly that to pledge his support for the ACA. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) — who was endorsed by the Chamber and was the beneficiary of $2 million the organization spent on the race — went on to win the Senate seat.
Overall, the Chamber spent nearly $34 million on “electioneering communications” — ads that don’t tell viewers outright to vote for or against a candidate, but usually cast doubt on his or her views in the weeks just before voters go to the polls — in the 2010 election cycle. And when the ACA went before the Supreme Court last year, the Chamber submitted an amicus brief in support of the petitioners.
Shades of green
On another issue, the Chamber’s challenges in going to bat for a huge and diverse membership have been a little too exposed.
The group has repeatedly clashed with environmentalists and others pushing for Congress and the Environmental Protection Agency to act on climate change by setting stricter greenhouse gas emissions limits. Though it hasn’t denied that the planet is warming, the Chamber warns that new limits would hurt the economy and drive jobless rates up.
Obama’s June 25 speech laying out an ambitious climate change agenda for the remainder of his second term brought immediate pushback from the group. “The president’s plan runs a serious risk of punishing Americans with higher energy bills, fewer jobs, and a weaker economy, while delivering negligible benefits to the environment,” Donohue said in a statement.
Still, climate change has presented unique complications for the Chamber.
According to Adam Kolton, executive director for advocacy at the National Wildlife Federation, many of the Chamber’s member organizations are actually in favor of emissions regulations and climate change legislation. But, said Kolton, a few corporations that heavily bankroll the lobby group’s operations — “pocketed interests” that are able to fund Chamber initiatives — have dictated the organization’s position on this issue.
“The Chamber’s really putting at risk its credibility representing the future of American business, if it’s going to pass the hat and get money from the Koch brothers and coal interests to defend the status quo…. Some of these positions are representing a small, well-heeled group of their members,” Kolton said.
Some very public clashes have resulted. In 2009, a number of companies, including Apple and Nike, moved against the Chamber in the face of its controversial opposition to emissions limits being considered by Congress; Apple terminated its membership, while Nike left the board. And just last year, the Aspen, Colo., Chamber of Commerce elected to leave the national group, citing the Washington-based organization’s opposition to changes in energy laws.
The withdrawals continue. Less than two weeks ago, Skanska USA, an affiliate of the Swedish large-scale construction company, announced that it would leave the Chamber due to the group’s lobbying against U.S. Green Building Council environmental standards — yet another example of internal conflict created by the Chamber’s environmental policy.
According to an experienced lobbyist for businesses at a Washington firm, “The Chamber’s greatest effectiveness is when they represent business against labor. But when it comes to dealing with business versus business conflicts, it’s sometimes too complex for them to work out those arrangements.”
The Chamber’s political contributions have reinforced its positions on environmental issues. In the 2012 cycle, the organization’s PAC funded the campaigns of only five Democrats. Each of them — Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), former Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Reps. John Barrow (D-Ga.), Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), and Jim Matheson (D-Utah) — has voiced opposition to legislative and EPA actions to curb climate change. For example, in 2011, Barrow, Cuellar, and Matheson all voted to bar EPA from regulating greenhouse gas emissions. And the coal-friendly Manchin has spoken out against Obama’s recently proposed climate change initiatives.
Finessing immigration
Congress’ biggest issue of the summer is the push for an overhaul of the nation’s immigration laws, and the Chamber has been an active participant in the debate; of the thousands of businesses the lobbying group represents, most have a horse in the race.
In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee in May 2013, the Chamber argued for beefed-up border security, an enhanced employment verification system — and a path to citizenship for current undocumented immigrants, the biggest stumbling block to congressional agreement. In late June, the Chamber funded an advertisement showing conservatives such as Rubio speaking in favor of passing comprehensive immigration legislation.
Perhaps most importantly for many of its member organizations, the Chamber advocated for expanding the visa system that allows high-skilled foreign workers to take jobs with U.S. businesses.
The Chamber stuck with its members from the tech industry on this issue. Legislators who voted for the Senate immigration package, which included the provision, received a total of $12.2 million in contributions from the computer industry, while members who said “nay” racked up only $3.2 million.
While tech companies have become an increasingly important part of the Chamber’s portfolio, its efforts on their behalf haven’t always been successful — and different cross-sections of the industry have their own demands. Not all of those who want more visas for workers with advanced skills, for instance, were on board when the Chamber threw itself into a national debate about intellectual property on the Internet two years ago.
Supporting intellectual property rights and speaking out against piracy that cuts profits for original content producers, the Chamber heavily lobbied in favor of the PROTECT IP Act of 2011 (PIPA) in the Senate as well as the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House. In September 2011, the Chamber joined in on a letter signed by hundreds of businesses encouraging Congress to enact legislation that would go after websites pirating licensed content.
But a number of companies — notably Google — vehemently opposed the crackdowns. There was vast public opposition, too, and ultimately both bills failed.
“I know that there’s a lot of back-and-forth among the members of the Chamber on policy perspectives, and I think there’s some issues where they can coalesce,” said another lobbyist from a Washington-based firm that has lobbied for companies represented by the Chamber. “But not every issue suits that.”
Campaigns count, elections matter
For all the Chamber’s influence in the lobbying sphere, it’s hardly likely to leave the election of those it lobbies to chance. Still, its PAC is a relatively small player for such an 800-lb. gorilla, and isn’t the tool it uses to make its biggest footprint.
In the 2012 election cycle, the PAC gave just $222,500 to federal candidates — 89 percent of it to Republicans. And the rightward lean was no anomaly: In six of the last eight election cycles, the lobbying organization’s PAC sent more than 82 percent of its cash to Republicans. The best that Democrats have been able to do was in the 2008 cycle, when they captured 37 percent of the PAC’s gifts. But that didn’t last long, as the figure dropped right back to 12 percent in 2010.
The Chamber used its treasury to make a far bigger partisan splash, giving $2.25 million to the Republican Governors Association in the most recent cycle and more than $4 million to the Republican State Leadership Committee (both are most active in state, not federal, politics); on the other side, the Democratic Governors Association was given just $100,000.
Even those amounts, though, paled next to the tens of millions of dollars in outside spending the Chamber let loose last year.
The 2012 election cycle marked the first time the Chamber produced ads that explicitly called for the election or defeat of specific candidates: The Chamber anted up more than $32 million for these independent expenditures, and another $3.4 million for electioneering communications. Nearly $28 million of the total was spent to attack Democratic candidates.
But despite its major investments, the Chamber flopped at the ballot box: 20 of the top 22 candidates the lobby group worked to defeat actually emerged victorious come Election Day.
For instance, the Chamber spent $4.4 million unsuccessfully advocating for the defeat of Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), having financed a TV ad alleging that Kaine’s “big government policies” would “derail Virginia’s recovery.” An additional $4.3 million went to attack Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) as an advocate for big government and the health care overhaul. But Brown also hung onto his seat.
Just 7 percent of the Chamber’s outside spending benefited candidates who won in November 2012. That’s remarkably close to the disappointing — for conservatives — 6.6 percent showing of the largest outside spending group, the pair of organizations known as American Crossroads and Crossroads GPS. And that may be no coincidence: Steven Law, former general counsel of the Chamber, was instrumental in coming up with the idea to create the Crossroads groups, and Law became their president. The Chamber and Crossroads have been in regular contact about political strategy.
“In terms of [the Chamber’s] agenda getting through…much of that has been unsuccessful and was rejected by voters in the last cycle,” Kolton said.
Undaunted
But despite these defeats for the Chamber, there is no denying the tangible impact it has had on the nation’s political scene. Ultimately, the Chamber’s influence and resources stem from the powerful interests it represents. Backed by wads of cash and a big reputation, the lobbying group easily weaves relationships with elected officials in Washington who determine the nation’s laws.
“We have 310 million people in this country,” Plunkett said. “[Those people] are probably a bigger economy than all the businesses put together, but they don’t have a voice because they don’t have that concentrated power that is represented by the Chamber.”
Image: U.S. Chamber building via Flickr by NCinDC ; Tom Donohue via Flickr by freeenterpriseBy all accounts, he is one of the best math teachers in the country. The Mathematics Association of America has given him two national awards. He was appointed by the Bush administration to the National Mathematics Advisory Panel. For 25 years he has prepared middle-schoolers for the tough admissions standards at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, the most selective high school in America.
Yet this year, when Vern Williams looked at the Jefferson application, he felt not the usual urge to get his kids in, but a dull depression. On the first page of Jefferson's letter to teachers writing recommendations, in boldface type, was the school board's new focus: It wanted to prepare "future leaders in mathematics, science, and technology to address future complex societal and ethical issues." It sought diversity, "broadly defined to include a wide variety of factors, such as race, ethnicity, gender, English for speakers of other languages (ESOL), geography, poverty, prior school and cultural experiences, and other unique skills and experiences." The same language was on the last page of the application.
"This is just one example of why I have lost all faith in the TJ admissions process," Williams said. "In fact, I'm pretty embarrassed that the process seems no more effective than flipping coins."
Last year, he said, Jefferson rejected one of only two eighth-graders in Virginia who qualified to take the USA Junior Math Olympiad test, six scary problems to be done in nine hours. At the same time, "students who had very little interest [or] motivation in math and science were admitted," he said. "Some admitted students had even struggled with math while in middle school."
Williams knows that the school board is concerned that less than 4 percent of Jefferson students are black or Hispanic. He is black himself and was born in the District. He is familiar with the failings of math education for low-income minorities, but he doesn't think rejecting top math students is the best way to make the school more diverse.
The solution, he said, is to "get rid of all warm and fuzzy math programs at the elementary school level and teach real academic content to all students." Textbooks are dumbed down, he said, to accommodate allegedly math-phobic children. Don't get him started on the overuse of calculators.
He showed me a copy of a Jefferson recommendation he filled out in 2004. It asked him to rate the candidate on "interest in math," "self-discipline" and "problem-solving skills." There was no mention of ethnic diversity. This year, recommenders are required to assess three qualities: intellectual ability, commitment to STEM [science, technology, engineering, math] and whether the applicant's background, skills and past experiences "contribute to the diversity of TJHSST's community of learners."
Last November, I wrote a column endorsing that approach. I said that if the school put more emphasis on character and less on math scores, more black and Hispanic applicants would have a chance. I still believe that. But I have been so taken with the power of Williams's teaching over the years that I feel obliged to present his contrary view.
He has run into several cases of Jefferson ignoring STEM commitment. Humanities types are being accepted, and stars of Mathcounts, the nerd equivalent of youth soccer, are being rejected.
"And yet how many minorities have this corrupt process scooped up? Barely any!" Williams said. "I usually write between 45 and 60 TJ recommendations and spend at least 75 minutes on each because I make them all totally unique. I felt like last year's effort was a total waste of time."
The Jefferson admissions committee's careful sifting produced last year's average senior class SAT score of 2233, the highest in the nation by far. That is impressive. But at least one gifted teacher who knows Jefferson well thinks it could do better finding the students who come for the love of math, not prestige.- Advertisement -
The OxyMoron, Rush Limbaugh, is always bitching and moaning about welfare recipients, slamming any working person who gets any kind of assistance from the government.
Limbaugh's hysterical screeds about the evils of "welfare" seem to get more extreme with each passing year. On Sept. 1, 2005, Rush even blamed "the welfare and entitlement thinking of government" for the humanitarian disaster that hit New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
But note that Rush only has a problem with poor people who get welfare. Exempt from his criticism are the rich, the politically-connected, and the corporations, who really collect most of the welfare in this country.
Our country's military war profiteers get vastly more welfare than all America's poor people combined. How many billions of dollars in closed, no-bid contracts did Halliburton alone receive in the Iraq War? And they're merely one of the pig-like, greedy corporations with their snouts at the trough of the bloated, wasteful Military Industrial Complex.
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Of course, Rush also exempts himself from his screeds about welfare. After all, the Pig-Man gets loads of welfare himself. Indeed, Limbaugh's entire business is dependent on totally free usage of the public airwaves that WE THE PEOPLE own collectively.
Rush and his backers don't pay a penny for using OUR property. The airwaves we own are every bit as much a tangible asset as real estate or gold.
And Rush gets to use it to spread his disgusting hate speech for free.
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And it's not like Rush's corporate backers are so broke that they couldn't afford to pay at least a small nominal fee to use our airwaves. (After all, these people just recently signed Rush up for a new contract that will pay him an eye-popping $400 million, on top of the tens of millions Limbaugh has already pocketed over the years).
Next Page 1 | 2Violet Blue is responsible for my healthy vulva.
It’s true. Years ago, when reading her fantastic site www.TinyNibbles.com, I came across an article she wrote on what women taste like. In it, she described how regular soap changes the pH in the vulva and can cause destruction of lactobacillus, the healthy bacteria your vulva needs to stay clean and healthy (vaginal pH = 3.8 – 4.5 vs. reg. soap pH = 7.0 – 14). I had been prone to infection and couldn’t figure out why (TMI?). Bingo! Changed my soap to all-natural and bacterial infections be gone! Violet, my vulva thanks you.
Violet Blue has accomplished a lot in her storied career; as a best-selling writer/journalist and educator, selling over 600,000 books for Cleis Press¹, being interviewed for; Oprah, Newsweek, MSNBC, The Wall Street Journal, NPR and more, as well as being the “go to” sex and tech columnist (those two go hand in hand right?) for giant tech sites like ZDNET, CNET and CBS News and for her own sex site Tiny Nibbles. She has won awards, her best-selling books have been translated into eight languages and has been named by Forbes Magazine as a “Web Celeb.”
Her latest book / sex guide, ‘Kissing: A Field Guide,” conquers the simplest, but most definitive ‘tell’ of a good lover … the kiss.
There is nothing like the expectation, anticipation and excitement of a first kiss. For some, it’s the best part of what could become a hot romance, a sweet flirtation or a steamy night of unadulterated sex. However, you might think “who needs a guide on kissing? I mean, come on … isn’t it instinct?” Uh, not necessarily.
How many of us have found ourselves locking lips with someone who is sucking the entire bottom hemisphere of our face into their mouth or whose kiss was so anemic, you wonder if they kissed you at all? I know I certainly have and at the time, if I had ‘Kissing: A Field Guide,’ Violet Blue’s outstanding new book on the art of the kiss, I might’ve rapped it on the head of my date, shoved it into his hands, and sent him packing until he learned a thing or two.
Violet Blue considers your mouth a sex organ, and I couldn’t agree more. In fact, I could argue that only slightly behind the brain and the skin, the manifestation of a seductive kiss is an omniscient window into your partner’s ability to read your body language, for you to read your partner’s instinctive sensual starting point and for both of you to discover your combined sensual style.
As many of you know, I’m a huge proponent of getting back to the sensual side of sex, and what better primer for that than this field guide. Short, sweet and fun to read, you can finish it in a sitting, but the information will sit with you for a lifetime. Some of it you may already know, but I bet most of you (like me) haven’t thought about kissing in the way Violet Blue has. For instance, I never knew that kissing someone’s closed eyes was a “thing.” At least not so much as to warrant being mentioned in this comprehensive guide. How many types of kisses do you instinctively give, that you’ve never thought about before? You might be surprised to see it it mentioned and explored further in this book. Including what you’d expect to see, like kinds of kisses, dos and don’t’s, techniques and of course, how to’s, you’ll also find; how to build tension, different types of make-out approaches, and even inspirational movie suggestions as homework.
This is a library basic for every sensualist or novice. I loved this little gem of a book, which is relevant for teenagers all the way through centagenarians. I mean, who wouldn’t want to improve their kissing skills? With “Kissing: A Field Guide” you’ll go from good to great or from sexy to scintillating. You’ll never feel the need to practice on your hand again, and let’s face it – there are better things for your hand to do. 😉
Cleis Press and Violet Blue were generous enough to give Smut For Smarties an EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT for ‘Kissing: A Field Guide.’ Please to enjoy …
KISSING: A FIELD GUIDE by Violet Blue
Making the First Move
The first kiss is often a make-or-break deal, where both of you find out if all this excitement is really what it’s cracked up to be. If the object of your desire doesn’t make the first move, getting up the courage to initiate the kiss is important, but equally crucial is how you kiss him the very first time. Your technique is everything here, because it communicates much more about you than words and gives him a direct indication of the passion that’s got you all fired up. It’s debatable whether you should French-kiss (with your tongue) when you kiss someone the very first time. Certainly, at the moment of contact, your tongue should remain within your mouth—but how the kiss progresses past that point is a matter of assessing the direction and flow of the kiss. If you press lips and are overcome with passion and crazy desire, you’ll find your tongues dancing within moments, seemingly without any permission from your brain. When that happens, you just have to go with it. And if your first kiss turns out to be the kind where he passionately grabs you and you both uncontrollably start dancing the tongue tango, no one will blame you for not following any first-kiss “rules.” But unless you’re crawling all over each other like love weasels on a hot summer night, keep that tongue in check until you’ve kissed three or four times, or until you‘ve been open-mouth kissing for several minutes.
First Kiss Do’s and Don’ts:
Do smile a lot, even while kissing.
Do keep eye contact.
Do make sure you have nice breath.
Do remember to come up for air.
Do start slow.
Do begin with small movements of the lips, head, body, and hands.
If you make the first move, do pull back after the first kiss to gauge his or her response.
Do keep your lips soft and the muscles relaxed—not hard or tight.
Do keep your tongue in your mouth (see above).
Do linger for a moment after the kiss. Especially for a smile.
Do pay attention to where your noses are going and avoid a collision.
Don’t approach the kiss with your mouth open.
Don’t worry if you collide! Laugh and move in again slow.
Don’t jam your tongue in his mouth.
Don’t slobber!
Don’t make yummy noises—yet.
Don’t make overly loud kissing or “smacking” noises.
Don’t let your hands wander.
Don’t |
will move the tables and chairs out of the way and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theater.”
BBC Handed Explosive Evidence of Massive Corruption to Topple the British Establishment Gordon Bowden is an ex RAF officer who has spent the last 13 years uncovering detailed and forensic evidence of massive corruption within the British establishment that involves
All Wars Are Bankers’ Wars All Wars Are Bankers’ Wars explores a common central banking connection behind America’s wars. Direct quotes from the founders, presidents, and other world leaders are cited regarding each
The Folly of Scientism The temptation to overreach seems increasingly indulged today in discussions about science. Both in the work of professional philosophers and in popular writings by natural scientists, it is frequently claimed that natural science does or soon will constitute the entire domain of truth.
The Mother of All Conspiracies: The ‘Flat Earth’ Hypothesis The recent rise of the Flat Earth Movement and those pushing the flat earth theory has taken the webosphere and blogosphere by storm. It is, I would say,
28 Pages Former Senator Bob Graham and others urge the Obama administration to declassify redacted pages of a report that holds 9/11 secrets.
Rule from the Shadows – The Psychology of Power The pursuit for dominance is the primary propellant of history, always has been, always will be. Those who don't identify this assumption are not excused in the grand chess game, but instead are displaced and exploited by forces they do not comprehend.
Panama Papers: Revealing details fill in the gaps between the lines From Vladimir Putin’s best friend to the prime minister of Iceland and a revered soccer star, many of the world’s rich and powerful on Monday were scurrying for
Corporate Media Gatekeepers Protect Western 1% from Panama Leak Whoever leaked the Mossack Fonseca papers appears motivated by a genuine desire to expose the system that enables the ultra wealthy to hide their massive stashes, often corruptly
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They Live | Based on a True Story These days ‘They Live’ is looking more like Science than it is Fiction. When compared to the world elite or the Illuminati and their obsession with controlling the
Brussels Terrordrome: Masterminds, Fake CCTV Footage, EU Funded Terror Drills and Prior Knowledge Though many are still reeling in the wake of the Brussels tragedy – there are key questions surrounding this latest act of terror that should be examined.
The Stuttering Doctor’s ‘Monster Study’ Introduction The Monster Study was a stuttering experiment on 22 orphan children in Davenport, Iowa, in 1939 conducted by Wendell Johnson at the University of Iowa. Johnson chose one
Beyond Ishtar: The Tradition of Eggs at Easter Eggs occupy a special status during Easter observances. They’re symbols of rebirth and renewal—life bursts forth from this otherwise plain, inanimate object that gives no hint as to
Real-Time Video Manipulation Technology Is Both Impressive and Terrifying Researchers from Stanford, Erlangen-Nuremberg and Max Planck have developed software that allows for the real-time face capture and reenactment of RGB videos like YouTube. The technology is both
We Need to Talk About Sandy Hook Independent Media Solidarity is a loose knit group of independent journalists that have come together to tackle the issue of Sandy Hook. We are normal people with normal
Blueprint for a Prison Planet Blueprint for a Prison Planet Introduction “Meanwhile we shall express our darker purpose” – King Lear, Act 1:Sc1. The purpose of this piece is to introduce the
CoE finds one million pages of documents about child sex abuse Canterbury Cathedral, seat of the Church of England More than a million pages of documents on child sex abuse have been found at just three of the Church
Anonymous – Revolution: You Are Not Alone This video clip contains a portion of the speech that President John F. Kennedy gave at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on April 27, 1961. “The President and the Press”
The Number 9 Code The Number 9 is Everywhere In Plain Sight! The number 9 is the last number in a base 10 system which is the last and limit of all that is.
Terence McKenna’s True Hallucinations Terence McKenna’s True Hallucinations is an experimental documentary about the chaos at La Chorrera, the imagination, time, the Logos, belief, hope, madness, and doubt. Created by Peter
Scalia Murdered After Obama Meeting Revelations on the Allan case, which led to Scalia now lead into the entire Koch network, including the Federalist Society, said to be operating not simply in law
How the Elite Stay in Power In this video we break down in simple terms the only way “those in power” can stay in power. It’s not as complex at it may seem. They
The Hidden Life of the Kennedys: The Elite Dynasty That Got Decimated The Kennedys were considered, at one point, to be America’s Royal Family – a powerful dynasty that was also beloved and admired by the public. However, the mind-boggling “Kennedy
Obey This is a film based on the book “Death of the Liberal Class” by journalist and Pulitzer prize winner, Chris Hedges. It charts the rise of the Corporate
It’s a Ponzi Scheme -The Real Reason Global Markets Are Crashing The economy is collapsing and the stock market is crashing… again. Is this crash the big one, or is it just another hiccup on the slow road to
Can We Trust Russell Brand? Can Russell Brand be trusted? Is he really who he says he is? A revolutionary, a spiritually enlightened soul just trying to uplift and empower.
Synthetic Biology – Inventing the Future The hottest new field in biotech is synthetic biology: Scientists can now re-program life at the cellular level, just like a computer program. Syn-bio experts (also known as
Murder in Paradise A documentary showing the murders in Thailand in 2015 of the two young English people and the shocking way the Thai police handled the investigation.
Jonestown – The Life and Death of Peoples Temple In 1978 over 900 people led by the Reverand Jim Jones died in the largest mass murder-suicide in history, at Jonestown, Guyana. The story is told by survivors,
Welcome to Jonestown Everyone was welcome at the People’s Temple. Young and old, black and white, over 900 of them lived together at an idealistic socialist commune in the jungles of
The True Story of Madeline McCann – Buried by Mainstream Media The Madeleine McCann disappearance has become one of the most enduring mysteries of our time and has generated thousands of front page headlines. Despite the unprecedented coverage, few
Ring of Power Basically, "Ring of Power" attempts to give a much more accurate view of human history and present an overall review of the control mechanisms that have dominated the world in which we live in.
Calendrical and Time Manipulation Another subtle yet devastating aspect of the global conspiracy is their manipulation of calendars, clocks, and our perception of time. We are being enslaved by manmade mechanisms and
Kubrick and the Illuminati This is without a doubt one of the greatest analysis ever. Michel Ciment is a famous French film critic and is a Chevalier of the Order of Merit,
The Greatest Story Never Told ince the mid-20th century, the world has only ever heard one side of an incredible story. The story of a boy from an ordinary family whose ambition it was to become an artist, but who instead became a drifter. His destiny however was not to drift into the awaiting oblivion, but to rise to the greatest heights of power, eventually to become one of the most influential men who ever lived. Now for the first time, here is a documented …
Washington’s Machiavellian Game in Syria One of my often-cited sayings is around 2,500 years old. It’s from the respected Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu in his small masterpiece, The Art of War. For centuries
Royal Babylon: The Criminal Record of the British Monarchy A series of 16 short films each detailing a crime of the British monarchy, based on Heathcote Williams’ poem “Royal Babylon: The Criminal Record of the British Monarchy.“.
Unlawfull Killing: Princess Diana Murder After being withheld from UK distribution due to potential libel lawsuits, the controversial and much hyped Keith Allen documentary Unlawful Killing: Princess Diana’s Death has been leaked online and can be easily viewed by those with a cursory knowledge of Internet file sharing.
Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars Conspiracy theories are nothing new to history. Plots to “kill Caesar” and overthrow Rome abounded, for instance. however, it is seldom that concrete clues to such plots come
10 Fascinating Facts About Ravens Edgar Allan Poe knew what he was doing when he used the raven instead of some other bird to croak out “nevermore” in his famous poem. The raven
Water Time: Surf Travel Diary of a MadMan Along with his pup Honey, acclaimed author Allan Weisbecker (In Search of Captain Zero) went on the road in search of waves to ride, and, as acclaimed investigative
Controlled Opposition – The Hidden Hand of Misdirection This concept eludes public awareness to a scary degree. It’s similar to the reality of false flag operations, the epitome of carefully planned societal manipulation by unseen forces
Programmed to Kill: The Politics of Serial Murder The specter of the marauding serial killer has become a relatively common feature on the American landscape. Reactions to these modern-day monsters range from revulsion to morbid fascination-fascination
How Do 1,100 People Vanish in U.S. National Parks Without Any Publicity? What would you say if I told you that over 1,100 people have disappeared from our country’s national parks and open spaces in the past 100 years, and
The Hour of Our Time – The Legacy of William Cooper William Cooper was a former naval officer, decorated veteran, short wave radio broadcaster and world renowned lecturer and author, he was shot and killed November 5th 2001 under
Chasing the Cicada: Exploring the Darkest Corridors of the Internet When an unsuspecting researcher followed a mysterious command on a 4chan board, he found himself drawn into a scavenger hunt that led him down the darkest corridors of
Mental: A History of the Madhouse From frontal lobotomies to care in the community, Mental: A History of the Madhouse tells the fascinating and poignant story of the closure of Britain’s mental asylums.
An Empire of Their Own: How the Jews Invented Hollywood The majority of the eastern European Jews who found success in business at the turn-of-the century United States, did so in the garment industry. However, a handful of
The Power of Nightmares The Power of Nightmares, subtitled The Rise of the Politics of Fear, is a BBC documentary film series, written and produced by Adam Curtis. Its three one-hour parts
The Mayfair Set Unreported and almost unseen approach that capital and capital markets have taken since 1945 to gradually take control of the political systems of the USA and the United
The Century of the Self The Century of the Self is an award-winning British television documentary series by Adam Curtis. It focuses on how the work of Sigmund Freud, Anna Freud and Edward
US Collapse Underway – Government Preps a Civil Force While American’s may not yet feel like we are living in the middle of a battlefield, we could very well become caught in the coming battle many are projecting for the the near future, at least that is what the Department of Defense wants citizens to believe.
Bulgarian Mystic Baba Vanga Predicted 9/11, 2004 Tsunami and ISIS. These Are Her Prophecies for 2016 and Beyond Notice the things happening around us as we speak. Many of these occurrences were predicted decades ago, not in some publicity stunt on television nor were they witnessed
It Felt Like a Kiss It Felt Like a Kiss, the hotly-awaited collaboration between site-specific adventurers Punchdrunk, experimental documentary-maker Adam Curtis and Britpop renaissance man Damon Albarn, is a remarkable requiem for post-war
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The Fantastic Mr. Feynman Richard Feynman is one of the most iconic, influential and inspiring scientists of the 20th century. He helped design the atomic bomb, solved the mystery of the Challenger
Caesars Messiah: The Roman Conspiracy to Invent Jesus Through interviews with experts, we learn that Jesus is not a historical figure, the events of Jesus’ life were based on a Roman military campaign, his supposed second
Origins and Techniques of Monarch Mind Control Monarch Programming is a method of mind control used by numerous organizations for covert purposes. It is a continuation of project MK-ULTRA, a mind-control program developed by the CIA,
CIA Secret Experiments It’s the height of the Cold War and the United States government is desperate to combat the spread of Communism. The CIA launches a highly classified, top secret
Who Killed Amy Winehouse? The new documentary Amy points fingers at several people close to the soul singer as culprits in her death. We ask director Asif Kapadia: Who is really to blame?
Century of Enslavement: The History of The Federal Reserve Who really knows what money is, where it comes from - who it was created by and why?
10 Things That Every American Should Know About The Federal Reserve Most Americans are content with believing that the Federal Reserve is just another stuffy government agency that sets our interest rates and that is watching out for the best
Wagging the Moondoggie “It is commonly believed that man will fly directly from the earth to the moon, but to do this, we would require a vehicle of such gigantic proportions
The Tragic Tale of the Rocket Maker “When the history of the American space program is finally written, no figure will stand out quite like John Whiteside Parsons.” – Richard Metzger, “John Whiteside Parsons: Anti-Christ
AEON of HORUS: The Occult History of NASA Since its inception in 1958 the truth of NASA’s occult origins has been discretely hidden from public awareness; origins linked to perhaps the most “wicked” of all occult practitioners in modern history, Satanist, Aleister Crowley.
The Symbolism Hidden Within “The Wizard of Oz” Many people believe that The Wizard of Oz was (and is) an allegory for the radically new state of affairs that existed in America in the 1930s, following the stock market crash and the bankruptcy of the United States Government which occurred immediately thereafter. For all extents and purposes, it can still be viewed as the current state of affairs, inasmuch as the allegorical nature, the clues strewn throughout the story, are still relevant today.
The Secret of Oz It is well known in economics academia that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz written by L. Frank Baum in 1900 is loaded with powerful symbols of monetary reform which were the core of the Populist movement and the 1896 and 1900 president bid of Democrat William Jennings Bryan.It is well known in economics academia that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz written by L. Frank Baum in 1900 is loaded with powerful symbols of monetary reform which were the core of …
Tasmanian Devil: The Fast and Furious Life of Errol Flynn Documentary about Errol Flynn, the romantic star of dozens of Hollywood swashbucklers, whose real life was even more adventurous than his films. In a life dedicated to the pursuit of pleasure, Flynn became notorious for his love affairs, scandals and rebellious nature.The Swedish Security Service has created an online buzz on social media networks with its sarcastic first tweet. The Säpo agency recommended Swedes to follow its Twitter account, as it is already “following” the nation’s citizens.
"We're on Twitter now, for safety's sake. Follow us, because we're following you," read a trolling first tweet by Swedish Security Service (Säpo in Swedish), the country’s intelligence agency.
För säkerhets skull finns vi nu på Twitter. Följ oss, för vi följer er. — Säkerhetspolisen (@SAPOsverige) January 2, 2015
The post earned the agency over 4,500 retweets in just one day and over 23,000 people are already following the Security Service.
According to Säpo’s spokesperson, Sirpa Franzén, the idea for the agency’s first humorous tweet came from an internal competition.
"We've been working for the last 10 years on being more transparent. This is a part of that work," she told the Aftonbladet newspaper, the Local reported.
Fantastic 1st tweet from @Sweden's security police! RT @SAPOsverige: För säkerhets skull finns vi nu på Twitter. Följ oss, för vi följer er. — E. Dacey-Fondelius (@Fondacey) January 3, 2015
Franzén added that the tweet was composed“with tongue in cheek."
The account was also created not only to troll the Swedish, but also to explain what the country’s Security Service was doing and how its operations are carried out.
The account was also created not only to troll the Swedish, but also to explain what the country’s Security Service was doing and how its operations are carried out.
Hilarious tweet by Swedish security service (Säpo) "Follow us, because we follow you" @SAPOsverige#sweden — Anders Nordberg (@whymacro) January 2, 2015
The agency's Twitter account was also created to debunk some myths about the service.
“For example, the myth that we are following people for their opinions. We are interested in crime and not the view itself. It is an example of a common misconception about us,” Franzén said.
READ MORE:CIA joins social media, is immediately trolled
Sweden’s security service is not the first to troll its country’s citizens. In June 2013 the CIA joined social media with quite a sarcastic first tweet: “We can neither confirm nor deny that this is our first tweet.”
There were already 40,000 followers after just a single hour online, with the CIA’s debut on Facebook sparking a similar conversation on that platform.
The CIA admitted as far back as 2011 that its agents and employees regularly scanned social media to spy on intelligence targets. It already had multiple accounts on Flickr and YouTube, but only debuted on Twitter because it had spent months lobbying Twitter to stop someone else who was already using the @CIA handle.The opposition parties – who currently control the majority of the 16 Länder governments which are represented in the Bundesrat – voted on Friday to block tax cuts proposed by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s centre-right coalition government.
The proposals would have raised the limit for tax-free earnings by €350 in two stages, to reach €8,354 by January 2014.
The measure was intended to help employees offset the impact of inflation on their purchasing power by tackling so-called cold progression, where tax brackets do not keep up with inflation.
When earnings rise to keep up with inflation, they push people into higher tax brackets that have not changed, leaving them paying more tax on what is in real terms unchanged earnings.
The bill failed to win a majority in the upper house, where Social Democrats and Greens voted down the measure that the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag had passed in March. Opposition politicians said there was not enough in the public purse to operate with €6 billion less in future.
Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats and their partners in government, the pro-business Free Democrats will now hand the draft law over to a mediation committee in a last attempt to push through the break for taxpayers in Europe's biggest economy.
The government will continue to fight against "secret tax hikes" resulting from cold progression, government spokesman Steffen Seibert told the Die Welt newspaper after the vote on Friday.
The political signal from the opposition is unmistakable – it comes just two days ahead of Sunday's state election in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state, according to a report in Der Spiegel.
Opposition parties are piling pressure onto Merkel’s coalition in a bid to underline widespread dissatisfaction with the government a year ahead of federal elections.
AFP/The Local/jlbLabor Secretary Hilda Solis said that she benefited from having her parents work in labor unions and believes that Big Labor has helped to increase the number of Americans in the middle class.
"Level the playing field, that's what unions did in my opinion. And they continue to strive to...level the playing field for everyone, for every group, and to me that's part of our American make up," she said.
Solis is one of the most pro-labor union secretaries ever to run Labor, helping President Obama overcome some differences with the movement as unemployment has increased and he's failed to satisfy unions with more stimulus spending. [Read: Seven Ways Obama Can Gain Credibility on Jobs.]
Talking with reporters last week, Solis was asked about the impact of unions losing half their membership since 1983, according to federal figures. She said that the drop in membership has had a direct impact on Americans in the middle class.
"There has been an erosion of people that have been able to stay in the middle class. The way I see it, you need to help to keep people in the middle class," said Solis.
Read about the 10 cities that have the most union members.The country's growing unemployment is overtaking subprime mortgages as the main driver of foreclosures, according to bankers and economists, threatening to send even higher the number of borrowers who will lose their homes and making the foreclosure crisis far more complicated to unwind.
Economists estimate that 1.8 million borrowers will lose their homes this year, up from 1.4 million last year, according to Moody's Economy.com. And the government, which has already committed billions of dollars to foreclosure-prevention efforts, has found it far more difficult to help people who have lost their paychecks than those whose mortgage payments became unaffordable because of an interest-rate increase.
"It's a much harder nut to crack, unemployment," said Mark A. Calabria, director of financial regulation studies at the Cato Institute. "It's much easier to bash lenders than to create jobs."
During the first three months of this year, the largest share of foreclosures shifted from subprime loans to prime loans, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The change to prime loans -- traditionally considered safer -- reflects the growing numbers of unemployed who are being caught up in the foreclosure process, economists say.
Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, has proposed using $2 billion in government rescue funding to provide emergency loans to these borrowers. "We are going to be seeing more foreclosures because of prolonged unemployment," he said. "These are people who weren't in trouble and wouldn't be in trouble if they hadn't lost their job."
Unlike the borrowers with subprime mortgages who helped ignite the housing downturn more than two years ago, Deepak Malla, 42, fell behind on his payments when his information technology job was shipped overseas late last year. He does not have a subprime loan, and he made a 20 percent down payment when he bought his five-bedroom house in Ashburn in 2005. The payments were affordable -- until he lost his job.
Last year, about 40 percent of borrowers who sought help at NeighborWorks, a large housing counseling group, cited unemployment or a pay cut as a primary reason for their delinquency. Now it is about 65 percent. The number citing a subprime loan fell significantly.
"Rising unemployment, for the sake of this downturn, has magnified things considerably," said John Snyder, manager of foreclosure programs for NeighborWorks. "It's less about the payment adjustment."
When a subprime borrower becomes delinquent because of a hefty payment increase, the fix often involves lowering the interest rate to its original level. Unemployment poses a more difficult challenge, industry officials and consumer advocates said. During extended periods of joblessness, the borrower accrues large late fees that drive up monthly payments. And a new job often comes with lower pay, making it more difficult to catch up.
When Malla landed another job earlier this year, he took a pay cut of more than 25 percent. He launched a six-month campaign to get Wells Fargo to lower his mortgage payments from $3,500 to reflect his new financial reality, but he was rebuffed repeatedly. "I wanted to work out with them based on my current scenario," Malla said.
He considered refinancing his mortgage, which had a 5.8 percent interest rate, but his home's value had fallen significantly since the market peak, making that impossible. Instead, the lender recommended that he sell the house in a short sale. That would mean selling for less than he owed and walking away with nothing.
"They didn't say why -- just that [a loan modification] is outside the investor guidelines," Malla said. "I was very, very frustrated." (After being contacted by The Washington Post, a Wells Fargo spokesman said Malla does qualify for a loan modification after all.)Employees today are no longer learning so they can work; they are working so they can learn.
It is difficult to weigh up the considerable power of technology to affect change. And it is just as difficult to name any area of daily life that has not been altered by it in just the last decade.
The world-changing force of technology has been apparent for a long time. Perhaps most notably in the invention of the Gutenberg printing press in the fifteenth century, which allowed for the rapid spread of information through books and newspapers. Succeeding periods of major advance followed in the eighteenth century during the Industrial Revolution and, further on, in the popularising of telephones and TVs in the the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
But while these technologies made mass communication more readily available, their steady rate of progress pales in comparison to the succeeding century of change.
Today, it is almost impossible to think of a single aspect of daily life that is beyond technology’s reach. It has transformed how we receive news as well as how we make it. It has changed political landscapes, breaking world leaders just as easily as it has helped make them. And it is actively affecting an evolution of our daily routines, interactions, ways of living, and even ways of thinking.
Technology is evolving to the point where there is a new Industrial Revolution every decade. Click To Tweet
In fact the acceleration and scale of its development has reached a point where we experience something like a new Industrial Revolution every decade or so (it’s generally agreed that we are in fact entering a Fourth Industrial Revolution). Just as we grow comfortable with existing technologies, trailblazing new ones suddenly emerge with the potential to reinvent the world once again.
Learning & Development in the Corporate Environment
Riding the crest of this wave is the world of commerce, which must continually adapt to new technologies so that it can better serve growing consumer numbers.
For this to happen, high-performing companies now seek employees who are themselves adaptable, prepared to spot new opportunities, and keen to embrace the changes necessary to make the most of those opportunities. To ensure that their employees get to this point – and remain there – the same high-performing companies are spending significantly more than their competitors on corporate learning and development.
According to an employer survey by the World Economic Forum the ten most valuable workforce skills for 2020 are projected to look quite different to those previously earmarked for 2015, with critical thinking and creativity moving close to the top of the list.
But why have such skills become so important? And are the majority of companies properly equipped to nurture them in employees?
The straightforward answer to the former question is that cognitive and creative skills are more desirable now because traditional “hard” skills are becoming obsolete far more quickly. According to Deloitte’s Human Capital Trends of 2017, software engineers now need to re-develop their skills every 12 to 18 months. And it is much the same with professionals in other areas such as finance, marketing, law, and manufacturing.
“As technology accelerates,” says former US Ambassador Jeffrey Bleich “training may barely be sufficient to last 10 years. How will that work? How do we educate and retrain people for six careers over a lifetime? And what sorts of jobs will those be? How will we give people purpose when machines can do everything that is dull, dangerous, or determinable?”
Problem solving, creativity, and critical thinking are valued because they essentially act as gateways for ongoing development in other areas: they enable greater flexibility. As with the limited shelf-life of hard skills, corporate training programs that don’t support these cognitive skills run the same risk of obsolescence.
Problem solving, creativity, and critical thinking are gateways for professional development. Click To Tweet
The potential consequences of this are huge, as pointed out by Randi Zuckerberg, a former Director at Facebook (and sister of co-founder Mark Zuckerberg):
“Many employers say they value training but don’t actually create a culture where employees feel they can take the time to get that training. It can easily get to the point where employers find themselves with tens of thousands of employees whose skills are suddenly outdated, and all of a sudden they need to go through mass re-training of thousands of people.”
Managing Expectations – Letting Talent Lead the Way
Even though reports suggest that it is high-performing companies that are leading the change in workplace training, in many cases it is the expectations of the employees themselves that are influencing a change in focus.
This is hardly surprising since a growing cohort of the working population is comprised of millennials who have grown up with technology. Accessing information via the Internet seems as natural to them as breathing: it is a simply a part of day-to-day life. The notion of “working to learn” is therefore something of an embedded principle, and they are therefore far more likely to seek out companies that champion continuous growth in the same way that they do.
Because of their adaptability and comfort with new technology, the competition for hiring such talent is fierce. As much as 57 per cent of HR and training teams identify it as the single greatest challenge to their company’s growth. To overcome this, more employers are adapting or expanding their L&D programs to create a more appealing brand image to prospective hires and subsequently maximize the talent they manage to secure.
Insight through Information
The variety of training methods now available opens up seemingly endless opportunities to achieve more effective learning outcomes. There is micro learning (generally short, snappy video content that focuses on particular skills), mobile learning (a rapidly growing area that caters for an “always -on” workforce), online training courses, collaborative learning, project-based learning, and regular feedback loops (an alternative to annual reviews).
All these and many more have shown up on the corporate radar in recent years. But if companies are going to employ such methods effectively then they will need to develop an understanding of what their L&D program needs to do and how they can put one together that performs as required.
This raises further important questions: How can you track cognitive agility or problem-solving skills in employees? How can you identify their ongoing needs as well as strengths? How can you evaluate their evolution in terms of skills and core competencies?
Given that more information means greater insight, acquiring as much data as possible in relevant areas makes sense. But how does a company go about setting up a process that can capture data that is both high-quality and actionable? And if you do manage to set up such a process, then isn’t it bound to become obsolete with time as things move on?
Information gives insight, so high-quality data is essential for a high-quality L&D program. Click To Tweet
This is the problem with using standard evaluations, which are limited in scope and applicability. The changing work environment and shifting employee needs require far greater flexibility and scope. Chief Learning Officers, HR professionals, and team leaders each want to create improved processes for hiring, onboarding, training, and career and leadership identification.
However, as we’ve seen, the modern workplace is in a state of constant change, meaning these processes are sure to evolve. Are current assessment staples such as multiple-choice questions really up to the task?
Customising Assessments for an Evolving Work Environment
A complex, shifting work environment requires adaptable tech solutions to support its evolution. For training professionals, the value of well-developed assessments to their training programs is not in question. Asked what they considered to be the top trends shaping recruitment in 2020, 35 per cent put soft skills assessment at the top of the list.
A complex, shifting work environment requires adaptable tech solutions to support its evolution. Click To Tweet
The difficulty, however, lies in finding a way to adapt assessments so that they effectively inform and improve a company’s broader corporate learning strategy. To this end, assessment solutions must be as flexible as the employees they are evaluating. As with other learning tools, they require a degree of customization that affords their authors the freedom to build and rebuild them as required, without incurring a waste of time or resources.
The corporate world is a restless one. If a company truly wants to develop a culture of learning and be seen as a place that embraces market change and employee evolution, then the technology it uses to do so should act as its calling card.
Feature article image courtesy of T. Webster | Unsplash
Related ContentBuffalo Woman Sues To Stop Presidential Election
Trending News: A Woman Is Suing To Stop The Election Because The Candidates Suck
Why Is This Important?
Because Americans sue for everything else, why not this?
Long Story Short
A Buffalo woman has filed a lawsuit in federal court requesting that Tuesday's presidential election be postponed until we find someone more competent. In the meantime, we'd stick with Barack Obama temporarily.
Long Story
At 62-years-old, Louise K. Nolley was really looking forward to voting for the first time. She'd never voted before due to run-ins with the law and a heroin addiction (something all too familiar these days), but now she wants to delay her first time voting even longer.
Why? Because both major party candidates suck.
The Buffalo News reports that Nolley has filed a lawsuit with a federal court demanding the election be postponed.
“Neither of the candidates running for the Presidential seat shows that they can handle the position,” her lawsuit states, adding that “the character of both candidates falls far below” acceptability.
Nolley says she decided to make a case because she really wanted her first time voting to be special.
“This is the first time I’ll ever get a chance to vote, and I just wanted it to mean something for me and other people who really need a leader,” she said to the local paper. “So I really want to make a difference and do something different.”
With just days before the election, it seems a little late to be bringing up this case, but Nolley said she decided to file it now because she got the "OK from God."
If the lawsuit works and the election gets postponed, Nolley hopes that President Obama can stick around longer, despite that being a violation of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, which limits presidents to two terms.
In the sad case that she loses (I'll speak for all America and say we're all rooting for her), she says she won't vote for anyone on the presidential ballot, only regional races.
Own The Conversation
Ask The Big Question
Out of 319 million Americans, these are the bozos we came up with?
Disrupt Your Feed
We're all rooting for you Louise!
Drop This Fact
Want another reason to consider postponing? There may be an al Qaeda terror threat on election day.Walter C. Jerome of Worcester, Massachusetts was a man possessed by a mission to make the world’s safest car. In the end, he failed to advance auto safety but Jerome’s segmented sedan might easily qualify as the world’s strangest car.
Primarily concerned with head-on collisions, Jones split his car in two, hoping the front section would absorb collisions, leaving the passenger cabin untouched. Using a heavily modified 1948 Hudson sedan as a rear section, he built a raised turret to provide the driver with maximum visibility, a goal he furthered with a 360 degree wrap-around screen that constantly rotated past built-in squeegees to wipe it clean.
Wrap-around rubber bumpers protected the Sir Vival’s bodywork from errant motorists in slow speed collisions but they were just one of Jerome’s innovations. The Sir Vival was years ahead with seat belts, a padded interior, and built-in roll bars.
Auto safety has two parts: passive safety concerns passenger protection once a collision occurs, and active safety, or a car’s ability to avoid accidents due to handling and braking qualities. Like most Americans, Jerome focused only on passive safety, ignoring the fact that his car’s awkward separation into dual modules necessitated atrocious handling.
The Sir Vival appeared on magazine covers. Jerome had fancy two-color sales brochures printed that extolled its virtues. But its fifteen minutes in the spotlight quickly elapsed and it sunk without a trace. Amazingly, the eccentric Sir Vival turned out to be a survivor after all. A little the worse for wear, it remains in the care of Bellingham Auto Sales in Bellingham, Massachusetts.
Source: Jim Cherry, Classic Autos Examiner"I have nothing to hide"
The statement "I have nothing to hide" is very popular. When people use it, they mean that they don't care if their privacy is being invaded. But if you look closer, everyone has got something to hide.
If you feel like everyone can know everything about you, ask yourself this: Would you give your mobile phone to your neighbor, unlocked? Would you let them snoop around in your messages, emails, photos? Do you also feel like letting people know what you fear, what you dislike, unethical things you might be doing or phantasizing about? We say: dance like noone's watching, encrypt like everyone is.
Whatever you say or write online: It is being recorded and stored unencrypted on some server. It will be collected, it will be read, it will be used.
Why should I encrypt my data?
Not long ago the Microsoft Corporation was allowed to refuse data access to the U.S. Government on basis of a legal judgement. The emails in question had been stored on servers outside the United States that's why the American authorities weren't granted access to the data. But some of the judges disagreed and demanded further tightening of laws as a consequence. And that's only one example why secure email is more important than ever.
Secret services around the world are collecting our data in order to "maintain security for the public", at least that's the official statement. We do not believe that more surveillance increases security.
Instead we believe in Murphy's law: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. You think that you have nothing to hide, but are you really sure that you have nothing to hide? Go ahead and look at your documents, images, emails |
accepted as an illegal act in US and international law, so if assassination is a form of murder, the Orders cannot be making legal something that is already illegal.[61]
The Hague and Geneva Conventions did not consider non-national actors as belligerents in general war. The Conventions do consider spontaneous rising against invasion and civil war as having lawful combatants, but there are many more restrictions of the status, as legal combatants of fighters who came to a war from an external country. This discussion will not address the controversial issue of illegal combatants, but, following Addicott's reasoning, assumes that violence, in defense to an attack, is legal under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
Note that before the attackers in the September 11, 2001 attacks were identified, the US invoked the NATO treaty, without objection, as a member state that had been attacked. "In the War on Terror, it is beyond legal dispute that the virtual-State al-Qa'eda terrorists are aggressors and that the United States is engaging in self-defense when using violence against them."[citation needed]
Black and others became advocates of arming the Predator with AGM-114 Hellfire missiles to try to kill Bin Laden and other al-Qaeda leaders, but there were both legal and technical issues. Tenet in particular was concerned about the CIA moving back into the business of targeted killing. Also, a series of live-fire tests in the Nevada Desert in summer 2001 produced mixed results.
In June 2001, at a test site in Nevada in the US, CIA and Air Force personnel built a replica of Bin Laden's villa in Kandahar, Afghanistan. The Predator controllers tested aiming and firing a Predator missile at the house, and post-strike analysis showed it would have killed anyone in the targeted room. The significance of this demonstration was called a "holy grail" by one participant. A weapon now existed which, at long range, could kill Bin Laden shortly after finding him. Practice runs proved reliable, but, according to the Washington Post, the Bush Administration refrained from such action. On September 4, a new set of directives called for increasing pressure against the Taliban until they either ejected al-Qaeda or faced a serious threat to their continued power, but no decision on using this capability had reached President Bush by September 11.[59]
Tenet advised caution at the Cabinet-level Principals Committee on September 4, 2001. If the Cabinet wanted to empower the CIA to field a lethal drone, he said, "they should do so with their eyes wide open, fully aware of the potential fallout if there were a controversial or mistaken strike". National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice concluded that the armed Predator was required, but evidently not ready, and she advised the CIA to consider restarting reconnaissance flights. The "previously reluctant" Tenet then ordered the Agency to do so. The CIA was authorized to "deploy the system with weapons-capable aircraft".[62][63]
World-Wide Attack Matrix [ edit ]
After 9/11, the CIA was criticized for not having done enough to prevent the attacks. DCI George Tenet rejected the criticism, citing the Agency's planning efforts especially over the preceding two years. His response came in a briefing held on September 15, 2001, where he presented the Worldwide Attack Matrix, a classified document describing covert CIA anti-terror operations in eighty countries in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The actions, underway or being recommended, would range from "routine propaganda to lethal covert action in preparation for military attacks," and the plans, if carried out, "would give the CIA the broadest and most lethal authority in its history."[64]
Tenet said that the CIA's efforts had put it in a position to respond rapidly and effectively to the attacks, both in the "Afghan sanctuary" and in "ninety-two countries around the world".[65]
At the Cabinet-level Principals Committee meeting on terrorism of September 4, 2001, Tenet warned of the dangers of a controversial or mistaken strike with an under-tested armed drone. After the meeting, the CIA resumed reconnaissance flights, the drones now being weapons-capable but as yet unarmed.[59][62][63][66]
2002 [ edit ]
Starting on September 11, the strategy was no longer steady escalation, but multiple attacks on multiple fronts. On November 5, 2002, newspapers reported that al-Qaeda operatives in a car travelling through Yemen had been killed by a missile launched from a CIA-controlled Predator drone (a medium-altitude, remote-controlled aircraft).
In 2004, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's (ABC-TV) international affairs program "Foreign Correspondent" investigated this targeted killing and the involvement of then U.S. Ambassador as part of a special report titled "The Yemen Option". The report also examined the evolving tactics and countermeasures in dealing with Al Qaeda inspired attacks.[67]
2004 [ edit ]
In June 2004, the U.S. killed Nek Muhammad Wazir, a Taliban commander and al-Qaeda facilitator, in a Predator missile strike in South Waziristan, Pakistan.[68][69][70]
2005 [ edit ]
On May 15, 2005, it was reported that another of these drones had been used to assassinate al-Qaeda explosives expert Haitham al-Yemeni inside Pakistan.[71]
In December 2005, Abu Hamza Rabia, an Egyptian who was reportedly al-Qaeda's third in command, was killed in a surprise drone attack in North Waziristan.[72][73][74]
2006 [ edit ]
On January 13, 2006, the CIA launched an airstrike on Damadola, a Pakistani village near the Afghan border, where they believed Ayman al-Zawahiri was located. The airstrike killed a number of civilians but not al-Zawahiri.[75] The Pakistani government issued a protest against the US attack, which it considered violated its sovereignty.[76]
2008 [ edit ]
In January 2008, Abu Laith al-Libi, one of al-Qaeda's senior figures, was killed in a targeted killing Predator rocket attack in Pakistan.[77][78][79] Some intelligence sources describe him as the number three leader of al-Qaeda.[80]
In July 2008, Abu Khabab al-Masri, suspected leader of al-Qaeda's chemical and biological weapons efforts, was killed in an attack by U.S. drone-launched missiles on a house in South Waziristan in Pakistan.[81][82]
In October 2008, Khalid Habib, the al-Qaeda regional operations commander in Afghanistan and Pakistan, was killed by a missile launched by a Predator in South Waziristan, Pakistan.[83][84][85]
In November 2008, Rashid Rauf, a British/Pakistani suspected planner of a 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot, was killed by a missile launched from a U.S. drone in North Waziristan.[86]
2009 [ edit ]
1998 U.S. embassy bombing in Kenya
In January 2009, Usama al-Kini and Sheikh Ahmed Salim Swedan, alleged orchestrators of the 1998 United States embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, were killed in a Predator strike in northern Pakistan.[87] Later, in August 2009, Baitullah Mehsud, leader of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, was killed in a U.S. drone missile attack in Waziristan.[88][89][90][91][92]
Forward Operating Base Chapman attack [ edit ]
On December 30, 2009, a suicide attack occurred at Forward Operating Base Chapman, a major CIA base in the province of Khost, Afghanistan. Eight people, among them at least six CIA officers, including the chief of the base, were killed and six others seriously wounded in the attack. The attack was the second most deadly attack carried out against the CIA, after the 1983 United States Embassy bombing in Beirut, Lebanon, and was a major setback for the intelligence agency's operations.Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images
It was 2013. Wes Welker was with the Broncos, and Sports Illustrated came to do a cover shoot for a story on what figured to be a scary Denver offense. The players in the shoot were Peyton Manning, Eric Decker, Demaryius Thomas and Welker.
Manning didn't know it, but Welker and the receivers had organized a nice little prank on him, conspiring with the SI photographer and the head of Broncos media relations, Patrick Smyth. The receivers showed up shirtless—just pants and shoulder pads. They told Manning that was how they were doing the shoot, and he needed to, too. Manning was not happy. At all. He protested and refused to remove his shirt. The receivers insisted. Manning said no way. Back and forth it went.
"He was hedging, like, 'Maybe a few years ago, but not now,'" Welker said in the SI piece, written by Chris Ballard. "And then he was asking Patrick Smyth about it, and I'm thinking, 'C'mon, don't back out on me now!'... Finally [Manning] said, 'No way, I'm just not going to do it. You guys take the photo without me.' It was hilarious."
It's also the type of story you'll often hear from and about Welker, one of the great teammates—and pranksters—in NFL history.
That year, the Broncos set regular-season records for touchdowns and points scored. Welker did more than just initiating pranks. As usual, he was a quarterback's best friend. He had nine touchdowns through the 11th week of the season, more than he had all of the previous season with Tom Brady.
It was all there.
Jack Dempsey/Associated Press
Then, on Nov. 17, Welker suffered a concussion in a game against the Chiefs. Then, 21 days later on Dec. 8 against the Titans, he suffered another. Then, after missing the remainder of the 2013 regular season, yet another concussion, on Aug. 23 during a preseason game against the Texans.
The second of those was typical of the type of head injury Welker has been prone to. He was crossing the middle and took a nasty shot up high. He'd miss the remainder of that regular season.
The third was when teammates began to worry about his future, from what I'm told by people in the Broncos organization.
Wes Welker Career Statistics Year Team Catches Yards TDs 2004 SD/Mia 0 0 0 2005 Mia 29 434 0 2006 Mia 67 687 1 2007 NE 112 1,175 8 2008 NE 111 1,165 3 2009 NE 123 1,348 4 2010 NE 86 848 7 2011 NE 122 1,569 9 2012 NE 118 1,354 6 2013 Den 73 778 10 2014 Den 49 464 2 Pro-Football-Reference.com
Welker returned in 2014, starting eight games for the 12-4 Broncos. But he is now in limbo. His contract expired after the season, and he is an unrestricted free agent without a new home.
So why isn't he playing? Why is one of the best receivers in recent NFL history, and by all accounts a fantastic teammate, unsigned?
One general manager told me that his team strongly considered signing Welker, but that "there was great concern about his concussion history."
Here's the thing: The three concussions in a nine-month span were widely discussed, but it's impossible to say how many concussions Welker has had beyond that. Teams familiar with Welker's medical history say they believe he has had at least six concussions and as many as 10. Only he knows for sure. And it's possible he may not know the full number.
This is the only reason Welker isn't being picked up. In some ways, fair or unfair, he has become one of the concussion poster children. And teams don't want to be seen as not caring about concussion issues at a time when so much public attention is focused on the issue. They don't want to be the team that gave a concussion-prone player a chance to get his next concussion.
For his part, in interviews over the past few months, Welker has said that he's healthy and doesn't intend to retire. In April, after meeting with Dr. Stanley A. Herring—a member of the NFL's Head, Neck and Spine Committee—Welker told 9News' Mike Klis that everything was fine:
I knew there were concerns out there but on top of that I wanted to know for my own peace of mind. If there was something wrong, I wanted to know. The doctor said some people are able to take those hits. They get up and are able to come back from them. And there's some people who get them and they're never the same. For me, everything came out all good. My cognitive tests were good. All kinds of tests came out good. I had a trip to Miami and [their] doctors said everything looked good....... I am 100 percent committed to keep playing. I feel like every day that goes by, the chances are less so. But I want to play. I've enjoyed my time away. I've enjoyed spending time with my wife. But I'm itching. I miss the locker room. I know once the season starts I'll be dying if I'm not playing.
Welker emphasized again in June that he wanted to keep playing, saying on CBS Boston's The Sports Hub's Toucher & Rich show:
At times you're sitting there and thinking, "Well maybe I should [retire]." I think it's just people kind of [pressuring you], but the more you think about it, and you're away from it, I'm not ready to. I still feel good. I still feel like I have some really good football left in me. I've always said [I'll play] until the wheels fall off.
In a different era of concussion awareness (say, five years ago or so), if Welker still wanted to play, he would have been on a team by now. He is 34, and while his production has declined over the past two years, his career overall has been so stratospheric, teams would have signed him. He's only two injury-filled years removed from being one of the best receivers in the sport.
Justin Edmonds/Getty Images
But the sport has drastically changed in recent years because of concussion fears. A player with a concussion history like his now will have trouble finding work.
This isn't to say no team will sign Welker. I'm told there are teams interested. Two of his old teams, the Patriots and Broncos, are not among them, apparently; another of his old teams, the Dolphins, seem like a good fit, as do the Ravens.
One general manager said teams that are interested might be waiting for more time to elapse, more separation from the last known concussion—regardless of what Welker says about his health.
There are other teams that are terrified of Welker's concussion history and won't go near him.
So, here we are with one of the great receivers and special teams players of all time.
There is something else interesting regarding Welker, who could not be reached for comment. While other players with concussion histories contemplate their futures in ways we've never seen in football previously—with some guys even retiring in their mid-20s—Welker still wants to play.
Patrick Smith/Getty Images
This isn't to say Welker hasn't done soul-searching on the topic. He likely has. But he seems to have decided to push on after concussions at a time players are doing the opposite. The 49ers had two players retire in Chris Borland and Anthony Davis because of concussion fears (though it might be more accurate to say that Davis is on a concussion sabbatical).
Former Carolina tight end Ben Hartsock told Sporting News' David Steele of the Borland and Davis retirements:
[They] wouldn't have happened before, because they didn't know. Ten or 15 years ago, this issue wouldn't even have come up. If you had post-concussion symptoms, how would you recognize them? If you had concussions, how would you know? But the awareness of concussions has increased these last few years. The landscape now is such that players know more and can make their own decisions.
It seems Welker has made his decision to play. He has answered the question: At what cost?
Now teams have to answer that same question.
Mike Freeman covers the NFL for Bleacher Report.Morse code is one of the more remarkable languages that humans have ever created. Designed in 1836, shortly after the telegraph was invented, it had a huge influence on early electronic communication as well as aviation and warfare.
Today Morse has largely been replaced by bits and bytes when it comes to sending messages over great distances. But it's still popular among amateur radio operators and people with motion disabilities. And now it's also being used to prove that people can learn while not actively paying attention.
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have built a system that can teach people morse code while they're concentrating on something else entirely. To do it, they modified a set of Google Glass (remember that?), which has a built-in speaker and bone-conduction transducer that simulates the experience of being tapped on the side of the head.
Dots and Dashes
In the teaching process, participants played games while the device's speaker named a letter and then heard the associated morse code signal. Half of the group were also given taps representing the dots and dashes of morse code between their temple and their ear.
After less than four hours, those who got the taps were 94 percent accurate when writing a sentence that included every letter of the alphabet, and 98 percent accurate writing out the codes for each letter. Those who didn't get the taps were accurate only half the time.
Similar experiments in the past have taught people braille and how to play the piano. The researcher's next challenge is to find out if the same process could help people learn to type on a QWERTY keyboard, assigning different letters to different fingers.
"Does this new study mean that people will rush out to learn Morse code? Probably not," said Thad Starner, who carried out the experiments.
"It shows that passive haptic learning lowers the barrier to learn text-entry methods — something we need for smartwatches and any text-entry that doesn't require you to look at your device or keyboard."A very interesting rumor about Ben Affleck’s upcoming Batman movie dropped last week, but no one noticed! I’m happy to share it here on Batman News, and it will probably get the attention it deserves around the web now.
Advertisement
According to reliable sources over at BOF, Ben Affleck may find himself locked up in Arkham Asylum in his solo Batman movie. This wouldn’t be a straight up adaptation of the Batman: Arkham Asylum video game or the graphic novel by Grant Morrison, though. Affleck has said that his Batman movie will borrow elements from previous Batman stories, but that he’ll be telling an original story.
This rumor lines up with the rumor we heard a couple of months ago that said that many of Batman’s famous villains will be making appearances in the movie. One natural way to make that happen is to have it take place in Arkham Asylum where they’re all locked up!
What do you make of this latest rumor? Would you like to see Ben Affleck’s Batman movie take place inside Arkham Asylum? Let me know in the comments below.
SOURCE: BOFFemale copulatory vocalizations, also called female copulation calls or coital vocalizations, are produced by female primates, including human females, and female non-primates. Copulatory vocalizations usually occur during sexual intercourse and are hence related to sexual activity.[1] Vocalizations that occur before intercourse, for the purpose of attracting mates, are known as mating calls.
In primates, copulation calling is typically observed at the end of mating[2] and there are vast variations between species regarding its occurrence, frequency and form. It is agreed that coital vocalizations fulfill an evolutionary purpose[3] and that they serve as adaptive solutions to problems that the females face, such as infanticide, as well as obtaining high quality sperm.[2]
In non-primates, copulatory calling predominantly occurs before copulation in order to attract mates (mating call). Calls vary in frequency (14 Hz[4] to 70,000 Hz[5]) and function. One of the main purposes of females vocalizing is the induction of mate guarding behavior in males.[6] Conversely, calls may also be used in order to attract high ranking mates who can prevent intercourse with the initial partner.[7] This is done to incite male mate competition.
In humans, coital vocalizations are linked to orgasm,[8] hence occurring during copulation and serving as an expression of sexual pleasure. Vocalizations can be used intentionally by women in order to boost the self-esteem of their partner and to cause quicker ejaculation.[9]
In non-human primates [ edit ]
Occurrence, frequency and form [ edit ]
[10] with time being plotted on the x-axis and the Sonograms of female copulatory vocalizations of a human female (top), female baboon (middle), and female gibbon (bottom),with time being plotted on the x-axis and the pitch being represented on the y-axis.
In non-human primates, copulatory vocalizations begin towards the end of the copulatory act or even after copulation.[2] The percentage of vocalizations after copulation varies dependent on the non-human primate species studied. In long-tail macaques, for instance, 80% of copulations are followed by copulation calls. In contrast, the percentage for chimpanzees and Tonkean macaques has been found to be 78.8% and 6%, respectively.[11] There is little consensus on what causes these inter-specific differences, given the lack of consistent findings within the literature.[2] The typical quantity of specimen that are tested in experimental settings is often too low in order to allow any general conclusions about the species as a whole.[2]
Another aspect of coital vocalization that varies according to species is the form of the call: in macaques and baboons they manifest themselves as grunts, whereas other species such as talapoins and chimpanzees typically emit screaming sounds.[2] The quality and structure of copulatory calls are analyzed by comparing their respective spectrograms in terms of their frequency. Accordingly, some species produce calls that are structurally more complex than that of others. This is linked to the amount of promiscuity exhibited, in a way that more promiscuous species emit more faceted calls in order to convey more information about themselves and hence render self-advertisement more efficient.[10]
Adaptive function [ edit ]
A male Chacma baboon shows aggression towards a female and her offspring.
Copulatory calls in primates serve an adaptive function and are sexually selected.[3] Calling signals sexual receptivity of the female and therefore affects mate choice. There are many different hypotheses as to the exact adaptive function of female copulatory calls in primates and research on the subject is still in its early stages.[2]
There is general agreement that copulatory calls are the adaptive solution to problems with reproductive success. In other words, copulatory vocalizations address issues that stand in the way of successfully producing offspring and guaranteeing its survival, such as the occurrence of infanticide.[12] To prevent the killing of their offspring, female baboons employ copulatory calls in order to attract other males, allowing multiple mating acts and creating parental confusion among the males involved. The resulting uncertainty of who the father is hence reduces the occurrence of attacks, given the newly incited risk of potentially harming their own offspring.[13] Additionally, mating in rapid successions also entails sperm competition, and therefore fulfills the additional function of obtaining high quality sperm.[14] This is especially important in species that do not openly advertise good genes via honest signals.[15]
By attracting other males through post-copulatory calls, the female might provoke mate guarding behavior in their initial mate. This 'parental concentration',[2] has two outcomes. Firstly, the male might be of high quality, allowing him to fend off those that were attracted by the call. In that case the female has not only gained someone who can protect her and who prevents infanticide through other males, but this also means that she was inseminated by a specimen with potentially good genes. Secondly, if the male fails to successfully guard her, she will mate with the newly arrived males, hence inciting sperm competition and paternity confusion (again preventing attacks on her offspring, as well as increasing her likelihood of obtaining high quality sperm). The calls produced by the female also carries information about the status of the male with whom she was copulating, thus allowing her to influence the likelihood of other males approaching.[8]
Accordingly, copulatory calls serve more than a single adaptive function. There is no mutual exclusivity when it comes to addressing the two problems described, namely that of infanticide and receiving high quality sperm. However, by taking the female's cycle stage into account, sperm competition can be ruled out as the primary underlying cause of copulatory calling.[16] More precisely, females produce coital vocalizations also when they mate during non-fertile periods, which is therefore primarily aimed at attracting as many males as possible and to create parental confusion rather than obtaining high quality sperm.[17] Females have no interest in advertising their periods of fertility, given that males would pick up on these patterns, reducing paternal confusion and causing an increase in aggressive behavior towards her offspring from other males.[2] Such hidden fertility has been coined concealed ovulation, and is part of extended female sexuality.
Alternative benefits [ edit ]
In addition to the incitement of parental confusion in order to avoid infanticide, female primates that exhibit promiscuous behavior also reap non-genetic material benefits. A female that uses vocalizations after copulating with her mate attracts other males, with whom she is also likely to engage in multiple acts of mating.[10] As a consequence male mates provide non-genetic benefits, such as food, to the female they mated with.[18] Such vocalization-facilitated promiscuity heightens the female's reproductive success. The strategy to mate with multiple partners in order to obtain material benefits can equally be observed in non-primates.[19]
In non-primates [ edit ]
Occurrence [ edit ]
In addition to emitting copulatory vocalizations during and after copulation (as it is mostly seen in primates), non-primate species also vocalize before engaging in mating. Vocalizations that are made prior to copulation are named mating calls. They serve as a means to advertise sexual receptivity and are predominantly used by males to attract female mates.[20] In general, non-primates emit more calls before copulating, as exemplified by the croaks of male frogs[21] and the melodic tweeting of song sparrows.[22]
Properties [ edit ]
Elephant copulation.
In regard to the calling properties, frequency analysis is typically used in research to look at the complexity of the vocalization and to distinguish between calls, which is important in determining their function.[23] Large frequency variations have been noted between species, ranging from 14 Hz to 70,000 Hz. Mice, for instance, use 70,000 Hz calls continuously prior to copulation. They then lower the frequency down to 40,000 Hz during the copulatory act, therefore two qualitatively different calls are used for attracting mates as compared to the actual act of mating.[5] Most of the calling in mice is done by males. They use these ultrasonic calls (> 20,000 Hz and hence not discernible by the human ear) to attract females, with the quantity of calls being related to the male's mating success, making these vocalizations a sexually selected trait.[24]
On the other end of the spectrum, female African elephants use very low frequency calls of 14–35 Hz prior to, as well as during, copulation.[4] Due to their low frequency these calls can be heard for several kilometers and are therefore effective in signalling receptivity. The vocalizations of female elephants are also used in order to incite mate guarding behavior in the male,[6] which manifests itself in the form of fighting off any newly arriving mates. Not only females make use of this, as male Columbian ground squirrels have been observed to use copulatory vocalizations in order to announce their post-copulatory mate guarding to others.[25] In addition to being used to retain the mate via mate guarding induction, female copulatory vocalizations can also be employed to achieve his departure. Red junglefowls, for instance, utilize calls in order to prevent or end unwanted copulations by attracting another high-ranking male fowl.[7] Further effects of female calling on male's behavior are illustrated by spiders that have been shown to stridulate before copulation to inform males of sexual receptivity[26] as well as during intercourse in order to influence male genitalic movements.[27]
Moreover, attracting new mates by calling out during copulation can entail many benefits for the female. Female crickets which mate with multiple partners receive a greater number of nuptial gifts,[28] causing them to lay a larger quantity of eggs, hence increasing their reproductive success.
In humans [ edit ]
Theories are more diverse in regard to women’s sexual vocalizing. On the one hand, researchers have noted some apparently communicative patterns in women’s copulatory vocalizations that suggest some parallels with those of other primates (including an invitation to sperm competition, given that female sexual vocalizations, like those of other primates, serve as "copulation calls" noticeable to other men and exciting to them if overheard[8]). One study, for instance, has noted that female sexual vocalizations tend to become more intense as she approaches orgasm; at orgasm her vocalization tends to become very rapid, with a regular rhythm that includes equal note lengths and intervals between notes, which male vocalization typically lacks.[10] This is especially frequent when her orgasm occurs during penile-vaginal intercourse.[9] By exciting her partner with her vocalizations and bringing about his orgasm at that point, she helps ensure that the seminal pool is available for her cervix to dip into as her vagina relaxes after her orgasm.[10] Copulatory vocalizations may also be a type of mate retention behaviour. One study found that women who perceived a high risk of infidelity in their relationship were more likely to utilize copulatory vocalizations in order to fake an orgasm, along with other mate retention behaviours.[29]
On the other hand, recent studies have indicated that most copulatory vocalizations in women do not accompany their own orgasm, but rather their partner’s ejaculation. The study showed that the man typically finds the woman’s vocalization arousing and highly exciting, and that the woman herself is aware of this. Most women in the study, furthermore, indicated that they vocalized during intercourse to make their man ejaculate more quickly, or to boost his enjoyment or self-esteem, or both.[9] A correlation has been found between the frequency of vocalizations and sexual satisfaction for both men and women.[30]
The reasons that women gave for wanting to force a quick ejaculation include the alleviation of the female's pain, fatigue, or even boredom, or simply to stay within some imposed time restriction for sexual activity. Reasons for wanting to boost the male self-esteem included reinforcing the pair bond that intercourse helps to strengthen, and thus reducing emotional and sexual infidelity and abandonment.[9] The researchers note that all of these goals are apparently congruent with female copulatory vocalizations in non-human primates.
It is also possible that some vocalizations are due to hyperventilation. Both men and women can experience hyperventilation during sexual arousal,[31] which can involve involuntary vocalizations.[32]
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Notes
BibliographyMore than 20 Democratic state attorneys general denounced Education Secretary Betsy DeVos in a letter Monday over her decision to end the department's efforts to reform the student loan industry, according to a Reuters report.
Her decision would halt the department’s efforts to help borrowers know about their debt and repayment options.
"We should be looking for ways to ease the burden of student debt, not enabling the student loan servicing industry to manipulate and exploit students," New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman wrote, according to Reuters.
DeVos, a controversial President Trump nominee, announced in an April memo that she was ending the reform efforts because of "moving deadlines, changing requirements and a lack of consistent objectives.” DeVos's decision echoes the Republican policy view that the federal government should not be involved in the student loan business.
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Former President Obama moved the student lending business from banks and companies to the federal government and worked to set up safeguards to ensure lenders followed the law.
In the $1.3 trillion business, $137 billion of student loan debt is in default, according to a March report by the Consumer Federation of America.
"We now find ourselves in a situation where we must promptly address not only these shortcomings but also any other issues that may impede our ability to ensure borrowers do not experience deficiencies in service," DeVos wrote in a version of her memo published on the department’s website.
The department did not immediately respond to Reuter’s request for comment about the letter.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez slammed DeVos’s decision, saying it would help big corporations profit on student debt and counteract reforms put in place by the Obama administration.
In Obama’s final hours as president, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) filed a lawsuit against Navient Corp., a major loan servicer, alleging that it deceived borrowers about their repayment options -- allegations that Navient say are false.
Navient claimed the bureau, created under the Obama administration, only sued because it refused to settle in a CFPB investigation before Trump took office.
Updated: Tuesday, 11:13 a.m.Tonight, Barack Obama continued the 44th US presidency, a second-term president; the first African-American to ever do so.
In one of the most contested elections in American history, a curiously rational voice stood above the punditry. Nate Silver of the New York Times’ FiveThirtyEight blog (which was drawing 20% of the New York Times’ total traffic during election night) tracked national polls, state polls, and numerous other mathematical markers throughout the election. With the aid of mathematical modeling based on demographics, averages, and voting records, Silver put the chances for election firmly in Obama’s corner (at one time reaching 92%).
Silver’s predictions were chided by conservatives all the way to the White House. They doubted his methods, his models, his math. They questioned his data. They decried his “bias.” But Nate Silver was right. Dead right. In 50 state-by-state predictions, Silver accurately predicted 50 of them.
Spencer Ackerman writes about the “nerdiest election” in Wired:
Nate Silver of The New York Times completely reshaped its coverage. Silver steadied the nerves of liberals and rattled the teeth of conservatives, all through a proprietary model of poll aggregation and weighting. Silver, who called the 2008 election with stunning accuracy, sought to do for politics what sabermetrics did for baseball: Factor out as many subjective judgments as possible, to determine who would win the race.
The pundits sensed their rapidly diminishing relevance. The Internet speculated that Silver’s techniques could be the result of witchcraft.
With social science, Silver demonstrated the predictive power of statistics. He almost single-handedly made pre-election punditry obsolete. And he did so with theories and methods sometimes hundreds of years old. He relegated the opinions that are often mistaken for something substantial on 24-hour news channels to a solitary confinement painted with superficiality.
The 2012 election woke people up to the idea that science could touch on politics. It was a surprise, but not to those who knew the basis for such a combination.
The media (and social media) has largely focused on Silver as a lone figure, as though the man alone holds the power to predict the next most powerful person on Earth. Tweets of Silver’s “wizardry” flooded feeds and emboldened Obama supporters. But Silver is just that, a man. What he represents is far more important.
Silver is not an oracle, he is merely a rigorous statistician with good models. He’s not a “wizard,” he is a conduit for an evidence-based method. Even in the most “fuzzy” seeming data environments, science can sort the signal from the noise. Silver introduced rational methodology into a sphere polluted with wishful thinking and faith. Math cut through the obscuring mist of spin and speculation.
As an aside, if you are stupefied by how statisticians like Silver deal with all that data and still accept their analyses, you have another bridge to cross. The models and math that Silver used to accurately predict the president are tremendously less sophisticated and theory-based than other models in science. If you trust Silver on politics, you should support climate-scientists on human-caused global warming, for example (a point echoed here and here). This is not to say that complexity begets truth. But if rigorous statistics and models are your bar to vault, climate science leaps far higher than Silver’s predictions.
A distrust of science and an amazement at the predictive power of Silver are contradictory. If nothing else, Silver’s statistical victory smashes science denial of all kinds against a wall infused with the mortar of reason.
The tight correlations between the 2012 election predictions of Silver and reality proves that science-based thinking has a place in our public discourse. I think I like how Sean Carroll put it best:
Science isn’t the cold, disconnected lab coat, floating alone near a few bubbling beakers. It illuminates our lives, if only we let it.
Further Reading:
AdvertisementsDonald Trump is, in the middle of a campaign for President, suing a former campaign aide because he is “furious” over the breach of his wall of secrecy.
The lawsuit is reportedly against Sam Nunberg for telling Page 6 why Hope Hicks and Corey Lewandowski were in a spat on the street one time. Yes, that is why.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is seeking $10 million in damages from a former senior campaign consultant, Sam Nunberg, alleging that Nunberg leaked confidential information to reporters in violation of a nondisclosure agreement. In a court filing obtained by The Associated Press, Nunberg accused Trump of trying to silence him “in a misguided attempt to cover up media coverage of an apparent affair” between two senior campaign staffers. The highly unusual legal dispute reflects Trump’s efforts to aggressively protect the secrecy of his campaign’s inner workings
Makes total sense, right?
I'm told that Trump decided decided to file a lawsuit in the middle of a general-election campaign because he's furious w/ Nunberg. — Robert Costa (@costareports) July 13, 2016
So he’s throwing a temper tantrum and, as per his usual practice, taking his temper to court. That’s those small government |
to Earth for one day in order to redeem himself, watches the ceremony and is able to silently motivate the unhappy Louise to join in the song.
The song is also sung at association football clubs around the world, where it is performed by a massed chorus of supporters on matchday; this tradition began at Liverpool F.C. after the chart success of the 1963 single of the song by the local Liverpool group Gerry and the Pacemakers.[1]
Background [ edit ]
Christine Johnson, who created the role of Nettie Fowler, introduced the song in the original Broadway production.[2] Later in the show Jan Clayton, as Julie Jordan, reprised it, with the chorus joining in.
In the film, it is first sung by Claramae Turner as Nettie. The weeping Julie Jordan (Shirley Jones) tries to sing it but cannot; it is later reprised by Julie and those attending the graduation.
Subsequent history [ edit ]
Besides the recordings of the song on the Carousel cast albums and the film soundtrack, the song has been recorded by many artists, with notable hit versions made by Roy Hamilton,[3] Frank Sinatra, Roy Orbison, Billy Eckstine, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Lee Towers, Judy Garland, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Andy Williams, Johnny Maestro and The Brooklyn Bridge, Olivia Newton-John and Doris Day. Progressive rock group Pink Floyd took a recording by the Liverpool Kop choir, and "interpolated" it into their own song, "Fearless", on their 1971 album Meddle.
From 1964 through 2010, Jerry Lewis concluded the annual Jerry Lewis Labor Day MDA Telethon by singing the song.[4] After the end of a concert by the rock band Queen, the audience spontaneously sang this song, according to lead guitarist Brian May,[5] and this helped to inspire the creation of their songs "We Are the Champions" and "We Will Rock You". Italian-American tenor Sergio Franchi sang a notable version accompanied by the Welsh Men's Choir on the 9 June 1968 telecast of The Ed Sullivan Show.[6] He also covered this song in his 1964 RCA Victor album The Exciting Voice of Sergio Franchi. American singer and songwriter Barbra Streisand sang this song in a surprise appearance at the close of the 2001 Emmy Awards, in honor of the victims of the 11 September 2001 attacks.[7]
In 1990 at the Nelson Mandela: An International Tribute for a Free South Africa concert at Wembley Stadium London, the audience spontaneously broke out into a mass rendition. Mandela turned to Adelaide Tambo who accompanied him onto the stage and asked what the song was. She replied, "A football song".
Renée Fleming sang the song at the Concert for America, which marked the first anniversary of 9/11 (11/9),[8][9][better source needed] and for the Inauguration of Barack Obama on January 20, 2009.[10]
In 2010, this was sung during the festivities of the Last Night of the Proms, with the choir at the Royal Albert Hall joined by crowds of the public from Hillsborough Castle, Northern Ireland; Caird Hall, Dundee; Hyde Park, London; Salford, Greater Manchester; and Wales, to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the death of Oscar Hammerstein II.[citation needed]
In the second season of American Horror Story, this song was recited as a poem.
It has been the song of the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps song since 1954, where they first performed it as a part of their first field show in 1954. Challenged by the Rosemont Cavaliers singing "Over the Rainbow" in 1957, the corps responded with "You'll Never Walk Alone", and it has been the official corps song ever since.
Punk band Dropkick Murphys covered the song for their 2017 album 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory. Vocalist/bassist Ken Casey said in a December 2016 interview discussing the reason behind their version. "As you may know, opiate overdoses are an epidemic in America now particularly in (the Boston) area. I've been to thirty wakes in two years, three this week, one being my cousin, Al's lost a brother in law. It's hit home close to us. I was leaving one of the wakes and this song came on and as I was listening to the lyrics it summed up exactly how I was feeling. Sad, but knowing there is hope. You never have to be alone. I hope you like our version".
Sporting anthem [ edit ]
In the UK, the song's most successful cover was released in 1963 by the Liverpudlian Merseybeat group Gerry and the Pacemakers, peaking at number one on the UK singles chart for four consecutive weeks. Sung by Liverpool fans in 1963, the song quickly became the anthem of Liverpool F.C. and is sung by its supporters moments before the start of each home game with the Gerry and the Pacemakers version played over the public address system.[1][12][13]
According to former player Tommy Smith, lead vocalist Gerry Marsden presented Liverpool manager Bill Shankly with a recording of his forthcoming cover single during a pre-season coach trip in the summer of 1963. "Shanks was in awe of what he heard.... Football writers from the local newspapers were travelling with our party and, thirsty for a story of any kind between games, filed copy back to their editors to the effect that we had adopted Gerry Marsden's forthcoming single as the club song."[14] The squad was subsequently invited to perform the track with the band on The Ed Sullivan Show[1] with Marsden stating, "Bill came up to me. He said, 'Gerry my son, I have given you a football team and you have given us a song'."[1]
The 'Shankly Gates' entrance to Liverpool's home stadium Anfield
Shankly picked the song as his eighth and final selection for the BBC's Desert Island Discs on the eve of the 1965 FA Cup Final.[15] As Liverpool fans sang "You'll Never Walk Alone" at Wembley during the 1965 FA Cup Final win over Leeds, commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme referred to it as "Liverpool's signature tune".[16] Marsden told BBC Radio how, in the 1960s, the disc jockey at Anfield would play the top ten commercial records in descending order, with the number one single played last, shortly before kickoff. Liverpool fans on the Kop would sing along, but unlike with other hit singles, once "You'll Never Walk Alone" dropped out of the top ten, instead of disregarding the song, supporters continued to sing it.[17][18] In his commentary on the memorial service following the Hillsborough disaster in 1989, Peter Jones recited the lyrics, which were then sung by a cathedral choir. Aretha Franklin's recording of the song was played by John Peel in his first show following the disaster, when he became too upset to carry on broadcasting for a period.
The song was adopted by Scottish team Celtic after a 1966 Cup Winners Cup semi-final against Liverpool at Anfield.[1][16] It is now sung by Celtic fans prior to every home European tie.[1][16][19] The song has also been adopted by Dutch team FC Twente after it was officially given to them by the former Anfield stadiumspeaker George Septhon during the last game in the Diekman stadium, before moving to the new Arke Stadion [20]. Today, Twente fans sing the song before every home game. Feyenoord and SC Cambuur have adopted the song as well. Germany's Borussia Dortmund,[16] 1. FSV Mainz 05, TSV 1860 Munich, Japan's F.C. Tokyo,[21] Spain's CD Lugo.[22] the Marist St. Pats MSP 80/80 Blues, and Bali United.[23] In ice hockey, the song has been adopted by German Deutsche Eishockey Liga side Krefeld Pinguine and Croatian Medveščak Zagreb.
A special recording of the song was made in solidarity with Bradford City following the Valley Parade fire in 1985, when 56 spectators died and many more were seriously injured. The song was performed by The Crowd, which was a supergroup featuring Gerry Marsden, Paul McCartney and others, and spent two weeks at number one in the UK.
Some years later, after witnessing a rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone" at Anfield in 2007, the President of the Spanish Olympic Committee, Alejandro Blanco, said he felt inspired to seek lyrics to his country's wordless national anthem, the Marcha Real, ahead of Madrid's bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games.[24][25]
During the 2014 Hong Kong protests, legislator Tam Yiu Chung quoted the song during a Legislative Council of Hong Kong meeting, to salute the Hong Kong Police,[26] who had received widespread criticism for using excessive force against pro-democracy protesters. More than 2,000 Liverpool Football Club fans in Hong Kong condemned his inappropriate use of the song, comparing his support of the police action to the police actions in the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, where South Yorkshire Police were found to have distorted facts relating to the unlawful killing by negligence of 96 Liverpool supporters.[27][28][29]
On 13 March 2016, after Borussia Dortmund's 2-0 win against 1. FSV Mainz 05 in the German Bundesliga, supporters of both teams performed the song to commemorate a Dortmund fan who died from a cardiac arrest in the stands during the game.[30]
Recorded versions [ edit ]The point of this blog post is to give my fellow developers a few pointers to sites you can go to learn new skills or improving your old ones.
As web developers we never “finish” our learning, the technology we work with every day is rapidly changing and improving, whether it be our frameworks, libraries or even the programming language we use.
The always-changing part of web development is one of the things that makes me enjoy it so much, there is always something new to learn, always a new framework to look at, a new design pattern to study or a new language to get involved with.
Additionally, having up-to-date skills and knowledge puts you in a powerful position when it comes to being hired, employers and freelance clients likes hiring people that “know their shit”, can adapt to change and can learn new things by themselves.
Therefore, it is important for us to keep learning as things evolve around us.
Video Learning Sites
I personally am mostly a Visual Learner, meaning I learn best from watching tutorials and embarking on video courses.
What I enjoy the most is to learn new things while watching someone else build “something” in the technology, framework or language I am interested in learning, a great course that comes to mind that does this exact thing is JREAM’s CodeIgniter Course, I am quite a fan of his videos and courses, as he explains things really well and makes things easy to grasp.
In addition to JREAM’s video courses here are a few of my favorite video course streaming sites aimed at programming and web development:
PluralSight
PluralSight is a great place to get video courses on various technology, programming is a big piece of the pie, but you can also embark on a journey through various Microsoft, VMWare, and various other technologies, certifications and SysAdmin type courses.
Furthermore PluralSight has recently purchased Digital-Tutors and Code School, the first one being a video course site for game art and design the latter being a “learn by doing” interactive programming course site.
This means that if you purchase a subscription to PluralSight, you instantly get access to all their other sites as well.
A subscription to PluralSight costs $29/Month or $299/yr.
Tuts+
The Tuts+ network has increased drastically in the past year, providing free written tutorials, paid courses and a marketplace platform for web developers, designers and musicians to sell their products.
I have mostly used the Tuts+ Premium service to learn, They have a few good courses on PHP, more specifically OOP PHP, Design Patterns and Testing.
Tus+ Premium has courses on a lot of programming languages and web design, most notably: Ruby, PHP, Python,.NET and JavaScript ( + various JS libraries and frameworks ).
A subscription to Tuts+ Premium costs $15/Month
LaraCasts
You can’t really mention Tuts+ without including the name Jeffrey Way in the same sentence, he is a content creator at Envato and the owner of LaraCasts, which is a Video Course site dedicated to PHP and Laravel which in case you didn’t know is a new and popular PHP Framework.
Jeffrey is an excellent tutor which has his own way of explaining things that make them very easy to understand for beginners and experts alike, I
A subscription to LaraCasts is going to run you $9/Month.
Udemy
Udemy is a platform where course creators can create and monitize their own video courses.
Now, for this reason, I am going to warn you to stay critical, in certain categories udemy is plagued with low-quality courses that were put on there purely for generating money.
You should always read the reviews, check the ratings and watch the previews before putting any money into a course on Udemy.
Other than that, this site is a great site to use when learning a new technology, programming language or framework.
Udemy also has an Affiliate program that you could sign up for to generate a little bit of money for yourself for referring your colleagues or friends.
If you want to take a course on there, but it’s just a little bit more expensive than you’d like, put it in your wishlist and you can go back to it whenever there is a sale or you get more funds.
Udemy’s prices varies based on the what the course creator chooses to charge, there is often sales on Udemy that give you 50% off or more on various courses.
Others
I know about other sites that you might be interested in checking out.
Thanks for reading
I hope that you have discovered something new that will help you further your skills and knowledge to become a better developer.
If you know of any other sites that feature similar content, be sure to leave a comment about them below.
Knowledge is Power.Oculus are still keeping us in the dark about input methods, so I decided to do a little designing. I’m not talking about tactile hand interactions with the VR world this time, rather an investigation into creating a cheap and user friendly method of locomotion input.
Right now we have only two serious contenders for this field, the Omni Virtuix in the US and the Cyberith Virtualiser in Europe. They’re both based on a similar principle, you strap into a harness which attaches to a substantial harness where you then walk and run in a virtual world. Your feet slip beneath you on a low friction mat creating the illusion of locomotion. They’re both quite nice solutions but at $500 and €750 each, not exactly friendly to a users wallet. I think they could succeed but the market for such devices at this price is probably quite small.
So is there a low cost alternative? Right now, no. How about we design one then?
First I should state that while using a joypad to move around, or even a joystick on a different handheld controller, is not the most immersive method so how about a locomotion input method that is ‘hands free’?
The high cost of both solutions above is due to the massive frame that surrounds the user. This is mainly for safety since if the user loses their balance (when they’re not able to see the real world) it’s quite easy to fall over. The harness and frame should prevent that. If we removed the frame we’d be left with something like the ‘wizzdish’ but wearing slippy shoes while running on a slippy disk, while you can’t see, sounds like a recipe for disaster…
The actual idea of standing and moving your body to move your avatar is good though. We could perhaps use something like the kinect to control our body, but the latency is pretty high and the kinect 2 is $300 (and a $50 adapter).
With all this in mind I set out to design a low latency, low cost, safe locomotion controller. Ideally you’ll have a 3D printer to make some parts, although it’s probably quite easy to make them from wood and a laser cutter would be very nice but a jigsaw and simple (DIY) tool for cutting largish circles will probably do just as good a job. You’d also need a drill and a soldering iron. Back of the envelope costs work out to about $15 for the electronics, $10 for wood, $4 for skate bearings, $4 for magnets and perhaps $7 for nuts and bolts. Less than $50.
Ok, so what’s the basic idea?
We create a simple harness that we can attach to the users belt, which they can use to move forward, back, to the sides and turn on the spot. The user no longer ‘walks’ to create movement (although walking on the spot is perfectly acceptable) but rather pushes the harness in the direction they wish to go and can turn 360º on the spot. Movement and head orientation are disconnected. Your hips basically become an analogue joystick which you can also turn.
Mechanically it’s quite simple. An outer ring contains all the electronics as well as four horizontal bearings and four vertical bearings to keep the inner ring in place. The outer frame pulls up and your body pushes down, keeping the two rings together. Each ‘corner’ requires one small 3D printed part, a washer, a ring magnet, a spring and some bolts to hold it to the outer ring. Each of these four corners are attached by string or cables (in what will probably be the main point of criticism) to the walls of the room. If you’re really so adverse to drilling four simple holes then your options are to construct a small frame or go out and spend $500/€750…
The inner ring would connect to the users waist and allow the user to ‘step into’ the outer ring since it contains no electronics or sensors.
Electronically the device is also quite simple. An Arduino is the brains of the device and each corner has a 3D printed part with a spring holding a magnet next to a hall sensor. This is a small sensor that can detect magnetic flux. When the user moves the magnet is moved away from one (or two) corners and we can measure their direction (and ‘velocity’). For rotation we can use a rotary encoder, much the same as you’re probably holding in your hand right now in your mouse’s wheel. We use a small wheel that turns when the inner ring turns and gives us our heading.
Who wants a picture?? :p
The outer ring is approximately 606mm wide, the same width as the normal ‘small’ plywood boards generally available in the UK. This doesn’t show the rotatory encoder location or design yet.
Absolute Rotation
Knowing where the inner ring is at all times is really important, the challenge is doing this reliably and cheaply.
Edit 1:
Over on reddit Nothing7 expressed some concern about reading the direction accurately with a rotary encoder on a wheel. Since you can turn pretty fast the encoder will also be turning VERY fast… karstux suggested using a the camera in an optical mouse, which are pretty fast and non-mechanical (one less thing to break). This is a pretty good idea but the inner ring has a circumference of nearly 700 inches, the fastest mouse I could find only read 500 IPS (inches per second)…
Instead we could give the camera something to work with rather than just the edge of the inner ring. If we divided the circle into 360 parts we can give each slice a monochromatic code on the side that the camera can see, right now the slices would be about 4.9cm long. Even though the ring could be spinning very fast we should be able to see these ‘codes’ since they’re so long. With 9 bits (or lines) we have up to to 512 positions, enough to cover our 360 degrees and provide an absolute position.
The problem is now we’re having to create, line up and attach a code to the outside of the ring… doable for a commercial version perhaps, but a pain for a prototype…. still, with a decent printer it could be done, the question then is whether we’re able to decode this accurately on an Arduino…
Another analogue solution is to instead use a ‘triangle’ of dark and white light and measure how much reflection we’re getting. 0 reflection is 1 degree, 50% reflection is 180 degrees and so on. This isn’t as accurate, but could possibly work ok. Again we’d need to attach something to the edge of the inner ring (or perhaps on the top or bottom).
Edit 2:
After a night of sleep I woke up to a better solution which merges my two solutions. Instead of one huge ‘triangle’ we use several wrapped around the edge. If we have 36 then each represents a 10 degree angle. Using a photodetector we can now measure how much light is reflected giving a good estimation of the position within those 10 degrees and if the user starts rotating quickly this reading will either rise and drop to zero going one way, or fall and spike to 100% going the other. This should be fast enough to turn with at least 10 degree increments very quickly which we can count. We can also add a 1 degree marker in the middle of a triangle in front of the user so we can automatically calibrate whenever the device is turned on (and also resets the zero rotation whenever we return to that position). This means we can just print a repeating strip of triangles instead of having to create a complicated ‘data’ pattern, far simpler from a production standpoint and we don’t have to worry about lining the pattern up precisely with a mouse camera which only has a tiny field of view.
Edit 3: It appears that a light dependent resistor might not be fast enough to be used for this since it’s latency is around 10ms, however there are some (slightly more expensive) alternatives, such as the TAOS TSL230RD 640nm Light to Frequency Converter, Fmax = 120kHz, PCB Surface Mount or this
ALS-PT19 Light Sensor which has a response time of 0.11 to 0.22ms… much better.
which has a response time of 0.11 to 0.22ms… much better.
Here is a cut through of one of the corners, it doesn’t show the hall sensor or the magnet but you get the idea. The version I’ve made now has a small magnet holder but with a 8mm ring magnet this can be dispensed with.
The design has also been tweaked to get rid of another part, replacing it with a 12mm washer, so the final version should only be one identical part four times. The hall sensor would be pushed up into the print through a hole and attached with a few drops of glue.
Depending on the set up it should also be possible to detect crouching in game and possibly jumping although that might require some fine tuning of the design (perhaps a few retaining bearings so the inner ring doesn’t jump out when you jump up…). If you’re worried about pulling the raw plug out of the wall, if you fell over, I would suggest using a fairly weak section of fishing line (say 5kg) which should break first.
My idea for figuring out where the holes in the wall are places was that the user places the HipSteer on a couple of chair backs, a little higher that their waist. They can then look to see down the hole in each sensor corner. Alternatively they could point a cheap laser out of the sensor to get an approximate idea. Once the holes are drilled, raw plugs and a fairly sturdy hook are probably the best idea. Then you run the string and get the outer ring level while hanging in space.
I’ve printed one of the corners (after four redesigns) and put it together, I should manage the other three tomorrow and do a simple test with code to ensure that it works as predicted before I start cutting up wood for the rings.
Advantages
Cost: This is the big one, less than $40 for parts means it could possibly be manufactured for less than $100. That’s a big saving on $500/€750 alternatives.
Shipping: Although the rings are quite large it would be fairly simple to design a version that broke down into 4 identical sections that bolt together. Then the whole assembly could be shipped worldwide for probably less than $30 (even cheaper domestically).
Simplicity : You lean to move in the direction you want to go, lean further and you move faster. Turn your body and your avatar turns. You have immediate feedback and anyone can understand how it works in 5 seconds. Your hips are the joystick, leaving you to concentrate on looking and aiming.
Less tiring : Omnidirectional treadmills are a great way of getting lazy gamers off the couch but I would like to see someone overweight use one for more than 10 minutes. Getting some people to stand for a couple of hours would be a good enough start. Once they’re doing that we should be able to add a virtual ‘pedometer’ (or just a real one) to get them moving a little more in game. The HipSteer can be regarded as training wheels for a more vigorous Omnidirectional treadmill.
Mechanical simplicity : Few moving parts mean there are less things to break, cloning the same components four times means it’s a lot easier to replace things and fix them.
Electronic simplicity : One Arduino, 4 hall sensors, 1 rotary encoder, some wire. Easy.
Simple Software : If we use a Arduino Leonardo we can emulate a native windows joystick very easily making it virtually plug and play for every application.
Storage : The whole device is really small, store it under the sofa when not in use. Packing it up means disconnecting it from the walls, wrapping up the cables, unplugging it and putting it away. Probably 1 minute or less. Same to reconnect.
Disadvantages
Falling Over : There is nothing to stop you, however you’re not really walking or running so this should be unlikely if your balance is good. Initially I would suggest placing four chairs with their backs close by around the HipSteer, then you can reach out and steady yourself. Easy to break cables, a small loop of weak fishing line, should avoid damage to your walls. There is no reason to use this in a situation where you’re not controlling your movement, so don’t use it in a rollercoaster demo!
Drilling holes : Anyone who is reasonably handy can hang a picture and this is basically the same thing, drill a hole, add a raw plug and a small hook. If you’re concerned it will be unsightly then put some pictures on the walls when you’re not in VR 🙂
Cables, cables everywhere! : OK, if you’re in a room full of people then having four lengths of string connecting you to the wall isn’t ideal, but mostly it’s going to be one person in a room alone (close your curtains! :p), or go buy a treadmill.
Location, location, location : the ideal location to use this is probably in the center of a square room but perhaps this is unlikely. If the room is quite large then moving it around by adjusting the support cable lengths would probably be ok but you’d have to be careful the platform stays level and centered. Some experimentation required.
Portability : So it’s not easy to take with you to a hotel room, but would you be taking another massive treadmill instead?
Strength : 3D printed ABS or PLA isn’t amazingly strong but if the four corner parts were printed in Nylon they should be well up to the task.
Weight : Although the prototype will be made from 12mm plywood it should be pretty simple to use other, lighter, materials such as dibond aluminium sheets or perspex. Since the sensors are essentially suspending the outer ring the assembly should be as light as possible.
I want to run!! : As mentioned before, this probably isn’t a great idea since there is no support, but I would imagine someone who had spent a lot of time using this (and not falling over) could use a slippy surface + socks and probably be ok.
Getting centered : Initially you might need some clues on the floor to let you feel where the center of the platform should be, I suggest a mat like the one Oculus used to demonstrate the Crescent Bay prototype..
So, am I pointing out that this idea has more disadvantages than advantages? Not really, most of these problems are easily addressed.Competition is over, many thanks to everybody involved!
Website updates
July 16th 2017 End of Day 4 and End of the Championship! You can watch the temporary raw cut-out from all the championship's live feed End of Day 4 and End of the Championship! You can watch the temporary raw cut-out from all the championship's live feed here
July 15th 2017 End of Day 3. Competition will resume and end July 16th at 9:00AM.
July 14th 2017 End of Day 2. Competition will resume Saturday July 15th at 9:00AM. Temporary raw cut-out from Day 2 live's feed available End of Day 2. Competition will resume Saturday July 15th at 9:00AM. Temporary raw cut-out from Day 2 live's feed available here
July 13th 2017 End of Day 1. Competition will resume Friday July 14th at 9:00AM. Temporary raw cut-out from Day 1 live's feed available End of Day 1. Competition will resume Friday July 14th at 9:00AM. Temporary raw cut-out from Day 1 live's feed available here
July 5th 2017 Cutoffs and time limits are online (details Cutoffs and time limits are online (details here )! Your personal schedule is available here
June 20th 2017 The date for meeting qualification times just passed, we updated registrations and the competition's schedule (a few minor adjustments on Friday)!
June 9th 2017 CHECK YOUR MAILS. We sent a mail to all competitors regarding registrations. You have to go. We sent a mail to all competitors regarding registrations. You have to go here, login with your WCA account, and confirm or cancel your registration, as well as registering your guests. You can see a copy of the mail on speedsolving for reference.
June 8th 2017 Prize money is online, check it out Prize money is online, check it out hereSo much has been written about Alcoholics Anonymous over the years that it feels a bit silly of me to attempt to write anything about it that might be new or unique. However, that really is not my purpose. I have found over the twenty-odd years that I have been attending AA meetings that there seems to be a general misunderstanding about the organization, especially among those who are not alcoholic.
Is it a cult? Do they brainwash you at meetings? Isn’t it just a whole bunch of mumbo-jumbo for people who don’t have the willpower necessary to quit drinking on their own? What the hell goes on at those meetings? Is it really possible to quit alcohol through attendance at AA and by practicing its principles?
I don’t blame people for being confused; in truth there are attending members who are confused so why would I expect the “normies” to understand? I guess my hope is that by writing this article there will simply be a better understanding of the organization. I am not a Big Book thumper; I am not trying to convert anyone. I am simply trying to eliminate some of the mystery that surrounds it. In addition I am not trying to convince anyone that AA is the only way to find sobriety, and I certainly have no desire to debate the matter with anyone. This is nothing more than my insights about AA passed on to you the reader.
A LITTLE HISTORY
Alcoholics Anonymous was founded in 1935 by its founding members Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith, two seemingly hopeless alcoholics who founded the organization upon certain steps, traditions and principles. It was, and still is, a means of changing one’s life, for it was understood very early on that drinking is but a symptom of the real problem and the real problem is the alcoholic himself. It is often said that you can take the alcohol away from a drunk horse thief and what you have remaining is a sober horse thief. In other words, unless the person changes the problems will still exist.
THE TWELVE STEPS OF AA
I have no desire to school you on the twelve steps, but for the sake of clarity I will list them so that we have some basis for understanding and some reference point for the rest of this article.
1) We admitted we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives had become unmanageable.
2) Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
3) Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
4) Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
5) Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
6) Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
7) Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
8) Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9) Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10) Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
11) Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
12) Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROGRAM
So far so good but still, confusion reigns supreme for most when they first encounter the Twelve Steps just listed. What might help is to take a look at the principles upon which the Twelve Steps are built, for I believe it is the principles that are universally understood as a means to a better life. The Twelve Principles of AA are:
1. Honesty
2. Hope
3. Faith
4. Courage
5. Integrity
6. Willingness
7. Humility
8. Brotherly love
9. Justice
10. Perseverance
11. Spirituality
12. Service
THE LIGHT BULB GOES ON OVERHEAD
Now perhaps we begin to see what AA is all about. Nowhere in the principles is the word alcohol mentioned; instead the principles are about changing our lives for the better by becoming better human beings, because the simple truth is that we alcoholics did not like who we were and who we had become, and until we faced that truth there would be no freedom from alcohol and by extension there would be no lasting happiness.
Take a look at the principles for a moment and then consider this: Chances are that any self-help book you choose to read will have these principles in it. We all know how popular self-help books have become in our society as people search for a happier life and/or more confidence or better self-esteem or courage or whatever it is they feel they lack. Over the years I have read quite a few of the most popular of that genre and I can say with complete confidence that the aforementioned principles are in all of those books….including the Mother of all Self-Help Books….The Bible.
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
Looking back over my drinking career I can easily see how these principles were missing from my life. I was morally bankrupt by the time I found AA. I lied constantly, took advantage of people, believed in nothing other than the god of alcohol and would use anyone for my benefit. I was terrified of life in general and I would do anything to continue drinking and thus blot out the knowledge that I was a shell of a human being.
http://billybuc.hubpages.com/hub/Alcoholism-My-Personal-Story
Name one of the Seven Deadly Sins and I had done it and with each action of perversion I hated myself more and despised my weaknesses. Even before Alcoholics Anonymous I knew I was a sorry excuse for a human being and all hope was lost as the endless spiral of self-destruction continued.
http://billybuc.hubpages.com/hub/Alcoholism-What-A-Sneaky-Bastard-It-Is
THERE IS A SOLUTION
A friend of mine in the Program, Little Joe by name, was fond of saying, and I paraphrase, that the miracle was not that he doesn’t drink any longer; the miracle was that he had no desire to. Gone were the cravings that had previously always be there. Gone was the anti-social behavior that continually fueled self-loathing. In their place was a life free of cravings and a sense of wellness and peace.
That is how my life is today. For me it is a story of redemption, of acceptance and of love, and none of it would have been possible without a strict adherence to the Twelve Principles of Alcoholics Anonymous.
A cult? Brainwashing? I submit to you that I was in desperate need of something and this Program provided what I needed. I needed to return to the person I had been so many decades ago, a person who embodied those principles on a daily basis. Somewhere I lost my way; somehow I had forgotten how to be a good person. Today I am back and once again functioning as a contributing member of society.
Today this former drunk horse thief is neither drunk nor a horse thief. To borrow from sportscaster Al Michaels, “Do you believe in miracles?” The plain truth is that I am a walking, talking miracle who absolutely loves life. Isn’t that cool?
2012 William D. Holland (aka billybuc)
To view or order my new Kindle book on the subject of alcoholism go to http://www.amazon.com/Loving-Life-as-Alcoholic-ebook/dp/B007V69VXI/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1334766719&sr=1-1Emergency Sex and Other Desperate Measures, by Heidi Postlewait, Kenneth Cain and Doctor Andrew Thomson, is the memoir of three young people who join the United Nations (UN) in Cambodia with a dream of making the world a better place. Set in the 1990s, the book was published in 2004.
Thomson is a New Zealand-born physician who is inspired to work in Cambodia after meeting a mature age Cambodian medical student in his Auckland University class. Postlewait is a New York social worker who is struggling to make ends meet after the end |
leader, who quit in 2007, justified the military action. At the time, he said intelligence showed that Saddam had weapons of mass destruction but after the invasion none was found.
"I was lied to. The media, the press, the families, parliament, everybody was lied to," Reg Keys, whose son was among the British fatalities and who stood as a candidate for parliament against Blair in the 2005 election, told Reuters TV ahead of the report's publication.
Blair has always rejected any suggestions he acted dishonestly. He was expected to give his reaction to the report later on Wednesday.
The inquiry looked at the reasons for the invasion, the war itself and the aftermath - and has taken longer to complete than the British military involvement itself.
Public hearings, including two appearances by Blair, ended in 2011 but since then the writing of the report has been dogged by rows over the release of secret government files and the contacts between London and Washington. It includes details of notes from Blair to Bush and quotes from more than 130 records of their conversations.
Critics believe Blair, who sent 45,000 British troops for the invasion, gave Bush an unconditional promise that Britain would join military action and that he then distorted intelligence to back this up and put pressure on government lawyers to give the invasion legal approval.
Keys noted that Chilcot had said the inquiry would not play the blame game. "But I certainly hope it points the finger of accountability in the direction of the former prime minister who was the key player with all of this deceit," Keys said.
However, he said he feared the report might be watered down as those facing criticism have been allowed to respond prior to publication.
In an interview with CNN last October, Blair apologised that the pre-war intelligence had been wrong and for mistakes in planning, but not for getting rid of Saddam.
He also accepted the war had played a role in the rise of Islamic State but it was far from the only factor.
"I've said many times over these past years, I'll wait for the report and then I will make my views known and express myself fully and properly," Blair told Sky News on Sunday.
British media said lawmakers led by the Scottish National Party were considering invoking an ancient law, last used in 1806, to impeach Blair in parliament.
"You cannot have a situation where this country blunders into an illegal war with the appalling consequences and at the end of the day there isn't a reckoning," SNP lawmaker Alex Salmond told Sky News.
The Sunday Times newspaper also reported that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn - whose own position is in jeopardy after Britain voted last month to leave the European Union - was simply hanging on because he wanted to "crucify Blair".
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ERROR: Macro /ads/dfp-ad-article-new is missing!This is not a photo shop, but a photograph of a Qantas Boeing 747-300 with a little extra cargo — a 5th engine.
When a Qantas airplane needs a replacement engine or to have one worked on, sometimes they will attached the 5th engine onto a Boeing 747 and fly it without power to its destination.
This ends up being more cost effective for the airline. The 5th engine will limit the 747’s performance (not that it is known for its sporty maneuvering already), but it provides no additional safety risk.
There is also a photo of a Qantas Boeing 747-400 with a 5th engine.
People on Twitter are sharing other airplanes with additional engines:
* Lockheed L1011 Tristar thanks FlyingPhotog
* Boeing 720 thanks apgphoto
* DC-8 thanks TxAGFlyer
* Pan Am Boeing 747 thanks Skippyscage
connect | web | twitter | facebook |
David Parker Brown EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & FOUNDER - SEATTLE, WA. David has written, consulted, and presented on multiple topics relating to airlines and travel since 2008. He has been quoted and written for a number of news organizations, including BBC, CNN, NBC News, Bloomberg, and others. He is passionate about sharing the complexities, the benefits, and the fun stuff of the airline business. Email me: david@airlinereporter.com http://www.airlinereporter.comThe power of data to visually explain cities is magnified when you put a pair of maps side-by-side. Cities across the world don't speak the same language. But comparative maps, like the ones above, can. This is the premise behind a new project unveiled this week at the Esri user conference, an online Urban Observatory that aspires to be a "live museum with a data pulse" about cities all over the planet.
The interactive tool, designed by geospatial firm Esri, the film company @radical.media, and TED creator Richard Saul Wurman, is built around an extensive comparative mapping tool that so far includes 16 cities. Click through to the platform, and you can toggle between them, pulling up navigable maps on population density, road congestion, and land use, among other data points (beware, though, that some of the cities are currently not shown at the same scale).
That series shows open space in three global cities, as defined by developed or natural areas within town that are available for public use. Los Angeles has a smattering of small local parks and plazas; Rio has whole stretches of town with no open space at all. These next two maps show land in New York and Tokyo that's dedicated to commercial use:
And a similar map of the two cities showing their industrial land use:
Another set of maps, drawn from the Lincoln Institute's Atlas of Urban Expansion, illustrates areas which have more recently been developed, between 1990-2000. Here, it's clear that most of Chicago's growth has come at its western perimeter (also, that Milan is tiny):
The promise of such comparative mapping tools – and they're growing in number – is obviously limited by the available data. As long as cities, and whole countries, measure poverty or count crime incidents differently, it will be tough to plot answers on a map in a way that enables cities to learn from each other. This is a start, though. And as urban planners already know, you can always compare street grids. The top maps of Los Angeles and Paris do just that, while factoring in the posted speed limits on local roads.URMSTON is fast-becoming Trafford’s stylish suburb, giving Altrincham a run for its money – and a new high street addition is proving that theory.
Craft Brewtique has recently opened in the heart of Urmston, on Flixton Road.
As the name suggests, the shop stocks small batch modern craft beers from the UK’s independent microbreweries, with particular focus on Greater Manchester.
The shop stocks craft brews across the UK
Owner Jay King said the idea of Craft Brewtique was to “get closer to the little guys”, buying direct from the breweries to “pass on their passion to customers”.
“We want to help people discover the stories behind the beer,” said Jay.
“Whether they’re a beer aficionado or just curious about craft beer, we can help them experience a new level of quality, explore new flavours and understand what craft beer is really all about.”
Craft Brewtique is now open in Flixton Road, Urmston
Craft offers regular taster sessions, a membership club and will soon be organising its first “Meet the Brewer” event.
Jay said: “Alongside our beers, we’ll have locally-produced artisan beer snacks, sauces and rubs from Urmston’s award-winning Smokey Carter and coffee bags from Manchester’s own Mancoco. As long as it’s local and great quality, we’ll be looking at stocking it.”
Locally-produced snacks are also on offer
Craft is the largest in a string of artisan outlets to call Urmston their home. And the town could soon be getting its very own Altrincham-style Market food hall. Plans to revamp the existing Urmston Market site, in Railway Road, will go before Trafford Council planning chiefs on Thursday.
To find out more about Craft Brewtique, call into the new shop or visit craftbrewtique.co.uk.Just thought I would write up a quick list of things that veteran SWTOR players know. Here are twelve of my favorites (note: heavy sarcasm below).
It is pronounced “swoh-tor” or “swuh-tor.” To win PvP, all you have to do is: pass, get ahead for passes, cap, stop caps, call inc, and KILL THE FREAKIN’ HEALER‼‼‼ The Legacy System was once just an experience bar. “The game died a week after launch” Watch it the first time, spacebar after that PvP gear isn’t hard to get anymore Ilum was still fun. The Cartel Market is in fact really Ebenezer Scrooge. Two words: Life Day… The Rakghoul event was in fact one of the best pieces of content in any MMO ever. There are really three server names for your character. Your first server, your transferred server, and your mega-server (where you now reside). For example, I am from Lord Praven/Drooga’s Pleasure Barge/The Harbinger. Darth Malgus makes a good paperweight. Powertechs used to be scary.
EDIT: Had to fix number 10…it got lost halfway through…
AdvertisementsRenovation of the National Arts Centre will begin in December.
The start of work is earlier than originally proposed to ensure that the completion of a new Elgin Street atrium entrance by July 1, 2017. Work on the NAC’s main banquet space, the Panorama Room, will be finished by January 2018.
The $110 million project will see improvements to performance spaces, public areas for education and events, full accessibility for people with mobility challenges, and a sparkling glass shell that will encompass the side of the NAC facing Elgin Street and the National War Memorial.
The project is designed by the architectural firm Diamond Schmitt. The builder is PCL Constructors Inc. The NAC will stay open for business during the renovations.
“The decision to stay open wasn’t an easy one,” said Peter Herrndorf, CEO of the National Arts Centre, in a media release. “We were very aware that the work involved for a project of this scale would mean a good deal of inconvenience to our patrons. On the other hand, we knew that our audience depends on us to bring the best of the performing arts to the Nation’s Capital. In the end, and after careful consideration, we’ve decided to remain open during the 2015-2016 and 2016-17 artistic seasons.”
Here are some of the impacts of the construction.
On performances
Construction will occur outside performance hours on weekdays between midnight and 2 p.m. Evening and weekend shows will go ahead as planned. Because of daytime construction, some school matinées, daytime performances and rehearsals will be cancelled or moved within the NAC or to other venues across the city. The Fourth Stage will be closed starting in the spring of 2016 until July 2017, however many of the shows and community events presented here will be moved to other the Centre’s performance halls.
On Le café
Due to the daytime disruption caused by the renovation, le café will be closing for lunch from January 4, 2016 until June 26, 2017. Le café will remain open, however, for dinner in the evening. The NAC’s catering operations will be considerably reduced during the renovations.
On construction
The public will begin to see physical changes to the building between December and January, including hoarding that will be installed on Elgin Street and on the northeastern side of the terrace overlooking Confederation Square. PCL will also begin to remove concrete tiles on the north terrace in January. Inside the NAC, work will begin near the Fountain Room and in the space between the main reception desk and the Theatre lobby. Visitors may also see some work being done in the garages to strengthen some of the NAC’s supporting structure.
On washrooms
One of the first projects will be a new bank of washrooms on the second floor, near the Panorama and Fountain Rooms. Existing washrooms on the ground floor will remain in operation until the second phase of construction, which will begin in March-April 2016. By that time, the NAC says, the new washrooms will be ready.
On the box office
The area will be a busy construction zone so a temporary box office will be established near the NAC in the New Year. This will be a full-service welcome centre open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The NAC’s main box office will be operational from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
On pedestrian access
The NAC will maintain four entrances to the building: from Elgin Street, Freiman Lane and Mackenzie King Bridge. The public will also be able to enter from the parking garage which will stay open throughout the construction.
On car access
A gate will be installed at the entrance of Freiman Lane this winter that will prevent car access to the NAC during construction from midnight to 2 p.m. The NAC parking garage will be accessible from the Elgin Street and Albert Street entrances.
More information is available at nac-cna.ca.White
A cold wind blew softly across the white expanse below. The few trees standing held their solemn oath of silence against the desolation. The calm snow drifted from dune to dune, undisturbed. Then a flash of red, a spurt of blood, and the body of the man it belonged to, clad in many furs. Ahead of him ran a woman. She turned the moment he fell and called back to him, crying. But she did not stop, as she knew that this was how it was supposed to be. The man grabbed a compass from one of his pockets and threw it to her. Catching it in one hand, she reached into her pocket and threw him an identical one. Not wanting to waste any more time, she raised her hand above her head. It began to glow a soft, faint blue as she held it there, the intensity of the blue light increasing with every moment. Shouts from their pursuers reached their ears. As she looked up, four figures fired their guns at her. She glanced at the man bleeding in the snow, closed her eyes, and slammed her hand to the ground.
A flash of blue and she was gone.
The man smiled and let darkness consume him.
His compass was enveloped by the white.
He was sweat. He was the soft brush across the blanket, the whirring fan.
Then he was awake.
White.
White clothes. White walls. White bed.
But not his skin. It was a dark brown, smooth, not unlike his dog named…something. He couldn't remember.
He realized he couldn't remember much. What was his name? Where was he? Why was he here?
He closed his eyes and thought. His mind was white too; there was nothing there except echos. Flashes of random scenes, put together without any order. Sometimes screaming. Sometimes laughing. But never still.
When he opened them, the room wasn't completely white. Across the room was a lady. She was speaking to him, but the words didn't parse; they were all eaten up by peppermint and battery acid. All he could focus on was her hair.
He had to have known someone like her.
She stopped talking and he was left alone. He sat down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. A speck of snow hit his cheek and the white consumed him once again.
His name was Richard.
This detail came to him while eating at the cafeteria. The white of his mind was melting and drip by drip details were escaping from his frozen mind. Faces, names, places.
Someone special. Someone dear. And they were missing.
As he ate, between his eyes, he saw a single speck of snow drift from nothing and land on the bridge of his nose. Startled, he looked around. Snow. Everywhere. White, stinging specks, piling within the room. No one seemed to notice, not as the drifts began to crawl up the steel and up their faces. "It isn't real, it isn't real, it isn't real," he told himself.
"Hey man, you OK?"
He heard the words but their meaning remained just out of reach. Turning to face the source of the sound, his shoulder knocked the white reaching towards him, detaching the powdery arm and sending it to the floor, where it joined the rest of snow below. The man’s face turned to agony for a second before it too was consumed by white. Richard clutched his temples and closed his eyes. "Just a dream, just a dream, that’s all it is. That’s all it can be." The snow was cold, leeching away the heat from Richard’s body. Soon he was wet, cold, and shivering. Opening his eyes, all thoughts of fear or cold were blown away by the wind. The purity of the white in the room began to rip away at the white of his mind.
He had been here before.
The steel no more held him, as they too gave way to the white, the stars and moon no longer held back by the unnatural light, the wind no longer hindered by the walls of that prison. Trees dotted the landscape and dunes of snow stretched far across the expanse. This is where it happened. He saw the compass in the snow. He saw someone pick it up. His heart tightened and he screamed, telling them to leave it alone, to keep on walking. He watched them look up and pause.
The snow melted away into three people walking in, one of them carrying a syringe. There was red on the ground but no source. As the last bit of snow melted, his name came back to him. They were speaking to him, to Richard. To calm down. To calm down and let them come forward. The words once again were eaten away. What the white had given it had just taken away. The first man took a step forward.
Maybe, just maybe, if Richard was fast enough, he could reach the compass in time.
Then another step.
The man in the snow didn't know, didn't realize its importance.
The last step turned into a lunge and a yell.
Richard yelled, closed his eyes, and ran forward. White once again descended upon the walls. When he opened them, he once again saw the man in the snow. The man's eyes continued to stare at Richard's, sizing him up. They picked him apart, weighing his heart against the feather. Richard stumbled towards the man, blood dripping down his head. "Please… it's all I need, all I've ever needed… just please, give it to me… you have to…." The man smiled and held up the compass. He had been judged as pure. Richard reached out towards the compass, towards his heart. Soon, they would be reunited. The white began to eat at his arm, at the compass. Before his eyes, the white ate all.
Richard's head hit the window, meeting it head on, breaking his nose and his vision. As he looked outside, he saw the man. Saw him pocket the compass and walk onward. He tried to reach out to him, to yell, but his arms didn't listen. The white had given enough. Now it was taking away. He saw the streaks across the window. The dried blood of previous attempts. The man which had stood there, offering him salvation, disappearing into the snow. Walls of peppermint and battery acid failed before the encompassing white. And a single, soft blue light was finally consumed.
Outside the window, a man pocketed a compass. His grandfather would love it, even if it didn't work.
A cold wind blew softly across the white expanse.Most of us seem to know next to nothing about how we are really doing compared with everyone else. Here is a test. What do you think was the average income reported to the Tax Office in 2010-11? I'll make it easier. You can exclude all the (mainly) low earners who don't pay tax. The average income earned by those who did pay tax was $66,720. If it seems as if almost everyone you know earns more than that, it could be because you don't get out enough. Labor MP for the Hunter, Joel Fitzgibbon, doesn't get out enough. He infamously claimed a few weeks ago that families on $250,000 were ''struggling'': ''Coal miners in my electorate earning $100,000, $120,000, $130,000, $140,000 a year are not wealthy.'' In fact, the same Tax Office statistics show the average income for the postcodes in his electorate is about $60,000 - way less than that of those people with whom he mixes.
And those averages overstate what most people actually earn. Astoundingly, roughly three-quarters of Australian taxpayers earn less than the average. That's less than the average. Only one quarter earns more. The true mid-point - the income above which half of us make more and below which half make less - is $45,212. Why do most people take home so much less than the average? Because the average is pushed up by a few enormous incomes at the very top. Think for a minute about Gina Rinehart, Australia's richest person. Her income boosts our average income but not our typical income. If she moved overseas, our recorded average income would slide but our typical income would not. It's actually not fair to single out Joel. None of us get out enough. We tend to live near people who earn something near what we earn. If they earn slightly more than us, we think we're behind. If they earn slightly less, we think we're ahead. But we don't look far beyond them.
It's not only that we live in suburbs where people tend to earn the same as each other. The average income in Rushcutters Bay is $203,270. The average at Ruse in Campbelltown is $46,700. It's also that Sydney's high-income suburbs are clustered together, near the city and harbour. Further away in the south and west are the low-income ones. In the US, it is often the other way around. The low-income suburbs are near the city, meaning high-income Americans at least need to drive past them as they go into town. At work, we are also likely to be closest to people who earn the sort of wage we do. Surgeons earn an average of $341,600, according to the Tax Office. They associate with surgeons. Hairdressers earn an average of $27,600 (many work part-time). They hang around with hairdressers. People are also increasingly likely to marry within their income group. The Productivity Commission reported this year that two-thirds of Australia's high earners were married to other high earners. A decade earlier the proportion was only 50 per cent. Our aspirations further cloud our thinking. Believing we might one day move up a notch or two, we are keen to defend the interests of those above us.
Shadow treasurer Joe Hockey nailed it two years ago when he attacked a budget measure with the potential to hurt very high earners. ''$150,000 a year for a family is certainly not rich Australia,'' he said. ''Besides, I want people to aspire to earn $150,000 or more.'' Loading That's the problem. We think others earn more than they do, we aspire to earn more than we do, and many of us have no idea how well off we are. Twitter: @1petermartinThe streets of Durak Holm were bustling today. If you were a visitor to Eretsu from some other great homeland you’d hardly know a war was in full-swing outside the walls. The Gudanna have made a great advance against the Durani forces, and for once the Durani have turned tail.
Though it’s possible the retreat was a plan all along, since the northern forces are blockaded in a heavily fortified state. Almost no one can enter the northern region without taking volleys from Fire Rams posted at every corner of the walls protecting Karana Naga. Even Supakva is fortified to withstand an attack from the outside.
Here in Durak Holm, though, the mindset of the people was much different. Specifically, in the city’s trade quarters it felt almost what the locals would call normal. People were buying and selling, holding conversations, and some were even smiling. This was a most unfamiliar feeling.
Nikara even begun thinking why he’d let himself travel so far south. Then he remembered the withered woman he’d run into not long ago. “A powerful magic lies on that land,” she’d told him. “Surely there must exist a Zri mage in the region, for only their magic would give off such a potent trail.”
Nikara didn’t consider himself a powerful mage by any sort, but what he did know was that his was quite a capable mind. That, and he was faithful in the rites of his ancestors. He clutched the riddled bone necklace he wore around his neck. It was an heirloom, passed down from generation to generation, where now it resided with him. It gave him protection and served as a reminder to where his respect lies.
He continued wandering the streets, tightening the wrapping on his shoulders. The sun was beating down on the city, but it was important that he remained as hidden as possible. He was Urugal, and though he meant no real harm to anyone in his surroundings the general feeling toward his kind was that of ire.
The Urugal clans were, for lack of a better word, savage. Though not savage in the general sense of the word, the clans’ way of life was a bit…unconventional. Where the Durani and Gudanna took pride in riding their golem warmachines into battle, often those left on the fields of strife ended up becoming part of the Urugal golems used in the north.
From an early age Nikara was trained in the ancient ritual of Boneletting, which essentially meant stripping the bones from one’s body and leaving a shell behind. In fact, Nikara’s own golem was created by using bones from his own ancestors. He felt a connection with the golem that was unlike any other knight’s in existence, and he told himself this very often.
The Urugal knight wasn’t a war hero of any sort, but he’d seen his share of time on the battlefield – mostly fighting off the Zikia tribes. His golem had tasted the sting of conflict, but thanks to Nikara’s regeneration magic the golem has long withstood any onslaught it has met with. Still, each and every point of damage the golem takes is a personal attack on Nikara’s ancestors.
This thought severely scarred Nikara’s mind. In fact, this was his motivation for leaving the homelands in the first place. His run-in with the withered witch had led him here, to the lands resting beneath Durak Holm.
He parted his way through the crowd to reach one of the back alleys of the trade quarter. At the end of the alley was a large building with boarded up windows. A black sign hung out front that read, “Krom’s Razor”. For any normal merchant this looked like some run-down inn, however, to a seasoned trader this could be none other than an entrance to the underground black market ring.
Nikara was sure that he’d find something in the city’s illegal trade ring that would help lead him to the powerful magics bleeding from the prophetic Zri mage he was told about. As he approached the building he paid attention to the fencing on the building’s right side. It was bent, ever so slightly, signaling that it had been manipulated recently.
He approached the fence and pulled, opening a concealed door that revealed a dark stairwell. Without hesitating he felt himself stepping down the stairs into the underground world of Durak Holm. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. His heart beat with a force unlike anything he’d felt before. If there was anything here that would help him in his goal, this is where he’d find it.
As the door closed behind him he felt himself smile. He was one step closer to strengthening the bond between himself and his golem, and what’s more is he was closer than ever to creating something that would make it invincible.
AdvertisementsFederica Fragapane is a freelance information designer living in Milan, Italy whose work has been published in United Nations reports, and magazines and newspapers including Wired Italia and La Lettura. She recently won Honorable Mention in Data Visualization at the Kantar Information is Beautiful Awards. We spoke to Fragapane after stumbling across her ambitious and elegant master’s thesis which visualizes organized crime in northern Italy.
How did you become interested in information design?
I began enjoying information design for journalism at my university, the Politecnico of Milan, where I attended the DensityDesign Studio course. I became really interested in the field of data visualization and decided to do an information design project for my master’s thesis.
Can you tell us why you wanted to visualize organized crime in Italy?
One of the biggest problems in Italy is the phenomenon of organized crime. The issue of organized crime in northern Italy has been controversial for decades. I focused my research on northern Italy in order to [tighten] the scope of my analysis.
How did you get the data?
I decided to analyze the annual reports of the Direzione Nazionale Antimafia (the National Anti-mafia Directorate). I needed a tool to extract the data, so I contacted the “Antonio Zampolli” Institute of Computational Linguistics and started a collaboration with the ItaliaNLP Lab, a research laboratory that “gathers researchers, postdocs and students from computational linguistics, computer science and linguistics who work on developing resources and algorithms for processing and understanding human languages, with particular attention to the Italian language.”
I analyzed the chapters of the reports dealing with the situation in Northern Italy and I prepared the.txt files to be extracted. The ItaliaNLP Lab researchers performed the extraction for my analysis. They used T2K (Text-To-Knowledge), a tool that allows you to automatically extract linguistic and domain-specific information from text.
How many files did you get and how did you clean them?
To date, 3,999 pages have been analyzed. I personally inspected and cleaned [the files] using Microsoft Excel.
What was the process of visualizing this data?
Thinking about audience
I started designing an interface that allows the users to explore the visualized data. The users of the project are journalists and academics—experts who constantly study and analyze the phenomenon of organized crime. I wanted to do a project that could help them in their studies. During the design phase, I was in contact with journalists so as to constantly evaluate the usefulness and the clarity of the project. Every visualization has been checked by the journalists who collaborated with me and by my supervisor Paolo Ciuccarelli.
Sketching
Regarding the visualizations, as an information designer, I’m used to sketching the visual models and then testing their effectiveness using the actual data. So I first made sketches and at a later stage I visualized the collected data with Adobe Illustrator. Then I designed the interface and the possible functionalities.
Designing the interface
The interface is divided into three sections: Persone (People), Vicinanze (Places) and Crimini (Crimes). I grouped the terms into 12 categories: public procurement, money laundering, extortion, gambling, illegal immigration, enslavement, kidnapping, prostitution, arms trafficking, human trafficking, waste trafficking, and drug trafficking.
Can you walk us through some examples of your visualizations?
In the following visualization, the categories of crime have been [placed] along the y axis with the analyzed cities along the x axis. Every square represents a category: the size of the square indicates the frequency in the documents. For every city, I show the frequency of each category over time (the research covers the time period between 2000 and 2012).
In this next visualization, we look at the information for 2004. Every city has been drawn as a radar. The radial lines for each city represent the categories of crime (ap is Appalti pubblici, for example, or public procurement). The size of the square indicates the frequency of the crime and the distance from the center indicates the relevance in the document. This information has been calculated by the tool with the tf-idf function, “a numerical statistic that is intended to reflect how important a word is to a document in a collection or corpus,” according to Wikipedia. This visualization allows the user to analyze the different situations in the examined cities from year to year.
I also designed a visualization that shows all the years, so as to allow further comparisons.
Is this project interactive online?
Not yet. All images are screenshots from the interface that I’m still designing.
How do you see your work fitting into the discipline of information design?
I think this kind of analysis can be replicated across Europe and around the world. The structure of the interface is not strictly connected with the sources I used: in this way this project can be developed using other reports or documents. There are many projects that already use complex data in order to analyze and understand crime and I think this field of information design can be very useful to support and help this kind of study.
What advice do you have for people that want to publish their visualizations?
My advice is to be always ready to learn. During my studies I had also the fortune to work for two years at Accurat, the information design agency with offices in Milan and New York, founded in 2011 by Giorgia Lupi, Simone Quadri and Gabriele Rossi. During that period I learned a lot.
In this field is very important to keep a balance between aesthetics and content validity and this is one of the aspects that most intrigues me: I learned to always keep in mind both factors.
Every visualization tells a story and it’s important to choose the appropriate data to use and the appropriate way to visualize them in order to create a meaningful and interesting narrative. Besides, I think it is important to get inspired from all the visual forms that surround us and to keep an archive of these sources of inspiration. New languages are often born from the combination of different visual forms.Modern virtual reality is pretty adept at tricking your brain into thinking what you're seeing is real, so it seems natural that someone'd try to further that by adding your schnoz to the mix. The guilty party is Feelreal, and it's developed a battery-powered Bluetooth add-on for the Oculus Rift that'll pump seven scents and heated or cooled air into your face, according to The Verge. What do those smells entail? Ocean, jungle, fire, grass, powder, flowers and metal. Only a few of those sound pleasant, if I'm being honest. And based on what The Verge says, my guess is right: the GDC demo went from a soothing rainforest scene replete with a waterfall and actual mist-on-face, to a hellish nightmare that felt like a blow-dryer on the reporter's cheeks at a moment's notice. When it comes to tech and smells, I'll stick to bacon-scented push notifications thank you very much.Since Donald Trump won, there’s been a lot of talk about the role that race played in the election, so let’s take a look at that. Here is how various ethnic groups have voted in US presidential elections, including the one that just happened, based on New York Times exit poll data:
Here is how the democrat advantage, or disadvantage, among various ethnic groups has changed with time:
Perhaps surprisingly, 2016 doesn’t pop out as special in any way in these charts. However, something interesting happens if we separate winning and losing republican presidential candidates:
Trump did better than losing republicans, and as well as, but not better than, previous winning republicans, among Whites. He also did better than losing republicans, but not as well as the typical winning republican, among Hispanics. He did worse than the typical winning or losing republican among African Americans and Asian Americans.
So yes, Trump won because of his performance among Whites (and Hispanics), but no more so than past winning Republicans.
A lot of attention has also be paid to how different kinds of White people voted. Here is a basic breakdown from CNN exit poll data:
That education gap has gotten a lot of attention. Let’s take a look at that over time. Here is how Whites have voted over time based on whether or not they have a college degree:
And here is a similar line of data on Whites categorized by sex and whether or not they ever went to college:
Clearly, democrats are losing non-college educated Whites in a big way and Trump capitalized on this like no republican ever has. College educated Whites, by contrast, did not vote for Trump by as large of a margin as they have voted for other republicans. Given this, while Trump may have one the same share (of two-party voter) Whites as past winning republicans have, they probably weren’t the same kind of Whites in terms of formal education.
If we look at the important swing states that Trump won, again using CNN exit polls, we see a clear pattern: compared to the national average they have an abnormally high proportion of the population which are White and which are Whites with no college degree.
Whites in these states were not, however, more pro-trump than was typical for White voters, or White non-college degree holding voters, in 2016. There were just more of them.
With Hispanics we see the opposite story: in these key swing states there were fewer Hispanics than average, but these Hispanics were also considerably more likely than average to vote for Trump. This trend is particularly noteworthy in Florida, Michigan, and North Carolina, where Trump won more than 35% of the Hispanic vote.
In fact, in Florida, Trump won 54% of the Cuban vote. Florida is also interesting because the Whites there were at once abnormally pro trump and more likely than average to have a college degree.
North Carolina is the only states that these demographic variables can’t explain Trump’s victory in. Frankly, I have no idea why he won North Carolina.
To sum up:Startup Bitcoin Kinetics, which aims to create hardware that can allow vending machines to accept bitcoin, is offering 10 billion shares of common stock on the website Cryptostocks. This isn’t your typical IPO—Cryptostocks, where Bitcoin Kinetics will be “listed,” describes itself as both a crowd funding platform and a place to “buy shares… and earn dividends.” It’s not clear what the legal status of Cryptostocks is, since it’s not licensed or registered as an exchange. One commenter called Cryptostocks “another of the play-pretend Bitcoin financial exchanges.” (We reached out to Cryptostocks for comment, and will update this when we hear back from them.)
The founder of Bitcoin Kin |
heck out of phone cameras, compare them from one phone to the next, and often times find ourselves considering passing on phones if their cameras aren’t up to par with the competition.
Samsung, LG, and Apple seem to have taken a sizable lead in terms of quality smartphone cameras, while Sony is hanging around, trying from phone-to-phone to join them. HTC is there as well, but they decided two years ago to ditch a traditional camera setup in favor of the ultimate gimmick that can’t really be taken seriously. Then you have Motorola, a company that continues to innovate with software and hardware, yet hasn’t put a good camera in a phone since, well, we can’t even remember the last time.
We know that DL readers buy phones from all of the manufacturers just mentioned, so it’s clear that some of you are fine buying phones that don’t offer the best camera experience. And that leads us to today’s poll question – how important is it that your phone has a great camera?
How important is it that your phone has a great camera? I make buying decisions based off a phone's camera capabilities.
Important, but not the most important. It just needs to be decent.
A phone's camera is the last of my worries when buying a phone. View ResultsReserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Raghuram Rajan dashed expectations of the government, consumers and business leaders as he kept lending rates unchanged on Tuesday despite plunging inflation and mounting pressure to ease borrowing costs to aid a revival.
Unchanged interest rates would imply your home loan EMIs, which eat away large chunks of household incomes, are unlikely to fall anytime soon.
High loan rates could influence people’s decision to buy houses, cars and other consumer goods, mostly bought through loans.
The benchmark lending rate has remained unchanged since January last year, demonstrating the RBI governor’s unwavering commitment to keep inflation firmly bottled up for longer period of time, before softening of the rather hawkish stance.
Budding revival signs in the broader economy and falling inflation rates had rekindled hopes that the RBI would lower loan rates to assist companies’ investment plans, critical to spin jobs and multiply income.
Rajan retained the repo rate -- the rate at which banks borrow from RBI -- at 8%, and kept the cash reserve ratio (CRR)-- the proportion of deposits banks to have to park with the central bank -- at 4%, in the bi-month monetary policy review.
Retail inflation eased in to a three-year low of 5.52% in October, below the central bank's target of 6% by 2016.
India’s wholesale inflation rate -- the main gauge to capture country-wide price movements -- has also plunged to a five-year low of 1.77% in October, triggering a chorus of demand for lower borrowing costs to boost investment and consumer spending.
The next monetary policy is scheduled for February 3, 2015, but Rajan did not rule out a rate revision outside of the policy calendar depending on future price movements.
“A change in the monetary policy stance at the current juncture is premature. However, if the current inflation momentum and changes in inflationary expectations continue, and fiscal developments are encouraging, a change in the monetary policy stance is likely early next year, including outside the policy review cycle,” Rajan said.
Analysts said the RBI governor could wait for cues to come from the next year’s Union budget in February before initiating any rate action.
Industry leaders have been ratcheting up their demand for cheaper loans with the government also hoping that the central bank would signal a reversal of its prolonged hawkish stance that some see as affecting capacity expansion plans.
According to experts low and stable interest rates are critical to fast-track roads, ports, airports, and railways projects to create jobs, raise non-farm incomes and catalyse large scale industrialisation across India.
Rajan, however, made it abundantly clear that the RBI would not change its stance until the central bank was convinced to have fully tamed inflation.
“The way to sustainable growth is to have low and stable inflation. We are talking of years of sustainable growth,” he said.
The RBI governor said that the key to a turnaround in the growth path of the economy in the second half of the year is a revival in investment activity –- in new as well as stalled projects –- supported by fiscal consolidation, stronger export performance and lower overall inflation.
First Published: Dec 02, 2014 11:07 ISTThe World Freerunning and Parkour Federation (WFPF) contacted the Suffolk teenager after tracking his development online for two years in a series of clips uploaded to the video sharing website by Mr Warren and his friend Ryan Lovejoy.
The WFPF asked Mr Warren, who spends eight hours a day clambering over buildings and leaping off rooftops in his hometown, to teach his skills to youngsters in Los Angeles.
Freerunning, or Parkour as it is also known, originated in France in the 20th century and involves participants navigating often urban terrain by means such as vaulting, jumping and climbing.
Mr Warren, who hopes to become a professional stuntman when he turns 18, has been practising the art for four years.
“I will only do the jumps if I am in the right frame of mind. It is a mental thing as well. I wouldn’t do them if I was tired or feeling ill.
“We started filming for fun, but as we went on, we took it more and more seriously.
“I would love to make a living out of Parkour — it would be a fun job.”
In his latest four-minute video, which can be seen in full on YouTube, Mr Warren clambers across the roof of Chapelfield Shopping Centre in Norwich and spins off Great Yarmouth pier.Jonathan Cheung at Levi's Eureka Innovation Lab | Source: Courtesy
SAN FRANCISCO, United States — Levi’s is the world’s oldest and largest denim brand. The family-owned blue jeans pioneer — founded in 1853 and adopted by everyone from miners, cowboys and railroad workers to greasers, rockers and hippies — has long been linked to a potent blend of democratic, rebel-infused Americana. Bruce Springsteen wore a pair of classic Levi's 501s on the cover of his album “Born in the USA.”
But despite its powerful brand story, Levi’s hit its commercial peak back in the 1990s. In 1996, annual sales at parent company Levi Strauss & Co. (the Levi’s brand accounts for over 80 percent of the company’s total sales) reached $7.1 billion. By 2003, however, revenues had fallen to $4.2 billion and, over the next decade, barely grew as Levi’s saw its core business attacked from all sides by a surge of competitors. Fast-fashion retailers and other value players, offering very low prices, took the bottom off the business, while new premium denim specialists targeted the top.
“There are more denim brands born this century than in the previous 104 years,” said James Curleigh (or “JC”), global president of the Levi’s brand, sitting in a conference room at the company’s San Francisco headquarters. “All of a sudden, we get attacked by premium. All of a sudden, value and own-label and fast fashion come and try to take a piece of the business. Traditional competitors, like Wrangler and Lee, also wake up to a moment of denim growth,” he continued. “So, you’re getting attacked by premium, value, traditional and fast fashion.”
Levis was attacked by premium, value, traditional and fast fashion.
While years of ubiquity had eroded much of the aspiration around the Levi’s brand, the denim maker remained much loved. “We have the highest awareness and the highest affinity of any apparel brand in the world. People know Levi’s and they love us,” said Curleigh. But weighed down by a mix of poor management and a design vision too closely tethered to the company’s heritage, Levi’s was slow to introduce new cuts, colours and fabrics and ultimately failed to translate affection for its brand into sales.
“Because you’re the leader, I think it’s natural, at first, to not be reactive and say, ‘We’re the original. We’re just going to stick with what we’re doing.’ Whereas everybody else is going, ‘Ok, I’m going to do these funky new washes, I’m gonna try use super-stretch fabrics, I’m going to offer different cuts of denim,’” said Jonathan Cheung, senior vice president of design, who joined the brand in 2009. “It’s been a big challenge for Levi’s.”
The company has since regained some ground. In 2014, revenues hit $4.7 billion, growing for the second consecutive year. But Levi’s must contend with a denim market that is not only crowded and competitive, but facing softening consumer demand in key geographies.
The global market for jeans is forecast to maintain its steady expansion and will hit $115 billion in total retail value by the end of 2015, according to Euromonitor International, a London-based market intelligence firm. But, in August 2014, American market research company NPD Group reported a drop of 6 percent, year-on-year, in overall denim sales in the US, Levi’s most important market, prompting headlines like “America’s Fading Love Affair with Denim” and “Denim is in Real Danger of Going Out of Fashion.”
So how is the 161-year-old denim pioneer reasserting itself?
Protecting the Core
“There are three components to the strategy,” explained Curleigh, who joined Levi’s in 2012 to help drive the company’s renewal efforts. “We are the worldwide leader in denim — and that’s men’s and women’s — so how do we make sure we protect that? A lot of brands take it for granted and chase something else, but then they look back at their core and go, ‘What happened?’ Protecting our profitable core is the number one priority. Our profitable core is the US market…. The 501 is our profitable core.”
Indeed, building on the brand’s classic 501 franchise — “one of the iconic products for which we’ve been known and loved for over 140 years” — is a key part of their strategy. “The biggest shift in the denim today, I would say, is the return to authenticity,” said Cheung. “I think there is a swing away from alternatives to a regular pair of jeans back to a regular pair of jeans. People want something with meaning.”
Capitalising on the recent resurgence of the classic, straight-leg, high-waisted 501 style — last fashionable in the 1990s — the company recently launched a tapered version of the jeans, called Levi’s 501 CT (which stands for customised and tapered). “501 CT started off as a conversation between myself and Karyn Hillman [Levi’s chief product officer] and how we wore our 501s. We’d go to the store, bump into people and discover popular alterations,” explained Cheung. “For years, people have taken the iconic 501 and customised them by getting on a sewing machine and giving the legs a little taper. With the 501 CT, we’ve done that work for you.”
Not Just Jeans
Secondly, Levi’s aims to redefine itself as a true lifestyle brand, not just a jeans maker. According to Curleigh, about 80 percent of Levi’s sales currently come from denim pants, but the company is expanding its presence in a range of other product categories. “The average consumer’s closet is composed of around 7 to 8 percent denim, if you could just snapshot the value,” said Curleigh. “That means by definition that more than 90 percent is not denim. So, what are the logical Levi’s extensions?”
The company is targeting items that connect to its brand heritage, like trucker jackets and t-shirts. “The trucker jacket is one of the most iconic pieces from Levi’s that we could leverage more,” said Curleigh. “The t-shirt. These are things we can go after.” The brand is also focused on underwear, socks, footwear and belts. “We are the worldwide leader in branded belts, but nobody knows that. Belts connect to our jeans.”
“Our marketing is imaged around lifestyle and not just jeans,” Curleigh continued. “Think about the greatest apparel brands on earth. Nike was designed to go faster around a track. Northface was designed to withstand extreme temperatures at 20,000 feet. But they are now ubiquitous in any urban environment. We need to make sure that Levi’s plays a legitimate role in lifestyle choice anywhere. Than means moving from a brand of jeans to a lifestyle brand in jeans-wear.”
Tapping Women’s
A stone’s throw from the company’s headquarters, along the Embarcadero waterfront facing the San Francisco Bay, a steady stream of women in “athleisure” looks are a reminder of another challenge facing Levi’s: not just the rise of leggings and yoga pants — increasingly integrated into daily attire and often called “the new denim” — but the women’s market in general, in which the brand is underpenetrated.
“Men’s is about 75 percent to women’s 25 percent [of the business],” said Curleigh. “There’s opportunity in our gender balance and we’re going to give a big surge on women’s in the second half of the year.”
Though details are still under wraps, “what you can expect from us is simpler choice with more compelling solutions around fit, around shaping, around styling, around trend,” revealed Curleigh. “We’re also taking advantage of modern day materials and you’re going to see a few unexpected things around premium and around collaborations. It’s a complete relook at our women’s business.”
“Women’s jeans presents an underexploited opportunity for Levi’s following the success of Curve ID and Revel,” said Magdalena Kondej, head of apparel and footwear research at Euromonitor, referring to two ranges of figure-enhancing jeans for women.
“One route could be through further targeted products, moving beyond figure-flattering styles. For example, VF Corp’s Wrangler brand launched its Denim Spa collection in 2012, which incorporates moisturising and cellulite-reducing treatments,” she continued. “Alternatively, Levi’s could align its ranges to fashion trends. Capitalising on the on-going demand for coloured, printed and textured denim could keep consumers engaged.”
As for the rise of activewear, Curleigh is unfazed. “There's not one female consumer in the world that I know of who woke up one day and said, ‘It's about athleisure; all my jeans are gone and I'm going into black yoga pants.’ It's about having both. What is the modern day woman looking for? Casualisation is part of her mindset, as well as comfort and contemporary style. And versatility. Something that is not one dimensional,” he continued. “Denim is ten times the size of black leggings. And the innovation of denim can continue to be casual, more comfortable in terms of stretch and fit, and deliver contemporary style,” he added.
“Jeans are not just for heritage and authenticity. They’re for purposeful intentions. It’s about lifestyle that meets with innovation.”
Acting Like a Start-up
To put the strategy into practice, Curleigh wants Levi’s to act like “a 160-year-old start-up. We’ve got scale, heritage, authenticity, awareness and global reach. But if you’re a multi-billion dollar company that’s existed for over 100 years, you wish you had agility, focus, innovation and optimism that the future will be better than the past,” he said.
“We’re innovating sustainable solutions. We’re looking into performance denim. We’re exploring craftsmanship; attention to the tailoring details. We’re innovating style solutions off our Eureka platform, which is what a start-up would do,” said Curleigh, referring to the company’s Eureka Innovation Lab, which opened at the base of Telegraph Hill, a few blocks from the company’s main office, in 2013 and houses about 30 technicians, some of whose arms have turned blue from working with the indigo used to dye blue jeans. (Levi’s previous innovation center was located in Corlu, Turkey, thousands of miles away from the company’s headquarters, making it slow and costly for the design team to develop prototypes).
“At Eureka, we are developing rapid prototypes, which really propels the development of a product,” explained Cheung. Eureka can turn out about 30 prototypes per week. Products that have been prototyped in the lab include the company's successful Revel jeans, which use “liquid shaping technology” to better adjust to a woman’s body shape, as well as its Commuter series: denim designed for bike commuters with a metallic finish that looks normal during the day but lights up to ensure a biker can be easily seen at night when hit with the beams of a car’s headlights. The new 501 CT was also a product of Eureka. “There have been quite a few prototypes, but the 501 CT was a singularly big idea,” explained Cheung.
“Product innovation is one of the key strategies adopted by Levi Strauss to limit further share loss to both fast fashion and premium brands,” said Kondej. “These initiatives give Levi Strauss a significant advantage over its rivals, provide a differentiation point particularly at the mass-market level and allow to protect the brand from excessive discounting.”
Yet it’s much too early to say whether Levi’s can successfully recapture what Curleigh calls “denim leadership and beyond.” Yesterday, Levi Strauss & Co. reported that fourth-quarter revenues for 2014 grew ten percent (excluding currency fluctuations), but about two-thirds of the lift reflected Black Friday sales week, which, due to the timing of the company's fiscal year, was an additional week in the company's fourth fiscal quarter compared to the prior year.
“I think in the end, as with all good evolutions of a category, there will be fewer competitors. We’re going to see a clean-up of the denim market,” predicted Curleigh, who sees Levi’s, with its blend of brand heritage and product innovation, as well positioned to capitalise. “We’re confident that we are on a journey of market share growth and business growth.”By Jyotsna Singh
BBC News, Delhi
The find has been likened to the discovery of a treasure trove Geologists in southern India say they have found hundreds of dinosaur egg clusters which could be about 65 million years old. It was a chance find discovered when a team of scientists were locating a place to excavate an ancient riverbed in the state of Tamil Nadu. As they dug deeper they saw layers of what looked like fossilised eggs. The photos and samples were then sent to various universities who confirmed that they were dinosaur eggs. Each egg is the size of a football - about 13 to 23cm in diameter, lying buried in sandy nests. The leader of the team, MU Ramkumar, told the BBC the finding is significant and could help to unravel the mystery about the extinction of dinosaurs. 'Infertile' "The important finding is that these eggs have been found in different layers that means the dinosaurs came to the place over and over year after year," he said. Sauropods are renowned for their size "The second important thing is that we have got volcanic ash deposits on the eggs which suggests that volcanic activity could have caused their extinction. "The other thing we have found is that all these eggs are unhatched and infertile. So what made the eggs infertile? We need to carry out further studies to learn more from the findings." Scientists believe the eggs belong to the docile leaf-eating Sauropod branch of dinosaurs. Their remains have been dug up on every continent, including Antarctica. Palaeontologists use the term to describe large, four-legged, plant-eating dinosaurs with bulky bodies, long necks and tails and tiny heads with relatively small brains. Dr Ramkumar and his team have called on the central and state governments to protect what they are calling a "Jurassic treasure trove". The presence of dinosaur eggs was first recorded in the same district by a British geologist in the 1860s. In the 1990s a dinosaur egg was found in a government-owned factory in the state.
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SALT LAKE CITY - BYU graduate and independent presidential candidate Evan McMullin is suddenly surging in the polls in Utah.
"I guess I'm surprised it happened so quickly," McMullin admitted as he stepped in front of cameras in Salt Lake City Wednesday.
Y2 Analytics, a public opinion research company based out of Salt Lake, released 15 pages of data it collected from 500 Utah residents. Based on previous voting history, those 500 voters are among the most likely to vote in the upcoming race.
The results show that 26 percent of Utahns plan to vote for Trump, and 26 percent plan to vote for Hillary Clinton. However, the biggest surprise is that McMullin polled at 22 percent.
"People are surprised to see McMullin's numbers, and, to be frank, I'm among them," said Scott Riding, an analytics partner for Y2. "But we went back and looked and he had been steadily gaining and just put himself in a good position when that Trump bubble burst."
The bubble Riding refers to is the release of NBC's Access Hollywood video from 2005 that emerged last Friday, showing Trump making comments about grabbing and kissing women without their consent.
"We're finding that conservatives, faced with the reality that Donald Trump has some character flaws that make him unfit for the presidency, are choosing to vote for the only person on the conservative ticket," McMullin said. "Our strategy is to deny Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump enough votes in the electoral college. If Utahns choose me, they could block both candidates and then the election would go to the House of Representatives."
And it seems as though much of the momentum in the state has shifted towards making that a possibility, albeit a slim one. McMullin's popularity is somewhat of a surprise, considering only 52 percent of Utahns even know who he is.
The table could be set for an explosive next few weeks. Tim Chambless, assistant professor at the Hinckley Institute of Politics, said if Mitt Romney comes out in support of someone soon, the whole state could shift enough to give Democrats their first win in the state since 1964.
"If he makes it known how he would vote, not for Trump, not for Hillary, then you would see a soft 15-20 percent margin that Donald has right now moving in the direction of wherever Mitt Romney says he is going to vote," Chambless said.J.R.R. Tolkien/Quotations
edit] Regarding Middle-earth
"Bingo Bolger-Baggins is a bad name. Let Bingo=Frodo Baggins."
On the first draft of The Lord of the Rings, note, c.1938; Humphrey Carpenter J.R.R. Tolkien (1977)
"The stories were made rather to provide a world for the languages than the reverse. To me name comes first and the story follows."
Letter in the Observer newspaper,23 Aug 1981
"The story is cast in terms of a good side, and a bad side, beauty against ruthless ugliness, tyranny against kingship, moderated freedom with consent against compulsion that has long lost any object save mere power, and so on; but both sides in some degree, conservative or destructive, want a measure of control. But if you have, as it were taken 'a vow of poverty', renounced control, and take your delight in things for themselves without reference to yourself, watching, observing, and to some extent knowing, then the question of the rights and wrongs of power and control might become utterly meaningless to you, and the means of power quite valueless."
The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, 25 April 1954, No. 144
edit] Regarding Other Matters
"My political opinions lean more and more to anarchy. The most improper job of any man, even saints, is bossing other men. There is only one bright spot and that is the growing habit of disgruntled men of dynamiting factories and power stations. I hope that, encouraged now as patriotism, may remain a habit."
Letter to his son Christopher (in the RAF), Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Humphrey Carpenter.
"'Trends in the Church are.....serious, especially to those accustomed to find in it a solace and a 'pax' in times of temporal trouble, and not just another arena of strife and change."
The Lion Christian Quotation Collection, p. 321.
"A real taste for fairy-stories was wakened by philology on the threshold of manhood, and quickened to full life by war."
Tree and Leaf (1964), 'On Fairy-Stories'.
"Nearly all marriages, even happy ones, are mistakes: in the sense that almost certainly (in a more perfect world, or even with a little more care in this very imperfect one) both partners might have found more suitable mates. But the real soul-mate is the one you are actually married to."
Letters of JRR Tolkien, to Michael Tolkien, 6-8 March 1941, no. 43.
edit] Regarding Tolkien himself
"Though Tolkien lived in the twentieth century he can scarcely be considered a modern writer. His roots were buried deep in early literature, and the major names in twentieth-century writing meant little or nothing to him."
Humphrey Carpenter (The Inklings)
"He is a smooth, pale, fluent little chap - can't read Spenser because of the forms - thinks all literature is for the amusement of men between thirty and forty... His pet abomination is the idea of 'liberal studies'. Technical hobbies are more in his line. No harm in him; only needs a smack or so."
C.S. Lewis (1899-1963) British academic and writer, member of the Inklings, Diary, May 1926Image: Donna Cox and Robert Patterson, National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
There is internet innovation in the sense of cool new web apps and social media platforms and streaming music services (we definitely need more streaming music services), and there is the very wide-angle innovation that changes what it even means to be online: distributed computing, the cloud, networking. That is, the technology that is the internet itself. And, ultimately, this rules everything else, from hackathon-produced apps to global cybersecurity.
There's a problem, however, according to a recent review study in the Communications of the ACM: The standardization that's made the internet what it is also carries with it "the risks of reducing variability and slowing the pace of progress," the authors, led by Mark Berman of the National Science Foundation's Global Environment for Network Innovations project (GENI), write. The internet turns out to be a really shitty place for experimentation.
"Validation and deployment of potential innovations by researchers in networking, distributed computing, and cloud computing are often hampered by Internet ossification, the inertia associated with the accumulated mass of hardware, software, and protocols that constitute the global, public Internet," Berman and his group continue. "Researchers simply cannot develop, test, and deploy certain classes of important innovations into the Internet."
"In the best case," they argue, "the experimental components and traffic would be ignored; in the worst case, they could disrupt the correct behavior of the Internet."
As an example, Berman and co. cite the adoption of IPv6, the most recent version of IP protocol—the traffic-routing and identification/location system for networked computers—created by the Internet Engineering Task Force and released in 2011. For the relatively "modest" changes offered by IPv6 to be put into place, it took nearly a decade of slow and steady work; as of 2013, only about 4 percent of domain names had support for the new protocol.
That it took this long is simply a feature of the fact that IP protocol impacts networked components at every level—it's like trying to excavate and replace the foundation of a skyscraper. Researchers looking to investigate entirely new non-IP protocols or routing technologies have it even harder. The only opening is often using simulations.
Unfortunately, internet simulations don't do a very good job of simulating the internet, even at their best. They aren't very realistic, Berman and his group note.
The answer may be in what are known as future internet and distributed computing (FIDC) testbeds, one of which is Berman's GENI project, but there are several others. In an IEEE paper published last fall, he explained the idea as a combination of "slicing"—or virtualized end-to-end configurations of computing, networking, and storage resources—and "deep programmability," which is where the experimenter can program devices within the virtualized network at every possible level. Crucially, these two features are realized not through simulations, but through actual physical computers.
"It is the property of deep programmability that creates the key opportunities for innovation in a FIDC testbed," the current paper explains. "In a deeply programmable environment, the experimenter controls the behavior of computing, storage, routing, and forwarding components deep inside the network, not just at or near the network edge."
Said experimenter is afforded exclusive power of many shared resources, which are usually presented in the form of a networked collection of IRL general-purpose computers. This collection is arranged in whatever experimental topology is desired and various special purpose components can be added in as well, such as sensors, high-performance computing resources, and-or cyberphysical systems. Because the experiment is based on actual computers and components, rather than simulations, researchers can offer "end user opt-in," e.g. test their work out on real users.
Berman's paper looks at FIDC systems through the lens of four test-cases. Each one could be its own post really: cloud-based personalized weather "nowcasting" service CloudCast, future-internet architecture MobilityFirst, customization-friendly routing technology NetServ, and OpenFlow networks, one example of an emerging technology called software-defined networking (SDN).
Image: rutgers.edu
All four are technologies that fundamentally rewire the internet itself in some way or another yet don't lend themselves very well to simulation. This is where FIDC is useful. For example, a powerful method of testing OpenFlow technology is in using it to route video streams and then evaluating the relative quality of the resulting video. "Performing such experiments in simulation is very difficult," Berman and co. write, "requiring simulation not only of network functions, but also the software stack of the video codec, the rendering pipeline, and post-processing functions of the video client."
Programmable, ultra-high-speed networks enabled by things like OpenFlow are probably the best example of what's to come and of why it's not coming a lot faster. SDN is a deeply fundamental rewrite of how networks function and, as such, it could be a complete disaster in impatient hands with access to too-large of scales. It's being slowly adopted as you read this—it's running Google's internal network and is being offered in some Microsoft server products—but its more widespread future may not be so far off.
"Although the technology is still in flux," Berman writes, "FIDC testbeds are already supporting important research and education initiatives. As these testbeds join together in international federations, their benefits increase combinatorially."'Corrupt Kaine': Trump Reveals His Nickname for Hillary's VP Pick
Rudy Reacts to Trump: 'Best Acceptance Speech I've Ever Seen!'
Rosen: Tim Kaine, DNC Email Leak Won't Help Hillary's Problems With the Left
Dr. Ben Carson says leaked emails that reveal top officials with the Democratic National Committee discussing how to undermine Bernie Sanders are further proof that the system is rigged.
"I knew that there was corruption, but the level of corruption throughout the political system is overwhelming. And I’m talking about the established Democrats and the established Republicans who are much more interested in holding on to power and their positions than they are about their party or about their country," Carson said on "Fox and Friends" this morning. "This is really very sad, and I hope that more people will wake up and see what’s happening."
Carson said that the Republicans are corrupt, but the DNC is "completely corrupt," which is why Donald Trump was able to break through in the GOP, while Sanders was undermined by the Democrats.
He said it was particularly troubling to see DNC officials emailing about how to attack Sanders' religion - or alleged lack thereof.
"We have freedom of religion, people fought and died so we can have that," Carson said. "We need to protect all of our citizens. That is really the key when we talk about liberty and justice for all."
Watch more above.
Judge Jeanine: Trump's 'Brilliant' Speech Highlighted Hillary's Incompetence
Trump: Cruz Never Denied His Father Was in Photo With Lee Harvey Oswald
See Which Moment From Trump's Speech This Focus Group REALLY Liked
Here's What Hillary, Bernie & Elizabeth Warren Thought About Trump's SpeechIn a statement released today on their website, Georgian LGBT rights group Identoba have called on the authorities to investigate the alleged murder of a transgender woman as a hate crime. Police discovered the body of 25 year-old salon worker, Beqa B. (known to friends as Sabi), in a burnt-out apartment in central Tbilisi on Monday night and are investigating the case as one of ‘pre-meditated murder’.
The statement from Identoba, an organisation on the forefront of LGBT activism in Georgia, reads:
In our opinion, the police are almost always trying not to qualify homophobic-motivated crimes as such and an investigation of classic premeditated murder, hooliganism or some other article is used to make it seem that the offender committed the offence in aggravated circumstances, so as not to bear the burden [of the crime]. Therefore, ‘Identoba’ calls on the Ministry of Internal Affairs not to publicize details of the victim's personal life, including name and other identifying marks, but at the same time, since the crime emerged in the public interest, we request that they announce clearly whether the case bears signs of being a hate crime. Although there are frequent cases of violence against transgender people, not only in Georgia but also in the [rest of the] world, which are often fatal, in Georgia the qualifications bestowed on hate crimes remains an insurmountable problem. However, the media are generally not interested in the fact that the crime itself is horrific, but are notorious for their interest instead in the alleged victim's orientation and gender identity. This has been corroborated by dozens of media representatives’ questions [directed to us] about the victim's sexual orientation, in which they only ask for confirmation [that the victim was LGBT]. We appeal to media outlets not to make the tragedy and controversy a tabloid story. Every human life is precious regardless of the person's sexual orientation or gender identity.
While there is no hate crime legislation in Georgia, Article 53 of the Georgian Criminal Code permits judges to increase sentences based on aggravating circumstances. Public hostility towards LGBT issues and individuals in Georgia is fairly widespread, however. Earlier in 2014, the adoption of anti-discrimination legislation was protested by conservative and religious groups, who held that outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation was tantamount to ‘propagandising homosexuality’. In May 2013, an anti-homophobia rally in central Tbilisi was violently disrupted by thousands of counter-protesters led by Orthodox clergy. In the aftermath, the city saw a spike in homophobic violence. A survey conducted later in the year revealed that 50% of Georgians believe violence against LGBT individuals is justified.
Georgian tabloid news site Ambebi.ge has already published a story about the private life of Beqa B., which, according to the head of Identoba, Irakli Vacharadze, could impact negatively on the investigation into the case. Speaking to Global Voices by telephone, Vacharadze, said:
There is a twisted logic in Georgian media. The police should be interested in someone's gender identity or sexual orientation because it will have an implication for the qualification of the case …. Georgian media should care about human lives, right? But they never care about this …. all of them are asking this unbelievable question “Can you confirm that this person was LGBT?”…. they just want to confirm that this person belong to this category or group. And this is all that matters ….
The news of Sabi's alleged murder has been met with concern by some social media users, but has provoked sarcasm and derision from others. One user commented:”How can you kill someone – regardless of who they are?”
adamini rogor unda mokla vinc ar unda is ikos http://t.co/1Leo5iCWPs — zaza lemonjaria (@zazalemonjaria) November 11, 2014
But echoing a trend towards viewing crimes against LGBT groups ambivalently, another Twitter user was somewhat less sensitive, asking: “Who fell down [ie died], a man or a woman?”The Chinese government just issued a new judicial interpretation that will allow courts to issue harsher punishments for environmental crimes, according to the Xinhua News Agency – and the death penalty could be handed down for the most serious offenses. The new interpretation comes after a series of protests by the Chinese populace over polluted air and water, chemical factories, and other development projects that have imperiled public health.
“The Supreme People’s Court and Supreme People’s Procuratorate jointly issued the document to clarify the criteria for convictions for environmental crimes,” court spokesman Sun Jungong said, the South China Morning Post reports.
“The tightened rules were expected to help environment officials obtain harsher penalties for offenders.”
In addition to enforcing harsher punishments, the court has decreased the amount of damage a polluter must cause before facing prosecution. Previously it was necessary to cause a death in order to be considered in breach of environmental law. Now it is only necessary to cause serious injury.
“Dumping radioactive substances into sources of drinking water and nature reserves, and incidents that poison more than 30 people or force more than 5,000 people to be evacuated, will be considered environmental pollution crimes for the first time,” SCMP reports.
A total of 14 environmental crimes have been listed under the new interpretation. Polluters – you have been warned!
Via Reuters, South China Morning Post
Images via ShutterstockAt TransWorld SNOWboarding we believe in testing product. What looks good on the shelf doesn't always perform in the mountains. Each season, we assemble a comprehensive and eclectic crew of testers to help us sift through hype and find gear that performs. This extensive team—some staff, some ex-pro, some amateur, all rippers—spent the past season pitting the newest products in the game against one another to determine which would perform best for Winter 2018. Boards were beat up and broken, gloves were shredded, boots packed out, goggles scratched, and helmets scuffed. Sure, we have a good time doing it, but the purpose of all this to provide you with a better idea |
Sher, a 61-year-old children’s charity director from North Carolina who has also applied for dual citizenship and has publicly urged Scots to join him in voting "Yes". “The fact that Scotland’s campaign for independence has been a truly peaceful process doesn’t make it headline news but it is not any less important.”
He added: “Americans went through their own struggle for independence 200 years ago and it turned out pretty well for them. They were the pioneers of this process! You would expect America to look out for what’s in its own best interests and there’s no reason why Scotland shouldn’t be exactly the same.”
Americans’ interest in Scotland’s future shouldn’t be surprising given historic ties that include an estimated 40 million Americans with Scottish or Scots-Irish ancestry. Numerous Scots were among the original signatories to the Declaration of Independence and Scotland’s evocative 1320 Declaration of Arbroath against English rule is often cited as the inspiration for the 1776 text.
“The ideas behind the Declaration of Independence were those of Scottish philosophers,” explained Tom Devine, historian, author and director of the Scottish Centre for Diaspora Studies at the University of Edinburgh. “Posts such as Glasgow were hugely important for the busy shipping trade, creating a bridge of boats across the Atlantic that exchanged not only commodities but also ideas.”
But while the U.S. was founded on the simplicity of its separation of powers and federal system of government, the U.K.’s unwritten constitution makes the issue of Scotland’s future one of extraordinary complexity.
After a long campaign for home rule, Scotland got its own parliament in Edinburgh in 1999 but control of defense, borders and most taxation remains with the U.K. parliament in London’s Westminster - and ultimate authority lies with the monarch, Queen Elizabeth II.
The nationalist government in Edinburgh says Scotland could keep the pound sterling currency and the monarchy but break free from London control to become an independent country that would stand alone in international groups such as the European Union. Scotland’s 5.3 million inhabitants represent about eight percent of the total U.K. population and would create a new country bigger than Ireland (4.5 million) but smaller than Denmark (5.5 million).
"Hawaiians are particularly interested in the independence debate because of their own sovereignty movement"
The “Better Together” campaign, which seeks a "No" vote in the Sept. 18 referendum, disputes that claim. It also says independence would be an “irresponsible gamble” financially and that Scots would have to raise taxes to cover the loss of entities and public services currently shared with England. The "No" campaign is backed by the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties that form Britain’s current coalition government, and Labour – the opposition party in both the British and Scottish parliaments.
It’s a debate that many Americans – including Scottish expats and Scots descendants - are hearing from afar. The New York-based American Scottish Foundation has organized events to help members keep up with the arguments.
“The subject of the referendum has replaced haggis or golf as the go-to conversation of choice with strangers once they hear my Scottish accent,” said Peter Reid, an Austin, Texas-based attorney from Scotland who has lived in the U.S. for 12 years and is a core member of Americans for an Independent Scotland. "Hawaiians are particularly interested in the independence debate because of their own sovereignty movement.”The Littleton Bull Is Still on the Loose
A 1,200 pound bull continues to elude the authorities.
Get a compelling long read and must-have lifestyle tips in your inbox every Sunday morning — great with coffee!
A better look at the runaway bull… Who is now becoming quite popular on Twitter 😂 @LittletonBull 📸: Michelle Clements #WBZ pic.twitter.com/Fbb8Ez5lwb — Anna Meiler (@AnnaMeiler) August 17, 2017
Three days into his epic journey, the Littleton bull is still on the loose.
The 1,200 pound escapee has eluded authorities since he slipped out of a livestock auction on Tuesday. The bull evaded capture in Groton, and was last spotted in a wooded and marshy area in Ayer on Wednesday. Police say on Facebook they notified neighbors with a “Code Red alert” that “the bull is still out there and probably taking a well deserved nap out of sight.”
Police and cattle farmers are reportedly collaborating in their efforts to apprehend the bull, but, police say. “So far, all attempts at capturing it have been unsuccessful,” they say. News choppers have been swarming over the Littleton and Ayer area in such numbers that local police have been letting neighbors know what’s up.
Those who see the bull are advised not to approach it—doing so might spook the animal and send it fleeing into the woods or cause it to get aggressive—and are asked instead contact authorities in Littleton at 978-540-2300 or in Ayer at 978-772-8200 ext. 0.
Naturally, a Twitter account for the wayward bull has already been created. And according to the fictionalized thoughts of the escapee, life is good on the lam.
DAY 3 AND I’M STILL FREE Y’ALL pic.twitter.com/SNUfNApKlm — The Littleton Bull (@LittletonBull) August 17, 2017
The social media-savvy farm animal also offered some support to a comrade llama in New Hampshire that made its way onto a golf course.
After all this exposure, the bull appears to have caught the attention of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). The organization, which advocates for more people to forego eating meat and adopt a vegan lifestyle, has offered to pay to transport the bull to the Skylands Animal Sanctuary and Rescue in Wantage, New Jersey.
“PETA is calling on the owners to allow this spirited animal to live out his days in peace—and Farm Sanctuary and Skylands Animal Sanctuary & Rescue are ready to take him in,” the group says in an emailed statement. “No animal should be killed and hacked apart for the fleeting taste of brisket or burgers, and anyone who cares about this bull can help more than 100 animals like him every year simply by going vegan.”
Well, let’s just hope that the bull makes it out of this alive. The Littleton Independent reports that the last time a bull escaped the livestock auction, in 2014, it became aggressive enough that police had to shoot and kill it.
Stay safe out there, big guy.REUTERS/Gary Cameron
Obamacare faces two separate court challenges on Tuesday, but only one could deliver a major knockout blow to the law.
The case getting the most attention is tomorrow's Supreme Court challenge to the health care law’s requirement for employers to provide birth control to their workers. At the same time Tuesday morning, the District of Columbia’s Circuit Court of Appeals will consider whether Obamacare allows premium subsidies to flow through federal-run health insurance exchanges. That case has been called “the greatest existential threat” to the survival of the health care law by one of Obamcare’s staunchest supporters.
First, the contraception case
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Tuesday morning in Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. and Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp v. Sebelius. The challenges are similar – both companies’ owners argue that the law’s contraception mandate is unconstitutional because it violates their religious liberty. My college Jamie Fuller has a good roundup of what you need to know about the cases.
Should the Obama administration lose on the contraception requirement, the impact on its signature health care law would be minimal. A loss would essentially give employers the opportunity to refuse contraception coverage if they have a religious exemption, but the rest of the law wouldn't be touched.
About four dozen lawsuits have been filed by for-profit companies against the contraception mandate in the past two years, but advocates for the requirement say it’s hard to measure what the real-life effect would be if the Supreme Court sided with the plaintiffs.
“It’s difficult to read the minds of other employers in the future to determine who might want to assert some kind of religious belief to deny this benefit to others,” said Marcia Greenberger, founder and co-president of the National Women’s Law Center.
“Because this is really quite a new argument that is being put forward, I think these kind of estimates are difficult,” she continued. “There’s no doubt that millions of women are now entitled to this benefit that didn’t have it before.”
The contraception case is significant for other reasons concerning religious liberty and the rights of corporations. It could also have a much broader impact on anti-discrimination laws, Adam Liptak of the New York Times points out.
Federal subsidies are the bigger deal for the law
If we’re just thinking about what these cases could mean for Obamacare’s future, the cases related to federal subsidies are a much bigger deal. Opponents to the law are challenging the IRS interpretation that Congress authorized individuals in states with federal-run exchanges to access premium subsidies.
If the opponents’ challenge is successful – and the law’s supporters say the cases are a real longshot – it would deal a major blow to the law in the 36 states with federal-run exchanges. According to latest monthly enrollment report from HHS, 85 percent of those signing up for health plans in federal exchange states have received federal subsidies. Without those subsidies, coverage would be less affordable for many, and therefore a much less attractive option to those who consider themselves healthy. That would mean the mix of people participating in the program would be sicker, which would drive up insurance costs and threaten Obamacare's future.
The law’s opponents argue that Congress never authorized subsidies in federal-run exchanges, and they claim this was done on purpose. They say Congress wanted to incentivize states to run their own exchanges, an option that only 14 states and the District of Columbia chose in 2014.
The law’s supporters argue that the law doesn’t differentiate between federal-run and state-run exchanges, so people should be able to receive subsidies no matter who’s administering the insurance marketplaces. Further, they say the broad purpose of the law is to expand access to affordable insurance regardless of who runs the exchange.
There are four pending cases in federal court challenging the subsidies. In Tuesday’s case, Halbig v. Sebelius, a lower federal court in January upheld the IRS rule allowing subsidies in federal-run exchanges.
“The Court finds that the plain text of the statute, the statutory structure, and the statutory purpose make clear that Congress intended to make premium tax credits available on both state-run and federally-facilitated Exchanges,” District Court Judge Paul Friedman wrote in his decision.
A separate challenge in Virginia federal court has also been rejected, and the plaintiffs have also appealed that decision. Two similar cases are also pending in Indiana and Oklahoma.Morgan Schneiderlin (right) has played over 250 games for Southampton since joining in 2008.
Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin is having a medical ahead of a proposed move to Manchester United in a deal worth in excess of £25m.
The Saints have confirmed that an agreement is in place for the transfer.
Schneiderlin now looks set to join Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger on United's pre-season tour of the United States.
United have already signed PSV forward Memphis Depay and Torino defender Matteo Darmian this summer.
Southampton confirmed they had rejected a bid from United for the 25-year-old France international last week.
But, providing there are no unforeseen issues, Schneiderlin will now join Louis van Gaal, Schweinsteiger and their new team-mates on their flight to Seattle for the start of their US tour on Monday afternoon.
Last summer, Schneiderlin was a target for Tottenham and he missed the start of pre-season after telling the club he was "not mentally or physically ready" to play after a bid was rejected.
But he went on to make 30 appearances for the Saints last season as they finished in seventh place.
Schneiderlin join the Saints from Strasbourg in 2008 for £1.2m and has played for them in League One, the Championship and the Premier League.
Find all the latest football transfers on our dedicated page.President Donald Trump issued a proclamation designating January 2018 and National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.
“During National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, we recommit ourselves to eradicating the evil of enslavement,” President Trump wrote in the official proclamation. “Human trafficking is a modern form of the oldest and most barbaric type of exploitation. It has no place in our world.”
“We also pledge to do all in our power to end the horrific practice of human trafficking that plagues innocent victims around the world,” the president continued.
Trump said that about 25 million people are currently victimized in human trafficking cases that involve both sexual slavery and forced labor.
“Human traffickers prey on their victims by promising a life of hope and greater opportunity, while delivering only enslavement,” Trump stated. “Instead of delivering people to better lives, traffickers unjustifiably profit from the labor and toil of their victims, who they force — through violence and intimidation — to work in brothels and factories, on farms and fishing vessels, in private homes, and in countless industries.”
The president cited his executive orders focused on dismantling transnational criminal organizations that perpetuate human trafficking crimes. He said his administration will work with other countries, business, civil society organizations, and victims of human trafficking.
Administration departments including Health and Human Services (HHS), the State Department, the Department of Labor and others are being tasked to crack down on human trafficking and modern-day slavery.
The Department of State contributed $25 million to the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery. HHS is providing training and technical support to work with healthcare facilities in identifying trafficking victims.
The Department of Labor is being tasked with working with businesses by deploying a new mobile app supporting efforts to combat human trafficking.
In this effort, the president will sign S. 1536, the Combating Human Trafficking in Commercial Vehicles Act, and S. 1532, the No Human Trafficking on Our Roads Act.”
“Our Nation is and will forever be a place that values and protects human life and dignity” President Trump concluded. “This month, let us redouble our efforts to ensure that (modern-day) slavery comes to its long overdue end.”From time to time, you’ve seen companies giving away their products. Lively youngsters with trays of food or drink or small items move around large gatherings or station themselves at select busy spots and, much to the pleasure of the passers-by, give away their free samples. How does this make sense in business terms?
One way to look at the practice of giving away free products is to understand that while it might feel like a free gift for the customer, from the point of view of the producer, this kind of activity is essentially a marketing one and it comes in to the business plan not as a free giveaway, but as part of the advertising budget. This is the explanation Professor Jean-Pierre Dube gives of an activity that is far from unique to today’s economy. Dube, a professor at the Booth School of Business, Chicago, writes, ‘giving things away is definitely a form of marketing… this is an investment the firm makes in anticipation of receiving the reward in the future.’
A good case study of a business in Europe that occasionally promotes itself in this way is Propercorn, a company that makes popcorn. At London Fashion week in the autumn of 2016, Propercorn gave away 30,000 sample packets. And they have been consistent about targeting this event. The reason? ‘Positioning popcorn outside of traditional snack circles,’ explains a spokesperson, ‘helps us remain fresh and part of this exciting cultural dialogue. It’s less about immediate increase in sales and more about getting our product in the hands of people who will excitedly and personally engage in our brand and story.’
And here’s the rub. Before you rush to invest in a business that is taking this original approach to building a custom base, you have to ask a key question. Has the business correctly identified the way in which free samples will act as a path to greater sales in the future? According to Enrico Trevisan, a behavioural economist, there are three types of strategic thinking behind a free giveaway: ‘up-selling’, cross-selling’ and ‘future-selling’.
Up-selling is very common online and it is the practice of giving away a part of a product, e.g. a game, with the plan being to draw users in to purchasing the full version. Cross-selling is the aim of companies who are willing to lose money on an initial product on the basis that follow-on sales of associated products will prove the investment worthwhile. We could think here of cheap printers but expensive inks. And future-selling is simply based on the product being so attractive that once tried, people will want more of it.
A business that has a sure fire hit, product wise, might want to avail of this marketing strategy. But let’s not get carried away by the sight of Innocent giving away 500,000 free products at music festivals and marathons. Like all advertising, the effectiveness of freebies for business depends on a great many factors, above all, understanding the target audience and how to best get a ‘wow’ factor response from them.
SourceFootball is back! And with a great week! We had 10 games decided by one touchdown or less, three safeties in the first half of the 1 p.m. games, a seven-touchdown performance, a six-turnover da … OK, maybe it wasn’t all great. But there were performances up and down the spectrum in Week 1, good and bad, fast and slow, expected and surprising.
It’s those surprising performances that are so exciting. In a vacuum, Week 1 probably isn’t much more extraordinary or unlikely to produce unexpected results than any other week. And it’s important to keep that in mind when thinking about Week 1; remember that just a year ago, the stars of Week 1 were Mark Sanchez (who went 19-of-27 for 266 yards with three touchdowns and an INT against the Bills) and Kevin Ogletree (who had eight catches for 114 yards and two touchdowns against the Giants). There’s a reason Football Outsiders calls this “National Jump to Conclusions Week.” That being said, every fan wants to have hope that something unexpectedly fantastic is about to happen, and a great out-of-nowhere performance in Week 1 can be the first step on the path to a big (full) season.
So, let’s sift our way through those surprises, starting with the least surprising “surprise” of Week 1 and ending with the truly shocking bits …
David Wilson fumbles twice against the Cowboys and gets benched.
Sigh. More on this later.
The Chiefs defense shuts out the Jaguars.
Yes, the Jaguars picked up a safety on a blocked punt, but I’m not holding that against the Kansas City defense. The Chiefs held the Jaguars to just 178 yards of offense, limiting a returning Maurice Jones-Drew to 3.0 yards per carry, in their 28-2 win on the road. They beat up poor Blaine Gabbert, who was sacked six times and intercepted twice, with one of those returned by Tamba Hali for a touchdown.
On one hand, I know what you’re saying: Yes, it’s the Jaguars. It’s not a very good offense. I understand. Keep in mind that nobody shut out the Jacksonville offense last year, and that was without MJD. Jacksonville scored nearly 16 points per game, and that still sucks, but it sucked even more against the Chiefs. A shutout against an NFL team is always good, regardless of who it comes against.
The Chiefs got big games from young players who need to step up in 2013, too. Nose tackle Dontari Poe, reportedly a terror at camp in his second season, had 1.5 sacks and four tackles within two yards of the line of scrimmage. More notably, outside linebacker Justin Houston, already a budding star, sacked Gabbert three times.
Those three sacks are a good hint into how the new coaching staff will move Houston around this year, and how he’ll be a terror in any spot. His first sack was the easiest one he’ll have all year, on a play when some sort of offensive miscommunication between Gabbert and his linemen left Houston totally unblocked. The second was more interesting; the Chiefs put Hali and Houston on the same side, with Houston in the B-gap, between the left guard and left tackle. There, he beat left guard Will Rackley to Gabbert, although Gabbert really should have gotten the ball out earlier. Then, on the third sack, Houston lined up on the right side and just beat Luke Joeckel one-on-one around the edge for an easy takedown of Gabbert, who was in the shotgun and seemed to be pondering time and space.
The Chiefs won’t hold next week’s opponent to a shutout, but they should be able to give the Dallas offensive line some trouble, especially if they move Houston around to attack some of the weaker parts of that five-man front. In any case: Kansas City has already made it halfway to its 2012 win total. That’s cause for minor celebration.
Colin Kaepernick throws for 412 yards and three touchdowns against the Packers.
“If intimidation is your game plan, I hope you have a better one.” Kaepernick could have added “SUP, SON” to his already incredible quote, but he did that with his work on the field against the Packers on Sunday. After tearing Green Bay to shreds with his legs in the playoffs last year, setting a quarterback rushing record in the process, Kaepernick responded to some pregame taunting and a dirty hit from Clay Matthews with the best passing game of his career, going 27-of-39 for 412 yards with three touchdowns and no picks against a Packers team that couldn’t hold up in coverage.
It’s fair to say that most didn’t think the 49ers would attack the Packers through the air. Last year, as I mentioned, San Francisco had dominated Green Bay on the ground. It matches its biggest strength against Green Bay’s biggest weakness. Throwing the ball so many times pits its biggest weakness at the moment — receiver — against Green Bay’s defensive strength, its deep, talented secondary.
And yet Green Bay shut down the San Francisco running game, which ran for just 90 yards on 34 carries (2.6 yards per attempt) on Sunday. The 49ers threw early and often, and Kaepernick’s favorite target was the newly acquired Anquan Boldin, who produced the second 200-yard game of his career while catching 13 of the 17 passes thrown in his direction. The 49ers also got 98 yards and two scores out of tight end Vernon Davis, who moved around the formation and actually spent some time as a wide receiver, as was rumored coming out of camp.
His first touchdown came basically out of the slot receiver’s spot, as he ran a simple corner/flat route combination with a wide receiver for a touchdown. Watch Sam Shields, the cornerback, get stuck between a rock and a hard place on that play. He has to challenge the wideout running the flat route toward the sticks to prevent the sure first down, but by not getting a deep enough drop, he opens up a throwing lane for Kaepernick, who can just loft the pass up to an open Davis for an easy score.
It’s not surprising Kaepernick had that big of a game, since he’s an impeccably accurate passer who can take advantage of any team that’s overcommitting on the run, which I suspect the Packers were doing. What is more surprising is how little read-option we saw from the 49ers, who only really ran the package that stomped Green Bay last January for a handful of plays Sunday. Then again, is it really that shocking that the 49ers would be one step ahead of the Packers? Remember: Last year, the 49ers stopped running the read-option for the final two games of the regular season before re-unveiling it against a hapless Packers squad in the divisional round shellacking. Green Bay promptly sent its coaches to Texas A&M to study the read-option this offseason, at which point the 49ers stopped running it against them. They’re the Roddy Piper of this matchup: Just when you think you have the answers, Jim Harbaugh changes the questions. So don’t be surprised if the 49ers reintroduce a heavy dose of the read-option as warranted in the coming weeks.
Terrelle Pryor nearly beats the Colts.
I wanted to add ” … on his own” to the end of that header, but he got a tiny bit of help. In his second pro start, Pryor had a surprisingly effective game, running for 112 yards on 13 carries while going 19-of-29 for 217 yards with a touchdown and two picks. When the dust cleared Sunday, Pryor was the league leader in rushing yardage, joining New England’s Shane Vereen (101 yards) as the only players in the league to run for more than 100 yards in Week 1. If you started both those guys in your fantasy lineup, you’re in too tough of a fantasy league and you’re too tough for that fantasy league.
In fact, had the Raiders just been a little more aggressive, they might have won. Despite being a massive underdog on the road, Oakland was quite content to pass on opportunities to go for it on fourth-and-2 and fourth-and-1 right around midfield in the first half; it also kicked a field goal on fourth-and-1 from the 20-yard line in the third quarter, and checked down on an abbreviated drive before the two-minute warning of the first half before settling for a 48-yard kick from Sebastian Janikowski, who missed. I’m not going to pretend the Oakland offense is great, but as a 10-point underdog, you have to try to pursue David strategies to give yourself a better chance of winning, even at the risk of losing more handily. In fact, that’s the reason the Raiders are better off with Pryor under center than Matt Flynn this season: Pryor is a high-variance candidate, a player who will either push the team toward an unlikely level of contention or produce a season so bad that the Raiders will be assured a shot at Jadeveon Clowney or Teddy Bridgewater. With Flynn, they’re just guaranteed mediocrity.
Here’s where I’m hesitant to draw a strong conclusion from this game. It’s entirely possible that the Raiders are, as we all expected, a bad football team. That would seem to infer that the Colts — who won by a narrow margin at home after picking Pryor off in the red zone — are also not a very good football team. On the other hand, it’s possible the Colts are a playoff-caliber team and the Raiders are a better team than we expected, thanks to a disciplined veteran defense that limited big plays for Indy while Pryor created big plays on offense. Let’s check back in a few weeks on that one.
The Bucs blow it against the Jets.
As Geno Smith was about to run out of bounds at the end of Sunday’s game in the Meadowlands, the Jets were about to face a 62-yard field goal attempt in one of the toughest stadiums in America to kick a long field goal. Their kicker, Nick Folk, has never hit from anywhere longer than 56. Kickers have hit from 62 yards or deeper just twice in 19 attempts since 2000. Their win expectancy was probably somewhere — if I’m being generous — in the 15 percent range. Enter Lavonte David. The excellent Buccaneers outside linebacker buzzed Smith as he ran out of bounds, enough to knock him over and produce a personal foul penalty for a late hit, one that improved the Jets’ chances of winning to a far more reasonable 63.5 percent, given the success rate on field goals from 47 yards out. That win expectancy swing will make for one of the worst plays of the year.
Did David deserve the penalty? Honestly, yes and no. I’ve seen screencaps that make it look like a late hit and other screencaps that make it seem like Smith was in bounds when David contacted him. It’s hard to imagine that the flag wasn’t slightly influenced by the Jets bench, which was up in arms immediately after the Smith hit, directly in front of the official who threw the flag. With that being said, David had to realize the game situation and consider where he was on the field. The play was so close to the sideline that David must have known he ran the risk of incurring a late-hit penalty, even though it might not have been the correct call. Under those circumstances, David probably needed to be more conservative with his hit. It’s easy to say outside the heat of a game, but this is a league in which avoiding hits on quarterbacks as they “give themselves up,” especially on the sideline, is a prevailing rule. Players have had to teach themselves to avoid this late hit for a while now. It just so turned out that David’s late hit turned a win into a loss.
In any case, if I were the Buccaneers, I would be more worried about the first 59 minutes of this game than what happened in the final minute. Although they got a very good game from their defense before that final drive, their offense only managed to score 17 points across 12 possessions. The Jets have an underrated defense, but it was a very disappointing offensive showing. Josh Freeman was jumpy and inaccurate, going just 15-of-31 for 210 yards, with most of those yards coming on a catch-and-run from Vincent Jackson that set Tampa up for its seemingly game-winning field goal in the fourth quarter. Even more distressingly, Doug Martin was bottled up, as the second-year back carried the ball 24 times for just 65 yards. It’s not exactly embarrassing to lose a road game by a point — the Bucs were 3.5-point favorites on their travels, not 10-point favorites like the Patriots — but this was a disappointing showing in a winnable game.
The Saints defense shows up against the Falcons.
Last year, the Saints defense held just two teams — the Buccaneers and Eagles — under 17 points. The Falcons offense never failed to score more than 17 points, only hitting 17 in a Week 17 loss to the Buccaneers. On Sunday, the Saints somehow managed to hold the Falcons to a mere 17 points, finishing them off with a goal-to-go stop from the 7-yard line. I’ll stop typing the number 17 now.
How did the Saints pull that off? Well, for one, the Falcons were functionally without Roddy White. Before kickoff, it was revealed that White’s ankle sprain was in fact, despite the denials from head coach Mike Smith, a high ankle sprain. That would normally keep a player out for four to six weeks at the minimum, but the Falcons kept White’s status quiet to force the Saints to prepare for him. They pushed White into the lineup on Sunday after three weeks out, likely under the effects of some heavy pain medication, but White was barely on the field and mostly a decoy when he was around, catching two passes for 19 yards. New Orleans has already lost three defensive starters for the season, so it aided them to see Atlanta down White and right tackle Mike Johnson.
The Saints otherwise succeeded by cutting out the big plays and getting off the field on third down. Atlanta had two 50-yard plays, one on a Harry Douglas pitch-and-catch and another on a Steven Jackson run. For last year’s Saints, two 50-yard plays would have been a cause for celebration. Otherwise, the Saints didn’t allow a single play over 25 yards, forcing Atlanta to dink-and-dunk its way down the field. They held Jackson to 27 yards on his other 10 carries and only allowed Atlanta to pick up two of the 11 third and fourth downs it faced. If they can keep the big plays (relatively) out and the third-down conversions low, New Orleans might have a defense that can keep them in games in 2013.
Jared Cook!
I’ve believed that Cook could be a difference-maker in the league for a long time now, but that? Cook had an enormous day against the Cardinals, catching seven passes for 141 yards with two touchdowns. He would have had a third receiving touchdown if it weren’t for a brilliant play from rookie Tyrann Mathieu, who chased down a sprinting Cook and stripped him of the ball before he entered the end zone. Cook was thrown the ball 10 times on Sunday, which only happened once during his final season with the Titans in 2012. The Rams signed him to be a top receiver this offseason, and after Week 1, he sure looks like one.
Cook’s big plays saw him travel around the field and pick on a variety of defensive backs. On the first, a 47-yard reception that produced the aforementioned fumble, the Rams were able to isolate Cook from the traditional tight end spot one-on-one against inside linebacker Karlos Dansby; the play design occupied the safeties and prevented Dansby from getting help, and Sam Bradford hit Cook in stride for a long gain and near-touchdown up the seam. Cook’s 13-yard touchdown before halftime would also come as a conventional tight end, on an out pattern against safety Yeremiah Bell.
Later, though, he would move around. A 36-yard gain just before the end of the third quarter saw Cook split out wide before running a deep crossing pattern, with Bradford eventually finding him on the opposite side of the field. And then, with 1:19 left, Cook lined up in the slot and ran a deep out against an overmatched Jerraud Powers for 25 yards, the biggest play on the drive that set St. Louis up for its game-winning field goal. Cook won’t go for 141 yards and two touchdowns every week, but in terms of targets, output, and talent, he’s St. Louis’s no. 1 receiver right now.
Carolina’s defense holds Seattle to 12 points.
The Panthers defense was impressive at times last year and then again during the preseason, with Luke Kuechly noticeably featuring as a superstar-caliber player. Against the Seahawks, he wasn’t the only one. Carolina’s front seven overwhelmed Seattle, shutting down its running game while forcing Russell Wilson to fight for every throwing lane and scrambling opportunity imaginable. Given the quality of the opposition, it might have been the best defensive performance by any front seven all day.
It’s hard to remember Marshawn Lynch looking this bad during his recent run as one of the league’s most productive running backs, but there he was on Sunday, running for a mere 43 yards on 17 carries. He had two games roughly like this last year, running for 41 yards on 15 carries against the Pats and 46 yards on 19 carries against the Dolphins, but Lynch otherwise produced no fewer than 85 rushing yards in any of his other 14 games. They didn’t offer much soup to Wilson, either, as his five carries produced just seven yards. Carolina’s run defense was a respectable 11th in DVOA a year ago, but this could be the sign of an improved unit. Remember that the Buccaneers’ dominant run defense of a year ago announced itself in Week 1 by holding the Panthers to 10 yards on 13 carries. Not proof, but something to watch for going forward.
Unfortunately for the Panthers, when Wilson did wriggle himself open and find time to throw, he was very effective. Wilson went 25-of-33 for 320 yards with a touchdown, and that included a dropped touchdown by Stephen Williams on the play before that touchdown pass, which instead went to Jermaine Kearse. The Carolina secondary just can’t hold up in coverage, and if teams can keep the front seven off their quarterback, Carolina will struggle to make plays in the defensive backfield. Holding the front seven off, though, is easier said than done.
If they could throw the ball, why did Seattle only manage to score 12 points? Long fields and extenuating circumstances. The Seahawks had five drives of 45 yards or more, but one ended in a red zone fumble, two resulted in field goals, one produced the passing touchdown (with a failed two-point conversion), and the fifth ran out the game over the final five minutes.
The Bills nearly beat the Patriots.
It always seems like Buffalo plays New England tough, especially at home, but this was a Bills team without the two best players in its secondary, Stephon Gilmore and Jairus Byrd, and with a rookie quarterback — EJ Manuel — returning from August knee surgery to start his first NFL game. As I mentioned earlier, the Bills were 10-point underdogs at home. So how did they nearly pull off a massive upset?
Their old favorite tricks, that’s how. For one, they created takeaways. The Patriots turned the ball over three times, and those were three big plays. One was a Stevan Ridley fumble just outside the red zone, a play that shockingly got New England’s starting running back benched for the remainder of the day. Buffalo intercepted Tom Brady just before halftime to take over on the New England 37-yard line on what became a quick touchdown drive, but most notably, it recovered a botched snap on fourth-and-goal against its own goal line, preventing Brady from scoring while taking over on downs. If only the Patriots had a big, bruising short-yardage quarterback who could have taken a shotgun snap and run the ball in behind the tackles. With an alliterative name. You know, like Jordan Jefferson. Oh, who were you thinking of?
The Bills also kept the Patriots from producing big plays, something that might be more about the New England offense than the Buffalo defense. The Patriots had just one play of 25 yards or more, a 35-yard reception by Julian Edelman. Otherwise, the Patriots were forced to slowly drive the ball down the field with a series of short passes to relatively well-covered receivers. They struggled during the second quarter when Danny Amendola left the game with a groin injury, and then relied upon him heavily upon his return in the second half, with Amendola converting first downs on seven of the eight passes thrown to him on third down. New England faced a whopping 20 third downs amid its 89 plays on the day, converting 11 of them.
Again: This might very well be more about the Patriots’ weaknesses than the Bills’ strengths. We’ll see in the coming weeks, but the Patriots absolutely need to find somebody who can stretch teams downfield. That might end up simply being Rob Gronkowski, but the Patriots would hope for a wideout who can join Gronkowski as part of a collective capable of getting 20 yards downfield.
Tennessee shuts down the Pittsburgh offense for virtually the entire game.
Whoa! If the Titans and their last-place defense from a year ago wanted to make a statement, they came out and did so in Week 1. After going down 2-0 from a bizarre safety on the opening kickoff, Tennessee’s much-maligned defense promptly held Pittsburgh scoreless for the next 58½ minutes, eventually building a 16-2 lead before the Steelers scored a late touchdown. You’ve got my attention, Titans. Unfortunately, the Steelers have my outstanding hype, and there’s no taking that back. This was a downright shocking performance from Pittsburgh |
yet all the same: Smite the DRM. Learn from the example of companies like CD Projekt Red, who doth release successful PC games with no DRM. Follow their example. The People shall love you for it, and thine games shall live for ever and ever, never rendered unplayable by outdated, non-functional DRM. And let us be real: Thou wilt never come up with a form of DRM that dedicated gamers won’t crack almost immediately anyway.
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5. Thou Shalt Not Screw Over Owners Of One Brand Of Graphics Card
For while we agreeth that unique graphical enhancements like TXAA and TressFX are neat, we art much more interested in playing video games at a stable frame-rate, regardless of who manufactured our PC’s graphics processing unit. If thou art making special deals with Nvidia or AMD to use their tech for nifty custom graphics, thou shalt treat those options as a bonus, and make thine first priority getting the game to run well on any card, regardless of brand.
4. Thou Shalt Allow Quicksave
For there are some things that PC gamers should be able to take for granted, and the ability to quicksave at any point is one of them. This, too, is known.
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3. Thou Shalt Test Thine Damned Multiplayer Games
If thou art launching a multiplayer-only or multiplayer-centric game, thou shalt test the damned thing first. PC gamers covet betas and are more than happy to freely test out thine game ahead of launch. Thou shalt take advantage of this fact, and while it is understandable that any online launch may hit some snags for a day or two, thou shalt do everything possible to test thine servers ahead of launch and make sure the people who gave you their money ahead of time are able to play the game on the day it cometh out.
2. Thou Shalt Respect The Modders
For The Modders are good, and wise, and benevolent, and they shall make thine game much more interesting and cooler, if thou wouldst only get out of their way. Thou shalt respect The Modders. Better, thou shalt go out of the way to encourage The Modders, to develop games with them in mind, to work with them to let them tweak and change thine code in any way they please. If thou doeth this, thine game shall remain interesting and relevant for much longer, and thou shalt win the love and respect of the PC gaming community.
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1. Thou Shalt Not Release Broken PC Games
For there is a special place in Hell for those who release unfinished, buggy, and broken games, and yet that doth not appear to frighten publishers as it should. Thou shalt not release PC games that crash immediately after launch. Thou shalt not release PC games that hitch and stutter even on powerful PCs. Thou shalt not release PC games that require gamers to trawl forum threads in search of arcane workarounds to improve performance. Thou shalt not release PC games with busted controls, or missing graphics options, or broken DRM, or non-functional online play.
The solution to these problems is simple: Thou shalt dedicate more people to testing and optimizing thine games before launch. Thou shalt invest more heavily in QA, and in PC-specific testers. In other words, thou shalt take this shit seriously, for thine paying customers are not thine quality assurance department. And really, thou shalt apply this approach to games on every platform, PC and otherwise.
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If thou art to fail in any of the above regards, thou shalt be appropriately contrite, and shalt not rest until the game works properly. And if a user requesteth a refund for a game they preordered, lo, thou shalt grant the refund, apologize, and ask no further questions.
0. Above All Else, Thou Shalt Give Us Options
Yes, we art aware that this is an eleventh commandment. Surely that is some sort of PC gaming blasphemy. No matter: It is also the most important commandment, and the one that encompasses most of the preceding ten. Above all else, thou shalt give us options. PC gamers love to tinker and customize: We love to build, to modify, to go under the hood and make things just so.
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Let us do that with our games, and we shall love you for it. Attempt to lock us out, and we shall work tirelessly until we find a way in. Work with us. Let us tweak. Let us customize. Let us decide how we want to play our games. It’s how we operate, and it’s all we know.
By obeying these commandments, game developers shall make PC gaming a happier, more user-friendly, and more enjoyable experience for all of humankind.
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So it has been written, so it shall be. One day. Hopefully.Jodi Bieber A young woman arrives with her twins at Tari Hospital in Papua New Guinea's Hela Province after walking for hours. Access to healthcare is low in the South Pacific nation, while rates of domestic and sexual violence are alarming.
Every week, The WorldPost asks an expert to shed light on a topic driving headlines around the world. This week, we speak with Doctors without Borders nurse Aoife Ní Mhurchú about sexual and family violence in Papua New Guinea.
Papua New Guinea is one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a woman.
While the South Pacific nation does not have comprehensive statistics on sexual and domestic violence, the data that does exist is shocking.
Globally, one in three women have experienced sexual or domestic violence. In Papua New Guinea, one study found two-thirds of women had been beaten by their partners. Another study found that in one region of the country, one in five women’s first sexual experience was rape.
The international medical aid organization Doctors without Borders, or Medecins Sans Frontieres, released a report this week with disturbing new evidence of the scale of violence there. The report analyzes data from over 3,000 survivors of family and sexual violence treated in 2014 and the first half of 2015 in two MSF clinics -- in the capital, Port Moresby, and the rural town of Tari. Three in four sexual violence survivors knew the perpetrator. Over half of the survivors were children. One in six were under the age of 5.
Two-thirds of the population in Papua New Guinea, one of the most linguistically and culturally diverse countries in the world, lives below the poverty line, and the country suffers from a shortage of medical staff and a weak justice system. While the economy has grown rapidly in recent years, weakening commodity prices have hurt the country.
MSF urged Papua New Guinea and international donors to follow through on recent reforms intended to protect women and children.
Aoife Ní Mhurchú has worked as a managing nurse at MSF’s project in Tari for the past eight months and wrote about her experiences in a blog that The WorldPost and MSF published this week. We spoke to her about the social and historical context for the extreme levels of violence against women and children in the country.
Jodi Bieber Aoife Ní Mhurchú treats a patient at Tari Hospital, Papua New Guinea. She sees several cases of family and sexual violence every day.
How did Papua New Guinea become such an incredibly dangerous place for women and children?
What I have seen is that gaps in treatment and services leave women and children with little choice but to return to their abusers.
Obviously sexual and gender-based violence is not an exclusive problem to Papua New Guinea, but it is a really big problem here. The report shows we have some of the highest levels of sexual and family violence outside a conflict zone.
As a nurse, I see several cases of family and sexual violence a day. I see women of all ages coming in, feeling afraid and nervous with nowhere to go.
Have your interactions with patients given you insights into the factors behind this wide-scale violence?
Culturally, it’s a patrilineal society, where women’s beliefs and values aren’t equal to men. The mentality here is that the men are in charge -- really, whatever the man asks, the woman has to submit. There is a cultural tradition whereby a man who wants to get married must pay a bride price -- usually a large sum of money and some livestock paid by the man and his tribe -- which causes people to think they have ownership over the woman, as well as the children.
We have some of the highest levels of sexual and family violence outside a conflict zone.
How much does the remoteness of a community like Tari, where you are working, make it harder for abused women and children to get help?
We are very remote, so the services are very restricted here. It is inaccessible by road from other parts of the country. There’s just a little airstrip in the mountains. Although it’s the capital of the district, it really just comprises a few buildings around the airstrip -- the hospital, the police station, a bank and a few small stores. There’s a really big population here and it’s a really busy hospital, but when you fly in by plane you wonder where they come from. There’s literally just rainforest and bush as far as the eye can see. In fact, they come from all over, from small villages around the region. There are very few roads, so people might walk for days to reach us.
Jodi Bieber Tari in Papua New Guinea's Hela Province. Despite having some of the highest rates of violence against women and girls in the world outside of a conflict zone, there are no safe houses in the town and only six in the country.
The government has recognized in recent years that gender-based violence in the country is a public health and social emergency. What do you think led authorities recognize the scale of the problem?
Awareness of sexual and gender-based violence has been increasing worldwide. And since MSF started responding to family and sexual violence in Papua New Guinea eight years ago, we’ve made important steps forward. When we started, the national capacity and expertise to provide assistance to survivors of family and sexual violence was very, very limited. There were very few services available and psychosocial support almost didn’t exist. We have worked with the Department of Health on guidelines on how to establish family support centers, and the model of care of five essential services that every survivor must receive, which will be adopted in the near future. We have outreach teams who raise awareness in the community, which increases people’s understanding that this violence has serious medical consequences. It also motivates survivors to come to us for treatment.
The government has taken several policy steps in the right direction, but [these] efforts are only just emerging and already struggling. There are newly established family and sexual violence units at some police stations, but they don’t have the adequate number of trained personnel. In 2013, the country passed a family protection act that made family violence a punishable crime for the first time, but it’s not being enforced adequately. A child welfare act passed last year, mandating child protection officers to respond to child abuse and remove a child from the situation if they were at risk, but that is still waiting approval, and specialized trained officers and licensed safe houses.
Jodi Bieber Tari in Papua New Guinea's Hela Province. For many women and girls, after medical treatment, they have no choice but to return to their abuser.
What are the main obstacles to implementing these reforms?
I think it just hasn’t been prioritized. No matter what the cost is of implementing the reforms -- such as opening up safe houses and training staff -- the medical cost of abuse is very, very big. If the reforms were in place, it would relieve the medical cost. We’re hoping the report will push the government, and create pressure from donor countries, to escalate the response.
What measures have your patients taken to try and protect themselves and their children from violence?
It’s very hard to. I’ve treated so many patients... who are coming in time and again for medical treatment, in between abuse sessions. These women come in to us when their injuries are severe, but there are many more times when they have minor injuries and they don’t come.
We are reminded of the pervasiveness of violence here when even our female staff come into work too beaten up to perform their duties -- these are the very nurses and mental health counsellors and social workers who are helping us to treat the women and children.
We do offer a safe space in our family support center, which is just a small sleeping area where women can spend one or two nights safely, but this is offered because there are no other safe houses in Tari. Often the only option for women is to go home to their own villages and family. Sometimes, in terrible circumstances, this is a measure that the women can take to protect themselves if their tribe is agreeable to paying back the bride price to allow for a divorce.
We are reminded of the pervasiveness of violence here when even our female staff come into work too beaten up to perform their duties.
I had one patient, a 26-year-old mother of two small children, who was five months pregnant with her third child. She had refused her abusive husband sex so he raped her and chopped her severely. Her fingers were amputated from her left and her right hands. She was severely chopped on both hands and both legs, and all of her four limbs were badly fractured. Our priority that day was to save her life. After 12 surgeries and months of hospitalization and counseling, she made a remarkable recovery. She miscarried, but we managed to save her hands and feet. Although she is disabled as a result of her injuries, she will be able to look after her two young children. Her injuries were so severe, and there was such a real fear for her life, that the elders of her tribe agreed that she could divorce and that they would pay back the bride price to enable this separation.
Jodi Bieber The entrance to the MSF-run Tari Hospital in Papua New Guinea.
However, this is often not possible. I had a patient last Friday, a 28-year-old mother who returned to her family’s village with her children to escape her abusive husband. But her father said he couldn’t afford to feed the three of them, or pay back the bride price. Out of anger at her for coming home, he chopped her hand really severely -- her fingers were amputated on one hand, and the whole of her other hand was severed. We operated on her hand, but it’s still too early to say whether we’ve saved it or not. That woman has nowhere else to go. The reality is that when she’s discharged, she will have to go back to her abusive husband, now with her terrible disabilities that have been inflicted upon her by her father.
The community has started to set up a family and sexual violence action committee, which will represent the voices of Tari women to try and target and support women who are caught in this cycle of violence and abuse. We also have one female police officer here in Tari, who has been trained in family and sexual violence and we work closely with her. She is a wonderful asset, but she is not working 24/7, and the incidence of family and sexual violence is so high here that the need is constant.
Jodi Bieber Benaria village, outside Tari is one of the most remote villages that the MSF outreach team travels to in order to raise awareness about family and sexual violence.
How have survivors of sexual and family-based violence whom you have treated reacted to reform efforts? What forms of protection, treatment and justice are they asking for?
The women who come in are very aware of the culture of impunity here and the lack of protective services. They know that they can get very good treatment from MSF, but when they go home, they go back into the cycle of violence and they have absolutely no control over it.
They’re asking for somewhere safe to go. They’re asking for police enforcement -- to enforce these laws that have already been passed. We’re treating the same patients again and again, with escalating injuries, in between abuse sessions. They really need these services here in Tari and countrywide as well.(Newser) – Lots of people are moved by the stories featured on Humans of New York—but not all of us are actor Edward Norton, who helped raise nearly $390,000 as of this writing for a Syrian refugee family headed to Troy, Mich., from Turkey, Michigan Live reports. Norton says he was moved to launch the fundraiser for the family after reading their story—as told by the father, a scientist—on HONY, which has been chronicling the experiences of 12 Syrian families being allowed to resettle in the US. Writing that the family's story "moved me to tears," Norton adds, "Let's reject the 'anti-human' voices that tell us to fear refugees and show this man and his family what Americans are really made of." The scientist had recounted to HONY the tragic story of losing seven family members, including his wife and daughter, when a government anti-personnel missile tore through the family's compound. "Inside were 116 small bombs, and each bomb was filled with needles and shrapnel," he recalls.
"My son had to carry the pieces of his mother and sister out of the house," he says; the boy was 14 at the time. Shrapnel wounded another daughter. "We survived but we're dead psychologically," he says. “Everything ended for us that day." The man has stomach cancer—"from my sadness and my stress"—and says he is unable to work in Turkey because of regulations. "I'm fighting against time," he says, but "I just want to get back to work." He thinks he can do that in Michigan. "I want to be a person again. I don't want the world to think I'm over. I'm still here.... I still think I have a chance to make a difference in the world." Last week, President Obama responded to the story on HONY's Facebook page: "Yes, you can still make a difference in the world, and we're proud that you'll pursue your dreams here. Welcome to your new home. You're part of what makes America great." (Texas has not had quite as warm a response to refugees.)It looks like the Clippers are tired of having their home games look like they’re in the building of another team. Even with the Clippers branding on the court, in previous seasons in Staples Center, all one would have to do is to look into the rafters to see all of the Lakers championship banners and retired jerseys — something the Clippers have yet to do at Staples Center.
This year, however, the Clippers have decided that enough is enough. No, they’re not going to hang their own banners. They’re just going to cover up the Lakers banners during home games. It’s still not clear whether the Clippers will hang the banner for their first ever Division Title (Blake Griffin has said that he doesn’t want the team to do so), but one thing is clear — Clippers fans won’t have to look at the storied history of the Lakers in the rafters. I wonder if they’ll cover photos from championship parades and title games all around the arena as well.
Check the photo below.
(h/t @scratch_21)
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Did You See Kobe Bryant SPRINTING and Shooting Jump Shots In China?Apple has launched a new program to help iPhone 5 owners affected by a fault that may render their sleep/wake button ineffective or unresponsive. The problem affects what Apple calls “a small percentage” of iPhone 5s made from March 2013 on, Apple says, and you can find out if yours qualifies and apply for the replacement hardware by inputting your iPhone’s serial number at the support site created by Apple specifically for this program.
Apple asks that users check their device on the site if their sleep/wake button has stopped working completely, or works inconsistently. If you qualify, you’ll then be able to get your device repaired, either in person at an Apple Store or authorized service provider, or by sending your iPhone in for treatment via mail. If you opt for carry-in, you can also get an iPhone 5 loaner model, which Apple will supply in 16GB variants only for use while your own device is having its sleep/wake button replaced.
The program is live as of today in the U.S. and Canada, and will expand to other countries as of May 2. If your phone isn’t displaying the problem now, don’t worry about it just yet; Apple’s offer to replace broken sleep/wake buttons extends to two years beyond the first purchase date of the device, so in theory you’ve still got another year for the issue to manifest to get it fixed for free.In February 2002, the man was convicted of all charges and sentenced to life in jail by Dubai Criminal Court.
DUBAI// A murderer given a life sentence for kidnapping and killing a prostitute has asked to be released early for good behaviour.
In 2001, the 59-year-old killer from Uzbekistan was hired by a 40-year-old man from Turkmenistan to kidnap the 24-year-old victim in return for US$300 (Dh1,100).
Court records show that the Turkmen ran a prostitution ring and brought the victim, a compatriot, to Dubai in February 2001 to work as a prostitute. One month later, the woman escaped and took shelter in an apartment of a friend.
The killer found out where she was living and fought when he tried to kidnap her. In the fight the woman’s neck was broken, killing her instantly.
The man then threw her body off a seventh floor balcony to make it look like a suicide before fleeing.
He was arrested shortly after along with the man who hired him along with the woman in whose apartment the victim was hiding.
All three were charged with premeditated murder. The Uzbek and the Turkmen were additionally charged with kidnap while the Turkmen was also charged with running a prostitution ring.
Charges against the victim’s friend were dismissed.
In February 2002, the two men were convicted of all charges and sentenced to life in jail by Dubai Criminal Court.
The Turkmen was handed an extra five years for running a brothel.
On Thursday, the Uzbek applied for early release after obtaining a good behaviour certificate from authorities.
A verdict is expected on May 19.
salamir@thenational.aeDutch cyclist Annefleur Kalvenhaar has died after crashing on Friday at the Mountain Bike World Cup in France. She was 20 years old.
"The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is extremely sad to announce the loss of Dutch mountain bike rider Annefleur Kalvenhaar," the sport's governing body wrote on its website Saturday.
"The 20-year-old Focus XC Team rider fell on August 22, 2014, at the cross-country Eliminator qualifying rounds of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in Méribel, France," the UCI statement said. "She was transferred to the intensive care unit at the Grenoble CHU, but despite all efforts died this morning."
Brian Cookson, the president of the UCI, said in a statement: "I'm devastated to hear that the cycling family has lost one of its members at such a young age. Our deepest thoughts are with her family and friends."
World champion cyclist Marianne Vos expressed her condolences on Twitter:
Many others expressed their condolences as well:A proposal by the United States to ban cross-border trade in polar bears and their parts was defeated Thursday at an international meeting of conservationists, marking a victory for Canada's Inuit over their big neighbour to the south.
Delegates at the triennial meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES, rejected Washington's proposal to change the status of the polar bear from a species whose trade is merely regulated, not banned.
The proposal fell far short of the two-thirds needed to pass, garnering 38 votes in favour, 42 against and 46 abstentions. A similar proposal was defeated three years ago at the last CITES meeting.
While support for most of the meeting's 70 proposals covering the trade in other species fell along predictable lines, the U.S. proposal made for some odd bedfellows. Russia endorsed Washington's proposal, which was also supported by a cluster of animal humane societies. Canada was joined in opposition by some of the larger conservation organizations, including the CITES Secretariat and the Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network, better known as TRAFFIC.
The worldwide population of polar bears is estimated to be 20,000 to 28,000, with about two-thirds in Canada.
The United States had contended that climate change was dangerously shrinking the bears' habitat, and that pre-emptive measures were needed to save them.
Inuit welcome the news
The Inuit, on whose lands many of the animals dwell, contended that polar bear populations were not declining, and that Canada was regulating the hunting of the bears in sustainable numbers. The group said their way of life and livelihoods would be threatened by a ban.
"What it means to the Inuit people is that it is confirmation that the Inuit are managing the polar bear in a very responsible manner and that the world agrees with us, and it's a proud moment for the Inuit," Terry Audla, head of an Inuit rights group, said after the vote.
Audla earlier contended that the threatened ban was only the latest action that failed to heed the needs of the Inuit community.
Terry Audla, the president of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, said the fact that the ban was defeated means the world recognizes that the Inuit are managing the polar bear population in a responsible manner.
"The world bans the seal trade, not based on science, but based on their bleeding hearts, right? Because 'it's so cruel,"' he said. "But we've lived off the seals for centuries, and the population is quite healthy. So that was taken away from us. Now the ivory trade, we have the walrus tusks and the narwhal tusks, and that trade was important to us as well. That was taken away from us. Now they're saying the polar bear should be taken away from us as well."
After hearing the news, an Inuit elder invited anyone claiming to be experts on polar bears to come north to study the bears in their habitats.
"Ever since I was young, I have hunted and live with polar bears," said 64-year-old Simon Idlout of Resolute Bay, Nunavut.
Idlout said he’s happy about the decision made in Bangkok.
Idlout said people who think polar bears will disappear because of shrinking sea ice are wrong — he said the bears simply don’t hunt on ice.
"I have seen polar bears catch seals out in open water on several occasions."
What worries Idlout is the impact of mining exploration on polar bears.
"Helicopters are to blame for them coming to communities. They are losing their hearings and going deaf," he said.
The U.S. delegation said it was disappointed that the trade ban proposal had failed.
"We will continue to work with our partners to reduce the pressure that trade in polar bear parts puts on this iconic arctic species, even as we take on the longer-term threat that climate change poses to polar bears," Deputy Secretary of the Interior David J. Hayes said in a prepared statement.
"Limiting commercial trade in this species would have addressed a source of non-climate stress to polar bear populations and contributed to long-term recovery," said the statement from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
"Each year, an average of 3,200 items made from polar bears — including skins, claws and teeth — are reported to be exported or re-exported from a range of countries. Polar bear hides sell for an average of $2,000 to $5,000, while maximum hide prices have topped $12,000."Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption David Cameron: "I feel there was a misinterpretation"
David Cameron has denied saying ministers will be forced to back him in the EU referendum or quit their jobs.
The PM had told journalists everyone in government had "signed up" to his plans as set out in the Tory manifesto.
That led to criticism from some Conservative MPs, who were unhappy at ministers being told how to vote.
But the PM has now said his comments were "misinterpreted" and that he had been calling for backing during the negotiations, not the vote itself.
Mr Cameron's plan is to renegotiate the UK's relationship with the EU ahead of an in/out referendum by 2017.
Follow all the day's developments on Politics Live
He says he is confident of securing the changes he wants so he can push for a Yes vote to stay in Europe, but says he "rules nothing out" if his demands to EU leaders are rejected.
Conservative backbench MPs will be allowed to campaign as they wish, but questions have been raised over whether Eurosceptic government ministers would be forced to support the government line.
On Sunday night, the prime minister told journalists at the G7 summit in Germany: "If you want to be part of the government you have to take the view that we are engaged in an exercise of renegotiation to have a referendum and that will lead to a successful outcome.
"Everyone in government has signed up to the programme set out in the Conservative manifesto."
'Passion, muddle and bitterness'
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By James Landale, BBC deputy political editor
What is it about the Conservative Party and the European Union? What is it that prompts such passion, such muddle and - on occasion - such bitterness?
The relationship between Britain and the EU tore the Conservatives apart for years in government and in opposition.
David Cameron was elected leader ten years ago on a promise to stop his party banging on about Europe. A decade on the prime minister has got his drum sticks out and is banging his way around Europe. But not all his party is marching to his beat.
Some at Westminster had expected the Tory battle over the EU to be delayed until the time Mr Cameron had negotiated the reforms he wants to see.
Then his MPs would be able to judge whether or not the prime minister had lived up to his promise to reform fundamentally the UK's relationship with the EU. And until then, so it was thought, the Eurosceptics would give him the benefit of the doubt.
But this assumption was wrong and the internal battle within the Tories has begun already. Some MPs are talking openly about putting principle over party.
Others are threatening to vote No in the referendum regardless of the shape of Mr Cameron's reforms.
Read James' full blog
Mr Cameron added: "I am carrying out a renegotiation in the national interest to get a result that I believe will be in the national interest. I'm confident I can get that."
The PM told reporters it was not a "on the one hand, on the other hand approach".
"The government isn't neutral in this. We have a clear view: renegotiate, get a deal that's in Britain's interest and then recommend Britain stays in it."
That led to Monday's newspapers carrying headlines such as "Cabinet told: Vote for Europe or resign" and prompted ex Conservative minister David Davis to call it a "rather unwise move".
No 10 sought to clarify Mr Cameron's words and later, in his press conference, the PM was repeatedly asked about the issue.
He said "it's clear to me that what I said yesterday was misinterpreted", adding that he had "clearly" been referring to his EU negotiations and not the referendum.
Mr Cameron, who referred to notes while answering the questions, would not confirm whether there would be a free vote on EU membership, saying while this was "frustrating" to some people it was important to "take it stage by stage, step by step".
Reporters at the press conference challenged him over comments in an interview on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show in January, in which the PM also appeared to rule out a free vote.
But Mr Cameron disputed that interpretation, claiming he had been interrupted on the Marr programme.
BBC assistant political editor Norman Smith said there two possible explanations - either a "media muddle", or that "Mr Cameron has climbed down in the face of a backbench backlash" from Eurosceptic MPs unhappy at being forced to vote with the government.
Conservative commentator Tim Montgomerie said No 10's "clarification" over the issue was "absolutely necessary" since the number of ministers who were likely to resign if forced to campaign in favour of the EU would be in the "double figures".
EU referendum in focus
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David Cameron is starting renegotiation of the terms of Britain's EU membership ahead of a referendum. Here is some further reading on what it all means:
Q&A: The UK's planned EU referendum
The UK and the EU: Better off in or out?
What Britain wants from Europe
Timeline: EU referendum debate
Earlier, there was criticism from some Conservative MPs over the possibility that ministers would not be allowed to campaign to leave the EU.
Former minister David Davis said such a stance was "rather unwise".
He told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme it was "pretty plain" that anyone wanting to vote to leave the EU would have to quit the government, adding that this was "something of a change from what was presumed right up to the election and, in my view, a rather unwise change".
Another Conservative MP, former children's minister Tim Loughton, told BBC News the prime minister had made a "mistake", saying it was wrong to "shackle" MPs and ministers when it comes to the vote.
But communities and local government minister James Wharton, who as a backbencher piloted legislation for the EU referendum, said it was "reasonable to expect" the principle of collective ministerial responsibility to apply.
He said Mr Cameron had not ruled out recommending a No vote if his reform proposals are rejected.
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Meanwhile, former cabinet ministers Owen Paterson and John Redwood have signed up to the newly-formed Conservatives for Britain group to keep the pressure on ahead of the public vote.
Steve Baker MP, who is co-chair of the 50-strong group, said he believed some cabinet members would resign over the issue.
"If we don't get a sovereign Parliament, I would be quite surprised if one or two don't resign, but that really is a matter for them," he told BBC Radio 5 live.
At the G7 summit, US President Barack Obama gave the strongest indication yet that Washington wants a Yes vote in the EU referendum.
During talks with the prime minister in Schloss Elmau, he said America was "looking forward" to the UK remaining part of the EU" because "we think its influence is positive not just for Europe, but also for the world".
On Twitter, UKIP leader Nigel Farage said: "We don't need to take foreign policy advice from the American President. The last time we did that it was called the Iraq War."
He added that Mr Cameron "clearly wants to keep Britain inside the EU under any circumstances".Using 20 years of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from tens of thousands of brain imaging experiments, computational neuroscientists Hava Siegelmann and a postdoctoral colleague at the University of Massachusetts have created a geometry-based method for massive data analysis to reach a new understanding of how thought arises from brain structure.
The authors say their work paves the way for advances in the identification and treatment of brain disease, as well as in deep learning artificial intelligence (AI) systems. Details appear in the current issue of Nature Scientific Reports.
As Siegelmann explains, fMRI detects changes in neural blood flow allowing researchers to relate brain activity with a cognitive behavior such as talking. She says, "The fMRI-based research did a wonderful job relating specific brain areas with activities. But no one ever tied together the tens of thousands of experiments performed over decades to show how the physical brain could give rise to abstract thought."
She and colleagues found that cognitive function and abstract thought exist as an agglomeration of many cortical sources ranging from those close to sensory cortices to far deeper from them along the brain connectome, or connection wiring diagram. Siegelmann is director of the Biologically Inspired Neural and Dynamical Systems Laboratory at UMass Amherst and one of 16 recipients in 2015 of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) program initiated by President Obama to advance understanding of the brain.
The authors say their work demonstrates not only the basic operational paradigm of cognition, but shows that all cognitive behaviors exist on a hierarchy, starting with the most tangible behaviors such as finger tapping or pain, then to consciousness and extending to the most abstract thoughts and activities such as naming. This hierarchy of abstraction is related to the connectome structure of the whole human brain, they add.
For this study, the researchers took a data-science approach. They first defined a physiological directed network of the whole brain, starting at input areas and labeling each brain area with the distance or "depth" from sensory inputs. They then processed the massive repository of fMRI data. "The idea was to project the active regions for a cognitive behavior onto the network depth and describe that cognitive behavior in terms of its depth distribution," says Siegelmann. "We momentarily thought our research failed when we saw that each cognitive behavior showed activity through many network depths. Then we realized that cognition is far richer, it wasn't the simple hierarchy that everyone was looking for. So, we developed our geometrical'slope' algorithm."
To illustrate, she suggests imagining a balance where the right pan holds total brain activity with the shallowest depth; the other pan holds activity in deepest brain areas most removed from inputs. If the balance arm describes the total brain activity for a particular cognitive behavior, the right pan will be lower, creating a negative slope, when most activity is in shallow areas, and the left pan will go lower when most activity is deeper, creating a positive slope. The balance arm's slope describes the relative shallow-to-deep brain activity for any behavior.
"Our geometric algorithm works on this principle, but instead of two pans, it has many," she says. The researchers summed all neural activity for a given behavior over all related fMRI experiments, then analyzed it using the slope algorithm. "With a slope identifier, behaviors could now be ordered by their relative depth activity with no human intervention or bias," she adds. They ranked slopes for all cognitive behaviors from the fMRI databases from negative to positive and found that they ordered from more tangible to highly abstract. An independent test of an additional 500 study participants supported the result.
Siegelmann says this work will have great impact in computer science, especially in deep learning. "Deep learning is a computational system employing a multi-layered neural net, and is at the forefront of artificial intelligence (AI) learning algorithms," she explains. "It bears similarity to the human brain in that higher layers are agglomerations of previous layers, and so provides more information in a single neuron.
But the brain's processing dynamic is far richer and less constrained because it has recurrent interconnection, sometimes called feedback loops. In current human-made deep learning networks that lack recurrent interconnections, a particular input cannot be related to other recent inputs, so they can't be used for time-series prediction, control operations, or memory."
Her lab is now creating a "massively recurrent deep learning network," she says, for a more brain-like and superior learning AI. Another interesting |
CA1 region of the hippocampus previously recorded in a freely moving rat. Soma and dendrites are shown in black; axon is depicted in red. CA1, cornu ammonis region 1; SR, stratum radiatum; SP, stratum pyramidale; SO, stratum oriens. For details, see Fig. 1B. (B) Subcellular physiology of PV+ interneurons. Simultaneous recording from the soma and dendrite of a PV+ interneuron in the dentate gyrus (DG) in vitro. (Bottom left) Somatic recording pipette (used for fluorescent dye labeling); (top right) dendritic recording pipette. For details, see Fig. 2A. (C) Network function of PV+ interneurons. (Top) Place cell firing of hippocampal neurons; (bottom) grid cell firing of entorhinal cortex (EC) neurons in vivo. Warm colors indicate high action potential frequency. Putative PV+ interneurons (PV+ INs) have broader spatial fields than principal neurons (PNs). For details, see Fig. 6B. Advances Recent work sheds light on the subcellular signaling properties of PV+ interneurons. PV+ cells show a high degree of polarity. The weakly excitable dendrites allow PV+ interneurons to sample activity in the surrounding network, whereas the highly excitable axons enable analog-to-digital conversion and fast propagation of the digital signal to a large number of target cells. Additionally, tight coupling of Ca2+ channels and release sensors at GABAergic output synapses increases the efficacy and speed of the inhibitory output. Recent results also provide a better understanding of how PV+ interneurons operate in neuronal networks. Not only are PV+ interneurons involved in basic microcircuit functions, such as feedforward and feedback inhibition or gamma-frequency oscillations, but they also play a role in complex network operations, including expansion of dynamic activity range, pattern separation, modulation of place and grid field shapes, phase precession, and gain modulation of sensory responses. Thus, PV+ interneurons are critically involved in advanced computations in microcircuits and neuronal networks. Outlook Parvalbumin-expressing interneurons may also play a key role in numerous brain diseases. These include epilepsy, but also complex psychiatric diseases such as schizophrenia. Thus, PV+ interneurons may become important therapeutic targets in the future. However, much needs to be learned about the basic function of these interneurons before clinical neuroscientists will have a chance to successfully use PV+ interneurons for therapeutic purposes.
A central player in brain computation A small subgroup of nerve cells plays a central role in information processing in the brain. Hu et al. review our present knowledge about the specific makeup of these neurons. Specifically, the individual properties of the molecules, their distribution within the cell, and the anatomy of the cells themselves are described. This information helps to explain why these neurons are so important for the function of microcircuits in the brain, as well as the behavior of the organism. This detailed level of understanding will become relevant as these cells become future targets for the treatment of neurological diseases. Science, this issue p. 10.1126/science.1255263
Abstract The success story of fast-spiking, parvalbumin-positive (PV+) GABAergic interneurons (GABA, γ-aminobutyric acid) in the mammalian central nervous system is noteworthy. In 1995, the properties of these interneurons were completely unknown. Twenty years later, thanks to the massive use of subcellular patch-clamp techniques, simultaneous multiple-cell recording, optogenetics, in vivo measurements, and computational approaches, our knowledge about PV+ interneurons became more extensive than for several types of pyramidal neurons. These findings have implications beyond the “small world” of basic research on GABAergic cells. For example, the results provide a first proof of principle that neuroscientists might be able to close the gaps between the molecular, cellular, network, and behavioral levels, representing one of the main challenges at the present time. Furthermore, the results may form the basis for PV+ interneurons as therapeutic targets for brain disease in the future. However, much needs to be learned about the basic function of these interneurons before clinical neuroscientists will be able to use PV+ interneurons for therapeutic purposes.
In a reductionist’s view of the brain, neuronal networks are composed of two types of neurons: glutamatergic principal neurons and GABAergic interneurons (GABA, γ-aminobutyric acid). Across all cortical circuits, glutamatergic neurons form ~80 to 90% of the neuronal population, whereas GABAergic neurons constitute the remaining 10 to 20% (1–3). Thus, in terms of neuron numbers, GABAergic cells represent only a minority. Nevertheless, these GABAergic neurons serve important functions. Most notably, they control the activity level of principal neurons in the entire brain. If GABAergic interneuron function breaks down, excitation takes over, leading to seizures and failure of higher brain functions (4).
A hallmark of interneurons is their structural and functional diversity (Fig. 1A). Twenty-one different classes of interneurons have been distinguished in the CA1 region of the hippocampus (5), and it is likely that an even larger number of types can be dissected in the neocortex (6). These interneurons can be distinguished on the basis of three sets of criteria: (i) morphological properties, particularly the target selectivity of the axon; (ii) expression of molecular markers, such as neuropeptides (somatostatin, cholecystokinin, vasoactive intestinal peptide, and neuropeptide-Y) and Ca2+-binding proteins (parvalbumin, calretinin, and calbindin); and (iii) functional characteristics—most importantly, the action potential phenotype (7).
Fig. 1 The PV+ interneuron: An interneuron subtype with salient properties and distinct experimental identifiability. (A) The placement of PV+ interneurons in interneuron diversity schemes (122). (Left) Scheme showing a subset of the 21 types of GABAergic interneurons currently known in the hippocampal CA1 region. PV+ axo-axonic cells and basket cells are located on the left side. (Right) A PV+ basket cell (probably the most abundant type of PV+ interneuron). Soma and dendrites are shown in orange; axons are depicted in yellow. (B) A PV+ basket cell in the CA1 region of the hippocampus recorded in a freely moving rat. SR, stratum radiatum; SP, stratum pyramidale; SO, stratum oriens. (Upper left inset) Movement trajectory of the animal. (Upper right inset) PV immunoreactivity. (Lower right inset) Electron micrograph of output synapses. Scheme on top is from (87). (C) A basket cell in layer five of the motor cortex (MC). Data are from (123). Color code in (B) and (C): Soma and dendrites are shown in black; axon is depicted in red. (D) Fast-spiking action potential phenotype of a putative PV+ interneuron in the neocortex in vitro. A long somatic current pulse evoked a high-frequency train of action potentials in the intracellularly recorded neuron. Data are from (124). (E) Genetic fluorescent protein labeling of PV+ interneurons, using mice expressing Cre recombinase under the control of the PV promoter. (Left) mCherry labeling after adenoassociated virus infection; (center) PV immunoreactivity; (right), overlay. Inset on top shows targeted PV gene. Scheme on top is (125). (F) Functional labeling of PV+ interneurons, using mice expressing Cre recombinase and channelrhodopsin or halorhodopsin under the control of the PV promoter in vivo. (Left) Identification of unit activity in PV+ interneurons expressing channelrhodopsin in an awake, freely moving mouse recorded with “optrodes.” Data are from (126). (Right) Activity of a PV+ interneuron expressing halorhodopsin in an awake mouse moving on a linear track. Note that the light pulse abolishes action potential (AP) initiation in the PV+ interneuron (top) but increases the action potential frequency in a simultaneously recorded pyramidal neuron (bottom). Data are from (92). CA1, cornu ammonis region 1; CA3, cornu ammonis region 3; PFC, prefrontal cortex.
How can we systematically and quantitatively study the function of such an enormously diverse population of cells? One approach is to focus on models, identifiable on the basis of standardized criteria. That is why, around 1990, several laboratories started to work on one particular type of GABAergic interneuron: the fast-spiking, parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneuron (Box 1). In the hippocampal CA1 region, 11% of neurons are GABAergic, and 24% of those are PV+; thus, PV+ interneurons represent only 2.6% of the total neuronal population (8). Accordingly, PV+ interneurons appear to be somewhat exotic. However, numerous technical advantages outweigh this potential disadvantage (Fig. 1). The selective expression of the Ca2+-binding protein PV allows unequivocal post hoc labeling by highly specific antibodies (9, 10) (Fig. 1B). Both the short action potential duration and the fast-spiking action potential phenotype make it easy to identify these cells under experimental conditions (Fig. 1D). The high selectivity of the promoter of the PV gene can be used to genetically target these cells by enhanced green fluorescent protein and optogenetic methods (11, 12) (Fig. 1, E and F). The specific developmental trajectory of cortical PV+ interneurons, which are born in the medial ganglionic eminence and depend on specific sets of transcription factors (i.e., Nkx2-1 and Lhx6), may be exploited for labeling (13–15).
Box 1 The steep scientific career of PV+ interneurons. 1986: Celio (9) suggests that PV is expressed in the majority of GABAergic neurons in the cortex. 1987: Kawaguchi et al. (132) suggest that PV is selectively expressed in fast-spiking interneurons. 1995: Geiger et al. (36) demonstrate that fast-spiking, PV+ interneurons express AMPA-type glutamate receptors with high Ca2+ permeability and fast gating, caused by a low relative abundance of GluA2 subunit mRNA. 1996: Du et al. (133) demonstrate that Kv3 K+ channel subunits are selectively expressed in PV+ cells, providing the first suggestion of a molecular mechanism underlying the fast-spiking action potential phenotype. 1997: Geiger et al. (23) show that fast-spiking PV+ interneurons in the dentate gyrus receive fast excitatory synaptic inputs. 2001: Pouille and Scanziani (72) demonstrate that feedforward inhibition, presumably provided by PV+ interneurons, shortens the coincidence detection window in pyramidal neurons. 2005: Hippenmeyer et al. (125) generate a PV-Cre mouse line that specifically expresses Cre recombinase in PV+ interneurons. This opened the door for both selective labeling and manipulation. 2009: Cardin et al. and Sohal et al. (11, 12) show that rhythmic optogenetic stimulation of PV+ interneurons results in the generation of gamma oscillations, whereas inhibition of PV+ interneurons reduces gamma power. 2010: Hu et al. (27) provide the first recordings from subcellular processes of PV+ interneurons (dendrites and, later, axons). This now results in a complete mapping of the functional properties of these cells along the dendrite-soma-axon axis. 2012: Wilson et al., Atallah et al., and Lee et al. (94, 95, 102) show that PV+ interneurons control gain of sensory responses. This is probably the first demonstration that a specific aspect of signal processing in neuronal networks can be attributed to a distinct cell type. June 2014: A PubMed search for “parvalbumin interneuron” returns 1644 hits, with many recent papers published in Science and Nature.
In this Review, we summarize current knowledge about fast-spiking, PV+ interneurons at the molecular, cellular, and network levels. We concentrate on basket cells (the classical PV+ interneurons) but include information about axo-axonic cells or other types of GABAergic interneurons also expressing PV (5) (Box 2). Furthermore, we focus on the hippocampus and the neocortex. For in vitro analysis of PV+ interneurons, the advantages of the hippocampus are evident, especially the clearly defined layering and the availability of elaborate classification schemes (5). For in vivo analysis, the advantages of the neocortex become apparent, including the superficial localization of cells in the brain and the opportunity to easily define adequate behavioral stimuli.
Box 2 The several caveats of PV+ interneuron identification. How can we identify the fast-spiking, PV-expressing basket cell? Ideally, for rigorous interneuron identification, one would like to see complete morphological visualization, expression analysis for the most important interneuron markers, and functional characterization. In practice, identification often relies on a subset of parameters. In the past, identification was often based on the action potential phenotype (124) (fast spiking; action potential frequency > 50 Hz at 22°C and > 150 Hz at 34°C) and the morphology of the axon (basket cells; ~90% of collaterals in the cell body layer) (5). However, cholecystokinin- and vasoactive intestinal peptide-expressing basket cells have maximal action potential frequencies that are less than a factor of 2 lower than those of PV+ neurons (57). More recently, identification increasingly exploited PV expression, for example, in optogenetic experiments (11, 12). However, PV is expressed not only in basket cells, but also in a subset of axo-axonic cells, bistratified cells, and even in oriens-alveus–lacunosum-moleculare (OLM) interneurons (5). Furthermore, one needs to consider regional differences. In the prefrontal cortex, only a subset of axo-axonic cells may express PV (14); in the dentate gyrus, analogs of bistratified cells may not be present. Finally, PV expression levels matter because OLM interneurons express PV at lower concentrations than basket or axo-axonic cells (10). More work is needed to elucidate the functional differences between PV+ cell types, mainly basket versus axo-axonic cells. This distinction is particularly important because basket cells have inhibitory effects on their postsynaptic target cells, whereas axo-axonic cells may be excitatory (134).
Morphological properties and connectomics of PV+ interneurons How can we understand the function of PV+ interneurons at the molecular, cellular, and network levels? Following Francis Crick’s statement “If you want to understand function, study structure” (16), let us first take a look at the structure of PV+ interneurons, particularly their input domains, the dendrites, and their output domains, the axons. The morphological properties of the dendrites of PV+ interneurons are notable in several ways (1). PV+ interneurons have multiple dendrites that often cross layers (17–20), which permits the interneurons to receive input from different afferent pathways, such as feedforward and feedback pathways. The cumulative dendritic length of a single PV+ interneuron ranges from 3.1 to 9 mm (17–20). Long dendrites allow PV+ interneurons to sample input from a large population of principal cells. Finally, the somata and dendrites of PV+ interneurons are densely covered with synapses. PV+ interneurons in the hippocampal CA3 or CA1 region have ~16,000 to 34,000 synapses, 94% of which are excitatory and 6% are inhibitory (17, 20). A large proportion of inhibitory synapses is PV+ (17), but inhibitory inputs from vasoactive intestinal peptide- and somatostatin-expressing interneurons are also present (21, 22). Thus, PV+ interneurons receive convergent excitatory input from principal neurons, and inhibitory input primarily from other PV+ interneurons. Because the dendrites of PV+ interneurons are largely aspiny, excitatory synapses are formed on dendritic shafts. This may facilitate the generation of fast excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) (23). The morphological properties of the axon of PV+ interneurons are also intriguing (1). In the classical anatomical literature, GABAergic interneurons were sometimes referred to as “short axon” cells. However, for many PV+ interneurons, this seems entirely incorrect. The axon shows extensive arborization, and the cumulative axonal length of a single PV+ interneuron is 30 to 50 mm [33 mm in the dentate gyrus (18), 46 mm in the hippocampal CA1 region (24), 20 and 24 mm in the frontal cortex (25)]. A huge number of “en passant” (“in passing,” upon literal translation) terminals emerge from the extensive axonal arbor [10400 in CA1 (24), 3200 and 3800 in the frontal cortex (25)]. Thus, PV+ interneurons generate a massively divergent inhibitory output (8). PV+ interneurons innervate postsynaptic target cells in the perisomatic domain. In basket cells, the axon forms basket-like arrangements around principal cell somata and proximal dendrites. In axo-axonic cells, the axon of the interneuron follows the axon initial segment of the principal cell, resulting in a chandelier-like configuration (5). These morphological characteristics suggest that PV+ interneurons generate a particularly powerful inhibition, because they innervate a large number of target cells near the site of action potential initiation. However, these properties also raise new questions: For example, one may wonder how reliable action potential propagation is achieved in the highly branching interneuron axon (26) and how the functions of signal propagation and transmitter release are integrated into a single structure. To address these questions, we must examine the function of PV+ interneurons directly at the subcellular level with micrometer spatial and microsecond temporal resolution. Subcellular patch-clamp recording now allows researchers to obtain such measurements in both dendrites and axons of PV+ interneurons.
The subcellular physiology of PV+ interneurons: Dendrites Direct dendritic recordings have provided a detailed quantitative picture of the electrical events in PV+ interneuron dendrites (Fig. 2, A and B). First, action potentials backpropagate into the dendrites in a highly decremental manner (27), confirming findings of previous Ca2+ imaging experiments (28–31) (Fig. 2C). Similar results were obtained in both basket and axo-axonic cells (27). These properties differ from those of pyramidal neurons, where backpropagation is active (32). Second, dendritic spikes cannot be initiated, neither by dendritic current injection nor by synaptic stimulation (27), although a recent study suggested that dendritic spikes may be evoked by massive glutamate uncaging (31). Again, these properties differ from those of pyramidal neurons, where dendritic spikes are abundant (33). Third, the dendrites of PV+ interneurons contain only a low density of voltage-gated Na+ channels; Na+ channels are almost absent at distances >100 μm from the soma (27). Fourth, the dendrites of hippocampal PV+ interneurons contain a high density of voltage-gated K+ channels, consistent with the results of previous Ca2+ imaging experiments with K+ channel blockers (28). The high dendritic ratio of K+ to Na+ channels distinguishes PV+ interneurons from pyramidal cells and also from other interneuron subtypes (32–35). Lastly, analysis of gating and pharmacological properties revealed that these channels are primarily of the Kv3 type, one of the four main subfamilies of voltage-gated K+ channels (7). These channels show high activation threshold, fast activation, and fast deactivation (7). Fig. 2 The “in” and “out” of PV+ interneurons: dendrites. (A) Direct patch-clamp recording from subcellular processes of PV+ interneurons in the dentate gyrus (DG), using confocally targeted patch-clamp recording in a brain slice in vitro. The cell was first loaded with fluorescent dye (Alexa Fluor 488) via a somatic recording pipette. A dendritic recording was subsequently obtained on the distal dendrite. (B) Decremental action potential backpropagation into dendrites. Peak amplitude of the action potential at the dendrite was plotted against distance, with recording sites at basal dendrites (negative distance) and apical dendrites (positive distance). Solid circles, somatic current injection; open circles, dendritic current injection. Inset on top shows action potentials at the soma (black) and dendrite (red), with the current pulse applied to the soma. (C) Dendritic Ca2+ transients in PV+ interneurons in the hippocampal CA1 region in vitro. (Top) Dendritic Ca2+ transients at 10 and 50 μm distance from the soma. (Bottom) Decline of amplitude of dendritic Ca2+ transients as a function of distance from the soma. Error bars indicate SEM. R, red; G, green fluorescent signal. Data are from (30). (D) Dendritic Kv3-type K+ channels in a PV+ interneuron model are locally activated by synaptic input (apical dendrite, arrow). Pseudocolor code indicates the activated K+ conductance (G K ). (E) Dendritic Kv3-type K+ channels in PV+ interneurons accelerate the EPSP time course (top) and enhance the ability of the neuron to detect temporally coincident, but spatially distributed inputs (bottom). Blue, passive dendrites; black, K+ channels in synapse-containing dendrites. G syn, synaptic peak conductance. Data in (A), (B), (D), and (E) are from (27). (F) Schematic illustration of the different rules of dendritic integration in PV+ interneurons (left) and pyramidal neurons (right). In PV+ interneurons, the high ratio of K+ channels to Na+ channels in dendrites confers linear or sublinear integration (Σ, linear summation mechanism). In pyramidal neurons, the high ratio of Na+ channels to K+ channels in dendrites enriches the repertoire of single-neuron computations [∫, sigmoidal threshold mechanism (127)]. Why should PV+ interneurons express high-threshold K+ channels in the dendrites if the amplitude of backpropagated action potentials is too small to activate them? As it turns out, dendritic Kv3 channels work synergistically with the small diameter of dendrites and the large amplitude and fast time course of the AMPA receptor–mediated postsynaptic conductance at excitatory input synapses (23, 36, 37). In the thin dendrites of PV+ interneurons, AMPA receptor–mediated conductances generate local EPSPs with large peak amplitude (18), resulting in efficient activation of dendritic Kv3 channels (7, 27) (Fig. 2D). This has profound functional consequences: Dendritic K+ channel activation accelerates the decay time course of the EPSP, shortening the time period of temporal summation and promoting action potential initiation with high speed and temporal precision (27, 38) (Fig. 2E) (Table 1). K+ channel activation conveys sublinear integration (27), which may allow PV+ interneurons to accurately sample principal neuron activity over a wide range. Additionally, K+ channel activation makes PV+ cells less sensitive to clustered excitatory input, which activates K+ channels efficiently, but relatively more sensitive to distributed input, which activates these channels only minimally (27) (Fig. 2E). Table 1 Fast signaling properties of PV+ interneurons. View this table: Dendrites of PV+ interneurons in both the hippocampus and the neocortex are highly interconnected by gap junctions (39–42). Such a syncytial organization of dendritic trees will also affect synaptic integration. Gap junctions will lead to speeding of the EPSP time course, because excitatory charge can escape into adjacent dendrites. Furthermore, gap junctions may widen the spatial range of detection of principal neuron activity, including input synapses that are unconnected to a given PV+ interneuron but are connected to adjacent interneurons (37). Finally, gap junctions may boost the efficacy of distal inputs and increase the average action potential frequency after repetitive synaptic stimulation of distal synapses (35).
The subcellular physiology of PV+ interneurons: Axons Direct recordings also revealed several surprising properties of axons of hippocampal PV+ interneurons (43) (Fig. 3, A and B): (i) The action potential is initiated very proximally, ~20 μm from the soma (43) (Fig. 3A). This is different from pyramidal neurons, where the initiation site is more remote, sometimes even beyond the axon initial segment (44). (ii) Action potentials propagate with high reliability; propagation failures occur only rarely. (iii) The orthodromic action potential propagation velocity is ~1.5 m s−1 at near-physiological temperature, notable for a thin, largely unmyelinated axon (43). The propagation velocity is faster than that of principal neuron axons under comparable conditions (45, 46). (iv) PV+ interneurons exhibit a distinct Na+ channel distribution: a stepwise density increase from the soma to the proximal axon, followed by a further gradual increase to the distal axon (43, 47) (Fig. 3B). In the distal axon, the Na+ conductance density is ~600 pS μm−2, which is comparable to values in invertebrate axons (43). Thus, PV+ interneurons show a weakly excitable “analog” somatodendritic domain (with graded synaptic potentials) and a highly excitable “digital” axonal domain (with all-or-none action potentials), separated by a steep transition zone. Assuming that the axon represents ~74% of the surface area (18), ~99% of the Na+ channels would be located in the axon. Hence, the excitability mechanism of PV+ cells is almost entirely axonal. (v) The axon of PV+ interneurons contains voltage-gated K+ channels with properties similar to those in the dendrites of PV+ cells (43, 48). Fig. 3 The “in” and “out” of PV+ interneurons: axons and presynaptic terminals. (A) Proximal initiation of action potentials. (Top) Action potentials at the soma (black) and axon (blue) in two different soma-axon recordings with different axonal distance. (Bottom) Latency between action potentials in axon and soma was plotted against distance, with negative values indicating “axon-first” behavior and positive values representing “soma-first” behavior. Note the sharp initiation site in the axon ~20 μm from the soma. (B) Voltage-gated Na+ channel spatial distribution profile. Channel density measured in the outside-out patch configuration is plotted against distance, with negative values indicating dendritic location and positive values indicating axonal location. Note the stepwise increase of Na+ channel density from the soma to the proximal axon, followed by a gradual increase to the distal axon. Data in (A) and (B) are from (43). (C) Tight coupling between Ca2+ channels and release sensors at the output synapses of PV+ interneurons. (Top left) Chemical structure of the fast Ca2+ chelator BAPTA and the slow Ca2+ chelator EGTA used to probe the coupling configuration. (Top right) Concentration dependence of the effects of the two chelators on GABA release. Curves represent linearized models fit to the experimental data, revealing a coupling distance of 12 nm. IPSC, inhibitory postsynaptic current; r, coupling distance; d, mean coupling distance; σ, SD. (Bottom left) Dependence of simulated time course of release on coupling distance in a source-sensor model. (Bottom right) Simulated synaptic delay and half-duration of the time course of release as a function of coupling distance. Data are from (61). (D) Action of the endogenous Ca2+ binding protein PV on transmitter release. (Top left) Secondary structure of PV, with the spheres indicating bound Ca2+ ions. Data are from (128). (Top right) Activity-dependent regulation of PV concentration in interneurons of the hippocampal CA3 region. EE, enriched environment; cFC, contextual fear conditioning. Data are from (69). (Bottom) Estimation of absolute PV concentration in the soma of different types of inhibitory interneurons by calibrated immunocytochemistry. Data are from (10). Why should PV+ interneurons express an excessively high density of Na+ channels in the axon? The first guess was that the high density guarantees reliability of action potential propagation (26). However, experiments and simulations indicate that Na+ channels are expressed at higher density values than the critical value required for reliability (43). The “supercritical” Na+ channel density has two additional advantages: It increases the speed of action potential propagation and the maximal action potential frequency during sustained somatic current injection (43). Hence, the high Na+ channel density in the axon contributes to rapid signaling in PV+ interneurons (Table 1). In relation to propagation speed, the high channel density compensates for the unfavorable morphological properties of interneuron axons (small segmental diameter, extensive branching, and high bouton density). What is the molecular identity of Na+ and K+ channels in the axon of PV+ interneurons? For voltage-gated Na+ channels, Na V 1.1 and Na V 1.6 immunoreactivity is abundantly present in the axons (49, 50). However, the contribution of other subunits cannot be excluded, because Na V 1.2, -1.4, and -1.7 mRNAs are also detectable in PV+ interneurons (51). For voltage-gated K+ channels, Kv3 subunits are heavily expressed in PV+ interneurons, and Kv3 immunoreactivity has been localized to axons (7, 52). Furthermore, the pharmacological and gating properties of axonal K+ channels imply that they are primarily of the Kv3 subtype (48). The high activation threshold and the fast deactivation of these channels may ensure fast action potential repolarization in the axon. Finally, Kv1 channels are present in the axon initial segment of hippocampal and neocortical PV+ interneurons (50, 53, 54). The low activation threshold and the slower gating of these channels may define characteristic input-output conversion properties in PV+ cells. Long current pulses will activate these channels, suppressing the initiation of action potentials (53). In contrast, fast EPSPs will bypass Kv1 channel activation, leading to action potential initiation with short delay (53). Thus, Kv1 channels may implement a fast coincidence detection mechanism in PV+ interneurons (Table 1). In addition, the profound inactivation of these channels may explain delayed spiking during long-lasting depolarizations (53).
From axons to presynaptic terminals: Fast GABA release Multiple properties of dendrites and axons of PV+ interneurons are specialized for rapid signaling. But how is the electrical signal in the axon converted into GABA release (55)? Several factors are important for this conversion, including the duration of the presynaptic action potential, the gating of the presynaptic Ca2+ channels, the coupling between Ca2+ channels and release sensors, and the Ca2+ binding and unbinding rates of the release sensor. Collectively, these factors will determine the “synaptic delay,” that is, the time interval between the action potential in the presynaptic terminal and the event of exocytosis. Many of these factors in PV+ interneuron output synapses are optimized for speed (Fig. 3C). Direct recordings revealed that axonal action potentials are brief, comparable to those at the soma (43). Because presynaptic terminals are of the en passant type, this will directly translate into fast and synchronous transmitter release. Consistent with this hypothesis, broadening of the presynaptic action potential by K+ channel blockers enhances both presynaptic Ca2+ transients and peak amplitudes of postsynaptic currents (48). Whereas several types of synapses use mixtures of P/Q-, N-, and R-type Ca2+ channels for transmitter release (56), the output synapses of PV+ cells in both the hippocampus and the neocortex exclusively rely on P/Q-type channels (57–60). As P/Q-type Ca2+ channels show the fastest gating among all Ca2+ channel subtypes (56), the specific usage of these channels will contribute to both the shortening of the synaptic delay and the increase in the temporal precision of transmitter release. Another specific property of transmission is the tight (“nanodomain”) coupling between Ca2+ channels and release sensors of exocytosis (61, 62) (Fig. 3C). Tight coupling increases the efficacy of release, shortens the synaptic delay, and increases the temporal precision of release (61). Furthermore, GABA release at presynaptic terminals of PV+ interneurons is initiated by a small number of Ca2+ channels, probably only two or three per release site (59). The usage of a small number of Ca2+ channels could help avoid the broadening of presynaptic action potentials or, in extreme cases, the generation of Ca2+ spikes in presynaptic terminals. Thus, the small number of Ca2+ channels per release site at PV+ interneuron output synapses contributes to fast and temporally precise transmitter release. Finally, a subset of PV+ interneurons in the hippocampus and the neocortex uses synaptotagmin 2 (1 out of the 15 members of the synaptotagmin family) as a release sensor for synaptic transmission; in contrast, principal neurons primarily rely on synaptotagmin 1 (63–65). Recent studies have used synaptotagmin 2 immunolabeling to selectively visualize PV+ boutons in the visual cortex (66). As synaptotagmin 2 has the fastest Ca2+-binding kinetics throughout the synaptotagmin family (67), the expression of this synaptotagmin isoform may also contribute to rapid signaling. Direct measurement of Ca2+-binding rates of different synaptotagmin isoforms will be needed to quantitatively test this hypothesis. What are the effects of PV on GABA release at PV+ interneuron output synapses? The EF-hand domains of PV bind both Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions (Fig. 3D). Therefore, it is generally thought that Mg2+ must leave before Ca2+ can bind, conferring slow Ca2+ binding properties to this protein (68). How can such a Ca2+ buffer act in nanodomain coupling regimes? The high PV concentration may provide an answer to this question. If the PV concentration is at millimolar levels, as found in cerebellar basket cells (10), or if the PV concentration is up-regulated during behavior (e.g., contextual fear conditioning or learning completion), as observed in the hippocampal PV+ interneurons (69), the free “apo” form of PV may become functionally relevant (Fig. 3D). Under these conditions, PV may modulate transmitter release, for example, by acting as an antifacilitation factor (10).
The role of PV+ interneurons in microcircuits: Beyond simple inhibition GABAergic interneurons are involved in both feedforward and feedback inhibition (70–73) (Box 3). But what is the specific contribution of PV+ cells, and what is the functional relevance of their fast signaling mechanisms? Experimental evidence indicates that PV+ interneurons in the hippocampus are involved in feedforward inhibition (Fig. 4). In the hippocampal CA1 region, feedforward inhibition initiated by stimulation of Schaffer collaterals is primarily mediated by perisomatic inhibitory interneurons, because somatodendritic recordings from CA1 pyramidal neurons reveal a distance-dependent decline of inhibition (72). Furthermore, this inhibition is primarily mediated by fast-spiking PV+ cells, because these interneurons fire early after stimulation, before pyramidal cells and regularly spiking interneurons (74) (Fig. 4C). Box 3 Feedforward and feedback microcircuits. In feedforward inhibition, afferent glutamatergic axons activate principal cells and interneurons in parallel (Fig. 4A). In feedback (recurrent and lateral) inhibition, afferent glutamatergic axons activate principal cells, which then activate interneurons in series (Fig. 5A). Feedback inhibition must be further subdivided into recurrent and lateral inhibition. However, the distinction between these two forms often remains fuzzy. Multiple cell recording provides an elegant way to quantitatively distinguish the two forms. Recurrent inhibition in a network can be defined as the proportion of principal cells that provide excitation to and receive inhibition from a given PV+ interneuron, whereas lateral inhibition is the proportion of principal cells that do not provide excitation to but receive inhibition from a given PV+ interneuron (75) (Fig. 5C). The speed of both feedforward and feedback inhibition is impressive; the latency of disynaptic inhibition under physiological |
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side boob (n.): the side part of a woman’s breast, as exposed by a revealing item of clothing.
side-eye (n.): a sidelong glance expressing disapproval or contempt.
smartwatch (n.): a mobile device with a touchscreen display, worn on the wrist.
SMH (abbrev.): shaking (or shake) my head (used to express disapproval, exasperation, etc.).
spit take (n.): (especially as a comic technique) an act of suddenly spitting out liquid one is drinking in response to something funny or surprising.
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WDYT (abbrev.): what do you think?
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Write to Katy Steinmetz at katy.steinmetz@time.com.Battle for Wesnoth 1.6 Release Notes
March 22, 2009. Once again it's time for that epoch-making event, a Wesnoth stable release. The Battle for Wesnoth team is proud to release version 1.6 of The Battle for Wesnoth, a Free, turn-based strategy game with a fantasy theme and roleplaying elements. The game is available for download now for Windows, Mac OS X and various GNU/Linux distributions.
What's New in Wesnoth 1.6
We have many new features for your enjoyment this time around, including a new mainline campaign, two new multiplayer scenarios and another refresh of the user interface.
For Players
Campaigns
There is a new mainline campaign, The Legend of Wesmere, with new gameplay features including (in one scenario) the ability to use the game AI as your commander for an allied side, setting its objectives as you like. Search for this hidden feature by right-clicking on your allied commanders during scenario 7. This campaign was imported from the Wesnoth-UMC-Dev project, where it spent a few months being adapted for mainline.
Almost all mainline campaigns now use a different method of carrying over gold from scenario to scenario: the amount of gold retained is now 40% instead of 80%, but it is added to the minimum starting gold of the next scenario instead of only replacing it if higher.
Many mainline campaigns have improved storyline prose and new cutscenes or epilogs. Several have improved and redrawn campaign maps. All now have dates in the Wesnoth history timeline, and almost all have journey animations on their campaign maps. The history and geography of Wesnoth have been developed in more depth and detail: More campaigns now include references to events in the overall history, adding depth and richness to the narration.
Multiplayer
The multiplayer server can now be logged onto using the username and password of a Wesnoth forum account. However, registration is not required and one can continue to use an unregistered username.
The multiplayer lobby has been improved to allow easier management of the friends and ignores list by double-clicking on the player list.
Notable changes to default era balancing include:
Increased the cost of the Goblin Spearman from 8 to 9.
Increased the movement of the Goblin Spearman line from 4 to 5.
Increased the melee attack of the Goblin Spearman from 4-3 to 6-3.
Added the traits weak, slow and dim and made goblins each receive one of them instead of two standard traits.
Added the marksman special to the ranged attack of the Orcish Assassin line.
Increased the cost of the Walking Corpse from 7 to 8.
Decreased the cost of the Bowman from 15 to 14.
Decreased the melee attack of the Bowman from 6-2 to 4-2.
General
The game graphics have been improved with a whole new range of unit portraits. Many more units have full animations and team coloring.
There is a new basic terrain type, coastal reef, which gives most land-based units slightly higher defense than in regular shallow water, and 70% defense to most water-based units such as mermen and nagas. Forests get more variety with graphics for spring/summer, fall and winter deciduous forest terrains. There are new village graphics for human cities and primitive tribal areas.
Our composers have added five new original background tracks: Heroes' Rite, Siege of Laurelmor, Suspense, The Dangerous Symphony and The Deep Path. Also, the game now plays special music clips for victory and defeat events.
The game interface has continued to evolve, especially in making more dramatic use of portraits. Unit recall dialogs now display useful information about your veterans' traits. Add-ons now display their category when you browse them on the download server.
New game translations include Arabic, Croatian, Friulian, Latvian, Macedonian and Marathi. Existing translations have been extensively updated and revised.
For Content Developers
The map editor was much improved (thank you, Google Summer of Code). It can be started from within the game now. You can toggle overlay displays of terrain codes and map coordinates while editing. The editor can handle multiple maps in a session, and you can take screenshots of full maps. There's also a new interactive editing tool for animated journey tracks.
There are some new core units available everywhere: Troll Shaman, Royal Warrior and Dread Bat.
Less visible changes include improvements in the game AI, including a new formula-based AI that allows more flexible setting of objectives and an improved pathfinding algorithm. As usual, WML has grown more powerful with many new tags and attributes to extend the range of what campaign authors can do. The GUI engine is under heavy development; these changes will allow the entire GUI to be configured from WML. The first steps have been made, but the project is not finished yet and will continue in the 1.7 development cycle.
The support for writing Python AIs has been removed because the feature opened a serious security hole. However, we hope to build an even more powerful AI-scripting feature, possibly using a different and safer extension language, in 1.7.
Download
Battle for Wesnoth is made available under the GNU General Public License (GPL). Source code is available from wesnoth.org where you will also find instructions for building from source on a range of different operating systems. Ready-to-go packages are also available for most popular operating systems, including Linux and Windows and Mac OS X.
You can get up to date information about downloads at the downloads page.
If you downloaded previous versions of the game, you might be interested in downloading the xdelta files only.
More InfoMILWAUKEE — A rally to fight the “grad tax” was held on Saturday, December 9th in Pere Marquette Park.
Senator Lena Taylor, D-Milwaukee and a group of students spoke out against the Republican federal tax plan.
The group said the plan jeopardizes access to higher education. The GOP plan cuts student loan interest payments as deductions, for starters.
PHOTO GALLERY
Republicans have said the current education tax benefits are “so complicated that they are ineffective because many taxpayers cannot determine the tax benefits for which they are eligible.”
“The House and the Senate are currently reconciling the bills as we speak and we have to make sure in the final version that this is not included because graduate students and undergraduate students and the community are all gonna be affected,” Steven Vickers, MU student said.
The House and Senate are now working to iron out the differences between their two bills. President Donald Trump wants a bill on his desk by Christmas.Just over a year ago I started using Gulp and created gulp-starter. The setup works great out of the box on projects that are unopinionated about assets. Rails, unfortunately, is very opinionated, and it's taken me a year of trial and error to land on a solution that fully integrates a Gulp-based asset pipeline with Rails without compromising existing features or sacrificing speed, power, or flexiblity. The following setup is specifically customized for Rails with Heroku, but is easily adaptable to whatever tech stack you're using.
The Gulp Rails Pipeline
https://github.com/greypants/gulp-rails-pipeline
Leaves Sprockets and manifest files intact for use with gem installed assets
for use with gem installed assets Transform and bundle CommonJS modules (js or coffee) with Browserify
Compile.sass/.scss with Libsass (node-sass through gulp-sass)
Autoprefix CSS
Optimize images (could be expanded to further proccess or resize images)
Compile an icon font + sass from a folder of SVGs
Full BrowserSync integration (the original Rails Asset Pipeline didn't work with live stylesheet injection)
Revision filenames in production for caching
Build assets on deploy with Heroku
File Structure
The ONLY thing in app/assets are manifest files. This lets us continue to use Sprockets to require gem assets if necessary (e.g., //=require jquery_ujs ). The compiled files are.gitignore ’d and rebuilt on deploy. All of our source assets (sass, js/coffee, images, svgs, etc.) exist in gulp/assets, and compile to public/assets. Check out the README for full details.
Why leave Sprockets in place?
In an early attempt to replace the Rails Pipeline (in a fit of frustration), I completely ripped it out. I disabled Sprockets, removed relevant gems, and replicated (and improved) every feature with Gulp tasks. It worked great for a while, until the development team we were handing the project off wanted to know how to include assets from a gem they'd installed. Normally, you'd just add a sprockets //=require some_asset to the relevant css or js manifest file. But I'd removed the Pipeline altogether, and manifest files weren't a thing anymore.
We had to backtrack and re-think the problem. My goal was to completely replace the pipeline with full feature parity, including support for gem installed assets. So, because some gems rely on the asset pipeline, removing it altogether was no longer an option. Instead, I needed figure out a way to work with it (that I didn't hate), and that's the solution detailed above.
Why bother at all?
If you're already a Gulp fan, skip this section and get started with the repo. If you are currently using the Rails Asset Pipeline, and are wondering why you should bother changing up your workflow, read on!
The Rails Asset Pipeline is dated. The build tools that have become available to us in the years since its inception are incredible, and the old pipeline has failed to evolve or keep up. JavaScript bundlers like Browserify and Webpack have brought modules to the browser and vastly improved how we get to write code. Libsass has pretty much caught up to Ruby Sass now and compiles RIDICULOUSLY faster (especially on larger projects)! Autoprefixer lets us stop worrying about vendor prefixes or mixin libraries like Compass or Bourbon to fill them in. BrowserSync gives us live reloading with refresh-less stylesheet and image injection across multiple devices and browsers at the same time, while syncing scroll and navigation between them, without the need for browser plugins or manually inserted script tags! Generating and using icon fonts or svg sprites has become as simple as dropping files in a folder with a couple of gulp tasks.
For me, there's no better tool than Gulp to glue these incredible build tools together. Unfortunately, Rails disagrees and reeeally wants us to use its tech stack to handle assets. Sure, there are a few gems out there that let you cobble together some of the technology above, but I've found that they quickly fall behind, don't expose all the same options, and some things just aren't possible.
Contribute!
I believe I've finally settled on an integration that feels right, and doesn't compromise any existing features or new workflows we're looking add. If you have ideas, suggestions, or questions, comment below or head on over to GitHub and start contributing!“Reparative therapy” for gay people has been legally proscribed for minors in California and New Jersey. But apparently the political activists in the Texas GOP know better.
The state’s Republican Party has adopted into its 2014 platform a passage endorsing the practice, which, as marketed by the rapidly shrinking “ex-gay” movement, seeks to “convert” homosexuals into heterosexuals. The American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and a host of other professional bodies have condemned reparative therapy as damaging to the health of those people unfortunate enough to be subjected to its quack treatment regimens, which range from repeatedly beating a pillow with a tennis racket to “prolonged hugs” intended to let the recipient “feel the strength of another man”—in a totally non-sexual manner, of course.
The party’s decision to insert such extreme language into its platform will have ripple effects far beyond the Lone Star State. Dallas is one of four cities left in the running to host the 2016 Republican National Convention, and as the gay-rights movement gains steam across the country, winning victories seemingly every day, choosing a state where the ruling party deems gays to be sick will send an divisive message. (In a sign of just how desperate the situation is for gay rights in Texas, one gay Republican told me that he considered the platform fight a draw because his colleagues were able to get the party to eliminate decades-old language declaring that “homosexuality tears at the fabric of society.”)
It’s not exactly a surprise that the Texas Republican Party, one of the reddest of the red state party organizations in the country, would oppose gay marriage. After all, only a bare majority of Americans support it. But suggesting conversion therapy for gays, aside from being a bizarre preoccupation for a political party, is culturally tone-deaf on a massive scale.
That’s primarily because the ex-gay movement, or what’s left of it, is just a shell of its former self. Last year, Exodus International, at the time the largest ex-gay ministry in the world, dissolved. (The vast majority of such organizations are explicitly religious in tone, with only a handful, such as the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, attempting to maintain a veneer of pseudo-secular, psychiatric respectability.) Citing the untold “hurt” his organization had caused over a near 40-year run, former Exodus president Alan Chambers apologized to the countless men, women, girls, and boys who had been subjected to its message: “The opposite of homosexuality isn’t heterosexuality. It’s holiness.”
For Rich Tafel, the news from Texas brings a feeling of déjà vu. In 1998, Tafel was the leader of the Log Cabin Republicans, then and now the country’s largest and most respected group representing gay GOP-ers. That year, some 50 members of its Texas chapter had been elected as delegates and alternates to the state convention, but the party refused the chapter an exhibition booth alongside other Republican and conservative groups—the only organization to face such a ban. State party spokesman Robert Black went so far as to compare Log Cabin to the Ku Klux Klan and pedophiles, and slandered it as a “hate group.”
Not all Texas Republicans shared the views of the majority, and Log Cabin could count on some influential straight allies, foremost among them then-Gov. George W. Bush, who issued a statement opposing the organization’s exclusion. “While he differs with the Log Cabin Republicans on issues such as gay marriage, he does not condone name calling,” Bush spokeswoman Karen Hughes said. Two years later, Texas Republicans would make national news again for their homophobia when, at the 2000 Republican National Convention that nominated Bush, some of them bowed their heads in silent prayer, holding their cowboy hats over their hearts, when openly gay Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) addressed the crowd—about free trade.
“The Texas GOP has been taken over by the most extreme elements in the GOP,” Tafel told me this week. “Sixteen years ago, their behavior toward Log Cabin Republicans forced an apology from the state party director to Log Cabin. Today they have only moved further to the right and are so outside the norm of American society that the national party is too embarrassed to hold the national convention in Texas in 2016 because of this behavior.”
If there’s any “sickness” in the debate over homosexuality, it’s homophobia. A short documentary about the 1998 controversy, On the Front Lines, provides a chilling reminder of the virulence of its Texas strain. It depicts Tafel and a series of other courageous Log Cabin members addressing a “Rally for Liberty” outside the convention hall as counter-protesters shout abuse and wave signs bearing slogans such as “There’s no such thing as a Christian fag.” One particularly angry man can be seen screaming: “Never! Never! Never! You cannot have my son! You cannot have my daughter!” Tafel, an ordained minister, calmly replies to the haters that their words and actions make him “ashamed as a Christian.” And then, using the language of the pious against them, he declares, “We know that God is on our side.”
Whether or not there is a God, Tafel was right to be optimistic. Less than 20 years later, gay marriage, which barely registered on most people’s minds at the time, is now a reality in states ranging from California to Iowa to Massachusetts. Gays can serve openly in the military. An openly gay man has just joined the NFL. The president of the United States has formally incorporated gay rights into his foreign policy agenda.
But as America moves forward, Texas Republicans remain mired in the past. The draft 2014 platform invokes a series of straw men, including the hoary old claim that legal equality for gays is tantamount to the creation of “special legal entitlements or special status for homosexual behavior.” It also condemns “criminal or civil penalties against those who oppose homosexuality out of faith, conviction, or belief in traditional values,” as if the fearsome gay lobby is out to imprison ministers or pundits for their rhetoric.
The longer Texas Republicans keep acting like Neanderthals, the greater the chances that the politically unthinkable might happen. “As state after state embraces marriage equality, the Texas GOP resembles the George Wallace Democrats’ response to racial equality in the 1960s, grabbing harder onto their bigotry based in the fear of America’s growing inclusion,” Tafel says. “Their right-wing bigotry is single-handedly doing what Democrats have been unable to do—move Texas from a red state to a blue state.”Described as being a world supercomputer, Golem (GNT) is an open sourced decentralized application that anyone can use. It is made up of a network of computers ranging from personal computers to data centers. The idea behind Golem is that by chaining these machines together to form a supercomputer, the Golem network can be used to perform research that requires massive computational resources. The Golem network allows anyone to make money, in the form of GNT, for renting out their computing power. The technology, once implemented, will be suited to a range of computer-intensive tasks. Golem is available as a tradable token on major cryptocurrencies, having been launched after raising 820,000 ETH in a successful crowdsale in 2016. Among the tasks that Golem is suited for is rendering CGI and other tasks that would take vast amounts of time to be performed on a regular computer.Looking for news you can trust?
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The most significant public statement from a presidential campaign this year did not pass through the lips of a candidate. It came during the Republican convention in Tampa when Mitt Romney’s pollster, Neil Newhouse, declared at a breakfast panel organized by ABC News, “We’re not going to let our campaign be dictated by fact-checkers.” With these words, Romney’s chief numbers guy was issuing a manifesto: This campaign is about saying whatever needs to be said to win, reality and facts be damned. It was an appropriate slogan, for the 2012 campaign has been profoundly shaped by Romney’s willingness to obfuscate and dissemble far beyond the admittedly low norm of modern American politics. This election was not only about a clash of political civilizations; it was about the end of political truth.
All politicians shade the truth—or lie. Various fact-checking outfits have rapped President Barack Obama for making false statements. But Romney pushed the envelope this election cycle. He didn’t merely shift shapes and flip-flop excessively—or, flip-flop-flip, considering his last-minute, dare-devilish swerve toward the middle on abortion, gay rights, and immigration. He didn’t only hype his past history and qualifications (I created 100,000 jobs at Bain!) and issue grand and hollow promises about his proposed policies (my economic plan will lead to 12 million jobs). He didn’t just mislead through the selective use of facts (the Benghazi raid was proof of Obama’s foreign policy fecklessness). Romney engaged in foundational lying.
The Republican presidential candidate built much of his campaign on basic untruths about the president. Romney blasted Obama for breaking a “promise” to keep unemployment below 8 percent. He claimed the president was “apologizing for America abroad.” He accused Obama of adding “nearly as much debt as all the previous presidents combined” and of cutting $500 million from Medicare. None of this was true. (See here, here, here, and here.)
All of these apocryphal statements have been essential parts of Romney’s fundamental case against Obama: He’s failed to revive the economy and he’s placed the nation at risk. Rather than stick to a discourse premised on actual differences (he believes in government investments and would raise taxes on the wealthy to fund them; I want to shrink government and cut taxes)—and bend the truth within acceptable boundaries to bolster the argument—Romney has repeatedly relied on elemental falsehoods, with no regard, as Newhouse noted, for being called out on any of them. He has insisted that under Obama “government will come to control half the economy.” (Not so.) That Obama told small business owners that they didn’t build their own businesses. (Again, not so.) That the Obama administration appeases and sides with terrorists and enemies of the United States. (Also not so.) That Obama weakened welfare rules to win votes—wink, wink—from “his base.” (Really not so.) It was objections to Romney’s arguably race-tinged welfare assault—raised by mainstream media journalists—that prompted Newhouse to declare the Romney crew’s disdain for fact-checking.
The list goes on. Steve Benen, who writes for Rachel Maddow’s blog, chronicled 917 of what he calls Romney “lies.” Partisans of the right will harrumph, defending Romney on some points, and insist that Obama is a falsehood-hurler, too. But consider one set of statistics, which are flattering to neither candidate, but show Romney with a clear lead when it comes to bogus claims. Of the 202 Romney statements PolitiFact has evaluated, 32 percent were judged mostly false and false, with pants-on-fire statements accounting for an additional 9 percent. Of the 452 Obama assertions reviewed, 26 percent fell into the false or mostly false category, and 2 percent were pants-on-fire untruths.
The numbers tell only part of the story. This is what’s most intriguing: Only three of Obama’s seven POF fibs targeted Romney. This included Obama’s tongue-in-cheek charge that Romney plans to “fire” Big Bird. (PolitiFact contended that Romney’s proposed cuts to public broadcasting would not have much impact on Sesame Workshop.) The other two pants-on-fire citations Obama received were for accusing Romney of backing a bill that outlawed all abortions, even in cases of rape and incest (Romney had endorsed a “human life” amendment, and only some versions of this have explicitly ruled out exceptions), and for saying Romney supported zeroing out aid for Israel (at a debate Romney agreed with other GOP candidates to “start” all foreign aid “at zero” and then consider which countries would get what).
Romney’s stats reveal a different a trend: All but one of his 19 pants-on-fire statements were aimed at Obama or his policies. And they were all supersized fibs: the apology tour; Obama raising taxes on middle class families by $4,000; Obama “ending Medicare as we know it“; Obama endangering the United States by downsizing the Navy and Air Force; and, “we’re only inches away from no longer being a free economy.”
Romney’s false assertions have been the building blocks of his campaign. And he has tethered his truth-trampling to a disregard for transparency. He succeeded in keeping most of his tax returns hidden from public scrutiny—one of the major tactical successes of his campaign. He never fully explained his offshore accounts or magical IRA, valued between $20 million and $100 million. Unlike Obama and past candidates, he refused to disclose his major campaign fundraisers (a.k.a. “bundlers”). Romney has not yielded to the calls to identify the tax deductions he would end to compensate for lowering tax rates for well-to-do Americans and other taxpayers.
It was fitting that Romney concluded his not-to-be-dictated-by-fact-checkers campaign with the charge—made in a Romney speech and then advanced in an ad—that Chrysler, thanks to Obama’s rescue of the auto industry, is moving Jeep production to China. This assault packed a tremendous amount of mendacity into one package. Throughout the campaign, Romney has ducked reports that when he was at Bain Capital he presided over investments in firms that outsourced and offshored jobs to China and elsewhere. (I broke some of these, such as this and this.) Romney has also had to contend with the most inconvenient op-ed ever written: his November 18, 2008, “Let Detroit Go Bankrupt” column in the New York Times. Earlier this year, Romney insisted he deserved “a lot of credit” for the revival of the auto industry because he had pushed for a “managed bankruptcy.” He also argued that without Obama’s “intervention things would be better” for car manufacturers. This was all disingenuous puffery. As Justin Hyde (like many others) noted, “At the time of their bankruptcies, no one but the U.S. government had the money or stomach for the risks of saving Chrysler and GM. There was no course for survival but through the Obama administration.” Romney had nothing to do with the rescue, and his critique of Obama has been dishonest.
Yet with his Jeep attack, Romney conjured up a whole new reality. Chrysler was not, it turned out, relocating production from the United States to China; it was expanding production in China to make Jeeps for the Chinese market (while also increasing production in the United States). Chrysler execs, who no doubt would prefer not to intervene directly in a presidential campaign, issued a statement noting, “Jeep has no intention of shifting production of its Jeep models out of North America to China.” Yet the Romney camp didn’t shift into reverse. It recklessly sped forward, with an ad claiming, “Mitt Romney has a plan to help the auto industry…Obama took GM and Chrysler into bankruptcy and sold Chrysler to Italians who are going to build Jeeps in China. Mitt Romney will fight for every American job.” With this spot, Romney, the candidate who invested in Chinese outsourcing and who opposed the auto bailout, was deploying disinformation to transform Obama into the outsourcing guy who sold out the auto industry to the Chinese.
It doesn’t get much more brazen than that. The Washington Post‘s “Fact Checker” column handed Romney four Pinocchios, it’s top—or lowest—rating, observing that the “misleading” ad “shows that we have entered the final, desperate week of the campaign.” But for Romney, this was not desperation; this was merely a continuation of his screw-the-truth strategy. His campaign didn’t seem to care about being branded deceitful. Newspapers throughout Ohio reported that Romney was pushing a phony attack. When the campaign aired a similar radio ad referring to GM, a spokesman for that auto company rebuked Romney: “We’ve clearly entered some parallel universe during these last few days.” After Donald Trump rushed to back up Romney’s Jeep fusillade, a Chrysler official tweeted at him, “You are full of shit!”
Parallel universe, or full of shit—Romney wrapped up his presidential bid true to Newhouse’s pledge. James Fallows has bemoaned that the nation now is stuck with “post-truth politics.” And Romney broadened the horizons of this era—to such an extent that the Obama campaign felt justified in releasing a counter-Jeep ad accusing Romney of having peddled a “lie.” As nasty as politics can get, campaigns do tend to shy away from using the L-word. (Rep. Joe Wilson was pilloried for calling Obama a liar during his 2009 address to Congress on health care.) But, finally, Chicago let it fly.
As this bitter and often ugly presidential race hurtles to a close, with each campaign relying on its ground operations, and with Obama and Romney darting from one swing state to another to court those remaining 37 undecided voters, what remains to be seen is this: Will the bullshit work? Romney did run smack into a media backlash after the Jeep ad, yet the polls remained close. It was unclear whether he would pay a price for such an audacious stunt. He had committed a mugging in plain sight—just as he had when he was caught on video dismissing nearly half the nation as moochers and victims who do not take personal responsibility for their own lives—but he was still in a position to get away with it.
Election Day will say whether Romney has indeed brought about the complete triumph of post-truth politics. In a Seinfeld episode, George Costanza famously observed, “Remember, it’s not a lie if you believe it.” In Romneyworld, that line might be modified: It’s not a lie if it works. As significant as Tuesday’s outcome will be for this much-divided nation in determining future policies regarding the economy, present and future wars, abortion rights, climate change, the social safety net, and much more, it will also provide an answer to a critical bottom-line question: In politics, does reality matter?SR: It’s evident now that climate change is going to have a big impact, in the relatively short term, on the way we live. However, the level of mobilisation and campaigning around it is pretty low – for example the 2012 demonstration was the smallest in years. Why do you think this is?
NB: It’’s distressing how little movement there has been in the last ten years over climate change. While the BBC are still stuck in a rut giving climate deniers airtime, the scientific evidence, most recently from the Arctic, shows that we are heading for a “climate cliff”.
Unlike in the international cooperation over CFCs and the ozone layer, tackling climate change involves a fundamental economic shift. That makes the debate far more than a single environmental issue and involves confronting vested interests.
There is a consensus among the scientific community that climate change is a clear and present danger, and millions of people in this country are deeply concerned about the effect it will have at home and abroad but many people feel powerless. In that context, the yearly demonstrations can feel abstract. If Blair could ignore 1.5 million people marching over Iraq, how big would a demonstration have to be to provoke this government to overturn our economic system?
During a prolonged recession, many people are understandably more concerned about where tomorrow’s lunch money is coming from, or next month’s rent or mortgage payment. The challenge is to show how fixing our environmental crisis goes hand in hand with fixing the economic crisis. The penalty for ignoring climate change will be far greater hardship for the poorest.
The upside is that organisations like Transition Towns have shown that people are willing to take local action, and that there is a broad range of voices from across the political spectrum who still care about the issue – even though they don’t see an annual demonstration as relevant to the practical action they are taking. This focus on building real projects can be extremely inspiring, whether that’s community owned renewable energy, local councils rolling out free home insulation or co-housing projects – these modest, practical initiatives should give us hope that the big changes we need to make are at least possible.
SR: There is always a tension in environmental politics between individual lifestyle choices and the constraints put on us by living a capitalist economy. How do we reconcile these two things?
NB: Ultimately climate change, soil degradation, air pollution or the erosion of the Green Belt are all political problems. We can’t solve them through swapping our light bulbs or wearing more ethically produced shoes.
However, if we want to build a movement of people committed to the kinds of fundamental change we need we have to engrain that politics into our lives. These are not abstract issues of interest only to academics and that means doing as well as talking. If changing your electricity supplier leads you to having conversations and raising awareness then I’m all for it – as long as we’re careful not to fool ourselves or others that it is by any means enough.
Some lifestyle changes are only ever going to be open to those who can afford to pay a bit extra, or have the time and energy left over after work, kids, etc. to be able to think about which brand to buy. We need to make the environmentally friendly option in every aspect of our lives the cheapest, easiest and obvious choice. That’s a political change, not an individual one. That takes on the power of Tesco rather than advising people which shelf to pick from.
SR: There was a moment, immediately after Caroline Lucas was elected to Westminster, when it looked like the Green Party had the potential to be a radical anti-cuts voice and to grow from articulating that opposition. From the outside, it doesn’t look like that happened. How do you plan to position the party in the run up to the next local and general elections?
NB: After coming third in the London Mayoral / Assembly elections and with some positive by-election results I think we’re in a good position to do well at these elections. The party membership has doubled in the last four years and the presence of Caroline in Westminster as a hugely effective MP has greatly improved our profile.
However, the state of our economy and environment demands that we move much faster. We can’t be satisfied with one excellent MP. In the 2014 European elections if the Greens can win just 1.6% more at the polls we can treble the number of MEPs we have, I think we can do that.
While the media and the Labour Party have simply accepted the Coalition’s rationale for cuts it has been down to the smaller voices to inject economic sense. It shouldn’t be down to the Green Party alone to make the case for a fairer economic model, and that’s why we need allies in the movement. UKUncut, Occupy and a host of campaigning NGOs have made fantastic contributions to this.
The Green Party should be and is one voice of many putting the case against austerity, and I certainly value the work those outside the party have done here. Together we have started to turn the economic arguments around.
SR: Once a party gets people elected it has to start making choices. In local government this is currently expressed as “making painful cuts fair” and in Brighton Green councillors supported a cuts budget. Should MPs and councillors vote for cuts and do they have a role in organising against them?
NB: I don’t think there’s any way to make these savage cuts in government spending which are hitting the poorest, hardest “fair”. Green Party members across the country are involved in local campaigns to defend specific services, libraries, nurseries and Sure Start Centres. We think the nationally led austerity measures are more about ideology than economics – the Tories want to privatise and shrink the state no matter what the cost to the economy and society.
That means that the challenge is not just about cuts but about what sort of society we want. We don’t just want to go back to the budgets of 2006 at the end of the boom, when more than 20% of pensioners and children were living in poverty. While Greens want to see less spending on nuclear weapons, war and zombie road building, the fact is we need to invest in a fairer society. These cuts are economically illiterate false economies.
The challenge at a local level is that more and more power has been shifted into national government and that many of their functions act almost as the administrative arm of the national government, with budgets and ring fenced spending dictated from Westminster. Local councillors can and do make a difference but not in conditions of their choosing.
In Brighton and Hove the minority Green Party council proposed a council tax rise to offset the majority of the Tory / Lib Dem cuts on top of an unprecedented public consultation on how residents wanted to see their city run. When Labour allied with the Tories to vote down that modest rise they introduced a £17 million short fall in the budget – this was reckless and irresponsible, but until we have a majority on the council the power is not in our hands to overturn that decision.
The Labour Tory block in Brighton and Hove is playing politics with public services.
One silver lining is that this gave a number of councils across the country, ironically including Tory-run ones, the confidence to follow Brighton Greens’ lead and raise council taxes to preserve services.
Of course some of the savings that have been made are not so bad. The Greens are bringing outsourced services back in-house, they sold off the Mayoral number plates to create a poverty fund and addressed executive pay. I’m also proud that Brighton and Hove now pay the living wage to their staff and are almost alone in the country in building new council homes.
SR: What is the Green Party’s response to the economic crisis in Britain?
NB: We need to invest in the future to create a new low-carbon, jobs-rich economy. We need to bring food production and manufacturing back to Britain and introduce the desperately needed banking and tax regulation that none of the largest Parliamentary Parties seem willing to propose. We need long-term solutions that build strong local economies.
I’d like to see an economy built around small businesses and cooperatives with national investment in manufacturing and technology to create meaningful jobs that contribute to solving the climate crisis.
The power of multi-nationals and the banks has pushed our economy towards a toxic and unstable mix of low wage precarious employment while ignoring social and environmental |
on information gathering missions to find out about how its mobile OS is used in various markets. There was a particular emphasis on Japan with these excursions, our tipster says, but it also reached China, India, Spain and many more markets where lower cost devices have a very strong foothold.
The purpose of these trips was to find out “how people use Android” in these markets, according to our tipster. It looks like a concerted effort to make Android more successful in markets where it still has lots of room to grow. In Japan, for instance, Android is just barely outselling iOS according to the most recent numbers from Kantar Worldpanel, whereas Google enjoys a much larger gulf in most other markets.
Google has also recently shown a renewed interest in targeting high growth potential markets that still see many subscribers using feature phones. The Moto G is plainly an attempt to hook users new to smartphones, with so-called premium features offered at a bargain price of just $179 on contract for a model with 8GB of onboard storage. The design of the Moto G was informed by the input of 15,000 potential Android smartphone users, according to Motorola, which again backs up the idea that Google has been doing field research on addressing those markets.
The Moto G, and Android 4.4 KitKat, are both clear signals that Google is thinking beyond the lucrative U.S. market with its current focus on mobile. Localization and addressing particular markets with unique features and interfaces is something that Google can actually do perhaps easier than its competitors, because of the fundamentally changeable nature of Android. Making sure that it’s looking at these markets first-hand, and getting core Android team members out to satellite offices to learn more about the needs of Android’s next billion indicates Google is tackling mobile in a very forward-thinking manner.Smooth as silk hummus with lots of roasted garlic, nutty parmesan, and a little pepper for a kick. Serve this creamy dip up with crunchy homemade pita chips and your favorite sliced veggies.
Give me a tub of hummus, some pita chips, a glass of wine and I’m all set. Because why would one need to eat anything else? Besides a handful of reese’s pieces of course.
Yes, I’m describing my exact Tuesday night on the couch to you.
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If you’re looking for incredibly thick hummus, let me direct you to my favorite basic hummus recipe. Man alive, that stuff is good. But if you’re craving something a little more authentic, smoother, silkier, packed with roasted garlic, and filled with nutty parmesan – you’ve come to the right place today.
I made this seriously smooth roasted garlic parmesan hummus yesterday and it’s already gone. (My serving size is no where near 2 Tablespoons. Who can only eat 2 Tablespoons of dip? I don’t understand??) The flavor of it is unreal and, apparently, addictive.
There’s cheese. There’s roasted garlic. There’s even more roasted garlic. And it’s downright incredible spread on a whole wheat tortilla rolled up with roasted red peppers and a handful of spinach. Your breath won’t be pleasant but your tastebuds will be happy.
Homemade hummus might sound ridiculous to you because why take the time to make something from scratch that is just as tasty bought from the store? But let me tell you– store-bought ain’t got nothin’ on homemade hummus. Homemade (1) is cheaper (2) comes without a junk-filled ingredient list (3) really does taste better and (4) the smell of garlic roasting in your oven. A reason in and of itself, of course.
If there is one make-it-or-break-it point in making your own smooth as silk hummus at home, it’s this: peel the membranes off the chickpeas before using.
I can’t believe I just typed membranes on my food blog.
The truth is that the outer skins of chickpeas cannot really be broken down properly no matter how strong your processor or blender is. Their rough texture prevents your hummus from having that glorious silky whipped texture. Rather, your hummus can taste a bit… grainy. I don’t typically take the time to do this because I feel like I’ve been peeling for 3 hours when it’s only been 3 minutes. And chickpea skins or not, homemade hummus – even a little grainy in texture – is good. But I’m going to be honest here: you will have hummus so smooth, so light, and so silky if you take this extra step.
It’s tedious and annoying to do, but the results are all sorts of mind-boggling amazing. Hire anyone in the house to help keep you from losing your mind you pop off the peels. It will only take about 10-15 minutes, promise. Give it a try.
Let’s talk about dipping options. You have the obvious carrots, cucumber slices, peppers, and crackers. You know what’s so good? I had it in the springtime – deviled eggs with hummus. Hummus instead of mayo. Oh! I also made this pizza in the summer using my pizza crust recipe. Hummus instead of tomato sauce. Don’t get me wrong, I love tomato sauce but hummus pizza is DYNAMITE.
Back to hummus dippers. Someone by the name of stacy makes the best pita chips on the planet. Once you open a bag, your self control doesn’t stand a chance. Lucky for me (and you!), we don’t have to spend $6 on a small bag of pita chips anymore because we can make crunchy spiced pita chips at home. For much cheaper. And they taste better too.
So crunchy. The best match for your silky smooth, radically roasted, perfect parmesan hummus.
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Seriously Smooth Roasted Garlic Parmesan Hummus Yield: 1 and 3/4 cups hummus; enough pita chips for 4 Total Time: 30 minutes Smooth as silk hummus with lots of roasted garlic, nutty parmesan, and a little pepper for a kick. Serve this creamy dip up with crunchy homemade pita chips and your favorite sliced veggies. This recipe is gluten free without the spiced pita chips. Print Recipe Ingredients: Spiced Pita Chips 4 pitas (or pita pockets - homemade is OK)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
sea salt Roasted Garlic Parmesan Hummus 1 and 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas (about one 15 ounce can - drain, rinse, and reserve 1/4 cup liquid)
4 roasted garlic cloves, chopped (here is how I roast garlic)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup tahini, stirred well
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup reserved chickpea liquid or water
sea salt, to taste Directions: Make the pita chips: Preheat oven to 400F degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside. Cut each pita into 8 triangles and arrange on the baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, garlic powder, and lemon pepper together until combined. Brush each pita triangle with mixture. Flip each pita triangle over and brush the other side. Give them a light sprinkle of sea salt. Bake pita triangles for 10 minutes, or until browned and crispy. Allow to cool as you prepare the hummus. Make the hummus: Peel the skins off of all the chickpeas. This may be done in advance to save time if you prefer - cover the peeled chickpeas and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Place the chickpeas into your food processor or high speed blender and pulse until they are somewhat mashed. Add the chopped garlic, olive oil, tahini, parmesan, pepper, cumin, and lemon juice. Process until creamy for at least 1 minute. You may need to stop and start the processor a few times to get things moving. Add the reserved chickpea liquid and process for 1 more minute. Taste - and add a little salt (and/or chopped garlic, pepper, cumin) if needed. I usually never add salt, though that is just a personal preference. Add more olive oil and/or reserved chickpea liquid to thin out if needed. Spoon the hummus into a bowl and drizzle with additional olive oil, a sprinkle of parmesan, a couple pieces of chopped roasted garlic, and a sprinkle of fresh ground pepper if desired. Serve with spiced pita chips and fresh veggies. Make ahead tip: This hummus tastes best up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Make ahead and cover tightly before serving. Store the chips in zipped-top bag or tupperware for up to 2 weeks. Did you make a recipe? Tag @sallysbakeblog on Instagram and hashtag it #sallysbakingaddiction.
Sally’s Baking Addiction. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe. Some of the links above are affiliate links, which pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting Sally’s Baking Addiction.. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words, or link back to this post for the recipe. Some of the links above are affiliate links, which pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting Sally’s Baking Addiction.
Q: What’s the best hummus flavor you’ve ever had? I once had spicy hummus with chopped kalamata olives inside and a light drizzle of honey on top. OMG. Must recreate soon.In New York State, there are more than two political parties and there are more than two candidates running for governor. While only Andrew Cuomo, the Democratic Party candidate, and Carl Paladino, the Republican Party candidate with Tea Party support, have realistic chances of being elected (and with Paladino that is a definite maybe), there are a number of minor party candidates on the ballot or running write-in campaigns.
Minor parties and their candidates are running to gain political influence (the union-backed Working Families Party and the Liberal and Conservative Parties), promote their agendas (the Anti-Prohibition pro-marijuana party, the Socialist Workers Party, and the Libertarian Party), and sometimes because they have much nothing better to do (Jimmy McMillan and the Rent is Too Damn High Party and New York City Councilmember Charles Barron and the Freedom Party).
Some minor parties, such as Working Families, generally cross-endorse the main candidates hoping to gain ballot strength and build for the future. Others such as the Independence and Taxpayers Parties are not real parties at only, only efforts by the Democratic and Republican candidates to grab more space on the ballot.
Before I go any further, I need to state that I am a tee-shirt wearing member of the New York State Green Party (we don't have membership cards). The Green Party is running Howie Hawkins, a teamster from the Rochester area who works for UPS for governor and Gloria Mattera, a health professional and community organizer from Brooklyn for lieutenant governor. I think the Green Party campaign is different from the campaigns of the other minor candidates and from the major parties and bears close attention, not because they will win anything, but because they have the potential to reshape political dialogue in the state and the nation.
Howie Hawkins and Gloria Mattera were in Brooklyn on Sunday, September 26th, to participate in a giant block party called the Atlantic Antic. After the block party we met and spoke together at a Green Party fund-raiser in Park Slope, Brooklyn.
Jon Stewart has accused minority parties on the left and right of promoting extremism and of irrationality. In the case of the New York Greens, Stewart is definitely wrong! Hawkins and Mattera are two of the most rational and thoughtful people I have met in the political arena. They make the Democratic and Republican Party candidates look like the irrational extremists.
Howie Hawkins told me "Paladino thinks he is mad, but he's not as mad as me!" He thinks, "The basic issue in this campaign is: Will our state government be for the people, or continue to serve the super-rich and the giant corporations?" Hawkins is wrong in one respect. This is probably the basic issue facing the entire country.
Hawkins told the assembled group that New York State and the nation need a new "New Deal," a "Green New Deal." It would include the promise of full employment with government as employer of last resort; a single-payer health plan; and full funding for education. He also called for an end to tuition in the city and state universities, a state bank to invest government funds and pension dollars, and a more progressive tax structure. While every other candidate for governor is calling for cuts, Hawkins actually wants to state to spend more, to provide jobs, and to stimulate the economy.
Gloria Mattera used her allotted speaking time to explain the four pillars of the Green Party: Non-violence and the demilitarization of the United States; social and economic justice; ecological wisdom; and grassroots participatory democracy. You can learn more about the Green Party, their stands in the gubernatorial election, other Green Party candidates, and the Green New Deal at their website http://www.web.gpnys.com.
Because or arcane New York State law designed to keep minority parties off of the ballot and out of the public mind, the Green Party needs 50,000 votes in the gubernatorial election to get a permanent ballot line. This is crucial to the party because it frees them from constantly having to circulate nomination petitions and would allow party activists to concentrate on presenting issues.The imam credited with saving the life of a man who drove his van into a crowd of people in north London has said: "All life is sacred."
Imam Mohammed Mahmoud told Sky News how he had just finished prayers when a "panicked" worshipper ran in to say what was happening outside.
"We arrived on the scene within minutes after the accident, we found the assailant on the floor being restrained by around three people," he said.
"The injured and deceased brothers were being attended to and CPR was being administered on them.
"We found that a group of people quickly tried to collect around him and some tried to hit him, either kicks or punches.
"By God's grace we managed to surround him and protect him from any harm. We stopped all forms of attack and abuse towards him that were coming from every angle."
Imam Mohammed said he was with others trying to stave off violence against the perpetrator and he told police arriving on the scene that a "mob" was attempting to hurt him.
"If you don't take him, God forbid, he might be seriously hurt," he told officers.
Watch as crowd pin Finsbury Park driver to the ground
Footage from the scene shows an angry crowd restraining the suspect after he drove a white van into pedestrians - many believed to be worshippers leaving evening prayers - at around midnight.
One person has died and nine have been taken to hospital following the terror attack. All of the casualties were Muslims, police say.
People were filmed screaming expletives and "killer" repeatedly at the van driver as he was held down in the chaotic situation.
Witnesses say Imam Mohammed urged people to leave the man alone, telling the crowd: "Do not touch him!"
He was also said to have used his body to shield the suspected terrorist from angry onlookers.
Police arrest man amid angry crowd
Adil Rana, 24, who was outside Finsbury Park Mosque when the attack happened, said the imam moved quickly to de-escalate the situation.
"The driver jumped out and then he was pinned down to the floor and people were punching him and beating him, which was reasonable because of what he's done," he said.
"And then the imam of the mosque actually came out and said: 'Don't hit him, hand him over to the police, pin him down'."
Ibn Omar, a worshipper at the mosque, also saw the imam trying to stop people attacking the suspect.
"The assailant was on the floor, apprehended, some individuals were trying to injure him but obviously the general Muslims were saying that, 'no don't do that'," he said.
"The imam as well was urging people that, 'listen wait til the authorities come and apprehend him'."
Witness: He took a sharp left and was running them over
London mayor Sadiq Khan praised Imam Mohammed's actions.
"When things were getting very heated, and we can understand why, Imam Mohammed did a really good job in calming things down and making sure that justice can be done as it should be done via due process, rather than anyone taking the law into their own hands," he told Sky News.
"This is a good community. They pull together, they work closely with each other and the actions of Imam Mohammed are what I would expect from a good faith leader and a good Muslim leader."
Police: Officers were on the scene instantly
Toufik Kacimi, chief executive of the Muslim Welfare House, also praised the actions of Imam Mohammed, calling him a "hero".
The leader's "bravery and courage helped calm the immediate situation after the incident and prevented further injuries and potential loss of life," he said.
Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu thanked members of the public who restrained the driver, saying "their restraint in the circumstances was commendable".
The driver has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and terror offences.When the Norwegian inventor Simon Sivertson was midway through a round-the-world boat trip, he noted how similar the experience of underwater swimming was to flying. While, being towed behind his family’s boat, he sought to develop a way for him to better control his movement through the water, rather than simply hanging on to a rope. Several years, and many prototypes later, the end result of this idea was born: the Subwing.
Consisting of two ABS polymer or carbon fibre wings, connected to each over via a swiveling joint, and towed by a slow moving boat, the Subwing looks both futuristing and extreme. The Subwing allows the user a huge amount of flexibility as they move through the water, and works through similar mechanisms to wings on a plane.
Image: © 2014 Facebook/Subwing
Tilting the wing up or down will cause the user to dive or ascend in the water, while rotating one wing up and the other down will cause the user to turn in a given direction. More extreme twisting of the device allows the user to perform elaborate spins and tricks, in a way very similar to that of a dolphin or seal moving underwater. For level swimming (or flying) an experienced user can also grip the Subwing with one hand via a separate handle.
While a user is nonetheless limited to spending short amounts of time underwater, as the product is intended for free-diving rather than with SCUBA gear, it nonetheless recreates the feeling of flying through the water. Users can navigate between obstacles, surface to take a breath, and then once again dive and barrel roll to the bottom.
The product itself has won several design awards, in both Sivertson’s native Norway, as well as Germany. Currently it is available for order for between $300 and $900 depending on what model is chosen.In her first interview since the inauguration, Ivanka Trump admitted she is “complicit” with her father’s actions, if the word’s definition is being a “force for good.”
Last month, Saturday Night Live ran a commercial parody featuring Trump (portrayed by Scarlett Johansson) which advertised her new perfume “Complicit”.
The commercial features Trump walking into a room with a voiceover which says, “she’s a woman who knows what she wants and knows what she’s doing… complicit.”
WATCH: ‘SNL’ debuts new perfume ‘Complicit’ from Ivanka Trump
Trump was questioned by CBS News over the allegations she is being “complicit” with how her father and boss, U.S. President Donald Trump, has operated early on during his time in office.
“If being complicit is wanting to, is wanting to be a force for good and to make a positive impact, then I’m complicit,” she said. “I don’t know that the critics who may say that of me, if they found themselves in this very unique and unprecedented situation that I am now in, would do any differently than I am doing.”
READ MORE: ‘SNL’ debuts new perfume ‘Complicit’ from Ivanka Trump
She said she hopes to make a “positive impact” in her role as Assistant to the President before admitting she didn’t know the meaning of complicit.
“I don’t know what it means to be, um, complicit, um, but, uh, you know, I hope time will prove that I have done a good job and much more importantly that my father’s administration is the success that I know it will be.”
As it did after the SNL skit aired, the word complicit trended on Merriam-Webster’s web site, proving the First Daughter is not alone.David Bowie poses during the 31st Cannes Film Festival on May 30, 1978. Photo by Ralph Gatti/Getty Images
Each week, Roads & Kingdoms and Slate publish a new dispatch from around the globe. For more foreign correspondence mixed with food, war, travel, and photography, visit their online magazine or follow @roadskingdoms on Twitter.
David Bowie, who died on Jan. 10, played many roles in his long career, from Ziggy Stardust and the Thin White Duke to cameos as far-flung as voicing a character on SpongeBob SquarePants to a fleeting appearance on David Lynch’s Twin Peaks. Bowie’s charisma and presence allowed him to shift with apparent effortlessness from character to character. One of the most outlandish roles of his career, however, was a part that he didn’t choose: Among a certain set of Soviet citizens, Bowie became notorious as the immaculately fashionable foe of the artists collective and aspiring youth-movement masterminds known as Mitki.
Bowie had visited the USSR twice during the 1970s and was photographed riding the Trans-Siberian Railway and visiting iconic landmarks, including Moscow’s Cathedral of St. Basil the Blessed. However, Bowie’s music was entirely banned in the Soviet Union. Strict media restrictions prohibited a vast swath of “foreign-influenced” popular music, from Russian-language rock groups like Kino and AuktYon to global hit-makers like AC/DC and the Talking Heads. These censorship policies kept Bowie from performing publicly during his ’70s visits and kept his recordings off the shelves. However, in cities like St. Petersburg—then Leningrad—those in the know could find cassette tapes of his albums with relative ease through the shadowy network of do-it-yourself transcribers known as samizdat.
September 1982 found Bowie at a pivotal moment in his career. A predatory contract with an unscrupulous manager was set to expire at the end of the month, freeing the singer to choose between a number of lucrative new recording offers. That same September, as Bowie anticipated a windfall on the other side of the globe, a young artist named Vladimir Shinkarev eked out a meager living as an attendant in a coal-powered boiler room in Leningrad. Toiling in the obscurity of officially sanctioned Soviet work had its advantages, however: He and others of his generation took advantage of ample time off to pursue outside interests. In Shinkarev’s case, these included painting, writing, and bonding with friends over copious bottles of cheap port wine.
On Sept. 24, Shinkarev began work on a series of tongue-in-cheek pamphlets that distilled the aesthetic of his peers into the manifesto of a youth movement. This movement was intended to parallel Western subcultures such as punk but with a proudly Russian twist. Dmitri Shagin is described in the pamphlet as not only the group’s figurehead, but also its most typical member. A painter and drinking companion of Shinkarev’s with a tendency to gently defy social convention by, say, shaking hands with women and kissing men on the cheek, Shagin embodied the absurdist quality of the movement. He professed a deep love for both the Imperial Russian and Soviet military, especially a fascination with all things naval, while simultaneously strictly rejecting violence in all forms. Thus, the Mitki were born.
Released in installments via the same samizdat system that circulated Bowie’s work, the Mitki texts found a receptive audience, first among Leningrad youth, then ballooning outward through much of the Russian-speaking world. Key features of the hypothetical ideal Mitki adherent were the blue-and-white striped tel’niashka shirts typical of Russian sailors coupled with a pacifistic desire to “not defeat anyone.” As for the name, Shinkarev explained that, very simply, it’s easy to type: The Cyrillic letters that make up the word Mitki lie immediately next to each other on the bottom row of the Russian keyboard. The group, based in St. Petersburg with a secondary branch in Moscow, functioned as a loosely knit collective of largely apolitical underground artists and their supporters, hosting unofficial exhibitions and concerts until perestroika allowed them to emerge from hiding in the late ’80s.
Given the humble boiler room beginnings of the Mitki movement, it’s not surprising that overarching rejection of Western glamor is a central tenet of the group’s idiosyncratic philosophy. Exactly how Bowie was chosen as the principal representative of this glamor is a more complicated question. Bowie’s Thin White Duke–era flirtation with fascism—in 1975, he told an interviewer he believed “very strongly in fascism” and called Adolf Hitler “one of the first rock stars,” though he later expressed regret for the comments—may have provoked the ire of the Mitki. A group fixated on Russian military endeavors, including, of course, the costly Soviet victory in World War II, could hardly be expected to approve of a Nazi sympathizer. Perhaps the Mitki were also aware of Bowie’s exceedingly dandyish photo shoot in Moscow and disapproved of the juxtaposition of his rocker’s preening in front of Russian landmarks. Another possibility lies in the similarities between Bowie and the Russian rock musician—and Mitki compatriot—Boris Grebenshikov. As a young man, Grebenshikov resembled and sometimes dressed similarly to the tall, thin superstar; it’s possible that Shinkarev cast Bowie as villain in order to subtly poke fun at his friend. One thing is for sure: When the Mitki decided upon Bowie as antagonist, they fixated on him mercilessly.
Shinkarev describes Bowie as the absolute antithesis of the Mitki style of dress. A true Mitki man, by his description, should be so intrinsically unfashionable that “he could wear a costume in the style of David Bowie as if it were an old torn coat.” At a later point in the Mitki series, Shinkarev tells the story of an American, a Frenchman, and a Mitki Russian, all of whom try and fail to save a drowning woman who has fallen off the side of a ship. Shinkarev says that when the American and the Frenchman enter the tale, a Mitki man should shout words to the effect of “All in all, that David Bowie! What a jerk!” For the Mitki, Bowie served as whipping boy for the sins of all proud Westerners.
Alexandar Mihailovic, a professor of Slavic studies at Brown University, recounts an alternative version of the “Woman Overboard” story, with a new ending provided by Mitki spokesman Dmitri Shagin. In this variant, the antagonist—Bowie—goes forth to save the woman in a boat equipped with technological gadgets. His gear fails and he cannot save her, but the Mitki man is able to miraculously rescue both Bowie and the woman by walking on water. He comforts Bowie by referring to him by an overwrought diminutive name: Devidushka Bauyushka.
A drawing by Mitki member Aleksandr Florensky references the aforementioned treatise. Made to look like a book jacket, it features Bowie in a face-off with a typical Mitki adherent and is entitled The Fundamental Work ‘The Mitki and David Bowie,’ with the unhelpful subtitle, “The Fundamental Work ‘The Mitki and David Bowie’ Has Not Yet Been Written.” Bowie is depicted as clean-shaven and spiky haired, with a pair of headphones that betrays his reliance on technology, which the Mitki professed to scorn.
Followers of the Mitki movement were obliged to flamboyantly, demonstratively resent David Bowie. It’s not clear that this resentment was rooted in actual dislike, however. The Mitki were engaging in a brand of Russian humor known as stiob: parody so deep that it can be impossible to tell sincerity from insincerity. Bowie as antagonist became a tongue-in-cheek trope, one of many such tropes that group members were intended to repeat ad nauseam as a way of strengthening collective Mitki identity.
By the late ’80s, the Mitki name had enough traction to make the core collective fairly well-known and successful in their native region. However, high-profile rock concerts and meetings with celebrities and political figures strained the ties between the movement’s founders. Shinkarev did not appreciate the increased mainstream visibility and made his feelings clear in 2010 with a book entitled End of the Mitki. Shagin, however, continues on today under the Mitki name with a modified version of the original contingent of artists.
Boris Grebenshikov, the rocker and potential impetus for the Bowie-bashing, went on to develop a friendship with Bowie during the more permissive perestroika era. Grebenshikov is now considered an elder statesman of his generation of previously underground musicians, and his band, Akvarium, is among the pantheon of Russian rock gods. In 2006 he took to the airwaves to extoll Bowie’s virtues on Radio Rossii, Russia’s premier public radio station. Grebenshikov acknowledged Shinkarev’s superficially adversarial depiction of Bowie but went on to pronounce, “Look closely at the writer’s brilliant device. And you’ll see that in actuality David Bowie is in his own way the alter ego of the Mitki, their spiritual leader.”
And what of Shinkarev himself? “David Bowie seemed to the Mitki to be a significant phenomenon and, therefore, a competitor,” he told me. “The kind, relaxed, inconsistent and sloppy Mitki man—an earthy being—and the serpentine grace of the sparkling David Bowie. Of course these are antagonists, though I don’t know what Bowie himself thought.”
Ultimately, the Mitki fascination with Bowie has its roots in admiration. The unity of purpose of international counterculture proved strong enough to overcome differences in dress and political context. The Mitki representation of Bowie, as thoroughly fictive as it may be, is not too far from the effect the real Bowie could have on a listener: Bowie’s radical otherness could be alienating, but it could also blur boundaries.
Read more in Slate about David Bowie.COLUMBUS, Ohio — Loved ones aren’t the only thing buried in the 122-year-old Lowellville Cemetery in eastern Ohio. Deep underground, locked in ancient shale formations, are lucrative quantities of natural gas.
Whether to drill for that gas is causing soul-searching as cemeteries — including veterans’ final resting places in Colorado and Mississippi — join parks, playgrounds, churches and residential backyards among the ranks of places targeted in the nation’s shale drilling boom.
Opponents say cemeteries are hallowed ground that shouldn’t be sullied by drilling activity they worry will be noisy, smelly and unsightly. Defenders say the drilling is so deep that it doesn’t disturb the cemetery and can generate revenue to enhance the roads and grounds.
“Most people don’t like it,” said 70-year-old Marilee Pilkington, who lives down the road from the cemetery in rural Poland Township and whose father, brother, nephew and niece are all buried there.
“I think it’s a dumb idea because I wouldn’t want anyone up there disturbing the dead, number one, and, number two, I don’t like the aspect of drilling,” she said.
Township trustees received a proposal this year to lease cemetery mineral rights for $140,000, plus 16 percent of any royalties, for any oil and gas. Similar offers soon followed at two other area cemeteries.
Longtime Trustee Mark Naples felt the same way as Pilkington when the issue arose — despite the fact $140,000 could cover the cemetery’s budget, minus road maintenance, for more than 20 years.
“Our concern was we weren’t going to let anybody come in there and move anything” in the cemetery, he said. “They weren’t going to have my vote for that.”
John Campbell, a lease agent for Campbell Development LLC, a company based in Fort Worth, Texas, declined a request for more information on his proposal, which was not expected to stir any graves. He said only that the offer was not accepted.
It was just more fuel for drilling opponents in the Youngstown area, already rocked by a series of earthquakes that have been tied to deep-well injection of wastewater from hydraulic fracturing and other drilling activities. They’re now fighting for a citywide drilling ban.
Concerns are driven largely by a lack of information, said John Stephenson, president of the Texas Cemeteries Association.
“A lot of it just has to do with the way that it’s presented,” he said. “You’re hundreds of feet below the ground, and it’s not disturbing any graves.”
It’s possible to reach oil and gas deposits now from drilling rigs placed sometimes miles away because of advances in what’s called horizontal drilling. The technology has made vast new shale energy deposits available under the Northeast, Texas and elsewhere.
Stephenson leased mineral rights under two of his cemeteries within the past three years, he said. Each is about a century old and populated with 75,000 graves. Revenue from the leases — he wouldn’t say how much — has allowed him to pave roads, repair fences and make other improvements during economic hard times.
The Catholic Cemeteries Association in Pittsburgh also saw benefits to leasing mineral rights under 11 of its cemeteries comprising more than 1,200 acres. The five-year lease, signed in 2008, came to light through news reports in 2010.
Douglas Shields, a city councilman at the time, was able to push through a citywide drilling ban amid the outrage stirred up by the debate.
“Everybody (in the press) liked the ghoulish aspects of drilling on sacred ground and disturbing great-Grandma’s body and all that,” Shields said. “I’d say there were many other issues of greater immediate concern, but that’s what the hook to it was.”
In Poland Township, officials were full of questions: Could they legally sell the mineral rights to a public cemetery? What claim would families with burial plots have to the royalties?
“You know what it is, it’s emotional,” Poland Township Administrator Jim Scharville said. “A lot of people don’t want any type of drilling. There’s something about disturbing the sanctuary of a cemetery. We’re not talking about dinosaurs now and creatures that roamed the earth millions of years ago. We’re talking about loved ones who have died, people we knew.”
Plot owners have no legal claim to the mineral rights at a cemetery, Stephenson said. Their agreements are for an indefinite rental of sorts at the surface level — and a promise the site will be maintained, he said.
The Ohio township was also worried about not acting, Scharville said, out of fear the oil and gas could be claimed through mandatory pooling and they would wind up with nothing. Under such laws, well operators can seek underground access to properties without the owner’s permission through a state review board.
The inability to control mineral rights has also become a concern in Colorado, where the National Cemetery Association, which operates veterans’ cemeteries, is working to select a site for a new cemetery.
One of four prospective sites, in Fountain, could have been open to drilling because the mineral rights weren’t free and clear, said Glenn Madderom, the agency’s chief of cemetery development and improvement service. That presented a disincentive, even though its owners plan to donate the land at no cost to the government.
“Certainly you don’t want oil drilling operations occurring on a property where it could be disruptive to the services or to the visitors, to the serenity or the peace of the site,” Madderom said. “A national cemetery, we call it a national shrine. It’s a beautiful, well-maintained property that honors the veterans and their families, and so oil drilling operations on that site are just not appropriate.”
The administration also successfully fought to move drilling operations to the other side of a forest abutting the veterans’ cemetery in Natchez, Miss., to preserve the mood, he said. Such sites are all eventually listed on the National Register of Historic Places.Elon Musk Is Only Somewhat Right That Tesla’s Solar & Storage Can Scale To Rebuild Puerto Rico’s Grid
October 14th, 2017 by Michael Barnard
Puerto Rico suffered devastating losses due to Hurricane Maria. Along with a long list of other challenges, the hurricane destroyed the island’s antiquated generation, transmission, and distribution grids. In part, this is due to their dependence on low-resiliency fossil fuels.
But Elon Musk had a very interesting exchange on Twitter recently.
This led to the governor of the territory responding with a tweet of his own suggesting he was very open to this. Whoever Scott Stapf is, excellent tweet.
How realistic is this? Can Tesla really rebuild Puerto Rico’s electrical supply system? The answer, as with anything complex, is mixed.
Many of the Indicators are Positive
Is Tesla able to provide a mixture of rooftop solar and utility-scale solar sufficient to provide for all of Puerto Rico’s electricity needs? Yes.
Tesla acquired SolarCity and has built utility-scale, commercial, and residential solar installations around the USA. Puerto Rico had electricity demand of roughly 20 TWh annually prior to Maria. That would require in the range of 11.4 GW of solar capacity, if solar were the only option. Puerto Rico already has both wind and solar farms with a combined capacity of about 340 MW. Wind has a higher capacity factor than solar all else being equal, so the combination generated about 2% of Puerto Rico’s demand in 2016.
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USB port and a USB 2.0 port. Beside the standard 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, it also comes with WiDi -- a new wireless display technology.
At a price of over a hundred dollars, without full Windows 8.1, I can only recommend this gadget for someone who wants Windows in their pocket today not tomorrow.
Intel Compute Stick
If you can wait for tomorrow though, Intel has a deal for you.
Intel is creating its own HDMI computer stick: The Intel Compute Stick. This will use the 1.33GHz Atom Z3735F Bay Trail processor.
Intel's entry into this market-niche will come in two versions. The first, which will run Windows 8.1 or Windows 10, will include 2GB of RAM and 32GB of flash storage. The second will run the Ubuntu Linux 14.04 Long Term Support (LTS) distribution. Since Linux requires far less horsepower, the Linux stick will come with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage.
Otherwise, technically they'll be identical. Both will come with full-sized and microUSB ports, Bluetooth 4.0, and 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi. One of the microUSB ports will, as with all these devices, be used to power it. The two also come with different price tags. The Windows version will cost $149, while the Linux version will list for $89.
Chromebit
Asus and Google's forthcoming Chromebit will use the 1.8Gh quad-core Rockchip RK3288 ARM processor with Mali 760 graphics. It will also come with 2GBs of RAM, 16GBs of flash storage, 2x2 dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, and a single full-size USB 2.0 port.
So far, that's rather ordinary. The Chromebit does have one nice new hardware feature--an HDMI port on a pivot. This way you should be able to plug it into almost any HDMI port no matter how much clutter there is around it.
The Chromebit also has the same secret sauce that all Chromebooks have: Chrome OS. With this lightweight Linux-based operating system, the Chromebit should sing on this hardware. Google hasn't announced hard pricing yet, but the company has said it will be under $100.Both left and right are promoting the idea of a basic wage for everyone, currently on trial, as a solution to the new world of work
When he got the letter after Christmas saying he was entitled to an unconditional income of €560 (£478) a month, Mika Ruusunen couldn’t believe his luck. “At first I thought it was a joke. I had to read it many times. I looked for any evidence it might be false.”
But the father of two was not the victim of a scam. He has been selected to take part in an experiment being run by the Finnish government, in which 2,000 unemployed people between the ages of 25 and 58 will receive a guaranteed sum – a “basic income” – of €560 a month for two years. It replaces their unemployment benefit, but they will continue to receive it whether or not they find work. The government hopes it will encourage the unemployed to take on part-time work without worrying about losing their benefits.
Ruusunen lives in Kangasala, a half-hour bus ride from where we meet in Tampere, the country’s second city, known as the “Manchester of Finland”. Like its namesake, the signs of the 19th-century wealth generated by the industrial revolution are strikingly visible.
Today, the Finnish economy continues to struggle in the wake of the financial crisis, which hit just as communications giant Nokia’s star was starting to wane. This left Ruusunen, who lost his job as a baker two years ago, struggling to find work. He was unemployed when participants for the basic income pilot were randomly selected, but had started a paid IT apprenticeship by the time he got the letter.
“For me, it’s like free money on top of my earnings – it’s a bonus,” he tells me. But he thinks the basic income will make a big difference to others who are unemployed, especially those who are entrepreneurially minded. “If someone wants to start their own business, you don’t get unemployment benefits even if you don’t have any income for six months. You have to have savings, otherwise it’s not possible.”
Juha Järvinen, another participant in the pilot scheme who lives in western Finland, agrees the benefits system holds the unemployed back. He has been unemployed for five years since his business collapsed. “I have done a lot for free – wedding videos, making web pages – because I’ve liked it. But before a basic income I would get into trouble if I got any money for that work.”
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Mika Ruusunen skiing in Kangasala, Finland, with his sons Onni and Oiva. He receives the monthly income even though he is now working. Photograph: Konsta Leppänen for the Observer
Finland’s experiment is a variation on the idea of a universal basic income: an unconditional income paid by the government to all citizens, whether or not they’re in work. The Finns have long been perceived to be at the cutting edge of social innovation, so this is a fitting setting for the first national experiment of its kind.
But the idea of the basic income has captured a zeitgeist extending far beyond the borders of Scandinavia. Enthusiasts include Silicon Valley’s Elon Musk, former Clinton labour secretary Robert Reich, Benoît Hamon, the French socialist presidential candidate, and South Korean presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung. On Friday, Glasgow city council commissioned a feasibility study for its own basic income pilot.
The basic income is a big idea with a pedigree. It owes its roots to Thomas Paine, the 18th-century radical, who in 1797 proposed paying all 21-year-olds a £15 grant funded through a tax on landowners. Since then it has captured the imagination of many a philosopher, but until the past couple of years never gained much political traction beyond the fringes.
So what explains the sudden jump this centuries-old idea has made from political fringes to the mainstream?
An idea whose time has come?
There is now a growing band of politicians, entrepreneurs and policy strategists who argue that a basic income could potentially hold the solution to some of the big problems of our time. Some of these new converts have alighted upon the basic income as an answer to our fragmenting welfare state. They point to the increasingly precarious nature of today’s labour market for those in low-paid, low-skilled work: growing wage inequality, an increasing number of part-time and temporary jobs, and rogue employers routinely getting away with exploitative practices.
This grim reality collides with an increasingly punitive welfare state. Our welfare system was originally designed as a contributory system of unemployment insurance, in which workers put in during the good times, and took out during temporary periods of unemployment. But a big chunk of welfare spending now goes on permanently supporting people in jobs that don’t pay enough to support their families. As the contributory principle has been eroded, politicians have sought to create a new sense of legitimacy by loading the system with sanctions that dock jobseeker benefits for minor transgressions.
Anthony Painter, a director at the RSA thinktank, paints a picture that will be familiar to viewers of Ken Loach’s film, I, Daniel Blake. “You are late for a jobcentre appointment – so you get a sanction. You’re on a college course the jobcentre doesn’t think appropriate, so you get a sanction. Your benefits are paid late, so you face debt, rent arrears and the food bank. That’s the reality for millions on low or no pay – they are surrounded by tripwires with little chance of escape.”
I, Daniel Blake review – Ken Loach's quiet rage against injustice Read more
Painter thinks a universal basic income of just under £4,000 a year could change all that. By itself, it wouldn’t be enough to take someone out of poverty, but it could give them the flexibility to retrain or the breathing room to wait to take a job that has prospects rather than being forced into taking the first vacancy that comes along.
The Finnish government shares Painter’s thinking. “The social security system has become complex over time, and needs simplification,” Pirkko Mattila, the minister for social affairs and health, tells me. She hopes participants in the Finnish pilot will find it easier to take short-term jobs and start their own businesses.
Marjukka Turunen, the civil servant implementing the pilot, points to the bureaucracy and uncertainty involved in declaring temporary income. “If you have a part-time job you have to apply for your benefit every four weeks,” she says. “You might have lots of different employers, and you’ll need to wait to get payslips from all of them. Then it takes another one or two weeks to process your payment. You don’t know how much you’ll get and when, which means you can’t plan ahead.”
A second set of basic income converts articulate a grander case, grounded not so much in the breakdown of the current welfare state, but in a world where the rise of robots means many of us will no longer have to work. We will be free to enjoy lives of leisure – but without work, we will all need a source of income.
This view has become fashionable in the wake of a series of headline-grabbing estimates about the proportion of jobs susceptible to automation. In 2013 Carl Frey and Michael Osborne at the Oxford Martin School predicted that 47% of jobs in the US were at risk of being automated “relatively soon, perhaps the next decade or two”. They foresaw innovations such as driverless technology replacing jobs such as driving a taxi, road haulage and dispatch driving.
These predictions have led some mainstream thinkers, such as Robert Reich, to warn that a future bereft of jobs may be looming. “Imagine a little gadget called an i-Everything,” Reich wrote last September. “This little machine will be able to do everything you want and give you everything you need.” He argued that, with fewer jobs, resources will need to be redistributed from those who own the technology of the future to the rest of us who want to buy it. According to Reich, a universal basic income “will almost certainly be part of the answer”.
In some quarters, then, a basic income is developing a reputation as the aspirin of the public policy world: a wonder drug that fixes multiple problems, from issues with the benefits system to replacing the jobs some argue will disappear from our lives. What’s the catch?
Who will pay for a universal basic income?
The most obvious one is expense: it’s not cheap to pay every citizen an unconditional income. Even incremental proposals cost sums that would raise eyebrows in Whitehall. Painter estimates his proposal for a basic annual income of just under £4,000 would cost around £18bn a year, and that’s after scrapping the personal tax allowance to help pay for it. That’s the equivalent of a 3p rise in the basic rate of income tax. The state would still need to keep paying housing and disability benefits on top of that. Make it more generous, and the costs escalate rapidly.
The expense is only a problem as long as the public are reluctant to pay for it. Polling that shows support for the idea of a basic income – one poll in Europe suggested 64% of adults back the idea – invariably fails to ask voters whether they would be prepared to countenance the sort of tax levels needed to fund it. A basic income would therefore require a fundamental shift in our politics: leaders who are comfortable advocating unpopular tax rises. A proposal for an undetermined level of basic income was rejected by 78% of Swiss voters in a referendum last year, although that may partly be explained by the fact that campaigners were calling for a very generous income level of £1,765 a month.
It’s not just the expense: critics warn that a universal basic income is unlikely to deliver the benefits its advocates claim. “The current [benefits] system is draconian, but it doesn’t need to be,” points out Declan Gaffney, an expert on social security who recently gave evidence to the Commons work and pensions select committee on basic income. “It would be disingenuous to use its problems as a bully pulpit for basic income.” He has also highlighted the risk that removing the obligation for those on benefits to look for work might encourage some people to drift into long-term worklessness.
Even in Finland, universal basic income is too good to be true | Declan Gaffney Read more
More fundamentally, many labour market economists have challenged the notion that robots will steal our jobs. Jobs have disappeared throughout history as a result of technological advance: you would be hard-pressed to find many washerwomen since washing machines became ubiquitous. But the economy has always created new jobs to replace the ones that disappear.
Predictions about the end of work are hardly new. In 1891, Oscar Wilde wrote about a world where machines did all the work in his essay The Soul of Man Under Socialism. John Maynard Keynes predicted back in the 1930s that technology would allow us all to cut down to a 15-hour working week.
“I’m old enough to remember exactly the same arguments about the end of work being made 30 years ago – then it was about de-industrialisation, now it is about automation,” says Gaffney. “The lesson from that period is not that we should pay people to stay out of the labour market. It is don’t park people when they lose their jobs. If you expect large-scale job destruction, you need to put policies in place to support people into new jobs. That didn’t happen in the 1980s to the extent it should. As a result, a lot of people who lost jobs never worked again.”
Peter Nolan, professor of work at Leicester University and director of the Centre for Sustainable Work and Employment Futures, says the end-of-work thesis is based on unrealistic assumptions about the private sector. “Many predictions about the number of jobs that will be automated in coming years are based on what’s technologically possible, not evidence about the extent to which and how companies will choose to deploy technology,” he says.
“It’s wrong to move straight from talking about automation to the need for a basic income, without talking about what is happening in the workplace and how we address that. Our work has produced quite a significant body of evidence that some industries are combining advances in technology with degraded work and conditions.”
He points to several examples of sectors where the end-of-work thesis simply isn’t playing out. In the logistics sector, companies are using technology not to replace warehouse staff and couriers, but to put them under increasing surveillance to control their working patterns, reducing employee autonomy, skill and dignity. Wrist-based technology allows bosses to monitor activity minute-by-minute, including bathroom breaks.
In the East Midlands, garment manufacturing has, after a long period of decline and moving production abroad, started to grow again. But Nolan’s centre found that three-quarters of these jobs pay around £3 an hour, less than half the minimum wage. As a result of a lack of minimum wage enforcement, companies in the UK are, under the radar, returning to the sweatshop-style labour of the past. Nolan argues that we should be focusing on properly enforcing minimum wage legislation and improving employment conditions through regulation.
Some argue there is even a risk a basic income could facilitate this sort of exploitation. Unscrupulous employers might further embrace precarious employment models, in the knowledge that everyone is getting a basic income to tide them over. This is what worries Antti Jauhiainen, the founder of Parecon Finland, a radical economic thinktank in Helsinki. “I think CEOs in the Silicon Valley tech industry recognise a basic income could be good for them because it would allow a platform like Uber to keep payments to drivers low,” he says.
Uber is treating its drivers as sweated labour, says report Read more
And why is Silicon Valley fronting up the case for a basic income while some of its biggest success stories – Apple and Facebook – go to all lengths necessary to massively reduce their tax bills? It’s hard not to feel that in doing so the tech sector is passing the buck on to the state while ignoring its own responsibilities to the societies from which it profits.
Jauhiainen is a supporter of basic income in principle. But he thinks it is significant the Finnish pilot has been introduced by a centre-right government that has embraced austerity. “In the current political climate, it could turn bad,” he says.
The Finnish left are divided on the pilot: some see it as a step in the right direction towards a universal basic income. But Finnish unions have historically opposed it, fearing it will eat into their collective bargaining power, and that it may be a way for the right to scrap minimum-wage requirements.
These fears that the basic income could be used as a tool for the right’s own ends are far from baseless. American libertarians such as Charles Murray have long argued that a basic income could be used to do away with the welfare state altogether. In Britain, the way in which Conservative chancellors have steadily delivered tax cuts that disproportionately help more affluent families, while cutting the means-tested benefits relied on by those in the greatest financial need, should sound a note of caution.
Is basic income an idea that can save the left?
Unions in the UK are much more enthusiastic, perhaps because they have less to lose than their Finnish counterparts which have retained greater collective bargaining power. Becca Kirkpatrick is a community organiser and chairs Unison’s West Midlands community branch. One reason she is attracted to a basic income is because of her own experience as a part-time carer. “If I had a basic income, I could invest a lot more into supporting my younger sister, who is disabled,” she says.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Community and union organiser Becca Kirkpatrick says a basic income would help her in her role as a part-time carer for her sister.
Kirkpatrick won her branch’s backing for the idea, and Unison West Midlands is asking candidates for West Midlands mayor to commit to piloting a basic income.
Nikki Dancey, branch secretary for the GMB in Berkshire and North Hampshire, is another grassroots union member involved in the campaign. “A basic income could offer enough financial security to encourage workers to stand up for themselves at work, strengthening the union movement,” she says.
The basic income has now been endorsed by the TUC, the GMB and Unite. “The left and the unions have taken a hammering in recent years, and what we need now is a big win. Universal basic income has the potential to be that win,” says Dancey.
Others on the left agree. John McDonnell, Labour’s shadow chancellor, has previously made welcoming noises about a basic income. Earlier this month he announced he was setting up a working group to look at the idea. Since it lost power in 2010, the Labour party has been in search of an answer to the de-industrialisation, growing wage inequality and economic insecurity that proved fertile territory for the Brexit campaign. Ed Miliband’s responsible capitalism was roundly rejected by voters at the ballot box in 2015. Perhaps, then, it is worth trying something new.
Jon Cruddas, the MP for Dagenham and Rainham, is a passionate dissenter. I spoke to him last year for a Radio 4 programme on the basic income. “I don’t see [Sports Direct owner] Mike Ashley moving into a post-work world or automating his mass factories in the West and East Midlands,” he said. “Where is the evidence of this? We’re seeing more and more degraded work.”
Mike Ashley running Sports Direct like 'Victorian workhouse' Read more
Cruddas worries that basic income risks distracting the left from its age-old mission to improve the quality of work. “The left has not resolved the question of giving people a genuine voice at work so as to enact a more dignified workplace.
“But that does not mean you absolve yourself for trying to find the answers to this by embracing a form of futurology that owes more to Arthur C Clarke than Karl Marx. I see this as an abdication of the political struggle across the left. I find that tragic.”
Cruddas is surely right that any account of the intertwined struggle for economic and political power seems missing from these new left accounts that advocate for a basic income on the basis of the end of work. It’s hard to envisage the robot owners of the future paying the rest of us a basic income when today’s tech giants do everything in their power to avoid paying tax. Ditch the idea that work should pay decently, and what remains for the left? There’s no contest between the science fiction of Arthur C Clarke and the class struggle of Karl Marx: the left abandons Marx at its peril.
For Mika Ruusunen in Tampere, though, a basic income helps him make sense of our changing world. “We now have more freelancing, part-time jobs and people with multiple jobs than ever before,” he says. “I see a basic income as a natural reaction to our changing economic culture.”
But, given divisions on the left in the UK, and a lack of interest from politicians of the right, basic income-supporting trade unionists such as Becca Kirkpatrick could face a long fight ahead.
NO-STRINGS CASH – FROM PRINCIPLE TO PRACTICE
The idea of the universal basic income is that the government pays every adult citizen the basic cost of living. It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, in work or unemployed – everyone gets the same amount. There are no strings attached.
After years spent on the margins of political thought, the universal basic income has, over the past year, gained traction among mainstream thinktanks and some in the Labour party. It has also been backed by Silicon Valley, including, last week, Tesla founder Elon Musk.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tesla founder Elon Musk is behind the idea of a universal basic income. Photograph: Evan Vucci/AP
Trials of UBI are taking place around the world, including in the Netherlands, Italy and Finland. In the UK, the Scottish government is considering pilot schemes in Glasgow and Fife.
Supporters of UBI say that as technology changes the world of work, the current benefits system is becoming irrelevant. A universal basic income could, they argue, protect the increasing numbers working in an insecure labour market and moving between zero-hours contracts and part-time jobs.2015 remix album by Run the Jewels
Meow the Jewels is a remix album by American hip hop duo Run the Jewels. It was released on September 25, 2015, by Mass Appeal Records. The album, a remix of the duo's original album Run the Jewels 2, has all instrumentals replaced with sounds of cats.
Release and promotion [ edit ]
Run the Jewels, as part of the original album release, offered a series of absurd "deluxe releases" for large sums of money, parodying indulgent "stretch goals" offered on crowdfunding campaigns on Kickstarter.[1] One of the less expensive of these was the group creating a remix album using cat sounds; a group of fans launched an online campaign to raise the money to pay the group the requested $40,000 to do this.[2][3] The campaign in fact raised over $60,000, which Run the Jewels announced that the duo would be donating to charity.[3] Several other record producers announced that they would be contributing to the remixes, including Just Blaze, Prince Paul, The Alchemist, Geoff Barrow, Dan the Automator and Boots, among others.[4]
The album was released for free on September 25, 2015, while the pre-order for the limited-edition 2xLP was made available on the same day.[5]
Critical reception [ edit ]
Meow the Jewels received generally positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 74, based on six reviews.[6] Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic said, "Whereas the original Run the Jewels 2 was a perfect soundtrack for a night of mayhem, Meow the Jewels is the comedown after all that rabble-rousing."[7] Randall Roberts of Los Angeles Times said, "Meow the Jewels deliver emotional depth befitting nature's most psychologically elusive creature."[8] Adam Finley of PopMatters said, "Most of the internet's ideas end up in a wet mess on the kitchen floor, but this one, this one sticks."[10] Ryan Dombal of Pitchfork jokingly awarded the album a cat emoji, in oppose to the publication's usual rating out of 10, saying "while some tracks unwisely try to replicate the source material's dystopian energy, the best moments come when remixers go blissfully off-script."[9] Steve "Flash" Juon of RapReviews.com said, "The amount of enjoyment you take out of this is undoubtedly directly proportional to the amount of money you put into Meow the Jewels."[11]
Track listing [ edit ]sec network.JPG
The SEC Network, seen here broadcasting from Hoover, was the most successful launch in cable television history. (Vasha Hunt/vhunt@al.com)
Mike Slive knew that if the Southeastern Conference wanted to increase its revenue, a conference television network would be a good idea.
But Slive, who stepped down in May after nearly 13 years as commissioner of the SEC, realized the timing wasn't right to launch a network in 2009 when the SEC's deals with ESPN and CBS were up for renewal, according to several athletic directors who were involved in the process. The Big Ten had already launched its network, but the economy was in recession, and rumors of more conference realignment were picking up.
Slive decided to wait.
That decision proved extremely lucrative for the commissioner and the rest of the SEC. The conference later added Missouri and Texas A&M in 2011, increasing the SEC's cable television footprint by more than 10 million homes, according to Nielsen data, and giving Slive the ammo he needed to move forward with a network.
The SEC Network, which celebrated its first birthday on Aug. 14, was more successful than anyone could have imagined. After the most successful network launch in cable television history, the SEC Network has a market value of $4.77 billion, according to research firm SNL Kagan. By comparison, the Big Ten Network, which launched in 2007, has a value of $1.59 billion.
How did the SEC Network blow away the competition in its first year? It starts with the fans.
"The SEC's passion and devotion is clearly showing through here," said Jeff Nelson, vice president of client strategy at Navigate Research. "People wanted the network and were willing to pay for the network."
Even the most casual observer knows the South is crazy about college football. Like, run full speed inside Bryant-Denny Stadium to get Nick Saban's autograph crazy. It's what brings people together and gives them an endless supply of things to talk about year-round.
That passion made up the backbone of the SEC Network's appeal to cable providers. While the Big Ten Network battled with providers for years, the SEC Network was available in 90 million homes when it launched. The reason was simple: The cable providers knew they'd risk losing customers, particularly ones in the SEC's footprint if it didn't provide the network.
When AT&T U-Verse considered whether it'd add the SEC Network when it launched, it evaluated the intensity of the average SEC viewer, looking at how often and how long they watched SEC sports. What AT&T learned was that "the subscriber intensity on viewership was off the charts for what we normally see for sports," according to Ryan Smith, vice president of content for AT&T. U-Verse, which became the first provider to sign on, even hoped other providers didn't distribute the network immediately so they could add additional customers.
"Some of the other college conferences they do well but far and away the SEC is the most intense and has the strongest viewership of really any of those conferences," Smith said.
Knowing it had an army of passionate viewers up its sleeve, the SEC Network negotiated an aggressive subscriber fee of $1.30 or $1.40, depending on the provider, for its 30 million in-market subscribers. That's significantly higher than either the Big Ten or Pac-12 network rates. When adding a $0.25 out-of-market rate (outside SEC footprint), the network has an average subscriber fee of $0.66 in the 66 million subscriber homes it averaged in its first year, according to SNL Kagan.
On the conservative end, that's $576 million in revenue without even factoring in advertising.
"That a network covering 14 schools in 11 states in this country could generate that much traction early on and that much distribution," Mississippi State athletic director Scott Stricklin said, "it speaks to all the things we know are special about this league."
Power of ESPN
The SEC took a different approach when it launched its network. While the Pac-12 retained full ownership in its network, which has struggled to get widespread distribution, the SEC partnered with ESPN to launch the SEC Network. The SEC doesn't have an ownership stake in the network -- ESPN has full ownership -- but instead negotiated a revenue split with the sports television power.
ESPN and the SEC declined to provide the exact terms of the arrangement, but it is believed to be a little less than a 50/50 split. That could limit the long-term revenue potential for the SEC and its schools -- the Big Ten still owns a little less than half of its network -- but gave it a tremendous advantage when initially negotiating carriage agreements.
Any resistance the network might have faced, ESPN could muscle its way through. ESPN was able to sell the network under its umbrella of other properties, including its main ESPN channel and ESPN2, making it almost impossible for cable providers to say no. It guaranteed that the SEC Network wouldn't get relegated to a distant channel you can't find the way CBS Sports Network and others have in recent years.
The Pac-12, without a powerful friend like ESPN, has struggled fighting its way out of premium packages and into markets. Larry Scott, the Pac-12's commissioner, has publicly stated he was "disappointed that DirecTV has been willing to negotiate with ESPN for the SEC Network but not Pac-12" and that it showed the provider was more interested in dealing with conglomerates.
"When ESPN gets behind something and puts its resources with a new initiative like the SEC Network, it's an impressive thing to watch and see," said Justin Connolly who oversaw the launch as senior vice president of college networks for ESPN. "No doubt we benefited there."
ESPN added credibility to the operation and helped cable providers feel comfortable that the content would be high quality. The network had already launched the Longhorn Network, focused all on the University of Texas, and learned through trial-and-error what the SEC Network would need to be successful. While the Longhorn Network hasn't met expectations, its failures taught ESPN a valuable lesson and helped power the unprecedented success of the SEC's television channel.
Connolly, who is now executive vice president of affiliate sales and marketing for Disney and ESPN, relied on veterans who had experience launching networks, programming shows and televising games.
What's the potential?
The downside of the most successful network launch in cable history, if there is one, is trying to best astronomical expectations going forward. The SEC Network launched in more television sets than anyone expected but now must find a way to keep growing despite a declining number of cable television subscribers in the United States.
Navigate Research vice president Jeff Nelson believes there is a ceiling on how many people will pay to watch the network. Finding ways to boost revenue given that reality will be one of the network's primary challenges going forward, he says.
"It's a great story that they got this amazing distribution right off the bat, but it's not like they can double that distribution, not even close," Nelson said. "It's going to be a matter of trying to grow their advertising and sponsorship deals in the short-term and when these carriage deals come up with different cable providers, that will be when the SEC has a chance for the really big boost."
The majority of the SEC Network's carriage deals aren't expected to come up for renewal soon, but ESPN declined to provide terms of the contract except to say they were long-term. If the network can continue to prove its worth, Nelson doesn't think it's outlandish for the SEC's in-market subscriber fee to jump from $1.30/$1.40 to $2.00 or $3.00. A jump of that magnitude could give the network more than a billion dollars annually on simply subscriber fees.
"I would have said it was crazy two years ago," Nelson said. "But when they were so successful at $1.30, I'm sure they are thinking big."
This is the first in a series of stories on the SEC Network's first year. Check back tomorrow for a story on the challenges the network faces going forward.Texas Rep. Blake Farenthold settled a sexual harassment claim leveled against him by his former spokeswoman using taxpayer funds, according to a report.
Lauren Greene, who worked as the GOP congressman’s communications director for 18 months, sued Farenthold in December 2014 over allegations of sexual harassment and creating a hostile work environment, Politico reported Friday.
Greene’s lawsuit said another aide told her the congressman had “sexual fantasies” and “wet dreams” about her.
“On one specific occasion, Farenthold told Greene that she had something on her skirt and that he hoped his comment wouldn’t be taken for sexual harassment,” the complaint alleged. “A reasonable person would infer that Farenthold was joking that she had semen on her skirt.”
Farenthold, who “regularly drank to excess,” once told Greene that he was “estranged from his wife and had not had sex with her in years,” she alleged in the lawsuit.
Greene said she was “marginalized and undermined” when she complained about his behavior, and eventually fired. She filed a lawsuit that was ultimately settled privately.
On Friday morning, House Administration Committee Chairman Gregg Harper (R-Miss.) told Republican lawmakers that only one House office had used funds from an Office of Compliance account to reach a deal over a sexual harassment complaint, according to Politico.
In that one case — apparently involving Farenthold — the settlement amounted to $84,000.
“While I 100% support more transparency with respect to claims against members of Congress, I can neither confirm nor deny that settlement involved my office as the Congressional Accountability Act prohibits me from answering that question,” Farenthold said in a statement to Politico.
Greene and Farenthold had drafted a joint statement, which was never released, at the time of the settlement, confirming they’d made a deal.
“[A]fter it became clear that further litigating this case would come at great expense to all involved — including the taxpayers — the parties engaged in mediation with a court-appointed mediator,” the statement read. “After extensive discussion and consideration, the parties jointly agreed to accept the solution proposed by the mediator.”
“The parties believe that the mediator’s solution saves the parties, and the taxpayers, significant sums that would be expended in further discovery and/or trial,” it adds.Fashion designer Sophie Theallet is urging her colleagues in couture to follow her example by refusing to “dress” the future first lady Melania Trump.
“As one who celebrates and strives for diversity, individual freedom and respect for all lifestyles, I will not participate in dressing or associating in any way with the next First Lady,” Theallet wrote, reports Elle. “The rhetoric of racism, sexism, and xenophobia unleashed by her husband’s presidential campaign are incompatible with the shared values we live by. I encourage my fellow designers to do the same.”
Theallet says designing for current first lady Michelle Obama during her husband’s two terms as president was “a highlight and an honor.”
“She has contributed to having our name recognized and respected worldwide,” the designer continued about Obama. “Her values, actions, and grace have always deeply resonated with me.”
“Integrity is our only true currency,” Theallet added.
The New York Times reports, however, designer Diane von Furstenberg’s notion that her colleagues with Theallet’s attitude may change their tune once Trump is actually inaugurated.
Quoting the defeated Hillary Clinton’s concession speech, von Furstenberg said the fashion industry should also “do what we can” to accept the election results.
None of the designers asked by the Times if they would “dress” Melania Trump for the inauguration said they would not, says the report. Von Furstenberg also pointed out that Trump – a former model – may not actually need their assistance.
“I’m sure she knows what to do,” she said.
“It would be hypocritical to say no to dressing a Trump,” Marcus Wainwright, chief executive of Rag & Bone, also considered. “If we say we are about inclusivity and making American manufacturing great again, then we have to put that before personal political beliefs.”Residents of St. Petersburg, Russia tore down a memorial to deceased Apple founder Steve Jobs after current Apple CEO Tim Cook came out as gay.
Business Insider reports:
Business FM Radio reports that the company that originally funded the memorial, ZEFS, decided to tear it down after Cook said he was proud to be gay. Homophobia is rife in Russia, and many LGBT people living in the country have been subjected to harassment and violence. The six-foot tall memorial was erected in 2013 to celebrate Steve Jobs' life. It featured a large screen that showcased moments from Jobs' life, as well as scrolling quotations from his speeches and a QR code on the back that would take people who scanned it to a website.
In a press release, ZEFS chairman Maxim Dolgopolov said he'd be willing to reinstall the memorial -- which provided free Wi-Fi in temperatures as low as 30 degrees below freezing -- if it could be reprogrammed to include a message instructing Russians not to purchase Apple products.
In addition to Cook's disclosure, Dolgopolov also claims his decision is related to revelations from Edward Snowden that the NSA hacked into iPhones for surveillance purposes. But that claim rings hollow when one considers that the Snowden revelations came to light more than a year ago, yet no action against the Jobs memorial was taken until Cook disclosed his sexual orientation last week.So I usually leave the incredulous ranting to Driscoll, but today I just can't help myself. We've all heard talk about whisky prices going up. Old & rare prices are astronomical. Old Pulteney 21 year went up $20 in a matter of weeks after winning Best Whisky of the Year. Every few months our Macallan rep informs us that the range will be taking a price increase. Sometimes $3 sometimes $5, occasionally we'll see larger price jumps $10-15 a bottle on the high-end. But today, I've just seen the beginning of the end. It is truly sad day for all single malt lovers and a clear picture of how the whisky companies plan to move forward. I would call |
approach to California’s circumstances, the Supreme Court left for another day the broader question of whether any state has a right to outlaw gay marriage.
The Supreme Court found that it did not have the legal authority to go that far in the Proposition 8 case.
“We have never before upheld the standing of a private party to defend the constitutionality of a state statute when state officials have chosen not to,” wrote Roberts, joined by an odd coalition of Justices Antonin Scalia, Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. “We decline to do so for the first time here.”
The Supreme Court also struck down a 1996 federal law denying benefits to same-sex couples, a major victory for gay rights advocates seeking the right to marry. In a 5-4 ruling written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, the high court found the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional because it violates the equal protection rights of same-sex couples. Kennedy also dissented in the Proposition 8 case, saying the Supreme Court had the ability to decide the challenge to the California law without the defense of state leaders.
“DOMA’s principal effect is to identify a subset of state sanctioned marriages and make them unequal,” Kennedy wrote, referring to same-sex marriages in states that have moved to permit gay marriage.
Writing in dissent, Scalia warned that the DOMA ruling would become fodder to groups challenging state bans on gay marriage, saying the issue should be left to the political battles unfolding across the country.
“By formally declaring anyone opposed to same-sex marriage an enemy of human decency, the majority arms every challenger to a state law restricting marriage to its tradition definition,” Scalia wrote.
The Supreme Court’s decision in the DOMA case immediately provides full federal benefits to same-sex couples in the 12 states that have legalized gay marriage, and would apply in California with Proposition 8 overturned. It also would provide federal benefits to the more than 18,000 same-sex couples married in 2008 before Proposition 8 was passed.
The decision was welcome news for Karen Golinski, a San Francisco attorney who had an identical challenge to the federal law on hold in the Supreme Court awaiting the decision in a case out of New York. A federal judge previously declared the law unconstitutional in Golinski’s case, which involved a challenge to the federal government for denying health benefits to her spouse, Amy Cunninghis. The couple married before Proposition 8 went into effect.
“We’re ecstatic,” Golinski said after the ruling. “It was a very moving decision and it has a profound effect on us as a couple. The majority’s decision understood that.”
The Supreme Court’s much-anticipated rulings come at a time when the nation’s views on the controversial gay marriage issue have shifted considerably. Twelve states permit gay marriage, and politicians from President Barack Obama to three Republican senators have come out in favor of permitting gay and lesbian couples to wed.
The Obama administration, in fact, took the unprecedented step of urging the Supreme Court to find both Proposition 8 and the federal Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional.
In California, a Field Poll earlier this year showed 61 percent of voters back gay marriage, much stronger support than when 52 percent of voters approved Proposition 8 five years ago and a profound change from 1996, when Congress passed the federal law denying equal marriage benefits to same-sex couples. At that time, the public was overwhelmingly against gay marriage.
The Supreme Court’s decision in the Proposition 8 case punctuates the state’s nine-year struggle over gay marriage, which began in 2004 when former San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom tried to skirt California’s ban on same-sex nuptials by issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples at city hall.
That short-lived maneuver, blocked by the California Supreme Court, spawned the first legal conflagration over same-sex marriage rights in the state. In that case, the state Supreme Court in May 2008 struck down California’s previous laws banning gay marriage, paving the way for more than 18,000 couples to marry before voters approved Proposition 8 in November and restored the same-sex marriage ban.
Those same-sex marriages were left intact, and, with the overturn of DOMA, the couples now are entitled to full marriage benefits.
A Los-Angeles-based organization, backed by civil rights activists and Hollywood types such as director Rob Reiner, moved in early 2009 to overturn Proposition 8. Suing in San Francisco federal court on behalf of two same-sex couples, including Berkeley’s Kristin Perry and Sandy Stier, the group argued that California’s same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional because gay and lesbian couples are denied the same marriage rights offered to heterosexual couples.
Perry and Stier said Wednesday they were “elated” by the ruling and look forward to getting married once the legal case is over, although they expressed hope gay marriage rights would be extended to couples nationwide eventually. The legal challenge set up an unprecedented test of a state’s right to outlaw gay marriage, crafted by an unlikely powerhouse duo of famed trial lawyer David Boies and Theodore Olson, the conservative former U.S. Solicitor General during the Bush administration. Bodies and Olson had squared off against each other in Bush v. Gore, but teamed up to force the U.S. Supreme Court to eventually tackle the gay marriage issue.
In early 2010, former federal judge Walker held a three-week trial in which Proposition 8 backers defended the law without any help from California’s top officials. Walker later declared the law unconstitutional, in the process becoming the target of gay marriage foes when he publicly revealed he was in a long-term same-sex relationship, a fact that had been well-known in Bay Area legal circles.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Walker last year, albeit in a narrower ruling that found Proposition 8 unconstitutionally stripped away the previous right to marry in California without any justification. That led to the Supreme Court’s intervention in the case.
The Proposition 8 case has been clouded by a number of legal intricacies, notably whether the ballot measure’s sponsors even have a right to defend the California law in lieu of Gov. Jerry Brown and Attorney General Kamala Harris, who consider it unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court heard arguments in the Proposition 8 and DOMA cases in March. The challenge to the federal law was pressed by Edith Windsor, an 84-year-old New York woman who was denied equal estate benefits when her spouse and partner of 40 years died in 2009, costing her hundreds of thousands of dollars in taxes that a heterosexual married couple would not have to pay.
Howard Mintz covers legal affairs. Contact him at 408-286-0236 or follow him at Twitter.com/hmintzThis week's quiz is such a marathon of milestones and minutiae that even Paul Ryan might take three hours to finish it. I hope you can beat his time.
Question 1 of 12 Last Friday, Canadian officials announced that thieves had somehow made off with a quarter of Quebec's strategic reserve of what, valued at over $30 million? Quebec, which produces most of the world's maple syrup, keeps a reserve supply on tap in case of market fluctuations.
Question 2 of 12 The Wednesday benediction at the Democratic National Convention was, somewhat awkwardly, given by a man best known in politics for what? Rabbi David Wolpe publicly criticized Bill Clinton during the Lewinsky scandal, and the two spoke from the same podium Wednesday night.
Question 3 of 12 A movie about which of these unpromising-sounding subjects set a record last weekend as the biggest box office bomb in history? The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure grossed less than any wide release in history, an average of about two tickets sold per showing nationwide.
Question 4 of 12 Over 700 Constitutional amendments—more than on any other subject—have been proposed over the years on what topic, once again in the news this week? Last week, Al Gore for the first time endorsed the National Popular Vote initiative to abolish the Electoral College, the body that may have cost him the presidency.
Question 5 of 12 Vorayuth Yoovidhya was arrested in Bangkok Monday on charges of killing a police officer, but the alleged crime was initially covered up due to Yoovidhya's status as what? Yoovidhya's grandfather created Red Bull, making the family one of the wealthiest and most powerful in Thailand.
Question 6 of 12 According to a letter leaked to the Guardian this week, who may be asked to move to a six-day work week this fall? European Union officials are suggesting further austerity measures if Greece is to receive another bailout to stay in the Eurozone.
Question 7 of 12 This fall, former New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan will be filling the empty chair next to whom? Strahan will take the place of Regis Philbin on the newly renamed Live! With Kelly and Michael.
Question 8 of 12 A record 15 percent of Americans, over 46 million people, used the SNAP program in June, says a new government report. What does SNAP administer? SNAP is short for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Question 9 of 12 Over the weekend, prosecutors dropped charges against the Marikana miners who were held responsible when police shot 34 of their fellow protestors. Where did the massacre occur? The shooting was the bloodiest police clash in South Africa since the end of apartheid.
Question 10 of 12 According to Michelle Obama's convention speech, which of these is still her "most important title"?
Question 11 of 12 McDonald's will be opening its first all-meatless restaurant in mid-2013, near what location?
Question 12 of 12 As revealed on Tuesday, what are "Javelin" and "Bowhunter"?Clementine Ford with her baby son. I've been trying to counter this dynamic in my own small way, starting with the simple act of accepting help when people offer it and asking for it when I need it. Too many of us feel compelled to grin and bear the tough parts of parenting, perhaps to prove that we're capable and in control. But as Cerys Howell wrote in The Guardian last week, "Humans evolved to care for babies as a tribe. Continuous mothering by the birth mother was a last resort for primates...In short, the exclusive mother-baby cult is a bizarre modern western fantasy that neglects the social, physical and psychological needs of women." It's been a challenge to stamp down the part of me that feels obliged to do everything myself, but the benefits have been immeasurable. But something I've been working equally hard at is asking men for the incidental help that is normally offered by or sought from women. I don't mean assistance with things like pram lifting, because men are generally very good at offering this help. I mean the more care-based help. If I need to use the bathroom in a cafe while my baby's strapped into a highchair, I'll ask a nearby man if he minds keeping an eye on him while I disappear for a minute or two. I've deliberately asked men in the security queue at the airport if they mind holding my baby while I re-attach the baby carrier after it's gone through the x-ray machine.
I brought my son to a conference I was speaking at recently because sometimes we have no other choice but to bring our children to work, and was told a volunteer could easily be found to play with him for the half an hour I needed to be on stage. I asked if it could be a male volunteer. No problem. I recounted this exchange with the audience shortly after. Later, when we broke for lunch, a different man stopped to ask if I wanted him to hold my son while I fixed myself a plate from the buffet. I'm not suggesting this imbalance of care is men's fault. There are lots of reasons men are hesitant to offer this kind of support, and chief among them is the fear of being seen as a threat to the safety of children. Some families choose not to involve external men as caregivers because of these reasons. I can't direct them to do otherwise, but I do think it poses a wasted opportunity to diversify the way we perceive childcare in our communities. Ultimately, I invite men to be a part of my child's village because I think there's value to be had both for men in recognising their role in this village and for children in seeing men in this role. I don't want my son to think the people he can turn to for help are Daddy and a million other women.
I do these things not to inconvenience men in particular or because I assume my child and I are so important that we can just demand attention and time from strangers. I do it because child-rearing is hard and it does require support and outside help at times, but this help is typically just absorbed by women as more of the daily unpaid labour we perform invisibly for the benefit of others. I do it because I am invested in creating a more empathetic community, and empathy involves helping other people when they need it. I do it because men are just as capable of caregiving for children as women are, but they are rarely called on to assist in the care of children outside their own immediate families. Loading And I do it because I want my child to see value in extending that empathy and care to people beyond himself. I want him to consider the gentle care of children to be as much a masculine trait as it is a feminine one. As his awareness of the world grows at a rate faster than his own fortitude or independence, I don't want him to think that the people he can turn to for help are Daddy and a million other women. We can shape the villages we live in. This is how I'm shaping mine.Recalling the question thrown at then presidential candidate and now Senator Grace Poe’s way during one of the election debates last year, Facebook user Bernard Ong slammed President Rodrigo Duterte for being an “unfit” commander-in-chief.
The question was what would Poe do if she was woken up one night to be informed that China was attacking two of the Philippine Coast Guard boats. He called it a “commander-in-chief” question,” which could help determine the right politician would “lead the country in war and peace.”
While Poe resorted to enumerating generalities such as diplomacy, code of conduct and modernizing the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Ong though that these would have been the right answers:
“1. Immediately convene National Security Council
2. Place AFP on maximum alert
3. Get all available intel
4. Call the president of the US, our treaty ally.
5. Call Asean, UN, EU, Japan, etc – start diplomatic offensive to condemn & isolate China
6. Make a live address to the Filipino people, explaining our position – resolve thru peaceful means, but affirm our rights”
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Ong recalled how President Duterte merely talked about taking a jet ski to the Spratly Islands, planting a Philippine flag there, and challenging the Chinese to a shootout. But when Duterte disclosed a year after the elections that the China threatened the Philippines with war if we start drilling oil in the West Philippine Sea, “no jet ski stunt from him yet.”
He also summarized what Duterte actually did to handle this said “threat” from China.
“1. Attacked US – our treaty ally & only power that can stop China
2. Set aside UN Tribunal ruling which rejects China’s fictional claim over seas far from its territory
3. Attacked UN & EU which are important partners in any diplomatic offensive
4. Abandoned ASEAN united-front position of negotiating multilaterally (where they have more clout)
5. Adopted Chinese position of negotiating bilaterally (where we have less clout)
6. Legitimized China’s claims by saying they have ‘historic rights’ and UN Tribunal ruling is only ‘piece of paper’
7. Begged for money from China which would weaken the Philippines’ bargaining power
8. Forged secret agreement allowing China to enter and explore Philippine EEZ including Benhan Rise
9. Considered joint exploration of resources inside our EEZ – in clear violation of PH constitution which says only Filipinos can exploit such resources”
Ong said that Duterte’s endgame is “to kowtow to China diplomatically, politically & economically. Make the Philippines a 21st century colony of China.”
He also gave a list of at least 12 things that a “good” commander-in-chief would have done, including being open to the Filipinos about everything from the threats to relationship with allies, bringing China’s threat to the UN, strengthen relationships with the US, EU, and more.
“1. Explain the situation honestly to the Filipino people – threats, risks, options, allies, peaceful approach
2. Raise China’s threat of war to the UN
3. Lead diplomatic initiative to isolate China on this issue
4. Strengthen ties with US, Japan, ANZ, India, EU
5. Talk face-to-face with US president & defense officials. Get firm commitments and agree jointly, publicly ‘red lines’.
6. Build strong ASEAN consensus for resolution based on rule of law, UNCLOS, UN Tribunal ruling.
7. Build defensive alliances within ASEAN – Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore in particular
8. Modernize military especially coastal, naval & air defenses. Do not procure from China – your #1 threat
9. Allow basing agreements for friendly forces
10. Build economic options outside China – BPOs; exports to EU, US, Japan, ASEAN; tourism; etc
11. Assert rule of law – based on UNCLOS, UN Tribunal ruling
12. Assert Philippine independence, rights & sovereignty”
President Duterte should have used diplomatic, political, defense, and economic tools, without waging war, to assert the Philippines’ rights over what’s ours, Ong said.
“Duterte has said the UN Tribunal ruling is only a piece of paper. By the same token, the Constitution which made him commander-in-chief is only a thick pad of paper. His disrespect for both shows he is unfit to be commander-in-chief. The Philippines deserves better,” Ong added.
As of writing, Ong’s post has been shared over 1,300 times and reacted to 2,400 times.In 2004, during my freshman year in college, I remember turning on the presidential debate between President George W. Bush and Senator John Kerry.
At the time, I was a novice, just dipping my toe into the political water for the first time. Within Bush’s first two answers, I was forever progressive.
Immediately, I studied up on the failures of intelligence—and journalism—that led us into the Iraq War; the taking anonymous intelligence officials word hook, line, and sinker; the dereliction of broadcast and print outlets to prominently feature anti-war critics; the seize and destroy mission to label anyone who doubted the intelligence or mission as “anti-American”; and the total vacancy of investigation into whether Bush and Halliburton Inc.––excuse me––Dick Cheney, had any semblance of an exit strategy.
13 years later, it took one week for the the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN, and MSNBC to pick up where they left off, this time about Russia.
“There’s a perception that you’re letting President Putin get away with interfering in the U.S. election, and that a response that nobody knows about or a look-back review just don’t cut it,” Josh Lederman of the Associated Press began his question to President Obama at his final press conference.
“Are you prepared to call out President Putin by name for ordering this hacking, and do you agree with what Hillary Clinton now says, which is that the hacking was actually partially responsible for her loss?”
Maybe Vladimir Putin hacked Lederman’s brain in addition to the DNC and John Podesta.
What a real journalist would have asked the President would go like this:
“President Obama, the main reports and evidence cited to cast Russia as the party who hacked political organizations and individuals in the leadup to the election are anonymous CIA and FBI officials. Can you share with us what the smoking gun evidence is that proves the Russian government was behind the hack so the American public has more to go on than unnamed officials who haven’t provided hard evidence?”
This isn’t a revolutionary question. This isn’t even that smart of a question. No, this is the basic bottom of the basement journalistic device that so-called journalists donning fancy suits and fake voices are supposed to ask.
Like… maybe… umm… can you… provide proof that a major nuclear power with an authoritarian leader pulled the strings of a complex, multi-device hack in order to spring a reality TV star into the White House?
But that’s the problem: “journalists” no longer require proof for claims that may lead to war (or anything really). Nope, they are human Pez dispensers for the powerful. If the CIA, FBI, or “high level” officials say so, it’s a mad dash to “break” the story.
EXCLUSIVE: Putin Terrorizes America As Wet Kiss To Trump…No Brainer
Or, as George Tenet put it, “slam dunk.”
Is it possible Russian hackers with ties to the government hacked into the DNC and Clinton campaign? Sure. It’s also possible stoners working at Best Buy did.
The difference: accusing Best Buy stoners of hacking political arms without concrete, publicly dispersed evidence won’t launch World War III.
(Side note: much love to all stoners at Best Buy).
The 24/7-Russia-hyperventilation-without-providing-real-evidence has overtaken print, digital, broadcast, and cable news, with none of these bastions of the Beltway taking a breath to demand what seasoned, real journalists like The Intercept’s Jeremy Scahill asked: for President Obama to declassify the so-called evidence of Putin’s-reign-of-cyber-terror-against-the-corporate-Democratic-plutocracy (in fairness to Scahill, that was my creative license; he just plainly said Obama Must Declassify Evidence Of Russian Hacking).
So, at about this time of the piece, the trolls are readying their “you’re a Kremlin agent Jordan!” comments. This is the warped reversal of journalism we find ourselves at the close of 2016.
Journalists who demand evidence are naive, or Russian agents. Those who don’t just pass off what sources from the highest levers of power—demanding anonymity—tell us as gospel are enemy number one.
Those who have the audacity to point out what the real hacks permeating America are: corporate-backed Democrats who hack the brains of working people to con them into thinking they are actually representing their interests—are attacked by the cocktail-crowd-political-media-industrial complex.
And make no mistake: these Democrats––you know, the brainiacs who told us to avoid the polls showing Bernie Sanders kicking Trump’s ass head-to-head in favor of the most unpopular Democratic candidate in history––are the main ones on TV and in print, huffing and puffing about big, bad Russia.
Maybe, just maybe, they don’t want to open themselves to a discussion on whether they need to stop having fundraisers with Wall Street bankers and oil executives. Maybe, just maybe, they want to distract their currently-in-despair-Hillary-loving-base with a bullseye that will explain away an epically embarrassing defeat?
Of course!
Ironically, this political cowardice and corruption may prove to be connected with truth. It may be ultimately proven down the road that Russia, and Putin, hacked the Democrats.
But, even if this takes place, it doesn’t change a fact way more scary.
“Journalists” taking the government line without even blinking haven’t learned a damn thing since their failure to ask the vital questions surrounding Iraq.
As a result, they’re the de facto new weapon of mass destruction.
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Jordan Chariton is a Politics Reporter for The Young Turks, covering the presidential campaign trail, where he’s interviewing voters on both sides. He’s also a columnist for Mediaite and here’s his latest column. Follow him @JordanChariton and watch videos at YouTube.com/tytpolitics.
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This is an opinion piece. The views expressed in this article are those of just the author.In three more turns, the ritual will be complete, and I’ll be one step closer to controlling the Vortex that holds the forces of Chaos at bay. In two more turns, Skaven and Chaos armies will be at the gates. I’m surrounded. By land and sea they arrive, this howling mass of warped warriors and chittering rat-men. Army, after army, after army, all attempting to stop the ritual. Total War: Warhammer 2 [official site] is a race, and it’s an utterly savage one.
From the safety of the other side of that campaign I can tell you that I survived. Just. Reinforcements made it in time, slaughtering the rats and warriors by their hundreds. It was touch and go for a bit, though, which is fairly typical of Creative Assembly’s bloodthirsty sequel.
Warhammer 2 is massive but like the best Total Wars – Shogun 2, Attila and post-DLC Warhammer – it’s blessed with a focus that keeps the titanic scale of the campaign and battles from becoming too exhausting. Previous games in the series have found focus in different ways – Attila uses the devastation wrought by the Huns, while Shogun 2 uses its limited landmass – and those that haven’t directed the players’ experience at least a little have often collapsed under their own weight.
With Warhammer 2, Creative Assembly have found a way to have their cake and eat it too. It’s one of, if not the, largest and most complex game in the series’ history, but it’s also one of the most focused.
This is largely down to the non-traditional main campaign. Typically, the launch of a new Total War is accompanied by a new grand campaign, a huge sandbox with limited direction. With Warhammer 2, we get the Vortex campaign instead. While its scale is that of a grand campaign, it’s more directed, complete with shared objectives that dramatically change the flow of the game. And most surprising, it comes with a proper story, told through lavish cutscenes.
Instead of being a straightforward domination game, Warhammer 2 has two paths to victory. The first one is closer to what you’ll probably be used to: beat the crap out of everyone and take over the world. The second objective makes things much more interesting. At the heart of the High Elf realm sits a large maelstrom, the campaign’s titular Vortex. Created by the Elves, it stops Chaos from leaking into their world. But it’s been weakened, and each of the four playable factions is in a race take control over it for their own reasons.
To gain mastery over the Vortex, each faction must gather up Vortex currency by establishing new settlements, completing quests and constructing unique, very rare buildings in specific locations. Then, five rituals must be completed, each costing a large amount of currency. And this is where things start to get a little more complicated.
When the ritual kicks off, three settlements are selected, and they become ritual sites. For ten turns, those sites must be protected, and that’s not easy. See, everyone knows when a ritual has started, so there’s a good chance that the other factions will intervene. They might send some armies, but they might also spend gold on a one-off army that will spawn right next to one of the sites. And while this is going on, the forces of Chaos decide to pop in to say hello. And also to murder.
Performing those rituals is the most stressful situation I’ve encountered in a Total War game, and it happens at least five times a game, each attempt being more challenging than the last. There’s potential for every major and minor faction in the world to get involved, and that guarantees the absurdly huge, dramatic battles that Total War does so well, while injecting some delightfully tricky encounters into every playthrough.
No part of Warhammer 2 has been left untouched by the Vortex. Missions, battles, conquest – they all serve to get you closer to taking its power for yourself. It’s the change in pace that feels like the most notable change, however. The first Warhammer provided plenty of missions, and the threat of the Chaos invasion, but ultimately it was still a game about gobbling up land. Not because huge, sprawling empires were better or even more fun to play, but because that was simply the end goal.
With domination now optional, so much busywork has been cut out. Take my Dark Elf campaign, for example. As the Dark Elf leader Malekith, I started in the north of a continent full of houses of my own race. In the previous game, the first order of business would probably involve uniting all of these houses before directing my anger outwards. In Warhammer 2, that’s not necessarily an efficient use of time or resources.
Sure, each additional settlement comes with benefits: more cash, faster recruitment, lots of unique buildings. Conquering cities is still very much part of the game and is generally a good idea, but a more objective-based approach is also required. So after conquering only my immediate neighbours, I used diplomacy with an eye towards seducing the other Dark Elves into a confederation, while I focused on more important matters. Like preparing for the rituals.
With that in mind, I picked my targets carefully. Settlements with buildings that could generate Vortex currency were at the top of my list, but they were accompanied by quests that offered magical items, cash and even more Vortex currency. These RPG-flavoured missions are more frequent than in the last game, and they’ve also been given considerably more context through important characters and story beats. Warhammer 2 doubles down by introducing treasure hunting and dungeon delving, too.
Littered throughout the land and sea are wrecks, ruins and caves that can be explored in brief Choose Your Own Adventures. The results are too random and adventures too slight, but they undoubtedly encourage exploration and, more importantly, make it more likely that you’ll bump into an enemy army or one of the neutral rogue warbands that wander across the map.
It’s a lovely map to explore, full of vibrant tropical jungles, striking frigid wastes and pleasant forests. Not sure I’d recommend a visit to the Chaos corrupted lands, mind you. The campaign map’s diversity means the battle locales are more varied as well, and not just in terms of aesthetics. Battles in the last game largely took place on very simple, flat maps. These made fights a lot easier to read, but at the cost of being tactically interesting. There are still of lot of them in Warhammer 2, unfortunately, but there are also a fair number of choke points, thick forests, river crossings, cliffs and large hills. Geography plays a much greater role, adding more meaningful decisions and thrilling clashes to battles. Desperately holding the high ground or defending a causeway against a tide of foes is always going to be more entertaining than smashing armies together on a featureless plain.
Focus is maintained, despite all of these quests, fights and treasure hunts, because the game constantly reinforces the importance of controlling the Vortex. A meter that shows every faction’s progress sits at the top of the screen, while notifications pop up whenever one of them starts or finishes a ritual. It’s a layer of pressure that never goes away.
It might be the best campaign that Creative Assembly’s ever made, but there’s something to be said for the total sandbox, set-your-own-goals approach of the typical grand campaign. I’m left wondering if this might have an impact on the Vortex’s replayable appeal, though after two playthroughs I’m certainly not sick of it yet. If that changes, then I hope it won’t be until after the launch of Mortal Empires, the mega campaign that combines both Warhammer games and their 117 factions.
None of what you’ve just read would mean anything if the Dark Elves, High Elves, Skaven and Lizardmen weren’t up to snuff, but no need to fret – Warhammer 2 boasts some of the series’ most impressive faction design to date. There’s also a great deal to unpack.
The original factions in the first Warhammer all felt like they were built around one unique hook: the Dwarven Book of Grudges, the Orcs’ WAAAGH! mechanic, the Chaos Warriors’ nomadic shtick. Warhammer 2’s factions, on the other hand, are not defined by one single thing. Instead, they’re multifaceted, each containing numerous unique mechanics and twists inspired by specific racial traits.
So the Skaven are meant to be these infinitely hungry creatures, greedy and ravenous, and this is translated into a food system. When the Skaven are well-fed they are braver, better at fighting and more content. Their food stores can also be used to immediately upgrade settlements when they’re conquered or colonised. But that food can vanish quickly, and with hunger comes cowardice, rebellion and starvation. They’re driven to be more aggressive so they can feast on captives and steal food from their enemies.
They’re all about self-interest, however, so on top of the food system is a loyalty mechanic. Giving lords more troops to command, keeping them busy and fed, offering them new gear and winning battles with them keeps them loyal. Ignore them, and they’ll eventually revolt, creating a schism in the empire. And they’re sneaky, so all of their settlements appear to other factions as empty ruins, and they favour stealthy units in battle. But they’re also engineers, so they can field flamethrowers and explosives, or use an earthquake machine to level a city.
My point is that they don’t fit inside a single box. But what’s more important than the breadth of these faction-specific mechanics is their impact on the battle and campaign layers, and it’s often pretty dramatic. The Skaven are messy. In battle, they’re a constantly moving tide, retreating and returning, and they can push that chaos onto their foes by using green warpfire that panics and giant mutants that terrify. During the campaign, they teeter on a knife’s edge, never too far away from that gnawing hunger. So they have to keep killing. Keep eating.
I had a harder time with them than I did the Dark Elves. These witchy Elves are a lot better organised, largely thanks to their grim slave-based economy. Slaves captured in battle can be put to work in settlements, making the Elves wealthier. But the more there are, the lower public order gets. If it drops to -100, then rebels show up and start throwing shade. As a cash-rich Dark Elf, it’s not too hard to maintain huge armies full of dinosaur cavalry and crossbow-wielding warriors.
The Dark Elves are also uniquely suited to invasions. So, every faction has access to a series of rites, not to be confused with the Vortex rituals. These rites require some kind of sacrifice – it’s slaves for the Dark Elves – and performing them confers everything from faction-wide bonuses to special units. They represent the most powerful abilities in the game, and include that aforementioned Skaven earthquake device. The Dark Elves also get something a bit special: Black Arks.
These are ominous floating vessels that hug the coast and have some limited building options. Their main purpose, though, is to assist in invasions by offering magical support with long-range bombardments and providing reinforcements. They’re a weapon and a floating city all rolled into one big ol’ boat, and they’ve saved my hide countless times, halting enemy rituals and reinforcing beleaguered troops at my own sites. I’ve picked a couple of the better rites to discuss here, but they’re not all game-changers. For every Black Ark there’s a boring +8 to public order.
Given that this is a direct sequel, I wasn’t sure if Warhammer 2 would feel like a new Total War or a very large expansion. It seems like using the same engine and a similar setting has freed Creative Assembly to go down paths they’ve never explored before, though. To experiment. It might also be the reason that the level of polish and user-friendliness has seen a jump, and that includes the UI. It’s smoother, clearer and customisable. But lest the past be entirely forgotten, plenty of old issues reappear.
Diplomacy – one day I’ll get tired of saying this – still doesn’t feel like an organic extension of the other game systems, and is generally lacking in consequences. Want to declare war on your allies? It just takes a click of the button and barely anyone cares. Want a quick buck? Get in a war, demand cash for peace, do it again five turns later. Only the High Elves, with their ability to influence other factions, get to do anything remotely interesting with diplomacy.
Similarly, the economic and trade side of things continues to be woefully underdeveloped, despite being around forever, and doesn’t get much more complex than erecting money and resource generating buildings. They exist simply so you can make the gold that you need to create your armies. None of this comes as a shock, of course. These issues have existed for most of Total War’s history, but it’s important to note that these systems still aren’t particularly engaging.
When Warhammer 2 disappoints, it’s almost always when it shies away from change, letting some of Total War’s weaker limbs languish in mediocrity. There’s surprisingly little that hasn’t been reconsidered, however, and what isn’t entirely new has, more often than not, been expanded or tweaked, usually with positive results.
There’s a confidence to this game. It doesn’t need a comfortingly familiar grand campaign or a traditional structure because it has an identity separate from that of Total War; an identity where a scripted narrative can work, or where starkly different factions are more important than balance. It’s an exceedingly strong beginning to this chapter of the Warhammer trilogy and is a strong contender for the best game in the series.
Total War: Warhammer 2 is out this Thursday, the 28th of September, and will be available on Windows via Steam for £39.99.A photograph of a person can be altered in Photoshop in order to produce a hyperreal representation, with human characteristics shifted towards what an audience might see as an idyllic portrayal of beauty. This kind of photo manipulation is regularly employed by cosmetics companies in order to fool their desperately haggard customers into believing that a product is imbued with youth restoring properties and might as well have been pumped directly from a mythical, Biminian well.
There has been much controversy surrounding the subject of retouching photographs for use in advertising. This 2009 Olay magazine advertisement for Definity Eye Illuminator was banned after complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority suggested that it could give a ‘misleading impression of the effect the product could achieve’.
“Olay ∨Photoshop is my secret for drop-dead gorgeous eyes.”
As hyperrealistic images are used increasingly in the media, the standard of beauty to which an audience aspires becomes more and more unattainable, leading to a greater demand for allegedly age reversing cosmetics. This is a self-perpetuating problem that peddlers of rejuvenating potions must find troubling as they roll around in piles of cash.
The use of photo manipulation to mislead an audience is not limited to advertising commercial products. The following images show |
personnel in that establishment are immune from the blandishments of career advancement or the object lesson of being sacked. Bush and his vice president succeeded in concocting a fictitious pretext for unprovoked war by jawboning intelligence agencies to give them what they wanted. “Go along to get along” is the Washington Beltway’s prime directive, and why will it be different this time?
One of the glaring omissions in the essay was the absence of any discussion of terrorism as a potential solvent of liberal democracy. It is precisely here that the example of Bush’s pretext for the invasion of Iraq is instructive. The terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 unhinged a sizable slice of the American people; the invasion of Iraq and its unsatisfactory resolution amplified the syndrome; the rise of ISIS may have brought the public to a tipping point where a caudillo like Trump became possible. Nor are other polities immune: the Madrid train bombing of 2004 and the London underground attack of 2005 did not engender panicked fear-mongering in Europe, but the civil war in Syria and the terrorist attacks that followed, all of them on a smaller scale than Madrid, have roiled the continent in a way that is seriously upsetting political stability there.
Fear of terrorism has upset the post-World War II consensus about the balance between freedom and security in the Atlantic democracies.
It is well and good for optimists to say Americans should stop being so paranoid, and to point out that the opioid epidemic is a much greater problem because it kills vastly more Americans than terrorism. But perception is political reality. Fear of terrorism has upset the post-World War II consensus about the balance between freedom and security in the Atlantic democracies. Personal privacy and freedom of movement are essential aspects of the autonomy and dignity of the individual human being. They constitute a bedrock principle of a liberal social order; terrorism erodes these, and the all-but-interminable duration of the war on terrorism suggests time may be on the side of illiberalism.
The parliamentary liberalism unevenly developed over the past two centuries maintains another central tenet: that the litmus test of truth is not blind faith or coerced assent, but corroborable facts and evidence agreed to by all rational observers. This standard has come under attack in America as digital media have fractionated to serve hermetic partisan groups who believe only that which confirms and amplifies their existing biases. The new approach was best summed up by Scottie Nell Hughes, a Trump campaign surrogate who told a stupefied moderator and panelists on a radio talk show that “There’s no such thing, unfortunately, anymore, as facts.”
She went on: “And so Mr. Trump’s tweet[s] amongst a certain crowd, a large — a large part of the population, are truth. When he says that millions of people illegally voted, he has some — in his — amongst him and his supporters, and people believe they have facts to back that up. Those that do not like Mr. Trump, they say that those are lies, and there’s no facts to back it up. So…”
One of the paradoxical twists of history is that when leftist deconstructionists posited the notion of situational truth in the 1970s, the American right responded with fury against their “moral relativism,” a denunciation that became the leitmotif of staunch conservatives like Ronald Reagan’s education secretary, William Bennett. Now, among the Trump supporters, who have usurped the mantle of true conservative standard-bearers, the very idea of truth is relative to the beliefs of the observer.
Many observers, Runciman included, see Trump as a maverick not in tune with the American security apparatus. To some extent, this is true, but the full relationship is more differentiated than that. It is by now universal wisdom that the subversive rhetoric and insurrectionist tactics of the GOP, the tea party and their associated propaganda outlets helped create Trump, however much the party establishment claimed to have detested him. But even though the GOP in the era of the tea party sired Trump, it shares parentage with the transpartisan national security complex of the United States. Politicians, generals, CIA directors, think tank warriors and terrorism “experts” have been driving a message of fear about terrorism into our heads for a decade and a half — a fear that has activated the latent authoritarianism and paranoia that lurk in all too many ordinary people.
This dynamic helps explain why Trump’s candidacy took off like a moon rocket in November and December of 2015, the period of the terrorist attack in Paris and the murders in San Bernardino. Government officials and the corporate media whipped up a mood in the country that approached hysteria; Trump deftly exploited that mood to his advantage. By being the only politician brazen enough to openly advocate torture — not merely to gain information, but to inflict pain for its own sake — he tapped into the revenge fantasies of millions of Americans who have been fed a steady diet of fear since 9/11.
Voters in the Republican primary in South Carolina who handed Trump a walkover victory declared terrorism to be their foremost concern, one that eclipsed a low-wage economy — deteriorating living standards that have led to an actual increase in the death rate of the GOP’s core demographic of late-middle-aged, non-college educated whites; and the most expensive and least available health care in the so-called developed world. So while Trump — a Vietnam-era draft avoider who appeared not even to know what the nuclear triad was — could hardly be considered a product of the national security sector, his demagogic skills and authoritarian demeanor placed him in a far better position than his rivals to exploit the national neurosis created by the war on terror.
On the question of Trump’s authoritarian appeal Runciman states, “It is sometimes said that Trump appeals to his supporters because he represents the authoritarian father figure who they want to shield them from all the bad people out there making their lives hell. That can’t be right: Trump is a child, the most childish politician I have encountered in my lifetime.” Of course, Trump would appear as a child to a cultured and educated product of Cambridge and an exponent of liberal democracy. His babyish tantrums and 4-in-the-morning tweets are hardly indicative of an adult in control of his emotions. But the problem with the author’s reasoning is that Trump’s demeanor might well appear reminiscent of an authoritarian father in a West Virginia mining town or a South Carolina trailer park. The American media have collected dozens of quotes from Trump supporters who used father metaphors to describe him; The Washington Post chronicled the story of one rabid supporter, a late-middle-aged woman in Pennsylvania, who habitually referred to Trump as “Big Daddy.” It hardly requires the services of Dr. Freud to infer that there’s something going on there, and it assuredly doesn’t validate the rational choice theory beloved of sociologists.
Donald Trump is one aspect of a much larger story: the fraying of post-World War II institutions like the IMF, the UN and NATO. The oldest of these are now seven decades old. If you count its embryonic precursor, the European Coal and Steel Community, the EU is almost that old. It may be that these institutions have a natural lifespan. More likely, perhaps, there was a wrong turning about midway through the postwar period, when Britain and the United States went all in for laissez-faire fundamentalism, with almost all of the Atlantic democracies following in their wake. These policies exacerbated what was already bound to be a difficult adjustment for Western industrial workers when China and other East Asian countries became manufacturing powerhouses.
In some ways Trump and his European soul mates are populist reactions, albeit authoritarian ones, to voters’ dismay over the mature democracies’ own slide into illiberalism. To wall off their pet economic nostrums from popular challenge, elites wrote binding clauses into trade treaties to prevent national or regional legislatures from challenging corporate prerogatives on safety or environmental grounds. Brussels and the European Central Bank forbade member governments, regardless of their popular mandate, from undertaking measures to help their citizens after the 2008 economic crash. The geopolitical situations may be different, but rigid austerity was as much a mistake in the Greece or Italy of today as it was in Chancellor Brüning’s Germany of 1932, or Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald’s Britain of the same year.
So perhaps democracies die of old age and we cannot quite see which event will cause their final cardiac arrest. But more likely, their leaders make avoidable mistakes, and then persist in them because their ideological disposition causes them to resist the warning signs of danger ahead. If authoritarian populism is the wave of the future, its midwife is neoliberal economics turned punitive and illiberal.Three people remain hospitalized in critical condition after a car plowed through pedestrians on Thursday in Melbourne, Australia. Photo by Joe Castro/EPA-EFE
Dec. 22 (UPI) -- Three people remained hospitalized in critical condition Friday, a day after a car struck 19 people in Melbourne's central business district.
The driver of the vehicle was arrested by an off-duty police officer at the scene Thursday. The vehicle drove onto train tracks and through an intersection crowded with pedestrians before a concrete base stopped its progress.
Those critically injured include two South Koreans, one a 4-year-old boy, with head injuries and an Australian man. Others in the hospital are a Venezuelan man, an Irish woman, an Indian man and a Chinese man. Four Australians, including the police officer who made the arrest, are also hospitalized.
Police said the driver is a former Afghan refugee who arrived in Australia in 2004, and that he has a history of drug abuse and mental illness and was charged with assault in 2010.
Terrorism is not believed to be a motive for the incident, officials said.
A second man, who used a cellphone to record the incident, was also arrested at the scene Thursday. The second arrest prompted speculation that he and the driver may have been working together. Police said they found three long knives and marijuana in a bag he carried.
"He was taken into custody to determine whether he was, in fact, connected with the incident," Acting Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said.
After determining that the driver of the car acted alone, the second man was released but will be charged with marijuana possession and possession of a controlled weapon.Two men were repeatedly stabbed after leaving a bar in Fridley and remained hospitalized in critical condition Saturday night.
The men, both 21, were at Two Stooges Sports Bar & Grill when two women asked them for a ride about 2 a.m., according to Cmdr. Paul Sommer of the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office.
The victims — Anthony M. McCollum of Hilltop and Yani R. Singh of Columbia Heights — agreed to give the women a ride to an apartment complex not far away, near University Avenue NE. and NE. Mississippi Street, he said.
It’s unclear where the four were for more than two hours between bar closing and arriving in that area, Sommer said.
At 4:20 a.m., the 21-year-old driver called police from near 77th Avenue NE. and Main Street, saying he and his friend had just been attacked by two strangers and that they managed to flee.
“They were going to drive to Unity Hospital, but in their panic, or if they were unfamiliar with the area, they couldn’t find it,” Sommer said.
“So they were calling 911 on their cellphone, and they decided to just stop and wait at 77th and Main Street.”
Fridley police found the driver critically wounded and barely conscious; he could give only a few details before passing out. His passenger was unconscious.
Anoka County authorities are seeking the public’s help in identifying the two women or any witnesses or accomplices.
Investigators were still trying to confirm Saturday the exact address of where the stabbings took place, somewhere west of University Avenue near Mississippi Street, Sommer said.
They have a “pretty good idea of where it happened,” but there’s a big complex of apartment and townhouses there, he said.
Witnesses sought
Authorities are asking that the two women come forward and help with the investigation. Detectives also urged anyone who may have seen the four leave the bar, the attack or anything else suspicious to call the Sheriff’s Office at 763-427-1212.
Sheriff’s investigators and Fridley police also are seeking surveillance video and images from the area. Sommer said the surveillance camera from Two Stooges wasn’t working properly.
He said the authorities do not know if the women were involved in the crime. It also wasn’t clear if the men were attacked in a parking lot or in their vehicle.
“It’s all speculation at this point because only one of the victims was able to speak to us, and only for a very short period of time,” Sommer said.
‘Beautiful human beings’
The victims’ families told police that the two victims were not the type to close down a bar, Sommer said.
“They’re beautiful human beings with wonderful hearts,” said Kelly Singh, Yani’s sister. “They didn’t do anything wrong. They were set up. They did not deserve this, and whoever did this needs to be caught.”
She said her brother was engaged and that both he and McCollum are hard workers who serve their communities. She declined to comment further from a bedside vigil at the hospital.
“I’m just speechless,” Rachel Cox, a shift supervisor at Two Stooges, said Saturday. “I don’t know why people would do these things.”
She didn’t know if the women had been asking others for a ride before the two victims agreed to help out, but she hoped to find out, Cox said.
“If they’re the ones willing to be nice and give these ladies a ride, and then something like this happens, it makes people not want to do anything nice for anybody anymore, because you never know what will happen,” she said.SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic -- Former major leaguer Vladimir Guerrero said he has surrendered to police after authorities contend he attacked a police officer in a disco. Guerrero denied being part of an attack.
Police said no charges have been filed against Guerrero following the mayhem in Nizao, about 40 miles from Santo Domingo.
Maximo Baez Aybar, a spokesman for the police in the Dominican Republic, maintained Guerrero "physically attacked" police officer Renato Pena Rojas after a brawl broke out in the disco. Baez Aybar asked that Guerrero turn himself in "so the case can be put in the hands of the justice system."
"At no time did I attack anyone, nor was I fleeing," Guerrero told The Associated Press. "I presented myself at the jail last night after the complaint from the disco, and this morning first thing I went to the police that are handling the case."
His lawyer, Polivio Rivas, added: "All that is being alleged is false. Vladimir did not attack anyone -- absolutely no one. We're going to follow the process, but everything will be cleared up."
Guerrero, once one of the most feared hitters in baseball, is a free agent after finishing last season with the Baltimore Orioles.While Bernie Sanders has pitched himself as the presidential candidate for the little guy -- tapping into the wallets of voters angry over Wall Street’s influence in politics -- a deeper dive shows Sanders has enlisted an arsenal of millionaire and billionaire backers who have backed his political career since his early Senate runs a decade ago.
That big-money support stands in sharp contrast to Sanders' calls for corporate fat-cats and the uber-wealthy to pay their “fair share” in taxes by closing loopholes and removing breaks that benefit the mega-rich.
At a rally last Sunday at The Ohio State University, Sanders told a cheering crowd,” You can tell a lot about a candidate based on how he or she raises money for his or her campaign.”
The comment goes hand-in-hand with the theme Sanders has been hammering for months.
“I am not raising money from millionaires and billionaires,” Sanders said during the CNN Democratic primary debate in Las Vegas on Oct. 13. “In fact, tonight, in terms of what a political revolution is about, there are 4,000 house parties – 100,000 people in this country – watching this debate tonight who want real change in this country.”
Sanders war chest has been driven by smaller donations – he raised $26 million in small increments in the third fund-raising quarter.
Jeff Weaver, Sanders’ campaign manager, insists the fancy fundraisers and big-name donors are few and far between and that there is no contradiction in what the Vermont Democrat and self-described socialist practices and what he preaches.
“We don’t have a super PAC,” Weaver told FoxNews.com. “We rely on small contributions. Average contribution is $27. Are there some, a few people in there who have more money, personal money who give larger contributions? Yeah, of course they do, but within the federal $2700 limit. No, you know, no 50, 100, 2 million contributions.”
But for years Sanders has enjoyed donations from a handful of wealthy donors including media moguls Leo J. Hindery and Steven C. Markoff.
Markoff, who donated to Sanders’ 2012 Senate campaign, began trading rare coins when he was 11. By 2004, his company A-Mark Entertainment was listed as the 65th largest privately held company in the U.S., and the second largest in Los Angeles.
Hindrey, managing partner of the private equity fund InterMedia Partners and former chief executive of AT & T Broadband and of the YES Network, also maxed out on contributions to Sanders. Hindrey, while advocating for fewer tax breaks for the wealthy, is among the biggest Democratic fundraisers in the country.
Another big money donor to Sanders’ campaign is David Geffen, co-founder of DreamWorks Animation and worth a cool $6.9 billion. According to campaign finance records, Geffen donated the max at the time -- $2,500 -- to Sanders Senate campaign on Jan. 27, 2012.
But Lara Brown, director of George Washington University’s political management program, told FoxNews.com that she doesn’t see a big push-back from Sanders supporters.
“By and large, Democrats tend to believe these individuals are giving because they have a strong progressive/liberal orientation in their politics and they are doing this because it equates to them giving to a cause,” she said, adding that the same would be true for big-money donors in Silicon Valley and the tech industry.
Viveca Novak, editorial and communications director at Center for Responsive Politics, agrees.
“The vast majority of his contributions in this election have come from smaller donors,” Novak told FoxNews.com. “Even some wealthy Democratic donors believe in changing the campaign finance system, and Sanders’ message has been pretty consistent on that issue.”
However, if donations came in from Wall Street moneymakers, Brown believes the reaction might be different.
“The question is not whether he has taken donations from wealthy individuals, but instead whether he has received support from the very people he has attacked as being at the core of the corrupt campaign finance that funds Washington,” she said. “Hence, as with most scandals, the transgression is judged most harshly when it involves hypocrisy.”
Sanders, born in 1941, started out his political career as the mayor of Burlington, Vermont in the early 1980s. He entered the national political arena in 1991 when he ran as an independent and won a seat in the House of Representatives. In 2007, he was elected to the Senate and then re-elected in 2012.
Fox News' Lauren Blanchard contributed to this report.Valve, creators of best-selling game franchises (such as Counter-Strike, Half-Life, Left 4 Dead, Portal, and Team Fortress) and leading technologies (such as Steam and Source), today introduced support for Free to Play (F2P) Games on Steam with the launch of five F2P games.Available immediately, the launch titles are Spiral Knights, Forsaken Worlds, Champions Online: Free for All, Global Agenda: Free Agent, and Alliance of Valliant Arms (AVA).Beginning tomorrow (Weds) with Spiral Knights and concluding Sunday with AVA, each of the five launch titles will offer exclusive in-game content to those who try the "F2P game of the day" on Steam. In game transactions in all of the titles will be supported by Steam's micro-transaction backend system that is available to Steamworks partners and currently used in Valve's Team Fortress 2."The introduction of Free to Play games is another example of the constant evolution of Steam," said Jason Holtman, director of business development at Valve. "Free to Play games offer new game genres and game experiences for customers, while offering developers and publishers new revenue opportunities and the ability to reach customers in areas of the world where the traditional packaged goods model is less popular than F2P."Specific details on the F2P games of the day and their exclusive in-game content will be made available in the coming days.Steam is a leading platform for PC & Mac games and digital entertainment serving over 1,500 games to over 30 million active accounts worldwide. For more information, please visit www.steamgames.comWhen you’re writing a Go web application, there are a lot of ways you can test it. You can test each handler as a unit, or you can go for full blown acceptance tests with a framework like Agouti. In this post, we’ll look at how to test at the HTTP layer using the standard library net/http with cookie support so you can test a full user interaction.
How to test stateful go web applications with cookies Tweet
HTTP Testing Basics
We’ll start with the basics of testing HTTP applications in Go. Let’s use this simple hello world web server as an example:
// package main is used here just for ease of running the demo. // In reality, this would be package app package main import ( "flag" "fmt" "log" "net/http" ) // App is our Application's base http.Handler type App struct { *http.ServeMux } // NewApp constructs a new App and initializes our routing func NewApp() *App { mux := http.NewServeMux() app := &App{mux} mux.HandleFunc("/", app.Root) return app } // Root is the root page of our application func (a *App) Root(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) { fmt.Fprint(w, "Hello!") } var port = flag.Int("port", 8080, "Port to serve on") func main() { flag.Parse() log.Fatal(http.ListenAndServe(fmt.Sprintf(":%d", *port), NewApp())) }
It’s not just your basic Go HTTP server example, we’ve broken it into a couple of pieces, and there’s a reason for that: testability!
We embed a ServeMux into our App object so that when we construct, we can set up our routing to match paths to instance methods on App. This makes it easy to access App-level objects later like logging and database connections. But for now, the main reason is to be able to construct our App and use it in a test.
I’ve included the main as well just so you can see how you would run an app like this with http.ListenAndServe.
Here’s a basic test to check that our app says hello:
func TestAppRoot(t *testing.T) { app := NewApp() server := httptest.NewServer(app) defer server.Close() resp, err := http.Get(server.URL + "/") if err!= nil { t.Error(err) } buf := &bytes.Buffer{} buf.ReadFrom(resp.Body) if strings.Index(buf.String(), "Hello!") == -1 { t.Error("Root should say hello") } }
We construct our app and an httptest.Server from it, which runs a real web server on a random port. We can then use http.Client to make a get request to our server. Then we read the body and check that it says “Hello!”
That’s the basics of a Go http acceptance test using just the standard library. I consider it an acceptance test because our “interface” to our app is HTTP, just like a user uses. We checked that the page body had Hello, which is the acceptance criteria of the app. Since we’re serving it on a real port we’re executing the full stack of the application.
Session and Cookies
OK, so this works great for static sites, but what about when I have a site that keeps a session and cookies? Out of the box, http.Client doesn’t keep track of cookies, so you can’t sign in to your app and click around as a user.
To start with, let’s modify our app so that you can tell it your name and it will set your name as a cookie and greet you. Here is our new Root :
// Root is the root page of our application func (a *App) Root(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) { var name string nameCookie, err := r.Cookie("name") if err == nil { name = nameCookie.Value } else if err!= http.ErrNoCookie { http.Error(w, err.Error(), http.StatusInternalServerError) return } t := template.Must(template.New("root").Parse(` <!doctype html> <html> <head><title>greeter</title></head> <body> {{if.}} <h1>Hi {{.}}!</h1> {{else}} <h1>Welcome! Who are you?</h1> <form method="POST" action="/name"> <input type="text" placeholder="Your name" name="name"> <input type="submit" value="Set Name"> </form> {{end}} </body> </html> `)) if err := t.Execute(w, name); err!= nil { http.Error(w, err.Error(), http.StatusInternalServerError) return } }
In this new root, we check for a "name" cookie and use its value as the user’s name if we find it. Then we have a new page which is now an HTML template. This template will greet someone if they have a name set, or it will present a form that the user can use to set their name.
For this to work we are going to need to add a new action to our app:
// NewApp constructs a new App and initializes our routing func NewApp() *App { mux := http.NewServeMux() app := &App{mux} mux.HandleFunc("/", app.Root) mux.HandleFunc("/name", app.SetName) // <- NEW return app } func (a *App) SetName(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) { http.SetCookie(w, &http.Cookie{ Name: "name", Value: r.FormValue("name"), HttpOnly: true, Expires: time.Now().Add(24 * 14 * time.Hour), }) http.Redirect(w, r, "/", http.StatusFound) }
At the path "/name" we now have a SetName action that will set the name cookie to the name form value passed in and redirect back to the root.
Cool! So now that our app works, let’s look at how to test it:
func TestSetName(t *testing.T) { app := NewApp() server := httptest.NewServer(app) defer server.Close() jar, err := cookiejar.New(nil) if err!= nil { t.Error(err) } client := &http.Client{Jar: jar} resp, err := client.Get(server.URL + "/") if err!= nil { t.Error(err) } buf := &bytes.Buffer{} buf.ReadFrom(resp.Body) if strings.Index(buf.String(), "Welcome") == -1 { t.Errorf("Root should say Welcome!:
%s", buf.String()) } resp, err = client.PostForm( server.URL+"/name", url.Values{"name": {"Nick"}}, ) if err!= nil { t.Error(err) } buf.Reset() buf.ReadFrom(resp.Body) if strings.Index(buf.String(), "Hi Nick!") == -1 { t.Errorf("Root should say Hi Nick!:
%s", buf.String()) } }
Acceptance testing stateful Go webapps with just the standard library Tweet
In this new test, we set up our App same as before, but now we instantiate an http.Client to use with a cookiejar.Jar. By adding a cookie jar to our client, we’re telling it to track cookies it receives. Now, when we make our get request we use client.Get instead of http. Although, it’s really the client.PostForm that matters, since that sets the cookie.
After posting the form, we’re redirected to root which renders our name. Go’s http.Client automatically follows redirects, so this is just one step. Nice!
A bit of refactoring
At this point we have a working test, but it’s quite verbose! To solve this, I like to merge the test server, cookie-enabled client, and the testing variable into one object that has a nice testing interface. Check it out:
// AppTestServer is an App wrapped up for testing type AppTestServer struct { client *http.Client app *App t *testing.T server *httptest.Server } // NewAppTestServer creates a new AppTestServer with a cookie-enabled client func NewAppTestServer(t *testing.T) *AppTestServer { app := NewApp() server := httptest.NewServer(app) jar, err := cookiejar.New(nil) if err!= nil { t.Error(err) } client := &http.Client{Jar: jar} return &AppTestServer{ client: client, app: app, t: t, server: server, } } // Close shuts down the test server func (ats *AppTestServer) Close() { ats.server.Close() } // Get will make a get request to the given path and // check for errors, returning the body func (ats *AppTestServer) Get(path string) string { resp, err := ats.client.Get(ats.server.URL + path) if err!= nil { ats.t.Error(err) } b, err := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body) if err!= nil { ats.t.Error(err) } return string(b) } // PostForm will post a form to the given path and // check for errors, returning the body func (ats *AppTestServer) PostForm(path string, values url.Values) string { resp, err := ats.client.PostForm(ats.server.URL+path, values) if err!= nil { ats.t.Error(err) } b, err := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body) if err!= nil { ats.t.Error(err) } return string(b) } // AssertSee will check that the given query is found in // the body or error the test func AssertSee(t *testing.T, body, query string) { if strings.Index(body, query) == -1 { t.Errorf("Expected to see %s in
%s", query, body) } } func TestSetName(t *testing.T) { ats := NewAppTestServer(t) defer ats.Close() body := ats.Get("/") AssertSee(t, body, "Welcome") body = ats.PostForm("/name", url.Values{"name": {"Nick"}}) AssertSee(t, body, "Hi Nick!") }
Tests are code too! It’s important to refactor and abstract your test code. It’s more code overall, but it makes the test very readable because we can tell exactly what actions we’re performing and what we’re looking for.
Tests are code too! Refactor and abstract your test code. Tweet
I hope this helps you start acceptance testing your Go web application!Manchester City’s #AskBacary (Sagna) Twitter session inevitably hijacked by Arsenal fans
Manchester City hosted an #AskBacary Sagna Twitter Q&A session this morning, and – shock horror – it was hijacked by Arsenal fans, bitter with the French full-back for leaving them in the summer.
Now vilified as a mercenary at Arsenal – which is just plain mean, the guy gave his all for the club, and wants to win the Premier League, and he has an infinitely better chance to doing that at City – Gooners ‘asked Bacary’ plenty of silly questions about warming the bench, in reference to the fact that he’s played just one game so far this season.
With Zabaleta now facing a one game ban for his sending off against Chelsea, Sagna should get the chance to start for City this weekend.
#askbacary how many charity shields you win this year? — Harry Jardine (@harryj17) September 25, 2014
What temperature do you set your heated seat to, or are they all pre set? #askbacary — Kyle Cansfield (@KCansfield) September 25, 2014
Is it fun to be on benches with very high salary? #ASKBACARY @MCFC @Sagnaofficial — jamal (@jamalsahlan) September 25, 2014
#askbacary ha ha!!! No sympathy on this one- love is worth more than money Bac. — Goonerlove (@GoonerLove) September 25, 2014
#askbacary what keeps you warmer at football matches, the bench or £150k of cash in your back pocket? — Lord Kris, CAE (@bajankris) September 25, 2014
#askbacary @mcfc there's rumours that mcfc's bench is made of the finest leather. As an expert of the bench, do you agree or disagree? — ozil is LW for Ger. (@FaithInWenger) September 25, 2014
From a footballer to a professional bench warmer, anything you wouldn't do for money? @MCFC @Sagnaofficial #askbacary — SheWoreAYellowRibbon (@SheWore) September 25, 2014
– @MCFC @Sagnaofficial Why did you move to Man City? For the money or for the money? #askbacary — Flitts (@FlittsTheGooner) September 24, 2014
@MCFC @Sagnaofficial How many splinters have you got in your arse since you moved up there? #askbacary — Darren Berry AFC ❌ (@DBerry1974) September 24, 2014
#AskBacary Does it hurt knowing @MatDebuchy replaced you for both France and Arsenal? — AJ (@AsianMeerkat) September 25, 2014The NFL season is finally here and the direction our teams take early on in the season will play a significant role in the type of trades we make throughout the year. As an owner it is hard to part with my future draft picks unless I know it is going to put me in contention for a championship run. One of the best things about dynasty football is the annual rookie drafts where we as owners use our knowledge to draft the best players possible.
If I am not going to make a run for a championship, I tend to trade off a few minor pieces that might better help another team this season so I can load up on future picks. This allows me to grab young assets or sell off my rookie picks in peak rookie season when their value is usually at its highest. The summer time hype on the next class is crucial for future rookie pick value as well as draft season.
If I decide to keep my rookie picks or trade for more just what exactly do I have to look forward to? Well, what I am going to do here is use a set of rankings, ADP, and value throughout the season to try and pinpoint who is valued where in future rookie drafts. Instead of blindly selling or buying draft picks, you will be able to put a name or group of names next to the pick you are trading away or acquiring. I know it is hard to pinpoint where exactly your picks will be slotted in future drafts, but a lot of times you hear someone say “this player or a later ‘18 second?” and that is where this power rankings aspect comes into play.
I now have a visual of future picks for the first and second rounds of the 2018, 2019, and 2020 class. Players move up and down, and opinions constantly change so I will be updating these future projections weekly so owners can use it to gauge current value.
Derrius Guice and Saquon Barkley are the top two assets in the 2018 class and have been for quite some time. SMU WR Courtland Sutton is a favorite for many, and although he had a very underwhelming week one, he will stay slotted at #3 unless the regression continues. Josh Rosen is slotted as QB1 for the 2018 class and has been there on DFF Devy rankings since the beginning. Two post-hype sleepers in the Devy community that should continue to have good seasons are Alabama WR Calvin Ridley, who is slotted at 1.12, and Oregon RB Royce Freeman, who is slotted at 2.07. This week’s 2018 projections are finished off by Louisville WR Jaylen Smith who went off for 8 catches and 117 yards in week one along with Auburn QB Jarrett Stidham who made his long awaited debut for the Tigers.
The top 5 assets in the 2019 class are all wide receivers, and the only one who had a notable performance was NC State’s Kelvin Harmon who caught 10 of 17 targets for 114 yards. Miami’s Ahmmon Richards was out with an injury in week one, but there is no doubt he will be their most productive receiver in his sophomore season after leading Miami in receiving yards last year as a freshman. A&M RB Trayveon Williams, Missouri RB Damarea Crockett and Ole Miss WR AJ Brown make up the middle of round one with their dominant performances in week one. One surprising aspect of this 2019 class is Jauan Jennings. I took it upon myself to place him in this 2019 class with the recent news of having to undergo wrist surgery and miss 90% of the season if not the whole year. That leads me to believe he might return for another season of college football. Texas WR Collin Johnson had a great game against Maryland in week one. He was either first or tied for first in all receiving categories for his team, and he leads off round 2 for the 2019 class. Georgia RB Elijah Holyfield has taken quite the fall from last year while being the 5th RB on Georgia’s depth chart. He merits consideration because of his talent but players need to be on the field to showcase that talent, so he rounds off the back end of round 2.
FSU RB Cam Akers and Michigan WR Tarik Black headline the 2020 class with tremendous build, athleticism, and upside at their respective positions. Ohio State RB JK Dobbins comes in at the 1.03, and if you saw his performance last Thursday, you’ll understand why. Dobbins had 29 carries for 181 yards and is the only true freshman running back in Ohio State history to start their season opener. 1.06 is currently USC RB Stephen Carr who had a 52 yard TD run against Western Michigan to seal the Trojans week one victory. One player who should continue to see a lofty rise throughout this process is Wisconsin RB Jonathan Taylor who led the Badgers with 87 rushing yards and 1 TD in week one.
Thank you for reading, and I hope this article is helpful for your future trades. Follow me on |
I worked with an organization called Master’s Commission, which is basically a Bible college that combines the educational part of ministry with actual hands-on work. I had been involved with the program in Cincinnati, Ohio, and in Orlando, Florida. A pastor in Louisville, Kentucky, named Tony had seen the work that Master’s Commission had done and contacted my boss in Orlando about starting one at his church.
I was presented with an opportunity to move to Louisville with my wife at the time to run the program at his brand new church. As a 25-year-old, I was excited, but still smart enough to find out all the details. He sent over paperwork saying that the church would provide an apartment for us as well as pay us a handsome salary that was triple anything I had ever made before.
With the opportunity to return to my home state and to have financial stability doing what I enjoyed, I jumped at the chance. Tony contacted me and told me not to worry about bringing all of my old mix-and-match furniture, as they would be fully furnishing my place. I was in heaven.
That excitement didn’t last long.
Once I arrived, I quickly realized that I wasn’t just running a ministry training program, but basically every part of his church. My hours were whatever Tony felt like, which included staying up overnight burning CDs for a promotion idea he had at midnight. I pressed through all of this, because those things happen, right?
Then I realized something that wasn’t happening; I wasn’t getting paid. After a few weeks I approached Tony and asked when I would receive a check. He looked at me puzzled like I had asked some sort of ridiculous question. “Paid?” he asked. As I looked around the room for hidden cameras on what was clearly a prank show, Tony explained to me that he thought I would be raising my own salary as well as funding the ministry program and supporting his church. I had been taught to walk by faith, so I let him convince me this was possible. It was not.
I was booking services for the ministry program, driving my personal car since the church didn’t have any sort of vehicle, and trying to make my $200 love offering somehow cover my expenses for the trip, as well as my electric bill. After being forced to work on the kitchen staff at his daughter’s wedding (part of the ministry, right?) I was desperate. I brought him paperwork to sign so I could get food stamps. I couldn’t even afford to eat at this point. He looked at me, disgusted, and informed me of what an insult it was to even ask him to do this, and that if I had that little faith in God to provide for me, then I needed to do some serious soul searching. I did.
Three days later I told him I quit. Upon hearing this, he and his wife came over to my apartment and yelled at me for what was probably an hour, but felt like a year. They told me that I would never make it in ministry, or in life, if I couldn’t trust God. When they were finally done I heard a moving truck pull around out front. They were taking back all of the furniture that was given to me.
If you think he was done there, guess again. A few weeks after I moved, I received papers saying that he was suing me for the remaining cost of rent and for misrepresenting myself as someone who could do this job. Shockingly enough, Tony is no longer in ministry and his wife left him. I wonder what happened to his faith?
After a little time away repairing myself both mentally and emotionally, I got an offer to run another ministry program at the church where I had been a ministry student in Ohio. I was overjoyed by the chance to head up the exact program that had previously had such an impact on my life. We moved, and everything went great for the first year.
The number of students was up and our preview day had more attendants than any year in the history of the program. I was on fire. All of that came to a screeching halt one morning as my wife asked to meet with me, along with the senior pastor, in his office. I had no idea what was going on, but I assumed it wasn’t good judging by the tears that were building up in her eyes.
She then informed me that she had been having an affair with one of the students, who was more or less my assistant. It had been going on for a while. I said, “OK, good to know,” and walked out of the room, drove to the movie theater, and watched Shutter. It was one of the dumbest movies I had ever seen. I gathered myself together as I got a call from the pastor asking me to meet him and my wife at IHOP. I love pancakes so I figured this would be a great way to ruin my relationship, and with it, my favorite breakfast food.
He explained her feelings and issued an apology like some sort of contract negotiation, then asked if I would be OK to drive her home. I told him it would be fine. As soon as I got in the car I asked when she was leaving. She looked at me perplexed and asked what I meant. Apparently she thought I was going to let her plow my intern and then just hug her and go on about my day. I made it clear that I wanted nothing else to do with her ever again, much to her surprise.
I dropped her off at the house to pack and stayed at a friend’s place, only to be interrupted by a phone call from the pastor telling me he needed to meet as soon as possible. What happened next was truly astounding. He basically informed me that it wouldn’t look good if a single man was running their ministry program and so I could either reconcile things with my ex (I had already changed my relationship status on Myspace. It was officially over) or I could step down from my job. This is what Jesus would do, right? Thus saith the lord, if someone is down, maketh it that much worse.
I tried staying around for a few weeks after, taking a new role as an assistant in the program, but the pastor began trying to push me out. I bought a car since I had given the old one to my ex and he yelled at me for not consulting with him first on where to buy one. His assistant later met with me and told me I would be losing my health benefits and would go from a staff member to contract labor. At one point I decided to get away on my days off and go visit some friends in Louisville. I was told I wasn’t allowed to do that anymore and that I should stay in town for reasons that I’ll never understand. He was making my life hell, so I had to leave.
At this point, I was done working for churches. I moved down to Orlando for a fresh start and got a place with a couple of my friends. While unsuccessfully searching for a job, I ended up volunteering at the giant megachurch where my roommate worked. That eventually led to me getting hired as part of the staff there. These churches run like well-oiled machines, at least on the surface. Services are like rock concerts, and the thousands in attendance leave in awe.
Behind the scenes, however, it’s a different story. I saw men, women, and families fired constantly due to “budget issues.” These people made no more than $400 per week, while the senior pastor lived in a multimillion-dollar-home and had more luxury cars than Autotrader.com. Once, in a staff meeting, the pastor came in and informed the staff that, not only were none of us irreplaceable, but as soon as he found someone that could do any of our jobs for less money, he would fire us. That boosts moral, doesn’t it?
I saw families struggle to pay bills while the pastor’s daughter was given an apartment and paid a full salary to show up for maybe six hours per week. I came in every day terrified that it would be the day I would lose my job. I started absorbing other vacated jobs into my own. I would offer to take on the responsibilities of anyone who was fired, at no additional pay. I was making around $400 a week and doing the work of at least four people.
In July 2011, the church held its annual music conference, attended by thousands from around the world. I took on a tremendous workload to try to make myself as valuable as possible. At the end of the conference we were supposed to get a few well-deserved days off. Instead, after working what was probably an 80-hour week, I was brought into a conference room and told that my season was up. That’s the spiritual way of telling you that you’re fired. I was in a new, healthy relationship, expecting a child in five months. I had just worked as hard as I possibly could, and now I was being fired. It was devastating.
Again, I’m not bitter against God and I don't hate the church, although if there’s anyone who could justifiably hate church, it would be me. It’s unfortunate that anyone can start a business and claim that they are an ambassador of God, but it’s been that way for a long time and it will continue to be that way. I can only hope that people who run churches as if they're their personal bank accounts, tossing people aside, realize the error in their ways, or have that truth revealed to them. Not all churches are bad, but the ones that are have no problem being as bad as they can be.
@robfeeSonoma West Medical Center CEO resigns
Sonoma West Medical Center CEO Ray Hino has resigned from the Sebastopol hospital, claiming he can no longer sustain the energy and long hours required of him for the past 20 months.
In a June 26 letter to his colleagues, Hino said he’s often worked 12- to 13-hour days and 6- to 7-day weeks, including every weekend for 85 straight weeks.
“When I came to SWMC, I had hopes of spending more time with my family in Northern California,” he wrote. “In fact, I have spent less time by working nearly every weekend.”
The hospital opened in late October at the site of the former Palm Drive Hospital, which was shuttered a year and a half earlier following declines in patients and insurance reimbursements. The new medical center has struggled to collect payments for medical services and become financially sustainable.
Sonoma West’s board of directors is proposing to fill the CEO position internally. Barbara Borbeck, who has served for less than a month as both the chief operating officer and chief nursing officer, is slated to take Hino’s place. Her salary is still being negotiated; Hino was paid $250,000 annually.
The shift in management must be approved by the board of directors of the Palm Drive Health Care District. Under the management services agreement between the nonprofit medical center and the district, such terminations and hirings must be approved by the health care district leadership.
At a meeting Monday night, two members of the Palm Drive board requested more time to review the change in management. The board is expected to reconvene later this week to vote on the matter.
The move comes as the medical center continues to search for a third-party health care provider to subcontract certain business and management tasks, particularly billing and accounts receivable. Borbeck said Monday she is part of a team at the medical center negotiating with two potential partners.
Hospital officials said one is Valley Emergency Physicians, a Walnut Creek doctors’ group. Officials said they could not reveal the identity of the other group, per the negotiating agreement.
“We’re looking at those partners to provide both intellectual and financial capital,” said Dan Smith, president of Sonoma West’s board of directors.
One of the matters to be determined is whether Sonoma West will continue to have its own CEO. Borbeck has been negotiating with Valley about the possibility of being hired by the subcontractor to work as its CEO at the hospital. She is scheduled to discuss that and other subcontract issues this week, hospital officials said.
Borbeck said her continued employment is not a deal-breaker in negotiations.
“That’s not how I roll,” Borbeck said. “I look for what’s in the best interest of an organization.”
Prior to coming to Sonoma West Medical Center in early June, Borbeck worked as assistant chief nursing officer at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Mission Hills, Calif. She has also worked as director of inpatient and ambulatory departments at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in the East Bay and as nurse manager at three health care facilities in Arizona.
Borbeck said one of the main longterm goals for the medical center will be efforts to recruit, train and retain “human capital,” a concept that views a workforce in terms of its value or cost to an organization.
As part of that focus, Borbeck said the medical center would be seeking “Magnet” recognition under the American Nurses Credentialing Center, a subsidiary of the American Nurses Association whose goal is to promote excellence in nursing.
“What we put together here is going to draw people to our organization,” said Borbeck, referring to the recruitment of highly qualified nurses and physician partners.
Smith said Monday he has committed another $3 million of his own funds to help the hospital get to the point where it is breaking even, hopefully by the end of the year. That brings Smith’s total contribution over the years to about $13 or $14 million, he said.
You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 521-5213 or martin.espino za@pressdemocrat.com.In a series of articles I will attempt to chronicle the history of Holocaust revisionism, from the end of World War II up till today.[1] For each year, I will provide some relevant details of historical backgrounds, such as Holocaust related trials, major developments in research etc. I will also append a brief outline of general historical events. The main part of each entry will be devoted to the major events of that year as directly related to Holocaust revisionism. Historical revisionist works will be mentioned only insofar they touch upon the fate of European Jewry during World War II. Skeptical responses to mass killing allegations made prior to 1945 have been omitted in part one, since they are too numerous to mention. [2] The author wishes to thank Jean Plantin[3] and Richard Widmann for the invaluable assistance they have provided in locating some of the sources quoted below. It should be kept in mind that this article series constitutes a history of Holocaust revisionism, and that the texts quoted may contain arguments that have later been found to be erroneous. Thus, I will generally not evaluate the validity of quoted or summarized arguments.
1945
Background
On November 20, the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg begins. Two months before this, in September, the Bergen-Belsen trial against Josef Kramer and others is conducted.
Events
April. German born Swedish-Jewish business man Norbert Masur is sent to Berlin as a representative for Hillel Storch, delegate of the Jewish World Congress. Early in the morning of April 21, Masur met with Himmler at Hartzwalde, the countryside manor owned by Himmler's personal doctor and masseur Dr. Felix Kersten. Their two hour conversation was recounted in the book En Jude talar med Himmler (A Jew speaks with Himmler), which was published later that year – after the end of the war – by Stockholm publishing company Albert Bonniers. According to Masur, Himmler stated the following in regards to the concentration camps:
The war brought us into contact with the proletarized masses of Eastern Jewry, something which caused us entirely new problems. We could not tolerate having such an enemy behind our backs. The Jewish masses were infected with severe diseases, in particular Flecktyphus. I myself have lost thousands of my best SS men to these epidemics. Also, the Jews helped the partisans. (...) The Jews passed on information to the partisans. Besides that they shot at our troops in the ghetto. (...) In order to contain the plagues we had to construct crematories, where the corpses of the innumerable people who had fallen victims to these illnesses could be incinerated. And on account of this they want to tie a noose for us! (...) These camps got their bad reputation from their unfortunately chosen name. (...) They should have been called reeducation camps. Not only Jews and political prisoners were interned there, but also criminal elements, who were not released after serving their sentences. As a result of this Germany in 1941, that is, during a war year, had the lowest crime rate seen in decades. The prisoners had to work hard, but so did the entire German people. The treatment in the camps was harsh, but just.
To Masur's question whether he denied that “grave misdeeds” had been carried out in the camps, Himmler replied: “I must admit that some such things took place, but on the other hand I have seen to that the guilty were punished.”[4]
In his journal The Protestant Vanguard Scottish activist Alexander Ratcliffe speaks of the “stupid stories about millions of massacred Jews”.[5]
Irma Grese and Josef Kramer standing in the courtyard of the Prisoner of War cage at Celle. Kramer said that the gas chamber story was “untrue from beginning to end.” Both were convicted of war crimes and sentenced to death. Aug. 8, 1945. Source Imperial War Museum collection: unrestricted access.
April-May. Former commandant of the Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen concentration camps, Josef Kramer, is captured by British forces on April 17 and interned on the following day. Sometime between April 18 and May 21 Kramer made a first statement on his role as camp commandant. In it, we read:
I have heard of the allegations of former prisoners in Auschwitz referring to a gas chamber there, the mass executions and whippings, the cruelty of the guards employed and that all this took place either in my presence or with my knowledge. All I can say to all this is that it is untrue from beginning to end.
In a later, second statement Kramer retracted this, stating that he had seen one gas chamber in Auschwitz, which was under the command of Rudolf Höss. In court Kramer explained the gas chamber denial of his first statement by claiming that he had felt bound by his word of honour as long as Hitler and Himmler were still alive (Himmler died, allegedly by his own hand, on May 21, 1945).
May. British writer George Orwell (Eric Blair) writes in his essay “Notes on Nationalism” (published in Polemic, No. 1, October 1945):
Indifference to objective truth is encouraged by the sealing-off of one part of the world from another, which makes it harder and harder to discover what is actually happening. There can often be a genuine doubt about the most enormous events. For example, it is impossible to calculate within millions, perhaps even tens of millions, the number of deaths caused by the present war. The calamities that are constantly being reported – battles, massacres, famines, revolutions – tend to inspire in the average person a feeling of unreality. One has no way of verifying the facts, one is not even fully certain that they have happened, and one is always presented with totally different interpretations from different sources. What were the rights and wrongs of the Warsaw rising of August 1944? Is it true about the German gas ovens in Poland? Who was really to blame for the Bengal famine? Probably the truth is discoverable, but the facts will be so dishonestly set forth in almost any newspaper that the ordinary reader can be forgiven either for swallowing lies or failing to form an opinion.
May 30. In his article “Trials for War Criminals”, James Morgan Read speaks of the necessity of an impartial investigation of atrocity allegations.[6]
June 29. Former Auschwitz staff member SS Hauptsturmführer Hans Aumeier states in his first declaration to his British captors: “I have no knowledge of gas chambers and during my time no detainee was gassed.” Following this statement, Aumeier is given a questionnaire asking him to provide testimony on “Gassings (with all details), numbers of daily and total victims” as well as a “Confession about own responsibility in case of gassings.”[7]
Historical context
Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin meet at the Yalta Conference in early February. Hitler commits suicide in Berlin on April 30. Alfred Jodl signs unconditional surrender terms on May 7. Atomic bombs dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in early August. Japanese capitulation and the end of World War II on August 15. In September, US forces occupy the southern half of the Korean peninsula, while Soviet forces occupy the northern half, marking the beginning of the Korean conflict. In December, American General George S. Patton dies in car accident. Zionist terrorist strikes against British military bases in Palestine.
1946
Background
The 24 accused at IMT Nuremberg are handed down their sentences. Twelve of them are condemned to death by hanging. Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring commits suicide prior to execution. On May 11, 58 members of the Mauthausen concentration camp staff are sentenced to death by the U.S. Military Court at Dachau.
Events
February 17. Hermann Göring remarks in a conversation with prison psychologist G.M. Gilbert that the newsreels depicting heaps of emaciated corpses at the concentration camps could have been fabricated by anyone, and also expresses doubt in the six million figure. [8]
April 29. During his interrogation at IMT Nuremberg, Julius Streicher states:
I first heard of the mass murders and mass killings at Mondorf when I was in prison. But I am stating here that if I had been told that 2 or 3 million people had been killed, then I would not have believed it. I would not have believed that it was technically possible to kill so many people; and on the basis of the entire attitude and psychology of the Fuehrer, as I knew it, I would not have believed that mass killings, to the extent to which they have taken place, could have taken place.[9]
Later during the same interrogation he added:
To this day I do not believe that 5 million were killed. I consider it technically impossible that that could have happened. I do not believe it. I have not received proof of that up until now.[10]
May 11. British advocate of monetary reform C.H. Douglas requests proof for the alleged figure of six million killed Jews, while noting the “enormous numbers” of Jewish survivors in Germany.[11]
May 22. American scholar Austin Joseph App in a letter to Time magazine questions their assertion that 6.5 million Jew lived in Europe excluding Russia at the time of the outbreak of World War II. App found this claim exaggerated and reminded of the high number of Jews still present in Germany by the end of the war as well as the flow of 3 million refugees, most of them presumably Jews, into the United States prior to and during the war years, concluding that “What we have heard regarding the Jewish population of Europe and its treatment is not substantiated fact”.[12]
May 27. Hermann Göring states the following during an interview with Nuremberg psychiatrist Leon Goldensohn:
I think that the atrocities, if they existed – and mind you, I don’t believe they were technically possible, or if they were, I don’t believe Hitler ordered them – it must have been Goebbels or Himmler.[13]
June 13. Swiss newspaper Basler Nachrichten carries as its headline “How high is the number of Jewish victims?” (Wie hoch ist die Zahl der jüdischen Opfer?). Quoting official statistics on the Jewish populations of Europe, the article argues that the number of Jewish victims could not exceed 3 million, and most likely amounts to less than 1.5 million. The unnamed writer of the article puts the term “extermination of the Jews” within quotation brackets, implying skepticism towards the allegations of a systematic extermination of European Jewry, but does not discuss the gas chamber issue.[14]
Undated. British writer George Bernard Shaw in his pamphlet Geneva criticizes the Allied bombing campaign against Germany and the nuclear destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. While claiming that Hitler wrongly believed the Jews to be “an accursed race who should be exterminated as such” Shaw also writes:
They [the Germans running the camps] were not fiends in human form; but they did not know what to do with the thousands thrown on their care. (...) They could do nothing with their prisoners but overcrowd them within any four walls that were left standing, lock them in, and leave them almost starving to die of typhus. When further overcrowding became physically possible they could do nothing with their unwalled prisoners but kill them and burn the corpses they could not bury. And even this they could not organize frankly and competently: they had to make their victims die of illusage instead of by military law. (...) Had there been efficient handling of the situation by the authorities (...) none of these atrocities would have occurred. They occur in every war when the troops get out of hand.[15]
Nowhere does Shaw mention the infamous gas chambers.
Historical context
Austria is divided into 4 occupation zones on January 7. IMT Tokyo commences on April 29. Irgun bomb attack against King David Hotel in Jerusalem on July 22. On December 12, a socialist government is formed in France by Jewish socialist and former Buchenwald inmate Léon Blum.
1947
Background
Between April and August the Buchenwald Trial is conducted by the U.S. Military Court at Dachau. On August 20, the verdict of the so-called Doctors’ Trial is announced in Nuremberg. The Auschwitz trial in Kraków, Poland, where former camp commandant Rudolf Höss is sentenced to death, is held between November 24 and December 22. The first edition of Anne Frank’s diary, Het Achterhuis, is published in The Netherlands.
Events
April. American far right activist Elizabeth Dilling claims the six million figure to be false.[16]
Undated. In the 1947 edition of Encyclopaedia Brittanica, American-Jewish historian Jacob Marcus describes the fate of the European Jews under National Socialist rule and occupation in the following way (in the article ”Jews”):
In order to effect a solution of the Jewish problem in line with their theories, the Nazis carried out a series of expulsions and deportations of Jews, mostly of original east European stock, from nearly all European states. Men frequently separated from their wives, and others from children, were sent by the thousands to Poland and western Russia. There they were put into concentration camps, or huge reservations, or sent into the swamps, or out on the roads, into labour gangs. Large numbers perished under the inhuman conditions under which they labored. While every other large Jewish center was being embroiled in war, American Jewry was gradually assuming a position of leadership in world Jewry.
No mention of gas chambers or an extermination policy targeting Jews is made in this edition, leaving the reader with the impression that Marcus, one of the foremost contemporary experts on Jewish history, either did not put credence in the mass gassing allegations or was reluctant to mention said claims in print. The text quoted above was retained in the 1952 and 1956 editions of the encyclopedia.
Historical context
On January 31, communists take power in Poland. March 12, Truman Doctrine proclaimed. On August 31, communists take over Hungary. CIA created on September 18. On November 29 the United Nations General Assembly votes to partition Palestine between Arabs and Jews.
1948
Background
Verdict of the Einsatzgruppen Trial pronounced on April 10. Sentences in the I.G. Farben Trial handed down on July 30.
Events
February. American neo-Fascist ideologue and political activist Francis Parker Yockey, who in 1946 had been assigned to work in Wiesbaden, Germany, as a prosecutor in war crime trials, publishes the book Imperium using the pseudonym Ulrick Varange. On page 533 of its original edition we read:
These fact-creations [concerning the Pearl Harbor incident] were as nothing, however, to the massive, post-war, “concentration-camp” propaganda of the Culture-distorting regime based in Washington.
This propaganda announced that 6,000,000 members of the Jewish Culture-Nation-State-Church-People-Race had been killed in European camps, as well as an indeterminate number of other people. The propaganda was on a world-wide scale, and was of a mendacity that was perhaps adapted to a uniformized mass, but was simply disgusting to discriminating Europeans. The propaganda was technically quite complete. “Photographs” were supplied in millions of copies. Thousands of the people who had been killed published accounts of their experiences in these camps. Hundreds of thousands more made fortunes in post-war black-markets. “Gas-chambers” that did not exist were photographed, and a “gasmobile” was invented to titillate the mechanically-minded.
Unfortunately, Yockey did not clarify further in writing how he had come to his revisionist conclusions.
October. French fascist writer Maurice Bardèche publishes the book Nuremberg ou la Terre promise (“Nuremberg or The Promised Land”, Le Sept Couleurs, Paris) in which he criticizes the International Military Tribunal and its verdict, especially focusing on claims made by the French trial delegation that the German occupation forces had sought to ”exterminate” the French population. The book, however, does not dispute the Holocaust per se, i.e. the allegations of a German extermination plan for the Jews and mass killings in gas chambers (“concerning this there are numerous pieces of evidence”, Bardèche writes). On the other hand, he notes that contemporary German documents shows “the solution of the Jewish problem” to have “consisted only of an assembling of the Jews in a territorial zone which one called the Jewish Reserve”. According to Bardèche, the defendants at Nuremberg
could maintain that they had been unaware during the whole war of the massive executions which took place at Auschwitz, at Treblinka and elsewhere, that they had learned about them for the first time by listening to their accusers, and no document of the trial enables us to affirm that Göring, Ribbentrop, or Keitel lied by saying that; it is very possible, indeed, that the policy of Himmler was a totally personal policy, discreetly carried out, and for which he alone bears the responsibility.[17]
A similar view would be expounded nearly three decades later by the British war historian David Irving in his book Hitler's War.
October 9. Austin J App writes a letter to the Philadelphia Inquirer criticizing the treatment of Ilse Koch. The letter mentions the abuse of captured Dachau guards, as well as the torture and deceptions used to extract confessions from them. It also contends that the discovery at Buchenwald of lampshades made of human skin is an “unproven allegation”. In regards to the alleged criminal use of human remains, App draws a parallel to events in the Pacific War where US soldiers fashioned souvenirs out of the bones of fallen Japanese.[18]
Historical context
On February 25, Communists seize control over Czechoslovakia. April 9, Deir Yassin massacre in Palestine. Israeli declaration of independence on May 14. In June the Berlin Blockade begins, marking the start of the Cold War. September 17, Stern Gang assassinates UN mediator Count Folke Bernadotte. On New Year's Eve, the Arab-Israeli War breaks out.
1949
Background
No Holocaust related events of significance.
Events
July 16. Austin J App, at the time doing research in Europe, once again writes to Time magazine, which had offered to him as proof for the alleged extermination of 6 million Jews the November 26, 1945 testimony of Wilhelm Hoettl, pointing out the absurdity in offering witness statements as proof of genocide: “Surely the fact that even you could quote no better authority than that of a frightened, hysterical Obersturmbannfuehrer, testifying four years ago, must make you suspect that if his figures could have been substantiated those who repeat the charge in order to persecute Germans would have long ago have done so.” App further notes the role the extermination allegation played in the creation of the Israeli state the previous year. According to App’s own estimate, less than 1.5 million European Jews had lost their lives due to Nazi persecution.[19]
Undated. Swiss far right philosopher and writer Gaston-Armand Amaudruz in his book Ubu Justicier au premier procès de Nuremberg critizises the judicial foundations of the Nuremberg trial as well as questions the extermination allegation without going into details.
Historical context
In March, more than 90,000 Baltic nationals are deported to remote areas of the Soviet Union. In May, the Federal Republic of Germany is established. George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-four published in June. In August, the Soviet Union tests its first atomic bomb. In October the communist controlled Democratic Republic of Germany (East Germany or DDR) is officially established.
Commentary
During the first half decade following the end of the war a number of war crime trials, spectacles orchestrated by the victorious powers in cooperation as well as separately, set up the foundations of the Jewish extermination narrative that was much later to be called “The Holocaust”. While a number of critical voices, many of them American, were raised against the proceedings at Nuremberg, only a few people living through this chaotic period made the effort to scrutinize the plausibility of the claims of genocide. We can find at least three possible explanations for this. First of all, most of the accused at the trials were either Third Reich bureaucrats and “small fish”, or had simply not had any significant insight into the handling of the “Jewish problem”. The majority of the key movers behind the “Final Solution” were either missing or had already met their death, sometimes in suspicious fashion.[20]Confronted with the powerful newsreel footage of skeletal concentration camp inmates and corpses piled in heaps, many of the accused apparently came to believe that Himmler and the SS had carried out a secret policy of extermination behind their backs. Their reactions, and especially the declaration of guilt made by “The Hangman of Poland”, Hans Frank, might have dissuaded suspicions regarding the truth of the allegations in the minds of many. Secondly, the claim of an attempted extermination of European Jewry was given relatively little time at IMT Nuremberg as well as at the subsequent NMT trials. Especially little court time was devoted to the alleged mass gassings, with virtually no relevant details discussed by the court and no technical evidence displayed. Further, the number of gas chamber witness accounts publicly available in the West at the time was rather few in number. This relative lack of interest in the details of the alleged genocide would be reflected in the scarcity of texts criticizing the same allegations. On the other hand, we see that the more general question of German war guilt was addressed by a number of writers, many of them American revisionist historians. The political circumstances in turn make up the third reason. The vanquished Germany was under occupation, its press and publishers placed under severe censorship. In central and eastern Europe, country after country was taken over by communists with the support of Stalin's Soviet and it’s Red Army. In western European nations that had been occupied by Germany, such as France and Denmark, suspected collaborators were killed without much ado. It is no wonder that few critical voices were raised, and that those few emanated from countries that either had a strong tradition of free speech, such as the United States, or that had been neutral during the war, such as Switzerland.
In the texts quoted or referred to above, we notice that only two post-war writers, neo-fascist Francis Parker Yockey and socialist George Orwell, explicitly brings into question the existence of the gas chambers. The rest of the texts mainly focus on the alleged death toll of 6 million Jews, suggesting that it must be exaggerated since there were not enough potential victims within the grasp of Hitler’s regime. The reason for this is rather easy to explain. While the issue of the number of victims could be scrutinized, at least to a certain level, using publicly available sources, the former German concentration camps housing the remains of the alleged gas chambers were out of reach for critical observers, occupied as they were by detachments of the Red Army or the Western Allies. In addition, very little “information” was yet available on the details of the alleged killing agents. Not knowing how exactly the gassings were carried out, or what the gas chambers were supposed to have looked like, most individuals otherwise inclined to skepticism would have assumed that the alleged mass gassings likely were feasible. As will be seen in the next part of this chronicle, it would take a skeptic who had himself been a concentration camp inmate to start unraveling the gas chamber narrative.
Notes:Climate change has gotten a fair share of attention at the “town halls” members of Congress have held in and around their home districts during their recesses.
In this month’s “This is Not Cool” video, independent videographer Peter Sinclair of Midland, Mich., captures scenes from town halls held across the U.S. Most of the sharp questioning, not surprisingly, is aimed at Republicans, whose party has been strongly resistant to addressing climate change challenges.
Climate change – with a push from the activist “indivisible” effort leading resistance to various Trump administration initiatives – is being raised along with health care, taxes, and concerns in some quarters about possible Trump campaign involvement with Russia, Sinclair reports. He says that when his own representative, Republican John Moolenaar in Michigan’s Fourth Congressional District, held a town hall, he, Sinclair, “had to give it a shot.”
Sinclair expressed concerns that Moolenaar was disregarding a strong scientific consensus that Earth is warming substantially because of human emissions. He asked how support for more research on the subject can be reconciled with administration proposals for deep cuts in federal research funding. Moolenaar’s somewhat rambling answer was greeted by some in the audience with smirks and with shouts that he “answer the question.”
The six-minute video shows audiences in different town hall meetings critically questioning the members of Congress, sometimes chanting “climate change is real.”
[icopyright_one_button_toolbar]Strolling across the Marin woodlands where his forebears once lived, Philip Gerstle handed out shovels to his cousins.
They gathered for a tree planting during an Aug. 10 family reunion. This was no casual affair. More than 200 people, with last names like Lilienthal, Fleischhacker, Levison, Mack and Gerstle, had come together at San Rafael’s Gerstle Park, named for the family patriarch.
Aside from the tree planting, the cousins spent most of |
qa, a cloak-like body garment worn by Muslim women.
"I call for a differentiation and urge everybody to visit their local Muslim communities and initiate a dialogue," a delegate from the northern city of Lueneburg, Ernst-August Roettger, said. He was the only person of some 2,000 delegates present who made a plea for mutual understanding with Muslims, but was hushed and jeered by the majority.
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As the program of the debate was announced prior to the conference, AfD opponents tried to block the party members from attending the gathering. Holding banners reading "A**holes party Germany" (Arschloecher feiern Deutschland), several hundred protesters tried to block the entrance to the conference and clashed with police on Saturday evening. Some 400 people were arrested.
Despite having won the recent elections in three regional governments, AfD has been widely criticized for going overboard with its increasingly anti-Muslim stance. Outraged by AfD leaders' comments in the build-up to the congress, the Council of Muslims in Germany has compared the party's ideas to “Nazi" ideology, stressing Islam is no different from Judaism or Christianity.
"It is the first time since Hitler's Germany that there is a party which discredits and existentially threatens an entire religious community," the chairman of the council Aiman Mazyek told public broadcaster NDR.
The AfD, which was set up just three years ago, initially stood against a single EU currency, but it saw a leader and ideology change in 2015 with chemist and businesswoman Frauke Petry coming to power by winning public support with her anti-immigrant rhetoric. The rhetoric has been gaining party support among voters who are disillusioned with the current government’s stance on refugees, yet critics accuse AfD and the like of playing people’s darker emotions to promote xenophobic ideas with their ideology.
Muslims constitute five percent of the total population of Germany, which hosts some four million of them. The majority which makes up the longer established community arrived from Turkey to work decades ago, but over the past year asylum seekers have mostly been coming from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, fleeing war and setting their sights on Germany, which has the largest economy and lowest unemployment rate in Europe.An interview with Elder Cleopa of Romania.
Archimandrite Cleopa (Ilie) was a well known twentieth century writer and spiritual elder who reposed in 1998. One chapter in his book, The Truth of Our Faith, is dedicated to the defense of the Orthodox teaching on Holy Scripture against criticism by Protestants. This chapter, organized as a dialogue, is a helpful aide in apologetics, and explains the significance of Tradition in the Orthodox Church.
Inquirer: What is the Holy Tradition that the Orthodox consider to be the second source of holy revelation and equal to Holy Scripture?
Elder Cleopa: Holy Tradition is the teaching of the Church, given by God with a living voice, a portion of which was later written down. Like Holy Scripture, Holy Tradition also contains holy revelation, and is therefore fundamental for our salvation. Holy Tradition is the life of the Church in the Holy Spirit; and, in concord with the enduring life of the Church, it is a wellspring of holy revelation, and thus it possesses the same authority as Holy Scripture.
According to the old chronologies, 3,678 years passed from the time of Adam to Abraham; if we add 430 years of the Israelites’ time in Egypt, we have 4,108 years. Throughout this period of time Holy Scripture did not exist, nor was the Sabbath observed among the people. For thousands of years the faithful and chosen people were guided on the path of salvation by Holy Tradition alone—namely, from the teachings about God which they received from a living voice. Only during the 1,400 years from the time of Moses until the advent of Christ were they guided by the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament.
Just as people were guided in the knowledge of God and on the path of salvation by Holy Tradition alone (that is, by a living voice—oral tradition) during the period of time before the books of the Old Testament were written, so were the people similarly guided before books of the New Testament were written. Holy Tradition was the guide by which the first Christians were directed to the path of salvation. The first Person to bring the teachings of the New Testament with a living voice to the ears of the people was our Saviour Jesus Christ Himself, Who taught the people continually for three and a half years, spreading His Gospel without writing any of it down. Inasmuch as He was fulfilling His obedience to His Father, He did not send His Apostles to write the Gospel, but rather to preach it to the whole world, saying: Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen (Mat. 28:19-20). From its establishment in (33 AD) until the year 44 AD, when the Holy Apostle Matthew wrote the first Gospel, the Church was governed without the Scriptures of the New Testament, but by Holy Tradition, only part of which was later recorded. Although there were many other writers who were considered inspired and faithful scribes of the Apostles, it is the Church which did or did not recognize them, for She is unerring. The Church lived the truth of the Gospel even before anything was committed to writing, having lived by Holy Tradition from the outset.
Thus, Holy Tradition is this: the source and the root of the two Testaments—the Old and the New—and this is why we call it a source of holy revelation, for it carries the same weight as Holy Scripture.
Inquirer: Yes, but it is said that because Holy Scripture is the word of God it must not be substituted by or exchanged for Tradition, which is the word of man, as is written in the Gospel: Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?... Ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying: This people... in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men. (Mat. 15:3, 6-9; Mk. 7:13). Thus, we have no need to replace or supplement the law of God, contained in Holy Scripture, with the tradition of men.
Elder Cleopa: What your friends have told you is not at all true, since the law of God is not contained in Holy Scripture alone. Listen to what the divine Evangelist John says: And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen (Jn. 21:25). Again, the same Evangelist declares in one of his epistles: Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full (2 Jn. 1:12). So you see that when the holy Evangelist had the opportunity, he taught his disciples more by the living voice of Tradition than by his epistles to them. While your friends observe at all costs only what is written, they do not take into account that the Saviour and the majority of His Apostles did not leave any writings, but rather taught orally, with the living voice of Tradition.
Inquirer: In that case, I don’t know how Christians are to understand the statement that we must not be seduced by the false teachings of men, especially those who are religious and rely on Scripture. After all, the Apostle counsels us: Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ (Col. 2:8). It is our responsibility, then, to preserve ourselves from the false traditions of men.
Elder Cleopa: Dearest to Christ, you do not discern the difference between the teachings of human traditions and those that proceed from the apostolic and evangelical tradition. You have brought an excerpt here from Holy Scripture that refers to the tradition of human teachings and pseudo philosophy that has no relationship whatsoever to the evangelical and Apostolic Tradition of the Church of Jesus Christ. Holy Tradition is neither a tradition of men, nor a philosophy, nor some kind of trickery; it is the word of God which He personally delivered to us. The great Apostle Paul teaches and exhorts us to fervently keep the traditions, saying; Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle (2 Thess. 2:15). Some people to the contrary advise weaker Christians to slander and abandon the Apostolic and evangelical traditions, not understanding that Holy Scripture itself is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, and it grew out of the roots and tree of Holy Tradition.
Inquirer: Why isn’t Holy Scripture sufficient for faith and salvation, with no need whatsoever of Tradition? This is apparent from the words of the Apostle Paul to Timothy: And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:15-16). These words are clear. It is unnecessary to add anything to Holy Scripture.
Elder Cleopa: Here he is speaking only of Old Testament Scripture, for the New Testament had not yet been written. Paul wrote to Timothy that a good teacher could use the Old Testament to support his faith in Christ and his instruction in Christianity. According to the notion that you mistakenly assert, it would follow that not one book of the New Testament—those written after the epistles of the Apostle Paul to Timothy—should be accepted. It is enough instead for us to recognize the Old Testament books mentioned in the passage to which you refer.
Inquirer: Some people don’t acknowledge Tradition because they say that with the passing of time it yielded to many illegitimate elements; so that, especially today, we are no longer able to discern the true Apostolic Tradition from the false.
Elder Cleopa: The Church of Christ determined the truths of the Faith, according to the long course of Tradition, through the teachings and canons of the holy Ecumenical Councils, decrees and the Symbol of Faith [The Creed], and by confessions [of Faith] made by holy and wonderworking hierarchs at the many local synods which have been held continuously since days of old. At these synods, the authenticity and genuineness of the holy Orthodox Faith was firmly established, primarily in those areas where it was attacked by the existing heresies of the time. The irrevocable and inalterable content of Holy Tradition emerges from the totality of those synods. This can be understood by closely examining the essence of the following precepts:
Do not sanction concepts that contain inconsistencies or contradictions with Apostolic Tradition and Holy Scripture. (A teaching is to be considered worthy of the name ”Tradition” when it stems from the Saviour or the Holy Apostles, and is directly influenced by the Holy Spirit.)
Tradition is that which has been protected by the Apostolic Church, and has an uninterrupted continuity up to today.
Tradition is that which is confessed and practiced by the entire universal Orthodox Church.
Tradition is that which is in harmony with the greater part of the [Church] fathers and ecclesiastical writers.
When a tradition does not fulfill these stipulations, it cannot be considered true and holy, and consequently cannot be considered admissible or fit to be observed.
Inquirer: Notwithstanding all the efforts which you say the Orthodox Church has made and continues to make relative to the truth of Tradition, some believe only the teachings which are contained in Holy Scripture. For the first Christians—they say—accepted only such writings as were contained in Holy Scripture, as it is written: These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so (Acts 17:11). From this it follows that we should observe the teachings we find in Holy Scripture.
Elder Cleopa: The great Apostle Paul, however, commends the Christians of Corinth not because they kept the written teachings, but because they obeyed him and diligently observed the oral teachings that they had received from him. Listen to what he writes; Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and even as I delivered to you, ye are holding fast the traditions (1 Cor. 11:2). I wonder which is better for us to do: to observe only the written teachings, or to follow the great Apostle Paul who extols those who keep the unwritten tradition as well? Furthermore, we have established that the Holy Apostles and Evangelists believed and preached abundantly from Holy Tradition, which they inherited from of old, and which is not written anywhere in Holy Scripture.
Inquirer: Where specifically does it appear that the Holy Apostles taught anything other than what was written in Holy Scripture?
Elder Cleopa: Here are two testimonies: The Holy Apostle Jude says in his catholic epistle, including in verse nine: But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, disputed about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a reviling judgment upon him, but said, The Lord rebuke thee (Jude 9). Dearest to Christ, search all of Holy Scripture and see if you will find this citation. Still further down in the same epistle the Apostle refers to the prophecy of Enoch, saying: And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him (Jude 14-20). However, the Apostle Jude is not the only one to speak from Tradition. Listen to what the illustrious Paul says in his second epistle to Timothy: Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith (2 Tim. 3:8). And again the renowned Apostle Paul, guiding the priests of Ephesus, says: Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35). Now I ask you who insist on only putting faith in the written word: From where did the two Apostles—Jude and Paul—take these words? For you will not find them anywhere in Holy Scripture.
Inquirer: Still, I question the possibility of preserving Holy Tradition to this day unadulterated and genuine in all respects, as it was in the beginning. Shouldn’t we possess more assurances from the written teachings of Holy Scripture?
Elder Cleopa: You saw how the famed Paul commends the Christians of Corinth for carefully and mindfully keeping the unwritten traditions they had received from his very lips. Moreover, you heard that the Apostles Paul and Jude employed words in their preaching taken directly from Holy Tradition, such as those referring to the prophecy of Enoch, and others. I also pointed out to you by what means Holy Tradition was preserved throughout the ages. Furthermore, the same Apostle Paul exhorts and directs the Christians of Thessalonica to be very attentive and vigilant to keep the Holy Tradition: Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle (2 Thess. 2:15). And in another place he says: But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed (Gal. 1:8). In other words, he is speaking of the Gospel that he handed down to them with a living voice and not only by the written word.
Inquirer: How was this Canon of Holy Tradition in the Church preserved over the span of thousands of years? In our age, some allege that the clergy and ecclesiastical writers alter from day to day the truth of Holy Scripture and the Apostolic Tradition, which in the beginning was authentic and genuine? They say that if you have in your hand a book that was published 50 years ago and you put it next to one published recently, they would have nothing in common. It therefore follows that if the hierarchs and priests have done this with the sacred books, they would do the same with the Holy Tradition which the Orthodox boast they have preserved unscathed from [the time of] the Holy Apostles.
Elder Cleopa: What your companions have accepted is not at all correct. The teachings of the Church of Christ are guarded by the Holy Spirit and cannot err (Mat. 10:17-20, John 4: 16-26, 1 Tim. 3:15). The very founder of the Church, Jesus Christ, governs it in an unseen way, until the end of the ages (Mat. 28:20). If some ecclesiastical writers, hierarchs, priests or laity translated the Bible from another language, or amended some passage containing an expression which does not correspond to our present-day speech, this would only be an adjustment and modification of the expression, and not a serious alteration of the substance of the Biblical text. If a Romanian from the time of the Elder Mirtsea or Stephan the Great (1504) were resurrected today and you wanted to speak with him, you would only with difficulty understand him, because the language has developed into something that is not exactly what was spoken then. This is precisely what has happened with respect to the books. With the passage of time, the writers’ words or expressions were amended with appropriate present-day language—without however, changing the meaning of the profound and sacred writings. I previously referred you to the foundation upon which Holy Tradition rests, and the means by which its authentic, original image is reliably preserved and conveyed throughout the ages. I am referring to the ancient Symbol of Faith (The Creed), the Apostolic Canons, and the dogmatic decisions of the Seven Ecumenical Councils. To these can also be added the following monumental and meaningful testaments—assurances of the unimpaired preservation of Holy Tradition:
The acts of the early Church are witnesses by the company of the Apostles, amongst whom are Saint Ignatius the God-bearer (+104 AD), a disciple of the Apostles, and Saint Polycarp of Smyrna (+106 AD). These Fathers admonished the faithful of their day to guard themselves from the teachings of heretics, and to fully maintain only the Apostolic Tradition (Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History, 2:36).
Eusebius tells us that Hegessipus attempted to collect the whole of apostolic tradition, and he nearly accomplished this, gathering more than five volumes of material that Eusebius had studied. Unfortunately, with the passage of time, these books were eventually lost (Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History, 4:8).
Saint Irenaeus (+202 AD) and Clement of Alexandria (+215 AD) inform us: ”Those who explain Scripture without the help of the Church’s Tradition cut asunder the significance of truth” (Stromatis, p. 7).
Further behold those brilliant witnesses representing the faith of apostolic times and the period immediately following them up until the fourth century. The acts of the ancient Church are an important testimony to the value of the Holy Tradition, and to the honor shown it from those times until today.
Origen (+250 AD) says: ”Preserve the Holy Tradition in the Church.”
St. Epiphanios (+403 AD) writes: ”It is necessary to hold to the Tradition because it is not possible for everything to be found in Holy Scripture. The Holy Apostles handed down some things via the written word, while others via the spoken.”
Saint John Chrysostom (+407 AD) says: ”Hence it is clear that the Holy Apostles did not deliver everything by epistle; rather many things they handed down via the spoken word which is also trustworthy. If there is Tradition, then don’t ask for anything more” (4th Homily on 2 Thess. See verse 2:45)
Saint Gregory of Nyssa (+394 AD) writes: ”We have the Tradition established for us by the Fathers as an inheritance by Apostolic succession, transmitted via the saints” (Against Eunomius, Book 40).
Saint Basil the Great (+379 AD) in his writings provides similar testimony. Here is how he expresses it: ”Among the dogmas and kerygma (evangelical truths) that are safeguarded in the Church, some we have from the written teachings, while others we have received orally from the Tradition of the Apostles through hidden succession. The latter hold the same legitimacy and force as the written texts” (On the Holy Spirit).
We must uphold Holy Tradition with great reverence and godliness, for not all that is needful to effect our salvation is found within Holy Scripture. Holy Scripture instructs us to do many things; however, it does not manifest the light to us. For example, it instructs us to be baptized, but it doesn’t explain to us the method. Likewise, it guides us to confess our sins, to receive Communion, to be sacramentally wed; but nowhere does it specify the rite enabling us to fulfill these mysterion (sacraments). Furthermore, it instructs us to pray, but doesn’t tell us how, where, and when. It tells us to make the sign of the Holy Cross in front of our chest according to the psalmist: Lord, lift Thou up the light of Thy countenance upon us; but it doesn’t show us how. Who teaches us in writing to worship facing east? Where in Scripture are we told the words of the epiclesis (invocation) of the Holy Spirit for the sanctification of the all-holy Mysteries? Which teaching from Holy Scripture instructs us to bless the water of Baptism and the oil of Holy Chrismation? Which passage in Scripture teaches us about the threefold denunciation and the renunciations of Satan before Holy Baptism? The prayer of glorification toward the Holy Trinity—”Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit”—from which passage did it come to us?
Posing these questions to the slanderer of Tradition, Saint Basil the Great says: ”If we consent to abandon the unwritten traditions on the pretext that they don’t have great worth, we err in great and elevated matters, rejecting the Gospel.”
Therefore, the order by which the Church upholds the unwritten is as follows: Whatever is of Apostolic origin and is practiced by the Fathers becomes valid as tradition, and has the power of law in the Church of Christ (The Rudder, Neamts Monastery, 1844, Canons 87, 91). It must be preserved accordingly, because its importance and benefit springs from the relationship that exists between it and Holy Scripture. It is true that both have remained within a reciprocal unity and intimate relationship—a relationship based upon the fact that both comprise the holy Revelation of God, and are the fount and source of Revelation for us. Hence, it is not possible for an inner contradiction to exist between the two, or for us to exclude one from the other. Holy Scripture possesses its unique witness of scriptural canon, as well as its dogmatic character (its divine inspiration), only in and with Holy Tradition; while Holy Tradition is able to prove the authenticity of its truth only together with Holy Scripture.Police say the actions of the vigilantes can be damaging to abuse victims as well as innocent people wrongly suspected
In a motel room 100 miles from home, a middle-aged man using the name Peter counts the cost of one of the internet's latest trends: paedophile hunting.
"I have lost everything apart from my life. I have lost my job, I've lost my home, I've lost family, friends. I am a shell of a man. I am completely broken," he told the Guardian.
In May, this married former member of the armed forces was the target of a vigilante using the name Daemon Hunter, part of an online subculture in which members of the public pose as children to lure men to meetings where they accuse them of grooming children for sex. The filmed encounters are then posted on YouTube for all to see, and after one such encounter, Peter is in hiding.
It is a form of rough justice that has the power to expose the guilty – but also to wreck the lives of the accused regardless of whether there is evidence of a crime. The "hunter" phenomenon has been fuelled by the ever increasing speed and reach of online social networks and an undercurrent of public concern that police are struggling to trap online sex offenders. Hunter groups have been active in the Midlands and some targets have been convicted, but police want it to stop.
The Daemon Hunter vigilante who targeted Peter in Staffordshire used the slogan "Public against paedos". He pretended to be interested in his target on an adult dating site and they arranged to meet in a branch of Costa coffee. Peter thought he was meeting an 18-year-old, and insists he is not a paedophile or child groomer. Only when he was waiting in the cafe did a text come through saying "she" was 15 and that he immediately got up and left.
It was then that Daemon Hunter accosted him in the street, accused him of trying to meet a 15-year-old for sex, and chased him through town filming him. Peter told the Guardian: "He said: 'I think we need to talk because you're a fucking paedophile.' I said: 'What do you mean mate? She's 18, that's what I was told. I've just had a text message up there saying she's 15 and that's why I've walked away.' Next thing I know he got his phone up filming me, calling me a paedophile, asking her age. I was shocked. He started shouting I was a paedophile in the middle of town. I thought 'I am going to get a kicking here' so I just legged it."
Within hours, the vigilante uploaded footage of the sting on to the internet along with Peter's mobile number. That night his phone was jammed with abusive texts and voicemails, which he said included death threats.
So he fled north in his car, only returning when he thought the worst was over. Later, he said his house was hit with bricks and that his wife tried to kill herself with an overdose of pills. He was so scared he was reduced to hiding in a cupboard when the doorbell rang.
Staffordshire police reviewed the evidence and concluded there was no case for any prosecution, but the damage was done. More than 5,000 people viewed the film and Peter has now moved to the other side of the country, cut off from family, friends and work.
Sam, from the West Midlands, said he was beaten to the ground near his home after a prolific Nuneaton-based vigilante known as Stinson Hunter posted a video that appeared to show him travelling to meet an 11-year-old girl. Stinson Hunter's real name is Kieren Parsons, a 32-year-old who has been working on stings for almost four years with a small group of friends. He has previously told how he was partly inspired by the American TV programme To Catch a Predator, in which reporters pose as children to entrap child groomers.
Sam's story began when he was talking to a person on the dating site Badoo. After a while someone told him she was 11 and asked if it put him off. He said it did but he didn't mind chatting from time to time.
"I knew she wasn't an 11-year-old because she sounded so mature and when her picture was up I said to her that's a picture of a 17- or 18-year-old, I think I am being fooled here. She said no, I'm 11." Later they had an adult exchange in which she asked about sex. "I discussed slowly what happens," he said. "After, I said: 'I don't think you are 11.' An 11-year-old would not respond to me in this nature."
Video screengrab from the website of the Leicestershire anti-paedophile group Letzgo Hunting.
Soon, "she" asked to come and meet him. He made excuses to avoid it, but shortly afterwards, Stinson posted Sam's picture and number online and accused him of grooming. Hate messages poured in. "Kill threats, you're a paedo, you're this you're that," he said. "I was panicking, I couldn't eat." Sam went to the police and said he had been talking to someone he didn't believe was a child.
Then Stinson called. "He said if you think you are not a vile person, come and see us and we'll have a chat with you and leave it at that," Sam said. Stinson gave him a contact at Nuneaton police station who he said had previously handled his cases. According to Sam, the officer told him not to go because of the risk that a film shaming him would be broadcast. But it seemed a chance to clear his name and he went.
"Straight away the camera was on my face," he said. "There were about four people in there. Straight away all the bad questions. I just started crying thinking what the hell have we come into. He has made the nation believe that me and my friend had actually come to meet the 11-year-old."
Detective Inspector Chris Hanson, of the West Midlands police public protection unit, said Stinson's video sting on Sam had been thoroughly investigated by specialist child abuse investigation officers who also made their own extensive inquiries and found no evidence of any sexual offences. But Sam said that came too late to prevent social workers asking him to move away from his children temporarily and his life being threatened by strangers.
When approached by the Guardian to comment about his activities and Sam's claims, Stinson Hunter declined to comment.
Despite their belief that they have been unfairly pilloried in public, Peter and Sam feel they are lucky. The family of Gary Cleary can only grieve. The 28-year-old killed himself four days after he was arrested and was released on police bail following a sting by a Leicestershire group, Letzgo Hunting, in which they posed as a 14-year-old girl. They have denied any responsibility for his suicide.
Gary Cleary, 28, who killed himself four days after being arrested and bailed following a sting by the anti-paedophile group Letzgo Hunting.
Police admit they have been torn over whether to embrace or reject the morally fraught method that may secure useful evidence but also risks the destruction of vital evidence and the safety of children if genuine paedophiles are discovered before the police can intervene.
There have been convictions. James Stone, 23, was jailed for child sex abuse after a girl's mother approached Letzgo Hunting worried about what he had done to her daughter. Nottinghamshire police, however, said the sting played no role in the conviction. Maurice Ingram, 66, pleaded guilty to a charge of attempted sexual grooming following a sting by Stinson Hunter in which he posed as 15-year-old girl and they arranged to meet at a park.
Police say some hunters have exposed people whose potential child grooming behaviour was previously unknown, but that in the majority of cases examined the targets do not reflect any sexual interest in children.
Stinson Hunter has even admitted as much."Guys that I catch generally aren't paedophiles," he told supporters in an online broadcast in August. "A massive percent of them are guys that have been lonely and someone has paid them attention and they've jumped on it."
In an anonymous interview with the BBC in the Midlands last month, one of Letzgo Hunting's leaders insisted it always made clear early to targets that they were talking to someone underage, and never prompted meetings themselves. "The fact that we have caught 11 people trying to meet children for sex in one area of the country says the police aren't doing enough," he said.
But Letzgo Hunting declined to comment further for this article, saying: "There are no more operations. The group's activities are over."
A significant problem for police is that the tactic of posting the videos online before approaching the police allows genuine criminals time to destroy evidence. "We are spending lots of time and effort with these cases and finding lots of deleted material that we can't access or even a computer-shaped hole in the suspect's bedroom," one police source said.
Now the targets of stings who have spoken to the Guardian say they are considering legal action. But police are cautious about the prospect of securing criminal convictions in the case of wrongly accused people.
Peter Davies, the Association of Chief Police Officers' lead on child protection and the head of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection agency, said that was only possible if it could be established there was "criminal causality between the actions of the vigilante groups and the harm that came to anybody" and that prosecutions could follow in extreme cases.
Civil action may be an alternative. "I will be taking legal action against this person, because they just can't do that," said Peter. "I have consulted some people and I will be taking civil action against him. I have lost a £45,000-a-year job. I was a womaniser. That's what I've done wrong, but I have been accused of being a paedophile when I was completely innocent."
Sam said he had already spoken to solicitors about the possibility of bringing a defamation case, but was worried about the cost.
Davies said the vigilante tactics were "hugely inadvisable – to victims, to suspects and also to innocent people who may wrongly be suspected".
"If someone is wrongly accused of this in a hugely public way that makes people who live with them, live near them, work with them assume they have committed the offence. The temptation to take themselves out of it [kill themselves] may be just as great even if they are innocent and that is an appalling consequence to contemplate," he said. "Vigilante groups like this should not continue because they are taking risks they don't understand."
He said there were at least 5,000 police officers trained and accredited in child protection and urged parents who are concerned that their children are being targeted to contact the police and not vigilantes. "I can guarantee that if a parent thinks their child is being targeted on line they will get a far better response from the police or Ceop than from any other way," he said. "The risks of allowing this kind of vigilante behaviour to continue are immense. It is hugely risky for the child, and other children who may be being abused by the same person, to do anything else."Share. An out-of-context, pure-facts version of what know about Destiny so far. An out-of-context, pure-facts version of what know about Destiny so far.
For our full, in-depth look at Destiny, make sure to check out our feature story based on our visit to Bungie!
BASICS
Who’s the developer?
Bungie (the original creators of Halo, plus Marathon, Myth, etc.).
Who’s the publisher?
Activision.
What genre is it?
First-person “shared world shooter.”
What?
A massively multiplayer online shooter, basically.
Does it require an Internet connection then?
Yes.
Is there a subscription fee?
No.
What platforms is it coming out for?
Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, “future generation technology” (read: Xbox 720 and PlayStation 4).
No PC version?
Nope. Bungie consistently referred to Destiny as a “console shooter.”
On Xbox, do I have to have Xbox Live Gold?
Bungie wouldn’t say one way or the other, but we expect Destiny will require a Gold subscription.
Can PS3 and Xbox players all play together on the same servers?
No.
Can PS3 and PS4 players play together? And Xbox 360 and Xbox 720 players?
We don’t know yet. We asked, but Bungie sidestepped the question.
When is it coming out?
Unknown. We previously assumed fall 2013 as an Xbox 360, PS3, and next-gen launch title. But Activision recently announced that it does not expect anything from Bungie in its 2013 fiscal guidance to investors.
GAMEPLAY
What the heck does “shared world shooter” mean?
Basically, it’s an MMO, but you can play the entire game solo or in small co-op groups.
Give me an example.
You and a buddy could be fighting some bad guys on a planet, and another player could seamlessly appear, help you out, and then you could group up or all go your separate ways.
What does it remind you of?
A bit of Planetside 2, a dash of Borderlands 2, and of course some Halo.
Are you sure?
Nope. Bungie didn’t show any real concrete gameplay. We’re hypothesizing based off of everything they told us.
When and where is it set?
Post-apocalyptic earth.
Oh boy. That's original...
It’s not nuclear fallout or anything this time. Here’ humanity was pushed to the brink after a collapse and rescued by a mysterious force called the Traveler, a giant globe/moon thing that hovers over earth’s last great city and protects humans. Now we’ve rebounded enough to start exploring the galaxy again, but bad dudes are out there looking to keep us on the endangered species list.
Does this Traveler do anything else?
Humans can “use some of the Traveler’s power,” i.e. magical abilities!
Who do I play as?
A generic hero called a Guardian.
Are there character classes?
At least three: Titan (big guns), Hunter (sniper rifles/stealth), and Warlock (magic).
Will there be character customization?
Yes, loads of it. Gear, weapons, you name it.
Who are these enemies?
We know of the four-armed insect-like dudes called the Fallen, the “space zombies,” the time-traveling robots known as the Vex, and the rhino-like Cabal.
Are there vehicles?
Yep, plenty. The two we saw art of were the Pike (seems similar to Halo’s Ghost) and the Spider Tank).
Where are some of the places I can go?
Every planet in our solar system: Earth, the Moon, Mars, Saturn, etc.
Name me some locations in the game.
The Cosmodone Breach, the ruins on the edge of the European Dead Zone, the swamps of Old Chicago, the Tower, the Reef, giant obsidian pyramid ships, the |
got to get back, and we've got to get Ike (Davis) going. So the answer to that is, yeah, we've got it here. We've just got to get 'em going."
The Mets keep losing players to injury, if only for the sake of old times. Justin Turner went down Monday, forcing Wright to play shortstop and throwing a spotlight on the fact the Mets have played a parade of novices at the sport's signature position. Had newbie Omar Quintanilla not come through in a big way Tuesday night with three hits, smacking two leadoff doubles and scoring both times, Collins might've been tempted to pull Bud Harrelson out of his luxury suite.
Can the Mets really be a postseason contender? Former GM Omar Minaya thinks so. AP Photo/Frank Franklin II
Only Quintanilla, who stepped to the plate with a.213 career batting average, embodied exactly what these Mets have been under Collins, a guy who was supposed to be presiding over a last-place team... even before the injuries. The Mets weren't supposed to have enough pitching or depth or defense to field a winner, and that blinding hangover from the Madoff mess was expected to linger for a season or two.
"But we said in the beginning of spring training that we think we have a better club than people thought, and we've proved that," Collins said. "Now we've got to maintain it.
"It means making sure Johan [Santana] stays healthy. It means finding a fifth starter who gives us those innings we need. We've got to get our shortstop back, we've got to get our left fielder back. There are a lot of pieces that need to be in order for us, but there's no telling what will happen."
Hours after the Mets finally fired that Memorial Day downer, Manny Acosta, Collins watched his newbie starter, Jeremy Hefner, homer for his first big-league hit. Better yet, the manager pinch-hit for his pitcher in the sixth and watched Scott Hairston send a two-run shot whistling over the wall.
The Mets endured a 64-minute rain delay in the eighth, put away Philly, and brightened the mood enough for GM Sandy Alderson to confirm his team will engage in contract talks with Wright, scheduled to be a free agent after the 2013 season. Of more immediate consequence, the Mets gave themselves a chance Wednesday to win the first of eight series that will make or break them -- with the smart money likely on break.Hannibal Season Three writer and producer Nick Antosca who was recently brought on board to have a go at the script of the new Friday the 13th film has just confirmed via Twitter that the latest installment will not be a sequel to the 2009 remake. It will be taking place in its own timeline, feature different characters, and its own unique style. Head inside to see exactly what Antosca had to say.
Antosca is proving to be a great source for news about the latest Friday the 13th film. He also recently shared a photo via social networking that showed a series of machete props, as if to suggest that different variations of the iconic weapon are being considered.
The previous draft of the script was penned by Richard Naing and Ian Goldberg. David Bruckner (The Signal) has been tapped to direct. The new installment is appropriately poised to release theatrically Friday May 13, 2016.
It was speculated a while back that Jason would not be in the new Friday the 13th film but that allegation (to the very best of our knowledge) is completely false. There was another round of rumors that suggested that the new film would be found footage. And even though some outlets continue to report that tidbit, it has been repeatedly refuted. Rest assured that we will keep you in the loop as we learn more about the forthcoming installment in the rebooted Friday the 13th franchise!HONOLULU (Reuters) - The United States and its allies will have ways to reimpose sanctions on Iran if the Islamic Republic is caught making bombs after striking a deal to freeze its nuclear program, national security adviser Susan Rice said on Sunday.
U.S. National Security Advisor Susan Rice looks up during a meeting between U.S. President Barack Obama (R) and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the G20 Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia September 5, 2013. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
In an interview on the CBS news program “60 Minutes,” Rice rejected the idea that, once relaxed, the economic sanctions on Tehran would be hard to reinstate.
Any United Nations Security Council resolution that enshrines a final nuclear deal with Iran - not the interim six-month deal signed in Geneva in November - could have triggers to automatically reimpose sanctions on Iran if they violate the deal, she said.
“We will not construct a deal or accept a deal in which we cannot verify exactly what they are doing,” Rice said. “And if they’re caught, we will ensure that the pressure is reimposed on them.”
A mechanism for such “automatic triggers” has not been finalized, Rice said. Any deal beyond the current arrangement is still months away.
“We haven’t designed that resolution yet. But this is something that’s quite doable,” Rice said. The United States does not want Iran to be “in a position to race towards a bomb undetected.”
Rice said it was still unclear if Iran was hurting enough from existing sanctions on its oil exports and other industries to give up its nuclear ambitions in a “verifiable way.”
“We don’t know. But the other half of the answer is we have every interest in testing that proposition,” she said.
Under November’s interim agreement, Iran agreed to curb its nuclear program for six months in exchange for limited relief from sanctions.
The Obama administration has clashed with Congress over the sanctions issue; many lawmakers want to impose tougher sanctions on Iran.In the days following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, many people I spoke with simply could not understand why anyone, anywhere, would not like Americans, even if it was just a few dozen fanatics. In one form or another, they asked: Why do they hate us?
Back in 2001, I tried to address this question in a short essay I wrote one month after the attacks. Given the mood of the country at the time, I did not submit the essay to any newspapers or magazines. I gave it to friends and posted it on the Internet and left it at that. Ten years later, I thought it might be useful to rewrite and update the essay. But when I reread it, I discovered that there were only a few sentences that I would change. So I have decided to repost it, without changing a single word, as a sort of time capsule. I have even left in the incorrect number of victims, which, thankfully, turned out in the end to be significantly lower. I have added a few comments at the end.
Why Do They Hate Us?
By David Wallechinsky
October 11, 2001
In the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, President George Bush, with the support of the American people, has embarked on a war against terrorism. It would appear that there are two parts to this war. The first is to punish Osama bin Laden and the Taliban. The second is to eliminate terrorism. The two are not necessarily connected. Excuse me for being blunt, but every US president has to kill some foreigners in order for the American public to take him seriously. In the current situation, these killings seem even more necessary than usual because more than 5,500 innocent Americans have just been murdered. Once this revenge attack has been completed, Americans will be able to concentrate on the more important task of trying to eliminate, or at least drastically reduce, terrorism in general. This more complicated battle cannot be seriously begun until we answer the question that has been bothering many Americans: Why Do They Hate Us?
In his speech to the Joint Session of Congress on September 20, President Bush tried to address this question. His answer was, “They hate our freedoms—our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other.” Unfortunately, he is wrong.
The United States is a symbol of domestic freedom and democracy, but that is not why Islamic terrorists—and others—hate us. The longer the American people delude themselves into thinking that Bush’s explanation is sufficient, the longer it will be before we can seriously begin to reduce terrorism. The real reasons why they hate us are more complex and varied. Some of the reasons are irrational and should not cause us to alter our policies. But they are still worth considering, if for no other reason than to better understand where terrorists might attack next. Other reasons deal with specific foreign policy decisions that can and should be changed. Let us examine a few of these reasons.
1. WE'RE CLUELESS
Writing in the LA Weekly (September 21-27, 2001), John Powers put it directly: “They hate us because we don’t even know why they hate us.” Most Americans have no interest whatsoever in what goes on in other countries. If we lived in Bhutan or Equatorial Guinea or some other country that really is relatively isolated from the rest of the world, this ignorance might be excusable. But the United States is intricately involved with almost every other nation on the planet. We buy and sell raw materials and finished goods everywhere; we are the biggest weapons broker in the world; the CIA operates in every nation, and so on and so forth. Several years ago, when patriotic Americans tried to launch a “Buy American Only” campaign, they discovered that it couldn’t be done. Our toys come from China, our oil comes from Saudi Arabia, even products that are advertised as “Made in the USA” use parts that are produced abroad. There is nothing inherently wrong with this interdependence, but as long as we are so deeply involved with other countries, we really should take the time to find out what is going on “over there” and what other people think about our actions.
2. SABRA AND CHATILA
If the names Sabra and Chatila do not ring a bell, please reread the first sentence of reason #1 before going on. From an emotional point of view, Sabra and Chatila are the Pearl Harbor of the movement for Palestinian independence. In September 1982, Israeli troops surrounded the Palestinian refugee camps of Sabra and Chatila in southern Lebanon and stood by while Christian militiamen, over a three-day period, massacred at least 800 people, including women, children and the elderly. Foreign journalists, including Americans, who entered the camps as soon as the killing was finished, were sickened by what they saw. Unfortunately, the Israeli defense minister who approved the action was none other than Ariel Sharon, who is now the prime minister of Israel.
One might wonder why an act committed by Lebanese and overseen by Israelis would arouse hatred against the United States, particularly as the US government officially condemned the massacres. The reason is simple. The United States provides $3 billion in aid a year to Israel. As the rest of the world well knows, Israel could not survive without US aid. Those Muslims who hate us do so not just because of Sabra and Chatila, but because they blame us for every outrage and brutal act committed by the Israeli government.
I happen to be both American and Jewish. I am glad that the United States supports Israel. But that does not mean that I feel compelled to agree with the actions of either the government of the United States or the government of Israel. (Remember what President Bush said in his speech to Congress? “They hate our freedom to disagree with each other.” I am exercising my patriotic right to disagree.)
3. THE GULF WAR
It is difficult for most Americans to imagine why anyone other than Saddam Hussein would hate us as a result of our actions in the 1991 Gulf War. To Americans, the Gulf War was a clear-cut battle between Good and Evil. To us, Kuwait was a defenseless maiden who was raped and brutalized by a vicious thug. The US, like a knight in shining armor, went in, rescued the maiden and chased away the vicious thug. But the Muslim world saw it differently. To them, Kuwait was a spoiled and arrogant rich kid, who did nothing to earn his wealth and who, nonetheless, treated his poorer cousins like dirt. Muslims know that the US would not have intervened on Kuwait's behalf if the Kuwaitis had not been sitting on top of a hoard of oil. They view US military action in the Gulf War not as a brave and noble action, but as an act of hypocrisy.
There is an old saying: “Idealism increases in direct proportion to one’s distance from the problem.” Prior to the war, most of his neighbors detested Saddam Hussein because he is, in fact, a vicious thug. But because he fought against a superpower, a non-Muslim superpower, he was transformed into something of a hero in parts of the Islamic world, particularly in its farther reaches.
4. SUPPORT FOR REPRESSIVE DICTATORSHIPS
Remember how much trouble President George Bush Senior had dealing with the “D word” (democracy) during the Gulf War? If young soldiers are going lose their lives, Americans want to believe that it is for a noble cause—that these ultimate sacrifices are being made to defend ideals in which we believe. In Kuwait, Americans were dying to defend a nation in which no elections were held, no legislature existed, and women were not even allowed to drive. Of all the beleaguered peoples in the world, the United States chose the Kuwaitis to defend.
Of course the US has a long, long history of supporting repressive and despicable dictators all over the world, not just in the Middle East. If we need these dictators for geopolitical or economic reasons, then we are more than willing to overlook human rights violations. This policy may benefit our short-term best interests, but the people who live under the oppressive rule of these US-supported dictatorships see it differently. It is only natural that some of them might hold it against the United States. And, unfortunately, it is not surprising that some of them want to seek revenge.
In the Islamic world, the US was burned pretty badly because of its support for the Shah in Iran. Our hatred for the government that replaced him even led the US to cozy up to Saddam Hussein. For that matter, as recently as last May, President Bush Junior gave $43 million to the Taliban to reward them for their efforts in the War on Drugs. One of the Islamic dictatorships that the US passionately supports is the one that rules Saudi Arabia. It would appear that it is this unholy alliance that inspired Osama bin Laden to intensify his terrorist campaigns.
In organizing a coalition to fight the Taliban, the United States is again ignoring human rights considerations. Pakistan is ruled by a military dictatorship. Uzbekistan’s president won last year's election with 92% of the vote, easily defeating an opponent whom he had personally selected. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are among the least open regimes in the world. Finally, Afghanistan's anti-Taliban Northern Alliance has an awful history of brutality and drug running. At the moment, our friendships with these governments seem to be necessary compromises with our ideals, but in the long-run they could backfire just like our earlier support for Saddam Hussein and for the Taliban.
5. WE ARE UNTRUSTWORTHY ALLIES
You don’t have to look any farther than Afghanistan to understand this one. The United States had almost no interest in Afghanistan until the USSR invaded that country in 1979. Suddenly Democrats and Republicans alike rose to the defense of the Afghan people. We began arming the anti-Communist opposition, known as the Mujahedin, which included the ultimately victorious Taliban. Never mind that they were religious extremists with a disturbing agenda. President Ronald Reagan called them “freedom fighters.” I recall an incident in 1988 when I was interviewing two members of Congress. One of them, Dana Rohrabacher of Orange County, California, began talking about the Afghan “freedom fighters.” I became so incensed that I was unable to maintain my journalistic comportment and burst out at him. I tried to point out to Rohrabacher that just because a group opposes Communism does not mean that they support freedom and democracy. The good Congressman was clearly taken by surprise. I watched as he tried to process this unusual perspective. Evidently he failed, because he actually changed the subject.
When the USSR finally pulled out of Afghanistan in 1989, the US was presented with a great opportunity to help the Afghan people and to gain some long-term goodwill towards the US. Not a chance. As soon as the Soviets were gone, Americans once again lost interest in Afghanistan. We left the Mujahedin factions to fight it out amongst themselves and didn’t even offer to perform the most basic humanitarian acts, like clearing landmines. I am sure our newly found allies, the Northern Alliance, are harboring no illusions about the constancy of our friendship.
Unfortunately, this fickleness on the part of the United States is not limited to Afghanistan. Just ask the nearby Kurds, who hold the world record for being repeatedly embraced and then abandoned by the US.
6. WE ARE THE SYMBOL OF VICTORIOUS WESTERN CULTURE
Although most Christians don’t hate Muslims and most Muslims don’t hate Christians, it is foolish to ignore the fact that Christians and Muslims have been battling for more than 1,400 years, not just for souls, but for land. Islam had a good millennium of progress, winning over most of the Middle East, North Africa and what is now Turkey. Islam even made incursions into Europe: in Spain, Portugal, Sicily and parts of France. Meanwhile, Christianity fought back with the Crusades, but Islam kept on coming, particularly in southeastern Europe. Finally, in 1683, the Turks were turned back in Vienna, and it has been all Christianity for the past 318 years.
The European colonial powers spread around the world. Although Muslims retained their religion, they lost their political power. By the 20th century, the Islamic world was so marginalized that during World War II the two European sides simply used Islamic countries as battlegrounds. In the Cold War that followed, the situation was little better. Muslim nations were reduced to currying favor with one superpower by threatening to curry favor with the other one. To some Muslims, this whole history is humiliating. They are bitter about the military victories of the West and they resent the widespread incursions of Western culture.
The United States entered this story relatively late in the game. However, since the end of World War II, and particularly since the fall of the Soviet Union, the US has emerged as the strongest Western nation and thus as the symbol of Western culture. When the September 11 terrorists attacked the Pentagon, they were attacking the symbol of Western military power. When they attacked the World Trade Center, they were attacking the symbol of Western economic power. I have little doubt that the plane that went down in Pennsylvania was headed towards the White House, the symbol of Western political power.
So, what is to be done? There is probably nothing that will change the minds of the fanatic followers of Osama bin Laden. However, Islamic terrorists need the support of more moderate Muslims. That is why bin Laden, in the video he released on October 7, spoke about the sufferings of the Palestinian and Iraqi people. In reality, he probably could care less about Palestinians. He has paid little attention to them in the past. And, given the animosity between Saddam Hussein and the Taliban, it is hard to take seriously bin Laden's supposed compassion for the Iraqis. As insincere as bin Laden is, he understands that he needs allies outside his own power base. It is here that the United States would be wise to rethink its foreign policy.
Throughout its history, the US has repeatedly helped nations that have been devastated by warfare or natural disasters. The goodwill engendered by this aid has lasted for generations. I firmly believe that most people in the world are predisposed to like Americans, if only we don’t give them cause not to.
To really end terrorism, we need to isolate the terrorists by limiting the number of non-terrorists who tolerate their actions. If we pay more attention to how our own actions are perceived abroad, if we stop supporting unpopular dictatorships, and if we pursue more balanced policies in the Middle East that are based on considerations that go beyond oil and Israel, violent extremists like Osama bin Laden will have a more difficult time convincing Muslims that their actions are just and potential terrorists will have trouble finding safe havens.
_________________
Ten years after I wrote this essay, many Americans continue to insist incorrectly that the 9/11 terrorists attacked us because “they hate our freedoms.”
Back on October 11, 2001, pro-American sentiment around the world was as strong as it had been since World War II. But George W. Bush’s bullying “you’re with us or you’re against us” attitude put a quick end to that window of opportunity. When he invaded Iraq, a nation with no connection to the 9/11 attacks, he made the American reputation in other countries much, much worse.
When I first posted this piece ten years ago, some Jewish friends criticized me for saying that Israel could not survive without US financial aid. It is true that this aid represents just 1% of Israel’s gross domestic product. However, there continues to be a disconnect between the way Americans perceive their government’s Middle East policy and the way it is perceived by Muslims.
Americans like to think that we support ending dictatorships and replacing them with freedom and democracy. The US deposed Saddam Hussein in Iraq, spoke out against Hosni Mubarak in Egypt and fought against Muammar Gaddafi in Libya. But this righteousness has been selective. George W. Bush literally held hands in public with King Abdullah, the head of the Saudi dictatorship, and Barack Obama was filmed and photographed bowing down to him. When the Saudis sent troops to Bahrain to crush the pro-democracy movement, the US gave silent support. The Obama administration recently proposed dropping aid restrictions to the brutal regime of Islam Karimov in Uzbekistan. In the Muslim world, this behavior is viewed as the same old pre-9/11 strategy of ignoring the human rights abuses of despotic regimes if the dictators have something we want (usually oil or access to military bases).
The best homicide detectives, while investigating serial killers, try to understand the thinking of their adversaries. The best generals try to understand the mindset of their enemies before going into battle. The same process applies to fighting terrorism. As I said ten years ago, there is little that can be done to change the minds of fanatics. However, by looking at the actions of the United States from the point of view of potential enemies, it is possible to significantly reduce the number the people who actually try to commit terrorist acts against us.
-David WallechinskyCongrats to Prep students Susana Cappello, Carolina Baigorri and Victoria Roca for winning first place in the Miami Herald Business Plan Challenge High School Track????The young entrepreneurs created the “Smart Straw,” which detects the most common rape drugs when the straw is placed in a drink. Check out the article in our bio. (photo cred: Miami Herald) #GSLearning #GulliverPride #ProudRaiderFamily Un post condiviso da Gulliver Schools (@gulliverschools) in data: 9 Mag 2017 alle ore 07:56 PDT
Victoria Roca, Susana Cappello e Carolina Baigorri
SI INSERISCE nel cocktail e, se c'è droga - anche in minima quantità - la rileva. Si chiama Smart Straw la cannuccia intelligente - come suggerisce il nome - che tre studentesse di Miami, Florida, hanno ideato per aiutare le donne a vivere le proprie serate con più tranquillità. Pensata per contrastare lo stupro, la cannuccia diventa azzurra se nella bevanda ci sono Ketamina, Ghb o Flunitrazepam, tra le sostanze stupefacenti più comuni usate per stordire le vittime."All'apparenza sembra una cannuccia come le altre. In realtà, all'estremità inferioriore, ci sono due test antidroga. Quando la immergi ti dice subito se il drink è alterato o meno", ha spiegatoin un'intervista a InsideEdition.com, creatrice dell'invenzione insieme alle 'colleghe'L'idea è nata all'interno di un laboratorio dedicato all'imprenditoria organizzato dalla Gulliver Preparatory School, l'istituto che frequentano le tre liceali, e presentata poi alla gara per giovani imprenditori in cerca di fondi 'Business Plan Challenge High School Track', indetto dal Miami Herald, dove hanno vinto il primo premio. Ora le tre giovanissime, - hanno infatti tra i 17 e i 18 anni - sono in attesa del riconoscimento del brevetto. Una volta ottenuto, il passo successivo sarà aprire una raccolta su Kickstarter per portare il prodotto sul mercato.Per capire la potenzialità della cannuccia, le studentesse hanno condotto dei sondaggi all'interno del campus della Northwestern University. I test hanno rivelato che l'85% degli intervistati userebbe la Smart Straw e almeno nel 50% si è trattato di persone che hanno conosciuto direttamente vittime di violenza sotto l'effetto delle droghe.Kit antidroga, in realtà sono già stati sperimentati in precedenza. Tuttavia, hanno sottolineato le ragazze di Smart Straw, la soluzione della cannuccia sembra rivelarsi più pratica, discreta e per di più riutilizzabile. Anche l'idea della cannuccia non è nuova: nel 2013 due ricercatori israeliani ne avevano proposta una che, a contatto con Ketamina e Ghb, diventava rossa. Smart Straw però è in grado di rivelare anche altre sostanze e soprattutto ci sono tutti i presupposti per la commercializzazione.UK Independent Party (UKIP) leader Nigel Farage addresses the media in central London on May 3, 2013. The anti-immigration party was celebrating some of its best ever results following local elections which delivered a bloody nose to Britain's ruling coalition. (BEN STANSALL/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)
The Conservative-led coalition of Prime Minister David Cameron just got served.
The anti-immigration U.K. Independence Party staged a dramatic surge Thursday in local elections in England and Wales, with results on Friday showing voters delivering a brutal whipping to the Conservatives and their junior coalition partners, the Liberal Democrats.
Political pundits said the results represented one of the strongest showings by a nontraditional party in Britain since World War II, with the gains underscoring the rise of populist and nationalist parties across Europe.
At the core of the party’s platform are aspirations to withdraw Britain from the European Union and impose new curbs on immigration, and the powerful showing sets U.K. Independence up to be an increasingly influential force in British politics. In recent months, its growing support in national polls had already sparked Britain’s three major parties — the Conservatives, Labor and the Liberal Democrats — to float increasingly strict proposals aimed at stemming the tide of foreigners.
Cameron, for instance, has pledged to hold a national referendum on Britain’s membership in the E.U. by 2017. Observers predicted that Cameron could face pressure to move up that timetable in response to U.K. Independence’s surge.
On national television Friday, the party’s jubilant leader, Nigel Farage, grinned for the cameras and offered cheery thumbs-up signs, a sharp contrast to the dour faces of Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, who squirmed as reporters pelted them with questions about how and why they could have lost so many seats in counties across England and Wales.
“We have been abused by everybody, the entire establishment, and now they are shocked and stunned that we are getting over 25 percent of the vote everywhere we stand across the country,” Farage told the BBC. “This is a real sea change in British politics.”
The performance by a party Cameron once described as being filled with “fruitcakes, loonies and closet racists” raised the question of whether its gains amounted to a temporary protest vote or signaled the birth of a more powerful political movement. Farage, like Beppe Grillo — a comedian whose Five Star Movement took Italy by storm in elections in February — has used a mix of humor and charm to sell voters on a populist and anti-establishment message. It is a message that British voters appear to be responding to as never before.
“This is a jolt against the entire political establishment,” said Tony Travers, a political analyst at the London School of Economics. “What we don’t know is whether they will disappear like snow in hot weather by the next elections or whether they become an important force.”
Formed in 1993 by factions on the political right opposed to Britain’s membership in the E.U., U.K. Independence has yet to win a seat in the national Parliament. But it is coming closer. On Thursday, the party staged its second strong finish this year in a special election for a national seat, narrowly losing to a Labor candidate and pushing the Conservatives to third.
In local elections, the Conservatives lost 335 seats while the Liberal Democrats shed 124. U.K. Independence, meanwhile, picked up 139 seats.
The Labor Party — the chief opposition in Britain — gained 291 seats. But Farage’s party had run in fewer races and got by with a fraction of the support staff of its rivals.
In fact, analysts said Labor’s failure to pick up even more seats despite Britain’s prolonged economic malaise suggested that its leader, Ed Miliband, had thus far failed to put the party on a clear victory footing ahead of the 2015 general elections. It also suggested that rather than moving to the political left, a significant portion of Britons unhappy with the current Conservative-led government was instead shifting further to the right.
All of the traditional parties were racing Friday to offer mea culpas to the electorate.
“It is a challenge to us, it’s a wake-up call for us to actually listen to people who feel that times are hard and wonder whether any of us have actually got the answers,” Harriet Harman, deputy head of the Labor Party, told the BBC.
Although Labor and the Liberal Democrats also lost seats to U.K. Independence, the Conservatives suffered the worst. And on Friday, Cameron was backing away from his old characterizations of the party’s supporters as a lunatic fringe.
“Look, I understand why some people who’ve supported us before didn’t support us again. They want us to do even more, to work for hard-working people, to sort out the issues they care about, more to help with the cost of living, more to turn the economy around, more to get immigration down, to sort out the welfare system,” Cameron told the BBC. “They will be our focus, they are our focus, but we have got to do more.”
Eliza Mackintosh contributed to this report.Q: Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade will see double teams the entire season. And now Wade will be defended by a better defender than last year. The Heat will need to become a defensive giant if they are to contend. -- Martin.
A: You raise an interesting point about Dwyane, considering that the opposing perimeter defensive stopper the past four seasons placed his focus on LeBron James. To be honest, it's not something I considered when writing about an expected revival by Wade. While Luol Deng is a competent scorer, it's not as if you need to defend him with a stopper. Considering Dwyane had so much trouble creating space off the dribble during the latter stages of the playoffs, it will be interesting to see if playing at a lighter weight helps with his agility. The challenge figure to be raised across the board for the Heat this coming season.
Q: Even during the Big Three era and going back to Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway, the Heat teams have at times been offensively challenged. Look at the film from the NBA Finals (not taking anything away from the Spurs), but some of the Heat's offensive sets were terrible. So even with a lot of talent, the Heat have been challenged on offense. Why not sign Jordan Crawford? He can create on his own and score baskets in bunches. Somehow, I think the Heat can use some instant offense next year despite a core of Bosh, Wade and Deng. What do you say? -- Stuart.
A: That is why I think another chance for Michael Beasley could be in order. He does have a way of getting buckets. And I've been advocating Crawford for weeks now, but I'm not sure the minimum (which is all the Heat have left cap-wise) can get it done. Packaging Norris Cole and Justin Hamilton for a scorer earning $3 million or so just might have to be considered.
Q: Hi Ira, you recently said the Heat have no more cap room other than the minimum. The current players earn less than last year and there are those exceptions. Why can't the Heat pay someone more than the minimum? -- Herwig, Koflach, Austria.
A: Because in any offseason you use cap space, which the Heat did with Deng, you essentially have to round out your entire roster right around the salary cap (which is why the Heat will not be paying the luxury tax this coming season). Had the Heat not used cap space on Deng, they could have gone way over both the cap and tax, with larger offers to Wade and Udonis Haslem, as well as possibly spending the full mid-level exception. They instead felt it was more prudent to add Deng and deal with the accompanying limitations.So Hispania 1200 is finally released! Before you start playing, is good that you know these important points to improve your experience.
You can also read this information in the game, with paragraphs of notes on Economy, Morale, etc.
In order to play Hispania 1200 is convenient to know the following points:
SEA TRAVEL: The sea travel is only possible on the Mediterranean coast. To embark, stay the closest you can to the sea, then camp and select the option 'Embark', remember that only works on the Mediterranean coast. If you are sailing and you want to land, click on any near settlement to disembark.
BATTLE: In battles, the AI will change formations depending on the composition of your army. You can do six different formations by pressing F9, F10 and F11. Each one of this keys has two formations. If you press the key once, formation A will be selected, and if you press the key one more time, formation B will be selected. To confirm the formation, press F8. After pressing F8, your army will mobilize to make the selected formation. If you press F8 once, your units will stay with that formation, and if you press F8 one more time, they'll follow you using the selected formation. Warning: If you press the normal keys to follow or hold, your troops will get desorganized. Also, if your army is in formation and you want to move your chivalry (for example), selecting it will not dissolve the formation. This doesn't work on sieges.
If you press 'I' while in battle, a bar will appear on the top-left corner, showing the number of soldiers on each side.
If a leader is defeated in battle, the moral of the army will decrease.
RECRUITMENT: In Hispania 1200, excluding mercenaries, there are three tipes of recruitment.
Villages- in villages, you can recruit peones, the most basic infantry in the armies. The number of possible recruits will depend of the relation between the player and the village.
Cities- in cities, you can recruit militians, more expensive than peones, but better trained and equipped. The number of possible recruits will depend of the relation between the player and the city.
Castles- in castles, you can recruit chivalry, the most expensive troops, but also the better ones in pitched battles. The number of possible recruits will depend of the relation between the player and the owner of the castle.
OTHER TIPS:
If you press 'N' when your mount is near, it will come to you.
If you press 'M', you will make a battle cry.
It's possible to bet in taverns, but only once every 6 hours.
If you are a king you can talk to any gentleman of the game and your minister, for it camping, click on 'Take up an action' and see the action. This simulates the ability to send letters of kings activity performed almost daily."Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Peter Bowes takes a crane ride high above the forest canopy
Using satellites and lasers, scientists have produced a unique map that details the heights of the world's forests.
For the first time, using a uniform method, the map spans the entire globe. Scientists from Colorado State University and Nasa say it will help them build an inventory of how much carbon the world's forests store and how much is recycled back into the atmosphere.
Image caption The crane allows scientists to access the crowns of about 300 trees
"We're interested in forests globally because as the forests change, or are cleared, a large amount of the carbon goes to the atmosphere and that is one of the greenhouse gases that impacts the climate," says Sassan Saatchi of Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Developing an understanding of the complexities of the carbon cycle is a key element of climate research.
Humans produce seven billion tonnes of carbon annually, mostly in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2); About five billion tonnes of which ends up either in the atmosphere or the oceans.
According to researchers, it is unclear where the remaining two billion tonnes go, but it is suspected that the world's forests play a major role in capturing and storing the "missing" carbon.
"Forests play a major role in mitigating the global climate so that's why we're interested in it," explains Dr Saatchi.
"In order to quantify the carbon stores in the forest and how they change, we look at the satellite data and we look at a very high resolution satellite imagery to pin-point where the forests are, what type of forests, and how much carbon they have."
Light work
The scientists used data from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology, which is a powerful technique for accurately gathering height data from a great distance.
It is capable of capturing vertical slices of surface features, such as forests, on Earth. The height of the forest canopy is measured by shooting pulses of light at the surface and observing how much longer it takes for light to bounce back from the ground than from the top of the canopy.
Image caption Understanding how forests absorb atmospheric CO2 is critical, say scientists
The pioneering research mirrors the work bot |
see that Rain Man had missed the mark in its opening weekend. Johnson compares the experience to the recent 47 Ronin, a blockbuster whose backstory predestined it to fail, saying the disappointing box-office numbers have been overscrutinized by the media. No one kicked Rain Man to the ground when it opened at no. 2 — the weeks ahead were competition-free (how many people remember DeepStar Six?). Rain Man took the no. 1 spot after its second week of release and remained there for the entire month of January 1989.
Rain Man effortlessly achieved four-quadrant — the industry term for demographically universal — success, despite mixed reviews. Legendary New Yorker critic Pauline Kael notoriously battered the movie into a bloody pulp, calling it “wet kitsch” and writing of its lead performer, “Dustin Hoffman hump[s] one note on a piano for two hours and eleven minutes.” But Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel praised Hoffman and Cruise with two thumbs up. Rain Man became classic watercooler fodder, raising awareness and curiosity about autism while taking flak for inaccurately portraying the disorder. Still, audiences flocked, including the discarded demographic: women. The Los Angeles Times reported in February 1989 that MGM/UA research studies found that the film’s average audience was 55 percent female and 45 percent male, with two-thirds of the audience over the age of 25. Rain Man was a movie for everyone made for no one in particular.
Rain Man was also a global success, earning more than $182 million in foreign markets (according to Levinson, there was even a dream weekend when the film topped the box office in each country it was playing in, like stars aligning). To this day, the director is somewhat baffled by the universal appeal of Rain Man. During the press tour, he and Hoffman visited Japan and were met with raving fans. “It was huge. Huge,” he says. “It seemed to capture an emotional quality they were able to relate to.”
“Everyone was talking about it,” says Johnson. “It was unnerving.” The love for Rain Man rippled out of Los Angeles and New York, as did prognostication of the film’s Academy Awards potential. Rain Man dipped to the fourth spot at the box office by February 1989 just as MGM upped its Oscar-themed advertising. On February 15, the day of the nominations announcement, the studio beat the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences to the punch by printing an ad in newspapers touting Rain Man as an Academy Award nominee. The move prompted an investigation of potential foul play, but MGM representatives brushed off the accusations. They knew they had a sure thing.
The 61st Academy Awards aired on March 29, 1989. Rain Man was nominated for eight awards. After a dizzying run, it only hit Johnson that he had an Oscar-nominated film on his hands while sitting in the audience, waiting for the winners to be announced. “I was sitting next to my good friend Robin Williams and he claims my fingers went through the armrest of the chair because I was so nervous,” he says. “I’m sure I was no fun to be around. Everyone said we were going to win, but there was a point where I thought, But what if we don’t?”
Johnson had little to worry about. Rain Man triumphed, taking home four statuettes: Best Screenplay, Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Picture. The following weekend, its 16th in theaters, the movie shot back to no. 1.
Johnson went on to produce a broad range of projects, including the Chronicles of Narnia films, Breaking Bad, Galaxy Quest, and Lance Hammer’s self-distributed drama Ballast. But looking back, he says a studio wouldn’t produce Rain Man today. It wouldn’t play to a broad enough audience, they’d say. The historical data doesn’t support its success.
“I go to pitch movies all the time and they say, ‘We love you, but know we’re not interested in dramas.’ If it won’t travel, if it’s too American, they aren’t interested. You point to a movie — ‘Look at how Argo did!’ — and they’ll [just] say it’s the exception that proves the rule.”
Making Rain Man — through a writer’s strike, and defined by non-commercial subject matter — was not easy. Still, Johnson says it never is.
“A lot of my contemporaries complain that [making movies] is harder than it ever was,” he says. “But I maintain that it’s always been hard. It’s just different.”There are nearly 70 million tablet users in the U.S. alone, a figure that has doubled from the year before. This means that nearly 30% of the country's Internet users are browsing on a tablet device.
Tablet traffic to e-commerce sites grew by 348% from 2011 to 2012, overtaking smartphone traffic for the first time. With the tablet market as young as it is, its footprint is only going to expand.
This trend sends a strong message: If you haven't already, now is the time to prioritize your website's design considerations for tablet functionality. Ignoring this could negatively impact your website's overall conversion rate, return visits, sales and more.
What Is Tappiness?
When a website exhibits "tappiness," it's easy — or even delightful — to use on a mobile or tablet device. Tappiness encompasses smart use of space, text that is easy to read, logical interaction clues and large touch targets that allow visitors to navigate with confidence.
The large font sizes and wide touch targets in this design offer a positive experience, even when reduced in scale on a tablet.
The opposite experience exists when text is too small to read and navigation links are so close together that unintended navigation occurs. This adds time, complexity and frustration to the navigation experience, which will quickly drive away your visitors.
Small font sizes and narrow touch targets in this design prove to be much more difficult to read and use on a tablet.
While it may be ideal to redesign your website with a responsive layout for all devices, time and cost may inhibit you from a complete overhaul. But you do have other options. Here are some tips to help you improve the way tablet users experience your website, with just a few simple changes that you can make today.
How to Improve Your Site's Tappiness
Just a few subtle adjustments to your CSS can greatly improve legibility and navigation dexterity on a tablet.
1. Increase the size and margin for buttons and calls-to-action. The average width of the index finger for most adults translates to about 45-57 pixels. Why make your visitor work harder to find and tap the "Buy" button?
2. Ensure links and calls-to-action look tap-able without hover states. Hover states do not exist on a tablet. Style your text links to use a clear, contrasting color. And don't be afraid to use underlines for the default link state.
3. Increase font sizes for legibility. Bumping up your font sizes by a couple pixels or partial em's can make a difference. A little goes a long way.
4. Increase padding around navigation menu items. Try increasing padding by 5-10 pixels to start — or more, if your design allows.
5. Increase margins on pages and content blocks. This improvement supports overall legibility and reduces visual complexity. Increased "white space" can result in the impression that your website's content is easier to consume, as compared to a website with crowded content.
6. Increase form field size and spacing. Make it easier for your visitors to tap and enter information into form fields. Improvements to your forms may make the greatest impact to your conversion rate.
As an added bonus, these simple CSS changes will likely benefit your desktop visitors as well. But, as always, be sure to run QA on your changes for all platforms and browsers before committing to them.
Great Examples of Tablet-Friendly Websites
Below are a few websites that exemplify tappiness. Try these out on your tablet as well as your desktop. Notice these sites don't employ separate layouts or versions for tablets. Yet the same site looks good and works well on both platforms.
Fitbit uses a healthy amount of white space coupled with large text and generously-sized touch targets.
Comcast's website offers large text and spacing. You'll also notice clearly indicated links, well-spaced navigation and sub-navigation and large, easy-to-use form fields.
While Skillshare could bump up the size of their body text a bit more, they do offer large, easy-to-use buttons for navigation and calls-to-action. There is also plenty of space surrounding content blocks.
It's no surprise that Apple's website has tappiness (after all, they did pioneer the design for hand-held touch screens.
Does your site provide tappiness? Check it out on a tablet device and see for yourself. Your website may be losing visitors, conversions, and money by creating an unpleasant experience for tablet users.
The good news is that you don't need to spend a lot of time or money to make tiny, incremental changes that will vastly improve your user experience on tablet devices. For many of you, that means money in the bank.
Share a website that brings you tappiness in comments below.
Illustration courtesy of Flickr, clasesdeperiodismo; Screenshot composites by UX Magazine
This article originally published at UX Magazine hereLabour leader’s camp believe deputy would use meeting to try to ‘bully’ Corbyn into resigning, claim insiders
Jeremy Corbyn’s aides are refusing to let the Labour deputy leader, Tom Watson, hold a one-to-one meeting with him, claiming that Watson will try to “bully” the leader into resigning.
A senior Labour source, close to the embattled leader, said they had blocked Watson from talking privately to Corbyn because they have a “duty of care”. “They [Watson’s aides] want Watson to be on his own with Corbyn so that he can jab his finger at him,” the source said.
“We are not letting that happen. He’s a 70-year-old [sic] man. We have a duty of care … This is not a one-off. There is a culture of bullying. Maybe it’s a Blairite/Brownite thing.”
A spokesman for Watson – who has been seeking to reach a negotiated settlement with Corbyn over the leader’s future – said: “Tom has always had a very good working and personal relationship with Jeremy.”
A delegation of shadow cabinet ministers, led by the shadow home secretary, Andy Burnham, also failed to secure a meeting with Corbyn last Thursday to try to negotiate a resolution.
The extraordinary developments come as the Labour leader’s spokesman denied claims made to this newspaper that an emotional Corbyn, 67, had had a “Wednesday wobble” over his position after prime minister’s questions last week, and that a senior aide had drawn up a five-point extraction plan for the beleaguered leader.
On Saturday the Labour leader was held back by aides after appearing to lose his temper at a “Say No to Hate Crime” rally on Highbury Fields in north London, after a reporter asked if he was running away from questions about his leadership.
Aides hold Jeremy Corbyn back after reporter asks if he was 'running away' Read more
Under the supposed extraction deal – allegedly sketched out last Wednesday by Corbyn’s director of policy, Andrew Fisher – Corbyn would have stood down as leader in return for staying in the shadow cabinet, senior Labour sources claimed.
His close ally, John McDonnell, would have remained as shadow chancellor and both men’s staff would have been retained. A place in a future leadership election would have been secured for a candidate on the left, such as the shadow defence secretary, Clive Lewis.
There would also have been a commitment to Labour retaining an anti-austerity policy platform.
Sources said that the plan was swiftly dropped by Corbyn on Wednesday evening, with one claiming that McDonnell was “keeping Corbyn hostage”.
On Saturday night the leader’s spokesman said the claims were “100% untrue” and that Corbyn was resolved to stay in position.
Meanwhile, a leaked internal analysis of Labour’s performance in May’s local elections, obtained by the Observer, offers a grim forecast of the party’s future under Corbyn.
The analysis concludes that the party has piled up votes in parts of the country where it would make little difference in a general election, while losing support in key marginal seats.
“Outside the areas with new ward boundaries, we made 91 losses and 68 gains compared to when these seats were last contested in 2012,” officials write.
“We can look into the specific areas changing hands to better understand how and if the structure of Labour support is changing. In England, in those areas that would be considered key seats for a future general election, we made nine gains and 44 losses.
“The strategic problem is that only 14% of our gains were in areas we need in order to win general elections – while just under 50% of our losses were in those areas.”
There have been more than 60 frontbench resignations, and an overwhelming vote of no confidence in Corbyn, since this newspaper’s revelation that Hilary Benn was orchestrating a plot to remove the leader. The shadow foreign secretary was sacked in the early hours of last Sunday.
Corbyn has publicly shown little indication that he is ready to stand aside, while McDonnell has urged those plotting against the leader to spark a formal leadership contest.
It is understood that the former shadow work and pensions secretary, Owen Smith, is now in pole position to be the “unity candidate” to challenge Corbyn, should he not stand down.
However, one of the shadow cabinet ministers who resigned last week said the rebels were willing to play a “long game”. “Every day that this goes on, the worse it is for him,” she said. “Members are realising that this is an untenable position.”
On Saturday night, Corbyn’s allies accused the parliamentary party of sabotaging Labour’s ability to hold the government to account.
One Labour source said those at the top of the party were livid when it emerged that files on a shared Labour party hard drive relating to the finance bill going through parliament had been deleted as the shadow finance secretary Rob Marris resigned.
An internal email seen by this newspaper said: “Unfortunately, it looks like someone from Rob Marris’s office has deleted the vast majority of the finance bill records and notes on each clause from the shared drive.”
A Labour source raised the spectre of deselection, adding that it fitted in with a campaign of sabotage. He said: “The finance bill is a hugely important bit of legislation. Under normal times the party’s severest punishment to my knowledge for such transgression could go as high as deselection.
“This is because such a bill normally includes important measures involving things like tax avoidance and pensioners and working families.
“For example, in this case his actions could have led to undermining things such as our opposition to the tampon tax, which – if he had his way – would have prevented us from ending it sooner.”
Responding to the criticism, Marris said that the material he removed did not belong to the Labour party but had been funded through his own parliamentary staff allowance.
He said: “I have not removed Labour party material from a shared computer drive.
“The material removed did not belong to the Labour party. It was created by my own office to help me as a shadow Treasury minister. I paid for this material using my parliamentary staff allowance to help fulfil my role as a shadow minister. The Labour party did not pay a penny for it, and it had not been stored on a Labour party drive.
“After I resigned from it, no one from the shadow Treasury team contacted me to ask to borrow my material. Instead an anonymous ‘Labour source’ has launched a vicious attack on me, and threatens me with deselection. Not a great way to ask for the material.
“I am dismayed that someone who hides their own identity seems to be trying to damage my reputation for their own political ends. I am sure that the shadow chancellor and his office will be keen to decry this sad attempt to smear me.
“The Labour party gets hundreds of thousands of pounds of ‘Short money’ each year.
“This is taxpayers’ money to help the official opposition fulfil its role in our democracy, holding the government to account.
“None of that money was offered to me for research in the shadow Treasury team. So the interesting question is this: what has happened to all the Short money?”
A shadow Treasury spokesperson said: “We don’t comment on internal matters. It has been a busy week but Rebecca Long-Bailey has stepped forward and done a magnificent job. The shadow Treasury team will continue holding the Tories to account at this crucial time.”
In an article for the Sunday Mirror, Corbyn said he was “ready to reach out” to his enemies in the party but warned he would stand for re-election if they staged a challenge for the top job.
The Labour leader said MPs who had set their face against his tenure must respect the views of the members who elected him.
Top priority must be opposing the Conservatives and giving voters a real alternative, he said.
In the article, he wrote: “I am ready to reach out to Labour MPs who didn’t accept my election and oppose my leadership - and work with the whole party to provide the alternative the country needs.
“But they also need to respect the democracy of our party and the views of Labour’s membership, which has increased by more than 60,000 in the past week alone.
“Our priority must be to mobilise this incredible force to oppose the Tories, and ensure people in Britain have a real political alternative.
“That is my priority and always will be as leader of our party. Those who want to challenge my leadership are free to do so in a democratic contest, in which I will be a candidate.”By Hope Racine
Originally posted on Literally, Darling.
I've never been depressed. I've had my share of my own crazy and sure, I have my bad times. I have those times where I start crying while brushing my teeth and I'm not sure why. We've all experienced this to an extent. You go through a patch where staying in bed all day isn't just the better option -- it's the only one. But as blue as things may look at that point, a lot of us are lucky enough to have the ability to say "I'm feeling depressed," as opposed to "I have depression."
There's a big difference between those statements, and the key word is feeling.
Like I said, I've never been depressed. But I know a lot about depression. Over the past few years, someone very close to me whom I love dearly became depressed. And I had no idea what I was getting into.
Let's call my friend Hubert. Why? Because Hubert is a funny name, and nothing about this situation is funny.
Hubert went through some life changes. Some things turned out less than desirable for him, but all in all, Hubert would agree that nothing terrible happened to him. This is a common misconception about depression -- you don't have to have a traumatic home life, a horrible experience or witness the death of a loved one to become depressed. Depression has no rhyme or reason. It just happens.
I didn't understand this at the time. I found myself wondering at times why Hubert was taking things so hard. He can get past this, I thought to myself, all he has to do is just try.
But he couldn't. Because despite the fact that Hubert's life mantra is "I can do anything if I try," he couldn't bring himself to. He couldn't even bring himself to care. He couldn't even try to try.
You know those commercials for the antidepressant with the tagline, "depression hurts more than just you," or "depression hurts everyone?" It's true. Loving someone with depression is hard.
We're not inside their heads. We can't understand why they are doing the things they are doing. We can't understand why they won't listen to reason, and they often don't have the ability to articulate why.
It took a long time, but I finally figured some of it out. Strangely enough, a webcomic put a lot of things into perspective for me. It was hard, and I wouldn't wish it on anyone, but as hard as it is, your loved one needs you. And when you're through the thick of it, your acceptance and help through that time will mean more to them than you will ever understand. Here are some of the things I've discovered along the way.
1. Your loved one isn't just sad.
Depression isn't a state of being, it's an affliction. Like a cold or the flu, it can come out of nowhere and hit them. Or think of it another way: your friend is in an abusive relationship with depression. Depression has cut off their ability to have other friends. Depression has crippled their social life. Depression is constantly putting them through hell, making everything more stressful, making them doubt themselves, making everything difficult. Depression has beaten them -- to the point where they will have actual physical pain. Depression has taken control of their life, to the point where it's easier to just feel nothing.
2. They're not depressed because of you, so don't take it personally.
It's hard not to take things personally. It's even harder to not wonder if you did something to make your loved one depressed. When you're depressed, you feel this complete and utter inability to be yourself, and it makes it ten times harder when you're around loved ones; i.e., people who know the real "you." Being with strangers can sometimes be easier for them. They get to put on a show. They get to pretend that they aren't depressed for a short amount of time. It can really hurt you to see this, and you sometimes wonder if it's just you causing the depression. But it's not. If your loved one is acting depressed around you, its a good sign in a strange way. It means that they love and trust you enough to share this with you. Sometimes, they try to hide it -- sometimes, they'll push you away. The only thing to do is just be there.
3. You can't "fix" them.
I know you think that by being positive and following them around like their personal cheerleader, one day it might occur to them, "Yeah! life is great and things are awesome and I'm fixed!" But it won't. Endless supplies of positivity aren't helpful -- they actually do more harm than good. It's frustrating. It's reminding them that they aren't full of cheer. And most importantly, they aren't sad. I know it looks like they are, and sometimes they can feel incredibly down, but cheering up won't help. They're experiencing a complete lack of emotion, and you can't fix something that doesn't exist. All the funny animal gifs in the world aren't going to cure them. Just be there. Remind them that this is temporary. Don't tell them to keep trying, just remind them that there's a light out there. Listen and validate their feelings, but don't try to explain them or cheer the person up. Don't offer opinions or advice. You don't have to walk around like a complete sad sack, of course -- that won't help. Just be normal, but be supportive.
4. Any emotion is good.
Sometimes, when people start the long, long climb up out of depression, their emotions come back to them in weird ways. Some people get the crying, the breaking down and sobbing. Feel free to comfort them. Some people get the manic happiness that seems incredibly fake. Encourage this -- but be careful. It can switch quickly. But a lot of people get the anger. Anger, for some unknown reason, seems to be the easiest way to vent the months and months of non-feeling that your loved one has gone through. So be prepared. They will get angry at you. They will scream at the cat and curse-out their shoe. The strangest and sometimes smallest things will set them off. I know that this hurts more than anything, and it seems so backwards. But by getting angry, they finally have a way to vent their frustration. Encourage it, or at the very least, let them rage in peace.
5. Take care of yourself.
Your first thought will be to take care of your loved one, but loving someone with depression can seriously mess you up as well. You feel like you need to be in it with them, but you don't. You need to take care of yourself. Keep focusing on your goals and dreams. Sometimes you will feel like a horrible person bragging about your new promotion or going out with friends. You feel like you should hide it from your loved one or downplay your accomplishments, because it seems like a smack in the face to them. But --I can't stress this enough -- don't. They will still be happy for you. Your success and happiness might remind them of what they're lacking, but you cannot sacrifice yourself. You need to go out and be with friends. You need to get fresh air.
In addition, sometimes, you're going to cry. Sometimes, you're going to hurt. Sometimes, you won't be able to handle it, and you feel like you need to hide it from your loved one. Don't. Express to them that this is hard, but you're in it with them. Don't tell them that you cried yourself to sleep, but open up a bit. Find a healthy way to get the stress out -- even if it's ranting to your dog.
6. Be patient.
Depression sucks. It sucks the life out of everything, and you need to be careful to not let it suck the life out of you. Read about it, find out about it -- it's amazing how ignorant and misinformed we are about depression.
Check out this wonderful explanation of depression by Hyperbole-and-a-half.
Literally, Darling is an online magazine by and for twenty-something women, which features the personal, provocative, awkward, pop-filled and pressing issues of our gender and generation. This is an exact representation of our exaggerated selves.
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Also on The Huffington Post:Traditional priests may (will?) outnumber non-traditional priests in France by 2038 July 7, 2014
Posted by Tantumblogo in Basics
And, I would think, traditional Catholics will similarly outnumber non-traditional ones around the same time.
This is actually a phenomenon I have speculated on in an anecdotal manner on this blog. Looking at the trends in France, in particular, where, I will say it, Novus Ordo parishes and priestly vocations have collapsed to ludicrously low levels, and with the strong presence of not only the Society of St. Pius X, but also the FSSP, Institute of the Good Shepherd, and other groups, I have posited for some time that traditional Catholics would become a majority in France within a 15-20 years. For instance, it is already known that 30+% of all ordinations in France are for traditional groups/order. It turns out, my estimate was not far off, someone graphed the trends and found that traditional priests will outnumber non-traditional ones around 2038 (via Rorate twitter feed):
2038 is not very far away – only 24 years. So, I may live to see the day when traditional Catholicism makes up the majority of a much smaller Church in many countries. Rorate noted that the trend lines do not include the monastic orders, which have quite a few priests among them. That would make the transition occur even earlier. I also think the increase in traditional priestly vocations will gradually depart from the linear growth model shown above to a more asymptotic one (it will go more vertical). But when such will occur is only for the Lord to know.
In detail, I’m not sure how reliable the data is, especially pinpointing the rate of decay of non-traditional priests, but I think the overall trend, in France, at least, is reliable. Traditional Catholicism is very strong in France, and the post-conciliar new order very weak, so that there likely will be a convergence at some point. Whether that is in 2038, or 2025, or 2100, I don’t know, but it will occur. It will be fascinating to see how such a situation plays out, especially if the post-conciliar status quo remains in place with hostile progressives occupying most of the levers of power. Or will the status quo remain? One would think that if the post-conciliar Church does collapse to such a marked extent, there would have to be some movement towards a more traditional mode of belief and practice, but who knows? Ideology is a powerful thing, sometimes, the most powerful thing. Such circumstances could even engender increased radicalism.
But they could also be remarkably clarifying. If the Church really is faced with a new religion in the post-conciliar ethos, observing the reaction of the “new religion” to a situation where traditional priests and Catholics outnumber non-traditional ones could unmistakably reveal the differences and provide a clear picture of the stark contrast between the two. Not that I hope such occurs. Quite the contrary, I’d rather see a holy, devout, strong, vibrant, growing, orthodox Church all around. But I’m afraid we may not get there before experiencing the very nadir of contraction and destruction, first.
On a related note, how sad will it be to think that France will almost certainly have fewer than 1500 priests within 30 years or so? Incredible, and not in a good way. I would hazard to guess Paris alone had around 1000 priests a century or so ago. Maybe more recently than that. And now the entire country most likely will not muster even 1500 at some point in the not too distant future? Tragic.
Finally, let’s not have the comments devolve into warring camps proclaiming “SSPX are our saviors” versus “SSPX are protestant”. I think we can comment and discuss this likely future scenario without going down that particular rabbit hole.
AdvertisementsIn this guest post Eva Langston from Carve Magazine shares ten of the most common mistakes writers make when submitting their work.
1. Not reading literary magazines
This seems obvious, but if you want to get published in a journal, it’s helpful to read the types of pieces they publish. Most literary magazines suggest you read a few back issues first to get a sense of their aesthetic. In an ideal world, you should do this, but chances are you don’t have time to read multiple back issues of every single journal you’re going to submit to. Instead, make it your goal to simply read more literary magazines than you currently do. Subscribe to a few each year. Get your friends to subscribe to different publications and then trade. And of course, take advantage of free online journals, such as Carve. Read a story whenever you have a spare moment, even if it’s on your phone while waiting in line at the grocery store.
2. Not submitting your best work
Instead of finishing a story and submitting it immediately, let your piece rest for a few months then go back and revise. Workshop it, or let a trusted writer friend read it and give feedback. Print it out and triple-check for grammatical and spelling errors. Read your piece out loud at least once. Only submit when you think the piece is the best it can possibly be.
3. Not following guidelines
Double check all guidelines before submitting to a magazine. Is there a word count requirement? Should your name be removed from the piece? Should your document be in Word, PDF, or rich text format? If it’s an email submission, do they want the document attached, or pasted into the body of the email? Do they accept simultaneous submissions? Don’t risk getting your piece being tossed out because you didn’t follow the rules.
4. Making simultaneous submission goofs
Speaking of simultaneous submissions, if a journal says they don’t accept them you should respect that, or risk making an editor annoyed. Fortunately, a lot of magazines do accept simultaneous submissions, and if they don’t say either way, you can safely assume that they do. This is good because it means you can send the same story to multiple journals at the same time and increase your chances of getting an acceptance letter. But if your piece gets picked up by a journal, you must alert the other journals you submitted it to. If a reading committee debates over your story for a long time, decides to accept it, and then finds out it’s been published elsewhere, your name will be mud in the world of literary magazines.
5. Not keeping track of submissions
Use a spreadsheet or some other organizational method to keep track of your submissions (what you sent, to which journals, when, and the responses). Not only will this help with simultaneous submissions in case your piece is accepted (see No. 4), but it will also keep you from submitting the same piece to a magazine that has already rejected it, or not yet responded to your last submission. The online submission manager Duotrope offers this type of “tracker” as a feature for their paid subscribers.
6. Making cover letter goofs
In general, cover letters to literary magazines should be short and include little more than the name and word count of your piece and a brief bio. There is no need to include a summary of the story or any cutesy “attention grabbers.” If you have an MFA, or have been published in other magazines, you might mention that, but for most editors, it’s your work that’s important, not your C.V. Do be sure to proofread your cover letter carefully, however. If you are copying-and-pasting, make sure you change pertinent information, such as the name of the journal.
7. Not doing enough research
There are so many journals out there it can often feel overwhelming to know where to begin. To find new magazines or publications that are actively seeking submissions, check NewPages, The Review Review, the AWP website, Duotrope, and Poets & Writers*. The Poets & Writers “tools for writers” section has a search system for journals, and The Review Review reviews literary journals to help give writers a sense of the types of pieces they publish.
For even more submission ideas, Google the Pushcart Rankings and Every Writer’s Resource Rankings. You can also look at short story and poetry collections such as Best American, O’Henry, Pushcart, and Flannery O’Connor; at the front or back of the book they will tell where each piece was first published. And why not tweet at your favorite literary agents and ask them what lit mags they like to read?! As for your genre pieces, research magazines that specialize in horror, sci-fi/fantasy, mystery, romance, LGBT, YA, etc. Dark Markets is a good resource to find horror, mystery, sci-fi/fantasy, and other genre magazines and anthologies. Also, be aware that some literary magazines will NOT accept genre pieces.
8. Ignoring online journals
There are more and more excellent online journals publishing high-quality literature. Although most writers still have the desire to see their words on the printed page, there are many benefits to being published online. Your friends, family, and followers can easily find your work via a link instead of having to wait to purchase a copy of a journal. Not only are online journals often more helpful when building your network and platform, but you are more likely to get feedback from readers through blog comments and tweets than you are with a printed journal.
9. Taking rejections too personally and not submitting enough
Even the most brilliant stories will get rejected, and as a writer, you have to come to terms with the fact that you will get (many) more no’s than yes’s. Sometimes your story may not be right for a particular issue, or may not connect with a particular editor. Don’t let the rejections get you down. In many ways, this is a numbers game, and the goal is to get the right piece to the right journal at the right time. That’s hard to do, and chances are it’s going to take a lot of submissions before you get an acceptance. Don’t give up, and while you’re at it, check out Carve’s Reject! feature which showcases stories Carve rejected that were accepted in another publication.
10. Not thanking the editor
So you finally got an acceptance letter! Congratulations! Don’t forget to thank the editor. Most literary magazine editors are unpaid (or paid very little) for their time and effort. Thank them when your piece is accepted, and thank them again when the piece is published. They love to hear the feedback and know that their hard work is not going unappreciated.
This article was first published on the Carve magazine blog; reproduced with permission. Based in Texas, Carve aims to publish outstanding literary fiction and to promote the writers it publishes, helping both new, emerging, and established authors reach a wider literary audience. Unsolicited submissions are considered year-round and entries for the magazine’s annual Raymond Carver Short Story Contest open on 1 April.
* For more literary magazines seeking submissions, don’t forget to check our latest news and follow Aerogramme Writers’ Studio on Facebook and Twitter.Disney is booking a return trip to San Fransokyo next month.
Big Hero 6 The Series, based on the 2014 movie of the same name, will begin Monday, Nov. 20 (8/7c) with Baymax Returns, a one-hour TV movie airing simultaneously on Disney Channel and Disney XD.
Per the official announcement — which contains a pretty big spoiler if you haven’t seen Big Hero 6 — here’s how Disney is setting up the new series:
Set in the fictional city of San Fransokyo, “Baymax Returns” explores the moment in Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Academy Award-winning feature film after Hiro believes that his compassionate, cutting-edge robot Baymax is lost in the portal forever and discovers the chip his brother Tadashi designed to create Baymax. 14-year-old tech genius Hiro begins school as the new prodigy at San Fransokyo Institute of Technology and sets off to rebuild Baymax, but his overconfidence and penchant for taking shortcuts leads him and the newly minted Big Hero 6 team – Wasabi, Honey Lemon, Go Go and Fred – into trouble.
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Following the premiere of Baymax Returns, two full-length preview episodes of Big Hero 6 The Series will be available to stream on the DisneyNOW app and Disney XD On Demand. New episodes will air weekly on Disney XD beginning in early 2018.
The show’s voice cast features a number of stars from the original movie, including Maya Rudolph as Aunt Cass, Ryan Potter as Hiro, Scott Adsit as Baymax, Jamie Chung as Go Go, Alan Tudyk as Alistair Krei, Genesis Rodriguez as Honey Lemon, David Shaughnessy as Heathcliff and Stan Lee as Fred’s dad. They’re joined by Khary Payton as Wasabi and Brooks Wheelan as Fred.
Check out the official poster for Baymax Returns below, then drop a comment with your thoughts.Thin film technology is touted as a gamechanger for the solar panel market, but it’s not without drawbacks
Spray on, printable and other new thin film technology looks set to provide a major boost to the global solar market.
Currently being developed by researchers and a small number of companies, the new film materials offer the potential |
don’t think so, I’m kinda out of room.” Mark’s lack of room is certainly not a bad thing as his garage and show room are packed with amazing and outrageous show cars and whether it’s more Zingers or not, I can’t wait to see what Marks turns out next.Get the biggest Arsenal FC stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
It’s nearly 10 years ago that Arsene Wenger became the first Premier League manager to field a complete team of foreign players.
Who would have thought then that Arsenal’s manager would all this time later become the standard bearer for young British players?
But signing Danny Welbeck means Arsene will have a core of his team who’ve grown up here, with Kieran Gibbs, Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsey, Calum Chambers, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Theo Walcott.
As somebody who wants to see British football thriving that has to be good news, even if it has maybe been influenced by the rules about having home-grown players in your squad.
I think the English game is going through a bit of an evolutionary period at the moment where some of the work done to improve youth structures 10 years or so ago is beginning to produce some results, and if Arsenal are evolving too, that’s also something to welcome.
(Image: Arsenal FC)
I’ve never made any secret of my admiration for Arsene. I think he runs the Gunners in the way any side should be managed, with the long-term good of the club being the principle aim.
He’s probably the best example of the sort of manager I’m trying to be, where you develop a side and build over time to leave behind something better than you took over.
It’s easy to forget that, when he walked into Highbury all those years ago, the club had slid away from winning trophies and had become almost mid-table.
It is down to his work in identifying young players and bringing them through his system that they are now one of the superpowers.
Arsenal's transfer window ins and outs:
If he’s now doing that with British players, then that’s great and it will be interesting to see how many of them are capable of rising to the challenge to hit the peaks with him.
I think Welbeck’s a terrific capture. He’s mobile, he can come in from the left or right, and he can score a goal or two as well. I can see him fitting into the way Arsenal play and really starting to fulfil some of the potential we’ve seen.
Brendan Rodgers has done a lot for the cause of advancing English players, and it’s great to see others following that trend.
Arsenal were the first to field an all-foreign team – wouldn’t it be great if in a couple of years’ time they could be winning things and playing in the Champions League with an all British line-up?
Did you know have a dedicated ArsenalFacebook page?Good news: In two years, we’ll have a new president. Bad news: If we make it that long.
My “good” prediction is based on the Law of the Pendulum. Enough Americans, including most independent voters, will be so ready to shed Donald Trump and his little shop of horrors that the 2018 midterm elections are all but certain to be a landslide — no, make that a mudslide — sweep of the House and Senate. If Republicans took both houses in a My “good” prediction is based on the Law of the Pendulum. Enough Americans, including most independent voters, will be so ready to shed Donald Trump and his little shop of horrors that the 2018 midterm elections are all but certain to be a landslide — no, make that a mudslide — sweep of the House and Senate. If Republicans took both houses in a groundswell of the people’s rejection of Obamacare, Democrats will take them back in a tsunami of protest.
Once ensconced, it would take a Democratic majority approximately 30 seconds to begin impeachment proceedings selecting from an accumulating pile of lies, overreach and just plain sloppiness. That is, assuming Trump hasn’t already been shown the exit.
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Or that he hasn’t declared martial law (all those anarchists, you know) and effectively silenced dissent. We’re already well on our way to the latter via Trump’s incessant Or that he hasn’t declared martial law (all those anarchists, you know) and effectively silenced dissent. We’re already well on our way to the latter via Trump’s incessant attacks on the media — “among the most dishonest human beings on Earth” — and press secretary Sean Spicer’s rabid-chihuahua, daily press briefings. (Note to Sean: Whatever he’s promised you, it’s not worth becoming Melissa McCarthy’s punching bag. But really, don’t stop.)
With luck, and Cabinet-level courage that is not much in evidence, there’s a chance we won’t have to wait two long years, during which, let’s face it, anything could happen. In anticipation of circumstances warranting a speedier presidential replacement, wiser minds added With luck, and Cabinet-level courage that is not much in evidence, there’s a chance we won’t have to wait two long years, during which, let’s face it, anything could happen. In anticipation of circumstances warranting a speedier presidential replacement, wiser minds added Section 4 to the 25th Amendment, which removes the president if a majority of the Cabinet and the vice president think it necessary, i.e., if the president is injured or falls too ill to serve. Or, by extension, by being so incompetent — or not-quite-right — that he or she poses a threat to the nation and must be removed immediately and replaced by the vice president.
Angry Utahns pack Chaffetz’s home state town hall Embed Copy Share Play Video 3:55 (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post) Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) got a frosty reception in his home state on Feb. 9, at a town hall. Angry constituents packed a high school auditorium, grilled the high-ranking congressman with questions and peppered him with boos and chants while protesters amassed outside. Angry constituents packed an auditorium, grilled the congressman with questions and peppered him with boos and chants while protesters amassed outside. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)
Aren’t we there, yet?
Thus far, Trump and his henchmen have conducted a full frontal assault on civil liberties, open government and religious freedom, as well as instigating or condoning a cascade of Thus far, Trump and his henchmen have conducted a full frontal assault on civil liberties, open government and religious freedom, as well as instigating or condoning a cascade of ethics violations ranging from the serious (business conflicts of interest ) to the absurd ( attacking a department store for dropping his daughter’s fashion line). And, no, it’s not just a father defending his daughter. It’s the president of the United States bullying a particular business and, more generally, making a public case against free enterprise.
To an objective observer, it would seem impossible to defend the perilous absurdities emanating from the White House and from at least one executive agency, the Agriculture Department, which recently To an objective observer, it would seem impossible to defend the perilous absurdities emanating from the White House and from at least one executive agency, the Agriculture Department, which recently scrubbed animal abuse reports from its website, leaving puppies, kittens, horses and others to fend for themselves.
In a hopeful note, a few Republicans are speaking out, but the list is short.
Rep. Jason Chaffetz recently got a taste of what’s ahead for Republican incumbents. Facing an Rep. Jason Chaffetz recently got a taste of what’s ahead for Republican incumbents. Facing an unruly crowd at a town hall meeting in Utah, the House Oversight Committee chairman was booed nearly every time he mentioned Trump. Even if many in the crowd were members of opposition groups, the evening provided a glimpse of the next two years. From 2010’s tea party to 2018’s resistance, the pendulum barely had time to pause before beginning its leftward trek
While we wait for it to someday find the nation’s center, where so many wait impatiently, it seems clear that the president, who swore an oath to defend the U.S. Constitution, has never read it. Nor, apparently, has he ever even watched a Hollywood rendering of the presidency. A single episode of “The West Wing” would have taught Trump more about his new job than he seems to know — or care.
Far more compelling than keeping his promise to act presidential is keeping campaign promises against reason, signing poorly conceived executive orders, Far more compelling than keeping his promise to act presidential is keeping campaign promises against reason, signing poorly conceived executive orders, bashing the judicial and legislative branches, and tweeting his spleen to a wondering and worrying world.
1 of 64 Full Screen Autoplay Close Advertisement Skip Ad × Embed Copy Share See what President Trump has been doing since taking office View Photos The new president is expected to make his mark on an aggressive legislative agenda. Caption The new president is expected to make his mark on an aggressive legislative agenda. -- Feb. 10, 2017 | President Trump, left, greets Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe upon his arrival at the White House. ( Melina Mara/The Washington Post ) Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue.
Trump’s childish and petulant manner, meanwhile, further reinforces long-held concerns that this man can’t be trusted to lead a dog-and-pony act, much less the nation. Most worrisome is how long Trump can tolerate the protests, criticisms, humiliations, rebuttals and defeats — and what price he’ll try to exact from those who refused to look away.ACLU Questions Hogan's Facebook Blocking Practices
Plenty of Facebook page administrators delete comments and ban users. But is it constitutional when Gov. Larry Hogan's staff do it to users challenging him on policy positions?
The American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland on Friday contacted the governor on behalf of seven constituents, all of whom have been blocked from the governor's page, asking for that apparent practice to cease and a review of all the other users blocked from his Facebook page during his time in office.
“Governor Hogan needs to understand there's a big difference between a private citizen ‘unfriending’ people on Facebook and a public official blocking the posts of constituents who disagree with his position on issues that affect them,” Deborah Jeon, Legal Director for the ACLU of Maryland, said in a statement. “Social media has become a key way that constituents communicate with their elected leaders, and it violates both the First Amendment and Maryland's own social media policy for government officials to block out any voices of dissent or those simply raising questions about positions taken by public officials sworn to serve.”
The seven women, ACLU officials say, don't know each other and don't coordinate their activities among themselves or with any group. They all hail from different parts of the state.
Hogan spokeswoman Amelia Chasse said in an email Friday evening that the governor's staff has unblocked six of seven named in the letter from the ACLU, and were unable to find the Facebook profile for the seventh. However, she said the ACLU should be focusing on more important issues.
"While the ACLU should be focusing on much more important activities than monitoring the governor's Facebook page, we appreciate them identifying a handful of individuals - out of the over 1 million weekly viewers of the page - that may have been inadvertently denied access. We have already reinstated these individuals, however we will be monitoring them closely for any profane, violent, racist, or inappropriate posts - including political spamming attacks," Chasse said, adding that they "encourage robust, on-topic discussion."
Chasse didn't comment on the broader review activists requested.
The Washington Post reported earlier this month that 450 people had been blocked from the site for what spokesman Doug Mayer attributed largely to an organized campaign. A number of blocks coincided, reportedly, with criticism of President Donald Trump's travel ban and urging of Hogan to take a stance against it. Hogan, for his part, has demurred, saying that's the job of Maryland's congressional delegation and the courts, not elected officials in Annapolis.
“I’ve been living in Maryland for 16 years and have never been politically active, but the situation since the election has made me realize that it is important for all of us to speak up,” Sandra Clark of Germantown, one of the Facebook users whose commenting ability on Hogan's page has since been restored, said in an ACLU statement. “I’ve been disappointed in Governor Hogan’s reluctance to speak up and I hope that he starts working with all Marylanders and not just the ones who voted for him. It felt demoralizing and as if I was being told to shut up and that my thoughts and concerns weren’t valid when my Facebook comments were deleted and I was blocked from the governor’s page. That’s not what I understand our constitution and our government to be about.”Sometimes things just fall into place, and this is definitely one of those times. Coach Kingsbury is knee deep in recruiting and I'm sure has a million things on his plate, but he graciously agreed to this interview. Respect.
Travis: One of the things I respect most about you is your "no excuses" philosophy. Freshmen quarterbacks, injuries on defense, the wind, none of that mattered and you never made any excuses for a loss during that season. In that light, and at the risk of abruptly ending this interview, I wrote an article before the Holiday Bowl in which I said I didn't think you earned a big pay raise after your first year. Now, after the bowl game, I've changed my mind and think that given the circumstances you had a tremendous overall body of work. What grade would you give yourself after your first full season?
Coach Kingsbury: I'm not big on giving grades. I expect us to win every game, and we didn't get that done this year. We need to improve in a lot of areas moving forward, and we will.
Travis: What was the most surprising thing (or what did you have the most difficulty adjusting to) as a first year Head Coach?
Coach Kingsbury: I would say the biggest adjustment was handling all of the administrative duties that come along with being a head coach.
Travis: You guys recently signed up for a home & home with Arizona State in 2016 and 2017 and now a Wyoming series is in the works. Not to mention the games versus Arkansas beginning next year. What is your philosophy on out of conference schedules? Are you looking for marquee matchups early on or would you rather keep it to some in-state games to get you prepared for the grind of conference play?
Coach Kingsbury: I think with the new playoff system you are going to see more teams scheduling to improve their strength of schedule. I would assume you will see more and more marquee early non-conference match ups.
Travis: Ok, time to get serious. Varsity Blues or Friday Night Lights? Dawson's Creek or Saved by the Bell?
Coach Kingsbury: Varsity Blues even though it was SLIGHTLY embellished. Saved By The Bell is a classic.
Travis: Saved by the Bell deserves an Oscar. So who is easier to have a conversation with- Mike Leach or Bill Belichick?
Coach Kingsbury: Both are geniuses. With Mike you may get an hour lecture over the economic growth in the 1800s of the southern United States. He is very well informed on pretty much anything and everything. Bill is more short and sweet and most conversations pertain to football.
Travis: I catch some heat from Tech fans because I'm a huge fan of Johnny Manziel and think he's great for the game. Do you think he should be the number one overall pick in the NFL Draft?
Coach Kingsbury: I would take him with the #1 pick. He's the most dynamic player that I have ever seen, and I think with the way the NFL is changing, he has a chance to be a superstar in that league.
Travis: Along those lines, let's talk recruiting for a minute. This recruiting class seems to be really coming together. Just between us, should we expect any pleasant surprises between now and NSD?
Our coaches have done a tremendous job this year putting together this class, and I am very excited to see how we wrap it up at the end. -Kliff Kingsbury
Coach Kingsbury: Our coaches have done a tremendous job this year putting together this class, and I am very excited to see how we wrap it up at the end.
Travis: Definitely excited about that. Now onto fashion. Can we make all red happen at least once next year? I'm talking red shoes, red pants, red jerseys and red helmets. It would get the people goin'.
Coach Kingsbury: Red has been requested a lot so we'll see.
Travis: How much do you enjoy doing press conferences? Sometimes I think that you would rather be doing press conference more than anything else in the world.
Coach Kingsbury: No comment.
Travis: Ok, let's move on. You've probably seen Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon's History of Rap videos, where they take some rap songs from history and make it into an outstanding compilation. What would be the 5 rap songs that you would put in your own History of Rap?
Coach Kingsbury: 5) Nuthin' But a G Thang by Dr. Dre, 4) Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice, 3) Juicy by Notorious B.I.G., 2) Lose Yourself by Eminem, 1) Forever by Drake, Kanye, Lil Wayne and Eminem
Travis: So we talk a lot on the site about what it means to be a Red Raider. Whether its on the football field or in our careers and lives after we graduate, Red Raiders tend to have a chip on their shoulder but we use that to excel. I guess its a product of being located in West Texas where the people don't complain, they just roll up their sleeves and get to work. We realize that we have to earn every bit of respect or status or standing in our communities and in most cases we get it done. I know if I can build a sales team of Tech grads, its probably going to work out well. So if someone came to your office and had never heard of Texas Tech, how would you describe what it means to be a Red Raider to them?
Red Raiders are extremely proud of what we have and never complain about what we don't. We LIVE to prove the naysayers wrong. -Kliff Kingsbury
Coach Kingsbury: You covered a lot of what it means to be a Red Raider leading up to your question. Red Raiders are extremely proud of what we have and never complain about what we don't. We LIVE to prove the naysayers wrong.
Travis: Ok I'm ready to jump through a wall, but I want to wrap this up first by asking you about your brother Klint. He's become a cult hero on our site because of his prowess in shooting pigs from helicopters with a bow and blowing up limos for his friend's bachelor parties. Do you think you could convince him to give me a call? There are some things I'd like to blow up and put on YouTube and we're having some pig problems.
Coach Kingsbury: I will have him hit you up. He's a cold blooded killer.
Travis: Yes! Confetti flies and I'm doing the pow pow with my finger guns all day.
Again, many thanks to Coach Kingsbury for chatting with us!
Wreck 'Em.Issues with Evolve
Hello, my name is Polas. I play for team Evolve HYPE!, a competitive team that has been around since basically the beginning of competitive evolve. I have played in the majority of Go4Evolve ESL tournaments on PC, as well as on the Xbox One’s Proving Grounds 100k tournament, for which our team all bought consoles to compete (our team came in 5th NA). I leveled an account to 40 on PC as well as on xbox and put in countless hours of practice into this game with my team and by myself. I love this game and genuinely enjoy playing the game. The reason I am making this post is because I completely adore your games, not just Evolve. I have literally thousands of hours in Left 4 Dead, and it is most likely my favorite game of all time. I want to see this game become great so badly. With that said, I have a lot of issues with the game and feel like they need to be shared. I have gone around to some other notable and competitive Evolve players to gather their thoughts on the game, their problems with it, as well as ideas on how to improve the game we love.
· Communication with the Community
Hearing “it’s coming” isn’t good enough. You should share more details with your player base. You announced the Proving Grounds 100k tournament days before it started. If given more time to prepare, people would have had time to form teams and create new strategies. The turnout for the tournament would have been much better. Players would have discussed the tournament beforehand as well as generate hype and attention for the event. The same idea goes for patches. Information given a few weeks in advance helps get reactions, generate excitement, and get feedback from your community. Please let us know what is going on. We don’t want to be left in the dark. It is beneficial for both parties.
· Competitive effects regular players
Identify how important a competitive scene is to a game. If you have a great competitive scene, it grows the casual community. When the community have players to learn from, they want to play the game more. The competitive scene does not change anything about the game to make it playable. We are simply playing the vanilla game at a high level and the game should be balanced accordingly. When there’s lack of attention to balance (unplayable hunters/monster builds) the game begins to get dull.
· Community
Teams involved are very important. There essentially is a ladder in place. For example, new players and casual players who watch weekend tournaments love watching a high-level player perform. A game with a competitive scene inspires people to innovate new strategies which, in turn, helps you to balance the game. During tournament play, viewers ask if a certain team or player is playing. The main viewership has a drive to see certain playstyles. If you don’t keep a competitive community, it hurts the player base on all levels. There needs to be an incentive: a reason for high level players to keep playing. We are at a dead end with no where to go.
· Interaction with the community through Twitch
On a daily basis, I will see evolve on twitch.tv with under 100 viewers. Whenever a competitive player starts streaming they gather viewers a lot faster than your casual player. People like to watch people who are good at the game. If you start losing those known names on evolve, your twitch presence will die completely. Streaming DB_Sinclair playing public games just talking with the chat is horribly boring to watch. We want to watch the best in the game, so we can learn how to get better at the game, and we can see those exciting clutch plays. Instead, let someone like Source_TV or Legendary to stream on your official stream. They can give out tips, show the community high level play, and give players something to aspire to become. It should become a weekly event. Top-tier competitive players streaming, discussing, and giving out tips on the official stream would pull a lot more viewers than a laidback Q&A stream.
· Competitive Avenues
You cannot rely on ESL to keep the competitive scene alive. You can not ONLY have ESL for your competition. While having lan tournaments is really awesome, and in some cases needed, it is not the end all. It’d be awesome if the game included a section for competing with other teams. If it kept track of a ladder with seasons for teams to compete inside, you’d be able to have your own environment for competitive play. This would allow you to tweak everything that you’d possibly want to change much easier and faster, on top of having a native competitive statistics list that you’d be able to check at your discretion.
· Community events
The community events for the skins are cool, but do not really accomplish anything. It does not bring in new players. These resources could be used on something that would grow the community.
· Current pace and balance of the game
The current pace of the game is not where it should be. Hunters should not be able to kill a monster in 1 dome. Monsters should not be able to evolve in 1 minute, with almost no counter-play from the hunters. Currently, hunters can hold the dome against a stage 1 monster and decide the game on the stage 2 evolve dome. The monster not ever being able to evolve safely is a problem that is still waiting to be addressed. Playing against something like cabot + hyde, and dying incredibly fast is not fun. Honestly, at the moment it seems balance is not a priority, and it has to be.
· European Tournament
The European tournament should not have been announced. I’m serious when I say that announcing this tournament was one of the worst decisions you could have made. This has only split the already small competitive scene in half. Arguably the top team at the moment, Ninja Penguins, is going to be crippled since their monster player is from North America, and their hunter squad is from Europe. I am not exaggerating when I say this tournament could literally destroy the competitive scene. I know plenty of players that have already decided on quitting because of the announcement. The North American teams have no incentive to play at all. What would be the drive to bring a team together right now? Why would a new team form? You would have honestly been better off not having a tournament, then announcing this European only tournament. It was a horrible decision. Every single person I have talked to, including North Americans and Europeans, would have preferred nearly anything to this. An online only tournament with a prize pool of 10k, for Americans and Europeans and everyone else would have been vastly superior.
· Call for Action
If you have a red button, you need to push it. This isn’t just damage control at this point, it’s a serious issue. This is not just a small “oops” or something that is “on the list”. Balance has to be a top priority. In 1-2 weeks you will not have a PC competitive scene. Something needs to change NOW, within the next few weeks, or it will be too late.
We really love what you guys are doing. This game is amazing and deserves to be far more popular and greater than it already is. I make this post because of how passionate myself and others are about this game. We are scared to see this game die out, we all want to see it succeed.
This article is supported and influenced by the following members of the Evolve community:
Polas
Bronc
Vode
Sabr
Cyril
Aurora Symphony
Tonic
Laran
Shinya
TheElusiveGod
TheThingy
Verci
Savvy?
Nightwane
Roon
Spanners
Araji
Source_Tv
Conjugates
Aeruine
[Epex] Nightmare
[TAW] Karmataurus
Avexon
Generic
Killdrith
Andrew
Rikku
WiBaKi
MaZZeLgg
LIQUIDUTY
Gakillerz
SkyCorsona
Chromo
Unicorn Udderz
Pul$3
[TAW] Hulu+
JawsToe
Destructus
dylanfrye6
Paul
DronePa
Aimy Bot
Dizz
Make Me Quit
Miracle
Woyldman
Moiser
Shan
Aeruine
Hawkishbeast
Drathek
Hippienut
OneTrickPony
@Shaners, @Chloe, @MacManAbstract
Having checked ReactOS's code I managed to fulfill three of my wishes at once. Firstly, I had wanted for a long time to write an article on a common project. It's not interesting to check the source code of projects like Chromium: its quality is too high and a lot of resources are spent to maintain it, which are unavailable to common projects. Secondly, it's a good example to demonstrate the necessity of static analysis in a large project, especially when it is developed by a diverse and distributed team. Thirdly, I've got a confirmation that PVS-Studio is becoming even better and more useful.
PVS-Studio is becoming better and better
I will start with the last point regarding the advantages of PVS-Studio tool. ReactOS indirectly confirms that PVS-Studio is developing in a right direction. Here is the news about checking ReactOS with such heavyweight as Coverity - "Coverity Redux"[1]. Of course, I understand that our tool's capabilities are far more modest than those of Coverity. However, PVS-Studio finds a whole lot of errors where Coverity has found "a few new errors". Besides, you are not forced to send the code anywhere; you can just pick up and check any project. It means we're on the right track.
What is ReactOS?
ReactOS is a contemporary, free and open-source operating system based on Windows XP/2003 architecture. The system was written from scratch and has the purpose of replicating the Windows-NT architecture created by Microsoft on all the layers from hardware to application layer. The size of the source code in C, C++ and Assembler is about 220 Mbytes.
References:
Errors in ReactOS
Now let's speak about the whole lot of errors I have found in ReactOS's code. Of course, I won't describe them all in the article. Here I have laid out a text file with descriptions of errors found during analysis. The file contains diagnostic messages with file names and line numbers. I have also arranged the errors in a form of short code inserts and commented upon them. That's why those of you who would like to edit ReactOS should rely upon that file and not this article.
Or rather download PVS-Studio and check the project yourselves. You see, I'm not familiar with the project, so I copied out only those errors that I've understood. And regarding many fragments, I don't know if they contain errors or not. So my analysis is rather superficial. We will provide you a registration key if you want to check the project.
Errors you may come across in ReactOS are very diverse. It's a zoo of errors, really. There are misprints of one character.
BOOL WINAPI GetMenuItemInfoA(...) {... mii->cch = mii->cch;... }
This is how it should be actually written: "mii->cch = miiW->cch;". The letter 'W' was lost. As a result, applications can't trust the GetMenuItemInfoA function.
Here you are another misprint of one character. This time it's incorrect comparison of two names.
static void _Stl_loc_combine_names(_Locale_impl* L, const char* name1, const char* name2, locale::category c) { if ((c & locale::all) == 0 || strcmp(name1, name1) == 0)... }
Operators && and & are mixed up. It's a very common error. I come across it virtually in every project where bits or file attributes are being handled.
static LRESULT APIENTRY ACEditSubclassProc() {... if ((This->options && ACO_AUTOSUGGEST) && ((HWND)wParam!= This->hwndListBox))... }
This is how the correct code must look: "(This->options & ACO_AUTOSUGGEST)". The sample below contains a similar error which causes the whole condition to be false all the time.
void adns__querysend_tcp(adns_query qu, struct timeval now) {... if (!(errno == EAGAIN || EWOULDBLOCK || errno == EINTR || errno == ENOSPC || errno == ENOBUFS || errno == ENOMEM)) {... }
If you look closely, you may notice an insidious fragment: "|| EWOULDBLOCK ||".
By the way, in ReactOS I have found a lot of conditions which are always true or false. Some of them are not dangerous because, for instance, they are located in the assert() macro. But, in my opinion, there are some conditions which are crucial as well.
INT WSAAPI connect(IN SOCKET s, IN CONST struct sockaddr *name, IN INT namelen) {... /* Check if error code was due to the host not being found */ if ((Status == SOCKET_ERROR) && (ErrorCode == WSAEHOSTUNREACH) && (ErrorCode == WSAENETUNREACH)) {... }
You agree that the implementation of functions like "connect" should be tested as thoroughly as possible, don't you? But here we have a condition which is always false. It's not easy to notice the defect quickly, so let me explain the error:
(ErrorCode == 10065) && (ErrorCode == 10051)
By the way, the part relating to sockets looks very raw. Perhaps it is explained by the fact that it's an accepted practice to define SOCKET as a signed type in the Linux world, while in Windows it's unsigned:
typedef UINT_PTR SOCKET;
As a result, we have various errors in comparison operations:
void adns_finish(adns_state ads) {... if (ads->tcpsocket >= 0) adns_socket_close(ads->tcpsocket);... }
The "ads->tcpsocket >= 0" expression is meaningless since it's always true.
There are simply odd fragments. Most likely, these are incomplete or forgotten code fragments.
if (ERROR_SUCCESS == hres) { Names[count] = HeapAlloc(GetProcessHeap(), 0, strlenW(szValue) + 1); if (Names[count]) strcmpW(Names[count], szValue); }
Why would you call the "strcmpW", if you will not use the result in any way?
There are errors in operations' priorities.
VOID NTAPI AtapiDmaInit(...) {... ULONG treg = 0x54 + (dev < 3)? (dev << 1) : 7;... }
I will add parentheses to show how this expression really works:
ULONG treg = (0x54 + (dev < 3))? (dev << 1) : 7;
The next error can always be found in any large project. There are a couple of these errors in ReactOS too. I mean the extra semicolon - ';'.
BOOLEAN CTEScheduleEvent(PCTE_DELAYED_EVENT Event, PVOID Context) {... if (!Event->Queued); { Event->Queued = TRUE; Event->Context = Context; ExQueueWorkItem(&Event->WorkItem, CriticalWorkQueue); }... }
I am also fond of errors related to the initialization of array items. I don't know why. They are touching. Maybe it's just memories of my first experiments with arrays in Basic.
HPALETTE CardWindow::CreateCardPalette() {... //include button text colours cols[0] = RGB(0, 0, 0); cols[1] = RGB(255, 255, 255); //include the base background colour cols[1] = crBackgnd; //include the standard button colours... cols[3] = CardButton::GetHighlight(crBackgnd); cols[4] = CardButton::GetShadow(crBackgnd);... }
I may continue citing various interesting code fragments. Unfortunately, the article will become too long then so I have to stop. Let me remind you that you can read about the errors found in ReactOS in this file. I will only cite the following piece of code for dessert:
#define SWAP(a,b,c) c = a;\ a = b;\ a = c
An example of how it was used:
BOOL FASTCALL IntEngGradientFillTriangle(...) {... SWAP(v2,v3,t);... }
This is a masterpiece.
Static code analysis
I find ReactOS a very good example of a project where regular static analysis is a mandatory necessity. The reason is not the developers' skill. It's because the project is very large and contains various subsystems. It means that there are always a lot of people working on such a project. And in a large team there are always people whose programming skill is relatively worse or better; some programmers use one style and others use another style. But nobody is safe from errors. Look at the following code.
This is just what one person had written in ReactOS:
if ((res = setsockopt(....) == -1))
The code doesn't work as it was intended. The correct code is the following: if ((res = setsockopt(....)) == -1). If you adhere to practice of always writing a constant in the beginning, you will never make a wrong assignment inside the "if" operator. We have a different sort of error here. But if you follow the rule above when writing the code, then you won't make a mistake in the expression at hand as well: "if (-1 == res = setsockopt(....))".
But even if you follow that practice, you can easily make a mistake in an alternative way.
static DWORD CALLBACK RegistrationProc(LPVOID Parameter) {... if (0 == LoadStringW(hDllInstance, IDS_UNKNOWN_ERROR, UnknownError, sizeof(UnknownError) / sizeof(UnknownError[0] - 20)))... }
The 0 constant is written nicely here. But the closing parenthesis is in a wrong place. It's a simple misprint.
What for do I cite all these examples? To show you that no one of us programmers is ideal. Neither coding standards, nor programming technologies, nor self-discipline guarantee that you won't make mistakes in source code.
In large projects you just cannot do without auxiliary technologies like dynamic and static analysis. I want to emphasize the following idea:
I believe that static code analysis should be a mandatory component of the development cycle in the case of ReactOS and other large projects.
Let me explain my statement. In such systems, you cannot get close to 100% code coverage when testing the code with unit-tests or regression tests. Well, to be more precise, you can, of course, but costs of creating and maintaining such tests will become unacceptably high.
The reason is that the number of system's possible states and execution paths of code branches is too large |
home and wreak havoc. Even Iranians are divided over the regime’s support for the militias. According to a survey released on July 28 by the Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland and IranPoll, 39% of Iranians would be open to curtailing the regime’s backing for Hezbollah and the Assad regime in exchange for reducing US sanctions, with 58% opposed. Within Iran there are the beginnings of an unprecedented public criticism of the program. On April 22 of this year, an Iranian student in the northwest city of Tabriz made waves when he spoke out against Iran’s support for armed groups around the region. “Your theory is a theory of horror and terror, and exporting arms and war,” he said, addressing Hassan Abbasi, who heads the IRGC’s think tank, according to a video of the event. “Your theory is supporting the dictatorial and murderous Bashar al-Assad.” A week later, Tehran’s former mayor Gholamhossein Karbaschi, speaking at a public forum, questioned Iran’s dispatching of fighters across the region. “We want peace in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, and such countries, support the oppressed and back up the Shiite,” he said. “But can this be accomplished just by giving money, buying weapons, killing, and beating?”
Alex Potter for BuzzFeed News Women bring fruit and vegetables as a donation to Shiite militiamen near Tal Afar, Iraq, on January 23, 2017.
The gunfire started early in the morning, and continued until sunset. Then the mortars and rockets struck the hills south of Damascus where Freidawi and his fellow fighters had been deployed in early 2014 to stave off an advance by Syrian rebels fighting against Assad. The fighting was terrifying and relentless — an experience for which all the training in the world couldn’t have prepared him.
“We were assigned to a territory and told not to let the enemy enter,” Freidawi said. “It was a street battle. The first five days were the worst. It went on like this for 20 days. We lost so many men. So many were injured.” There was one saving grace. After being forced to abstain from tobacco and cell phones for those weeks in Iran, at least he could chain-smoke cigarettes and make calls to his family again. The mostly older fighters were impressed with Friedawi’s pluck. They gave him a nickname: “shibd al-assad,” or lion cub. Three weeks into the battle, a cry of joy went up. Lebanese Hezbollah fighters had arrived as reinforcements to begin a counteroffensive. The mood lifted as they began to fight back against the rebels. February snows started to melt as the tide of the war shifted with the help of Iranian-trained fighters from Syria’s neighbors. In Syria, as well as in Iraq and Yemen, the Iranian-trained fighters have proved invaluable assets backing Tehran’s allies. Syria has served as a finishing school for the recruits — a place where they refine their battle skills in combat situations, perhaps the most extreme and complicated war in a generation. “In Syria, there was not a single day I was not shot at by a sniper,” said one Iraqi fighter deployed repeatedly to the eastern suburbs of Damascus between weeks-long training courses in Iran. “In Iraq, we liberate 50 kilometers in one day. In Syria it takes 15 days to move 50 meters.” In the summer of 2015, Kadhem — Freidawi’s friend — was deployed to southern Aleppo. He flew from Iran’s Ahwaz Airport to Damascus and then went by bus to help try to break the siege of Fuaa and Kefraya, two Shiite towns surrounded by Sunni rebel fighters. He was assigned to a checkpoint. Just secure the ground were his orders.
“We gave 40 martyrs. But the Iranians were alongside us. They were leading us. They needed us to back them up.”
It turned into a summer of hell. The fighting was ferocious, the rebels armed with Coronet rockets and Katyusha missiles. “It was not like in Iraq,” he said, where he battled ISIS and its precursors. During one battle, they were lured from their position into a valley, and quickly ambushed. Badly outmanned and outgunned, they scampered into tunnels, where they were hunted down and shot dead. “We gave 40 martyrs,” he recalled. “But the Iranians were alongside us. They were leading us. They needed us to back them up.” While an occasional Hezbollah or Asaheb ahl al-Haq fighter might be cynical about the militia business, most are grateful to have a meaningful job. In their own communities, they are heroes, who risk their lives daily to protect their people. “There is an ideological commitment,” said Connell, of the Center for Naval Analyses. “It’s not purely self-interest that gets people to join. They do believe in what they’re doing.” During two lengthy talks, Freidawi spoke repeatedly about Salaam Abu Taiba, a famed Asaheb ahl al-Haq commander who recruited, trained with him in Iran, and fought alongside him in Iraq and Syria him before getting killed in battle against ISIS last year. Freidawi now wears his late mentor’s bulletproof vest. “In the early days we didn’t even receive salaries,” he said. “We fought for our beliefs, for the Shiite.” In January, when he and his friend Kadhem met with BuzzFeed, he was preparing to return to Iran, this time for two 45-day training missions. He said he was looking forward to it, even though he knew he’d be banned from smoking his beloved shisha and from using cell phones for another long stretch. “I feel like Iran is our mother,” he said. ●History Lesson – Part II is a song from the 1984 album Double Nickels on the Dime by the American rock band Minutemen. The song, written by Mike Watt, is about the relationship of singer D. Boon and Mike Watt as they played music together.[1]
The song is subtitled "Part II" as an earlier Minutemen composition titled "History Lesson" was included on their 1981 release, The Punch Line.[2]
Lyrics [ edit ]
The song was penned by Watt[1] and, as such, makes specific reference to Boon in the third person ("me and D. Boon, we played for years").[2] However, when the song was recorded, Boon performed lead vocals[1] and changed the third person references to Watt ("me and Mike Watt, we played for years").[2] The lyrics, as printed on the cover of Double Nickels on the Dime, contain the original references to Boon despite the difference in the actual recording.
The song features the iconic first line "Our band could be your life," was used as the title of the book Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1981–1991 by Michael Azerrad.[3]
The first stanza of the song also includes the line "Punk rock changed our lives." The band Sublime sampled this line for their song "Waiting for My Ruca" on their debut album 40oz. to Freedom.[4]
Additional references are made to E. Bloom of Blue Öyster Cult, Richard Hell of the Voidoids, Joe Strummer of The Clash, and John Doe of X, as well as to Bob Dylan.
References [ edit ]Lobbyists Are Back on the Prowl
The White House killed the notion of the “border adjustment” tax by excluding it from its plan, a victory for retailers, oil companies and other importers who have railed against the idea of taxing imports. But with the Trump administration preparing to ax all individual deductions except for mortgage interest and charities, not everyone is happy. The National Association of Realtors has already expressed its displeasure with the doubling of the standard deduction, arguing that it waters down the tax benefits of owning a home. Other trade groups and special interests will find other parts of the tax plan to attack or support.
Helping the Rich, but the Rest?
As a candidate, Mr. Trump suggested that rich people like him should actually pay more taxes. But nothing in his tax outline suggested that would be the case. The repeal of the estate tax and the alternative minimum tax and the extraordinarily low business tax rates suggest that the rich will do quite well under Mr. Trump’s plan. What is more, Mr. Trump’s advisers could not offer any insights into how middle-income Americans would fare under his plan. On Thursday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was asked on ABC’s “Good Morning America” whether the middle class wouldn’t be paying more taxes. “I can’t make any guarantees,” he said.
And Then the President’s Taxes
Since Mr. Trump insists on breaking tradition and keeping his tax returns private, they become a potent issue. From what is known about Mr. Trump’s wealth and the bits of his tax information that have been made public, he would have quite a lot to gain from his proposal. The repeal of the estate tax and the alternative minimum tax would be a boon for Mr. Trump, as would a lower corporate tax rate and a territorial system that would let foreign profits go untaxed. As each detail of his plan becomes clearer, critics of Mr. Trump will muddy the policy debates by using his taxes as a rallying cry of opposition.I voted this morning in Washington, D.C. at a local protestant church, with a huge cross with the words “Jesus Saves” imprinted on it and quotes from the Bible posted everywhere.
What’s bothersome isn’t so much that Church and State are teaming up, though some have made that case (this year, the debate has been particularly fierce in Iowa, where one local church encouraged members of the congregation to vote after the service). My bigger concern is that the religious imagery and messaging might affect voter behavior, and determine the outcome of elections.
It’s not far-fetched. Recent research at Cornell suggests that something as seemingly insignificant as having a hand sanitizing dispenser in the room makes people express more conservative views; people also expressed more conservative views when researchers made the room smell bad. It sounds weird, but these are well-documented effects.
These subtle cues also play a role in the voting booth. A 2006 study [PDF] from Stanford University found that voters in Arizona were more likely to cast ballots in support of a state sales tax funding education if they voted in a school. In experiments, the researchers further found that voters were more likely to oppose stem-cell research if primed with religious images. These effects appear even if you control for demographics and political affiliation.
There is a simple explanation for these voting patterns: Voting behavior — like human behavior more generally — is often not rational, and is affected by our social environment in ways we don’t even realize. Part of the problem is that, especially when faced with a dauntingly long ballot like Californians are this year, voters save time and effort by relying on social cues and their ingrained assumptions about how the world works.
For instance, voters tend to assume reflexively that female candidates are less conservative than male ones, and also make assumptions about candidates based on race and occupation (if someone’s bio says they’re a small-business owner, that means they’re more conservative, right?). It’s part of an area of social psychology called “heuristics and biases,” and it looks at the ways in which our brains take shortcuts to reduce the cognitive load.
What it reveals about us is unsettling: Could the outcome of something as crucial as the 2000 presidential election, which came down to a handful of votes in Florida, have been determined by the number of people voting underneath some huge painting of the crucifixion?
Maybe — which is why I think we should all vote at home, online, and far away from a garbage can.Matt, The Office Mortar
July 16, 2009
Ah-ha! I have another ghost-blog entry, sent in by a tortured enterprise-peon who wishes to remain anonymous. (Personally, I like to imagine the voice of David Attenborough when reading this one.)
Matt, The Office Mortar
Like its military namesake, the mortar found in offices has one primary purpose - the lobbing of grenades.
The Office Mortar often uses domain or technical knowledge, anecdotes or rule-lawyering to inflict heavy casualties. In an open, pluralist office where everyone is encouraged to speak up about problems it is difficult to deal with a mortar directly, but many people see them for what they are, constantly throwing out problematic issues that either need to be defused or blow up in somebody's face.
Often used by insurgents keen to derail a project, a mortar placed in a strategic position such as testing, architecture or business analysis, can keep a team pinned down for weeks or months, and cause horrific loss of morale and productivity.
Although the mortar likes to deliver its lethal payload by lobbing grenades indiscriminately into groups (in office parlance this is called a "meeting") mortars in the 21st century have devised a new means of spreading fear and error - grenades delivered by email!
Now, Let's watch as this mortar unleashes a deadly barrage of nebulous issues, process meta-questions and second guessing.
Organizer: We're here to finalize any remaining details of the user stories in the development cycle that's now underway... Matt the Mortar: Half these need to go. X isn't fully specified, and there's no point doing Y without it. And why isn't Z in scope? Organizer: Sorry Matt, we agreed on the list of stories last week. You were in that meeting, and as a group we all agreed on this list. Matt the Mortar: The whole process is broken! What's the point of saying we're agile if we're unwilling to change. Organizer: We value your opinions Matt, but perhaps this meeting isn't the best forum to... Matt the Mortar: There should be a full review of the process by which the list of stories is defined for the cycle, and I'd like the outcomes of any meetings where scope is discussed to be mailed to the whole team. Organizer: Now Matt, we held a retrospective meeting just last Thursday, and all of these points would've been excellent things to raise on that occasion... Matt the Mortar: Furthermore, let me say that I for one don't have any faith in these so called 'business reps' and whether or not they actually represent the business itself. You need to raise that back to the project sponsors. Organizer: The what? Look, getting back on track, we need to ensure the first user story is... Matt the Mortar: That story is completely broken -- it will never work with the FizzBuzz system they have in production. Organizer: Hold on, integration with the FizzBuzz system is strictly out of scope for this project. Matt the Mortar: No, I've been talking to other business reps and they're very keen to see a lot of improvements to FizzBuzz as soon possible including cloud based...
And we leave our meeting there, irretrievably drowning in a deep vat of confusion. Matt will of-course have forgotten all of these bomb shells when the next retrospective is held. He will instead insist that the retrospective is a waste of time that stops them from implementing many important features that he alone understands.
It is at moments such at this that managers around the world choose to bring in a highly successful counter measure: The Office Sharp-Shooter. But more on that topic next week.
;-)
My book "Choose Your First Product" is available now.
It gives you 4 easy steps to find and validate a humble product idea.
Learn more.The U.S. Air Force plans to add 1,264 new airmen in the cyber realm over the next few years as part of a broader service-wide strategy to improve cyber defense efforts, service leaders said Tuesday.
The cyber community is one of the few that is growing as the rest of the service prepares for significant cuts to its end strength in connection to the budget cuts associated with sequestration.
Lt. Gen. Robert Otto, deputy chief of staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), said the cyber domain continues to present mounting challenges in dealing with the hordes of data collected by government. The National Security Agency has received quite a bit of scrutiny for the manner it has probed international and domestic data.
“This is a big data problem on steroids. If you look at the amount of data that is transmitted every day, it is going to take a tremendous amount of investment,” Otto said at the 2013 Air Force Association Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition, National Harbor, Md.
Lt. Gen. Michael Basla, the chief information officer, mentioned that the pressures of the current fiscal environment are adding some stress and uncertainty to the services’ cyber programs.
“It is a delicate balance between efficiency and effectiveness. We will strive to bring greater capability to our warfighters with cost in mind,” Basla said. “The demand for full-spectrum cyber capability across the department has increased significantly.”
Otto also said Air Force cyber strategy should focus on improving integration with ISR.
“This is an exciting time for cyber military planning. We will see a lot of progress over the next few years,” Otto said.
Service leaders also talked about improving cyber capabilities by addressing vulnerabilities and “technical gaps.”
“Identifying technical gaps includes the ability to identify key cyber terrain and pair it to vulnerability,” said Maj. Gen. Brett Williams, director of operations, US Cyber Command.
Gen. William Shelton, Commander, Air Force Space Command also told reporters the service was spending time examining cyber vulnerabilities.
“We’re doing reviews of vulnerabilities of every network. We’re trying to build in information assurance from the outset,” Shelton said.
Shelton talked about an Air Force approach which is both looking to identify and “plug” holes in current networks while simultaneously building new systems for the future.
“We want to ensure that Air Force IT capabilities are designed to support Air Force missions and effectively integrate with the joint community,” Basla said.
He also mentioned a cyber-weapons course at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., designed to train Air Force personnel for cyber operations and made reference to a broader service-wide cyber strategy. Training the next-generation of capable cyber professionals will be necessary to address the growing threat.
“As a nation, we need to encourage our kids and grandkids to get into STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics). These are the skill sets doing the high end stuff,” he said.HOUSTON -- A 23-year-old man has been charged with capital murder in the shooting deaths of his girlfriend and her baby daughter in their Houston home on Friday.
Authorities said Monday that they believed the suspect, Jonathan Figueroa, is heading toward the Mexican border in a maroon Ford Taurus with Texas license plates CTS3225.
Homicide detectives said that before Veronica Mercado died, Figueroa made statements to a friend that caused the friend concern for Mercado's welfare. When police went to her home to check on her, they found the front door forced open, CBS affiliate KHOU reports.
Mercado, 26, and her daughter, Linette Cano, had been shot multiple times and died at the scene. Mercado was found still holding the child, who would have turned 2 Nov. 21, the station reported. The home's front door had been forced open. Mercado's two older children were at school at the time.
A co-worker said Mercado was having problems with Figueroa and was afraid of him.
"There is a history of family violence going on here," said Houston Police Department Sgt. Mark Holbrook, according to the station.
Figueroa is not the child's father.Editor's Preface The present volume on anattaa concludes the treatment of The Three Basic Facts of Existence (or The Three Characteristics) within The Wheel series. Though the Buddha's teaching on not-self has been treated quite often in these publications it was felt that some more material from sources not easily accessible to the general reader should be offered here. From different angles, these essays and translations will throw light on that central teaching of Buddhism, anattaa. As the earlier books on anicca and dukkha, this volume, too, concludes with a concise and systematic treatment of the subject by the late venerable Ñanamoli Thera, which is a valuable guide to the source material as well as to a deeper study of this profound doctrine. The diverse renderings chosen by the individual authors for the key term anattaa or nairaatmya (Skt.) have been retained. Hence it should be understood by the reader that egolessness, soullessness, impersonality and not-self all stand for the Pali term anattaa (Sanskrit: anaatma or nairaatmya). — Nyanaponika Thera
Egolessness (Anattaa) by Nyanatiloka Mahathera More and more the noble teaching of the Buddha seems to be on the way to conquer the world. More than ever before, the Buddhists are working for its propagation in nearly all the countries of the earth. Especially in India, the birth place of Buddhism, whence it disappeared for nearly a thousand years, Buddhism has again made its entrance and gained a firm footing, and with rapid strides it is ever gaining more and more ground. One therefore should rather think it a good omen that India, having regained its independence, has adopted as its emblem the Buddhist Four-Lion symbol of Emperor Asoka, and that, at the proclamation of the Indian Republic, behind the presidential throne, crowned with this Buddhist emblem, there appeared the Buddha's statue. Also all over Europe and America a mighty Buddhist wave is set in motion, which no longer can be kept back and suppressed and which, sooner or later, will flood the world with its beneficial influence. The world is no longer satisfied with dogmas based on blind belief. Everywhere in the world there is found today a striving for freedom and independence, externally and internally; and ever more the thinking man feels that the destinies of beings are not dependent on the omnipotence and infinite goodness of an imaginary creator, but that they rest entirely on the beings themselves. It is in Buddhism that one may find the true answers to many of the problems that are troubling men, and which they wish to get solved. Everybody knows that Buddhism is not a revealed religion and not based on blind belief, but that it is a doctrine to be realized by man's own understanding, a doctrine that makes man free and independent in his thinking, and assures him of happiness and peace. But of one thing I wish to warn all those who are working for the propagation of Buddhism, namely: not to allow themselves to be influenced or carried away by seemingly identical theosophical, Christian, or what is still worse, materialistic teachings. For all these are, in essence and substance, very often diametrically opposed to the Buddha's doctrines and prevent a real understanding and realization of the profound law discovered and proclaimed by the Buddha. The most crucial point for most men seems to be the Buddha's fundamental teaching of phenomenality, egolessness and impersonality of existence, in Pali anattaa. It is the middle way between two extremes, namely on the one hand the spiritualistic belief in an eternal ego-entity, or soul, outlasting death; on the other hand the materialistic belief in a temporary ego-entity becoming annihilated at death. Therefore it is said: There are three teachers in the world. The first teacher teaches the existence of an eternal ego-entity outlasting death: that is the Eternalist, as for example the Christian. The second teacher teaches a temporary ego-entity which becomes annihilated at death: that is the annihilationist, or materialist. The third teacher teaches neither an eternal, nor a temporary ego-entity: this is the Buddha. The Buddha teaches that, what we call ego, self, soul, personality etc., are merely conventional terms not referring to any real independent entity. And he teaches that there is only to be found this psychophysical process of existence changing from moment to moment. Without understanding the egolessness of existence, it is not possible to gain a real understanding of the Buddha-word; and it is not possible without it to realize that goal of emancipation and deliverance of mind proclaimed by the Buddha. This doctrine of egolessness of existence forms the essence of the Buddha's doctrine of emancipation. Thus with this doctrine of egolessness, or anattaa, stands or falls the entire Buddhist structure. Indeed, for anyone who wishes to engage in the study of the Buddhist scriptures, the best thing would be, from the very start, to get himself acquainted with the two methods, in which the Buddha taught the Dhamma to the world. The first method is the teaching in conventional language; the second method is the teaching in philosophically correct language. The first one relates to conventional truth, the second, to truth in the ultimate sense. Thus, whenever the Buddha uses such terms as I, person, living being, etc., this is to be understood as conventional speech, hence not correct in the highest sense. It is just as speaking of the rising and setting of the sun, though we know thoroughly well that this does not correspond to reality. Thus the Buddha teaches that, in the ultimate sense, amongst all these psychophysical phenomena of existence there cannot be found any eternal or even temporary ego-entity, and hence that all existence of whatever kind is something impersonal, or anattaa. In this connection I would like to emphasize the fact that this fundamental doctrine of egolessness and emptiness is not, as some misinformed Western Buddhists assert, only taught in the southern school of Buddhism, but that even in the so-called the Mahayana schools it forms a most essential part. Without this teaching of anattaa, or egolessness, there is no Buddhism; and without having realized the truth of egolessness no real progress is possible on the path to deliverance. The Buddha is, in every respect, a teacher at the golden mean, ethically as well as philosophically. From the ethical standpoint, for example, the Buddha rejects two extremes: the way of sensual pleasures and the way of self-torture. From the philosophical standpoint he rejects eternity, as well as temporariness of an ego entity. Just so he rejects belief in an absolute identity and an absolute otherness of the various stages of the process of existence. He rejects the determinism, as well as the belief in chance. He rejects the belief in absolute existence and absolute non-existence; likewise in freedom of will, as well as in unfreedom of will. All these things will become clear to one who understands the egolessness and conditioned nature of all phenomena of existence. On the understanding of these two truths depends the understanding of the entire doctrine of the Buddha. Hence the understanding and final penetration of the egolessness and conditionedness of all phenomena of existence are the necessary foundation to the realization of the noble eightfold path leading to deliverance from all vanity and misery, namely: right understanding, right thought, right speech, right bodily action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration of mind. Only this golden middle path, based on these two kinds of right understanding, namely of "egolessness and conditionedness," can alleviate and destroy these vain illusions of "self" and craving, which are the root-causes of all war and bloodshed in the world. But without these two kinds of understanding there is no realization of the holy and peaceful goal pointed out by the Buddha. There are however, to be found various would-be Buddhists in the West who are attached to an imaginary Great Self, and who uphold that the Buddha did in no way reject the view of an "eternal Atman," or soul, behind and independent of the phenomena of existence, and who believe that the Mahayana texts teach such a doctrine. Such assertions, however, do not in the least prove correct, for neither do the Pali texts, nor the early Mahayana texts proclaim an eternal self. Any reader, who is unbiased in mind and free from prejudices, can never from a study of the Buddhist scriptures come to the conclusion that the Buddha ever taught any such ego-entity within or outside the corporeal, mental and spiritual phenomena of existence. Nowhere in the world can there be found such an entity, as was clearly pointed out by the Buddha. Regarding the questions whether the Holy One will continue after death, or not continue etc., the Buddha says that all such questions are wrongly put. And why? Because what is called the "Holy One" is here only a conventional term and refers to no real entity while in reality there is only to be found a process of corporeal, mental, and spiritual phenomena. In another text, therefore the Buddhist asks a monk, whether he considered corporeality as the Holy One, or the feelings, or the perceptions, or the mental formations, or consciousness. Or whether he believed the Holy One to exist within these five groups of phenomena or outside thereof. Or whether all these phenomena heaped together were the Holy One. And denying all these questions, the Buddha further said that, even during lifetime, the Holy One could not be discovered in reality, and that therefore it would be wrong to ask whether the Holy One will continue or not continue after death, etc. Thus, no entities are existing in the world, but only ever-changing processes. The Buddha further says: Only because man does not understand corporeality, feeling and the other mental and spiritual phenomena being impermanent, unsatisfactory and impersonal (aniccaa, dukkha, and anattaa), and does not understand their conditioned origin, their extinction, and the path leading to their extinction, therefore he will think that the Holy One does continue, or does not continue after death etc. This, therefore, is the reason why the Buddha did not answer such questions. According to Buddhism, the whole of existence is comprised in the five groups of phenomena mentioned above, or still more briefly expressed in the three groups: corporeality, consciousness, and the mental factors. And within these three groups are comprised the only and ultimate things given, though also these again are mere fleeting and evanescent phenomena, flashing up for a moment, in order to disappear immediately thereafter forever. Thus whenever in the Buddhist scriptures mention is made of I, self, living being, etc., even of the Buddha, these expressions accordingly are used merely as conventional terms, without referring to any real entities. Therefore the Buddha has said: "It is impossible, it cannot be that a man with real understanding should ever consider anything as a real entity." He who does not understand the egolessness of existence, and who still attached to ego-illusion, such a one cannot comprehend and understand the four Noble Truths of the Buddha in the true light. These four truths are: the truth of the impermanency, unsatisfactoriness and impersonality of existence; the truth that repeated rebirth and misery are rooted in self-illusion and craving for existence; the truth that through the extinction of all self-illusion vanity, and craving, deliverance from all rebirth will be attained; the truth that the eightfold path, based on right understanding, is the path leading to this goal. He who has not penetrated the ego-illusion and is still attached to self-vanity will believe that it is he himself that suffers, will believe that is he himself that performs the good and evil deeds leading to his rebirth, that it is he himself that will enter Nirvana, that is he himself that will bring the eightfold path to perfection. Whoso, however, has fully penetrated the egolessness of existence, knows that, in the highest sense, there is no individual that suffers, that commits the kammic deeds, that enters Nirvana, and that brings the Eightfold Path to perfection. In the Visuddhi Magga it is therefore said: Mere suffering exists, no sufferer is found. The deeds are, but no doer of the deeds is there, Nirvana is, but not the man that enters it. The path is, but no traveller on it is seen. Therefore, wherever the doctrine of the egolessness of all existence is rejected, there the Buddha's word is rejected. But wherever, through penetration of the egolessness of all existence, the ego-vanity has reached ultimate extinction, there the goal of the Buddha's teaching has been realized, namely: freedom from all vanity of I and Mine, and the highest peace of Nibbaana.
Self by G.N. Lewis If something is yours you have power over it; you can make it into whatever you wish. It will change according to your plans. But have you power over your self? Can you make your body larger or smaller or let it be this or that as you desire? If it is not governed by your power but by its own laws and processes then it is not yours. If it were the body would not be involved in sickness for you would be able to make it be whatever you wished. Admittedly one has control over the body to an extent but not as much as one has over this house or any other possession. Why? Your body was once very much more delicate and smaller than it is now. Now it is bigger and stronger. It will get weaker and degenerate later on. This body which you call yours — has it developed and deteriorated according to your will? Or perhaps the question of ownership does not arise — the body being subject to the same laws of nature as everything else, i.e., birth, decay, and death. If this is so, should one be concerned or unconcerned regarding the body? If neglected, the natural processes of destruction act quickly, disease and death soon resulting. Therefore food, exercise, and clothing must be used to maintain it and to stop the natural processes being accelerated. Do people feed and dress the body for maintenance only, and, if not, why? Take a person who dresses only to keep his body protected from the elements. What's wrong with this? Should he be criticized and, if he is, for what? Because others don't dress similarly doesn't mean he's doing something wrong. Someone may say he looks ugly and unsightly but how did we learn what ugliness was in the first place? Is the person criticizing him or his clothes? Well, "him" is not the body; the person criticizing him is not taking offense at the body but just at the clothes. This is where opinion together with vanity creep in and facts become concealed. Leaving the body let us turn to another aspect of self — feeling. Say a man tries to grasp something which continually slips through his fingers. Can he say that thing is his? He tries to keep it but he can never clutch it solidly and he would never dream of calling that thing his own. But say he has a fountain pen. That really seems to be his own. It is always with him and it keeps its shape and doesn't change very much. How about feelings — happiness, indifference, and pain? Are not these like the first example? How can we ever say feelings are our own? If they were, happiness would be ours for the rest of our life and not an illusive thing which comes and goes against our wishes. Body is born, it decays and dies. Likewise we find on investigation that exactly the same is true for feelings. The body does not come from nothing. It starts off by the fusing of two cells from mother and father. By way of nourishment it grows and develops. Then it dies. Feeling is born of sense-impingement; e.g., eye and material shape lead to sense impingement, which leads to visual consciousness which leads to feeling — pleasant, indifferent or painful according to whether or not what has been seen is liked or disliked as a result of past experience. Thus we see how feeling is born. But this feeling changes. If a painful feeling arises we are not content but crave to get away from it. Alternatively if we have perceived something that gives a pleasing feeling we long to keep this feeling and try to possess whatever has caused it to arise. Why don't feelings last? Because the very things from which they arise do not last. Therefore if we do not grasp after feelings we never suffer. Feelings are continually born and continually die but the body takes a long time to do so. If we cannot call body our own, how much less so is this true of feelings? Let us now examine a third aspect of ourselves — perception. What do we perceive and is it we who actually perceive? Perception is the recognition of sense-impingements. How is it born? I hear a loud noise and recognize that a door has been slammed. What is the basis of this recognition? Firstly, without the ear no sound would be heard; therefore the ear is a necessary basis. The sound impinges on the ear, this being sensory impingement. From this perception arises, but like feelings it does not last and soon dies away, another rising in its place. Do I enter into this perception? Do I perceive the door slamming? No. We have definitely seen that perception arose of its own accord, with oneself not being involved at all. Well, if body, feeling and perception are not "me," what is? Before this can be answered there is yet another aspect of ourselves and this is volitional action. Here surely we shall find our true self. I say to a friend "I am going to do that" and I keep to what I've said. Here it appears a deliberate choice has been made between doing two specific things: either I will or I won't. How does the will or act of choosing arise, or is it there all the time? Does it only come into force when we have to make a choice? On investigation we find that this is so; for example: I'm going to ride my bicycle tonight. This is a deliberate choice. I could have gone to the cinema or for a walk. Why did I choose riding? Does volition come into this at all? What other volitional tendencies are there? I have killed a man. Surely volition was there. But if I ask myself why I wanted to kill him, several interesting things come to light. For argument's sake let us say he murdered my wife. I was very attached to her. He took something away from me which I wanted. Missing the pleasurable feelings which were continually aroused by my wife's company, a painful feeling took its place when I lost her and I craved to get the former feeling back. The only satisfaction for me was to get rid of the object (the man) which caused the painful feeling to arise and therefore I killed him. So we see from this example that the volitional drive (the desire to kill) had a basis for arising and we see also that after arising it passed away on completion of its primary object (the death of a man). Volition therefore is a conditioned force directed specifically toward something, e.g., I can arouse myself to apply my mind to something. But, as just proved, volition is a conditioned phenomenon. Can I therefore be equated with volition? If so, I only exist when volition is present; when it passes away I die also. But we say we are present all the time — therefore I cannot be equated with volition. In conclusion we can state that if I say, "I'm going to do this or that," what this really means is that this or that is going to be done, not by me but through cause and necessity. Well, we still have not found ourselves; |
you describe your writing process as it pertains to the Warframe comics?
It started with days and weeks of research, we then wrote up an extended outline after receiving the initial one from Steve. Next was the first issue in a full script format and bounced that over to them for notes and feedback. I think there was just the second draft once we had their notes and then we sent it to the art team to get going. It was all smooth!
What are some of the differences between writing a story of your own creation, versus writing for a shared universe like Warframe?
It’s both easier and harder. It’s easier because there’s so much backstory and character development that we have a lot we can choose from to set our story. It’s harder because we have to make sure we stay within the bounds of their continuity and write something that the existing fans will appreciate, but people reading the comic as a first exposure to Warframe will think it’s cool enough to go download and play the game. Writing an original story with new characters is easier because I get to write pretty much whatever I want, with only the sales of the comic determining whether it worked or not. There are a lot of other factors involved in developing stories from established universes like this. I’ve done it before with Tomb Raider, Soul Reaver, Tales of Honor, Adr1ft, City of Heroes and Battlestar Galactica, so I’ve got a lot of experience working with other established universes and video game properties.
What have you found to be the most enjoyable part of the process so far?
Playing the game! I love to game and being able to play a video game and call that work is pretty f*cking cool.Late-night host Trevor Noah on Tuesday mocked White House chief of staff John Kelly John Francis KellyMORE for his comments that a "lack of ability to compromise" led to the Civil War.
“The lack of an ability to compromise didn’t lead to the Civil War. Slavery led to the Civil War," Noah said on "The Daily Show."
"There’s a reason the movie isn’t called '12 Years a Lack of Compromise.' ”
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Kelly made the comments during an interview earlier this week on Fox News.
“There are certain things in history that were good, and other things that were not so good,” Kelly said.
“The lack of an ability to compromise led to the Civil War, and men and women of good faith on both sides made their stand where their conscience had them make their stand."
Kelly also said Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee was an "honorable man."
“He was a man that gave up his country to fight for his state, which 150 years ago was more important than country,” Kelly said during the interview. “Now, it’s different.” During his show, Noah joked that Kelly is right.
“There are a lot of despicable things in history that were accepted at that time that we don’t accept today," Noah said.
"We can’t change that. Like Crocs. It happened. But not all things in history are equally excusable — like slavery."
At the time, half of America was against slavery, Noah said.
"We know this because they fought a war," he said.
“You know who else knew that slavery was wrong? All the slaves. Nobody was out there picking cotton thinking, ‘Hey, man, I wonder if in 200 years we’ll realize that this was some shit we actually hated.’ "
The White House on Tuesday defended Kelly's comments. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said many historians would agree with Kelly.
"I do know that many historians, including Shelby Foote in Ken Burns' famous Civil War documentary, agreed that a failure to compromise was a cause of the Civil War," she said.
"There are a lot of historians that think that and there are a lot of different versions of those compromises. I’m not going to get up here and relitigate the Civil War, but there’s certainly, I think, some historical documentation that many people... believe that if some of the individuals engaged had been willing to come to some compromises on different things then it may not have occurred."70 percent of Youth Defence's Twitter followers come from the U.S. and until recently their donation form was in dollars instead of euros. Nevertheless, the group is Irish and has quite a pedigree in Irish campaigning. Prominent spokespeople and supporters have included ultra-nationalist anti-immigration campaigners as well as anti-IVF, anti-divorce, anti-stem cell research, anti-gay rights and anti-contraception campaigners. They run national road shows, conferences, nationwide billboard campaigns and schools programmes, which they claim will make each new generation of young people "harder to fool than the abortion industry would have expected."
In 1992 Youth Defence's immediate goal was to campaign to ensure that the case of a 14-year-old suicidal rape victim who was not allowed to have an abortion abroad, which brought thousands onto the street in protest, would not lead to any liberalisation of abortion legislation. In 2006 they organised around the "Ms. D" case in which a 17-year-old had to fight a high court battle to be allowed to leave the state to have an abortion abroad. The girl had discovered that her baby was missing a substantial portion of its brain and skull and would be unable to survive outside the womb. Again Youth Defence opposed any legislation that would allow for abortion.
Now, all of this may leave you with the impression that the Irish people are as staunchly anti-abortion as their government. Certainly much of the international coverage in recent weeks following the death of a Savita Halappanavar, a woman who died in an Irish hospital having been refused an abortion, suggested as much. Cut-away shots on one Al Jazeera report gave the impression of Irish cities populated by spooky statues of the Virgin Mary.
The harshness of the Irish state on this issue is actually something of an anachronism in a country whose citizens are abandoning religion more rapidly than almost any other in the world. The Irish people have long been more liberal on abortion than their government. The fact that Youth Defence has been able to impose their will more effectively than the Irish people or the European Court of Human Rights for so long is testament to the power of their enormously well-funded campaigns.
Because of such groups, Ireland is still a place where smear campaigns against government ministers who express even the most limited pro-choice sentiments are commonplace. Much heat was generated on Twitter recently, in a controversy dubbed #listgate, when a pro-life pundit threatened to publish the names of journalists who had expressed pro-choice sentiments on social media following the death of Halappanavaar, thus bringing their objectivity as reporters into question. Youth Defence recently distributed literature to 1.4 million homes and used advertising space in 25 newspapers to attack particular politicians for their role in "opening the door to abortion on demand".LawFlash NYDFS Releases Final Rules for Licensing Virtual Currency Businesses in New York June 09, 2015
After multiple proposals and significant industry comment, the NYDFS has released a final “BitLicense” framework that establishes a comprehensive licensing and regulatory regime for New York businesses engaged in activities related to Bitcoin and other virtual currencies.
In a speech on June 3, Superintendent Benjamin Lawsky of the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) announced its release of the final rules for businesses that engage in activities related to Bitcoin and other virtual currencies in New York (the Final Rules or the Rules).[1] The Rules will apply to both persons located in New York that engage in activities related to virtual currency and persons located outside New York that engage in activities related to virtual currency with persons located in New York. The Final Rules define a “person” as an individual, partnership, corporation, association, joint stock association, trust, or other entity, however organized. Although the Final Rules have been issued by the NYDFS, their effective date has not been announced.
This “BitLicense” framework is the first comprehensive licensing framework in the United States specifically designed to regulate virtual currency firms and has been closely followed by industry participants. In adopting the Final Rules, the NYDFS declined to place virtual currency firms under the existing money transmitter rules. Instead, it opted for a more stringent and substantive scheme specifically tailored to virtual currencies and more closely resembling the licensing and regulatory regime for banks.[2] The NYDFS originally proposed virtual currency rules in July 2014[3] and subsequently issued significantly revised rules in February 2015[4] after receiving comments from thousands of market participants and other interested parties. The Final Rules feature only one substantive change from the February 2015 proposed rules—a clarification of the circumstances under which virtual currency firms will need to receive prior approval from the NYDFS for certain material business changes.
The BitLicense Framework
Under the Final Rules, any person that engages in “Virtual Currency Business Activity” (a licensee) must obtain a license from the NYDFS prior to engaging in such activity. “Virtual Currency Business Activity” is defined broadly in the Final Rules to include any person that (1) transmits or receives virtual currency for transmission for financial purposes; (2) stores, holds, or custodies virtual currency for others; (3) buys and sells virtual currency as a customer business; (4) converts fiat currency into virtual currency or vice versa as a customer business; or (5) controls, administers, or issues a virtual currency.
In addition to a nonrefundable $5,000 fee, a license application must include, among other things, (1) information about the licensee and its affiliates, including business descriptions, a projected customer base, and specific marketing targets; (2) detailed biographical information, an independent investigatory agency background report, and a set of completed fingerprints for each principal of the licensee; (3) a current financial statement for the licensee and each principal; (4) details of the licensee’s banking arrangements and insurance policies; (5) a copy of written policies and procedures related to the Final Rules; and (6) an explanation of the methodology used to calculate the applicable virtual currency’s value in fiat currency. The Final Rules establish a 90-day application review period, subject to extensions at the discretion of the superintendent. The Rules also establish a 45-day transition period from their effective date for potential licensees to submit their applications. During this transition period, when an application is submitted, a licensee is deemed to be in compliance with the BitLicense requirements unless and until the licensee is notified that its application has been denied.
The Final Rules provide two exemptions from the BitLicense requirements. The first exemption is for persons that are chartered under the New York Banking Law and receive approval from the NYDFS to engage in Virtual Currency Business Activity. The second exemption is for merchants and consumers that use virtual currency solely to purchase or sell goods and services or for investment purposes. Superintendent Lawsky reiterated that the NYDFS does not intend to regulate software developers that do not have custody of consumer funds—rather, the Rules’ primary target includes financial intermediaries (and specifically nonbank institutions).[5] Importantly, Superintendent Lawsky reiterated in his speech that licensees that want both a BitLicense and a traditional money-transmitter license will not have to go through the full application process twice.
The Final Rules also create a two-year “Conditional License” that may be issued to applicants that do not satisfy all of the Final Rules’ regulatory requirements upon licensing. Superintendent Lawsky has indicated that this was aimed to provide flexibility for start-ups that are required to obtain a license.[6] The NYDFS has sole discretion in granting, renewing, imposing conditions on, suspending, or revoking a conditional license. Among the relevant factors that the NYDFS will consider in determining whether to grant a Conditional License are the volume of a firm’s anticipated business, the nature and scope of the risks that the business presents to consumers and financial markets, and whether the applicant is licensed or registered by any governmental or self-regulatory authority to engage in financial services or other business activities. The Conditional License application process and the specific rules and procedures that will apply are currently unknown. It is also unclear whether firms with existing regulatory oversight (e.g., those regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission [SEC] or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission [CFTC]) will be able to obtain a Conditional License instead of submitting a comprehensive application.[7]
Requirements for Licensees
In addition to granting the NYDFS examination authority of licensees, the Final Rules put in place a number of substantive requirements with which licensees must comply. First, each licensee must have a compliance program that ensures compliance with the Final Rules as well as with applicable federal and state laws and regulations. The compliance program must be reviewed and approved by the licensee’s board of directors and overseen by a designated compliance officer. The Rules impose capital and custody requirements on licensees (which may be held in virtual currency); the amount of capital required is left to the superintendent’s discretion based on a list of outlined factors. Additionally, the Final Rules require (1) books and records similar to those in place for most financial firms; (2) licensees to deliver quarterly financial reports to the superintendent; (3) superintendent approval for certain changes in control of the licensee (but not, unlike the proposed rules, approval of new rounds of venture capital funding, as long as investors remain passive); and (4) advertising, marketing, and consumer protection measures, including enumerated disclosures to customers of material risks and the delivery of confirmation receipts to customers after each transaction.
The Final Rules address one of the significant concerns related to virtual currencies by imposing strict anti–money laundering (AML) and cybersecurity requirements for licensees. In his June 3 speech, Superintendent Lawsky noted that there was significant overlap between the Rules dealing with AML issues and existing Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) regulations. As a result, FinCEN registrants that already file Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) in compliance with FinCEN regulations will not need to duplicate their work by filing SARs with the NYDFS. This clarification addressed one of the concerns that market participants expressed with virtual currency regarding duplicative and potentially burdensome reporting requirements.
Finally, in the only substantive revision made to the proposed rules, the NYDFS narrowed the circumstances under which a licensee must obtain prior written approval from the NYDFS for certain corporate events. In response to industry comments, the Rules clarify that prior NYDFS approval is only required for material changes to a licensee’s products or business models. Superintendent Lawsky stated that material changes in this context do not include software or application updates.[8]
Observations
The Final Rules create a new and comprehensive regulatory regime for persons that engage in virtual currency businesses far beyond what is currently required under federal or New York State law for money transmitters. The operational requirements regarding personnel, reporting, and capital may present a significant barrier to entry for persons that wish to engage in virtual currency activities in New York. The limited exemptions to licensing are also likely to present issues, particularly because the exemptions are much narrower than those that currently apply to entities that engage in money transmission or money services business. For example, FinCEN regulations specifically exempt from the definition of “money services business” “a person registered with, and functionally regulated or examined by, the SEC or the CFTC, or a foreign financial agency that engages in financial activities that, if conducted in the United States, would require the foreign financial agency to be registered with the SEC or CFTC.”[9] The Final Rules do not include a similar exemption for federally regulated entities, notwithstanding commentators’ requests during the comment process to include one or more such exemptions.
Although the Final Rules provide a template for regulating virtual currency intermediaries, other states are taking different and generally less intrusive approaches to regulating virtual currency firms. For example, a bill pending in the California State Assembly would require virtual currency businesses to obtain a license more similar to a money transmitter license. Lawmakers in Pennsylvania and North Carolina have proposed amendments to their respective money transfer business laws that would bring transmitters of virtual currencies within the existing money transfer business regulatory scheme. Finally, the Connecticut legislature has passed a bill that, if signed into law, would give the Connecticut Department of Banking new power to oversee portions of the virtual currency industry in Connecticut. At this time, it is not clear whether other states will follow the New York regulatory model.
Superintendent Lawsky’s impending departure and the considerable amount of discretion granted to the superintendent in the Final Rules may create some uncertainty about the practical effects that the Rules will have on the conditional and definitive licensing requirements and time lines.
Contacts
If you have any questions or would like more information on the issues discussed in this LawFlash, please contact any of the following Morgan Lewis lawyers:
Washington, DC
Charles M. Horn
Melissa R. H. Hall
Chicago
Michael M. Philipp
Sarah V. Riddell(Adds proposal is formally posted on FCC website)
WASHINGTON, Nov 22 (Reuters) - One of the two Democrats on the Federal Communications Commission, Mignon Clyburn, on Wednesday threw her support behind 2015 net neutrality rules, arguing that a proposal by the FCC chairman to scrap them would hurt consumers, her office said on Wednesday.
“The commissioner continues to believe that the 2015 rules adopted by the FCC are the best way to protect consumers and small businesses while promoting innovation,” said a fact sheet prepared by Clyburn’s office.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, a Republican appointed by President Donald Trump in January, said the agency will vote next month on a plan to rescind net neutrality rules that treated internet service providers like public utilities. Defenders of the Obama-era rules said they barred broadband providers from blocking or slowing access to content or charging consumers more for certain content.
The 210-page formal proposal, titled Proposal to Restore Internet Freedom, was posted on the FCC website on Wednesday.
Clyburn joins fellow Democrat Jessica Rosenworcel in opposing Pai’s plans to scrap the landmark rules, moving to give broadband service providers sweeping power over what content consumers can access.
With three Republican and two Democratic commissioners, the FCC is all but certain to approve the repeal. Republican President Donald Trump expressed his opposition to net neutrality in 2014 before the regulations were even implemented, calling it a “power grab” by then-President Barack Obama, a Democrat.
Clyburn said in the fact sheet that Pai’s proposal “eliminates all prohibitions against blocking and throttling (slowing down) applications by broadband providers, and enables them to engage in paid prioritization and unreasonable discrimination at the point of interconnection.
“It ignores thousands of consumer complaints and millions of individual comments that ask the FCC to save net neutrality and uphold the principles that all traffic should be created equal,” the statement added. (Reporting by Chris Sanders and Diane Bartz; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)The European Conservatives and Reformists group in the European Parliament has been struck another blow following the resignation of Michal Kaminski as leader.
The Conservative’s seemingly ill-fated European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group in the European Parliament has been struck another blow following the resignation of Polish MEP Michal Kaminski as leader. As Left Foot Forward reported in November when Kaminski left the Polish Law and Justice party (Pis), Kaminski only became group leader when Edward McMillan Scott, then a Tory MEP, stood against and defeated Kaminski to become a Vice-President of the Parliament.
Kaminski, who had been defended by the Tory leadership despite comments about “faggots”, and allegedly disputing the slaughtering of Jews in the Second World War, brought with him Marek Migalski MEP and Adam Bielan MEP, a vice-chairman of the ECR who in November resigned from the PiS.
Indeed, he stated that he was resigning from the PiS because he:
“… cannot accept that my party is being taken over by the far right.”
This poses several problems for the Tories. With 27 of the group’s 54 MEPs, they should have the natural claim to the group’s leadership, but because of McMillan-Scott’s actions had to settle for the chair of the Internal Market and Consumer Protection committee. Moreover, if the 15 strong Pis delegation splits (as looks likely) and it cannot unite behind a single candidate then there is a serious risk that its members will go to other groups.
If so, they would be only marginally bigger than the communist group of MEPs and much smaller than the Greens. This, in turn, might persuade other MEPs to consider defecting. Were that to happen, the ECR, which currently has MEPs from just eight Member States when Parliament’s Rules of Procedure state a minimum of seven, would collapse.
Although the Guardian are touting the little-known Ryszard Legutko MEP as a possible candidate to replace Kaminski, the most pragmatic choice would be to replace him with veteran Tory MEP Tim Kirkhope, who was originally expected to lead the ECR until his former colleague, and fellow Yorkshire and the Humber Tory McMillan-Scott had other ideas. An MEP in his third term, and a three-time leader of the Tory delegation, he is as skilled and experienced a politician as the ECR have got.
In July 2009, Kirkhope stood aside to allow Kaminski to have the ECR leadership in a bid to save the group from collapse, with the Polish PiS delegation furious at Kaminski’s humiliation by McMillan-Scott. But now if the ECR has any sense they will hand over the reins to Kirkhope, perhaps in exchange for Malcolm Harbour’s position as the only ECR committee chairperson.
With the ECR likely to shrink in numbers, it will almost certainly lose Harbour’s position as chair of the Internal Market committee and have to accept one of the most minor committees. In this scenario the only sensible approach is to appoint Kirkhope as interim leader, wait to see if the Poles can sort themselves out, and then offer them a committee chair position.
However, watching the ECR lurch from disaster to disaster brings a popular phrase involving “piss-ups” and “breweries”. We shouldn’t expect Kaminski’s resignation to be last farce for a group of MEPs famously described by Nick Clegg as a collection of “nutters, antisemites and homophobes”.
URGENT APPEAL: We need to raise £10,000 in the next few weeks to keep holding the right to account. Help us build a better media and back the crowdfunder to keep Left Foot Forward's progressive journalism alive.A Brooklyn Center man was arrested after police say he fell asleep while inside a vehicle he was attempting to steal from a used car dealership.
Spring Lake Park Police responded to Carmotive, a dealership on Hwy. 65 NE, on a report of damage to a vehicle around 10:30 a.m. on March 25. While attempting to show customers a 2013 red Subaru in the lot, an employee found a man sleeping in the passenger seat, according to the criminal complaint.
Carmotive’s manager told police there was significant damage to the steering column and console area during the apparent car-theft attempt. The damage is estimated at more than $5,000.
Dean Alan Bergren, 43, was arrested at the scene, where police say they found 22.5 grams of marijuana in plastic baggies sticking out of his pockets. After being taken to the Anoka County Jail, police also found eight pills of Clonazepam, a drug for seizures and anxiety, according to the complaint.
Bergren was charged with first-degree criminal damage to property, a fifth-degree controlled substance crime and possession of marijuana — two felonies and a misdemeanor.
Over the past 25 years, Bergren has been convicted more than a dozen times for domestic assault, terroristic threats and disorderly conduct. He was previously convicted of motor vehicle theft in 1990.
Liz SawyerA vote of no-confidence on the ousting of PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk’s government has failed to secure enough votes in the Ukrainian parliament. The result comes despite President Petro Poroshenko’s call for the PM to step down and protests against the current cabinet head.
Only 194 MPs supported to the motion, out of the required 226 on Tuesday, although the lawmakers had previously denounced the cabinet’s work saying it had been unsatisfactory.
“To restore confidence in government the president urged the General Prosecutor and PM to resign,” said Svyatoslav Tsegolko on his Twitter account.
Для відновлення довіри до влади президент закликав генпрокурора і прем'єра пітиhttps://t.co/U4Zt1aKUcM — Svyatoslav Tsegolko (@STsegolko) February 16, 2016
The cabinet will continue its work. However, Yulia Timoshenko’s party announced that it will withdraw its representative, the minister of youth and sports, Igor Zhdanov.
The work of the cabinet will again be assessed in September.
Earlier on Tuesday, Poroshenko met with Shokin and suggested that he resign, according to the presidential website.
"The same parameters should be applied to the government also... society has clearly decided that there have been more mistakes than achievements, and denied ministers its trust,” the president said.
According to a report in the Ukrainska Pravda newspaper which cited an unnamed source, Shokin has tendered his resignation.
Yatsenyuk said he would accept any decision made by the Rada.
Meanwhile, hundreds protesters gathered in front of the Ukrainian parliament to call for the prime minister’s resignation.
Protesters shouted slogans including “Sack Yatsenyuk” while holding placards with anti-government messages and hitting metal barrels.
The demonstrators also made a stuffed dummy of Yatsenyuk’s face, rabbit ears and a sign reading "Senya" (short for Arseniy).
Сейчас в Киеве, ничего нового, листаем дальше) pic.twitter.com/EUHRNn2aK2 — Ольга (@levitovo) February 16, 2016
Many of the demonstrators were carrying flags of the far-right Svoboda party and the nationalist Ukrainian National Assembly – Ukrainian People’s Self-Defense (UNA-UNSO) as seen in the photos and videos from the scene.
Protesters call for PM Yatsenyuk's resignation outside Rada https://t.co/6Lwk49mF8Ahttps://t.co/08IY2SW2NM — Ruptly (@Ruptly) February 16, 2016
One of the popular slogans at the protest was “Yatsenyuk to the scaffold,” according to the local Federal News Agency. It also reported that the protesters brought animal cages with rabbits to the demo and put up signs saying “Put rabbits in a cage, not in the cabinet.”
The PM has been nicknamed “Rabbit,” with people comparing him to an animated character from the Soviet cartoon ‘Winnie the Pooh.’
Why anger at Yatsenyuk?
During the Tuesday session, nearly all 27 Rada committees agreed that the work of Yatsenyuk’s cabinet was unsatisfactory.
“The loss of jobs and Ukrainian exports… My question is what the government thought when it wasn’t fulfilling the coalition agreement? Why are you engaged in collecting loans from the IMF, but not actual improvement of the economy?” asked the head of the industrial policy and business committee, Viktor Galasyuk, as quoted by TASS.
Read more
The head of the committee on ecology, Nikolay Tomenko, described the situation as “catastrophic.” He also urged the government to stop blaming the conflict in south-eastern Ukraine for the country’s problems.
Ukrainian lawmakers have managed to collect the 150 signatures needed to put the issue of the PM’s resignation on the agenda of the Rada, according to the press service of the Samopomoshch (Self-assistance) faction.
Mustafa Nayem, a lawmaker with Poroshenko’s faction, said there are 159 such signatures.
In August, Ukraine agreed a restructuring deal with a creditor committee led by Franklin Templeton (a holding company which owns about $7 billion worth of Ukrainian bonds), providing a 20 percent write-down on about $18 billion worth of Eurobonds.
Russia refused to participate in the debt restructuring, claiming its bond purchase was a state loan not a commercial one. In January, Ukraine officially defaulted on a $3 billion debt to Russia.After years of frustration with The Beer Store, pub owner Mark Serre plans to dump the big brews and join the growing trend to fill his taps with Ontario craft beers.
Serre, owner of the Morrissey House at Dundas and Waterloo streets, carries some Labatt brands along with a selection of craft beers and imports.
He doesn’t have any quarrel with Labatt, but the 25-year veteran of the bar business said he’s fed up dealing with The Beer Store, the only source for major beer brands.
“The only thing they offer is service, and if they can’t get that right, they have nothing to offer,” Serre said.
Jeff Newton, a Beer Store spokesperson, said the company will respond to any complaints about service.
Serre posted his plan to go to craft beers on his blog and received about 1,000 mainly positive responses.
But if he goes ahead with the switch, Serre wouldn’t be the pioneer in London.
That would be Milos Kral. who opened Milos Craft Beer Emporium on Talbot St. two years ago. The King Edward Pub in Ilderton also carries only local craft beer and a few imports.
Serre and Kral said many consumers don’t realize The Beer Store is not government-owned like the LCBO but a private distribution system owned by Labatt, Molson and Sleeman breweries that are in turn owned by huge multinationals.
Kral said it’s an “outrage” The Beer Store has a tight grip on the market. He said the popularity of craft beer will continue to grow.
“The market is ready for it and people are fed up with bland liquids these guys are peddling.”
Serre said he’s also trying to get behind the growing popularity of local craft breweries, including London-based Forked River Brewing Company.
He said in most cases, craft beers are cheaper for him to buy than the major brands.
Serre said he has frequent problems with Beer Store orders and billing. He recently paid $330 for a large keg of beer but found it had a damaged seal and couldn’t be tapped. He only received a $251 refund because of the Beer Store policy on returns.
Bar and restaurant owners have to charge full price for beer and aren’t eligible for any sale prices posted at Beer Store retail outlets, Serre said.
He said he will need to persuade customers hooked on the big brands to try craft brew alternatives — such as offering Flying Monkeys Antigravity Light Ale instead of Bud Light.
But Serre said he will stock some bottles of major beer brands for customers who can’t be persuaded to try craft beer.
If he decides to go ahead with the switch, it will happen around July 1, the fifth anniversary of the Morrissey House.
Newton said prices charged to pubs and restaurants are set by the breweries and not by The Beer Store. He said licencees receive free delivery with a minimum order of $750 and free pickup of empties.
But Serre said the brewers’ control of The Beer Store gives them a virtual monopoly and prompts indifference to clients.
“Nothing ever changes, because they don’t have to,” Serre said.
hank.daniszewski@sunmedia.ca
twitter.com/HankatLFPress
– – –
ONTARIO CRAFT BEERSYour browser does not support HTML5 video tag.Click here to view original GIF
Sesame Street’s parodies have always been delightful, but the show’s riff on Stranger Things is honestly some next-level awesomeness.
It’s damn near impossible to describe all of the ways the parody absolutely nails the original—those wigs, those teeth, those slightly differently-colored Ghostbusters costumes, but Sesame Street’s send-up of Winona Ryder’s performance as Joyce Byers is transcendent. Like all of Sesame Street’s parodies, Sharing Things is fundamentally about teaching kids how to be good people. But the sketch also goes the extra mile by being stuffed full of clever winks and nods that are just obvious enough to make for the kind of jokes that land perfectly, regardless of whether you’ve actually seen the show.
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Also, poor Barb.The UESPWiki – Your source for The Elder Scrolls since 1995
Under the ten roleplaying character types listed below, you can view the different types of user-created roleplaying ideas. Anyone is free to view these pages, add information to them, or list your own ideas. To list your own ideas, you must have an account. After having an account, you can begin posting your ideas in the categories below or add additional information to existing pages.
Do NOT make changes to this page without my permission! But feel free to add to it's categories! --PsijicOrder
Guidelines
This guide is user made and no where near as specific as the Oblivion Roleplaying Guide. Think of it as the beta version of the Skyrim Roleplaying Guide where users can go ahead and start contributing until the official page is made! Here are some things to think about when making creating your own Roleplaying types:
Keep it appropriate and refrain from posting nonsense.
Make sure your post has a proper heading.
If there is already an idea similar, add onto it instead of creating a new post to save those patrolling some grief.
Use images if wanted, making sure they are not copyrighted.
Please keep the spelling and grammar mistakes to a minimum. Your idea must be readable to other users. If you want, you can add a notice to your Roleplaying Ideas page stating that other users are allowed to fix spelling mistakes in your ideas.
Use "show preview", and avoid too many single edits to one page. If possible, make all your changes in just one edit.
Make sure to put your Character type in it's appropriate category.
Make sure to credit yourself and be as in depth as possible.
Example [ edit ]
To edit an existing character type, simply select edit next to it's title. To make a brand new character type, click edit at the top of the page and scroll down to the bottom and begin with the format provided. This is how. your format should be when creating a new Character Type. To make your title simply put two = signs on each side of it.
Idea Name
Description->
Idea by {Insert Signature}. Decription by {Insert Signature}
Increased Realism [ edit ]
Here's a guide with many ideas to help you increase the realism of Skyrim!
Character Type Roleplaying [ edit ]
You can create and develop your character to emulate any person you like, including heroes from stories and movies. There are several basic ways you can customize your character to resemble your rolemodel. Think of a backstory for your character.Are his mother and father dead or alive? Is he against stealing? Is he a warrior, a mage or a thief? Take things slow
Give your character an appropriate name. ( dont make your name Jay-Z, or Max. Make it realistic to your race)
Choose an appropriate race and gender. (if you're a fisher, dont be a high elf, be an argonian.)
Customize your characters appearance to match your rolemodel.
Only use skills appropriate to your roleplay.
Equip your character with appropriate clothing, armor, and weapons. Enchant items to rename them. (if you're a fisher, have some clothes, not armor)
Decide which NPC's are your friends and which are your enemies. Only do quests for your friends.
Join Factions that are appropriate to your roleplay. (if you character is a sneaky type, be in the dark brotherhood, or thieves guild.)
Specific Character Ideas [ edit ]
Here, You may begin posting any Roleplaying ideas you have for Skyrim! Here's a list of things to consider before making your character type.
Races
Physical Description
Likes/Dislikes
Personality
Spells
Skills
Perks
Equipment
Marriage
Religious Views
Home
Favorite Foods
Lower/Middle/High Class
Weekly Routine
Suggested Quests
Background Information
Jobs
User:PsijicOrder/Skyrim_Roleplaying_Ideas/Jobs: Earning a honest living.
Religion
User:PsijicOrder/Skyrim_Roleplaying_Ideas/Religion: Choose what god guides you.
Warrior
User:PsijicOrder/Skyrim_Roleplaying_Ideas/Warrior: Use your combat skill to conquer your enemies.
Assassin
User:PsijicOrder/Skyrim_Roleplaying_Ideas/Assassin: Make a living by killing people.
Mage
User:PsijicOrder/Skyrim_Roleplaying_Ideas/Mage: Use magic and science to achieve your goals.
Criminal
User:PsijicOrder/Skyrim_Roleplaying_Ideas/Criminal: Live by your own rules.
Guard
User:PsijicOrder/Skyrim_Roleplaying_Ideas/Guard: Serve out justice or oppress the people.
Wilderness Dweller
User:PsijicOrder/Skyrim_Roleplaying_Ideas/Wilderness Dweller: Live off the vast lands of Skyrim.
Lifestyles
User:PsijicOrder/Skyrim_Roleplaying_Ideas/Lifestyles: Decide the lifestyle you want to lead.
Collector
User:PsijicOrder/Skyrim_Roleplaying_Ideas/Collector: Collect various items and show them off.
CharactersAs a young girl Lynch heard stories that her grandfather, a pastor, hid people in trouble and helped them flee to the north to escape punishments under the Jim Crow laws of the time.
If confirmed, it looks as if Barack Obama's nominee for Attorney General, Loretta Lynch, will be carrying out Eric Holder's politics of racial vengeance. Based on her family history, social justice statements and close ties to black activists, Lynch will deploy law enforcement resources based on race and political ideology, not on the rule of law.
I realized the power the law had over your life and how important it was that the people who wield that power look at each situation with a sense of fairness and evenhandedness.
Lynch's father, Reverend Lorenzo Lynch, a Baptist minister, opened his church in the early 1960's to students organizing lunch counter sit-ins at Woolworth in Greensboro, N.C. where she grew up. According to Lynch, her father carried her to those meetings, “riding on his shoulders.”
After graduating from Harvard Law, Lynch worked on Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign. CORRECTION: The Loretta Lynch who worked on the Clinton campaign is a different person.
From 1994 to 1998, Lynch was a partner in Connecticut-based Ujamaa Investment Group. According to David Horowitz's Discover the Networks site, “Ujamaa” is a Swahili term signifying a commitment to the practice of “shared wealth” and a repudiation of economic inequality."
In her first stint as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York in 2000, Lynch made a name for herself in the highly publicized civil rights case against a white New York police officer charged with brutally assaulting a Haitian immigrant.
After leaving that post in 2001 Lynch worked for a New York law firm until 2010, when Obama appointed her to the same position she held under Clinton.
In 201 |
the online video-sharing website Dailymotion.
Renault shares were up 0.08 percent to 85.33 in early morning trading.
cjc/el (AFP, Reuters, dpa)In the struggle to find a diplomatic solution to Syria’s turmoil, Kofi Annan, the special envoy to Syria for the United Nations and the Arab League, said he would convene a ministerial-level meeting on Saturday in Geneva involving what he has called countries of influence in the conflict. Mr. Annan’s peace plan has been paralyzed since he announced it more than two months ago,
Participants in the meeting would include the five permanent members of the Security Council — China, France, Russia, Britain and the United States — and emissaries from the European Union, the Arab League and Turkey. But the list of invitees conspicuously omitted Iran, Syria’s most important regional ally, which Mr. Annan had wanted to include. The United States and its allies objected strongly to Iran’s participation, contending that Iran aids the Syrian leader’s harsh repression of the 16-month-old uprising against him.
The conflicting accounts of who assaulted the television station, Al Ikhbaria, a satellite broadcaster, reflected the difficulties that outsiders face in determining the true course of events in the Syrian conflict, from which independent reporters and most international relief and monitoring officials are effectively barred.
Those difficulties were illustrated Wednesday in findings by a panel from the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, which is investigating rights violations in Syria but has been blocked from conducting the inquiry inside Syria and has relied heavily on testimony from refugees and defectors. The panel said that it was unable to determine conclusively who was responsible for the May 25 massacre of 108 civilians in Houla, a string of villages in western Syria, but that it “considers that forces loyal to the government may have been responsible for many of the deaths.”
While the investigators accused government forces of committing violations on “an alarming scale” in recent months, they also found that both sides had carried out summary executions. And they said the conflict had escalated significantly despite Mr. Annan’s peace entreaties.
Photo
“The situation on the ground has dramatically changed in the last three months as the hostilities by antigovernment armed groups each day take on more clearly the contours of an insurrection,” the investigators said. “As a result of the estimated flow of new weapons and ammunitions, both to the government forces and to the antigovernment armed groups, the situation risks becoming more aggravated in the coming months.”
The attack on Al Ikhbaria began before dawn, when assailants “planted explosive devices in the headquarters of Al Ikhbaria following their ransacking and destroying of the satellite channel studios, including the newsroom studio,” which was destroyed, the official Syrian news agency, SANA, reported.
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The news agency referred to the assailants as terrorists, the usual official description of Mr. Assad’s armed opponents.
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Al Ikhbaria, which means Syrian Satellite News, is privately owned but strongly supportive of the government. It is in the town of Drousha, about 14 miles south of Damascus.
Col. Malik Kurdi, a spokesman in Turkey for a rebel commander, Riad al-Assad of the Free Syrian Army, said the attack was carried out by a group of Republican Guard members who had decided to defect and had attacked other loyalist guards at the station. There was no way to independently verify the claim from Colonel Kurdi, who was interviewed by telephone from a refugee camp in southern Turkey.
The contradictory versions of events flowed partly from the information war between Mr. Assad’s government and its adversaries.
Anti-Assad activists have proved adept at offering their narrative of the uprising through video clips showing the fighting between government and opposition forces and the bloody aftermath. In recent months, Syrian state media outlets have sought to use similar imagery — sometimes identical — to bolster accusations against the rebels.
On its Web site, SANA showed photographs of what it said were wrecked studios at Al Ikhbaria and quoted Mr. Zoubi, the Syrian information minister, as saying the attackers had perpetrated “the worst massacre against journalism and the freedom of media when they executed the Syria media figures in cold blood.” Mr. Zoubi said the attackers had tied their victims’ hands behind their backs before killing them.
In its report to the Human Rights Council on Wednesday, the United Nations panel said violations “are occurring across the country on an alarming scale during military operations against locations believed to be hosting defectors and/or those perceived as affiliated with antigovernment armed groups.”
Paulo Pinheiro, the Brazilian chairman of the panel, said, “Gross human rights violations are occurring regularly in the context of increasingly militarized fighting.”
Syria’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Faysal Khabbaz Hamoui, said the panel had “fallen into the trap of prejudice” and threatened to withdraw Syria’s cooperation from United Nations human rights bodies. He then walked out of the council chamber.
The panel warned that killings were increasingly driven by sectarian motives. “Where previously victims were targeted on the basis of their being pro- or antigovernment,” it said, the investigators had “recorded a growing number of incidents where victims appear to have been targeted because of their religious affiliation.”Researchers conducting a new study have shown that levels of a class of chemicals that are used for industrial purposes have been found in the supplies of drinking water that 6 million US citizens have access to.
These chemicals, perfluoroalkyl substances and polyfluoroalkyl, have been linked to cancer and various other health issues. Researchers from the John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard and from the T.H. Chan School of Public Health at Harvard led the research team.
Chemicals having unknown toxicities like perfluoroalkyl substances could be used and then released out into the water and now severe consequences have to be faced according to Xindi Hu, the lead author of the study. Hu is a doctoral student at Harvard Chan School’s Department of Environmental Health and at Harvard’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. He went on to say that more people may have been exposed than the amount the study mentions because there is a lack of information regarding the levels for 100 million Us residents representing about 1/3 of the study.
Perfluoroalkyl substances also known as PFASs have been in use for 60 years in commercial and industrial products such as pots, clothing and food wrappers. A link to hormone disruption, obesity, high cholesterol and cancer has been found and even though many manufacturers have stopped using some PFASs they still persist in wildlife and people. People drinking water can be exposed to these substances.
The concentrations of 6 kinds of PFASs were examined by researchers in supplies of drinking water. The information came from more than 36,000 samples of water that the US Environmental Protection Agency collected from across the country in 2013 up to 2015. Industrial sites that were known to use PFASs were also looked at including airports where foam to fight fires is used, training sites for military fires as well as at treatment plants for wastewater. Standard treatments used at these wastewater plants can’t remove the PFASs from the water. The discharge that is coming from these plants can contaminate groundwater as can the sludge generated by the plants that is used as fertilizer.
According to the study, 194 of the 4,864 water supplies showed detected PFASs at the EPA’s minimal levels of reporting. These water supplies were located in 33 states across America. Seventy-five percent of the detections made were from 13 different states including Illinois, Massachusetts, Arizona, Minnesota, Georgia, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, Alabama, North Carolina, New Jersey and California.
There were 66 water supplies that were examined and these serve approximately 6 million people. All of them have at least one sample measuring higher than 70 parts/trillion, which is the safety limit set by the EPA for 2 kinds of PFASs. Concentrations of perfluorooctanoic acid reached a high level of 349 parts/trillion in Warminster, PA while concentrations of perfluorooctanesulfonic acid went as high as 1800 parts/trillion in Newark, DE. Treatment plants for wastewater, watersheds close to industrial sites and military bases showed the highest PFASs levels.
According to Harvard Chan School and John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences associate professor and the study’s lead author, Elsie Sunderland, the EPA’s provisional guidelines should be lowered based on recent studies. These compounds have proven to be strong immunotoxicants in children.
The report was published the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters.About
FROM EVERY CORNER OF THE GLOBE, THIS IS THE ART FORM WHICH UNITES THE ENTIRE HUMAN RACE.
Admit it. At some point in your life, you've drawn a dick on something. A text book, a magazine, your drunk friend's face, maybe in the snow. It is the one thing that EVERYONE has done. Whether you're Australian, French, American, British, Indian, Muslim, Jewish, ISIS, whatever -- it's the art form that unites us all as one. But until now, it's never had a platform.
In September of 2012, two ordinary Australians, Dylan Merritt and Jeremy Bassett, started a Facebook page which would give a voice to dick drawers all over Australia. DRAWING DICKS ON THE HERALD SUN.
The success started a phenomenon, soon spreading dicks all around the World and spawning a number of copycat pages. The joy of drawing dicks on politicians, celebrities and sports stars made artists of ordinary people who had never thought artistically before and made professional artists indulge in their immature side. And the fact that it was a newspaper owned by 'billionaire tyrant' Rupert Murdoch just made it a little sweeter. Within a short amount of time, the page would swell to well over 350,000 likes.
But it wouldn't be long before controversy brew. Despite having so many loyal followers that truly loved them, the page and its administrators would be under constant attack, weathering extreme criticism, occasional death threats, multiple seven day bans and account lockouts. Apparently, Facebook's 'community standards policy' is cool with posting beheading videos but cartoon penises drawn on a newspaper? You must be sick in the head.
Our initial teaser trailer featuring Sir Jonathan Edward Guthmann (the most popular of all the dick artists on the page) has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times and has been written about and shared by Buzzfeed, Vice Magazine and DickHouse Productions (the producers of Jackass) among countless other websites. Right now, we're about 60% finished. The story is still unfolding to us but our end date will be reached. If we're successful in raising the funds, the money will be used to pay for some remaining production costs, a gallery exhibition to be held in March 2015 and post production - always a costly exercise. Until this point, the film has been primarily funded by the selling of my comic book collection on eBay. Heartbreaking I know, but the story of drawing dicks has far greater importance over the Marvel Universe.
This is the feature-length documentary behind the greatest movement in art seen in decades. This is the story of how it took the world by storm with its unique sensibility, universal themes and easy access for experienced artists and casual amateurs alike. How the page started, where it's going now, the people behind it and the artists who contribute their dick masterpieces. The many controversies, the many triumphs; this is DRAWING DICKS ON THE HERALD SUN: THE DOCUMENTARY. Or maybe DICUMENTARY. Hmmm. What do you think?
Whether it's for yourself, your Mother or Father or a Christmas present for that special someone in your life -- join the dick army today!Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The light was captured on CCTV by the BBC in Cardiff
People have reported seeing a bright light, thought to be a meteor, in the sky in parts of England and Wales.
Sightings of the celestial body were reported on Twitter in areas such as Cornwall, Hampshire, Lancashire, south Wales and Worcestershire.
Suzy Buttress, of Basingstoke, described witnessing the bright light as a "once in a lifetime thing".
One scientist said it could have been a "random small piece of rock, probably from the asteroid belt".
'Ball with tail'
Ms Buttress, who was driving home on the M3 when she saw the light, told the BBC: "It was amazing, so big, bigger than a shooting star. It had a strange greenish tinge to it, with a definite tail behind it.
"This was definitely a ball with a tail. It took its time going across the sky. It went behind a cloud, then came out the other end.
"At first I hoped it wasn't an aircraft crashing. It's a once in a lifetime thing."
Richard Escott, a security supervisor for the BBC in Cardiff, explained what he saw.
"I was standing outside having a bit of fresh air and as I turned round I saw this very bright blue light which was dimming," he said.
"It was coming very steadily, progressing across the night sky, but it was at sort of building level and then died out to nothing. I saw it for about five, 10 seconds."
'Random fireball'
Professor Alan Fitzsimmons, an astronomer at Queen's University Belfast Astrophysics Research Centre, said the light was probably a "random fireball".
Though meteors from Halley's Comet can be seen at this time of year, he said it did not come from the comet.
He said: "When we see meteors coming from Halley's Comet, they come from a particular point in the sky - only above the horizon. Therefore we only see them in the very early hours of the morning, in the hours before dawn.
"It was probably a random fireball - a small piece of rock from an asteroid belt."The book was the kind to beckon me to buy it, but then leave on my bookshelf. It wasn’t collecting dust or there as a testament to my reading appetites, but simply because it was more topic then I could handle at the time. So for five years, this little paperback waited patiently to reveal the mystery of its message to me.
It wouldn’t have made sense to me any earlier. Turns out the concept behind “The God Code” by Gregg Braden (who also wrote “The Isaiah Effect”), requires rudimentary understanding of Hebrew, gematria and the periodic table of elements to really take your breath away. The latter I knew from high school, but the acquisition of basic Hebrew was new.
It took Braden, a former aerospace engineer and rare blend of scientist and visionary, 13 years to discover the connection between the ancient, living language of Hebrew and the human genetic code. To quote from the book’s jacket, “Beyond any reasonable doubt, we each share the ancient name of God in our bodies in the most intimate way imaginable.” Such a statement deserves serious contemplation.
I think Braden’s message is timely, because it’s about our uncertain future. The world we live in now is the most dangerous in recorded human history. The last 100 years have been most deadly, the environment is arguably the most vulnerable, the disparity of wealth the most obvious and the ability to execute widespread annihilation the most frightening.
As a species, we do a fine job of manifesting what Jungian philosophy describes as our shadow selves. How we’ve managed to explode our populations despite the inherent dangers, invent technologies to take us to the moon and back, accumulate vast scientific data, compose, draw, paint and imagine exquisite art, and make love amidst the chaos is evidence of our capacity for tremendous good, too.
The point is that we could use some inspiring news, fodder for hope and a reminder of our common humanity.
So, what exactly does Braden discuss that has inspired this lengthy introduction? Basically, there is a very clear connection between the Hebrew alphabet, the periodic table of elements and the blueprint of life as we know it. Hebrew sages described this kesher in the language of their times, in various books of the Kaballah, for example. And now, modern science is finding bridges between ancient intuitions and current discoveries. The past is being reinterpreted and rediscovered through the work of spiritual scientists like Braden.
To understand this connection requires that we first consider the Hebrew letters and gemetria, the practice of assigning numerical value to the letters. Aleph is 1, bet is 2, gimmel is 3, and so on until you get to yod, which is 10. After that, the values jump in multiples of 10, so kaf is 20, lamed is 30 and mem is 40, etc. This goes on until kuf (100). Then resh is 200, shin is 300 and tav is 400. There’s nothing magical about the formula; the Hebrew calendar is based on this numerical/symbolic system.
Of critical importance is the ancient name of God in the Hebrew Bible: Yod Hey Vav Hey. We are taught that this name is so sacred that no one is to pronounce it aloud, in part, because we also don’t really know how.
Following along with The Code from a gemetria perspective, Yod is 10 (which can be further reduced to 1+0=1), Hey is 5 and Vav is 6.
Keeping this is mind, now its time to take into account atomic mass, a term used to describe one of the many properties associated with each of the 118 elements. For example, hydrogen’s atomic mass is 1.007. Nitrogen’s is 14.00 and oxygen’s is 15.99. For the sake of simplicity, and to understand the connection with Hebrew, Braden’s exploration requires that we reduce the values of the whole numbers to their lowest single digit. Specifically, hydrogen equals 1, nitrogen’s value is 1+4 =5 and oxygen’s is 1+5=6.
(This reductionism is consistent with how gemetria works as well. Since I’m hardly a scholar of Torah or mysticism, I refer cynics to biblical authorities if they want to know more on that topic.)
So far, we’ve simply described a not-so-hidden code that links numbers, the ancient letters of our alphabet and a few key elements. Why hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen? For starters, along with carbon, these are the building blocks of life. Every cell of every body is encrypted with DNA that is based on combinations of these elements.
Mathematically minded and left-brained readers will probably see where this is all going. Hydrogen=1=Yod; nitrogen=5=Hay; oxygen=6=Vav.
This is the God Cod, according to Braden. Every strand of DNA is made of repeating strands of four bases (thymine, cytosine, adenine and guanine), which are, in turn, made of a combination of basic elements (hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen), which are, in turn, directly translated to the ancient name of God. In other words, repeated over and over again in our DNA are the letters that represent something divine. Hydrogen, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen. Yod Hey Vav Hey. And this linguistic/numerical/genetic relationship holds true for Arabic as well.
What about the relationship between carbon (fundamental to life as we know it and the fourth building block of DNA), gemetria and the Hebrew alphabet? Braden relies on the mysterious language of the Sepher Yetzirah, a sacred text of Kabbalah, to answer that in a way far more eloquent than I can replicate. Suffice it to say that when you add the values of Hydrogen (1), Nitrogen (5) and Oxygen (6), you find a clue. Carbon’s atomic mass is 12 — 1+5+6.
But the God Code is much more than the simple exercises above. It meanders through ancient texts, scientific discoveries and visions of hope for a harmonious future. At a time when boundaries are being cruelly forged in the sands and many are uncertain about how to overcome them, it is my belief that the answers to our most pressing worries lie in the juxtaposition of spirit and science. But only in recent history could someone like Braden have cracked this particular code.
That is why this isn’t a book review per se, and rather an attempt to inspire thoughtful dialogue. With a deeper awareness of our common bonds, and mysterious hints to our origins and the essence of life, we might actually find the ways to survive our technological adolescence in a message as old as our existence, passed on from generation to generation and across all man-made boundaries, if we only take time to look.
And I hope as you contemplate the God Code that even skeptics find new appreciation for the legacy that is our Hebrew language.
To learn more about Braden’s theory, visit www.greggbraden.com.New Fathers for Justice demonstrators say they targeted Labour leader’s Islington roof because he was ‘rude’ about their cause
Police have been called to Jeremy Corbyn’s north London home, where two men are staging a protest on his roof.
The pair, from New Fathers for Justice, climbed onto the Labour leader’s house in Islington just after 10am and are refusing to move until he talks to them.
Police cordoned off the street as a large crowd gathered to watch the protest, which comes weeks after a similar demonstration on the roof of Labour MP Angela Eagle’s office.
One of the protesters, Bobby Smith, told LBC radio he would not come down until Corbyn listened to their complaints about fathers’ rights.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest The men say they plan to stay on the roof for ‘easily the rest of the day’. Photograph: Carl Court/Getty Images
He said: “I tried to talk to Jeremy in March and he was very rude to me. I wanted to talk to him about his role in blocking shared parenting of 50-50 contact back in 2011.
“He was part of a panel that blocked the Children and Families Act.”
Asked how long he planned to stay on the roof, Smith said: “Easily the rest of the day.”
He added: “We’ve got all food and water and everything like that. We’ll stay here as long as we have to. We would do anything for our children.
“Both of us would rather be home with our children right now, on the summer holidays, but we’re not – we have no choice but to do this.”
A tweet posted by the New Fathers For Justice group showed a crowd gathering beyond the police cordon near Corbyn’s home.
New FFJ (@New_FFJ) Trending on Twitter, big crowd, told the negotiators we are not leaving. Time for change or we will keep doing it! pic.twitter.com/3PsJrMzib5
The New Fathers for Justice website quoted an activist, Steven Rowland, 32, who said he had travelled from Crawley to support the protest.
Dressed in a Spiderman costume, he said: “I run ‘Stop the family courts and Cafcas from destroying our children’s future’.
“You are not going to beat the system. It’s been going for years. A lot of fathers are angry, they are hurt. How can this happen? We have to try a new way now.”You can now store your encrypted Arq backups in your own Amazon Cloud Drive account!
Amazon Cloud Drive includes unlimited storage for $59.99/year, so you can back up everything. Amazon provides a web interface to upload and download files, but Arq uses its API to upload directly to the cloud.
Arq is our cloud backup solution that encrypts your files before uploading with a password that only you know, so no one can access your files in the cloud. Your backups are de-duplicated, compressed and encrypted. Use the Arq app on any Mac or Windows PC to restore files from your backups.
Arq is available for Mac and Windows and comes with a free 30-day trial so download it and connect it to your Amazon Cloud Drive account and start backing up today.
If you’re already using Arq v4, Amazon Cloud Drive support is a free update! Pick “Check for Updates” from Arq’s menu to get the latest version. Then go to the Preferences, Destinations tab, and add a destination. Choose “Amazon Cloud Drive” for the destination type and enter your account info. Then go to the main Arq window and add folders for backup to your Amazon Cloud Drive account.Tired of chasing down clients who refuse to pay? A New York City law is your new fix.
Whether you’re a freelancer just starting out or a seasoned pro, most people have had a sinking feeling when an invoice due date came and went with no word (or worse - excuses) from a new client. Doing the work before you get paid is a big risk, and freelancers are nearly always expected to take it. Figuring out how to mitigate that risk for my clients can be difficult, so I was delighted to see the passage of a new law that gives freelancers a little more power in these situations.
The Freelance Isn’t Free Act (New York City Local Law 140) has a great name and made a lot of news when it was signed into law in late 2016. But let’s talk about how it will actually help you.
The Freelance Isn’t Free Act provides a more specific framework for how deals get done, and remedies for when things don’t go as planned. In short, you can do business with more confidence and fewer potential risks. The requirements for this law don’t go far above or beyond what I would normally recommend as a lawyer to my clients, so you can use some of these tools even if you don’t live in one of the five boroughs.
Make sure you have a contract for every freelance job you do, no matter how small.
This law requires a contract for any job that totals $800 or more. A contract is just a written record of what you have agreed to with your client. A very simple document with a list of deliverables and dates will satisfy the law’s requirements and help keep the project on the right track. Make sure you get the contract signed, to comply with both this law and the laws of common sense. The E-Sign Act makes a digital signature as good as a paper one, and they are often much easier to get. Take some time to find an e-signing process that makes it easy for you and your clients to sign contracts and move along.
Once a written contract is in place, you can rely on that contract to guide the project to its conclusion.
If things do not go as planned, or if there is a disagreement, turn to the contract to look for remedies.
If the contract doesn’t help, there are a few things that the Act will do. Primarily, the Freelance Isn’t Free Act provides for a government agency to conduct a simple review and tracking of common breaches of contracts. In addition, the Act provides for special damages for those breaches to discourage companies from engaging in business practices that put freelancers at a disadvantage.
Remember the story about Conde Nast asking vendors to accept less money to get paid faster? Depending on how it is implemented, this type of business practice is potentially illegal now under Section 20-929 of the Act. Since large companies are likely to implement a system-wide change to comply with a new law, the Act could result in better treatment for freelancers across the U.S.
The first step to using the Freelance Isn’t Free Act as an advocacy tool is to file a complaint with the director of the Office of Labor Standards (OLS). The OLS will review the complaint and contact your client to get their side of the story, and then compile all of that information and provide it to the freelancer. The cool part about this process is that you don’t necessarily need a lawyer to get started, so it is a great self-advocacy tool for projects with smaller budgets.
The OLS will also keep a record of hiring parties named in the complaints and may choose to bring a civil action against hiring parties with a clear pattern of violations.
Armed with the OLS packet, the freelancer can file a civil or small claims court action under the Act, which entitles them to special damages if they win. The damages under the Act range from $250 to double the value of the underlying contract, including reimbursement for attorney’s fees and court costs.
These damages exceed what would normally be available for a breach of contract and are almost certainly higher than the outcome of a negotiation. Together with the tracking of recurring violations, everyone involved will be motivated to comply with the law, even if the freelancer does not take their case all the way to court.
If you’re ever unsure about whether something happening during a freelance project is illegal under this law or you think it might be a breach of contract, reach out to a friendly lawyer for help.
Nuts and bolts of the Freelance Isn’t Free Act:As United’s Terminal C at Newark Liberty International Airport nears completion of its $120 million re-imagination, the French Brasserie Saison has been named Best Airport Restaurant Atmosphere by USA TODAY’s 10Best Awards.
Saison, which opened in April 2016, was designed by the Rockwell Group to provide travelers with a reprieve from the bustle of the terminal. It features traditional café design elements, such as penny tile flooring, marble counters and tabletops, and antiqued mirrors which are merged with more modern details, such as wood and blackened metal dining chairs, bronze pendant lights and a minimalist raw bar display.
The menu includes dishes such as onion soup gratinee, hand-cut beef tartare prepared tableside, and traditional sandwiches, like croque monsieur and jambon & buerre. Daily selections of cheese are also available.
"Airports and their concessionaires play an important role in a trip experience, and 10Best readers are the consumers of those travel products and services making them the best judge for categories like this,” said Travis Seward, USA TODAY 10Best VP of Travel. “So, we were pleased to present Saison with the USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Award for Best Airport Restaurant Atmosphere for 2017. Having choices like Saison makes all the difference, providing travelers with a dining option that's convenient and insulates them from the chaotic terminal."
“Our design partners at Rockwell Group brought something so memorable to Terminal C’s United Experience, creating a space and feel seemingly right from a Parisian street,” said Rick Blatstein, OTG’s CEO. “It’s like finding your favorite brasserie - that just happens to be in an airport terminal.”
“We are very honored that Saison at Newark Airport was named the top airport restaurant atmosphere by travelers,” said David Rockwell, founder and President, Rockwell Group. “It’s very exciting for us to work with OTG and have the opportunity to help transform airport dining into something more enjoyable and pleasurable.”
As with OTG’s other airport restaurants, diners at Saison order on iPads, and USA TODAY raves “there are plenty of places to plug in and recharge gadgets pre-flight.”
The United Experience at Newark Liberty includes more than 5,500 iPads, driven by OTG’s award-winning flo® tech, featuring visual menus, flight tracker, recommendation engines, entertainment and more.
Travelers can scan their boarding pass as they sit down, personalizing their experience to redeem vouchers or access special offers. United MileagePlus® members may also pay for their purchases using theirSince 2009, Red Hat has provided details of vulnerabilities with CVE names as part of our mission to provide as much information around vulnerabilities that affect Red Hat products as possible. These CVE pages distill information from a variety of sources to provide an overview of each flaw, including information like a description of the flaw, CVSSv2 scores, impact, public dates, and any corresponding errata that corrected the flaw in Red Hat products.
Over time this has grown to include more information, such as CWE identifiers, statements, and links to external resources that note the flaw (such as upstream advisories, etc.). We’re pleased to note that the CVE pages have been improved yet again to provide even more information.
Beyond just a UI refresh, and deeper integration into the Red Hat Customer Portal, the CVE pages now also display specific “mitigation” information on flaws where such information is provided. This is an area where we highlight certain steps that can be taken to prevent the exploitability of a flaw without requiring a package update. Obviously this is not applicable to all flaws, so it is noted only where it is relevant.
In addition, the CVE pages now display the “affectedness” of certain products in relation to these flaws. For instance, in the past, you would know that an issue affected a certain product either by seeing that an erratum was available (as noted on the CVE page) or by visiting Bugzilla and trying to sort through comments and other metadata that is not easily consumable. The CVE pages now display this information directly on the page so it is no longer required that a visitor spend time poking around in Bugzilla to see if something they are interested in is affected (but has not yet had an erratum released).
To further explain how this works, the pages will not show products that would not be affected by the flaw. For instance, a flaw against the mutt email client would not note that JBoss EAP is unaffected because EAP does not ship, and has never shipped, the mutt email client. However, if a flaw affected mutt on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, but not Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 or 7, the CVE page might show an erratum for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 and show that mutt on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 and 7 is unaffected. Previously, this may have been noted as part of a statement on the page, but that was by no means guaranteed. You would have to look in Bugzilla to see if any comments or metadata noted this; now it is quite plainly noted on the pages directly.
This section of the page, entitled “Affected Packages State”, is a table that lists the affected platform, package, and a state. This state can be:
“Affected”: this package is affected by this flaw on this platform
“Not affected”: this package, which ships on this platform, is not affected by this flaw
“Fix deferred”: this package is affected by this flaw on this platform, and may be fixed in the future
“Under investigation”: it is currently unknown whether or not this flaw affects this package on this platform, and it is under investigation
“Will not fix”: this package is affected by this flaw on this platform, but there is currently no intention to fix it (this would primarily be for flaws that are of Low or Moderate impact that pose no significant risk to customers)
For instance, the page for CVE-2015-5279 would look like this, noting the above affected states:
By being explicit about the state of packages on the CVE pages, visitors will know exactly what is affected by this CVE, without having to jump through hoops and spend time digging into Bugzilla comments.
Other improvements that come with the recent changes include enhanced searching capabilities. You can now search for CVEs by keyword, so searching for all vulnerabilities that mention “openssl” or “bind” or “XSS” are now possible. In addition, you can filter by year and impact rating.
The Red Hat CVE pages are a primary source of vulnerability information for many, a gateway of sorts that collects the most important information that visitors are often interested in, with links to further sources of information that are of interest to the vulnerability researcher.
Red Hat continues to look for ways to provide extra value to our customers. These enhancements and changes are designed to make your jobs easier, and we believe that they will become an even greater resource for our customers and visitors. We hope you agree!Mayoral candidate Manuel Medina, supporters blast San Antonio Express-News over residence claims
San Antonio mayoral candidate Manuel Medina, center, speaks to a crowd protesting in front of the San Antonio Express-News, Monday, April 3, 2017. The group, organized by Medina, was protesting a recent column by Brian Chasnoff. Medina, who was born in Mexico, claims he has lived in the U.S. since he was a child. ChasnoffÕs column questions the claim. According to Medina, his family emigrated from Mexico when he was three-years-old. less San Antonio mayoral candidate Manuel Medina, center, speaks to a crowd protesting in front of the San Antonio Express-News, Monday, April 3, 2017. The group, organized by Medina, was protesting a recent column... more Photo: JERRY LARA, San Antonio Express-News Photo: JERRY LARA, San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 22 Caption Close Mayoral candidate Manuel Medina, supporters blast San Antonio Express-News over residence claims 1 / 22 Back to Gallery
Cries of "fake news" echoed across the front entrance of the San Antonio Express-News building Monday afternoon as the sun beat down on mayoral candidate Manuel Medina, who gathered a group of supporters to protest a recent Express-News column.
The opinion column, written by Brian Chasnoff, outlined Medina's residence record, specifically a period of 11 years during which he was employed in Mexico. At the Express-News Monday, Medina called the piece a "hit job," saying he'd lived in the U.S. since immigrating at the age of 3.
Roughly 40 protesters cheered the mayoral candidate and said Chasnoff "has to go."
Chasnoff's column, published March 29, also detailed Medina's run for office in Mexico in 2005. When Chasnoff asked Medina at the protest what was inaccurate in the column, the mayoral candidate refused to answer.
Video: Candidates answer questions at mayoral forum
READ THE FULL COLUMN HERE: Medina worked, ran for office in Mexico
According to records, Medina worked at a university in Torreón, in the northern Mexico state of Coahuila, from 1997 to 2008; ran for public office in Torreón in 2005; and divorced and remarried in Torreón in 2006.
Medina refused to answer questions posed by Express-News reporters at the scene.
"Brian Chasnoff is trying to score political points," Medina said to cheers, adding he was attempting to prop up other candidates.
Mayoral candidate Ron Nirenberg is quoted in Chasnoff's column, saying Medina "can't be trusted on his biography let alone his wild promises." Mayor Ivy Taylor did not respond to Chasnoff's request for comment.
Med |
see more of its legislative coverage, go to http://www.myajc.com/georgia-legislature/. To track particular bills and resolutions, check out the Georgia Legislative Navigator at http://legislativenavigator.myajc.com/. You can also follow the proceedings on Twitter at http://twitter.com/GAPoliticsNews or on Facebook at http://facebook.com/gapoliticsnewsnow. Subscribe to our newsletter for more news about Georgia politics. Subscribe to politics news alerts in the AJC news app.The days when we were concerned—or at least, I was, being an earnest teenager in a Clash T-shirt—about Starbucks putting local coffee shops out of business seem so quaint and far away now, curled up in a cozy sweater knit in a Vietnamese sweatshop reading articles on an iPhone about how the carnauba wax and animal gelatin in Haribo gummy candies are extracted by underpaid Brazilian workers and from pigs caked in their own feces. Oh, you hadn’t heard about Haribo gummies? Let us ruin those for you as well, then.
The terrible conditions under which Haribo sources these key ingredients—carnauba wax makes the gummies glossy and keeps them from sticking together, and animal gelatin is what makes them, well, gummy—were exposed last week in a documentary from German public broadcaster ARD. The documentary found that the carnauba wax, which comes from trees that only grow in northeastern Brazil, was being harvested by workers, some of them underage, who “are forced to sleep outside or in trucks, have no access to toilets and have to drink unfiltered water straight from nearby rivers.” These conditions have come to the attention of Brazilian authorities, who carry out occasional raids to free workers from the plantations, from conditions a Brazilian labor official says “could be described as slavery.”
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Meanwhile, back in Germany, the factory farms where the animal gelatin in the candies is sourced from pig skin are similarly deplorable. English-language German news source Deutsche Welle describes footage from animal-rights activists included in the documentary that “showed pigs with open sores and abscesses living in indoor pens in their own excrement, and in some cases among their own dead.” In response, the companies in the supply chain that eventually comes around to delicious gummy bears, meat producer Westfleisch and gelatin producer Gelita, say they were “not aware” of any violations of German anti-cruelty law and that measures for “species appropriate animal farming” were in place at the farms.
In response, Haribo released a statement saying that it would “proactively” investigate the issues with suppliers, saying, “We are a company that wants to bring joy to children and adults. We can therefore not accept the disregard of social and ethical standards.” Similarly, a company spokesperson tells Vice’s Munchies site, “We would like to emphasize that we are extremely concerned by some of the images shown on the consumer program broadcast on German TV channel ARD last week. The conditions on the pig farms and the Brazilian plantations shown are insupportable.” They added that Haribo is investigating conditions with the cooperation of its suppliers, and that if urgent improvements are needed, “we will insist on their implementation and will not rest until these improvements have been implemented.”
If you speak German and/or feel the urge to create a free-form visual association between gummy bears and footage of factory farming, the ARD documentary is embedded below.On 10 April 2014, the 3rd Belarus Reality Check meeting brought together in Brussels key international and Belarusian experts as well as donors and policy makers.
The Reality Check Policy Review held under Chatham House rules allows individuals to present different local and international perspectives with an emphasis on facts and evidence. Below is a short summary of the discussion.
Key Points
After the annexation of Crimea, Belarus is in an even more complicated situation due its dependency on Russia. The economy is slowing down to a dangerous level, while the government lacks a new economic vision. However, subsidies from Russia and a change in the government's social contract with its citizens may save the day for Lukashenka`s regime.
Despite Russia's similar dip into a recession, the hefty Crimea absorption costs, the needed $4-5bn for the Belarusian budget it is still likely to be allocated to Belarus by Russia. After all, Belarus is Russia`s only formal ally and the poster child of Eurasian integration. Lukashenka has also been manoeuvring successfully in the Ukrainian crisis: wavering between the position of Kyiv and Moscow, while maintaining high level working relationships with both.
Minsk's small, yet recognisable, steps towards moving away from an broad industrial economy towards a locally-based development and information/knowledge-based economy may lead to a subsequent change in the social contract. Already there are positive signs in this direction, including less bureaucracy and a higher number private business initiatives.
After Ukraine, a successful revolution may bring Russian troops to Belarus, so it is no wonder that Lukashenka’s position has strengthened Read more
But to continue on with these kinds of reforms, Belarus needs to ease its isolation: allow a qualified labour force to enter the country, adopt Western-style management and decrease state control over the economy. At the same time it needs to manage such reforms gradually by maintaining Russian subsidies to keep Belarusians employed in inefficient state factories.
The traditional opposition is in an identity crisis since the Ukraine conflict: according to the latest polls, only 3.6 % of Belarusians support a “revolutionary” scenario similar to Kyiv’s example. The already low support for the opposition has dropped even further. After Ukraine, a successful revolution may bring Russian troops to Belarus, so it is no wonder that Lukashenka’s position has strengthened.
Social contract: Less State, More Private
The gradual movement towards sustainable development as a reaction to global and regional changes has been gaining momentum in Belarus. Signals of this transition are becoming more and more prononounced from cuts in public administration expenditures and a growing number of private businesses.
Yet at the same time, the state is maintaining, or even increasing, Russian subsidies in order to keep Belarusians employed in its inefficient enterprises. The security sector's control over private business has yet to unabate. Debt and devaluation is not that important within this context as Belarus can still sell its companies or fixed assets. But the main challenge of keeping its educated work force at home remains a prominent issue: Russia continues to attract qualified Belarusians with higher salaries and better opportunities.
Although the general feeling in the West is that nothing is changing in Belarus, it is important to highlight that 25% of the government employees have been laid off recently, and other various additional criteria were were met in order to position Belarus as recipients of targeted social support. One third of the obligatory pension system has been cut due to these changes.
As the graph above shows, despite the wide spread “social welfare myth”, the effectiveness of Belarus’ social protection system is low when compared to a majority of Western countries. Taking into account the measures undertaken to further decrease targeted social assistance, the effectiveness and scale of the welfare state in Belarus is likely to decline even further.
However, the over-arching issue that can be found here is tolerance toward these changes as well as the changing expectations of the society. Due to its effective control over society, Belarus’ government is in a much stronger position to carry out such reforms compared not only to Ukraine and Russia but also to the Baltic states. Patterns matter as well: Lukashenka cuts in the state administration apparatus positions him well with Belarusians, as it shows he plays no favourites.
Belarus’ government is in a much stronger position to carry out such reforms compared not only to Ukraine and Russia but also to the Baltic States Read more
Cutting social benefits, though, is not as painful as cutting subsidies to state enterprises – this would mean a real redrafting of the social contract that has been in place since Lukashenka came to power. Yet without such measures, international financial institutions will not be willing to provide loans or financing to the Belarusian economy and the question of Russian subsidies and their availability becomes a key question. For example, Belarus is requesting that in exchange for signing the Eurasian Economic Union, it would not have to pay Russia oil export duties in the future.
The duties Minsk paid to Russia amounted to $38bn in 2012 and to $33bn in 2013. Such funds would practically solve the problem of the ‘cash gap’ in the Belarusian budget as well as ostensibly give more freedom to Belarus to resist Russian pressure and its demands (such as privatisation). Therefore Moscow is unlikely to agree with such a requirement, though it should be noted that the other Eurasian Union partner, Kazakhstan, is also not supportive of these demands.
After Crimea: Eurasian Economic Union in the Making
The crisis in Ukraine has further decreased the trust between EEU partners but it is unlikely to undermine the integration process. Besides Russia, no country has any aims to make political gains from the EEU: economic benefits are the key issue at stake, which means that Belarus’ rationale for joining the EEU is its potential access to both its transit route to Asia and to the Russian market.
Russia reduced a number of external tariffs as a result of EEU negotiations – contrary to the commonly held opinion that Russia dictates the conditions of the Eurasian integration – the costs to its own economy for the integration project was even estimated to be some $40 bn/year.
Belarus finds itself no longer between Russia and the West but between the Eurasian Economic Union and the “Russian World” policy Read more
Lukashenka's de facto acceptance of the Crimean referendum was an act of reciprocity: Russia has always accepted the results of Belarus`s dubious elections (and referendums). However, Lukashenka continues to maintain balance as he came out strongly against the federalisation of Ukraine. Yet this balancing act has changed: given the weakness of the Western response to the Ukraine crisis, Belarus finds itself no longer between Russia and the West but between the Eurasian Economic Union and the “Russian World” policy. In the latter, there is no independent Belarus.
The scale of penetration of Russian financial capital into the Belarusian market is a more powerful tool than all other agreements within the Eurasian integration. Currently, Russian capital controls seven out of 31 banks operating in Belarus. The influence of Russian capital will likely grow after signing the EEU treaty as a result of better entry conditions into the Belarusian banking sector.
It is important to note that Russian banks, besides playing an important commercial role, also serves as a tool for the Russian government to analyse and understand the economic, political and social developments in the country. In other words, they are not only performing a commercial, but also a political function.
Lukashenka allowed Russian investors to invest in Belarusian enterprises without giving them access to their managerial functions Read more
Until now Lukashenka was able to cunningly solve the problem of Russian investors: he allowed them to invest in Belarusian enterprises without giving them access to their managerial functions. The conflict within the potash cartel last summer – when Belarus placed the Uralkali CEO under arrest and detained him for months – was a very good indicator of how Lukashenka treats Russian businesses. Another example is his refusal to import oil through Rosneft: Russian oil companies continue to sell oil to firms identified by Minsk.
Minsk has been able to control its local economic elites by controlling their income: small scale corruption is possible but under the watchful eye of the state secret services. Frequent corruption cases ensure the loyalty of these elites as there is a “kompromat” for everyone. Lukashenka has also created his own business elite. Improving business conditions does not only serve to better Belarus’ rank in the Doing Business ratings (doing business is easier in Belarus than in Russia), but it creates an atmosphere where a businessman who is satisfied with the current establishment and infrastructure will not have aspirations to change the current leadership.
Belarus could be described as a positive counter-example to Russia with respect to its rather low level of corruption and absence of uncontrolled organised crime. In the eyes of the Belarusian population, Belarus is a positive counter-example to the entire region with its stability, particularly when bearing in mind the unrest in Ukraine.
Relations with the EU: Silent Dialogue
The annexation of Crimea has further reduced the Lukashenka regime's ability manoeuver with the EU. Ukraine overshadows Belarus to a much larger extent than before, while Moscow is now more suspicious and aggressive. At the same time Belarus is the only country in the Eastern Partnership in control of all of its territorial integrity and its borders. Within this context the West's influence is likely to be balanced out with a more pragmatic policy than may be possible elsewhere in the region.
Belarus is the only country in the Eastern Partnership in control of its territorial integrity and its borders Read more
The main question – how the EU can achieve its grand vision, the democratisation of Belarus – remains unanswered. No realistic strategy and clear steps towards achieving this goal have emerged. Moreover, the Ukrainian crisis raises the issue of destabilisation throughout the entire region via an out of control downward spiral of zero sum internal politics taken to the extreme.
As seen from Minsk, there is no offer on the table from the EU that is comparable to the EEU. As much as the issue of the release of political prisoners is crucial for widening the ‘critical engagement’ policy, the absence of political prisoners in Belarus is a ‘weak’ goal for the EU in Belarus. Under the current circumstances, Minsk has no rationale to provide the EU with any concessions, that is, to release political prisoners.
The challenge of the EU`s policy towards Belarus is not so much the heralded "lack of unity" – it is the absence of serious interest and attention. Very few care about Belarus at the moment, with most of the issues at hand being stuck at a technical (working) level, without reaching any strategic depth (save, perhaps, the issue of whether Russia would use Belarus’ territory to invade Ukraine).
The current critical engagement – basically a silent (mostly technical) dialogue – is likely to develop further. Brussels could deepen this dialogue through an assistance package to give a helping hand to Minsk where it is needed (see social contract changes) while maintaining its human rights stance along with support for the opposition as well as civil society.
Download full version of the non-paper in pdf format
The Belarus Reality Check was organised with the support of and input from the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (Germany), Pact (US), the European Endowment for Democracy (Brussels) and the Eastern Europe Studies Centre (Lithuania). This is a peer reviewed summary of the discussion and does not necessary reflect the opinion of the organisers.
https://belarusdigest.com/story/cartoon-fields/With negotiations on a new contract due to take place early next year, Oak Park trustees are weighing the pros and cons of continuing to participate in the Divvy bike-sharing system.
During the Nov. 27 village board meeting, Village Manager Cara Pavlicek said staff has included 12 months of Divvy expenses in the 2018 budget, however, the contract between Oak Park and Divvy is up for renegotiation in February.
"We'll take the rest of December and have a conversation with them," Pavlicek said. "We'll put 12 months [into the budget], but it's up to the board on what we would actually spend. I can't speculate on what's going to happen [with the negotiations]."
A key issue voiced by trustees is the cost of the Divvy to Oak Park, with many expressing a need to see growth in order to continue with the bike-sharing program. Those using the Divvy service can purchase memberships or opt for daily passes. They can pick up one of the bikes parked at any docking station and then return it to any station.
Trustee Dan Moroney said the Divvy program, when subtracting revenues from expenses, is costing the village approximately $208,000 to subsidize 12,000 bike rides over the previous year.
"That's over $17 per Divvy ride," Moroney said. "I'm just not optimistic it'll improve. I don't think it's fair for taxpayers to be subsidizing a very small population riding bikes."
Trustee Deno Andrews also expressed his concerns with the program, including the placement of some of the docking stations in town.
According to Divvy, Oak Park has 13 bike docking stations, with three along the Eisenhower Expressway corridor, three on Madison Street, four along the CTA Green Line corridor, one at West Suburban Medical Center, one at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio and one at the Dole Branch of the Oak Park Library.
"We're averaging 37 rides a day, village-wide," Andrews said. "Less than 1 percent of the adults in Oak Park use this infrastructure. It looks cool and the bikes are really neat, but nobody is riding them around. My gut as a business person says kill it.... As a bicycle advocate, [it] tells me we need to add more stations. When you look at a Divvy map online, it looks like the central Oak Park Divvy system."
The docking stations were installed in June 2016, when Divvy expanded into the suburbs of Oak Park and Evanston.
While Andrews feels the system could benefit from having additional docks further away from the village's train stations, he was not in favor of giving more money to the program.
"I would be willing to let Divvy go on to September of next year," Andrews said. "If we can't get 1,100 subscribers by September of next year, we kill it. I would only agree to move this forward if we can agree to a benchmark. I'm not willing to let it go and hope it gets better. I think we should go to Divvy and renegotiate."
Others on the board expressed the opinion that Divvy just might not be a fit for the village.
"I can see Divvy as appropriate for Chicago and Evanston, where there are a lot of young people," Trustee Simone Boutet said. "I don't see Divvy as really for Oak Park. Oak Parkers that want to ride have a bike. Most people come to Oak Park to view [the Frank Lloyd Wright] home and studio. They want to walk and don't want to ride a bike. I would like to see the Divvy expense be used to complete the village bike plan and add bike racks for people. Oak Park cyclists need somewhere to park their own bike."
Some on the board, however, remained optimistic about the program, and hope one more summer's worth of data could be used before making a final determination.
"I think it is a great marketing tool for Oak Park," Trustee Andrea Button said. "I would like to give it a little more time. If something is a loss for a period of time and it's not going somewhere and it's not quite right for Oak Park in two to three years, [I would end it]. I'm ready to leave it as is and give it a chance."
Trustee Bob Tucker was also in favor of giving Divvy one more summer in Oak Park before deciding its future.
"These numbers are unsustainable," Tucker said. "I don't really want to pull the plug on it yet. I think there's value to it. I don't think it would have to break even for me to get comfortable with it, but these numbers are not sustainable."
sschering@pioneerlocal.com
Twitter @stevescheringLess than 1½ years after his release from reformative training, a young man committed a series of offences that included causing grievous hurt, and criminal intimidation to cause alarm to a police officer.
After delivery attendant Shukry Rezza Arman was charged with various offences in February 2017, he jumped bail and went on to commit further offences.
He was arrested again on March 31 and has been remanded since April 1.
On Tuesday (Aug 8), the 20-year-old was sentenced to three years behind bars and ordered to be given eight strokes of the cane.
He admitted to six of 17 charges: causing grievous hurt with two others; drug possession and consumption; threatening to cause grievous hurt by waving a 70cm-long katana sword at a staff sergeant; and possessing offensive weapons.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Sarah Ong said that Shukry and his friends, including brothers Muhammad Aidil Rusnin, 29, and Muhammad Saiful Al Dinie, 21, were walking towards McDonald's at Clarke Quay at about 6am on Nov 20, 2016, when they heard someone in student Muhammad Lukman Al-Hakim's group making "chut chut" (sucking) sounds behind them.
Lukman, 18, his girlfriend and two others had ended a night of clubbing and were waiting to take the first train home. They were sitting at the concrete barriers between UOB Plaza 1 and the entrance of Boat Quay at Raffles Place.
Offended by the sounds, Saiful, a waiter, confronted Lukman's group and asked whether they had made any sounds at him. He also demanded to know who had made the sounds.
The group surrounded Lukman, who told Saiful that he had not been making sounds at the group but was instead calling out to a bird that was resting at the top of a lamp post.
On hearing this, Saiful became angry as he felt that Lukman was being sarcastic.
He punched the victim in the face a few times.
Shukry and Aidil, a nightclub bouncer, joined in the assault by throwing punches at the teen's head and face. When Lukman fell, they kicked him in the head and body.
Shukry also got on top of the victim and held him down while punching, elbowing, knee jabbing and kicking him, said DPP Ong.
When Lukman tried to get up, he was kicked back to the ground.
Before the group left, Saiful demanded an apology from Lukman. He made the teen kneel and apologise.
Lukman suffered multiple skull and facial bone fractures, among other things, and was given 10 days of medical leave.
In another incident on Feb 23, 2017, DPP Ong said police officers, acting on a tip-off, saw Shukry and his girlfriend sitting at the void deck of Block 17, Ghim Moh Road.
Shukry, who was holding a long, black stick which was actually a katana sword, fled on seeing the officers.
At the playground of Block 21, he unsheathed the sword and swung it at Staff Sergeant Heifi Ab Rahman, saying "lai la, lai la" ("come here, come here" in Hokkien).
Staff Sgt Heifi told him to surrender, but Shukry refused and continued running.
At the top of a staircase facing Giant supermarket, Shukry once again unsheathed his katana sword and swung it at Staff Sgt Heifi, saying "lai la" before running off again. The officer was alarmed by his actions.
Subsequently, backup police resources arrived and Shukry was arrested for various offences. He was found with drugs and other offensive weapons - a black karambit knife, a silver knuckleduster and a black extendable baton.
He was charged on Feb 25, then released on court bail.
However, he jumped bail and went on to commit more offences. He was arrested again on March 31.
DPP Ong had sought a total sentence of 39 months' jail. She said Shukry had not learnt from his previous stint at the Reformative Training Centre for robbery in 2013.
She said: "The accused had repeatedly re-offended even after his first arrest on Feb 23, 2017. He even absconded while on court bail and committed further offences during this period."
The cases against Saiful and Aidil are pending.Villas-Boas wants to take on the 6,000 mile Dakar rally on a motorbike
Dropping Frank Lampard and dodging wayward shots from Fernando Torres in training is obviously not hair-raising enough for Andre Villas-Boas - who wants to compete in the notorious Dakar rally on a motorbike.
Villas-Boas, 33, owns five bikes and escapes the rigours of Premier League football by going off-road riding in the Portuguese mountains.
The 6,000-mile Dakar trek will take those brave enough to compete from Peru, through Chile's Atacama desert to Argentina in January and is renowned as one of the toughest events in the world.
But the Chelsea manager - who hopes to take his side on another long journey to Munich for next May's Champions League final - plans to one day compete.
He said: "I would love to ride the rally one day. But it's expensive and maybe something for when my career ends."
I have tremendous passion for football buy my bikes are my escape Andre Villas-Boas
Tottenham goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini was seriously injured in a motorbike crash in 2009 and most players are banned from riding in their contracts.
But Villas-Boas remains a keen motorcyclist and was also spotted at the Monaco and Belgian Formula 1 Grands Prix this year.
"The manager is allowed to ride a motorbike. Not the players - but the manager escapes!" he added.
"The passion for two wheels is something that grew in me. My first bike was a Yamaha XT 350cc, a heavy engine at the start. Then I've had Hondas and KTMs, as well as the trials bikes I've got.
"I have a bit of a crazy head, so I like enduro-bikes - I go into the mountains with the big rocks and almost kill myself!
"When I first took my licence - I was coaching the Porto youth team then - I rode in a national competition and broke my arm. I've had a couple of accidents, so now I try to be more careful.
The 2011 rally was won by Marc Coma
"Of course, my responsibilities to this job come first, but the feeling when I'm on the bike with the throttle open is fantastic.
"I'm not one of those people who are obsessed with the game. I don't live and breathe it 24 hours a day or go home and watch second division German football.
"I have tremendous passion for football but my bikes are my escape.
"I have one that was ridden in the Paris-Dakar and I'd love to ride it myself one day."
The Paris-Dakar rally ran from France to Senegal from 1978 until 2009 but is now run through South America. Competitors face a near 6,000 mile trek across the desert with the 2011 race won by Spanish rider Marc Coma.CTV Windsor
More than 500 jobs will be lost, after Kellogg’s announced it will close their London plant by the end of 2014.
A mandatory meeting was held Tuesday morning at the Four Points Sheraton, where Kellogg’s informed full-time unionized workers their intention to close the plant by the end of 2014. The decision is part of the company’s four year, Project K efficiency and effectiveness program.
“What do you do? I guess were just going to have to move on like everybody else does,” says Jami Kelly.
Kelly is a legacy at Kellogg’s, with his father and uncle both working there before him. The 53-year-old has spent the past two decades with the company, and is concerned about the future.
“I hope by the end of next year, I’ll be near retirement and I’m hoping they’ll do the right thing and bridge some of us,” says Kelly. “Help us out.”
Others like Cindy Hilder, are upset about the timing of the announcement being so close to the holidays.
“Merry Christmas, thanks for telling us right now,” says Hilder.
Hilder has spent the past seven years with the company and says even now, people are struggling financially.
“There’s no jobs here, what are we going to do?” says Hilder.
In a release sent out by the Kellogg Company, changes to the supply chain infrastructure also includes the closure of their snacks plant in Charmhaven, Australia. The cereal company will expand their snack and cereal plant in Rayong, Thailand.
“As with any project of this scope and one that impacts people, these are difficult decisions,” said John Bryant, President and CEO, Kellogg Company. “We are very mindful of the impact these changes will have – particularly to our employees. As our employees and others would expect from Kellogg, we will help those who are impacted through their transitions.”
The decision comes a month after the cereal maker laid off 110 of its 500 full-time unionized workers.
“Some of these people have been here 20, 30 years,” says Hilder. “It’s going to affect some of these peoples retirement.”
The plant on Dundas Street East has been a fixture in the city for nearly a century, becoming a Kellogg's plant in 1924.CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro said he will travel to New York this week for his debut appearance as president at the United Nations General Assembly despite “racist” editorials against him in major U.S. newspapers.
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during his radio program "In contact with Maduro" in Caracas, in this handout photo provided by Miraflores Palace September 16, 2014. REUTERS/Miraflores Palace/Handout via Reuters
The socialist-run country is poised to gain a temporary seat on the U.N. Security Council in 2015-16 thanks to unanimous backing around Latin America and the Caribbean.
The United States is unhappy with that but is not seeking to scupper it, diplomatic sources say.
At the weekend, though, both the New York Times and the Washington Post decried Venezuela’s probable place on the council, citing repression of opponents.
Maduro, a 51-year-old former bus driver who won an election to replace his mentor the late Hugo Chavez last year, blasted the newspapers and said he would hold his head high in representation of Chavez, Venezuela and the regional left-wing ALBA bloc.
“They treat me in a racist manner. The Washington Post and The New York Times treated me like a bus driver and an illiterate,” he said on Monday afternoon during the inauguration of a school.
“I’m proud that a bus driver can be president of the Republic... Gentlemen at the Washington Post, this busman right here is going to the United States. Just you wait!” added Maduro, decked out in a jacket fashioned off Venezuela’s vibrant yellow, blue and red flag.
Venezuela famously made waves at the 2006 General Assembly when the pugnacious Chavez compared George W. Bush to the devil, saying he could still “smell sulfur” a day after the former U.S. President addressed member states.
Last year, Maduro sent his foreign minister instead.
Less flamboyant than his predecessor, Maduro nevertheless adheres to Chavez’s main foreign policies including constant condemnation of U.S. “imperialism” and support for nations like Russia and Syria.
This year, Chavez’s daughter Maria Gabriela, who was something of an unofficial First Lady during much of his presidency, has been named Venezuela’s alternate ambassador to the international body.
Maria Gabriela has not commented publicly on the likelihood of sitting with major players on the U.N. Security Council.
Domestic opponents, who mock her as a socialite and have dubbed her a “Chardashian” in a pun on U.S. TV star Kim Kardashian, say she is unqualified for such a role.
In its editorials, the Washington Post called Maduro “the economically illiterate former bus driver” while the New York Times said he was “even more dangerous and divisive” than Chavez.
Government supporters say the U.S. government, Venezuela’s wealthy elite and foreign media are in cahoots to blacken Maduro’s name and try to topple his government.William Edward Binney[3] is a former highly placed intelligence official with the United States National Security Agency (NSA)[4] turned whistleblower who retired on October 31, 2001, after more than 30 years with the agency.
He was a high-profile critic of his former employers during the George W. Bush administration, and later criticized the NSA's data collection policies during the Barack Obama administration. In 2016, Binney said the U.S. intelligence community's assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election was false, but on close examination of the documents that purported to prove a British origin of the hacking, could not prove the data was downloaded from the Democratic National Committee.[5]
Biography [ edit ]
Binney grew up in rural Pennsylvania and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from the Pennsylvania State University in 1970. He said that he volunteered for the Army during the Vietnam era in order to select work that would interest him rather than be drafted and have no input. He was found to have strong aptitudes for mathematics, analysis, and code breaking,[6] and served from 1965 to 1969 in the Army Security Agency before going to the NSA in 1970.
Binney was a Russia specialist and worked in the operations side of intelligence, starting as an analyst and ending as a Technical Director prior to becoming a geopolitical world Technical Director. In the 1990s, he co-founded a unit on automating signals intelligence with NSA research chief Dr. John Taggart.[7] Binney's NSA career culminated as Technical Leader for intelligence in 2001. He has expertise in intelligence analysis, traffic analysis, systems analysis, knowledge management, and mathematics (including set theory, number theory, and probability).[8][9]
After retiring from the NSA, he founded, together with fellow NSA whistleblower J. Kirk Wiebe, Entity Mapping, LLC, a private intelligence agency to market their analysis program to government agencies.[10]
Kirk Wiebe and William Binney "have started a company (Pretty Good Knowledge[11]) with partners in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, to resurrect and do the kinds of smart things we thought we do with data back in the 1990s, because this government and the Deep State as well as the shadow government didn't want us doing that here. So we're over there doing this."[12]
Whistleblowing [ edit ]
Democracy Now! in New York City on May 2012, prior to appearing with hosts Binney sitting in the offices ofin New York City on May 2012, prior to appearing with hosts Amy Goodman Juan Gonzalez, and guest Jacob Appelbaum. Photo taken by Appelbaum.
In September 2002, he, along with J. Kirk Wiebe and Edward Loomis, asked the U.S. Defense Department Inspector General (DoD IG) to investigate the NSA for allegedly wasting "millions and millions of dollars" on Trailblazer, a system intended to analyze mass collection of data carried on communications networks such as the Internet. Binney had been one of the inventors of an alternative system, ThinThread, which was shelved when Trailblazer was chosen instead. Binney has also been publicly critical of the NSA for spying on U.S. citizens, saying of its expanded surveillance after the September 11, 2001 attacks that "it's better than anything that the KGB, the Stasi, or the Gestapo and SS ever had"[13] as well as noting Trailblazer's ineffectiveness and unjustified high cost compared to the far less intrusive ThinThread.[14] He was furious that the NSA hadn't uncovered the 9/11 plot and stated that intercepts it had collected but not analyzed likely would have garnered timely attention with his leaner more focused system.[9]
After the NSA [ edit ]
After he left the NSA in 2001, Binney was one of several people investigated as part of an inquiry into a 2005 The New York Times exposé on the agency's warrantless eavesdropping program.[citation needed] Binney was cleared of wrongdoing after three interviews with FBI agents beginning in March 2007, but in early July 2007, in an unannounced, armed, early morning raid, a dozen agents armed with rifles appeared at his house, one of whom entered the bathroom and pointed his gun at Binney, who was taking a shower. The FBI confiscated a desktop computer, disks, and personal and business records.[15] The NSA revoked his security clearance, forcing him to close a business he ran with former colleagues at a loss of a reported $300,000 in annual income. The FBI raided the homes of Wiebe and Loomis, as well as House Intelligence Committee staffer Diane Roark, the same morning. Several months later the FBI raided the home of then still active NSA executive Thomas Andrews Drake who had also contacted DoD IG, but anonymously with confidentiality assured. The Assistant Inspector General, John Crane, in charge of the Whistleblower Program, suspecting his superiors provided confidential information to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), challenged them, was eventually forced from his position, and subsequently himself became a public whistleblower. The punitive treatment of Binney, Drake, and the other whistleblowers also led Edward Snowden to go public with his revelations rather than report through the internal whistleblower program.[16] In 2012, Binney and his co-plaintiffs went to federal court to retrieve the confiscated items.[17]
Allegations on intercepts [ edit ]
Binney is known for making the claim that the NSA collects and stores information about every U.S. communication.[18] Binney was invited as a witness by the NSA commission of the German Bundestag. On July 3, 2014 Der Spiegel wrote, he said that the NSA wanted to have information about everything. In Binney's view this is a totalitarian approach, which had previously been seen only in dictatorships.[19] Binney stated that the goal was to control people. Meanwhile, he said that it is possible in principle to monitor the whole population, abroad and in the U.S., which in his view contradicts the United States Constitution.[19]
In August 2014 Binney was among the signatories of an open letter by the group Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity to German chancellor Angela Merkel in which they urged the Chancellor to be suspicious of U.S. intelligence regarding the alleged invasion of Russia in Eastern Ukraine.[20][21][22] In the open letter, the group said:
[A]ccusations of a major Russian "invasion" of Ukraine appear not to be supported by reliable intelligence. Rather, the "intelligence" seems to be of the same dubious, politically "fixed" kind used 12 years ago to "justify" the U.S.-led attack on Iraq.[21]
Russian Interference in the 2016 election [ edit ]
Binney claims the U.S. intelligence community's assessment that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election is false, and that the Democratic National Committee e-mails were leaked by an insider instead.[23][24][25] He has appeared on Fox News at least ten times between September 2016 and November 2017 to promote this theory.[18][23][24] Binney said that the "intelligence community wasn't being honest here".[23] He has also been frequently cited on Breitbart News.[18] In November 2017 it was reported that a month earlier, Bin |
song or studio session you can recall that might have helped your coping journey?
Yes. I don’t even remember the name of the song, but one of my therapists told me, in actuality, the old David Banner was more healthy for me. He said maybe not from a spiritual standpoint, but from a mental standpoint. He told me to think about this: if the old David Banner wanted to say “Fuck you. Kiss my ass. Die,” he would tell you that. That’s off of my mind, my heart and my soul, and I can go about my business. He said this more introspective David Banner and kinder David Banner is packing it all in, holding it on my heart, and carrying it around. Once I became more introspective, I took my diary away from myself. He told me that even though I may not want to put that music out, I don’t have to put that music out, but keep recording exactly how I feel. Get it off of your heart. Get it out of your mind and get it outside of your own head. That’s basically what therapy is anyway. My homework was to go and record this song. I recorded it and I put it on YouTube. I forgot the name of it, but I basically was talking about how I needed hydrocodone to go to sleep. I talked about all of the pain I was going through. I felt like in my old career, I let my people down and I was guiding my people to hell. Now that I’m a little bit smarter and bit more conscience, I see that that wasn’t the case. [4:20]
Lindsey India: What’s coming up for you for the rest of the year?
Let me tell you something. This has actually been the best time of my life. I want to show people happiness too. Actually, The God Box is going to be a happy album. What I realize is that I had to go back in to some dark places in order to bring people out. A lot of times when people don’t see the process they think that that’s just the way that you are. To be honest with you, unless it’s Tupac or something like that, I don’t listen to a lot of negative music. Unless it’s a video game, I don’t watch too much crime or killing or drama and gossip. I don’t watch the news. If it’s not anything about opulence or success or happy times or comedy or something to lift my spirits, I don’t do it. So in saying that, I’m just excited. When I tour this year, I don’t think I’m going to just run through cities. I think I’m going to spend three days there. Instead of doing maybe 20 cities, I think I’ll only do 10. [I’ll] spend some time, lecturing in cities. Go to the colleges. Go to the schools. Touch the kids. Go see where Nat Turner lived. I want to get an opportunity to go into the cities to live and have fun.
I’ll end it on this. I had an ex-girlfriend once that told me I looked at the ground so much, that I never saw how beautiful the sky was. Even if you’re in the worst neighborhood in the world, the sky is still beautiful. This world is so negative, that we don’t get to take in the blessings that we do have. Just being able to breathe and see. The things that are the most valuable, you can’t pay for. We have those things. Everything that God does is perfect. You are perfect just the way that you are.Moments, as if pausing mid-step, when ordinary meaning in life takes on a sense of something greater, imbuing life with higher meaning, purpose and direction. I don’t know how else to describe it except to say it’s as if the atmosphere thins a bit. The boundary between the Greater Reality and the ordinary seems thinner. My ears are pricking, as if being commanded from … where? … to listen. Perhaps you have had such experiences?
Another person describes it as “the universe is talking to me.” That person is someone who is seeking a greater life-meaning by finding the spiritual in the mundane, who knows any language used to describe this sense of transparency fraught with meaning can only approximate whatever the reality truly is.
That person who senses the universe at large has something to say to him in particular speaks of hearing the muttering of the lunatic on the bus and noticing Good Orderly Direction somehow shining through. Sometimes, not all the time, could the universe have something for you that you need to know? What would it take to get your attention? To put your ears on alert with the question, “What was that? What do I need to know about that?”
That “universe is talking to me” person sent a photo. The photo of a certain place, just when I’d been holding up that very city in my mind as a question. Beyond the simple coincidence, “Oh, I was just thinking of that city!” were other striking resonances in not only my life but the photographer’s life as well. Impossible to dissect, but impossible to forget. To listen for what the universe is saying is to become aware of the flags, and then to wait for what they signify.
Sometimes great insights require long contemplation.
These thin moments. They seem to occur when there is a concentration of the people of the New Message. They all sense it, too (some more than others). Are we so suggestible, or is it real? Signs are not always what you make of them. Do we feel it now, as we collectively anticipate a moment in time that we recognize is a pivot in history. Everything coming before this upcoming weekend, and everything that follows, those are two completely different worlds. Who senses this?
Everyone who is preparing, that’s who. It is a pilgrimage called the Encampment of the New Message from God. Watch this space for more about how surprisingly redemptive is the preparation for this gathering and more about what I mean by thin times and thin places.
Suggested action:2 of city’s 5 streetcars out of service, officials say
Two of Cincinnati’s five streetcars are out of service due to “manufacturing defects,” Metro officials said. At one point Thursday night, only one car was in operation. Since then, officials said service had been restored to two cars. Friday's routes only require three cars, so service is not expected to be impacted. The manufacturer is working to repair Cincinnati's two other cars, as well as in other cities whose cars have had similar defects. Four of the five vehicles area expected to be in operation through the weekend, City Manager Harry Black said in a memo to Cincinnati City Council. The streetcar issues range from failing compressors to no heat in the operating cabs, officials said, and are warranty issues related to compressor and cab heat failures brought on by frigid temperatures. “We have expressed our concerns to the manufacturer, CAF, and they have told us that they are working to rectify the problems here and in other cities where their streetcars have had similar faults,” officials said in a statement. The city is withholding nearly $700,000 in payments to CAF until the manufacturer resolves this and other issues, Black's memo added. Updates will be provided on the streetcar’s social media account.
Two of Cincinnati’s five streetcars are out of service due to “manufacturing defects,” Metro officials said.
At one point Thursday night, only one car was in operation. Since then, officials said service had been restored to two cars.
Friday's routes only require three cars, so service is not expected to be impacted. The manufacturer is working to repair Cincinnati's two other cars, as well as in other cities whose cars have had similar defects.
Four of the five vehicles area expected to be in operation through the weekend, City Manager Harry Black said in a memo to Cincinnati City Council.
The streetcar issues range from failing compressors to no heat in the operating cabs, officials said, and are warranty issues related to compressor and cab heat failures brought on by frigid temperatures.
“We have expressed our concerns to the manufacturer, CAF, and they have told us that they are working to rectify the problems here and in other cities where their streetcars have had similar faults,” officials said in a statement.
The city is withholding nearly $700,000 in payments to CAF until the manufacturer resolves this and other issues, Black's memo added.
Updates will be provided on the streetcar’s social media account.
AlertMeLast month, we reported that small sandy lot at the southwest corner of the DMV had been transformed into a lush garden, thanks to the work of longtime local resident Brian Poppyseed.
But according to Poppyseed, the nascent garden project has already been condemned. "Sadly, On Monday [of last week], while working on the plot, I was informed personally by the woman in charge of the SF DMV that my garden was deemed illegal, and that she had forwarded pictures to the head office and had scheduled workers to remove the garden," Poppyseed wrote.
Poppyseed's garden at Oak and Baker, outside the DMV.
Poppyseed had planted California poppies, jade plants, aloe and succulents over the span of several weeks, as well as installing handmade sculptures and a little path. But Jessica Gonzalez, Assistant Deputy Director of Public Affairs at the DMV, told us that "the individual did not receive permission to plant on State property or install decorative items and a brick pathway."
Before the DMV could dispose of his succulents and sculptures, Poppyseed moved them himself—around the corner, to the foot of a tree on the sidewalk bordering Oak Street. It took him a full night of work to move everything, but he's pleased with the results.
"I now have 'guerilla gardened' nearly the whole block of Oak between Baker and Broderick," Poppyseed told us. "I am especially proud of my latest ploy, which is at the Broderick end of the block. I created two sculptures using bike gears that I had previously recovered from the garbage at the DMV. It's a perfect example of one man's trash being used as another man's art."
As to whether the gardens will be allowed to stay: that's up for debate. Poppyseed is planning on reaching out to local Supervisor London Breed to make her aware of the public's support for the gardens, and to ask for her help in keeping them around.
Meanwhile, the sandy plot of dirt at the corner of Oak & Baker has returned to its prior state.After first unveiling its all-electric van Edna, a test mule for its electric powertrain, and benchmarking it against a Tesla Model S earlier this year, Atieva made some upgrades and tested it against a BMW i8 and a Viper.
The electric car startup is back to the dragstrip with a new (3rd) version of its prototype, which is equipped with a new high-power inverter, and the vehicle can now perform a 0-60 mph run in 2.74 seconds.
It was put to the test against a series of vehicles, which the van managed to all beat with the exception of a couple of Tesla Model S sedans.
Edna’s powertrain is equipped with a 87 kWh battery pack and has an output of more than 900 horsepower.
Atieva invited people to bring their cars to Crows Landing and put them to the test against the latest version of Edna.
The van managed to beat the Mustang, BMW and several other vehicles, but the two Model S’s that showed up were too quick, which is understandable considering we are talking about a van.
Here’s the video:
What is most impressive here is not only that Atieva managed to make a van accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than 3 seconds, but that they improved the performance of the powertrain from 3.08 seconds to 2.94 seconds to 2.74 seconds in just a few months.
Atieva says that it should be the last major iteration of the powertrain and the vehicle will go to its ‘Alpha Prototype’ phase soon.
Now let’s not forget that Edna is just a prototype body for the powertrain. Atieva intends its first vehicle to be a sedan, which the company claims could make it to market as soon as in 2018. It will be interesting to see what they can do with this powertrain in a more aerodynamic sedan with potentially a considerable weight reduction.What if the world’s parasites suddenly went extinct? Given how much work we’ve put into combating malaria-carrying mosquitoes and horrifying Guinea worms, it sounds like a reason for celebration. But think twice: Actually, losing these much-despised mooches, bloodsuckers and freeloaders could have disastrous consequences for the environment and human health.
Related Content How Parasites Became So Popular
A parasite, in essence, is any organism that makes its living off another organism (think bed bugs, leeches, vampire fish and even mistletoe). These freeloaders have been rather successful: up to half of Earth's 7.7 million known species are parasitic, and this lifestyle has evolved independently hundreds of times. But in a study published this week in the journal Science Advances, researchers warn that climate change could drive up to one-third of Earth's parasite species to extinction by the year 2070.
That kind of mass die-off could spell ecological disaster. "One thing we've learned about parasites in the past decade is that they're a huge and important part of ecosystems that we've really neglected for years," says Colin Carlson, a graduate student studying global change biology at the University of California at Berkeley and lead author on the study.
Carlson had experience researching how climate change is driving the current spate of species die-offs. But four years ago, he saw the potential to look into a lesser known group: parasites. "There has been a lot of work that's been done in the late couple of decades focused on understanding why big mammals go extinct, or how crops respond to climate change," Carlson says, "but there's a lot of types of animals and plants that we don't know a lot about."
He formed a team to find out more about how parasite species could feel the heat in the coming decades. The team based their predictions for this research on a "deceptively simple model" from a landmark 2004 study in the journal Nature, which connected species extinction rates to how much of their habitat they're expected to lose. "The problem is, we don't know very much about where parasites live," Carlson says.
The key to answering that question lay in the Smithsonian-run National Parasite Collection, a 125-year-old accumulation that contains more than 20 million parasite specimens from thousands of species dating back to the early 1800s—a massive yet still relatively small slice of global parasite diversity. Carlson knew that the collection, which has specimens primarily from North America but represents every continent, could serve as a historical database from which to figure out estimates of geographic ranges for specific parasites.
So he reached out to the curator of the collection, research zoologist Anna Phillips, at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. The first step was to sort through a lot of old paper records. "Since this is such an old collection, many of these still used a precise locality written out, such as 'this stream at this crossing of this highway, 10 miles down east of this town,'" Phillips says. "While that's very helpful, usually today we prefer to have GPS coordinates."
Her team of researchers digitzed tens of thousands of specimens and their locations in an online database, creating what Carlson calls the biggest parasite record of its kind. Using this immense resource, researchers could then use computer models to predict what would happen to more than 450 different parasite species when climate change altered their habitats, based on how their ranges have changed over the past two centuries.
Their conclusion: Even under the most optimistic scenarios, roughly 10 percent of parasite species will go extinct by 2070. In the most dire version of events, fully one-third of all parasites could vanish.
This kind of die-off would have myriad unfortunate consequences. Consider that parasites play an important role in regulating the populations of their hosts and the balance of the overall ecosystem. First, they kill off some organisms and make others vulnerable to predators. For example, when infected with nematode Trichostrongylus tenuis, the red grouse bird emits more scent that helps predators find and eat it more easily, thus serving to control the bird’s population.
Parasites can also have more indirect effects. Periwinkle snails infected with the trematode species Cryptocotyle lingua, for instance, eat significantly less algae along their Atlantic coast homes, because the parasite weakens their digestive tracts. Their small appetites make more algae available for other species to consume. And there are millions of undiscovered parasite species, whose ecological niches we can only guess at.
"It's hard to predict what their impact on the ecosystem will be if we don't know about it yet," says Phillips. "That's one of the things that's scariest about these model predictions... it creates a much more urgent feeling about the recognizing the diversity that's out there."
In the future, she and Carlson hope to do further analysis using this new database at finer scales, to predict how certain parasites will fare in different regions under climate change. They expect that, like many organisms, parasite species that are better able to migrate and adapt to new habitats will do better than those that are more tied to certain places.
But even if the parasites emerge successful, those possible geographical shifts present troubling prospects for humans. Parasites can certainly be harmful to people, as in the case of mosquitoes that transmit Zika, malaria or dengue fever. But in this case, the devil you know may be better than the one you don't.
Parasites and their hosts have often evolved together over many years to maintain a delicate balance. After all, parasites usually have little interest in killing their hosts, Phillips explains, since that would mean losing their homes and sources of nutrients. That’s why tapeworms are rarely fatal to the people who get them; the worms have evolved to travel to your gut and feed on the food you ingest, but they rarely siphon off enough calories to actually kill you.
But when a known parasite goes extinct, it creates new open niches in an ecosystem for other invasive species of parasites to exploit. That can create opportunities for new encounters between parasites and hosts that aren't familiar with each other, and haven’t yet developed that non-lethal relationship. In 2014, for instance, a tapeworm species foreign to humans was found in a man’s brain in China, leading to seizures and inflammation of the brain.
"I find that to be equally terrifying to the idea of the extinctions [alone]," Phillips says.
Kevin Lafferty, an ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey who has extensively studied parasites and biodiversity, says the study raises important questions about our attitudes toward parasites as they face increasing risks of being wiped out. "In many cases, we have an affinity for the species or can place a human value on it," Lafferty said by email. "This motivation is less likely for parasites."
"The field of conservation biology has moved to view species neutrally when considering the need for protection," Lafferty added, "and this view requires that parasites be protected alongside their hosts."WARNING: This video clip contains an expletive which may not be suitable for all audiences. (Courtesy: City of Amarillo)
Amarillo's Interim City Manager Terry Childers has resigned after he appeared to call a resident an expletive during the public comment section of Tuesday evening's city council meeting, according to Mayor Paul Harpole.
Video obtained from the City of Amarillo's website shows the exchange between James Schenck and Childers.
Schenck was speaking to the council about the recent propositions and the city's newly approved organizational structure. Schenck said he was concerned about the citizens not being on the chart. Childers said it was an administrative chart.
As Council Member Randy Burkett thanks Schenck for his comments, Schenck started walking away. That's when a voice was heard saying "stupid son of a b****."
"The comment was unprofessional and inappropriate," Harpole said. "It's unacceptable to this council to treat anyone in that manner."
Harpole said on Wednesday morning, he and Council Member Mark Nair went to visit with Childers. That's when, Harpole said, Childers exercised his 30-day option to leave.
Efforts to contact Childers through the city's communication office were not immediately successful.
FUTURE OF THE CITY
Harpole said he has asked Deputy City Manager Bob Cowell to take over until an interim city manager is named. Harpole said he will be asking the council to appoint Cowell as the interim.
"I have absolute confidence in Bob Cowell and the other managers' ability," Harpole said. "We will proceed in the search to find a permanent city manager."
Though Childers is not exiting on a high note, Harpole complimented Childers' efforts with capital projects.
"He did an admiral job putting capital projects together," Harpole said. "I don't know what the frustration was there."
STATEMENT FROM MAYOR PAUL HARPOLE
This morning, Amarillo Mayor Paul Harpole and Councilman Mark Nair met with Interim City Manager Terry Childers. During this meeting, Childers asked the Council representatives to honor his contractual option and presented his 30-day resignation as required by his contract with the City of Amarillo. The Mayor accepted on behalf of the Council and will present the resignation during their next full meeting. The effective end date of Childers’ contract is Dec. 16.
Amarillo Council is deeply grateful for the work that Childers has done since coming to Amarillo one year ago. He has brought in new life to the City’s organization and created the groundwork needed to continue to move forward in a progressive and proactive manner.
Details about filling Childers’ position, and the steps Amarillo Council must take to move forward will be discussed at the upcoming Tuesday, Nov. 22 meeting along with reengaging the process with Strategic Government Resources (SGR) to find a permanent city manager.
HISTORY
Childers has been interim city manager since November 2015.
According to the city's website. Childers came out of retirement to take the interim job. He has more than 20 years of experience in city government, including time as Oklahoma City's city manager.
At Tuesday evening's city council meeting, council members acknowledged the search for a permanent city manager would soon begin.
"I've had lots of people that come up and they want someone that lives here and rightfully so,” Burkett said during the meeting. “Terry has done an outstanding job, he really has. He's got some brilliant ideas, we've brought them to the table but I don't believe he's interested in staying here so we've got to do what we've got to do."
CONTROVERSY
This is not the first time Childers has come under fire for comments he has made. Earlier this year, Childers was heard on 911 calls talking to dispatchers in what residents called a rude tone following him losing a brief case at a hotel where he was saying. He called 911 to report his missing briefcase.
Following the calls, Childers changed the oversight of the emergency call center to the police and fire departments.
An online petition soon started circulating calling for Childers' resignation.For other people of the same name, see Joseph Cole (disambiguation)
Joseph Michael Cole (born 28 November 1988) is an English actor from Kingston, London. Some of his most notable roles include: Luke in Skins, Tommy in Offender, John Shelby in Peaky Blinders, Marzin and Beckwith in Secret in Their Eyes, and Reece in Green Room.
Career [ edit ]
Cole's acting career began when he was accepted into the National Youth Theatre.[1] He obtained his first roles in a one-night show in the West End,[2] on The Bill and Holby City, and then in roles on stage at the Bush Theatre's sell-out School Season.[3] Cole has also penned a comedy series with Matt Lucas.[1] He starred as John Shelby in the British historical crime drama Peaky Blinders. He also played a part in a season 4 episode of Charlie Brooker's Black Mirror, earning a BAFTA nomination for Best Actor.
For his role as Billy Moore in A Prayer Before Dawn, Cole won Best Actor at the 2018 British Independent Film Awards.
Personal life [ edit ]
Cole has four younger brothers.[1] His brother Finn Cole is also an actor and co-stars alongside him in Peaky Blinders.
Filmography [ edit ]It was already a wild day on Wall Street. Then it got even wilder today on the Nasdaq for Google investors.
At first, all was right with the tech world. Stocks were swimming in a sea of green, recovering from a bloody red Monday. Google was trading up slightly most of the day, staying in a fairly narrow but very respectable range.
Then suddenly in the final few minutes, the stock began to soar and plummet like an out-of-control yo-yo. Google Finance lists the day's high as $488.43 and the low as $25.80.
Felix Salmon's reaction: Say what? We knew we were in the middle of a financial meltdown, but come on.
Nasdaq's surveillance arm got on the case at, ahem, Internet speed. It turns out "erroneous orders" that were routed to Nasdaq from another market center had triggered the plunge, a Nasdaq spokesman said in an e-mail. He did not say which exchange was responsible.
Nasdaq canceled all trades at or above $425.29 and trades at or below $400.52 that were executed between 3:57 and 4:02 EDT. Nasdaq set the closing price at $400.52, which was a 5% gain after Monday's 12% loss. The decision cannot be appealed, he said.
A Google spokesman declined to comment.
Wiping out trades is not a happy business at Nasdaq. It's both rare and embarrassing. But at least fund managers' hearts are no longer in their throats. Google's closing price is far below the company's all-time high. But today investors will take it and like it.
-- Jessica Guynn
Photo: A passerby in Times Square checks out the Nasdaq Marketsite studio. Credit: Julie Jacobson / Associated PressSouthern California depositors could lose $500 million in IndyMac bank failure
By John Burton and Kim Saito
16 July 2008
Last Friday afternoon, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) regulators abruptly shut the doors of Pasadena, California-based IndyMac Bank several hours before its normal closing time and seized $38 billion in assets, making IndyMac Bank the third-largest bank failure in American history, and the sixth this year.
When the 33 branches reopened Monday morning as IndyMac Federal Bank, they were greeted by thousands of retirees, workers and professional people, many having already stood in line for hours. The crowds waited in sweltering heat to withdraw whatever funds they could in scenes recalling the financial panic that gripped the country during the Great Depression.
Police were called to the Encino branch in the San Fernando Valley Tuesday to control a line of people, many of whom had been waiting since Monday to withdraw funds.
A spin-off of Countrywide Finance Corporation founded by Countrywide’s recently retired CEO Angelo Mozilo, IndyMac in the first years of the decade played a key role in the Southern California housing bubble by providing high-interest “Alt-A” home mortgages to purchasers with good credit ratings who were not asked to provide documentation of their income and assets. These so-called “liar loans” exemplified the speculative frenzy that created a vastly inflated housing boom which enabled mortgage lenders, banks and big investors to amass huge profits by buying and selling securities backed by such dubious assets.
While home prices were rising, sometimes at rates of more than 10 percent a year, purchasers refinanced their equity or “flipped” properties to make up deficits. With the collapse in home values, some 15 percent of IndyMac mortgages have gone into default or foreclosure, with many more losses on the way.
IndyMac holds directly about $15 billion in such highly toxic mortgages, and bundled another $185 billion into securities, which were sold to investors. Deposits in savings and checking accounts total $19 billion. Most of the depositors are ordinary people, who were encouraged to increase their deposits by means of IndyMac certificates of deposit paying 4.3 percent, higher than average for Southern California.
The FDIC insures individual deposits up to $100,000, a limit set in 1980, and $250,000 on certain retirement accounts. A 2001 effort to raise the limits was defeated largely due to opposition from former Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan.
FDIC officials are allowing IndyMac depositors to withdraw the federally insured portions of their accounts and fifty percent of any balance. Remaining funds will be repaid, if at all, out of any funds left after the liquidation of IndyMac’s assets.
About $1 billion of IndyMac’s deposits are beyond the FDIC insurance limits and therefore are not covered, meaning that depositors may lose as much as $500 million in savings.
Paying off the insured deposits is anticipated to cost the FDIC between $4 billion and $8 billion of its $52 billion insurance fund.
Senator Charles E. Schumer, the New York Democrat, has been accused of fueling the panic by sending a June 26 letter to the FDIC and other federal agencies warning of “IndyMac’s financial deterioration.” During the next two weeks, depositors withdrew $1.3 billion, leading to layoffs of 3,800 employees. Finally, the run on bank deposits forced the government takeover to slow down the financial hemorrhage.
The collapse came as no surprise to Wall Street insiders. IndyMac Bancorp share prices plummeted from a high of $31.50 per share in 2007 to less than a dollar by the date of Schumer’s letter. The stock is essentially worthless today.
The IndyBank collapse was followed Monday by the steepest single-day decline in banking shares in almost twenty years, with the Standard & Poor’s banking index falling almost 10 percent.
Other Southern California banks were particularly hard hit. Shares of Downey Financial Corp. (Downey Savings) and FirstFed Financial Corp. (First Federal Bank of California), large providers of subprime adjustable rate mortgages, lost 22 and 19 percent of their value, respectively. Stock in Washington Mutual Inc., the nation’s biggest savings and loan bank, lost one-third of its value Monday, sending depositors scurrying to withdraw uninsured funds.
Current estimates are that of the 7,500 FDIC insured banks, 100 to 200 will fail in the next 12 to 24 months, potentially unleashing a social catastrophe affecting millions.
* * *
The following is an on-the-spot report from the IndyMac branch in Tustin, California.
On Tuesday afternoon, sitting on folding chairs outside the IndyMac branch in Tustin, California, were some 20 people waiting in the hot sun for their “transactions” with bank officials. A few found shade under a tree. Yellow police tape was set up near the entrance. About half were retirees; some were middle-aged workers, a few were younger workers. They were Asian, white, and Hispanic.
Every so often, security guards offered free bottles of water. Some bank officials were stationed outside.
At about 5 PM, one elderly woman stood up and said in exasperation that she was going to have to come back the next day after waiting all day. “I just want my money,” she said.
After signing up on clipboards, people were asked to sit down and wait for their transaction. The conversations between people were often about which page they were on. Some said they were on the seventh page, others said they were on the ninth page.
One Hispanic woman, who came with her young daughter, asked a bank official if she could make her mortgage payment. As another Spanish-speaking couple helped translate, he told her, “You cannot go inside. Those kinds of transactions aren’t allowed today.” The woman explained that she needed to pay her mortgage in cash. He replied, “Oh, no. Cash is bad. Can you write a check?”
The World Socialist Web Site spoke to Maria Mitrovic, who had retired after working nine years as a custodian at Cal State University Long Beach. She originally came from Italy.
“I am worried,” she said. “My husband works as a technician for ATT. Both of our savings are here. I retired because of an injury to my wrist. And I worked hard for my money. I used to start work at 4 in the morning every day. I’d work by myself cleaning the rooms in a big building.
“Every day I don’t eat some food to keep saving some money for my old age. I have to wait three more years until I’m 62 before I get Social Security.
“Actually, I was here this morning, when there were about 200 people. I took out just one of my four CDs, but when I went home, both my husband and my brother said, ‘No, no, no! Go back and pull all of it out. Put it in Bank of America because it’s safer.’ So, that’s why I’m here.
“Some people are here after waiting yesterday. If I don’t make it in today, I’ll have to come back tomorrow.
“On the news the bank officials all say that our money is safe, and we can get our money. Of course, they have to say that. Otherwise, everybody would panic. What’s going to happen to America if this is happening at IndyMac?
“So many people are losing their jobs. It’s terrible. There aren’t going to be any good jobs anymore. But I try to think at least we have jobs, a home, a roof over our heads, and something to eat. There are many people who have far less.”
A retired electronics specialist from Vietnam said, “Everybody works and saves. And then one day something like this happens. If you have under $100,000, you don’t have to worry. But if you have more, that’s a problem.”Once again, The Spoiler has received some very interesting information from the various squirrels that roam the country, listening in on football boardroom meetings, and spending the evenings alone in bars drinking to forget, before getting free sex from a sympathetic prostitute.
Anyway, today's whopper is this: Chelsea honchos want rid of John Terry, and will flog him to the highest bidder.
The whisper on the grapevine is that, not unlike Capello, Roman Abramovich has grown rather tired of JT's bloated sense of self-importance, and curious habit of sticking his nose into other people's business (or girlfriends), so will now listen to offers for Mr Chelsea.
The boardroom were apparently hoping that their skipper would shower himself in glory during the World Cup to boost his worth, but aside from the time that he lurched around in the box like a man desperately attempting to exit a sleeping bag, it didn't quite happen.
Of course, rubbish World Cup or not, nothing seems capable of preventing the robed men from Man City splattering money around when there's talk of a "marquee signing".
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Or might a certain Senor Mourinho suddenly appear from the shadows, promising small plates of garlic prawns, and free membership to Cristiano Ronaldo's Tuesday night sex entourage?
Chelsea fans, you have been warned.
This post, written by Josh Burt, is republished with permission from The Spoiler. Go there often if you like soccer stuff.About ten thousand people flocked to the central square of Minsk, angry at Aleksandr Lukashenko's overwhelming victory - his fourth in a row.
However, riot police have gained control over the square and cleared the protestors. Some people were reportedly cornered by the policemen and beaten. At the moment the situation has calmed down.
Several hundred protestors have been arrested.
Some protestors attempted to storm the House of Parliament in the center of the Belarusian capital, Minsk. Windows in the building have been broken and a large number of people gathered at the doors trying to break into the parliament.
The opposition says the victory was fraudulent. For two opposition leaders, Vladimir Neklyaev and Andrey Sannikov, the presidential elections have turned especially ugly when, during the protest demonstration, they were beaten by a group of people wearing masks.
Two members of RT camera team were hit by police wielding batons, and this was just one of many incidents in the Square of Independence where the main protests were taking place.
“We’re here to defend our freedom, which is being threatened by one man who is in power and who is making all the decisions by himself. The entire system is riddled with fear,” said one of the protestors.
The protestors did not look like they were likely to leave anytime soon judging by the slogans they were shouting: “We will stay”, “We will fight for our country” and “Long live Belarus”. One short slogan – “Leave” – is directed at newly-elected President Aleksandr Lukashenko.
Reportedly, Lukashenko has received almost 80 per cent of the votes. There has been only one registered violation so far, when an international observer was not allowed access to a polling station.
Some international observers, specifically those from the OSCE, have already said they believe the reaction to these elections has been calmer than that of 2006. However, the OSCE has also expressed discontent with the lack of improvement in the ballot’s transparency.
"I had very much hoped that this time we would be able to make a more positive assessment. Unfortunately, this is not possible in light of the flawed vote count and the authorities' heavy-handed response to yesterday's demonstrations," said Ambassador Geert-Hinrich Ahrens, Head of the OSCE/ODIHR observation mission.
President Lukashenko gave a stern response.
“Sometimes the OSCE forgets that it came to observe the election, not to control it,” Lukashenko said. “When it comes to that, it is not up to them to evaluate.”Bernie Ecclestone has questioned whether Ferrari can mount a challenge for the titles next season saying they have “become very Italian again.”
During a chaotic period in the 1970s and 1980s Ferrari became known for their “spaghetti culture”.
However, in the midst of a season where reliability and strategic errors have cost them, Ecclestone says implied that they are back there again.
“Ferrari has become very Italian again,” he told the official F1 website.
But the F1 supremo is still hoping that Ferrari, and also Red Bull, will put in a challenge next season.
“I hope so. Mercedes should have let an engine go to Red Bull. That is the biggest mistake we’ve made in F1 in the last couple of years. That would have been brilliant for the competition.
“Mercedes probably still would have won – but it would have looked a lot better |
time, that he did what he did for Britain. But I think that Britain would be ashamed of him," Mr Cox said.
"I have no interest in him. I have some pity that his life was so devoid of love and so consumed with hatred that he thought this was an OK thing to do, but I have no interest in how he feels or what he thinks."
'Unbelievably cowardly'
Mr Cox said he is not able to forgive the man who brutally murdered his wife.
"In order to talk about forgiveness you have to have some acceptance of how wrong and how evil what he did was, and I have seen no suggestion of any of that.
"From the way the trial was conducted, it feels like somebody who is both unbelievably cowardly and driven by hatred, but if those things were to change then it would be a different scenario.
"I think one of the reasons this happened was for a sense of notoriety and I don't want to bestow that," he added.
Although living in the aftermath of his wife's murder still feels "like a bad dream", Mr Cox said he and his two young children, aged four and five, find comfort in reminding themselves of the sort of person she was.
Image copyright PA
"Probably every other night, I ask people who knew Jo to write a story for the kids about something they did with Jo or a memory of Jo, and I'll read out one of those to the kids and they love them," he said.
"We have a lifetime of stories. Jo packed in probably 80 or 90 years into the 40 she lived.
"I'll remember her for her zest for life, an enthusiasm in almost all circumstances and about most things, an empathy towards other people and a love both of our family but also just of others."
Obituary: Proud Yorkshire lass Jo Cox
He said: "A lot of what Jo worked on was very worthy and important but she was also very mischievous and very fun and great just to play around with and to hang around with, so we'll remember all of that as well.
"When we were on the way to the funeral and there were thousands and thousands of people lining the streets of Batley, [their son] Cuillin said 'I knew people loved mum but I didn't know this many people loved her'."
"We talk about Jo every day, we talk about the things that made her amazing and we talk about the things that made her annoying... because that also made her so human and so endearing."
'Driven by empathy'
It is also through Mrs Cox's work as an MP that many people will remember her.
"She was driven by a very powerful sense of empathy and so when she would meet people who had a problem, she would be committed to dealing with that problem no matter how difficult or seemingly unsolvable," her husband said.
"I used to get very frustrated because every week when she would be up in the constituency at her surgery and she would call me up and say, 'I've missed the train again', and I would be very irritated.
"But she would say, 'it was because somebody turned up and their child support allowance hadn't come through and they didn't have any money for the weekend'. She had a very personal, human connection with people."
Image copyright PA Image caption "She wasn't driven by an ego. She only wanted to be an MP for her hometown," her husband Brendan Cox said
When asked how the family are trying to move forward with their lives, Mr Cox said one of the main things they want to achieve is to continue his wife's vision through the Jo Cox Foundation, which has raised more than £2m to help with issues such as loneliness, Syrian refugees, autism, and encouraging women in politics.
"For us this is the beginning of something," he said, explaining that their mission is to "make sure that in the years after, what's happened to Jo awakens something which is about bringing our communities back together".
"It's what she said, we do have more in common than that which divides us.
"We are in a place in the world where that message is even more necessary and Jo, if she was alive now, would be spending the vast majority of her time on making that case and that argument.
"She's not here, so we are going to do that in her name."Practical skills
Interpreting abdominal radiographs Understanding the large variations in normal anatomy will lead to more confident interpretation By: Jen-Jou Wong, Latifa Patel, John Curtis
The abdominal radiograph can be difficult to interpret, and it is often given less teaching time than its more popular sibling, the chest radiograph. This is despite its being the third most commonly requested radiological investigation, after chest and extremity radiographs. Competence in the interpretation of abdominal films is needed, given their ubiquity in surgical specialties and the need for doctors to request and interpret these films while on call or in the emergency department.
Abdominal radiographs can display a wide variety of normal presentations, so familiarity with these is important (fig 1). It is also important to compare the radiograph with previous films, if they are available, to note any progression or detection of pathology.Bloomberg
While geopolitical risks have multiplied, global markets have \”remained buoyant, if not downright bubbly,\” said economist Nouriel Roubini in a column published Tuesday.
There appear to be good reasons why markets so far have reacted benignly, but that could change, he adds.
Roubini — who\’s often called \”Dr. Doom,\” yet has said he prefers \”Dr. Realist\” — points to three potential shifts that could shake investors out of their complacency.
1. Terror attack in U.S. or Europe: Mideast turmoil hasn\’t rattled investors that much, but it could \”if one or more terrorist attack were to occur in Europe or the US – a plausible development, given that several hundred Islamic State jihadists are reported to have European or US passports,\” Roubini writes.
2. Russia-Ukraine or Syria conflicts could spread: Markets \”could be incorrect in their assessment that conflicts like that between Russia and Ukraine, or Syria’s civil war, will not escalate or spread,\” Roubini said. \”Russian President Vladimir Putin’s foreign policy may become more aggressive in response to challenges to his power at home, while Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey are all being destabilized by Syria’s ongoing meltdown.\”
3. Hong Kong protests and more: He says geopolitical tensions \”are more likely to trigger global contagion when a systemic factor shaping the global economy comes into play.\” Hong Kong, the U.S. or Europe could provide that factor.
\”Today (or soon), the situation in Hong Kong, together with the news of further weakening in the Chinese economy, could trigger global financial havoc,\” Roubini says. He also warns that the Federal Reserve could \”spark financial contagion by exiting zero rates sooner and faster than markets expect,\” or the eurozone \”could relapse into recession and crisis.\”
Read Roubini\’s full column over at the Project Syndicate website, which bills itself as the world\’s opinion page.
MarketWatch wrote in January about how Roubini was sounding optimistic, and then in April covered six new risks he was seeing. Also read: 7 things that keep analysts awake at night
–Victor Reklaitis
Follow Vic on Twitter @vicrek.
More from The Tell:
U.S. Ebola case boosts drug makers working on treatments
Look beyond the Apple-Samsung rivalry, says J.P. Morgan
Why the next 5% move by the S&P 500 will be to the upsideFemale Sociopath
Statistically there are more male sociopath’s than female. Because there is not a database as such for ‘documented’ Sociopaths this statistic is made up from Martha Stout Ph.D and her book ‘The Sociopath Next Door’. The National Mental Health Institute says it’s 1 in 100 and that it’s more likely to find Antisocial Personality Disorder (the DSM-IV term) in men.
I believe it is harder to identify Antisocial Personality Disorder, specifically Narcissistic Sociopath in women as often times they have been labeled the ‘vindictive ex-wife’, or the ‘crazy ex-girlfriend’. These women can also portray the helpless victim mask, therefore gaining more sympathy and more {false} credibility. Society as a whole, tends to overlook female Sociopaths simply because when a relationship with a female Sociopath falls apart they are usually labeled the crazy ex-whatever. Sociopath women lie so easily and without conscience, that when the relationship with their partner falls apart {after they methodically and systematically destroy it} they can make their partner out to be a worthless, horrible human, (when in all reality, she probably sucked the life out of him). When a man has been a victim of a Female Sociopath, usually one of the above labels is given, {crazy ex-girlfriend, vindictive ex-wife ect} instead of a Sociopath and/or Narcissistic Sociopath.
Female Sociopaths are mentally and emotionally destructive liar’s, cheaters & deceivers, etc. They are extremely self-centered, and she is always right! Some female sociopaths may be unable to care for their children, providing the unconditional love and nurturing. Her children are just another ‘object’ to be used against the father. The children are often used as a supply source for her. Or in some cases divorced sociopath women with children will use them to gain sympathy from a new partner. These children can grow up feeling like an inconvenience to their mother’s, as they are also emotionally and mentally manipulated. They are also, in some cases made to feel inadequate, and never living up to their mother’s standards. Some female sociopaths are emotionally disconnected from their children, causing the ‘whiplash’ scenario, leaving the children with a deep craving for admiration. Could this be the beginning of some Narcissist?
Many of these women ‘appear’ normal in the public setting, but are verbally and emotionally abusive in the private setting. The Female Sociopath needs to be dominate, and she does this by being verbally intimidating and emotionally manipulative. She will systematically attack your personality, your objections, your displays of emotion, and your questions. She does this to obtain her supply source, {boost to her ego/dominating factor} They want do this with little or no regards to your needs and wants. To a Female Sociopath the end justify’s the mean’s.
Female Sociopath have a high sex drive, and in case studies, sex is not just good, it is over-the-top good. They are also very sexually promiscuous. As with this sex drive, they use this as one of the many manipulation tools to attract her next victim, she will use sex to her advantage, unbeknownst to the male. She will appear sympathetic, caring, concerned and display all the empathy/sympahty emotions, when in all reality she is pulling you in closer to keep the control for personal gain. This could be for material possessions, financial reasons, or reassurance that she is ‘the one’ (when she in fact may have several ‘one’s on the side). If a Female Sociopath feels she is being exposed, she may turn up the passion, and give you the false sense of security that you have nothing to fear. Or you will begin to see the Narcissistic Rage(s) if you haven’t already. She may be setting you up to leave, so she will keep you emotionally and physically close. Female Sociopaths can show fake their emotions if they are caught, and blame perhaps a one incident {yet you know the incidents are repeated behaviour}, on someone or something else, never taking accountability. Some men are so drawn to the physical aspect with a female Sociopath that when they catch their partner, girlfriend/wife cheating and lying, they tend to believe the lies more easily because the female Sociopath can turn on the sex factor, play the ‘pity card’, or cry rivers of tears while expressing how “sorry” she is etc. Therefore this puts the man back into the spin cycle of crazy and the false sense of security.
Women sociopaths are PTA mom’s, soccer mom’s, the ‘girl next door’. They are brutality emotionally and financially destructive. Female Sociopaths have a better time manipulating the court system (as they prey on the sympathy) of lawyer’s, judges etc, and can fake show their tears much easier than men. These women easily manipulate the court system in their favour with financial judgments, all done by made up lies about the man, false documentation, and coerced ‘statement’s’, thus leaving the men financially ruined. Male victims of a female Sociopath not only have to grasp what they just went through, and accept the hard blow to the ego, but they may also have to fight the ex in the court system for custody, and/or shared custody. And this usually is a very tough battle, as Female Sociopaths have many labels they can hide behind. {ie: these false labels can be physical abuse, financial destitution etc.} And society as a general rule of thumb grants custody to the female parent in most cases. Once again, when dealing with a Sociopath, the same amount of emotional and mental devastation, financial loss, friendships destroyed etc. are not gender specific. Female Sociopaths are just as viscous and vindictive as the male Sociopath. They can make you feel inadequate, violated, and a need to control each and every situation.
Here are a couple of traits of female sociopaths. I believe Narcissistic Sociopath is not gender related, these people just have different names and faces.
no real values
secret lives: hiding money, friends, affairs
slow to forgive: holds onto resentement
high blaming behaviour: projects faults onto other’s {even her children}
repeatedly fails to honor financial obligations
constantly seeking admiration
she breaks her man’s spirits to keep them dependent: she has a viscous way of cutting you down
undermines your ability to make choices
she has to be right~she has to win: whatever the situation may be. You will find yourself just ‘giving in’ to keep the peace
lacks ability to see how she comes across to others: be it verbally, or her actions
she announces, not discusses ~she tells, not asks
she does not listen because she does not really care: your opinions and/or complaints are an annoyance.
she exudes very little empathy and/or sympathy
You feel miserable with this person as she is draining the life out of you.
©sociopathlife.com
If you would like to contact me, please feel free to send me an email at: TaelaHill@mail.com I would appreciate a donation as I devote a
LOT of personal time to this website and also to your emails. Your donation will help offset the cost of this website and allow me to continue to post new articles with informative, helpful information. Your donation will be done via PayPal so it is very secure.Curried Kidney Beans, Quinoa, Roasted Zucchini, Roasted broccoli stems, Mango Salsa Bowl. Easy fridge clean up bowl. vegan gluten-free nut-free soy-free recipe. Can be oil-free
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Its hot these days and bowls are a perfect meal filled up with crunchy veggies, roasted veggies, some beans and grains. We usually serve our bowl with any leftover curried beans/lentils. There is only so much plain beans you can eat right.
I whipped up the bowl to use up things from the refrigerator. Use any roasted veggies of choice. The curried kidney beans, mango salsa, quinoa and roasted veggies work beautifully together. The curried kidney beans are oil free. You can grill the veggies without oil as well to make the bowl oil free.
It looks like there are many things in the bowl, but you can prep in parallel. Start with the kidney beans curry. While the sauce is cooking down, cook the quinoa, chop up the veggies and start up the grill pan to grill the zucchini, broccoli stem slices and other veggies. Prep the mango salsa and chop up the lettuce or greens. Arrange the bowl as you like with the crunchy veggies, roasted veggies, quinoa and warm curried beans. Dress with salt, garam masala and lemon juice. Some freshly made garam masala works wonders. Or use a combination of ground cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom and black pepper.
More bowls from the blog..
This kind of bowl is like an individual serving of what we usually would eat for dinner. Kidney Bean curry, served with rice, a dry vegetable side (subzi) and a salad of sliced veggies like radish, onion, cucumber or raita. But all of those are generally served in their serving bowls and everyone takes the amounts they want. That is how I generally serve food, Indian or not. So it also gets photographed like that (in several of my posts), serving bowls for each and it feels like a lot of different components. While in a bowl, they look fewer and approachable :). A fancier thaali if you will.In 2009 the world heard about the Korean Samyang company for the first time. At first they were producing just simple T2 zoom lenses and mirror constructions but soon they launched a fully-fledged 1.4/85 lens and then more than a dozen new optical constructions designed for both mirrorless and reflex cameras, often also offered in the movie version.
The dynamics of Samyang’s growth is really impressive. Few companies are able to launch as many as four-five completely new optical constructions a year, most of them very good and additionally coming with a good price-quality ratio.
Still lately the company stopped enlarging the segment of the cheapest, entry level lenses; its newest instruments can cost around 2000-3000 PLN, not about 1000 PLN as it used to be not so long time ago. Does that price increase entails also better performance of lenses? We decided to check that while looking closely at the Samyang 135 mm f/2.0 ED UMC.
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We would like to thank the Fototechnika company for lending us one specimen for testing purposes.
You are also invited to get acquainted with our test procedure, described in the article "How do we test lenses?" If you feel it’s still not enough, please go to our FAQ section where you can find some further explanation.Red Frog Events, the River North company that puts on obstacle-filled 5K races called Warrior Dashes, laid off 29 of its roughly 105 Chicago employees today.
The move comes as Red Frog continues its effort to expand beyond the world of adventure racing into hosting music and food festivals.
"We recently acquired a food and beverage company in Ohio, established a Columbus office and adopted a regional staffing model for our events," Lauren King, the company's director of public relations, wrote in an email. "Our reduction of the Chicago office is designed to make us more nimble and efficient."
The company, founded in 2007 with a $5,000 investment by 27-year-old Joe Reynolds, exploded as tens of thousands of people eagerly paid up to $70 apiece to run through rings of fire and fling themselves over barbed wire fences at each event.
Red Frog grew to a $45 million, 50-person company by 2011. It was included in Forbes' Most Promising Companies list, Crain's Best Places to Work list and Inc. magazine's list of the 5,000 fastest growing companies in America.
Red Frog also gained attention as a fun, generous employer flooded with 20-something race organizers and hordes of younger interns who staffed the events. The office included a treehouse; employees were encouraged to choose their own job titles; and Red Frog at one point matched 401(k) contributions of up to 10 percent of an employee's salary and offered a health plan with no deductibles or out-of-pocket payments.
RISING RIVALS
Growth, however, has slowed in recent years as competitors including Tough Mudder and Spartan Race have proliferated. The company posted revenue of $47 million in 2013—far off Reynolds' public projections that revenue would increase to $65 million in 2012. The company also ended its massive internship program, which once hired nearly two interns for every full-time employee. (The company has continued to grow year over year, according to King. She declined to provide Red Frog's 2014 revenue.)
In March of this year, Red Frog subleased its 17,000-square-foot fifth floor at 320 W. Ohio Street to another Chicago startup, Trunk Club.
At the time of the deal, Red Frog said it planned to hire more employees but didn't need as much space because it had cut back on its use of interns to staff events.
Company leadership has made an effort to expand beyond Warrior Dashes into music festivals, particularly the Firefly Music Festival, held each June in Delaware.
Red Frog also has expanded into food and drink festivals, including the American Beer Classic, held each May at Soldier Field, and the Lively Water Whiskey Festival, which debuted last year at the Field Museum. Last year, it bought a major St. Patrick's Day festival in Washington, D.C.
And this month, it acquired DJ's National Food Service, a food and beverage company based in Columbus, Ohio.
"We're very excited about the growth of our events, festivals and the event space in general," Red Frog spokeswoman King wrote in an email.
Previously:
• Red Frog teams up with Coachella
• Chicago event firm Red Frog buys D.C.'s ShamrockFest
• Red Frog's rock 'n' roll fantasyIf it isn’t clear already, we have decided to rename Canary to Canario! This change comes after a decision to give the service a name that is unique amongst other products with similar names. If you’re a Spanish or Portuguese speaker, the name isn’t quite that different however.
All traffic going from the canary.pw domain will automatically be redirected indefinitely.
There’s been some cosmetic changes, but what we’re most excited about is an entire overhaul to the software backend! Here’s what we’ve been busy doing the past few months:
Searching
One big thing we’ve done away with (temporarily) is keyword-based searching. This was done because we have never been satisfied with the results given by previous iterations of the search engine.
After the Ashley Madison breach, Canario saw thousands of searches per hour and most of them were by those who were not using the bangs (“!email” for example) with mixed results. So because of this we have opted to make it so if you perform a search without a bang it will search within our collection of objects (such as an e-mail, IP address, et cetera), allowing for more accurate results.
This does not mean that we’ve done away with the bang feature as we’ve improved one and added a new one as well.
For those who are interested in IP addresses, we’ve added the ability to perform CIDR notation when searching.
This means that the following search examples are valid when using the IP (!ip) bang:
!ip 192.168.1.0/24
!ip 10.0.0.
!ip 8.8.8.8
With the second example, it is converted to “10.0.0.0/24” (and if it were to be “10.0” it would become “10.0.0.0/16”). You can only do this from a /32 down to a /16.
One new feature we’ve added is the ability to search by TLD and sub-TLD via the new “!tld” bang.
We’ve included all two-letter country TLDs, all original non-country TLDs, and all of the new ones approved by ICANN through to the end of 2015–we will update as we go along of course. Non-Latin TLDs are also supported starting with “XN-“, meaning we cover over 1,000 different TLDs.
On top of that, we also are including sub-TLDs. This means that hosts ending with “gc.ca” (Government of Canada), “ca.us” (State of California), and even services like DynDNS (“dyndns.org”) and Amazon AWS (“amazonaws.com”) are included in the search area. There’s almost 10,000 sub-TLDs covered here.
Going back to keyword searching, we do plan to return this feature as a paid option later this year. We will provide more details on this as we go forward but a (sort of) workaround has been made available.
More in-depth analysis
One of the biggest challenges we’ve had with the old software was that it was designed with a different purpose in mind and that over time features were added in that required more work for the database back-end than what was best.
Here’s an example e-mail address:
john.smith@example.email.co.uk
Under the old software this is what we’d extract:
The e-mail address: john.smith@example.email.co.uk
The hostname: example.email.co.uk
With the new software, we still extract the the above but we also retrieve the following:
All subdomains: email.co.uk
The TLD: uk
The sub-TLD: co.uk
The IP address that the original hostname resolves to: 10.255.2.16
What this allows for you to do is find any item regardless of how you search for it. This permits an organization to find things that may exist within their IP space that do not show up explicitly in our samples.
Under consideration is the extraction of MX records but as it stands right now we’re sticking with just A records.
Here’s one other example using an HTTP link:
http://bit.ly/1PiaTrF
Under the old software here’s what we’d get:
The URL itself: http://bit.ly/1PiaTrF
The hostname: bit.ly
Under the new software, we get the above plus much more:
All redirects leading up to the end URL: http://seclists.org/fulldisclosure/2016/Jan/0
The hostnames from all redirects and URLs: bit.ly, seclists.org
All TLDs from the hostnames: ly, org
All IP addresses from the hostnames: 69.58.188.39, 45.33.49.119
We want to make it easier for you to find your data and we hope that making the analysis more in-depth will be helpful.
Better alerts (soon)
Right now we’re re-analyzing all of our samples and as a result we’ve opted to disable outright the alert system until this has been completed. However, you can in the meantime create alerts that will be enabled the moment we have the system ready.
If you have already registered before the transition to the software and enabled alerts based on your e-mail address, this will already be ready to go once the data processing is complete. For any new users going forward, you will need to input this manually but as a new feature, you can now set any object you want as an alert result within Canario.
The Canario alert engine will look for these strings within any new sample upon the analysis being completed. For now, we’re only allowing up to five strings but in the future we will be permitting more than five plus the ability to use regular expressions on data that is coming in. As mentioned earlier, more details on this will be forth coming.
We will make an announcement once we’ve completed the data migration.
Closing
In addition to everything above, we encourage anyone who is interested to check out our IRC channel on Freenode at #canario.
We’ll provide an update on the data migration progress very soon. There will be some interruptions to service over the coming week or two but the worst of what was needed to be done on our end is over.
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A teenager seriously injured in Monday's Manchester attack had something to smile about yesterday after receiving a phone call from her 'hero', Harry Styles, following an appeal by her sister.
Freya Lewis, 14, has been heavily sedated since Tuesday morning when she underwent surgery to treat fractures, lacerations and burns caused by shrapnel from the 'dockyard confetti' bomb built by monster Salman Abedi.
The teen, whose sister describes her as "Harry's biggest fan", has since had two more operations and been under heavy sedation.
Her family has been providing updates to the community via a blog on her school's website while she recovers at Manchester Children's Hospital, the Manchester Evening News reports.
Upset relatives revealed that after her third operation yesterday afternoon, Freya was breathing on her own for the first time but was "extremely confused and traumatised" when she finally came around.
(Image: Facebook)
"It is truly heartbreaking in a way that I would not have believed possible," they wrote.
But after she had medication and a nap, Freya woke up much brighter and even managed to blow a kiss at her dad and give him a smile.
Her parents were already delighted - then, moments later, the phone rang.
Who should be on the other end of the phone but Harry Styles, Freya's "hero".
(Image: SWNS.com)
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"The phone rang and it was Harry Styles. Freya woke up, Harry said he loved her, she said she loved him, then Dad said he loved him!!
"The PICU unit at Manchester Children's Hospital has just been given a lift like you can not imagine!
"Harry, we salute you sir, Holmes Chapel is very proud of you!!"
Sister Georgia wrote on Facebook: "Cannot believe it, Mr Harry Styles just rang my Dad. Hearing his voice has been a great lift and Freya has totally woken up and is completely in shock that he rang."
(Image: YouTube/The Late Late Show with James Corden)
Georgia had previously posted videos of her sister meeting the star and appealed for help to get his attention.
She wrote: "As I'm pretty sure most of you know my sister is the biggest Harry Styles fan I'm pretty sure in the world. All she does every second of every day is talk about how much she loves him.
"I don't expect this to work but if this post is shared enough times we can see if we can get Harry's attention. All I want is for my little sister to be happy so please share for Harry Styles' biggest fan. I love you so much Freya, get better soon."
Harry Styles is a former pupil of Holmes Chapel Comprehensive, where Freya and Nell studied.
Heartbreakingly, Freya's parents have explained that she didn't know about the death of her best friend, Nell Jones, until this morning.
Freya had been walking to meet her dad, Nick, with friend Nell as he was waiting to pick them up from the concert.
"At 6am she came around completely for the first time, her memory kicked in about the events of Monday night and she started asking questions.
"This was the moment we had been both waiting for and dreading.
(Image: SWNS.com)
"Over the following 30 minutes she shared with me all of her very personal and harrowing recollections of the detonation of the bomb and the aftermath.
"We discussed the loss of her friend Nell, which she was unaware of up to this morning.
"She understands, with absolute clarity, what happend on Monday night and what injuries she has sustained."
Her parents added that the teen's response has been "incredible, beyond any words" and her strength "phenomenal and inspiring".Choosing a smartphone can be a difficult decision. How much does it cost? How long does the battery last? Does it come in a variety of colors? The decision becomes even harder when you want an affordable device with the essentials you crave.
Find everything you’re looking for in an essential smartphone with the new Moto C and Moto C Plus – two affordable devices packed with features that give new smartphone users the battery life, performance and speed they need.
Moto C – Packed With The Essentials
Say goodbye to boring with the updated design, micro-textured back cover and vivid display of Moto C. Available in Metallic Cherry, Pearl White, Fine Gold or Starry Black,* Moto C is impressive any way you look at it.
Keep moving without stopping to recharge. Moto C features a long-lasting 2350 mAh¹ battery so you can focus on what you want to do, not whether you’ll have enough power to do it. In addition to the long-lasting battery, the quad-core processor and 4G speed² lets you toggle between apps, stream music, watch videos and play games with ease. Swipe and scroll through your favorite websites or quickly update your social media status with the efficient processor.
Never miss a moment – even in the dark. Take selfies that are worth sharing with the 2MP front-facing camera featuring its own selfie flash. And with a separate 5MP rear-camera and LED flash, you can capture great photos wherever you are.
Moto C Plus – Power That Moves You
For more trusted essentials, say hello to the new Moto C Plus. Moto C Plus offers a larger display, a more powerful battery and more advanced camera, at a price that fits your budget.
Say goodbye to having to search for a power outlet thanks to the 4000 mAh¹ battery. With Moto C Plus, you’ll have the power you need for up to 30 hours on a single charge. As you go through your busy day, switch effortlessly between work and personal phone numbers with the dual SIM slots in Moto C Plus, or add more room for apps, photos and music by popping in a microSD card.³
Moto C Plus also features a powerful camera, even in low light. With a 2MP front-facing camera and selfie light and an 8MP rear-camera with LED flash, you’ll always get beautifully sharp photos and selfies.
Availability and Pricing
Moto C and Moto C Plus will be available beginning this spring in various countries across Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Find the 3G version of Moto C starting at €89 with 1GB RAM/8GB storage, and the 4G option starting at €99 with 1GB RAM/8GB storage. Moto C Plus starts at €119 with 1GB RAM/16GB.
Please check with your local PR rep for exact local details.
Images can be found here (you agree to our license terms when downloading images or video).
*Color options vary by country and channel.
¹All battery life claims are approximate and based on an average user profile that includes both usage and standby. Actual battery performance will vary and depends on signal strength, network configuration, features selected, and voice, data, operating temperature and other application usage patterns. 4000 mAh is the typical capacity
²Certain features, functionality and product specifications may be network dependent and subject to additional terms, conditions, and charges. All are subject to change without notice. The secondary SIM may not function in regions where a 2G network is not available.
³Actual available capacity of user storage and internal memory is less because the operating system, software and other functions which utilize part of this capacity. The available capacity may change with software updates. microSD card sold separately. Content with DRM restrictions may not be able to be moved to the card.
Designed and manufactured by Motorola Mobility, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lenovo.
MOTOROLA, Stylized M Logo, MOTO and the MOTO family of marks are trademarks of Motorola Trademark Holdings, LLC. Android is a trademark of Google Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2017 Motorola Mobility LLC. All rights reserved.Do Unto Animals: The Book!
We're so excited to finally announce Tracey's first book: DO UNTO ANIMALS: A Friendly Guide to How Animals Live, and How We Can Make Their Lives Better. In addition to over 300 beautiful color illustrations by artist Lisel Ashlock, a portion of Tracey's proceeds from the book will be donated to Farm Sanctuary.
WHAT IS THE BOOK ABOUT?
The more we know about the animals in our world and the better we care for them, the better our lives will be. Former veterinary technician and animal advocate Tracey Stewart understands this better than most—and she’s on a mission to change how we interact with animals. Through hundreds of charming illustrations, a few homemade projects, and her humorous, knowledgeable voice, Stewart provides insight into the secret lives of animals and the kindest ways to live with and alongside them.
At home, she shows readers how to speak “dog-ese” and “cat-ese” and how to “virtually adopt” an animal. In the backyard, learn about building bee houses, dealing nicely with pesky moles, and creative ways to bird-watch. And on the farm, Stewart teaches us what we can do to help all farm animals lead a better life (and reveals pigs’ superpowers!). Part practical guide, part memoir of her life with animals, and part testament to the power of giving back, Do Unto Animals is a gift for animal lovers of all stripes.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Tracey Stewart is the editor-in-chief of the website Moomah, which provides parents and kids with fun, easy, and effective ways to contribute to varying kinds of nonprofits. A passionate animal advocate and expert (she’s a former veterinary technician), she lives in New Jersey with her husband, Jon Stewart; two kids; four dogs; two pigs; one hamster; three rabbits; two guinea pigs; one parrot; and two fish—all rescues except for the kids.
a look at what people are saying:
“Do Unto Animals is delightful, entertaining, and hugely important. Tracey’s love for animals has led to a profound understanding of their world, and it becomes clear that the better we know this world, the better their lives will be. And this, in turn, will make our own lives more fulfilling. It is the perfect gift for all who love animals. And for those who should love them better.”
―Jane Goodall, PhD, DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, and UN Messenger of Peace
“With humor and grace, this beautiful and inspiring book helps us to understand and appreciate animals and encourages us to treat them with compassion and respect... How we treat other animals is a reflection of who we are, and this wonderful book helps us to be kinder, better people.”
―Gene Baur, co-founder and president, Farm Sanctuary
“This book is a dazzling confluence of art, heart, |
day.
“My legs hurt, my Achilles is popping, my ass is bruised and I’ve lost six pounds.”
Luckily, Bilzerian has an ace in the hole in former pro cyclist Lance Armstrong, who’s giving him training tips, covering pacing, balancing, gear shifting, and finding optimal hand and body positions.
“Bill heard that Lance is helping me out and offered him a bet: Lance would have to make the LA-to-Vegas trip in 15 hours,” says Bilzerian. “Lance considered it, but turned him down.”
If he gets injured to the point that he cannot complete the ride, happening later this month, Bilzerian loses $600,000. Even if he doesn’t get hurt, the feat won’t be easy: By comparison, the first two days of the Tour de France cover only 202 miles. Bilzerian cannot use motors or tow ropes, but he can walk if his legs or bikes blow out.
Bilzerian says he plans to spend around $125,000 on equipment, chase vans and support staff including bike techs, a doctor, two chefs, trainer, masseuse and an assistant. Win or lose, he’ll give $25,000 to Armstrong’s child-cancer charity, and if he’s victorious, he’ll use $350,000 to cover a recent poker loss.
And he plans on doing everything he can to enhance his odds: “I’ll have a dozen bikes in one of the vans, and may get a giant tricycle” in case his legs lock up. “I might take Provigil, which is what fighter pilots use to stay focused,” he adds. (Says Perkins: “Dan can take any drugs he wants. I think this is the worst bet Dan has ever made — he can die.”)
Win or lose (but not die), Bilzerian figures, “The recovery promises to be brutal. I anticipate bed rest and will be surprised if any skin remains on my ass. You hope for the best with these things, but prepare for the worst.”
Check out this controversial Instagrammer who doesn’t have to risk her life to get views:Let’s deal with the facts. Hip-hop was primarily created by black and Latinx youth living in the South Bronx in the 1970s. During that time, highways were being built through poor neighborhoods, destroying the fabric of these communities. Along with budget cuts to programs designed to help poor people of color, these changes disenfranchised many. Arts and after school programs were cut, and rather than being in safe learning environments, many kids took to the streets for their education. They created new slang and a rebellious fashion. They plugged into the lamp posts for power and made up new dances while the DJ played the funkiest part of a song over and over again. They created a new form of poetry, a new form of music that they used to express their pain. Like the rose that grew from the concrete, hip-hop became a quite literal response to systemic oppression faced primarily by poor people of color.
While the South Bronx was, and still is, primarily poor black and Latinx people, there were young white people from all over New York City who were inspired by hip-hop from its inception. Particularly in the graffiti world, white kids were making their mark in hip-hop as early as the original pioneers. It would be more rare to see white DJs, MCs, and B-boys back then, but as hip-hop involved over time, more and more white people became involved in every aspect of the culture and were respected as being down by law. Hip-hop has never been about segregation or some sort of supremacy. Hip-hop has always been about equality. Peace, love, unity and having fun.
Hip-hop has always also been about justice. As rappers moved to the forefront of hip-hop culture in the early 1980s, young people of color were in a unique position to address the oppression we face through music. The first big record to do this was “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. The success of “The Message” created a lane for “conscious” hip-hop to be successful. However, the more conscious hip-hop became, the more pro-black it became. While poor people of every race could relate to Melle Mel’s rap in “The Message,” by the early 1990s popular hip-hop artists like X-Clan, Gang Starr and Public Enemy were pushing a message that was focused primarily on the needs of black people. Hugely inspired by Malcolm X, these artists spoke of self determination and worth and demanded we be accountable for pathologies in our community while simultaneously combating a system that is set up for us to fail. As a young black man raised in a culturally nationalist home, this hip-hop spoke to me. These MCs were my heroes.
No matter the message, white kids always will be the primary consumers of hip-hop music around the world. White kids are most likely to be the ones with the money to support the music, another result of systemic oppression and white privilege. Some of these white kids go beyond being consumers and actually participate in the culture. They learn how to rap, DJ, B-Boy, write graffiti, and they become excellent at it. Because hip-hop as a culture is based on skill, as long as you have skills, you will be respected regardless of race. You will be given what is sometimes crudely referred to as “a pass.” This is a beautiful thing. It is proof that hip-hop has unified more people of different races than any other culture.
However, some white people (not all, some, I have to say that because some of y’all get real sensitive when anyone critiques anything white) in hip-hop misunderstand what this pass means. Your hip-hop pass does not entitle you to intentionally participate in the silencing of black people who express black pain. This pass does not mean you no longer have the ability to say or do racist things. This pass does not mean that when you do engage in the silencing of black people, that you won’t be checked.
As defined by Robin DiAngelo in the International Journal of Critical Pedagogy, “white fragility is a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves. These moves include the outward display of emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviors such as argumentation, silence, and leaving the stress-inducing situation.”
Everyone who follows my career knows I truly enjoy spending time on Twitter. I am on there more than most “celebs” and I engage with fans and haters alike, daily. I promote music, I speak about issues that are close to my heart and I hold debates that can last for weeks. The way I tweet or the sheer volume of my tweets may annoy some people. That’s fair. If you don’t like how I tweet, you can unfollow or not follow at all. Twitter provides that option. However, what I find interesting is people will choose to follow me or visit my page for the sole purpose of complaining about what I post. To say I argue with trolls often is accurate. To say I tweet an awful lot is accurate. To say I have ever tweeted anything remotely racist or participated in any act that could be considered racist, is not accurate. Those are lies. As it’s been said by people smarter than me, when you are accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.
From Black Star to Prisoner Of Conscious, much of the lyrical content you find in my music centers around pro-blackness, self determination and justice. My perspective has always been that of a black man, but I stand in solidarity with all oppressed people, whether it’s Latinx immigrants or women of all races who make less money in the workplace. Anyone with a basic understanding of the lyrics I’ve been spitting for 20-plus-years would not be shocked to find that I speak about the same exact things on Twitter.
Yet still, every once in a while a white so-called “fan” will tweet me about how shocked he is to see me stand up for black people and that I’m a racist for doing so. I call bullshit. Those aren’t fans. They are very clearly people who follow me because I’m a celebrity. They don’t support my music—never have, never will. And even if they did buy an album or two out of the 13 that I’ve released, that was an even exchange. The store they bought it from got money, they got a great album. It doesn’t give them the right to tell me not to stand up for black people on social media.
There is an argument to be made that based on the more progressive sociological definition of racism, people of color cannot be racist. Now that we’ve seen the effects of systemic oppression over centuries, many academics feel that the definition of racism must evolve to be prejudice plus the power to act on that prejudice in a systemic way. This is a definition I agree with, but many of those who do not study racism academically are not informed enough to understand it. For that reason, I will leave the sociological definition of racism out of this piece and deal with racism as if the traditional dictionary definition is the only applicable one. For the sake of this particular piece, let’s assume black people have the power to be racist in America. Even by that definition, I am far from a racist.
Calling someone a racist, or even a bigot, is a serious charge. For those of us that dedicate our lives to combating racism, it becomes even more serious. So if you are going to call someone a racist, you should be able to back up that claim efficiently. You “feeling like” someone said something racist is not proof of a claim. Someone saying something that “seemed” racist to you is also not proof if such a claim. These exchanges I’m referring to are all on Twitter. Twitter is not Snapchat, the tweets don’t disappear. If I tweeted something racist, you should be able to find it very easily. There is no need to infer tone, make an interpretation or tell me what you “feel like” I was trying to say when my words are right there. Either challenge what I actually said, or don’t challenge me at all.
Writing is my superpower. I have my prejudices like any human, but I keep them out of my writing. Often, people challenge me on how something I wrote made them feel, rather than take responsibilities for why they have those feelings. When these people accuse me of being racist on Twitter, I ask them to RT one racist thing I’ve ever written. They never can, because those tweets don’t exist. At that point they are forced to deal with the facts that they are spreading lies about me with no proof. I was discussing systemic oppression, and because they benefit from it, they feel like I was talking about them personally.
If anecdotal evidence meant anything, I could tell anecdotes all day that would prove it’s impossible for me to dislike white people. One of my best friends is a Russian Jew named Dave New York. An Italian-American woman named Donna Dragotta is the GM of my company, and from Macklemore to Mac Miller, I’ve done more songs with white rappers than any living black MC. But if I were to mention any of these facts in a debate about my character, I would be no better than the white guy who claims he ain’t racist because he has black friends or a black wife. These could be true facts, but they do not disprove racism. Anecdotes prove nothing.
I don’t need anecdotes to prove I’m not a racist because my words and actions stand on their own. So when a white rapper named Remedy showed up out the blue to tweet me “are you pro black, racist, or both??” the first thing I asked him to do is to RT where I had been racist. He failed to do so, choosing instead to write that I was a “proven racist.” Proven? How? By who? So again, I asked him to RT where I had been racist, and again he failed to, choosing to be a disrespectful troll instead.
As fans watched the exchange, one fan sent me a clip of RZA from Wu-Tang accusing Remedy of stealing music and claiming it as his own. At was at this point that I realized this Remedy was the white rapper the Wu had back in the day. This made his trolling of me even more confusing. Why would a fellow rapper, one down with the Wu, a crew of Five Percenter MCs, be calling me a racist? So I called him a devil. It had nothing to do with race. Devils lie and steal. So far, Remedy had done both.
RZA claims Remedy stole a song at the 9:00 mark in the above video.
Would you walk up to a stranger on the street who was having a conversation with someone else and say “are you pro black, a racist, or both??” No, you wouldn’t. So why would you tweet someone that, especially someone in your field who is down with your people? That question is loaded, it’s baited and it implies that you’ve already made your decision about that stranger’s character. This was proven when, upon asked for proof of my racism, Remedy failed to offer any proof, instead, tweeting “you’re a proven racist.” I don’t know Remedy. I have never met him and before he decided to troll me on Twitter, we had never spoken. He is not owed my respect, especially in the face of disrespect. When I called him a devil, his response was “you probably always thought I was a devil.” No, what I actually thought was Remedy could rap and had some skill. I remember liking his song about the Holocaust, “Never Again,” when it was out years ago. But now that Remedy decided to show up quite intentionally to silence me while I was talking about systemic oppression, I know now that Remedy is a devil, a liar, a thief and a culture vulture.
If Remedy’s unwarranted tweets to me weren’t enough to prove he has no love for hip-hop culture or people of color, fans started sending me some of Remedy’s tweets that showed his support of Donald Trump.
What kind of white rapper supports Trump, but claims to be down with Wu-Tang? What kind of Jewish rapper supports a clear white supremacist like Donald Trump? What happened to “Never Again?” What kind of white rapper supports Donald Trump while calling black rappers racist? It was beginning to look like Remedy called me a racist because he was feeling guilty about his own racism.
Even though Remedy claims to be down with Wu-Tang, not one member from the Clan showed up to support him in his claims of my racism, which, by the way, became claims of anti-Semitism once he failed to provide claims of racism. You know who did show up to support him though? Three other white rappers. First up was my friend R.A. the Rugged Man. R.A. is well respected in hip-hop circles for his skill, and while he and I don’t see eye to eye politically on some things, he is someone I have great respect for. His dedication to the craft of hip-hop is unmatched. R.A., who also happens to be good friends with Remedy, tweeted that he wanted us to “get along.” I took issue with this.
Why should I “get along” with someone who is blatantly disrespecting me, making false accusations about my character with no merit? Why would my friend ask me to do that? I DM’ed R.A. about this. He responded by saying that Remedy was wrong and that he didn’t understand why Remedy would do that. However, R.A. went back on the public timeline to once again ask us to “get along.” But never once did R.A. say that Remedy should apologize for being wrong. As a man, I refuse to be silent about people trying to silence me. No justice, no peace. If Remedy didn’t take responsibility for his lies, I would not be “getting along” with him. I told R.A. that on this issue, he would have to choose a side.
R.A. was conflicted, but he shouldn’t have been. Rather than having enough respect for his friendship with me to publicly say that his man who was wrong (R.A.’s words) should apologize, R.A. made a five-minute YouTube video about how he was conflicted because I asked him to choose between friends. That is untrue and it was unfair of R.A. to suggest that’s what I was asking. I did not ask anyone to choose between friends. I didn’t say, “R.A., you cant be Remedy’s friend.” Nor would I ever. I asked R.A. to choose between making the right or wrong statement about a particular situation. R.A.’s exact words were “what Remedy did was fucked up, it was wrong, it was bullshit.” If you think what your friend did to your other friend was “fucked up, wrong and bullshit” but you stop short of saying that an apology is in order, then how are you a true friend to either of them? You are not. If you are not asking for an apology, then you saying it was “fucked up” means absolutely nothing.
R.A. also said in his video that he’s heard me say “if anyone has a problem with R.A., they have a problem with me.” I did say that, and I meant it. But now that statement seems foolish, because now I realize that people can have all types of problems with me, they can lie and accuse me of racism, and R.A. will let them, as long as they are his friend. If one of my friends tweeted anything nearly as disrespectful to R.A., if any of my friends EVER publicly challenged R.A.’s character, especially in a disrespectful manner, I would ask that friend to apologize, publicly. Not even a question. I did not receive the same courtesy from my friend R.A. R.A. respects his friendship with Remedy, that is clear. But his reluctance to say that Remedy should apologize for starting this made me feel like he didn’t respect his friendship with me quite as much.
It amazing that people who have no tweets about systemic oppression or any tweets that show any type of solidarity with people of color at all have so much to say when they show up to defend a white rapper who calls me a racist. Shortly after R.A. chose to involve himself in this, another white rapper named Eamon tweeted me to tell me to leave Remedy alone. Some of you will remember Eamon, most won’t. I’ve never heard an Eamon song, so I don’t know if he can rap or not, but I do know that anyone who comes to support a white rapper who calls me a racist is someone not worthy of my respect. So I quickly let Eamon know that I would not stand for Remedy’s shenanigans, and that if he agreed with Remedy, fuck him too. Eamon bowed out of the discussion quickly.‘Blind Boy” Jerron Paxton is taking a call inside his Ridgewood, Queens, kitchen to answer a few questions. He talks while making rugelach, from scratch. “I make everything from scratch,” he says.
When not home baking, Paxton is likely to be the only black blues performer wearing a yarmulke you’ll see this year. Or any year.
And that’s just for starters.
Even inside a genre that emphasizes the solo artist, with the musical distinctiveness and force of personality that goes with the role, the 26-year-old Paxton stands out vividly. Unlike other musicians content to rearrange the occasional old standard, Paxton tirelessly plumbs buried collections in search of forgotten but noteworthy song material, not only from blues but from jazz, folk, country and pop music, and returns it to the world’s ear in his performances. In a milieu where the electric guitar has long ruled as virtually the sole accompanying instrument, Paxton hues resolutely to its classic acoustic forerunner, along with the banjo, piano, fiddle, harmonica, Cajun accordion and percussive “bones,” each of which he plays with practiced skill.
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Paxton will play his second solo concert at B.B. King’s on Aug. 21. His CD, “Jerrod Paxton: Recorded Music for Your Entertainment,” is making steady rounds. He has played the folk festivals at Newport, Live Oak (Santa Barbara, Calif.) Calgary and Merlefest (celebrating the music of Doc and Merle Watson), as well as others across the continent and overseas. He’s now finishing a summer tenure as artistic director of the Port Townsend Festival in Washington State.
And then there’s that yarmulke.
“I come from an old family of Cajun Jews,” he explains. “They were Francophone and Sephardic.”
While he was born in Los Angeles, his maternal family roots hark back many generations inside Louisiana. He suspects that his clan’s origins may trace back to crypto-Jews from medieval Spain, but says, “The trail stops with my great grandfather. It’s complicated.”
He does say that he’s the only member of his family that he knows of who practices the rites of his Jewish heritage. “We were the only house in South Central [L.A.] with a mezuzah, as far as I know,” he adds. A small, devoted following of young religious Jews shows up at his shows.
The yarmulke, a broad, black affair seen conspicuously on the cover portrait of his CD, is a standard accoutrement at concerts, though not at his most recent gig at B.B. King’s (“too hot,” he says). He picks up bookings for Friday nights, calling himself “sporadically shomer Shabbos.” At the same time, while less than strict on dietary habits on the performance trail, describing himself as “kosher-ish,” he keeps kosher at home.
Paxton especially enjoys hosting dinners with his brand of “kosher soul food,” which features but is not limited to his homemade pastries. “My friends are my biggest connection,” he says.
A habitual late riser given his performing schedule, he attends afternoon services at Congregation Beth Aaron when at home in Ridgewood.
“I’m not as shomer Shabbos as I would like,” he concedes. “At the same time I believe the Almighty has gifted me with certain opportunities to pay the rent and to take care of my momma.”
His mother remains in Los Angeles. His father is “a very good drummer.” His parents have long been “happily separated.”
Paxton has toured Israel twice, including a visit earlier this year — “from Metula to Eilat” — to sold out shows.
For a young man in a hurry, Paxton knows how to take his time. He forages across the vast repository of historical music from the blues to virtually every category that fits the label of popular music. He pursues his research and takes the stage while dealing with longtime failing vision due to a faulty retina.
In June at B.B. King’s, New York’s premier blues showcase, Paxton, a black vest, suspenders and white shirt on his big frame, sat on a wooden chair surrounded by his various instruments and a rising number of empty bottles of Poland Spring water. The only electrification was a voice microphone and a lower mike for his guitar.
“Y’all know how to waltz? Anybody here old enough to remember how a train sounds?” he asked the audience, then proceeded to answer the questions on his harmonica, caroming from extended, arcing wails to bursting, staccato chords. Then, to the highly audible appreciation of the audience, he blew through a series of comparative riffs simulating the sounds of the Southern Mississippi versus the Sante Fe Railway whistles, the horn of a Model T Ford and “a little baby in the back seat who won’t hush up.”
Paxton kept his grooves fluid and deft, never straining for mere virtuosity. His playlist ranged from familiar standards like “”The Cat Came Back,” “Rye Whiskey,” “O Louisiana” (a variation on “O Susanna”), “Get Along Children” and Don Ho’s “Little Grass Shack” to more obscure but worthy titles such as “When the Cornpone’s Hot,” “Call Them Possum” and “My Lorena,” a Southern slave romance.
After the show Paxton mingled with fans for souvenir snapshots and inspection of his instruments, as well as selling signed CDs.
In his tart but candid account of his personal history, Paxton is far from reticent about his varied origins, but he declares: “I keep my music and my religion separate.” Asked about the state of mind that makes the sound of the music, he declines to probe too deeply for a common ground between the blues that blacks feel and the blues that Jews feel. “Everybody suffers,” he says. In the end, he lets his ears do the thinking. He mentions a recent hearing of a cut of Slovak music with a striking violin part. “That motherf—er has the blues,” he says.
He cites “Ashkenazic” music and its signature “crying clarinet.” “It’s tough, it’s bad, it’s horrible,” he says. “It releases you.
“It weeps and it’s happy in the same instant. There’s the mournful intro, and then the party kicks off.”
Otherwise, he says, “The blues are the soundtrack to black culture.” An apt illustration of Paxton’s aversion to fixing a “blues” label beyond that boundary was his choice of the song “One of These Days” at the B.B. King show. It’s the signature number of the celebrated and, to many ears, decidedly “bluesy” American-Jewish performer Sophie Tucker. Less well known is its authorship, that of black Canadian composer Shelton Brooks.
After leaving California for a stop at Marist College in upstate New York, Paxton enrolled in, then dropped out of Manhattan’s New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, while immersing himself in the city’s live music scene. The Jalopy bar in Red Hook, Brooklyn became a favorite haunt. His popularity and concert deals neatly followed. He was recently featured in a cover story by the Village Voice.
At the show’s break, B.B. King sound man John Yorke commented, “Blind Boy was born in what, 1989? And there has never been anybody more authentic in contemporary blues.”
Yorke added that Paxton was leading a “new vanguard” in a burgeoning movement of such authentic blues. As an example he cited the up-and-coming 20-year-old performer Solomon Hicks.
“He’s the real deal,” says David Burger, the composer of Jewish choral music who worked closely with both Richie Havens and Shlomo Carlebach. “He’s a great instrumentalist, knows the real blues and plays them with heart. He’s like what you might have heard from the great bluesmen of the ’20s and ’30s, without the scratchy sound of overplayed 78s. I don’t hear any specific Jewish influence on his music, per se. But he sings the blues, which has roughly the same connotation as tzuris.”
“The biggest folly in American culture today is how everything gets reduced to technical terms,” says Paxton. “But music, real music, is spiritual. Folk music means music that stands against academia. It’s music by and for the people.”
Talking time is over. The rugelach won’t bake themselves. “Shavua tov [good week],” Paxton signs off.
Blind Boy Paxton performs Aug. 21, 7:30 p.m., at B.B. King’s (Lucille’s Grill), 237 W. 42nd St., (212) 997-4144, bbkingblues.com.Cyrus Vance's office ignores evidence, law, and offer to confer privately
Cy Vance, District Attorney for NY County, claims he has no jurisdiction to investigate 9/11 or prosecute anyone for their involvement in itArchitects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth has for years sought an impartial investigation, under public auspices, of the collapse of the Twin Towers and Building #7 at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Until we were recently advised on the applicable law, we had not petitioned for a grand jury investigation of the 9/11 event. We have been advised by counsel that various current and former officials in the federal government of the United States might have a conflict of interest with regard to initiating or conducting a genuine investigation. Various officials appear to be covering up the truth about the destruction of the three WTC towers – a crime that could be prosecuted under state laws relating to murder, arson, treason, and others. Therefore we have been advised to petition the key state public prosecutor with jurisdiction over the 9/11 event, requesting a meeting between our counsel, representatives from Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth, and Cyrus Vance, district attorney in and for New York County, which has jurisdiction over downtown Manhattan, and/or such members of his office as he should designate.
On February 14, 2012, by FedEx delivery, as authorized by the AE911Truth board, we formally petitioned through our counsel William H. Schaap of the New York Bar, who serves on our behalf in the State of New York, supported by John Remington Graham of the Minnesota Bar, a criminal lawyer with past service as a chief public prosecutor and grand jury experience in his State. We assured Mr. Vance of complete confidentiality of discussions, and exclusion of any news media fanfare. We agreed to abide by such reasonable and prudent conditions as Mr. Vance himself should establish for the meeting we proposed. We made a detailed offer of proof, and outlined concrete evidence by video presentation. In order to avoid political pressure on his office, we urged that Mr. Vance cooperate in securing appointment of a special prosecutor of eminent standing who would appear before a grand jury to offer evidence of crimes against the State of New York in connection with the 9/11 event.
We followed up with another letter on June 19, 2013. Mr. Schaap received a telephone call from an assistant district attorney on July 10, 2013, to which we responded on August 9, 2013. For the convenience and information of the public, we here provide file copies of the letters by Mr. Graham dated February 4 as transmitted by Mr. Schaap by FedEx delivery on February 14, the follow-up letter by Mr. Schaap dated June 19, and the follow-up letter by Mr. Graham dated August 9.
Mr. Vance claimed early on in our correspondence that 9/11 is an exclusively federal matter – as if murder, arson, and even treason were not matters of state jurisdiction. They obviously are. No response has been received to our refutation of his stance on that point.
We believe that the public has a right to know that the buck has been passed once again on a specious pretext concerning a question which is politically too hot to touch, lest the American people learn the truth and demand appropriate reforms.
With this effort we have made a responsible, proper, fair-minded, and discreet attempt to secure a formal, objective investigation of the 9/11 event under suitable public auspices. The public is invited to read the attachments and draw your own inferences and conclusions.
Editor’s Note: AE911Truth is seeking funding for various legal actions connected to the NIST reports, such as lawsuits under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), claims against the validity of the NIST Reports, and the like. To make a donation to support this vital area of our work, please visit the AE911Truth Donations page, and then call the office at 510-292-4710 and leave a message.Chile has been engulfed by student protests – and their young leader has huge public support in her fight against the elite
As the Friday afternoon sun dipped towards the horizon, some students at the University of Chile played ping pong or football and couples lounged and kissed in the last warmth of the day. But others had more serious matters on their minds: the wildly popular student uprising that has transformed the nation's political agenda. And for many of the protesters involved and those who sympathise with its aims, the face of the uprising is Camila Vallejo.
In a basement auditorium a group of 60 student leaders planned the next steps in their burgeoning revolution for free university education, with Vallejo centre stage.
Vallejo sat behind her battered laptop, a small blue notebook on her desk and a rapt audience in front of her. When she speaks, her hands fly about, like birds snatching invisible prey. Her language is pointed and clear but, mixed with constant doses of humour and self-deprecation, she keeps her charges laughing.
As the second female president of Chile's leading student body, known as Fech (Federación de Estudiantes de la Universidad de Chile), Vallejo – who is also a member of the youth arm of the Communist party, the JJCC – has presided over the biggest citizen democracy movement since the days of opposition marches to General Augusto Pinochet a generation ago.
The government response has reminded many older Chileans of that same dark era. Three days ago, on Thursday, Chilean riot police ambushed Vallejo and a group of fellow student leaders just after a press conference in downtown Santiago. "They [police] targeted the leadership with violence," said Ariel Russell, a University of Chile student who witnessed the attack. "We had not even started the march and the police apparatus was upon us."
Vallejo, a 23-year-old geography student, was singing and marching with a handwritten sign when a squad of military vehicles closed in and attacked her with jets of tear gas. A pair of trucks mounted with water cannons unleashed a barrage of water fierce enough to break bones and scrape a person across the pavement. Vallejo was soaked, a cloud of tear gas was then blasted on to her body. With her skin wet, the chemical reaction was massive and incapacitating. Vallejo was paralysed. Her body went into an allergic reaction and welts from the gas erupted over it.
"At first, we resisted, but it was intolerable," she told the Observer. "You could not breathe, it was complicated, we had to run away from the carabineros [police] then another water cannon hit us in the face with a different chemical, this was much stronger … my whole body was burning, it was brutal."
Over the next four hours, journalists were beaten and 250 people arrested. Twenty-five police were injured as masked youths with paint bombs and handfuls of rocks counter-attacked. All Thursday afternoon, downtown Santiago was awash in running street fights between heavily armoured police units and hundreds of protesters decked in shorts and tennis shoes, with scarves to shield them from the gas.
As squads of police attacked students, pedestrians and even an ambulance, Vallejo huddled up in an office, receiving medical care and monitoring the situation through mobile phone reports from a team of scouts at the edges of what quickly became a riot.
The government blamed Vallejo for the chaos; after all, she had made the much publicised call, mobilising her followers to congregate at Plaza Italia, a public park and march along the Alameda, the capital's main thoroughfare, which sits less than two kilometres from the lightly guarded presidential palace. Vallejo was quick to retort that public gatherings need no authorisation and that the police had illegally attacked students standing in a park.
Vallejo, an eloquent and attractive young woman who exudes self-confidence and style, took the violence in her stride and focused on what she sees as the positive achievements thus far. "For years, Chilean youth have been consumed by a neo-liberal model that highlights personal achievement and consumerism; it is all about mine, mine, mine. There is not a lot of empathy for the other," said Vallejo in her office, decorated with a large photograph of Karl Marx.
"This movement has achieved just the opposite. The youth has taken control… and revived and dignified politics. This comes hand in hand with the questioning of worn-out political models – all they have done is govern for big business and powerful economic groups."
In just a matter of months, Vallejo has been catapulted from anonymous student body president to Latin American folk hero with more than 300,000 Twitter followers. Type her name into Google and there are more than 160,000 results just from the past 24 hours. Brazilian students now parade her as a VIP guest at their marches, the Chilean president invites her to negotiate a settlement and when she calls for a show of strength hundreds of thousands of students throughout Chile take to the streets. As an adept and wildly popular social media phenomenon, Vallejo has risen to become the most recognisable face of the student protesters.
Throughout the six-month revolt, Chilean students – in many cases led by 14- and 15-year-olds – have seized the streets of Santiago and major cities, provoking and challenging the status quo with their demand for a massive restructuring of the nation's for-profit higher education industry. In support of their demands for free university education, since May they have organised 37 marches, which have gathered upwards of 200,000 students at a time.
Police repression has been frequent. Vandals who often use the cover of student marches to attack banks, pharmacies and utility companies are met by an armed force of riot police who routinely attack pedestrians and tear gas crowds of innocent civilians.
What began as a quiet plea for improvements in public education has now erupted into a wholescale rejection of the Chilean political elite. More than 100 high schools nationwide have been seized by students and a dozen universities shut down by protests.
Classes for tens of thousands of students have been suspended since May, and the entire school year might have to be repeated. Polls show an estimated 70% of the Chilean public backs the students' demands and an equal percentage find the government's proposal insufficient, according to figures from Chile's leading newspaper, La Tercera.
Widely admired for her eloquent speeches on Chilean television, Vallejo has gathered a cult following around the world that ranges from German folk rock tributes to videos from Latin America's largest university, the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mexico (Unam). "This internationalisation of the movement has been very important to us," says Vallejo who receives a daily deluge of fan mail and invitations to speaking engagements and seminars. "Here in Chile we are constantly hearing the message that our goals are impossible and that we are unrealistic, but the rest of the world, especially the youth, are sending us so much support. We are at a crucial moment in this struggle and international support is key."
In stark contrast to the students' popularity, the once beloved coalition known as La Concertación, which organised the overthrow of Pinochet and then ruled Chile from 1990 to 2010, has fallen into political obsolescence. La Concertación is now polling at just 11% approval. Sebastian Piñera, Chile's president, a billionaire businessman, has just 22% public approval ratings |
much alt coin diversification is needed? 0%?
LegendaryActivity: 1820Merit: 1600How much alt coin diversification is needed? 0%? Re: ToominCoin aka "Bitcoin_Classic" #R3KT May 13, 2016, 08:31:58 PM #1745 Quote from: gmaxwell on May 13, 2016, 08:24:05 PM Pfft. I'm not going to mislead people by failing to call it what it is-- going to have some secret meeting where you are massively outnumbered with no strong negotiator on your side where you let yourself get compelled to commit to random things which are either largely meaningless or violate other people's trust and confidence in you (or, in fact, commitments you made to others before leaving) is a truly foolish move, if not quite "publicly endorsing scammer-wright" grade.
It's not the end of the world, people screw up, shit happens, goes on on-- but someone here asked the question as to why Luke was going around polling segments of the community what kind of hardforks they'd find acceptable, and that is why. It is a disappointment because its likely to exacerbate and prolong some drama which could otherwise be largely over now.
But ultimately isn't that the nature of a system that is purported to be decentralized?
Various persons are going to come to differing independent judgements about what to do and how to spend their efforts and energies.
Surely, adults can feel as if they were forced into agreeing about something, but in the end, if someone felt coerced, then that person should retract and hopefully learn from the experience not to let such happen again, and attempt to do so in a way that preserves some of credibility... Also, many of us discover over years of living that there are ways to agreeing to things that are sufficiently general in order to allow sufficient credibility. Bitcoin is certainly no company with a dictator or a means in which a small group of people are going to lock it down based on one amorphously written agreement.
Anyhow, individuals are going to come to different conclusions regarding how to act and what to do and sometimes act irrational and burn bridges and sometimes burn credibility... but hopefully learn from those experiences, as well. But ultimately isn't that the nature of a system that is purported to be decentralized?Various persons are going to come to differing independent judgements about what to do and how to spend their efforts and energies.Surely, adults can feel as if they were forced into agreeing about something, but in the end, if someone felt coerced, then that person should retract and hopefully learn from the experience not to let such happen again, and attempt to do so in a way that preserves some of credibility... Also, many of us discover over years of living that there are ways to agreeing to things that are sufficiently general in order to allow sufficient credibility. Bitcoin is certainly no company with a dictator or a means in which a small group of people are going to lock it down based on one amorphously written agreement.Anyhow, individuals are going to come to different conclusions regarding how to act and what to do and sometimes act irrational and burn bridges and sometimes burn credibility... but hopefully learn from those experiences, as well. Put BTC here: 35EVP8EePt8dyvKHaB7bXaRmKLm22YgRCA
How much alt coin diversification is necessary? if you are investing in Bitcoin, then perhaps 0%?
danielW
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Sr. MemberActivity: 277Merit: 250 Re: ToominCoin aka "Bitcoin_Classic" #R3KT May 13, 2016, 09:52:39 PM #1748 Quote from: gmaxwell on May 13, 2016, 08:24:05 PM Pfft. I'm not going to mislead people by failing to call it what it is-- going to have some secret meeting where you are massively outnumbered with no strong negotiator on your side where you let yourself get compelled to commit to random things which are either largely meaningless or violate other people's trust and confidence in you (or, in fact, commitments you made to others before leaving) is a truly foolish move, if not quite "publicly endorsing scammer-wright" grade.
It's not the end of the world, people screw up, shit happens, goes on on-- but someone here asked the question as to why Luke was going around polling segments of the community what kind of hardforks they'd find acceptable, and that is why. It is a disappointment because its likely to exacerbate and prolong some drama which could otherwise be largely over now.
Im not sure Greg, things are only this calm because of the agreement.
Like it or not a significant amount of 'economic majority' want hard fork asap and most likely 'economic majority' want a'reasonable' hard fork soon. Im not sure Greg, things are only this calm because of the agreement.Like it or not a significant amount of 'economic majority' want hard fork asap and most likely 'economic majority' want a'reasonable' hard fork soon.
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How much alt coin diversification is needed? 0%?
LegendaryActivity: 1820Merit: 1600How much alt coin diversification is needed? 0%? Re: ToominCoin aka "Bitcoin_Classic" #R3KT May 13, 2016, 10:03:20 PM #1749 Quote from: danielW on May 13, 2016, 09:52:39 PM Quote from: gmaxwell on May 13, 2016, 08:24:05 PM Pfft. I'm not going to mislead people by failing to call it what it is-- going to have some secret meeting where you are massively outnumbered with no strong negotiator on your side where you let yourself get compelled to commit to random things which are either largely meaningless or violate other people's trust and confidence in you (or, in fact, commitments you made to others before leaving) is a truly foolish move, if not quite "publicly endorsing scammer-wright" grade.
It's not the end of the world, people screw up, shit happens, goes on on-- but someone here asked the question as to why Luke was going around polling segments of the community what kind of hardforks they'd find acceptable, and that is why. It is a disappointment because its likely to exacerbate and prolong some drama which could otherwise be largely over now.
Im not sure Greg, things are only this calm because of the agreement.
Like it or not a significant amount of 'economic majority' want hard fork asap and most likely 'economic majority' want a'reasonable' hard fork soon.
Im not sure Greg, things are only this calm because of the agreement.Like it or not a significant amount of 'economic majority' want hard fork asap and most likely 'economic majority' want a'reasonable' hard fork soon.
DanielW: What is your source for gauging what the "economic majority" wants? And, what do you mean by hard fork? Do you mean increase the blocksize limit, change in governance, some combination of such, or something else? DanielW: What is your source for gauging what the "economic majority" wants? And, what do you mean by hard fork? Do you mean increase the blocksize limit, change in governance, some combination of such, or something else? Put BTC here: 35EVP8EePt8dyvKHaB7bXaRmKLm22YgRCA
How much alt coin diversification is necessary? if you are investing in Bitcoin, then perhaps 0%?
danielW
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Sr. MemberActivity: 277Merit: 250 Re: ToominCoin aka "Bitcoin_Classic" #R3KT May 13, 2016, 10:11:21 PM
Last edit: May 13, 2016, 10:24:20 PM by danielW #1750 Quote from: JayJuanGee on May 13, 2016, 10:03:20 PM Quote from: danielW on May 13, 2016, 09:52:39 PM Quote from: gmaxwell on May 13, 2016, 08:24:05 PM Pfft. I'm not going to mislead people by failing to call it what it is-- going to have some secret meeting where you are massively outnumbered with no strong negotiator on your side where you let yourself get compelled to commit to random things which are either largely meaningless or violate other people's trust and confidence in you (or, in fact, commitments you made to others before leaving) is a truly foolish move, if not quite "publicly endorsing scammer-wright" grade.
It's not the end of the world, people screw up, shit happens, goes on on-- but someone here asked the question as to why Luke was going around polling segments of the community what kind of hardforks they'd find acceptable, and that is why. It is a disappointment because its likely to exacerbate and prolong some drama which could otherwise be largely over now.
Im not sure Greg, things are only this calm because of the agreement.
Like it or not a significant amount of 'economic majority' want hard fork asap and most likely 'economic majority' want a'reasonable' hard fork soon.
Im not sure Greg, things are only this calm because of the agreement.Like it or not a significant amount of 'economic majority' want hard fork asap and most likely 'economic majority' want a'reasonable' hard fork soon.
DanielW: What is your source for gauging what the "economic majority" wants? And, what do you mean by hard fork? Do you mean increase the blocksize limit, change in governance, some combination of such, or something else?
DanielW: What is your source for gauging what the "economic majority" wants? And, what do you mean by hard fork? Do you mean increase the blocksize limit, change in governance, some combination of such, or something else?
Hard fork to lift capacity.
Opinion of economic majority is something that is hard to measure. Mostly its based on my experience and anecdotal evidence. Talking to people in person and on web.
Edit: Some of the miners are not particularly happy with deal and want an increase in blocksize asap, what if Antpool or F2Pool or both started mining classic? Their combined percentage is 50% hashpower.
This would also energize other classic proponents and they would be far lauder.
That would be a very unproductive environment for everybody and certainly damaging to price.
Hard fork to lift capacity.Opinion of economic majority is something that is hard to measure. Mostly its based on my experience and anecdotal evidence. Talking to people in person and on web.Edit: Some of the miners are not particularly happy with deal and want an increase in blocksize asap, what if Antpool or F2Pool or both started mining classic? Their combined percentage is 50% hashpower.This would also energize other classic proponents and they would be far lauder.That would be a very unproductive environment for everybody and certainly damaging to price.
danielW
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Sr. MemberActivity: 277Merit: 250 Re: ToominCoin aka "Bitcoin_Classic" #R3KT May 13, 2016, 10:34:56 PM #1752 Quote from: Lauda on May 13, 2016, 10:24:58 PM Quote from: danielW on May 13, 2016, 09:52:39 PM Im not sure Greg, things are only this calm because of the agreement.
Like it or not a significant amount of 'economic majority' want hard fork asap and most likely 'economic majority' want a'reasonable' hard fork soon.
Possible relevant analogy: The economists telling the engineers to upgrade the servers because they think that is the right action.
How many times have we tried explaining why a X block size limit HF is pointless, and how it solves nothing? Take Segwit for example, it makes validation time scale down from quadratic to linear. Guess what? 99.9% of the people who read this don't even know what it means, nor have they ever heard of the O-notation. Some will just pretend like they do, but if they actually did they would not be requesting'solutions' that solve nothing.
Possible relevant analogy: The economists telling the engineers to upgrade the servers because they think that is the right action.How many times have we tried explaining why a X block size limit HF is pointless, and how it solves? Take Segwit for example, it makes validation time scale down from quadratic to linear. Guess what? 99.9% of the people who read this don't even know what it means, nor have they ever heard of the O-notation. Some will just pretend like they do, but if they actually did they would not be requesting'solutions' that solve nothing.
I agree with you but that does not change the fact that if not for the agreement reached the noise would be much louder now.
Its also important to acknowledge different perspectives and that both can perspectives can be right. 1 mb is a can kick down the road, but often can kicks are useful.
It would also install some more confidence into Bitcoin and could potentially unite the community. That would have big benefits but has nothing to do with the 'technicals'. I agree with you but that does not change the fact that if not for the agreement reached the noise would be much louder now.Its also important to acknowledge different perspectives and that both can perspectives can be right. 1 mb is a can kick down the road, but often can kicks are useful.It would also install some more confidence into Bitcoin and could potentially unite the community. That would have big benefits but has nothing to do with the 'technicals'.
danielW
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Sr. MemberActivity: 277Merit: 250 Re: ToominCoin aka "Bitcoin_Classic" #R3KT May 13, 2016, 10:52:18 PM #1754 Quote from: Lauda on May 13, 2016, 10:37:57 PM It is not useful since Segwit will provide similar capacity without the need for any other artificial limitations as found in Gavin's BIP.
I am talking about the compromise increase reached by core devs and miners btw.
I agree that from technical perspective there is little point in 1 mb increase. From non technical there are some big benefits I believe.
I am talking about the compromise increase reached by core devs and miners btw.I agree that from technical perspective there is little point in 1 mb increase. From non technical there are some big benefits I believe.
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StaffLegendaryActivity: 2674Merit: 2016 Re: ToominCoin aka "Bitcoin_Classic" #R3KT May 13, 2016, 11:02:52 PM
Last edit: May 13, 2016, 11:36:21 PM by gmaxwell #1755 Quote from: danielW on May 13, 2016, 09:52:39 PM Like it or not a significant amount of 'economic majority' want
Over and over, the concrete evidence shows that the hardfork at all cost push comes largely from shills, conmen, and their victims. When actual Bitcoins are put on the table in a cryptographically provable way the result is 180degress off from what the claims are in trivially sockpuppeted forums.
e.g.
http://bitcoinocracy.com/arguments/unlimited-blocksize-is-bad-for-bitcoin-because-it-diminishes-incentive-to-pay-fees-and-in-the-long-term-it-makes-mining-unprofitable
http://bitcoinocracy.com/arguments/bip101-is-better-than-the-status-quo
If you want to resist the kinds of things your signature is talking about you need to steel yourself against claims like that, because they're a primary attack vector.
Besides, if wishes were horses beggers would ride: Classic is a release behind core now, and not keeping up with network features which have been in the works for a year. It's headliner devs continue to not do anything, just as they were not doing anything with Core. Meanwhile, core continues to set the pace with both invention and development that to deliver improved scalablity, capacity, flexibility, privacy, etc. There is a clear reason why you can't get engineers who care about their reputations and about Bitcoin to back these HF at any cost initiatives-- they're no good for either.
The situation is pretty clear too and not just to me-- the big Classic voices, who are still haven't come to grips that with the fact that Wright defrauded them and denouncing wright are ramping up the complete and total dishonesty... such as mischaracterizing Theymos' repeat of the (good or bad) perennial proposal to make apparently lost coins secured with vulnerable cryptosystems unspendable after a long announcement and delay to prevent economic turmoil when someone steals them all at once, or claiming that a couple core contributors musing about potential countermeasures to the patent encumbrance of a vulnerability in SHA256 mining creating a government granted monopoly on mining is some move to make existing mining hardware unworkable, or claiming that Bitcoin core devs are totally going to line up and work on classic if only miners use it, or other such nonsense. Over and over, the concrete evidence shows that the hardfork at all cost push comes largely from shills, conmen, and their victims. When actual Bitcoins are put on the table in a cryptographically provable way the result is 180degress off from what the claims are in trivially sockpuppeted forums.e.g. http://bitcoinocracy.com/arguments/if-non-core-hard-fork-wins-major-holders-will-sell-btc-driving-price-into-the-ground If you want to resist the kinds of things your signature is talking about you need to steel yourself against claims like that, because they're a primary attack vector.Besides, if wishes were horses beggers would ride: Classic is a release behind core now, and not keeping up with network features which have been in the works for a year. It's headliner devs continue to not do anything, just as they were not doing anything with Core. Meanwhile, core continues to set the pace with both invention and development that to deliver improved scalablity, capacity, flexibility, privacy, etc. There is a clear reason why you can't get engineers who care about their reputations and about Bitcoin to back these HF at any cost initiatives-- they're no good for either.The situation is pretty clear too and not just to me-- the big Classic voices, who are still haven't come to grips that with the fact that Wright defrauded them and denouncing wright are ramping up the complete and total dishonesty... such as mischaracterizing Theymos' repeat of the (good or bad) perennial proposal to make apparently lost coins secured with vulnerable cryptosystems unspendable after a long announcement and delay to prevent economic turmoil when someone steals them all at once, or claiming that a couple core contributors musing about potential countermeasures to the patent encumbrance of a vulnerability in SHA256 mining creating a government granted monopoly on mining is some move to make existing mining hardware unworkable, or claiming that Bitcoin core devs are totally going to line up and work on classic if only miners use it, or other such nonsense.
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How much alt coin diversification is needed? 0%?
LegendaryActivity: 1820Merit: 1600How much alt coin diversification is needed? 0%? Re: ToominCoin aka "Bitcoin_Classic" #R3KT May 13, 2016, 11:27:02 PM #1757 Quote from: danielW on May 13, 2016, 10:11:21 PM Quote from: JayJuanGee on May 13, 2016, 10:03:20 PM Quote from: danielW on May 13, 2016, 09:52:39 PM Quote from: gmaxwell on May 13, 2016, 08:24:05 PM Pfft. I'm not going to mislead people by failing to call it what it is-- going to have some secret meeting where you are massively outnumbered with no strong negotiator on your side where you let yourself get compelled to commit to random things which are either largely meaningless or violate other people's trust and confidence in you (or, in fact, commitments you made to others before leaving) is a truly foolish move, if not quite "publicly endorsing scammer-wright" grade.
It's not the end of the world, people screw up, shit happens, goes on on-- but someone here asked the question as to why Luke was going around polling segments of the community what kind of hardforks they'd find acceptable, and that is why. It is a disappointment because its likely to exacerbate and prolong some drama which could otherwise be largely over now.
Im not sure Greg, things are only this calm because of the agreement.
Like it or not a significant amount of 'economic majority' want hard fork asap and most likely 'economic majority' want a'reasonable' hard fork soon.
Im not sure Greg, things are only this calm because of the agreement.Like it or not a significant amount of 'economic majority' want hard fork asap and most likely 'economic majority' want a'reasonable' hard fork soon.
DanielW: What is your source for gauging what the "economic majority" wants? And, what do you mean by hard fork? Do you mean increase the blocksize limit, change in governance, some combination of such, or something else?
DanielW: What is your source for gauging what the "economic majority" wants? And, what do you mean by hard fork? Do you mean increase the blocksize limit, change in governance, some combination of such, or something else?
Hard fork to lift capacity.
Opinion of economic majority is something that is hard to measure. Mostly its based on my experience and anecdotal evidence. Talking to people in person and on web.
Edit: Some of the miners are not particularly happy with deal and want an increase in blocksize asap, what if Antpool or F2Pool or both started mining classic? Their combined percentage is 50% hashpower.
This would also energize other classic proponents and they would be far lauder.
That would be a very unproductive environment for everybody and certainly damaging to price.
Hard fork to lift capacity.Opinion of economic majority is something that is hard to measure. Mostly its based on my experience and anecdotal evidence. Talking to people in person and on web.Edit: Some of the miners are not particularly happy with deal and want an increase in blocksize asap, what if Antpool or F2Pool or both started mining classic? Their combined percentage is 50% hashpower.This would also energize other classic proponents and they would be far lauder.That would be a very unproductive environment for everybody and certainly damaging to price.
Thanks for responding, but I don't think that your sources for a supposed "economic majority" are good.
I mean merely because there has been a lot of hype and loud voices around the issue (raising the blocksize limit) does not really mean that it is a good idea to raise the blocksize limit, even if there seems to be some common impression that there is some kind of "technical" problem, when there is not really any technical problem (such as delayed transactions and high fees).
The issue about raising the blocksize limit has mostly been a bunch of hype and loud voices, especially when there are various technical solutions (including seg wit) in the pipeline. Thanks for responding, but I don't think that your sources for a supposed "economic majority" are good.I mean merely because there has been a lot of hype and loud voices around the issue (raising the blocksize limit) does not really mean that it is a good idea to raise the blocksize limit, even if there seems to be some common impression that there is some kind of "technical" problem, when there is not really any technical problem (such as delayed transactions and high fees).The issue about raising the blocksize limit has mostly been a bunch of hype and loud voices, especially when there are various technical solutions (including seg wit) in the pipeline. Put BTC here: 35EVP8EePt8dyvKHaB7bXaRmKLm22YgRCA
How much alt coin diversification is necessary? if you are investing in Bitcoin, then perhaps 0%?
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Hero MemberActivity: 736Merit: 501 Re: ToominCoin aka "Bitcoin_Classic" #R3KT May 14, 2016, 07:51:24 AM #1758 Quote from: iCEBREAKER on May 13, 2016, 09:16:37 PM The "hard forks should only happen in exigent circumstances, and may never be elective" position certainly has my sympathy, but my default support wavers when you start irrationally distorting, twisting, and misrepresenting the arguments in favor of the opposite approach.
Not gonna lie though, it makes me sick to see Luke state that this is to appease the industry. Why pander to them? They can learn how to make their model profitable or fuck off and die. Coinbase, Bitpay, Blockchain.info can't innovate, can't provide the revenue dream they sold to their investors? So they blame the tech, thinking big blocks and maybe a good ol' change of the guard will re-kindle their bankrupt "cheap transactions = mass adoption = profit" business plan. We should be boycotting these companies for their CEOs' complete and utter retardedness, constantly running their mouths about that which they clearly do not understand (or worse). I just wish someone would one-up Brian Armstrong, who compared incompatible bitcoin versions to Firefox and Internet Explorer -- but that one is hard to beat. Not gonna lie though, it makes me sick to see Luke state that this is to appease the industry. Why pander to them? They can learn how to make their model profitable or fuck off and die. Coinbase, Bitpay, Blockchain.info can't innovate, can't provide the revenue dream they sold to their investors? So they blame the tech, thinking big blocks and maybe a good ol' change of the guard will re-kindle their bankrupt "cheap transactions = mass adoption = profit" business plan. We should be boycotting these companies for their CEOs' complete and utter retardedness, constantly running their mouths about that which they clearly do not understand (or worse). I just wish someone would one-up Brian Armstrong, who compared incompatible bitcoin versions to Firefox and Internet Explorer -- but that one is hard to beat.I support education reform. Yet the brawls have left everyone battered and bloodied, from reformers to teachers unions. I’m not advising surrender. Education inequity is America’s original sin. A majority of American children in public schools are eligible for free or reduced price lunches, and they often get second-rate teachers in second-rate schools — even as privileged kids get superb teachers. This perpetuates class and racial inequity and arises in part from a failed system of local school financing.
But fixing K-12 education will be a long slog, so let’s redirect some energy to children aged 0 to 5 (including prenatal interventions, such as discouraging alcohol and drug use among pregnant women).
That leads to my third reason: Early education is where we have the greatest chance of progress because it’s not politically polarized. New York City liberals have embraced preschool, but so have Oklahoma conservatives. Teacher unions will flinch at some of what I say, but they have been great advocates for early education. Congress can’t agree on much, but Republicans and Democrats just approved new funding for home visitation for low-income toddlers.
My perspective is shaped by what I’ve seen. Helping teenagers and adults is tough when they’ve dropped out of school, had babies, joined gangs, compiled arrest records or self-medicated.
But in Oklahoma, I once met two little girls, ages 3 and 4, whose great-grandmother had her first child at 13, whose grandmother had her first at 15, whose mom had her first at 13 and now has four children by three fathers. These two little girls will break that cycle, I’m betting, because they (along with the relative caring for them) are getting help from an outstanding early childhood program called Educare. Those two little girls have a shot at opportunity.
Even within early education, there will be battles. Some advocates emphasize the first three years of life, while others focus on 4-year-olds. Some seek to target the most at-risk children, while others emphasize universal programs.
But early childhood is not a toxic space, the way K-12 education is now. So let’s redeploy some of our education passions, on all sides, to an area where we just may be able to find common ground: providing a foundation for young children aged 0 to 5.Nokia could follow service providers into netbook territory, by offering a machine of its own.
President and chief executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo is reported to have said in India: "We at Nokia is [sic] actively looking at this converged market... We are looking at the netbook market to see what kind of opportunity is there."
If Nokia does deliver a device then it would join a trickle of other handset manufacturers also becoming netbook makers. So far, it's been OEMs like Asus and Dell, solidly versed in the build and delivery of PCs, who've made most of the running, building and selling netbooks.
A Nokia netbook would also mean the company enters a market that's being tested by the very service providers that typically sell its handsets.
AT&T and Verizon in the US and Orange and O2 in the UK have begun offering netbooks with data plans. These netbooks are from PC markers and consumer electronics companies like Samsung that make PCs and mobile phones.
Questions remain over what a Nokia netbook would literally look like - whether it would fit the template of a small form-factor notebook, or would Nokia opt for a tablet or a smart-phone inspired design with a large screen and soft keys.
Also, there'll be the question of operating system. Would a Nokia netbook run the giant's Symbian open-source operating system or would Nokia go with Windows or Linux?
It seems reasonable to assume Nokia would stick with Symbian, but try to make its netbook useful by running Microsoft applications. Nokia earlier this month announced a deal with Microsoft to put Office on its phones using native Symbian versions of Microsoft Office and also to extend web services such as SharePoint to devices. Office is due next year.
Linux Foundation executive director Jim Zemlin has encouraged the PC markets in the past to become more like Nokia by selling customized and subsidized machines in this high-growth market. Zemlin has, naturally, championed the cause that netbooks should run Linux.
"Learn from Nokia - meld a kick ass, industrial design with customized software experience and have it subsidized by an alternative business model, be that subsidy or services offering, movies and entertainment - that's a better way to skin this cat," Zemlin told The Reg in March. ®Global emissions 'far above' levels needed to hold warming below two degrees Celsius
Updated
Inadequate national targets for curbing climate-altering greenhouse gases meant emissions would be "far above" the level required to stave off disastrous global warming, analysts warn.
Instead of the UN-targeted ceiling of two degrees Celsius of average warming over pre-Industrial Revolution levels, the world was on track for 2.9-3.1C by 2100, according to the Climate Action Tracker (CAT), a tool developed by a consortium of four research organisations.
"The climate targets so far submitted to the UN by governments collectively lead to global emissions far above the levels needed to hold warming to below 2C," a CAT statement said.
So far, 56 governments had submitted pledges, known as Intended Nationally Determined Contributions or INDCs, to a UN roster that will form the backbone of a universal climate-rescue pact to be inked in Paris in December.
Including major emitters China, the United States and the 28-member European Union, the pledges cover some 65 per cent of global emissions, and 43 per cent of the world population.
To stay under the 2C threshold, which scientists say is necessary to avoid worst-case scenario global warming, greenhouse gas emissions would have to drop from about 50 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent (GtCO2e) per year today, to 39-43 GtCO2e in 2025 and 36-45 GtCO2e in 2030, according to the CAT.
Containing warming to an even safer 1.5C would require emissions of 38 GtCO2e in 2025 and 32 GtCO2e in 2030. The world has already warmed up by 0.8C — nearly half the 2C target.
"The current INDCs lead to emissions levels that exceed the benchmark 2C limit by 12-15 GtCO2e in 2025, and 17-21 GtCO2e in 2030," said the CAT statement.
The CAT based its analysis on an assessment of 16 pledges representing 64.5 per cent of global emissions in 2010, and 41 per cent of Earth's population.
Current targets for 2030 would make the 2C goal "almost infeasible", it found.
The level would instead be closer to "2.9-3.1C by 2100," Bill Hare of Climate Analytics, a CAT contributor, said.
Indonesia promises to cut emissions 29pc by 2030
Meanwhile, Indonesia has unveiled an ambitious new target for reducing carbon emissions, promising to slash its greenhouse gas output by 29 per cent by 2030, the government announced.
The increased commitment by one of the world's largest greenhouse gas emitters will be officially submitted to the UN later this month ahead of the major climate change summit in December.
"We have reached the decision to reduce [emissions] by 29 per cent by 2030," environment and forestry minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar said.
The pledge goes beyond Indonesia's 2009 agreement to slash emissions by 26 per cent — or 41 per cent with international assistance — by 2020.
The final draft submission states Indonesia has set aside 31.4 million acres of forest for conservation to help realise its target.
The government also hopes to derive nearly a quarter of its vast energy needs from renewable sources within a decade.
"Beyond 2020, Indonesia envisions an even bolder commitment to emission reductions," said the draft submission distributed by the ministry.
AFP
Topics: climate-change, environment
First postedBryan Templeton is facilities manager at the Keystone facility in Hardisty, Alberta (Michael S. Williamson/The Washington Post
Climate activist Tom Steyer is launching a new line of attack in his effort to derail the Keystone XL pipeline: It helps China.
A television ad that will run in the hour before and after the State of the Union address Tuesday on MSNBC suggests the controversial project, proposed to span the Canada-U.S. border, will deliver "a sucker punch to America’s heartland" because it will mainly benefit Chinese investors.
"Chinese government-backed interests have invested thirty billion dollars in Canadian tar sands development. And China just bought one of Canada’s largest producers," intones the ad, sponsored by NextGen Climate Action. "They’re counting on the U.S. to approve TransCanada’s pipeline to ship oil through America’s heartland and out to foreign countries like theirs."
"The oil lobbyists and politicians," it adds, "They take Americans for suckers."
TransCanada, the company behind Keystone XL, just began transporting heavy crude through the southern leg of the Keystone XL pipeline. But it is still waiting for the State Department to decide whether to issue a permit for the 1,179-mile northern leg that would carry predominantly heavy oil from Canada’s oil sands, cross the border in Montana and run to the small town of Steele City, Neb.
While the oil will be processed in facilities on the Gulf Coast, at least some of it will end up being shipped overseas as refined products. The ad suggests that will benefit China and other countries more than the United States.
"More power for their economy," the narrator says. "And more carbon pollution for the world."
TransCanada spokesman James Millar wrote in an e-mail "it just doesn’t make any economic sense" to ship the oil to the Gulf Coast and then pay to put it on tankers to China when there are tankers bringing imported oil into the U.S. at the same time.
While Millar did not address the issue of refined products in his email, he noted that the firm's CEO Russ Girling rejected this same idea of exporting heavy crude in a press conference last week, saying, "Not a chance. Not in my lifetime. I have talked to every one of our customers, both producers and refiners, I've asked them the question again - do you have any intent of shipping any of this crude oil offshore and the answer is absolutely not. We could not be any clearer.”
The State Department is poised to issue a final environmental impact statement on the project soon, but a final decision by the administration would not come for at least three and-a-half months after the assessment is issued.COMMENT | FOLLOW MATT MAJENDIE ON TWITTER
Dr Grigory Rodchenkov is open to amateur dramatics. When WADA founding president Dick Pound met him in his Moscow laboratory last year, Rodchenkov made it clear he knew much more than he was telling. The former chief of Moscow’s anti‑doping laboratory put his finger to his lips before acting out slitting his throat to make it clear why he would be keeping quiet when asked about doping in Russian athletics.
For Pound’s purposes, though, he had enough evidence for WADA’s first independent commission report without him but later said “it’s clear Rodchenkov is very knowledgeable”.
And it is his damming evidence based around allegations of state-backed doping by the hosts at the Sochi Winter Games in 2014 that form the basis for WADA’s latest independent commission which was being published in Toronto this afternoon.
Whereas the first report relied heavily on Vitaly Stepanov, |
what’s his real life like? Also, he lives in a castle, so [laughs]. It’s bizarre. There are a lot of fun, weird things that if you really look at it, it’s like, what’s that guy like? He’s got to be the most interesting man on the planet. He’s the one that should be in the beer commercials.
The most interesting man on Earth. I’m just trying to make him that. There is no cooler character in the Valiant Universe. I’m just trying to reveal it.
CA: Let’s talk about the villains a little. There’s this sort of visceral, immediate reaction to the prisoner that Ninjak is assigned to free at the beginning of this, Roku, who is this really badass fighter who can set things on fire with her hair, which is a bananas idea. But at the same time, she works for this new version of Webnet, which returns from the ‘90s series, which is this highly complex organization that even Britain’s top spies can’t penetrate.
So on the one hand, you’ve got these fantastical bad guys, the sumo wrestler crime boss and a woman who can start fires with her hair—
MK: It sounds ridiculous [laughs].
CA: They’re in charge of this very complex international organization. Tonally, how do you figure that out?
MK: I don’t know that I figure it out. Every story I come up with, to me the fun is, well, what’s a crazy idea? Let’s have a ninja spy. What’s that really like? Okay, well, who could beat him? Who’s even crazier? Who has crazy powers, or has hair that does crazy stuff? I start out with a crazy idea, then just try to ground it. You know, what is she really like? What motivates her? Over the course of the series, you’ll see her come to life, and be fleshed out, and be real.
That’s what appeals to me. I like a fun, crazy, pulpy idea, but I also like to see it done in a way that’s interesting and realistic. That’s been my aesthetic my whole career so far: crazy idea, but carried out in a way that connects beyond bad guys just punching each other. I definitely want to have the bad guys punching each other, but let’s have them be real about it.
I think that’s the glory of comic books. You don’t have to reconcile a crazy idea. That’s what it is. The fun is seeing it play out. There are things you accept, and that’s the fun. I don’t have to get you to accept she can do these things. I just tell you she can, and then you see that she did [laughs]. And then the fun happens after.
Clay Mann
CA: There are really three time periods here. In addition to the backups, the main story has this now-and-then structure, where we see Colin as a kid, going to a movie and being disciplined by a father figure. What was the thinking behind including two different kinds of flashbacks.
MK: It’s a way of getting to an origin story. I’m tired of reading them. I’m tired of seeing them in movies, so it was a challenge to make this interesting to me, as a reader, to tell his story in a way where we can find out how he got the way he is but not in a normal way, like, oh. his parents got killed, so he became this thing, or here’s what he’s going to do to react to that as a child. There’s no living person that has one defining moment that makes them who they are as a grown up, so in a way I’m trying to show how all these different things contributed to what he is.
The flashbacks to when he was a kid, his parents are actually gone. That’s his caretaker, the butler or the manservant that’s taking care of him, so there’s going to be that part of it adding to who he is. And then there’s the training when he’s younger, just trying to get into espionage and learning spy craft.
That’s what’s interesting to me, telling an origin that’s more nuanced, more shaded, than just his parents are killed and he’s avenging their deaths. I’m trying to do something a little more real, because Ninjak is sort of a crazy idea. It’s fantastical and it could be goofy, you know? I’m embracing those parts, but I’m trying to make it a little more interesting, a better origin story than has been done before
CA: There’s one visual in this first issue that’s kind of beautifully, hilariously out-of-sync, where Ninjak is out of his costume and, through circumstances, he was forced to find other clothes, and his other clothes are way too small. How much of this series is just going to be you finding ways to put the ultimate badass character in the most embarrassing situations?
MK: It’s funny. Again, I think I’m just trying to play off all the cliches of the genre. The bad guy is making the undercover good guy go through this initiation, which is usually like, “Kill this guy to prove you’re loyal.” I’m just trying to think of twists on that. What could be weird? So yeah, he takes his clothes, drops him off somewhere, and he has to find his way back. I don’t show it, but it alludes to the fact that he stole some jeans from a teenage kid, and a t-shirt somewhere else, and rode a bicycle back.
With all the pretentious stuff I just said about nuanced characters and all these different timelines contributing to the adult he is, there’s still going to be lots of fighting and explosions and karaoke scenes.
CA: Speaking of things that upend expectations, let’s pivot to talking about Divinity. I was really surprised by what kind of story you’re telling there. It’s not your typical Valiant book, or superhero story. It’s very sci-fi. What was your inspiration?
MK: The genesis of the idea came from writing Unity. I was complaining to Warren, my editor, that I wanted to do some cosmic stories. Let’s get this team into outer space. We have this powerful team of superheroes, the most powerful people in the universe on a team together, and it’s like, what can we get them together to fight that a SWAT team can’t beat? Threats around the world are things Seal Team 6 can go handle, so what do you do with this elite team? Who do you send them after? That was sort of the genesis of the idea.
Divinity #3 variant cover by Robert Gill
I was pitching Warren different ideas. I don’t know if it was in response to that or what happened. I know he called me up one day, and he was like, “I don’t have an idea. I have a title. How about Divinity?” And I was like, “For what?” And he said, “I don’t know. Divinity.” I was like, “Okay, let me think about it.”
It was right before Heroes Con last year. On the way there, I was thinking about the idea, the character and the scenario, and how it could be this great story arc we could have in Unity where it’s like, okay, here’s somebody where if you put all the best heroes together, it’s like, that may not be enough. I came back from Heroes and called Warren. I typed the whole thing up and gave it to him. It was like, here’s this character, somebody that Unity might have trouble with, because, you know, they’re so powered and so strong, it takes something big to challenge them. I was like, this guy can do it. This guy can do anything.
I sent the pitch in to Warren and he liked it, and he said, “Let’s make it its own thing.” So it became its own thing and I was able to focus more on Divinity as a character and give him a lot more time than he might have had as just a villain in Unity. That’s the long, boring ways that ideas happen. A lot of things coming together and then the idea coming out of that. But basically, I just wanted to do something cosmic and with space, a little more sci-fi, to just get off planet because I’d been writing so much stuff that’s grounded.
CA: This first issue goes on a strange journey, because it starts out as this very focused, personal story about Abram Adams, and then it expands and expands into something very trippy by the end. For me, at least, I kind of had to page back through to figure out what was happening. Were you trying to sort of pull the rug out from the reader?
MK: Yeah, I guess so. There are three or four different plotlines going. They pay off, but with anything I write, I’m trying to do something that hasn’t been done before. I’m trying to keep the reader interested. With this one in particular, I have a luxury where I can write the whole thing all at once. So there’s this thing in issue #4 that will tie into issue #1, and weave through #2 and #3, so it’s sectioned in a way that I would write a graphic novel. The pieces all fit together, but you’re basically reading a first chapter.
I’d say it’s a bit of a challenging read for a first chapter, but all this stuff pays off. Everything becomes clear. I think that’s also the challenge. I write Ninjak and Unity, the Valiant books, but then I’m writing my own things. How do I write in a different way, where everything doesn’t read the same? So it isn’t like, oh, this is a Matt Kindt book, and this is the thing he always does. I’m trying to unique from Ninjak, which is unique from Unity, which is unique from anything else I’ve done.
Part of it is storytelling and part of it is character-driven. This character basically has godlike powers and can do whatever he wants. How he views time and how he experiences time, what his motivations are, all that stuff dictates how I can tell the story, or give me ideas for how to tell the story. I don’t have to tell it like, this happened, which led to this, then this, A, B, C, D. I can go A to D, and then back to B and C. It’s all in service of the story.
Ultimately, it’s all built so that when you get to issue #3 and the beginning of issue #4, you’re like, “Oh my God.” It’ll be more impactful to reveal the story in a way other than, here’s this guy, and he came back to Earth and here’s what he can do. I’m just trying to make it interesting and also try to make you feel something.
Divinity #2 variant cover by Lewis LaRosa
CA: You talked about the kernel of Divinity’s story being that he was going to be a villain for Unity, but so much of this first issue is getting the reader inside his head and getting to know him as this young man with aspirations. It’s not always the way a villain is presented in comics. Do you view him as a villain, or do you see him as something else?
MK: I don’t see him as a villain. I think you can have an opposing viewpoint and not be a villain. He can be the person who Unity is fighting against, and he’s not necessarily a bad guy. They have opposing viewpoints. They think differently about things. It’s that idea that a villain doesn’t know he’s a villain. He’s the good guy in his story. I try to write bad characters, or characters that are villainous, in that way. What would make a person do this?
With him, I didn’t even have to go that far. I don’t think he is a villain. He never was. In Unity, he may have been the antagonist for Unity, but in the grand scheme of things, I don’t think he was a villain.
If anything, one of the issues I was having fun playing with was this idea of is Unity justified in doing what they’re doing to Divinity? This guy comes to Earth and he’s benevolent, and he’s not really hurting anybody. Do Unity and the government and MI6 have the right to shut this guy down simply because he has the ability to do whatever he wants? If he’s not doing anything wrong, do you have the right to step in and take him out or try to contain him, or do you wait until he does something bad, and then it’s too late?
I think that’s one of the things that is sort of the core of the story. What’s right to do here? Do you wait to see what someone’s intentions are or do you strike first to prevent something from happening that may never happen, or may happen and be a disaster? That’s sort of the fun that happens in issues #2 and #3.
CA: There’s this thing in the newer Valiant books where there’s a sort of fluidity to being a villain or a hero. X-O Manowar has played both roles. Harada has been both. There are few out-and-out, definitive villains. Do you think there’s something about Valiant itself that enables that fluidity in a way that other superhero universes don’t have?
MK: I think that’s an intentional directive that’s driven by editorial and the company itself. We’re grounding all this stuff in things that have been around for a while. I think the whole, great idea of Valiant is not, hey, a third superhero company. We don’t need that. The difference between the Valiant Universe and the other ones are the nuances. Warren was talking about, one time — and I don’t know if it was Jim Shooter’s original idea — how the Valiant Universe is just our universe rotated 10 degrees. You just tilt it a little bit. It’s still the world we recognize, but it’s slightly different. That makes all the difference.
The villain can be a villain here, but it’s all point of view and perspective. But just like in the real world, there are real villains. There are really bad, evil people out there, but there are also gray areas, where it’s like, well, are you for or against a lot of different issues that are going on? There’s Dr. Silk, who’s pure evil, and he’s a total villain in the Valiant Universe, so they exist in the Valiant world, but there’s also Harada or even Divinity, who depending on what side you take, you could argue is a villain or a hero.
CA: I love the idea that you could tilt the world 10 degrees and we’d get people who can set things on fire with their hair and ninja spies.
MK: [Laughs] If you tilted it 50 degrees, what would we have?
Preview: Ninjak #1 by Matt Kindt and Clay Mann:RICHMOND, Va. – In 2011, Karl Homburg’s girlfriend bought him a homebrew kit, and he found himself over the stovetop brewing up his first batch of beer. He enjoyed the process, so he bought another kit and did some research to make the next round even better.
“I liked getting involved in the craft,” said Homburg on Friday, from behind the bar of Castleburg Brewery and Taproom.
Batch followed batch, in 2013 came the first award, 17 investors raised cash in 2015 – along the way there were some business classes – and five years after that first kit, Homburg is ready to pour you a beer in the taproom.
Castleburg’s grand opening is Saturday, May 28. There will be three varieties of beer served that were brewed on a 2 bbl, three-burner pilot brew system.
Homburg modeled the business after Champion Brewing in Charlottesville, and said that locally, it is most akin to Final Gravity.
After a successful $9,136 Kickstarter in 2015, along with other investors, Homburg leased the building at 1626 Ownby Lane, which intersects with Hermitage. It’s a block away from Hardywood Park Brewing.
“Proximity is not your enemy,” Homburg said with a smile.
He has spent the last year working the 1,500 square foot taproom, of a 2,750 square-foot building.
When asked if he had a background in construction, he responded: “I have a background in DIY.”
Homburg fashioned the tall, dark tables out of wood salvaged by a Virginia company. A long plank of rich, brown wood – a shade of brown ale, if you will – provides bar seating in the main room.
All the work has been in addition to his day job, which is IT at a civil engineering firm – incidentally, one who did some work for the East Coast Stone Brewing Company.
The centerpiece of the taproom is the precast stone bar topped with reclaimed wood that Homburg built; 10 taps are perched behind it and a chalkboard with the beers and specials.
AWARD-WINNING, CLASSIC BEERS
Bishop Brown Ale, Black Knight IPA and Castleburg Cream Ale are the flagship beers that will be served, and there is red ale in the works. Homburg said there are 12 recipes on the calendar so far.
Castleburg makes straight-forward, classic beers.
“Regular man’s beer,” Homburg said. “A comfortable place and good beer, where they know what they are getting.”
Castleburg Cream Ale is 5.1 ABV/16 IBU. It’s an easy-drinking, light beer with a buttery mouth feel that is lightly-hopped and has a little bit of wheat.
The cream ale took first place in the Dominion Cup contest in and second place in the National Homebrewer’s Competition in 2014, along with other medals.
Bishop Brown Ale is 5.7 ABV/32 IBU. It is American brown ale, malty with American hops, rich caramel flavors – and just a hint of nuttiness.
The brown ale took second place in the 2014 Dominion Cup and other several regional competitions.
Black Knight IPA is 6.7ABV/80 IBU. Warrior hops brings the bitterness, and is joined by Cascade, Centennial, and Chinook hops.
In total Homburg has won 20 regional and national awards for his beers, most which are named around the castle theme –mOatmeal stout, Court Jester Porter, Battering Ram Roggenbier, The Keep and Queen’s Garde.
ORIGIN AND INTENT
The brewery name evolved from Homburg’s German name; hom means high and burg means fortified city — hence, a castle. The logo design incorporated conical fermenters into the bottom of the turrets.
Homburg currently has no one on the payroll. He relies on a roster of volunteers and there is a sign-up sheet for those interested. For him, it’s all a part of the community-minded enterprise, and a sustainable way of business. Currently, the taproom hours are weekends only, but they will be open Memorial Day.
“The market can sustain something this small for the time being,” he said.
All beers will remain within the castle, so to speak, for the next year or so. Homburg is not pushing for a distributor right now, though he said it is ultimately part of the business plan.
There are growlers and grunts for purchase, which will likely be filled starting the weekend after grand opening. Homburg wants to make sure that of the 62 gallons brewed, there is enough to go around.
The brewery sits just across from the newly drawn Scott’s Addition boundary, a craft beverage hub.
Ardent Craft Ales, Black Heath Meadery, Buskey Cider, The Veil and Isley Brewing are already open in Scott’s Addition. Reservoir Distillery has been producing whiskey on Summit Street since 2009 and recently opened a tasting room at 1800 Summit Avenue. Within the next month Three Notch’d Brewing will open. Vasen Brewery and Blue Bee Cidery will open in fall 2016, maybe sooner for Blue Bee.
Outside of the city, on Midlothian, Steam Bell Beer Works has a June opening planned, as does Kindred Spirits in Goochland.
Homburg doesn’t seem worried by the amount of local craft beverage manufacturing.
“People drinking my beer, and people liking it,” is why Homburg said he is in the business.
You can #stormthecastle and enjoy one of those craft beers, starting at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 28. Mean Bird Food truck will be there Saturday, and Gyro and Kebab King truck will be slinging food on Sunday.
Expect winning beer at $6 pints and $3 half-pours, along with cornhole, board games and general merriment.
ADDRESS:
1626 Ownby Lane
HOURS:
Fri: 4 – 10 p.m.
Sat: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Sun: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
*Special Memorial Day hours 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
*Grand Opening starting Saturday/soft open FridayA Pennsylvania man was arrested early Wednesday at the Trump International Hotel in downtown Washington, authorities said, after police found a Bushmaster AR-15 assault-style weapon and dozens of rounds of ammunition in his vehicle.
Officers acted on a tip at about 1:50 a.m. and saw the weapon in plain view in the vehicle, which the driver had given to a hotel valet, police said. A Glock 23 handgun was found in the glove box, police said, along with 30 rounds of 7.62-millimeter ammunition and 60 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition.
Authorities would not say what they believe prompted the man, Bryan Moles, 43, a former Navy corpsman, to make the drive to the District or what they think he intended to do. A friend of Moles for 25 years described him as a hard-core supporter of President Trump who grew up with and owns weapons and might have been unaware of the District’s strict gun laws.
Police said the tipster had provided information that Moles made threatening remarks. D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham would not characterize the remarks and said at a news conference that authorities “don’t have enough information right now to charge him with making threats.”
The chief thanked the tipster, whose identity was not revealed, for bringing a “potential tragic situation to a peaceful end.” Newsham added, “We’re going to do a thorough investigation into motive. I was very concerned about these circumstances.”
(Reuters)
A spokesman for the U.S. Secret Service said agents concluded that Moles “posed no immediate threat to any Secret Service protectees.”
Moles, who lives in Venango Township, just outside of Edinboro, Pa., was arrested in his room at the hotel in the 1100 block of Pennsylvania Avenue NW, five blocks from the White House. Police said he was charged with possession of firearms without a license and illegal possession of ammunition.
Moles was being held pending an initial appearance in D.C. Superior Court on Thursday.
Several relatives reached Wednesday declined to comment.
Moles lives in a house with his wife and two sons off a curbed dirt driveway in the middle of a flat expanse about 20 miles south of Erie and 110 miles north of Pittsburgh, public records and interviews show.
Moles’s longtime friend, Lisa Della Ratta, 44, a nurse in Gulf Breeze, Fla., said that she did not know why he would have gone to the District but that he travels frequently. She said she does not believe he made the trip to harm anyone.
“He’s got an odd sense of humor,” said Della Ratta, who has known him since high school. “But if he was going to assault anyone, we would know. It wouldn’t be ambiguous. He grew up in rural Pennsylvania. He lives on a lot of land. He grew up shooting guns. We all grew up shooting guns.... He probably didn’t know you couldn’t take guns into the District.”
The Trump International Hotel in Washington. (Alex Brandon/Associated Press)
On Facebook and LinkedIn pages that appear to be his, Moles lists himself as having been in the military, a physician and the current head of a nonprofit dog-placement facility called Boro K9 and Service run out of his home. The website says the organization places dogs with veterans and first-responders with post-traumatic stress disorder.
The social media sites that appear connected to Moles list Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie, Pa., as the most recent hospital at which he worked.
Della Ratta also said he worked there as a doctor. Dan Laurent, a spokesman for Allegheny Health Network, which runs the hospital, said a Dr. Bryan Moles worked as an emergency room doctor at Saint Vincent’s until 2013 but could not confirm whether that was the same person as in the D.C. incident
A Bryan Moles is licensed as a physician in Pennsylvania through Oct. 31, 2018, state records show.
According to the U.S. Navy, Moles enlisted in 1992 and served until August 1996 as a hospital corpsman at Camp Lejeune, N.C. He served in the reserves until 2006 as part of a surgical battalion out of Erie.
He worked at the Naval Hospital in Cherry Point, N.C.
Newsham said the sequence of events unfolded quickly, with D.C. police and the Secret Service learning about the tipster’s concerns at about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. The chief said the information was relayed by Pennsylvania State Police, who provided a description of Moles’s vehicle and said Moles may have been headed to the Trump hotel.
Police informed hotel security workers, who quickly found the vehicle in the garage, Newsham said. Law enforcement searched it for potential hazards and found the weapons. Police said Moles was arrested without incident and was interviewed.
A spokesman for Pennsylvania State Police said his agency received information on Moles “that he was possibly in Washington, D.C. with weapons. We immediately contacted local authorities in Washington and related that information.”
Ryan Tarkowski declined to describe the information or say where it originated.
Della Ratta said that if Moles had planned violence, “why would he give his vehicle with guns in it to a valet, and then check into a hotel without his guns?”
Jennifer Jenkins and Spencer S. Hsu contributed to this report.All we can do is watch the 10 year bond yield grind lower and lower.
The entire world has bond mania as yields collapse at warp speed.
What the heck is going on? Basically there's a mammoth flow of cash towards safe havens. German, U.S., Finnish, Canadian, Australian bonds... yields are dropping everywhere.
One of the best interest rates strategists there is, is Nomura's George Goncalves, who has a great note about the entire market being "mesmerized" by Treasuries.
He does some great work here with the famous comparison of the U.S. rates path to Japan's famous rate collapse over the last few decades, and he says that moves like this are what happens when people just give up on an economy.
Read Goncalves here...
We are big fans of regime comparison charts to find patterns in market movements. Figures 2 and 3 are two sets of periods where we overlay US rates versus the Japan experience in the 1990s and early noughties. We have written extensively (see link) that the US would enter a low rate environment similar to Japan, but the overall levels of rates would not replicate 1-for-1 because the US has positive inflation and positive population growth (among other things), whereas Japan has had neither. We have always thought that the better comparison between the US now versus Japan is what took place in the mid-1990s in the JGB market. Just like in the US after the 2008 crisis, when there were calls for a permanent rise in US yields, early "93-94 saw JGB rates rise as investors believed that sufficient had been done to create a self-sustained recovery in Japan. The balance of the decade saw a grind lower as deleveraging took hold. Even when we compare against that period, US rates have overshot (Figure 2). Furthermore, if we compare with the bond bubble experience of 2002-03, the pace of the US rate declines is lining up. This was when Japanese accounts had given up on the economy, whereas now it seems global investors are giving up on the euro‟s existence. It‟s true that risks are two-way in the short term, thus an overshoot under 1.5% on 10s could happen, but locking in at these rates (or lower) will likely result in losses in the not-so-distant future.
Click the image to enlarge* In putting together the pieces of the puzzle that led to Comey’s firing, this is an important factor to keep in mind: Trump’s paranoia is becoming more debilitating.
A Republican close to President tells me Trump has been increasingly isolated in recent days. Frustrated, avoiding major public appearances — Robert Costa (@costareports) May 10, 2017
* Here’s another piece of the puzzle:
Days before he was fired, James B. Comey, the former F.B.I. director, asked the Justice Department for a significant increase in resources for the bureau’s investigation into Russia’s interference in the presidential election, according to four congressional officials, including Senator Richard J. Durbin. Mr. Comey made his appeal to Rod J. Rosenstein, the deputy attorney general, who also wrote the Justice Department’s memo that was used to justify the firing of Mr. Comey this week, the officials said. “I’m told that as soon as Rosenstein arrived, there was a request for additional resources for the investigation and that a few days afterwards, he was sacked,” said Mr. Durbin, a Democrat of Illinois. “I think the Comey operation was breathing down the neck of the Trump campaign and their operatives, and this was an effort to slow down the investigation.”
* This could be interesting:
The Senate Intelligence Committee has invited ousted FBI Director James Comey to testify next week. Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, the panel’s vice chairman, said the committee sent a request Wednesday morning but has not heard back yet. Warner said the invitation went out with Republican committee chairman Sen. Richard Burr’s consent. “My hope is that he’ll take advantage of this opportunity,” Warner told reporters. Burr tweeted Wednesday that it would be a closed setting.
* For anyone who was sentient during the Bush/Cheney years, this is sure to break your irony meter.
ALBERTO GONZALES is being quoted as an authority on IMPROPER FIRINGS at the JUSTICE DEPARTMENT What a world — David A. Graham (@GrahamDavidA) May 10, 2017
In case anyone missed the reference, this should help.
* In non-Comey news, you can mark your calendars for the date we’re sure to stop talking about Russia/Trump and start talking about health care again.
CBO and the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation are in the process of preparing a cost estimate for the House-passed version of the American Health Care Act. CBO anticipates being able to release that estimate early in the week of May 22 and will provide advance notice of the date and time of release before publishing it.
* With that, I’m off to continue binge-watching the second season of Sense8. If you’re not into it yet…you should be.A Phoenix woman in the country illegally who was considered a low priority for deportation by the Obama administration has been taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Immigrant advocates say her detention reflects the severity of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
Guadalupe Garcia de Rayos, 36, had lived in the country since she was 14. She was arrested in 2008 during a workplace raid ordered by then-Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio at Golfland Sunsplash amusement park in Mesa, Ariz., and convicted of felony identity theft for possessing false papers.
A mother of two, she continued to live in Arizona and checked in with ICE every six months. On her scheduled meeting Wednesday morning, she arrived at the ICE field office in Phoenix surrounded by supporters. An immigration attorney later told the crowd outside that Garcia de Rayos had been arrested.
"We all knew something could be different this time with the new administration," said Carlos Garcia, director of the immigrant advocacy group Puente Arizona. "She went in with the lawyer and didn't come out. That was pretty much all there was."
On Wednesday night, three protesters blocked the path of a van carrying Garcia de Rayos while chanting, “Not one more.” They were among what appeared to be dozens of protesters gathered at the field office.
ICE officials confirmed the detention on Wednesday. “Ms. Garcia de Rayos is currently being detained by ICE based on a removal order issued by the Department of Justice's Executive Office for Immigration Review which became final in May 2013,” the agency said in a news release.
Garcia de Rayos' detention is an early indication of the reach of an executive order by President Trump on Jan. 25, which expanded deportation priorities to include any immigrants in the country illegally who had been convicted of a criminal offense, regardless of its severity. Previous orders by President Obama prioritized violent offenders.
Puente Arizona filed a stay-of-removal request with ICE, which was denied late Wednesday.
In the stay request, Puente Arizona argued that the original arrest and charge against Garcia de Rayos were unconstitutional, and should not be grounds for removal.
Follow Nigel Duara on Twitter: @nigelduara
nigel.duara@latimes.com
ALSO
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UPDATES:
9:20 p.m.: The story was updated with news of a protest and confirmation that a request to stay Garcia de Rayos’ detention was denied.
The story was originally published at 6 p.m.Retailing is a business with big ups and downs during the year, and retailers rely heavily on borrowed money to finance their purchases of merchandise and even to meet payrolls during slow periods. Yet the nation’s banks, struggling with the growing mortgage crisis, have started to balk at extending new loans, effectively cutting up the retail industry’s collective credit cards.
“You have the makings of a wave of significant bankruptcies,” said Al Koch, who helped bring Kmart out of bankruptcy in 2003 as the company’s interim chief financial officer and works at a corporate turnaround firm called AlixPartners.
“For years, no deal was too ugly to finance,” he said. “But now, nobody will throw money at these companies.”
Because retailers rely on a broad network of suppliers, their bankruptcies are rippling across the economy. The cash-short chains are leaving behind tens of millions of dollars in unpaid bills to shipping companies, furniture manufacturers, mall owners and advertising agencies. Many are unlikely to be paid in full, spreading the economic pain.
When it filed for bankruptcy, Sharper Image owed $6.6 million to United Parcel Service. The furniture chain Levitz owed Sealy $1.4 million.
And it is not just large companies that are absorbing the losses. When Domain, the furniture retailer, filed for bankruptcy, it owed On Time Express, a 90-employee transportation and logistics company in Tempe, Ariz., about $30,000.
Photo
“We’ll be lucky to see pennies on the dollar, if we see anything,” said Ross Musil, the chief financial officer of On Time Express. “It’s a big loss.”
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Most of the ailing companies have filed for reorganization, not liquidation, under the bankruptcy laws, including the furniture chain Wickes, the housewares seller Fortunoff, Harvey Electronics and the catalog retailer Lillian Vernon. But, in a contrast with previous recessions, many are unlikely to emerge from bankruptcy, lawyers and industry experts said.
Changes in the federal bankruptcy code in 2005 significantly tightened deadlines for ailing companies to restructure their businesses, offering them less leeway.
And the changes may force companies to pay suppliers before paying wages or honoring obligations to customers, like redeeming gift cards, said Sally Henry, a partner in the bankruptcy law practice at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and the author of several books on bankruptcy.
As a result, she said, “it’s no longer reorganization or even liquidation for these companies. In many cases, it’s evaporation.”
Several of the retailers that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection over the last eight months, like the furniture sellers Bombay, Levitz and Domain, have begun to wind down — closing stores, laying off workers and liquidating merchandise.
In most cases, the collapses stemmed from a combination of factors: flawed business strategies, a souring economy and banks’ unwillingness to issue cheap loans.
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Bombay, a chain with 360 stores, was considered a success in the furniture world, after its sales surged from $393 million in 1999 to $596 million in 2003.
Then the chain decided to move most of its stores out of enclosed malls into open-air shopping centers. It started a children’s furniture business, called BombayKids. And it started carrying bigger items, like beds and upholstered couches, with higher prices than its regular furniture.
Consumers balked at the changes, hurting Bombay’s sales and profits at the same time that its expenses for the ambitious new strategies began to grow. The timing was unenviable: By early 2007, the housing market began to falter, so purchases of furniture slowed to a trickle.
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The company was running out of money, but banks refused to lend more. “They did not want to take the chance that we might not repay the loans,” Elaine D. Crowley, the chief financial officer, said in an interview.
In September 2007, Bombay filed for bankruptcy protection. The highest bid for the company came from liquidation firms, who quickly dismembered the 33-year-old chain. Bombay, which once employed 3,608, now has 20 employees left. “It is very difficult and sad,” Ms. Crowley |
Bristol Street Wear (@bristolstreetwearuk) on Jun 7, 2017 at 1:05am PDT
Nicci Speirs (@NicciSpeirs) I have voted in my @jeremycorbyn shirt from #BristolStreetWear. I am proud to have the right to cross that box! #ge2017 #justdoit pic.twitter.com/K7y7Ee41Gb
Kids and animals
They say never work with kids and animals, but Corbyn definitely works with both, as plenty of photo opportunities and meet and greets showed. He’s similar in that sense to Obama and the Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, who have both benefited from their ease around babies and dogs, and the memes that lends itself to.
TechnicallyRon (@TechnicallyRon) "So Charlie got the Chocolate factory, and he found out that they paid NO CORPORATION TAX" pic.twitter.com/EFpizJIChA
HannahJane Parkinson (@ladyhaja) There's a Twitter Moments on the best images of #GE2017 & somehow this isn't included. pic.twitter.com/ofMB5d6a0K
Fighting mode Corbyn
There’s been a good narrative of subverting the image of Corbyn as a jam-loving, sweater-vest-wearing softie, by re-imagining him as scrapping for a fight, touching on the previous laddism. There’s a Twitter account, @AngryCorbyn, which collates these memes, and most images are lifted from that time a frustrated Corbyn was pulled away from the political press corps.
Ahsan (@ahsannov) Forever my fav Corbyn meme pic.twitter.com/M7CEpmvimS
Smooth Corbyn
Given a huge boost by the skit Corbyn did for The Last Leg in which he appeared in a tuxedo and floor-length fur coat, the smooth Corbyn meme is the opposite of the scrappy Corbyn seen above. In particular, the gif of Corbyn turning to the camera, appearing to break the fourth wall, with a confident expression was huge. (Shades too of this Miliband turning to the camera to the sound of Careless Whisper meme).
Mollie Goodfellow (@hansmollman) Get you a man who can do both, etc etc pic.twitter.com/p7BxZ97BjX
Footy Corbs
A lifelong Arsenal fan, who was at Wembley to watch the club’s FA Cup win, Corbyn has also said he would invite European leaders to a match as a form of friendly diplomacy. The cross-section of football fans and Corbyn supporters has been huge. This may be down to his support for grassroots football and his YouTube videos promoting his policies on football. The football chant of “Here we go, here we fucking go!” was frequently deployed as Labour’s surge began to happen in the polls, and when the results came in on election night (and it was one of the tweets sent from Corbyn’s account when it was hacked last year).
When Corbyn’s account was hacked. Photograph: Twitter
But in particular, an old video of Kevin Keegan, ranting that his club had to go to Middlesbrough and get a result, has found a new lease of life and folded into the narrative of Corbyn going to key marginals and Labour heartlands and getting results the press said wouldn’t happen.
Jeremy Corbyn on Wenger, grassroots football and Labour's Istanbul moment Read more
Meme king Stan the Golden Boy went one step beyond and superimposed Corbyn on to the video of Keegan, resulting in the gold below. The last word to him, on how he thinks all of these Corbyn memes have played out. He told me:
I don’t think any particular, specific meme made any tangible impact, but I guess the collective weight of the sheer number of pro-Labour and Corbyn memes, and the fervour for them, was probably not insignificant in keeping people enthused where they might have otherwise accepted the prevalent line that Corbyn was entirely unelectable.
So there you are. Here we fucking go.Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2003 June 30
Explanation: This dense cloud of gas and dust is being deleted. Likely, within a few million years, the intense light from bright stars will have boiled it away completely. Stars not yet formed in the molecular cloud's interior will then stop growing. The cloud has broken off of part of the greater Carina Nebula, a star forming region about 8000 light years away. Newly formed stars are visible nearby, their images reddened by blue light being preferentially scattered by the pervasive dust. This unusually-colored image spans about two light years and was taken by the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope in 1999. This Carina sub-cloud is particularly striking partly because its clear definition stimulates the human imagination (e.g. it could be perceived as a superhero flying through a cloud, arm up, with a saved person in tow below).At Team Xbox we put gamers at the center of everything we do and we are driven to build the best platform on which to create and play games. We know that you can’t have one without the other, which is why we’ve invested so much in new development tools, publishing opportunities, hardware and services for developers and gamers alike. With Project Scorpio, we created a console with the goal of being the ultimate place for developers to realize their visions and the best place to play any Xbox game.
The creativity and innovation in our industry is driven by developers of all sizes. A single person can launch a game that becomes a global phenomenon or teams of hundreds can create the industry’s biggest blockbuster. At GDC in March, we announced the Xbox Live Creators program, opening up access for anyone to create and publish a game to Xbox One consoles and Windows 10 PCs. When you combine that program with dev mode, which enables any retail Xbox One to be a developer kit, you have the easiest path in the industry for game creators to publish their games broadly to console and PC, reaching millions of gamers around the world.
With Project Scorpio, we set a design goal of building the first true 4K console for gamers with an emphasis on compatibility so no one gets left behind. Once we locked that plan, we set our sights on building the world’s most powerful console development platform, which includes the new Xbox One Development Kit and a full suite of software to get every ounce of performance from the platform. Like the retail console, we built this special dev kit by evaluating every piece, from hardware to software and tools, with developers and compatibility in mind. We paid attention to logistical details, like dramatically speeding up how quickly a developer can move their work between PC and dev kit, and made it easy to program and test changes at the literal press of a button on the front of the box. The goal is to let creators focus their time and energy on bringing their game to life, and less of it on getting up and running on new hardware.
We’ve created the most powerful console with you in mind. We’ve created the most powerful development platform with our industry’s creators in mind. And, we’re unifying players across PC and console with Xbox Live, the fastest, most reliable multiplayer network and Beam, the next generation streaming service. Ultimately, we know you care most about great games, whether they be exclusive, multiplatform, independent or AAA. We are proud of the diverse lineup of games coming this year that will only be playable on Xbox One and will play better on Project Scorpio. We designed Project Scorpio to be the best console to play the blockbuster multiplatform games from our publishing partners, made it easy for recently released titles to upgrade to true 4K and for beloved, backward compatible titles to play better than ever before.
I’m proud of the progress made with Project Scorpio and what it will mean for the creators who fuel the passion of gamers around the world. On behalf of everyone at Team Xbox, thank you for your continued passion and support. We’re excited to unveil Project Scorpio and the amazing game experiences it powers at E3 this June.
Phil Spencer
Twitter: @XboxP3
GT: P3CK Pagony 2016 - a minimalist stage design created by Luma Beamerz, combination of multiple kind of LED strips and projection.
The project has a great technical documentation on Behance, but here are some highligths:
"The lighting part was made of 6x1m of RGB LED strips on the sides, and 4x2m of Addressable RGB LED strips at the middle. For simplicity, we managed the LEDs on 3 universes: 2x1 universe for the Addressable LED strips and 1 universe for the standard RGB LED strips. We used a 4 universes Showjockey Art-Net interface, a 36 channel DMX PWM decoder for the standard RGB LED strips, 5V and 12V power supplies.
On the software side, we used MadMapper for controlling the projection and the Addressable LED strips, CoGe VJ as the media player, and Vezér for synchronisation and controlling to RGB LED strips at the end. We made a lot of very simple loops with geometric content like triangles and lines, with solid colors. Since we wanted to sync to the music, all loops was made at 120 BPM, then we used Vezér's MIDI Clock Tool to set the BPM of the video content in CoGe.
The main idea was to create blocks of content, like use the Addressable LED strips, then use projection, then light up the RGB LED strips and finally use the projection again. Media switching in CoGe was done by Vezér thru OSC. Basically, we created 64 Compositions in Vezér, that we was able to trigger by a Novation Launchpad MIDI controller."A bitcoin casino is simply an online casino that accepts bitcoin as its primary form of payment. The traditional online casino... Read the entire guide
limited to only acceptingcurrency up until the invention and popularization of bitcoin, the first cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrencies like bitcoin are largely anonymous and their digital nature makes them easily transferrable. They are mostly unhindered by red tape and sometimes lengthy settling periods. Bitcoin’s unrestricted movement and the instantaneous, concrete nature of its transaction make it a perfect source of funds for online gambling.
Unlike fiat currencies, there are no universal regulations in place that establish bitcoin as a form of money. Because the technology is still rather new, it manages to fly under the radar of many government jurisdictions. Though many bitcoin casinos are licensed to provide services within certain jurisdictions, this is not a requirement, and many federal governments (including the U.S.) do not treat bitcoin as legitimate money, but as an “asset” or “property” instead. For a long time after the invention of the internet, the world of online gambling was heavily regulated or made illegal through restrictions of local governments.
In the United States, laws pertaining to gambling and internet gambling vary from state to state, often changing course over time.
Conversely, the U.K. and majority of European countries tend to have relatively lax restrictions.
In Russia, online gambling was outright illegal for quite some time, but in 2015 laws were changed to make bitcoin gambling an exception to this rule.
In China, a country that has long banned all forms of online wagering, bitcoin gambling still falls under this general mandate, even if bitcoin itself is legal for certain usages and anti-online gambling laws are seldom enforced.
How Do I Get Started?
This article is for those who have already purchased bitcoin and are somewhat familiar with how it works. We recommend having some prior knowledge of the basics of bitcoin before attempting to send it to an online casino. In addition to making sure you’re ready to accept a casino’s terms and agreements, you’ll want to do a little bit of research for yourself. Google their name. What else comes up besides the website? Frequently adding “bitcoin” to the end of your search will help narrow your selection to what is relevant. Here’s a short list of things to consider before choosing a casino:
What are the account restrictions for this casino?
Are the withdrawal fees considerably lower or higher than other casinos?
Does the casino have a positive or negative reputation?
What are other users saying about this casino?
Does the site offer provably fair games? If it does, can their claim be verified?
Casinos with credibility should be top choices. Those that have several positive user experiences documented on various public forums and review sites should rank higher on your list. Those that have questionable reviews or none at all should be avoided. Remember, there are literally hundreds of bitcoin casinos for you to choose from, so don’t feel stuck or tied down to a particular one if you feel cheated or ripped off.
The next step is to deposit your bitcoin from your personal wallet to the casino wallet. Most major sites will assign you a personal bitcoin address that represents your available funds for the site. Most casinos require 1 confirmation on the bitcoin network before crediting your account. Although most bitcoin deposits are completed in 10-20 minutes, some may require 2 or more confirmations, so be patient for your initial deposit to show up in your casino wallet.
Though the copy-and-paste method of address transfer (copy casino account address, paste to personal account address) will work for 95% of all casinos, some casinos have a bet-by-address system, in which a bitcoin address represents a certain bet with designated odds. With these sites, you will not be assigned a casino wallet address, and the winnings are sent directly back to you.
Using bitcoin wallet QR codes is another popular way of transferring bitcoin, especially if you are moving it from a phone to a computer, tablet, or other phone. To the left is an example of a bitcoin address QR code.
Usually it will have the title “Deposit Address” and will have your casino account address written below it. Become familiar with the first four or five characters on your bitcoin address. This will reduce the chance of error when transferring your bitcoin. Always remember: there are no “do-overs” in bitcoin, so if you accidentally send your bitcoin to the wrong address, it’s as good as gone.
Withdrawing bitcoin is as simple as reversing the above-mentioned copy/paste method, with the addition of a withdrawal fee and sometimes additional waiting period. Many bitcoin-based businesses wait for incremental time periods to distribute bitcoin to withdrawal addresses. They send them all in regularly-scheduled single transactions to reduce transaction fee costs. A service charge is often placed on top of the transaction fee, and that is what constitutes the withdrawal fee.
How are Bitcoin Casinos Different from Regular Online Casinos?
While traditional online casinos require bank account or credit card information from the user and often have lengthy verification processes, most bitcoin casinos do not require user verification or personal details. They simply require that your deposit to the casino have 1 or 2 confirmations on the bitcoin network before making funds available to you for play. This means it is usually much faster to begin playing at a bitcoin casino after registration than it is to begin playing at a regular online casino. Withdrawing funds from a bitcoin casino is also less costly than traditional online casinos, as taxes and surcharges tend to be non-existent with bitcoin, and withdrawal fees tend to be significantly lower than fiat currency withdrawals.
As mentioned earlier, bitcoin casinos are also largely anonymous. Many casinos require little-to-no personal information, with the most commonly asked for piece of information being the user’s email address. This means there is less of a possibility that site operators can steal your information or use it for less than honest reasons. On the other hand, the lack of regulatory requirements and/or licensing standards makes it easier for those running bitcoin casinos to disappear with your bitcoin without being caught or having to face legal repercussions. This means that trust is everything when dealing with bitcoin casinos. The unregulated nature of cryptocurrency is a double-edged sword. While offering more convenience, cryptocurrency casinos also require more faith from users that their operations will be honest.
Interesting Bitcoin Games
In addition to standard casino games like cards, slots and dice, bitcoin casinos offer an assortment of novel games, many of which are only made possible through validation on the blockchain. For instance, games that are advertised as “provably fair” can usually be validated as such through reading the blockchain.
The most common of such games is called “dice,” which in the bitcoin sense does not refer to classic, 6-sided dice, but instead a giant scale or wheel going from 0-1. A random number between 0.0000-0.9999 is generated according to designated information retrieved from the blockchain which guides the outcome of a bet. In a bitcoin “lottery” the player is rewarded for an exact guess of the random number, or a combination thereof.
Satoshi Mines, which has been offering its unique take on the game “Minesweeper” since 2013, allows users to verify the positions of preplaced mines after the end of each game via provably fair mathematics. Another popular game, BitKong lets users verify the results of their game by entering a combination of numbers from their bitcoin deposit transaction hash.
Other casinos that offer provably fair games and novel uses of the blockchain include:
What is Provably Fair?
In bitcoin casinos, provably fair means that the proof of fairness of a game is incorporated into a cryptographic record, such as the bitcoin blockchain, prior to the outcome of the game being revealed to the player. In short, cryptography creates proof of fairness. In a provably fair bitcoin casino game, the player can independently verify whether the outcome of the game was correct and in accordance with how the game is advertised. It is possible to do this independently through proof verification algorithms, frequently hosted on the casino site. A player matches a “key” provided by the website to a predefined outcome in a cryptographic record or hash function. Basically, provably fair casino games make it impossible for the player or the house to cheat.
Here’s an example of a provably fair dice game from FairProof.com, with the verification system below:
Traditional online casinos were never provided with the option of introducing provably fair results to their customers. It would stand to reason that since they were never forced to adhere to such a standard before, they’re not going to now. This mindset is slowly changing. While most online casinos advertise payout rates as high as 95 to 98%, it is hard to verify these claims without a published, publicly available record. When game outcomes are cast into the blockchain, they become part of an unalterable public record, and casinos are suddenly forced to become accountable for their words. In this regard, provably fair bitcoin casinos whose results have been verified provide some of the cleanest, most publicly transparent gameplay of the entire internet.
What Games Can You Play at Bitcoin Casinos?
In addition to blockchain-based games, you can play just about every online casino game imaginable. In 2018, the graphics experience of the best bitcoin casinos rivals that of the best traditional online gambling sites. Though bitcoin casinos lagged industry standards in this department for several years, this is no longer the case. Bitcoin casino games are divided up into 4 main groups, and we’ve made a listing of some of the more popular subcategories for your reference:
Slot Machines 3 Reel Slots 5 Reel Slots 7 Reel Slots Bonus Slots Progressive Slots
Table Games Blackjack: Classic Blackjack, Multideck Blackjack, Progressive Blackjack, Video Blackjack Poker: No limit and fixed limit Texas Hold'em, 5 Card Draw, Omaha, Razz, Pai Gow, Stud Poker, Video Poker Baccarat Craps Keno
Sports and Event Betting Major League Sports (NFL, MLB and NBA) International League Competitions (FIFA) World Championship Competitions (Olympics) Politics (elections, political events) Television (Oscars, Miss Universe pageant) E-Sports (StarCraft, CounterStrike)
Blockchain-based Games
Looking for a special type of slot machine game, like progressive slots? No problem. There are several dozen sites with hundreds upon hundreds of slot machines to choose from. Some of the most trusted and popular slot machine providers include Endorphina, Betsoft, Microgaming and SoftSwiss. Looking for a Blackjack game with 2 or less decks? How about Texas Hold’em or Roulette? Our easily-filterable selection of bitcoin casinos has got you covered.
Cryptocurrency Sportsbooks
The current options in bitcoin sportsbooks also allow you to place wagers on just about every professional sporting event in the world. In addition, they frequently include the Olympics, the Oscars, beauty pageants, as well as political events such as elections and the passing of legislation. Multiple styles of card games like Blackjack, Poker and Baccarat abound, giving the player an extraordinary list of options from which to choose.
One of the biggest, longest standing and most reputable bitcoin casinos/sportsbooks still in existence is Nitrogensports. They have been faithfully executing wagers without major incident since 2012. In this time, their sportsbook has grown exponentially to include eSports, award ceremonies and political outcomes. They also host one of the best and most trusted Texas Hold’em systems, with reliable versions of both tournament and sit-and-go style play options.
Best Bitcoin Casinos
In addition to the criteria we’ve covered so far:
Community-trusted with positive feedback
Relatively low or average withdrawal fees and requirements
Hosts provably fair games
Has stood the test of time
… what other criteria makes a truly good casino? Also important to the overall gaming experience are:
Ease of deposit process and site navigability
Graphically pleasant format and games
Diverse selection of games or sporting events
Prompt customer service and/or issue resolution
While everybody’s definition of a good casino is different, a few casinos recommended multiple times by independent sources include:
Cloudbet (slots)
Betphoenix (sportsbook)
Bitcasino.io (slots, cards and videopoker)
mBitCasino (slots, all other casino games)
Fortune Jack (live dealers, provably fair games)
Nitrogensports (sportsbook, other event wagering)
These sites fit all or most of our criteria for being a good bitcoin casino. Other signs of a dependable casino include:
A large assortment of games
A widely accepted gambling operations license
No deposit fees
Quick withdraw process
Reliable customer service
No confusing bonus structures
Remember, you can always go outside these rules of thumb, but we are emphasizing security and reasonableness over graphics and expectations of high rewards.
Safety Tips
In addition to making sure that you are compliant with your country’s internet gambling laws and have trust in your bitcoin casino of choice, we offer the following tidbits for keeping your bitcoin and account information safe:
Do a test withdrawal from a casino to your wallet to make sure that it works. See if the withdrawal takes significantly longer than advertised, or is more expensive than advertised. The last thing anybody wants is to win a bunch of bitcoin only to have it stuck indefinitely in a casino. Remember to always keep your wallet and casino account information private. Never upload bitcoin-related information to a cloud service that is subject to being hacked. Though copying and pasting casino account credentials avoids capture of this information by keystroke logging malware, your best bet for privacy is to keep your login ID and password on paper and not stored in document files on your computer. Even better is to memorize this information. Never give out your bitcoin private key to anyone, as this may be used to sweep the balance of your bitcoin from your wallet. If a casino - or any other bitcoin business - asks for the private keys to one of your personal addresses, run the other direction, as any legitimate business will never ask for this info (it’s the equivalent of being asked for your Social Security Number). Don’t leave large amounts of bitcoin on casinos. You may be using an extremely trustworthy casino, run by an honest staff, but they are still high-profile targets for hackers. The only way to have true peace of mind is by storing the majority of your bitcoin in a wallet of which you are the only person that has access to your private keys. Beware of phishing and scam sites. They usually look a lot like a popular site that you may be familiar with, but the URL is slightly different from that of the real page. Imitation sites like these are attempting to steal your login information by tricking you into giving it to them instead of the real site. You can avoid this by bookmarking the real casino site so you aren’t tempted to click other links to get there.
What Other Cryptocurrencies Can I Gamble With?
The list of other coins accepted by online gambling sites is long and constantly expanding. You may find cryptocurrencies other than bitcoin to be better suited for your tastes, such as those with shorter confirmation times or smaller transaction fees. Some popular “altcoins” used in cryptocurrency casinos include:
Ethereum (ETH)
Dogecoin (DOGE)
Litecoin (LTC)
Dashcoin (DASH)
Monero (XMR)
Peercoin (PPC)
Betting with DOGE
Though probably not a direct intention by its founders, dogecoin is a terrific gaming currency. With a plentiful supply of over 100 billion coins in circulation, a transaction fee of less that $0.01 and an average network confirmation time of 1-2 minutes, DOGE is ideal for those looking to gamble with small amounts of money and/or put in a bet quickly. Quick bets are essential for those looking to get in on a sporting event right before it starts or to make live bets in the middle of an event, when odds can change rapidly -- sometimes within a matter of seconds.
Betting with ETH
The average Ethereum transaction fee of $0.30 to $0.50 is also quite small when compared to bitcoin’s $3-$5. Despite enjoying levels of global adoption not seen by any other cryptocurrency besides bitcoin, ETH transaction confirmation times remain much quicker, averaging between 1-2 minutes. Since Ethereum is firmly in 2nd place in terms of the market capitalization of all cryptocurrencies, we expect casinos will be more likely to adopt it than others in the near future. Even though ETH remains just as volatile as any altcoin, its price trend remains in the upward direction, unlike that of DOGE.
Gambling-Only Coins
There are some casinos that only accept their own digital currency, which is usually purchased for dollars at the casino or else through a cryptocurrency exchange or website. One of the oldest such coins is Casinocoin (CSC), created in 2013 with the sole purpose of being a universal betting currency. Another such example is Unikoin and their e-sports casino Unikrn, which has been in existence since 2015 and is getting a makeover by some high-profile investors in 2017. Other gambling-specific cryptocurrencies include PeerPlays (PPY), ChanceCoin (CHA) and Evolution (EVO).
Can I Invest in Bitcoin Casinos?
The quick answer is “yes,” and most of them will let you know about it on their home page, usually in the top menu section. Simply look for the menu option “Invest” or “Investors.” A common way which cryptocurrency-based companies are raising funds are through the ICO (Initial Coin Offering). An ICO is just like an IPO (Initial Public Offering), except instead of shares distributed to be traded on a stock exchange, they are coins or tokens distributed to be traded on a cryptocurrency exchange. Sometimes the tokens have some intrinsic functionality or use outside of acting like a stock or currency. Holder rewards programs or the ability to grant access to special features of a website are also means of incentivizing buyers to hold their token. Popular development platforms like Ethereum have given ICO investors and traders flexible options that allow for high degrees of customization and functionality. Though token sales are closed for some of them (meaning the investment period is now over), here is a list of some successful and ongoing casino-related ICO projects of 2017 and 2018:
Tips for Any New Investor
It doesn’t matter how avid or proficient of a gambler you are, if you don’t know the basic rules of cryptocurrency investing, you stand a chance of losing some or all of your money. Even though professional investors still suffer losses from time to time, it is important to minimize your exposure to unnecessary risk by heeding some pretty basic advice:
Never invest in a project that offers fixed returns. This is one of the first signs of a Ponzi scheme, in which money taken in from new investors is used to pay old investors, until the new money stops coming in. ICOs that offer daily or even weekly returns are likely to be scams. Even Bernie Madoff, who ran the most successful Ponzi scheme ever, only offered his customers 2.5-4% on their investments, per year. Be on the lookout for excessively greedy projects, such as those offering huge dividends or attempting to raise unnecessarily large amounts of cash. Look for a public and previously-successful development team. In the Development Team section of any good whitepaper (which the ICO should also have), you can find the names of primary developers, executive officers, marketing and social media experts, under their pictures. Links to LinkedIn profiles and/or resumes are good ideas, but if the team members have previous successes in blockchain-related projects, that is definitely a positive sign for an ICO. Get a gauge of community interest and public opinion. Any ICO with a truly brilliant idea will stir sparks of interest in the cryptocurrency community. Do a Google search and look for public feedback about an ICO, especially from any of the following social media outlets:
Bitcointalk.org Reddit Facebook Twitter
Assess the news coverage. How many news stories about an ICO, outside of the ICO home page, came up in your Google search? Were any of them negative? Negative press from any semi-reputable online publication is almost always an ICO killer, because no journalistic enterprise ever succeeded by reporting falsehoods or potentially libelous material. Positive stories of course can have the opposite effect, giving credence to genuinely useful ideas. Find an active and responsive development team. Some ICOs may sound brilliant on paper, but once the process is activated and investor funds are collected, their development teams become kind of lazy. A trail-off of activity can be detected in the frequency of communication with investors, whether it be on the project homepage or in social media they chose to engage. These are signs that the developers have either lost faith or interest in a project, and perhaps gone to work on other projects. These are not the qualities you want in a startup company.
In addition to these 5 basic rules for ICOs, you’ll want to make sure the project you are considering for investment has something unique to offer that is useful to society. How does the ICO intend to change or improve upon the classic business models of, in this case, the online casino industry? Clever marketing can only get a mediocre idea so far. Ultimately, it is innovation, ambition and honesty that drive real success.
Here is a link to our Casino ICO section for a list of previous and ongoing cryptocurrency casino and gambling related ICOs.
Disclaimers for Investing
In addition to beholding themselves to disclaimers found in the website or whitepaper of an ICO, it is important to remember that ICO investors have very few legal protections. Unlike stock IPOs, ICOs are largely unregulated and not bound to the same requirements as that of a company getting itself listed on a stock exchange. For instance, ICOs are not required to publish financial records, incorporate themselves as a company, or register with any official governmental body or agency. As such, they are not monitored by oversight agencies with any legal power, and victims of ICO fraud are not entitled to the same judicial processes they would be when investing in an IPO.
Also different from the IPO process is the fact that coins or tokens distributed to investors during an ICO are often not guaranteed to be eligible for trade on a cryptocurrency exchange. Unlike stock IPOs which must register for listing on a specific stock exchange prior to launch, ICOs have no such requirement and it is possible that their coin or token will not be placed on an exchange at all, leaving holders without a place to sell them. Remember that without an exchange to be traded on, there is no way for the public to determine the price of something, effectively making it zero.
Online BTC Faucets
For a couple of years after the launch of bitcoin, when the price struggled to get above $100 or even $10, bitcoin faucets were plentiful and offered small, free streams of bitcoin to anyone who wanted to experiment with the new technology. After the price of BTC touched $1000 for the first time in late 2013, faucets were somewhat relegated to the past, as 0.001 bitcoin was now worth a dollar instead of a tenth of one penny. Because the cheapest bitcoin transaction will now cost you $3 on a good day, there is no such thing as a bitcoin faucet anymore in the traditional sense, though some casinos offer small amounts of bitcoin to user accounts on an hourly or daily basis. Check out our list of casinos with free bitcoin faucets for examples of how a casino faucet works.
Conclusion
While bitcoin and cryptocurrency casinos still only make up a fraction of the multibillion-dollar industry of online gambling, they have exploded in popularity over the last year or two, capturing more of the mainstream on a daily basis. Casino players are becoming more comfortable with the idea of cryptocurrency and the blockchain, and now that bitcoin remains unhacked and as popular as ever almost 8 years into its existence, a steady stream of them are transitioning to cryptocurrency, ready to take advantage of its improved access, instantaneousness of transfer and accountability for game fairness.
For those interested in investing – a financial art which has been likened to gambling in certain respects over the years – there are plenty of opportunities to invest in technologies that have the ability to revolutionize online game and casino play. Whether you are playing for fun, wagering for real or investing for profit, the Wild West age of cryptocurrency adds an element of uncertainty and surprise to user gameplay. While those who risk big stand to gain the biggest rewards, they also stand to lose the biggest as well. Having said that, after explaining as much as we could about the basics and mentioning all the warnings we could think of, we hope you have fun out there.The footage from July 30 captures the calm as RT contributor Khaled Alkhateb conducts his final interview, and the panic after a mortar shell strikes the same spot, killing both the journalist and his subject.
Read more
Muutaz Yaqoub, the cameraman who supplied the footage, says Alkhateb was warned that the assignment near Al-Sukhnah, in the Syrian province of Homs, a frontline where the government is fighting Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) militants was unsecured, but would not take no for an answer.
In the footage, he is interviewing General Muhsin Jammiah, who describes the Syrian Army’s pursuit maneuvers, while being filmed by one cameraman close up, and another at a distance.
According to Yaqoub, as the interview was wrapping up, a tank located next to the journalist unleashed two rounds against a known IS position, and before Alkhateb and Jammiah could move away, the militants replied, using the kind of portable launcher ubiquitous in the conflict.
In the next part of the video, there are cries off-screen of “Are they going to fire again?”
Then soldiers in uniform can be seen scattering among the equipment, while one tank appears to be smeared in blood.
“I am wounded! I am wounded!” shouts another voice off-camera, as the footage cuts off.
Read more
Alkhateb and Jammiah were killed instantly, while Yaqoub and several of the troops suffered minor injuries.
The director-general of UNESCO, the UN’s culture and science body, condemned the killing of Alkhateb on Thursday.
Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral of the journalist, who worked for several channels in Syria, before he started contributing to reports on RT Arabic in April this year.
A ceremony at RT’s headquarters in Moscow was attended by diplomats from multiple Middle Eastern states, including the Syrian ambassador.
An annual journalism prize has been instituted by RT in his memory to celebrate the “bravery and sacrifice” of correspondents risking their lives in war zones.
“This will in no way save his life, but I feel that in some way he knows and appreciates this token of remembrance,” said RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan, as she announced the award.German-American theoretical physicist
Maria Goeppert Mayer (June 28, 1906 – February 20, 1972) was a German-born American theoretical physicist, and Nobel laureate in Physics for proposing the nuclear shell model of the atomic nucleus. She was the second woman to win a Nobel Prize in physics, the first being Marie Curie.
A graduate of the University of Göttingen, Goeppert Mayer wrote her doctoral thesis on the theory of possible two-photon absorption by atoms. At the time, the chances of experimentally verifying her thesis seemed remote, but the development of the laser permitted this. Today, the unit for the two-photon absorption cross section is named the Goeppert Mayer (GM) unit.
Maria Goeppert married Joseph Edward Mayer and moved to the United States, where he was an associate professor at Johns Hopkins University. Strict rules against nepotism prevented Johns Hopkins University from taking her on as a faculty member, but she was given a job as an assistant and published a landmark paper on double beta decay in 1935. In 1937, she moved to Columbia University, where she took an unpaid position. During World War II, she worked for the Manhattan Project at Columbia on isotope separation, and with Edward Teller at the Los Alamos Laboratory on the development of the Teller's "Super" bomb.
After the war, Goeppert Mayer became a voluntary associate professor of Physics at the University of Chicago (where Teller and her husband worked) and a senior physicist at the nearby Argonne National Laboratory. She developed a mathematical model for the structure of nuclear shells, for which she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1963, which she shared with J. Hans D. Jensen and Eugene Wigner. In 1960, she was appointed full professor of physics at the University of California, San Diego.
Early life [ edit ]
Maria Göppert was born on June 28, 1906, in Kattowitz (now Katowice, Poland), a city in Prussia, the only child of Friedrich Göppert and his wife Maria née Wolff. In 1910, she moved with her family to Göttingen when her father, a sixth-generation university professor, was appointed as the professor of pediatrics at the University of Göttingen. Goeppert was closer to her father than her mother. "Well, my father was more interesting," she later explained. "He was after all a scientist."
Göppert was educated at the Höhere Technische in Göttingen, a school for middle-class girls who aspired to higher education. In 1921, she entered the Frauenstudium, a private high school run by suffragettes that aimed to prepare girls for university. She took the abitur, the university entrance examination, at age 17, a year early, with three or four girls from her school and thirty boys. All the girls passed, but only one of the boys did.
In the Spring of 1924, Gö |
Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where most of the surveyed countries tended to view the country as the world's top economic leader. And more than half of Americans also picked the U.S. over China.
South Korea, the study found, is most likely to say the U.S. is the leading economic power. Conversely, Australia is the country most convinced that China is the world's leading economic power, with 58 percent of Australians holding the view.
When it comes to China's global image, a median of 47 percent of those surveyed have a favorable view of the country. The highest favorability ratings can be found in sub-Saharan Africa, where the Asian country has invested in trade-related infrastructure projects.
Meanwhile, many believe the country leaves something to be desired when it comes to civil liberties.
A median of 58 percent of those polled believe that the Chinese government does not respect the personal freedoms of its citizens. A brave few – including Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo – have fought for this to change.
Xiaobo was arrested in 2008 for co-authoring a pro-democracy charter calling for more rights for Chinese people. He died Thursday of liver cancer at the age of 61.
In terms of commonalities, "one thing that China and the U.S. share is that leaders of both countries are currently viewed negatively around much of the world," the study found.Uwe E. Reinhardt is an economics professor at Princeton. He has some financial interests in the health care field.
“Doctor Shortage Likely to Worsen With Health Law,” read the alarming headline of a recent article in The New York Times.
Today's Economist Perspectives from expert contributors. The article cites a study by the authoritative Association of American Medical Colleges, according to which by 2025 the nation’s demand for doctors active in patient care will be 916,000, while the projected supply is 785,400. The report thus anticipates a shortage of 130,600 patient-care doctors, of which about half represent primary-care physicians.
These figures assume that the Affordable Care Act of 2010 will be implemented as intended. According to the Times article, the association has estimated that the extension of health-insurance coverage under the new law to slightly more than 30 million otherwise uninsured Americans will increase the doctor shortage by 30,000 for any future year, beginning in 2015.
That would double the projected shortage of doctors in 2015, to about 60,000 from a shortage of about 30,000 and would raise the shortage in 2025 from 100,000 without the act to 130,000 after full implementation of the act.
Opponents of the health care law see in these numbers one more useful piece of ordnance. In this case the protest appears to be that we, the well insured, should not be asked to share already scarce health care resources with millions of currently uninsured Americans now adding their claim to these same already scarce resources.
Sometimes this critique is styled as concern for the poor, on the strange theory that having no insurance coverage and ability to pay for care is better than having insurance coverage but having to wait for a doctor’s appointment to get non-emergency care.
At its extreme, this argument is amplified by the prediction, reportedly based on opinion surveys, that large numbers of practicing doctors will hang up their shingles in despondent response to the law.
It is probably much easier, however, to talk in an opinion survey about quitting than it is actually to walk away from net practice incomes that even at their lower ranges place American doctors among the top 5 percent of families in the nation’s income distribution. That place is unlikely to change under the health care law.
Would all these disillusioned doctors find lucrative employment in the already shrinking financial sector, the only other industry in which they could assuredly garner such high (or even higher) incomes, as some people with medical degrees now do?
Be that as it may, a more fundamental question is what do we mean by a “doctor shortage”? How is it defined and measured?
Consider the doctor-to-population ratios we see across the United States. The chart below provides s snapshot (charts exhibiting these ratios for all states are also available.) Similarly wide dispersions of the ratio prevailed decades ago across roughly the same states, albeit at lower levels for each.
Association of American Medical Colleges
Take Massachusetts, which for decades has had the second-highest doctor-to-population ratio in the nation, after the District of Columbia. One would imagine that residents of that state would consider themselves comfortably well endowed with doctors – perhaps even excessively endowed.
Not so.
An Internet search for “physician shortage Massachusetts” brings up recent articles with dire forecasts of a looming shortage in that state. They note ominously that RomneyCare, the state-based cousin of and model for ObamaCare, has overburdened an already taut health care supply in Massachusetts.
Nationwide, and in Massachusetts, the doctor shortage is said to be most acute in primary care, a lament that is decades old. Curiously, society’s response to that perception has been to let the incomes of primary-care doctors fall relative to specialty incomes.
Although the net incomes of primary-care doctors still rank comfortably in the top 5 percent of income distribution, primary-care doctors have long been and remain the lowest paid of all medical specialties. How can we explain this?
Either Americans are insincere in their lament over the shortage of primary-care doctors and deep down do not value their work as much as they say, or they have forgotten that rudimentary tenet of basic economics: you get what you pay for.
(To its credit, the Affordable Care Act does call for raising the fees paid primary-care doctors under Medicaid to the typically higher level of fees paid under Medicare, to lift the relative incomes of primary-care doctors somewhat. But it is a small gesture and, in any event, will take years before that has any effect on the relative supply of these doctors.)
Leaving that puzzle aside, the chart above raises another series of questions:
1. If, as is said, Massachusetts does not have enough doctors to care properly for the state’s residents, what about all the other states in the union? For example, are the governors and legislatures of California and Ohio reckless in letting their populations languish with those states’ much lower doctor-to-population ratios, not even to speak of Arkansas and Texas? 2. Should these states’ now lower doctor-to-population ratios be raised to the Massachusetts level and, indeed, above it, to offer state residents a fully responsible health care delivery system, now and in the future? 3. How much would it cost to move the rest of the United States to the Massachusetts level? 4. Or could there be something inefficient in the way Massachusetts doctors operate?
I will contemplate these questions, as I hope you will, and I look forward to your comments.
In the meantime, let me note that I am not the only Doubting Thomas on this issue. Jonathan Cohn of The New Republic has remarked on it, as has Eugene Steuerle in his series of briefs “The Government We Deserve.”Read the whole list in Seven in this Sunday's Sunday Telegraph
NEWS AND COMMENT | Full list of the best news and comment websites
1. The Daily Beast ( thedailybeast.com ) is a busy bluffer’s dream. This news and opinion website features a daily Cheat Sheet with summaries of must reads from all over.
2. Slate ( slate.com ) has news, politics, arts, business and science with a host of high-profile contributors.
3. Salon ( salon.com ) has a glossy dollop of lifestyle and two busy comment boards atop its core of news and culture.
EDUCATION | Full list of the best education websites
1. Make magazine’s videos and podcasts (blog.makezine.com/podcast) have dozens of weekend projects, some macho, some crafty, for the DIY-minded.
2. The Orwell Diaries (orwelldiaries.wordpress.com) publish George Orwell’s domestic and political diaries as a blog, exactly 70 years after they were originally written.
3. Everything on iTunes (apple.com/itunes) is free, amazing given that it offers recordings of lectures from some of the world’s most venerable institutions (Yale, Moma, Oxford, Tate).
CULTURE | Full list of the best the web has to offer for the arts
1. The Stage (thestage.co.uk) has all the latest theatre news and reviews – and the most comprehensive coverage of bickering among critics.
2. Io9 (io9.com) is a science fiction entertainment blog written from a female point of view. Sci-fi geeks leave the best comments.
3. Metacritic (metacritic.com) is an easy-to-navigate database of the combined wisdom of the leading (US) critics of music, television, film and games.
TRAVEL | Full list of the best and most useful travel websites
1. Tripadvisor (tripadvisor.co.uk) boasts more than 11 million members, clubbing together to rate and review hotels, B&Bs, restaurants and more throughout the world.
2. Travelsupermarket (travelsupermarket.com) covers everything from late package deals to insurance; one of the best price comparison sites.
3. Tripit (tripit.com) lets you use details from multiple travel sites to create one master itinerary, then furnish it with maps, weather reports and activities.
HOME | Full list of the most useful websites to make your house a home
1. Bob’s Books (bobbooks.co.uk) lets you turn video footage into a flick-book, design your own calendar and transform frumpy photo albums into glossy coffee-table books.
2. The House Directory (thehousedirectory.com) searches more than 3,500 companies to source the best furnishings for your home.
3. On Etsy (etsy.com) anyone can buy and sell vintage and handmade goods; quality varies (see regretsy.com for some of the less desirable items) but worth a scour.
FOOD AND DRINK | Full list of the best online sources for food and drink inspiration
1. Epicurious (epicurious.com) has a vast range of recipes, primers on baking bread and making pies, and Epicurious Recipes & Food Videos - Condé Nast Digital" target="_blank">an iPhone app to create shopping lists from recipes.
2. Supercook (supercook.com) is a recipe site with a clever twist: you enter the ingredients you have at home and the search engine finds recipes from food sites to use what you’ve got.
3. Jamie Oliver, Delia Smith and Nigella Lawson are all generous with recipes on their sites (jamieoliver.com, deliaonline.com, nigella.com); Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall puts the emphasis on seasonal produce on his (rivercottage.net).
GREEN | Full list of the best websites to help you live and buy green
1. Recycle Now (recyclenow.com) lets you find out about recycling in your area, offers tips on home composting and suggests ways to become greener.
2. What Do They Know (whatdotheyknow.com) is an online platform for individuals to query local government bodies and to put in freedom of information requests.
3. The Hunger Site (thehungersite.com) is an easy way to give to charity. Click on the site and its sponsors will then donate some money to one of several good causes, such as cancer research, literacy, hunger.
FAMILY AND KIDS | Full list of the best websites for parenting and family life
1. Mumsnet (mumsnet.com) is a tip-swapping, advice-proffering, review-writing, experience-sharing hub of parental activity.
2. You can search for your ancestors and build a family tree on Genes Reunited (genesreunited.co.uk), Britain’s most popular family history site.
3. If you’re searching for ancestors abroad, Family Search (familysearch.org), a free resource of international genealogy records, is a great place to start.
FUN | Full list of the most amusing sites on the internet
1. If you’ve ever lived with a food hoarder or neat freak you’ll appreciate the strained tones of the messages on Passive-Aggressive Notes (passiveaggressivenotes.com).
2. Smartkit (smart-kit.com) is home to all sorts of puzzles (jigsaw puzzles, sudoku, cryptograms) to help you train your brain.
3. Letters of Note (lettersofnote.com) is a stylish site with scans of letters, telegrams, faxes and memos: Einstein encouraging Roosevelt to pursue atomic research, the Museum of Modern Art turning down a gift from Andy Warhol in 1956.
1. If you’ve ever lived with a food hoarder or neat freak you’ll appreciate the strained tones of the messages on Passive-Aggressive Notes (passiveaggressivenotes.com).
2. Smartkit (smart-kit.com) is home to all sorts of puzzles (jigsaw puzzles, sudoku, cryptograms) to help you train your brain.
3. Letters of Note (lettersofnote.com) is a stylish site with scans of letters, telegrams, faxes and memos: Einstein encouraging Roosevelt to pursue atomic research, the Museum of Modern Art turning down a gift from Andy Warhol in 1956.
VIDEO | Full list of best archive footage and videosharing websites
1. Vimeo (vimeo.com) is a video-sharing site with playful, arty, HD content, supported by a friendly community of users, Kanye West, Lykke Li and Moby among them.
2. BBC iPlayer (bbc.co.uk/iplayer/) and 4 on Demand (channel4.com/programmes/4od) are still the big beasts for (legal) online television watching.
3. Visit the Viral video chart (viralvideochart.unrulymedia.com) to see the making of an internet sensation, be it a panda sneezing or Susan Boyle.
YOUTUBE CHANNELS | Full list of the best channels on YouTube
1. Chow’s channel (youtube.com/user/chow ) offers practical guidance for gourmands from cooking perfect rice to cleaning a rack of lamb with string.
2. Berkeley’s channel (youtube.com/user/ucberkeley) is packed with superb lectures. Among the most popular are Professor Marian Diamond’s on integrative biology: she looks like a Golden Girl but knows how to dissect brains.
3. At Cambridge (youtube.com/user/CambridgeUniversity) you can see David Starkey hold forth on Henry VIII or William Hague on William Pitt.
LIFE MANAGEMENT | Full list of the best websites to help you organise your life
1. Doodle (doodle.com) is a nifty tool that allows groups of busy friends to propose, vote on and schedule dates and times for meet ups. Sorted.
2. At drop.io (drop.io) you can upload pretty much anything – pictures, documents, audio/video – and share them with anyone, who can comment and collaborate within seconds.
3. Got a spare gig ticket? Want one? Seatwave (seatwave.com), an online marketplace, lets fans buy and sell event tickets safely and easily.The British not only agreed to end the Economic War but also to hand over the three Irish ports and abrogate all rights to other facilities in the 26 counties.
The 1921 Treaty had accorded the British permanent control of bases at Cobh, Berehaven, and Lough Swilley, along with the right to “such harbour and other facilities” as they desired “in time of war or of strained relations with a foreign power.” No country at war with Britain was likely to respect Irish neutrality, if the British had the right to use whatever Irish facilities they desired.
By 1938 it was already clear the taoiseach, Éamon de Valera, intended to try to keep Ireland out of the coming war. He had become thoroughly disillusioned with the League of Nations.
As Italy was preparing to invade Ethiopia in 1935, de Valera warned that the League of Nations was facing its ultimate test. “Make no mistake, if on any pretext whatever we were to permit the sovereignty of even the weakest state amongst us to be unjustly taken away, the whole foundation of the League would crumble into dust,” he told the League’s Assembly.
After the Italians invaded Ethiopia on Oct 3, 1935, de Valera went on Irish radio (2RN) to warn that Japan’s earlier violation of the League’s Covenant had shaken the organisation to its foundations and if another violation were tolerated, the League of Nations would disappear as a safeguard for individual members.
He supported calls for economic sanctions against Italy, and even suggested military action, if the economic pressure failed. “It would be contrary to the spirit of the Covenant,” he warned his cabinet, if the government refused to take part in any “collective military actions to be taken by the League”.
“There was never a better chance for the League of Nations to be successful against a great power as there was in that case,” de Valera explained. “If it failed in the case of Italy it was bound to fail in the case of other powers.”
Thereafter he abandoned his support for collective resistance to aggression. “We have now to confess publicly that we must abandon the victim to his fate,” he told the League on Jul 2, 1936. “Despite our judicial equality here, in matters such as European peace the small states are powerless.”
“Peace is dependent upon the will of great states,” he added. “All the small states can do, if the statesmen of the greater states fail in their duty, is resolutely to determine that they will not become the tools of any great power, and that they will resist with whatever strength they may possess every attempt to force them into a war against their will.”
de Valera had clearly lost faith in the League of Nations.
Faced with the danger of a major war, British prime minister Neville Chamberlain sought to settle outstanding difficulties with Dublin to secure Irish goodwill. He proposed settlement talks.
From the outset of these talks, which began in London on Jan 17, 1938, Chamberlain was ready to hand over the Irish ports and renounce Britain’s other rights under the 1921 treaty. He also indicated that Britain would drop her claim to land annuities, but he warned there could be no partition settlement, without the support of the majority in Northern Ireland.
All the British asked was that the Irish pay their uncontested debts and remove import duties on goods from Northern Ireland.
De Valera took a hard line with the British. He asked for financial concessions for being prepared to take the ports.
“I am lost in admiration of Mr de Valera’s skill in dialectics,” Chamberlain told colleagues. It might have been better “to spare Mr de Valera the embarrassment of having the ports offered to him”.
The taoiseach came in for opposition within his own delegation over his stand in relation to partition. “The Partition problem cannot be solved except with the consent of the majority of the Northern non-Catholic population,” finance minister Seán MacEntee wrote to de Valera on Feb 17, 1938. “It certainly cannot be solved by their coercion. Hitherto, we as the Government here have done nothing of our selves to secure a solution, but on the contrary have done and are doing certain things which have made a solution more difficult.”
“In regard to partition we have never had a considered policy,” MacEntee complained. “With our connivance every bigot and killjoy, ecclesiastical and lay, is doing his damnedest here to keep them out…I believe that some of us are subordinating reason to prejudice.”
MacEntee emphasised his stand by offering his resignation.
Chamberlain was so anxious for an agreement that he dropped his demand for Irish trade concessions to Northern Ireland. The British abandoned their treaty rights and agreed to a lump sum Irish payment of £10m in place of previous claims for over £100m.
“There are no conditions,” de Valera told the Dáil. “There is no secret understanding, but there is a belief, I am certain — a belief which I have tried, over 20 years, to get into the minds of British governments and the British people, in so far as I could — that it is far better for Britain, far more advantageous for Britain, to have a free Ireland by its side than an Ireland would be unfriendly because of liberties which Britain denied.”
The agreements paved the way for Irish neutrality in the coming war.
“A more feckless act can hardly be imagined,” Winston Churchill later thundered.
Ryle Dwyer is the author of Behind the Green CurtainProvidence Friars Season Preview
2016-17 Record
20-13 (10-8 Big East) - Finished 3rd in the conference.
Ed Cooley
This will be Cooley’s 7th year at the helm for Providence. He sits at a record of 123-80 through his first six seasons.
Winning hasn’t been a concern for Cooley at PC. He’s led the Friars to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time in program history while surpassing the 20 win mark in each of those seasons. Recruiting hasn’t been an issue either. Cooley’s put together four top 20 recruiting classes, including his star studded 2018 group.
Now the focus turns to making a run in the big dance. One win is the “deepest” Providence has gone in those four tournament appearances. The pieces are there, the future is bright, now’s the time for Cooley to get his team past the second round. Expectations are at an all time high in his seventh season in Friartown.
Last Season at a Glance
The Friars were picked to finish 9th in the Big East preseason poll. They’d eventually finish 3rd take another trip to the NCAA Tournament. Had it not been for a massive second half meltdown in their first game against USC, Providence also would have picked up a tournament win for the second year in a row.
Considering the expectations, last season was a tremendous success. 20-13 with no seniors, a lack of depth, and average height is pretty solid if you ask me.
PC improved immensely on their three point shooting (37.1%) from the prior two seasons, where their percentages were just above 30%. Much of this was thanks to Jalen Lindsey who shot 46% from beyond the arc. The Friars were also known for their energetic and stifling defense, which became an identity of sorts early on in the season. Using defensive to create scoring opportunities, Cooley and his staff found a successful formula for this group.
Rodney Bullock led the scoring charge, averaging 15.7 per game, while Emmitt Holt was a key contributor at 12.5. Kyron Cartwright (averaging 11 and 7) was the quarterback of the offense, and did not disappoint in the first season of the post-Dunn era. Except for Holt (injury), expect much of the same this season.
Key Departures
None. Three transfers (Fazekas, Council, and Donovan) and the graduation of lone senior Casey Woodring gives Providence the luxury of not having to fill any voids.
Key Returnees
Every contributor from last year’s team returns for the Friars. They’re deep, they’re experienced, and they’re ready to be one of the Big East elites.
Player Year 2016 Stats/Notes Rodney Bullock Sr. 15.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG, Preseason All-Big East Second Team Kyron Cartwright Sr. 11.4 PPG, 6.7 APG, Preseason All-Big East Second Team Jalen Lindsey Sr. 10.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 46.0 3PT FG% Emmitt Holt (injured) Sr. 12.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG, Suffered Abdominal Injury, Status Uncertain Alpha Diallo So. 5.7 PPG, 3.2 RPG, Started 19 Games in 2016 Isaiah Jackson Jr. 5.6 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 40.4 3PT FG%, Started 11 Games in 2016 Kalif Young So. 3.2 PPG, 3.2 RPG, Started 5 Games in 2016 Maliek White So. 2.5 PPG, 1.3 APG, 1.0 RPG
Key Additions
The Friars welcome in the 20th ranked 2017 class in the nation.
Player 247Sports Composite Rankings Makai Ashton-Langford 4-star, 40th Ovr, 9th Pos, 1st St (New Hampshire) Nate Watson 4-star, 99th Ovr, 9th Pos, 5th St (Virginia) Dajour Dickens 3-star, 141st Ovr, 13th Pos, 9th St (Virginia)
Projected Starting Lineup
Providence has an interesting predicament on their hands with the injury of Emmitt Holt shaking up there lineup. Add in Jalen Lindsey’s knee issues and being held out of exhibition games due to “coach’s decisions”, and the Friars’ starting lineup on November 10th is suddenly up for debate. Here’s my take, assuming they’ll be without Holt and Lindsey to begin the season.
PG Kyron Cartwright
SG Isaiah Jackson
SF Alpha Diallo
PF Rodney Bullock
C Kalif Young
Key Nonconference Matchups
Nov. 13 vs Minnesota
Nov. 17 vs Virginia Tech (Only occurs if both PC and VT win on Nov. 16)
Dec. 2 vs Rhode Island
Dec. 20 vs Houston
Reasons for Optimism
Depth - This is the deepest team Ed Cooley has coached in his tenure at Providence. If they really wanted to, the Friars could run 10 deep. Rotations that extensive are a luxury that PC fans are not used to having. Returnees - Providence is returning every contributor from last season. Literally every meaningful piece. If this doesn’t get you excited, I’m not sure what will. Youth Movement - This year’s freshman class is due to make an immediate impact, and certainly a significant one in the years to come. Makai Ashton-Langford will provide a tremendous spark off the bench. Through two preseason games, it’s already pretty clear that this kid is going to be a problem for opponents. Nate Watson and Dajour Dickens will be huge with the absence of Holt. They’ll create a strong interior presence for Providence over the next four years.
Reasons for Pessimism
Injuries - It’s a very likely that we won’t see Emmitt Holt suit up for the Friars at all this season. It’s also very likely that Providence will start the season without Jalen Lindsey. Focus on injuries and absences and it can get pretty dark relatively quickly. Losing to Carleton - The Friars lost their second exhibition game to Carleton last Saturday, which sent some people into panic mode. These games are for exposing weaknesses so that teams can fix them before the season begins. Carleton is also no joke. They’ve beaten Alabama, Vanderbilt, and Northeastern over the last few months. Since this section is about pessimism, I won’t try and talk you off the ledge (maybe). Just relax - even though some people take this as an opportunity to be negative, don’t. It’s not a legitimate concern. No Holt = Young Interior - As much as this is something to look forward to, it can also be a reason for concern. Without Holt, Watson and Dickens will be looked at to step up and play meaningful minutes right away alongside Kalif Young. With any young players, you never know what your going to get.
Best Case Scenario
The best case for Providence is that they take the next step from where they left off last season. Jalen Lindsey returns to the lineup sooner rather than later, Nate Watson helps fill the absence of Emmitt Holt, and Makai Ashton-Langford continues his strong play from the preseason.
The veterans play with consistency. They don’t take games off and they play smart, setting the tone for the underclassmen.
Kalif Young and Alpha Diallo continue to trend upwards and cement themselves as regular contributors for this team. Drew Edwards returns as a reliable rotation player off of the bench.
The Friars make their fifth straight NCAA Tournament and win 2+ games there for the first time since 1997.
If these things fall into place, it’s going to be an exciting season in Providence.
Worst Case Scenario
WARNING: This is NSFW for all Providence fans. Proceed with caution and remember - this is all hypothetical.
The worst case scenario for the Friars would be to not take that next step. The motivation and consistency is nowhere to be found. If they become heavily reliant on Bullock and Cartwright alone, it could get problematic.
Wow this is depressing to write.
The loss of Emmitt Holt extensively hurts their interior game, and the Friars have trouble competing against strong bigs. Jalen Lindsey’s absence is drawn out, and he doesn’t suit up until late November / early December.
Cooley’s depth isn’t effective as expected, and he’s forced to run a short rotation. This would most likely include the freshman class showing their youth and performing inconsistently throughout the season.
OK - now wash that section from your memory. Forever.
2017-18 Outlook
Providence fans should be extremely excited going into this season. It’s not crazy to think this team could challenge Villanova if everything goes as planned. Cooley knows what he’s working with this year. There’s minimal unfamiliarity, which is extremely beneficial for any coaching staff.
Expect Providence to make the tournament for the fifth straight season. The Friars are going to be a ton of fun to watch this year and will be a tough out for all of their opponents. Thanks to the combination of seasoned vets and exciting underclassmen, Providence will be a force in the Big East.
Prediction: 22-8 (12-6 Big East)Well folks, here I am again at Taco Mac, and tonight it’s really packed. It’s Thursday night, pint glass night actually, and although that usually draws a crowd, tonight the place is really bursting at the seams. The reason, you see, is because we got hit with a snow and ice storm this week, and a pretty big one at that, at least for these parts. People have been stuck at home for a whopping two days now (imagine that!) and seem to be very anxious to get out and live a little.
I personally like staying home and not having to go anywhere. That said, I like going to Taco Mac, so I guess I’ll enjoy the night out-any my mug of Cisco Whale's Tale Pale Ale. Cisco Brewers are the brewery of the month, after all, and it’s nice to have a bit of old New England here in Canton, GA. Besides, Cisco beers are always better on draft in my experience. I expect that’s true for most beers, but it seems especially so for Cisco.
Whale’s Tale Pale Ale is described as an English-style pale ale, and after a few sips, I would agree. Cisco does not mention the hops they use, but I would guess they are English varieties, as the beer has more of an herbal/grassy hoppiness than it does a citrusy/piney one that American hops usually impart.
Cisco describes Whale’s Tale Pale as follows on the label:
This carefully crafted ale is brewed and bottled in small batches to ensure the freshest possible taste. Whale’s Tale is an English style pale ale, characterized by an abundance of fruity hops.
Cisco Whale’s Tale Pale Ale has an alcohol content of 5.5% by volume. It is sold in bottles, cans, and on draft. I paid $6.25 for a full mug pour in the latter packaging.
Cisco Whale's Tale Pale Ale pours to a bright orange amber color with a medium sized creamy head formation and plenty of toasted malt and grassy hops in the nose. As I sip, I get more toasted malt and some caramel in the palate, just a touch of subtle pear fruit, and a very grassy hop finish. A decent English style pale ale if not an exceptional one, but bonus points for the very grassy, lingering herbal hop character. How nice to enjoy a pale ale loaded with English style hop aroma and flavor. This is indeed a welcome beer for gentle sipping enjoyment.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box. *Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer. (B)=Bottled (D)=Draft
WASHINGTON ― One of the most memorable moments at the Democratic National Convention in July was a speech by Khizr Khan, a Gold Star parent who challenged Donald Trump on what it means to be a patriot. But Khan wasn’t sure if he even wanted to give his speech — until he remembered a conversation he had with a group of Muslim children.
Khan said Thursday in a talk at the Georgetown University Law Center that his decision to give his speech — which included his observation that if it were up to Trump, Khan and his family wouldn’t be allowed in the U.S. — was inspired by the fear he saw in the eyes of the children of his family and friends who thought they might be banned from America because of their religion.
“Whenever we would go visit family and friends, their children would come to me and say, ‘You’re a lawyer: Can this happen? Can we finish our middle school?’” said Khan. “Parents would say their children can’t sleep or eat well. When they ask them to do their homework, they say, ‘We’ll be thrown out anyway — we’re not doing our homework.’”
Khan said he knew he would face extreme backlash for his speech from Trump supporters, and he hesitated before agreeing to speak. Ultimately, he decided it was worth the risk if it meant helping those children feel safer.
“Behind all those words, there was only one reason — those little kids that came and told me that,” Khan said. “I could see from their eyes and their faces how scared they were. They have written back to me, some have called, and said they feel so strong after I spoke. They said that they wanted to learn more about the Constitution — these little kids!”
Khan, who has been invited to speak across the country since his appearance at the convention, is a Pakistani Muslim who immigrated to the United States in 1980 with his wife, Ghazala, and his children.
Their son, Army Capt. Humayun Khan, posthumously received a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for protecting his fellow soldiers from a bomb blast in Iraq in 2004.
Trump quickly lashed out at Khan after the convention, even implying that his Muslim faith was the reason his wife didn’t also speak that night. Ghazala later wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post explaining that the real reason she chose to stay silent is because she still finds it too hard to speak about her son’s death.
Khan famously waved his pocket-sized copy of the Constitution at Trump during his convention speech, and on Thursday, he urged people to keep the document’s principles in mind when heading to the polls.
“We must always remain cognizant of our rights, of our Constitution, and of our democracy,” Khan said. “If we select the right leaders, we will make our institutions better, our nation better, and our legal system better, and we won’t have the type of adversity we would have if the other side wins.”Washington, DC - The basic facts of inequality are beyond dispute: The top 1 per cent sucked in more than 42 per cent of the gains of US economic growth over the last three decades, with the bottom 90 per cent sharing less than 37 per cent. This means that most of the population has seen little improvement in living standards over this period in spite of the great breakthroughs in technology and increases in productivity.
This background provides the fuel of the Occupy Wall Street movement and its sympathisers around the country. However, there is a counter-story that the media continually bombards us with. This counter-story has a hero, Steve Jobs.
The counter-story is that under Jobs' leadership, Apple has produced one breakthrough after another, revolutionising the way that we use computers, listen to music, make phone calls and live our lives. Jobs died a very wealthy man because of his success in bringing great products to the market.
Inside Story - What is the legacy of Steve Jobs?
The pushers of the counter-story ask us if we would be happier if Steve Jobs had not been rich, but we didn't have the iPod, the iPad, the iPhone and all the other products developed by Jobs and Apple over the last three decades. The moral of this counter-story is to shut up and eat your inequality.
This counter-story might provide good rhetoric, but it suffers from bad logic. The question is not whether we are better off with Steve Jobs getting very rich and all the products that Apple developed, or having Steve Jobs be poor and not having these products; the question is whether it was necessary for Jobs to get quite so rich in order to get these products.
The difference is the concept of economic rent. Rent is the additional money that Jobs collected beyond what would have been needed to get him to innovate great products. This rent was likely substantial in Jobs' case and is probably even higher for other members of the 1 per cent.
To see the logic of this issue, let's imagine that firefighters were paid in a somewhat different manner. Instead of paying them a fixed monthly wage, suppose that fire crews would show up at the scene of the fire and then negotiate their payment with the property owner.
In this payment system it is likely that firefighters, or at least some of them, would become very rich. Imagine that a crew showed up at the burning home of a billionaire whose family was trapped inside her house. No doubt she would be willing to give her fortune to the fire crew to save her family.
It could even be extremely lucrative to show up at the burning homes of middle-income families. After all, getting two or three hundred thousand dollars for a couple of hours work (albeit extremely dangerous work) is pretty good pay.
Of course, we don't pay our firefighters this way for the obvious reason that it would allow them to collect enormous rents. Firefighters generally get decent salaries, but none of them are pocketing millions of dollars a year.
But if we did pay our firefighters by negotiating million-dollar deals at the scene of the fire, the counter-story told by the defenders of the 1 per cent would apply perfectly. After all, aren't we better off having the firefighters get rich and having our families be saved than if the firefighters remained poor and our families were killed?
But that is not the question that serious economists ask. Serious economists ask whether we could get the same effort from the Steve Jobs of the world under different payment schemes. There is good reason to think this is the case for many members of the 1 per cent.
Let's start with the situation that is most analogous to the firefighters negotiating payment on the lawn of the burning house. Suppose we paid for the research and development of prescription drugs upfront rather than by giving |
on the top of many peoples lists for originality and just raw funk.
4. Kem5 – 3A
Known for his All Chrome top-to-bottom freights, Kem is at the top of his game. With coloring and detail techniques that are unmatched, we really want to see what he has in store for us this year.
5. Ces – TMT
When you think of New York graffiti, one of the first writers that has to pop into mind is Ces. With an unmatched track record for originality, Ces always manages to keep true to the classic NY aesthetic while introducing fresh new painting techniques with raw letters.
6. Ewok – 5MH
Ewok is a serious threat, he’s one of few writers that is able to show up to a spot meant for several people and single handedly rock the whole wall with 10-foot tall amazing (and original) characters and then top it off with a clean burner.
7. Does – Love Letters
Known for mind blowing color rendering techniques, The Netherlands native does an amazing job of marrying solid letters with amazing effects.
8. Sen2 – 4B
With massive letters and a great sense of color, Sen2 has continually been delivering amazing work throughout the years. He’s been doing a awesome job at mixing 3d rendering techniques with strong letterforms.
9. Wane – COD
It’s impossible to have a graffiti writer list and somehow not include Wane in it. His pieces always have a classic NY aesthetic mixed with new school funk and colors that make you wanna sit there and take notes.
10. Stae2 – GFR
Strong letters and funky color schemes make Stae2 the final writer to round off our list. His ability to mesh an old school feel with a new school approach makes any wall he is a part of something worth seeing.SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--SMITH, a Forrester-recognized global Commerce Service Provider, today announces its continued expansion with a multi-million-dollar investment in SMITH Labs. This investment is intended to help clients meet the demands of tomorrow’s customer by bridging the gap between imagination and outcome. As consumers adopt technologies such as AR, VR, and voice interfaces, brands must rethink how they engage with their customers in more meaningful and impactful ways. This new customer journey will provide brands the unprecedented opportunity to create highly personalized cognitive experiences that enrich engagement, create brand loyalty, and increase sales. SMITH Labs focuses on real-world solutions that embrace this convergence. See the vision here.
SMITH Labs has already delivered several firsts, including:
Invisible Interfaces: Blending facial recognition, voice interface, and displays to create a store that recognizes customers at a glance, speaks to them by name, and makes predictive recommendations based on their previous purchase history and preferences.
Blending facial recognition, voice interface, and displays to create a store that recognizes customers at a glance, speaks to them by name, and makes predictive recommendations based on their previous purchase history and preferences. Holographic Retail: A mixed-reality store using Microsoft’s HoloLens, Apple ARKit, and Google ARCore connected to commercially available commerce platforms that allows customers and sellers to share a single, augmented space while exploring configurations of almost any type of product simulation.
“We’re creating new growth opportunities for brands and enhancing commerce experiences for customers with mixed reality and AI,” says Tony Steel, CEO of SMITH. “Add emotion sensing technologies and our creative visual design to the mix, and the outcomes are truly amazing. SMITH Labs enhances our existing strength in commerce with the kind of breakthrough experiences that most agencies are just starting to think about.”
The investment in SMITH Labs welds a creative technology team with over a decade of experience in emerging technology to an engineering team with a 20-year history in commerce architecture. The Labs team has developed innovative customer experiences for brands including Salesforce, Star Wars, Disney, and more.
“As a pioneering creative technology team, we’ve been pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in entertainment and gaming experiences for years,” says Jim Manduca, Creative Director of SMITH Labs. “The field of commerce desperately needs an injection of this kind of thinking right now, and we’ve now got the collective expertise to make that happen.”
“SMITH has been quietly aligning industry partnerships since April,” adds Ryan Valley, Partnership and Client Director of SMITH Labs. “It’s a perfect time for us to invite clients to spend time exploring tomorrow’s interfaces and experiences in our new space.” (Companies can contact the agency through labs@smith.co for more information.)
Based in SMITH’s Ottawa-Gatineau office, SMITH Labs operates in a dedicated space the team has dubbed the Future Commerce Lab. More than just a laboratory, this state-of-the-art facility will allow marketers to go hands-on with store simulations demonstrating how buying and selling will transform with tools like augmented and mixed reality, voice interfaces, and sentiment analysis. (Read more about SMITH Labs at labs.smith.co.)
About SMITH
SMITH helps B2B and B2C brands navigate the future of commerce to differentiate and grow. Whether this means creating and implementing anywhere, anytime buying experiences, enabling the sales force, or incorporating the latest in mobile, voice, AI, and mixed reality, SMITH provides end-to-end commerce and content services to deliver successful business outcomes that delight customers.
Privately owned with over 20 years of commerce experience, SMITH combines the expertise of a creative agency and technology solution provider in servicing clients such as AT&T, Microsoft, and PCNA with micro-service solutions and platform partners such as Episerver, SAP Hybris, Sitecore, and Adobe. The company is headquartered in Seattle and has regional offices in Ottawa-Gatineau and Dayton and satellite centers in Spokane, Dallas, Minneapolis, Montreal, and Toronto.Hidden services running on the Tor network got major support on Friday when Facebook began offering Tor users a way to connect to its services and not run afoul of the social network’s algorithms for detecting fraudulent usage of accounts.
On Friday, the company added a hidden service address with a.onion top-level domain, facebookcorewwwi.onion [updated to fix address], which allows Tor users to protect their data and identity all the way to Facebook’s datacenters. Hidden services accessed through the Tor network allow both the Web user and website to remain anonymous.
“Facebook’s onion address provides a way to access Facebook through Tor without losing the cryptographic protections provided by the Tor cloud,” Alec Muffett, a software engineer with Facebook’s security infrastructure group, said in a blog post. “It provides end-to-end communication, from your browser directly into a Facebook datacenter.”
The addition of a hidden service address allows Facebook to better filter out connections using Tor that may be malicious. Malware has increasingly begun using Tor as a way to make it much harder to identify the compromised systems involved in an attack and stymie clean-up efforts.
In June 2013, for example, Facebook cut connections to Tor following a deluge of malicious traffic from the anonymizing network. “Facebook is not blocking Tor deliberately,” the Tor Project said in a statement at the time. “However, a high volume of malicious activity across Tor exit nodes triggered Facebook’s site integrity systems which are designed to protect people who use the service.”
Facebook has already implemented a number of other security measures across its entire service, including secure HTTP (HTTPS), Perfect Forward Secrecy, and the HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS).
Hidden services on Tor have most often been associated with criminal enterprises, such as Silk Road marketplace that sold drugs and other illegal items until it was shut down a year ago. But the anonymizing feature enables a variety of legitimate services, such as forums for dissidents, anonymous source submissions for newspapers and media sites, and private search engines.
The privacy benefits of going through an anonymizing network to connect to Facebook are questionable, however. Matthew Green, an assistant research professor in computer science at Johns Hopkins University, summed up the issue in a tweet.
“On the one hand, cool! On the other, it seems a little like taking a shower and rolling in mud,” he stated, adding: “Ok, all cynicism aside: companies providing direct Tor links is an unalloyed good. Keep it up Facebook! Now maybe Twitter can get onboard.”Geology typically requires a suspension of our everyday sense of time to be appreciated. If you stare at a rock for a minute or two, you’re unlikely to be rewarded with much action—unless you throw it. But that doesn’t do it for everybody.
What does do it for just about everybody is volcanoes. Big, violent volcanoes. Angry mountains spewing their molten guts high into the atmosphere, with fiery blobs and bits flying everywhere. Of course, such sights are preferably taken in through the comforting insulation of a television set—even a relatively calm volcano like Hawaii’s Kilauea demands serious precaution.
But what if you could get up close and personal with a real-life, mesmerizing lava flow—minus the imminent personal danger? A recent story in Earth Magazine describes a project at Syracuse University that results in on-demand lava flows in a college parking lot. Crushed basalt is melted in a specialized furnace, and the resultant lava is poured out for all to enjoy. Volcanologists get to study flows in controlled conditions, and the public gets to freak out about how cool it is. (OK, the volcanologists surely do that, too.)
Ironically, the crushed basalt comes all the way from the failed rift responsible for Lake Superior rather than the relatively nearby (successful) rift that formed the Palisades along the Hudson River. Given that the Palisades basalt is about 200 million years old, this is the closest thing to volcanism that the piece of the North American plate we now call New York has seen in a very long time.This week marks the 40th anniversary of Roe v Wade, the landmark January 22, 1973 Supreme Court 7-2 ruling that legalised abortion in the United States. Much is being written about how divided we are as a country on this issue, how complicated it is, and how we'll never find common ground.
What most articles and commentators fail to state is that despite ongoing rollbacks and access restrictions, the overwhelming majority of Americans believe we should make our own decisions about our bodies and health, not the government.
According to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, seven in 10 Americans believe Roe v Wade should remain law. This is the highest level of support for reproductive justice since polls began tracking the public's views on abortion in 1989.
Even though the poll finds that the overwhelming majority of Americans support the ruling, the Wall Street Journal ran a headline on its blog stating that "40 years post Roe v Wade, views on abortion remain divided, complex".
A divided nation?
Last August, Republicans for Choice (yes, they exist, but are rarely, if ever, interviewed in the media) released a poll showing that 71 percent of Republicans believe women should make their own reproductive choices, not the government, and that 70 percent of those who label themselves as "pro-life" are in fact pro-choice.
The question they asked was this: Regardless of how you personally feel about the issue of abortion, who do you believe should have the right to make that decision regarding whether to have an abortion? Should the woman, her family and her doctor make the decision or should the government make the decision?
Seventy-one percent of Republicans, 80 percent of Independents, and 89 percent of Democrats said they "strongly" feel a woman should make her own decisions and yet, a small group of politicians write and pass restrictive laws across the country that most people oppose. Rather than challenge politicians who are more interested in women's bodies than the ongoing economic crisis, the media constantly repeat stale claims about divisions and run front-page photos of activists yelling at each other on the steps of the Supreme Court.
The rollbacks are frightening, outrageous, and serious, but they do not reflect the will of the people. What are we facing 40 years after women demanded free abortion on demand? All you have to do is read the headlines on RH Reality Check, an excellent website that provides reproductive and sexual health and justice news and analysis, for an overview: Kansas law banning private insurance coverage for abortion will stand; New study shows anti-choice policies leading to widespread arrests of and forced interventions of pregnant women; Paul Ryan wants Personhood for "One-Celled Human Embryos"; Virginia legislators want to force poor women to carry severely disabled fetuses to term against their will; and With Muskegon clinic closure, access to abortion in Michigan just got harder.
In favour of reproductive justice
Most people don't know that 87 percent of all US counties and 98 percent of rural counties have no abortion provider, according to the Guttmacher Institute, a public policy organisation that works to advance sexual and reproductive health. In 2008, nearly nine in 10 abortion clinics experienced at least one form of harassment.
Last year, 42 states and the District of Columbia enacted 122 laws affecting reproductive health and rights. One-third of the new provisions, 43 in 19 states, sought to restrict abortion services. Eight states now require an ultrasound prior to receiving an abortion; 20 states now restrict abortion coverage available through state health insurance exchanges; and 18 states require that women seeking an abortion be given misleading information.
Fault Lines
The abortion war
We are clearly losing ground, but what happens when these issues are taken to the voters? They overwhelmingly vote for reproductive justice. In 2006 and 2008, South Dakota, a state with just one abortion provider, politicians supported legislation that would have nearly banned all abortions. When the bills went to the voters as ballot initiatives, they lost. Even though the people sent a strong message to anti-choice politicians, South Dakota's Republican Governor Dennis Daugaard signed legislation in March 2011 that requires a woman seeking an abortion to visit anti-abortion counseling centres and mandates a 72-hour waiting period, the longest in the country.
In November 2011, Mississippi voters rejected an amendment to the state constitution that would have outlawed abortion by defining a fertilised egg as a person. If you can't outlaw abortion in Mississippi, the state with the most restrictive abortion laws on the books, you can't outlaw it anywhere.
Similar so-called "personhood" measures, which were backed by most of the men running for President on the Republican ticket last year, failed in Colorado in 2008 and 2010. Over the past two years, anti-choice groups in Montana, Ohio, Nevada, and Florida have failed to gather enough signatures to put similar measures on the ballot. Last July, a measure that would have amended the Oregon Constitution to prohibit access to abortion coverage for low-income women failed to qualify for the 2012 ballot.
In November 2012, Florida voters rejected an amendment that would have prohibited state funding for abortion, which the state doesn't provide in the first place! It also would have weakened the court's ability to block abortion restrictions and removed women's rights to reproductive "privacy" from the state's constitution.
'Enough is enough'
Since 2005, anti-choice extremists have seen their ballot measures attacking reproductive rights fail 10 out of 11 times, according to NARAL Pro-Choice America, and yet, the media and most commentators constantly claim that the United States is vehemently divided and most outlets refer to politicians who support restricting our rights, make the most outlandish statements about women, and vote against the interests of children and families as "pro-life". The next time you read or hear that term, call or email the media outlet and ask for an explanation. In March 2010, National Public Radio replaced "pro-choice" and "pro-life" with "abortion rights supporter" and "abortion rights opponent". Language matters.
Despite the public's support for legal and safe abortion, there is little to no pushback against these dangerous laws from most politicians in the Democratic Party. To say that they've done little to advance our rights would be an understatement. By constantly focusing on compromises with antiabortion politicians, the entire debate has shifted further and further to the right. Forty years after Roe v Wade, who would have thought that we'd be debating birth control?
The overwhelming majority of Americans are not interested in forced childbirth. Politicians are passing laws the people don't want and yet they are rarely challenged in the media. The more extreme they are, the more coverage they get. Enough is enough. We will not go back. It's time to move forward and do the necessary work to ensure that every woman in this country, especially those living in low-income communities, have access to the full spectrum of reproductive healthcare, including sex education, birth control, and abortion. Use your voice. Demand the truth from the media, not manufactured controversy. You're in the majority.
I'll be moderating an event to celebrate Roe v. Wade this Saturday in San Francisco. There are several 'Trust Women' events happening across the country this week. Find one in your area, invites friends and family, and show your support. It's time to move forward.
Rose Aguilar is the host of Your Call, a daily call-in radio show on KALW in San Francisco.
Follow her on Twitter: @roseaguilarA Norwegian death dealer, a redone Dome, a bevy of new rewards, and the ability to Party Up with your friends in Casual matches; We present The Javelin Update.
New Merc: Javelin
Norwegian powerhouse Javelin is storming the city.
Sent by Scandinavian tech startup Ghostclip, she's proving out an experimental solution to ammo resupply in the place best fitted for it.
Her backpack prints ammo for herself and any teammates nearby, and her primary ability is devastating: A Reflex Rocket Launcher with two modes, a faster-firing standard setting and a slower yet spectacular laser guided alternative.
The first new Primary Weapon to hit the game in two years, The SHAR-C is a slow-firing, high damage, long range Assault Rifle that packs a powerful punch.
For now, the only way to get your hands on it is with select Javelin Loadouts, including her Default card.
Javelin's Axe is a horror to behold, but oh-so-satisfying to use. Use to deal high damage in a relatively short space of time.
Javelin 'Ghost' Pack
Javelin's getting stuck right in.
Get her along with a Limited Edition 'Ghost' Case, containing one random Loadout Card with battle-scarred skin variant. Only available in Store until the 5th of September.
New Feature: Casual Matchmaking
Along with many UI tweaks, we've completely overhauled the Play screen.
Quick Join has been replaced with 'Casual', which uses a new matchmaking system in the North America and EU regions, along with brand new team intro animations and post-match MVP lineup, and the existing Quick Join system in others.
Casual matchmaking provides us with the tools to better balance matches, and gives you the ability to (finally) play with your friends in a party!
It will take several matches to find existing players' true skill ratings, so please allow some time for the system to adjust. For more info and a rundown on our philosophy behind this huge addition to the game, click here.
Updated Objective Map: Dome
We've overhauled the East-London airship-smuggling objective mission Dome, to bring it in line with our other maps.
Key changes include reducing it in size and complexity, to focus the action and give teams a clearer direction.
Read our recent rundown of the changes you'll find here.
Assault Course Rewards
Prove your mastery of speed and accuracy with these new Assault Course Trinket Rewards.
Complete the Assault Course in the specified times to unlock them, ranging from easy (Bronze) to insane (Cobalt).
New Steam Achievements
To coincide with our new Norwegian noob-tuber and Assault Course rewards, you'll find a batch of new Steam Achievements ready to be unlocked.
Rock It – Play 30 minutes with Javelin in your squad
– Play 30 minutes with Javelin in your squad Rocketeer – Play 5 hours with Javelin in your squad
– Play 5 hours with Javelin in your squad Rocket Queen – Play 20 hours with Javelin in your squad
– Play 20 hours with Javelin in your squad Air Cav – The sky is no limit
– The sky is no limit Look Good in Blue – Craft or Trade Up to a Javelin Cobalt Card
– Craft or Trade Up to a Javelin Cobalt Card Bronze – Achieve Bronze Rank on the Assault Course
– Achieve Bronze Rank on the Assault Course Silverado – Achieve Silver Rank on the Assault Course
– Achieve Silver Rank on the Assault Course Golden – Achieve Gold Rank on the Assault Course
– Achieve Gold Rank on the Assault Course Blue Steel – Achieve Cobalt Rank on the Assault Course
– Achieve Cobalt Rank on the Assault Course Homework – Complete the tutorial
Daily Rewards Improvements
We're upping the rewards in our new Daily Play Rewards system, with higher rarity Loadout Cards dropping as you play through the week.
Each case contains a single, random Loadout Card for one Merc, with rarities as follows:
Mk I. Case – Lead, Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, & Cobalt
Mk II. Case – Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, & Cobalt
Mk III. Case – Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, & Cobalt
Mk IV. Case – Bronze, Silver, Gold, & Cobalt
Pricing Updates
Merc Prices
To make Mercs more attainable, we're splitting their price points into five distinct tiers and reducing the price of many of them.
Some Mercs that are less team-focused (like Vassili) have been bumped up a notch so that less new players will use them to the detriment of their teams.
50,000 C / US$9.99 45,000 C / US$8.99 40,000 C / US$7.99 35,000 C / US$6.99 30,000 C / US$5.99 Free Turtle Nader Phoenix Arty Bushwhacker Skyhammer Kira Proxy Fragger Fletcher Sawbonez Aura Vassili Stoker Aimee Thunder Rhino Phantom Redeye Sparks Javelin
New In-game Bundles
We're introducing new in-game bundles with greater savings to replace the existing ones. Each contains five Mercs and a collection of extra gear.
Veterans 5-Pack – US$19.99 (save 50%)
5 x Mercs (Sawbonez. Arty, Proxy, Rhino, Aimee)
10 x Golden Equipment Cases
1 x 6 Hour Booster
Strikeforce 5-Pack – US$29.99 (save 50%)
5 x Mercs (Fragger, Fletcher, Kira, Phoenix, Redeye)
10 x Golden Equipment Cases
2 x Elite Cases
1 x 12 Hour Booster
10,000 Credits
Firestorm 5-Pack – US$29.99 (save 50%)
5 x Mercs (Thunder, Vassili, Sparks, Nader, Stoker)
10 x Golden Equipment Cases
2 x Elite Cases
1 x 12 Hour Booster
10,000 Credits
Private Matches
Due to the low levels of usage (less than 0.10% of play time) Private matches are no longer available. Later this year, we'll be launching Server Rentals, which will give you more flexibility and control over your own matches.
Tutorial First
Many of you have asked for the Tutorial to be made mandatory for new players, to better equip them for combat operations.
We've now made first time players enter the Tutorial by default, though they'll still be able to exit via the Menu. We'll be monitoring the change to see whether it improves the experience.
Weapon Balance Improvements
As with the Merc balance, we're now jumping back into the realms of Weapon balance by first addressing the most common concerns.
More finely tuned Weapon balance will be coming in the following months, but we want to see how these impact the game first.
Sniper Rifles
These are controversial weapons in all games, not just in Dirty Bomb.
While we want to maintain their effectiveness in the right hands so good snipers are still valuable on the team, we've reduced the damage that body-shots will do with the following weapons.
This will still reward headshots, but will leave players with more health if the Sniper'misses' and the shot hits the victim anywhere else.
MoA SNPR-1 – Base body-shot damage reduced to 60 (from 75) – Headshot remains at 150
– Base body-shot damage reduced to 60 (from 75) – Headshot remains at 150 PDP-70 – Base body-shot damage reduced to 40 (from 50) – Headshot remains at 100
– Base body-shot damage reduced to 40 (from 50) – Headshot remains at 100 FEL-IX – Base body-shot damage reduced to 63 (from 79) – Headshot remains at 158
– Base body-shot damage reduced to 63 (from 79) – Headshot remains at 158 Grandeur SR – Base body-shot damage reduced to 32 (from 40) – Headshot remains at 80
Burst Rifles
The amount of damage output by these weapons is still too high in the right hands. We've reduce the damage of each bullet in the burst by 1. Bringing their damage-per-second output in line with the automatic Assault Rifles.
BR-16 – Reduced damage to 16 per bullet (from 17)
– Reduced damage to 16 per bullet (from 17) Stark AR – Reduced damage to 17 per bullet (from 18)
Shotguns
While Snipers Rifles can be among the controversial weapons, Shotguns will always be right at the top.
Our end goal is to have them equal in power with SMGs, since Mercs with them have access to both. With Shotguns being more situational and weaker at range than SMGs, they do need to be significantly more powerful in their close-range niche.
Having said that, we do feel that Shotguns are currently overly effective at point-blank range. With that in mind we've slightly increased the effective range of these weapons, while reducing the maximum possible headshot damage, and reducing the damage that they do to the lower-leg of opponents.
Hollunds 880 Increased range at which damage falloff begins to 2.0m (from 1.7m) Reduced headshot damage multiplier to 1.3x (max 114 dmg) from 1.5x (max 132 dmg) Reduced lower-leg damage multiplier to 0.75x (max 66 dmg) from 1.0x (max 88 dmg)
Remburg 7 Increased range at which damage falloff begins to 1.5m (from 1.4m) Reduced headshot damage multiplier to 1.3x (max 125 dmg) from 1.5x (max 144 dmg) Reduced lower-leg damage multiplier to 0.75x (max 72 dmg) from 1.0x (max 96 dmg)
Ahnuhld-12 Increased range at which damage falloff begins to 3.6m (from 3.2m) Reduced headshot damage multiplier to 1.3x (max 100 dmg) from 1.5x (max 116 dmg) Reduced lower-leg damage multiplier to 0.75x (max 58 dmg) from 1.0x (max 77 dmg)
Revolvers
Similar to the high-damage Sniper Rifles, we want to reduce the body damage here but keep the current headshot damage to encourage people to take their time with these shots.
Simeon.357 – Base body-shot damage reduced to 24 (from 30) – Headshot remains at 60
– Base body-shot damage reduced to 24 (from 30) – Headshot remains at 60 Smjüth & Whetsman.40 – Base body-shot damage reduced to 27 (from 34) – Headshot remains at 68
Bug Fixes
Animation
Fixed bug where Phantom's Katana would clip into his body while crouching
Audio
Fixed bug where the Hexadic trinket audio would not play
Gameplay
Fixed bug where Proximity Mines could fail to come to rest when placed on top of one another
Fixed bug where Trinket animations would not play in warm up
Fixed bug where changing resolution settings would not always update in the Options Menu
Fixed bug where certain elements of Mercs' outfits would not appear white when viewed through Redeye’s IR Goggles
Level Design
Fixed bug where the wrong voice line could play on the first Objective in Terminal
Fixed bug where “Press K to Restart” would appear after completing the Assault Course
Fixed bug where players could get stuck on the Assault Course if they died during the initial run
UI
Fixed bug where an unlocked Proxy Cyber Eye Case would appear locked
Fixed bug where the prompt 'Surrender Vote is Now Available' could trigger during the Tutorial and Assault Course
Fixed bug where Daily Play Rewards were using placeholder text in French
Known Issues
Players with a read-only "DocumentsMy GamesUnrealEngine3ShooterGameConfigShooterEngine.ini" file will crash when attempting to play matches.
Please re-allow write permissions or delete the file after updating the game.
Exiting the game while searching for matches can lead to the client still being treated as searching
Please cancel matchmaking searches before exiting, otherwise you may receive a penalty for failing to accept
Hot Fix 08/22
We've identified a number of issues, and have rolled out a hotfix to clean them up. Thanks to everyone that raised issues in the Bug Megathread, keep us in the loop with any more you might find!
Fixed bug where Loadout Cards in the post-game review would appear as a missing image
Fixed bug where Javelin’s ragdoll body would be flung across the map when killed
Fixed bug where Region selection was unavailable in the server browser
Fixed bug where Phantom gained 100xp/s for Refractive Armor
Fixed bug where the Weekly Reward (Bronze+) case was still displaying Iron Loadout Cards
Fixed bug where Idle/AFK players were not being removed from matches
Fixed several bugs with Casual Matchmaking including: Europe Region being selected by default for players in North America Broken “waiting for undefined more players” text string Searching not resetting when another player failed to accept Some players not being told they had a matchmaking penalty when attempting to search Teams vanishing from the UI temporarily when a match was found
Update – Hot Fix 08/23
We're following up with more fixes to issues you've raised since release. Please post to our Bug Megathread if you spot any issues, and we'll continue to patch 'em up.
Fixed bug where Merc Selection was missing from the pregame Lobby in Casual and Ranked
Fixed bug where the wrong team name could be displayed in Casual and Ranked
Fixed bug where the Find a Match button didn’t function correctly in Casual
Fixed several issues with the post-match MVP line-up
Update – Hot Fix 08/25
We're making a few more fixes following on from your feedback. Please post to our Bug Megathread if you find any issues, and we'll continue to work on themDescription
This is a Vita port of the game Bermuda Syndrome, using the reverse engine made by Gregory Montoir: https://github.com/cyxx/bermuda
Installation:
-------------------
- Install the vpk with VitaShell
- Download game datas from a website (ex: http://www.bestoldgames.net/download/bgames/bermuda-syndrome.zip) and place the content of the downloaded archive into ux0:/data/bermuda/DATA/
- Unzip the content of MUSIC.zip into ux0:data/bermuda/
Finally, you should have, into ux0:/data/bermuda/ :
- A folder named "DATA" with the following files and directories: https://www.ferb.fr/gekihen/bermuda-data.png
- A folder named "MUSIC" with track01.ogg to track15.ogg inside
Commands:
-------------------
Left/Right : move Jack Thompson
Up: jump
Down: crouch
Hold Down: Reload weapon
Square: use weapon
Circle : run / store weapon
Cross : use current selected item / skip video or dialogue
Triangle : display inventory / action selector
L/R : quick load/save
Enjoy and don't hesitate to report bugs to me.
Changelog:
------------------
1.1:
- Fix random crashes due to wrong audio/music memory management
1.0:
- First public releaseSelecta, a German toymaker, carves whimsical cars and characters from native woods, colors them with vegetable dyes and coats them in silky beeswax. No lead, no toxic varnishes. Not even waste -- the company heats its factory with leftover woodchips. Just the kind of toymaker in demand after scares about tainted playthings from China.
But this holiday season, Selecta is preparing to pull out of the U.S. market. Its problem, executives say, is consumer legislation that is adding crushing costs to selling toys in America.
The law, which takes effect Feb. 10, was passed by Congress in response to recalls of lead-laced toys and growing health concerns about chemicals in plastics. The $22 billion toy industry says the requirements have created confusing bureaucratic layers and startling new costs that will decimate a business already struggling through a punishing recession.
For the first time, manufacturers will have to pay independent testing laboratories to verify that every component of a product meets new limits for lead and does not contain six chemicals that Congress has banned from plastic children's products.
Learning Resources, an Illinois manufacturer of educational toys, says one lab wants $24,000 to test a certain model of children's telescopes. Many companies say that the law does not spell out exactly what must be tested and that the uncertainty is creating havoc with business plans.
Manufacturers say the law will have unintended consequences: halting the sale of kids' bicycles, requiring clothingmakers to discard millions of dollars in inventory, and banning products that pose little or no safety threat.
"This business is being ruined, and it has nothing to do with safety," said Rick Woldenberg, chairman of Learning Resources. "It has to do with mania."
Consumer advocates say the law offers needed protection. "There's no unfettered right to sell your products if you can't prove they're safe," said Rachel Weintraub of the Consumer Federation of America.
Toys on shelves now are a mix; some would meet the new safety regulations, others would not. Some large retailers, such as Wal-Mart and Toys R Us, are requiring suppliers to comply with the new requirements ahead of their effective date. But other stores are selling old stock this holiday season, sometimes at a discount, to shed inventory before the law takes effect. Shoppers concerned about lead and chemicals should ask retailers or manufacturers about the contents of their products, experts say.
While toy giants such as Hasbro and Mattel began changing their materials even before the law was passed, some owners of medium and small businesses say they do not have the time -- or the money -- to comply with the tough new provisions.
Backers of the new law say the toy industry had plenty of warning that government was making safety regulations tougher. California, which has the largest state economy and often sets trends because of its market muscle, approved a toy safety overhaul similar to the federal legislation in 2007. That ban takes effect next month.
Lead, a neurotoxin that can injure the brain, reduce IQ and cause behavioral problems in young children, has been banned from paint in the United States since 1978.Drupal, one of the web’s leading content platforms, is facing an internal crisis following the removal of one of its developers over ideological differences.
The leadership at the organization banned senior contributor Larry Garfield for having views contrary to progressive orthodoxy, citing what he did in his private life as an excuse to remove him.
Facing widespread protests from other developers who demanded his reinstitution, Drupal’s leadership repeatedly changed their justification for removing him, each time garnering widespread condemnation from the development community.
On the web, Drupal, is one of several popular content management systems that are used to power websites. It’s estimated to provide a framework for as much as 2.2 percent of all websites worldwide, including The White House, and the BBC. The platform is maintained by a community of open-source developers who contribute their work to the project for nothing more than attribution.
The project has been engulfed in controversy after Garfield was unceremoniously removed from his position as one of its leading developers. He had become the target of progressives who alleged that his personal life was an affront to their views on inclusivity and diversity.
Dries Buytaert, the CTO of Acquia and Drupal trademark owner, explained that Garfield’s views were “in opposition to the values of the Drupal project.”
According to Breitbart, Garfield’s private kinks were used against him after he was outed by another contributor named Klaus Purer, who found Garfield’s postings on FetLife, a private BDSM forum. His private postings were later tied to his public identity and used as a reason to oust him from the organization.
At the time, Buytaert stated in a post that after the senior developer’s private life was brought to his attention, he couldn’t “in good faith support someone who actively promotes a philosophy” like Garfield’s interest in BDSM.
It was later apparent that the decision to attack Garfield based on his private sex life only came after high-ranking members within the organization of a leftist bent compiled a dossier on his political statements, which were not in line with social justice ideology.
Nathaniel Catchpole, a member of Drupal’s Core Development Team and a proud, self-proclaimed communist, created the 17-page dossier in an effort to oust Garfield from the organization with the assistance of other contributors.
Drupal’s involvement in Garfield’s private life has taken an even more bizarre turn, as Drupal Association’s Megan Sanicki and Dries Buytaert are now claiming that Garfield may have been in a “relationship” of some sort with an “acutely autistic” mute woman. They claim that they have “legal concerns about her ability to give informed consent,” and that they suspended him over these concerns.
These concerns were only brought up after every other excuse used to remove him from his position was exhausted.
Garfield was forced to respond to their accusations with a post that included a police report from 2014, admitting that while he had lived with an autistic woman, the couple were subject to an anonymous complaint that prompted the authorities to perform a “wellness check” on the woman. Garfield says that the police concluded that the two of them were being “targeted for harassment by an unknown party.”
Sanicki and Buytaert conclude their blog post to state that the reason they’re now removing him is because his attempts to defend himself in the face of destructive allegations “harmed the community and had a material impact on the Drupal Association.”
The issue remains ongoing as |
deep.
Django Unchained/Inglorious Basterds/Kill Bill/Pulp Fiction/Reservoir Dogs: Quentin Tarantino reveals that he is a deeply disturbed individual that is consumed by elaborate revenge fantasies.
Rocky I: Man shows that with an indomitable spirit, you still can’t beat someone who is better than you.
Rocky II: Unless you can.
Rocky III: I forgot.
Rocky IV: The Cold War and its senseless fearful tension were put to an end with Rocky’s violence and jingoism.
Rocky V: Rocky gets brain damage that he should’ve gotten a long time ago.
Rocky Balboa: Rocky’s indomitable spirit defeats his brain damage, and then a man 30 years younger than him.
TV Shows:
Family Guy: Mentally disabled man threatens the safety of his loved ones on a weekly basis. All is forgiven and forgotten.
The Simpsons: Jaundice is okay if everyone has it.
Bob’s Burgers: [Breaking Character] This is the greatest show ever made, there are no flaws.
Breaking Bad: Man does everything for his family. Goes unappreciated.
Malcolm in the Middle: Man does everything for his family. Goes unappreciated.
Spongebob Squarepants: Approximately 30 year old Sponge wastes away life with drugs and shenanigans.
Homeland: CIA entrusts National Security to mentally unstable woman who is in a known love affair with confirmed terrorist.
Big Bang Theory: Words are meaninglessly thrown around to a laugh-track.
Friends: Six people remain friends despite events that should suggest otherwise.
House: As long as you’re a doctor trying to save someone, you can be a law-breaking dick.
Law & Order: Criminal cases are definitely not long and drawn out, and always result in closure, if not satisfying conclusion.
White Collar: Looking handsome is the most effective form of crime-solving.
Books:
The Odyssey: Dude gets lost, goes home, murders other men who talked to his wife.
Les Miserables: People in France are sad, until they’re not.
On The Road: Jack Kerouac blows himself.
Animal Farm: Social commentary that becomes deeper by the sole fact that it is an extended metaphor.
Fahrenheit 451: Paper burns. But also metaphorically.
The Great Gatsby: A bunch of rich people going “WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH”
To Kill a Mockingbird: Racism is bad. The South was bad. Some people in the South were good.
Of Mice and Men: A man easily defeats a mouse in combat.
Any Haruki Murakami book: Dude falls in love with kind-of-unique-but-not-really girl. Strange circumstances ensue.
The Fountainhead/Atlas Shrugged: Ayn Rand hates poor people so much, that she wrote these books in her own blood.
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: Hunter S. Thompson does Hunter S. Thompson-like things. (It’s drugs.)
A Clockwork Orange: An author is glorified for writing out his rape and murder fantasies.
American Psycho: An author is glorified for writing out his rape and murder fantasies, in AMERICA.
The Scarlet Letter: SPOILER ALERT: It was “A,” for Adultery.
The Count of Monte Cristo: Some flamboyantly dressed man is unable to let go of a thing that happened.
A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius: Smart dude writes about sad stuff.
Ender’s Game: Kid goes through brutal training to fight in an intergalactic war that he is emotionally unprepared for. Is kind of a crybaby about it.
Sports:
Tennis: It’s just hitting a ball back and forth until someone screws up.
Table Tennis: It’s just tennis on a table.
NASCAR: It’s just making left turns.
F1 Racing: It’s just NASCAR + right turns.
Basketball: It’s just putting a ball into a hole.
Golf: It’s just putting a ball into a hole.
Soccer: It’s just putting a ball through a rectangular hole.
Hockey: It’s just putting a puck through a rectangular hole. (ON ICE!)
Baseball: You just hit a ball with a stick.
Cricket: You just hit a ball with a stick, with an accent.
Polo: You just hit a ball with a stick, on a horse.
Water Polo: You throw a ball in the water and no horses are involved.
Football: The guy with the ball must run for his life or suffer severe physical and ultimately, psychological, injury.
Track: You literally just run.
Horseback Riding: You enjoy a gingerly tour on a horse.
Dressage: It’s just rich people making fun of poor people.
Occupations:
Lawyer: It’s just someone who makes obvious logical connections.
Ac”count”tant: Just someone who counts things.
Teacher: An adult teaching childish concepts.
Heart Surgeon: It’s literally this easy to get an A+ in Surgeon School.
Pediatrician: Touches kids.
Gynecologist: Someone who invades privacy as a profession.
Police Officer: Someone who invades privacy for funsies.
Pharmacist: Drug Dealer.
Drug Dealer: Pharmacist.
Optometrist: Someone who tells you if you can’t see far or close.
Ophthalmologist: Same thing, but does surgery and is harder to spell.
Optician: Eye pharmacist.
Author: Writes own thoughts as if they are important.
Journalist: Something happens. They record it.
Computer Programmer: Made Doom II, some other stuff.
Banker: Just moves money around.
Engineer: Builds bridges and shit.
Arts & Sciences:
Geology: It’s just looking at rocks and waiting for earthquakes.
Biology: Just categorizing animals and shit.
Astronomy: Looking up.
Meteorology: The study of flipping a coin to see if it will rain or not.
Chemistry: Watch Mythbusters + Breaking Bad.
Physics: Talking about literally what you experience all the time.
Quantum Physics: Physics but smaller.
Impressionism: Just a bunch of dots.
Expressionism: Art for people who can’t draw things accurately.
Cubism: Art for people who can’t do expressionism.
Dada: Trying too hard.
Classical Music: Music written by men in wigs.
Baroque Music: Classical music on an old twangy piano.
Romantic Music: Beethoven is one angry dude, yo.
Impressionist Music: Sounds ambiguously Chinese-y.
Pop Music: To whom Ellie Goulding sold her soul.
Jazz: Music white people stole from black people and ruined.
Rock n’ Roll: Music white people stole from black people and ruined.
Rap: Music white people are trying to steal from black people. It is already ruined.
Video Games:
Super Mario Bros.: Destroy property, kill natives, overthrow Sovereign to impress the mother of the Sovereign’s child.
Pokemon: Child is encouraged by society to engage in internationally-celebrated cockfighting.
Call of Duty: Solving problems with guns.
Halo: Solving problems with fancy space guns, in fancy space.
Street Fighter: Solving problems without the use of weapons.
Mortal Kombat: Copyright Infringement.
Tekken: Copyright Infringement for people with no motor skills.
Dead or Alive: Copyright Infringement with boobs.
Starcraft: You send a bunch of small people to kill other small people. [Jack loves this game].
DoTA: You send one small person to kill other small people. [Jack has devoted literally over 1000 hours on this game. This is not part of the joke. This is a real fact.]
League of Legends: DoTA for people who suck at DoTA.
Tetris: An excuse to show off your organization abilities.
Bejeweled: An excuse to show off your extensive knowledge of basic shapes and colors.
Angry Birds: Evidence of social decline.
Portal: You shoot holes.
Fallout: Post Apocalyptic Sociopath Simulator.
Skyrim: Dragons & Fantasy Sociopath Simulator.
Grand Theft Auto Series: Ignoring the implications of being chased by police constantly.
Mario Kart: Making children angry since 1992. And then making adults angry.
The Legend of Zelda games: Child becomes inhumanly powerful, thereby giving him the right to loot homes and murder indigenous creatures and people. Collaterally saves world.
Sonic the Hedgehog: Hold right. Win game.
Kirby: Fly anywhere, suck people off.
Super Smash Bros.: Down+B. The end. Fuck this game.
Contra: You are bad at games, and by extension, life.
Metal Gear Solid: Sneak up on unassuming soldiers who have wives and families, and heartlessly murder them.
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This blog: A fantastical celebration of nothing.“We made our judgment, and the trial came to an end, and locally most people were in support of that,” Mr. Ring said. “Now it’s back — by no choosing or no doing of anyone in this community.”
“So that’s the first point of injustice,” he added. “That we have to live through it again.”
In downtown Manitowoc, the county seat, the talkative, curious people I had come upon a decade earlier were no longer surprised — or the least bit pleased — to see yet another reporter. Many avoided any talk about “Making a Murderer,” or simply spotted my notebook and walked away. The mayor declined to be interviewed. Business owners refused to discuss it: One said she had read online about a call for a protest in the town, and she was worried about safety.
“Look, we lived this whole thing like a juror,” Suszanne Fox, who lives not far from here, told me as she ate a burger at the Fat Seagull. “He was guilty as sin.”
Many viewers of “Making a Murderer” do not agree. Hundreds of thousands of people signed petitions asking President Obama to pardon Mr. Avery and Mr. Dassey, to which the White House has responded that the president cannot issue pardons in state cases. And Gov. Scott Walker has long pledged to issue no pardons while in office.
The series left viewers with unrelenting questions: Did Mr. Avery’s civil lawsuit for his wrongful sexual assault conviction motivate the Manitowoc County authorities to plant evidence against him in the second case, for murder? How was it that an old sample of Mr. Avery’s blood, which was found in the victim’s car, appeared to be tampered with while in the care of the authorities? Should Mr. Dassey, at his young age and with a limited intellect, have been questioned alone by investigators? Was his appointed lawyer working against his cause?An excavation project by a joint Egyptian and Spanish archaeological mission from University of Alcalá has uncovered 56 embalming jars for the mummification of the vizier Ipi.
The jars were discovered whilst the team was carrying out works on Ipi’s tomb (TT 315) at Deir el-Bahari in Luxor. Ipi was an Ancient Egyptian vizier and overseer of Thebes during the reign of Amenemhat I in the early Twelfth Dynasty (Early Middle Kingdom).
Dr. Mahmoud Afifi (Ancient Egyptian Antiquities) explained that the jars were found whilst clearing a courtyard in the tomb that led to the discovery of an auxiliary chamber located on its north east corner containing the jars. He noted that the jars had previously been discovered by the American Egyptologist Herbert Winlock between 1921-1922, who must have placed them in the room where they remained forgotten and reburied.
Afifi added that “the identification of these materials is of great importance for understanding the mummification techniques used in the early Middle Kingdom and the assessment of the kinds of items, tools, and substances involved in the process of embalming.”
Dr. Antonio Morales (Spanish Mission) said that the deposit of the mummification materials used for Ipi include inscriptions, various shrouds and linen sheets (4m long) shawls, and rolls of wide bandages, in addition to pieces of slender wrappings destined to cover fingers, toes, and other parts of the vizier’s corpse.
Morales explained that the jars contain around 300 sacks with natron salt, oils, sand, and other substances, as well as the stoppers of the jars and a scraper. Also found are examples of Nile clay and Marl jars, some with postmarks and hieratic.
Ministry of AntiquitiesOn July 25, against all odds, an exhausted James Lawrence achieved his goal.
James Lawrence has crossed his final finish line.
James Lawrence emerged from the waters of Wallsburg Bay, shivering and disoriented.
“I can’t do this anymore,” he cried.
“You don’t have to,” responded one of his friends as he engulfed Lawrence in a blanket and a bear hug. “This is your last swim.”
Lawrence mustered a weak smile and slowly walked to his trailer to prepare to ride 112 miles and run 26.2 for the 50th—and final—time.
On June 6, Lawrence began a quest to complete 50 iron-distance triathlons in all 50 states over 50 consecutive days. The stunt, which began in Hawaii, had many skeptical at first. Ultra-distance expert Rich Roll called the endeavor “as close to impossible as I can imagine,” and many pointed out the logistical impracticalities of making it from one state to the next while still tending to the recovery needs of a daily 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and 26.2-mile run.
On July 25, against all odds, an exhausted Lawrence achieved his goal.
Over 50 days, the triathlete averaged 15 hours of movement per day as he swam a total of 120 miles, biked 5,600, and ran almost 1,300 miles, all on an average of four hours sleep per night. A support crew, which included Lawrence’s friends, sponsors, wife and five children, made up the caravan that tended to his physical, emotional and transport needs throughout the 50 days. The team helped Lawrence navigate a variety of obstacles, including a case of thrush, bike crashes, overuse injuries and emotional meltdowns.
“Mississippi [Day 19] was the toughest day for us,” said wife Sunny Lawrence. “He had crashed on the bike the day before, and his hip was really swollen. James started cramping badly on the swim—it took him two and a half hours. When he got out of the water, he asked for an IV and fell asleep while they were administering it. It took us 20 minutes just to wake him up, and then he got on the bike, where his hip became even more swollen. There was a big storm coming in, he was dehydrated, and he was hurting so badly. His coach told him to protect the injury by running on the elliptical. We didn’t know until after he finished, but some people were outraged he did that. The emotional stress of what those people were saying about him, on top of the physical, made that day so hard.”
Lawrence currently holds the Guinness World Record for most Ironman races completed in one year (30 in 2012). Though some predicted this new effort would set a Guinness World Record for most consecutive iron-distance triathlons, any official attempt was nullified in Mississippi with what Lawrence’s crew now jokingly calls “Ellipticalgate.” Inclement weather also forced Lawrence indoors for several days, where the bike distance was recorded on a bike trainer instead of on the road, and the run completed on treadmills.
Still, the physicality of the accomplishment—50 days of 12-plus hours of movement, followed by a mad scramble to the next state—has earned Lawrence a legion of fans.
“I called B.S. when I first heard about it,” said Todd Henson, a Utah triathlete who rode with the peloton of 60 supporters on Lawrence’s final day. “I didn’t think he could do it, but he actually pulled it off. I’m impressed. I had to come out for his last day and see it for myself.”
In addition to the personal satisfaction of having completed his goal, Lawrence is delighted to use his efforts as a platform to raise awareness of the child obesity epidemic. At each stop of the tour, Lawrence encouraged families of all fitness levels to join in for a 5K alongside his marathon run. Participation rates were almost nonexistent at first, but grew steadily with each passing day. At the final event in Utah, hundreds turned out to run with Lawrence, including Roll.
“I just wanted to inspire others to be more active,” said Lawrence, who also encouraged supporters to donate to the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation, a non-profit organization encouraging healthy eating habits for children and families as a way to fight obesity.
With this bucket-list item checked off, what’s next? Lawrence would like to repeat his 50-state adventures, this time as a motivational speaker in schools. A documentary on the 50-50-50 journey is also in the works. He hinted at retirement from endurance sports, but will not make any decisions just yet.
“For now, I just want to sleep,” he remarked at his 50th finish line.
“I expect him to be out cold for at least 14 hours tomorrow,” added Sunny.
RELATED: 50 Iron-Distance Races In 50 Days In 50 States: Can It Be Done?There has been much hoo-haa today about the issue of burkas and veils and the human/religious rights versus security and female oppression aspects.
Home Office Minister Jeremy Browne MP (Lib Dem) opened the issue up. Sarah Wollaston MP (Conservative) who now seems to be the new feminist flag waver for the Conservatives chipped in with: "Feminists should be allowed to say that they find the niqab deeply offensive without being accused of being bigoted or islamophobic."
What is striking of course is the lack of debate on male circumcision when the issue and principles are the same. This is a breach of children's human rights as they have no say in it and also is a sign of male oppression if they have no choice.
Why are there no politicians speaking out about how men/boys are oppressed with having bits of them cut off for religious reasons?
Is it because they are scared of the Jewish/Muslim lobby, is it because it affects men so no one is bothered and they are not worthy of human rights.
If people state that veils/burkas are a sign of female oppression and have no place in the UK in 2013, then the same arguments apply to circumcision. Why don't Clegg, Browne and Wollaston talk about that?
Posted by Skimmington
Update (17 Sep 2013): An article from Ally Fogg on circumcision and chief Lib Dem man-hater (my words not his) Featherstone!Recruiting Eve Adams looked like an inexplicable plan for Justin Trudeau's Liberals in February, when the party held a marginal lead in the polls. By the time Sunday's nomination meeting was over, it seemed like self-harm.
The Liberals of Eglinton-Lawrence rebuffed Ms. Adams's bid to run for the party there, and at least symbolically, they rebuked Mr. Trudeau. This comes at a time when the Liberals, down in the polls, already seem to be sliding, and in a way that raises questions about Mr. Trudeau's judgment.
The consolation for Mr. Trudeau is that in theory, at least, the Eve Adams drama is done and dusted and he doesn't need to talk about her anymore – and that the winning nominee, lawyer Marco Mendicino, now boasts a lively organization in addition to local roots and probably has a better shot at knocking off Conservative Finance Minister Joe Oliver, the riding's MP.
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But maybe there's still more of the Eve Adams saga to come. And the problem is that Sunday night's outcome just underlines the question that has lingered since Mr. Trudeau welcomed her to the party in February: What was he thinking?
It's tempting, if you are the third party, to seize an opportunity to spread the idea that an MP has left the governing party for yours. Ms. Adams obliged, back in February, by trumpeting Mr. Trudeau over Mr. Harper. "I want to work with someone who inspires, not with fear-mongers and bullies," she said then.
Even so, it was always poor symbolism for Mr. Trudeau. Ms. Adams was already being pushed out of the Conservative Party. She was a Mississauga MP who had sought a safer Tory seat in Oakville, but was bounced out by the party over heavy-handed tactics and the improper interference of her fiancé, Dimitri Soudas, then the executive director of the Conservative Party.
Ms. Adams' floor-crossing only heightened her image as the poster child for self-interested political opportunism. Yet for some reason Mr. Trudeau, who is supposedly running on a new kind of politics that rejects cynical campaign tactics, decided he should buy her brand.
There have been whispers that perhaps Mr. Trudeau and his entourage embraced Ms. Adams to gain access to the secrets of Mr. Soudas, a former aide and longtime confidante of Mr. Harper. It was easy to believe that Mr. Soudas, known as one of the PM's hardball operatives, might know where some bodies are buried, figuratively speaking. If so, they'd have to be valuable secrets to make the episode worthwhile – and such an arrangement is not something that could be aired in public.
Then there's the embarrassment of having the whole thing kicked back up by Liberal Party members in Eglinton-Lawrence. To his credit, Mr. Trudeau allowed a competitive nomination, as he promised. But he rashly touted a floor-crosser with a plan to run for a contested nomination in Eglinton-Lawrence, without knowing the intricacies of the riding.
It's a riding that has been the scene of epic Liberal nomination battles. There are local party players, like former MP Joe Volpe and current MPP Mike Colle, who can exert influence if they are not brought onside. Obviously, Mr. Colle wasn't: He immediately declared that Ms. Adams would only be the nominee over his dead body.
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Ms. Adams did give it a serious shot. She had some veteran Liberal organizers like campaign manager Tom Allison on her team, and her campaign signed up 2,800 party members to Mr. Mendicino's 1,800, but didn't get as many to Sunday's meeting. It was obviously easier to motivate those who were against her. The outcome sends a message that Mr. Trudeau misjudged his own party.
Is it over? Ms. Adams hinted she's not done with politics. One Liberal speculated she could still run for another Liberal nomination, perhaps in Hamilton, where she grew up. Floor-crossers expect to get a chance to run for their new party.
It's just one riding and one nomination. But it comes at a bad time, when Mr. Trudeau is trying to recover from a slide in popularity. And it fuels a damaging narrative, which the Conservatives have relentlessly seeded with ads, that he's callow and unqualified, by sowing doubts about his judgment.The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is making quick progress on its Future Attribute Screening Technology (FAST) or Project Hostile Intent as it was called originally, which is designed to detect hostile thoughts, or thought crime as it’s known in Orwellian-speak.
The technology uses high-tech sensors that can measure breathing and pulse rate, as well as facial expressions and skin temperature in an attempt to identify people acting suspiciously. The system aims to make it easier for border control staff to choose who to single out for a probing interview.
FAST has only been tested so far on paid volunteers, of which, some were instructed to “act” shifty. I would imagine the physiological symptoms that result from real world intent would be quite different to anything that could be simulated by actors. These symptoms could also easily be altered with drugs, both legal or illicit.
I can’t imagine this system ever achieving a low level of false positives. People will naturally show signs of stress and irritability from very common everyday conditions such as sleep deprivation, nicotine withdrawal or simply from having too much coffee. That is all before factoring in medical conditions or any emotional aspects that may cause our bodies to act in a manner that may seem suspicious.
Impressive technology, but it is unlikely to ever be more helpful than the notoriously unreliable polygraph test.
Source:
NewScientistNo hiding place from new U.S. Army rifles that use radio-controlled smart bullets
Weapon hailed as a game-changer that can fire up and over barriers and down into trenches
Soldiers will start using them in Afghanistan later this month
The U.S. army is to begin using a futuristic rifle that fires radio-controlled'smart' bullets in Afghanistan for the first time, it has emerged.
The XM25 rifle uses bullets that are programmed to explode when they have travelled a set distance, allowing enemies to be targeted no matter where they are hiding.
The rifle also has a range of 2,300 feet making it possible to hit targets which are well out of the reach of conventional rifles.
The XM25 is being developed specially for the U.S. army and will be deployed with troops from later this month, it was revealed today.
The XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement System has a range of roughly 2,300 feet - and is to be deployed in Afghanistan this month
The rifle's gunsight uses a laser rangefinder to determine the exact distance to the obstruction, after which the soldier can add or subtract up to 3 metres from that distance to enable the bullets to clear the barrier and explode above or beside the target.
Soldiers will be able to use them to target snipers hidden in trenches rather than calling in air strikes.
The 25-millimetre round contains a chip that receives a radio signal from the gunsight as to the precise distance to the target.
Lt. Col. Christopher Lehner, project manager for the system, described the weapon as a ‘game-changer’ that other nations will try and copy.
He expects the Army to buy 12,500 of the XM25 rifles this year, enough for every member of the infantry and special forces.
Lehner told FoxNews: ‘With this weapon system, we take away cover from [enemy targets] forever.
‘Tactics are going to have to be rewritten. The only thing we can see [enemies] being able to do is run away.’
Experts say the rifle means that enemy troops will no longer be safe if they take cover
The XM25 appears the perfect weapon for street-to-street fighting that troops in Afghanistan have to engage in, with enemy fighters hiding behind walls and only breaking cover to fire occasionally.
The weapon's laser finder would work out how far away the enemy was and then the U.S. soldier would add one metre using a button near the trigger. When fired, the explosive round would carry exactly one metre past the wall and explode with the force of a hand grenade above the Taliban fighter.
The army's project manager for new weapons, Douglas Tamilio, said: ''This is the first leap-ahead technology for troops that we've been able to develop and deploy.'
A patent granted to the bullet's maker, Alliant Techsystems, reveals that the chip can calculate how far it has travelled.
Mr Tamilio said: 'You could shoot a Javelin missile, and it would cost £43,000. These rounds will end up costing £15.50 apiece. They're relatively cheap.
Lehner added: ‘This is a game-changer. The enemy has learned to get cover, for hundreds if not thousands of years.
‘Well, they can't do that anymore. We're taking that cover from them and there's only two outcomes: We're going to get you behind that cover or force you to flee.’
The rifle will initially use high-explosive rounds, but its makers say that it might later use versions with smaller explosive charges that aim to stun rather than kill.If there's anything I know I need in my life, it's a TV pop-up shop. Find an abandoned building, fill it with the replica of a TV show set - any TV show set -- and I'm there. Lines, weather, distance, doesn't matter. I'm coming.
In 2014, I waited in the freezing cold rain at 6am on a Saturday to sit on the couch from Friends.
In 2015, I waited 3 hours in the blazing heat to hang out in Seinfeld's apartment.
And in 2016, I bought a plane ticket, flew 800 miles, rented a car and drove to go to the diner from Saved by the Bell.
It all began several months prior. Word got out that the diner was coming. I read all the articles. People sent me more articles. I put it in the back of my mind and went on with my life.
Then the diner officially opened. There were photos. People sent me more photos. The whole place looked AWESOME. And I knew I had to go.
But to go it alone? Could I ever be that crazy? No, not yet, at least. To do this adventure I would have to find someone almost as equally crazy as I was.
Enter Monica.
On multiple occasions, Monica had dressed up as Kelly Kapowski for Halloween. She owned all the seasons on DVD. She studied hard to participate in Saved by the Bell bar trivia and then almost had a breakdown when she didn't know all the answers (I was there. I saw it.).
On a scale of 1 to Zack-Morris lunacy, Monica was at exactly the level I needed her to be. Tickets booked!
To optimize on cheapness, we decided on a 6am flight, one overnight stay and an 8pm flight back home the next day. That way we'd have ample time to do whatever we wanted to do and not spend a lot of money doing it. I had already been to Chicago three other times before this. I didn't need to go nuts.
All I really needed to do... was right the wrongs of my Chicago past.
So right off the plane, on a lovely Tuesday morning, Monica and I got in our rented Hyundai Accent, and headed straight to the Lord's house. The week before, I had emailed the church on their website to tell my tale of woe, and the Director of Liturgy took pity on me and said I could get access to the chapel. #blessed
The chapel, which in the movie was supposed to be in a hospital was just to the left of the main church's altar (also featured in the film), and a very nice lady named Denise walked me to it. Although her standing in the corner watching my every move made me a wee bit nervous, I thankfully still managed to turn the Eden Chapel into a Next Top Model photo shoot and have a redemption better than Shawshank's.
Was I going back to the Bronx plagued with fits of rage every time I watched the most joyful movie of the 90s?? No, I was NOT!
Filled with the spirit of Sandra Bullock, I thanked Denise profusely for allowing me this sacred time, and Monica and I headed off to enjoy more standard Chicago tourist attractions.
In 1993, 12-year old Henry Rowengartner had a fall and the tendons in his arm healed so tightly that he became a good enough pitcher to play for the Cubs. Funky butt-loving and underwear snitching ensued and it all happened right here at Wrigley.
Unfortunately, at the time of our visit, the stadium was setting up for a concert so no tours of the inside were being held, and access to this:
and this:
were prevented.
Luckily, I was still able to walk away with this:
Wrigley Field (Rookie of the Year film location)
So my visit did not turn out to be completely in vain.
Sandra Bullock's apartment from While You Were Sleeping!
As I had already been there two years ago, I didn't technically really need to go there again. But somehow the car just drifted towards it. It was like the universe knew that Monica, who'd only just watched the movie the week before, really needed to see it, and that I really needed to be there with someone other than my douchebag brother, snipping, "Are you done? Are you DONE? Can we GO?"
Twenty-one years after the fact, the apartment complex, even without all the snow patches and Christmas lights looked exactly the same as it did in the film, and I squealed with delight yet again in its presence.
And forced Monica to take lots of pictures.
Last year when Monica and I went to Washington DC together, Monica was not so much a fan of these planned movie photo shoots. This year, however after the launch of this website, and with the knowledge that her actions would be documented for tens of people to read, she turned into a regular Annie Leibovitz.
Thank you, Monica!
It was at these locations that I discovered that while I am a fantastic movie locations model, I am not really the greatest photographer. My angles were never quite where I needed them to be and I felt rushed and very very stressed.
Thankfully, there is no TV Travels with Monica. Because her website would SUCK.
After that movie was taken care of, we ended our tour of the Chicago suburbs and parked the car at a garage downtown so we could tourist it up like regular commoners.
We went to the John Hancock Observatory and took photos from the 94th floor!
We went to the Disney store and I almost bought a cute frame!
We went to Millennium Park and took little people photos inside the glass ass/bean/cloud!
(The Vow film location)
Grant Park (Married with Children fountain location)
The growth of Chicago's industry as demonstrated by the many buildings constructed since 1987 really put a damper on my photographic accuracy, but because I'm a professional I struggled to make it work. You're welcome, America...
We then started our way back to the car, with just a few minor stops in between.
Actually, a line of machines and a swarm of commuters, they could get in the way.
It was almost as if the CTA was specifically designed to prevent recreational activities inside its structures.
Chicago Riverwalk (While You Were Sleeping film location)
It was one of my all-time favorite scenes. Bill and Sandy after being unable to get their truck out of a parking space, took a midnight stroll back to her apartment and began to fall in love. When I had been to Chicago prior to this, I went all over looking for this location. For weeks, I walked all throughout Google maps trying to find it. I never found it. This time, even if it meant me and Monica were going to sleep on the street, I wasn't leaving the downtown area until I was standing in the exact spot Sandy and Bill did during a random night shoot in 1995.
After a very long wrap around the Chicago River area, the first step that got us closer to it: STAIRS. We discovered there were stairs that went straight down to the river level. Bullock and Pullman weren't on the high bridges like I'd originally thought. They had gone down the STAIRS.
Walking the riverside path, I then looked desperately for the pillars that had been so prominently displayed during their walk, but nothing came up. "They probably took them down," Monica told me. "It's been 20 years!" Nice try, Monica. We weren't leaving...
We then looked across the river, and saw it.
JACKPOT.
It was like the mothership was calling me home, I'd felt such a connection. We went back up the stairs, across a bridge and then back down to where Lucy Eleanor Moderatz showed Jack Callaghan her passport and told him her dreams of going to Florence. I recited a few (several) lines of dialogue to Monica as I freaked out and skipped down the path in delirious merriment. Train station be damned! I had found the riverside! My stalking was complete!
After that, it was 6pm, we'd been awake since 2:45am Central Time and we still had a lot more to do. So back to the car to continue on the journey we went!
Across the street from the garage was a TJ Maxx and a Marshalls. Because I'm a nice person I'm not going to discuss how long Monica spent in each of them looking for an item she'd forgotten to pack for her Saved by the Bell outfit. I'm not going to say that I paid for the parking, went to the bathroom and went back to TJ Maxx to pick her up and she still hadn't found what she needed. I'm not going to do that, because that would be wrong. Thirty-five minutes later though... we were off to the Home Alone house!
Smaller than Monica imaged it to be, she FaceTimed her mom to show off her coolness while I looked for photographic ways to get around the giant fence the owners had put up since my last visit.
When Monica got off the phone, we scoped out the premises and a man walking three tiny dogs came by and asked if we'd like him to take our picture.
Well of course, kind sir! We would love that!
Then, because I wasn't with my eye-rolling brother of 2014, I decided to maximize my photographic potential.
"This is my house and I have to protect it!"
"Their cars are still here. They couldn't have gone to the airport!"
(Home Alone house location)
Then I walked across the street to the Murphy house where some Wet Bandits almost ran over the richest child star of our lifetime.
After that, we took a 3-minute detour to the town so I could stand where Kevin once ran after shoplifting a toothbrush.
(Home Alone film location)
Winnetka, you never disappoint.
For people without reservations, Saved by the Max reserved 11pm to 1am for walk-ins, so at 10pm we got in the 6-person line and we waited. By 10:55, we'd already made it to the front, and hello, Max!
Dark like a nightclub but filled with nostalgic fun, it was everything I needed a pop-up to be.
Plus, there was Troy Fromin. From 1991 to 1992, Troy played the lovably dense football player, Ox, and for our fandom pleasure he'd been flown in to bring some extra joy. A few days before, I had messaged Troy on Instagram about my excitement over his upcoming appearance and we bonded over a shared love of movies and the houses that go with along with them. He's my new bestie now. Please don't be jealous.
Within 15 minutes of our being seated, I was served with maybe the most delicious burger I've ever had and Monica and I got to soak in the scenery undisturbed. I've gotta say, it pays to eat dinner at 11:15 off a menu with only 5 items.
With dinner finished, we then walked around the very tiny establishment and took enough photos to warrant our 800-mile trip of insanity, before heading out of |
hazmat team is investigating the cause, and says the recent heat wave could be a factor.
“It’s probably a sequence of events that has to do with too many nutrients being in the water. That creates a series of reactions and events that leads to no oxygen in the water,” said Apperson.
They’re also working with the city to check for any leaks or overflows in any sewage lines in the area.
Environmental experts say the water in the Inner Harbor could stay murky for up to two weeks.
People walking along the Harbor were surprised to see all the dead fish.
“I saw it and said, ‘Oh, what is going on here?'” a woman said.
“It’s very surprising. I never heard of something like that,” a man said.
Now the experts will try to figure out how it happened.
Hundreds of fish were also found dead in the Inner Harbor last summer. Experts said that was due to an algae bloom.
Local advocates are pushing to have the Harbor clean enough to swim in by 2020.Shocking footage shows Israeli police savagely beating American teen cousin of Palestinian boy, 15, burned alive in revenge attack over death of three Jewish youths
Mohammed Abu Khder, 16, was kidnapped and found murdered Wednesday
Autopsy results show he was burned to death
Tensions running high between Israel and Palestine after two days of violence
Thousands of police deployed in east Jerusalem in order to 'keep security'
Mohammed's cousin, Tariq Khdeir, 16, a US citizen who lives in Tampa, says he was beaten and arrested by police
Video of the incident has surfaced but police say they have not verified the person in it is Tariq
'Profoundly troubled' U.S. officials calling for full investigation
The 15-year-old American cousin of a Palestinian teen who was abducted and killed in Jerusalem was beaten and jailed by Israeli police in what relatives say was 'attempted murder'.
Tariq Khdeir, a student at the Universal Academy of Florida, an Islamic school in Tampa, is the cousin of Mohammed Abu Khdeir, who it is claimed was burnt to death by Israeli extremists in a revenge attack on Wednesday.
Tariq's parents, Suha and Salah, told the Associated Press that their son was beaten by police during clashes on Thursday ahead of the funeral and that he was detained.
An Israeli police spokeswoman said that Tariq Abu Khdeir had resisted arrest and attacked police officers.
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The mother of 15-year-old Tariq Abu Khdeir, a U.S. citizen who goes to school in Tampa, Florida, shows an undated photo of him on a digital photo album at their home in Jerusalem, Saturday, July 5, 2014
This photo of Tariq was taken in a hospital after he was beaten and arrested by the Israeli police during clashes sparked by the murder Thursday of his cousin Mohammed Abu Khdeir, in Jerusalem, Saturday, July 5, 2014
Suha Abu Khdeir, mother of 15-year-old Tariq Abu Khdeir, a U.S. citizen who goes to school in Tampa, Florida, sits in her home and shows a tablet with a photo of Tariq taken in a hospital after he was beaten and arrested by the Israeli police Slain: Mohammed Abu Khder, 16, was kidnapped and found dead on Wednesday. His mother Suha (right) followed her son's body as it was taken through crowds to a burial site
'Profoundly troubled' U.S. officials have been quick to condemn the attack, calling for a full investigation and saying that it'strongly condemns any excessive use of force,' SPS reports.
'We are calling for a speedy, transparent and credible investigation and full accountability for any excessive use of force,' State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.
He was detained with a slingshot in his possession used to hurl stones at police, along with six other protesters, including some armed with knives, she said, adding that several officers were hurt in that specific protest, one of many that day.
Tariq's father said he witnessed his son's arrest and insisted the boy was not involved in the violence.
His mother, Suha Abu Khdeir, said she did recognize her son afer the attack.
'I couldn't believe it,' she told ABC News.
'When I finally looked over at hime, it was a feeling that I've never felt before in my life.'
A video has surfaced purportedly showing Tariq being beaten.
Police say he was part of a gang of masked youths and that they can't be sure the person in the video is Tariq.
'This is a video edited and biased that does not represent the events,' police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld said.
'Obviously incidents took place before or after that the suspects were involved in.'
Footage has emerged seeming to show Israeli police savagely beating 15-year-old Tariq Abu Khder, the cousin of Mohammed Abu Khder was was burned to death this week
The video shows uniformed officers punching a boy on the ground before kicking him in the head and then dragging his semi-conscious body away
The incident was part of many protests that have followed the murder of Tariq's cousin Muhammad.
Family say the teen was abducted by right-wing Israeli Jews seeking revenge for the murder of three Israeli teens kidnapped last month in the West Bank.
Palestinian Attorney General Abdelghani al-Owaiwi said initial results show that 16-year-old Palestinian Mohammed Abu Khdeir, whose death Wednesday had sparked large protests in his east Jerusalem neighborhood, suffered burns on '90 percent of his body'.
'The results show he was breathing while on fire and died from burns and their consequences,' al-Owaiwi said.
Grief stricken: Thousands of people chanting and waving Palestinian flags greeted the body partially wrapped in a traditional headscarf as it arrived by ambulance at a mosque before burial. Mourners carried the body on a stretcher through the thick crowd
Outrage: News of his death prompted outrage in his east Jerusalem neighbourhood of Shuafat Outpouring: The boy's body was transferred to an open casket as it was paraded through the streets Israeli police clashed with hundreds of Palestinian protesters in the Jerusalem neighbourhood where Muhammed lived. He was buried in east Jerusalem after the midday prayers, with tensions running high after two straight days of violence.
Thousands of people chanting and waving Palestinian flags greeted the body partially wrapped in a traditional headscarf as it arrived by ambulance at a mosque before burial. Mourners carried the body on a stretcher through the thick crowd. It comes as CCTV footage allegedly showing the teen being approached by a group of men as he sat outside a shop near his home before being bundled into a car was released by his family. RELATED ARTICLES Previous
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Next Thousands gather at funeral of Palestinian boy killed in... Pictured in a U.S. Army uniform: Teen nurse's aide who was... Share this article Share Police had earlier beefed up security in and around Jerusalem. Extra precautions were taken as the funeral coincides with the first Friday prayer services of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Police clashed with hundreds of Palestinians in Ras al-Amud and Wadi Joz in the eastern sector of the city. The day had been calm before Friday prayers, police said, following two days of protests since the boy's death. The burned body of 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khdeir was found on Wednesday in a forest after he was seized near his home in east Jerusalem. News of his death prompted outrage in his east Jerusalem neighbourhood of Shuafat. Protesters clashed with police for two days, throwing rocks and firebombs while security forces responded with tear gas and stun grenades. Violent: Clashes broke out between Israeli police and Palestinian youths during the noon Ramadan prayer in Ras Al Amud neighbourhood ahead of the boy's funeral ceremony Fighting stones with grenades: Meanwhile, violent protests over the killing spread through East Jerusalem that saw rioters throw stones at police (right), who returned fire with stun grenades (left)
Defiant: A masked mourner holds the national flag in front of a giant poster of Mohammed Abu Khder during his funeral Fury: A female Hamas supporter holds up a rifle during a protest against the kidnapping and killing on the Gaza Strip Anger: Thousands of flag-waving Palestinians, some firing weapons into the air, took part in the emotionally-charged east Jerusalem funeral of a Palestinian teenager, Mohammed Abu Khder, 16, believed murdered by Israelis
Violence: Angry young Palestinians clash with Israeli police following the murder of Arab teenager Mohammed Abu Khdair, in what is being investigated as a revenge attack for the death of three Jewish schoolboys
Abu Khdeir's family set up a large tent outside the home for those seeking to pay condolences and distributed posters mourning his death.
The boy's father, Hussein, said doctors had completed an autopsy, and the family was expecting to receive the body after prayers.
Palestinians have accused Israeli extremists for the killing, saying it was a revenge attack for three Israeli teens that were recently abducted and killed in the West Bank.
Beefed up security: Police had earlier beefed up security in and around Jerusalem. Extra precautions were taken as the funeral coincides with the first Friday prayer services of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan High alert: A Palestinian woman makes her way through the Qalandia checkpoint between Ramallah and Jerusalem, in the occupied West Bank, to reach the al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City for traditional Friday prayers Tightened security: Security in the West Bank was heightened amid fears of reprisal attacks Flare up: Israeli commanders meanwhile waited to see if a series of statements by Israeli leaders promising to'meet quiet with quiet' would bring a halt to the latest flare-up of violence on the Gaza border Violence: Angry young Palestinians clash with Israeli police following the murder of Arab teenager Mohammed Abu Khdair, in what is being investigated as a revenge attack for the death of three Jewish schoolboys
Grief: Relatives of Mohammed Abu Khudair mourn in Shuafat - an Arab suburb of Jerusalem - following the discovery of his beaten and charred body body in nearby woodland yesterday
Israeli police said an investigation was ongoing and the motives remained unclear.
It comes amid media reports of a possible truce in the making after Hamas allegedly offered to halt its rocket attacks if Israel stops its air raids on the Gaza Strip, a cat-and-mouse game that has rumbled on for two weeks.
ISRAEL'S ARMY DELETES TWEETS WARNING OF NUCLEAR LEAK AFTER SYRIANS 'HACK' ITS TWITTER FEED
The official Twitter feed of the Israeli Defense Force issued a warning of a possible nuclear leak yesterday - before it claimed it had been hacked by Syrian activists. The Tweet, which warned of a leak at the country's research reactor near Dimona, Southern Israel, was soon deleted while officials reported a security breach and apologised. The tweet read: 'Possible nuclear leak in the region after 2 rockets hit Dimona nuclear facility.' The Syrian Electronic Army (SEA) has apparently claimed responsibility for the hack, tweeting 'Long live Palestine!' via the same account. On their own account, the SEA said it had hacked 'the whole "Israeli army" propaganda'. The IDF issued an apology today after deleting the tweets. 'We apologize for the incorrect tweets Our twitter account was compromised,' it said. 'We will combat terror on all fronts including the cyber dimension.'
A source with the Palestinian militant group told the BBC that Egyptian intelligence officials had made 'intensive contacts' with its leaders and'succeeded in reaching a new truce between Hamas and Israel, and that the ceasefire agreement was to be announced within hours'.
Israel did not comment on the claims, but the killing has been widely condemned by its leaders.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried to calm the situation, condemning Abu Khdeir's killing and vowing to find the attackers.
'We don't know yet the motives or the identities of the perpetrators, but we will. We will bring to justice the criminals responsible for this despicable crime whoever they may be,' Netanyahu said in a speech celebrating US Independence Day at the American Embassy in Tel Aviv. 'Murder, riots, incitement, vigilantism, they have no place in our democracy.'
Meanwhile, CCTV footage allegedly showing Mohammed Abu Khder's kidnap in broad daylight from outside a cafe has emerged.
The grainy black-and-white video - filmed from a shop's camera across the street - appears to show the 16-year-old sitting outside a shop when a light-coloured car drives past.
It then reverses up the street and out of frame before two men approach the boy. They appear to have a conversation before a struggle ensues, the car returns and the boy is bundled inside. It then drives off.
Protests broke out in a few areas after Muslim prayers, police said. Hundreds of Palestinians threw rocks at police who responded with stun grenades, police said.
There were also disturbances at the most sensitive holy site in Jerusalem when some Palestinians threw rocks there after prayers. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
The hilltop compound is revered by Jews as the Temple Mount, where the two biblical Jewish Temples stood. It is sacred to Muslims as the Haram as-Sharif, or Noble Sanctuary, marking the place where they believe the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven.
On the main road in Shuafat, streets and light rail tracks remained covered in charred debris, rocks and large garbage cans.
Already tense Israeli-Palestinian relations increased after three Israeli teenagers, one of which had American citizenship, were abducted in the West Bank on June 12, sparking a massive manhunt that ended with the discovery of their bodies early this week.
Conflict: Light bombs are seen following an Israel airstrike over Gaza City in the early hours of this morning. The raids are in response to rockets fired from the area - one of which struck a house in southern Israel
Many believe he was killed in revenge for the abduction and murder in the occupied West Bank last month of three Israeli teenagers, Naftali Frenkel (left), 16, Gilad Shaar (centre), 16, and Eyal Yifrah (right), 19, whose bodies were found on Monday
Israel blamed Hamas for the abductions. Hamas, which has abducted Israelis before, praised the kidnapping of the teens but did not take responsibility for it.
Israel launched a massive crackdown on the Islamic militant group in the West Bank after the disappearance.
Rocket attacks from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on Israel intensified and drew Israeli airstrikes.
The military says Palestinian militants have fired some 140 rockets at southern Israel in recent weeks. The air force responded with airstrikes on about 70 targets in Gaza, the military said.
The border area was calmer on Friday morning but attacks from Gaza continued. Palestinian militants fired at least 6 rockets and mortars at Israel, two of which exploded prematurely inside Gaza, the military said.I lived in the Middle East for 5 years, which of one and a half in Saudi Arabia in Riyadh where I worked as a corporate flight attendant.
When we were not flying we were based in Riyadh and lived in a hotel. Riyadh is Saudi capital and it is very strict. Even as a non-muslim woman you have to wear an abaya-long black dress, and you have to have a scarf to cover your hair when asked. In public, even in the hotel you have to wear this kind of clothes. In Riyadh there is a lot of mutawas- religious police and it is quite common for them to shout at you in the streets or shopping malls to cover your hair.
All the shops in shopping malls close during praying times- which is five times a day- and that is when mutawas are walking around, especially before the last pray in the evening. Interesting thing about the shopping malls is that all the employees are men, except for female floor only in Kingdom mall in Riyadh. If you are buying a bra, do not get surprised when a Pakistani or Indian man is proposing which La Senza bra should fit you. I will just say that I skipped buying underware in KSA.
An interesting thing is that there is no fitting rooms in the mall, you have to buy, try in the toilet or take home and if it doesn't fit, then you exchange. In some shops they will let you try in the back of the shop in the storage, but if so- be careful of mutawas!
During praying times in shopping malls, ladies are usually sitting in the hallways waiting for shops to get open and quite often Saudi women will talk to you while waiting. They are very nice, and some of them are western educated and have open minded families and travel abroad, but the one from conservative families might show you their face with no scarf on the mobile phone picture.
No woman in Saudi Arabia is allowed to drive and if you are Saudi woman you cannot leave the country without approval from your husband, father or brother.
In the hotels all of the staff is male as well, including housekeeping. If there is a spa or gym or swimming pool, only man are allowed. In some hotels they have ladies gym hours.
I used to walk a lot by myself from hotel to the shopping mall but it is not very comfortable and people are staring as it is not usual for a woman to walk alone.
Jeddah, on the other hand, is a more relaxed place than Riyadh and I was never asked in Jeddah to cover my hair.
Restaurants have separate entrance for families and ladies and separate for man. Man's part of the restaurant looks like an usual restaurant and the female and family part looks a bit weird as all tables are separated by curtains so nobody can see you without a scarf except for your family. My colleagues and I used to go for a dinner in family sections of the restaurants. Some say you can get in trouble walking around or having dinner with a man who is not your husband or family- even as a non-Saudi, but I never had any problems and used to hang around with my crew all the time.
If you are living in a compound then life is much easier as in compounds as most of this Saudi rules do not apply. You do not have to ware an abaya when in compound and in big compounds they have restaurants, swimming pools, even pubs. They produce their own alcohol as it is not allowed to bring alcohol in KSA except if you are diplomat and custom does not check on you so you can maybe take your chance.
For me it was remarkable to experience Saudi as it is quite difficult and close to impossible to get a tourist visa unless you are a muslim visiting Mecca.“And they have always been a happy lot who could enjoy themselves to the utmost with pipe and music and song and dance, and also perhaps with some of the national beverage of Scotland, which is still coupled with the tartan and the pipes.”—W.L. Manson, The Highland Bagpipe, 1901
Many folks will say that single-malt whisky is an acquired taste. Many might also say the same thing about Highland bagpipe music. Anyone who has a fondness for both will agree that the two things stand as a testament to mankind’s genius. Both have been around since human beings have been able to record their own history and each share a similar character. Not many things can move people in such a variety of ways. Bagpipe music and whisky both can be awful, welcoming, harsh, invigorating, comforting. Both have been known to stir the emotions in exaggerated ways. Each is associated with celebration, sadness, and ceremony. Each is infused with originality and artistry. A good bagpipe tune stands apart from others just as a good single-malt whisky will stand apart from even the distiller next door. They have also both shared in humanity’s ongoing development through the ages. Perhaps not accidentally, both have also flourished in Scotland. The two things—Highland bagpipes and single-malt whisky—not only share a common heritage, but have influenced each other immeasurably. It’s not hard to imagine pipers of the distant past sharing tunes and “craic” with a bottle of uisge beatha, the water of life, passing around the whole time. Music has always been a special way for a culture to express itself. Whisky has always occupied a special place in Gaelic-speaking culture generally (good and bad) so, it’s no surprise then, that a fair number of whisky-inspired tunes would emerge over the centuries, each one as individual and unique as the tastes of individual single-malts.
Uisge-Beatha
Whisky is a distillation of fermented grain. Heat some grain and water, add some yeast, let it sit for a while. It really is quite simple. The process has been around since the time of Babylon and Mesopotamia and there is vague record of the spirit in Ireland as far back as 1170. It is thought to have become common trade practice in Scotland by way of Christian monks. The most well-known record of distilled spirit in Scotland comes from a 1494 Exchequer Roll, the fifteenth-century equivalent of a purchase order, where it is written: “To Friar John Cor, by order of the King, to make aquavitae, VIII bolls of malt.” The King was the beloved Stuart monarch James IV (1488–1513). King James was a man of great learning and high tastes. Naturally he would have a penchant for uisge beatha. Eight bolls would have been about 1,900 pounds of barley, and this quantity of malt would have made around 1,250 bottles of today’s whisky. Far from being an order for a local delicacy, this order was for mass production! Here we have great volumes of malt whisky being produced as a matter of course, nearly 600 years ago.
Naturally, there is a great deal more craft when making the whisky that has been present through 600 years of history. Scottish single-malt whisky begins from barley that has been soaked to germinate (malted) and then dried. This has historically been done in an open air drying kiln with trademark pagoda-style chimneys, and done with a variety of fuels to impart flavor. Peat logs, coal coke, wood, and hot air have all been used to capture a distinct taste. The malt is then ground into meal and mixed with hot water to create the “mash,” beginning the first stage of fermentation. The byproduct of that, the “wort,” is then mixed again with water and sometimes other ingredients. Yeast is then added to the filtered wort and left to ferment. The process up to this point is the same for both beer and whisky. Beer is as old as whisky and can also be thought of as another testament to mankind’s industriousness (and a great many tunes about ale also exist). The craft of making both requires overlapping skills and equipment, as well as the same ingredients. But it’s at this point the two drinks part ways. The wort for whisky is then distilled twice, first in a wash still, and then in a spirit still. The resulting liquid is placed in wooden barrel casks to age until bottling. There is a bit more detail in each stage (particularly today) that gives each whisky its unique flavor but, it’s as simple as that.
Nevertheless, the production of malt whisky in the past was somewhat lengthy and labor intensive when you isolate its supply chain. Luckily, that supply chain overlapped with every other facet of people’s lives. Whisky making was just another thing one did, as normal as growing crops and tending cattle. Barley and other grains were a dietary staple as much as a primary ingredient for whisky. Water was plentiful. The “draff” or left over spent grains after mashing were diverted to feed livestock. Distillation requires many controlled stages to execute effectively. Each stage and ingredient required careful consideration and it is the unique process instilled by each distiller that gave each whisky its individual character. It must have been quite the activity with plenty of personal touches and bragging to be done. George Malcolm Thomson (under the psuedonym Aeneaus MacDonald) was one of the first to write about the history of Higland folk and their whisky making:
“There were thousands of stills in the glens and shielings, and not all of the whisky they made was bad. Much of it, on the contrary, was better than the products of the licensed distilleries, for it was made in parts of the country where the science of distilling, like the art of playing the bagpipes, was an immemorial tradition…”
Making a good whisky back then was probably as noteworthy in the community as making a good pie.
Whisky’s commercial success in Scotland was such that rapid and continuous innovations in the distillation process pushed forward to make it easier and faster to produce a much higher quality product as far back as the early 1500s. The first book on the subject of distillation of spirits, The Vetuose Boke of Distyllacyon, was printed in 1527 by Heironymous Braunschweig. By the time the end of the 1500s arrived, the Scottish monasteries were dissolved and the monks’ trade knowledge of distilling whisky was readily integrated into the local culture and Scottish whisky was being exported to Ireland and France. When you consider the level of commercial activity that existed then with the need for ingredients and labor, you can see how the industry involved whole regions of people at all levels of society and produced a product that had an unmistakable impact on the land and local population.
Market Changes
The very first excise tax on spirits, enacted in 1644, created a black market for illegal distilling and transport of whisky throughout Scotland, particularly in the outer isles. Up to then, whisky was produced in large and small batches by many for personal and commercial use. The tax, which is still in effect today, introduced the boundary of authority to what up to then had been an everyday affair. Distilling came under the patronage of Earls and Lords. In spite of this, Scottish whisky production exploded over the next 100 years, it being the elite domain of a select few distillers with special privileges granted by the British crown such as Duncan Forbes of Culloden and his “Ferintosh.” Illegal distilling and whisky smuggling increased as well and was further complicated by a ban on distillation in 1757 to 1760 because of weak grain harvests and heavier duties on smaller stills, including an outright prohibition in 1774 on spirit stills producing less than 100 gallons. By 1781, private distilling was made completely illegal. The latter years of the eighteenth century are rife with attempts by the crown to further tax and constrain the whisky industry in Scotland and were met with riots and protest. The Highlands at this time were in the midst of a well-documented famine as well, doing its part to put the final nail in the coffin of the Highland clan system after the clearances and Act of Proscription of 1745. Illicit transport and trade was rampant not just for whisky, but for all sorts of goods the British crown taxed in order to stage its war with France. Add to this that it was against the law for the far superior Scottish Highland whisky to be sold south of the Lowlands, and it was a boom time for smugglers. Illegal stills flooded the land with spirits. The British crown responded with progressively higher duties, Excise men (i.e., tax collectors), and other restrictions to no avail. The higher the duties, the more illegal whisky moved through the countryside. Canny Highland smugglers outwitted the Excise Collectors at every turn. Smugglers plied their trade by setting up a “bothy” in hidden glens throughout the countryside. At one point, the Government offered a reward of £5 (about $140 today) to anyone who reported the whereabouts of an illicit still. The most expensive part of the still in those days was the “worm,” or the copper coil that condensed the liquid spirit from the wash still to the spirit still. When the worm was worn out, the smugglers dismantled their still, took what they needed and left the worn out copper worm and other bits to show that the still had been there. Then, one of the smugglers would go to the magistrate and report that he had discovered an illegal still and receive the reward. The smugglers would then use that money to buy copper for a new worm and set up their still and new bothy in another glen. Similar trickery was employed when illegal barrels of spirit were transported throughout Scotland, with much of it done complicit with local authorities and landowners. The whole enterprise existed in a self-fueled, feedback loop for decades.
Illicit distilling during this time was not limited to the Highlands. Edinburgh had eight licensed stills operating in the city in 1777 while at the same time, hundreds of illegal, unlicensed stills were hard at work, whose operators employed the same criminal cleverness as their northern neighbors. In 1815, a large, illegal still was discovered under the arches of the South Bridge. The entrance was a small door behind a fireplace in a room of a house adjoining the arch. Water was swiped from the Edinburgh city main and the smoke was pumped through another chimney in another adjoining house.
Faced with the impossible task of quelling rampant illegal smuggling, a select committee set up by the Crown implemented the Excise Act of 1823 that reduced duties on spirits and lightened or removed many of the regulations that up to then had restrained whisky distillation. The relaxation of laws and taxes allowed illicit distillers to operate in the open, providing more freedom in production, clearing the way for the whisky boom of the late 1800s and laying the foundation for the modern whisky industry.
Whisky and Bagpipes
So, what does all this whisky history have to do with bagpipe tunes? Whisky and bagpipes are two things that moved through history with the rhythm of Scottish life. They have also managed to traverse history relatively unchanged. The form and sound of bagpipes and the distillation of whisky are much the same today as they were 200 to 300 years ago. A Highland distiller from the 1700s would certainly know what is happening if he appeared from the past and saw a modern spirit still. Likewise, a piper of that past, dropped into today’s world, would surely recognize a modern Highland bagpipe, and be able to pick it up and belt out a few tunes! It’s that unchangeability that has given us a deep musical tradition, full of tunes that can be played today just as they were heard three centuries ago, as well as given us a fully developed and complex spirit such as single-malt whisky.
Traditional musicians have always written music about life matters grand and mundane. Whisky and bagpipes both provide something unique whenever they are experienced. As George Thomson puts it, whisky
“…has a potency and a directness in the encounter which proclaims its sublime rank. It does not linger to toy with the senses, it does not seep through the body to the brain; it communicates through no intermediary with the core of a man, with the roots of his conciousness; it speaks from deep to deep.”
Thomson could just as well be talking about bagpipe music and the two things, being so similar in character, were often experienced together.
Accounts of pipers and their overindulgence in whisky is well recorded, even up to the present day, and is the stuff of legend. But whisky and bagpipes were not only a central part of frivolity and fun, but also a feature of the ceremonial aspects of life as well. The Rev. Dean Ramsey, in his 1857 Reminiscences of Scottish Life and Character, commented frequently (and disapprovingly) on the place of whisky in various aspects of life:
“These were the notions of a people in whose eyes the power of swallowing whisky conferred distinction, and with whom the inability to take a fitting quantity was a mark of mean and futile character.…Sad to tell, the funeral rites of Highland chieftains were not supposed to have been properly celebrated except that there was immoderate and often fatal consumption of whisky.”
The funerals of Highland nobles and other milestones were also marked by a piper as long ago as such things were documented. More mundane yet formal occassions also involved a dram or two as well as enlisted the duty of a piper as Dr. Samuel Johnson notes in his 1775 work Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland in which he reports much about the customs of drinking whisky and the activities of bagpipers as he was being entertained in the Highlands: “As we sat at Sir Alexander’s table, we were entertained, according to the ancient usage of the North, with the melody of the bagpipe.” If we look back a couple of centuries, we can surmise that whenever there was bagpipe music heard in Scotland, there was likely whisky consumed—and that has changed little.
The late sixteenth- to late seventeenth-century period in the Scottish Highlands and in the north of Ireland is when we have our earliest record of clan pipers, the composition of piobaireachd, and both piper’s and music’s attachment to clan chiefdoms. Good pipers were as prized in the chief’s hall as a good whisky. Every house and farmstead by the time of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries had a still making whisky from surplus barley and other grains and used it for personal consumption or as a form of currency. Pipers were often common folk and common folk made and drank whisky.
The major regions of whisky distillation are synonymous with piping and Scottish music: Strathspey, the western Highlands, the outer isles such as Jura, Skye, and Islay. The landholders in these regions feature prominently in many a bagpipe tune. The historical clan names that have featured significantly in the history of Highland bagpiping have all seen their rise and fall along with the whisky trade in the Highlands of Scotland: MacGregor, MacLeod, MacDonald, Campbell, MacKenzie, MacLean.
Early bagpiping lore is intertwined with drink and its consequences. “The Drunken Groat” as the piobaireachd “The Groat” is also known, is titled “The Grant’s March” in the Campbell Canntaireachd, its earliest documented source. The Grant family and its peerage have been associated with the whisky trade for as long as it has existed. The piobaireachd “The Men Went to Drink” is connected to an old gaelic song about a group of men, being men, and drinking heavily at the tavern Tayinloan, in Kintyre. The tune “Too Long in this Condition” has an alternative origin that tells of secret Catholic meetings after the time of the Reformation, meetings that were known to result in long hours of intense drinking and discussion—with the inevitable hangovers to match. One story behind the very old song and piobaireachd “Old Men of the Shells” tells about drinking and the sorry state in which it leaves a man; a scallop shell being the ancient way whisky was shared. The tune “A’ Bhòilich,” which today we know as the piobaireachd “The Vaunting,” is recorded in early piping competitions as “The Rage of Drunkenness.”
The years following the Excise Act of 1823 saw a great many names familiar to pipers set up new distilleries on their estates. Lord Lovat, the Duke of Argyll at Campbelltown, MacKenzie at Seaforth, and Campbell in Islay all had operated illegal stills for decades before the Excise Act and became deeply invested in creating fully licensed distilleries for a newly opened marketplace. Several classic pipe tunes bear homage to these specific names and places. Many bagpipers of that era also worked their living on crofts or farm holdings under these landlords, more often than not growing barley.
The period of the whisky boom of the mid- to late-nineteenth century also saw a great many editors and musicians collecting and compiling the music that had been circulating through the Highlands and the Isles. Solo piping competitions were into their full momentum starting with the first Falkirk Tryst in 1781 and the first Northern Meeting in 1788. Pipemaker Donald MacDonald published his Collection of Quicksteps, Strathspeys, Reels, and Jigs, the first music book purely for the Highland bagpipe, in 1820. Simultaneous with a burgeoning Scottish whisky industry was an expanding interest in, and regard for, Scottish music with the publication of numerous collections, and an elevation of Highland bagpipes in particular.
The Tunes
Some tunes need no introduction. They are either well-known or have titles that are self-explanatory. Others tunes have titles that are a bit more obscure and hint at a lifestyle and tradition that has long since passed. Others still, are printed for the first time and might be completely unfamiliar. All types are mixed here like well-blended Scotch whisky.
Traditional Scottish tunes did not start appearing on staff notation in printed books until the middle to latter part of the eighteenth century. Joseph MacDonald’s Compleat Theory of the Highland Bagpipe was compiled in 1760 but Highland bagpipe music exclusively did not start seeing print until the nineteenth. Many of the tunes up to that time had been bouncing through the folk tradition, and the pipers’ fingers, for some two centuries or more before that. Along the way, “contemporary” compositions made their way into print to eventually become “traditional” from where we sit in the 21st century.
It is a fascinating study in local culture when one examines its musical expressions as they relate to certain shared aspects of life. Pipers, and traditional musicians generally, wrote tunes about things that mattered to them—and whisky certainly mattered a great deal. These tunes capture the spirit and flavor of life as much as the flavor of their favorite spirit.
The tunes collected here, like good whisky, have been aging a long time, some for the better part of three centuries. And, like all single-malt whisky, they each have distinct flavor and character. The tunes paint a historical musical portrait of a people and their customary beverage. The collection begins with the people and places attached to whisky for as long as it has been known. The tunes then move through the whisky-making process, all the way from the growing of barley, to the malting, to the distilling and then, yes, the drinking. The piping styles evoked in some of them might be an acquired taste from a modern piper’s perspective. They echo a musical past when pipers threw down tunes that were fun to hear and play for their own sakes. Many haven’t been heard in a century or more but, each one has its own story to tell. It’s time those stories were heard again. They harken back to a time when it was commonplace, when one finished the day’s labor, to pour a dram from one’s own still and break out an instrument of choice for a tune or two.
Vince Janoski
Hopewell, New Jersey
Further Reading
Lockhart, Robert Bruce (1951). Scotch the Whisky of Scotland in Fact And Story.
MacDonald, Aeneas (1930). Whisky.
MacDonald, Ian (1914). Smuggling in the Highlands. William
MacKay & Son: Inverness
Mac |
figured, well, that’s a reasonable request.
Wasn’t he supportive of you, like your mother?
He threatened my life with a gun right after the picket lines. And that was the last time I ever saw him. I was not brought up by my father.
After the documentary aired and you were fired from your job, what did you do?
It was 1967, the summer of love, and I went up to New York and I got a job with Randy Wicker, who was the button king of America, slogan buttons: “More Deviation, Less Population,” “Let’s Get Naked and Smoke”… I sold buttons up and down the east coast of America.
And when did you move to Florida?
Permanently, on Christmas Day, 1981. I live right on the ocean. And I love it here. The reward for me is feeling satisfied at this point. If I died tomorrow, I’d die satisfied and happy. Isn’t that a great feeling? ◆
Jack Nichols died from complications of cancer on May 2, 2005. Bob Connelly teaches “Gay and Lesbian Documentary” at American University.Editor’s Note: In “The Peculiar Side of Sports”, we aim to answer some of sports’ most interesting peculiarities and burning questions. If you have any questions you would like answered simply send an email to Mike@lastwordonsports.com.
The thing that separates North American soccer fans and players from their international football-playing counterparts—aside from skill—is that for some strange reason they do not use the same word to identify the sport. The rules are mostly identical and the pitch is the same. Making matters more confusing is the added factor that North Americans already have a game called “football” (NFL, CFL, CFB) that is completely unrelated (well, unrelated in the modern sense) to international “football”.
The purists around the world always seem to frown at the mention of the word “soccer”. Heck, even North American fans of the beautiful game scoff at “soccer”, and choose “football”, “footy”, or anything other than “soccer”, as if the very word is dirty.
What got me thinking is how and why the term “soccer” began in the first place, seeing as how it is an older sport than NFL. The answer is a little surprising, yet difficult to explain. Regardless, let’s forge forward.
The Origins of the Word Soccer
Let’s begin the explanation with the answer; “Soccer” is not a North American invented word. In fact, its origins are in England. The game was called “Soccer” by the upper class who played the game for 17 years before the middle and lower classes took up the sport and called it “football”.
Perhaps some of you knew that, but I’d hazard a guess that most didn’t. In a nutshell, here’s what happened…
During the mid-19th century, boys had the odd propensity to nickname everything, oftentimes adding an “er” to the end of a word. So, Rugby became “Rugger”, and Association Football (the earliest form of the current game) became “Assoccer”, and soon after that was simply called “soccer”.
Some say that Charles Wredford-Brown was first to coin the word “soccer”, when a friend asked him to play “rugger” with some other students, to which he replied that he preferred “soccer”. So, it was this man, an English lad who went to Oxford, who invented the word, and not some bloke from America.
But as it was still referred to by many as Association Football, and then Soccer, why is now just called football? Glad you asked.
“Football” was not given the name because people kick the ball with their feet, as seems so obvious. Instead, it refers to the fact that they played on their feet, rather than on horseback. See, in the mid-19th century, the aristocrats played their sports on horseback, as they do with polo. But the middle and lower class played games on their feet. Seems far-fetched right? Well, history proves otherwise.
As “soccer” was played by the elite (such as the Oxford lad who is said to have coined “soccer”), it soon spread to the working classes, and became “football”.
The thing I wanted to avoid was to completely confuse you, and sincerely hope I haven’t. I find it curious that people look down on the word “soccer” as if it is somehow inferior and not authentic or traditional. I hope at the very least I have shown that the word has history and is every bit as authentic as “football”. While it isn’t likely to become en vogue anywhere outside Canada and the US, it still has its place.
If you have any sports related questions, don’t hesitate to leave them in the comment section!Sikh man barred from Cosmopolitan Club over “No-Headwear” policy that includes turbans.
A Sikh man in Auckland, New Zealand, was denied entry to a club because he was wearing a turban. The man has filed a complaint with Human Rights Commission. The club says its long standing rules forbid wearing headgear inside. Because of the incident Sikh leaders are meeting to discuss how to prevent religious discrimination.
TVNZ One News reports that Gurpreet Singh and his colleagues had decided to go for a lunch at the Manurewa Cosmopolitan Club. The staff, however, refused to let them in, saying that the club had a no-headwear policy which included turbans. The situation wasn’t resolved, and in the end Singh and his workmates left for another place to eat.
Singh, who has lived in New Zealand for seven years, said that this was the first time he had experienced religious discrimination. He has now launched an anti-discrimination case with Human Rights Commission. The club’s manager Patricia Rangi told Daily Mail Australia that the incident was about “a long standing dress rule,” stressing that “it’s not religious, it’s not racist.”
A similar complaint against the club was filed five years ago. Back then the Human Rights Commission ruled that the club was allowed to determine its own requirements for entering the venue.
I guess the term "Cosmopolitan Club" is an oxymoron then… http://t.co/HlswRklEmX grow up New Zealand. — Cory (@SmithyInWelly) June 17, 2015
The incident has spurred a public debate in New Zealand, with Singh receiving calls from the club members saying they should change the policy and that Singh’s experience is discrimination. Manakau Indian Association president Veer Khar has stated that the club’s policy is “ignorant”.
Radio New Zealand News reports that the Sikh community is gathering in Auckland to discuss the incident further, and to make sure that such incidents are avoided in the future. New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key stated that New Zealand was a culturally tolerant society and that the club’s actions were “disappointing.”
Sikhs living in New Zealand have doubled in number since 2006 to nearly 20,000.
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Follow the Conversation on Twitter“The whole registry is a horrible mistake,” said William Buhl, a former judge in Michigan who has publicly argued that laws governing registries ought to be relaxed. “I think it’s utterly ridiculous to take teenage sex and make it a felony. This guy is obviously not a pedophile.”
Image Zachery Anderson in a family photo.
But once Mr. Anderson leaves jail in the coming week, he will be bound by the same restrictions that apply to more extreme sex offenders, tagged with a “scarlet letter” for life, as his father, Lester Anderson, put it.
“At the end of the day, he might be out of jail, but he’ll still be in his own jail,” his father said. “He has to walk down the street every day and think: ‘Am I too close to a school? Is there a child who’s close to me?’ ”
There are fledgling efforts in some states to change sex offender registries so that they do not include juveniles or those guilty of minor offenses. In California, the corrections department announced in March that the state would ease residency requirements for many sex offenders, allowing certain low-risk individuals to live in areas closer to schools and parks that were previously off limits. Many sex offenders have ended up broke and homeless, living in clusters under freeways because they are routinely rejected by employers and landlords, and because they are banned from living in so many neighborhoods that contain public places like parks.
Brenda V. Jones, the executive director of Reform Sex Offender Laws, an advocacy group, said cases like Mr. Anderson’s are common in many states. Frequently, a judge will give the lightest possible sentence, but cannot change the restrictions involving the offender registry.
“It’s like a conviction on steroids,” Ms. Jones said. “Being on a registry becomes a liability for employers, no matter how minor the offense was. Other people will say: ‘I saw your employee on the Internet. He’s a sex offender, and I will not come to your establishment.’ ”
Changing the laws has been a slow fight. “People talk about it, but when you actually try to introduce legislation, lawmakers start to get really nervous,” Ms. Jones said. “Because, oh, my God, we’re going to be soft on sex offenders.”Revisiting "Programming as if Performance Mattered"
In 2004 I wrote Programming as if Performance Mattered, which became one of my most widely read articles. (If you haven't read it yet, go ahead; the rest of this entry won't make a lot of sense otherwise. Plus there are spoilers, something that doesn't affect most tech articles.) In addition to all the usual aggregator sites, it made Slashdot which resulted in a flood of email, both complimentary and bitter. Most of those who disagreed with me can be divided into two groups.
The first group flat-out didn't get it. They lectured me about how my results were an anomaly, that interpreted languages are dog slow, and that performance comes from hardcore devotion to low-level optimization. This is even though my entire point was about avoiding knee-jerk definitions of fast and slow. The mention of game programming at the end was a particular sore point for these people. "You obviously know nothing about writing games," they raved, "or else you'd know that every line of every game is carefully crafted for the utmost performance." The amusing part is that I've spent almost my entire professional career--and a fairly unprofessional freelance stint before that--writing games.
The second group was more savvy. These people had experience writing image decoders and knew that my timings, from an absolute point of view, were nowhere near the theoretical limit. I talked of decoding the sample image in under 1/60th of a second, and they claimed significantly better numbers. And they're completely correct. In most cases 1/60th of a second is plenty fast for decoding an image. But if a web page has 30 images on it, we're now up to half a second just for the raw decoding time. Good C code to do the same thing will win by a large margin. So the members of this group, like the first, dismissed my overall point.
What surprised me about the second group was the assumption that my Erlang code is as fast as it could possibly get, when in fact there are easy ways of speeding it up.
First, just to keep the shock value high, I kept my code in pure, interpreted Erlang. But there's a true compiler as part of the standard Erlang distribution, and simply compiling the tga module will halve execution time, if not decrease it by a larger factor.
Second, I completely ignored concurrent solutions, both within the decoding of a single image and potentially spinning each image into its own process. The latter solution wouldn't improve execution time of my test case, but could be a big win if many images are decoded.
Then there's perhaps the most obvious thing to do, the first step when it comes to understanding the performance of real code. Perhaps my detailed optimization account made it appear that I had reached the end of the road, that no more performance could be eked out of the Erlang code. In any case, no one suggested profiling the code to see if there are any obvious bottlenecks. And there is such a bottleneck.
(There's one more issue too: in the end, the image decoder was sped-up enough that it was executing below the precision threshold of the wall clock timings of timer:tc/3. I could go in and remove parts of the decoder--obviously giving incorrect results--and still get back the same timings of 15,000 microseconds. The key point is that my reported timings were likely higher than they really were.)
Here's the output of the eprof profiler on tga:test_compressed() :
FUNCTION CALLS TIME ****** Process <0.46.0> -- 100 % of profiled time *** tga:decode_rgb1/1 54329 78 % lists:duplicate/3 11790 7 % tga:reduce_rle_row/3 2878 3 % tga:split/1 2878 3 % tga:combine/1 2874 3 % erlang:list_to_binary/1 1051 2 % tga:expand/3 1995 1 % tga:continue_rle_row/7 2709 1 % lists:reverse/1 638 0...
Sure enough, most of the execution time is spent in decode_rgb1, which is part of decode_rgb. The final version of this function last time around was this:
decode_rgb(Pixels) -> list_to_binary(decode_rgb1(binary_to_list(Pixels))). decode_rgb1([255,0,255 | Rest]) -> [0,0,0,0 | decode_rgb1(Rest)]; decode_rgb1([R,G,B | Rest]) -> [R,G,B,255 | decode_rgb1(Rest)]; decode_rgb1([]) -> [].
This is short, but contrived. The binary blob of pixels is turned into a list, then the new pixels are built-up in reverse order as a list, and finally that list is reversed and turned back into a binary. There are two reasons for the contrivance. At the time, pattern matching was much faster on lists than binaries, so it was quicker to turn the pixels into a list up front (I timed it). Also, repeatedly appending to a binary was a huge no-no, so it was better to create a new list and turn it into a binary at the end.
In Erlang R12B both of these issues have been addressed, so decode_rgb can be written in the straightforward way, operating on binaries the whole time:
decode_rgb(Pixels) -> decode_rgb(Pixels, <<>>). decode_rgb(<<255,0,255, Rest/binary>>, Result) -> decode_rgb(Rest, <<Result/binary,0,0,0,0>>); decode_rgb(<<R,G,B, Rest/binary>>, Result) -> decode_rgb(Rest, <<Result/binary,R,G,B,255>>); decode_rgb(<<>>, Result) -> Result.
This eliminates the memory pressure caused by expanding each byte of the binary to eight bytes (the cost of an element in a list).
But we can do better with a small change to the specification. Remember, decode_rgb is a translation from 24-bit to 32-bit pixels. When the initial pixel is a magic number--255,0,255--the alpha channel of the output is set to zero, indicating transparency. All other pixels have the alpha set to 255, which is fully opaque. If you look at the code, you'll see that the 255,0,255 pixels actually get turned into 0,0,0,0 instead of 255,0,255,0. There's no real reason for that. In fact, if we go with the simpler approach of only changing the alpha value, then decode_rgb can be written using in an amazingly clean way:
decode_rgb(Pixels) -> [<<R,G,B,(alpha(R,G,B))>> || <<R,G,B>> <= Pixels]. alpha(255, 0, 255) -> 0; alpha(_, _, _) -> 255.
This version uses bitstring comprehensions, a new feature added in Erlang R12B. It's hard to imagine writing this with any less code.
(Also see the follow-up.)
permalink December 16, 2007
previouslyYou Can Binge Watch Mortal Kombat Legacy Season 2, But Do You Want To?
by David 'Hades' Becker [ Wednesday, 2nd of October 2013 - 03:52 PM ]
It makes me sad to know that an original idea that happened three years ago spawned just another telling of the same story we have heard a hundred and one times already. Sure they have added in a few characters that have never seen the film versions before, but why should we care? Again there is the lack of originality and just a want to piggy back off the core concept that Mortal Kombat: Rebirth provided. Hells, even the actors who were 100% behind the first season did not come back to reprise their roles this time around. It can't be a monetary thing either as it was reported that they all donated their time before. It's most likely because they no longer felt that the idea was being upheld, but that is my speculation.
Even though it goes against my beliefs that a nostalgic pull shouldn't be used when true originality could have prevailed, I'll let you watch the series in peace now. Maybe you'll like it. Maybe you'll crave more. That is on you. I want the original concept to see the light of day and not another re-hashing of the same boring story.GRAND RAPIDS, MI – A
claims that a voter-approved city charter amendment makes “an end run around state law” by prohibiting Grand Rapids cops from doing their duty. In the suit, Forsyth objects primarily to clauses in the charter amendment that prohibit city police and the city attorney from bringing marijuana offenses to his attention. He posits several examples of marijuana offenses where “the person who violated state law would not be committing a criminal violation of city law – but the officer who arrested the person for violating state law would be.” “Police officers are sworn to uphold the law,” the suit states. “Officers who are sworn to uphold the law cannot be told that they will be breaking the law by upholding the law. “The Grand Rapids charter amendment prohibits police officers from doing what state law permits them to do. To that extent, it cannot stand.”
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Forsyth was not available for comment. Tyler Nickerson, a spokesman for the citizen initiative that put Proposal 2 on the ballot, said DecriminalizeGR will evaluate a legal response. Grand Rapids voters on Nov. 6 passed Proposal 2 with 58-percent support. The proposal triggers a city charter amendment that changes marijuana possession and use from a misdemeanor crime to a civil infraction, like a parking ticket. City Attorney Catherine Mish said Grand Rapids will postpone decriminalization of marijuana pending the suit filed Nov. 30 in Kent County Circuit Court. The city charter amendment was set to take effect Thursday, Dec. 6, but now a court hearing is set for Jan. 9, she said.
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The suit cites a recent court ruling regarding medical marijuana in Wyoming as evidence of a “general rule that a city cannot enact an ordinance that conflicts with state law.” It contends that a city like Grand Rapids does not have the authority to create a civil infraction “for an act (like marijuana possession or use) where a civil infraction is clearly forbidden” by state law. DecriminalizeGR modeled the Grand Rapids charter amendment after a longstanding rule in Ann Arbor. Forsyth’s suit claims that a 1994 state law – which might not apply in Ann Arbor’s case - restricts Grand Rapids’ ability to make marijuana use a civil infraction. “The Ann Arbor provision is arguably valid under the ‘grandfather’ theory,” the suit suggests. “But that intellectually interesting question will have to be addressed, if it ever is, by the Washtenaw Circuit Court”Donald Trump Jr. published emails Tuesday containing apparently explosive information about Russia’s efforts to aid President Trump’s 2016 campaign. The emails show Trump Jr. agreeing to meet with a Russian lawyer in order to receive damaging information about his father’s opponent, Hillary Clinton.
“This is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump,” noted one of the emails, from music publicist Rob Goldstone.
Goldstone had sent an initial email to Trump Jr. with the subject line “Russia – Clinton – private and confidential” saying that a Russian pop star, Emin Agalarov, had reached out to Goldstone on behalf of his father, Aras Agalarov, a Russian real estate developer who helped bring the elder Trump’s 2013 Miss Universe pageant to Moscow.
“Emin just called and asked me to contact you with something very interesting,” wrote Goldstone on June 3, 2016. “The Crown prosecutor of Russia met with father Aras this morning and in their meeting offered to provide the Trump campaign with some official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary and her dealings with Russia and would be very useful to your father. This is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump — helped along by Aras and Emin.”
Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: AP, Getty Images More
Trump Jr. responded 17 minutes later, asking to set up a meeting and suggesting that the information would be useful to drop later in the summer.
“Thanks Rob I appreciate that,” wrote the president’s eldest son. “I am on the road at the moment but perhaps I just speak to Emin first. Seems we have some time and if it’s what you say I love it especially later in the summer.”
Trump Jr. published the emails on Twitter in advance of a New York Times story containing the text. His camp had asked the Times for “more time” and then posted the emails, according to CNN’s reporting.
“To everyone, in order to be totally transparent, I am releasing the entire email chain of my emails with Rob Goldstone about the meeting on June 9, 2016,” Trump Jr. wrote in a statement.
The meeting was with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, who the Times reported is connected to the Russian government, a claim both she and the Kremlin deny. Trump Jr. was joined in the meeting by campaign chief Paul Manafort and Jared Kushner, Trump Jr.’s brother-in-law and current top White House adviser. Veselnitskaya said in an interview published Tuesday morning that the Trump group wanted the information on Clinton “so badly,” but that she didn’t have any information on the Democratic nominee.
Trump Jr. initially said the meeting was about adoptions, but after the Times reported that the presidential campaign had been discussed, he released a statement changing the story: “It became clear to me that this was the true agenda all along and that the claims of potentially helpful information were a pretext for the meeting.”
In the same statement, Trump Jr. also said, “I asked Jared and Paul to attend, but told them nothing of the substance.” However, he appears to have forwarded his entire email chain with Goldstone to both Kushner and Manafort.
In his Tuesday statement, Trump Jr. said, “The information they suggested they had about Hillary Clinton I thought was Political Opposition Research. I first wanted to just have a phone call but when that didn’t work out, they said the woman would be in New York and asked if I would meet. I decided to take the meeting. The woman, as she has said publicly, was not a government official. And, as we have said, she had no information to provide and wanted to talk about adoption policy.”
At the White House press briefing Tuesday, deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders read a succinct statement of support from the president: “My son is a high-quality person and I applaud his transparency.”Complete streets, freeway caps, a trail network, and placemaking were all among the strategies suggested to address the negative impacts of Interstate 94 on two Twin Cities neighborhoods during a USDOT design workshop on July 18 and 19.
Rondo, a neighborhood in St. Paul, MN, was bisected by the highway. Hundreds of homes were demolished during the 1960s construction of I-94 through the historically African-American community, which residents unsuccessfully opposed at the time. Recently, Rondo was the site of protests following a nationally publicized shooting by police. Activists shut down the highway for hours—just a week before the Ladders of Opportunity Every Place Counts Design Challenge came to the Twin Cities.
Led by USDOT with assistance from the Congress for the New Urbanism (CNU), the workshop comprised two days of discussions, bringing together a diverse range of experts and stakeholders, including Ramsey County, Minneapolis, and St. Paul planners and officials, landscape architects, engineers, and transportation professionals. The workshop was the last of four in mid-July—the other three were hosted in Spokane, Nashville, and Philadelphia. All four events focused on reconnected neighborhoods bisected by 20th Century urban freeway construction.
Interstate 94 is more than 50 years old, and it serves a vital transportation purpose—carrying 150,000 to 170,000 cars per day—yet the highway has contributed to decline and disinvestment in Rondo. “Improvements are needed to not only repair the highway and restore mobility, but to also restore the sense of community and belonging once enjoyed in the corridor,” officials noted.
Apologies are due to the residents of Rondo, said St. Paul mayor Chris Coleman. “It’s a first step. This is about rebuilding a community, not just making I-94 pretty.”
A makeover of Dale Street, the primary commercial corridor and heart of the neighborhood, was suggested to spur economic development and make walking and bicycling more pleasant. The CNU design assistance team—led by Peter Park, an expert on reconnecting neighborhoods—proposed a trial road diet to provide on-street parking, separated bike lanes, and tree-lined medians. Parking lots along Dale Street offer the potential for mixed-use revitalization of the area, planners suggested. The bridge across I-94 needs work.
Road diet and redevelopment opportunities for Dale Street in Rondo
“The Dale Street interchange bridge over I-94 in St. Paul is functionally obsolete,” the city says. “The existing bridge lacks adequate pedestrian facilities as well as adequate accommodations for turning vehicles.”
A redo of the Dale Street bridge—where excess right-of-way could be converted into a mid-freeway green space—was among the thought-provoking visions to come out of the workshop. The drawing is fanciful, but shows the wide possibilities for placemaking along the corridor.
Participants also suggested a new gateway to Rondo and land bridges centered on Victoria Street, which is located five blocks to the west of Dale Street. Land bridges could extend all the way from Grotto to Chatsworth Streets, according to one idea that was presented.
Victoria Street bridge cap idea
Three miles to the west, next to the University of Minnesota campus, Prospect Park in Minneapolis is cut off from the Mississippi River by I-94. Unlike Rondo, Prospect Park residents of the 1960’s advocated for placement of expressway alongside the neighborhood to provide greater access to job centers through the Twin Cities-area.
However, today the neighborhood suffers from uninviting bridge crossings over the freeway and a lack of connections to riverfront green spaces. Like Rondo, some of the streets and intersections along the I-94 corridor lack a human scale, which aggravate the barriers imposed by the freeway. The intersection at Franklin Avenue and East River Parkway is especially large—designers suggested a roundabout to calm traffic, make crossing easier, and improve traffic flow.
Prospect Park suggested roundabout
A railway bridge over the Interstate offers an opportunity to connect to green space. “The Prospect Park trail project involves the acquisition of an abandoned railroad corridor between Franklin Ave SE and 27th Ave SE, and the construction of a multi-use trail,” the city notes.
Words such as “barrier” and “congested” were used to describe the corridor. Meanwhile, workshops attendees expressed hopes that the area’s future could be “connected,” “multi-modal” and an “opportunity.”
Participants sought to “reconnect the communities through equitable investment and a multi-modal system to cross I-94 and use active community engagement to re-imagine and reconnect communities and to create vibrant and livable places of neighborhood gathering and cultural celebration.”Yoshinobu Nakashima, 67, was hunting for wild boar in the mountains near Fukuchiyama City in northern Kyoto prefecture when the incident took place.
The group was walking through the mountains when Nakashima accidentally shot his fellow hunter Satoshi Miyake, 65, according to reports.
Mr Nakashima, who was described as "shocked" by another hunter nearby at the time, mumbled over the walkie talkies they were carrying that he had just shot Mr Miyake by mistake.
As the men rushed to assist the injured man, Mr Nakashima reportedly said that he would go down the mountain to call for an ambulance and obtain assistance.
However, minutes later, as the group tended to Mr Miyake they heard the sound of a gunshot before discovering Mr Nakashima a short distance away with a fatal wound to his chest.
His suicide was apparently motivated by the inability to bear the horror of having potentially killed his hunting companion, who was also later declared dead.
Japan is home to one of the highest rates of suicide among industrialised nations, with nearly 33,000 people killing themselves in 2009.
Depression and economic hardship are widely believed to have fuelled the rise in Japan's suicide rate over the past year, which has topped 30,000 for 12 consecutive years.
Suicide, which generally does not carry the same connotations of Christian sinfulness in Japan as it does in the West, has also long been tied historically in Japan to codes of honour.Turkey fired artillery back at Syria on Monday after a mortar round landed on its territory, the sixth straight day that the two countries have traded fire across borders, the Turkish state news agency reported.
The strikes began last week after five people were killed in an attack on a Turkish border town. Officials in Turkey said the bombardment was a Syrian military shelling and that all the victims were women and children. The Turks have retaliated in the days since as attacks on their territory have continued.
The Monday shelling of the countryside south of Hacipasa hamlet reportedly caused no casualties. Turkish forces nonetheless fired back immediately, state media reported. President Abdullah Gul said Monday that “the worst case scenario” was unfolding in Syria, urging the international community to act.
Last week, the Turkish parliament authorized the government to send troops outside the country's borders, but officials have played down the move as a deterrent, not a step toward war. The string of strikes have nonetheless ramped up fears that the Syrian conflict could spread into a broader war in the tumultuous region, with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon calling the situation “extremely dangerous” on Monday.
“We are not interested in war whatsoever, but then again we are also not far from war,” Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Sunday.All other candidates seen as unacceptable by half or more of Republicans
PRINCETON, NJ -- Newt Gingrich (62%) and Mitt Romney (54%) are the only two candidates Republicans say would be acceptable presidential nominees from their party, emphasizing the degree to which the GOP race has narrowed down to these two men at this juncture. A majority of Republicans say each of the other six candidates measured would not be acceptable nominees.
Republicans and Republican-leaning independents in Gallup's Nov. 28-Dec. 1 survey were asked to rate the acceptability of eight active GOP candidates. The "acceptable" responses range from Gingrich's 62% to 27% for Rick Santorum.
This is the first time Gallup has asked this question in reference to the 2012 election. More than half of Republicans nationwide now see Rick Perry and Herman Cain -- both of whom previously led or tied for the lead in Gallup's measure of positive intensity and in Gallup's trial-heat ballots -- as unacceptable nominees. These data were collected prior to Cain's Saturday announcement that he was suspending his campaign for the GOP nomination.
Majority of Tea Party Supporters Find Both Gingrich and Romney Acceptable
Tea Party supporters -- about 42% of Republicans in this sample -- are at least slightly more likely to find six of the eight candidates acceptable compared with those who are not Tea Party supporters. Tea Party supporters are less positive than nonsupporters about Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman.
Eighty-two percent of Tea Party supporters would find Gingrich acceptable as a nominee, making him by far their top choice on this measure. Importantly, Tea Party supporters are also more positive about Romney than are nonsupporters, putting him in second place behind Gingrich, with a 58% acceptable score. Michele Bachmann (52%) is the third candidate whom a majority of Tea Party supporters would find acceptable.
Conservative Republicans, about 70% of Republicans in this sample, don't differ much from all Republicans in their views of the candidates' acceptability. Moderate and liberal Republicans, however, are substantially less likely to say that Gingrich is an acceptable nominee than are conservatives, yielding a situation in which about equal percentages of moderate and liberal Republicans find Romney (51%) and Gingrich (48%) acceptable.
Moderate and liberal Republicans are more likely than conservatives to say Paul and Huntsman would be acceptable nominees -- but in both instances, support for the candidates is still well below the majority level.
Older Republicans Positive About Gingrich
Republicans 55 and older are more likely than younger Republicans to say Gingrich and Romney would be acceptable nominees. Among the older group, 73% say Gingrich would be acceptable, and 62% say Romney would be acceptable. Older Republicans are slightly more positive than younger Republicans about Bachmann, but are less positive than the younger group about Cain, Paul, and Huntsman.
This echoes the finding from Gallup's recent nomination preference question, which showed Gingrich demonstrating great appeal to older Republicans.
Implications
As the race for the GOP nomination enters the final month before actual voting begins, Republicans nationwide appear to have narrowed their field of acceptable candidates down to two -- former Speaker Gingrich and former Massachusetts Gov. Romney. More Republicans see Gingrich than see Romney as an acceptable nominee, particularly among Tea Party supporters and older Republicans -- although a majority of both of these groups say Romney is also acceptable.
Track every angle of the presidential race on Gallup.com's Election 2012 page.
Sign up to get Election 2012 news stories from Gallup as soon as they are published.6.88 Ranked #11009 Popularity #8631 Members 944 Manga Shounen Sirius Shimura, Takako (Art), Fujino, Chiya (Story) Add to List Select (10) Masterpiece (9) Great (8) Very Good (7) Good (6) Fine (5) Average (4) Bad (3) Very Bad (2) Horrible (1) Appalling / 1 Volumes: / 11 Chapters: * Your list is public by default. Edit The story, also adapted into a live-action film, is told from the point of view of 14-year-old Eriko, who is left in charge of her younger brother Daigo, when her parents disappear. Contrary to most manga, in Route 225, the disappearing parents are a major part of the plot. Daigo and Eriko have somehow been transported to an alternate world, from which they are still somehow able to dial back cryptic messages to Earth mobile phones. Edit Route 225 is based upon the 2002 novel by Chiya Fujino.David Brat ran against Eric Cantor as the epitome of everything that's wrong with Washington. It wasn't a bad synecdoche; like the city, Cantor exuded southern efficiency and northern charm. By the standards of the Tea Party, however, Cantor simply wasn't inefficient enough. They would like less done, please.
On the other hand, Cantor's lack of personal charm probably didn't mean much in terms of the race – though you can see how years of terse brush-offs to reporters has already given the coverage a particularly giddy aftertaste. (See: "DC is running out of champagne".) Neither the left nor right will miss Cantor much, even if David Brat might. The Randolph-Macon College economics professor will never be more important to the Washington political class than he is right now, after defeating the House majority leader by double digits in their primary on Tuesday night.
In other words, Professor Brat, I have some bad news: it's all downhill from here. At least for you, personally. You are neither the death knell for immigration reform nor the prime mover of the GOP agenda. You are the victor in a 65,008-person vote that came down to rural Virginia. And your legacy as a harbinger of things to come is even more in doubt: there is no clean Tea Party electoral narrative at this point in the midterms – only Beltway political journalists believe in clean narratives anyway.
But as Cantor's vanquisher, Brat nonetheless became an overnight symbol for Tea Party and its future. News that Cantor spent over $150,000 at steakhouses during the campaign had to be squared with having failed to serve up sufficiently red meat. And the March Madness-level magnitude of the upset gave the coverage an hysterical edge. Both left and right raced to be the side most please by the outcome. (Indeed, any more Tea Party upsets and this might be the election cycle when I finally learn to spell schadenfreude.)
So on the morning after, Brat is either the Tea Party's white knight or its motley fool – at centerstage if also at the edge of the political spectrum.
But come the fall, Brat may be an historical footnote, having beaten the first sitting majority leader since the position was created in 1899, only to have gone on to lose the general election. (Which is unlikely when running against a Democratic slave-trade / disabilities / vampire scholar in one of Virginia's most conservative districts, but possible, especially given how wrong all the primary polling was, by a clean 34 points or so.) Or Brat will be one of dozens of incoming freshmen Congressmen … which is to say, an historical footnote in the making.
Congressional seats are not made of Valyrian steel; they do not remain powerful no matter who holds them. When he leaves the House, Cantor will take much of his influence with him – probably straight to K Street, where he arguably can hold more sway over national policy as a lobbyist than he ever could as a representative from Virginia.
Brat will have to build his political capital from zero: as an economist, he probably has a better understanding than most of us about just how difficult that is. As an economist and paid follower of Ayn Rand, he will face the |
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“I have heard of burglars and people that are entering houses to rob,” said neighbor Natahlie Perdamo. “Mine, they haven’t, thank God.”
When asked about Tuesday’s incident, Perdamo replied, “It’s frightening. It’s scary.”
Area resident Rachel Straub said she approved of the homeowner’s actions. “As a woman, I’m really grateful that people take action to stop violence, ’cause this is a violent action,” she said. “I’m also a yoga instructor, so I prefer peaceful and passive things when they’re possible, but in the case of someone violating, your right to swing your arm ends when you hit my nose, and that’s what happened.”
“You think that you are secure when you really are not,” said Perdamo.
Harris was transported to the hospital for surgery and is expected to survive. He apparently has a criminal history.
Copyright 2018 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.While Mayor Rahm Emanuel was vacationing in Argentina and Chile, his constituents realized that, back in Chicago, his attitude toward freedom of assembly was starting to teeter.
Emanuel admitted he had “made a mistake” when he gave the impression that the curbs on public demonstrations he wants for this May’s NATO and G-8 summits would be temporary.
That could mean he intends to permanently raise fines for resisting police to between $500 and $1,000. He said he needs to check his facts.
The higher fines would obviously be intended to intimidate would-be demonstrators coming to Chicago on buses from New York and Portland.
People who protest against economic inequality have no money. If they had money, they’d hire lobbyists instead of marching through Grant Park. In Mayor 1%’s world, the right to influence public policy belongs to those who can buy a plate at one of his fundraisers.
Last month, this Ward Room blogger predicted that Mayor Emanuel was seeking to permanently expand his authority to limit demonstrations in Chicago.
“Once a legislative branch surrenders power to an executive, it seldom gets that power back,” I wrote.
Emanuel did backtrack a bit on the beach and park closures, saying “I believe that’s temporary but I want to be accurate and I’m going to get you the information.”
Obviously, the mayor’s temporary security measures were a trial balloon. He’s trying to figure out how many he can keep on the books, to discourage future dissent.
This is what the Occupied Chicago Tribune had to say about the mayor’s mistake: “Mayor 1% finally admits to a lie, but refuses to change his tactics in stifling dissent and First Amendment rights of protesters. None of it will stop what is coming to Chicago in April and May.”
What did they expect? It’s January. This is when all the politicians preview their Spring Fascism Line.
Buy this book! Ward Room blogger Edward McClelland's book, Young Mr. Obama: Chicago and the Making of a Black President, is available Amazon. Young Mr. Obama includes reporting on President Obama's earliest days in the Windy City, covering how a presumptuous young man transformed himself into presidential material. Buy it now!BABIES AS YOUNG as six months show racial bias, two new studies show.
The studies carried out at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto and their collaborators from the US, UK, France and China show the bias forms earlier than thought.
In the first study, “Older but not younger infants associate own-race faces with happy music and other-race faces with sad music,” published in the journal Developmental Science, results showed that after six months of age, infants begin to associate own-race faces with happy music and other-race faces with sad music.
In the second study, “Infants rely more on gaze cues from own-race than other-race adults for learning under uncertainty,” published in Child Development, researchers found that six- to eight-month-old infants were more inclined to learn information from an adult of his or her own race than from an adult of a different race.
In both studies, infants less than six months of age were not found to show such biases.
“The findings of these studies are significant for many reasons,” said Dr. Kang Lee, professor at OISE’s Jackman Institute of Child Study, a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair and lead author of the studies.
The results show that race-based bias already exists around the second half of a child’s first year. This challenges the popular view that race-based bias first emerges only during the preschool years.
Researchers say these findings are also important because they offer a new perspective on the cause of race-based bias.
Lee continued to explain that overall, the results of these studies are critically important given the issues of wide-spread racial bias and racism around the world.By By Larry Clifton Aug 24, 2009 in World A story by Jason Magder published in The Gazette newspaper of Montreal, Quebec maintains that a McGill University professor is involved in a ghostwriting scheme in which articles were purchased by Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, a major drug distribution company. In reality, the piece was created by a freelance writer employed by DesignWrite, a ghostwriting entity in New Jersey. The company was paid by Wyeth to turn out ghostwritten articles, which were then submitted to reputable scholars. Court records indicate that the article attributed to Sherwin was actually submitted to her by DesignWrite. Sherwin was involved in the editing process only and has admitted to making an “error.” “I wrote a portion of the article, but not all of it, although only my name was listed as its author,” said Sherwin according to a statement released to The ghostwriting scandal is being investigated by attorneys representing 8,400 women who claim the hormone drugs caused them harm. The women are suing Wyeth. A total of 26 allegedly ghostwritten papers were published in 18 medical journals, including The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and The International Journal of Cardiology. The tainted articles made their way into reputable journals according to court documents. Barbara Sherwin is a psychology professor whose expertise is in researching how hormones influence memory and mood in humans. Sherwin was listed as the sole author of an April 2000 article in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society arguing that estrogen could help treat memory loss in older patients.In reality, the piece was created by a freelance writer employed by DesignWrite, a ghostwriting entity in New Jersey. The company was paid by Wyeth to turn out ghostwritten articles, which were then submitted to reputable scholars.Court records indicate that the article attributed to Sherwin was actually submitted to her by DesignWrite. Sherwin was involved in the editing process only and has admitted to making an “error.”“I wrote a portion of the article, but not all of it, although only my name was listed as its author,” said Sherwin according to a statement released to The Gazette on Sunday. “Other parts of that article were written with the assistance of DesignWrite, a firm which, it turns out, was employed by a pharmaceutical manufacturer to assist in the development of academic articles. I made an error in agreeing to have my name attached to that article without having it made clear that others contributed to it.”The ghostwriting scandal is being investigated by attorneys representing 8,400 women who claim the hormone drugs caused them harm. The women are suing Wyeth. A total of 26 allegedly ghostwritten papers were published in 18 medical journals, including The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and The International Journal of Cardiology. More about Mcgill university, Montreal ghostwriter, Sherwin ghost writer mcgill university montreal ghostwriter sherwin ghost writerThe start of the Premier League season this weekend is facing major disruption after its officials said they would decide tomorrow whether or not to call off the three opening fixtures set to take place in London following further rioting in the city.
Fulham versus Aston Villa, Queens Park Rangers against Bolton and Everton's visit to Tottenham, where the violence which has spread across the capital first erupted on Saturday, remain in the balance after a fourth day of violence, with the Premier League unwilling to confirm the games will go ahead until they have held further discussions with the clubs in question and the Metropolitan policeon Wednesday.
The Football League has taken the same stance, meaning all London-based games in the Championship, League One and Two as well could be called off. Fears are also growing that the disorder in London could impact on next summer's Olympic Games, with the Metropolitan Police Authority describing the situation in the capital as "extremely worrying".
The Premier League said that it would allow local police forces to make a final decision regarding the staging of this weekend's top-flight games but after the Football Association called off England's friendly with Holland at Wembley and West Ham, Charlton Athletic and Crystal Palace postponed their respective home Carling Cup ties with Aldershot Town, Reading and Crawley Town on Tuesday night for the same reason, it decided to take a more decisive stance.
"The Premier League and Football League are saddened by the recent incidents of civil unrest and the effect it is having on local communities," read a joint statement. "We are in on-going discussions with our London-based clubs, the Metropolitan police and statutory authorities in regard to the staging of the coming weekend's fixtures in the capital.
"The Metropolitan police has conveyed to us the dynamic nature of the current situation and with that in mind all parties will review the situation on Thursday and make a further public statement then."
The statement went on to say that "with the information currently available, there is no reason to think any matches outside of London will be affected", though clubs in cities that have also been hit by the riots, most notably Birmingham, Bristol and Liverpool, remain on alert. West Bromwich Albion said they are "monitoring what is an evolving situation" ahead of Manchester United's visit to The Hawthorns on Sunday and Bristol City also postponed their Carling Cup game with Swindon.
Somewhat oddly, while Bristol City's Carling Cup tie with Swindon last night was called off following advice from local police, Bristol Rovers' tie with Watford, scheduled for tonight, goes ahead, as does the club's League Two home fixture against Torquay on Saturday.
"We are not totally sure why this is the case, but believe it because Bristol City verses Swindon is a local derby and so would require a level of police resources that are just not available due to the problems taking place in the city at the moment," said a Rovers spokesperson.Meanwhile the International Olympic Committee said it was confident the Olympics would be secure but made clear responsibility for a safe Games lay with the British government and Metropolitan police. It said: "Security at the Olympic Games is a top priority for the IOC. It is, however, directly handled by the local authorities, as they know best what is appropriate and proportionate. We are confident they will do a good job in this domain."
Officials said there were no immediate plans to review security for the Olympics, which start next July, though there was an acceptance that London's image has been damaged and visitors may be deterred from attending the Games.
The assistant commissioner, Chris Allison, the national Olympic security co-ordinator, said: "Our planning for security is intelligence led. Public disorder is one of those risks which we have already been planning against across the country. Obviously, in light of the appalling events in London over recent days, we will review our planning to ensure that any lessons are identified. It is too early to say whether our planning will significantly change."
A test event was carried out, beach volleyball at Horse Guards Parade, but the finish was brought forward by 90 minutes to ensure it was completed in daylight and so avoid any riot-related trouble. Other test events to go ahead include the world badminton championships at Wembley Arena throughout the week, the Surrey Cycle Classic on Sunday, a test event for the cycling road race which will go through the streets of London, and the marathon swimming event at Hyde Park on Saturday.Tasos Mandelis, a former socialist transport minister, was found guilty of money laundering in the Siemens kickbacks case, and was handed an eight-year suspended sentence.
Judges ruled that Mandelis had received 450,000 German marks as a bribe for a contract signed with the Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE) in 1997 when Mandelis was minister in PASOK’s government.
Siemens Hellas former executive Ilias Georgiou was also found guilty of money laundering and bribery as well as Mandelis’ associate Aristidis Mantas for assistance in money laundering.
The money, which was received in two instalments in 1998 and 2000, was deposited in a Swiss bank account held by George Tsougranis, a close associate of Mandelis, under the name “Roccos.”
Tsougranis was acquitted of charges of money laundering and bribe-taking.
Allegations that Greek politicians and political parties received bribes during successive administrations to grant German industrial giant Siemens lucrative contracts in the run-up to the 2004 Olympics have dominated local media for years.Another Indonesia variety sent by a kind person in Jakarta! Thanks! This is called ‘gulai’ – something I’ve never heard of. I consulted Wikipedia and found this:
Gulai is a type of food containing rich, spicy and succulent curry-like sauce. The main ingredients might be poultry, beef, mutton, various kinds of offals, fish and seafoods, and also vegetables such as cassava leafs and young jackfruit. The gulai sauces commonly have a thick consistency with yellowish color because of the addition of ground turmeric. Gulai sauce ingredients consist of rich spices such as turmeric, coriander, black pepper, galangal, ginger, chilli pepper, shallot, garlic, fennel, lemongrass, cinnamon and caraway, ground into paste and cooked in coconut milk with the main ingredients.[1] Gulai is often described as an Indonesian type of curry,[2] although Indonesian cuisine also recognize kari or kare (curry).
Sounds interesting – can’t get enough curry! Let’s check it out.
The back of the package (click image to enlarge). I think this is another meat free one – but check the image to be sure.
The noodle block – pretty good shape despite it’s 60+ day journey!
A dual packet: powder base on the left and chili powder on the right.
The chili powder atop the base powder.
The seasoning oil packet.
Has a definite curry scent.
Finished (click image to enlarge). Added Vidalia sweet onion and red bell pepper, some chicken baked with Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning, a fried egg and some Dua Belibis chili sauce. The noodles are great – a good chew and plumpness I enjoyed. The broth was amazing – had a decent spiciness and strong curry and coconut milk flavors. This is why I really love Indonesian instant noodles – they taste absolutely wonderful! 4.75 out of 5.0 stars. UPC bar code 8992388111206.
Here’s an ABC instant noodle commercial.In the course of a one-hour job interview with a 21-year-old law student seeking a junior paralegal position, Charles Waterstreet – one of Sydney’s most prominent criminal barristers and the real-life inspiration for the popular ABC television drama series Rake – played a video on his phone of a man receiving a handjob, showed numerous photos of naked women, described how he liked to go to sex parties and enjoyed having women snort cocaine off his body, before revealing he preferred to hire “pretty young things” to work with him.
The interview was conducted in Mr Waterstreet’s Sydney office, opposite the Downing Centre local courts, in August this year.
The explosive allegations are contained in a sworn statement provided to New Matilda by Tina Huang, a third-year law student at the University of Sydney. Ms Huang has also written an article on her experience, published here.
Ms Huang became aware of the job – advertised as a “paralegal and personal assistant position” – via the University of Sydney’s careers hub website. She applied in writing to Waterstreet on August 18, and received a rambling reply from Waterstreet the following day:
“Tina, your CV reads like a mirror of my own, I am writer, film maker and looking to expand into podcasts, I wrote for SMH and now Penthouse, which is platform for man feminist/pro women articles, I have written about [a number of women]and am fuelled by the emerging knowledge that women are stronger, volcanic, powerful and repressed for 5000 years because men feared women’s sexuality and other things. Of, my law is my life blood,, murder, drugs, and money, sex slaves, the axe woman of 7/11, etc. I would like to meet you asap, to discuss availability, car,, what I want to achieve,, Charles ps call or text over weekend.”
Ms Huang was ultimately offered the job. She said she was “confused” and unsure of how to respond to Waterstreet’s behavior at the job interview, but agreed to commence work several days later, hopeful that the office environment would be more professional.
Ms Huang lasted just three hours.
The allegations detailed above only relate to the job interview – in the course of Ms Huang’s first day on the job, Waterstreet revealed he was upset because he had been overlooked for an invitation to a recent “sex party”, had Ms Huang reply to personal emails about upcoming dates with women, and about late payments for sex toys.
The following day, Ms Huang wrote to Waterstreet informing him that her “circumstances had changed” and that she could no longer work for him.
Waterstreet wrote back a short time later apologising for his behaviour:
“Tina, my apologies for acting like a dork at first day, i was excited to work on matters that outside the box (sic), you might be surprised that my stupid exterior is contrary to my internal landscape. However i admired your smarts and views, sorry we appeared to meet changed circumstances and if you have time to put it in as few words, i would be a better man for your criticism.”
Ms Huang is now sharing her story in the hope it will encourage other women to speak out about similar experiences.
“I was lying in bed scrolling through the news about Harvey Weinstein and realised we’re in a cultural moment where something could change,” Ms Huang said.
“It’s just so hard… to break across our own solitude to speak out.
“In speaking out [now]I’m hoping to reassert some control over this narrative and turn a disempowering experience into an empowering one. I want other women to feel less alone and more supported, I want to encourage every woman who has been a victim of harassment to speak truth to power.”
Ms Huang said she is also hopeful her story will compel other media to rethink their decision to promote Waterstreet in a glamorised light, and believes that media should stop “glorifying harassment as entertainment”.
In a phone call late last week, Mr Waterstreet denied the allegations put to him, however he declined to be interviewed.
A subsequent letter from Mr Waterstreet’s legal representatives contained the following statement: “We are instructed that the allegations made by Ms Huang are either false factually; false and baseless as to the effect of the conduct being claimed; or out of context considering the circumstances and the involvement of Ms Huang.
“Our client also instructs us that in respect of the interview conducted with Ms Huang witnesses will corroborate his version of events and the allegations raised in your email of 20 October 2017 will be refuted and clarified and our client’s conduct justified.”
NEW MATILDA HAS LAUNCHED A MAJOR FUNDRAISER TO ENABLE OUR ONGOING INVESTIGATION INTO VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL HARASSMENT DIRECTED AGAINST WOMEN. PLEASE CONSIDER CHIPPING IN A FEW DOLLARS BY CLICKING HERE.
DO YOU HAVE INFORMATION TO SHARE? You can contact the author of this article by email by clicking here, or phoning 0407 555 328. The author of this article Facebooks here, and tweets here.
If you or someone you know has been impacted by sexual assault or harassment support is available by calling 1800 424 017 and speaking to a qualified trauma counsellor at the NSW Rape Crisis Centre.About
Why Death Investigator Magazine
Get your first year's subscription to this new and much needed magazine when you help fund its launch. There's nothing like it out there, help make a difference - and help improve death investigative work around the world.
Many magazines are printed each month directed at law enforcement in general. Lacking in the industry are publications focusing on the jobs and lives of those professionals working in the death investigation field; and of those that do exist, are tied to membership in an association. This leaves out those professionals who either wish not to be a member of a particular association, or do not qualify for membership.
Death investigators make up a wide range of professions; coroners, medical examiners, police, pathologist, pathology assistance, forensic nurses, private investigators, and many, many more.
I have dedicated the last 30 years working in the field of law enforcement and death investigation, as well as teaching in this area of forensic science. We surveyed hundreds of professionals working in various disciplines of the death investigation community. We asked a simple question, "what is your biggest obstacle in obtaining quality training in death investigation?"
The answers were overwhelmingly the same, "not enough training options, limited specialized training in death investigation v. general criminal investigations, cost of training is too expensive, and limited training in my region or state."
To answer this call for investigators I created a podcast 18 months ago called Coroner Talk™, a weekly training show dedicated to bringing quality training to investigators of all death related disciplines. The podcast has been heard over 100,00 times in over 100 Countries around the world.
Whereas this does fill a role, a gap still exists. The Death Investigator Magazine will fill this gap by providing in-depth articles and print material that will not only support the investigators job duties, but will enrich their lives by dealing with such topics as work/family balance, PTSD, finance, substance abuse, and much more.
This online publication will offer, embedded videos, live links to further resources, and collaboration links to support training; all a click away right from the page or article.
A magazine focused on the death investigation community. Dedicated to improving skills and enriching lives of the investigators and their families.Today's impasse announcement should come as no surprise to close watchers of the negotiations.
For months, the district and the union have
. Here are some of the biggest differences:
PPS contract talks: The sticking points Issue District view Union view Teacher workload : The Portland teachers union has long had a clause that most districts don’t have: the district can’t force teachers to exceed a workload last calculated in the 1997-98 school year. Eliminate workload clause but create a separate agreement preserving current workloads for two years. The district says the provision has limited its ability to save money and add instructional hours in high schools by assigning teachers more than 180 students per term. Keep it. Teachers are already exhausted and overwhelmed, union negotiators say, and it that would only get worse without the limit on how many students a teacher can supervise. Pay raises 2 percent in 2013
1.5 percent in 2014
1.5 percent in 2015 4.8 percent for 2013-14
3.75 percent for 2014-15 Health insurance Cap district’s monthly contribution at $1,431 per teacher, then increases 2 percent in years 2 and 3, raising the contribution to $1,489 per month. District continues contributing 93 percent of each teacher’s insurance premiums.
All of the issues are far from new.
Past board members have decried the union's health insurance costs and the workload provision became a hotbed of controversy when the district tried to unilaterally implement a new high school schedule.
The two sides seem particularly deadlocked on health insurance and the workload provision, which both sides have identified as priorities.
Superintendent Carole Smith this morning said that class sizes -- or the workload provision -- does not belong in a contract, while the teachers union president in the afternoon said teachers have identified class sizes as one of their biggest issues.
-- Nicole Dungca
Follow @ndungcaThe third-ranking House Republican, Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy Kevin Owen McCarthyHouse votes to overturn Trump's emergency declaration Steve King says he will run again in 2020: 'I have nothing to apologize for' Steve King spins GOP punishment into political weapon MORE (Calif.), said he backs granting legal status, but not a new pathway to citizenship, to millions of immigrants in the U.S. illegally.
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McCarthy stated his personal view on the contentious issue in an interview with KBAK/KBFX Eyewitness News in his hometown of Bakersfield, Calif. He signaled that the call for a provisional legal status would be included in the immigration reform principles House Republican leaders are soon to release."The principles aren't written yet, but in my personal belief, I think it'll go with legal status that will allow you to work and pay taxes," McCarthy said.McCarthy made clear he did not favor carving out a new path to citizenship for the estimated 11 million people in the country illegally. But his position appears to comport with the views of other senior Republicans who have called for illegal immigrants to have access to the existing route to citizenship once they receive an initial legal status and fulfill other requirements.McCarthy has in the past suggested he could support legal status for some immigrants in the US illegally, but the timing of his statement is significant coming before the release of principles from top House Republicans.That system is unlikely to lead to citizenship for many of the 11 million illegal immigrants, and it is unclear whether Democrats would back such a compromise.
The House GOP principles could be released before President Obama’s State of the Union address on Jan. 28 or at the House Republican Conference’s subsequent retreat in Cambridge, Md.
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and other top Republicans have said the House would pursue a step-by-step approach to immigration, reform rather than the comprehensive bill the Senate passed last year.
Immigration advocates have targeted McCarthy, whose district includes a large Hispanic population.
— This story was updated at 11:36 a.m.WASHINGTON -- The State Department has released another batch of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's emails from her private server, including 88 documents that were upgraded to the lowest classification level.
The department on Friday posted 1,589 pages of Clinton's emails on its website, bringing to 48,535 the number of pages released as part of its ongoing release of the former secretary's correspondence.
Democrats vying for minority votes heading into South Carolina
In the latest release, portions of 88 documents were deemed to be classified at the "confidential" level, the lowest classification category. The department said none of those emails was marked classified at the time they were sent.
The release comes on the eve of the Democratic primary in South Carolina, where Clinton was out-polling Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders by an average of 26 percentage points, according to Real Clear Politics.
The last batch of the roughly 55,000 work-related emails Clinton turned over to the department is scheduled to be released on Monday, the day before the Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses, in accordance with a court order.
Clinton said Tuesday night that she is "not at all worried" about the lasting impact of her email controversy on her presidential campaign.
"I have turned over 55,000 pages of emails," she told Chris Cuomo at a town hall broadcast live on CNN from the University of South Carolina. "I know there are, you know, challenges about what the State Department did or didn't do. That'll all be worked out. It is just not something that, you know, is going to have any lasting effect, and I am not at all worried about it."
Clinton leads Sanders in South Carolina
Cuomo asked Clinton about a ruling earlier Tuesday, by a federal judge, that Clinton's top aides during her time as Secretary of State should be called for questioning about her private email server.
"What is your statement to Democrats who are afraid that this...will not leave you in this race?" he asked.
"I'm well aware of the drip, drip drip," Clinton said. She compared the ongoing questions about her use of the private email server to other attacks she has endured throughout her life in the public eye.
"The facts are that every single time somebody has hurled these charges against me, which they have done, it's proved to be nothing," she said. "And, this is no different than that."
Trust continues to be an issue for Clinton. An ABC News/Washington Post poll last month showed that 48 percent of Democratic leaning voters nationwide believe Sanders is honest and trustworthy, versus 36 percent who believe Clinton is.Articles in this special edition:
From the editors:
The human brain may be “the last frontier.” It is unknown, mysterious, puzzling. It has billions of neurons and trillions of connections between them; it gives rise to the enormous complexities of thought, language, and emotion. It is everything about who we are inside, yet we know so little about it.
We know so little about it – but that is changing fast. This special edition covers recent technologies that are pushing the boundaries of what we know about the brain. We can see neurons in ever-more-detailed magnificence; we can use light to directly control brain activity. Brain images can be analyzed by computer algorithms to predict the development of psychiatric diseases; other computer algorithms have learned to outsmart us. We can turn skin cells into neurons, and study how specific mutations alter a cell’s function or the brain’s structure.
These advances have caught the attention of public policy makers across the globe, including here in the United States. The BRAIN Initiative is helping create new tools to investigate the brain; next, it will help researchers develop strategies to treat it. In addition to describing BRAIN Initiative-funded research, we’ve spoken to one of the BRAIN Initiative’s advisors about its goals and what we can reasonably expect it to achieve.
The impact of neuroscience is not limited to the ivory tower of academia. In a given year, about one quarter of US adults suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder. These diseases are among the most debilitating and painful for individuals and their families, and we lack effective treatments. Once we better understand the complexities of the brain, the hope is that we can begin to solve these problems.
Today, we are closer to this frontier than ever before. Each of the articles in this special edition describes how new technologies have already impacted neuroscience and where these technologies are taking us next. With the potential to improve countless lives, the future of neuroscience is bright and will only get brighter.
April 6th, 2016.
Happy reading,
Science in the News Editorial Staff
Special thanks to…
The editing team: Eryn Blass, Alix Chan, Vivian Chou, Morgan Furze, Mary Gearing, Alexis Hubaud, Susi Jakob, Nick Jikomes, Adam Riesselman, Jessica Sagers, Yutong Shan, Aditi Shukla, Kevin Sitek, Lindsay Theodore, Kelsey Tyssowski, and Katherine Wu
The graphic editors: Tito Adhikary, Kaitlyn Choi, Michael Gerhardt, Krissy Lyon, Anna Maurer, Shannon McArdel, Daniel Utter, and Bradley WierbowskiPresident Barack Obama sent high-level administration officials to Cuban dictator Fidel Castro’s funeral procession last week, a gesture of respect he did not offer for former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s funeral.
After Castro’s death, Obama released a statement saying: “History will record and judge the enormous impact of this singular figure on the people and the world around him.”
The carefully guarded words made no reference to the legacy of tyranny and destruction Castro left for the Cuban people, nor did it explain how much Castro’s communist ideology played a role in the half-century of humanitarian catastrophes during his regime.
As reported in Conservative Review, “Ben Rhodes, the White House deputy national security adviser and one of the president’s closest aides,” was sent to attend Castro’s funeral service along with the U.S. ambassador to Cuba, Jeffrey DeLaurentis.
Rhodes became notorious this spring when he boasted of selling a “narrative” about the U.S.-Iran nuclear deal to journalists to push the president’s agenda through Congress.
He was also a key player in opening up relations between the U.S. and Cuba in 2015, ending a long-standing American policy to isolate the communist nation.
The Obama administration failed to send high-level members to Thatcher’s funeral in 2013, which many British saw as a “snub” of their famous leader. Nor was that the first sharp elbow thrown at legendary British leaders by the Obama administration.
The words and actions of an administration, such as who a president chooses to send to a funeral, have a heightened influence on the global stage without the chief executive ever having to act officially.
As historian Richard Neustadt wrote, paraphrasing President Harry Truman, “presidential power is the power to persuade.” And as Neustadt noted, this power to persuade leads to the more tangible power to negotiate—perhaps the most important presidential role in foreign relations.
That the president seems so willing to symbolically and concretely abandon the “special relationship” the U.S. has had with Britain while going out of the way to tiptoe around the sore spots of the Cuban regime is a reversal of priorities for a nation that stood as a beacon for the free world.
Of course, Castro and Thatcher stood at opposite ends of the Cold War in the ultimate test of freedom against authoritarianism—Castro was a revolutionary communist who battled with the United States for decades and Thatcher was a legendary Cold Warrior who stood shoulder to shoulder with President Ronald Reagan against international communism in the 1980s.
When Thatcher was elected prime minister in 1979, she, along with Reagan, pursued a more confrontational approach to the Soviet Union, which she viewed as a primary global threat to human liberty.
She saw the difference between free countries like the United States and Great Britain and authoritarian regimes like under the Soviet Union and Cuba as fundamental.
Like Reagan, who called the Soviet Union an “evil empire” in a famous 1983 speech, Thatcher rhetorically undermined the tyrannical regimes and indicated that a mere détente with them was unacceptable.
When negotiating with the Soviet Union at the end of the Cold War, Reagan and Thatcher came from a position of strength.
In a 1983 television appearance, the Iron Lady, as Thatcher came to be called, explained the radically different outcomes for people living under these nearly opposite systems of government:
[Nations] that have gone for equality, like communism, have neither freedom nor justice nor equality, they’ve the greatest inequalities of all, the privileges of the politicians are far greater compared with the ordinary folk than in any other country. The nations that have gone for freedom, justice, and independence of people have still freedom and justice, and they have far more equality between their people, far more respect for each individual than the other nations.
Castro’s Cuba has been the very picture of this despotism based on a false “equality,” as Thatcher described.
“Castro’s communism has not just left Cubans economically pauperized, but politically bereft, a situation that Obama’s unilateral concessions to Castro’s little brother, the 85-year-old Raul, Cuba’s present leader, has only made worse,” Heritage Foundation senior fellow Mike Gonzalez wrote for The Daily Signal.
Cuba’s pursuit of communism under Castro crippled the island nation and pushed hundreds of thousands to risk their lives to escape. Thatcher and Reagan’s rhetorical stands against autocracy helped break the power of communism as an international threat as they pushed the Soviet Union to collapse.
But the Obama administration now has sent high-ranking officials to the funeral service of the man who pleaded with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev to wage nuclear war against the United States during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. The system the now-deceased Castro created still exists after his death and continues under his brother.
The simple act of administration officials attending or not attending a state leader’s funeral service communicates a great deal to the world about what a president’s intentions are.
Signaling that free countries like the United States will back off in their condemnation of oppressive, communist regimes like the one propped up by the Castro brothers helps breathe new life into their failed ideology.A Donald Trump supporter clashing with protesters outside a rally in California in May of this year Source: AP/Press Association Images
THE 2016 WORD of the year has been announced as ‘xenophobia’.
The award is given each year by website Dictionary.com.
Xenophobia, defined as a ‘dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries’, is often used in the context of anti-immigration sentiment amongst other things in individual countries.
It has been suggested that much of the enthusiasm for anti-migration campaigns such as those of Brexit and President-Elect of the United States Donald Trump was xenophobic in nature.
Dictionary.com says it picks its word of the year as one “that embodies a major theme resonating deeply in the cultural consciousness over the prior 12 months”.
“This year, some of the most prominent news stories have centered around fear of the ‘other’,” the website said in a statement announcing its ‘winner’.
Source: Dictionary.com
Fear is an adaptive part of human evolutionary history and often influences behaviors and perceptions on a subconscious level. However, this particular year saw fear rise to the surface of cultural discourse.
The largest spike in interest in the word ‘xenophobia’, as measured by Dictionary.com, was seen on 24 June this year, the day after the UK Brexit referendum, which indicates that hundreds of users were looking up the term each hour.
Last year’s word of the year was ‘identity’ (which was in reference to new ways in which people had been discussing the concept of identity), 2014’s was ‘vape’ (as in to use an e-cigarette), and 2013’s was ‘privacy’ (linked to stories from that year such as the leaking of confidential US NSA documents to the media by Edward Snowden).Trump Wins Again, Lunatic Left Is Lost
RUSH: I’ve been watching CNN all morning and there’s nothing about Trump on there anymore. There’s nothing about the election. It’s like they threw everything they had into this Electoral College revolt and since it’s failed, why, on CNN there may not have even been an election and we may not even have a president-elect. They haven’t talked about Trump all day.
They’re talking about Germany. They’re talking about this new investigation of the search warrant for the Clinton emails. They’re talking about how unfair life has been to Barack and Michelle Obama, but they’re not talking about Trump. And the AP, here’s their headline: “Trump Cruises to Electoral College Victory Despite Protests.” Despite protests! You know, folks, I’m gonna tell you something else. I think this will never happen, but something that would improve the overall national mood is if protesters, leftist protesters were ignored, just not covered.
Now, I know that will never happen because leftist |
came in our place and almost shocked us,” junior tight end Nick Vannett said. “We understand how they are as a football team.”
To understand that, you must understand, for Navy, football is a launching point – not a destination.
“Everyone wants to win football games, but each and every one of our guys is going to serve our country. They’re going to be leaders of men and women,” Niumatalolo said.
“I’m a firm believer in what you learn in football – toughness, discipline – they help you in life. I’ve been here long enough to see guys go through here and see who they become. I have guys flying the helicopter for the president, there are Blue Angels and SEALs. It’s a pretty cool place to coach.”
Launching point. Not the destination.
“Football is a game, what they do is life and death,” Perry said.
“They’re gonna come with their best shot every time. They’re going to play a full game and we have to expect that. They might not be the biggest guys or the strongest guys, but they’re going to come at you.”15 Things To Do This Summer in St. John’s for Under $10
From exploring abandoned mines in Bell Island to betting on Horses in The Goulds; Heather's list has something for everyone for under $10
1.) Take the ferry to Bell Island, explore abandoned mines at the Grebe’s Nest. (Ferry With Car $6.88)
2.) Make a picnic, get the Metrobus to Bowring Park ($3 baguette, $3.93 mini bottle
of Barefoot Cab Sauv, $2.25 bus fare)
3.) Check out the Storytellers Circle every second Tuesday at The Crow’s Nest, listen to stories and recitations from Newfoundland’s finest storytellers, and enjoy a pint in a rare glimpse of this Officer’s club, which looks like the galley of an old ship. ($3 Admission + $6 Pint)
4.) Behave like a true St. John’s local and pick up a copy of Free Frame Zine at Broken Books and a pour-over at Fixed Coffee and Baking, and lounge in the grass beside the War Memorial on Duckworth Street. ($5 Zine + $3.50 Coffee)
5.) Do a tour of Quidi Vidi Brewery, sample some locally made beer, and see how it’s made.
($10 Brewery Tour)
6.) Team up with a buddy and rent a tent from The Outfitters for a night and go camping
on the East Coast Trail or in Pippy Park. ($10 each x 2)
7.) Go for a boil up b’y. ($2 wieners + $3 box of Tetley + $1.50 bic lighter + your roommate’s
pot = boil up)
8.) Wander around the Farmers Market – pay a visit to the Waffle Lady, get some samosas, or take a peek at all the crafts, jewelry, and art. Then hang out in the grass outside, and you might catch a Shakespeare By the Sea performance or a few buskers. (As many snacks as you can get for $10)
9.) Bet on horses at the racing track in The Goulds. (<$10)
10.) Get totally lost in Three Pond Barrens, Pippy Park, while you try and navigate to one of the ponds for a swim. Pet all the pups that pass. Eventually stumble across one of the ponds just as you are giving up. Go for a dip. (Super free)
11.) Do an art tour of downtown, starting with the Red Ochre Gallery on Duckworth East, Christina Parker Gallery on Water Street East, Eastern Edge Gallery on Harbourside Drive, the Leyton Gallery in Baird’s Cove, and then pop in to The Sprout to see what local exhibition they’ve got on at the moment, and get a snack. After fueling up, scoot up the hill to the Peter Lewis Gallery on Church Hill, Spurrell Gallery on Long’s Hill, and Richard Steele Gallery on Harvey Road. See The Rooms on your right. Might as well, b’y. ($9 Open Sesame Sandwich at The Sprout)
12 Make the trip to Berg’s in Manuels for an old fashioned ice cream, sundae, or float;
eat your ice cream on a waterfall off the Manuels River Trail. Best. (<$5)
13 Take a stroll through the MUN Botannical Gardens. See things bloom, convince yourself
to do the same. ($PWYC First Wednesday of each month, Free May 1-7)
14 Join a Band Off. Show up at the potluck on May 13 at Eastern Edge to submit your name and be matched with a band. Pick an instrument. Learn it. Play a show on May 27. Bam. ($Free as can be. Borrowing of instruments encouraged.)
15 Rainy days are for board games and tea at Mochanopoly on Water Street. ($5 for tea and treats)New Editions Announced for late 2014
with more to follow
Lake Forest, CA (June 13, 2014) — Cryptozoic Entertainment™, the premier developer of original and licensed games and Alderac Entertainment Group (AEG), publishers of the award winning Legend of the Five Rings, today announce that they have entered into a strategic partnership to release new editions of AEG’s worldwide sensation, Love Letter. Leveraging their established relationships, Cryptozoic announced that the first editions to be released will be Adventure Time, DC Comics and The Hobbit.
In the original Love Letter your goal is to deliver your love letter into the Princess’s hands while keeping other players’ letters away. Powerful cards lead to early gains, but might make you a target. If you rely on weaker cards for too long and your letter may be tossed in the fire!
Love Letter's elegant and simple design by Japanese game designer Seiji Kanai features just 16 cards, is easy-to-learn, quick-to-play, and highly enjoyable.
These new versions of Love Letter will feature the same easy to learn and engaging play, with some new effects designed in conjunction with Seiji Kanai, unique to each exciting edition.
"We are thrilled to be working with AEG,” says Cryptozoic President Scott Gaeta. “Our two companies have a lot in common and we think this partnership is a great example of what makes our industry so special."
The game will be co-published by Cryptozoic Entertainment and AEG. These titles will be the "first of many" games to be released as part of this partnership.
"AEG is thrilled to bring Love Letter to the public in these new editions. Playing Adventure Time Love Letter will feel different than The Hobbit or Adventure Time, but all will be true to the original design and engaging play,” says AEG’s Director of Marketing Todd Rowland”
Look for the new editions of Love Letter to hit stores in late 2014, and in the meantime keep an eye out for special teasers on both the Cryptozoic and Alderac sites www.cryptozoic.com/loveletter. and www.alderac.com/loveletter.
To keep up with all of these great games, make sure to “like” facebook.com/cryptozoic and facebook.com/alderac and follow @Cryptozoic and @Alderac on Twitter.
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About Cryptozoic Entertainment
Founded in 2010, Cryptozoic Entertainment, Inc. is a premier developer and publisher of original and licensed board games, card games, comics and trading cards, including the DC Comics Deck-Building Game, The Lookouts comic book, The Big Bang Theory: The Party Game and The Walking Dead™ Board Game. Following a philosophy and core principle of "Fans First," the dedicated gamers and fans of the Cryptozoic Entertainment team are focused on producing fun and amazing products along with epic events that bring all gaming fans together as part of the Cryptozoic community. Visit www.cryptozoic.com for additional product and event information.
About Alderac Entertainment Group
Alderac Entertainment Group has produced award-winning games and game worlds for over 20 years. Its flagship product, Legend of the Five Rings, features the second longest running CCG in the game industry, role-playing games, and board games. Alderac also produces the popular boardgames Smash Up, Love Letter, Trains, Doomtown: Reloaded, and many more. Visit www.alderac.com for more information.
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Media Contact for Cryptozoic press@cryptozoic.com
Media Contact for Alderac trowland@alderac.com
©2014 Cryptozoic Entertainment. 25351 Commercentre Drive Suite 250 Lake Forest, CA 92630. All Rights Reserved.
©2014 Alderac Entertainment Group, 4045 E Guasti Rd, Ste 210, Ontario, CA 91761
All other trademarks referenced herein are the properties of their respective owners.ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Glover Quin didn’t feel comfortable enough, not even after four years in Houston. Not even after signing a five-year, $23.5 million free-agent contract with the Lions before the 2013 season.
He had established himself in the NFL. But he had not done enough yet, in his opinion, to participate in one of the league's newer traditions.
Not until last season, when the Pro Bowl safety led the league in interceptions, did Quin feel his reputation was strong enough to jersey-swap.
“I never felt that people wanted my jersey,” Quin said. “So man, I want to ask him for his jersey but he probably don’t want my jersey so I won’t do it. So my first four or five years in the league, I didn’t really swap with anybody because I felt that people wouldn’t really want my jersey.
“They still may not want my jersey, but at least I feel a little bit more comfortable because I played with some of them guys at the Pro Bowl or met them at the Pro Bowl or maybe they’ve seen me on [NFL Network's] 'Top 100' or something like that.”
It isn’t clear when the first NFL jersey swap happened -- with as many as 16 games per weekend, it would be tough to trace -- but it has increased dramatically in popularity. Rarely does a week or game go by where a postgame jersey swap doesn’t occur and show up on social media, often in pictures from players or teams.
There is a code to jersey swapping. Players focus on the position they play (Quin is trading only with safeties for now), college teammates or offseason training partners.
Sometimes they’ll trade with the guy they match up with.
“I love to trade with receivers,” Arizona cornerback Patrick Peterson said. “You’re only going to play this game for so long, and the more memories you have, they last a lifetime. So to have an opportunity to collect a guy’s jersey and put it up in my trophy room in my house where I can see it forever, it’ll help me reminisce -- ‘Oh, I remember when I made that play on such and such,’ or ‘I remember where that grass stain came from.’
“I think it helps us as co-workers. I think it helps us grow closer to each other, and it just shows the respect that we have for one another when we want to trade off jerseys.”
It’s a respect thing, either for the player at your position or the opponent you’ve faced. Sometimes, when one player is at the start of his career and another is toward the end of his, it becomes a culmination of childhood idolizing turned reality.
Earlier this month, Lions cornerback Darius Slay shot a message over Twitter to Arizona’s Tyrann Mathieu. Slay is a habitual jersey swapper -- $200 per replacement is paid to the Lions, he said, a cost that varies by team -- and he wanted to try to secure Mathieu’s jersey before the game even started.
It isn’t always strategized, although both Slay and Quin go through the schedule separately before the season to plot jersey swaps. Often, swap-planning happens Sundays either through a conversation during warm-ups or spontaneously after the game concludes.
Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson, right, swaps jerseys with Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman after the Seahawks' Monday night win in Week 4. AP Photo/Elaine Thompson
“[I] just talk to them before the game,” said Lions receiver Calvin Johnson, whose jersey is one of the more coveted in the league. “Let them know that I want it, and then we do it after the game.”
Johnson has swapped with Peterson and Denver receiver Demaryius Thomas, who replaced him at Georgia Tech. He does it because he wants to claim jerseys of players he respects and ones he played against.
Johnson doesn’t know his jersey count, but he eventually wants to hang the ones he has in his home -- a common theme among players.
Quin has his framed and stacked up in Texas, but hasn’t hung them yet because he’s building a new home in Houston. He’s still plotting to trade with Kansas City’s Eric Berry and Oakland’s Charles Woodson later in the season -- one a contemporary; the other someone he watched growing up.
“Twenty years from now, when I’m not in the league, I still have memories of this guy as a player and this guy,” Quin said. “People come to my house and say, ‘Hey, you got this nice jersey right there.’ Yeah, I remember this guy and this guy.”
The origins of the jersey swap come from rowing and -- more famously -- soccer. According to FIFA’s website, the practice started after a France-England match in 1931, became more popular in the 1954 World Cup and gained notoriety after Pelé and Bobby Moore, the English captain, swapped jerseys after a Brazil-England World Cup group-stage match in 1970.
It is a World Cup, too, that might have started the uptick in American football jersey swaps.
Lions cornerback Rashean Mathis, who said he would swap jerseys with only Peyton Manning, said that when he started in the league in Jacksonville in 2003, the practice wasn’t done. The postgame sign of respect was a handshake and maybe a quick conversation.
Then the United States men’s national team caught the nation’s attention during the 2010 World Cup, with Landon Donovan’s dramatic goal against Algeria to push the United States into the knockout stage.
Seeing international athletes make the exchange might have triggered what you’re seeing in the NFL now.
“It could have,” Mathis said. “It was big in the U.S. [Soccer] grew large in the U.S. that year.”
In any given week, splashes of other colors can protrude from the Honolulu blue and silver typically in Lions lockers. Recently, Quin had Earl Thomas' Seahawks jersey hanging off the side of his locker. A locker over, Slay had one from college teammate K.J. Wright in his.
Players often start off by trading with their longtime friends. It was how Golden Tate started -- like Johnson and Quin, he wanted to use them at his house as man-cave decorations.
Like Quin, he was hesitant to do it his first couple of years in the league. It took Tate's “becoming relevant” for his collection to build. He also started thinking about his future and how he’s facing elite athletes weekly.
Now, it’s blossomed.
“I have a pretty nice collection,” said Tate, who entered the NFL in 2010. “I got Damian Williams. I got two of [Jermaine] Kearse's now, both Seahawks obviously. I got Marshawn [Lynch]. I got Sherm [Richard Sherman]. I got Breno Giacomini. I got one of my brother’s, [Wesley, a former Vanderbilt running back]. Jimmy [Clausen's, his college quarterback at Notre Dame].
“Jimmy’s is framed in my man cave right now. One of mine, I have a bunch of mine, obviously.”
It’s a collection that’ll grow, too.
And as a player’s relevance rises, he realizes there might be times when he wants to execute trades with multiple players at once. That causes some issues.
Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. ran into that against San Francisco in October. He arranged a swap with safety Eric Reid, and then Colin Kaepernick wanted to make an exchange as well after the game. So he’s going to ship an extra to San Francisco to make sure both can have the Beckham Jr. for their own collections.
NFL players, perhaps more than anything else, understand their careers are finite and can end instantaneously. So swapping jerseys is a way for them to remember their past in the future.
“It’s just something I like doing,” Beckham said. “And something I’ll be able to look back on years from now as a great memory.”
Reporting from NFL Nation Cardinals reporter Josh Weinfuss and NFL Nation Giants reporter Dan Graziano were used in this report.The New York Times is reporting Congressional Leaders Stunned by Warnings
It was a room full of pople who rarely hold their tongues. But as the Fed chairman, Ben S. Bernanke, laid out the potentially devastating ramifications of the financial crisis before congressional leaders on Thursday night, there was a stunned silence at first.
Mr. Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. had made an urgent and unusual evening visit to Capitol Hill, and they were gathered around a conference table in the offices of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
“When you listened to him describe it you gulped," said Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York.
As Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut and chairman of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, put it Friday morning on the ABC program “Good Morning America,” the congressional leaders were told “that we’re literally maybe days away from a complete meltdown of our financial system, with all the implications here at home and globally.”
Mr. Schumer added, “History was sort of hanging over it, like this was a moment.”
When Mr. Schumer described the meeting as “somber,” Mr. Dodd cut in. “Somber doesn’t begin to justify the words,” he said. “We have never heard language like this.”
Bernanke Admits The Truth
The Whole Truth And Nothing But The Truth?Last week, many people made posts like this on Facebook:
While this was quickly debunked as being entirely untrue, the fact that millions of people made the very same post speaks volumes about how worried people about their privacy on Facebook.
It’s probably not helping that Facebook just finished soliciting comments on their new Data Use Policy and their Statement of Rights and Responsibilities. Privacy groups in the US – specifically, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) and the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) – have objected to the changes.
The most significant part of the changes would deal with how Facebook is (notionally) governed. In theory, changes to its policies are subject to votes by Facebook users. In practice, the process has been unsuccessful – there have been two previous votes since April 2009 (when it was announced). However, turnout has been low, with less than one percent of Facebook users participating. The changes would remove the voting process entirely.
Other changes include making it explicit that information can be shared with Facebook affiliates like Instagram and changes in how messages are handled (instead of a blanket setting on who can and can’t send messages to a user, filters will be offered instead).
This is all just part of the greater debate surrounding privacy and Facebook. News events like this merely bring it to the forefront of people’s minds. The question really is: how much of our data should be online? How much of our data that is online should be able to be used by the free social media networks that we’re part of?
It is becoming more likely that eventually government regulators are going to step in. Irish regulators – who oversee Facebook for all users outside of the US – have asked the social network to clarify the current set of changes.
Perhaps the most contentious question is the “right to be forgotten” that has been proposed by EU regulators. As the name implies, this proposed right would enable users to request (and force) that their data be removed from a website’s databases. First proposed in January, more recently a paper by the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) outlined the significant technical challenges in implementing the proposed right. The proposed right is something of an extreme solution, but depending on how one feels about how deeply user privacy is being violated by existing sites it may be a necessary solution.
In addition, the “right to be forgotten” can only be realistically applied to parties you originally give information to. It would be difficult to apply this “right” to any sites that merely crawl and index publicly available information, If any information is publicly posted, it will be treated as just that – public, in the hands of the Internet at large.
That said, this is a debate that will go on for much, much longer. What can users do in the meantime?
What they can do is reduce the amount of information they are putting out in social media if privacy is something that concerns them. Think before you post – is this something you really want the Internet at large to know about?
You may also want to tighten your privacy settings. For Facebook, the latest version of Titanium can automatically examine your settings and see where they can be strengthened. A tutorial video can be found here.
Ultimately, though, each user has to decide what their comfort level is – what exactly is their limits as far as privacy and sharing is concerned? It’s worth remembering that Facebook is offering access to one of the Internet’s top sites for free. If you’re getting something for nothing, you’re not the user of the system. You’re the product – and advertisers are users. That’s something to keep in mind as you make that trade-off.Malaga target Bendtner and offer up Gamez in exchange for Arsenal striker
Arsenal have entered discussions with Malaga over the transfer of Nicklas Bendtner.
The Spanish side want the Gunners' Danish striker and have offered defender Jesus Gamez as a sweetener in the deal.
Gamez, a right back and the club's captain, has three years left on his contract at Malaga and has been at the club for a decade.
Target: Malaga want Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner (right), here pictured at Juventus on loan last year Heads up: Jesus Gamez has been offered to Arsenal as part of the Bendtner deal
Bendtner spent last season on loan at Juventus and tried to move to German outfit Eintracht Frankfurt, but a disagreement over wages caused talks to break down.
Arsenal could also be given double trouble by the transfer of Roberto Soldado to Tottenham, if it goes through.
Incoming: Roberto Soldado seems Spurs-bound and it could cause Arsenal trouble
Not only would their bitter rivals be strengthened, but Valencia may come calling for Olivier Giroud as a replacement.Islamic State militants force Egyptian Coptic Christians to kneel before beheading them in Libya in just one of many atrocities committed by the terrorist group.
A Christchurch business owner has joined many Kiwi companies in changing the name of their firms because they have the same title as a global terrorist group.
BC Online, formerly ISIS Building Inspections, was one of several longstanding New Zealand companies that shared its name with jihadists Islamic State, known as ISIS.
ISIS jihadists have beheaded hostages and burned a Jordanian air force pilot alive.
Managing director Ian Petrie said the company had been getting "bad feedback" from its old logo and it made no sense to keep it.
Police visited ISIS Building Inspections' Auckland office last year after "someone complained that we were possibly a terrorist organisation".
"They checked out the website, the car numbers that were parked in the office, before they approached," Petrie said.
"They told us all this afterwards, when they realised the complaint was non-founded."
The company changed its logo and letterbox details on police advice, removing any reference to ISIS. It had stood for Independent Safety Inspection Services.
It also dropped the black, white and red in its online branding.
Petrie said he realised his company was "just another casualty of this [ISIS] lot" and the name controversy would not go away.
In Tauranga, ISIS Financial Services owner Lisa Hotton is sticking with the name of her debt collection business.
No-one "running round with guns killing people" would sway her.
She chose the name 20 years ago because she was interested in Egyptian people, history and culture.
"People ask me why don't I change the name but I just say 'I had the name first'."
Her determination not to give it up grew when she saw a television documentary saying the goddess Isis was as important to ancient Egyptians as the Virgin Mary was to Christians.
"That's why I'm not changing it. She's an Egyptian goddess; she's got nothing to do with those Arabian idiots."
Ian Apperley, of IT consultancy company ISIS Group, said most of the comments he got about the name were light-hearted.
The Wellington company was "specialised and niche" so did not have much of a public image. Apperley had "sort of considered" rebranding, but decided the business was more about face-to-face contact than branded product.
He had noticed companies overseas were re-making their brands, logos and letterheads, but he was happy to carry on as usual. No-one was throwing eggs at him yet, he said.An Edmonton teenager found badly beaten last month in Beaumont has opened his eyes and has spoken to his mother for the first time since the attack.
A close family friend said Braydon Heather, 14, can now breathe on his own.
Melanie Aube said the strides Heather has made in the past few days are a huge relief to his mother, Amberleah.
"She's overjoyed that there's even a small step forward and just hoping that he continues to get better and may at some point be the Braydon he used to be," said Aube.
She said the teen had been kept sedated in part because of swelling to his brain, but on Wednesday doctors felt it was safe to allow him to wake up.
His mother was in the hospital room when he came around, more than two weeks after he was beaten.
"He can talk," Aube said. "I'm not sure how clearly he can speak but he did recognize photos when she showed him pictures of family and friends. So that's really positive news."
Heather was found in Beaumont at about 1:35 a.m. on June 21. He had a serious head injury, and several lacerations on his hands, arms and face.
Braydon Heather opened his eyes for the first time since an alleged machete attack, Wednesday. Family friend Melanie Aube said he is now breathing on his own. (Melanie Aube)
Heather suffered five strokes while in hospital. While he remains in intensive care, Aube said his progress gives his mother hope for his recovery.
"It's overwhelmingly exciting for all of us who know Braydon, because a few days ago we didn't know what the future would hold," said Aube.
She doesn't know whether the teenager can remember anything from the night he was injured.
A 15-year-old boy is in custody and faces three charges, including attempted murder, aggravated assault and possession of a weapon dangerous to the public.ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE could be making an appearance in your daily commute, as evidenced by emerging applications for the technology in urban environments such the latest development in Alibaba’s “City Brain” initiative.
Zheng Yijiong became the first ever traffic officer to blend the artificial intelligence with good old human intuition in order to improve and regulate traffic condition throughout the city, according to China Plus. Working in Hangzhou, the birthplace of Alibaba in the eastern Chinese Zhejiang Province, Zheng became a test case in the Hangzhou government’s efforts to boost itself to smart city status.
Zheng was trained for two months in the “City Brain” project’s traffic initiatives which is aimed at bringing Alibaba’s Ali Cloud artificial intelligence capabilities for real-time traffic predictions which could help police officers better organize and plan strategies. The predictions will come complete with video and image recognition technologies.
The city’s police receive on average 500 traffic-related calls every day, and since 92 percent of them require in-person management, the new system could supply additional information that could lighten that burden.
A young police officer from Zhejiang Province, has become the first to direct traffic with artificial intelligence. https://t.co/Ol4CM7krV9 pic.twitter.com/tqtUHgQ0DZ — China Plus News (@ChinaPlusNews) October 16, 2017
The “City Brain” project was launched last year by Alibaba, in partnership with Foxconn Technology, and aims to help the city find new ways to “self-regulate” and engage with citizens through technology. Aside from traffic predictions, the system will also eventually be deployed to improve other public resources such as water.
The “City Brain” project has been in test-mode for the last three months, and if successful, the city of Hangzhou could offer other cities in China a template for what a smart city could look like. Furthermore, it will also test the ability of Alibaba’s artificial intelligence to deploy en large, and provide the perfect petri dish to try out the various innovations the company has been aggressively investing in.
At last week’s Cloud Computing conference in Hangzhou, founder Jack Ma announced plans to invest US$150 billion in various research and developments in e-commerce and logistics technologies as the Chinese company seeks to unseat US firm, Amazon. On Wednesday, the company said its “Damo” academy will launch eight research bases in China, Israel, the United States, Russia and Singapore, as well as hire 100 researchers to work in the areas of artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing and fintech.Metered Internet usage (also called "Usage-Based Billing") is coming to Canada, and it's going to cost Internet users. While an advance guard of Canadians are expressing creative outrage at the prospect of having to pay inflated prices for Internet use charged by the gigabyte, the consequences probably haven't set in for most consumers. Now, however, independent Canadian ISPs are publishing their revised data plans, and they aren't pretty.
"Like our customers, and Canadian internet users everywhere, we are not happy with this new development," wrote the Ontario-based indie ISP TekSavvy in a recent e-mail message to its subscribers.
But like it or not, the Canadian Radio-Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approved UBB for the incumbent carrier Bell Canada in September. Competitive ISPs, which connect to Canada's top telco for last-mile copper connections to customers, will also be metered by Bell. Even though the CRTC gave these ISPs a 15 percent discount this month (TekSavvy asked for 50 percent), it's still going to mean a real adjustment for consumers.
This is going to hurt
Starting on March 1, Ontario TekSavvy members who subscribed to the 5Mbps plan have a new usage cap of 25GB, "substantially down from the 200GB or unlimited deals TekSavvy was able to offer before the CRTC's decision to impose usage based billing," the message added.
By way of comparison, Comcast here in the United States has a 250GB data cap. Looks like lots of Canadians can kiss that kind of high ceiling goodbye. And going over will cost you: according to TekSavvy, the CRTC put data overage rates at CAN $1.90 per gigabyte for most of Canada, and $2.35 for the country's French-speaking region.
Bottom line: no more unlimited buffet. TekSavvy users who bought the "High Speed Internet Premium" plan at $31.95 now get 175GB less per month.
"Extensive web surfing, sharing music, video streaming, downloading and playing games, online shopping and email," could put users over the 25GB cap, TekSavvy warns. Also, watch out "power users that use multiple computers, smartphones, and game consoles at the same time."
You need "protection"
Here's the "good" news: TekSavvy users can now buy "insurance," defined as "a recurring subscription fee that provides you with additional monthly usage." For Ontario it's $4.75 for 40GB of additional data (sorry, but the unused data can't be forwarded to the next month).
There are also "usage vault" plans—payments made in advance for extra data. Consumers can buy vault data for $1.90/GB up to 300GB in any month.
Where once TekSavvy consumers could purchase High Speed Internet Premium at a monthly base usage of 200GB for $31.95 a month, now they can get about half of that data (if they buy two units of insurance) at $41.45 a month.
Very questionable
Starting to hate this? TekSavvy hates it, too.
"The ostensible, theoretical reason behind UBB is to conserve capacity, but that issue is very questionable," noted the ISP's CEO Rocky Gaudrault on TekSavvy's news page. "One certain result though, is that Bell will make much more profit on its Internet service, and discourage Canadians from watching TV and movies on the internet instead of CTV, which Bell now owns."
Given these dramatic changes, and the fact that ISPs around the world have made clear they wouldn't mind implementing similar schemes, it's no wonder that high-bandwidth businesses are fighting back. Last week, for instance, Netflix started publishing graphs of ISP performance in both the US and Canada, and it plans to update them monthly.
Netflix is also stepping up the war of words against ISPs who try to implement low caps and high overage fees:
"Wired ISPs have large fixed costs of building and maintaining their last mile network of residential cable and fiber. The ISPs' costs, however, to deliver a marginal gigabyte, which is about an hour of viewing, from one of our regional interchange points over their last mile wired network to the consumer is less than a penny, and falling, so there is no reason that pay-per-gigabyte is economically necessary. Moreover, at $1 per gigabyte over wired networks, it would be grossly overpriced."
The big question now is how these kind of billing changes will impact 'Net consumption patterns. Many subscribers use minimal data, but that's changing as Internet video becomes the norm. If these new plans simply discourage data hogs from backing up their 120GB pirated movie collection over the 'Net every night, there's no sleep to be lost. But if they scare consumers away from legitimate non-ISP affiliated movie and content sharing sites, that should be a firebell concern to consumers, entrepreneurs, and regulators.
And not only in Canada.Sydney rides
Riding a bike is a fun, healthy and sustainable way of getting around the city. Using 2 wheels can also save you time and money.
More and more Sydneysiders are riding bikes for transport, with a 100% increase over the past 3 years. Twice as many are riding bikes for transport than the national average, and some 31,600 City of Sydney residents get on a bike in a typical week (2013 Australian Bicycle Council survey).
The City is supporting this growth in cycling by building a 200km bike network which includes dedicated bike paths separating riders from traffic and pedestrians.
City staff are out and about each week at key locations with information and advice on bike riding in Sydney and our Try2Wheels events offer expert advice on everything from route planning to buying a new bike.
The City also offers courses, cycling in the city and bike care and maintenance at the Sydney Park Cycling Centre.
Dockless bike sharing is now in Sydney and provides a low-cost transport option for residents and visitors.The Federal shut down of Megaupload did more than jail its founders, scare its competitors and worry its users -- it also left Carpathia Hosting footing a $9,000 a day bill. The outfit previously agreed to preserve Megaupload's frozen data, but now that the service's unpaid bills are piling up, it's ready to change its tune. In a emergency motion filed with the U.S. Federal Court in Virginia, Carpathia asked the court to either take the data off its hands, pay it for retaining the data or else allow it to delete the data altogether after allowing users to reclaim their files. The hosting service won't take action on its own, it says, as that might "risk a claim by a party with an interest in the data," such as the Motion Picture Association of America. With any luck, the matter will be settled in a court hearing next month. If not? Well, we'll just take it as a lesson: back up locally, you never know when your files might get wrapped up in the legal system.New England Patriots superstar tight end Rob Gronkowski tore his ACL and MCL after taking a vicious hit from Cleveland Browns (now Denver Broncos) star strong safety T.J. Ward in Week 14, but there’s still a good chance he will be ready before the 2014 season starts. Gronkowski had a number of arm surgeries last offseason as well as surgery on his back, so the injury concerns are still there for the beastly TE.
The NFL Network’s Albert Breer reports that Gronkowski visited Dr. James Andrews this week, and he added that the 24-year-old Arizona product is “right where he should be” in his recovery. Per Breer, Gronk will begin jogging “soon”, so all the news on his front is positive at this point in time, though I doubt anyone would have expected anything different.
Gronk appeared in just seven games last season, as he was recovering from offseason surgeries and then had his season cut short by the severe knee injury. But in those seven games, Gronkowski was as great as ever as a pass-catcher and blocker, as the league’s top tight end hauled in 39 receptions for 592 yards, averaging over 15 yards per catch. Gronkowski is a ridiculous weapon for Tom Brady in the Patriots offense, and he opens up so much for wide receivers on the outside and other pass-catchers that work over the middle of the field like Julian Edelman.
The impact Gronkowski had on the Patriots last season was more than profound, and they need him back at his best next year. When he tore his ACL and MCL, a buddy and I sat there and said, “Their season is over.” They are a better team going into next season after adding Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner in free agency, but they still can’t afford to lose Gronk again. One thing that would mitigate the effect of an injury to Gronk and would allow him to ease into things is the drafting of a star TE in this year’s class; Jace Amaro and Austin Seferian-Jenkins are two names we’re all watching for closely in the 20-32 range.
Follow @NFLSpinZoneFormer FBI Director James Comey’s characteristically measured testimony Thursday before the Senate Intelligence Committee communicated one fact clearly: he doesn’t think much of the current President of the United States.
Over and over during his three-hour-long appearance, Comey painted Donald Trump as a free-wheeling, habitually untruthful commander-in-chief with little |
ing the search in light of the confidence expressed by CSIRO in identifying a probable impact site.Archive
A nonprofit’s study is claiming that Washington’s child care and early learning system is currently under tremendous strain — a result of years of low state subsidy reimbursement rates coupled with the effects of the recession and the newly increased minimum wage.
According to a survey from Child Care Aware of Washington, nearly 60 percent of child care programs in the state report the increased minimum wage significantly increases operating costs, with over 50 percent reporting wage increases for more than half of their staffs.
Most programs — 72 percent — say they will increase the rates families pay to try to make ends meet.
Almost 80 percent indicated the increase in the wage floor will raise operating costs either significantly or somewhat, and some fear it will force them to close their doors. The impact of the increased minimum wage is intensified for programs that care for the most vulnerable children, because these programs rely on Washington’s child care assistance program.
“We choose to serve all families, regardless of their ability to pay full price. However, the amount of coverage we receive for WCCC is so poor that it makes a harmful challenge for us. We receive about 40 percent of what the true cost of care is. I'm worried we will need to limit our number of [subsidy] families in the future if something doesn't change,” said one center director who took the survey.
At the same time the number of child care providers in WA has declined by 22 percent since 2011, according to CCA of WA’s 2016 Child Care Data Report, released today. Most of this decline has been in family home child care (FCC) programs, primarily due to the Great Recession that hit Washington later than most of the rest of the country. FCC programs have not yet rebounded to pre-recessions levels.
“Washington State needs to invest more in our child care and early learning system. It provides an essential service to our state’s economy, allowing parents to work and preparing our youngest children for success in school. Currently, families are paying more on average for a year of child care than the cost of a year of state college tuition. We are working with our partners to support increased state investment in child care and early learning to benefit every child,” said Robin Lester, chief executive officer of CCA of WA.Review by Mark verified purchaser Rating 100 Crazy small, works like a dream. Easy to install the OS.
Completes my collection of Pi's. (Posted on 14/02/2019)
Review by Bruce verified purchaser Rating 100 Ultra light and small, just what I need for an aerial platform running Python3. I'm taking care not to destroy this one by overloading the USB port. I highly recommend using the wireless keyboard and mouse - works effortlessly. (Posted on 7/02/2019)
Review by Anthony verified purchaser Rating 100 This is my 3rd Pi Zero W. I have been using these for small home automation projects. This one will be my controller for an automatic garage door opener, using Apple HomeKit via Homebridge. (Posted on 21/01/2019)
Review by Luke verified purchaser Rating 100 Top little board! Perfect for simple projects with a great range of accessories and support. A great choice for the beginning enthusiast all the way to the seasoned solderer. Core Electronics is fantastic resource for this and all of your tinkering needs. =) (Posted on 11/01/2019)
Review by David verified purchaser Rating 100 Love the Raspberry Pi Zero W building a wireless mesh network and its going great and got the case as well fantastic. (Posted on 11/01/2019)
Review by Jayden verified purchaser Rating 100 Very happy with this product. It looks in great condition and works very well. Would recommend. (Posted on 10/01/2019)
Review by Richard verified purchaser Rating 100 What can I say? Raspberry Pi products are great and Core is a pleasure to do business with. (Posted on 4/01/2019)
Review by Alexei verified purchaser Rating 100 nothing special, expect nice price - all good.
Thx (Posted on 4/01/2019)
Review by Heinz verified purchaser Rating 100 good little pi! such a shame I can't buy more than one, as I need the header on the bottom! (Posted on 2/01/2019)
Review by Daniel verified purchaser Rating 100 Working great with audio streaming over WiFi (Posted on 29/12/2018)
Review by Andrew verified purchaser Rating 100 Plays HD video all day with Kodi like a champ (Posted on 20/12/2018)
Review by HAMISH verified purchaser Rating 100 Incredible value for the price. Great pi for a simple application needing wifi and/or Bluetooth. (Posted on 18/12/2018)
Review by Deborah verified purchaser Rating 100 Great product & fast efficient delivery (Posted on 17/12/2018)
Review by Darren verified purchaser Rating 100 Fast delivery, great items (Posted on 17/12/2018)
Review by Harshil verified purchaser Rating 100 This is my first Raspberry Pi product and I loved it! The versatility of such a small unit still amazes me. Postage quick and after a few youtube videos I was up and running. Just a word of advice, if this is your first pi it’s best to use a micro sd less than 64gb for installing NOOBs and Raspbian, as I experienced unknown problems with high capacity micro sd cards :/
(Posted on 12/12/2018)
Review by Fraser verified purchaser Rating 100 great as described (Posted on 7/12/2018)
Review by Budi verified purchaser Rating 100 All good (Posted on 27/11/2018)
Review by Colin verified purchaser Rating 100 Delivered on time, good service (Posted on 26/11/2018)
Review by Colin verified purchaser Rating 100 Delivered on time, good service (Posted on 26/11/2018)
Review by Alan verified purchaser Rating 100 Have not put to use as yet, however product is well made and all software provided functions seemlesly (Posted on 19/11/2018)
Review by Fiham verified purchaser Rating 100 Loving it will definitely order more (Posted on 19/11/2018)
Review by Jon verified purchaser Rating 100 Packaged well, works great. (Posted on 15/11/2018)
Review by Geoffrey verified purchaser Rating 100 Great product as described. Fast service (Posted on 15/11/2018)
Review by Paul verified purchaser Rating 100 Great little unit in a discrete package, perfect for set-and-forget ADS-B monitoring (Posted on 13/11/2018)
Review by Alan verified purchaser Rating 100 This is a great product - amazing capability for the price with heaps of support and info online - good quick start guide on the Adafruit web site for example. Highly recommended. (Posted on 8/11/2018)
Review by Keith verified purchaser Rating 100 great little device, great price, great delivery time. core electronics have great tutorials on how to set up and use the device also. (Posted on 8/11/2018)
Review by Michael verified purchaser Rating 100 Great SBC - totally covert and mobile, it may be underpowered compared to the B+ but that's kinda the point, and you'll learn a lot from seeing how others are using the Zero W. Pretty sure you'll have fun with it like most are. Highly recommended. (Posted on 5/11/2018)
Review by Snowy verified purchaser Rating 100 15AUD for a wireless low-end internet capable device that you can use as the base for all sorts of projects? Pretty hard to beat. (Posted on 31/10/2018)
Review by Patrick verified purchaser Rating 100 Great product and so many possibilities! This one will be used to block ads, what a great idea! (Posted on 30/10/2018)
Review by Pietro verified purchaser Rating 100 Good Packaging, all OK. I've used and works OK.Happy with it (Posted on 25/10/2018)
Review by Dane verified purchaser Rating 100 One of many great products offered by Core Electrinics - easily ordered through the website and arrived quickly. (Posted on 25/10/2018)
Review by Josh verified purchaser Rating 100 The Pi Zero has almost all the connectivity of the bigger Pi 3 but with a much smaller footprint. It runs a slower processor, has mini HDMI (which is a very strange connector), and two micro USB 'OTG' ports. But more importantly it has the same 40 pin header as the Pi 3/2, so many hats are cross-compatible (if they physically fit)
My particular use-case was to connect a hat that was designed for the Pi Zero to turn it into a USB flash drive, and it worked with no issues at all.
I'll probably buy a few more for other various projects. (Posted on 23/10/2018)
Review by Greig verified purchaser Rating 100 LOVE the Pi Zero W. I seem to be raising a fresh order for another one each week...
One tiny trap I've not found documented anywhere: the Wireless won't connect to 5GHz, only 2.4G networks. (Posted on 21/10/2018)
Review by Michael verified purchaser Rating 100 Everything they said it is :D (Posted on 19/10/2018)
Review by Matt verified purchaser Rating 100 Great item :) works great for many applications and arrived quickly as always! (Posted on 14/10/2018)
Review by Mark verified purchaser Rating 100 A tenny tiny wireless Pi. What's not to like. Don't bother trying to run X on this, but as a small, low power computer/controller, this is great. (Posted on 8/10/2018)
Review by Jake verified purchaser Rating 100 Arrived perfectly and undamaged.
My only problems came from not reading the product description properly. First, It didn't come with headers to solder to the board (it wasn't an issue I had some laying around). Secondly, it has no direct audio pins, but with the help of a few online tutorials this can also be overcome.
Aside from that it is a great product and functions perfectly out of the box (or bag in this case). (Posted on 29/09/2018)
Review by Stuart verified purchaser Rating 100 Seriously Impressive product and at a price that lets you use it in your projects without a thought.
Core service is high and the delivery costs are low, just the way we want it (Posted on 24/09/2018)
Review by Nikki verified purchaser Rating 100 Fantastic little multipurpose computer, with good gpio capabilities, in an amazingly small form factor. (Posted on 21/09/2018)
Review by Jie sheng verified purchaser Rating 100 The product arrived quickly and carefully packed in bubble wrap. It is just as I expected it to be. The only problem now is... too little time for all the things I want to make with it! Thanks. (Posted on 18/09/2018)
Review by Leon verified purchaser Rating 100 Fast delivery, good prices, why go anywhere else? (Posted on 11/09/2018)
Review by phil verified purchaser Rating 100 great value for money - I use Pi Ws in lot of places. (Posted on 10/09/2018)
Review by William verified purchaser Rating 100 Very cool board! Will more than likely be getting more in the future.
To anyone who is considering to purchase a RBP Zero W - Do not cheap out on the SD card, get a decent 32GB card (I learnt this the hard way...) (Posted on 10/09/2018)
Review by Greg verified purchaser Rating 100 Great little devices. Core are excellent on the speed of delivery and the team are great on after sales service so I heartily recommend them. Sham ewe don't get them for less though (like some of the $5 deals in the USA) (Posted on 10/09/2018)
Review by Mark verified purchaser Rating 100 Great piece of kit. The Zero W does everything I need. Good service and postal speed, excellent price point too.
Cheers! (Posted on 6/09/2018)
Review by M. Sana Ullah verified purchaser Rating 100 This product is awesome. It is a little computer in itself. I am using it headless and have set up a web server on it and hey... it is running as smooth as silk with no interruptions. Beside it, I am running nodeJS and lengthy Python scripts on it without any problem. Core Electronics community is a great place to take a good start and seek help. I definitely recommend this raspberry pi 0 W with full confidence. (Posted on 3/09/2018)
Review by Will verified purchaser Rating 100 Love this little board, can be a little slow if you put too many tasks on it. (Posted on 30/08/2018)
Review by David verified purchaser Rating 100 I got this Pi as I was looking for a lite weight computer to run a complex model railroad since. The Pi Zero gives lots of power and WiFi. This runs a number of locomotives and controls servo driven point, road signals and even mobile phone and tablet apps. (Posted on 28/08/2018)
Review by Richard verified purchaser Rating 100 The RPi Zero W is the perfect SoC based computer for IoT-style uses. I have used RPi's since the very first release, and have found the Zero W model to be the best for my home IoT applications. (Posted on 27/08/2018)
Review by Greg verified purchaser Rating 100 Absolutely awesome price! Thanks guys! (Posted on 23/08/2018)
Review by Nicholas verified purchaser Rating 100 Don't forget to get the switched usb hub like I did, the guys at Core have them for less than 4 bucks great value. (Posted on 21/08/2018)
Review by Dave verified purchaser Rating 100 Hi all,
what an awesome little guy the Raspberry Pi ZERO.
How to have fun playing games, creating projects all for a ridiculous price under $20, how can you go wrong.
Ability to connect to the internet on-board WIFI.
This midget SBC is a must to have in your collection or even if it is the base for your entire setup.
DON'T LET IT'S SIZE FOOL YOU.
I enjoy mine, with a variety of hats and displays, ZERO 4 U board that gives you 4 extra USB 2 ports and also a 2 pin LIPO battery connector allowing the benefit of not needing mains power.
Check them out, you wont be disappointed.
(Posted on 20/08/2018)
Review by Brenton verified purchaser Rating 100 Fast shipping. Great price.
Very nice! (Posted on 20/08/2018)
Review by Arthur verified purchaser Rating 100 Great! Tiny board looks promising
(Posted on 19/08/2018)
Review by Denver verified purchaser Rating 100 Amazing product, great for any pocket-sized project! Cheap, fast shipping, definitely 5 stars from me. (Posted on 18/08/2018)
Review by Ian verified purchaser Rating 100 Prompt delivery, great product - absolutely no complaints. (Posted on 17/08/2018)
Review by Mark verified purchaser Rating 100 Excellent service, speed of delivery at a great price. (Posted on 14/08/2018)
Review by David verified purchaser Rating 100 Excellent service and great product. (Posted on 13/08/2018)
Review by Rob verified purchaser Rating 100 Needed a Pi Zero W for a Prusa i3 MK3 and got it pretty quick. Excellent response, good price and friendly service. Tnanks! (Posted on 7/08/2018)
Review by Peter verified purchaser Rating 100 Needed to replace one that I managed to mangle. Good fun product (Posted on 6/08/2018)
Review by James verified purchaser Rating 100 Exactly as described, fast shipping. (Posted on 2/08/2018)
Review by Kim verified purchaser Rating 100 Love it! great fun (Posted on 31/07/2018)
Review by Russell verified purchaser Rating 100 These boards are a lot of fun and so easy to reconfigure for whatever takes your interest (Posted on 31/07/2018)
Review by Jared verified purchaser Rating 100 Great device and price, works perfectly as part of my night-time camera project. (Posted on 31/07/2018)
Review by Peter verified purchaser Rating 100 Used it on my 3d printer to run Octoprint. Works a treat and now I can run my printer over wifi.
(Posted on 31/07/2018)
Review by Ryan verified purchaser Rating 100 Great little board for my security camera work. (Posted on 26/07/2018)
Review by Mark verified purchaser Rating 100 Arrived exactly as ordered! (Posted on 25/07/2018)
Review by Ross verified purchaser Rating 100 Great size. Very handy for my small projects. :-) (Posted on 19/07/2018)
Review by Jose verified purchaser Rating 100 Excellent mini version of the Raspberry pi. I found this little single core computer was able to handle the computational requirements for an ALL SKY camera that take 180 deg images of the night sky. Excellent value! (Posted on 17/07/2018)
Review by Alan verified purchaser Rating 100 Did not quite finish last time. I think attempting a headless setup using Windows is NOT to be recommended as per your notes. (Posted on 6/07/2018)
Review by Hamish verified purchaser Rating 100 A great little Raspberry Pi, great instructions on the core electronics website to get started. (Posted on 3/07/2018)
Review by Hamish verified purchaser Rating 100 A great little Raspberry Pi, great instructions on the core electronics website to get started. (Posted on 3/07/2018)
Review by Chris verified purchaser Rating 100 I've set this baby up as a cheap BLE beacon for an IoT project I'm working on. It was super easy to do and very happy with it. (Posted on 26/06/2018)
Review by Arvind verified purchaser Rating 100 Great for a small system. (Posted on 22/06/2018)
Review by Sebastian verified purchaser Rating 100 The raspberry pi zero w arrived earlier than expected and works great! A great price for such an amazing peice of hardware. Have had no problems so far. (Posted on 18/06/2018)
Review by Paul verified purchaser Rating 100 OMG, so small but what it can achieve. Have built what is called a Jumbo Hotspot which allows me to connect my two-way radio and talk to other operators around the world via internet access. When using Pi devices, recommend a quality micro SD card was cheaper ones may fail. (Posted on 18/06/2018)
Review by Namal verified purchaser Rating 100 Nice little computer for my home lab. Core Electronics was the best place I found to buy. Quality service and fast delivery. (Posted on 11/06/2018)
Review by Alan verified purchaser Rating 100 This is a great board. I have used it along with a rf board to make an rf hot spot for amateur radio. I have been able to build an rf hotspot for a fraction of the price of a commercially made unit. The board works extremely well, load your software and configuration and away you go. This board can be used for virtually anything. You are only limited by your imagination. (Posted on 5/06/2018)
Review by Daniel verified purchaser Rating 100 quick service, fast delivery. I would buy from Core Electronics again (Posted on 31/05/2018)
Review by Dean verified purchaser Rating 100 What a bargain and what a powerhouse! I'm building a network analyser that is powered off the USB port on a router. Small, powerful and secure tools readily accessible on the network. Love it! (Posted on 29/05/2018)
Review by Matthew verified purchaser Rating 100 Such a great price for such a neat little unit. I'm still amazed by the rPi Zero W. (Posted on 25/05/2018)
Review by Lasantha verified purchaser Rating 100 Nice little board to run Kodi and make a movie player.
(Posted on 22/05/2018)
Review by Frank verified purchaser Rating 100 great device cheap and useful. top price (Posted on 18/05/2018)
Review by Jay verified purchaser Rating 100 remember this does not come with a header (Posted on 14/05/2018)
Review by Mick verified purchaser Rating 100 Great little computer, tiny footprint but has wireless and bluetooth. I’m using this inside a controller as a retro arcade machine. (Posted on 14/05/2018)
Review by Damien verified purchaser Rating 100 The Pi zero W unit is a great testbed for learning a new programming language. It is small enough to there for you when you workout coding solution.
The added benefits cone from seeing how fast you can get the code to run on such a small unit.
I was able to test my R code to the point where I was happy it was yhe most efficient. (Posted on 14/05/2018)
Review by David verified purchaser Rating 100 Perfect hardware to connect any device to wifi. In my case my old printer. (Posted on 9/05/2018)
Review by Anand verified purchaser Rating 80 I really like my new raspberrypi (Posted on 9/05/2018)
Review by Matt verified purchaser Rating 100 Compact, powerful and cheap. (Posted on 7/05/2018)
Review by Barry verified purchaser Rating 100 Excellent product complimented with outstanding service.. (Posted on 7/05/2018)
Review by Chris verified purchaser Rating 100 The Pi Zero W makes an excellent DNS filter to block ads on websites. Search for "Pi hole". I attach them with double-sided tape to a small usb charger, and plug in somewhere within wifi range of the router. They are also great for any IOT project. A small MQTT server will run on them. They are a great development system for controlling just about anything. (Posted on 5/05/2018)
Review by Brendon verified purchaser Rating 100 Best priced Pi in Aus. Great compact decive for use as a ADSB receiver. (Posted on 29/04/2018)
Review by Steven verified purchaser Rating 100 The Pi Zero W is great value for money at $15 and runs surprisingly fast! (Posted on 28/04/2018)
Review by Nick verified purchaser Rating 100 Arrived quickly, item working as described. (Posted on 28/04/2018)
Review by Amos verified purchaser Rating 100 The Pi Zero is an awesome piece of kit! It is a full computer that is smaller than a credit card. I have so many ideas for how I can use it, but for now I have set up a Gitea server for my software development work. As soon as I find my box of electronics components in the back shed I can't wait to begin tinkering with the GPIO pins. Only two real complaints here: 1) There is no power on indicator (there is a disk activity light though); 2) You need to solder on some GPIO headers if you want to start tinkering. (Posted on 28/04/2018)
Review by Todd verified purchaser Rating 100 Tiny, flexible and with built-in wifi whats not to like (Posted on 19/04/2018)
Review by travis verified purchaser Rating 100 As described and well packaged (Posted on 18/04/2018)
Review by David verified purchaser Rating 100 Works perfectly out of the box after adding an SD card with my OS on it. The product was dispatched very quickly after I ordered, and the customer support since then has been nothing short of incredible! (Posted on 17/04/2018)
Review by Charlie verified purchaser Rating 100 Great little board. Purchased to run as a server for my 3D printer. (Posted on 17/04/2018)
Review by tim verified purchaser Rating 100 lover it all good (Posted on 17/04/2018)
Review by Matthew verified purchaser Rating 100 I have used the Raspberry Pi Zero W with switches and LEDs after soldering on headers, to do some experiments with Node Red programming. I'm hoping to make a remote controlled robot, using my phone as the controller.
The Raspberry Pi is excellent. Very easy to use. The web browser is very slow so it is hard to use YouTube but apart from that it works really well. (Posted on 15/04/2018)
Review by Robert verified purchaser Rating 100 Perfect small computer for DIY projects around the house and for network tinkering, love it. shipped quickly and safely and had the product in stock, unlike many other sources, definitely saving core electronics in my bookmarks bar for future purchases. reliable and affordable (Posted on 10/04/2018)
Review by Chris verified purchaser Rating 100 Super fast delivery (Posted on 9/04/2018)
Review by Ollencio verified purchaser Rating 100 Easy access to top, in demand, product almost the same week! Incredible! At a very reasonable price too! No discordant deliveries - excellent! (Posted on 4/04/2018)
Review by Matt verified purchaser Rating 100 Even though this thing is slow as hell if you attempt to use it for web browsing, YouTube, whatever, I'm still giving it five stars.
If you have a computer and an spare micro SD card laying around, this is all you need to wet your feet. I'd recommend a case and the GPIO header, but neither are essential. (Posted on 2/04/2018)
Review by Dean verified purchaser Rating 100 Fast shipping. Product works but note it won't run Windows 10 IoT. (Posted on 2/04/2018)
Review by Harry verified purchaser Rating 100 perfect, as advertised (Posted on 30/03/2018)
Review by Brett verified purchaser Rating 100 Great little SBC. The onboard wifi is surprisingly good and makes it very easy to get started. Whilst it's not that powerful, for simple uses and to run off battery it's fantastic. (Posted on 30/03/2018)
Review by Brian verified purchaser Rating 100 Cheap and delivered quickly, was packaged well to (Posted on 29/03/2018)
Review by James verified purchaser Rating 100 Nice little device. There are too many reasons for having one of these little devices around home, or the office - must resist temptation to buy more... (Posted on 26/03/2018)
Review by Jim verified purchaser Rating 100 Great learning tool for those who want to experiment with low cost entry into Linux or use as an experimental platform. I soldered a 40 pin header so that I could easily access the IO options.
Fast turnaround on the order. (Posted on 22/03/2018)
Review by Joel verified purchaser Rating 100 This product works as expected - sits in my drawer next to my raspberry Pi 1, 2 and 2x3's!
Does it really work? I bet it sure does and I'll get around to using it one day. (Posted on 21/03/2018)
Review by Barney verified purchaser Rating 100 It's tiny! Works very well and is easy to setup out-of-the-box. (Posted on 20/03/2018)
Review by Paul verified purchaser Rating 100 Amazing functionality for such a small package. Cloned an SD card from a larger Raspberry Pi and and once triggering Recovery Mode on boot, everything set itself up as expected.
Hard to believe that a board like this costing less than $20 can run a full Linux instance. (Posted on 19/03/2018)
Review by ian verified purchaser Rating 100 I am very pleased with their performance (Posted on 16/03/2018)
Review by Nguyen Le verified purchaser Rating 100 cheap, small, and lightweight. Perfect for a portable build (Posted on 12/03/2018)
Review by Nigel verified purchaser Rating 100 Great product and really fast delivery time!
The Pi W Zero is just a brilliant device and "Core Electronics" was able to provide great pre-sales support and give a really good recommendation on my purchase based on my requirements.
Built in Bluetooth and WiFi functionality is a great part of what gives this little IOT computer an edge. (Posted on 10/03/2018)
Review by Eric or Robyn verified purchaser Rating 100 Amazing piece of tech! Works perfectly, I'd recommend this to anyone. (Posted on 7/03/2018)
Review by Andrew verified purchaser Rating 100 this raspberry pi is the best raspberry pi in my raspberry pi collection. would buy again (Posted on 7/03/2018)
Review by Daryl verified purchaser Rating 100 Very nice, remarkably painless to get running. You could make it easier to find the headless setup though, and fix the country code required for WIFI to work correctly.
I don't have full time internet and had to download the video which while good was inaccurate, and had to go looking for answers next time. (Posted on 5/03/2018)
Review by John verified purchaser Rating 100 Purchased this to replace old Pi v2 without wireless (wireless USB device had failed). Just copied old SD card to micro SD card, plugged it in. Added 26 header pins to match old Pi. plugged old 26 pin plug in and applied power. Irrigation system now working and it is back on my Wi-Fi network. Much easier than getting used to a new laptop :-). (Posted on 2/03/2018)
Review by Bernard verified purchaser Rating 80 It's a pi zero with wifi... and does what a wifi pi zero would do! Tiny computer. A little limited in power, but good for basic tasks (just manages octoprint minus video at the moment) (Posted on 1/03/2018)
Review by Paul verified purchaser Rating 100 This pi is a great little computer which I have turn into a music player with the pimoroni Phat DAC. It is not as quick as my pi 2 but for the small form factor it is perfect for smaller pi projects. (Posted on 28/02/2018)
Review by luke verified purchaser Rating 100 Great! Always on time. Great product.
(Posted on 27/02/2018)
Review by Brennan verified purchaser Rating 100 The wireless was really easy to setup once I found the right tutorial, and has worked beautiful. (Posted on 27/02/2018)
Review by Richard verified purchaser Rating 100 Current project is a DMR radio hotspot using a pi-hat device. Project originally setup on a pi 3 and migrated seamlessly to the pi zero w. Having a matching GPIO bus meant just plugging together and transferring the SD card. Great little device. Looking forward to the next pi zero w project.. - Richard VK4RY (Posted on 27/02/2018)
Review by Jed verified purchaser Rating 100 Great product, I will definitely be buying this product again. (Posted on 27/02/2018)
Review by Nicholas verified purchaser Rating 100 Very please with the delivery time. pretty good service when you consider the delays from other sources. (Posted on 26/02/2018)
Review by Ross verified purchaser Rating 100 It is great to get this a such a good price without going offshore. It was delivered promptly freight free. Happy! (Posted on 26/02/2018)
Review by Peter verified purchaser Rating 100 Using all the items provided in the KIt made life very easy. Once everything was plugged in, I selected the OS I wanted and installation started. Once complete, I had a completely working Pi Zero W. Haven't tried the Bluetooth yet, but am amazed at how much you get in such a small package. (Posted on 25/02/2018)
Review by Malcolm verified purchaser Rating 100 Arrived quickly via standard post in excellent condition and worked first time without any hassels. (Posted on 25/02/2018)
Review by Alexey verified purchaser Rating 100 Amazingly small and yet useful for projects (Posted on 24/02/2018)
Review by Stefan verified purchaser Rating 100 Before buying it a new the product was great. But the service and fast shipment of Core Electronics surprised me. Really good. Will buy more from these guys. (Posted on 22/02/2018)
Review by Sean verified purchaser Rating 100 I configured the Pi Zero W to run Octoprint hooked up the Prusa MK3 3d printer. Runs like a charm AAA+ (Posted on 21/02/2018)
Review by Sam verified purchaser Rating 100 Excellent service and arrived promptly, got to work on some of my hobby projects pretty promptly! (Posted on 21/02/2018)
Review by Mark verified purchaser Rating 100 Excellent price very competitive and the delivery was very quick this is the second one I have bought and will be buying more as I have an ongoing project for a security camera setup even the staff were very helpful with the questions I had for online help one very happy customer. (Posted on 19/02/2018)
Review by Jeremiah verified purchaser Rating 100 Excellent value and compact perfection. (Posted on 19/02/2018)
Review by Ali verified purchaser Rating 100 Great product to fit small IoT projects (Posted on 19/02/2018)
Review by Stephen verified purchaser Rating 100 These are fantastic for small Iot projects around the home. (Posted on 16/02/2018)
Review by Michael verified purchaser Rating 100 What a great little board! I was actually surprised at how small it was when it arrived. (Posted on 15/02/2018)
Review by Det verified purchaser Rating 100 A great product at a very reasonable price and tiny package.
I am using four of these, one running RasPlex as my MediaStation, connected to a Plex server by WiFi and controlled through my Samsung TV remote via HDMI. The other three run MMDVM digital voice modems for DMR, D-Star, Yaesu Fusion and P25 digital amateur radio. They connect to the Internet via WiFi and my home broadband or via Bluetooth and my phone as a hotspot.
I love this product and especially the prompt shipping and friendly service from Core-Electronics - keep up the good work. (Posted on 14/02/2018)
Review by Trevor verified purchaser Rating 100 small! but I like it... One problem.... It has a single usb port and wont easily accept a USB Hub... either unpowered OR powered... This is an issue if you want to attach multiple usb drives or peripherals... Lots of ppl on line have same issue and resolution seems hard to come by :( (ps.. I use a bluetooth keyboard and mouse to drive it normally)
Also not good for video playback (eg youtube)
I have a rasperry pi 3B as well and it has 4 usb(2) ports standard and quad core chip. It also has no problem with internet and video... I'm sure the Raspberry Pi Zero W (Wireless) has a multitude of uses for teaching/projects and you can find lots of stuff on line to use it with.. Cheers.. (Posted on 13/02/2018)
Review by John verified purchaser Rating 100 Excellent and super compact. Tried to set it up headless with RASPBIAN STRETCH LITE, but wifi didn't work. I put full raspbian on (and selected 2.4g) and all worked fine! (Posted on 6/02/2018)
Review by Jesse verified purchaser Rating 100 It's a great product. It works great with MotionEyeOS. (Posted on 5/02/2018)
Review by John verified purchaser Rating 100 Great product, compact and easy to connect to wifi. You can get away without adapters for mini HDMI and usb but it's easier to get started with them. The processor is not as powerful as Pi3 but these issues are offset by the size and price. (Posted on 2/02/2018)
Review by Simon verified purchaser Rating 100 Excellent product. Delivery was very prompt. (Posted on 2/02/2018)
Review by Jack verified purchaser Rating 100 Perfect, lots of fun to be had (Posted on 1/02/2018)
Review by Rajkumar verified purchaser Rating 100 It's a piece of cake. The packaging was good. I received the board in good condition. I tested the board and it booted like charm. I am still buying the same product, because one can buy only one piece in one order. (Posted on 1/02/2018)
Review by Jeremy verified purchaser Rating 100 Loved it, using it for a Pi Hole! (Posted on 31/01/2018)
Review by Jeremy verified purchaser Rating 100 Loved it, using it for a Pi Hole! (Posted on 31/01/2018)
Review by Jeremy verified purchaser Rating 100 Loved it, using it for a Pi Hole! (Posted on 31/01/2018)
Review by Trevor verified purchaser Rating 100 Great product. Handles what I needed it to do easily, and small footprint made it easy to incorporate into my project. (Posted on 30/01/2018)
Review by Daniel verified purchaser Rating 100 Great little unit (Posted on 28/01/2018)
Review by Max verified purchaser Rating 100 Works well, awesome for basic emulation + wifi projects (Posted on 28/01/2018)
Review by David verified purchaser Rating 100 Works ok running retropie not as well as a pi3 but still not bad. Core was fast in post even at the cheapest option. Wireless model does use more battery if your using for a portable project but if not its certainly the way to go if you like to connect bluetooth devices and send files over network. (Posted on 26/01/2018)
Review by Iain verified purchaser Rating 100 Fantastic little piece of kit, would benefit from a bit more room between micro-usb ports but otherwise spot on. (Posted on 25/01/2018)
Review by Peter verified purchaser Rating 100 I've given this little rocket a hard time since I got it and it has survived. There are so many applications for a small, capable system on a card that the mind boggles.
It works as a web-server. File sharing has a latency issue but it's amazing at the price. Video streaming is a no-go, not even a slideshow.
Throw in WiFi and Bluetooth and |
refuses to support the rebellion: "I could divide myself and go to buffets, for moving such a dish of skim-milk with so honorable an action!" (II.iii.32-34) The expression "I could divide myself and go to buffets" refers to boxing with oneself and is equivalent in meaning to the modern expression "I could kick myself!" Hotspur's use of skim-milk is the only appearance of that compound noun in Shakespeare's writing. In A Midsummer Night's Dream, however, the words form a verb phrase when a fairy recognizes Puck as one who likes to play pranks and to "skim milk... / And bootless make the breathless huswife churn" (II.i.36-37). In modern use, skim milk is sometimes referred to as skimmed milk. Shakespeare's figurative use was extended more than a century ago, when the British humor magazine Punch played on Macbeth's "milk of human kindness" (I.v.17) and applauded a charity's "genuine outpouring of the milk and cream, and none of the skim-milk of human kindness." Today's concerns about high fat and cholesterol have done much to improve skim milk's reputation, though we suspect that Hotspur-and probably Shakespeare himself-would still somehow find it lacking. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WATCHDOG (noun): canine guard; one that protects or warns of loss, waste, or undesirable practices In the first act of The Tempest, Prospero's magic agent, Ariel, enchants the bewildered Prince Ferdinand with this song: "Hark, hark! / Bow-wow. / The watch dogs bark!" (I.ii.381-83) Here is Shakespeare's only use of this compound noun. He does, however, use dog and dogs almost two hundred times in his writings. The practice of combining watch (from the Old English waeccan, "to wake or watch") with another noun dates back at least to the fifteenth century, producing compounds like watchman ("guard") and watchword ("password"), both of which Shakespeare also uses. Watchdogs real and metaphorical have proliferated since Shakespeare's time. Oliver Goldsmith wrote in 1770 of "The watch-dog's voice that bayed the whispering wind." Half a century later, Lord Byron found it "sweet to hear the watch-dog's honest bark" (an opinion not shared by trespassers). In current usage the noun, now usually written as a solid word, is equally familiar in its extended sense, typically denoting a person or group whose role is to alert the public to shady dealings of one kind or another, as seen in references to as "a watchdog committee appointed by the President" and "watchdog consumer groups." This new sense has proved to be so successful that watchdog has also become established as an occasional verb meaning "to act as a watchdog for," as in a recent article in which an unhappy customer complained that "the designer didn't watchdog the workmen for us."AutoGuide.com
With contributions by Michael Accardi
One of the most misunderstood stereotypes about top-level racing series is that technology developed on the track eventually finds its way into road cars.
That was certainly the case 100 years ago, when the internal combustion engine was still an untamed technology, and up to as recently as 15 years ago when dual-clutch transmissions started showing up in road cars. Now, though, outside of hard-core performance cars, you could go so far as to say that it’s on its way out, waiting to be replaced by electric motors.
How much relevance does a series like Formula 1 really have to modern cars that are more concerned about efficiency than speed? As it turns out, quite a lot. And it’s not even limited to cars. For brands like Infiniti and McLaren, Formula 1’s crucible of competition culture is an invaluable learning resource which holds any number of real world applications.
Far from the big, thirsty V10s of yesteryear, F1 power units are now shockingly efficient. Cyril Abiteboul, Managing Director of the Renault Sport Formula 1 Team, explains that the engine you have in your car is likely to use 30 to 35 percent of the energy stored in a drop of fuel. The dual-hybrid V6s used in F1 last season, by comparison, were among the most efficient internal combustion engines ever produced, making use of nearly 50 percent of the energy contained in every drop of fuel. That efficiency is achieved through the use hybrid systems that harvest energy wasted by the engine and turn it into electric power that helps turn the wheels.
ALSO SEE: 6 Reasons You Should Definitely Watch Formula 1 This Year
Harvesting energy isn’t a particularly recent phenomenon. Your average road-going hybrid harvests energy while you’re slowing down to help recharge its batteries. Formula 1 cars do that, too, but they also convert heat from the car’s exhaust into usable energy. Together, the F1 engine’s energy recovery systems account for about 160 hp and help the cars use about 35 percent less fuel during a race.
Now Infiniti wants to put a similar, “dual-hybrid” system into a road car. Working together with Renault Sport F1, Infiniti is embarking on what it calls Project Black S.
Wind the clock back four years to the 2013 F1 season and Infiniti’s involvement in the sport was pretty much limited to the sticker they placed on the side of Infiniti Red Bull Racing team’s car. That turned out to be a great branding opportunity for Infinti since “Hungry Heidi” would eventually earn Sebastien Vettel a fourth World Drivers’ Championship title. Every two weeks for nine months, millions of people around the world tuned in to watch a Grand Prix and saw Infiniti’s logo on the leading car. According to the automaker, the advertising value of the arrangement was worth billions.
But at the time, Infiniti was just a sponsor. The cars Vettel was selling in ads had little to nothing in common with the utterly dominant Red Bull RB9. But when the Renault-Nissan Alliance decided to start making its own F1 cars again and enter the series as a team in 2016, Infiniti came along for the ride as a technical partner.
With the move came a shift in the brand’s responsibilities. Not only would the name appear on the F1 car, but Infiniti engineers would be embedded in the team’s Viry-Châtillon engine factory in France to develop the Renault R.S.16’s hybrid electric recovery system.
“We are working to transpose Formula 1 technology to a road legal car,” says Abiteboul, hastening to explain that the technology will be inspired by the Formula 1 system, rather than copied exactly. But the Q60 Project Black S will harvest the energy that would normally be wasted as heat, a definite first for road legal cars.
The technology won’t just make the engine more powerful, it will make the power more useful, too. “Unlike in other cars where there is only boost for a couple of seconds, we wanted to make boost that is sustainable around the lap, or around multiple laps,” says Abiteboul. “The only way we could do that was to harvest energy, not only from the braking but also from the heat that is being made from the exhaust. That is exactly the technology that is being used in Formula 1.”
As Tommaso Volpe, Infiniti Global Motorsport Director, puts it, the ability to put a tangible, new F1-derived technology into its cars is lending the brand credibility. “We’re using F1 to deliver a message of performance [and] engineering expertise,” he says.
ALSO SEE: Details Emerge on Mercedes-AMG’s Hypercar Powertrain
But, while it’s nice to have a tangible part to point to, F1 involvement brings much more nebulous advantages to Infiniti, too. Formula 1 teams have long been designing cars with the help of mathematical models and simulations. Before a car ever hits the track its parts have been tested ruthlessly on the computer. And it’s that same technology that Abiteboul says his F1 team used on the Q60 Black S.
“Our focus has been simulation, modeling, performance testing, designing the pieces so that we can squeeze them into the Q60,” he says. Once the car is designed, the modeling doesn’t stop. At every track the teams are designing engine maps to make the cars run as efficiently and quickly as possible. “So when we come to a track, we are basically doing a couple of sweeps to figure out how we will be using energy around the track and then we make sure that our simulations were correct at the track. That is exactly what we will transpose to the driving modes for the actual car.”
Formula 1 teams’ mathematical models aren’t just finding their way into cars, either. Since 2004 McLaren’s most profitable business has been applying F1’s working methods and culture of innovation to improve businesses.
Steve Henry, who came over from Woking to oversee the Eastern seaboard for McLaren North America, tells us how in 2014 McLaren helped develop a real-time software for Heathrow Airport based on its pit-stop prediction algorithm. “It’s basically just a mapping tool per se; you’ve got all these different inputs, so what’s the most efficient way to get planes to land on these two runways that we’ve got over a period of time using Formula 1 forecasting tools.”
“It’s quite an interesting adaptation of Formula 1 technology. That forecasting tool of where cars are going to finish based on all these different inputs, and then you put it into a different industry and see how it works,” Added Henry.
ALSO SEE: Why Are McLarens Always Orange?
Or there’s the case of GlaxoSmithKline: the makers of toothpaste were losing roughly 30 minutes of work every time the product changed over. Instead, the Applied Technologies Division showed them how to approach changeovers like F1 pitstops, which has resulted in over 20 million more tubes of toothpaste made every year.
And if that’s not sexy enough for you, remember last year when it was rumored Apple was considering buying McLaren and that high-level talks were already under way? The story couldn’t be more flawed, as according to Henry, Apple wasn’t trying to buy McLaren, it allegedly wanted the Applied Technology Division to consult on an undisclosed project.
Only the future can tell what other innovations F1 teams can extend to road cars and the technology we use every day.Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” Eleanor Roosevelt
In order to say how Jezebel is ruining feminism, I guess I’d need a good idea of what feminism is in 2014. And God only knows at this point, because Jezebel has ruined it. Before the Internet, being a feminist meant that your boss couldn’t fire you just because you refused to let him grab your tits. That was a good thing. These days, feminism is more about hurt feelings and trigger warnings, blogs about rape jokes, ironic racism, and fat shaming. It used to be about the pill and the right to be a female priest. Now it’s about outrage and clickbait.
Jezebel plays upon the worst female stereotype: that of the gossipy, shrill, cliquish, therapy-tethered, cast of Girls-style spoiled brat. Jezebel writers act the way misogynistic men mistakenly believe all women act, with a stick up their ass and their nose in an iPhone. This website, and sites like them, have single-handedly set back badass chicks faster than Sleater Kinney in a tractor beam.
Ohmahgod gurrrl! Joss Whedon loves women but not in the right way! What he said was bad and wrong. We’re above it because we are pointing it out to you. And now you’re above it too because you read it! Let’s be super above stuff together!
Here’s a story accusing a guy of being rapist.
Here’s one that smears the reputations of teenagers and drops an n-bomb in the URL.
And did you know that a Hobbit made a joke about raping an elf? Let’s all sneer at him, shall we? Tsk-Tsk!
Now, I shouldn’t show anyone the following Jezebel story before it’s published, but I had a hot tip on this and I can’t help but share it. Here goes!
Super Hot Closeted Gay Men Are Blowing My G*DDamn Mind! Hold up. Can I just say one thing? No srsly. We here at Jez are looooving this list of gay men in the closet in the rural South. They’re super adorbs and some of them are even in the military (SWOOOON!) Hands down fave: Ahmed, whose fundamentalist Muslim father said he’d behead him if he ever found him – quote – slurping the American serpent. What now? Well, call me an infidel, because here’s a picture of Ahmed kissing his boyfriend. SQUEE!
(Oh, sorry. That’s a Nick Cave song about moral hypocrites. How’d THAT get in here?)
Editor Anna Holmes originally set out to make Jezebel “unapologetically feminist” but so much of the site is nothing more than vicious libel.
A friend of mine—a fabulous lady who is a published writer, teacher, and mental health advocate—had a personal experience with Jezebel a few years ago. Gawker posted a picture of her along with an explanation of her suicide attempt. Since she likes to work and have jobs and crazy unfeminist stuff like that, she wrote to Gawker and asked them to please take the harmful video down. She called and called; they ignored and ignored. Finally, she just went into the office to speak to them face-to-face.
Here’s what she had to say about the experience:
“Just in case anyone is wondering just how evil Jezebel is, when Gawker bullied me for my suicide attempt, I wrote to Jezebel to tell them that I was going to the office to speak with the (female) editor about bullying the mentally ill. I told them that as feminists, I thought they’d be interested in seeing a woman stand up for other women with mental illnesses. They forwarded my email to the Gawker editor, and she printed it out and waved it in my face when I came in.”
To recap: My friend is an unapologetic rocking feminist with balls of steel. Jezebel is a gossip rag run by snarling, hypocritical shrews. They do not care about women, they care about themselves. So why are we paying attention to them? Why are we sharing their links?
Why does NPR commend Jezebel for “jolly feminist cultural commentary”? Why is Lindy West winning awards for Women’s Media while simultaneously acting as the self-appointed thought police for standup comedy? Is this kind of tabloid feminism that young women should aspire to?
According to Alexa.com, Jezebel is ranked the 604 most popular website in the United States and the second most popular search term for finding their website is as follows: “CRONUT”.
A cronut, if you don’t know, is a cross between a croissant and a donut. It’s flaky, glossy, and devoid of actual substance.
I don’t call myself a feminist. The Machiavellian witch hunts of the Jezebel Baby-sitters Club and other “jolly feminist commentators” just like them are the main reason I won’t use the term.
Now, when strong, opinionated women such as myself want to distance themselves from a movement historically known for women’s strength, you’d think people might take a moment for reflection. Like so-called Christians picketing an abortion clinic, perhaps take a second to look inward and check to see what happened to your morals and your organization.
However, instead of looking inward, they attack outward. They published this article: The Many Misguided Reasons Famous Ladies Say I’m Not A Feminist. in which they completely ignore the fact that another woman might not be stupid, but might—gasp—have valid, well-thought out reasons to disagree with them.
Jezebel has taken a page from improv comedy in which there is never a reply of “no” there is only “yes, and…”. This is hardly surprising since improv sucks and isn’t funny.
After all, far be it for Madonna to not fall in line with the historically important bloggers at Jezebel. Bjork? PJ Harvey? Please! What have these feeble, useless women ever done for themselves? Poor, pathetic, misguided waifs. They probably don’t even live in Brooklyn!
(Ironically, if a misogynist wanted to negate and invalidate the opinions of a woman, he’d probably say something like “she’s just misguided.”)
Personally, I loved what Bjork had to say about why she’s not a feminist. I refuse to ally myself with a group of women who make their living by being tight-ass, humorless cunts, and, quite frankly, are wasting everyone’s time in the process.
Even in 2014, it blows my mind that Christian pharmacists refuse to fill birth control prescriptions. Victims of domestic violence are easily gaslit when a man simply tells the police that she’s “crazy”. There are real women’s issues out there, if only Jezebel actually chose to cover them.
Unfortunately, we Mary Tyler Moore city gals present a real conundrum for the writers Jezebel, since we are mostly living out uneventful and drama-free lives as non-raped women who buy birth control and have jobs and get abortions as we please. There aren’t enough actual stories in the metro area to warrant running a frivolous, highly trafficked blog that pulls in ad revenue from outraged feminists. And so, they manufacture them.
Ladies? Ladies. They need you to be mad so they can make money. Don’t share their links.
(I know I’m not telling you anything you don’t know, but maybe, just for a split second, you saw an article about cute puppies and forgot.)
I have a theory about Internet feminists who spend their days writing blog posts as the moral arbiters of society. I suspect they are sociopathic. Think about it. These women need a list of no-no words because they actually don’t know right from wrong.
I think they are secretly horrid, hateful people who use feminism like Dexter’s murder code. They don’t know how to behave, not really, not in their hearts. They only know what they’ve been told is right and told is wrong. You didn’t mean to hurt someone’s feelings? Well, guess what! What you meant isn’t important any more. The only important thing is what I wanted you to mean.
And so, the bloggers navigate rape jokes and racial tensions like a ride on a sabbath elevator stopping at every floor. Finding a way to travel as they please without technically breaking any laws. They’ve made so many rules they’re now making rules to get around their own rules.
As far as I’m concerned, the only people who claim intentions don’t matter are those who have fundamentally bad intentions.
You may recall this Jezebel article that went viral last year: Can You Tell the Difference Between a Men’s Magazine and a Rapist?
Funny, right? Unfortunately, I actually took the time to read the book they took the rapist’s quotes from. To say this was shoddy journalism at best would be an understatement. Ellipses used within the rapists quotes signified—not a short break in thought—but a huge leap to a brand new quote on a completely different page about a completely different subject. No wonder the rapists sound so much like men’s magazines when you’re cherry picking and doctoring the quotes like Fem-enstein’s monster.
How on earth—with all those fancy journalism degrees and omnipresent white privilege and proper internships on their way to the Jezebel office—how is it that no one took just a moment to fact check (don’t even tell me they don’t have at least five various family members from Columbia to intern for them)?
Jezebel writers, what do you do for the world? Do you offer positive things? Do you write, draw, sing, run, dance? Since you are feminists, do you take advantage of anything that feminism has actually given women the freedom to do? Or do you just sit around pointing fingers and drumming up outrage for impressionable college girls?
Hey! Not while Lana Del Rey is being Latina!
Jezebel isn’t creating strong women, it’s creating victims. You couldn’t survive as a suffragette if your parents wired you money to buy a protest sign at Urban Outfitters. If you had actually lived when women needed to earn the right to vote, you’d be at home gossiping with the next door neighbor about sad Mrs. Cooper’s dirty bloomers and the pathetic state of the Williams’ begonia patch.
You call yourselves feminists but you’re just feminine. You’re everything cliched and stereotypical about women the rest of us have worked so hard to get out from under. If Jezebel’s brand of feminism were a corporeal woman, she would be pulling on her chewing gum and driving daddy’s car too slowly in the passing lane, her right blinker permanently on, as she drives on and on and on, oblivious to the accidents taking place behind her.
For the love of Christ, even Jezebel writers themselves can’t tell feminist from misogynistic any more. Watch this video where they giggle about how hilarious it is that they don’t know what to hate today! We don’t know right from wrong! Isn’t it fun?
Clearly, Jezebel needs Jezebel to write an article telling them what to think. Like an MC Escher-style Mobius strip covered in tiny ants folding in on itself. Only, look closer. Those aren’t ants. They’re tiny 26-year-old white girls in vintage cat’s eye glasses. Aren’t they cute? Look at them there in the painting, walking in circles eternally.
And now, the important subject you’re actually reading this article for: http://jezebel.com/tag/cronuts
This article was originally published in TLG Magazine.Nemesis has the advantage of durability--well, durability as in with the damage he takes, the more he mutates, much like William Birkin from Resident Evil 2. However, the Verdugo was scary as all hell, and is seemingly protected by an exoskeleton. Verdugo has the advantage of speed, and the prehensile tail over the Nemesis, but I would say that the Nemesis, most like, has a strength advantage over the Verdugo. Against the Verdugo, it took nitrogen tanks and heavy firepower to put it down, against Nemesis, it took a large arsenal to damage it, the railgun to faze him, and firepower to keep it down for good. Although the Verdugo does indeed have the speed advantage, it takes one nitrogen tank and a rocket to burst it into a million pieces.
If the Verdugo can damage Nemesis enough physically, i'd go with the Verdugo, if not, and this match drags out, the longer it lasts, the more it favors Nemesis.The surest way of sending the world to sleep is to give it “a wake-up call”. The World Wildlife Fund applies the cliche to “half the Earth’s animals” having disappeared in the past 40 years. The cause is chiefly human exploitation and habitat decline. The losers range from lions to dolphins, vipers to curlews, monkeys to eels. These are not lost species but actual numbers.
Such stories tend to vanish into statistics. There are supposedly about 8bn species of animal on earth, with 90% believed undiscovered (how do they know?). Of these, 97% are invertebrates. The WWF is concerned with vertebrates: animals, fish and birds, of which some 45,000 species are thought to exist. Of these, just 10,000 populations of 3,000 species were counted. It is hard to see how robust such alarmist figures can be.
I accept the cry of Professor Ken Norris of London Zoo, that “If half the animals died in the zoo next week, it would be front-page news.” But it would mean something was clearly wrong at the zoo. How much my life is altered by the disappearance of the Hellbender salamander, the Hoolock gibbon or the Gabon viper is moot. It needs arguing rather than just asserting. Nor am I impressed by South Sudan’s “instrument of accession to the convention on biological diversity”. That benighted country should first look after its humans. We can at times seem like Roman emperors, treasuring our cheetahs while our slaves die.
Yet there is sense in James Lovelock’s message in his Gaia hypothesis, of a world perpetually rebalancing itself, making mistakes then correcting them, always pushing forward to some new achievement. A sign of human advance is that we are aware of what we do. This applies to the waste involved in keeping humans alive, and it applies to the pleasure we take in sharing the planet with other, often beautiful, creatures. It is a human virtue to be less cruel to animals than animals are to each other.
It may not “matter” to me that the gibbon or the viper become extinct, any more than it matters that a park I never visit goes under housing or a coral reef disappears to mass fishing. What does matter is my awareness of my relationship to nature. The value of these reports is to remind us what is happening. We can choose, each in our small way, what to do about it, and that may not be much. But awareness is the first step on the road to power.By Branko Collin
The second Dutch football league may not exactly be known for the defensive capabilities of its teams, but when the oldest Dutch professional football team Sparta Rotterdam (1888) relegated last year they probably did not expect the red carpet either.
Yet in its second game this season Sparta routed Almere FC 12-1, and 25-year-old striker Johan Voskamp scored 8 of those goals. Voskamp had just been bought from Helmond Sport who play in the same league. A video of his goals can perhaps be viewed at Youtube.
The second division is called Eerste Divisie (‘first division’) because the first division is called Eredivisie (‘honorary division’).
Henk Schouten scored nine goals for Feijenoord in 1956, in what was then still called the Hoofdklasse. The Eredivisie and Eerste Divisie were introduced a season later. All time top scorer for a single match in the Eredivisie is Afonso Alves (Heerenveen) with 7 goals in a match against Heracles in 2007. The previous record holders for the Eerste Divisie were Jerry Taihuttu (1997) and Ugur Yildirim (2003), with 6 goals each. Both players went on to play in the top tier the next season.
(Photo by Kralinger, some rights reserved)
This entry was posted on Sunday, August 22nd, 2010 at 9:23 pm and is filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.The Veterans Affairs Department hospitals in Florida and Kansas recently beset by bats, rats and other pests are quickly working to restore the affected areas within their facilities.
The James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa, Florida, recently established "a multidisciplinary enviro-team — consisting of safety, infection control, environmental management and other services — that responds if a potential safety or environmental risk is reported," hospital spokeswoman Karen Collins said in an email to Military Times on Friday.
The Haley hospital had "dead rats falling from the kitchen ceiling" last month in addition to cockroaches found on patients' trays. Two months earlier, facilities management services "filled multiple buckets with roaches, dead rats and feces," the Tampa Bay Times reported.
"Being in a tropical, urban environment, we are keenly aware of the potential of, and continually monitor for, any pest control issues," Collins said. "We have developed an aggressive and proactive plan to address it, including awarding a new five-year pest control contract focused on the canteen and food preparation areas."
In a separate incident, the Eastern Kansas VA Hospital in Leavenworth shut down its operating rooms Wednesday and postponed 16 surgeries until next week because of dead bats found in trash cans.
Spokesman Jim Gleisberg said the hospital is dealing with the ongoing problem by using devices "where the bats can leave but cannot reenter." Hospital officials are conducting air quality tests to ensure conditions are safe after exterminators removed all of the bats, Gleisberg told 41 KSHB News.
Over 100 bats were found, according to a hospital employee.
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Collins said the Haley facility will continue to clean the areas in light of the ongoing issue.Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Jameis Winston is the driving force behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' decision-making process.
This isn't a bad thing. The NFL is a quarterback-driven league, and it's evident the Buccaneers are building everything around Winston after his successful rookie campaign.
On Thursday, the Buccaneers made the move everyone expected them to make, and it's the right one. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, they will hire offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter as the team's 11th head coach.
By retaining Koetter, the organization fully acknowledged this is Winston's show. Even though Tampa features All-Pro performers like defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and linebacker Lavonte David, the Buccaneers haven't been able to change their losing culture.
Winston, on the other hand, won't settle for a 6-10 record. He's not willing to acquiesce to veterans and find his place in the league. He put the team on blast after the regular-season finale, a 38-10 blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers.
Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
"We're going to create a mindset this offseason, I guarantee it," Winston said, per ESPN.com's David M. Hale. "We're going to create a winning mindset, a relentless mindset of being able to persevere over adversity. We'll have that next year."
While trying to get the most out of its newly minted franchise quarterback, Tampa decided previous head coach Lovie Smith wasn't the right mentor.
"When you have eight wins, and three home wins, in two years, you’ve been patient enough," general manager Jason Licht said after the coach's dismissal, per Josh Alper of ProFootballTalk.com.
Instead, the Bucs turned to Koetter. According to the Tampa Tribune's Ira Kaufman, the ex-offensive coordinator's relationship with the former No. 1 overall pick became a large part of the team's decision to promote him:
Koetter interviewed with the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday, but he never developed into a serious candidate.
However, his value to the Buccaneers couldn't be higher.
In his first year, Winston played every snap, threw for 4,042 yards, 22 touchdowns and made a strong case to be the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Winston credited his offensive coordinator with his smooth transition to the NFL.
"The way Coach Koetter trains us is that we have to know our personnel groupings and our play calls," the quarterback said in November, per ESPN.com's Andrew Astleford. "So just thinking about the situation and knowing our game plan, I can think about the few plays that we had in those situations and went off of that."
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Koetter, meanwhile, remained amazed by how well Winston digested his playbook.
In December, per Buccaneers.com's Joe Kania, the coach said:
Jameis is unbelievable how quick he can look at a game plan, take it out on the field and just in a walk-through—it really is impressive. That’s one thing that has amazed me, and I’m not easily amazed. That has really amazed me about how fast he can pick things up. It’s not just lip service when he gets up there and talks about learning and getting better. He is really into it, and he’s a fast learner.
This symbiotic relationship proved beneficial for both, and the organization decided to commit to it.
Of course, the team wasn't happy with a 6-10 record. However, Koetter provides continuity, particularly on the offensive side of the ball.
That might not be important for some franchises after another sub-.500 campaign, but the Buccaneers improved by four games after a two-win 2014 season. Tampa's biggest growth came on the offensive side of the ball.
Bucs Offense: 2014 vs. 2015 Year 2014 2015 Points Per Game 17.3 21.4 Total Offense (Yards) 292.0 375.9 Run Offense 85.9 135.1 Pass Offense 206.1 240.8 NFL.com
As a whole, the unit finished fifth in total offense. In his first season as Tampa Bay's play-caller, Koetter's offense improved by 83.9 yards per game compared to its 2014 output.
Obviously, Winston's presence and weekly improvement drastically changed a unit that relied on veterans Josh McCown and Mike Glennon a year earlier. But the rookie signal-caller wasn't the only individual to benefit from Koetter's play-calling.
Running back Doug Martin experienced a career revival. After running for 1,454 yards as a rookie, the former first-round pick only managed 950 rushing yards during the following two seasons.
In 2015, the Dougernaut returned to form and finished second in the NFL with 1,402 yards.
Winston also wasn't the only young player on the roster to display continued growth. Second-year wide receiver Mike Evans set new career highs with 74 receptions and 1,206 receiving yards.
Plus, the team's much-maligned offensive line improved throughout the campaign, and it'll only get better next year since a pair of rookies—Ali Marpet and Donovan Smith—will be in their second seasons under Koetter.
Each of these improvements played in Koetter's favor even when the Buccaneers interviewed Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin and Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott.
As Tampa Bay moves forward, it will build around its offense. For Koetter to succeed long term, Winston's development might be the primary focus, but he'll need to find a way for the defense to improve as well, as ESPN.com's Louis Riddick noted:
For Koetter, his "side of the ball" is important because he'll continue a hands-on approach with Winston, but his ability to hire a competent defensive coordinator will go a long way in the team's overall success.
While Lovie Smith hasn't advocated a pure Cover 2 scheme in a long time, his overall system felt antiquated and struggled to adjust to today's game. Yes, the Buccaneers finished 10th in total defense, but the bend-but-don't-break approach didn't work since Tampa gave up 26.1 points per game, which ranked 26th overall.
A chance to improve on the defensive side of the ball should be Koetter's No. 1 priority because Tampa will need to stop opponents to legitimately improve. If Koetter can't do that, the continuity he brings to one side of the ball won't mean much.
Hannah Foslien/Getty Images
But that's jumping too far ahead.
Right now, the Buccaneers hired the man they wanted all along. Lovie Smith didn't provide the results the organization wanted. Koetter did with a rookie quarterback, and the team's former offensive coordinator is now its head coach as a result.
All great coaches are matched with a franchise quarterback. There may be other areas of the team that need to be improved, but the play of the quarterback trumps all. Winston proved to be everything Tampa expected after it made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft, and Koetter benefited the most.
Brent Sobleski covers the NFL and NFL draft for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @brentsobleski.But as Mr. Sanders fights to close the delegate gap, his comments sent a shudder through party officials aligned with Mrs. Clinton. In her campaign’s planning, April was meant to be a relatively calm month in which to focus on raising money for a general election and honing a message to use against the eventual Republican nominee. Mr. Sanders’s staying power and online fund-raising prowess have instead caused her campaign to spend heavily for advertising in expensive media markets.
But an extended — and increasingly toxic — nomination fight, several advisers said, could deplete Mrs. Clinton of resources and leave scars that make it harder for her to unite his supporters behind her.
“Progressives are going to have to come together in November to defeat whatever crawls out of the G.O.P. circus in Cleveland,” said Jess McIntosh, communications director at Emily’s List, a group that works to elect women who support abortion rights and has endorsed Mrs. Clinton. “There are a few attacks that make it harder to do that, and Bernie Sanders is going there.”
Supporters of Mr. Sanders dismissed the Clinton camp’s reaction to his remarks as hypocrisy and fake outrage. After all, Mrs. Clinton had attacked Barack Obama’s experience during their contentious 2008 primary race. “I have a lifetime of experience that I will bring to the White House,” she said then. “Senator Obama has a speech he gave in |
are the most popular methods for cooking lobster not because they yield the best results, but because they are simple and involve no technique more complicated than putting the lobster tail in a hot place, setting a timer, and then not being abducted by aliens in the interval before it beeps; this way, when the lobster turns out disappointing, you can easily shift the blame to your clock, and bash it to atoms with a sledgehammer.
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This is perhaps a little bit hyperbolic. Lobster is very rarely bad. What it very often is, though, is boring and unexceptional enough to make its cost seem absurd and offensive, and its purchaser seem stupid and wasteful. There are two things you must do to avoid this dismal fate.
The first is to cram your ego down into a drawer and buy small lobster tails instead of gaudy enormous ones. This will be extremely difficult to do if your reason for buying lobster is to prove to someone—your date, your in-laws, yourself—that you are Some Kind Of A Big-Shot, but you must do it. A nigh-infallible truth of seafood is that in nearly all cases, smaller specimens are tastier and more delicately textured than larger ones, and lobster is no exception. Buy small. Or, if you must buy big, buy big and small, cook both, taste both, and see for yourself that I am right and you are a dumbass.
The second is to forget about the no-work preparations and butter-poach your lobster tails. Yes, butter-poaching takes effort, at the beginning at least. Yes, it involves French words. Yes, undertaking it puts you and not your clock on the hook if you fuck things up. The good news is that, unless you literally do not know how to operate your stove or you decide that it will be a great idea to add some vegemite to the recipe or you attempt this procedure while your home is simultaneously being fumigated with toxic pesticides, you really cannot fuck things up.
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And, if you do, you really cannot blame me. Let's get started.
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Long before you do anything else, you'll need to thaw your pair of lobster tails to room temperature (assuming you bought frozen lobster tails, which you likely did unless you live in Maine or foolishly bought entire live lobsters, instructions for the dispatching of which I will not be providing). There are a couple of acceptable ways to do this; a good rule of thumb is that the more slowly they thaw, the fresher they'll seem when thawed. The best way to do it is to put your tails in a covered bowl or pan and sock this vessel into your refrigerator early a whole day before you plan to cook. If this isn't an option, wrap the tails tightly in plastic wrap, put them in a bowl, and stick the bowl under a cold tap. This is still going to take an hour or more, depending on how big the tails are, and it might yield slightly tougher, more rubbery meat, but it'll bail you out if you forgot to thaw them in the fridge overnight.
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So your lobster tails are thawed, which is to say that they're no longer frozen. You still have to get them all the way to room temperature. That's easy: put them on the countertop for, oh, I dunno, a while, and be patient. You don't want to cook them while they're still cold, and you definitely don't want to try to speed up the process by holding them in the warm fumes wafting from your car's exhaust, even if that seems like a good idea, you very dumb person.
Now your lobster tails have made their slow way to room temperature (don't go stabbing them with digital thermometers or anything to be sure—if their meat is soft and not cold to the touch anywhere along their length, they're likely fine); the next step is to extract the gelatinous blobs of semi-translucent horror from their shells. This will be much easier (although still a little bit of an annoying chore) if you had the wisdom to buy the kinds of frozen lobster tails that have already had their shells split lengthwise prior to freezing. You'll just pry them open with your fingers, grumble "Motherfuck!" a few times as the jagged shells poke your sensitive fingertips, and be done in a minute. If you had the misfortune of bringing home fully intact lobster tails, you're going to have to do the maddening work of hacking through the shell with a heavy, sharp knife, without inadvertently bisecting its contents, and then extracting the meat, rinsing it under cold water, and using a small knife to open it up and extract the intestine with your fingers, with my bare fingers, oh man I don't know if I can do this, this is so fucking disgusting.
You could have had steak. Nobody held a gun to your head. Unless somebody did, which is a matter for the authorities.
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So now your lobster tails are sitting there on your cutting board or countertop or other staging surface, all flabby and gross and ready to be cooked. It's time to boil a tablespoon or two of tap water in a small pot or saucepan, even though that seems like a completely ridiculous thing to do. I'm supposed to boil this? you'll think, looking at the pathetic sprinkling of water scattered across the surface of your pan. Shit'll evaporate before it even gets there! No, it won't. Go ahead and bring it to a boil, then bring the heat way down to low so that it doesn't boil away to nothing.
Now, working one tablespoon-sized square at a time and taking no breaks for your poor aching wrist, whisk two or three sticks worth of unsalted butter into the water in your pan.
(A note, here: The amount of butter you use will depend on how big your lobster tails are, and, more importantly, how wide your saucepan is. You'll need to end up with enough melted butter to cover your lobster tails when they are added to the pan; a good way to measure this is to set the lobster tails in the pan before it has been heated up, cover them with water, then remove the tails and either measure how much water is in the pan, or eyeball it or draw a mark on the side of the pan indicating the depth of the water or whatever the hell. Or you could just use a really obscene amount of butter, to leave no uncertainty. Point is, you're gonna need quite a bit of unsalted butter. You'll need less if you use a smaller pan, but don't get cute: If the pan is too small, the lobster tails will be all smushed against each other in there and there won't be enough room for each of them to poach in butter. You want a pan big enough to give the tails some space, but not so big that you need to use 500 pounds of butter in order to submerge the fuckers.)
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Four things are very important, here: 1) The heat under your pan must be very low throughout this process (not quite the lowest setting on the stove, but close; you want to keep your butter between 160 and 180 degrees, if possible). 2) The butter you use must be genuinely cold when you add it to the pan. 3) You must add only one tablespoon-or-so-sized hunk of butter at a time. 4) You must not stop whisking for longer than the time it takes you to wag your whisking hand, run it through your hair, and mutter, "I fucking hate this shit."
What you're doing here is creating an emulsion of the constituent parts of butter: water, milk solids, and milk fat. In short, it's butter that has melted without breaking down, at temperatures at which butter would typically break down. The French call it beurre monté, the bastards, and it is glorious. Done correctly it looks not like melted butter, but like liquid butter—the exact same color and opacity as solid butter, only liquid instead of solid. You added the butter cold and you whisked it constantly so that it wouldn't be able to get hot enough to separate before you'd beaten it into an emulsification. It's a lot of annoying, tiring work, especially if you have carpal tunnel syndrome like everyone in the world, but it's worth it. Just you wait and see. Keep whisking. When you've melted the last of the butter, turn the heat all the way down to its lowest setting, if it wasn't already there.
So now all your butter has melted without separating. It is warm in the pan, but not especially hot—I'm not going to advise that you do so, but you could probably stick your finger in there and not get burned. It's time to gently lay the lobster tails in the butter. (They should be submerged when you've done this; if not, you'll have to get them out and whisk in some more butter.) The addition of the lobster tails will lower the temperature of the butter a bit, but don't worry about it: Keep the burner on its lowest setting, and now … monitor the heat, and do nothing. Do not prod your lobster tails. Do not flip your lobster tails. Do not shake the pan or swirl it or call it names. Just stand there and keep an eye on it. If you have a thermometer, make sure the butter never gets hotter than 180 degrees. You will think that nothing is happening, that the butter is too cool, that this is bullshit, that I am playing a prank on you, that you are just watching your lobster tails swim in melted butter, but that is not the case. Be patient.
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After a minute or two, the butter will have returned to its previous temperature, and if you lean down close over the pan and pay very careful attention, you will notice that your lobster tails have done something very interesting and unexpected: They have caused you to remove your shirt and gyrate your hips suggestively. This is because of the astonishingly wonderful aroma they are now giving off. Yes, they are cooking. No, they do not want your phone number.
Depending on how big your lobster tails are and exactly where your butter's temperature falls between 160 and 180 degrees, the tails may take anywhere from five to eight minutes to finish poaching. This is frustrating guidance, because it's also important not to overcook them, lest they turn rubbery and chickenlike, and how the fuck are you supposed to avoid overcooking them if you don't know exactly how long they're supposed to cook. You want them to have turned white and to have firmed up, but you do not want them to be as firm as a car tire. If your butter has stayed between 160 and 180 degrees throughout, you should be able to get them out of there by the time eight minutes have elapsed with no worries. If you just can't live with that uncertainty, it's not going to be the end of the world if you make a small incision in the middle of one of them to see if it's cooked.
Now, what happens when the lobster tails are finished cooking depends on whether you followed through on my admonition to buy smaller ones, or if, standing before your supermarket's bountiful seafood display, you got all spiral-eyed and spent twice as much on a pair the size of your shoes. If you went small, good for you: Remove the lobster tails from the pan, give them a second to drip some butter back into the pan, and serve them. If you splurged needlessly on larger, showier-looking lobster tails the size of Labrador puppies, get ready, because you're going to have to perform the next couple of steps very quickly so that you may serve your lobster tails before they cool too much.
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First, bump up the heat a bit in the pan. Immediately remove the lobster tails to plates. Whisking furiously, as if via the motion in your elbow and wrist you were providing the energy powering your own life-support machinery, add a couple of glugs of cheap white wine and the juice of half a lemon to the pan. Continue whisking like a fucking maniac for another 20 seconds or so. Lean down over the pan and take a deep inhalation. Does the sauce still have an acrid, intense alcohol smell? If so, give it another 20 seconds of crazed, snarl-faced whisking. By now the alcohol smell has dulled a bit. Turn the heat off, grab a spoon, and drizzle a spoonful of this sauce over each lobster tail. Serve.
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We performed those last steps—the white wine and lemon, the drizzling of sauce—because enormous lobster tails are not as flavorful as small ones, and could use the help of a bright, acidic, but still fairly mild sauce to keep your palate interested as you work your way through them. Truthfully, the sauce will taste splendid on the smaller ones, too, but isn't necessary.
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In any event, what you will be surprised to discover as you take your first bite of your butter-poached lobster tail is that hey wow, it tastes like … something! Something and not nothing! Something rich and sweet and mildly briny, firm but still delicate and not chewy between your teeth; something ecstatically, almost unbearably delicious. Lobster. It tastes like lobster! It tastes like a lot of goddamn money, like something for which you would pay a lot of goddamn money, which is great because you paid a lot of goddamn money for it, but suddenly that choice seems gloriously redeemed.
Try to take it slow. Small bites. Savor them. Dredge some crusty bread through the butter (or butter sauce) on your plate. Drink a lot of cold white wine. When you're done, sit back, adjust your monocle, and light your calabash pipe. Ahh. This is the life. I'm ever so glad we own all the steel mills. Who'd like some brandy? Farthwaight, my good man, I think I'll have some brandy.
Albert Burneko is an eating enthusiast and father of two. His work can be found destroying everything of value in his crumbling home. Peevishly correct his foolishness at albertburneko@gmail.com.That Shocking Luke Skywalker Reveal Might Actually Be BS By JOSEPH BAXTER Random Article Blend Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens has long been confirmed to see the return of one cinema’s most iconic protagonists in Luke Skywalker. Yet, it is the manner in which Luke will be returning that has been one of the predominant sources of speculation for a film that is already riddled with speculation. However, star, Mark Hamill just may have given some insight into the future direction of his Luke character that may dispel some big rumors that
WARNING: The rest of this article contains what could potentially be major, major spoilers for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. If you do not wish to know about certain plot points in the film before it's released, we recommend clicking away to another one of our wonderful articles.
As you may remember, back in October there was a massive Star Wars: The Force Awakens rumor that began swirling around suggesting that the new film would reveal that Luke Skywalker was unable to resist the draw of the dark side and would follow in his father's less-than-heroic footsteps. In analyzing new comments from Mark Hamill, however, it sounds as though that rumor was completely erroneous and that we can still expect the Jedi from Tattooine to still be fighting for the forces of good in the next chapter of the sci-fi saga.
The actor recently called in to the
Well, part of the answer to that question involves what I thought of the script to my final chapter. The way Episode [VI] indicated that Luke would be terribly conflicted and possibly be giving in to his darker impulses to achieve short term goals. Now I had no question that he would redeem himself at the very end, but I thought as dangerous as the Empire was that George would go in the direction of me betraying someone before I realized the error of my ways, Ebenezer Scrooge style. So I was enormously mislead. I mean I was completely wrong on that assumption.
It seems that Mark Hamill was under the impression he was heading towards a trip to the Dark Side in Return of the Jedi that would have had Luke’s character arc become one of redemption. Instead, it reflects a stark difference between his own vision and the direction of the franchise - but what's potentially more interesting is how this quote can be viewed in the context of a post-production Star Wars: The Force Awakens. If Hamill's initial impression that Luke was headed to the Dark Side is still wrong after playing his part in Episode VII, is that an implication that the rumors about his side-switching from a few months ago were false?
With the idea pretty well established that the returning Original Trilogy players will not be central to the plot of The Force Awakens, and the arrival of these new quotes, it does seem that idea of "Dark Luke" showing up the film is rather slim. Instead, it seems more likely that we can expect Luke’s character to be more of a Kingsman - the idea of proceeding without a dark turn for Luke appears to be an acceptable outcome for his career-making character.
Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens will likely prove that Luke calling the Millennium Falcon "a piece of junk" is as Dark Side as he’ll get when it hits theaters on December 18th. The impending release ofhas long been confirmed to see the return of one cinema’s most iconic protagonists in Luke Skywalker. Yet, it is the manner in which Luke will be returning that has been one of the predominant sources of speculation for a film that is already riddled with speculation. However, star, Mark Hamill just may have given some insight into the future direction of his Luke character that may dispel some big rumors that emerged towards the end of last year As you may remember, back in October there was a massive Star Wars: The Force Awakens rumor that began swirling around suggesting that the new film would reveal that Luke Skywalker was unable to resist the draw of the dark side and would follow in his father's less-than-heroic footsteps. In analyzing new comments from Mark Hamill, however, it sounds as though that rumor was completely erroneous and that we can still expect the Jedi from Tattooine to still be fighting for the forces of good in the next chapter of the sci-fi saga.The actor recently called in to the Schmoes Know Podcast to discuss his current appearance in this past weekend’s release, Kingsman: The Secret Service, but - as you would expect - also indulged the show's hosts with some Episode VII discussion. When asked a question about what Luke would be doing with himself after all these years, Hamill detailed his approach to Luke’s direction towards the end of the Original Trilogy, reflecting where he might be in the new film. Said the actor,It seems that Mark Hamill was under the impression he was heading towards a trip to the Dark Side inthat would have had Luke’s character arc become one of redemption. Instead, it reflects a stark difference between his own vision and the direction of the franchise - but what's potentially more interesting is how this quote can be viewed in the context of a post-production Star Wars: The Force Awakens. If Hamill's initial impression that Luke was headed to the Dark Side is still wrong after playing his part in Episode VII, is that an implication that the rumors about his side-switching from a few months ago were false?With the idea pretty well established that the returning Original Trilogy players will not be central to the plot of, and the arrival of these new quotes, it does seem that idea of "Dark Luke" showing up the film is rather slim. Instead, it seems more likely that we can expect Luke’s character to be more of a bearded recluse living in a cave who, like Obi-Wan Kenobi, will likely pass the torch to the new generation of primary characters. Furthermore, judging from Hamill’s apparent acceptance of his role in playing supporting parts - as he has just done in- the idea of proceeding without a dark turn for Luke appears to be an acceptable outcome for his career-making character.will likely prove that Luke calling the Millennium Falcon "a piece of junk" is as Dark Side as he’ll get when it hits theaters on December 18th. Star Wars IX Title Leak: Is This It? And Where’s the Trailer? Blended From Around The Web Facebook
Back to topFirst off, lets talk about a few myths about the camel spider
The camel spider has garnered itself a bad reputation due to various viral images showing giant spiders roaming around the deserts of the Middle East. While they aren’t an animal you really want to cuddle with, most of what you know about the camel spider is probably wrong:
1. They are a spider and they are so big they can eat camels!
Contrary to what its name suggests, it’s not actually a spider, and it doesn’t actually eat camels. The Camel spider is in the Order “Solifugae” which means “those who flea from the sun” in Latin. Camel spiders are arachnids, but are not spiders. All spiders are arachnids, but not all arachnids are spiders. While camel spiders appear to have 10 legs, they actually only have 8, which makes them an arachnid. The two extra “legs” are actually sensory organs called pedipalps and helps the camel spider find its prey.
(Another common name for the camel spider is the wind scorpion…..but they aren’t scorpions either!)
2. They are venomous, bloodthirsty beasts!
The camel spider has garnered itself quite the reputation from viral internet articles and images. Photos of the “Giant camel spider” began circulating in 2003 during the Iraq war. Doctored photos of soldiers standing next to and holding child sized creatures are just that, doctored, fake, not real, phony. These photos have circulated for over 10 years, perpetuating the myths associated with camel spiders. However, camel spiders are carnivores, but have no interest in eating camel or humans. They prefer to eat small bugs, lizards, and sometimes even birds.
For many years, they had been painted as a venomous predator out to get camels and soldiers, but this simply isn’t true. They still are quite amazing predators though.
While the creatures are definitely large, they are by no means the size of a human, as some articles may suggest.
General facts about the camel spider:
Now that you know what NOT to think about the camel spider, lets talk about a few facts about this arachnid:
1. The “biggest camel spider in the world” isn’t that big
According to nationalgeographic.com, the camel spider’s leg span can get up to 6 inches. While this is still large enough to inspire nightmares to those with arachnophobia, this is by no means as large as the internet makes these guys out to be. Their genuine anatomy is not as scary as you may think. The photo featured below shows the approximate size you can expect a full grown camel spider to reach. There is actually a full-fledged documentary by National Geographic telling you all about the camel spider.
2. Camel spider bites suck, but they aren’t venomous
While the camel spider isn’t venomous, it’s bite is still very, very painful. While they pose no real danger to humans, they are vicious predators that can eradicate insects, rodents, lizards, and sometimes even small birds.
This being said, camel spiders make up for their lack of venom with power and speed. They have been recorded running at speeds of almost 10mph, making them one of the fastest arachnids in the world.
If you ever find yourself unlucky enough to be bitten by a camel spider, simply disinfect the wound. Since it has no venom, the only threat it may pose will be from a bacterial infection. Many people assume that the camel spider is venomous by mistaking their teeth, which are used mostly for cutting, as fangs.
3. Are they dangerous? Ehh…..
As with many animals, a camel spider is only dangerous if provoked. They are not out to get people, or anything other than their prey for that matter. While videos and online articles suggest they are incredibly dangerous, science will prove these viral videos wrong with facts and figures.
Not many people will come into contact with the camel spider in their day to day life unless they live in the desert. If you live in an arid environment where you may expect the camel spider to live, simply make it a point to not disrupt the animal if you see it. It is not instinctively aggressive toward anything they don’t want to hunt.
4. Where do camel spiders live? Perhaps near you!
Camel spiders are primarily found in Middle Eastern desert areas, but they have also been known to live in southwestern areas of the United States. They are most common to the following regions:
Iraq
Camel spiders are definitely most famously found in Iraq. This may be one of the only factual aspects of all the rumors surrounding the creature. Since they like warm, dry environments, camel spiders are very common in this area.
Arizona, Colorado, and California
As with Iraq, certain southwestern states are home to the camel spider. They have officially been documented to live in Arizona, Colorado, and California. If you live in one of these states, you can expect to see the camel spider only at night, as they are primarily nocturnal creatures.
And for your enjoyment, here’s a camel spider fightThere are those amongst the Metallica faithful who believe Load is the band’s best work.
There are even those amongst the Metallica faithful who believe Re-Load is their best work.
But I’ll be damned if there’s a single motherfucker out there who sees the new hoodies, sweatpants and skater caps by clothing brand Supreme and says, “Yeah, that looks SICK, I’d love to wear it!”
The new clothes feature the main design element of the cover artwork for Load — cow blood and artist Andres Serrano’s own semen mixed together — printed all over the surface of the garments.
They look hideous. They also rep an era of Metallica that most fans would like to forget. Although, to be fair, you would get to answer “Supreme Load!” is someone asked you what you were wearing. There’s a skate deck available too if you want one!
It’s worth noting that these items are not officially licensed Metallica merchandise. Serrano is credited, though, so it seems he was able to license the designs to Supreme on his own, perhaps without Metallica’s input.
Some jackass in Brooklyn is probably already wearing these while sipping a $16 cocktail at a douchey roof-top bar. Coming soon to a Bushwick storefront near you: a St. Anger speedo bathing suit. Just you wait!
[via Loudwire]Provincial government officials in northeast China admitted on Monday that they falsified economic data over the past few years. The real numbers, they said, were much lower.
According to Chinese news agency Xinhua, the overstated numbers ranged from fiscal revenue and household income to gross domestic product (GDP).
"One county in Liaoning reported annual fiscal revenues 127% higher than the actual number," wrote China Daily.
This same province claimed three years ago that GDP growth was at 9.5% when it was actually 2.7%. During that same time, the Jilin province reported 12% GDP when its growth rate was really 6.3%.
To make matters worse, China's yuan tumbled last Friday after the People's Bank of China announced it would move away from its peg to the U.S. dollar. The PBOC stated it would, instead, start measuring its currency against a basket of global currencies.
These little "surprises" from the Red Dragon are the sort of precipitating factors that led to "Black Monday" on Aug. 24: a fall in the value of the yuan combined with a weakened growth outlook.
So does yesterday's news that China's been cooking its books mean we should brace for another stock market crash?
Money Morning Chief Investment Strategist Keith Fitz-Gerald, a 34-year seasoned market analyst with more than two decades of experience in China's market alone, says a "market meltdown" is always a possibility.
But the West is looking at China's book-cooking admissions from the wrong angle…
This Is All Evidence That China Is Growing Up
"China doesn't have the exclusive rights on manipulating numbers. It's called accrual accounting and it's done everywhere," Fitz-Gerald explained on Dec. 14. "The fact that they're coming clean is a great development because it clears the path to profits much the same way similar revelations did in this country in the late 1800s and early 1900s."
Fitz-Gerald goes on to explain that Monday's admission was a great show of transparency on China's part – and a sign of maturity.
And we shouldn't look past that.
"Would you rather this kind of behavior continue and no one make note of it?" he posed.
Instead, the takeaway here, Fitz-Gerald suggests, is this…Peter Gaskell was working with graphene for battery anode applications at McGill University in Montreal while his brother Robert-Eric studied listener perception of sound quality in the Sound Recording department. While the two PhD students discussed their work over beers they realized that graphene might be ideal for membranes in microphones and loudspeakers. Further they hoped that graphene oxide could be used to form sheets large enough to build transducers.
The idea was first tested in a ribbon microphone and the brothers wrote a paper for the Audio Engineering Society. Peter’s academic advisor encouraged the pair to file a patent for the idea, and they began to look for funding. After seeing the Beats brand sold to Apple the inspiration came to use headphones as their main offering. Headphones have small audio drives that are relatively easy to make but provide high-fidelity and tightly controlled listening experience. With their company ORA Peter and Robert-Eric are currently running a Kickstarter campaign to fund their graphene headphones.
Robert-Eric Gaskell and co-founders Ari Pinkas and Sergii Tutashkonko answered a few questions for us about the development of the headphones. They said that graphene technology can improve cell phone micro speakers, hearing aids or large PA speakers at rock concerts. The makeup of Ora’s proprietary GrapheneQ technology is ninety five percent graphene by weight and the other five percent is made of crosslinkers. Fine tuning the bonds between the graphene layers was critical to keeping the desired balance of high stiffness and low mass. They used calculations centered around the first bending mode of a flat disk, approximated frequencies, and took the five best versions of the material for testing.
Challenges in design and manufacturing of the headphones came from the graphene itself. Several methods were tested to find the ideal process to take two dimensional graphene and turn it into the cones and domes required for dynamic loudspeakers. Deposition tests eventually yielded a process that found a good mix between reliability and scalability for high volume manufacturing.
The headphones themselves run on Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity, have a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack, and can also use a USB-C connector for connection or charging the 3.7 Volt lithium polymer battery. The frequency response is 4 – 63 kiloHertz with 32 Ohms per 40 millimeter driver. The full assembly is 20 x 22 x 8 centimeters and weighs one pound.
Graphene has always fascinated me due to its limitless possibilities but frustratingly small catalog of current applications. The Ora campaign for funding is great because of the elegance of the high tech headphone design but also the novel use for graphene. The campaign has successfully met its funding goals and will end on July 17, with first units are expected to ship in March, 2018.Kate Murphy, a 16-year-old junior from Virginia, became the third-fastest high school girl in history in the 1500 meters on Friday, finishing with a 4:07.21 victory at the Adidas Boost Boston Games. She also qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials.
Murphy won the Dream High School 1500 meters at Dilboy Stadium in Somerville, Massachusetts, by seven seconds and also was faster than the professional women’s race that night, won by Cory McGee in 4:08.65. On the all-time high school records list, she’s now ranked behind Mary Cain, who is first with a 4:04.62 in 2013, and Alexa Efraimson, with a 4:07.05 in 2014.
Cain ran the pro race on Friday and placed third in 4:10.84.
Murphy, the 2015 U.S. junior champion, said she came to the Adidas meet to qualify for the Trials, which begin on July 1 in Eugene, Oregon.
“Coming in I knew I needed to get it done,” she said, adding, “I was just trying to be really brave and I pushed the pace because I knew I didn’t want to come through with one lap [to go] and close really, really hard.”
In an odd turn of events, Ben True, a 5,000- and 10,000-meter runner, finished third in the 1500 meters with a 3:36.05, which is the country’s fastest outdoor time in the event this year.
Other standouts at Dilboy Stadium included Ajee’ Wilson, who ran the fastest 800 meters this year by an American woman, a 1:59.72, with Molly Ludlow close behind in 1:59.93. Dejen Gebremeskel and Hagos Gebrhiwet, two Ethiopians who covet Olympic berths in the men’s 5,000 meters, took first and second in that event in 12:59.89 and 13:00.20, respectively.
Ethiopia’s 2012 Olympic gold medalist, Meseret Defar, was first in the women’s 5,000 meters in 15:06.96, with Americans Marielle Hall (15:13.66) and Abbey D’Agostino (15:22.29) next in her wake.
On Saturday, the Boost Boston Games became a “street meet” in the city, with sprints and hurdles races on a temporary track installed on Charles Street, near the Boston Common.
“It reminded me of my days back in the day when I was racing my cousins and my friends in the street,” said Tori Bowie, the American who won the women’s 100 meters in 11.03 seconds and is considered a gold medal prospect in Rio.
Full meet results are here.
Brooks PR Invitational
The improving quality and depth of American scholastic running was also evident on Saturday at the Brooks PR Invitational in Renton, Washington. Andrew Jordan from Pataskala, Ohio, led 10 athletes under 9:00 in the boys two mile, running a 56-second last quarter to triumph in 8:50.12. In two of a handful of elite events, Katie Mackey won the women’s 1500 meters by more than four seconds in 4:09.83, while Josh Thompson edged 2012 Olympic silver medalist Leo Manzano in the men’s race, 3:39.61 to 3:39.70.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle Half Marathon and Marathon
Jared Ward, a 2016 U.S. Olympic marathoner, ran the Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle Half Marathon on Saturday as a tuneup for the Rio Games, finishing first in 1:06:01, over Craig Hopkins, of Great Britain, who ran a 1:08:08.
Ward is currently logging 120-mile weeks with 25-mile long runs in preparation for the Olympic marathon on August 21.
Kara Ford was the women’s half marathon winner in 1:19:59. The marathon champions were Samuel Golitom Hadgu of Eritrea in 2:26:02 and Sophia Liu, a Seattle research scientist, in 2:51:46.
Grandma’s Marathon
Elisha Barno and Sarah Kiptoo, both from Kenya, became two-time champions on Saturday at Grandma’s Marathon in Minnesota. Barno covered the Two Harbors-to-Duluth course in 2:11:26, exactly a minute ahead of countryman Weldon Kirui. Kiptoo, who set the women’s course record of 2:26:32 in 2013, prevailed in 2:33:29 on a warm and humid day. The women’s runner-up, Ethiopia’s Serkalem Abrha, was 52 seconds back.
The men’s title at the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon went to Macdonard Ondara, who lost by less than a second in 2015. This time, the Kenyan who trains in New Mexico clocked a 1:03:33 to beat Japan’s Suehiro Ishikawa by 29 seconds. Ethiopian Simegn Abnet Yeshanbel was the women’s winner in 1:13:21, with Kenyan Hellen Jemutai second in 1:14:04.
Mount Washington Road Race
Joe Gray and Kim Dobson, of Colorado, were champions at the 7.6-mile Mount Washington Road Race in New Hampshire, the East Coast’s most fabled vertical climb with 4,727 feet of elevation gain. Gray’s win in 58:17 was his third-straight at Mount Washington. Eric Blake of Connecticut was second in 59:49.
Dobson is now a four-time women’s champ after taking the lead from Kim Nedeau a half mile into the race and finishing in 1:09:34. “I ran conservatively to the halfway mark and then felt good so I kept pushing it,” she said, according to a press release. “I had an injury this winter and so every time I am able to get to the start line, it is a such a blessing.”
Nedeau was second in 1:13:51.
The Mount Washington results are here.
Stockholm Diamond League
The Bauhasu-Galan meet on Thursday in Stockholm was the last Diamond League gathering before the United States and other countries stage their Olympic Trials. Ethiopians swept the first six places in the men’s 5,000 meters, with Ibrahim Jeilan and Yomif Kejelcha dueling to a 13:03:22 to 13:03.66 finish. Jeilan was the 2011 world championships gold medalist in the 10,000 meters. He’s the last person to defeat Mo Farah, of Great Britain, in a global championships outdoor track race—and he’s hoping to be back in the 10,000 meters in Rio.
David Rudisha, Kenya’s 800-meter Olympic champion and world record holder, led his specialty well into the final straightaway in Stockholm. But he abruptly slowed and ended up fourth in 1:45.69 behind winner Ferguson Rotich’s 1:45.07. The men’s 800 meters could be |
27-year-old Cambodian native, quit a tech job to launch the online ticketing platform after becoming frustrated by the inefficiency of Cambodian bus travel.
"In Cambodia, in order (for people) to buy tickets, they had to go very far and buy their tickets from the counter," Chea tells CNN.
"You can't just (go) to one place and find all the bus companies there... You have to go to different places in order to buy each bus ticket.
"We are trying to change the way people buy bus tickets in Cambodia."
A game-changer
BookMeBus is a website and mobile app that enables passengers to book bus and ferry tickets, as well as private taxi rides, from more than 30 operators across Cambodia, Thailand Vietnam and Laos.
Users can compare schedules and prices, and book securely using credit cards.
"It's very, very popular in Cambodia to go across the country by bus," Chea says.
"With the bus, you can enjoy the view of the city and the view of the country -- like buffalo, rice fields and rivers."
Around 8,000 to 9,000 tickets are now sold per month on BookMeBus, he says.
Rise of e-commerce
But it hasn't all been plain sailing.
"E-commerce in Cambodia is quite new -- it has just emerged," Chea tells CNN. "Not many local people buy tickets online."
Over 90% of BookMeBus users are foreigners, he says.
Langda Chea, founder and CEO, BookMeBus “It's very, very popular in Cambodia to go across the country by bus.”
Despite this, Chea says his company now works with 60% of bus companies in the country -- and hopes that Cambodians will embrace the technology.
"We thought it was very hard to sell online, because it is new for Cambodia," Ith Chanda, the manager of bus company Golden Bayon Express -- one of BookMeBus' partners -- tells CNN.
"But foreigners are used to it. Sales are increasingly strong."
"We hope we can enlarge our market by cooperating with BookMeBus."
Where to next?
With the platform already working in multiple countries across Asia, Chea has plans to expand operations further still.
"When we started, we only thought about... needing to solve the problem for Cambodians, but now we are more and more ambitious," he says.Real Madrid and Spain captain Sergio Ramos has given his two cents as to who he believes should be the top five to win the world renowned Ballon d'Or this year - unsurprisingly naming three Madrid teammates in his list.
The so-called 'individual' award, whose usual winner happens to be the player who has enjoyed the most impressive trophy haul with his team in the past year is highly expected to be handed to Cristiano Ronaldo for 2017 - which would place him level with fierce rival Lionel Messi on five Ballon d'Or successes.
And now Sergio Ramos, who this year won La Liga and the Champions League along with Ronaldo, has given fans his personal insight towards the prestigious award - announcing who his top five players would be for the trophy.
Strangely enough, Ramos hands the top spot to Cristiano, with the third and fourth places going to other teammates Luka Modric and Marcelo respectively; while Lionel Messi (second) and Gianluigi Buffon (fifth) take up the two remaining spots:
Sergio Ramos' top 5 for Ballon D'Or 2017:
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
2. Leo Messi
3. Luka Modric
4. Marcelo
5. Buffon#SR4 #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/BxdI2h4fXV — Team Ramos (@TheKingSR4) October 13, 2017
Ramos is currently gearing up to face Tottenham in the Champions League final on Tuesday night. The Bernabeu plays hosts to Group H's leaders as the both sides look to stamp their authority over the other.
With Spurs making their way to Madrid, Ramos will be tasked with keeping England's highly rated striker, Harry Kane, quiet.
The 'complete forward' (labelled by Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane) has scored five goals in two Champions League games this season, and the Premier League Player of the Month for September will be keen to add to that tally come Tuesday night.Every week, the President of the United States sits down with his advisers and decides who to assassinate, via drones, in one or another of the Islamic States, without due process – no reading of charges; no public release of evidence of guilt; no trial. Frequently, scores of innocent bystanders are also killed. Recently, a hospital run by Doctors Without Borders was inadvertently bombed in one such act. If you were a citizen of one of the targeted countries, how would these acts be viewed?
To help your deliberation on the question, ask yourself this: imagine that China considered certain citizens within the UK or the US to be threats, and each week Xi Jinping sat down with his advisers and decided which locale within each country would be bombed.
Do you imagine that this could go on for years without the general populace rising up in arms or demanding that their governments respond in kind? At the very least, if it were your country, would you not feel personally helpless, develop an abiding hatred of China and rejoice when terrible things happened within China? If your answer is "no", then please read no further because you and I reside in alternate realities and there is no possibility of communication between us.
"There is the prospect of global war on the horizon. And the war will be unconventional – cyber war will play a significant, if not the major, part, and the war will be unimaginably devastating." - John McAfee
We live in a reality of cause and effect, and every effect is, in its turn, a further cause of some subsequent effect. In such a reality, how does a rational mind place blame? If we look at each 'wrong' done by one group or nation to another, and trace each back to the'reason' for each wrong, then, in the case of the seemingly never ending struggle between Christian and Muslim states, the cause and effect interplay is a set of threads extending back to the Crusades in the 12th and 13th centuries.
I am in no way condoning the barbaric acts of IS, or of any other similar extremist organisation. These acts are inhuman by any measure of humanity and I am sickened by the horror of them. But we must ask ourselves how such a level of inhumanity could come into existence. It cannot be something innate in the belief systems of opposing nations because history proves otherwise. The Spanish Inquisition, born of the Catholic Christian belief system, and the Protestant Christian Witch Trials where men, women and children were burned alive, are as barbaric as anything the Muslim-inspired States have spawned.
The vaporisation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – cities with no military value and filled with innocent civilians, many of whom are still alive and suffering from the scars of third-degree burns – was the pinnacle in the history of man's inhumanity to humans, and belief systems played little or no part in its conception and execution. It must be something other than belief. We must look long and hard at ourselves, because we – all of us within the human species – are at fault. Unless you can claim that you are free of jealousy, anger, greed, hatred, fear and all the rest, then you as well as me, must bear the blame.
There is the prospect of global war on the horizon. And the war will be unconventional – cyber war will play a significant, if not the major, part, and the war will be unimaginably devastating. No one can doubt this. But every nation must accept its part in the causation this potential threat.
The developed world believes that it is peaceful and civilised. The tiniest amount of objective observation proves otherwise. "War" is a beloved word. We stand behind the War on Poverty, or the War on Drugs, the War on Terror, The War on Crime, the War on Cancer and the war on a thousand other things. We are warriors and we speak of peace.
And civilised? Turn on the television and check out any news channel. Do we see grandmothers giving us new recipes for baking apple pies? No. We see murder and mayhem, fires and floods, war and pestilence. We can see people murdered on the news, but we cannot speak an impolite word describing the act of love. Where is the civilisation in this?
It is time to get real. There is not much time left before that war on the horizon becomes the noonday reality that few of us will survive. We must stop the hostility, now, all of us, and sit down and listen to the other, with an open heart and mind – mindful of our own dreaming part in this nightmare.Harry Potter is set for another movie outing in the remake of 1986 movie Troll In that film, child star Noah Hathaway played heroic Harry Potter, Jr. and now up-and-coming youngster Harrison Bliss has signed on to recreate the role in a new version of the cult film, titled The Troll : The Rise of Harry Potter.Movie spokesman Ed Lozzi tells WENN that the producers and lawyers behind the film feel they can press on with the project without fear that the movie bosses behind author J.K. Rowling's Potter empire can shut it down.Lozzi says, "The original movie was conceived, written and directed by John Carl Buechler in 1986. The film chronicled the adventures of Harry Potter, Jr. after his sister Wendy is attacked and possessed by an evil wizard, posing as a troll in the Potter family’s new apartment complex."This film is not a continuation of J.K. Rowling ’s intrepid boy wizard. It is about everybody’s other favourite boy with magical powers - Harry Potter Jr. - and his father Harry Potter."And the producers have signed top Los Angeles lawyer Thomas Girardi to make sure their project isn't hampered by the movie executives behind the other Potter films.He states that Troll producers actually considered suing Warner Bros. over the Harry Potter name some years ago: "While some of the films' themes might seem familiar, Troll's owner decided not to sue J. K. Rowling or Warner Bros... because of a family tragedy at the time. They just put it on the back burner... and delayed matters until now."There is no problem with doing a remake of Troll because you can remake your own stuff. Everybody knows it was our material. We made the movie years before Rowling came out with her book."A director has yet to be attached to the Troll remake.The eighth and final Harry Potter film, The Deathly Hallows Part 2, was released to much fanfare and acclaim earlier this summer.The Solar Energy Revolution Everyone’s Ignoring… Is In Bangladesh
October 25th, 2014 by Zachary Shahan
In July, we did write about a $78.4 million World Bank loan offered to the Bangladeshi government to finance 480,000 solar home systems. Assuming 5.6 people per household (that’s apparently the average), that’s solar power for 2.688 million people. However, this isn’t the beginning of Bagladesh’s solar revolution at all.
By the end of 2010, Grameen Shakti had already installed over 500,000 home solar power systems (or 518,210, to be more exact). Using the same people-per-household assumption as above, that’s solar for about 2.9 million people. But that was years ago….
Now, Grameen Shakti (a nonprofit organization based in Bangladesh) has brought solar power systems to about 1.5 million Bangladeshi homes, or about 8.4 million people!
“Mr Barua and Mr Yunus founded microfinance institution Grameen Bank way back in 1983,” Sustainnovate writes. Its innovative efforts to fight poverty won it a Nobel Peace Prize in 2006. “But it was Grameen Shakti, founded in 1996, that took the work Grameen Bank was doing to the next level and enabled the deployment of much more solar, biomass, and other clean technologies in Bangladesh.”
Approximately 360,000 households have now paid off the systems Grameen Shakti provided to them. And the total number of people who have benefited from Grameen Shakti’s social enterprise is estimated to be over 15 million.
Aside from providing the systems to households, Grameen Shakti “also provides training and capacity development and has created 45 ‘Grameen Technology Centers.'” Grameen Shakti writes:
GS has set up 45 Grameen Technology Centers (GTC) under a pilot program to scale up its solar program, specially production of [solar home system (SHS)] accessories by manufacturing these locally. GTCs are also contributing to women empowerment by developing Solar Technicians. GS will help these technicians sign annual contracts with its clients for after sales maintenance and become entrepreneurs in the future.
More than 60 thousand people each year are installing SHSs all over Bangladesh for business or household purposes…. GS envisages a future where there would be a huge demand for SHS accessories as well as maintenance services to keep the installed SHSs in working order. GTCs are also running a very successful Renewable Energy Exposure Program for rural school children and more than 5000 school children have participated in the program.
Sadly, Grameen Shakti somehow wasn’t even on my radar until I found out that it was a recent Zayed Future Energy Prize finalist. And it probably still wouldn’t be if it weren’t for that? Honestly, how does an organization providing solar to about 10 million fly under the radar? My hunch is that there are a few reasons: 1) these are very small systems, so they don’t as quickly add up to “a lot” even though they are providing electricity to many more people than solar is in the US; 2) the small systems might not even be counted in many global assessments of solar power capacity and generation; 3) Bangladesh is an infrequently discussed country in global news, whether it’s cleantech news, massive flooding news, tragic global warming news, or otherwise. But without a doubt, a solar revolution is afoot in Bangladesh, and it’s a big deal.
Aside from solar, Grameen Shakti “has also delivered 28,762 biogas plants to Bangladeshi communities and 814,562 clean cooking stoves to Bangladeshi homes. It has 1,268 branches covering every district in Bangladesh,” and “Mr Barua, the first winner of the Zayed Future Energy Prize, is also the Chairman & CEO of the Bright Green Energy Foundation,” which does almost the same work, with its own impressive track record!
And, of course, there are other organizations and companies bringing solar to Bangladeshi households and businesses.
Granted, Bangladesh has a population of about 156 million, nearly half of the United States. Still, bringing solar to tens of millions of people is a big deal. Even if we just say 20 million people in Bangladesh have received home solar systems, that’s about 13% of the population. And monthly solar installations are approaching 100,000. That’s insane, in a good way.
So, here’s a big nod of appreciation to the companies, organizations, and people bringing solar to millions of Bangladeshi! As I’ve stated before many times (for example, in an interview on CNBC back in 2010), just as cell phones leapfrogged landlines in the developing world, distributed solar power (and other renewables, to a lesser extent) are leapfrogging centralized, expensive grids based around fossil fuel and nuclear power plants, but this transition still needs to have leaders.
After learning much more about the Bangladeshi solar revolution, I wonder how much small-scale solar growth is occurring under the radar in other developing countries. There are dozens and dozens of solar organizations and companies serving developing countries. How well is their progress really being tracked? How fast is this decentralized solar revolution actually growing?Origin Access will be adding another game to its Vault very soon. Titanfall PC will be hitting the subscription service as part of The Vault, where players can download and play games for free, as long as they are a member. Titanfall will be joining other EA titles, such as Battlefield Hardline, Dragon Age: Inquisition, FIFA 15, and Simcity.
Origin Access is the PC counterpart to the Xbox One exclusive program, EA Access. Both services offer similar benefits to their subscribers. These include access to The Vault, but also discounts on digital EA games, and early access to upcoming releases. The program costs $4.99 a month on PC, though Xbox One users of EA Access can get a year for $29.99.
Titanfall was previously added to the EA Access Vault, so Xbox One gamers could already enjoy the game at no additional charge. Bringing this benefit to Origin Access should be a great move now, as many are expecting news about the inevitable sequel, Titanfall 2, to be released soon. Those waiting for that game can get caught up on the action of the multiplayer shooter, as they get ready for that release.
Titanfall will be the 17th game added to Origin Access’ Vault since the program debuted. As games aren’t typically removed from The Vault, the value of the program continues to increase with each new release.Years after the psychological sting of frequent bullying, researchers say the effects can extend to lower levels of education, physical and cognitive health problems, and poor social functioning.
A new study published Thursday in 'The American Journal of Psychiatry' shows harmful effects can extend decades after the initial bullying. (Photo11: Aurelia Angelica Marquis, Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Chances are some people still remember the name of that bully who stole their lunch money or pushed them down the stairs 30 years ago.
While the psychological effects of bullying in adolescence are well documented, a new study published Thursday in The American Journal of Psychiatry shows harmful effects can extend decades after the initial bullying. Researchers found those bullied in childhood had lower levels of education, greater physical and cognitive health problems, and poor social functioning throughout their lives, compared to those who were not bullied.
For five decades, The National Child Development Study followed almost 8,000 participants of children born in England, Scotland and Wales. In 1958, they assessed children ages 7-11 and found 28% of the participants were occasionally bullied and 15% were frequently bullied. The researchers checked in with the participants at 23, 45 and 55 and assessed mental health problems, physical health and cognitive health. The study also found men who were bullied were more likely to be unemployed and earn less.
"We found the kids who were victims of bullying didn't manage to move up or move on possibly because they are so used to being pushed down," says Louise Arseneault, a senior investigator on the study, and professor at King's College London. "Even in middle age, some of those bullied may not have as good of jobs or earn as much money."
While those who were bullied did not have a higher dependence on alcohol, the study found mental health problems in the adults who were bullied were similar to those found in studies on long-term effects on children who were abused or placed in public care.
"Generally in mental health you see problems in adulthood are carried on from difficulty the person experienced in childhood," says Daniel Blake, a clinical psychologist in Huntington Woods, Mich.
While the study was undertaken in 1958, in the current digital age there are even more outlets for bullying, and many times what may have been isolated to school is now following kids home. Many states have passed anti-bullying laws or policies that deal directly with cyberbullying. With the many different outlets kids have today, parents have to promote open dialogue with their children, says Stuart Twemlow, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
"Kids can be bullied without parents knowing at all," Twemlow says. "We need to continue talking about bullying so kids can know it's OK to talk about it, OK to cry about it and OK to say my life is horrible."
Cases of cyberbullying have led to several high-profile suicide cases in the USA in the past year. Likewise, the study found the participants who were bullied as children had higher levels of anxiety and suicidal thoughts or even suicidal plans at age 45 than those who were not bullied.
"While a certain portion of kids who are bullied end up fine, this highlights that bullying can contribute to later outcomes in different areas of life," Arseneault says. "Bullying should not be brushed off as a part of growing up."
Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/1j9V2IAFinally found a use for a Jarhead
No surprise here; our bon vivant president is made profoundly uncomfortable around real men:
Manpower officials have announced suspension of the Corps' Voluntary Separation Pay program for officers and enlisted Marines, as the service begins nearing its drawdown targets that will reduce the ranks to 182,000 by the end of 2017. The program was a voluntary force-shaping program rolled out in 2013 that offered Marines a lump-sum payout to leave the service early. Carefully targeted only to Marines in overpopulated ranks and military occupational specialties, VSP amounted to six-figure payouts for some. An eligible gunnery sergeant with 16 years of service, for example, would receive $161,291 before taxes under the payout program. The VSP program is suspended as it is no longer required to meet end-strength requirements or force shaping efforts," Marine administrative message 279/15 states.
Thanks to the smashing victories in Afghanistan and Iraq,and the end of the so-called War on Terror, about 21,000 Marines are being let go. Who needs the Marines when you have toy drones at your disposal? Onward, not-so-Christian soldiers.Lena Headey was talking about new film The Flood, which focuses on refugees coming to the UK
Game of Thrones actor Lena Headey, who is starring in one of the first British films to grapple with the refugee crisis, has spoken out against the “horrendous and dehumanising” way that people seeking safety in the UK are treated.
The Flood sees Headey play British immigration officer Wendy, who is presiding over the fate of Eritrean refugee Haile, whose journey escaping from the war-torn African country to the Calais camp and eventually to England is traced in the film.
Headey, best known as Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones, said having been put in the shoes of an immigration officer and exposed to a script based on real-life accounts from people working for the Home Office had affirmed her belief that a shift in attitude was needed.
“I understand there are safety issues, and screenings for security, but it could be so much more human and compassionate,” said Heady. “It’s horrendous that after the journeys that these refugees go through, they are then treated immediately with suspicion and fear.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Headey plays Cersei Lannister in Game of Thrones. Photograph: AP
“I get it, this is a crisis with so many levels, but we have also lost sight of the fact it’s not a ‘problem’, it’s people, it’s other human beings. And we’re dehumanising them.”
While there have been several critically acclaimed documentaries that have followed the plights of the hundreds of thousands fleeing the Middle East and Africa, barely any feature films on the issue have made it into production.
Headey said she noted how in the wake of events such as Brexit, conversations about the refugee crisis had begun to dwindle, and said that had been a motivating factor in her getting involved in the film. Written by Helen Kingston, the film was initially inspired by an incident in which 35 immigrants from Afghanistan were discovered in a shipping container at Tilbury Docks in Essex in 2014, with some dying during the ordeal.
“The power of film to change people’s minds is a real thing,” she said. “I, Daniel Blake was a really good example of this, it woke people up – it woke me up – to the injustice of something that is happening now, right under our noses. This film is about the horrors of what is happening every day to the refugees coming to Europe, and how appalling and frightening it is to sit by while it goes on.”
She added: “I hope it will provoke similar kinds of conversations. It’s amazing how quickly it seems to have died down even though it’s as a bad as it ever was.”
Headey said she fully understood people’s fatigue having been bombarded with images of violence and human suffering every day, but said she believed the most important task was to make people less fearful of the refugees and their motives for coming to the UK. Having visited Greece last year to meet some of those who had made the perilous journey across the Mediterranean, Headey said she had been struck by how the main message the women wanted to convey was that “we are not terrorists”.
Yet she also noted what she described as a “massive discontentment” among the men living in the makeshift camp on the island of Lesbos.
“If we don’t have a shift where we recognise these people for who they were before they were forced to leave their countries – people who are educated with family values, who had careers and homes – then we are going to be in trouble, we really are. We are going to grow an absolute fury, you could feel it.”
With the next season of Game of Thrones premiering in July keeping Headey firmly in the limelight, she said she had come to accept that publicly speaking out about the refugee crisis would prompt a backlash.
“People look at actors who speak out and say ‘oh well, it’s so easy for them’,” she said. “There are a lot of people who are saying ‘it’s all right for you, you champagne socialist’ but that’s fucking bollocks, I’m just a human being with a conscience.
“My kids need to know that I gave a shit – that’s what drives me most,” Headey added. “I’m a jobbing actor, this is what I do to make cash, but sometimes I do projects where I make no cash because it’s about making something that will hopefully get people talking.”CNN once again proved it is the fakest of fake news networks by arguing that James Damore, the man fired by Google for saying the company uses diversity as an excuse for advancing “discriminatory practices,” was actually just saying he dislikes women having tech jobs.
Damore, wrote a memo that explained his concerns over Google using affirmative action programs and services available only to women, thus being discriminatory, in a quest to advance ‘diversity’.
Damore argued that “the distribution of preferences and abilities of men and women … may explain” why women and men aren’t represented equally “in tech and leadership,” and that “biological causes” play a role.
He noted the scientific FACT that men are different from women, and for that Google fired him:
Damore made it clear within his statement that he has no problem with diversity, or women occupying senior roles at tech companies, he only opposes the discriminatory way those companies are facilitating it.
“I hope it’s clear that I’m not saying that diversity is bad,” Damore writes, elsewhere noting “I strongly believe in gender and racial diversity, and I think we should strive for more.”
But if you’re CNN, this all somehow translates as ‘I HATE WOMEN BEING AROUND COMPUTERS’.
CNN host Poppy Harlow stated that the “anti-diversity” memo says “women are less suited for tech jobs than men. Why? Because they’re women! Biologically, they can’t do it.”
In a further segment on CNN programming, host Brooke Baldwin argued that the memo says “I don’t really like women anywhere near a computer.”
Conservative commentator Mary Katharine Ham attempted to explain the argument Damore is making to Baldwin:
“He was saying one of the problems with Google is that we are perhaps in this ideologically insular bubble that is so insular that people like me feel silenced and don’t want to bring our opinions to the forefront,” she said. “And then wait a second, in response to that, his dissenting opinion, it was leaked to punish him, and then he was fired for it having been leaked.”
In a tweet promoting its write up on the story, CNN boiled down Damore’s memo, claiming he was just arguing that women “aren’t suited for tech jobs.”
Google execs respond to a manifesto by one of its male engineers that argues women aren't suited for tech jobs https://t.co/oPMfK8v1YB pic.twitter.com/slQVeL7F84 — CNN (@CNN) August 8, 2017
The article itself then attempted to explain that Damore was arguing that women cannot occupy such roles for ‘biological’ reasons.”
In reality, Damore was arguing something completely different and more nuanced – that Google’s overly PC culture has blinded the company to the fundamental causes of the gender gap in the tech sector. He noted that it is possible that biological differences between men and women most likely impact their job preferences.
Within the memo, Damore openly states that he is OPPOSED to individuals being restricted to gender roles:
“Many of these differences are small and there’s significant overlap between men and women, so you can’t say anything about an individual given these population level distributions.” “I’m also not saying that we should restrict people to certain gender roles. I’m advocating for quite the opposite: treat people as individuals, not as just another member of their group (tribalism).”
CNN writer Jackie Wattles, who penned the article for the network, was called out on her egregious mis-characterization of the memo. She quickly reversed her stance and suggested that Damore was only ‘implying’ that he doesn’t think women are suited to tech jobs:
@jackiewattles Click-bait headline much? Literally no where in the "manifesto" does this person mention women are unfit for tech jobs. — Doug Masters (@DougMasters10) August 7, 2017
Yet you put "biological" in quotes and pretended to readers that his reference was EXPLICIT. How irresponsible. — Tom_Blumer (@Tom_Blumer) August 8, 2017Critics of the bill, who had feared a rushed push to enact it into law, will now have at least two more weeks to pressure senators in their home states and marshal even broader opposition. Yet it would be premature to consider the bill dead. House Republican leaders were also forced to put off a vote on their bill earlier this year only to work out a compromise that allowed it to pass weeks later.
With that recent history in mind, Democrats held off on declaring victory.“It’s not over until it’s over, and it’s not dead until it’s dead,” Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said. “The fact that Senate Republicans have delayed the vote on their health care bill is welcome news, but it means we have to redouble our efforts to fight it over the July 4th holiday and beyond.”
McConnell, too, insisted the legislation remained very much alive. Despite an aggressive push to pass the bill this week, he tried to downplay the delay. “We’re still optimistic we’re going to get there,” he said. “Legislation of this complexity almost always takes longer than anyone else would hope.”
With the bill in doubt, President Trump stepped in to try to play deal-maker. The president invited all 52 Republican senators to the White House for a meeting Tuesday afternoon after initially having little involvement in the Senate’s deliberations. “We’re getting very close,” Trump said at the outset. He was flanked on either side by two of the Senate bill’s biggest skeptics, Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Collins announced her opposition on Monday and expressed doubts that the proposal could be tweaked to win her support, calling instead for Republicans to engage Democrats in bipartisan talks.Trump, who has mused repeatedly about allowing Obamacare to collapse on his own, framed the effort to pass the Senate bill in less than urgent terms. “This will be great if we get it done,” he said. “And if we don’t get it done, it’s just going to be something that we’re not going to like, and that’s okay, and I understand that very well.”
The engagement from the president comes amid tensions between Trump’s allies and Senate leaders after a pro-Trump super PAC launched ads attacking Senator Dean Heller over his opposition to the bill. Heller is considered the GOP’s most vulnerable senator up for reelection next year, and The New York Times reported Tuesday that McConnell told Reince Priebus, Trump’s chief of staff, that the move was “beyond stupid.”
McConnell made clear GOP leaders were not yet ready to turn to Democrats in hopes of a bipartisan agreement on fixes to Obamacare. “They’re not interested in participating in this,” he said. After meeting with Trump, however, McConnell acknowledged that if Republicans could not pass a bill on their own, they’d have to work with Democrats to stabilize the individual market. But Republicans, he said, were unlikely to win Democratic backing for the changes to Medicaid and the private market they’ve prioritized.Bernard Schirmer, an offensive lineman for the Mt. San Antonio College football team, has been arrested for allegedly punching a referee during a football game on Saturday night.
In the video, Schirmer looks to have been in a verbal altercation with a player from Ventura College. A referee stepped in between Schirmer and the Ventura College player and pushed him toward the Mount SAC huddle. After a few efforts to get back in the Ventura huddle, Schirmer appears to turn his aggression away from the opposing team to the official as he throws a punch that sent the referee to the turf.
After the punch, Schirmer begins walking away until a coach comes to take him over to the sideline. The referee who was punched laid on the ground with Mt. SAC players around him until the end of the video.
Because of the punch, Schirmer was arrested in Ventura County on suspicion of battery. The official’s name has not been released, and the severity of the damage is still unknown. Mt. SAC head coach, Steve Mooshagian said that he approached the referee as he walked off the field to check to see if he was okay and said that the official “looked a little drowsy.”
It’s unclear what will happen with either Schirmer or the official at the moment, but striking an official is punishable by a five-year ban according to the California Community College Athletic Association bylaws.
For more highlights and full episodes from the Tonight Show visit Yahoo View.Democrat Elites, Anti-Trump Republicans, and Far Left Crank Jimmy Kimmel Throw THOUSANDS at Alabama Senate Race
Democrats are going all out in Alabama.
They haven’t won a major race since 2012.
They need this.
And now that several women have come out against Judge Roy Moore after 38 years of silence the Socialist paarty believes they have Roy Moore on the ropes.
Now this…
The group highway 31 that spent $4 million against Roy Moore was outed today. They are closely aligned to the Democrat Party.
Wow. Highway 31, the mysterious Dem super PAC dropping millions for Doug Jones, is a joint project of Senate Majority PAC and Priorities USA https://t.co/lm8la7rkkW — Lachlan Markay (@lachlan) December 11, 2017
Republican #NeverTrumpers reportedly dumped thousands into the race against Roy Moore.
Obama cut robocalls for ultra-liberal Democrat Doug Jones.
And far left crank Jimmy Kimmel just donated to Doug Jones’s campaign.
US The Hill: Kimmel donates to Doug Jones in Alabama Senate race – Late night host Jimmy Kimmel has donated to Democrat Doug Jones in the Alabama Senate race after … https://t.co/rdDA70mPVZ — Democra Americas (@DemocraAmericas) December 11, 2017
This is a war against Alabama and Roy Moore.Amid a raging gang war in Metro Vancouver that is widely believed to be over control of the illegal drug market, a new Angus Reid Strategies poll shows that half of Canadians endorse the legalization of marijuana.
The survey results, released on March 5, also show that 64 percent of respondents in British Columbia want cannabis to be legalized.
However, the same poll found that less than eight percent of Canadians favour the legalization of hard drugs such as cocaine or crystal meth.
B.C. solicitor general John van Dongen was among the guests at the March 1 private screening of A Warrior’s Religion, a documentary dealing with gangs in the South Asian community.
“That is a federal issue and certainly the Conservative government has made their position clear that they’re not going there,” van Dongen told the Straight in an interview in the lobby of the Rio Theatre in East Vancouver, when asked if legalization is being contemplated.
“They’re looking at strengthening the legislation the Criminal Code,” van Dongen added.
The Angus Reid Strategies survey shows that there is high support among Canadians for toughened criminal legislation against gang activity.
“They’ve made some announcements in the last few days and the British Columbia government looks forward to working with the federal government and all the opposition parties to strengthen the compliance with the law with respect to gun and gang violence,” van Dongen said.
Other results of the Angus Reid Strategies survey:
”¢ Almost half of Canadians (48%) oppose the Stephen Harper government’s decision to scrap the previous government’s marijuana decriminalization legislation.
Ӣ A majority (51%) also rejects the elimination of harm-reduction programs, such as supervised injection sites and needle-exchange programs.
Ӣ Nine in 10 respondents support the introduction of a National Anti-Drug Strategy.
The on-line survey was conducted among 1,007 Canadian adults from February 26 to 27. It is considered to have a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.PITTSBURGH (AP) – A Pennsylvania man whose company scoops up pet poop is facing sentencing before a federal judge for buying fake Secret Service identification cards and badges online from China to impress women on a dating site.
Christopher Diiorio pleaded guilty in November to a count of fraudulently using an official seal. He acknowledged the other behavior alleged by federal prosecutors, including flashing an ID card during a traffic stop and trying to use a Secret Service badge to get a government rate for a hotel room.
The 54-year-old Greensburg man remains free on bond and likely faces probation under federal guidelines.
He’s scheduled for sentencing Monday afternoon before a federal judge in Pittsburgh.
Diiorio and his attorney have refused to comment on the charges.
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KROKMITËN: NEW ALBUM HETA AVAILABLE AS FREE DOWNLOAD NOW October 25th 2016 Montréal-based Death Metal studio project KROKMITËN have officially released their third album HETA today. True to the formation's ideology, HETA is available for free in high quality audio and video and can be downloaded right now at the band's headquarter, www.krokmiten.com. This new 36-minute non-stop piece was recorded and mixed by Simlev (KROKMITËN guitarist/vocalist) at the Krokmitën Studio in Montréal, Canada and mastered by Studio Engineer J-F Dagenais (KATAKLYSM, MALEVOLENT CREATION, MISERY INDEX) at JFD Studio in TEXAS, USA. This time around the opus is also available in the form of a playthrough video featuring the actual guitar and drum tracking of the studio recording for the entire album. To complete HETA, Simlev recruited drummer Guyot Bégin-Benoit for the project. Guyot played on critics and fans' favorite The Aura, Montreal's BEYOND CREATION's first album. Frontman Simlev had this to reveal about this third offering: "I wrote this one fairly quickly. After the lengthy Omicron-Omega that clocks in at 50 minutes, I felt like writing a condensed album this time. It is jam-packed with primal pounding riffs, it's hardly experimental but still somewhat unpredictable. I took a simplistic approach with the recording and mixing as well. I wanted to try trading off the wall-of-sound approach used on the two previous albums, for a more defined and clear tone." "The premise for the album goes like this: In their quest to prove the existence of the elusive H particle and to know more about dark energy and dark matter, 10,000 scientists and engineers from over 100 countries gathered together to build the largest single machine our world has ever seen; a gargantuan particle collider powerful enough to create and disrupt stars on galactic levels. Little did they know that they were ripping apart the very basic structures of space and time, thus allowing an unknown insidious force to slither through and tap into the populations most primal instincts, to violently unleash them and ultimately lead mankind to extinction!" adds Simlev. Head to www.krokmiten.com now and download HETA for free or watch here on Youtube: https://youtu.be/WrT3X0HFsYgTwo transgender Pakistanis were reportedly packed into sacks and thrashed to death with sticks by police in Saudi Arabia.
The pair from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, were arrested in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for cross-dressing in public.
It is a punishable offence in the kingdom for a man to imitate a woman and officers arrested 35 people in a raid on a guest house.
Two transgender Pakistanis were beaten to death after cross-dressing in public (file photo)
Police raided a guest house in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where it's illegal for men to imitate women
Police recovered women's clothing and jewellery and took those arrested into custody.
It was here that Amna, 35, and Meeno, 26, are said to have been beaten to death while under police surveillance in prison.
Colonel Fawaz bin Jameel al-Maiman, the police’s media spokesperson in Riyadh, told The Tribune: 'The majority of the arrested are from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the others from other cities of Pakistan.'
A transgender rights activist said only 11 of the 35 had been released after paying a fine of 150,000 riyals, meaning 22 are still in custody.
Qamar Naseem said: 'Torturing humans after throwing them into bags and beating them with sticks is inhumane.'
Police arrested 35 people in the raid and only 11 have been released from prison (file photo)
While 11 were released later after paying a fine of 150,000 riyals (£32,000), 22 are still in police custody, Naseem added.
'The suffering ended for these two after being physically tortured, however, the rest are still languishing in Saudi jails.
'No one is there to save them as the life of a transgender is not of any value to anyone, not even for our own government.'More than 30 jihadists in the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group were killed Friday in air strikes on Syria by warplanes of the U.S.-led coalition, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
“At least 30 jihadists, and certainly more, were killed in coalition raids on Friday against positions and depots sheltering military vehicles and tanks, east and west of the city of Raqa,” the self-proclaimed ISIS capital, the Britain-based monitor said.
Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said the vehicles and armor were destroyed at Abu Qobeih west of Raqqa.
“There are major losses in the ISIS ranks,” he said.
“The raids also targeted bases, checkpoints, a training camp and a prison in the Mankhar area east of Raqqa.”
Last Update: Friday, 6 February 2015 KSA 22:55 - GMT 19:557 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Rugby
The game of rugby is believed to have begun in 1823 after Rugby School pupil William Webb Ellis picked up the ball during a game of football and ran with it. Since then the game has taken many strange twist and turns, some of which you possibly haven’t heard of. Below are 7 facts about the game of rugby that you probably didn’t know;
1. Button Up
In the days of Rugby’s infancy, players would show up for games decked in white button down shirts, white trousers, and a bow tie! The ideal shirt would be made from thick cotton that would stand tough (and not rip) on the wrong end of a scrum. And the collar was crucial (one should always sport a collar when kicking the crap out of another person… it’s just dignified).
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2. The United States Are Golden
The reigning Rugby Olympic champion is that famous (?) rugby-playing nation, the United States! The game of rugby has only has only been an Olympic sport four times and made its first and last Olympic Games appearances in Paris. The first time it was played was in 1900 during the Paris Olympics. It was played again in the London Olympics of 1908, next in the 1920 Antwerp Olympics and finally in the 1924 Paris Olympics. As well as being the current Olympic champion, the United States is also the most successful nation winning gold in both the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games. A seven-a-side version of Rugby will make an appearance in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
3. Whistle Whilst You Work
The same whistle is used to kick off the opening game of every Rugby World Cup tournament. It is the Gil Evans whistle and was first blown by Gil Evans, the Welsh referee overseeing a match between England and New Zealand in 1905. It was also used at the kick off of the final rugby match at the 1924 Paris Olympics.
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4. Keep Trying
A try originally gave a team no points. When it was first introduced the only way to score was by kicking a goal. The try simply gave the team the right to do a place kick for points. Hence, it gave them a “try” for goal. Obviously, this has changed and now one can score a try, but the term hasn’t changed.
5. Basket Case
Basketball was actually created by a rugby coach who wanted some form of indoor sporting activity to keep his players conditioned when it was off-season! Basketball was invented by James Naismith as an indoor alternative to Rugby when the New England winters required an indoor game. Some of rugby’s characteristics such as quick switches between attack and defense, ball handling and committing defenders to attack space are all found in basketball.
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6. It’s No Picnic
French rugby player Gaston Vareilles missed his international debut against Scotland in 1910 … all because of a sandwich. When the team train stopped at Lyon, Vareilles nipped to the buffet. But the queue was so long that by the time he returned to the platform, the train was disappearing into the distance. He was never picked for his country again.
7. Don’t Drop It
Cliff Morgan never tried to drop a goal in his entire senior career as a fly-half for Cardiff, Wales and the Lions. As a schoolboy, he had won a game with a last-minute drop goal. Instead of praising Cliff the school’s rugby master, whom Cliff respected very much, dropped him from the team for two matches for not playing rugby in the true spirit of the game. I’m sure the teacher was wrong, but Cliff Morgan never forgot the lesson!
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Although JPR Williams only tried to drop a goal once in his international career and it was crucial to the Lions’ series win over the All Blacks in 1971! The occasion was the fourth and final Test when he dropped a goal from 40 metres. The game ended in a 14-14 draw. If the All Blacks had won the game, the Test series would have been shared 2-2. The draw meant the Lions won the series with 2 Test wins to the All Blacks 1 Test win.
What’s the strangest fact you’ve ever heard about rugby?
CommentsCannibal killer: Andrew Chimboza who ripped out a man's heart and ate it to'show he was not gay' has apologised to his victim's family 'for exceeding the boundaries of self-defence, a court heard
A businessman who ripped a man's heart out and ate it to 'prove he was not gay' has apologised to his victim's family for 'exceeding the boundaries of self-defence'.
Andrew Chimboza, 35, who runs a window tinting business, pleaded guilty to murdering Mbuyiselo Manona, 62, in the South African township of Gugulethu last year.
He told police after he was arrested that he gouged out Mr Manona's heart and ate it as he lay bleeding to death 'to show him that I am not a moffie [gay]'.
Appearing in court this week, Chimboza told the judge: 'I am sorry for what I have done and I have genuine remorse.
'I then took a knife and slit his throat and continued to stab him.
'I was so angry that I did not remember how many times I stabbed him or where.'
In his plea explanation, Chimboza later claimed Mr Manona attacked him in a jealous rage after accusing him of sleeping with his girlfriend.
He then explained he stabbed him and chopped out the man's heart because it was 'full of hatred and jealousy'.
He said: 'I do not know why I ate it and I accept my actions were wrong and exceeded the boundaries of self-defence.'
Prosecutor Jacqueline Sibiya said: 'Because the removal of the heart was not the cause of death per se, it does not therefore have too much bearing on the plea of murder.
'It is nonetheless very disturbing.'
A hearing last year heard that Chimboza flew into a rage after being insulted by Mr Manona while checking on a job he had done at his victim's girlfriend's house.
Prosecutor Quawnita Geyer read out Chimboza's statement during the bail hearing at the Athlone Magistrate's Court in Cape Town.
He said: 'In your warning statement you say: "I sit upon him and stabbed him on the chest, tore out his heart and took a knife and then sliced his heart and then I ate his heart.
"The reason for me to eat the unknown guy's heart was to show him that I am not a moffie [gay] and after I finished eating the heart, I realised he was dead.'
Chimboza, 35, who runs a window tinting business, pleaded guilty to stabbing Mbuyiselo Manona, 62, in the South African township of Gugulethu (above, file picture)
Investigating officer Constable Mphumelelo Yengwa told the hearing that the officer who arrested Chimboza at the scene found him chewing raw flesh and that Manona's neck had been 'half-eaten'.
He added that his chest had a gaping hole in the left side.
However, Chimboza, originally from Zimbabwe, later disputed the veracity of his statement, arguing that it was fabricated after he was assaulted by the police, according to Sowetanlive.com.
The brutal attack took place on the evening of June 10 last year.
Chimboza confirmed to the hearing that Manona had called him certain names, that they then fought and that he had stabbed him to death.
He said: 'The way I was continuously stabbing, that must have ripped his heart out. Because I was in a shocked state.'
Geyer retorted: 'All the witnesses that were there confirm you killed the deceased, you cut out his heart and ate it.
'They say there was flesh in your teeth and dry blood on your mouth.'Hydra
Revestimiento
Pavimento
Gres
Espesor 9mm
Mate
Destonificado Leve
Tamaño Original Hidráulico
FORMATOS
20x20
Colección de cerámica decorativa pensada, diseñada y fabricada para despertar sensaciones inesperadas. Hydra collection mezcla el sabor de lo auténtico, de lo artesanal, con el refinado gusto de lo vanguardista. una colección de baldosas cerámicas diseñadas con estilo y creada con la multitecnología única de cas cerámica. Hydra collection se compone de exquisitos azulejos cerámicos de alta calidad con motivos geométricos y efecto destonificado para combinar en varios colores. una serie de hidráulicos renovada para servir a la arquitectura más contemporánea. Perfecta para decorar y revestir cualquier suelo o pared de cualquier estancia. los colores que componen hydra son tonos suaves y de tendencia, perfectamente combinables con muchos otros. la gran gama de diseños de hydra se fusiona con las características técnicas de cas cerámica (cerámica espesorada para asegurar gran resistencia mecánica, cerámica sin calibres para asegurar la continuidad y la libre colocación, multitecnología decorativa para garantizar la máxima perfección en los acabados), para conseguir una serie cerámica con infinitas combinaciones y combinable con cualquier otra serie de cas.RBI governor Urjit Patel hit the headlines yesterday when he scooted from the media to evade questioning by reporters on the sidelines of the forever “Vibrant Gujarat” summit.
Although some reporters like Vasudha Venugopal of The Economic Times tweeted the home run, not too many newspapers felt it necessary to give the sprint due play.
The Bangalore-based Deccan Herald was one of the few that did, and it should soon be hearing from Venkaiah Naidu‘s censor board, if it hasn’t already:
None of our TV stations, certainly none of our business channels, could capture this epic moment in the demonetisation marathon that Patel has presided over for two months.
And even if they did, they haven’t shown it to us for patriotic reasons.
Which means, we do not know the athletic abilities of the RBI guv, whose predecessor Raghuram Rajan was, of course, so quick off his feet that he has already reached Chicago.
But fret not over what you have missed.
Last year, the top bureaucrat of Karnataka, Arvind Jadhav, who used to be Air India’s chief for a while, demonstrated that a good IAS officer can on a good day actually fly leaving the media gasping.
Enjoy.
And imagine Urjit Patel in his shoes.
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Like this: Like Loading...Google is giving publishers at least a half a year to prepare for the rollout of its built-in ad filter in Chrome, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Once launched, the ad filter would be on by default for both desktop and mobile versions of the browser. While previously described to the Journal as an ad "blocking" feature, Google now reportedly frames the feature as a "filter" similar to Chrome's pop-up blocking windows or its malware warnings.
Ad filters can, of course, be problematic for publishers that rely on advertising revenue. So, Google is reportedly giving publishers a self-service tool called "Ad Experience Reports" that shows which ads violate Chrome's standards and how to fix them. The tool will be available before the ad filter goes live next year, the Journal reports.
Google has reportedly told publishers that it plans to block all ads on a site if the site has a certain level of unacceptable ads. To determine which ads are acceptable, Google is apparently relying on standards set by the industry group the Coalition for Better Ads.
While publishers -- and Google itself -- rely heavily on advertising dollars, consumers appear to be increasingly tired of disruptive ads. The use of ad blockers is on the rise, with one estimate suggesting there were 615 million devices running ad-blocking software in December 2016.
According to the Journal, Google has also proposed a new tool for publishers called "Funding Choices" to push back against ad blockers. The tool would prompt Chrome users to either disable their ad blockers or pay the publisher for an ad-free experience.At the London Toy Fair, currently going on, Bandai revealed their new ThunderCats toys and the new ThunderCats cartoon character designs to 60,000 or so people, and told them all very sternly to not take pictures. This worked out about as well as it always does.
?At the moment, this is the best pic of the toyline out there. What you’re looking at is, from top to bottom: a kick-ass Sword of Omens, the 3 3/4-inch action figures, the Thunder Bike, and the Thunder Bike. However, there’s apparently going to be an 8-inch “collector’s” toyline too, beginning with Lion-O, who seems like he will be modeled on the original cartoon and not the new one. This will surely come as a relief to several of you, because the new character designs… well…
?Indeed. I think Panthro and Tygra look great, so no problems there. Honestly, Lion-O looks too anime even for me, and I ran a goddamn anime magazine for five years. However, Cheetara looks incredible, and will no doubt inspire a whole new generation of boys to have a deeply confusing and shameful attraction to furries. Really, that’s as much as I hoped for from the new ThunderCats anyways. (Via ThunderCats Lair and Poe Ghostal)VOL. 123 | NO. 171 | Tuesday, September 2, 2008
WASHINGTON (AP) – Personal incomes plunged in July while consumer spending slowed significantly as the impact of billions of dollars in government rebate checks began to wane.
The U.S. Commerce Department reported Friday that personal incomes fell by 0.7 percent in July, the biggest drop in nearly three years and a far larger decline than the 0.1 percent decrease analysts expected.
Consumer spending edged up a modest 0.2 percent, in line with expectations, but far below June’s 0.6 percent rise. When the impact of rising prices was factored in, spending actually dropped by 0.4 percent in July, the weakest showing for inflation-adjusted spending in more than four years.
The July performance for incomes and spending reinforced worries that the economy, which posted better-than-expected growth in the spring because of the rebate checks, could stumble in coming months as their impact fades.
Some economists worry that overall economic growth, which rose at a 3.3 percent annual rate from April-June, could come in at less than half that pace in the current quarter, and actually could dip into negative territory in the final three months of this year and the first quarter of 2009.
Back-to-back declines in the gross domestic product, which measures the value of all goods and services produced within the U.S. and is the best barometer of the country’s economic health, would meet one rule of thumb for a recession.
A gauge of inflation closely watched by the Federal Reserve remained elevated in July, rising by 0.6 percent. Over the past 12 months, this inflation gauge tied to consumer spending was up 4.5 percent, the biggest year-over-year increase in more than 17 years.
The surge reflected the big increases that have occurred this year in food and energy costs. Excluding food and energy, inflation by this measure was up 0.3 percent in July, and 2.4 percent over the past 12 months, still above the Fed’s comfort zone. The central bank is caught in a bind between a sluggish economy and rising inflation pressures.
The 0.7 percent drop in personal incomes followed a 0.1 percent rise in June and a 1.8 percent surge in May. After-tax incomes dropped by an even bigger 1.1 percent in July, following a 1.9 percent decline in June and a 5.7 percent surge in May. All the income figures were heavily influenced by the rebate checks.
Democrats, including presidential nominee Barack Obama, are calling for the government to pass a second stimulus package to guard against the economy slumping into a deep recession.
But President Bush, concerned about the impact the stimulus payments will have on the budget deficit, has resisted those calls, insisting that the rebate payments will continue to support the economy in coming months. The administration is already forecasting that the federal budget deficit for the budget year that begins on Oct. 1 will soar to an all-time high in dollar terms of $482 billion.
The report on consumer spending also showed that personal savings totaled 1.2 percent of after-tax incomes in July, down from a rate of 2.5 percent in June.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.The Central Coast Mariners are excited to announce the return of Championship winning defender, Josh Rose who has been added to the Yellow & Navy’s Hyundai A-League 2017/18 squad.
Rose arrived on the Central Coast in 2010, where he managed 160 Hyundai A-League appearances with the Mariners. After spending the 2016/17 season with Melbourne City, Josh Rose has today completed his medical at the Central Coast Mariners Centre of Excellence and put pen-to-paper on a one-year-contract.
A firm fan favourite on the Central Coast, ‘Rosey’ won the hearts of Mariners fans thanks to his famous overlapping runs, versatility on the pitch and unwavering efforts in the community during his six seasons on the Central Coast.
The 2010/11 Mariners Medalist knows what it means to be a Mariner, having been involved with the heartbreaking 2010/11 Grand Final but most importantly the club’s maiden Hyundai A-League Championship in 2013.
The pacey defender adds further experience to Okon’s defensive stocks alongside the likes of Alan Baro and Antony Golec and expressed his excitement to rejoin the Mariners family.
"I’m extremely happy to be back on the Central Coast, and very grateful to be given the opportunity to wear the Mariners jersey again," Rose said. "I can’t wait to get back out there in front of the supporters, family & friends again. This club means a lot to me, it’s given a lot to me in the past and I feel like I’ve still got a lot to give back to the club.
"I think there is a lot of very good talent in those young boys in the club at the moment, and I'm looking forward to working with them on the field and off the field to try and help develop their game to the best they can. I’m sure with Paolo in charge, they definitely have a massive future ahead of them,” Rose said.
Head Coach Paul Okon is confident that the return of Rose will play a major role both on and off the pitch as a mentor to the younger players in his squad.
"We are of course very happy to bring Josh home,” Okon said. “Josh has a big role to play at the club both on and off the field – his experience will be a big asset to the club, especially with so many new faces coming in.
‘Rosey’ will be jumping straight back into the community space coaching at the Mighty Mariners Football Clinics starting Wednesday this week. The clinics will be three action-packed days of football fun, held at Central Coast Stadium for boys and girls aged 5-12.
"I’ve got three sons myself and I know what it means to them when people they look up to give them their time,” Rose said. “For me to come back and do that in the community is something that I look forward to doing, I enjoy doing it and I can’t wait to get out there,” Rose said.
For more details on the Mighty Mariners Holiday Clinics click here.YouTube TV now reaches half the U.S. population with its $35 bundle of 48 channels. At this price, the service is certainly making a loss. How long can it go without a price increase?
YouTube TV reaches 50% of US population
YouTube TV announced it has launched in a further 14 markets, adding to the original five markets it previously supported. The new markets are Baltimore; Boston; Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio; Jacksonville-Brunswick, Fla.; Las Vegas; Louisville; Memphis; Nashville; Pittsburgh; San Antonio; Seattle-Tacoma; Tampa-St. Petersburg-Sarasota; and West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce, Fla.
The company says it will launch in further 17 markets in the coming weeks. With a total of 36 major metropolitan markets covered, its reach will increase 64% of the population.
New broadcaster affiliate agreements benefit YouTube TV
YouTube TV’s progress is remarkable considering the company promised it would not launch in any market that it could not deliver the top four local broadcast channels. Previously, negotiating the appropriate licenses was a Herculean task.
A licensor would have to go market-by-market negotiating with each independent affiliate separately. Also, it would have to negotiate with big affiliate groups such as Sinclair Broadcasting and Hearst Television. Then it would have to further negotiate with the big four networks to get their owned-and-operated station.
However, YouTube is the beneficiary of a new approach by the broadcasters. ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC have reached an agreement with many of their affiliates to negotiate a deal on their behalf with licensors such as YouTube TV. Stations can opt-out of these agreements if they like, but looking at YouTube TV’s rapid progress, it appears most are choosing not to.
YouTube TV is certainly making a loss
Being able to get the licensing done is one thing, but getting a good deal is quite another. The best license rate that YouTube TV could have expected to get from content providers is what traditional pay TV operators currently pay. Using estimates for those numbers, the 48 channels I receive from YouTube TV in San Francisco Bay Area would cost $34 a month.
However, YouTube is likely paying more than big operators like Comcast. Bob Iger, Disney’s CEO, mentioned that the license fees he sees from vMVPDs like YouTube TV are slightly higher than for regular operators. How much more is anyone’s guess, but even a 5% premium means YouTube is paying more in license fees than it is receiving in subscriptions.
YouTube TV can probably sustain these losses while subscriber numbers remain low. However, if the service takes off, things could get very ugly for the service.
About the estimates
Many of the channel license fees I obtained from SNL Kagan estimates for 2014. I corrected these numbers by applying a 35% increase. ESPN license fees increased from $6.04 in 2014 to $7.86 this year, a 30% increase. Comcast content license fees increased 35% between Q2 2014 and Q2 2016, while Dish’ increased 80%.
I also consulted the site whatyoupayforsports.com for current estimates of the license fees paid for major sports channels. I also used other SNL Kagan estimates for retransmission fees paid to owned-and-operated and affiliates of the major four broadcasters. These numbers gave an average cost for the four broadcasters ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC.
I could not find good estimates for some other channels. Those I estimated based on peer channel numbers and their position versus a primary channel. For example, I could not find an estimate for Disney Junior and Disney XD and priced them somewhat lower than Disney Channel.
Why it matters
YouTube TV will reach nearly two-thirds of the US population in the few weeks.
At $35 a month, the service is paying more in license fees than it is receiving in subscriber revenue.
If the service takes off YouTube could be forced to increase prices considerably.A mature cislunar logistics base “gateway” supporting lunar polar mining operations and Mars expeditions will need substantially more non-pressurized docking space for cargo and fuel than pressurized docking ports for the crew. (credit: Anna Nesterova Art) The cislunar gateway with no gate, revisited
More than four years ago, I covered the issue of cislunar planning here (see “The cislunar gateway with no gate”, The Space Review, October 1, 2012). Now the same “gateless” base concept has returned, but this time, it is not the only concept on the table. Currently there seem to be a plethora of achievable cislunar and lunar concepts, but few people seem to understand what makes any of them practical and affordable. Multiple reusable launchers, in-space vehicles, and components are being developed or have recently been announced, including the New Glenn, the Blue Moon lunar lander, SpaceX’s gigantic Interplanetary Transport System with its still unnamed booster. In addition, there are various lunar orbit combination habitats and depots proposed by Bigelow and the previously announced vehicles and concepts such as the Falcon Heavy, the XEUS lander, and the Cryote depot concept. As the obvious and practical location for a gateway to the Moon, Mars, and the asteroids, a cislunar logistics base is the first component we need in place. Operational plans that only include cislunar bases are being proposed, as well as plans which call for only lunar surface bases to be supplied directly from the Earth, in addition to the more modern, cislunar resource-supported lunar base scenarios. These plans and designs are all like pieces of a very important jigsaw puzzle, but one that, due to the current circumstances, forces us to start with the individual pieces, instead of a whole original image. Our mission, if we can manage it (politically, fiscally and technically), is to try to create a functional whole—a cislunar transportation system—out of some or most of these pieces. As the obvious and practical location for a gateway to the Moon, Mars, and the asteroids, a cislunar logistics base is the first component we need in place. I am not as concerned about which orbit any cislunar station is placed in compared to the base components, but it is still clear that the Earth Moon L1 point has an advantage since it is always in the same general area, and can be reached from any location on the moon in about 12 hours at any time without waiting for an orbital position to match. A station placed in the “near-rectilinear (lunar) halo orbit” (NRHO) proposed recently would actually be in a high, elliptical, lunar polar orbit (HELPO) that takes more propellant and time to reach from or to than most other options. The best orbits to support lunar operations have a short and relatively unchanging transit time from or to the lunar surface, a lower delta-V per trip, and which can be reached from most places on the surface at almost any time. According to one article, even the Russians recently questioned the possible selection of the NRHO orbit for the base. From my point of view, any implementation of a cislunar base as a “no gate” scenario is still a very undesirable one, which could result in lunar exploration and development being sided-tracked for half a decade or more, and push Mars exploration (at least by NASA) even further away than it is currently. I am most concerned with which base components are currently being proposed for inclusion (or not) as the crucial parts of a cislunar gateway. What the base needs to truly serve as a gateway are all the logistics components. Logistics may seem unglamorous, but if you add logistics capabilities, all of a sudden you can do important things that are otherwise impossible or impossibly expensive. In original space concepts, a space station or base was supposed to be a transit point or node, a point midway in terms of delta-V between different locations in space. The current space station is being used as a space laboratory, with essentially no logistics capabilities save for those allowing resupply from the ground. Unlike the large space station shown in the movie 2001, there are no scheduled flights to lunar bases or other locations from ours. What are the logistics capabilities we need at any cislunar base? Any base that supports reusable spacecraft must be able to handle passengers, cargo, and propellant. For passengers, that means a place of refuge and for transfer to another vehicle. For cargo, that means transfer and/or storage, and for propellant, it means transfer, storage, and dispensing via propellant depots. It is inarguable that you want a propellant supply where the reusable spacecraft are operating. You also need extensive docking positions: pressurized for passengers, and non-pressurized for external cargo, propellant, and propellant depots. It should be clearly understood that a cislunar base without a lunar base has no real purpose, and a lunar base without a cislunar base to support it is fiscally unsupportable, too dangerous, and unable to support much work. Cislunar bases that support lunar and Mars operations chop the delta-V burden for a given mission into much smaller segments. The resulting reduction in fuel mass fraction per trip segment makes reusable single-stage in-space vehicles practical and affordable. As has been said many times before, fuel is cheap but rockets are expensive. If you compare the small delta-V segments using LEO and cislunar bases with Apollo, which needed a staggering delta-V total of about 18 kilometers per second for a round trip (9.3 to reach orbit, 6 to reach and land on the Moon, and 2.75 to return to LEO), the advantages of the former become very obvious. The version of the cislunar base that has recently been proposed at a February 2017 meeting in Tsukuba, Japan, has all of the standard parts you would expect to want for a crew, including habitation modules, docking systems, an airlock, life support, communications, power and thermal control, a cupola, and a robot arm for re-supply operations. According to a recent article by Anatoly Zak, “the outpost would be under construction and operation for much of the 2020s”. What does this do to the timetable for actual lunar operations? Since the current intent is to launch components for the new station with the SLS, there would likely be no NASA funds left over for any lunar operations. However, several critical base components were not mentioned. In a cislunar or lunar orbit, far outside the magnetosphere, a crew is constantly exposed to the same flux of interplanetary solar and cosmic radiation that a crew would be exposed to on a trip to Mars. There have been many claims that such trips are impossible due to the radiation hazard. A cislunar base crew would be exposed to this hazard indefinitely, not just for eight months at a time. Without good radiation protection, a crewmember would rapidly accumulate a lifetime radiation dose and be forced to retire. Yet there is no mention of any additional mass for radiation protection at such a base. A minimum mass of protection against both cosmic and radiation might be about 150 tons of water, which would provide a 50-centimeter water blanket around one crew module. However, while this provides adequate protection from solar radiation and storms, it only reduces the cosmic radiation flux by no more than 25 percent. For a permanent ci-lunar base that needs little or no station keeping, a layer of at least three to four meters of water or equivalent fully surrounding the crew would be needed. Such a large volume of water would be easy to move from a lunar polar mining base to the cislunar base, if the lunar base existed with a means of transport. |
k))
It’s the same in scipy 0.17. So we lose! Dammit. Controller canonical form really sucks for numerical purposes.
The Right Way to Implement zpk2ss
We need a better way to implement zpk2ss, and since scipy won’t do it for us, we’ll have to do it ourselves. A little research on matrices easily shows that the way to keep the condition number of the \( A \) matrix to a minimum is to make it a pure diagonal matrix. Let’s go back to the 4th-order system we talked about earlier:
$$H(s) = \frac{P(s)}{Q(s)} = \frac{1}{(s+1)(0.5s+1)(0.2s+1)(0.1s+1)} = \frac{100}{s^4 + 18s^3 + 97s^2 + 180s + 100}$$
which has a controller canonical form of
$$ \begin{eqnarray} A &=& \begin{bmatrix} -18 & -97 & -180 & -100 \cr 1 & 0 & 0 & 0 \cr 0 & 1 & 0 & 0 \cr 0 & 0 & 1 & 0 \cr \end{bmatrix} \cr B &=& \begin{bmatrix} 1 & 0 & 0 & 0 \cr \end{bmatrix}^T \cr C &=& \begin{bmatrix} 0 & 0 & 0 & 100 \end{bmatrix} \cr D &=& 0 \end{eqnarray} $$
where the \( A \) matrix has a condition number of just over 521:
A,B,C,D = scipy.signal.tf2ss([100],[1,18,97,180,100]) np.linalg.cond(A) 521.33808185890325
We could diagonalize \( A = V\Lambda V^{-1} \) numerically:
Lambda,V = np.linalg.eig(A) print "Lambda = ", Lambda print "V =" print V print "V*diag(Lambda)*V.inv =" print np.dot(np.dot(V,np.diag(Lambda)),np.linalg.inv(V)) Lambda = [-10. -5. -2. -1.] V = [[ 9.94987442e-01 -9.79797151e-01 8.67721831e-01 -5.00000000e-01] [ -9.94987442e-02 1.95959430e-01 -4.33860916e-01 5.00000000e-01] [ 9.94987442e-03 -3.91918861e-02 2.16930458e-01 -5.00000000e-01] [ -9.94987442e-04 7.83837721e-03 -1.08465229e-01 5.00000000e-01]] V*diag(Lambda)*V.inv = [[ -1.80000000e+01 -9.70000000e+01 -1.80000000e+02 -1.00000000e+02] [ 1.00000000e+00 4.27435864e-15 1.19904087e-14 -3.55271368e-15] [ 1.04083409e-17 1.00000000e+00 1.02140518e-14 3.55271368e-15] [ 2.42861287e-17 5.55111512e-17 1.00000000e+00 -8.88178420e-16]]
But then we’ve already picked up the poison of ill-conditioning, by working with controller canonical form. It works okay for small matrices, but we shouldn’t have much hope above \( n=10 \) or so.
Instead we have to diagonalize things analytically, and that means working through the modal form, which uses a diagonal \( A \) matrix with elements equal to the transfer function poles:
$$ A = \begin{bmatrix} -10 & 0 & 0 & 0 \cr 0 & -5 & 0 & 0 \cr 0 & 0 & -2 & 0 \cr 0 & 0 & 0 & -1 \cr \end{bmatrix} $$
Now the only hard part is coming up with \( B \) and \( C \) matrices to make things work properly. There isn’t a unique choice here; we just need to make sure that the net transfer function \( H(s) = C(sI-A)^{-1}B + D \) is what we need, and for a diagonal matrix, the \( (sI-A)^{-1} \) term is also a diagonal matrix with terms \( \frac{1}{s+p} \) along the diagonal:
$$ (sI-A)^{-1} = \begin{bmatrix} \frac{1}{s+10} & 0 & 0 & 0 \cr 0 & \frac{1}{s+5} & 0 & 0 \cr 0 & 0 & \frac{1}{s+2} & 0 \cr 0 & 0 & 0 & \frac{1}{s+1} \cr \end{bmatrix} $$
The reason to use modal form is that with modes as state variables, there is no cross-coupling between modes, and in the time domain each state variable represents an independent first-order system. Very easy to analyze! As far as figuring out the \( B \) and \( C \) matrices goes, since \( (sI-A)^{-1} \) is diagonal with terms \( \frac{1}{s+p_k} \), any choice of \( B \) and \( C \) is fine that satisfies \( H(s) = \sum\limits_k \frac{b_kc_k}{s+p_k} \). We need to compute the residue coefficients \( r_k \) such that \( H(s) = \sum\limits_k \frac{r_k}{s+p_k} \) and divide up factors \( r_k \) between \( B \) and \( C \) as desired: for example, taking \( B \) as all ones and \( c_k = r_k \), or \( C \) as all ones and \( b_k = r_k \), or make them identical as \( b_k = c_k = \sqrt{r_k} \).
In our specific fourth-order case, we can use the Heaviside method to determine the residues as
$$\begin{eqnarray} a _ 0 &=& \left.\frac{100}{(s+1)(s+2)(s+5)}\right| _ {s=-10} = -\frac{5}{18} \cr a _ 1 &=& \left.\frac{100}{(s+1)(s+2)(s+10)}\right| _ {s=-5} = \frac{5}{3} \cr a _ 2 &=& \left.\frac{100}{(s+1)(s+5)(s+10)}\right| _ {s=-2} = -\frac{25}{6} \cr a _ 3 &=& \left.\frac{100}{(s+2)(s+5)(s+10)}\right| _ {s=-1} = \frac{25}{9} \end{eqnarray}$$
and therefore if we take \( B = \begin{bmatrix}1 & 1 & 1 & 1\end{bmatrix}^T \), then \( C = \begin{bmatrix}-\frac{5}{18} & \frac{5}{3} & -\frac{25}{6} & \frac{25}{9}\end{bmatrix} \), which we can verify:
H2 = scipy.signal.lti(diag([-10,-5,-2,-1]), [[1]]*4, [-5.0/18, 5.0/3, -25.0/6, 25.0/9], 0 ) print 'num=',H2.num print 'den=',H2.den print 'cond(A)=',np.linalg.cond(H2.A) num= [[ 0.00000000e+00 -1.06581410e-14 -8.52651283e-14 -1.13686838e-13 1.00000000e+02]] den= [ 1. 18. 97. 180. 100.] cond(A)= 10.0
The modal form expresses any state-space system as the parallel sum of separate first-order systems; the condition number of the \( A \) matrix is just the ratio of the largest and smallest eigenvalue magnitudes. Actual physical systems rarely have only real poles, but rather at least one pair of complex conjugate eigenvalues, so we have to be cautious with this approach, because it means the \( A \), \( B \), and \( C \) matrices will have complex coefficients; an alternative is to group any complex poles in conjugate pairs and use a block-diagonal \( A \) matrix with block elements that are either 1x1 for real poles, or 2x2 of the form \( \begin{bmatrix}-\sigma&\omega\cr-\omega&-\sigma\end{bmatrix} \), which has eigenvalues \( -\sigma\pm j\omega \). This yields real-valued matrices and can be used with all of the scipy functions; some of them don’t work well with complex-valued state-space matrixes.
Okay, so let’s do it; in the sspade.PadeExponential class I’ve included properties lti_ssmodal (pure diagonal state-space matrix) and lti_ssrealmodal (block diagonal state-space matrix):
t = np.arange(0,3,0.001) fig = plt.figure(figsize=(10,6)) ax = fig.add_subplot(1,1,1) ax.set_xlabel('t') ax.plot(t,t>=1,'--k') for q in [18,20,22]: pe = sspade.PadeExponential(q,q) zeros, poles, k = pe.zpk H = pe.lti_ssrealmodal _,y = H.step(T=t) ax.plot(t,y,label='p=q=%d' % q) ax.grid('on') ax.legend(loc='best', labelspacing=0) ax.set_ylim(-0.5,1.2);
Wheeeeeee!!!!!!!!! It works! Let’s march onward to higher degree:
t = np.arange(0,3,0.001) fig = plt.figure(figsize=(10,6)) ax = fig.add_subplot(1,1,1) ax.set_xlabel('t') ax.plot(t,t>=1,'--k') for q in [20,22,24,26,28]: pe = sspade.PadeExponential(q,q) zeros, poles, k = pe.zpk H = pe.lti_ssrealmodal _,y = H.step(T=t) ax.plot(t,y,label='p=q=%d' % q) ax.grid('on') ax.legend(loc='best', labelspacing=0) ax.set_ylim(-0.5,1.2);
Oh, it doesn’t work. Argh.... after a bunch of looking around, I noticed the lsim2 and step2 functions, which use ODE solvers to simulate; the lsim and step functions try to be smart and use closed-form solutions to linear systems (relying on matrix exponentials), and this works better for some systems but causes numerical problems in others, and high-order systems is one of those times.
So let’s use scipy.signal.step2 instead:
t = np.arange(0,3,0.001) fig = plt.figure(figsize=(10,6)) ax = fig.add_subplot(1,1,1) ax.set_xlabel('t') ax.plot(t,t>=1,'--k') for q in [20,22,24,26,28]: pe = sspade.PadeExponential(q,q) zeros, poles, k = pe.zpk H = pe.lti_ssrealmodal H.D = np.array(1) # TODO: FIX FIX FIX _,y = scipy.signal.step2(H,T=t) ax.plot(t,y,label='p=q=%d' % q) ax.grid('on') ax.legend(loc='best', labelspacing=0) ax.set_ylim(-0.5,1.2);
We managed to push things out further by another 4 degrees, to \( p=q=24 \); it’s borderline stable at \( p=q=26 \), and then fails at higher values.
Damn, damn, damn.
5. Acceptance…?
After I managed to figure out how to compute poles and zeros of high-order Padé time delay approximations using Newton’s method, I spent a very long day trying to get the ZPK implementation working, first stymied by the implementation of scipy ‘s zpk2ss, and then in a failed attempt at a modal form implementation.
It took me a long time to figure out why the modal form doesn’t work, even though the condition number of the \( A \) matrix is much lower:
pe = sspade.PadeExponential(12,12) zeros,poles,k = pe.zpk H1 = scipy.signal.lti(zeros, poles, k) H2 = pe.lti_ssrealmodal print "controller canonical form K(A)=%g" % np.linalg.cond(H1.A) print "modal form K(A)=%g" % np.linalg.cond(H2.A) controller canonical form K(A)=1.63807e+15 modal form K(A)=1.28474
Wow. The modal form has a condition number of 1.28 for \( p=q=12 \), whereas the controller canonical form has a condition number of over \( 10^{15} \). The modal form shouldn’t be causing us numerical problems at all.... but the problem is that the ill-conditioning has been “swept aside” into the \( B \) and \( C \) matrices:
print "B=" print H2.B print "C=" print H2.C B= [[ 18.05591692] [ 132.91771897] [ 851.69993802] [ 304.37549706] [ 2894.68914148] [ 2500.50514786] [ 3177.55610818] [-1303.54031239] [ 1898.61079121] [ 126.23776885] [ -223.46066064] [ 37.6807615 ]] C= [[ 18.05591692 132.91771897 851.69993802 304.37549706 2894.68914148 2500.50514786 -3177.55610818 1303.54031239 -1898.61079121 -126.23776885 223.46066064 -37.6807615 ]]
My implementation uses \( b_k = c_k = \sqrt{r_k} \) to reduce magnitudes, but there’s still a delicate cancellation between modes. Each of the modes is oscillating at its own characteristic frequency, most of them with a relatively large amplitude, and they are supposed to sum up to small values. This doesn’t work too well once the system order gets fairly large:
for q in [16,18,20,22,24]: pe = sspade.PadeExponential(q,q) zeros,poles,k = pe.zpk H2 = pe.lti_ssrealmodal print "C_%d=" % q print H2.C C_16= [[ 1.55868479e+01 5.19857547e+02 2.04887023e+03 2.57337115e+03 1.82882935e+04 7.10695442e+03 4.31275008e+04 3.60662991e+04 -4.50120393e+04 2.09511572e+04 -3.21075818e+04 -6.80395204e+02 7.59499100e+03 -1.63614662e+03 2.48124131e+02 6.35855671e+01]] C_18= [[ 6.59640301e+01 1.13979997e+02 3.42432615e+03 1.23189110e+04 1.02201903e+04 7.85142459e+04 3.08958948e+04 1.65125772e+05 1.36577005e+05 -1.69418842e+05 8.21961937e+04 -1.28145915e+05 -3.50145127e+02 3.68157292e+04 -8.01311715e+03 2.46639032e+03 -8.02882151e+02 -4.43317147e+01]] C_20= [[ 7.71477361e+01 1.09480088e+03 2.20976889e+03 1.89068039e+04 6.52104021e+04 3.93204917e+04 3.27775187e+05 1.29770199e+05 6.30151994e+05 5.16584425e+05 -6.37675797e+05 3.19757062e+05 -5.05485067e+05 6.73972798e+03 1.68214908e+05 -3.63903841e+04 1.72063240e+04 -6.14389658e+03 -1.86962826e+02 5.54803332e+01]] C_22= [[ 2.92848728e+01 6.92739882e+02 9.76114462e+03 1.95615111e+04 9.45543017e+04 3.19193112e+05 1.48199173e+05 1.34170005e+06 5.32633296e+05 2.39897177e+06 1.95222307e+06 -2.40016773e+06 1.23634882e+06 -1.97709719e+06 5.41285003e+04 7.38679949e+05 -1.57696485e+05 1.01020692e+05 -3.78633338e+04 5.91146021e+02 1.31571948e+03 -1.08300118e+02]] C_24= [[ 1.30410652e+02 1.35369198e+03 3.24570356e+03 6.70668054e+04 1.32333628e+05 4.44087115e+05 1.48231772e+06 5.50774714e+05 5.41332494e+06 2.15076021e+06 9.11611817e+06 7.37282635e+06 -9.03411488e+06 4.75871679e+06 -7.68407951e+06 3.05267070e+05 3.15357164e+06 -6.62292235e+05 5.35078004e+05 -2.06529518e+05 1.42833365e+04 1.38783403e+04 -1.40768237e+03 -1.29015506e+01]]
The modal form has good numerical stability in the \( A \) matrix, but sacrifices numerical stability in the system as a whole, so unfortunately it’s not a good choice either.
Cascade
The right choice is a cascade (series) implementation. If we can break down the system into 1st- and 2nd-order systems with appropriate eigenvalues that can be cascaded into a high-order system, then we don’t require additive cancellation between modes.
The algebra of cascaded state-space implementations is as follows:
If we have two state-space systems \( S_1 = (A_1, B_1, C_1, D_1) \) and \( S_2 = (A_2, B_2, C_2, D_2) \) such that the inputs of \( S_2 \) are the outputs of \( S_1 \), then the combined system \( S_{12} = (A_{12}, B_{12}, C_{12}, D_{12}) \) can be computed as
$$ \begin{eqnarray} A_{12} &=& \begin{bmatrix}A_1 & 0 \cr B_2C_1 & A_2\end{bmatrix} \cr B_{12} &=& \begin{bmatrix}B_1 \cr B_2D_1 \end{bmatrix} \cr C_{12} &=& \begin{bmatrix}D_2C_1 & C_2\end{bmatrix} \cr D_{12} &=& D_2D_1 \cr \end{eqnarray} $$
This cascade combination can be continued to more than two systems; for example, the three-system cascade looks like this:
$$ \begin{eqnarray} A_{123} &=& \begin{bmatrix}A_1 & 0 & 0 \cr B_2C_1 & A_2 & 0 \cr B_3D_2C_1 & B_3C_2 & A_3\end{bmatrix} \cr B_{123} &=& \begin{bmatrix}B_1 \cr B_2D_1 \cr B_3D_2D_1\end{bmatrix} \cr C_{123} &=& \begin{bmatrix}D_3D_2C_1 & D_3C_2 & C_3\end{bmatrix} \cr D_{123} &=& D_3D_2D_1 \cr \end{eqnarray} $$
And the four-system cascade looks like this:
$$ \begin{eqnarray} A_{1234} &=& \begin{bmatrix}A_1 & 0 & 0 & 0\cr B_2C_1 & A_2 & 0 & 0 \cr B_3D_2C_1 & B_3C_2 & A_3 & 0 \cr B_4D_3D_2C_1 & B_4D_3C_2 & B_4C_3 & A_4 \end{bmatrix} \cr B_{1234} &=& \begin{bmatrix}B_1 \cr B_2D_1 \cr B_3D_2D_1 \cr B_4D_3D_2D_1\end{bmatrix} \cr C_{1234} &=& \begin{bmatrix}D_4D_3D_2C_1 & D_4D_3C_2 & D_4C_3 & C_4\end{bmatrix} \cr D_{1234} &=& D_4D_3D_2D_1 \cr \end{eqnarray} $$
In general, the resulting cascaded state-space system has an \( A \) matrix which is block lower triangular; if the \( D \) terms are zero then it’s block lower bidiagonal. The condition number of this matrix isn’t as low as with the modal form (though still much lower than controller canonical form!), but overall it’s much more stable:
pe = sspade.PadeExponential(12,12) zeros,poles,k = pe.zpk H3 = pe.lti_sscascade print "cascade form K(A) = ", np.linalg.cond(H3.A) print H3.C cascade form K(A) = 7056.31427616 [[ -66.02737609 -628.04637117 -63.9781648 -196.10488621 -59.72456992 -102.02762662 -52.888034 -56.65414163 -42.63766873 -28.21917019 -26.74418646 -8.83087886]]
So finally we can try our time-delay step response with high-order systems using a cascaded implementation:
t = np.arange(0,2,0.001) fig = plt.figure(figsize=(10,6)) ax = fig.add_subplot(1,1,1) ax.set_xlabel('t') ax.plot(t,t>=1,'--k') for q in [20,40,60,80,100]: pe = sspade.PadeExponential(q,q) zeros, poles, k = pe.zpk H = pe.lti_sscascade _,y = scipy.signal.step2(H,T=t) ax.plot(t,y,label='p=q=%d' % q) ax.grid('on') ax.legend(loc='best', labelspacing=0) ax.set_ylim(-0.1,1.1);
SUCCESS! We did it!
We can reduce the ringing during the delay time (with a minor increase in ringing after the delay time) if we use a slightly lower order polynomial in the numerator of the transfer function:
t = np.arange(0,2,0.001) fig = plt.figure(figsize=(10,6)) ax = fig.add_subplot(1,1,1) ax.set_xlabel('t') ax.plot(t,t>=1,'--k') for q in [20,40,60,80,100]: p = q-4 pe = sspade.PadeExponential(p,q) zeros, poles, k = pe.zpk H = pe.lti_sscascade _,y = scipy.signal.step2(H,T=t) ax.plot(t,y,label='p=%d, q=%d' % (p,q)) ax.grid('on') ax.legend(loc='best', labelspacing=0) ax.set_ylim(-0.1,1.1);
And that’s pretty much all there is to say here....
Taking it further
Hmmm. The overshoot is kind of annoying, though, isn’t it? What if, instead of taking all 100 poles and putting them into a time delay, we put some of them into a very slight low-pass filter to attenuate the ripples?
We have to be careful here, because most sharp-cutoff low-pass filters introduce more overshoot rather than less overshoot. The best one to use is probably a Bessel filter, for two reasons:
it has very little overshoot
it has a very flat group delay; in the passband the frequency-dependence of time delay is very low
There’s another reason too; the transfer function of a Bessel filter happens to be the same as the \( p=q \) Padé approximation to a time delay, but with a numerator of 1, and the cutoff frequency scaled by a factor of \( \frac{1}{2} \). (There’s those pesky hypergeometric functions again!) So we already have all the machinery to construct a state-space system for Bessel filters.
B5 = sspade.Bessel(5, 1.0) print "5th order unit Bessel filter denominator polynomial" Bp5 = np.poly(B5.poles) assert np.all(np.imag(Bp5)<1e-12) print np.real(Bp5) B = sspade.Bessel(10, 1.0) H = B.lti_sscascade _,y = scipy.signal.step2(H,T=t) plt.plot(t,y); 5th order unit Bessel filter denominator polynomial [ 1. 15. 105. 420. 945. 945.]
A unit Bessel filter has a low-frequency group delay of 1.0, so what we can do is allocate some of the time delay to a Bessel filter and some of the time delay to a Padé delay:
a = 0.05 # 5% of the delay goes to Bessel, the rest to Pade n = 100 # order of the whole system m = 10 # order of the Bessel filter peb = sspade.Bessel(m,1.0/a) Hb = peb.lti_sscascade pe=sspade.PadeExponential(n-m,n-m,1/(1-a)) Hp=pe.lti_sscascade H1 = sspade.cascade(Hb,Hp) # System #1: cascaded Bessel + Pade t = np.arange(0,2,0.001) # System #2: Pade only pe2=sspade.PadeExponential(n-m,n) H2=pe2.lti_sscascade # System #3: Bessel only H3=sspade.Bessel(n).lti_sscascade fig=plt.figure(figsize=(10,10)) ax=[fig.add_subplot(2,1,k+1) for k in xrange(2)] for label, H in [ ('Pade %d,%d' % (pe2.p,pe2.q), H2), ('Bessel %d $\\rightarrow$ Pade %d,%d' % (m,pe.p,pe.q), H1), ('Bessel %d' % n, H3) ]: _,y = scipy.signal.step2(H,T=t) for axk in ax: axk.plot(t,y,label=label) for k in xrange(2): if k > 0: axk.set_xlim(0.9,1.1) ax[k].legend(loc='best') ax[k].set_ylim(-0.1,1.1)
The pure Bessel filter of order 100 is very smooth but not very steep. The pure Padé filter of order 100 (with numerator degree 90) is very steep but has quite a bit of ripple. The hybrid cascade isn’t quite as steep as the Padé filter but it greatly attenuates the ripple.
The thing about the Padé filter is that it optimizes the frequency response, and comes closest to any other filter of the same numerator/denominator at meeting the frequency response of a pure time delay. But time domain and frequency domain characteristics conflict to some degree: a low-pass filter with a perfectly sharp cutoff in the frequency domain implies ripple in the time domain, and vice versa. If we were optimizing, we might want to find the order-100 IIR filter that is the best least-squared approximation to the step response of a time-shifted version of a Gaussian filter:
$$h(t) = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2\pi}\tau}e^{-\frac{t^2}{2\tau^2}} \leftrightarrow H(s) = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2\pi}}e^{s^2\tau^2}$$
This is a noncausal filter, which has a step response \(
ewcommand{\erf}{\mathop{\rm erf\,}
olimits} y(t) = \frac{1}{2}\left(1 + \erf{\frac{t}{\sqrt{2}\tau}}\right) \) where \( \erf{x} \) is the error function; it ramps up smoothly from 0 to 1 with maximum slope \( \frac{1}{\sqrt{2\pi}\tau} \):
import scipy.special t = np.arange(-6,6,0.001) tau = 2.0 plt.plot(t,0.5 + 0.5*scipy.special.erf(t/np.sqrt(2)/tau)) slope = 1.0/np.sqrt(2*np.pi)/tau plt.plot([-0.5/slope, 0.5/slope],[0,1],'--r') plt.ylim(-0.02,1.02);
For certain particular combinations of delay/order/steepness, we can come pretty close to a Gaussian filter. The Bessel filter of order \( N \) and cutoff frequency \( f_0 \) is supposedly the best approximation to the Gaussian with time constant \( \tau = T_0/\sqrt{2N} \) and an added time delay \( T_0 = 1/f_0 \):
n=15 f0=2.5 T0=1.0/f0 tau=T0/np.sqrt(2*n) t = np.arange(0,2,0.001)*T0 B = sspade.Bessel(n,f0) Hb = B.lti_sscascade _,y = scipy.signal.step2(Hb,T=t) plt.figure(figsize=(8,6)) plt.plot(t,0.5 + 0.5*scipy.special.erf((t-T0)/np.sqrt(2)/tau)) plt.plot(t,y) plt.ylim(-0.05,1.05) plt.legend(['Gaussian filter tau=%.3f' % tau, 'Bessel (n=%d, f0=%.3f)' % (n,f0)], loc='upper left');
The thing is, I’m not sure if there’s a straightforward procedure for finding the best nth-order IIR filter approximation to a Gaussian filter with arbitrary time delay — where “best” here means least-squared error in the time domain. It’s one of those things that Gauss or Fourier or Legendre probably wrote a paper about some general topic, at the age of 23, of which my problem is just one special case, and they stuck it in a drawer because at the time there weren’t any applications.
So I’m just going to leave it at that.
Wrapup
The Padé approximation to \( e^{-sT} \) (PAEST) is a rational function with specified degree \( p \) in the numerator and \( q \) in the denominator, that comes very close to matching a time delay in the frequency domain, and can be used as a rational transfer function for simulating a delay of time T.
Padé approximation in general is similar to a Taylor series approach, but it uses rational functions instead of polynomials, and can produce a better approximation for certain functions that aren’t well-suited to polynomial approximation.
Polynomial coefficients for this approximation are integers (for T=1 at least) and can be computed in terms of factorials or combinations using recurrence formulas.
scipy.signal.lti can be used with numerator and denominator polynomials to simulate a Padé time delay.
can be used with numerator and denominator polynomials to simulate a Padé time delay. The low-order approximations don’t look very good (especially with \( p=q \); if \( p \) is slightly less than \( q \) they’re not too bad)
Padé time delays don’t necessarily have to be very accurate, if they are combined with other systems that have similar or slower dynamics.
Using scipy.signal.lti with polynomial coefficients of PAEST breaks down just above order 20.
with polynomial coefficients of PAEST breaks down just above order 20. The reason this approach breaks down is because numerical conditioning of polynomial coefficients becomes TOXIC as the degree increases. (And, no, TOXIC isn’t some clever acronym, I’m just emphasizing it loudly.)
as the degree increases. (And, no, isn’t some clever acronym, I’m just emphasizing it loudly.) State-space formulations of a linear system are not unique, and have several forms. The default state-space form used by scipy.signal.lti is the controller canonical form, which expresses a state-space system directly from the TOXIC polynomial coefficients of the transfer function numerator and denominator.
is the controller canonical form, which expresses a state-space system directly from the polynomial coefficients of the transfer function numerator and denominator. Analysis of the poles and zeros of PAEST is an end-run around ill-conditioned polynomial coefficients, and can be accomplished using Newton-Raphson iteration to obtain poles and zeros directly, with high-accuracy, based on residue sums using the second-order differential equation form for the hypergeometric function \( {}_1F_1 \).
PAEST with \( p<q \) is unstable if \( p \) is too small, because of the presence of right-half-plane poles.
scipy.signal.lti has a constructor that can use ZPK form (zeros, poles, DC gain) but it fails miserably because scipy.signal.zpk2ss converts ZPK form to TOXIC polynomial coefficients as an intermediate form before converting to state-space
has a constructor that can use ZPK form (zeros, poles, DC gain) but it fails miserably because converts ZPK form to polynomial coefficients as an intermediate form before converting to state-space We can convert poles and zeros of PAEST to state-space, but we have to take care in doing so.
The best-conditioned state-space \( A \) matrix uses a diagonalized (“modal”) form, but this fails on most high-order systems as well, because the ill-conditioning is pushed out to the \( B \) and \( C \) matrices, and convergence relies on delicate cancellation of sums of first-order systems.
The cascaded series form appears to be the best overall method of formulating a high-order state-space system from poles and zeros, by first grouping them into order-1 (for real poles and zeros) or order-2 (for complex conjugate poles and zeros) systems and then forming overall state-space matrices using combination formulas.
PAEST of order 100+ works well using the cascade form with scipy.signal.step2 and scipy.signal.lsim2 to simulate time-domain response.
and to simulate time-domain response. The ripple of PAEST can be reduced greatly for a given order system, by sacrificing some bandwidth and combining with a Bessel filter.
References and other stuff
The sspade module
I’ve included the sspade Python module on my bitbucket account; it is free to use under the Apache license, and has a number of features I’ve used in this article, including these:
cascade(sys1,sys2) |
way, we’re not just reacting to a cycle; rather, we become an active participant in its process.
Jera is the time for gentle movement and radical self-honesty. Reward yourself, preserve yourself, and keep dreaming.
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Like this: Like Loading...Preview: Borderlands 2 PAX Prime 2011 Demo impressions and Interview
Posted by: BatRastered Aug 31, 2011 | 4 comments
Tagged: borderlands-2 gearbox-software interview jeramy-cooke pax-2011 preview video
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Team Gouki went to PAX Prime in Seattle and got the scoop on Borderlands 2 from Gearbox Software. Read on for info from the demo, and watch the video interview with art director Jeramy Cooke.
Borderlands 2 was our number one game going into PAX. I've personally put 500 hours into the first game according to Raptr. (I've also got 100% of the acheivements!) It was hard to wait for the last day of the convention for our appointment with Gearbox, but it was worth it.
We entered the Borderlands 2 theater, adorned with art of the gunzerker and new monsters on the walls, I noticed the game was being demoed on the PC. We were introduced to Steve Gibson who proceded to give the presentation.
The first thing I noticed when they started playing the game was the addition of a minimap in the upper right corner. No more jumping into the menu to figure out where you are! It's a small touch to be sure, but it can make the game so much more enjoyable. The player then paused the game to show us the new streamlined menus. They look a whole lot better and are much narrower to fit into the split screen mode (so it looks, for now, like split screen will be vertical again). We got to see some of the Gunzerker's skill tree. You still need to be level 5 just to get your action skill and start the tree. This demo started off at level 4.
As the Gunzerker moved forward he was attacked by 2 Bullymongs, a new artic ape like creature with four arms. The Bullymongs will attack directly, or stand back and throw rocks or other pieces of the environment at you (including cars according to Steve, but we didn't see that). After picking up a "Tediore disposable gun" the player showed us how, instead of reloading a Tediore, you simply throw it away and watch it explode as a copy respawns in your hands. The explosion can be made bigger at the expense of ammo if you throw it down before the clip is empty. This was super effective against the bullymongs.
As the Gunzerker chased down his objective, a hostage you may recognize, we got to see our first bandits. The new enemy AI is a great improvement over the first Borderlands. Gone are the days where you just get some high ground and pick off the helpless saps. Now the bandits will chase you to the high ground, climbing and jumping along with you, jumping over low walls and generally not giving you any room to rest. This should help give BL2 a bit more of the challenge factor that it needs. The bandit animation has been beefed up as well; they stagger backwards realistically when shot, loose limbs if hit in the right spot, and eventually fall over dead (assuming you don't explode them of course). The animation looks great even at this early stage. The hostage, okay it was Roland the soldier class from the first game, was trapped by a mech called W4R-D3N which was moving slowly through the level and being protected by mechs. As the first round of mechs died off, the warden would shoot fireworks to signal for help and more mechs would drop in from the giant Hyperion H in the sky. As saving Roland was the objective, the waypoint moved as the warden traveled the level, showing us that mission objectives were no longer static in Borderlands 2.
The Gunzerker
The gunzerker class is a re-imagining of the bezerker (Brick) from the first game. Instead of punching things as his action skill, the gunzerker instead pulls out a second weapon which could have some awesome combined elemental effects with the right weapons. He can use ANY weapons in dual wield mode, so two rocket launchers or a minigun with a sniper. Even without knowing what the other classes action skills are, this one looks like a winner.
There's a new siren in the game too. She joined the fight about halfway through the demo to show us the drop-in/drop-out co-op that made Borderlands so successful was still in place. Gearbox would not reveal what her action skill was, only that it was definitely NOT phasewalk. (They also assured us it was "Mysterious and Powerful").
During a short driving section where we saw the new bandit truck, Steve told us that the driving mechanics had been completely re-worked so that you wouldn't get stuck on a small rock anymore. Huge smiley face there! The vehicles also don't stop when they hit an enemy that they don't insta-kill anymore, instead the skag (in this case) flew up and over the hood as he was run down by the bandit truck. Sweet...
If you're wondering if the humor is back, well I'm happy to report that this is definitely a Borderlands game. From badguys with midgets strapped to their shields to mechs named "EXP-Loader" that self destruct (get it?). The demo brought back lots of memories of seeing the original game for the first time. (Before anyone asks, we did NOT see any claptraps.)
After the demo, we had a chance to talk to Jeramy Cooke, art director for Borderlands 2. Here's the full interview.
While we confirmed that a bank will be in BL2, it was hinted during the panel later that this might be a shared bank, allowing you to move weapons and items between your saves. Personally, I'm really hoping for this!
Borderlands 2 releases sometime in 2012 for the PS3, Xbox 360 and PC (a Mac version will be released as well, and Gearbox are trying to make that simultaneous with the other three, but can't say for sure yet).
[UPDATED] Feb 22, 2012 9:53:56 PM
Feb 22, 2012 by BatRastered
Check out the latest info from the new trailer. All classes revealed, plus a release date. We get to see a ton of Maya's skill tree too!Microsoft and Skype set to allow backdoor eavesdropping
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Skype and Microsoft have managed to leapfrog common sense and build a backdoor into your favourite VOIP application. It is called Lawful Interception and is part of a new patent which Microsoft filed back in 2009, but is now preparing to unleash itself into our world due to its recent approval.
Lawful Interception means that government agencies can, without your permission, begin tracking your Skype conversations. Calls can be covertly recorded and used against you in any circumstance. It is legal, it is frightening and it is coming to a voice over IP application near you.
I understand where Microsoft is coming from. They are obliged, by law, to provide some sort of tracking tool for the authorities who require these specific services. The US law, set by CALEA (Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act), states that all telecommunications operators must enable their hardware and software for surveillance tracking. What is hard to understand is why Microsoft is so willing to open up its software for backdoor exploits. This creates a situation which welcomes exploits and willingly turns your computer into a revolving door for hackers.
Microsoft claims that Legal Intercept gently smoothes over the holes which exist in our current telecommunications setup. POTS or Plain Old Telephone Services uses a different monitoring system and one which is far too archaic for VOIP. If Microsoft manages to successfully implement Legal Intercept then it may just hold the rights to the world’s most powerful monitoring system. This is obliviously one of Microsoft’s main goals for its invasive system.
If you are feeling powerless, join the club. You could uninstall Skype, because it remains one of the best, if not the best, VOIP application. After years of use, are we now expected to sit back and relax as our privacy is invaded? India is not as impartial as I am and have warned Skype that if it does not fix its laws relating to Legal Interception then Skype will risk being blocked in India; as this is a market of 1.2-billion potential users, Microsoft will have to work hard to please the Indian telecommunication committees and remain in its good graces.
Legal Interception is not only pervasive in Skype, but will soon be in your email accounts too. The Egyptian government, famous for breaking the privacy laws of its citizens, recently ended a five-month trial of the Legal Interception application in conjunction with Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo and various other webmail providers. The software then has the further option of planting its own version of a Trojan horse executable which can be passed on to any computer via social sharing, or portable drives. In yet another irritating blow, Legal Interception will also allow targeted ads based on our user preferences to invade our screens.
Skype has more than 200-million users and, since its inception, it has been exceptionally secretive regarding its security protocols and have refused to reveal any details to the public. It has effectively asked its users to trust it, no matter what it throws at them. Microsoft cannot deny the FBI or the CIA the ability to tap calls. It is therefore placed in the precarious position of infuriating either the user or the government which wishes to track the user.
In a Nutshell: You can uninstall Skype if anonymous tracking enrages you. Otherwise, enjoy a more monitored VOIP existence. Regardless of the steps we take to cover our activities, nothing can keep us out of the spotlight of the tracking tools.
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BUSINESS OF THE MAIN COMMITTEE
The Main Committee meets at 9.30 a.m.
GOVERNMENT BUSINESS
Orders of the day
1 Crimes Amendment (Working With Children—Criminal History) Bill 2009 ( Minister for Home Affairs ): Second reading—Resumption of debate ( from 29 October 2009—Ms Grierson ).
COMMITTEE AND DELEGATION REPORTS
Orders of the day
*1 Intelligence and Security—Parliamentary Joint Committee—REPORT—review of the listing of hamas’ brigades, pkk, let and pij as terrorist organisations—MOTION TO TAKE NOTE OF DOCUMENT: Resumption of debate ( from 17 November 2009 ) on the motion of Mr Dreyfus—That the House take note of the report. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 8 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
GOVERNMENT BUSINESS— continued
Orders of the day — continued
2 national apology to the forgotten australians and former child migrants: Resumption of debate ( from 16 November 2009— Dr » « Jensen », in continuation ) on the motion of Ms Macklin.
3 Tax Laws Amendment (Resale Royalty Right for Visual Artists) Bill 2009 ( Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children's Services ): Second reading—Resumption of debate ( from 16 September 2009—Mr Billson ).
4 Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation Amendment Bill 2009 ( Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry ): Second reading—Resumption of debate ( from 22 June 2009—Mr Hunt ).
5 australia’s response to the global financial crisis—statement by the prime minister—MOTION TO TAKE NOTE OF DOCUMENT: Resumption of debate ( from 2 December 2008—Mr Melham ) on the motion of Mr Albanese—That the House take note of the document.
† 6 GRIEVANCE DEBATE: Question—That grievances be noted—Resumption of debate ( from 16 November 2009 ).
COMMITTEE AND DELEGATION REPORTS
Orders of the day
2 Economics—Standing Committee—second REPORT—review of the reserve bank of australia annual report 2008—MOTION TO TAKE NOTE OF DOCUMENT: Resumption of debate ( from 16 November 2009 ) on the motion of Mr C. R. Thomson—That the House take note of the report. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 8 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
3 Education and Training—Standing Committee—REPORT—adolescent overload? report of the inquiry into combining school and work: supporting successful youth transitions—MOTION TO TAKE NOTE OF DOCUMENT: Resumption of debate ( from 16 November 2009 ) on the motion of Ms Bird—That the House take note of the report. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 8 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
4 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs—Standing Committee—REPORT—everybody’s business: remote aboriginal and torres strait community stores—MOTION TO TAKE NOTE OF DOCUMENT: Resumption of debate ( from 16 November 2009 ) on the motion of Mr Debus—That the House take note of the report. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 8 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
5 Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade—Joint Standing Committee—REPORT—review of the defence annual report 2007-2008—MOTION TO TAKE NOTE OF DOCUMENT: Resumption of debate ( from 29 October 2009—Ms Owens ) on the motion of Mr Bevis—That the House take note of the report. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 7 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
6 Climate Change, Water, Environment and the Arts—Standing Committee—report — Managing our coastal zone in a changing climate: the time to act is now—MOTION TO TAKE NOTE OF DOCUMENT: Resumption of debate ( from 28 October 2009—Ms Hall ) on the motion of Ms George—That the House take note of the report. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 7 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
7 Treaties—Joint Standing Committee—REPORT 106: nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament—MOTION TO TAKE NOTE OF DOCUMENT: Resumption of debate ( from 17 September 2009 ) on the motion of Mr K. J. Thomson—That the House take note of the report. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 5 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
8 australian parliamentary delegation to canada and mexico (April to May 2009)—REPORT—MOTION TO TAKE NOTE OF DOCUMENT: Resumption of debate ( from 17 September 2009—Ms Hall ) on the motion of Mr Baldwin—That the House take note of the report. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 5 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
9 Corporations and Financial Services—Parliamentary Joint Committee—REPORT ON the inquiry into aspects of agribusiness managed investment schemes—MOTION TO TAKE NOTE OF DOCUMENT: Resumption of debate ( from 17 September 2009—Mr Hawker ) on the motion of Mr Ripoll—That the House take note of the report. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 5 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
10 Corporations and Financial Services—Parliamentary Joint Committee—REPORT—Statutory oversight of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission—MOTION TO TAKE NOTE OF DOCUMENT: Resumption of debate ( from 17 September 2009—Mr Hawker ) on the motion of Mr Ripoll—That the House take note of the report. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 5 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
11 Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade—Joint Standing Committee—Sealing a just outcome: Report from the inquiry into RAAF F-111 Deseal/Reseal workers and their families—MOTION TO TAKE NOTE OF DOCUMENT: Resumption of debate ( from 16 September 2009—Mr Hayes ) on the motion of Mr Bevis—That the House take note of the report. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 5 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
12 Legal and Constitutional Affairs—Standing Committee—access all areas: report of the inquiry into draft disability (access to premises - buildings) standards—MOTION TO TAKE NOTE OF DOCUMENT: Resumption of debate ( from 14 September 2009 — Mr Broadbent ) on the motion of Mr Dreyfus—That the House take note of the report. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 5 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
13 Australian Crime Commission—Parliamentary Joint Committee—Report on the inquiry into the legislative arrangements to outlaw serious and organised crime groups—MOTION TO TAKE NOTE OF DOCUMENT: Resumption of debate ( from 20 August 2009—Mr Briggs ) on the motion of Mr Hayes—That the House take note of the report. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 3 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
14 Migration—Joint Standing Committee—REPORT—Immigration detention in Australia: Facilities, services and transparency—MOTION TO TAKE NOTE OF DOCUMENT: Resumption of debate ( from 20 August 2009—Mr Broadbent ) on the motion of Mr Danby—That the House take note of the report. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless
re-accorded priority on any of the next 3 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
15 Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government—Standing Committee—Level crossing safety: An update to the 2004 Train Illumination Report—MOTION TO TAKE NOTE OF DOCUMENT: Resumption of debate ( from 25 June 2009—Mr Bradbury ) on the motion of Ms King—That the House take note of the report. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 2 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
16 Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade—Joint Standing Committee—REPORT ON the inquiry into australia’s relationship with asean—MOTION TO TAKE NOTE OF DOCUMENT: Resumption of debate ( from 24 June 2009 ) on the motion of Ms Parke—That the House take note of the report. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 2 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
17 Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government—Standing Committee—Funding regional and local community infrastructure: Principles for the development of a regional and local community infrastructure funding program (FINAL REPORT)—MOTION TO TAKE NOTE OF DOCUMENT: Resumption of debate ( from 24 June 2009 ) on the motion of Ms King—That the House take note of the report. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 2 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
18 Health and Ageing—Standing Committee—weighing it up: obesity in australia—MOTION TO TAKE NOTE OF DOCUMENT: Resumption of debate ( from 24 June 2009 ) on the motion of Mr Georganas—That the House take note of the report. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 2 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
19 Australian Parliamentary Delegation to columbia and argentina (9 to 24 august 2009)—REPORT—MOTION TO TAKE NOTE OF DOCUMENT: Resumption of debate ( from 22 June 2009 ) on the motion of Mr Randall—That the House take note of the report. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 2 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
20 Migration—Joint Standing Committee—IMMIGRATION DETENTION IN AUSTRALIA: COMMUNITY-BASED ALTERNATIVES TO DETENTION—MOTION TO TAKE NOTE OF DOCUMENT: Resumption of debate ( from 1 June 2009—Mr Danby, in continuation ) on the motion of Mr Danby—That the House take note of the report. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless
re-accorded priority on 23 November 2009. )
PRIVATE MEMBERS’ BUSINESS
Or ders of the day
1 australian live export industry: Resumption of debate ( from 16 November 2009—Mr Georganas, in continuation ) on the motion of Mr Haase—That the House:
(1) recognises that the Australian live export industry:
(a) employs 13,000 Australians nationally across 30 separate business types;
(b) contributes AUD$1.8 billion each year to Austr alia’s Gross Domestic Product;
(c) pays AUD$987 million a year in wages and salaries; and
(d) contributes AUD$830 million to regional economies and underpins the economic and social wellbeing of large slices of rural and remote Australia, particularly in Western Australia;
(2) notes that:
(a) Australia is regarded as the world leader in livestock export regulation and management;
(b) if Australia stopped live export, the trade would go to less scrupulous countries than ours and put severe supply press ure on already struggling third world countries;
(c) it would cost the Australian economy AUD$1 billion to phase out live trade;
(d) the cessation of live export would have a severe impact on domestic markets, particularly in the regions;
(e) many pasto ralists in the electoral division of Kalgoorlie do not have the option to crop as an alternative industry as suggested by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) commissioned ACIL Tasman report; and
(f) the RSPCA and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) should focus on real and relevant animal cruelty issues; and
(3) considers that the Australian Government should commit to a campaign countering RSPCA and PETA misinformation. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 8 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
2 homelessness in australia: Resumption of debate ( from 16 November 2009 ) on the motion of Mr Bradbury—That the House:
(1) notes the impact of homelessness on individuals and families around Australia;
(2) acknowledges the strategies of the Rudd Government in addressing affordable housing and homelessness;
(3) recognises the important work of not-for-profit and other community-based organisations in tackling homelessness; and
(4) congratulates the Nepean Campaign Against Homelessness on the launch of its Regional Taskforce and the work that it has been doing to improve access to affordable housing. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 8 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
3 royal papua and new guinea constabulary: 1949 to 1974: Resumption of debate ( from 16 November 2009 ) on the motion of Mr Morrison—That the House:
(1) r ecognises the service of those Australians who were employed as field constabulary officers (Kiaps) in the Royal Papua and New Guinea Constabulary between 1949 and 1974;
(2) acknowledges the hazardous and difficult conditions that were experienced by the members serving with the Royal Papua and New Guinea constabulary;
(3) notes that former members of the Regular Constabulary of the Royal Papua and New Guinea Constabulary may be entitled to long service and good conduct medals, such as the National Medal, subject to meeting eligibility criteria;
(4) supports moves to allow former members of the Field Constabulary to count their service towards the National Medal;
(5) notes that qualifying service to meet the eligibility criteria for the National Medal must include at least one day of service on or after the medal’s creation on 14 February 1975;
(6) expresses concern that many former Kiaps may not meet the eligibility criteria for the National Medal, as eligible Kiap service ceased on 30 November 1973;
(7) recognises that the Trust Territory of New Guinea, under the terms of the Papua New Guinea Act 1949 and the Trusteeship Agreement for the Territory of New Guinea, held sovereignty unto itself and as such, was at law an international country (and foreign to Australia);
(8) recognises that the Governor-General’s assent of the Papua New Guinea Act 1949 and the signing of the “Trusteeship Agreement” for New Guinea by the Australian Government, prescribed service activity whereby the service was carried out by members of the Australian Police Force and the service was undertaken as part of an international operation; and
(9) calls on the Australian Government to change the eligibility criteria applying to the Police Overseas Service Medal so as not to prevent the award of the medal to those:
(a) Australian public servants who were employed through the Australian Government and served in the Australian administered United Nations Trust Territory of New Guinea between 1949 and 1974; and
(b) individuals serving in Papua New Guinea as sworn and armed Commissioned Officers of the Royal Papua and New Guinea Constabulary (at the time an Australian External Territorial Police Force). ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 8 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
4 national bike path program: Resumption of debate ( from 16 November 2009 ) on the motion of Mr Ripoll—That the House:
(1) notes that:
(a) building community infrastructure or improving community amenity has the potential to generate local jobs and increase skill s and social capital;
(b) investment in cycling is regarded as a cost effective way to increase mobility and physical activity levels, make recreation accessible and boost regional tourism; and
(c) small shifts in transport modes to other forms, such as cycling, may provide substantial dividends and important benefits for the transport and freight sector and reduce congestion, increase efficiency and lower greenhouse gas emissions; and
(2) supports:
(a) the Government’s National Bike Path Program and other programs which encourage people to take up cycling;
(b) awareness programs, initiatives, organisations and individuals that promote cycling as a way of getting fitter, having some fun, reducing traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions; and
(c) policies, projects and initiatives that deliver increased options for cycling infrastructure. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 8 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
5 Assisting the Victims of International Terrorism Bill 2009 ( Mr Abbott ) : Second reading ( from 16 November 2009 ). ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 8 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
6 magill youth training centre: Resumption of debate ( from 26 October 2009 ) on the motion of Mr Briggs—That the House:
(1) notes that:
(a) the young people detained in the Magill Youth Training Centre in South Australia are being held in degrading co nditions; and
(b) in the assessment of Australia’s United Nations Youth Representative, Mr Chris Varney, this represents a breach of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child;
(2) recognises that:
(a) in 2006, the South Australian Labor Go vernment acknowledged that the centre was in need of replacement as it breached modern building codes and occupational health and safety requirements; and
(b) the South Australian Government is yet to keep its election promise; and
(3) calls on the Feder al Youth Minister to intervene in this urgent matter and ensure that a new centre is built as promised by the South Australian Labor Government. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 7 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
7 forgotten australians: Resumption of debate ( from 26 October 2009 ) on the motion of Mrs Gash, as amended—That the House:
(1) recognises the extent of abuse and neglect inflicted on Australian children who were placed in the care of the Government in institutions or out of home care during the last century;
(2) acknowledges the neglect of all governments that allowed this abuse, pain and suffering to continue for so many years;
(3) acknowledges organisations such as the Care Leavers Australia Network (CLAN), Alliance for Forgotten Australians (AFA) and the Child Migrants Trust who have supported the forgotten Australians whose lives have been adversely affected as a result of their childhood abuse; and
(4) calls on the Government to continue working with the Opposition on an unequivocal apology to all victims of such abuse. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 7 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
8 australian food labelling standards: Resumption of debate ( from 26 October 2009 ) on the motion of Mr Zappia—That the House:
(1) notes the widespread calls from throughout the community to provide more clar ity with respect to Australian food labelling standards;
(2) acknowledges progress made to date in ensuring that Australian food labelling laws provide consumers with the relevant and clear information that they require to make informed product choices;
(3) notes that Australian producers and consumers will benefit from clearer food labelling laws and that there are economic and health outcomes related to this matter;
(4) acknowledges the importance of this matter to both Australian producers and consumers; and
(5) notes and supports the review being undertaken by the Australian and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council and asks the Minister for Health and Ageing to consider any options available to speed up the review process. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless
re-accorded priority on any of the next 7 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
9 national landcare week: Resumption of debate ( from 26 October 2009 ) on the motion of Mr Chester—That the House:
(1) notes that National Landcare Week, 7 to 13 September, in 2009 commemorated 20 years of service across Australia;
(2) recognises that Landcare:
(a) is primarily a community driven, grassroots organisation that involves local people achieving locally significant environmental aims; and
(b) v olunteers make an extraordinary contribution by understanding practical environmental work; and
(3) highlights the need for ongoing funding to employ Landcare facilitators and coordinators who play a pivotal role in:
(a) managing the volunteer programs;
(b) assisting community groups;
(c) providing professional advice; and
(d) mobilising volunteer effort. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless
re-accorded priority on any of the next 7 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
10 airservices australia and perth airport: Resumption of debate ( from 19 October 2009 ) on the motion of Mrs Moylan—That the House:
(1) notes that:
(a) s ubstantial changes to air flight paths were made by Airservices Australia in November 2008 in relation to Perth Airport;.
(b) Airservices Australia is a corporation which receives income from airlines and other corporate clients, and that it has control over the location of and changes to flight paths;
(c) although the Perth Airport Noise Management Committee was advised that a Western Australian Air Route Review had commenced, the committee members were not advised of the commencement of the changes or the selection of the final flight paths;
(d) Airservices Australia stated that the rationale for the changes to flight paths related to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) Safety Review and were required due to the need to ‘maintain safety, reduce complexity and cope with the rapid and predicted continued increase in air traffic.’;
(e) Perth Airport has already exceeded traffic levels not expected until 2015;
(f) prior to the changes, the CASA Safety Review and the noise impact statements were not made available to the committee;
(g) there is no evidence of an open, accountable and effective public consultation process by Airservices Australia prior to the changes occurring; and
(h) there has been:
(i) a high level of public disquiet about the c hanges that have been made and the lack of public consultation; and
(ii) no revision of the Noise Abatement Procedures since 2004; and
(2) calls on the Government to:
(a) examine whether there is a conflict of interest in Airservices Australia’s roles t hat may impact on the public;
(b) implement an inquiry into the legislative arrangements governing airports with particular reference to the establishment of an open and accountable public consultation process before changes are made to aircraft flight paths;
(c) establish a nationally consistent approach to the management of increased air traffic and changes to air flight paths with reference to noise abatement issues; and
(d) consider appointing an Airport Ombudsman to provide an independent agency to examine public grievances in the management of changes to airport operations and their effect on the public. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 6 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
11 infrastructure projects: Resumption of debate ( from 19 October 2009 ) on the motion of Mr Ripoll—That the House:
(1) notes that:
(a) a comprehensive and accessible rail transport system is an important link in the Australian transport chain that joins communities and strengthens industry; and
(b) the Australian Government has invested an unprecedented $26.4 billion investment in road and rail infrastructure through the Nation Building Program over the six year period from 2008-09 to 2013-14; and
(2) supports:
(a) the Australian Government’s budget announcement of more than $25 billion for key road, rail and port projects;
(b) fiscal strategies and major infrastructure projects that aim to create jobs and boost long term productivity; and
(c) the continued e ncouragement of private involvement in delivering new infrastructure. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 6 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
12 national schools chaplaincy program: Resumption of debate ( from 19 October 2009 ) on the motion of Mr Randall—That the House:
(1) notes that in 2007, the Coalition Government initiated the Nati onal Schools Chaplaincy Program (NSCP);
(2) acknowledges the important role of school chaplains in supporting the personal, spiritual and emotional wellbeing of students at schools throughout Australia;
(3) recognises that school chaplains provide essential services to students of all ages, staff and the wider school community, assisting them resolve emotional, social and everyday issues and build relationships;
(4) notes that the Government’s failure to renew existing contracts awarded under the NSCP will impact student welfare, personal and academic development and place additional pressure on school resources; and
(5) calls on the Government to:
(a) extend the NSCP beyond the life of the existing contracts due to expire in 2010;
(b) support an exten sion of the program to make chaplains available to more schools; and
(c) acknowledge that failing to renew funding for this widely accessed service will disadvantage students. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 6 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009.)
13 Clean Energy Security Bill 2009 ( Mr Tuckey ) : Second reading—Resumption of debate ( from 19 October 2009 ). ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 6 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
14 problem gambling: Resumption of debate ( from 14 September 2009—Ms Rishworth, in continuation ) on the motion of Mr Champion—That the House:
(1) notes with concern that the incidence of problem gambling has increased since the introduction of e lectronic gaming machines in communities around Australia, particularly due to the design and structural features of the electronic gaming machines;
(2) recognises that the current legislation and regulation of electronic gaming machines do not provide adequate protection to consumers;
(3) notes with deep concern that the availability of treatment services for problem gamblers is inadequate;
(4) acknowledges that problem gambling associated with the use of electronic gaming machines causes financial and emotional damage to individual gamblers and their families; and
(5) calls upon State governments and the gambling industry to work together to limit the harm caused to problem gamblers from electronic gaming machines. ( Order of the day will be removed from the Notice Paper unless re-accorded priority on any of the next 5 sitting Mondays after 23 November 2009. )
15 dairy industry: Resumption of debate ( from 14 September 2009 ) on the motion of « Dr » Stone—That the House:
(1) recognises the crisis now facing the dairy industry supplying export markets, as they are forced to take prices close to or below the costs of production; and
(2) calls on the Government to:
(a) provide the immediate assistance needed to ensure these dairy farmers are not forced to sell their herds or their water, destroying the prospects for recovery of this industry when export markets recover; and
(b) remember how swiftly it responded to the crisis in Australia’s automotive and retail sectors, as it considers support of the multi-billion dollar dairy export sector which |
sixty years earlier, in 1870, when it had gobbled up French-owned Alsace-Lorraine in a bid to craft a unified German nation-state.30 No, by 1931 – courtesy of the League’s collective-security system and the 1928 Kellogg-Briand Pact, which denied states the right to wage aggressive war31 – a nation would have to fake it in order to get away with it. Hitler, of course, had been watching and taking notes on Manchuria, and when he decided to invade Poland in 1939, he felt he needed to create a veneer of self-defensive indignation before sending his already-primed army over international borders. Thus ensued what has come to be known as the “Gleiwitz Incident:” To create the appearance of Polish aggression against Germany, Hitler’s lieutenants had German troops dress up as Poles and attack German installations along the German-Polish border. [By August 1939 Hitler] was left with no alternative but to attack Poland and to fight England and France as well. Still he had no excuse for war. The Poles were not threatening Germany with military force; it was Germany who was rattling the saber. Lacking an excuse, Hitler proceeded to fabricate one. Early in August, 1939, a plan had been conceived for this purpose by the Chief of the Security Police and SD, Heydrich, to stage simulated border raids by personnel of the Gestapo and SD dressed as Poles. To add authenticity, it was planned to take certain prisoners from concentration camps, kill them by the use of hypodermic injections, and leave their bodies, clad in Polish uniforms, at the various places 30.In his memoir, Prussian Chancellor Otto von Bismarck remarked: "I did not doubt that a Franco-Prussian War must take place before the construction of a United Germany could be realised." Otto von Bismarck (A.J. Butler, trans.), BISMARCK: THE MAN AND THE STATESMAN, Vol. 2 (originally published in 1898; reprinted in 2007 by Cosimo Classics, New York), at 58. 31.General Treaty for the Renunciation of War As an Instrument of National Policy, arts. I-II, Aug. 27, 1928, 46 Stat. 2343, 94 L.N.T.S. 57.
9/11 AS FALSE FLAG 14 where the incidents supposedly were to occur. On August 31 these ‘border incidents’ were staged at Beuthen, Hindenburg, Gleiwitz, and elsewhere.32 The Gleiwitz Incident was not forgotten by the United States or its allies during the course of World War II. In fact, after the war they specifically included it in the bill of particulars on the conspiracy charge levied against the major Nazi war criminals at Nuremberg,33 and the Nuremberg Tribunal heard affidavit testimony regarding it.34 There is, further, tantalizing evidence to suggest that the lessons drawn by the Allies from the Gleiwitz Incident – the foremost being that false flag attacks do occur – shaped the debate about the scope of the right of self-defense under the new U.N. system being planned at the end of the war in San Francisco. Commenting on the drafting history of Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, Thomas Franck noted: Even the terminology eventually agreed upon, preserving states’ ʹinherent right of individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a Member of the United Nationsʹ (Article 51) was criticized by Archibald MacLeish, within the US delegation, as ʹtoo vague.ʹ He ʹrecalled that Germany had entered Poland at the beginning of the present war on the pretext that Poland had attacked her.ʹ35 Perhaps one reason why few people outside Germany believed Hitler at the time regarding his claim of Polish aggression, and why after the war some statesmen seemed preoccupied with the issue of false flags justifying aggression, was because people remembered 32.WHITNEY R. HARRIS, TYRANNY ON TRIAL: THE TRIAL OF THE MAJOR GERMAN WAR CRIMINALS AT THE END OF WORLD WAR II AT NUREMBERG, GERMANY, 1945-1946 (Southern Methodist U. Press 1999) (rev. ed.), at 124. 33.See Nuremberg Trial Proceedings, Vol. 1, Indictment, Section IV(F)(4)(b) ("Accordingly, after having denounced the German-Polish Pact of 1934 on false grounds, the Nazi conspirators proceeded to stir up the Danzig issue, to prepare frontier ʹincidentsʹ to ʹjustifyʹ the attack, and to make demands for the cession of Polish territory. Upon refusal by Poland to yield, they caused German armed forces to invade Poland on 1 September 1939, thus precipitating war also with the United Kingdom and France. ") (internal quotation marks in the original). 34.HARRIS, supra note XXX, at 124-26. 35.Franck, supra note 22, at 48 (footnote and citation omitted).
9/11 AS FALSE FLAG 15 the occurrence of a notorious false-flag event early in the Nazi reign, to wit, the Reichstag Fire of 1933. The story is relatively straightforward: The Nazis set fire to the German Parliament (the Reichstag) but blamed the crime on a group of communists in order to justify a mass political witch hunt of the German left, the termination of political and civil liberties for the citizenry at large, and the seizure of totalitarian political control over Germany.36 What is important about this false flag for our purposes is the extent to which it was viewed (both at the time and years later at Nuremberg) as an act of state terror having international ramifications. The Nazis, after all, had made no secret of their irredentist designs on the post-war peace of Europe as enshrined in the Versailles settlement,37 and it was generally believed that any event which would enable them to seize power within Germany would also enable them to begin their march toward the use of aggressive war to re-draw the map of Europe. The feeling was ripe that the international community – in some way, shape or form – had to become involved in litigating the facts of the Reichstag Fire. The upshot of this international concern was the convening of a citizen-initiated Legal Commission of Inquiry in London in September, 1933, shortly before the commencement of the actual trial of the communist defendants in Germany. Doubting the ability (or willingness) of the German judiciary to afford the defendants a fair trial, the London Commission resolved to 36.See Nuremberg Trial Proceedings, Vol. 1, Indictment, Section IV(D)(2)(1); John Mage and Michael E. Tigar, The Reichstag Fire Trial, 1933-2008: The Production of Law and History, 60 MONTHLY REV. 24-49, 27-28 (2009). In the early 1960s, under the pressure of Cold War-era anti-communism and a concomitant need to rehabilitate the Nazi-dominated German judiciary, a revisionist account of the Reichstag Fire emerged, according to which one of the defendants (Dutch anarchist Marinus van der Lubbe) had been the sole perpetrator and the Nazis were innocent. See id. at 42-45. This revisionisn – endorsed by none other than the CIA in its effort to defend the ʺlone assassinʺ thesis of the Warren Commission against its first-generation critics, see DEHAVEN- SMITH, supra note XX, at 200 – was conclusively debunked by German scholars following the end of the Cold War and German re-unification. The Nazis did, in fact, do it. See id. at 45-47. 37.See Nuremberg Trial Proceedings, Vol. 1, Indictment, Section IV(B).
9/11 AS FALSE FLAG 16 hear evidence in the matter and come to a verdict regarding responsibility.38 The judges/jurors were nine public-spirited international lawyers, including Arthur Garfield Hays, co-founder of the American Civil Liberties Union. The London Commission – which in key respects should be regarded as the precursor of the many 9/11 truth movements and international citizens’ inquiries that have striven to investigate the 9/11 case – quickly concluded that the Nazis had torched the Reichstag. Twelve years later, the Nuremberg Tribunal agreed that the crime of the Reichstag Fire was relevant to proof of a crime of international dimension (i.e. the crime of aggression), and heard evidence of Nazi responsibility for it.39 B. Operation Northwoods and the Larger Historical Context Jim Garrison, the New Orleans prosecutor who for years tried to investigate the assassination of President Kennedy, once remarked, “I’m afraid, based on my own experience, that fascism will come to America in the name of national security.” 40 He was, perhaps, closer to the truth than he realized, for it was during the Kennedy Administration that senior U.S. military officials proposed a false-flag terror operation to justify international war with Cuba 38. See A Mock Trial: Reichstag Fire, Legal Commission, THE COURIER-MAIL, Sept. 16, 1933, http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/1120113 (date accessed 11/17/15). The international character of the London Commission’s work was clear: The commission’s work was part of an international protest movement, focused not solely upon the pending and impending judicial proceedings in Germany, but also upon the National Socialist seizure of power using the fire as a pretext. The commission had the benefit of an extensive investigation conducted by the World Committee for the Relief of the Victims of German Fascism, which assembled physical evidence and found witnesses. See Mage and Tigar, supra note XX, at 29. 39.See ANN TUSA and JOHN TUSA, THE NUREMBERG TRIAL (MacMillan 1983), at 330 (testimony of Hans Gisevius implicating Goering and Goebbels in the fire). 40.Jim Garrison Interview, PLAYBOY MAGAZINE, October, 1967, available at http://www.whale.to/b/jim_garrison_i.html (date accessed 11/18/15).
9/11 AS FALSE FLAG 17 that would have made the likes of Reinhard Heydrich proud indeed. The plan was called Operation Northwoods, and it entailed the following: [T]he plan, which had the written approval of the Chairman and every member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, called for innocent people to be shot on American streets; for boats carrying refugees from Cuba to be sunk on the high seas; for a wave of violent terrorism to be launched in Washington, D.C., Miami, and elsewhere. People would be framed for bombings they did not commit; planes would be hijacked. Using phony evidence, all of it would be blamed on Castro, thus giving [Joint Chiefs Chairman Lyman Lemnitzer] and his cabal the excuse, as well as the public and international backing, they needed to launch their war.41 Northwoods included proposals for false-flag acts of sabotage of the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; the sinking of a U.S. Navy ship in the Guantanamo Bay harbor (casualty lists for which, it was hoped, “would help cause a helpful wave of national indignation”); the blowing up of John Glenn’s rocket ship during his historic space flight; and a highly elaborate deception for simulating the shooting-down of civilian airplanes which involved the retrofitting of aircraft by the CIA, secret landings and disembarkation of passengers, and the surreptitious substitution of drones for aircraft.42 On behalf of the Joint Chiefs, Lemnitzer submitted the Northwoods plan to President Kennedy’s Secretary of Defense, Robert MacNamara, whereupon it was summarily quashed.43 41. JAMES BAMFORD, BODY OF SECRETS: ANATOMY OF THE ULTRA SECRET NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY (Doubleday 2001), at 82. The original Operation Northwoods documents were declassified and released to the public in 1997, and are available online at http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/news/20010430/northwoods.pdf. 42.BAMFORD, supra note XX, at 84-86. 43.BAMFORD, supra note XX, at 86-87. Some scholars who specialize in the “sociology of conspiracy- theorizing” describe Northwoods in a way that trivializes it. Uscinski and Parent, for example, describe Northwoods as an “outlandish conspirac[y]” that “found no reception among decision makers.” USCINSKI and PARENT, supra note XX, at 32. If by “outlandish” they mean clownish, amateurish, or unserious, Northwoods was quite clearly none of these things. And if by “no reception” they mean to suggest that all (or most) responsible officials within the U.S. Government rejected the plan, they are simply wrong. As far as the historical record tells us, only President Kennedy and his chosen civilian liaison to the military (MacNamara) stood in the way of the plan’s execution – no one else. James Bamford puts the issue nicely into perspective: Lemnitzer was a dangerous – perhaps even unbalanced – right-wing extremist in an extraordinarily sensitive position during a critical period. But Operation Northwoods also had the support of every single member of the Joint Chiefs of
9/11 AS FALSE FLAG 18 Manchuria, the Reichstag Fire, and the Gleiwitz Incident were all undisputed, fully- executed false flags, but none of them resulted in mass (or even many) casualties. Northwoods, on the other hand, gets us far closer to 9/11 in terms of an historical precedent, as it would have involved multiple theatres of operation and hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of innocent victims. Moreover, when set within the context of two larger and closely-related categories of state malfeasance – namely, false flags used for domestic political purposes and false pretenses for war not involving the use of false flags – the 9/11 false-flag scenario becomes scarily thinkable and, if you will, speakable. As to the former category, we have strong evidence that Western democratic governments have perpetrated acts of mass-casualty, false-flag terrorism against their own populations in order to discredit internal political opposition.44 As to the latter category, we have strong evidence that the U.S. Government lied about being attacked in order to commence full-scale war against North Vietnam in 1964,45 and lied about the danger of Staff, and even senior Pentagon official Paul Nitze argued in favor of provoking a phony war with Cuba. The fact that the most senior members of all the services and the Pentagon could be so out of touch with reality and the meaning of democracy would be hidden for four decades. Id. at 90. 44. In the early stages of the Cold War, NATO and the governments of various West European countries arranged for the formation of a clandestine network of resistance fighters that would be activated to fight against the Soviets in the event they invaded and occupied Western Europe. The project was codenamed Operation Gladio. The backbone of the Gladio network were far-right and Neo-Nazi groups working in coordination with carefully compartmentalized sections of the Western security and intelligence services. Although the Soviets never invaded Western Europe, NATO nonetheless activated the network to commit political assassinations and mass-atrocity terror attacks that were blamed on Western European communists for the purpose of discrediting the West European left. See generally PAUL L. WILLIAMS, OPERATION GLADIO: THE UNHOLY ALLIANCE BETWEEN THE VATICAN, THE CIA, AND THE MAFIA (Prometheus Books 2015); RICHARD COTTRELL, GLADIO: NATO’S DAGGER AT THE HEART OF EUROPE (Progressive Press 2010); DANIELE GANSER, NATO’S SECRET ARMIES: OPERATION GLADIO AND TERRORISM IN WESTERN EUROPE (Frank Cass 2005). Between 1963 and 1969 (years when Gladio was fully operational), NATO was headed by none other than General Lyman Lemnitzer of Operation Northwoods fame, who had been fired as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by President Kennedy in 1962. 45. The Johnson Administration knowingly lied when it claimed that a U.S. naval vessel had been fired upon by the North Vietnamese in the Gulf of Tonkin.. See JOHN J. MEARSHEIMER, WHY LEADERS LIE: THE TRUTH ABOUT LYING IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS (Duckworth Overlook 2011), at 48-49; ERIC ALTERMAN, WHEN PRESIDENTS LIE: A HISTORY OF OFFICIAL DECEPTION AND ITS CONSEQUENCES (Viking Penguin 2004), at 160- 237 (concluding that ʺ[t]he violation of public trust and the corruption of public leadership that Tonkin inspired
9/11 AS FALSE FLAG 19 being attacked in order to commence war against Iraq in 2003.46 Both sets of lies resulted in wars in which vast numbers of innocent people perished. Putting all these pieces together, what emerges is a horrifying mosaic showing the very real possibility of a mass-casualty false-flag attack being executed to justify international war. To dismiss this possibility out-of-hand, or to deny the right and the duty of the international community to investigate it, is nothing short of irrational. PART II WHY WE HAVEN’T CARED THUS FAR Why, then, are so many of us behaving irrationally? Why haven’t we (scholars, statesmen, bureaucrats, the mainstream press) been willing to scrutinize the facts of 9/11 to determine if that event wasn’t a modern-day Operation Northwoods? We look at 9/11, yet we choose not to see it. We treat it as a taboo subject – yet one of our own making. Using the language of litigation, we might say that although the official 9/11 account has been repeatedly indicted by alternative 9/11 literature and investigation, a trial has failed to take place. Indeed, we have taken this indictment – one that the historical record tells us is perfectly reasonable on its face –and quashed it for failure to charge a cognizable offense. If 9/11 alternativism were a civil claim sounding in tort, it could quite handily survive a summary judgment motion by the Government, yet we have granted the Government’s motion to throw it out on a 12(b)(6) motion for failure to state a claim. The question almost asks itself: Why are we doing this? continued to haunt U.S. politics for decadesʺ). As many will be aware, this fabricated incident was the casus belli justifying America’s war in Vietnam. 46. The Bush II Administration knowingly lied when it claimed that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction and/or was involved in the 9/11 attacks. MEARSHEIMER, supra note XX, at 49-55; ALTERMAN, supra note XX, at 296-306.
9/11 AS FALSE FLAG 20 This is a sensitive topic, and, again, before we broach it relative to ourselves, it might be easier to broach it in a safer way: historically, and relative to our ancestors. Let us, in effect, gore their ox, and then perhaps we might be willing to gore our own. A. Lochner-Era Formalism and Pound’s ‘Legal Monks’ One of the rites of passage for nearly every American law student who studies constitutional law is to learn about the sordid tale of “Lochner-era formalism.” The term derives from the 1905 case Lochner v. New York,47 in which the U.S. Supreme Court declared unconstitutional a New York state law that limited the number of hours each day a baker could work. The Supreme Court rejected New York’s argument that the law was necessary to protect the health of bakers, calling it an "unreasonable, unnecessary and arbitrary interference with the right of the individual … to enter into those contracts in relation to labor which may seem to him appropriate or necessary." 48 During the thirty years that followed Lochner – until its decision in West Coast Hotel Co. v. Parrish49 – the Court persisted in striking down state and federal laws that sought to protect the welfare of workers.50 The “formalism” of which the Justices stood accused by their critics – both at the time and since – amounted to an intellectual insulation from “social facts” that kept them from appreciating the realities of modern industrial relations. Those realities fatefully disadvantaged workers in contract negotiations with their would-be employers and rendered talk of “freedom of contract” cruelly farcical. By refusing to gaze upon those realities and draw the necessary inferences from them in assessing protective legislation, the Justices were, in Roscoe Pound’s 47.198 U.S. 45 (1905). 48.198 U.S. at 56. 49.300 U.S. 379 (1937). 50.See, e.g., Adkins v. Children’s Hospital, 261 U.S. 525 (1923) (holding that minimum wage laws violated the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause).
9/11 AS FALSE FLAG 21 colorful words, behaving as “[l]egal monks who pass their lives in an atmosphere of pure law, from which every worldly and human element is excluded....” 51 In many ways Pound authored the received wisdom of Lochner. Yet as recent scholarship has shown,52 the picture he conveyed was somewhat distorted; the reality of what the Lochner-era judges were up to was more complicated than he cared to admit. Strangely enough, those judges were both virulently anti-empirical and empirical at one and the same time. Their anti-empiricism was dictated by an abstract, and highly ideological, laissez-faire- era assumption about the nature of equality in modern industrial relations. Drawing a page out of Herbert Spencer’s Social Statics (to paraphrase Holmes’ Lochner dissent53), the judges assumed, with little attention to real-world conditions, symmetrical bargaining power as between employers and employees (i.e. that employers and employees were equally free to accept, or walk away from, proposed labor contracts).54 In this (wholly fictitious) world of symmetrical power,55 social-welfare legislation represented an impermissible attempt, either to 51.Roscoe Pound, The Need of a Sociological Jurisprudence, 19 GREEN BAG 607, 612 (1907). 52.See, e.g., Noga Morag-Levine, Facts, Formalism, and the Brandeis Brief: The Origins of a Myth, U. ILL. L. REV. 59-102 (2013); DAVID E. BERNSTEIN, REHABILITATING LOCHNER: DEFENDING INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS AGAINST PROGRESSIVE REFORM (2011); BRIAN Z. TAMANAHA, BEYOND THE FORMALIST-REALIST DIVIDE: THE ROLE OF POLITICS IN JUDGING (2010). 53.See 198 U.S. at 75. 54.Writing for the majority, Justice Peckham stated: There is no reasonable ground for interfering with the liberty of person or the right of free contract by determining the hours of labor in the occupation of a baker. There is no contention that bakers as a class are not equal in intelligence and capacity to men in other trades or manual occupations, or that they are not able to assert their rights and care for themselves without the protecting arm of the State, interfering with their independence of judgment and of action. They are in no sense wards of the State. Id. at 57. 55. See J. M. Balkin, Ideology and Counter-Ideology From Lochner to Garcia, 54 U.M.K.C. L. Rev. 175, 176 n.7 (1985) (The Lochner-era Court’s ʺexaltation of liberty of contract concealed the economic coercion that may result in a regime of free contract where parties have vastly different amounts of economic resources and bargaining power.ʺ)
9/11 AS FALSE FLAG 22 rig an otherwise equal game in favor of the worker, or to prevent the worker from exercising his personal sovereignty in deciding whether to accept the terms of employment offered. 56 The only way such legislation might be justified was on narrow “health” grounds: If the legislature could show that its law was intended only to safeguard the physical health of the workers, rather than to paternalistically interfere in the industrial bargaining relationship itself, the law might pass constitutional muster.57 Interestingly, it was at this point in their reasoning that the Lochner-era judges suddenly became very interested in the real world. For on the question of health dangers, they were not content merely to accept the say-so of the legislature (i.e. they were not prepared to be bound by the mere “forms” of legislative assurances), but instead insisted on reviewing the health facts for themselves in an exercise of quasi-de novo review.58 56. Justice Peckham again: [W]hen the state, by its legislature, in the assumed exercise of its police powers, has passed an act which seriously limits the right to labor or the right of contract in regard to their means of livelihood between persons who are sui juris (both employer and employee), it becomes of great importance to determine which shall prevail - the right of the individual to labor for such time as he may choose, or the right of the state to prevent the individual from laboring, or from entering into any contract to labor, beyond a certain time prescribed by the state.... Of course the liberty of contract relating to labor includes both parties to it. The one has as much right to purchase as the other to sell labor. 198 U.S. at 54, 56. See also Balkin, supra note XX, at 178-79. 57.198 U.S. at 53. 58.As Morag-Levine explains: The portrayal of Lochner-era courts as preoccupied with abstract rules (to the exclusion of facts)... is contradicted by the presence of references to encyclopedias, legislative reports, and medical textbooks both in judicial opinions and litigant briefs of the time.....The Lochner decision gave short shrift to the bakery law’s proffered health rationale not because it approached the issue through deductive reasoning or abstract conceptions, but because, quite on the contrary, it assumed the task of evaluating for itself the pertinent legislative facts. In doing so, the Lochner Court rejected the longstanding progressive position that social legislation was entitled to judicial deference. Morag-Levine, supra note XX, at 61, 63 (footnotes omitted). That said, neither the empirical reality nor constitutional status of ʺfreedom of contractʺ was at issue in Lochner, only the question of whether the maximum- hours law could be justified on health grounds.
9/11 AS FALSE FLAG 23 Looking back at Lochner today, we can put its benighted “formalism” into clearer perspective than Pound was able to. Properly understood, that formalism – in the form of a priori assumptions about the nature of industrial relations that bore no semblance to reality – operated to keep certain issues off the table. The State of New York could not talk about (because it could not hope to win by citing) workers’ poverty, or the disempowering effect of worker demographics, or how each of these factors, separately or in combination, prevented workers from bargaining equally with employers. To have talked about either of these things would have been to impugn the formidable laissez-faire paradigm on which the Lochner Justices based their world view. Having thus rendered the explosive subject of class-based inequality off-limits and taboo, the formalism then served to channel discussion and fact- finding into a much narrower tributary – that of “health dangers” – the navigation of which involved fairly prosaic questions about the weaknesses of middle-age respiratory systems and the requirements of podiatric fitness. These were, of course, downstream phenomena of relatively minor importance, but focusing on them kept the social order intact until, ultimately, the pressures of the Great Depression priced the judges’ disassociation-from-reality out of the market. B. Our Modern-Day Lochner The notion of taboo subjects that are off the table, combined with a penchant for empiricism in areas of relatively minor concern, should sound familiar to anyone who has considered the ways establishment scholars, statesmen and journalists have treated the subject of 9/11.
9/11 AS FALSE FLAG 24 In the 9/11 context, the key taboo claim is that the government is not well-intentioned toward its citizenry. Importantly, this claim is no more entertained by the establishment today than the claim that workers lacked equal bargaining power was entertained by the Lochner-era establishment. It is not entertained because it impugns a formidable paradigm, according to which government officials and agencies in the First-World West uniformly and consistently work to advance the welfare of the citizenry at large. A few examples will suffice to show this paradigm at work. Throughout their analysis of how best to combat false conspiracy theories – such as (allegedly) 9/11 alternativism – Sunstein and Vermeule “assume a well-motivated government that aims to eliminate conspiracy theories, or draw their poison, if and only if social welfare is improved by doing so.ʺ 59 Although they readily concede that this assumption might be false, they go ahead and make it, they say, because it is a ʺstandardʺ assumption to make in policy analysis.60 (Translation: We will base our study on an arguably flawed premise because we do not care to inquire into the nature of a world governed by its opposite.) Well-regarded international relations theorist John J. Mearsheimer writes an entire book detailing the lies that Western leaders tell their citizens about foreign affairs, yet is at pains to assure his readers – without any explanation or proof – that ʺleaders usually tell international lies for good strategic reasons, not because they are craven or corrupt.ʺ61 Legal scholar Michael Glennon argues that an unaccountable, national- security-obsessed bureaucracy dictates all significant policy choices to elected officials (who are mere fronts), yet attributes this phenomenon to the benign fact of “ʹsmart, hard-working, 59.Sunstein and Vermeule, supra note XX, at 219. 60.Id. 61.MEARSHEIMER, supra note XX, at 13. See also id. at 103 (ʺLeaders not only tell lies to other countries, they also lie to their own people, and they do so because they believe it is in the best interest of their countryʺ) (emphasis added).
9/11 AS FALSE FLAG 25 public-spirited people acting in good faith who are responding to systemic incentives.’” 62 Finally, journalist and MSNBC commentator Rachel Maddow authors a study exposing the exponential growth of the U.S. military-industrial complex and the placement of the United States on a permanent war-footing, yet insists without reference to any evidence whatsoever that these malign developments have all been, in effect, terrible accidents that nobody intended.63 A second taboo claim that hovers around discussion of 9/11 is that First-World western societies such as the United States are not open and free enough to allow their citizens to easily uncover officials’ crimes against them. Sunstein and Vermeule, for example, do not seem prepared to entertain this claim in the slightest, assuming (without argument) that the United States is an open society where “the press is free” and “checks and balances are in force.” 64 In open societies such as the U.S., they insist, “it is harder for government to keep nefarious conspiracies hidden for long.ʺ 65 Conspiracy theorizing, they sniff, is for “closed societies” only.66 In like vein, political scientists Uscinski and Parent approvingly cite Noam Chomsky’s dismissal of 9/11 theories implicating the Bush Adminstration. Chomsky asks: Did they plan it in any way or know anything about it? This seems to be extremely unlikely. They would have been insane to try anything 62.Jordan Michael Smith, Vote all you want. The Secret Government Won’t Change, THE BOSTON GLOBE, Oct. 19, 2014 (quoting Glennon), http://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2014/10/18/vote-all-you-want-the-secret- government-won-change/jVSkXrENQlu8vNcBfMn9sL/story.html (date accessed 11/27/15). 63.See RACHEL MADDOW, DRIFT: THE UNMOORING OF AMERICAN MILITARY POWER (Broadway Paperbacks 2012), at 8 (ʺIt’s not a conspiracy, there aren’t rogue elements pushing us to subvert our national interests to instead serve theirs. It’s been more entertaining and more boneheaded than that.ʺ) 64.See Sunstein and Vermeule, supra note X, at 209. 65.Id. Sunstein and Vermeule cite only two random sources in support of this extremely broad assertion, one of which is ironically entitled ʺThe Black Sites: A Rare Look Inside the C.I.A.’s Secret Interrogation Program.ʺ Id. note 28 (emphasis added). 66.See id at 209-10.
9/11 AS FALSE FLAG 26 like that. If they had, it is almost certain that it would have leaked. It’s a very porous system, secrets are hard to keep.67 In reality, none of the a priori assumptions about modern-day America noted above are justified on the known facts. Indeed, by any standard of measure, the reality of modern-day America differs strikingly from what these intellectual elites posit. There is very good evidence to suggest, for example, that the U.S. Government is no longer subject to popular, majoritarian control and is, for all intents and purposes, an unaccountable oligarchy.68 There is very good evidence that, far from being subject to the control of its citizens, the U.S. Government successfully employs extreme measures to control them.69 Finally, there is very good evidence that the U.S. Government has an immense ability to keep official crimes hidden from public view for very long periods of time.70 We know that it uses a variety of tools to ensure this 67.USCINSKI and PARENT, supra note XX, at 45 (quoting Chomsky). 68.See Martin Gilens and Benjamin I. Page, Testing Theories of American Politics: Elites, Interest Groups and Average Citizens, 12 PERSPECTIVES ON POLITICS 564-581, 576 (2014) (“In the United States, our findings indicate, the majority does not rule – at least in the causal sense of actually determining policy outcomes”). Peter Dale Scott’s seminal work on the “Deep State” (i.e. the shadow government behind the public front) is required reading for anyone seeking to understand the formation and preservation of this oligarchy. See PETER DALE SCOTT, THE AMERICAN DEEP STATE: WALL STREET, BIG OIL, AND THE ATTACK ON U.S. DEMOCRACY (Rowman & Littlefield 2015); PETER DALE SCOTT, DEEP POLITICS AND THE DEATH OF JFK (U. Calif. Press 1996). Many of Professor Scott’s findings, first published twenty years ago, have been confirmed by more recent scholarship. See MICHAEL J. GLENNON, NATIONAL SECURITY AND DOUBLE GOVERNMENT (Oxford U. Press 2015); SHELDON S. WOLIN, DEMOCRACY INCOROPORATED: MANAGED DEMOCRACY AND THE SPECTER OF INVERTED TOTALITARIANISM (Princeton U. Press 2008). 69.These measures include indiscriminate and widespread government surveillance, militarized police forces at the state and local level, and the imprisonment of a sizable portion of the U.S. population. (The United States has the second highest per capita prison population rate in the world, second only to the Seychelles. See Countries with the Largest Number of Prisoners Per 100,000 of the National Populations, As of July 2015, STATISTA, http://www.statista.com/statistics/262962/countries-with-the-most-prisoners-per-100-000-inhabitants/ (date accessed 11/26/15)). 70.Operations Northwoods and Gladio, for example, did not come to light for over forty years, and their coverups were by no means exceptional. Following its inception in the early 1950s, Project MK-ULTRA – a CIA program to develop techniques of mind control through the use of hallucinogens, sensory deprivation, sexual abuse, and other forms of torture – was kept hidden for twenty-five years. See Project MKULTRA, The CIA’s Program of Research in Behavioral Modification, JOINT HEARING BEFORE THE SELECT COMM. ON INTELL. ET AL.., 95th Cong., 1st Sess. (Aug. 3, 1977) (hereinafter ʺMKULTRA Reportʺ), at 1 (ʺIt should be made clear from the outset that in general, we are focusing on events that happened over 12 or as long as 25 years agoʺ) (statement of Sen. Inouye). Tellingly, the secrecy of this project was maintained despite the fact that it involved the participation of personnel from eighty-six universities and institutions. Id. at 3 (statement of Sen. Kennedy).
9/11 AS FALSE FLAG 27 secrecy, ranging from the over-classification71 and/or destruction72 of government documents, to the control of the press,73 to the prosecution (actual or threatened) of government A smaller yet significant example of successful coverup occurred in the case of a U.S. Government program of involuntary medical experimentation on foreigners. This program, which involved the injection of syphilis and gonorrhea into the organs of non-consenting Guatemalan citizens, was kept hidden for over sixty years. See Donald G. McNeil, Jr., Panel Hears Grim Details of Venereal Disease Tests, THE N.Y. TIMES, Aug. 30, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/31/world/americas/31syphilis.html?_r=0 (date accessed 11/25/15). 71. See Nate Jones, Black Holes in the Predecisional Universe: Agencies Gain |
și face un doctorat. ”Propaganda” lui Luigi nu l-a scos din izolare, ne zic chiar autoritățile, în schimb ”dezvăluirile” lui Ninel nu duc deloc lipsă de sprijinitori. Pe Luigi l-au înhățat SRI-ul, DIICOT-ul și psihiatrii. Pe Ninel nu l-a deranjat niciuna din categoriile sus-pomenite. Luigi era și a rămas un nimeni, dincolo de cele 15 minute de faimă mediatică, și riscă pușcăria. Ninel era și este în continuare deputat, și riscă o frumoasă carieră în serviciul public. Poate nu chiar ca alți purtători de ”interes național” vremelnic ajunși chiar în fruntea guvernului, dar un loc se va găsi și pentru el. Un post unde bagajul lui de adevăruri de genul sus-pomenit va putea fi pus la treabă, într-o formă sau alta, sprijinit de autoritatea statului. Luigi nici nu visează la așa ceva.
Și atunci, mă întreb, care dintre cei doi e ”teroristul” autentic? Altfel spus, care dintre cei doi reprezintă un pericol mai mare pentru interesul public? Luigi sau Ninel?
Ai informatii despre tema de mai sus? Poti contribui la o mai buna intelegere a subiectului? Scrie articolul tau si trimite-l la editor[at]contributors.roFor the past 600 years, she has been feted in France as a national heroine for "chucking the English out" of the country.
On Monday, Joan of Arc was once again at the heart of a furious battle between Europe's oldest enemies, this time over the rights to her ring.
Last month, a gold-plated silver ring believed to have been owned by the legendary French martyr, who defeated the English before being burned at the stake, was sold at an auction in London for nearly £300,000.
Given to Joan by her parents as a devotional object for her first communion, it was seized from her prison at her death in 1431 by a pro-English bishop and taken as war booty to England, where it remained for six centuries.
The French, however, finally cried victory when they won a tense bidding battle over the relic, whose pre-sale estimate was only £10,000.
To mark the ring's triumphant return, the buyers, a historically-themed French amusement park called Le Puy du Fou, staged a lavish ceremony on Sunday before 5,000 people near Nantes, western France.
"It's a little bit of France that has returned. The ring has come back to France and will stay here," Philippe de Villiers, the founder of Puy de Fou told the crowd before a rousing rendition of the Marseillaise.
Photo: AFP
However, he then revealed that there was a new twist to the Joan of Arc saga.
“The British government has sent our lawyer an unprecedented demand: the return of the ring to London,” Mr de Villers told the shocked throng.
“We are told that the National Arts Council considers this ring part of those objects with, and I quote ‘high national symbolic value’ and as such should have part of a special legislation.”
According to the demand, on purchasing the ring the Puy de Fou park should have obtained a special export licence necessary under European regulations.
Photo: AFP
The UK has strict guidelines for exporting items of national and historical importance, and requires a license for any antiques that are worth more than £39,219 and have been in the country for more than 50 years. Obtaining the licence is the responsibility of the exporter, not the auction house, and the process takes around a month.
If the licence is deferred, a UK buyer then has an opportunity to match the price.
Auction house TimeLine’s managing director, Brett Hammond, told Art Newspaper: “We handed over the ring to the buyer’s solicitors in London on 3 March. We also gave them a letter, which they signed for, advising them that the ring would need a UK export licence.”
A spokeswoman for Arts Council England, which oversees the export regulations, said that “the application process is confidential; however, given the age and price of the item, its export would require an individual licence”.
Mr de Villier's son, Nicolas, who runs the theme park, confirmed on Monday that he had received a letter asking to send the ring back.
"It is inconceivable that the ring leaves France or is put back on the market for a British buyer to put in another bid," he told the Telegraph. Joan of Arc, he went on, remained "one of the last bones of contention between France and England" and its return was an act of "appeasement".
Any attempt to reclaim it move would, he went on; be "deeply traumatic for France" and the scores of private donors who helped pay for it with donations from €20 to €50,000. "We are simply putting history to rights," he said.
His father, a prominent conservative and traditionalist politician, said there was no question of handing it over.
"Is the ring part of England's national heritage?," he asked the crowd, which booed loudly.
Cheers erupted, however, when he asked whether it was part of France's heritage.
Mr De Villiers claimed that he had checked the rules and found they only apply if the object is taken out of the European Union.
In a mocking nod to Britain's upcoming referendum over whether to remain or leave the EU, he told the crowd: “It is not at all our intention to have a Puy de Fou exit."
In a final flourish, he laid down the gauntlet by stating: “Ladies and gentlemen from Britain, if you want to see the ring, then come to the Puy de Fou. For the rest it’s too late."
"The ring has returned to France and here it will stay…even if the European Commission orders it back."
Photo: AFP
A teenage peasant girl-turned-war commander, Joan of Arc did her utmost to defeat English forces who had invaded France.
She advised the heir to the French throne and even led forces in war from 1429 until 1431, when she was captured.
Is return has been greeted by those on the far-Right in France, for whom this has become something of a cause célèbre.
Front National leader Marine le Pen sent a thank you message on Twitter to Mr de Villiers for bringing the ring back to France.
Merci à @PhdeVilliers d'avoir rapporté l'anneau de Jehanne d'Arc en terre de France. #PuyDuFou MLP — Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) 3 March 2016
However, his son insisted no party could claim Joan for itself as "Joan belongs to all French".
"We respect the great figures of England's history. Everyone is proud of their heroes and rightly so," he said.S.M.A.R.T. Adventures: Mission: MATH…Sabotage at the Space Station is a new iPad game from Kata Enterprises and Engine Software. It is aimed at girls ages nine and up and uses fourth-grade math standards. The company’s goals for the SMART adventure series are as follows:
Create fun, engaging, and educational software that is designed specifically for girls
Help girls attain math, science, and technology literacy
Utilize scientific research in advanced learning and teaching techniques
Instill confidence in girls of all ages and stages of education
Collaborate with girls, parents, and educators to continuously improve our products
Watch the trailer here:
Plot
The game takes place on Space Station Prime, where recently promoted S.M.A.R.T. Agent Delta has docked to find total chaos. The computers are down, the science labs are a mess, and the communication system is barely functioning – is foul play involved? Playing as Agent Delta’s assistant, Junior Agent Star, players use their math skills to repair the science labs and solve the mystery. This exciting adventure puts girls in the starring role while presenting positive female role models and giving them the freedom to explore and learn. Math practice has never been this much fun!
The story is a framework for the math and science puzzles, but it was interesting enough to make me want to keep playing (math is not my favorite, so you know it’s effective!). The plot is only advanced through solving math problems and puzzles. Most of the major characters in the game are women, and there is no option to change your (customizable!) avatar to a boy. The game is explicitly aimed at young girls, which is especially cool to see in an app that is fostering STEM skills.
Graphics and Sound
Graphics are crisp and well-presented. Again, most of the game is composed of solving math problems, but the interface looks slick and space-like. I only experienced one crash to the home screen. Characters are expressive and well-animated, and the cutscenes that give you more story are great.
All of the voice actors perform well, with a few tinny recordings here and there that don’t really take away from the strengths of the game. Sound effects are varied, although depending on which order you play the puzzles, you may get tired of some of the sounds. I would suggest varying your progress between the labs in order to avoid this fatigue.
Gameplay
There are six different types of math/science problems to solve, which are split into different labs on the station. The gravity lab has you working with fractions, the computer lab has you counting in Mandarin, the robot lab has angle problems, the chemistry lab asks you to mix chemicals in different ways to create “recipes,” the equipment lab has factor/multiple problems, and the biology lab asks you to work with place value. Each lab has three different levels of increasing difficulty, and once you clear all the levels of each lab, there is a final puzzle that implements all of the math skills you have learned. The problems offer enough variety that you won’t get bored with working through them, and you will definitely hone your math skills along the way. It took me about two hours to finish the story-driven part of the game, but that will vary depending on your skill level. You can continue working on the math problems after you finish the game.
There are no ads, no in-app purchases, and no links to click (which is all appropriate for a game with a higher price point).
Final Verdict
Mission: MATH is meant for young girls, but I still had a blast with it. If you want a fun, empowering, educational game for your child (or just want to brush up on your own math skills!), look no further. The next game in the series is going to deal with archaeology, and I can’t wait to check it out!
Score: A
You can get Mission: MATH at the App Store for $7.99. It is compatible with iPad (no iPhone support at this time) and requires iOS 6.0 or later. Follow the series through the official site, Facebook, and Twitter.
[Disclaimer: A review code was provided for me to review this game.]
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I wanted to create a desktop gadget to visualize the progress of unit tests run via PHPUnit.
I've named this project PHPUnicorn (by combining "PHPUnit" with "Unicorn pHAT").
Hardware & Assembly
The hardware requirements for this project:
Raspberry Pi Zero Wireless (W)
MicroSD card flashed with Raspbian Lite
2 amp micro-USB power adapter
Unicorn pHAT by Pimoroni
A 2x20 header
A soldering iron
Put the header between the Pi and Unicorn pHAT and solder it into place.
Load Raspbian onto the microSD card, configure networking, enable SSH, and install Python 3. The unicorn-hat Python library will also need to be installed.
Extending PHPUnit
PHPUnit allows you to easily add listeners via the phpunit.xml file:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <phpunit bootstrap="vendor/autoload.php"> <!-- Existing configuration here ---> <listeners> <listener class="ColinODell\PHPUnicorn\PHPUnicornListener"> <arguments> <string>192.168.80.93</string> <string>5005</string> </arguments> </listener> </listeners> </phpunit>
Each listener is notified when tests begin, when they finish, and what the results are. Here's the code I wrote to do just that:
<?php namespace ColinODell\PHPUnicorn; use Exception; use PHPUnit_Framework_AssertionFailedError; use PHPUnit_Framework_Test; use PHPUnit_Framework_TestSuite; use PHPUnit_Framework_Warning; class PHPUnicornListener extends \PHPUnit_Framework_BaseTestListener { const NO_RESULT = 'N'; const ERROR = 'E'; const FAILURE = 'F'; const INCOMPLETE = 'I'; const RISKY = 'R'; const SKIPPED = 'S'; const PASSED = 'P'; const WARNING = 'W'; const TOTAL = 'T'; const COMPLETED = 'C'; private $currentTestPassed = false; private $counts = []; /** * @var string */ private $host; /** * @var int */ private $port; /** * @var resource */ private $socket; /** * @param string $host * @param int $port */ public function __construct($host, $port) { $this->host = $host; $this->port = $port; $this->socket = socket_create(AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, SOL_UDP); $this->resetCounts(); $this->broadcast(); } /** * Ensure socket is closed */ public function __destruct() { socket_close($this->socket); $this->socket = null; } /** * {@inheritdoc} */ public function addError(PHPUnit_Framework_Test $test, Exception $e, $time) { $this->counts[self::ERROR]++; $this->currentTestPassed = false; } /** * {@inheritdoc} */ public function addFailure(PHPUnit_Framework_Test $test, PHPUnit_Framework_AssertionFailedError $e, $time) { $this->counts[self::FAILURE]++; $this->currentTestPassed = false; } /** * {@inheritdoc} */ public function addWarning(PHPUnit_Framework_Test $test, PHPUnit_Framework_Warning $e, $time) { $this->counts[self::WARNING]++; $this->currentTestPassed = false; } /** * {@inheritdoc} */ public function addIncompleteTest(PHPUnit_Framework_Test $test, Exception $e, $time) { $this->counts[self::INCOMPLETE]++; $this->currentTestPassed = false; } /** * {@inheritdoc} */ public function addRiskyTest(PHPUnit_Framework_Test $test, Exception $e, $time) { $this->counts[self::RISKY]++; $this->currentTestPassed = false; } /** * {@inheritdoc} */ public function addSkippedTest(PHPUnit_Framework_Test $test, Exception $e, $time) { $this->counts[self::SKIPPED]++; $this->currentTestPassed = false; } /** * A test suite has started. * * {@inheritdoc} */ public function startTestSuite(PHPUnit_Framework_TestSuite $suite) { // Test suites can contain child test suites. This function is always // called with the top-most parent, so use its count method to determine // how many tests there are (it'll count all sub-children recursively). if ($this->counts[self::TOTAL] == 0) { $this->counts[self::TOTAL] = $suite->count(); } } /** * A test suite ended. * * {@inheritdoc} */ public function endTestSuite(PHPUnit_Framework_TestSuite $suite) { // Send the results over to the Pi $this->broadcast(); } /** * A single test started. * * {@inheritdoc} */ public function startTest(PHPUnit_Framework_Test $test) { // There's no method like addPassed(), so we'll assume the test passes // unless one of the other add___() methods are called. $this->currentTestPassed = true; } /** * A test ended. * * {@inheritdoc} */ public function endTest(PHPUnit_Framework_Test $test, $time) { if ($this->currentTestPassed) { $this->counts[self::PASSED]++; } $this->counts[self::COMPLETED]++; $this->broadcast(); } private function resetCounts() { $this->counts = [ self::NO_RESULT => 0, self::ERROR => 0, self::FAILURE => 0, self::WARNING => 0, self::INCOMPLETE => 0, self::RISKY => 0, self::SKIPPED => 0, self::PASSED => 0, self::TOTAL => 0, self::COMPLETED => 0, ]; } private function broadcast() { if ($this->counts[self::TOTAL] == 0) { // Ask the Pi to clear the screen when we first start $message ='reset'; } else { $message = json_encode($this->counts); } socket_sendto($this->socket, $message, strlen($message), 0, $this->host, $this->port); } }
The code is fairly straight-forward - as each test result comes in, we increment the corresponding result in $this->counts and broadcast the latest counts to the Raspberry Pi via a UDP packet. These are encoded in a JSON string to keep the size low:
{'T': 1011, 'E': 0, 'R': 0, 'C': 1011, 'S': 0, 'N': 0, 'F': 41, 'W': 23, 'I': 0, 'P': 947}
UDP was chosen for a few reasons:
Data loss is unlikely as both devices are connected to the same router.
It's okay if a couple packets are lost or arrive out-of-order, as the next packet always contains the full dataset needed to update the display.
UDP connections are quicker to establish - no three-way handshake needed. Any network latency will not slow down my PHPUnit listener (and thus slow down test execution).
LED Display
On the Raspberry Pi, I have a simple Python script listening for these UDP packets and updating ("redrawing") the Unicorn pHAT LED display:
#!/usr/bin/env python import json import socket import time import unicornhat as unicorn UDP_IP = "0.0.0.0" UDP_PORT = 5005 # Define constants for each JSON key NO_RESULT = 'N' ERROR = 'E' FAILURE = 'F' WARNING = 'W' INCOMPLETE = 'I' RISKY = 'R' SKIPPED = 'S' PASSED = 'P' TOTAL = 'T' COMPLETED = 'C' TOTAL_PIXELS = 4*8 unicorn.set_layout(unicorn.PHAT) unicorn.rotation(0) unicorn.brightness(0.5) sock = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, # Internet socket.SOCK_DGRAM) # UDP sock.bind((UDP_IP, UDP_PORT)) time.sleep(1) def set_pixel(i, r, g, b): # Don't render more pixels than we have if i > TOTAL_PIXELS - 1: return # Determine the X/Y coordinates based on pixel index x = int(i % 8) y = int((i - x) / 8) unicorn.set_pixel(x, y, r, g, b) while True: data, addr = sock.recvfrom(1024) unicorn.set_all(0, 0, 0) data = data.decode("utf-8") if data == "reset": unicorn.show() continue data = json.loads(data) original_data = data.copy() test_count = data[TOTAL] # how many tests count towards a pixel? tests_per_pixel = test_count / TOTAL_PIXELS for i in range(0, TOTAL_PIXELS): # Render test results in order of severity if data[ERROR] > 0: data[ERROR] -= tests_per_pixel set_pixel(i, 255, 0, 0) continue elif data[FAILURE] > 0: data[FAILURE] -= tests_per_pixel set_pixel(i, 200, 0, 0) continue elif data[WARNING] > 0: data[WARNING] -= tests_per_pixel set_pixel(i, 255, 255, 0) continue elif data[INCOMPLETE] > 0: data[INCOMPLETE] -= tests_per_pixel set_pixel(i, 170, 170, 0) continue elif data[RISKY] > 0: data[RISKY] -= tests_per_pixel set_pixel(i, 255, 255, 0) continue elif data[SKIPPED] > 0: data[SKIPPED] -= tests_per_pixel set_pixel(i, 64, 64, 64) continue elif data[PASSED] > 0: data[PASSED] -= tests_per_pixel set_pixel(i, 0, 255, 0) continue # Update the display once the pixel buffers are set unicorn.show()
The display only has 32 "pixels" (4 rows of 8 LEDs) which almost never matches the number of tests being run. As a result, each pixel needs to represent several test runs, so I simply divide the number of tests by the number of pixels to figure that out. For example, if I have 640 tests in my suite, each pixel represents 20 different tests.
Once I have that tests-per-pixel number, I'm looping through each pixel to see what color to light it. I'm using the following logic:
Determine the next-highest severity which has un-displayed results
Light the next LED with the corresponding color
Subtract the tests-per-pixel number from that severity level, giving us how many other results of that outcome need to be shown
Repeat
This approach ensures that failures will always be shown, even if I only have one failure out of 640 tests. As you'll see in the next section, this approach has its downsides, but it's simple enough to implement and communicates the results just fine.
Next Steps
I'd eventually like to refactor how data is sent to the Pi and "drawn" on the LED display. The current implementation receives the current totals and draws them in order of severity - failures will always be shown on the top left, even if they occurred towards the end of the test suite.
Ideally I'd like the errors to appear relative to when they occur in the test suite - for example, if the first errors appear 50% of the way through, I'd like the screen to show two full rows of green lights with the first red lights appearing on row 3.
This will require changing how I collect and send the data to the Pi. Instead of sending totals of each result type and using that to redraw the display, I'd need to provide a stream of results like PHPUnit does:
...............................FF..........
To help keep the data packets small, I'd encode each result using 2 bits instead of ASCII characters:
00 - Incomplete
01 - Passed
10 - Warning, skipped, risky, etc.
11 - Error or failure
(A more clever encoding scheme could include some type of compression to condense a long sequence of identical outcomes into fewer bytes).
On the Pi, I'd decode that information and use it to light the pixels accordingly.Accurately tracked, responsive, and properly-modeled hands make your application more fun, immersive, and easier to use. However, poorly implemented hands are a common issue in many apps, and a significant cause of store rejections.
We’ve put together a collection of assets, samples, and SDKs to make it easy to add high-quality hands to your app. The hands in these samples meet the standards described in our Oculus Touch best practices, and satisfy store requirements for accurate hand tracking.
We provide support for high-quality hands in two ways: the Avatar SDK, and the custom hand samples for Unity and Unreal Engine 4. The most fully-featured of these is the Unity hand sample, which demonstrates hands that can grab and collide with objects.
Note: The Oculus Sample Framework for Unity is available from our downloads page, or in the Unity Asset Store. You can learn more about it in our Sample Framework Developer Guide. Unreal Engine 4 samples are available in our Git Hub Repository. Finally, Maya files containing the hand models are available in our miscellaneous downloads.
Avatar SDK
The Avatar SDK provides quality hands or controllers for your app, with no need to create any assets yourself. Users will see the same hands in your app as they already see in Oculus Home and the Universal Menu.
It has its own extensive documentation and getting started guides. The documentation covers Unity, UE4, and custom engines, across both Touch and Gear VR.
Please note that the Avatar SDK only covers visual representation of the hands. You can, however, have a look at the AvatarGrabSample in the Oculus Sample Framework for Unity to see how to add grabbing and throwing functionality to the hands.
Custom Hands and Controllers in Unity
In the Assets/SampleScenes/Hands directory in the Oculus Sample Framework for Unity, you’ll find several scenes and prefabs that are ready to adapt to your application or used as-is within your app. The two scenes we'll discuss here are CustomControllers and CustomHands.
CUSTOM CONTROLLERS
This simple scene shows how to use the Touch controller prefabs in your app. Note that the controller models have been authored to be placed at the exact same position as the hand anchors, with no offset in position or orientation. Simply parent them onto the hand anchors, and you will have perfectly registered controllers.
The controller sample is simple, and easy to drop into your project. TouchController.cs updates Animator variables according to current input status, and the rest of the sample's logic is inside the Animator.
CUSTOM HANDS
The CustomHands scene demonstrates how to use the custom hand prefabs in your app. While the controller sample is simply a couple of animated models, the sample hands provide the capability to grab objects.
The sample scene demonstrates that different objects may need different approaches to interaction. To allow tower-building, the boxes do not snap to your grip when you grab them: this would send other boxes in the stack flying. However, grabbing a ping pong ball without snapping it into a good grip pose leaves the ball floating, and looks distractingly bad. You can toggle the Snap Position property of these objects to see the results for yourself.
The scene uses a straightforward algorithm to grab and release objects. Collider triggers attached to each hand keep track of all GameObjects with Grabbable components within them. When the user's grip moves from open to closed, the hand grabs the closest object within these volumes. When the user releases the grip trigger, the object is released, and the hand's velocity is imparted to the object. For more details on implementation subtleties, see the comments in OVRGrabber.cs and other source files included in the scene.
Note that the prefabs include cylinder collision authored to match the hands, which you can remove if you don’t require collision. The sample only enables collision (via Hand.cs) when the user is pointing, to allow some physical interaction without making it difficult to grab objects.
This sample scene uses an OVRPlayerController to allow the user to move around the scene, but many apps will want to use their own locomotion system instead. The hands have no dependency on the OVRPlayerController: feel free to pull the OVRCameraRig out of the hierarchy, and delete the OVRPlayerController.
Custom Hands and Controllers in Unreal Engine 4
Our Unreal Engine 4 sample is located in the Samples section of our Unreal Engine 4 branch in GitHub. Build and run the scene in VR Preview. Pressing the Menu button on the Touch controllers toggles between hands and controllers. Play around with them for a minute to see the different supported animations.
The implementation consists of three primary parts, with all of the logic in blueprints (no C++ is used):
UE4's own Motion controller component updates the transforms of the Touch controllers. The hand and controller Child Actor Components here use relatively simple blueprints (Left/Right Controller and Left/Right Hand), which listen on input events and update their member variables appropriately. A partial example: The corresponding animation blueprints (Left/Right HandAnimBP and Left/Right ControllerAnimBP) use the variables set in part 2 to blend the anims for the grip,point, and thumbs up poses. Partial example:
For your own implementation, you can use the VRCharacter included in the sample, or you can set up your own player character and just use the provided blueprints.
Tips for Modeling Your Own Props and Weapons
If you’re making your own tracked objects from scratch, you’ll want to make sure they’re just as well-registered as our sample assets.
A simple trick is to import our supplied Touch controller models into the scene you’re working in, in your modeling tool of choice. The Touch controller models are intended to be anchored exactly at 0,0,0. When you model your custom object, if it lines up properly with the Touch controller in your editing tool, then it will also look correct in your app when you export it.
As an example, here’s what it looks like in our UE4 sample when both the hand and controller models are visible. You can see how they line up well:neutrino
Tamil Nadu
The, an elusive subatomic particle, is making a great deal of noise in. The state is to host perhaps the most ambitious basic science project in India; protesters willing, that isThe receptionist at my Madurai hotel comes up blank when I ask him if I can hire a car to take me to T Pudukottai in Pottipuram panchayat, 30 kilometres beyond Theni town. That’s where the big science project is coming up I tell him. “Oh, neutrino?” he says. The neutrino’s impressive name-recognition here is largely owing to outreach from Indian Neutrino Observatory (INO) scientists, and more likely television coverage of politicians and activists agitating against the project. Car arranged, I’m on my way to the INO site. It’s around 110 km from Madurai, in the Bodi West Hills along the border of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Travelling from Madurai, the outline of the Western Ghats come into distant view near Theni. In the foreground are coconut trees, scattered windmills. From there it’s a sequence of successively narrow roads that lead to the village of Pudukottai. A mountain stands large behind it.The plan is for a two-kilometre-long tunnel to burrow deep into the mountain, at the end of which will be built a laboratory in a cavern. The host institution for the collaboration is the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, and others associated include IITs, state universities and national science institutions. A hundred researchers from 22 institutions are already involved with the project. The INO was mooted in 2000 and has since then been in planning. The Rs 1,500-crore project, supported by the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Atomic Energy, with land and infrastructure support from the government of Tamil Nadu, was approved by the union government in January this year.Hundreds of billions of neutrinos would have passed through you in the time taken to read this sentence. Despite this abundance, the neutrino is a fiendishly elusive particle. It has only the tiniest of masses. It has no charge. And it whizzes along at very nearly the speed of light. Most peculiar of all, the neutrino is a hopelessly shy particle, refusing to interact with matter and passing through nearly everything in its path. These properties taken together make the neutrino incredibly hard to detect. There are a humongous number of them and they are everywhere — but how do you find something that stops for nothing and, is for all practical purposes, invisible?By looking very, very hard. In 1930, the physicist Wolfgang Pauli first suggested that such a particle had to exist. But its properties rendered it so elusive that he bet his friend a case of champagne that it would never actually be found. It was — 26 years later. The scientists who found it, Frederick Reines and Clyde Cowan, made use of the fact that a neutrino will — very rarely — collide with another subatomic particle and leave a trace. They did their experiments near a nuclear reactor where 50 trillion neutrinos were passing per second through each square centimetre of a large water tank, and used extremely sensitive instruments to spot the aftermath of interactions. They were able to detect three neutrinos per hour.It is because neutrino experiments are so sensitive that they need to be shielded from cosmic rays that would otherwise flood the detectors with noise. Hence their out-of-the-way locations. Cosmic rays cannot penetrate through dense rock, but neutrinos easily do. So, many detectors are built in deep mines or tunnels. At the INO, the detector will be shielded by dense rock at least a kilometre thick in all directions.It’s about two kilometres from Pudukottai to the INO site. The cart track yields to a broad road under construction that leads up to the mountain (called Ambarappar by those who live near it). The site is, at the moment, a fenced-off area at the base with only a water tank inside. By the side of the road, a herd of cattle root among the scrub. The mountain is lightly greened and has a large outcrop of dark, dense rock. The rock here is a Charnockite, among the strongest there is. Its stability is part of the reason the site was chosen, other reasons being low seismic activity and low moisture that offers better operating conditions for the detectors.Neutrinos come from distant galaxies, from the sun, from the depths of the earth, and anywhere there is action involving the nuclei of atoms. The kind of neutrinos to be studied in the INO are atmospheric neutrinos, created when cosmic rays strike the air around the earth. These neutrinos were first detected in 1965 in a lab deep in a mine at Kolar Gold Fields, in Karnataka.(The lab closed along with the mine in the 1990s.) When — if — work is complete, the INO will house what is a massive stakeout for neutrinos — a 50-kiloton iron calorimeter consisting of magnetised iron plates interleaved with glass layers of particle detectors. The structure will be around 15 metres high and roughly the length and breadth of an Olympic-sized swimming pool.When a neutrino from the atmosphere interacts with an iron plate here, it will generate a charged particle called a muon that can be tracked and its properties measured. Thirty thousand detectors will send signals through 3.7 million channels of electronics to be stored on a computer for analysis that could answer several critical physics questions.The INO’s capabilities leave it ideally suited to contribute to an important open question called the mass hierarchy: we know neutrinos have three mass states, but not their order. Knowing the energies of neutrinos when they reach the INO, knowing where they were generated in the earth’s atmosphere and how far they’ve come, can help pin down the mass hierarchy of neutrinos. This has enormous implications for our understanding of how the universe is put together and the very framework in which physics is conducted. Other experiments being planned for the INO could throw light on dark matter, which makes up a quarter of the universe and is unaccounted for. Or hint at why there is more matter than anti-matter in the universe.There’s also the expectation that collaboration on such a large scale between researchers and students across the country, and in turn their working with designers and manufacturers of equipment and software for this large, complex, indigenous project will prove invigorating to science, tech and industry.The INO has faced resistance in recent months. On January 21, the general secretary of the MDMK party, Vaiko, filed a PIL with the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court. He asked for the project’s execution to be stayed, citing a number of concerns. Some were routine for an undertaking of this type (and had been considered in planning the INO): underground water channels and dams in the area might be affected while blasting a tunnel. Others seemed far-fetched: the INO is a ploy of the United States to get India to share data that will be used to develop some sort of weapon; the cavern might be used to store dangerous nuclear waste; man-made neutrino beams from faraway labs directed at the INO could cause earthquakes or make streams radioactive. These points originated, verbatim in many cases, in articles opposing the INO written in the last few years by an activist named VT Padmanabhan. All the concerns, some apparently existing only in the realm of science fiction — it’s hard to find any reference to “neutrino weapons” outside the Artemis Fowl novels — have been addressed by independent geological experts as well as by INO scientists on their website and in the press.In February, the anti-nuclear-energy activist, SP Udayakumar called the INO “a commercial venture taken up to benefit a US laboratory involved in nuclear studies” while also claiming “the INO site is going to become a nuclear waste dump yard.” The Department of Atomic Energy put out a press release on February 20 stating categorically that “no nuclear waste will be stored there at any time”. At the beginning of March, activist Medha Patkar campaigned against the INO with Vaiko, speculating, among other things, that the INO may be “used as a nuclear fuel processing plant“ and that “even the scientists involved in the project may not know what will happen in the observatory”.A news report quoted locals as saying they were initially in favour of the project because they thought they would be helping in the nation’s development. But they were now opposed to it and grateful to Vaiko for opening their eyes. “Last time, when he came here,” a man named Periyannan was quoted as saying, “he explained to us how our lands would be destroyed and even grass wouldn’t grow on our lands once the project begins.” Women in the area now believe they will have trouble conceiving if the project takes off.On March 26, the court asked the centre not to proceed with work on the INO until it received clearance from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board. This was a condition prominently stated in the Ministry of Environment and Forests’ clearance of 2011, and was a pending requirement. Work had begun on the access road to the site, not at the site itself, and this too was stopped.It’s on March 28 that I find myself going to Pudukottai. I ask a couple of people in nearby settlements for directions, and also what people in the area think of the INO. They confirm that most people have misgivings about it now. I ask the first person I meet in Pudukottai, a farmer named |
high school to call their own. And if they embrace the school, Kindall says the students being bused in also benefit.
"I think they have a better opportunity to feel a part of that school and a part of that community, even though they don't live there," he says.
There has been a noticeable lack of input from parents in North Nashville. At last week's community meeting, Tene Franklin was the only one. She is a state health worker and has a child in Metro schools.
Moving Hillwood a few miles farther out to a site owned by Hope Park Church isn't that big of a deal to Franklin. She calls it a "false option" and says North Nashville parents would rather talk about improving schools in their neighborhood.
"At the end of the day, staying at Hillwood or going to Hope Park is not going to do anything to improve the student performance," she says.
If the district can spend tens of millions of dollars moving a school, Franklin says perhaps some money should be redirected to boost North Nashville schools, which tend to be among the lowest performing in the city.by
In 1774 the American patriot John Adams said of John Witherspoon (the Scottish Presbyterian Minister and co-signer of the Declaration of Independence): “He is as high a Son of Liberty, as any man in America.”
Future generations may well say of United States Federal District Court Judge Katherine B. Forrest that she is as high a Daughter of Liberty as any person in the land.
Judge Forrest, of the Southern District of New York in Manhattan, issued a ruling on May 16 that will be regarded as a watershed moment in reversing a decade-long bi-partisan assault on civil liberties and the Constitution. Her honor took the extraordinary step of issuing a preliminary injunction and striking down as unconstitutional a provision of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would have allowed for the indefinite detention of United States citizens in military prisons without trial or counsel.
This so-called “Homeland Battlefield Act” was thought by many to be the latest and most egregious incursion on the liberties of all Americans, coming on the heels of warrantless wire-tapping, the USA Patriot Act, drones flying over American cities and the use by American police of Para-military garb and tactics.
Like John Adams and John Witherspoon, Forrest can hardly be characterized as a radical. A former entertainment lawyer with the powerhouse corporate law firm of Cravath, Swaine and Moore, Forrest is an Obama appointee.
Nor can her opinion be characterized as precipitous or far-flung. To the contrary, Judge Forrest’s sober 68-page ruling was firmly rooted in established First Amendment and due process precedent. Judge Forrest almost had no choice but to strike down the offending statute because its terms were so vague: the law would have captured anyone accused of giving “substantial support” to Al-Qaeda or “associated forces.” These terms are not only inherently nebulous and imprecise, but they were not defined in the statute. Like most lawyers, in all my years of legal practice, I have never encountered a law that does not have a definitional section: the NDAA did not.
To remove any doubt, at trial Judge Forrest cross-examined the United States Government lawyers about whether they could give assurances to the plaintiffs in the case – all of whom were either journalists or activists with no ties to terrorists, other than reporting – that their speech and conduct would not subject them to the provisions of the NDAA. Repeatedly, Justice Department lawyers refused, in open court, on the record, to offer any such assurances. As Judge Forrest wrote in her opinion: “At the hearing on this motion, the government was unwilling or unable to state that these plaintiffs would not be subject to indefinite detention under [Section] 1021 [of the NDAA].Plaintiffs are therefore at risk of detention, of losing their liberty, potentially for many years.”
The government could appeal Judge Forrest’s ruling, but the plaintiffs in the case have publicly called on the President, a former constitutional scholar himself, to announce that he will abide by the sound reasoning of Judge Forrest, forgo an appeal and voluntarily enter into a permanent injunction that would forever ensure that Americans rights to trial by jury would be secure.
Candidate Romney would be wise to take a similar positions. Indeed as many Republicans oppose the NDAA as Democrats. In fact, a coalition of conservative and Republican groups took the extraordinary step of filing an amicus curiae brief in Federal District Court. The signatories to the brief included a Virginia Republican State Senator, the Conservative Legal Defense and Education Fund, and the Gun Owners of America.
The Congress, just days after Judge Forrest’s ruling, failed to pass an amendment to the NDAA that would have fixed some of the constitutional problems with the statute. On May 25, the Friday before the Memorial Day weekend, the Justice Department filed a motion for reconsideration (which are virtually never granted) before Judge Forrest signaling the Administration’s determination to keep fighting to overturn decades of constitutional jurisprudence and enshrine indefinite, undefined detention as the law of the land.
The most astonishing moment at trial before Judge Forrest was the sound of silence. The government refused to call any witnesses from any of the national security agencies that could have explained why undermining the civil liberties of civilians in this country is necessary to fight terrorism. The government simply cannot explain why habeas corpus and trial by jury should be jettisoned when these concepts date back hundreds of years and were enshrined by the Supreme Court during active war time as far back as the Civil War.
On June 6, 2012, in another courageous opinion, Judge Forrest denied the Obama administration’s request for reconsideration and made clear that her order is so broad that it applies to every area of the country and by implication protects all journalists and activists in America.
The battle to restore civil liberties in America has begun.
Carl J. Mayer, with Bruce Afran, was lead-counsel representing the plaintiffs in Hedges v. Obama, decided by Judge Forrest on May 16, 2012.Consider this simple fact about the Great Heist of 2008 by Wall Street and the Banks:
Casey Research, of Vermont, has analyzed the costs of the government bailouts of the housing crisis, the credit crisis and others and has concluded that the total is $8.5 trillion, which is more than the cost of all US wars, the Louisiana Purchase, the New Deal, the Marshall Plan and the NASA Space Program combined. According to CRS, the Congressional Research Service, all major US wars (including such events as the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Civil War, the Spanish American War, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, the invasion of Panama, the Kosovo War and numerous other small conflicts), cost a total of $7.5 trillion in inflation-adjusted 2008 dollars.
http://theautomaticearth.blogspot.co...
That is $ 8.5 trillion dollars of our hard earned tax dollars, paid off to a bunch of crooks, liars and thieves, who knowingly were 'cooking the books' with risky untried and unproven'market theories.' And when it all came crashing down around our necks, these were the same crooks, liars and thieves that got paid off, for destroying our economy and our nation.
Yet, at least we still have a few great American truth tellers and hero's that have the guts to tell the entire world what really happened to our nation, which of course, should have been 'a Tipping Point.'
And as Jim Jubak, (a very conservative Stock Broker) pointed out to anyone with half a brain:
Fluke? Credit crisis was a heist Thanks to a complicit Congress, the reins were systematically loosened on the looters of the financial industry. And they're still at it, looking for new plunder. It was no accident. The folks in power in Washington and on Wall Street want to pretend that the current global financial crisis -- you know, the one that reduced household net worth in the United States by $11.2 trillion in 2008, according to the Federal Reserve -- was an accident caused by some unfortunate confluence of greed and asleep-at-the-switch regulators. What we're now living through, though, is the result of a conscious, planned looting of the world economy. Its roots stretch back decades. And it wouldn't have been possible without the contrivances of the bought-and-paid-for folks who sit in Congress. Of course, just because the plan blew up on the looters, taking off a financial finger here and a portfolio hand there, you shouldn't have any illusion that they've retired. In fact, in the "solutions" now being proposed -- by Congress -- to fix the global and U.S. financial systems, you can see the looters at work as hard as ever.
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com...
$ 8.5 trillion dollars right into the pockets of Wall Street/The Banks while the household net worth in the United States was reduced by $ 11.2 trillion in 2008.
Please, spare me the 'But Bernanke and Geithner Saved the Country' bullshit...I know better. I've done my own research thank you very much.
But you see, it is never enough with these same crooks, liars and thieves, and it will never be enough.
Now that Wall Street/The Banks have picked our pockets down to the 'lint' it is all of a sudden time to become 'fiscally responsible' and the 'Cat Food Commission' is coming after our Social Security and Medicare to - I dare say - keep funding the 'endless Military Industrial Complex' for our endless wars.
Cut Social Security to Fund the War? By DEAN BAKER In a remarkable interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, House Republican Leader John Boehner explicitly called for cutting Social Security in order to pay for the war in Afghanistan. The article reports: "Ensuring there's enough money to pay for the war will require reforming the country's entitlement system, Boehner said. He said he'd favor increasing the Social Security retirement age to 70 for people who have at least 20 years until retirement, tying cost-of-living increases to the consumer price index rather than wage inflation and limiting payments to those who need them." In principle Boehner gave the Democrats as much ammunition as a serious political party could want. After all raising the retirement age and cutting Social Security benefits to pay for the war in Afghanistan is an idea that consistently polls in the high single decimals. We should expect every Democratic politician in the country to be jumping up and down demanding to know whether the Republican leader speaks for all Republicans. That would be the case, unless of course the Democrats actually hold similar views. After all, several prominent Democrats have been saying in public recently that we will have to cut Social Security benefits (benefits workers have already paid for). These prominent Democrats also support the war in Afghanistan. So, they may not use the same words as Mr. Boehner, but it seems that many Democrats may effectively agree that we have to cut Social Security to pay for the war in Afghanistan. It would be nice if they would insist that this is not true.
http://www.counterpunch.org/...
Gee, has anyone heard of any Democrats 'jumping up and down' demanding that 'Orange Tan Man with the Cry Baby Drinking Problem' John Boehner 'take back those words: to reform 'entitlements' such as Social Security?'
I mean now that Wall Street/the Banks have illegally run off laughing their asses off with their trillions of tax payer dollars, and the economy has been crashed, with absolutely no jobs on the horizon (since we no longer have a decent manufacturing base and most of our jobs have been sold overseas and outsourced) then I guess, our 'Government' is going to have to figure out some ways to keep 'propping' up the most extensive and wasteful and useless Military Industrial War Machine, and it would appear that the final safety net (which we as Americans all paid into, which is why it should NEVER BE CALLED ENTITLEMENTS,) is the 'final frontier' to completely dismantle what is left of the so called 'working class.'
No folks, 'it is never enough,' until 'we have had enough,' and apparently we have 'not had enough,' because we as a society have indeed morally failed ourselves. Stop blaming it on the politicians. For gosh sakes, their are a bunch of Corporate Whores on all sides of the isles...Yes, the ideology may be different, and boy, don't the two party systems know how to 'keep the class wars right on the front burner' to divide us, and to use as their little 'decoys' as they 'throw us a bone' without any meat on it to fight over every few months.
This is what they are doing in France to protest the retirement age from 60 years of age to 62 (while the Cat Food Commission wants to raise the American retirement age to 70).
PARIS — Trains stood still and children played instead of studied as workers around France went on strike Thursday to protest President Nicolas Sarkozy's plans to raise the retirement age by two years to 62. Neighboring countries suffered along with Paris commuters, as walkouts by drivers delayed or canceled trains from Italy and Switzerland. Some flights were dropped or delayed. Boisterous crowds of protesters filled Marseille's port and wide Paris avenues, as unions staged nearly 200 marches in several cities over a broad reform to the money-losing pension system, part of efforts around Europe to cut back on growing public debts. The ranks of demonstrators swelled in comparison to a similar protest May 27. The Interior Ministry put the number of protesters around France at 797,000 – double the number of people in the streets in May.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Approximately 65,447,374 people live in France, and I find it rather impressive that 797,000 of these people suited up and showed up to actively protest in their own nation concerning their own pension/and or social security retirement funds being 'gutted' by their own country, because the truth is, all of the nations throughout Europe were indulging in the same Banking and Wall street sub-prime liar loans, and other sleazy cooking of the books, and now these same governments, just like ours are going after the'middle and lowers classes' to pay Peter who robbed Paul.
The population of the United States of America is approximately 309,643,000, yet I find it rather shameful, that we can't even muster the moral courage to find the 797,000 people in our own nation (like France did) to March on Washington DC and demand change.
Stop the endless wars, stop the Wall Street/Banking looting, stop the Oil Companies from being subsidized with our tax dollars:
When the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform set off the worst oil spill at sea in American history, it was flying the flag of the Marshall Islands. Registering there allowed the rig’s owner to significantly reduce its American taxes.
The owner, Transocean, moved its corporate headquarters from Houston to the Cayman Islands in 1999 and then to Switzerland in 2008, maneuvers that also helped it avoid taxes. At the same time, BP was reaping sizable tax benefits from leasing the rig. According to a letter sent in June to the Senate Finance Committee, the company used a tax break for the oil industry to write off 70 percent of the rent for Deepwater Horizon — a deduction of more than $225,000 a day since the lease began.
http://www.nytimes.com/...
Why are these criminally incompetent Robber Barons from BP being let off the hook? Hasn't anyone in our government read what has happened in the past to clean up workers on an oil spill that was much less significant than the one in the Gulf?
Majority of Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Cleanup Workers now Dead BP said that Methane makes up about 40 percent of the leaking crude by mass in late May. Large amounts of toxic hydrogen sulfide, benzene and methylene chloride -- in addition to the Methane -- are also leaking into the Gulf. Throw in the toxic dispersant being used by BP and you've got a deadly chemical cocktail that could easily be absorbed and spread by hurricanes, killing virtually everything it comes into contact with, including humans. Plans are reportedly being put in place for the mandatory evacuation of cities and towns within a 200-mile radius of the gusher. Rachel Maddow recently pointed out that BP netted $58.5 billion over the past three years. They reportedly spent $29 million researching safer ways to drill over those same three years and spent nothing -- zero dollars -- researching how to respond to an oil spill. BP falsified their clean up response plan, which the U.S. government quickly approved, using dead experts. A recently uncovered BP document bragged of Gulf of Mexico growth and cheap production costs. A recent CNN report claims that the vast majority of those who worked on the clean up of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 are now dead, and one expert told CNN that the life expectancy for those who worked on it is about 51 years. The Gulf of Mexico spill has surpassed the Exxon Valdez many times over and will continue doing so. A video released by John L. Wathen reveals some of the damage done by the oil spill that paints a damning picture of oil saturated water that is killing schools of dolphins and more.
http://www.digitaljournal.com/...
Of course our government knows exactly what is going on, just like they knew exactly what was going on during the Great Heist of 2008 by Wall Street and the Banks.
None of these 'Oligarchs' are ever going to be held accountable, because we as a people, keep 'waiting for the Tipping Point'...what a load of crap.
How many 'Tipping Points' do we need folks? Wall Street/The Banks ruin our entire national economy, and then 'get paid off' for doing so, while millions and millions of jobs and homes are lost, now BP, is getting away with murder and ecological terrorism, while the company used a tax break for the oil industry to write off 70 percent of the rent for Deepwater Horizon — a deduction of more than $225,000 a day since the lease began, even now, this very day, $225,000 a day for gawdsake....and still what?
We're waiting for the Tipping Point?
Will the 'Tipping Point' come when your sons and daughters are being drafted into the new endless wars, that our Social Security will be cut and funding?
Will that be the final straw for you? Will we then finally do what our ancestors did, and March by the Millions on Washington DC, and scream as loud as we can until every single window in the Capital Building shakes and cracks until they hear us?
When is the 'Tipping Point' folks? Will someone tell me? Or are we just a bunch of lazy blogging ranters, who care more about our 'gadgets' than what our own grandfather, grandmothers and families cared about?
At least they showed up, in the streets, when they had finally had enough.
I guess we just haven't had enough, have we? There's no such thing as a 'tipping point' people. The tipping point happened a long time ago, and now we have only ourselves to blame. It is a moral failure of our own citizens, of our own nation, of our own cowardice not to take direct physical action by actively forming Million People Marches on Washington DC or National Strikes.
We just don't have the guts to do it, and you can blame the media all your want to, but I know exactly how the War in Vietnam ended. I know exactly how Civil Rights were finally enacted. I know what it means to organize and to stop blaming everyone else but ourselves.
If nothing changes, then nothing changes.
Thanks as always.After enjoying a parade of nonstop media coverage for the past month, Donald Trump on Friday complained to MSNBC's Joe Scarborough that he wasn't being covered enough on air.
The complaint came, naturally, during a segment about Donald Trump.
After a question about the momentum of Trump's campaign, the ex-reality TV star took issue with an earlier segment in which Scarborough neglected to mention Trump's name among other Republican contenders.
"Well, I’m leading in all of the polls by a lot," Trump began. "But I was listening to you talking about Bush and Rubio and a couple of others, and you sort of forgot to mention my name, even though I’m creaming them in the polls."
Scarborough laughed. "What are you talking about? We’ve been talking about you for a week!"
"I don't understand quite what you're doing," Trump said quietly.
"Donald, what are you talking about? How thin is your skin? I've been talking about you for a week!" Scarborough repeated.
"When you were talking about Bush, who, by the way, is about 10 points lower than me, you mentioned, 'Can Kasich beat Bush?' Well, excuse me, but, what about Trump?" the mogul said. He went on to bash the reporting of MSNBC's Kasie Hunt, whom Scarborough didn't really attempt to defend.
Trump's lament occurred on the first morning that he was absent from cable TV coverage, after a grisly mass shooting in Louisiana gave Bobby Jindal, until now an overlooked candidate, the chance for some airtime. International Business Times reported earlier this week that Trump has dominated coverage for the past month, enjoying almost 40 percent of networks’ overall campaign coverage in the evening.
"Donald, you're not really that thin-skinned, are you?" Scarborough asked one more time on Friday.
"Oh, I'm thin-skinned," Trump said.Hulkbuster Revamped with All-New Features
Today we are pleased to announce the Hot Toys 1/6th scale Hulkbuster collectible figure is getting revamped with further highly movie-accurate features and designs, including fans’ highly desired feature to put in Hot Toys 1/6th scale Mark XLIII collectible figure (not included) inside the Hulkbuster after removing the included Mark XLIII upper body; metal joints implementation in various parts of the inner frame; an all-new retracting helmet design so it is no longer needed to swap out the part and able to display the armor in different stages of suiting up, and updated gauntlet designs which further recreate the movie-accurate and highly detailed mechanical design of the gigantic machine’s powerful arm!
To facilitate all these incredible updates and phenomenal movie-accurate features that meet Hot Toys’ high quality standards, we are putting in our greatest efforts in the creation of this astonishing Hulkbuster collectible figure and the release date will be changed to Q2, 2017.
Once again we would like to thank our fans for the patience and support. Please stay tuned for the release of this truly stunning collectible figure that will surely become a remarkable centerpiece in your treasured collection!ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) — Governor Larry Hogan has news that Marylander have been waiting to hear–the outcome of his cancer treatment for non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Political reporter Pat Warren was in the room when the governor announced he is cancer-free.
The governor says of all the challenges in his life, this has been the toughest.
After six rounds of chemo, Governor Hogan has reason for Thanksgiving.
“I’m very thankful to be able to report that incredibly as of today I am 100 percent cancer-free and in remission,” Hogan said.
Monday’s is a much different atmosphere than a news conference in June, when flanked by his family, Governor Hogan announced his cancer diagnosis.
“Because of the fast-growing nature of this thing, we can’t waste any time, we can’t wait,” Hogan said in June.
And there was no sugar-coating the treatment.
“They want to kill the cancer and keep you alive,” he said.
Marylanders watched as he lost his hair, but never his heart, conducting state business to a degree that surprised some and offering encouragement to cancer patients throughout the state, giving heightened awareness to the challenge faced by thousands who may otherwise go unnoticed.
It’s given the governor a new calling.
“It also made me much more sympathetic and understanding of what families go through and what other people suffering from cancer go through,” Gov. Hogan said. “So, I’ve developed a new calling in life and I’ve met hundreds of new friends and I’ve got a new thing to focus on. Even though I’ve got a lot of other things to keep me busy, I’m going to be focused on this issue for as long as I live.”
The governor says although this chapter may be over, the journey continues.
Although Gov. Hogan is in remission, he will still have to check-in with his doctors regularly.Alpheus Todd CMG FRSC (July 30, 1821 – January 22, 1884) was an English-born Canadian librarian and constitutional historian, most notable for his publications on parliamentary government.[1][2]
Life [ edit ]
Todd was born in London, England, the son of an author, Henry Cooke Todd. His family emigrated to York, Upper Canada in 1833. The following year, York was incorporated as the city of Toronto; Todd, though young, produced an Engraved Plan of the City of Toronto, which brought him to the attention of the prominent lawyer, Robert Baldwin Sullivan. In 1835, Sullivan helped Todd obtain employment in the library of the House of Assembly of Upper Canada; in 1836 he became assistant librarian.
Drawing on his experience in the House of Assembly's library and a keen interest in British parliamentary practice and its application in Canada and other British colonies, Todd published The Practice and Privileges of the Two Houses of Parliament in 1840. When, in 1841, Upper and Lower Canada were merged, Todd was appointed assistant librarian to the Legislative Assembly of the united province, which adopted his Practice and Privileges as an official guide for members.[2]
On March 31, 1856 Todd became chief librarian of the Assembly. Upon confederation in 1867, he was appointed librarian to the Dominion Parliament, a position he would hold until his death.[1] Beginning in 1867, he wrote and published his most important work,[1][2] On Parliamentary Government in England, an epic two-volume treatise on the British constitution and its conventions, including an examination of parliamentary privilege, and a defence of executive authority and the Royal Prerogative. The work was widely acclaimed in Britain and across the Empire, establishing its author as an authority on constitutional matters. The book ran to several editions, and was soon translated into French, German, Spanish, and Italian.
In the 1881 Birthday Honours, Todd was created a companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG)[3] on the recommendation of the Marquess of Lorne, and was awarded an honorary LLD by Queen's College, Kingston. He was a founding member of the Royal Society of Canada in 1882.
Todd died suddenly at Ottawa on January 22, 1884.
Family [ edit ]
Todd married Sarah Anne St John in 1845. Together, they had one daughter and four sons, one of whom, Arthur Hamlyn Todd, published second editions of his father's two works on Parliamentary Government, and left an unpublished life of him.
Selected works [ edit ]British export James Corden is earning rave reviews in his new role as the host of US chat show The Late Late Show – and could eventually find himself on screens back home.
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So far, UK fans have been able to catch glimpses of Corden in action via YouTube, with clips ranging from him singing karaoke in his car with Mariah Carey to doing film sketches with Tom Hanks. The presenter, who took over from Craig Ferguson in March, jokes that his involvement will see the show pulled off the air, but it seems the opposite could be true, with the news that the full series is likely to reach an even wider audience following “strong interest” from international broadcasters.
“Following the terrific launch of James’ show on CBS, there has been strong interest from platforms around the world as we begin to market the show at our annual LA Screenings,” President and CEO of CBS Global Distribution Group Armando Nuñez told RadioTimes.com.
For now, Nuñez said: “At this time, we have not licensed the series in the UK” – with CBS further adding that they could not confirm which, if any, UK broadcasters had put a bid in – but it seems likely attempts are being made to bring Corden’s face back to British TV.
As a homegrown star, known for writing and starring in smash-hit series Gavin & Stacey and the critically-acclaimed The Wrong Mans, it’s safe to say Corden already has a well-established fan base. The Late Late Show wouldn’t be the first chart show to make its way across the pond either, with Conan O’Brien’s series already available to UK viewers via TruTV.
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Reports emanating from international television marketplace LA Screenings suggest Corden is keen for the show to bed in a bit more before it comes to the UK, but RadioTimes.com understands it would be the studio’s decision when the show was sold.Authorities finally closed California’s highest mountain pass this week. Right before they did, Climate Watch contributor Dan Brekke got to see what few of us glimpse this time of year.
It first captivated me back when I was an adolescent map reader back in the Midwest. I was poring over maps of California for a trip that didn’t happen—then—and took note of the roads across the Sierra Nevada. And the highest of all the mountain routes I could see crossed Tioga Pass, at an altitude that rounds to 10,000 feet. Nearly two miles above sea level.
Eventually I took that trip to California, but it was still a long time before I actually saw the place the map depicted. A good 15 years or so after I moved out here, I managed to scramble up there on a long weekend and spent a single afternoon driving Highway 120, the Tioga Road.
The stark beauty of the Sierra always manages to surprise me, but there’s an extra degree of immediacy to the grandeur along the road to the pass. After rising through a stretch densely lined with conifers, you emerge into a world of granite domes and alpine meadows. It almost seems wrong to be driving through this landscape instead of walking through it (although there’s plenty of opportunity to do that on dozens of trails, if you give yourself time). Approaching from the west, the pass itself is a little anticlimactic. You note the country is getting a little drier, you pass the Tioga Pass entrance sign with the announcement of the spot’s elevation—9,943 feet above sea level—and then you begin a nonstop plummet toward the town of Lee Vining and Mono Lake.
[module align=”left” width=”half” type=”pull-quote”]”…a sense of having been allowed to see a stretch of road that’s a little bit of a secret.”[/module]
The feeling I came away with, and that I’ve experienced every time I’ve been across the road, is a sense of having been allowed to see a stretch of road that’s a little bit of a secret – it’s much less traveled than most routes into and out of Yosemite – and, without having had to work very hard for it, have been given access to one of California’s greatest treasures.
All of which goes to explain that when high country fanatics began writing about how the road was open in December because of this season’s dry weather, I got the urge to go up there and see what the winter scene looked like. And at the first excuse, I headed up to the pass.
That feeling of being allowed to enter a special world was stronger than ever. I hadn’t planned on doing a radio piece about the trip, but I had brought my little sound kit, which fits into a fanny pack, just in case. When I climbed out of the car at Tenaya Lake, elevation 8,150 feet, I slowly realized that the weird moaning-whale song sound I was hearing was the lake’s thick ice expanding in the sunlight. I just had to record that. And then maybe talk to some people.
Virtually everyone I talked to on the lake and later, on a trail above Tioga Pass, shared the opinion that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, to be able to drive into the middle of the high country. They talked about the special quality of the winter light on the landscape, the opportunity to change their usual winter routines of snow shoveling and skiing, and the simple amazement they felt in being able to walk and skate and picnic nearly two miles above sea level—in the middle of January.
But people also talked about the disturbing part of what they were seeing. Long-time Californians seem to develop an ingrained understanding of the state’s hydrological equations and how important the Sierra Nevada winter snowpack is to maintaining a healthy environment, not to mention delivering water to farms and cities. And looking around, people expressed some worry about the beautiful but mostly snow-free country around them. (A data point here: The daily snow survey summary from the state Department of Water Resources show that the statewide average for snow-water equivalent in the mountains is just 10% of normal. It will be most interesting to see how that changes as the current series of winter storms blows through).
And people have longer term concerns about what they’ve seen along the Tioga Road this season. The person who put it best is someone I did not talk to on my trans-Sierra excursion. Beth Pratt, a California outdoors and environment blogger, made a series of trips across Highway 120 during our weird winter idyll. Her enthusiasm and wonder for the spectacle she’s seen are infectious. But it’s also tempered by thoughts of the future:
“Bottom line: for a Yosemite and Sierra aficionado like me, having access this late is akin to winning the lottery. Of course when I have no drinking water next summer, I might feel differently. The lack of snow is alarming and the landscape is more reminiscent of spring than winter. Although it’s difficult to associate any one weather event or season to climate change, welcome to the Sierra Nevada of the future. I have seen predictions under the best case warming scenarios of an 80% reduction in snowpack. The Sierra can often deliver a wallop of a storm anytime of year, and I have no doubt we’ll recover at least some of the snow–this year at least. But this may be a warning from the ghost of the Sierra future.”
“Ghost of Sierra future?” Those words will stick with me. But for today, I’m glad to know that the snow’s flying again across the Tioga Road.Mars has always captivated us. Its fiery color and erratic apparent motion got the attention of sky watchers across the ancient world. Nineteenth-century astronomers interpreted its complex surface markings as evidence for river channels or, more imaginatively, an engineered network of canals. Changes in Mars’s appearance throughout its annual cycle—later understood to be caused by seasonal ice and dust—prompted talk of an active biosphere until the dawn of the space age.
Today hundreds of scientists around the world study the planet through the virtual eyes of an international fleet of robotic surrogates. Robots in the form of orbiters, landers, and rovers have operated continuously on or around Mars since 1997; currently eight sent by NASA, the European Space Agency, Russia, and India are active. Surely, future historians will look back on the past couple of decades as a time when space-faring nations became focused on, if not obsessed with, exploring Mars.
Several motivations came together at the end of the 20th century to spark that focus. The long gap in exploration after the foundational 1976 Viking mission continued to grow after the loss of the Mars Observer, which went incommunicado just prior to its arrival at Mars in 1993. Rapid advances in the understanding of life in Earth’s extreme environments suggested that the outlook for life on Mars might not be as bleak as scientists had previously thought—especially beneath the planet’s cold, arid, oxidizing, and irradiated surface. Both scientific and public interest were renewed in 1996 when a group of scientists claimed to have found evidence of microscopic Martian bacteria in a fragment of Martian rock collected in Antarctica as meteorite ALH84001.
With foresight and political savvy, NASA leadership channeled those developments into an ambitious new Mars Exploration Program (MEP). Formed in 2000, the program envisioned that robotic spacecraft would be sent to Mars every time planetary alignment would allow and that each new orbiter, lander, and rover would build on the scientific achievements and technologies of its predecessors.
The Amazonian period, starting about 3 billion years ago and continuing today, is icy and dusty. Water remains in the climate system, but predominantly as ice that is redistributed across Mars’s surface in climate cycles induced by the planet’s orbit and orientation to the Sun. Erosion rates are extremely slow, with wind in the thin atmosphere being the dominant agent. The decreasing abundance and stability of liquid water over time are tied to the gradual loss to space of much of the early Noachian atmosphere and the planet’s water inventory via thermal escape and ionization processes. The ionization processes were enhanced as the planet’s interior cooled and the magnetic field that deflects charged particles from the solar wind diminished. Declining global temperatures and the thinning atmosphere makes any liquid water on the planet’s surface vulnerable to freezing or evaporation.
Mars formed in the solar nebula and differentiated into a crust, mantle, and core. During the subsequent Noachian period, which began about 4 billion years ago, impact cratering, volcanism, and erosion were extensive. River valleys cut into surfaces already eroded and altered by water, some pervasively. The Hesperian period, starting about 3.7 billion years ago, saw continued extensive volcanism. Erosion and the formation of river valleys slowed dramatically, but catastrophic floods occurred; some of those floods emanated from subsurface reservoirs and produced temporary lakes and seas. Tectonic activity opened large canyons. Aqueous alteration of surface materials was more localized and reflected a growing scarcity of water.
Science fiction often presents a view of alien worlds as exotic and wholly different from Earth. But the reality of Mars exploration is one of familiarity—in the raw materials found there and the processes at work—even though the two planets have evolved quite differently. Nonetheless, a fascinating aspect of studying Mars is the constant reminder that processes familiar on Earth are expressed completely differently on Mars—with its absence of plate tectonics, extremely thin atmosphere, and a surface that has been without rain and shaped primarily by wind for more than a billion years (see box 1 ).
The capabilities of robotic spacecraft and their scientific payloads have progressed greatly under the MEP, as have our understanding of Mars and the sophistication of our questions. Indeed, many of the questions planetary scientists currently ask about Mars were answered not so long ago about Earth; others are still being investigated on Earth today. Earth scientists are also increasingly drawn into Mars exploration as connections are made with terrestrial research. The cross-fertilization of complementary expertise has had a leveraging effect in advancing Mars science.
Research consisting of theoretical, laboratory, and |
't do anything else. Despite real world pools doing nothing similar to actual process pools, there are reasons to want to use the latter. A few of them could include:
Limiting a server to N concurrent connections at most;
Limiting how many files can be opened by an application;
Giving different priorities to different subsystems of a release by allowing more resources for some and less for others. Let's say allowing more processes for client requests than processes in charge of generating reports for management.
Allowing an application under occasional heavy loads coming in bursts to remain more stable during its entire life by queuing the tasks.
Our process pool application will thus need to support a few functions:
Starting and stopping the application
Starting and stopping a particular process pool (all the pools sit within the process pool application)
Running a task in the pool and telling you it can't be started if the pool is full
Running a task in the pool if there's room, otherwise keep the calling process waiting while the task is in the queue. Free the caller once the task can be run.
Running a task asynchronously in the pool, as soon as possible. If no place is available, queue it up and run it whenever.
These needs will help drive our program design. Also keep in mind that we can now use supervisors. And of course we want to use them. The thing is, if they give us new powers in term of robustness, they also impose a certain limit on flexibility. Let's explore that.
To help ourselves design an application with supervisors, it helps to have an idea of what needs supervision and how it needs to be supervised. You'll recall we have different strategies with different settings; these will fit for different kinds of code with different kinds of errors. A rainbow of mistakes can be made!
One thing newcomers and even experienced Erlang programmers have trouble dealing with is usually how to cope with the loss of state. Supervisors kill processes, state is lost, woe is me. To help with this, we will identify different kinds of state:
Static state. This type can easily be fetched from a config file, another process or the supervisor restarting the application.
Dynamic state, composed of data you can re-compute. This includes state that you had to transform from its initial form to get where it is right now
Dynamic data you can not recompute. This might include user input, live data, sequences of external events, etc.
Now, static data is somewhat easy to deal with. Most of the time you can get it straight from the supervisor. Same for the dynamic but re-computable data. In this case you might want to grab it and compute it within the init/1 function, or anywhere else in your code, really.
The most problematic kind of state is the dynamic data you can't recompute and that you can basically just hope not to lose. In some cases you'll be pushing that data to a database although that won't always be a good option.
The idea of an onion layered system is to allow all of these different states to be protected correctly by isolating different kinds of code from each other. It's process segregation.
The static state can be handled by supervisors, the system being started up, etc. Each time a child dies, the supervisor restarts them and can inject them with some form of static state, always being available. Because most supervisor definitions are rather static by nature, each layer of supervision you add acts as a shield protecting your application against their failure and the loss of their state.
The dynamic state that can be recomputed has a whole lot of available solutions: build it from the static data sent by the supervisors, go fetch it back from some other process, database, text file, the current environment or whatever. It should be relatively easy to get it back on each restart. The fact that you have supervisors that do a restarting job can be enough to help you keep that state alive.
The dynamic non-recomputable kind of state needs a more thoughtful approach. The real nature of an onion-layered approach takes shape here. The idea is that the most important data (or the hardest to find back) has to be the most protected type. The places where you are actually not allowed to fail is called the error kernel of your application.
The error kernel is likely the place where you'll want to use try... catch es more than anywhere else, where handling exceptional cases is vital. This is what you want to be error-free. Careful testing has to be done around there, especially in cases where there is no way to go back. You don't want to lose a customer's order halfway through processing it, do you? Some operations are going to be considered safer than others. Because of this, we want to keep vital data in the safest core possible, and keeping everything somewhat dangerous outside of it. In specific terms, this means that all kinds of operations related together should be part of the same supervision trees, and the unrelated ones should be kept in different trees. Within the same tree, operations that are failure-prone but not vital can be in a separate sub-tree. When possible, only restart the part of the tree that needs it. We'll see an example of this when designing our actual process pool's supervision tree.
So how should we organise these process pools? There are two schools of thought here. One tells people to design bottom-up (write all individual components, put them together as required) and another one tells us to write things top-down (design as if all the parts were there, then build them). Both approaches are equally valid depending on the circumstances and your personal style. For the sake of making things understandable, we're going to do things top-down here.
So what should our tree look like? Well our requirements include: being able to start the pool application as a whole, having many pools and each pool having many workers that can be queued. This already suggests a few possible design constraints.
We will need one gen_server per pool. The server's job will be to maintain the counter of how many workers are in the pool. For convenience, the same server should also hold the queue of tasks. Who should be in charge of overlooking each of the workers, though? The server itself?
Doing it with the server is interesting. After all, it needs to track the processes to count them and supervising them itself is a nifty way to do it. Moreover neither the server nor the processes can crash without losing the state of all the others (otherwise the server can't track the tasks after it restarted). It has a few disadvantages too: the server has many responsibilities, can be seen as more fragile and duplicates the functionality of existing, better tested modules.
A good way to make sure all workers are properly accounted for would be to use a supervisor just for them
The one above, for example would have a single supervisor for all of the pools. Each pool is in fact a set of a pool server and a supervisor for workers. The pool server knows the existence of its worker supervisor and asks it to add items. Given adding children is a very dynamic thing with unknown limits so far, a simple_one_for_one supervisor shall be used.
Note: the name ppool is chosen because the Erlang standard library already has a pool module. Plus it's a terrible pool-related pun.
The advantage of doing things that way is that because the worker_sup supervisor will need to track only OTP workers of a single type, each pool is guaranteed to be about a well defined kind of worker, with simple management and restart strategies that are easy to define. This right here is one example of an error kernel being better defined. If I'm using a pool of sockets for web connections and another pool of servers in charge of log files, I am making sure that incorrect code or messy permissions in the log file section of my application won't be drowning out the processes in charge of the sockets. If the log files' pool crashes too much, they'll be shut down and their supervisor will stop. Oh wait!
Right. Because all pools are under the same supervisor, a given pool or server restarting too many times in a short time span can take all the other pools down. This means what we might want to do is add one level of supervision. This will also make it much simpler to handle more than one pool at a time, so let's say the following will be our application architecture:
And that makes a bit more sense. From the onion layer perspective, all pools are independent, the workers are independent from each other and the ppool_serv server is going to be isolated from all the workers. That's good enough for the architecture, everything we need seems to be there. We can start working on the implementation, again, top to bottom.
We can start with just the top level supervisor, ppool_supersup. All this one has to do is start the supervisor of a pool when required. We'll give it a few functions: start_link/0, which starts the whole application, stop/0, which stops it, start_pool/3, which creates a specific pool and stop_pool/1 which does the opposite. We also can't forget init/1, the only callback required by the supervisor behaviour:
-module(ppool_supersup). -behaviour(supervisor). -export([start_link/0, stop/0, start_pool/3, stop_pool/1]). -export([init/1]). start_link() -> supervisor:start_link({local, ppool},?MODULE, []).
Here we gave the top level process pool supervisor the name ppool (this explains the use of {local, Name}, an OTP convention about registering gen_ * processes on a node; another one exists for distributed registration). This is because we know we will only have one ppool per Erlang node and we can give it a name without worrying about clashes. Fortunately, the same name can then be used to stop the whole set of pools:
%% technically, a supervisor can not be killed in an easy way. %% Let's do it brutally! stop() -> case whereis(ppool) of P when is_pid(P) -> exit(P, kill); _ -> ok end.
As the comments in the code explain it, we can not terminate a supervisor gracefully. The reason for this is that the OTP framework provides a well-defined shutdown procedure for all supervisors, but we can't use it from where we are right now. We'll see how to do it in the next chapter, but for now, brutally killing the supervisor is the best we can do.
What is the top level supervisor exactly? Well its only task is to hold pools in memory and supervise them. In this case, it will be a childless supervisor:
init([]) -> MaxRestart = 6, MaxTime = 3600, {ok, {{one_for_one, MaxRestart, MaxTime}, []}}.
We can now focus on starting each individual pool's supervisor and attaching them to ppool. Given our initial requirements, we can determine that we'll need two parameters: the number of workers the pool will accept, and the {M,F,A} tuple that the worker supervisor will need to start each worker. We'll also add a name for good measure. We then pass this childspec to the process pool's supervisor as we start it:
start_pool(Name, Limit, MFA) -> ChildSpec = {Name, {ppool_sup, start_link, [Name, Limit, MFA]}, permanent, 10500, supervisor, [ppool_sup]}, supervisor:start_child(ppool, ChildSpec).
You can see each pool supervisor is asked to be permanent, has the arguments needed (notice how we're be changing programmer-submitted data into static data this way). The name of the pool is both passed to the supervisor and used as an identifier in the child specification. There's also a maximum shutdown time of 10500. There is no easy way to pick this value. Just make sure it's large enough that all the children will have time to stop. Play with them according to your needs and test and adapt yourself. You might as well try the infinity option if you just don't know.
To stop the pool, we need to ask the ppool super supervisor (the supersup!) to kill its matching child:
stop_pool(Name) -> supervisor:terminate_child(ppool, Name), supervisor:delete_child(ppool, Name).
This is possible because we gave the pool's Name as the childspec identifier. Great! We can now focus on each pool's direct supervisor!
Each ppool_sup will be in charge of the pool server and the worker supervisor.
Can you see the funny thing here? The ppool_serv process should be able to contact the worker_sup process. If we're to have them started by the same supervisor at the same time, we won't have any way to let ppool_serv know about worker_sup, unless we were to do some trickery with supervisor:which_children/1 (which would be sensitive to timing and somewhat risky), or giving a name to both the ppool_serv process (so that users can call it) and the supervisor. Now we don't want to give names to the supervisors because:
The users don't need to call them directly We would need to dynamically generate atoms and that makes me nervous There is a better way.
The way to do it is basically to get the pool server to dynamically attach the worker supervisor to its ppool_sup. If this is vague, you'll get it soon. For now we only start the server:
-module(ppool_sup). -export([start_link/3, init/1]). -behaviour(supervisor). start_link(Name, Limit, MFA) -> supervisor:start_link(?MODULE, {Name, Limit, MFA}). init({Name, Limit, MFA}) -> MaxRestart = 1, MaxTime = 3600, {ok, {{one_for_all, MaxRestart, MaxTime}, [{serv, {ppool_serv, start_link, [Name, Limit, self(), MFA]}, permanent, 5000, % Shutdown time worker, [ppool_serv]}]}}.
And that's about it. Note that the Name is passed to the server, along with self(), the supervisor's own pid. This will let the server call for the spawning of the worker supervisor; the MFA variable will be used in that call to let the simple_one_for_one supervisor know what kind of workers to run.
We'll get to how the server handles everything, but for now we'll finish writing all of the application's supervisors by writing ppool_worker_sup, in charge of all the workers:
-module(ppool_worker_sup). -export([start_link/1, init/1]). -behaviour(supervisor). start_link(MFA = {_,_,_}) -> supervisor:start_link(?MODULE, MFA). init({M,F,A}) -> MaxRestart = 5, MaxTime = 3600, {ok, {{simple_one_for_one, MaxRestart, MaxTime}, [{ppool_worker, {M,F,A}, temporary, 5000, worker, [M]}]}}.
Simple stuff there. We picked a simple_one_for_one because workers could be added in very high number with a requirement for speed, plus we want to restrict their type. All the workers are temporary, and because we use an {M,F,A} tuple to start the worker, we can use any kind of OTP behaviour there.
The reason to make the workers temporary is twofold. First of all, we can not know for sure whether they need to be restarted or not in case of failure or what kind of restart strategy would be required for them. Secondly, the pool might only be useful if the worker's creator can have an access to the worker's pid, depending on the use case. For this to work in any safe and simple manner, we can't just restart workers as we please without tracking its creator and sending it a notification. This would make things quite complex just to grab a pid. Of course, you are free to write your own ppool_worker_sup that doesn't return pids but restarts them. There's nothing inherently wrong in that design.
The pool server is the most complex part of the application, where all the clever business logic happens. Here's a reminder of the operations we must support.
Running a task in the pool and telling you it can't be started if the pool is full
Running a task in the pool if there's place, otherwise keep the calling process waiting while the task is in the queue, until it can be run.
Running a task asynchronously in the pool, as soon as possible. If no place is available, queue it up and run it whenever.
The first one will be done by a function named run/2, the second by sync_queue/2 and the last one by async_queue/2 :
-module(ppool_serv). -behaviour(gen_server). -export([start/4, start_link/4, run/2, sync_queue/2, async_queue/2, stop/1]). -export([init/1, handle_call/3, handle_cast/2, handle_info/2, code_change/3, terminate/2]). start(Name, Limit, Sup, MFA) when is_atom(Name), is_integer(Limit) -> gen_server:start({local, Name},?MODULE, {Limit, MFA, Sup}, []). start_link(Name, Limit, Sup, MFA) when is_atom(Name), is_integer(Limit) -> gen_server:start_link({local, Name},?MODULE, {Limit, MFA, Sup}, []). run(Name, Args) -> gen_server:call(Name, {run, Args}). sync_queue(Name, Args) -> gen_server:call(Name, {sync, Args}, infinity). async_queue(Name, Args) -> gen_server:cast(Name, {async, Args}). stop(Name) -> gen_server:call(Name, stop).
For start/4 and start_link/4, Args are going to be the additional arguments passed to the A part of the {M,F,A} triple sent to the supervisor. Note that for the synchronous queue, I've set the waiting time to infinity.
As mentioned earlier, we have to start the supervisor from within the server. If you're adding the code as we go, you might want to include an empty gen_server template (or use the completed file) to follow along, because we'll do things on a per-feature basis rather than just reading the server from top to bottom.
The first thing we do is handle the creation of the supervisor. If you remember last chapter's bit on dynamic supervision, we do not need a simple_one_for_one for cases where we need few children added, so supervisor:start_child/2 ought to do it. We'll first define the child specification of the worker supervisor:
%% The friendly supervisor is started dynamically! -define(SPEC(MFA), {worker_sup, {ppool_worker_sup, start_link, [MFA]}, temporary, 10000, supervisor, [ppool_worker_sup]}).
Nothing too special there. We can then define the inner state of the server. We know we will have to track a few pieces of data: the number of process that can be running, the pid of the supervisor and a queue for all the jobs. To know when a worker's done running and to fetch one from the queue to start it, we will need to track each worker from the server. The sane way to do this is with monitors, so we'll also add a refs field to our state record to keep all the monitor references in memory:
-record(state, {limit=0, sup, refs, queue=queue:new()}).
With this ready, we can start implementing the init function. The natural thing to try is the following:
init({Limit, MFA, Sup}) -> {ok, Pid} = supervisor:start_child(Sup,?SPEC(MFA)), link(Pid), {ok, #state{limit=Limit, refs=gb_sets:empty()}}.
and get going. However, this code is wrong. The way things work with gen_* behaviours is that the process that spawns the behaviour waits until the init/1 function returns before resuming its processing. This means that by calling supervisor:start_child/2 in there, we create the following deadlock:
Both processes will keep waiting for each other until there is a crash. The cleanest way to get around this is to create a special message that the server will send to itself to be able to handle it in handle_info/2 as soon as it has returned (and the pool supervisor has become free):
init({Limit, MFA, Sup}) -> %% We need to find the Pid of the worker supervisor from here, %% but alas, this would be calling the supervisor while it waits for us! self()! {start_worker_supervisor, Sup, MFA}, {ok, #state{limit=Limit, refs=gb_sets:empty()}}.
This one is cleaner. We can then head out to the handle_info/2 function and add the following clauses:
handle_info({start_worker_supervisor, Sup, MFA}, S = #state{}) -> {ok, Pid} = supervisor:start_child(Sup,?SPEC(MFA)), link(Pid), {noreply, S#state{sup=Pid}}; handle_info(Msg, State) -> io:format("Unknown msg: ~p~n", [Msg]), {noreply, State}.
The first clause is the interesting one here. We find the message we sent ourselves (which will necessarily be the first one received), ask the pool supervisor to add the worker supervisor, track this Pid and voilà! Our tree is now fully initialized. Whew. You can try compiling everything to make sure no mistake has been made so far. Unfortunately we still can't test the application because too much stuff is missing.
Note: Don't worry if you do not like the idea of building the whole application before running it. Things are being done this way to show a cleaner reasoning of the whole thing. While I did have the general design in mind (the same one I illustrated earlier), I started writing this pool application in a little test-driven manner with a few tests here and there and a bunch of refactorings to get everything to a functional state. Few Erlang programmers (much like programmers of most other languages) will be able to produce production-ready code on their first try, and the author is not as clever as the examples might make it look like.
Alright, so we've got this bit solved. Now we'll take care of the run/2 function. This one is a synchronous call with the message of the form {run, Args} and works as follows:
handle_call({run, Args}, _From, S = #state{limit=N, sup=Sup, refs=R}) when N > 0 -> {ok, Pid} = supervisor:start_child(Sup, Args), Ref = erlang:monitor(process, Pid), {reply, {ok,Pid}, S#state{limit=N-1, refs=gb_sets:add(Ref,R)}}; handle_call({run, _Args}, _From, S=#state{limit=N}) when N =< 0 -> {reply, noalloc, S};
A long function head, but we can see most of the management taking place there. Whenever there are places left in the pool (the original limit N being decided by the programmer adding the pool in the first place), we accept to start the worker. We then set up a monitor to know when it's done, store all of this in our state, decrement the counter and off we go.
In the case no space is available, we simply reply with noalloc.
The calls to sync_queue/2 will give a very similar implementation:
handle_call({sync, Args}, _From, S = #state{limit=N, sup=Sup, refs=R}) when N > 0 -> {ok, Pid} = supervisor:start_child(Sup, Args), Ref = erlang:monitor(process, Pid), {reply, {ok,Pid}, S#state{limit=N-1, refs=gb_sets:add(Ref,R)}}; handle_call({sync, Args}, From, S = #state{queue=Q}) -> {noreply, S#state{queue=queue:in({From, Args}, Q)}};
If there is space for more workers, then the first clause is going to do exactly the same as we did for run/2. The difference comes in the case where no workers can run. Rather than replying with noalloc as we did last time, this one doesn't reply to the caller, keeps the From information and enqueues it for a later time when there is space for the worker to be run. We'll see how we dequeue them and handle them soon enough, but for now, we'll finish the handle_call/3 callback with the following clauses:
handle_call(stop, _From, State) -> {stop, normal, ok, State}; handle_call(_Msg, _From, State) -> {noreply, State}.
Which handle the unknown cases and the stop/1 call. We can now focus on getting async_queue/2 working. Because async_queue/2 basically does not care when the worker is ran and expects absolutely no reply, it was decided to make it a cast rather than a call. You'll find the logic of it to be awfully similar to the two previous options:
handle_cast({async, Args}, S=#state{limit=N, sup=Sup, refs=R}) when N > 0 -> {ok, Pid} = supervisor:start_child(Sup, Args), Ref = erlang:monitor(process, Pid), {noreply, S#state{limit=N-1, refs=gb_sets:add(Ref,R)}}; handle_cast({async, Args}, S=#state{limit=N, queue=Q}) when N =< 0 -> {noreply, S#state{queue=queue:in(Args,Q)}}; %% Not going to explain this one! handle_cast(_Msg, State) -> {noreply, State}.
Again, the only big difference apart from not replying is that when there is no place left for a worker it is queued. This time though, we have no From information and just send it to the queue without it; the limit doesn't change in this case.
When do we know it's time to dequeue something? Well, we have monitors set all around the place and we're storing their references in a gb_sets. Whenever a worker goes down, we're notified of it. Let's work from there:
handle_info({'DOWN', Ref, process, _Pid, _}, S = #state{refs=Refs}) -> io:format("received down msg~n"), case gb_sets:is_element(Ref, Refs) of true -> handle_down_worker(Ref, S); false -> %% Not our responsibility {noreply, S} end; handle_info({start_worker_supervisor, Sup, MFA}, S = #state{}) ->... handle_info(Msg, State) ->...
What we do in the snippet is make sure the 'DOWN' message we get comes from a worker. If it doesn't come from one (which would be surprising), we just ignore it. However, if the message really is what we want, we call a function named handle_down_worker/2 :
handle_down_worker(Ref, S = #state{limit=L, sup=Sup, refs=Refs}) -> case queue:out(S#state.queue) of {{value, {From, Args}}, Q} -> {ok, Pid} = supervisor:start_child(Sup, Args), NewRef = erlang:monitor(process, Pid), NewRefs = gb_sets:insert(NewRef, gb_sets:delete(Ref,Refs)), gen_server:reply(From, {ok, Pid}), {noreply, S#state{refs=NewRefs, queue=Q}}; {{value, Args}, Q} -> {ok, Pid} = supervisor:start_child(Sup, Args), NewRef = erlang:monitor(process, Pid), NewRefs = gb_sets:insert(NewRef, gb_sets:delete(Ref,Refs)), {noreply, S#state{refs=NewRefs, queue=Q}}; {empty, _} -> {noreply, S#state{limit=L+1, refs=gb_sets:delete(Ref,Refs)}} end.
Quite a complex one. Because our worker is dead, we can look in the queue for the next one to run. We do this by popping one element out of the queue, and looking what the result is. If there is at least one element in the queue, it will be of the form {{value, Item}, NewQueue}. If the queue is empty, it returns {empty, SameQueue}. Furthermore, we know that when we have the value {From, Args}, it means this came from sync_queue/2 and that it came from async_queue/2 otherwise.
Both cases where the queue has tasks in it will behave roughly the same: a new worker is attached to the worker supervisor, the reference of the old worker's monitor is removed and replaced with the new worker's monitor reference. The only different aspect is that in the case of the synchronous call, we send a manual reply while in the other we can remain silent. That's about it.
In the case the queue was empty, we need to do nothing but increment the worker limit by one.
The last thing to do is add the standard OTP callbacks:
code_change(_OldVsn, State, _Extra) -> {ok, State}. terminate(_Reason, _State) -> ok.
That's it, our pool is ready to be used! It is a very unfriendly pool, though. All the functions we need to use are scattered around the place. Some are in ppool_supersup, some are in ppool_serv. Plus the module names are long for no reason. To make things nicer, add the following API module (just abstracting the calls away) to the application's directory:
%%% API module for the pool -module(ppool). -export([start_link/0, stop/0, start_pool/3, run/2, sync_queue/2, async_queue/2, stop_pool/1]). start_link() -> ppool_supersup:start_link(). stop() -> ppool_supersup:stop(). start_pool(Name, Limit, {M,F,A}) -> ppool_supersup:start_pool(Name, Limit, {M,F,A}). stop_pool(Name) -> ppool_supersup:stop_pool(Name). run(Name, Args) -> ppool_serv:run(Name, Args). async_queue(Name, Args) -> ppool_serv:async_queue(Name, Args). sync_queue(Name, Args) -> ppool_serv:sync_queue(Name, Args).
And now we're done for real!
Note: you'll have noticed that our process pool doesn't limit the number of items that can be stored in the queue. In some cases, a real server application will need to put a ceiling on how many things can be queued to avoid crashing when too much memory is used, although the problem can be circumvented if you only use run/2 and sync_queue/2 with a fixed number of callers (if all content producers are stuck waiting for free space in the pool, they stop producing so much content in the first place). Adding a limit to the queue size is left as an exercise to the reader, but fear not because it is relatively simple to do; you will need to pass a new parameter to all functions up to the server, which will then check the limit before any queuing. Additionally, to control the load of your system, you sometimes want to impose limits closer to their source by using synchronous calls. Synchronous calls allow to block incoming queries when the system is getting swamped by producers faster than consumers; this generally helps keep it more responsive than a free-for-all load.
Look at me go, I'm lying all the time! The pool isn't really ready to be used. We don't have a worker at the moment. I forgot. This is a shame because we all know that in the chapter about writing a concurrent application, we've written ourselves a nice task reminder. It apparently wasn't enough for me, so for this one right here, I'll have us writing a nagger.
It will basically be a worker for each task, and the worker will keep nagging us by sending repeated messages until a given deadline. It'll be able to take:
a time delay for which to nag,
an address (pid) to say where the messages should be sent
a nagging message to be sent in the process mailbox, including the nagger's own pid to be able to call...
... a stop function to say the task is done and that the nagger can stop nagging
Here we go:
%% demo module, a nagger for tasks, %% because the previous one wasn't good enough -module(ppool_nagger). -behaviour(gen_server). -export([start_link/4, stop/1]). -export([init/1, handle_call/3, handle_cast/2, handle_info/2, code_change/3, terminate/2]). start_link(Task, Delay, Max, SendTo) -> gen_server:start_link(?MODULE, {Task, Delay, Max, SendTo}, []). stop(Pid) -> gen_server:call(Pid, stop).
Yes, we're going to be using yet another gen_server. You'll find out that people use them all the time, even when sometimes not appropriate! It's important to remember that our pool can accept any OTP compliant process, not just gen_servers.
init({Task, Delay, Max, SendTo}) -> {ok, {Task, Delay, Max, SendTo}, Delay}.
This just takes the basic data and forwards it. Again, Task is the thing to send as a message, Delay is the time spent in between each sending, Max is the number of times it's going to be sent and SendTo is a pid or a name where the message will go. Note that Delay is passed as a third element of the tuple, which means timeout will be sent to handle_info/2 after Delay milliseconds.
Given our API above, most of the server is rather straightforward:
%%% OTP Callbacks handle_call(stop, _From, State) -> {stop, normal, ok, State}; handle_call(_Msg, _From, State) -> {noreply, State}. handle_cast(_Msg, State) -> {noreply, State}. handle_info(timeout, {Task, Delay, Max, SendTo}) -> SendTo! {self(), Task}, if Max =:= infinity -> {noreply, {Task, Delay, Max, SendTo}, Delay}; Max =< 1 -> {stop, normal, {Task, Delay, 0, SendTo}}; Max > 1 -> {noreply, {Task, Delay, Max-1, SendTo}, Delay} end. %% We cannot use handle_info below: if that ever happens, %% we cancel the timeouts (Delay) and basically zombify %% the entire process. It's better to crash in this case. %% handle_info(_Msg, State) -> %% {noreply, State}. code_change(_OldVsn, State, _Extra) -> {ok, State}. terminate(_Reason, _State) -> ok.
The only somewhat complex part here lies in the handle_info/2 function. As seen back in the gen_server chapter, every time a timeout is hit (in this case, after Delay milliseconds), the timeout message is sent to the process. Based on this, we check how many nags were sent to know if we have to send more or just quit. With this worker done, we can actually try this process pool!
We can now play with the pool compile all the files and start the pool top-level supervisor itself:
$ erlc *.erl $ erl Erlang R14B02 (erts-5.8.3) [source] [64-bit] [smp:4:4] [rq:4] [async-threads:0] [hipe] [kernel-poll:false] Eshell V5.8.3 (abort with ^G) 1> ppool:start_link(). {ok,<0.33.0>}
From this point, we can try a bunch of different features of the nagger as a pool:
2> ppool:start_pool(nagger, 2, {ppool_nagger, start_link, []}). {ok,<0.35.0>} 3> ppool:run(nagger, ["finish the chapter!", 10000, 10, self()]). {ok,<0.39.0>} 4> ppool:run(nagger, ["Watch a good movie", 10000, 10, self()]). {ok,<0.41.0>} 5> flush(). Shell got {<0.39.0>,"finish the chapter!"} Shell got {<0.39.0>,"finish the chapter!"} ok 6> ppool:run(nagger, ["clean up a bit", 10000, 10, self()]). noalloc 7> flush(). Shell got {<0.41.0>,"Watch a good movie"} Shell got {<0.39.0>,"finish the chapter!"} Shell got {<0.41.0>,"Watch a good movie"} Shell got {<0.39.0>,"finish the chapter!"} Shell got {<0.41.0>,"Watch a good movie"}...
Everything seems to work rather well for the synchronous non-queued runs. The pool is started, tasks are added and messages are sent to the right destination. When we try to run more tasks than allowed, allocation is denied to us. No time for cleaning up, sorry! The others still run fine though.
Note: the ppool is started with start_link/0. If at any time you make an error in the shell, you take down the whole pool and have to start over again. This issue will be addressed in the next chapter.
Note: of course a cleaner nagger would probably call an event manager used to forward messages correctly to all appropriate media. In practice though, many products, protocols and libraries are prone to change and I always hated books that are no longer good to read once external dependencies have passed their time. As such, I tend to keep all external dependencies rather low, if not entirely absent from this tutorial.
We can try the queuing facilities (asynchronous), just to see:
8> ppool:async_queue(nagger, ["Pay the bills", 30000, 1, self()]). ok 9> ppool:async_queue(nagger, ["Take a shower", 30000, 1, self()]). ok 10> ppool:async_queue(nagger, ["Plant a tree", 30000, 1, self()]). ok <wait a bit> received down msg received down msg 11> flush(). Shell got {<0.70.0>,"Pay the bills"} Shell got {<0.72.0>,"Take a shower"} <wait some more> received down msg 12> flush(). Shell got {<0.74.0>,"Plant a tree"} ok
Great! So the queuing works. The log here doesn't show everything in a very clear manner, but what happens there is that the two first naggers run as |
and defensive aids training".
Prime Minister David Cameron told MPs the deal was "more good news for British jobs, for British investment and British Aerospace".
But Unite's Ian Waddell said it was still a "massive challenge" to save 650 jobs which are still under threat.
"Two hundred jobs saved feels like a drop in the ocean for our members. BAE's strategy of transferring Hawk from the Brough site to Lancashire was predicated on them winning this Saudi order, so it will not save any of the jobs currently under threat at either Brough or the Lancashire sites," he added.
The order also includes 55 trainers and 25 primary training aircraft, as well as upgraded training facilities, and initial spares support, the MoD said.
MoD officials said the deal reflected the Saudis' "confidence" both in the Hawk jets and the UK's "ability to continue to meet Saudi Arabia's legitimate defence requirements".
Ben Wallace, chair of a House of Commons group of MPs interested in Iran, said the British government had been trying for a long time to increase aerospace sales and the Saudi deal was "the result of a lot of hard work behind the scenes".
He defended arms deals with Saudi Arabia, saying the country was "stable", strong and moving towards human rights reform.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Roy Cartwright, Unite: "205 are still at risk, and we haven't given up the fight for them yet"
An investigation into BAE's Saudi Arabian deals following accusations of corruption was dropped in 2010. The defence firm denied charges of corruption and bribery over payments made to win contracts but was fined £286m.
Campaigners argued BAE should have answered the corruption claims in court but a deal was struck with the UK government to plead guilty to lesser charges over their account keeping.
In 2006 Saudi Arabia - the world's dominant oil producer - ordered 72 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft from BAE in a deal worth at least £6bn.
BAE employ 40,000 people in the UK and is one of the world's leading arms contractors generating almost £20bn in sales in 2011.
Saudi Arabia sits on more than 25% of the world's known oil reserves and is capable of producing more than 10 million barrels per day.
Political parties are banned in the kingdom, which has been ruled by the Al Saud dynasty since its foundation.It’s been an incredibly long wait since we first glanced Iggy Pop naked and spread out over a table top surrounded by artists sat behind easels, immortalising him on paper. Finally, the resulting nude drawings are here and will be exhibited at Brooklyn Museum from November.
Pop’s foray into life drawing was a collaboration with British artist Jeremy Deller, who, along with Brooklyn Museum’s Sharon Matt Atkins, helped select 21 artists to capture their interpretation of the frontman in all his glory.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Pop explained that “it was not about anything silly… It wasn’t about my winkie, or anything. It was just a documentation of what’s left of me. I thought it was a good idea the artist had and I enjoyed so much the company of the 21 drawing students and working artists. It was a very nice vibe in the room.”
While Pop might not seem like the most likely of nude subjects, Deller explained in the upcoming show’s press release that his choice related to our ideas of masculinity. “Iggy Pop has one of the most recognisable bodies in popular culture. A body that is key to an understanding of rock music, and that has been paraded, celebrated, and scrutinised through the years in a way that is unusual for a man. It is also fair to say that it has witnessed a lot. It was for these reasons that I wanted him to sit for a life class.”
The drawings will be shown alongside works from the museum’s collection that depict the male body in an examination of the “shifting cultural representations of masculinity across history”.
Iggy Pop Life Class will run from November 4, 2016 to March 26, 2017 at Brooklyn MuseumClick here for a guide to following the health care reform story online.
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., is a medical doctor; his press releases frequently refer to him not as “Sen. Coburn” but as “Dr. Coburn.” He is also a fervent opponent of Obamacare. Coburn purports to favor an alternative bill so similar to the Democrats’ own that one can’t help wondering whether his opposition is mere partisan posturing. Another possibility is that Coburn is insincere when he claims to support any change to the current system.
Evidence for the latter is an exchange between Coburn and a weeping constituent who said at an Aug. 24 town hall meeting that her health insurance wouldn’t cover rehabilitation for her husband, who suffered a traumatic brain injury. Writing in the New Republic’s health care blog, the Treatment, Harold Pollack *, a professor at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration, said that when he saw this clip neither he nor his wife, a clinical nurse specialist, “could … believe what we were watching.”
Neither could I. Here’s a transcript:
Q: Sen. Coburn, we need help. My husband has traumatic brain injury. His health insurance will not cover him to eat and drink. And what I need to know is: Are you going to help him? Where he can eat and drink? We left the nursing home, and they told us we are on our own. He left with a feeding tube. I have been working with him, but I’m not a speech pathologist, a professional that takes six years for a masters’, and I’m trying to get him to eat and drink again [inaud].A: Well, I think—first of all, yeah. We’ll help. The first thing we will do is to see what we can do, individually, to help you, through our office. But the other thing that is missing in this debate is us as neighbors, helping people that need our help. [Applause.] You know we tend to … [Applause.] The idea that the government is a solution to our problems is an inaccurate, a very inaccurate statement.
Pollack, his wife, and Philip Pizzo, dean of Stanford Medical School, found Coburn’s answer to be deeply disturbing. I did, too, of course. But what truly shocked and depressed me was not Coburn’s let-’em-eat-cake response but the fact that it wasn’t met in the room with a collective sharp intake of breath. Instead, Coburn received two quite robust bursts of applause. I have no idea how Congress and the White House can possibly sell health care reform to people like that.
Watch the exchange below:
Correction, Sept. 1, 2009: An earlier version of this column misspelled Harold Pollack’s surname. (Return to the corrected sentence.)Jake Peavy has cleared his belongings from the White Sox's clubhouse and is prepared to be traded soon, reports ESPNChicago.com's Bruce Levine. "It is sad to think that this is probably my last day in here," Peavy said this morning. "We all realize the reality of the situation and I am prepared with that to happen soon. If I am not traded I would be happy to know the message here is we think we can win it all next year with you a part of it. I am reflecting on my four years here as we speak and getting a little caught up in the emotion. It is a sad day when you think it could be your last. This is a business and this is what we do. I will always cherish the people here and my time in Chicago." Here are the other rumors involving Peavy today:
The White Sox have shown no interest in absorbing any of the approximately $24MM owed Peavy and that, along with health concerns, are big issues for the Braves, Orioles, Cardinals, and even the Dodgers, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark.
have shown no interest in absorbing any of the approximately $24MM owed Peavy and that, along with health concerns, are big issues for the,,, and even the, tweets ESPN's Jayson Stark. Baseball executives still feel it is likely the White Sox will trade Peavy before the deadline, ESPN's Buster Olney reports (Insider-only). The Cardinals have more than enough young pitching to get Peavy, but they don't seem inclined to move it, Olney writes. He guesses that Peavy will ultimately wind up with the Athletics.
. The Sox are having difficulty trading Peavy, however, tweets Peter Gammons, whose reporting echoes Stark's. The Sox asked the Athletics for top young players Sonny Gray and Addison Russell, while also asking the A's to pay almost $20MM in salary, Gammons writes. That's surely far more than the A's would be willing to pay.
Earlier Updates
Charlie Wilmoth contributed to this post.BODO ILGNER, Andreas Köpke, Oliver Kahn, Jens Lehmann, Manuel Neuer; the list of Germany’s first-choice goalkeepers over the past three decades reads off like a reel of dynastic succession. Not only is it successively easier on the tongue, it also represents some sort of evolution in the goalkeeping lineage, eventually culminating – for now – into the archetypal sweeper-keeper, a far-cry from the traditionalist Illgner.
Lesser-known is the fact that in the months running up to the 2010 World Cup, Neuer was not the first-choice to go to South Africa. With the substitute places seemingly settled for Bremen’s Tim Wiese and perpetual Kahn understudy Hans Jörg-Butt, three men fought for the number one shirt, none eventually making the cut.
The first, Timo Hildebrand, had an excellent record with Stuttgart, only to weaken his suit upon moving to Valencia in 2007. Failing to displace the established Santiago Cañizares, his form petered out after moving to Hoffenheim in 2008, thus decisively ruling him out. The second, Leverkusen’s René Adler, was relatively inexperienced and had Neuer for competition in the same ‘young and exciting’ bracket.
The third pretender, unlike Adler, had experience outside the Bundesliga, and unlike Hildebrand, had tasted success abroad with Benfica, and to some extent, Tenerife. Now with mid-table strugglers Hannover, he performed week in week out in goal, leading many to plump for him as first choice.
With the dream seemingly in sight, his body was found on the Eilvese train crossing on 10 November 2009. The suicide note recovered left no doubt of the cause. His name was Robert Enke.
Born to Gisela and Dirk Enke on 24 August 1977, Enke marked himself as a quiet, thoughtful child, further marked by the presence of two older siblings in the family. The reunification of Germany was the only notable event of his otherwise uneventful youth, with the reopened access to the West allowing father Dirk to reestablish contact with other relatives on that side of Germany.
Enke could’ve been forgiven for dreaming about an entirely different jersey number in his early days. Playing for local team SV Jenapharm in erstwhile East Germany, he first caught the attention of Carl Zeiss Jena in 1985, albeit as a striker. Like countless others, a nameless yet prescient coach would engineer the positional switch at Jena, with young Enke moving soon to represent Germany against England in a youth international at Wembley.
Already in a league with the likes of Gianluigi Buffon by virtue of his positional switch, Enke would debut unremarkably for Jena in 1995, the club having been seeded in the second division after reunification. Despite making only three appearances, he’d earn a move to Borussia Mönchengladbach the next year, initially as an understudy to Uwe Kamps.
Read | Sebastian Deisler and the pressures of elite sport
Having finished fourth in 1995/96, Gladbach now had the likes of Sebastian Deisler and Enke in their ranks, seemingly attempting to relive the era of the 1970s, when a young and hungry team made regular and powerful appearances in the European Cup. Topping off this emerging crop was a young striker named Marco Villa, who threatened by scoring three goals in his first seven games.
His first winter was hard. Enke would later recall the experience to journalist Ronald Reng, noting his intimidation in training from the fiercely competitive Kamps, whose physique and style, both mildly reminiscent of Oliver Kahn, initially made Enke wonder if he was cut out for the Bundesliga. In addition, a core made up of experienced Bundesliga heads such as Patrik Andersson, Martin Dahlin and Stefan Effenberg maintained a tough culture in the side. While part of the intimidation was natural to any youngster learning the ropes in a league such as the Bundesliga, another factor was crucial to both Enke the goalkeeper, and Enke the man.
It may be argued that keeping the goalkeepers fired up is the toughest part of a manager’s man-management abilities. Since only one of them may play in a game, and such a choice of the one being usually very stable, it falls on the manager to ensure that the substitute goalkeepers feel valued, despite their desire for minutes not being met. Otherwise, conditions are ripe for a benched goalkeeper to keep doubting himself, a cycle hard to overcome. With a Gladbach legend such as Kamps up against him, Enke had every right to doubt himself.
However, his efforts in training did not eventually go unnoticed. Owing to injuries to Kamps, Enke would eventually debut in the 1998/99 season, with the game ending a relatively serene 3-0 to Gladbach. However, the loss of Effenberg and Dahlin, who had been sold the previous season, showed. Die Fohlen soon fell to the bottom of the table despite impressive performances by Enke. Amidst a conflict between the strikers, a paper-thin defence and a rapid turnover of managers on the horizon, Gladbach hosted Leverkusen on 30 October 1998. Enke shipped eight as the game ended 8-2.
A week later, relegation became merely a matter of time, as Wolfsburg won 7-1, leading to the dismissal of manager Friedel Rausch, himself installed in the middle of the season. The rapid turnover of coaches and the disorganization on show disturbed Enke, who dithered on a contract extension, eventually agreeing to leave at the end of the season.
This decision to leave, being announced immediately by the board, made Enke the target of irate fans, who’d cause a din with him ‘keeping on the home end. Enke would later recount feeling betrayed by the board, as if being punished for his honesty by not engaging in an eventually pointless negotiation with the team set to go down.
The Leverkusen game, as well as his reaction to irate, passionate and sometimes irrational fans, may well reveal another side to Enke. Being born to a psychologist in a family impacted by German reunification may have sensitively attuned the young goalkeeper to both real and imagined opinions of others. His biographer, Ronald Reng, notes how he’d fear letting in a goal, or even continue to analyse a goal conceded when it was clear that he wasn’t at fault. In other words, Enke, consumed by his passion for the game, would need an outlet to switch off, a need which would recur, sometimes fulfilled, in subsequent years.
Despite interest from 1860 Munich, the 22-year-old would eventually sign for Jupp Heynckes’ Benfica. Heynckes had watched Gladbach closely during his sabbatical in 1998/99, and Enke moved with the number one spot seemingly assured.
‘I can’t stay here. It’s not working’. Enke lay in his hotel room, an hour after having signed for Benfica. As he wept into the pillow, his girlfriend and agent wondered about the best course of action. Following a swift discussion with Heynckes, it was decided that the goalkeeper would temporarily fly to Germany, being seemingly intimidated by the Portuguese paparazzi.
With the transfer now doubtful, Heynckes signed Carlos Bossio from Estudiantes. Enke would eventually return as the second goalkeeper, having been convinced of the need to honour his contract, despite his initial reservations over the move.
Read | Oliver Kahn: a glittering career undermined by high-profile failures
The signing of Bossio, along with the presence of a German support staff, seemed to calm Enke. He would spend the evenings in the gym along with Heynckes and goalkeeping coach Walter Junghans, thus forming a small German clique which served to support him. With Bossio pushing him in training, it now seemed that Enke could eventually settle down at the club.
With Heynckes unimpressed by Bossio, Enke eventually started the season opener for Benfica, impressing in a 1-1 draw against Rio Ave. Benfica, the Lisbon press and a young boy named José Moreira soon took to Enke, establishing him as the club’s beloved first-choice by November that year.
Moriera, a 17-year-old goalkeeper promoted from the B team, spent a lot of time with Enke, absorbing from him just as Enke had done from Kamps a few years earlier. As the youngster modelled his game on Enke, the German picked up Portuguese from him, eventually proving fluent enough to deliver a press conference in the language by the end of the year.
Despite the departure of Heynckes four days into the 2000-01 season, Enke would remain first-choice under the following managers, among them José Mourinho. In a far cry from his initial reservations, Enke and his wife Teresa’s diaries would regularly refer to their contentment at being in Lisbon by 2001/02, to the point that the goalkeeper refused overtures from Manchester United and Arsenal in 2001.
Part of the contentment stemmed from the fact that he was valued both by the management and the fans, despite Benfica not winning major honours during Enke’s time at the club. In Moreira, Enke had a young student who both looked up to him and enjoyed his company, with the older man frequently referring to him as ‘my little brother’. In the exchange of languages, and the time both would spend watching movies together, Enke would find a useful outlet, helping his internal support system survive the departures of Heynckes and Junghans earlier.
Having initially moved to reach the Champions League, Enke failed to appear in Europe’s premier competition during his time with Benfica. Deprived of European attention, a factor crucial to stay in the eyes of the German press while abroad, Enke failed to cause a serious dent in the debate for the understudy to Kahn, despite his consistent performances for Benfica. The same probably hurt his chances of making the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, with Lehmann being preferred as an understudy to Kahn.
Thus, recognising the need to take his career to a higher level, Enke decided to leave Benfica in the summer of 2002, opting to play under another Champions League winner, Louis van Gaal, at Barcelona.
Now aged 25, Enke’s move to Barcelona seemed fitting for a promising goalkeeper approaching his peak. Barcelona were now in transition, seeking to gradually recover from the losses of Ronaldo, Luís Figo and Pep Guardiola in recent years, which seemed to mean that chances would abound.
Nowhere did this seem truer than the goalkeeping spot, where Barcelona had taken to juggling incumbents ever since the departure of Andoni Zubizaretta. The likes of Vítor Baía, Carles Busquets and Ruud Hesp had all failed to maintain a hold over the position. However, the presence of Argentine international Roberto Bonano and young gun Víctor Valdés, along with the signing of Enke, seemed to be Barcelona’s best shot at overcoming their ‘curse’.
Read | Jens Lehmann: a lasting marriage of greatness and chaos
Despite the promise of playing in the Champions League with one of Spain’s most storied clubs, Enke’s move to Barcelona seems a grave miscalculation in hindsight. The Catalan club’s approach to goalkeepers, with the gloveman often staying at the edge of the box with the team on attack, hardly suited the traditionalist Enke, who rarely ventured out even to catch crosses.
Picking up the new style under goalkeeping coach Frans Hoek proved hard. Bonano and Valdés had higher starting positions, allowing both to absorb the style more easily, leaving Enke as the recipient of most of Hoek’s feedback. Enke’s biography seems to leave the impression that the Barcelona coaching staff did not fully comprehend the difficulty of the stylistic transition, and sought to mould Enke into a Barcelona keeper faster than possible. Thus, being a regular recipient of Hoek’s corrective feedback, he was possibly left doubting the style which had served him well for years.
The second miscalculation on Enke’s part lay in the identity of his manager. It may be argued that Enke’s time at Benfica succeeded because the staff was sensitive enough to help the new charge acclimatise, being sensitive enough to the goalkeeper’s anxiety issues. Under Van Gaal’s tough, authoritarian style, Enke would not have survived save for a far thicker skin.
The fact was borne out quickly in one of Enke’s first interactions with Van Gaal, wherein the Dutchman openly admitted to not knowing about the German custodian, and only signing him at the behest of Barcelona’s sporting director. While this could be filed as a motivation tactic to fire the new signing up, Enke was possibly the least suited recipient of the same.
Enke finally debuted in a Copa del Rey game against third-tier Novelda, with most of the starters being rested. Two of the new signings, Enke and fellow Barcelona struggler Juan Román Riquelme, were under the spotlight.
At least in looking back, Hoek acknowledged the scale of the challenge. He noted that the pressure of proving oneself in a cup game is hard, particularly for a substitute goalkeeper lacking match sharpness. Adding to that, the pitch at Novelda was a far cry from the cultured surfaces of La Liga Barcelona was used to, with the third tier being subject to far less stringent norms. Crucially, for the evening game, their floodlights were barely of the expected level.
Everything changed on the hour. Despite being 1-0 up, with Enke relatively untroubled till then, Barcelona contrived to let in three in 20 minutes, losing 3-2. Michael Reiziger lost his man in conceding the first, Fábio Rochemback lost the ball to pressure, putting Novelda forward Toni Madrigal one-on-one for the second, and a mix-up between Frank de Boer and Enke for a cross led to the third, capping a half of horrors for Barcelona’s three-man defence.
The definitive image, however, remains of De Boer screaming at Enke after having conceded the last goal. Van Gaal would later hand the defender a dressing down for the same, but the goalkeeper received little attention. Despite a pair of otherwise uneventful Champions League appearances, Enke would remain low in the pecking order, with the plucky Valdés establishing himself under Van Gaal, a telling development given the pair’s standoff at Manchester United a decade later.
Read | How Manuel Neuer, Germany’s 11th man, is revolutionising goalkeeping
With the club a lowly 12th in the league standings in January 2003, Van Gaal opted to leave the club, and replacement Radomir Antić would not tamper much with the status quo. The four months after Novelda had taken a toll on Enke, and he began quietly visiting a specialist in his attempt to battle depression. In the midst of all this, yet another German would intervene to snap Enke out of his inactivity, with Christoph Daum’s Fenerbahçe taking him on loan until the end of the 2003/04 season.
Both Enke and his wife Teresa envisioned the move to be temporary, believing that a series of solid performances would give him a way back at Barcelona under new manager Frank Rijkaard. His family, therefore, stayed in Barcelona, with agent Jörg Neblung being Enke’s only tangible support in Istanbul.
However, all parties involved, none more so than the Enkes, deeply misunderstood the extent of the depression. A move to a culture as different as Turkey’s would have been unnerving enough for Enke at his sunniest, but moving to one of Europe’s most passionate clubs in such a mental state deeply rattled the German. He made only one appearance for the club, a 3-0 reversal to city rivals İstanbulspor. Faced with the wrath of the passionate Fenerbahçe fans after the game, Enke realised the need for his support system in the midst of his depression, and expressed a desire to have the loan terminated.
Even as Fenerbahçe understandably protested, Enke returned to the Camp Nou, left to train outside the first team given his outstanding commitments to the Turkish club. It may be inferred that Barcelona’s experience of handling the situation possibly affected Rijkaard’s opinion of Enke, thus closing the door for the German to be a part of one of the decade’s most exciting sides. Barcelona eventually entertained an offer from Segunda División side Tenerife to take the man on loan, hoping that a lesser stage might exorcise his demons.
If Enke’s fall from his highs at Benfica were tragic, the trajectory of former Gladbach teammate, striker Marco Villa, was the farce. Earmarked for big things after scoring three goals in his first seven Bundesliga appearances, Villa eventually tumbled down the leagues, winding up in the Italian fourth division. Despite their various travels, the two kept in touch, with Villa often lending an understanding ear to Enke’s self-doubt.
The friendship of the two lays bare an interesting paradox, crucial to understanding the thought process behind Enke’s move to the Canary Islands. Villa, with his persistent movement between clubs, seemed a restless spirit, hoping to find once again the carefree 18-year-old who often played the prankster in the Gladbach dressing room. In a far cry from the Beckhams and Ronaldos of this world, who seem to thrive on the pressure generated by the media and fans, the likes of Villa eventually content themselves with life in the lower leagues, looking to simply play without the relentless media glare.
This aversion to the media glare also manifested itself in Enke, though, as although he accepted this move, he was never able to free himself of his desire to play for the best, wherein media scrutiny is a given. Eventually frazzled by the politics and media frenzy at Barcelona and the ramifications of his abortive move to Fenerbahçe, Enke resigned to stepping down a notch, realising the need to rediscover his passion for life between the sticks.
Tenerife had loaned him as a backup to established Segunda keeper, Álvaro Iglesias. Away from the media glare in the second tier, and freed from the expectations of being first choice, Enke the man eventually came to the fore again. Rediscovering the joy of living alone, topped up by the agreeable weather in the Canary Islands, Enke was finally able to be one with the team, often lending his car to teammates in need, and equipping his fellow goalkeepers with the same Absolutgrip gloves he often preferred.
Read | David Bentley and the unforgiving world of football
Despite being, in his own assessment, far better than incumbent number one Iglesias, Enke was graceful enough to note the consistency of Iglesias’ performances, and went as far as to improve his bearings for crosses by observing the older custodian. Staying backup to Iglesias at a higher wage did not perturb him, as he reassured his agent time and again that his chance would come. He was proven right, just as his emotional recovery seemed complete.
An injury to Iglesias meant that Enke asserted himself in his first game in nine months, a 2-1 win over Elche, eventually nailing down the spot until the end of the season. His performances, while lifting Tenerife from a lowly 20th to a scarcely respectable eighth did not, understandably, catch the eye of the German FA, meaning that Enke would miss Euro 2004. Not that the snub mattered. Enke had been unusually content at Tenerife and saw life with a mid-table side a distinct possibility, as it finally seemed that he was coming to terms with his own limitations.
The spell at Tenerife evokes another side to his sensitivity; Enke just wanted to be understood by his teammates and staff. Once fully trusted, it ceased to matter to him whether he was starting or not, and he could perform with relative freedom. This sensitivity, as seen at both Tenerife and Benfica, could also extend to mentoring his own competitors in the side, eventually working to the benefit of the squad.
While one is tempted to blame numerous people for Enke’s eventual maladjustment to Barcelona, it may be argued that the various conflicting interests on show at a Barcelona or Real Madrid could not have realistically afforded Enke the comfort zone to grow into the new levels expected of him. Quite simply, in hindsight, Barcelona at the time was not the club to meet Enke’s needs, even if they could match his ambitions. And for that, it’d be unfair to pin the blame completely on either party.
As much as he’d have liked to continue with Tenerife, or in Spain in general, it was not to be. His first child was due, and he opted to return to Germany with Hannover. His first two years at Hannover were otherwise uneventful on the field. Enke continued his impressive form from Tenerife, and settled in well, eventually courting interest from Stuttgart before signing a contract extension in 2006. The same, however, could not be said of his personal life.
During his wife Teresa’s pregnancy, it was revealed that the child could be born with health problems, with an abortion recommended. The decision to eventually have the child had a major bearing on Enke’s decision to return to Germany, realising the need to be closer home with a possibly sick child.
His daughter, Lara, was born in late 2004 with a heart defect, meaning that it was about three months before she was able to come home. Surgery to fix the defect succeeded, but her heart remained weak, and side effects from the surgery meant that Lara went deaf. This could only be remedied by cochlear implants, but her body could not take the strain of the operation, and she eventually died in 2006.
Despite being distraught, Enke overcame the incident, continuing to perform for Hannover as team captain under new coach Dieter Hecking. His consistency, including being voted as the league’s best goalkeeper for the 2007/08 season, catapulted him into the German reckoning, where he was in notable competition with Leverkusen starlet René Adler. Enke could’ve been forgiven for being reminded of a certain Víctor Valdés when seeing Adler’s young, ebullient nature, but the two did begin to get along when the youngster worked actively to resolve the differences between the two.
Read | Meet Lutz Pfannenstiel, football’s 25-club, 13-country, six-continent man
The responsibility of team captain, otherwise a non-sequitur for Enke in happier times, gradually became a burden during Hecking’s final season, when he often felt the need to be different things to different people. His biographer, Ronald Reng, notes with particular attention the difficulty Enke faced in 2009 when tasked with communicating to the coach that the team wanted him to leave, amidst a general belief that Hecking was asking too much of the lot.
The doubt over the German number one position for the World Cup, as referenced in the competition between Hildebrand, Adler, Neuer and Enke, coupled with the tougher aspects of captaincy, conspired to take their toll on Enke. The bout of depression which would eventually kill him had been visible since the beginning of the 2009/10 season, with Teresa working actively to create a support system around Enke within the team, and midfielder Hanno Balitsch actively keeping an eye on his captain and routinely encouraging him in training.
The Enkes had also adopted a girl, Leila, at the same time. Coupled with Enke’s growing pains chronicled above, it may be argued that the young girl’s presence triggered within Enke a hidden well of despondency from Lara’s death, even though depression can be rarely attributed to one sole cause.
As Enke began to feel darker in his last weeks, Teresa and Neblung encouraged him to come out in the open about his depression, just as Deisler had done a few years ago. His final appearances were marked by a complete lack of expression, as if conditioned reflexes were enough to carry the man through 90 minutes of play. Often, as in his final appearance in a 2-2 draw against Hamburg, they were.
Two days later, having snuck out of his home under the pretext of training, Enke drove around his city, Empede, the whole day, before throwing himself in front of a train that evening.
The perception of goalkeepers, and the demands we make of them, are surprisingly contradictory. While we acknowledge that goalkeeping is an impressively lonely pursuit, even denying the practitioner the possibility of making pairs, as often occurs with outfield players, we somehow expect goalkeepers to not be affected by this loneliness, even though loneliness in general may break most of us.
A much-neglected part of the debate following Enke’s demise remains the need to encourage sportspersons to speak up about depression. Not only because the high-pressure situations they face is extremely conducive to the illness, but also because they may help millions of other patients by owning up to such illnesses in their capacity as role models.
Equally important is the need to identify when they can be encouraged to talk about it, for encouraging Enke to own up to his depression while he was in the midst of it may not have been the right move. Granted, there are no easy answers to such questions, but raising them and encouraging debate will be a good start for sport.
Did Robert Enke’s unique position kill him? Would he have fared well as an outfielder, knowing that those positions are more prone to rotation, allowing a better scope for the man-management Enke desperately pined for throughout his career? Would he have been better served by retiring early, à la Deisler, and moving into the mentoring role he so enjoyed with the likes of José Moreira?
The case of Enke, while not an example of everything wrong with the modern pressures of the game, does remain an instructive case study on how to improve the game’s handling at various levels, and on the part of various stakeholders, in the future. For that alone, and for his famed move of turning one knee inwards while facing a one-on-one situation, the dour, sensitive, yet immensely relatable Enke will always be celebrated, just perhaps a little too late.
By Avtansh BehalThe world's largest airship, Airlander 10, completed its maiden trip on Wednesday at Cardington airfield in the U.K., after a postponement due to technical concerns on Sunday. The airfield is located in Bedford, about 73 kilometres (45 miles) north of London.
This flight of the 92-metre ship, nicknamed "the Flying Bum" for its shape, lasted for about half an hour. The airship completed a series of flight manoeuvres and landed safely.
According to Stephen McGlennan, the CEO of the airship's manufacturer Hybrid Air Vehicles, the aircraft "is a mixture of airplane technology, airship technology and helicopter technology".
It costs more than £30 million ($50 million Cdn) to manufacture such a large aircraft. McGlennan said that a Chinese company participated in the technical design of the aircraft which can carry a 10-tonne payload.
"The engines come from a company that is now owned by a large Chinese company. And we are also talking to some of the major Chinese technological companies who have a focus in aerospace, trying to find ways in which we can bring this technology into China and across markets where Chinese companies have many interests," he added.
The U.S. Air Force initially invested money in developing the aircraft, but had to abandon the project because of budget cuts in 2013.
He said there will be 100 such aircraft flying across the world in five years for recreation, cargo transport and disaster relief.See, you can’t even wear a condom, because the Pope wouldn’t like it.
... or so he tells the choir boys…
In other news, I can’t help but imagine the *gay menace* to look like Darth Maul, but pink where Maul was red…
*Gay Menace*…. I only wish that I’d thought of that term for this cartoon, but sadly no. I saw it on a Christian website a few weeks back. Just Google it.
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Posted in Biblical, God & Son, Rant
Tags: atheist, belief, blasphemous, blasphemy, blog, Christ, christian, education, faith, false, father, gay, god, god and son, heaven, hell, Holy, idiot, idol, Idolatry, jesus, kids, one true god, poly-atheist, polyatheist, Reality-Based, religion, religious, satire, science, sex, sin, son, straight, twitterOpinion writer
THE MORNING PLUM:
What we are seeing right now in the Russia affair is a kind of double game: Fox News and a constellation of President Trump’s outside allies are escalating their attacks on the special counsel and on law enforcement, even as Trump’s lawyers — and Trump himself — keep telling us that Trump has no intention of trying to remove Robert S. Mueller III.
But whatever Trump ends up doing toward Mueller, this double-track approach will take us into new territory. Trump is heading into a period of some sort of sustained confrontation with the special counsel and with law enforcement that is similar to the one Richard Nixon entered into just over four decades ago. Yet Trump will be benefiting from a very powerful and far-reaching network of media propaganda on his behalf — one that casts all these ongoing efforts to subject Trump to basic accountability as fundamentally illegitimate — that is nothing like anything Nixon had at his disposal. And the ramifications of that for our country are, at present, |
U.S. and Canada. These notices include a settlement proposal, offering alleged downloaders an option to pay off their “debt.”
Rightscorp’s practices haven’t been without controversy. The company and its clients have been sued for abuse and harassment and various large ISPs refuse to forward the settlements to their subscribers.
Cox Communications, one of the larger Internet providers in the U.S. also chose not to work with Rightscorp. The ISP didn’t comment on this refusal initially, but now that Cox has been sued by several Rightscorp clients, it reveals why.
In a statement that leaves little to the imagination, Cox notes that Rightscorp is “threatening” subscribers with “extortionate” letters.
“Rightscorp is in the business of threatening Internet users on behalf of copyright owners. Rightscorp specifically threatens subscribers of ISPs with loss of their Internet service — a punishment that is not within Rightscorp’s control — unless the subscribers pay a settlement demand,” Cox writes (pdf).
As a result, the ISP decided not to participate in the controversial scheme unless Rightscorp revised the notifications and removed the extortion-like language.
“Because Rightscorp’s purported DMCA notices were, in fact, improper threats against consumers to scare them into paying settlements to Rightscorp, Cox refused to accept or forward those notices, or otherwise to participate in Rightscorp’s extortionate scheme.”
“Cox expressly and repeatedly informed Rightscorp that it would not accept Rightscorp’s improper extortion threat communications, unless and until Rightscorp revised them to be proper notices.”
The two parties went back and forth over the details and somewhere in this process Rightscorp came up with a controversial proposal. The company offered Cox a cut of the settlement money its subscribers would pay, so the ISP could also profit.
“Rightscorp had a history of interactions with Cox in which Rightscorp offered Cox a share of the settlement revenue stream in return for Cox’s cooperation in transmitting extortionate letters to Cox’s customers. Cox rebuffed Rightscorp’s approach,” Cox informs the court.
This allegation is something that was never revealed, and it shows to what great lengths Rightscorp is willing to go to get ISPs to comply. It’s not clear whether the same proposal was made to other ISPs are well, but that wouldn’t be a surprise.
Cox, however, didn’t take the bait and still refused to join the scheme. Rightscorp wasn’t happy with this decision and according to the ISP, the company and its clients are now getting back at them through the “repeat infringer” lawsuit.
“This lawsuit is, in effect, a bid both to punish Cox for not participating in Rightscorp’s scheme, and to gain leverage over Cox’s customers for the settlement shakedown business model that Plaintiffs and Rightscorp jointly employ,” Cox notes.
Despite the strong language and extortion accusations used by Cox, the revelations didn’t prevent the Court from granting copyright holders access to the personal details of 250 accused copyright infringers.
The case is just getting started though, and judging from the aggressive stance being taken by both sides we can expect a lot more dirt to come out in the months ahead.A guest post by Sam Ryan
Patience, they say, is a virtue. For writers, it’s a way of life. Ideas, inspiration and the right words can’t be forced, just facilitated. Sometimes the same goes for your writing career.
Some of us take a little longer than we’d like, going through our 20s, maybe 30s and beyond, unsure just what it is we want to do with our love of words, including whether or not to actually turn it from a hobby into a money-earner.
Some of us take the long route, with inevitable detours; maybe doing a couple of degrees and hopping around the many jobs that involve words before figuring it out. That’s ok – indeed, it’s necessary.
The beauty of writing is that it can be informed by any and all experiences. Along the way you’ll also pick up a range of skills you missed or weren’t taught at university. I also believe we all benefit from having writers entering the fray at different points of their lives.
Just as we want a diverse group of members of parliament (pardon the comparison) so too should writers – the people who create, translate and explore thoughts and ideas – be a diverse group, with a wide range of experiences and perspectives.
After a decade or more of figuring out what I want to be when I grow up and how – or, indeed, if – I can earn a living from my lifelong love of words, I’ve only in the last year or so properly thrown myself back into writing. It hasn’t been a lost decade of aimless wandering along streets with no names, but of learning and discovery.
There’s nothing wrong with taking this road to establishing what it is you want to do with your writing. It’s precisely how some develop their voice and identity as writers.
Of course, I don’t expect you to take my word for it, so I got the thoughts of a few Melbourne-based writers who have had a similar journey, on how they feel it has shaped their writing, whether they have regrets and their feelings on the topical issue of writing for free.
John Weldon was 32 when he first thought seriously about being a writer. He says he “woke up one morning and knew that if I was ever going to be a writer I had to start that day, or it would never happen … so I quit my job and started.” Now he is a freelance writer, author, coordinator of Meanland and teacher of Professional and Creative Writing at Victoria University.
Musician, novelist and blogger, Benjamin Grant Mitchell has spent his whole adult life in the arts in some form, whether playing in bands or acting, but it was not until after seven years of playing gigs and promoting music in London that he getting stuck into his first novel, and in 2012 released his second.
Melanie Joosten published her first book in 2012 after spending her 20s travelling, studying both creative arts and editing, and working in marketing and communications at a publishing firm and in the arts industry. Despite being a published author, with an Australian Council New Work grant to draft her second novel, she doesn’t consider herself a professional writer. Interestingly, Melanie’s most recent course was social work, and she has started working three days a week working at the National Ageing Research Institute with older people who are experiencing depression.
All three always have had a lifelong passion for writing but agreed that their writing capability has been enhanced by the experience of not promptly answering their calling. Ah, vindication!
John says that at 32 he felt far more comfortable cold calling people, “which you’ve got to do as a freelancer. I couldn’t have done that when I was young, but I was able to do it at 32 and it led me to scoring some great jobs very early in my writing career.”
Benjamin sometimes wishes he’d had “the self-confidence to commit to writing earlier … but I also accept that was not my path. I do feel the life-experience, including knowing what it is like to not feel ‘entitled’ to a certain career or even job-title, is invaluable. Gotta live, man.”
Melanie was the only one who expressed any real regret, but not in the way you might assume.
“I don’t wish I’d pursued writing earlier,” she admits, “if anything, I wish I pursued social work earlier. I like having a completely different occupation to balance out my writing. Otherwise I risk becoming too inward looking and not engaging in the world.”
This fascinating insight is probably most pertinent for fiction writers, but undoubtedly relevant to all of us who engage in this often lonely endeavour.
Each felt that establishing themselves later gave them a greater appreciation of the great privilege it is to be a writer.
Personally, I relate somewhat to each of these sentiments.
I enjoyed writing more than anything else at school but was somewhat directionless when it came time to choose my own path so, naturally, I did an Arts Degree. I was well aware of how few people make money as creative writers in their 20s, and how depressingly competitive the graduate journalism job market is. I’m trying hard not to use the word ‘regret’, but I do look back and realise I should have engaged with like-minded people and in activities outside of class much more than I did (i.e. at all), but I was horribly introverted and insecure.
Communications seemed like a sensible compromise in study and early career, allowing me to build valuable skills as well as maintaining just enough of a professional relationship with my words. In my first real job, working with the website for a major accounting organisation, I learnt far more in ten months about online communication than I had in four years of university. The next position, a communications role in local government, exposed me to issues from town planning and urban design to conservation and sustainability. I had the opportunities to write and edit a variety of content, but just enough avoid rust. Yet I had no connection with the outside writing world. Other than entering a couple of short story competitions, writing for enjoyment and expression was limited to irregularly journal entries and regular Facebook updates.
I wish I could say, like John, I woke up one day and threw everything I had at my dream. Sadly, I was too caught up in self-doubt and uncertainty. Coming to the end of my 20s, I was seriously considering my direction, but the catalyst came in the most clichéd form – romantic interest. Indeed, a young lady saw the enthusiasm for writing that I’d subconsciously hidden away, believed in my ability more than I did and inspired me to take a few important steps. Before she sauntered out of my life she insisted I do two things – blog and tweet. Despite doubting my ability to write interesting blog posts and my general derision for Twitter, I got stuck into both.
It is unlikely I need extol the virtues of either of platform to most readers of this article, but if you’re not doing either and you’re somewhere along that path trying to find your way, get online now. Blogging allowed me to rediscover my creativity, expression and enthusiasm for writing, and on Twitter I have discovered a whole new community of like-minded people, including many writers, to interact and network with on various levels.
Soon enough I had the opportunity to take on a role as a volunteer writer – and later, editor – with a human rights website, which, in turn gave me a reference point to secure some freelance online writing work. Both opportunities came via people I knew, but only because I’d started putting myself out there and showing people – by doing it – that I was enthusiastic about, and capable of, writing well.
All of this writing still takes place outside my day job, but I suppose I’m making up for some of those missed opportunities at university. Also, I feel better placed to tackle the challenges of making money out of writing than I was two, five or ten years ago.
All the standard advice for aspiring writers (including myself) of any age applies – write, read, write more, blog, tweet, engage with fellow writers and other interesting people, go to events and festivals, and so forth.
Benjamin Mitchell: “The more you write, the clearer your voice becomes … Along the way you will imitate, placate and churn through a seemingly never ending manifestation of externally applied, internally exorcised pretentious demons, and only if you write enough will you have any chance of getting to the truth of who you are as a writer and what you really have to say.”
Your voice may take a while to find. It is much more than learning about words and prose, sentence structure, form, style and rules. But what is this abstract notion of ‘voice’ people keep banging on about?
To my mind, writing is translation. English (for most of us) is a second language. Our natural, instinctive language is the one we’re born with: unstructured thoughts, feelings and senses – and every person on the planet has their own, unique internal dialect.
Finding your voice, to me, is about mastering that translation of neurons as they fire between synapses, somehow using words to make sense of them and hopefully communicating something close to the idea, feeling or picture in your head.
Finding your voice, exploring your interests, and deciding what kind of writer you want to be can take time.
The long route is neither a journey of procrastination nor merely a waiting game. It is a legitimate path for writers, but you still need to keep moving and keep building towards that dream. Keep writing, but also get out there and do things to stimulate those neurons.
Like any trip, it is as much about the journey as the destination. And writing is probably always going to be a journey – a story in itself – even once you feel like you’ve arrived.
See you on the road.The NSW Aboriginal Land Council has expressed its deepest sympathies to the Coe family, following the passing of prominent Aboriginal activist Isabel Coe over the weekend.
Aunty Isabel was born in Cowra. A stalwart of the Aboriginal rights struggle, and a leading figure in the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, she was also the lead litigant in Isabel Coe v the Commonwealth, an unsuccessful but important legal challenge which sought to assert the sovereignty of the Wiradjuri nation.
Aunty Isabel gained international prominence as a prominent Aboriginal activist in the lead-up to the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
Chairperson of the NSW Aboriginal Land Council, Stephen Ryan said the Aboriginal nations of Australia owed a great debt to Aunty Isabel.
“Many of us fight for Aboriginal rights in boardrooms, or in our workplaces. Isabel Coe chose to fight for our rights at the community level. She led the battle on our streets for many years, and even as her health declined she remained active.
“An enduring memory for anyone whose spent time around the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, or an important protest where strong Aboriginal leadership is required, will be of Aunty Isabel, still fighting for her people, despite being confined to a wheelchair.
“She was on the frontline of protests and it gave her an authenticity. It’s because of that authenticity, and her determination to fight with the people and for the people, that Aunty Isabel won so much respect not just in NSW, but around the nation.
“Much of her struggle was with the Aboriginal Tent Embassy. Her goal was to highlight the injustices suffered by our people on the world stage. On that front, she was very effective.
“While our fight for Aboriginal equality goes on, younger Aboriginal people need to remember that the relative advantage they enjoy today is because of the fight in people like Isabel Coe.
“Aboriginal Australia was greatly enriched by Aunty Isabel’s efforts. She will be deeply missed.”
[This article is republished from Tracker Magazine.]Bengaluru: Infosys Ltd said it plans to hire 10,000 Americans in the next two years, following criticism from the Donald Trump administration that the company and other outsourcing firms are unfairly taking jobs away from US workers.
Infosys, which employs about 200,000 people around the world, will expand its local hiring in the US while adding four hubs to research technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning. The first location will open in Indiana in August 2017 and is expected to create 2,000 jobs for American workers by 2021, the company said.
India’s outsourcing firms have come under attack for allegedly displacing American workers with employees from overseas. Last month, Trump signed an executive order aimed at overhauling the work visa programmes that Infosys and other firms use to bring overseas workers into the US.
“In the fast-changing world of today, we need the ability to be local. We need to be trusted by our customers as being local," said chief executive officer Vishal Sikka in an interview from Indiana. “To work with a mix of global and local talent is absolutely the right thing to do."
Also read: Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka fights off fatigue to remake Indian outsourcing
The US administration has taken several steps to reform the work visa programmes that outsourcers have used to bring in workers from overseas. Last month, the justice department warned employers applying for the visas not to discriminate against US workers, while the Citizenship and Immigration Services agency issued a memo laying out new measures to combat what it called “fraud and abuse". In signing the executive order, Trump said there had been “widespread abuse" and directed federal agencies to find ways to reorient the programme.
In that context, Infosys’s hiring may be a useful move politically, even if it increases labour costs in the US.
“This is positive in one aspect and negative in another: Increasing local hiring is important for Indian IT firms to retain ongoing projects in the US, as well as secure new ones. The downside is that the costs will rise," said Urmil Shah, analyst at IDBI Capital Market Services.
Sikka has come under particular pressure.
Also Read: Indian IT industry’s past sins threaten its future
The Trump administration’s clampdown has hit his company’s stock. In addition, a group of Infosys founders publicly accused the board of corporate governance violations and questioned hefty pay raises given to Sikka and his deputy.
Sikka, a former SAP SE executive, took the helm of India’s No. 2 technology services provider almost three years ago with a mandate to remake the company’s business model.
Indian outsourcing firms have said that they need to hire foreign workers in part because the US has a shortage of qualified employees. Yet Sikka says that is something Infosys can overcome.
“We are not only hiring computer science specialists but also engineers with software development aptitude and potential who we will train and prepare," he said in the interview.
Infosys clarified that its plan to increase hiring locals in US will not be at the expense of its hiring plans in India. “Our hiring plans continue to be in line with our business requirements, and is similar to previous years," said a spokeswoman for Infosys. Bloomberg
Bhuma Shrivastava and Mint’s Varun Sood contributed to this story.A Green Tree developer is planning a $17 million renovation of Downtown’s Town Place Building at Stanwix Street and Forbes Avenue that includes up to 62 furnished high-end apartments geared toward corporate professionals.
“We think it’s a great redevelopment in a high-profile location in the city,” said Curtis Kossman, president of Kossman Development Co.
The company — which owns the building known formerly as the Kossman Building and before that the McCann Building — briefed the Pittsburgh Planning Commission about its plans Tuesday.
The building’s first three floors would remain home to a lobby, parking entrance and retail space. Parking would remain on floors three to five. Floors six to nine would be converted back to parking, while floors 10 to 12 and rooftop penthouse space would be converted to corporate apartments.
The changes would boost the building’s number of parking spaces to 322 from 146.
Kossman said the corporate apartments would be fully furnished and receive regular service such as cleaning. Amenities would include lounges, media rooms, meeting space, a rooftop sports court and an area for residents to walk their dogs.
Kossman said it would be the “first dedicated corporate-apartment facility in the city that brings higher-end amenities.”
Pending approvals, construction would start early next year and be completed in the first quarter of 2017.
Tom Fontaine is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-320-7847 or tfontaine@tribweb.com.
Tom Fontaine is a Tribune-Review staff reporter. You can contact Tom at 412-320-7847, tfontaine@tribweb.com or via Twitter.Derek Carr left the Raiders’ Week 4 loss to the Broncos with a back injury. The team initially said its quarterback had back spasms, but that wasn’t the case. On Monday, the Raiders announced that Carr has a transverse process fracture in his back. Carr is expected to miss two to six weeks to fully recover.
Carr had x-rays and an MRI, but both were inconclusive. A CT scan on Monday confirmed the fracture.
“I just got off the phone with him; he said he’s sorry,” Del Rio said Monday. “He’s a great kid, he’ll bounce back. I told him the team will take care of business while he’s healing, and just get healed up, and when he can come back, he’ll come back.”
What’s a transverse process fracture? A transverse process is a small bone that sticks out on either side of the vertebrae. It’s not a risk to Carr’s spinal health and the injury isn’t serious in the grand scheme. The biggest issue for Carr will be pain tolerance.
If you were watching the Raiders game when Carr was injured, you probably noticed that Tony Romo was immediately concerned about the injury.
Romo had good reason to be: He had two of them at the same time in 2014. Cam Newton also suffered the same type of fracture when he was in a car accident in 2014.
What does this mean for the Raiders? It depends on how long Carr is out. Carr was sidelined last year after suffering a fractured tibula in Week 16, and Matt McGloin and Connor Cook weren’t able to do enough to prevent an immediate playoff exit with a 27-14 loss to the Texans. Oakland lost both games that Carr missed last year.
Now EJ Manuel will take Carr’s place. Manuel entered the game on Sunday when Carr was injured and he completed 11 of 17 passes for 106 yards and one interception.
Del Rio was pleased with Manuel’s performance.
“I thought EJ gave us a chance there at the end,” Del Rio said. “He did some things really well, and so there’s some definite positive, encouraging signs, that we can build on.”
If Carr just misses two weeks, Manuel may be just fine against the Ravens and Chargers. But if he misses more time, the Bills and Chiefs will be challenges for Manuel and the Raiders.
Derek Carr is expected to miss 2-6 weeks. Upcoming Raiders schedule.
Vs. Ravens
Vs. Chargers
Vs. Chiefs
@ Bills
@ Dolphins
Bye week — Field Yates (@FieldYates) October 2, 2017
In 10 games for the Bills last season, Manuel threw for 1,972 yards with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions.NEWARK - Sixth-grader Mirian Caguana can't wait to walk through the halls of the new South Street School in the East Ward, dissect animals in its state-of-the-art science labs, sit in classrooms without peeling paint, and be part of the campus' first-ever graduating middle school class.
"I'm excited that I'm going to be the first one to graduate in this new school and that I was a part of it," Caguana, 11, said during a beam signing ceremony last week marking progress on the school's construction.
The new 103,000-square foot facility, which broke ground in September last year, will replace the 130-year-old South Street school and open for the 2018-19 school year.
The $66.9 million project on the corner of Pennington and Dawson streets, will be the third new school to open in the city since 2016.
"This is a step today, by bringing this school to fruition, in giving these students and students who are going to follow them the tools that they need to be the real leaders of tomorrow," said Charles McKenna, CEO of the Schools Development Authority, the state agency that oversees school construction.
About 20 students from South Street Elementary School sported yellow construction hats before signing their names on a steel beam that will be hoisted in the building.
"They literally are going to leave their mark on what will be a new educational facility that is going to provide a bright foundation for thousands of Newark students in the years to come," McKenna, who took control of the SDA in 2014, said.
The pre-K through eighth-grade school will expand its capacity to 657 students. There will be 29 general classrooms, two science labs, six small group instruction rooms, a computer/technology lab, a world languages classroom, instrumental and vocal music rooms, an art room, media center, multipurpose room, cafeteria and gym.
South Street students are currently housed in the old Oliver Street School. A new Oliver Street school was opened last year.
"We all know that the physical environment in which school takes place plays a very significant role," said Newark Schools Superintendent Christopher Cerf.
South Street School Principal Havier Nazario says the school will be able to expand its pre-K program and market itself as a science, math and technology hub.
"That's really what's going to distinguish us," he said. "I'm hoping that its going to make (students) feel proud of this community and inspire them to continue to put their education first."
Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook.VIERA, Fla. — The Washington Nationals’ biggest offseason addition is not Daniel Murphy or Ben Revere. The instant bang, maybe a large one, will be pitching coach Mike Maddux, whose impact on previous staffs in Texas and Milwaukee was legendary.
In 11 seasons before Maddux arrived in Texas in 2009, the Rangers gave up 888 runs a season. MLB orthodoxy: “It’s impossible to pitch in Arlington.” Hitter and homer heaven. In Maddux’s seven seasons, they gave up 707 — 181 fewer runs a year. Or about an additional 20 wins a season.
In 2011, the Rangers allowed 290 fewer runs than they had in 2008 and went to their second straight World Series. Maddux did it without new free agents or trades for stars. His rotation was C.J. Wilson, a 27-year-old reliever with a 6.02 ERA when Maddux got to town; obscure Colby Lewis, plucked from Japan; less-than-mediocre journeyman Scott Feldman; and a raw kid named Tommy Hunter.
In Maddux’s six years in Milwaukee, the Brewers allowed 77 fewer runs a season than they did in the previous seven. The Brewers went from 106 losses before he came to 90 wins and the playoffs in his final season. He was given only one new star: a half season of CC Sabathia, who’s never had an ERA under 3.00 in any season anywhere — except in 17 starts with Maddux, when he went 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA.
That’s 13 straight seasons of doing what should be impossible. Nobody thinks any coach or manager is worth 20 wins a year in Texas or eight in Milwaukee. But the Nats, instead of getting stuck on “What exactly is he worth?” went straight to “Forget the money. Get that guy!”
Pitchers Yusmeiro Petit, left, Joe Ross and Max Scherzer talk to pitching coach Mike Maddux during training camp at Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Fla. (John McDonnell/The Washington Post)
[Nationals hire Mike Maddux as pitching coach]
For the Nationals, that’s a sea change. The first thing Bryce Harper said here was, “I can’t be more excited to have Dusty Baker, Davey Lopes and Mike Maddux here.”
If the Nationals play with more confident relaxation because of Baker, with more stolen bases because of Lopes and with fewer allowed because of Maddux, it will be because the team finally decided to spend what it takes to get the best teachers.
Since the Lerners bought the Nats, they’ve studied where money can be wisely spent and where it’s superfluous. The family’s been slow to grasp that managers and key coaches have significant value, even though it’s harder to quantify to homers and ERAs. And to get those men, you have to pay them well. The Nats never have. For Max Scherzer, $210 million, yes. But more than $3 million total for a manager and two coaches, no. In some years, a third that much.
With their payroll down by $50 million this season, the Nationals have followed the advice that they’ve been hearing for a decade from baseball people. When the idiot Rangers fired Maddux after last season, baseball rendered its collective opinion. Maddux’s phone blew up with six offers in four days.
Because the Nats pounced fast, and to some degree independent of their manager search, some think Maddux may be, in part, an insurance policy, protecting Nationals pitchers from Baker’s reputation for blowing up arms. But that’s not how it’s playing here, where the pair seem to walk together constantly.
“Dusty and I spoke one time in a dugout a few years ago. Right away, we were like-minded. Maybe we’re two peas in a pod. We just hit it off,” Maddux said this week. “We’re both from military families. Both baseball lifers. I said, ‘Be fun to work together someday.’”
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Now the Nats can’t wait to learn from the older brother of 355-win Hall of Famer Greg Maddux. The pencil-thin Mike, who could hide behind a flag stick, pitched 15 years in the majors and won 39 games. If he had to go to the minors (12 years), he went. But he kept coming back.
“Mike might’ve had the toughest job in baseball. It’s hard to compete if your brother is Albert Einstein,” said Bronson Arroyo, a 15-year veteran. “Mike’s carved out a really respected place in the game for himself.”
Maddux’s approach combines many elements. First, there’s “the mental game of accountability,” mastering every detail of your job. “Greg always said fielding practice is not punishment. It’s an opportunity — to hone your craft,” said his brother. “You don’t have to do it; you get to do it. ‘Seize the moment.’ ”
Mental toughness, a refusal to lose focus or be distracted by breaks, is a core tenet. “It’s not a beauty pageant. It’s okay to be ugly,” said Maddux. “But it’s a W or L next to your name. Be responsible for it. Take charge.”
[What to expect from the Nationals’ rotation in 2016]
GM Mike Rizzo, who pursued and signed Maddux, considers him a master of pitching mechanics right down to the varying pressure of each fingertip on the ball. “In a side session I threw a bad curve that just spun,” said lefty Sean Burnett. “He said, ‘See your hand out directly in front of your nose’ at the release point. I’d never heard that in my whole career. The next pitch, my curveball was back.”
Maddux and his pitchers love to analyze opposing lineups. “Where do I get my outs?” said Maddux. “Sometimes the best hitter can’t hit you — maybe he just doesn’t ‘see’ you right. Manage the lineup. You’ve got to pick your fights.”
Late movement on a pitch beats mere speed. “The highway is littered with velocity,” said Maddux. Of PitchFX, which shows how much every pitch breaks to the inch, Maddux says, “It’s not in 3-D. When does it move?” So the Nationals will hear about “extension” for late movement as well as grip or pressure points to get different kinds of swerve. All of it while seldom changing a man’s basic mechanics, which Maddux thinks are often a unique, personal gift.
Finally, don’t let hitters dig in. This is Nolan Ryan’s guy, after all. Many modern hitters have to be attacked inside to open up the rest of the plate. The minors seldom teach it.
“The minors are not a get-rich place. Hitters are diving across the plate. If you hit one, it causes a ruckus,” Maddux said. “They don’t want fights in the minors. So the pitcher gets suspended and fined five days’ pay. That makes guys reluctant to go inside.” Mike isn’t reluctant to teach them how. “It’s just part of the game.”
A game that people named Maddux seem to understand remarkably well.
For more by Thomas Boswell, visit washingtonpost.com/boswell.CERN Director General and the Chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission sign a document admitting Pakistan to CERN Associate Membership
CERN Director-General Rolf Heuer and the Chairman of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, Ansar Parvez, signed today in Islamabad, in the presence of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, a document admitting the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to CERN Associate Membership, subject to ratification by the Government of Pakistan.
"Pakistan has been a strong participant in CERN’s endeavours in science and technology since the 1990s," said Heuer. "Bringing nations together in a peaceful quest for knowledge and education is one of the most important missions of CERN. Welcoming Pakistan as a new Associate Member State is therefore for our Organization a very significant event and I'm looking forward to enhanced cooperation with Pakistan in the near future."
"It is indeed a historic day for science in Pakistan. Today's signing of the agreement is a reward for the collaboration of our scientists, engineers and technicians with CERN over the past two decades," said Parvez. "This Membership will bring in its wake multiple opportunities for our young students and for industry to learn and benefit from CERN. To us in Pakistan, science is not just pursuit of knowledge, it is also the basic requirement to help us build our nation."
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan and CERN signed a Co-operation Agreement in 1994. The signature of several protocols followed this agreement, and Pakistan contributed to building the CMS and ATLAS experiments. Pakistan contributes today to the ALICE, ATLAS and CMS experiments and operates a Tier-2 computing centre in the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid that helps to process and analyse the massive amounts of data the experiments generate. Pakistan is also involved in accelerator developments, making it an important partner for CERN.
The Associate Membership of Pakistan will open a new era of cooperation that will strengthen the long-term partnership between CERN and the Pakistani scientific community. Associate Membership will allow Pakistan to participate in the governance of CERN, through attending the meetings of the CERN Council. Moreover, it will allow Pakistani scientists to become members of the CERN staff, and to participate in CERN’s training and career-development programmes. Finally, it will allow Pakistani industry to bid for CERN contracts, thus opening up opportunities for industrial collaboration in areas of advanced technology.There are a lot of antivaccination websites and blogs out in the interwebs and blogosphere. To address them all would be a full-time job, and since I have a low-level position in a Big Pharma company polishing gold bars and mopping the floors of the giant vaults of cash, I’m compelled to ignore most of what’s written out there, picking and choosing only the most egregious ones to deconstruct and critique. Most of the antivaccination sites vary between stating lies, passing along lies or myths, or providing a total misinterpretation of real science–it really is not worth my time to critique. Because I’ve got to focus on keeping the Big Pharma cash piles nice and neat.
However, every once in a while, there is a vaccine denying post that far exceeds the stupidity and ignorance of even the worst misinformation about vaccines. In this case, a chiropractor wrote a 5000 word screed about vaccines, which had few, if any, accurate comments about vaccines, immunity, clinical trials, or medicine. Seriously, this article sets the standard of ignorance and anti-science idiocy.
Let’s start with the author, Dr. Kurt Perkins. He is a Colorado based chiropractor, who trades on his chiropractic experience to pretend he is an authority in medicine. He writes about all kinds of pseudoscientific junk medicine, but his ignorant opinions about vaccines are the most troubling. Mostly, I don’t care about people’s credentials when they write about science. As I’ve said before, it’s all about the evidence, only the evidence. However, it becomes easier to dismiss scientific “beliefs” (always based on the lack of evidence or ignoring contradictory evidence) when one’s so-called medical education is based on pseudoscience. You see, over and over again, no evidence has ever been found, in systematic reviews, which supports the clinical efficacy of chiropractic. Furthermore, the one area where many people believe that chiropractic is effective, spinal manipulative therapy for acute back pain, has been shown in large systematic reviews to do nothing.
So, Perkins’ whole view of medicine is based on pseudoscience, not real science, so everything he states about vaccines is purely from an ignorant, anti-science point of view. But I shall endeavor to pick on some of his most egregious errors, lies, or misinformation (intent may be different for each, but the net effect is the same). But again, after hitting my head on the desk too many times while reading Perkins’ science-deficient ramblings, I’m might be cranky.
Immunization vs. vaccination. I’ve been seeing this more and more from the antivaccination rabble. Certainly not all immunizations (causing adaptive immunity to remember and attack immunogens, like viruses) are vaccinations, strictly speaking. However, every single vaccination is an immunization–a vaccine’s solitary purpose is to induce an immune response that is remembered for a substantial number of years. Perkins, in his foolishness, believes that vaccines don’t induce an immune response. He has no evidence of that; on the contrary, we have boatloads of evidence that shows vaccines have induced an immune response to end diseases.
Then Perkins brings up the old canards that “A vaccine violates all laws of natural immune defenses by taking a potential pathogen along with all the TOXIC ingredients (aluminum, formaldehyde, adjuvants, etc) directly into your blood system. This process would never occur in building natural immunity. That last sentence is kind of an oxy-moron. Immunity is a natural thing. Vaccines are an artificial thing.” I’m not going to get into the ingredients of vaccines, because others have done it perfectly well–these ingredients are in such small quantities and cleared out through the filtration of blood so quickly as to be irrelevant. Until such time Perkins brings evidence that these “toxic ingredients” are really toxic at the levels in vaccines, he really is lying.
Finally, the only way to boost the immune system, naturally or “unnaturally,” is through vaccinations. The Appeal to Nature, logical fallacy that someone how vaccine induced immunity is not as good as |
larger development sites provide better pedestrian connectivity. The existing regulations require that development sites with 450 feet or more of frontage provide a walkway every 150 feet. At minimum, three such walkways are required for a site with 450 feet of frontage.
The proposal would require that walkways achieve higher standards than they typically do, particularly for the middle walkway in the three-walkway scenario. A developer would need to build the connection either as a full street with sidewalks on both sides or create a pathway wide enough to comfortably provide space people walking and biking. The walkways would also need to offer a direct connection to another public right-of-way.
Priority Tier Connections
A tiered system for new connectivity and circulation would be established at three different levels. Tier One connections would be important to neighborhood-wide transportation objectives and be paid for by the city. Tier Two connections would largely be focused on building out district-level transportation networks and costs would be shared by both developers and city. Tacoma would require both of these tiers to be mapped and fully public. A third tier of connections are focused on providing internal pedestrian connectivity at the project (describe above); these connections would neither be mapped nor funded by the city.
Specific criteria would be established requiring development of the tiered connections based upon the size of a site and lack of a sufficient transportation network. Restrictions would be further imposed on how much development could occur within the mapped Tier One and Tier Two connections. Much of the desired transportation network is already in place, but the proposed requirements would make the system much more complete and functional as a connected grid.
Bonus Height
With the proposed zoning changes, some properties in the Tacoma Mall subarea would be rezoned to have a by-right building height limit and a higher height limit if bonuses are used. Existing UCX 75-120 is an example of how this works. 75 feet is the standard height limit by right. To achieve heights above that and up to 120 feet, a developer would need to use make 25% of the square footage residential or use Transfer of Development Rights to construct the additional square footage.
Other zoning types like NCX allow the use of bonus height such as providing public art equal to 1% of the project valuation, transit stop improvements, creating a substantial amount of ground floor retail and restaurant spaces, achieving high energy efficiency, and vegetating rooftops. A variety of technical changes are proposed in relationship to bonus options and requirements, including expanding the general bonus options more widely to zones like UCX.
Pedestrian-Oriented Streets
The proposal would expanded the number of streets designated as a Pedestrian Street. Only two streets are identified as Primary Pedestrian Streets, but the proposal would another five as such and introduce two Core Pedestrian Streets to the subarea. Both types of street designations establish higher level regulatory requirements to promote pedestrian-oriented development. Certain uses are prohibited at street level and additional design requirements may apply.
Drive-Through Design Standards
Drive-through facilities are specially regulated on Pedestrian Streets. These uses are prohibited from making through connections to Pedestrian Streets, must locate driveways at least 150 away from a transit stop, and locate the drive-through windows away from a designated Pedestrian Street. New requirements would be added to require screening of drive-through stacking lanes and reduce auto-orientated design. Stacking lanes would be required to either be partially enclosed in a decorative or leafy building or use a trellis type structure to reduce the appearance of the lanes. General site design requirements would also be enhanced requiring safer designs for pedestrians.
Townhouse and Multifamily Design Standards
Most of the proposed design standards for residential development are focused on townhouses. One change envisioned would prohibit locating front doors on alleys unless they are will have pedestrian access and high quality environment, such as landscaping and pedestrian-oriented amenities. Another set of changes would require townhouse orientation toward streets, additional architectural details on facades oriented toward the public realm, and other elements that improve the transition from street to units. Areas that are intended to be shared between pedestrians and vehicles would require special materials that clearly indicate either separation of modes or the shared nature of an accessway.
Additionally, all multifamily development with space between the building and sidewalk would need to make the area in between visually pleasing; parking would be entirely prohibited in such areas.
Minor Expansions and Conversions
The zoning code requires a minimum density of 30 dwelling units per acre in the RCX zone, but in the Madison District zoning is proposed to go to URX which would have a minimum density of 25 dwelling units per acre. Some property owners have expressed an interest in allowing conversion and small expansion on single-family properties without fully redeveloping. An exemption from the minimum density requirements would be allowed for conversion of single-family units to multiple units or the construction of an accessory dwelling unit or second house without needing to achieve the standard minimum density requirements. The change could be applied to all mixed use zones.
Landscaping
Landscaping standards would be expanded to require all development in the URX zone to achieve a 15% minimum tree canopy coverage per site. Small scale residential development in mixed use zones would to provide street trees where required.
Proposed Transportation Network
To support the growth of the Tacoma Mall subarea, the planning work has identified what a complete transportation network could look like and the types of investments required. As noted before, connectivity is a key theme and reflected in both proposed regulatory requirements and public commitment to delivering. The following map shows how the full street and trail network could be built out:
Bike and pedestrian projects would get serious attention with a slate of projects. For instance, Water Flume Trail would be extended northeast of S Pine St toward Downtown Tacoma making the non-motorized trail complete so as to offer better mobility and recreation opportunities. Arterials like S Pine St and S 47th St would get dedicated bike infrastructure. And a few small segments in the Tacoma Mall subarea would see new pedestrian-oriented projects implemented.
In two cases, the planning work provides a higher degree of specificity for street design. While only concepts, the designs provide a sense of how the street network at the north end of the Tacoma Mall and on S 38th St could function:
Other Planning Strategies and Next Steps
The draft subarea plan is packaged with a lot of other topics like parks and open space, infill strategies, growing jobs and businesses, utilities and public services, and funding mechanisms to realize plan elements. Tacoma is looking toward adopting a planned action ordinance with land use and zoning changes, too. This is similar to what Edmonds and Shoreline have done with similar subarea planning efforts. A planned action ordinance can allow project-level land use review to be exempt from concurrent environmental review under SEPA (State Environmental Policy Act), which can sometimes extend project review periods and pose additional legal challenges. The subarea plan will be refined throughout the fall and could be adopted in some form by early next year.
We hope you loved this article. If so, please consider supporting our work. The Urbanist is a non-profit that depends on donations from readers like you.The headline of the New England Patriots' offseason, if you're not including "Deflategate" of course, has to be their decision to decline expensive options on cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, while also cutting fellow corners Kyle Arrington and Alfonzo Dennard. A Super Bowl-winning team completely jettisoning their top-four covermen is unheard of, but given New England's history with paying cornerbacks, it should hardly be a surprise.
With Bill Belichick's 15-season sample size, it's pretty clear how the Patriots value cornerbacks in their system. Yes, they'll occasionally spend big money for a one-year deal on a cornerback in his prime, but they'll never give one a long-term, monster deal. And even when they do give an extension at the position, the player will almost assuredly be cut before the final year of it, if not sooner.
For the most part, the cornerbacks Belichick has gotten the most out of have either been on their rookie deals or free agents brought in for the veteran minimum.
Let's take a look back.
We begin in 2000 with Ty Law and Otis Smith. Law was already in the midst of a seven-year, $51 million deal he signed before Belichick arrived, while Smith, at age 34, was brought in on a veteran minimum deal. Smith would go on to start Super Bowl XXXVI with Law.
Law was the first example of how Belichick valued cornerbacks. In 2004, Law wanted another extension and the Patriots offered him $26 million over four years. Even today that would be the biggest contract extension the Patriots ever awarded to a corner.
Law called the offer an insult and countered with a seven-year deal worth $63 million, including a $20 million signing bonus.
Then-general manager Scott Pioli simply responded "We can't do that. Save the paper."
Law would play out 2004 and then be cut in '05 and sign with the Jets for an almost identical contract to his last, seven years, $50 million. He was released after just one year by the cap-strapped Jets and would then sign a five-year deal with the Chiefs worth $30 million. He would play just two seasons in Kansas City and continue to kick around until he retired after the 2009 season.
The Patriots replaced Law with 2003 fourth-round pick Asante Samuel, who was thrust into the starting lineup in '04, after injuries sidelined Law as well as 31-year-old Tyrone Poole, another veteran added at a minimum salary. Poole gave the Patriots an excellent year in 2003, as New England fielded one of the best defenses in the NFL.
Samuel led the NFL with 10 interceptions in 2006 in the final year of his rookie deal but the Pats didn't reward him with a long-term deal. Instead, they chose to use the Franchise Tag on Samuel, paying him $7.79 million before letting him walk in 2008 to sign a six-year, $56 million deal with the Eagles.
Samuel's partner at cornerback from 2005-07 was primarily Ellis Hobbs, a 2005 fourth-round pick, who would also start all 16 games in '08 after Samuel's departure. But once again the Patriots chose to discard a homegrown talent at cornerback rather than overpay or extend him, trading Hobbs in 2009 before the final year of his rookie deal to the Eagles for two fifth-round draft picks.
Hobbs was due to make $2.545 million in 2009, so moving him for two picks was a surprise, especially with a complete turnover coming at the position.
Forced to start over once again at the corner spot, the Pats loaded up in free agency and the draft, bringing in Leigh Bodden on a veteran one-year minimum, Shawn Springs on a three-year, $13 million deal, while also drafting Darius Butler and adding them to the mix with 2008 draft picks Terrence Wheatley and Jonathan Wilhite.
Bodden had a breakthrough year and cashed in with the biggest contract extension the Patriots had ever awarded to a cornerback at four years, $20 million, with $10 million guaranteed. This came back to bite the team, as Bodden missed all of 2010 with a shoulder injury and would return in '11 only to be cut midseason.
At the same time, the aforementioned Arrington was emerging from the ranks of an undrafted unknown into a stalwart both on defense and special teams. While overmatched against tall outside receivers, Arrington was one of the best slot corners in the league. In 2011, he led the NFL in interceptions with seven.
After being signed to the practice squad midseason of 2009, Arrington became a full-time starter in '10 and would go on to play in 66 games over the next five seasons, including 56 starts.
In 2013, Arrington signed a four-year contract extension worth $16 million with $7.5 million guaranteed. Slightly less than Bodden, but still one of the most significant contracts the Pats had ever given a cornerback. But Arrington would never see the end of that deal, being cut loose with two years remaining before signing with the Ravens this offseason.
The Patriots traded for Aqib Talib in 2012 and got a couple shutdown games and a couple injuries out of him, and once again, instead of giving a (somewhat) shutdown corner in his prime a long-term, monster deal, they settled on just a one-year deal worth $4.86 million.
That brings us to Revis and Browner, who were both signed in 2014 on what were essentially one-year deals with team options for additional seasons. Revis got $12 million for his one season, the highest total paid for one season to a cornerback under Belichick. Browner made $2.95 million, but his option would've paid him $4.6 million this season.
Given the Patriots' history at the cornerback position, it shouldn't be a surprise the Pats weren't going to give Revis anywhere close to the monster deal he got from the Jets which will pay him $16 million this season alone.
Bill Belichick is certainly willing to spend a bit more for a single season from a good cornerback, but they're not interested in long-term expensive contracts. Bodden and Springs both never lived up to the contracts they received, while Arrington and Hobbs were cut even before their deals were up.
In many ways, 2015 is reminiscent of '09, when the Patriots were in full do-over mode at cornerback. They responded by bringing in a number of veterans to complement their young draft picks, and despite how 2009 is generally seen as the worst season of Bill Belichick's Patriots tenure, the pass defense was still middle of the pack that year at 16th overall in Football Outsiders' DVOA.
The answers are not apparent right now. No one knew Bodden would have a breakout year in 2009 after an unspectacular year in Detroit. The Patriots have certainly taken plenty of shots on castoff defensive backs who have not worked out. Players like Duane Starks and Fernando Bryant never broke out like Bodden, Smith or Poole did.
Who knows which path current cornerbacks Bradley Fletcher or Robert McClain will follow, or if Malcolm Butler, Logan Ryan or Darryl Roberts will become the next Samuel, Hobbs or Arrington.
But the Patriots' methodology has been consistent over the last 15 years, relying on young players on rookie deals, veterans on minimum deals, or the occasional one-year hired gun on a big contract.
Expensive long-term contracts on cornerbacks just aren't their thing.
— Written by Mike Dussault, who is part of the Athlon Contributor Network and writer/editor of PatsPropaganda.com (@PatsPropaganda), a comprehensive blog covering the New England Patriots.The world is rapidly urbanizing. The United Nations predicts that the number of people living in cities could double by 2050 — to 6.5 billion. To accommodate growing populations, cities like Paris, New York, and Tokyo are building more housing and public resources, including parks, schools, and subways, as part of large redevelopment plans. These cities will likely look very different (and in some neighborhoods, gentrified) in the coming decades. Take a look at some of the biggest urban projects under construction below. Shanghai, China — Todtown Set to be complete by 2020, Todtown is a new mixed-use development in Shanghai’s Minhang District.
The development will feature 1,000 apartment units, a 1.3 million-square-foot shopping mall, an additional 580,000 square feet of retail, 1.5 million square feet of office space, and a 53,000-square-foot cultural center, according to InHabitat. Todtown will also incorporate lots of greenery, from green roofs to mini parks scattered throughout. The master plan was created by Chicago-based architecture firm Goettsch Partners and Hong Kong-based studio Lead 8. Construction on the $1.5 billion project began in 2014. Cairo, Egypt — New Cairo Capital East of downtown Cairo, New Cairo Capital will be a 270-square-mile hub with 21 new residential districts — enough housing for five million people.
The development is being financed largely by Chinese developers. (The China Fortune Land Development Company, for instance, put down $20 billion for the project in late 2016, according to CNN.) New Cairo Capital will also feature 1,250 mosques and churches, a 5,000-seat conference center, nearly 2,000 schools and colleges, over 600 medical facilities, and what is projected to be the world’s largest park. Egypt Housing Minister Mostafa Madbouly told the BBC that the project would cost $45 billion and be complete by 2022. Construction began in 2015. Paris, France — Europa City In 2016, Paris began building an 8.6-million-square-foot mixed-use development, called Europa City, north of downtown.
Designed by Danish architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group (the company behind Google’s California headquarters), Europa City promises housing, shops, and restaurants, though the exact numbers of each are not confirmed yet. The development is also slated to include plazas, an artificial ski slope, open walkways, a golf system, and a new transit system. Triangle de Gonesse, the suburb where it will be located, is still largely rural. But according to Europa City’s developers, the goal of the $3.4 billion project is to connect the area with urban Paris and reduce congestion downtown. Construction started in 2016 and is expected to wrap up by 2024. Berlin, Germany — Europacity Berlin is building a new neighborhood called Europacity. Spanning nearly 100 acres, the mixed-use development near the Berlin Central Station is set to become a new commercial and residential hub.
The masterplan, which will be complete by 2025, calls for 2,000 apartment units, 4.3 million square feet of office and retail space, a promenade, a school, roads, bridges, and a public square. Construction began in early 2014, though the exact cost of the project has not been announced. New developments like Europacity have been a point of contention for some Berliners, who are fighting against the city’s recent rapid gentrification. Istanbul, Turkey — New City Istanbul New City Istanbul is a development that re-imagines the 8,000-year-old river city. In April 2016, the Metropolitan Municipality Council approved the plan to build approximately 50,000 residences in seven towers on the few remaining large slots of land near Istanbul’s center, local news outlet The Daily Sabah reported. The 93.6 million-square-foot area was once a military zone.
The development will also feature a shopping center, a 6,200-space underground parking garage, a 26.9-million-square-foot park, a movie theater, an ice rink, and an airport that’s being billed as the world’s largest. The exact timeline and cost for the project has not been disclosed yet, but construction began in late 2016. The airport alone, set to open in 2018, has attracted over $6 billion in funding. New York City, USA — The World Trade Center Site Since the September 11 attacks in 2001, New York City has been working to redevelop the 16-acre Manhattan site where the Twin Towers and surrounding buildings stood. As of July 2017, much of the project has been completed, including 1 World Trade Center (also known as the Freedom Tower, the tallest skyscraper in the city), 4 World Trade Center, 7 World Trade Center, a new transit hub, the 9/11 memorial and museum, a mall, and a park. Three more towers, a small church, and a performing arts center are still in the works. Construction is set to be finished by 2020.
Los Angeles, California — Newhall Ranch The Newhall Ranch development in Santa Clarita Valley will bring 21,500 residential units to Los Angeles County by 2035. It will feature a mix of housing, including single-family homes, condos, and apartments, with about 10% (or more than 2,000 units) priced at below-market rates. Newhall Ranch was originally proposed in 1994, but developers had trouble breaking ground due to legal troublesfrom environmental groups that said the $14 billion project would severely disrupt the local ecosystem. Newhall Ranch will start out as two villages with 5,500 homes and 2.5 million square feet of retail space between them, according to local radio station KPCC. It will also preserve 10,000 acres of public outdoor space. While Los Angeles’ pace of housing development is slowing in 2017, the city is still on track to meet Mayor Eric Garcetti’s goal of 100,000 new units by 2021. As Curbed notes, a new reportfrom Abundant Housing shows that 3,850 units were permitted in the first quarter of 2017, a number slightly smaller than in the first quarter of last year. LA is dealing with an affordable housing shortage of at least 500,000 units, according to the nonprofit California Housing Partnership Corporation.
São Paulo, Brazil — The City’s New Master Plan In 2014, São Paulo unveiled its new master plan, which will dramatically change the city over the next two decades. The plan calls for more people-oriented development, including new housing, bike lanes, dedicated bus lanes, and a reduction in the number of existing parking spaces. As Next City notes, the city currently faces a housing shortage of up to 500,000 units. Approximately 1.2 million São Paulo residents live in favelas — concrete-and-iron shantytowns — or abandoned buildings downtown, called cortices. According to the new master plan, the city plans to build 717,000 new residential units, 240,000 of which will be designated as affordable, by 2030. The Centro de Acçao Social por Música, which was completed in 2015, was one of the first buildings included in the plan to open. The four-story community center includes a bus stop, playing field, urban farm, terrace, and performance hall.
Tokyo, Japan — Shibuya Station Area Redevelopment Tokyo is preparing for the 2020 Summer Olympics, which has spurred a number of redevelopment projects in the city. Citywide, at least 45 new skyscrapers will be constructed by 2020 — a 50% increase in high-rises over the next three years, according to Bloomberg. Seven skyscrapers will be part of the Shibuya Station Area Redevelopment project: Six will be used for offices and retail, and one will be a 32-story condo building. The plan also calls for a redeveloped “Shibuya River,” a narrow pedestrian walkway that will feature new shops and greenery when it opens in early 2018. The full multi-billion-dollar project is set to be complete by 2027. London, England — The Battersea Power Station Development The renovation of the Battersea Power Station — the iconic building featured on the cover of Pink Floyd’s 1977 album “Animals” — is at the center of a larger mega-development in London’s Nine Elms neighborhood.
The estimated $16.5 billion (£13 billion) project will include new residential and commercial complexes, including apartments, hotels, and offices. Construction is slated to proceed in seven phases — the first began in 2014 and the last is expected to finish in 2025. Spanning over 8 million square feet, the construction site for the Battersea Power Station development is the largest in London in 30 years, according to Dave Twohig, chief development officer at Battersea Power Station Development Company. Apple, the complex’s anchor tenant, will move its London headquarters to the former power station in 2021. The company is expected to take up 40% of the building’s available office space. Madrid, Spain — Castellana Norte Redevelopment In early August, the city of Madrid approved the $7.1 billion redevelopment projectfor Castellana Norte, a district north of downtown.
Currently, the site is home to a municipal bus station, a few houses, and a series of half-abandoned industrial buildings and warehouses. The redevelopment will turn Castellana Norte into a new neighborhood with skyscrapers, parks, roads, bridges, and apartments for an estimated 17,000 people, by 2035.A group of brain performance centers backed by Betsy DeVos, the nominee for education secretary, promotes results that are nothing short of stunning: improvements reported by 91 percent of patients with depression, 90 percent with attention deficit disorder, 90 percent with anxiety.
The treatment offered by Neurocore, a business in which Ms. DeVos and her husband, Dick, are the chief investors, consists of showing movies to patients and interrupting them when the viewers become distracted, in an effort to retrain their brains. With eight centers in Michigan and Florida and plans to expand, Neurocore says it has assessed about 10,000 people for health problems that often require medication.
“Is it time for a mind makeover?” the company asks in its advertising. “All it takes is science.”
But a review of Neurocore’s claims and interviews with medical experts suggest its conclusions are unproven and its methods questionable.
Neurocore has not published its results in peer-reviewed medical literature. Its techniques — including mapping brain waves to diagnose problems and using neurofeedback, a form of biofeedback, to treat them — are not considered standards of care for the majority of the disorders it treats, including autism. Social workers, not doctors, perform assessments, and low-paid technicians with little training apply the methods to patients, including children with complex problems.The two highest-rated broadcasts in cable TV history now belong to ESPN thanks to the new college football playoffs.
On Thursday, 28.2 million viewers watched Oregon blow out Florida State 59 to 20 in the Rose Bowl. Later in the night, 28.3 million tuned in as Ohio State upset top-seed Alabama 42 to 35 in the Sugar Bowl.
These numbers make the semifinal games the two most-watched broadcasts in cable TV history.
"These record setting numbers illustrate the enormous fan interest in college football and the wide ranging appeal of the new College Football Playoff format," John Wildhack, ESPN's executive VP of programming, said in a statement.
This year marked the first time that the college football champion will be decided by playoffs.
In prior years, computer rankings and coaching polls were used to determine which teams would compete for the crown.
ESPN now holds the largest 18 audiences in cable TV history.
While the network's ratings are huge, they pale in comparison to the 111 million viewers that tuned in for the Super Bowl on network TV last year.
Related: TV contracts keep sports programming steady for next decade.
The ratings are welcome news for ESPN, which reportedly paid $7.3 billion for the rights to the playoff through 2025.
The coverage did have a bumpy start. The network's online TV and mobile app, WatchESPN, went down during the Rose Bowl.
Yet, the games themselves were widely praised by fans watching on social media.
"So that college football playoff was worth waiting for," tweeted the sports media blog Awful Announcing.
Thursday night's games also drew huge live crowds: Attendance at Pasadena's Rose Bowl was 91,322, while the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans was attended by more than 70,000 fans.
The Oregon Ducks and Ohio State Buckeyes will now meet for the national championship, which will be played on January 12 in Arlington, Texas.Look at this comment on my earlier article about the soldiers being deployed – allegedly because of the current “critical” terror threat:
“Security expert being interviewed on Radio 4 explaining that a limited number of troops will be deployed at key sites but will be under police control thus freeing up armed police to do other duties.
“Interviewer points out.. ‘So this is because of a shortfall in police officers?’
“His answer.. ‘Yes.’
“Troops on the street is not because the threat level has been raised to critical but because the then-Home Secretary, the PM who now wants your vote, has cut police numbers to a level that puts the people she wants to vote for her in danger.
“Strong and Stable?.. More a danger to me and my family. #toriesout”
Yes. Theresa May is a danger to us all. So is any Conservative government.
The only way back to sanity is to vote Labour on June 8.
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Like this: Like Loading...ROMA, Texas — Four family members who ran one of the largest cartel smuggling operations in south Texas had their life in prison sentences commuted and will likely be returning to this border city from where they ran their criminal empire. One of the main destinations that the criminal organizations delivered drugs to was Chicago, Illinois.
This week, outgoing President Barack Obama commuted the sentences of 209 convicted criminals and pardoned 64 others. The majority of the convictions were from drug trafficking or production offenses.
Four of those convicted criminals who had been sentenced to life in prison will be released by May 17. They ran a criminal organization made up of close to 80 men and women who worked with Mexico’s Gulf Cartel to move between 100,000 to almost 750,000 pounds of marijuana into the U.S. during a 10-year period. The drugs were moved into Houston and then distributed to Atlanta, Chicago, and other major metropolitan areas.
According to court records obtained by Breitbart Texas, brothers Cesar Moreno Sr., Eduardo Moreno, Lazaro Moreno, and Luis Moreno along with other relatives and friends had been at the helm of a large-scale drug distribution operation based out of the border city of Roma, Texas. The area has long been one of he main distribution lines used by Mexico’s Gulf Cartel to get large quantities of marijuana into the U.S. due to the remoteness of the area, lacking physical barriers, and police resources–not to mention the complicity of various law enforcement officials.
In the case of the Moreno brothers, the groups invested heavily in real state and the used car business to launder millions in drug proceeds.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and Stephen K. Bannon. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook.In 1873, a saint who professed herself “madly fond of children,” who “desire[d] to give many elect souls to Heaven,” gave birth to her ninth child—St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Today, the bishop presiding over the Vatican’s “Biological Extinction” workshop explains that with “education” we “don’t have children. We don’t have seven children. Maybe we have one [or] two children. No more.”
Bishop Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo was responding to invitee John Bongaarts, a sort of “living analogue of Margaret Sanger.” Bongaarts lamented the “unmet need for contraception” and the “obstacle” of “moral … acceptability” and sub-Saharan African women’s desire for five children each despite the violated earth. Bishop Sorondo, who has accused Vatican critics of being financed by oil companies, assured Bongaarts that “we don’t know exactly what is the doctrine of the Church” about “fecundity,” only “some part” of it.
Peter Raven claimed papal support for only having children “you can bring up properly” because “we need at some point to have a limited number of people.” Population controllers Partha Dasgupta and Paul Ehrlich recommended “taxes and regulations” to rectify “failures” in “reproduction” because we’ve “befoul[ed]” the “atmosphere” in this “Sixth Great Extinction.”
Ehrlich, who has spread forced abortion and forced sterilization with the shoddy science of a “charlatan,” recently boasted of the workshop’s “essentially complete agreement” on overpopulation’s perils, adding: “Everyone was aware of the view, which I share with all of my colleagues (including many Catholics), that contraception should be available to all.”
In 1895, Thomas Hardy’s novel Jude the Obscure prophesied the nightmarish consequences of spreading Malthusian doom. Imagine a child nicknamed Little Father Time because he is “preternaturally old” in mind. He hears his father’s mistress admit it would “almost” be “better to be out [of] the world” because of “adversity” and asks, “Then if children make so much trouble, why do people have ’em?”
Thinking he “ought not to be born,” he “bitterly” rebukes her for expecting another baby. “I think,” he says, “that whenever children be born that are not wanted they should be killed directly.”
So he hangs himself and his two half-siblings, childishly misspelling his apologia: “Done because we are too menny.” His father hauntingly muses that Little Father Time embodies the new children of the age, spawned by ideology:
The Doctor says there are such boys springing up amongst us—boys of a sort unknown in the last generation—the outcome of new views of life. They seem to see all its terrors before they are old enough to have staying power to resist them. He says it is the beginning of the coming universal wish not to live.
A child who kills because of “new views of life,” because of a “coming universal wish not to live”—a chilling augury of a culture of death that grooms the young for, among other things, abortion in the name of “sustainable development.”
A recent pro-life report urges us to “resist” the “alignment” between Church authorities and this international anti-life agenda. The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, approved by “Pope Francis and other organs of the Holy See,” require “universal access” to abortion and contraception and related “education”—proliferating initiatives “to gain direct access to children,” whether through pro-abortion youth clubs or radical “comprehensive sexuality education” for children aged “0 – 4” and above. The Vatican’s own 2015 workshop on using children as environmentalist “agents of change” said schools must “absorb” the SDGs.
So the recent extinction workshop, says Riccardo Cascioli, “signal[s] another important step towards the penetration of the Church by the neo-Malthusians whose end goal is support, via public policies, for birth control.” In the symposium’s schemas, Robert Royal notes, “God and Jesus are absent,” supplanted by a “religion of international scientific management of our race.”
“We saw a lot of that in the twentieth century,” writes Royal. “It produced mounds of corpses.”
So “the war against family and innocent human life is a spiritual war” that “is now also taking place within the walls of the Church herself,” says Anca-Maria Cernea. The Church “has contributed to the secularization described by Pope Benedict XVI” by promoting the “buildup” of hostile global “power structures”; its “earthly ideologically-contaminated activism” has empowered the anti-life, anti-family cultural Marxists fabricating a “perfect world” for us.
And so the Church struggles with the third temptation of Christ, the temptation to “all the kingdoms of the world,” the proposition described by Ven. Fulton Sheen in the talk “The Power of the Devil in the World Today”:
Theology is politics. Forget your God; forget sin; forget guilt; forget holiness; do the political things. And this will be the temptation to the Church in the next two hundred years—the third temptation of Christ.
In Hope for the World, Cardinal Burke exhorts us to nothing less than Christ’s reply in the desert—the command to worship God alone. Cardinal Burke says we must “return to … metaphysics,” must “rediscover” the Church’s “theocentric vision,” must remember that “God alone is the goal of our quest, and everything must lead to him.”
So Cardinal Burke reminds us of “the meaning of family life” from God’s transcendent perspective. He reminds us that “the procreation and education of children are the crown of marital love”—relating, in touching accounts of his childhood on a family dairy farm, the goodness of having many siblings and devout parents who nurture love for the Holy Mass, the Eucharist, Confession, the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the Blessed Virgin.
Cardinal Burke recommends the spirituality of St. Thérèse’s parents, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, saying, “Every morning I pray to them for my family.” The books The Mother of the Little Flower and The Story of a Family beautifully document their parental generosity. At each child’s birth, St. Zélie prayed, “Lord, grant me the grace that this child may be consecrated to you, and that nothing may tarnish the purity of its soul.” At the baptism of their first child, St. Louis beamed: “It is the first time that you have seen me here for a baptism, but it will not be the last!”
St. Zélie soon prayed, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, for another child, who was born nine months afterward. Later, her little daughters asked St. Joseph every night for a brother who would be “her priest,” “her missionary.” Her “little Joseph” died in infancy but became, St. Zélie wrote, a heavenly intercessor for one of his ill sisters. Exactly nine months after a novena to St. Joseph, another “dear little Joseph” arrived, though he, too, soon died.
After eight children—including four “little angels” in Heaven—St. Zélie gave birth to her “great saint,” Thérèse. The child and her four sisters, all future nuns, learned to pray and “please the dear Jesus” and “make small sacrifices to him,” as St. Thérèse’s sister Celine recounts. Their mother, who soon died from breast cancer, once promised the “sacrifice of [her] life,” if necessary, to form all her children into saints. She said of her deceased little ones:
I did not regret the pain and cares I had borne for them. |
female and found that drivers left him more space when passing. He says this further proves that drivers react to cyclists' appearance.
His findings have led Dr Walker to conclude that drivers use a cyclist's physical appearance to judge the specific likelihood of the rider behaving predictably. They alter their overtaking space accordingly.
He suggests drivers think helmeted cyclists are more sensible, predicable and experienced, so therefore the driver doesn't need to give them much space when overtaking. Non-helmeted cyclists, especially non helmeted "women" are less predictable and experienced, according to this study.
Skull protection
But it's not only motorists who alter their behaviour. Other research has looked at how helmeted cyclists take more risks, believing their head protection will compensate for this.
"I'm not convinced I saw any evidence of that," says Dr Walker. "I don't take any more risks when wearing a helmet and I think other cyclists would say the same."
A recent report commissioned by the Department for Transport rejected all behavioural research, including that of Dr Walker, saying that none of the studies was robust enough to prove that helmets affect behaviour.
It's plain and simple that helmets are effective Angela Lee, Bike Helmets Trust
This Department for Transport report studied all the evidence available and concluded that "the effectiveness of helmets in single-vehicle collisions was estimated to be 50%".
But the report's authors admit that "it should be remembered that there was no specific evidence to support these estimates".
They do include a study into 100 police fatality reports which led them to say that helmets could prevent 10-16% of cyclist fatalities. But this was also an estimate based on a small study.
The problem is that the data available about injured cyclists, from the police or hospital admissions, does not record whether they were wearing helmets or not. It is therefore difficult to draw definitive conclusions in favour of helmets.
But for many cyclists, any such evidence comes second place to first-hand experience.
Angela Lee, chief executive of the Bike Helmet Initiative Trust and a nurse consultant in paediatric trauma, says it's clear that helmets make cycling safer.
"It's plain and simple that helmets are effective," Ms Lee continues. "If you think of people who have mobile phones, computers, I bet they all have covers on to protect them. You have a skull protecting your brain and if you know anything about computers you know that if you damage a computer you can't load the programme. That's exactly the same with your brain."
Wearing a helmet does seem like common sense - if it doesn't encourage you or other road users to take extra risks. But in the absence of really compelling evidence either way, it's up to individuals to make their own choices.
Me? I wear a helmet, and I'll continue to do so.Over a month after announcing their disbandment, 2NE1 revealed that they will have a final comeback with a farewell single later this month. On Jan. 5, their label, YG Entertainment, announced that the trend-setting K-pop group will release “Good Bye” on Jan. 21.
The news came several weeks after 2NE1 members shared their regrets on social media for suddenly disbanding after previously teasing new material. According to YG Entertainment, “through the new single, the group will express how sorry they are.”
“Good Bye” will be the first new music from the girl group since 2014’s Crush album, and the only song without member Minzy, who left 2NE1 several months before the group officially broke up in November. The quartet’s other members -- CL, Park Bom, and Dara -- will feature on the new single and appear in an accompanying music video. Only Dara and CL remain under contract with YG, while Minzy is currently preparing a solo debut and signed to Music Works Entertainment.
The act were gearing up to release their first new music in years as a trio last year after being on hiatus since 2014. However, YG Entertainment announced their disbandment, putting to rest comeback rumors. Their last single as a quartet, “Gotta Be You,” was released in 2014 and commemorated their fifth anniversary.
2NE1 was formed in 2009 and subsequently became one of K-pop’s most prominent acts through their empowering, modernist pop image. They had numerous hits, including “Lonely,” “Can’t Nobody,” “I Love You, and “I Am The Best,” the latter of which was featured stateside in a Microsoft computer ad. Throughout their seven years together, 2NE1 also saw members release solo music and gain recognition internationally as style icons.Marco Massarutto of Kunos Simulazioni recently had to opportunity to sit down and take part in an interview with ilvideogioco.com (“The Video Game” in Italian). With the site being an Italian site, it goes without saying that the entirety of the interview is in Italian. However, a quick pass through Google Translate has shared some interesting information regarding the future of Assetto Corsa!
The interview talks a bit about the state of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, which will be the first United States based track to be featured as first party content in Assetto Corsa. Marco mentioned there were a few logistical and bureaucratic issues, which sound like they have since resolved. It sounds like they’re still on track for a late 2017 release, but they couldn’t go further into detail.
Another topic discussed in the interview is the rising emergence of E-Sports. The Sim Racing world has been working to adopt the E-Sports mindset, with titles such as iRacing, Project CARS 2, Forza Motorsport 7, and Gran Turismo Sport looking to create online ranking systems for drivers. Marco mentioned that a “First-Part E-Sports System” will likely not be implemented in Assetto Corsa. The translation of the interview is a bit rough, but it sounds like Kunos is considering the possibility in a new “scratch product”. However, with the open ended modding community, it leaves options such as Sim Racing System prime to fill that void.
Other topics mentioned in the interview are if Assetto Corsa is planned for release on the Nintendo Switch (spoiler alert, Nope) and if “Assetto Corsa 2” is being planned (it’s being considered, but nothing concrete). For more information, you can read the (Google-translated) interview down below!
Assetto Corsa continues to be one of those very popular driving games played and especially by fans.
It ‘s definitely one of those games made in Italy that has had the merit of reviving the video game our local industry internationally. Merit of the passion and dedication of Kunos Simulazioni that from the title has always been able to support it better and to stimulate wide audience by offering an alternation of content and updates that have filed and expanded increasingly making the product even grow the contents. For now Assetto Corsa counting circuits 18, 19 with Laguna Seca incoming in over 30 different configurations with 143 cars. By year’s end, the title will count on over 150 cars.
The output of PS4 and Xbox One is also increasing its user base with the game that travels to the million and a half copies distributed on all three platforms. The figure also includes the bundle and is definitely remarkable.
The near future has the flavor red Ferrari saw that soon will be released a new dlc dedicated to 70 years of Ferrari. But beyond the red there’s more. And to know more details about this real phenomenon which is Assetto Corsa, we heard Marco Massarutto, one of the key figures of Kunos Simulazioni.
We talked with him about the present, the future and some little anecdote. Here’s what he told us in our interview.
Your success continues even on consoles, what is your recipe for success, what keeps you think the players glued to Assetto Corsa?
The first build of Racing Assetto development was created in 2011, we have been working on the project full time for six years, we’ve had enough, yet even we of Kunos “play” with trim every day running, still taking care of the more details, when possible. I believe that the public perceive it, and be able to appreciate and enjoy our “creature.”
Besides the dlc dedicated to 70 years of Ferrari, what are you preparing?
The Ferrari DLC itself is not a joke: we chose several legendary cars and are working to play them with incredible care. The work on the Quadrifoglio Giulia are no secret, as well as those relating to the Laguna Seca circuit, now that we have passed some logistical and bureaucratic problems with the structure that brought us a lot longer than it should. On the rest, it is early to unbutton.
Have you had the merit of bringing after years of Porsche in a video game, you have in mind more shots, maybe even for officers or other championships?
More than this? 😀 However, at that time you will know everything. 🙂
More features?
We are in the process of finishing: the latest build was an important evolutionary step in terms of features and behavior of artificial intelligence, which is widely accepted. Now we are working to bring about these features console. E ‘at this stage that complicates everything, because Sony and Microsoft approval procedures are not simple.
Assetto Corsa as proposed on the side eSports?
Since our platform open to modding and not being conceived from the start for eSports, fits perfectly to a discipline which is essential to ensure a strict ranking system and that all vie for the same conditions. This phenomenon growing in us we can possibly spend with a different approach in the coming years. And with a scratch product.
How and how much the game has changed since you released your version Early Access?
Taking as reference the Early Access would not be correct: let’s say that the degree of evolution, content and updates that had Assetto Corsa since the launch of version 1.0 in its 14th build today, in other games normally occurs between a product and the chapter It comes out the following year, and which typically buys back: those who have trusted us in 2013 – and we are infinitely grateful to him – can still enjoy a product that was again significantly updated and only six weeks ago. Without spending a euro more.
And how much will change?
This is hard to say, the series of changes we made at the Engine has almost reached the maximum level of evolution since we designed it.
Andy Tudor (Slightly Mad Studios) launched its Project of Cars 2 stating that their way is the most advanced technologically, Yamauchi has spoken of the cars present in GT Sport saying he will be long-lasting. In agreement with these statements? How does Assetto Corsa?
And ‘normal that every developer points to direct attention to the characteristics that knows best or she believes more, of its product. The challenge for developers, including us, is to be able to help the public appreciate those aspects on which they worked harder. pCARS2 And GT Sport are new games that will come out this year, and will have to demonstrate whether the words spent by their authors are true, the evidence shows. As for us, I think Assetto Corsa has already answered several questions. The challenge for us will be riconfermarci in the future, not immediately.
In all these years, what was the most difficult moment?
If you were to isolate one, the launch of netKar PRO, our first title, in 2006. It was not an easy time, but ricavammo an absolute determination. We served us, because we have not made a certain type of errors. With the difficult times we might write a book, but they allowed us to appreciate even more the escalation we have experienced since 2012, and it has not yet stopped. The 2016 was an exciting year, but stayed for an extended period of time under pressure, due to the launch of the console version, and the parallel development of PCs. I’m glad we came out well, as a team.
And one in which you feel fulfilled?
I can not speak for others, perhaps except for Stefano Casillo, with whom I shared every moment of my working life in the last 14 years. Stefano can only be proud of the work she has done on Assetto Corsa: wrote alone much of the source code, of Engine graphic and physical, artificial intelligence and multiplayer. For myself, I am proud to have managed one from a team of 5 people war machine and an initial budget of 70,000 euros. Today we are always 25, and are one-eighth of the people working in pCARS and a 20th of those working in Turn10. And of course the results obtained in terms of licenses – Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, the Nordschleife played for the first time in Laserscan, all this in an independent production racing, those will always carry with me.
The criticism and the praise that you have more appreciated?
When we write ” You make me feel proud to be Italian.” It always excites.
Have you thought about a version of Assetto Corsa Switch for Nintendo? If you Talk to us, we are curious, if not, tell us the reasons *
No, and I’ll explain why: to bring Assetto Corsa on 3 platforms went way beyond our means. We are proud to have succeeded, but you also need to be realistic about the workload that you can sustain.Publishing a console game is much more than just porting work. The workload to manage overall, logistics, commercial terms, legal, can be exhausting.
What are the trade-offs in the publishing industry console?
Mostly in graphics, since the physical engine and AI much leverage the processors, we had a lot of work to ensure the best possible compromise between fluidity and graphic impact, looking for the best balance in the use of hardware resources.
dry and inevitable question: are planning Assetto Corsa 2?
Assetto Corsa came out in 2014, we are in 2017. If I said that we are not thinking, I would not be credible. But every other consideration is premature.
Well, what should be the sequel different from the first chapter and what would make it better for the difficulties of the title you have achieved and you are supporting?
I am convinced that with Assetto Corsa, we proposed a truly unique driving experience: in the future, we’ll have to confirm the good things we have done in terms of the driving model, focusing more on the “experience” as a whole, at the level of the championships balance, career, AI, and using a more user friendly approach to the user interface, which for Assetto Corsa was designed in 2012, when we had no idea that the game would come to include more than 150 cars of all kinds.
At what point are the works on the new headquarters?
They ended in March, we are now fully operational.
Thanks always for availability.
It ‘s always a pleasure, thank you for the attention that you continue to dedicate ourselves.
And finally a bit ‘of images. Good vision.Maine Verizon Business Techs Join IBEW
January 7, 2014
IBEW Lead Organizer Steve Smith introduces Verizon Business technicians at a Verizon contract rally in Boston in 2008.
Verizon Business technicians in Andover, Maine, voted overwhelmingly to join Augusta Local 2327 Dec. 11.
The six-person unit is the last group of Verizon Business technicians to go union in New England.
“Now they will finally have the right to negotiate their terms and conditions of employment,” said IBEW Lead Organizer Steven Smith.
Verizon Business is subsidiary of Verizon Communications Inc., formed after the telecom giant bought up the remnants of MCI/WorldCom in 2006.
While most Verizon technicians are represented by a union, the majority of the VZB workforce was nonunion, with the company fighting to keep it that way.
“Verizon had built a wall separating its unrepresented employees in its Verizon Business and Wireless divisions from workers in the older ‘core’ company as part of a union avoidance strategy,” wrote labor activist Rand Wilson.
But after an organizing drive led by the IBEW and the Communication Workers of America, more than 600 techs voted for union representation in 2008.
Local 2327 Business Manager Peter McLaughlin is negotiating with Verizon Business, and is pushing for the new members to be slotted in under the existing contract.
“We’re focused on making sure they get a good contract,” he said.
Thousands of Verizon Business employees outside New England are still without collective bargaining rights, however.
“Hopefully the other VZB techs in Virginia and Washington State will follow a similar path,” Smith said.
Photo used under a Creative Commons license from Flickr user Eric Hauser
Related News:
Verizon Business Engineers Win IBEW Representation in New England
Court Rules Against FairPoint SubcontractingAt a demonstration in favor of the unity of Spain, which took place in Barcelona on October 29, Paco Frutos – a former secretary general for the Spanish Communist Party (PCE) – became the voice for the political left that opposes Catalan independence. Thanks for that, Paco.
Let me tell you who I am. In 1979 I was a local councilor in Barcelona, a member of the team of then-mayor Pascual Maragall. I was also a deputy in the Catalan parliament, and sat on its Human Rights Committee.
Thanks, Paco, for reminding everyone that Catalonia’s democratic institutions were not the product of a rigged deal, as claimed by deceitful populism and cheap separatism.
We can’t have our grandchildren buying into revolutions sold to them on social media or inside sports arenas
My story goes way back. I was once a guerrilla fighter who used to smuggle the printing plates for the banned publication Mundo Obrero across the border. I was in charge of the Murcia branch of the PCE, which operated underground. I was arrested; I was tortured (as my vertebrae can attest to); I spent six years in jail; I cried amnesty; I forgave my tormentor.
So I am not sympathetic to these demands for freedom from people who have enjoyed nothing but freedom their entire lives.
No matter, they still call me a fascist. But fascism kills; Francoism killed. Those wretches who insult the memory of our dead with their miserable lies should know this. Thanks, Paco, for reminding Catalan men and women about our respected PSUC, a national (but not nationalist party) that spoke for a political left that was committed to the working class.
I was also secretary general of the PCE in Madrid until I had to stop for health reasons; I was a member of its Central Committee. It was a party of militants back then, not a clique like the one now usurping the acronym and functioning like a yellow union catering to personal interests.
Nobody should doubt – and thanks again Paco for reminding us – that nationalism, whether big or small, is a betrayal of the working class. I was Construction secretary for the Catalan branch of the Comisiones Obreras (CC OO) labor union; still, some snobs call me bourgeois and a fascist while they attend strikes funded by employers and governments.
My name is Justiniano Martínez. And I was a real political prisoner
We need to be reminded of these voices, of our history, of the truth, because we can’t have our grandchildren buying into revolutions sold to them on social media or inside sports arenas. We need to remind them about the weeks-long strikes, about the “resistance boxes” to provide financial support to striking workers, about the unpaid wages.
These days, we only see money collections to help not striking workers, but rather the politicians who are responsible for the “three percent” (the amount of the bribes allegedly taken by Catalan officials to award contracts in a series of corruption cases affecting Convergència, now known as PDeCAT and the party of ousted regional premier Carles Puigdemont).
Thanks, Paco, for reminding everyone that democracy is not earned by running away or by stuffing yourself with butifarra sausages in the squares. It is earned by conquering the squares.
The writer Manuel Vázquez Montalbán explained it well in an essay: our goal is The Free Word in The Free City. Thanks, Paco, for reminding us that it is unacceptable to deny the possibility of a solidarity-based project for all of Spain, and to do so in the name of freedom.
Thanks, Paco, for waving the flag of a political left that does not suck up to secessionism, but is instead able to create an autonomous project of its own.
My name is Justiniano Martínez. And I was a real political prisoner.
Justiniano Martínez Medina is the former secretary general of the Spanish Communist Party in Madrid.
English version by Susana Urra.The indications of a future HomeGrown Player signing are out in public. The Seattle Sounders have needs, but that will only be part of the decision making process, the larger decision point for Adrian Hanauer and his staff is whether or not the young man is ready to be a professional.
"Our overarching philosophy is that we will sign homegrowns when they are ready to be professional soccer players," Adrian Hanauer told Sounder at Hear, "but certainly if we were seven deep at centerback we might not sign a homegrown because it wouldn't be good for that player. It could be a factor, but it's not the deciding factor."
If that guide is based on who is most ready now and not just who will be the best eventually, the list of players based on their field talent is different. It is not a list of every player ever tracked here at SaH, but narrows to those that are at the top of their games but could use some finishing in the daily professional environment.
Recently over at SoundersFC.com five potential HGP players that meet that ready talent profile were profiled. Yedlin, Jones, Palodichuk, Kovar and Okoli are all highly talented, none fill for-sure needs and they may not get enough playing time under the current Reserve League to properly develop. They still need polish.
Could Seattle do like Philly and their loan of Zach Pfeffer or like Sporting KC and their potential loan of youngster Dom Dwyer?
Hanauer answers, "We have looked into that. It is not an easy situation. You do need the foreign club to pick up the salary in order to fill the roster spot. The reality is that there are not that many teams out there that want to spend 30, 40, 70 thousand on an 18-year-old American kid on loan. But it is something that we would certainly be open to it if it means the player gets better development, better games."
That there is the rub. As long as college is the place to get the most games and most small group training rather than the Reserve League or various different loans (to lower divisions or internationally) a team that is signing HGPs for reasons other than PR is faced with tough decisions on timing their signings. If things change in the ability to loan or how the Reserve League operates maybe more than the one or two Sigi indicated.
"We want to have a higher percentage [5%] than that [succeed] once we start signing our HomeGrowns. We've got to give them opportunities to play. I feel that our program is solid. We've encouraged some of our HomeGrowns to move onto college as an intermediate step for them and I think as we move forward you're going to see some that are very close and maybe even this is the year that we end up signing one or two."
For now 2013 may see the first player raised a Sounder, become a Sounder.President Donald Trump hit 45 percent approval in the daily Rasmussen approval tracking poll Wednesday, marking his highest since November 15.
Trump has hovered in between 40 percent and 46 percent for the majority of his presidency within Rasmussen’s tracking system with an all-time low of 38 percent in early August. The recent uptick in the president’s approval rating tracks with the recent passage of a Republican-led tax reform bill and the holiday season.
Trump has hit 45 percent or higher on only a few other occasions in recent months within Rasmussen’s tracking database before Wednesday. Prior to Nov 15, the president was last at such a high approval rating in early October and before that in early September.
FiveThirtyEight’s aggregate presidential approval tracking system puts Trump at approximately 37.5 percent approval rating with 56.7 percent of the country disapproving of his performance. Rasmussen, however, was the most accuratepoll of the 2016 presidential election.ALD-52, also known as 1-acetyl-LSD, is a chemical analogue of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). It was originally discovered by Albert Hofmann but was not widely studied until the rise in popularity of psychedelics in the 1960s.
Effects [ edit ]
In Entry 26 of his compendium TiHKAL, which discussed LSD, Shulgin touched briefly on the subject of ALD-52. His writings are vague second hand accounts saying doses in the 50–175 µg range have resulted in various conclusions. One account found that there was less visual distortion than with LSD and it seemed to produce less anxiety and tenseness and that it was somewhat less potent. Another informant claimed it was more effective in increasing blood pressure. Yet another informant could not tell them apart.[1]
Safety [ edit ]
In The Hallucinogens by Hoffer and Osmond (1967), ALD-52 is listed as having a lower (approximately 1/ 5 ) intravenous toxicity (in rabbits), a lower (approximately 1/ 8 ) pyretogenic effect, an equal psychological effect in humans, and double the "antiserotonin" effect as compared with LSD. Human experiments have not been well documented.[medical citation needed]
History [ edit ]
It is possible ALD-52 was the active chemical in the Orange Sunshine variety of LSD that was widely available in California through 1968 and 1969. The Sonoma County underground chemistry lab of Tim Scully and Nicholas Sand was Orange Sunshine's source. It was shut down by the police, and Scully was arrested and prosecuted. This resulted in the first drug analogue trial, where Scully claimed that he and his partners did nothing illegal, because they were producing ALD-52, which was not an illicit drug. However, as the prosecution claimed, there were problems with such a rationale—ALD-52 was claimed to readily undergo hydrolysis to LSD, and secondly, the synthesis of ALD-52 required LSD. (The second point was based on the methods available in the scientific literature at the time). Scully was convicted and served time in prison.
Tim Scully has confirmed that the speculation above is incorrect. In a Reddit AMA [2] with the director of the movie The Sunshine Makers, he says "The Orange Sunshine we delivered was LSD 25. ALD 52 was an ill-advised desperate defense strategy that failed miserably... The story of Orange Sunshine is complicated by the fact that The Brotherhood distributed LSD from more than one manufacturer as Orange Sunshine. "Nick and I made the original Orange Sunshine in Windsor. That was the last lab I worked in making LSD. Ron Stark managed several LSD labs in Europe and most of his output was tableted and sold as Orange Sunshine. At least some of the LSD that his labs made was not pure."
Legal status [ edit ]
On June 10, 2014 the UK Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) recommended that ALD-52 be specifically named in the UK Misuse of Drugs Act as a class A drug despite not identifying it as ever having been sold or any harm associated with its use.[3] The UK Home office accepted this advice and announced a ban of the substance to be enacted on 6 January 2015 as part of The Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2014. Since March 2018, ALD-52 is illegal in Switzerland and has been put in the RS 812.121.11.
See also [ edit ]Pfizer is one of a group of corporations that could benefit from a tax holiday. The big battle over overseas profits
Goaded by battalions of corporate lobbyists, members of Congress are working to give a select group of U.S. multinational firms like Oracle, Apple and Pfizer a lavish tax break on $1 trillion stashed offshore.
A number of trade groups and corporations that would benefit have joined in a coalition called WIN America. New lobbying disclosure reports show that the group and its member firms have spent millions of dollars, and employed dozens of lobbyists, to press for the tax break, according to an analysis by iWatch News.
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The goal is to generate jobs and investment, but the offshore tax holiday was tried before, in 2004, and the lion’s share of the benefits went not to unemployed workers and their families but to corporate shareholders and executives.
Defenders of the tax holiday say bringing money back from overseas will be a net positive, adding an infusion of cash into the economy and creating opportunities for new jobs. The New America Foundation has estimated that the boost to the economy could ultimately lead to the creation of from 1.3 million to 2.5 million jobs.
But other estimates say the proposed tax holiday could end up costing the Treasury $40 billion to $80 billion over the next decade, and critics are asking why corporations and their shareholders should get a tax break on overseas profits, especially at a time of high unemployment. The high cost of the measure is one reason that its prospects for passage are mixed.
Still, 73 members of Congress, Republicans and Democrats, have signed up as co-sponsors. And cash-rich corporations are pushing hard for the tax break.
The current rules for tax repatriation, as the process is called, are a thorn for U.S. firms that make money overseas. American companies face a 35 percent corporate income tax. Money earned offshore is taxed only by the country of origin until it is “repatriated” to the U.S., at which time an additional tax is levied to make up any difference and bring the rate to 35 percent.
The 2004 holiday allowed U.S. firms to bring their offshore profits back and pay a rate of only 5.25 percent.
“I want them to pay their taxes like the rest of us,” said Sen. Carl Levin, the Democrat from Michigan whose committee compiled a report in response to the push for a new tax holiday. “The rest of us don’t get a tax holiday.”
There are 27 million businesses in America, and almost 10,000 have foreign subsidiaries and can qualify for the tax break. But only 843 of these firms took advantage of the bargain tax rates set by the 2004 law, the IRS says.
Those 843 companies brought around $362 billion home from overseas. More than half the benefits went to just 15 companies. And just five — Pfizer, Merck, Hewlett-Packard, Johnson & Johnson and IBM — retrieved $88 billion, a fourth of the funds returned.
The countries of incorporation with the largest percentage of repatriated funds under the 2004 law included the Netherlands, Switzerland, Bermuda, Ireland, Luxembourg and the Cayman Islands.
In many cases, the money was moved through shell companies, often just mailboxes, which had no employees or physical assets.
Many firms used the “repatriated” money to launch stock buyback efforts, boosting the value of their shares and — via stock awards to senior managers — increasing executive compensation, rather than investing the money in new jobs or research and development, as the bill intended.Image copyright EMI Image caption Queen in 1975 (clockwise from top): Brian May, John Deacon, Freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor
Bohemian Rhapsody celebrates its 40th birthday on 31 October, 2015. Guitarist Brian May recalls the song's creation, and why he'll never grow tired of hearing it.
How many songs become so ingrained in popular culture that they get their own nickname? Not many - but Bo Rap is one of them.
A sprawling, six-minute rock opera, it has been Christmas number one twice, soundtracked a pivotal scene in Wayne's World, and sold 2.44 million copies in the UK alone.
Not bad for a song the record company said would never be played on the radio.
Written by frontman Freddie Mercury, Bohemian Rhapsody was painstakingly pieced together in six studios, pushing 1970s recording technology to its limits. The song's multi-tracked 'bismillahs' and'scaramouches' were overdubbed so often that the tapes became virtually transparent.
But the band never lost faith in the track. "We all realised it was something wonderful and we should give it our heart and soul," says Brian May.
To mark the 40th anniversary, the guitarist looked back at the writing process, the boundary-breaking music video, and the song's resurrection in Wayne's World.
Image copyright EMI Image caption Bohemian Rhapsody spent nine weeks at the top of the charts in 1975
THE BEGINNING
There was no demo. It was all in Freddie's head and on lots of little pieces of paper, which he used to make notes on. And I mean literally notes. He would put A♭, C♯, D♭ in little blocks.
So Freddie had the framework in his head and he and Roger [Taylor, drums] and John [Deacon, bass] set out each part as a backing track. Then we set about embroidering it.
RECORDING 'THAT' RIFF
The heavy bit was a great opportunity for us to be at full pelt as a rock band. But that big, heavy riff came from Freddie, not me. That was something he played with his left hand in octaves on the piano. So I had that as a guide - and that's very hard to do, because Freddie's piano playing was exceptional, although he didn't think so. In fact, he thought he was a bit of a mediocre piano player and stopped doing it later on in our career.
GETTING THE SONG PLAYED ON RADIO
We were told it was going to be a hard sell, but it ended up being easy because Kenny Everett stole the tape from a playback session we had to launch the Night At The Opera album and took it upon himself to go out and play it to death.
That made everybody else sit up. All the rest of the radio outlets thought: "Oh God, we'd better get on this quick or else we'll be left behind!"
Image caption The band were not fans of the BBC's Top Of The Pops show, and made relatively few appearances after their career took off
MAKING THE VIDEO
I know it's been called the first ever music video, but it's hard to actually define these things. I know for a fact the Beatles made 35mm films of tracks - but ours was more like a mini-movie.
It was filmed with the express purpose of giving it to Top of the Pops. For those of us who remember it, it wasn't a classy programme. Top of the Pops didn't have a good reputation amongst musicians. Nobody liked it, really.
It always seemed like a bit of a travesty. If your music had any meaning, it seemed to trickle away when you were standing on a box in a studio with lots of kids around. But you could hardly knock it because it was the way that records were sold.
Image copyright EMI Image caption The band often split the song into sections during 1975's A Night At The Opera tour
TAKING THE SONG ON TOUR
Bohemian Rhapsody probably wasn't the most difficult track [from A Night At The Opera] to perform live. If we'd tried to do Good Company, for instance, or The Prophet's Song, it would have been much harder.
So, in putting together the tour, there was no particular worry about Bohemian Rhapsody. But we thought it was kind of pointless to try to recreate that huge, multi-part operatic section with just the four of us. So the solution we came to was we would go off stage, change our frocks, and come back and crash into the heavy section.
That operatic section has very often been a light show or a video show in our concerts - and I would rather have it that way than stumble through it and do something which is nothing like the record. It just makes much more sense to me to regard it as a performance art piece.
THE FIRST TV PERFORMANCE
We played it on TV for the first time on The Old Grey Whistle Test, which screened an entire show [from London's Hammersmith Apollo] on Christmas Eve, 1975.
That was a very big deal for us. It was totally and completely live. No delay or anything. If we'd had time to think about it, we would have got really nervous, but in fact we just ploughed in and thought "aha, we're ready for this". Precocious boys.
Image copyright Rex Features Image caption Cult comedy Wayne's World featured an extended segment where Wayne Campbell (Mike Myers) and Garth Algar (Dana Carvey) sang along to Bohemian Rhapsody in their car, along with several inebriated friends
WAYNE'S WORLD
I didn't know Mike Myers [who wrote and starred in the film] but he rang me up out of the blue and said: "We've done this amazing sequence in our new film - can we have your approval? And can you get Freddie to hear it?"
So he sent me a cassette and I took it around to Freddie, who was not in a good state at that time. He was… He was confined to his bed, but I took it round and played it to him and he loved it.
Strangely enough, the humour in it was quite close to our own. Because we did that kind of thing in the car, bouncing up and down to our own tracks!
THE SONG BECOMES A HIT FOR A SECOND TIME
There's a layer of humour in Queen songs - and Mike Myers managed to find it in Bohemian Rhapsody. It made it into a different kind of classic, and propelled it to a second life in the States.
There's a huge irony there - because there was a time when we completely owned America and we would tour there every year. It seemed like we couldn't go wrong - and then we lost America for various reasons, which are now history.
Freddie had a very dark sense of humour. And he used to say: "I suppose I'll have to die before we get America back." And, in a sense, that was what happened. And it was Wayne's World - which came completely out of nowhere - that made it happen.
Image copyright Press Association Image caption Bohemian Rhapsody was a key part of Queen's career-defining set at Live Aid
BUT WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN?
I do think Freddie enjoyed the fact there were so many interpretations of the lyrics. It's an outlandish song. I think it's beyond |
the attention of many industries. However, commercial use cases have faced challenges. "The Qtum project is for real business needs," said Dai.
Bo Shen, a partner at Shanghai-based Fenbushi Capital and blockchain technology advocate, noted: “For the past couple of years the blockchain community and business world have been running alongside each other in parallel, and I think Qtum is where they meet.”
At present, two of the most prominent blockchain ecosystems, Bitcoin and Ethereum, have incompatible platforms. Qtum aims to pool the development resources of Bitcoin with decentralized application (DAPP) developers from Ethereum.
The financial industry has been one of the most active explorers of blockchain technology, though finance is highly regulated, especially in China. This industry is the largest holder of blockchain-related patents. Qtum also allows users to authenticate their identity through smart contracts, which will enable them to use more decentralized applications, such as those provided by the financial industry.
According to Dai, blockchain technology is not yet mainstream. However, through Qtum’s “Go Mobile” strategy, Qtum will push DAPPs to the masses.
The Qtum community has already launched two community projects: SpringEmail and Qloha. SpringEmail hopes to combine blockchain technology with the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), allowing users to use the mailbox to send and receive small amounts of digital currency.
Qloha, which utilizes WeChat’s new “mini programs” platform, enables users to send Qtum tokens and chat with bots to order products or services via WeChat. Qloha hopes to extend this feature to other messaging platforms such as iMessage, Telegram and Facebook Messenger to improve the usability of blockchain technology.
Qtum plans to have a crowdsale to cover the development costs of the project on March 1, 2017, through their website and exchanges.Ever since mankind has been roaming the Earth, people have been philosophizing on the role of religion in their existence and wondering if there was an “intelligent being” that put them here on this Earth. Whether it was the Christian God, the Muslim Allah, the Supreme Being of Scientology, the Flying Spaghetti Monster of Pastafarianism, or the evolution of the Atheists, people will argue until they’re blue in the face about their religion. To me, only one thing is for sure, nobody really knows what happened because none of us were there. But don’t let that get you down, there are plenty of arguments for and against all sorts of different religious beliefs. From the highly believable to the “you can’t seriously believe that, can you?” and everywhere in between, CreateDebate presents to you the top 10 Religious Debates of All Time.
10. Was Ra, the Egyptian Sun God, the father of all the Pharaohs?
Ancient Egyptians believed that Ra was the Sun God, commander of the sky, earth, and underworld. He is the most central god of the Egyptian pantheon. Most Egyptians believed that Pharaohs were the sons of Ra and erected solar temples and obelisks in his honor. However, some Egyptians did not believe that Ra created the Earth but didn’t have an appropriate outlet to vent their frustrations (especially if they preferred their heads to remain attached to their body).
9. Was Haile Sellasie I, the former Emperor of Ethiopa God incarnate?
Rastafarians believe that Haile Sellasie I is the living God incarnate, or the Messiah, who will lead the people of Africa and African diaspora to freedom. Rastafarians believe that exiled Africans will one day return to Ethiopa with the help of the Messiah to escape the oppression caused by Babylon. The Rastafarians movement was started primarily in Jamaica, although the ranks of Rastafarians throughout the world is estimated to be near 1 million strong.
8. Is Scientology a cult?
The Church of Scientology, originally founded by L. Ron Hubbard, believes “that Man is basically good, that he is seeking to survive, [and] that his survival depends on himself and upon his fellows and his attainment of brotherhood with the universe” (from Church of Scientology’s statement of beliefs). However, many people believe that this Church is a cult that was set up as a tax shelter for Hubbard’s Dianetics book profits and that is primarily intended to extract large sums of money from their celebrity cult members.
7. Was Jesus married to Mary Magdalene?
This debate was popularized by the highly successful (and highly controversial) book “The DaVinci Code” by Dan Brown. The book claims that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene, had a child, and the Church covered it up through the years for self-serving reasons. While Brown has stated that the book is fiction, it has caused much debate and controversy, especially within the Roman Catholic Church.
6. Are Mormons Christians?
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in the Spring of 1820 after publishing the Book of Mormon, one of the faith’s scriptures, which Joseph Smith said he translated from plates of gold that were buried near his home in a place shown to him by the angel Moroni. Many traditional Christians reject Mormonism as a Christian religion, claiming that the story of Joseph Smith and the Golden Plates is fiction and that he was not a prophet.
5. Was the Flying Spaghetti Monster responsible for intelligent design?
The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (CoFSM) was founded in 2005 by Bobby Henderson to protest the teaching of intelligent design in school. Bobby parodies the theory of an intelligent designer by professing belief in a supreme creator made of spaghetti and meatballs. The CoFSM has gained a huge following, primarily on the Internet in response to the Christian movement to teach intelligent design in classrooms.
4. Is Islam a religion of violence or a religion of peace?
This debate has received much attention, not only on CreateDebate but throughout much of the mainstream media since the terrorist attacks of 9/11. While Islam’s central tenets preach, several extremists have taken passages from the Qur’an such as, “Make war on them until idolatry shall cease and God’s religion shall reign supreme.” (8:39)” to mean that Muslims are called to kill any non-Muslim to ensure Islam is the supreme religion of the land.
3. Jesus Christ: Fact or Fiction?
Christianity claims that Jesus Christ was the Son of God who was sacrificed to absolve believer’s sins so that Christians could receive eternal life. The Christian Bible teaches of many miracles performed by Jesus of Nazareth and of his resurrection from the dead. However, many people dispute that he was the Son of God and that the writings of the Bible are embellished stories chosen by the Church to further their mission.
2. Was Mohammed a pedophile?
The Qur’an (Mohammed’s testimonies) and Hadiths (other’s reports on the life of Mohmmed) depict Mohammed marrying a 6 year old girl for his third marriage. Many people believe that this practice (uncommon in present day) should be viewed as pedophilia. What do you think?
1. Do you believe in God?
This debate still reigns as the Most Popular debate on CreateDebate thus far. Many people define themselves by their religious beliefs (or lack thereof), which is why it deserves the spot as the number one religious debate of all time. It seems to me that everyone, no matter what gender, nationality, ethnicity, or age has an opinion on this topic, and they love to share it.
At CreateDebate, we strive to offer an easy to use website to debate any topic that you want; whether it be religious, political, sports, or any other topic you’d like. We are quickly building a strong community and are rolling out new features almost daily. If you’re interested in online debating or just want to learn more about what people are arguing, check out CreateDebate.EAST RUTHERFORD — While the Giants prepare to have a difficult meeting with long-time guard Chris Snee, they can breathe a little easier knowing that the other major item on their docket came out as expected.
David Wilson, who had a follow-up appointment today to receive medical clearance on his surgically repaired spine, was given the green light, according to an announcement made by Wilson himself.
Just got cleared..... #cleared for everything now the story continues #pocketrocket http://t.co/thjqbeLtfy — David E. Wilson (@4stillRunning) July 21, 2014
Wilson was checked previously on June 4.
Giants owner John Mara, speaking just a few days ago, said he expected the news to be favorable. Wilson came a long way from his initial diagnosis, which had members of the Giants staff wondering if the former first-round pick would ever play again.
As of Monday, they have an opportunity to plug him into their new offense in earnest for the first time.
Wilson will not be the Giants primary ball carrier this season. That job, barring injury, belongs to Rashad Jennings. But when you look at the Giants roster, they're lacking a talented change-of-pace back behind Jennings. Andre Williams, Peyton Hillis and Michael Cox are all bigger backs with similar skillsets.
But Wilson has the chance to add another dimension to the running game, something that will still be a very big part of the offense.DigiCake/Shutterstock
I like nothing better on a hot day than an ice-cold glass of sparkling water, maybe with a squeeze of lime. But when I try to order one in a restaurant or bar, uncertainty often ensues. “You can call it sparkling water, club soda, seltzer, Perrier, soda water, or fizzy water, and someone will suggest an alternative,” says a colleague who frequently orders unflavored carbonated beverages. “Like, ‘Can I have soda water?’ ‘You mean club soda?’ ” Or “ ‘Can I have sparkling water?’ ‘Is seltzer OK?’ ”
Few of us are 100-percent confident in our knowledge of the nuances of water with bubbles in it. So, with the weather getting warmer, and as a service to those who like their water aerated, I present a guide to common terms for various kinds of carbonated water.
Carbonated water, sparkling water, bubbly water, and fizzy water are umbrella terms describing water that has been pressurized with carbon dioxide gas to produce effervescence, i.e., bubbles. Carbonated water can occur naturally—as is the case with water from certain mineral springs—or it can be created artificially with carbon dioxide cartridges or tanks. The carbonation process gives water a slightly acidic pH.
Seltzer or seltzer water is carbonated water to which no other ingredients have been added. It contains only water and carbon dioxide. If you have a SodaStream or other home carbonation system, and you don’t use any added flavorings, you are making seltzer. (Confusingly, the word seltzer derives from Selters, the name of a German mineral spring that produces naturally carbonated water—but what contemporary English speakers refer to as seltzer is artificially carbonated and contains no added minerals.)
Club soda is artificially carbonated water to which sodium salts and/or potassium salts have been added. These can include table salt and sodium bicarbonate (also known as baking soda). These alkaline substances are added to carbonated water to neutralize its acidity and to mimic the flavors of naturally occurring mineral water.
Mineral water is an umbrella term that can refer to either flat or sparkling water from a mineral spring. The Food and Drug Administration defines mineral water as water “containing not less than 250 ppm total dissolved solids that originates from a geologically and physically protected underground water source.” (Water originating from an underground source but containing less than 250 parts per million dissolved minerals can be labeled spring water.)
Perrier is a popular brand of sparkling mineral water bottled in Vergèze, France. Although the water from the spring in Vergèze is naturally carbonated, the Perrier plant collects the water and the carbonic gas from the spring separately, filters the gas, and then recombines the water and gas; this process results in a more consistent product. Perrier is acidic, with a pH around 6, and it contains calcium, chloride, bicarbonate, fluoride, magnesium, nitrate, potassium, sodium, and sulfates.
San Pellegrino, stylized S. Pellegrino, is a popular brand of sparkling mineral water bottled in San Pellegrino Terme, Italy. The water from the spring is not naturally carbonated; the San Pellegrino plant adds “carbonation from natural origin.” San Pellegrino is acidic, with a pH of 5.6, and it contains the same minerals as Perrier, plus lithium, silica, and strontium.
Soda water is an ambiguous term, probably because it’s been around for a long time: It is what the first commercially available artificially carbonated water was called in the late 18th century. Today, some people use soda water synonymously with seltzer; other people use it synonymously with club soda. If you are ordering at a bar, and you are persnickety about the salt content of your sparkling water, use the term soda water at your own risk.
Tonic water isn’t water; it’s a sweetened soft drink containing carbonated water (as do most sweetened soft drinks). Quinine, the antimalarial compound found in cinchona tree bark, was originally added to tonic water in large quantities for its medicinal effects but is now added to tonic water in trace quantities for its unique bitter flavor. Tonic water is best known as a mixer with gin.The Ethereum blockchain has confirmed significantly more transactions in the past 24 hours than the Bitcoin blockchain.
In the last 24 hours, the Ethereum blockchain processed over 44% more transactions that the Bitcoin blockchain, confirming a grand total of 477,780 to Bitcoin’s 331,556.
Additionally, the number of pending transactions on Ethereum oscillated from under 30 to over 300 while the figure for Bitcoin tended to hover around the 39,000 to 47,000 range.
Segwit2x, a proposed hard fork of the Bitcoin blockchain, aimed to shorten transaction processing times through a series of adjustments, including increasing block size from 1MB to 2MB. The contentious plan divided the Bitcoin community, leading to bitter arguments within the Bitcoin commentariat. Eventually, convinced that they would not be able to muster adequate support, some of SegWit2x’s most prominent and well-resourced backers called the fork off.
Following the announcement, Ether experienced a moderate spike in its value, though it remains to be seen whether Bitcoin users will defect to Ethereum as a result of SegWit2x’s defeat.
A soft fork called SegWit, executed with the mining of block #481824 on August 24, 2017, contained some changes to Bitcoin’s constituent code that could enable faster confirmation times, including by making the blockchain more compatible with second-layer solutions that could take some activity off the primary chain. However, since August, the Bitcoin blockchain has confirmed no more than 356,985 transactions in a single day. Forthcoming second layer applications may eventually help Bitcoin compete with Ethereum’s transaction processing rate.From left, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Defense Secretary James Mattis and Joint Chiefs Chairman Joseph Dunford will lead the briefing along with Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats. | Mark Wilson/Getty Images. Trump officials to brief lawmakers on North Korea and Afghanistan
Trump administration officials will hold briefings for all members of the Senate and House next Wednesday on North Korea and Afghanistan, according to multiple congressional sources.
Briefers will include Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Defense Secretary James Mattis, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats.
Story Continued Below
The separate gatherings of senators and representatives offer a first chance for lawmakers to directly question administration officials about President Donald Trump's decision to increase the U.S. footprint in Afghanistan.
The meetings also come amid escalating tensions with North Korea, which has held a series of provocative missile tests, including a launch this week that crossed over Japan.
In April, the Trump administration held an all-senators classified briefing on North Korea at the White House.
Heather Caygle contributed to this report.ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Syria’s neighbors, wary of stirring a conflict that could spill back over their borders, would be reluctant partners in a U.S.-led intervention but are ultimately likely to support limited military action if widespread use of chemical weapons is proven.
A Free Syrian Army fighter calls on Syrian regime troops to defect in the Khan al-Assal area, near Aleppo April 27, 2013. REUTERS/Abdalghne Karoof
The White House disclosed U.S. intelligence on Thursday that Syria had likely used chemical weapons, a move President Barack Obama had said could trigger unspecified consequences, widely interpreted to include possible U.S. military action.
Syrian neighbors Jordan and Turkey, their support key in any such intervention, have long been vocal critics of Bashar al-Assad. Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, an erstwhile ally of the Syrian President, was among the first to call openly for his overthrow while allowing armed opponents to use Turkish soil.
But their rhetoric has been tempered by the changing circumstances of a war that has dragged on beyond their expectations and grown increasingly sectarian, as well as by the suspicion they will be left bearing the consequences of any action orchestrated by Western powers thousands of miles away.
For Turkey’s leaders, facing elections next year, talk of chemical weapons is an uncomfortable reminder of the wave of anti-U.S. sentiment which followed the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, justified by intelligence on nuclear, chemical and biological weapons that turned out to be erroneous.
Turkey, which shares a 900-km border with Syria, has reacted cautiously to the U.S. disclosure while Jordan, fearful of the growing influence of radical Islamists in the Syrian rebel ranks, has voiced its preference for a political solution.
“The international community, and especially the peoples of the Middle East, have lost confidence in any report which argues that there are weapons of mass destruction or chemical weapons,” said one source close to the Turkish government.
“Right now, no-one wants to believe them. And if Assad uses chemical weapons some day... I still think Turkey’s primary reaction would be asking for more support to the opposition rather than an intervention.”
Turkey’s rhetoric on Syria, at least in public, has toned down markedly over the past six months, even as shelling and gunfire spilled over the border and the influx of refugees to camps on its territory swelled to a quarter of a million.
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu’s push for a foreign-protected “safe zone” inside Syria gained little traction among allies and appears to have quietly slipped from the agenda. Even Erdogan, whose speeches were regularly laced with bellicose anti-Assad rhetoric, mentions the conflict less frequently.
But many analysts believe both the pro-U.S. monarchy in Jordan and Erdogan’s government in Ankara would toe the line should Washington seek their cooperation in military action.
Turkey’s relations with Washington have at times been prickly - notably in 2003 when it failed to allow the deployment of U.S. forces to Turkey to open a northern front in the Iraq war - but strategic cooperation has generally remained strong.
Turkish support and bases proved vital, for example, to U.S. forces in Afghanistan, while Turkey hosts a U.S.-operated NATO radar system to protect against any regional threat from Iran.
“Given the texture of the current government’s relations with the U.S. and given the history of its discourse on Syria, I think it would be not impossible but rather difficult for Mr Erdogan not to oblige U.S. demands,” said Faruk Logoglu, former Turkish ambassador to Washington and vice chairman of the main opposition Republican People’s Party.
RELUCTANT PARTNERS
Although Obama has warned Syria that using chemical weapons against its own people would cross a “red line”, he has also made clear he is in no rush to intervene on the basis of evidence he said was still preliminary.
Syria denies using chemical weapons in the two-year-old conflict in which more than 70,000 people have been killed.
Mindful of the lessons of the start of the Iraq war, aides have insisted Obama will need all the facts before deciding what steps to take. But acknowledgment of the intelligence assessment appears to have moved the United States closer - at least rhetorically - to some sort of action, military or otherwise.
Turkey and Jordan would be key to any such move, but they may prove reluctant.
Related Coverage Fighting reported near suspected chemical arms site in Syria
From the outset, Turkey has felt slighted.
Before the crisis, Erdogan cultivated a friendship with Assad, personal ties which he tried to use after the start of the uprising in March 2011 to persuade the Syrian leader to embrace reform and open dialogue. He was rebuffed.
When his strategy changed, he began calling for Assad’s removal and allowing the Syrian opposition to organize on Turkish soil. Ankara felt it gained praise from Washington and its allies but little in the way of concrete support.
“Turkey feels lonely in many senses,” the Turkish source said, saying that a military intervention now would leave Turkey and Syria’s other neighbors reeling from the consequences.
“There is always the risk of creating more destruction and creating a failed state in Syria... This thing is happening next door. The flames are reaching us, starting to burn us, where they can’t reach the United States, Qatar, or the UK.”
Jordan’s King Abdullah said last year Assad should step down, but the kingdom is increasingly concerned by the growing strength in Syrian rebel ranks of Islamist fighters who view the monarchy with just as much hostility as they do Assad.
Further fuelling those fears is the presence of fighters from the Nusra Front, which has declared its allegiance to al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri, among rebels who have taken territory across Syria’s southern province of Deraa, only 120 km (75 miles) from the Jordanian capital Amman.
Officials fear Syria has become a magnet for Islamist fighters who could one day turn their guns on Jordan - as Jordanian-born Abu Musab al-Zarqawi did during the sectarian conflict in neighboring Iraq. Zarqawi was widely believed to have been behind simultaneous attacks on Jordanian tourist hotels which killed dozens of people in November 2005.
SENSE OF URGENCY
Such fears could push the U.S. and its allies to act.
“The fact that the opposition is divided cuts both ways. It makes the logistics and even the politics of an intervention more difficult,” said Sinan Ulgen of the Istanbul-based Center for Economic and Foreign Policy Studies (EDAM).
“But at the same time it reinforces the urgency of an intervention: the more the international community does not intervene in Syria, the more likely it is that the radical elements will gain the upper hand in a post-Assad Syria.”
Turkish officials and diplomats have expressed concern about the role Saudi Arabia may be playing in providing weapons which are going to the hands of radical Islamist elements among the Syrian rebel ranks.
U.S. intelligence agencies believes Assad’s forces may have used the nerve agent sarin on a small scale against rebel fighters. The fear is that an increasingly desperate Assad may use such weapons more widely the longer the conflict drags on.
An attack like that on the Iraqi Kurdish city of Halabja - where an estimated 5,000 people died in a poison gas attack ordered by former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein 25 years ago, the most notorious use of chemical weapons in the Middle East in recent history - could sway public opinion in the region.
“A major chemical attack would outrage the Arab and Muslim street... It would be difficult just to watch, then everyone would intervene,” said retired Jordanian air force general Mamoun Abu Nowar.
The role Turkey or Jordan would play in any military action will depend on Washington’s strategy, but logistical support for limited missile strikes or possible assistance in enforcing the sort of no-fly zone long advocated by Turkey appear more likely than sending in ground troops.
Turkey is home to NATO’s second-largest army and to the Incirlik Air base, which provided logistical support for U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is already hosting hundreds of U.S. soldiers operating part of a NATO Patriot missile system to defend against possible Syrian attack.
Washington meanwhile announced last week it was sending an army headquarters unit - which could theoretically command combat troops - to Jordan, bolstering efforts started last year to plan for contingencies there as Syria’s conflict deepens.
A view shows an entrance to Neirab Palestinian camp at dusk, near Aleppo International airport, April 25, 2013. Picture taken April 25, 2013. REUTERS/George Ourfalian
“A surgical strike to get the stocks of chemical weapons... or establishing air superiority through a number of strikes against Syrian air defenses, this is the type of scenario being contemplated in Turkey,” said EDAM’s Ulgen.
“Anything beyond that is much more difficult to see.”Reporter's Notebook: France's Unexpected Political Revival
NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reviews the dramatic changes that have occurred on her beat this year, including the election of Emmanuel Macron and France's resurgence in global politics.
ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:
As our foreign correspondents pass through NPR headquarters for home leave, we like to catch up, usually informally, on what's transpired on their beat over the past year. But this summer, with Eleanor Beardsley back from Paris for a spell, we thought we'd have that catch-up conversation on the air because her beat has witnessed some of the most dramatic changes of the past year.
Hi, Eleanor.
ELEANOR BEARDSLEY, BYLINE: Hi, Robert.
SIEGEL: People, do you remember France harried by terror attacks, its socialist president weak and unpopular, the far-right on the rise, the future of the European Union in doubt? That was last year. This year...
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
PRESIDENT EMMANUEL MACRON: (Speaking French).
(APPLAUSE)
SIEGEL: Emmanuel Macron, the new president, on election night declaring that France had won. Eleanor, how different is the France of 2017 from the France that you were covering a year ago?
BEARDSLEY: Robert, very different. There's a leader in power who seems like he's just been training for this job his whole life. France has a historic role, he says. As a leader among nations, the world looks to France. And France will be there to provide answers to lead on climate change, Middle East peace, fighting terrorism, dealing with the migrant crisis. France has a role to play everywhere now.
SIEGEL: And a year ago, we wondered, wow, if the far-rightist Marine Le Pen wins, then for sure the European Union is done for, the Brits having voted to leave the European Union already. Instead, not only does France seem to be thoroughly inside the EU, but very much a leader within the EU again.
BEARDSLEY: Yes. You know, the Brexit vote was a body blow to the EU. And people felt across the continent if one more country, even a small one, would vote to leave the European Union, that would be it. Now there is this feeling that France and Germany are going to work together to make the EU stronger than ever. And it's going to play a positive role in Europeans' lives and lead on the world stage, maybe a counterbalance to China and the U.S. And there's really a feeling that you want to be part of the EU. It's a great entity. It's a powerful bloc. And there's sort of a feeling, at least in France, that they look to the Brits and they look at the mess they're in, and they're feeling sorry for them.
SIEGEL: I mean, one thing that's very interesting about Emmanuel Macron's victory - and he created his own movement to get elected. And as you've pointed out to me, En Marche, in - what is it? - on the move...
BEARDSLEY: One the move, yeah.
SIEGEL:...Is EM, just like Emmanuel Macron.
BEARDSLEY: His initials, yeah.
SIEGEL: En Marche is now the party in charge. It threw out the two traditional parties that have been vying with each other for decades right now. But it's not a party of either the extreme right or the extreme left.
BEARDSLEY: It's not. It's a new way. And it is amazing what happened. It would be like if a candidate came in, beat the Democrat and Republican candidates and sort of destroyed the parties along the way.
Emmanuel Macron has talked about France being blocked for decades between two camps, the left and the right. And they can't work together. And certain ways of doing things belong to the left, certain to the right. He says, no, we can be progressive, work together, find new ways. And it doesn't have to be categorized. And so he's pulled people from the left and the right. And they seem ready to build a new way of functioning.
SIEGEL: It sounds like Macron's honeymoon is still in progress with the French republic. Has he actually - any examples, any concrete examples of this new way of approaching politics to show for his efforts?
BEARDSLEY: Well, Robert, the test is to come because Macron has said he will reform, loosen up the rigid French labor market. And this is always associated with a right-wing thing to do. And he says he's going to do it. But the left-wing unions say they'll be out in the streets. So this will be a test coming up with his party and with his government. Can they pass these reforms? But you know, there are cracks starting to appear.
His critics say his party is about him. If he weren't there, what does it consist of? The media says Macron treats them in an imperious way, keeps them at bay. He's not very accessible to the media. He canceled the traditional Bastille Day interview with two top journalists because, as his spokesman said, his thought process is too complicated for journalists' questions. He's a little bit alienating the French military. There was a general who resigned. And so we're seeing a bit of an authoritarian streak in Macron. So I think this fall will be the real test.
SIEGEL: Eleanor Beardsley, thanks for talking with us, and enjoy the next year in Paris.
BEARDSLEY: Thank you, Robert.
(SOUNDBITE OF FETE'S "THE ISLANDS")
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Several news outlets, including the pro-reform Shargh daily, said on Tuesday that French lawyer Isabelle Coutant-Peyre is in Iran for talks with officials over how and where to file the lawsuit. Coutant-Peyre is also the lawyer for notorious Venezuelan-born terrorist Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, known as Carlos the Jackal.
The decision on the lawsuit came after a group of Iranian cultural officials and movie critics screened the film in a closed audience in a Tehran theater late Monday.
Iranian officials in February dismissed "Argo" as pro-CIA, anti-Iran propaganda.
The movie is based on the escape of six American hostages from the besieged U.S. Embassy in Tehran in 1979.Bobby Jindal’s super PAC on Monday went up across Iowa with a commercial that highlights the Louisiana governor’s hardline views on immigration.
The 30-second spot from Believe Again is backed up by half a million dollars. It is the group’s first media buy and comes the week after Jindal announced his bid for the Republican nomination.
[Bobby Jindal announces entry into 2016 presidential race]
“I think our immigration system is broken,” Jindal said in a recent speech, which is showcased in the ad. “If folks want to immigrate to America, they should do so legally. They should adopt our values. They should learn English. And they should roll up their sleeves and get to work.”
The commercial is also part biographical and includes photographs of a young Jindal with his father.
“I’m tired of hyphenated Americans. We’re not Indian-Americans or African-Americans or Asian-Americans,” Jindal is shown saying. “We’re all Americans. When my parents came to America, they were coming to be Americans.”
Jindal's parents are immigrants from India; he was born in the United States.
[From Piyush to Bobby: How does Jindal feel about his family’s past?]
Jindal is positioning himself as the most ideologically-pure conservative governor in the GOP field, and he hopes that immigration will help him make headway in the polls.
Several of the leading establishment candidates, including former Florida governor Jeb Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), have supported comprehensive reform that includes varying degrees of legal status for undocumented immigrants. Last week, Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) – who will announce on July 21 – said in Des Moines that it is “inhumane” to deport immigrants.
Based on an average of current national polls, Jindal would not be among the 10 candidates to participate in the first presidential debate on Fox News this August. A TV buy, even though it is only in Iowa, could increase his name recognition in the state and help him earn more national coverage.Yet there is another scenario you could go for. Out there in the open scope of the Web one can come across a number of websites that represent the new trend in music publishing. They vary by the type of services they provide, but all of them are useful in their own way and are no doubt a new word in this sphere. That is a big cake that can feed all the talents of the music community.
Talking about the opportunity to publish your sheet music online, a huge slice of the cake belongs to a group of web platforms that provide tangible support to new composers.
Those websites like www.musicaneo.com, www.mystorescore.com, www.scoreexchange.com, www.musicalion.com all have one thing in common - they give a chance to shine and to be heard.
Of course, there are nuances in functioning of each of them. Let's look at the chart below where I tried to systematize a bit the evaluation of main services provided by these websites.Douglas Miller / Getty Images James Callaghan (right) with trade union leaders.
The Tory government called a snap election with just a few weeks’ notice. It was a time of national crisis; the government had a small majority, and wanted to give itself room to manoeuvre. Its campaign warned that the left-wing Labour opposition would take money from voters’ pockets. But the gamble backfired badly – the Conservatives' vote slumped, their majority vanished, and Labour was resurgent. But this was not June 2017, it was February 1974; the Tory leader was Edward Heath, and his Labour opponent Harold Wilson. Four decades before Theresa May threw away her majority in an unnecessary election, Britain went through a tumultuous few years of minority government, political uncertainty, and endless horsetrading over votes to keep the country running. The parallels between that period and the new political reality of 2017 offer a stark illustration of the difficulties of surviving as a government that can’t control the House of Commons. At the February 1974 election, Wilson’s Labour became the largest party, although he lacked the seats to form a majority even in coalition with the Liberals. Labour tried to govern as a minority, but to no one’s surprise it couldn’t get anything very much done. A second election was soon called, in October that year, from which Labour scraped a majority of just three seats.
Keystone / Getty Images Callaghan
But Wilson, his health failing, was succeeded by Jim Callaghan in 1976, and the party lost a series of by-elections. The next year, with its slender majority evaporated, it faced a vote of no confidence.
Callaghan tried to create stability with a more permanent arrangement with the Liberal party, called the Lib-Lab pact. But that was very much a hand-to-mouth arrangement – the Liberal party, led by David Steel, simply agreed to vote with Labour on the no-confidence vote and any future ones. “Wilson had had a really successful 1960s,” says Dr Charlotte Riley, a lecturer in 20th-century British history at the University of Southampton. “He was popular in the country, and reasonably popular in the parliamentary Labour party and the cabinet. Callaghan was a much more divisive figure.” And he faced a much more volatile time – inflation, an increasingly dangerous situation in Ireland, and a louder and more confident voice for Scottish devolution from the growing Scottish National Party. “There were these moments in 1978 and 1979 when Labour were really struggling,” says Riley. “They lost control.” Just as May is relying on Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party to prop up her government, Callaghan’s Labour tried to keep doing deals with the Ulster Unionist Party and the SNP in order to get their legislation through, but it was hard.
Cleland Rimmer / Getty Images Callaghan
“Devolution in Scotland took up huge amounts of parliamentary time,” says Riley. There were people in the Labour party who really believed in it, but also it was the price of doing business with the SNP. But, Steven Fielding, a professor of political history at the University of Nottingham, says, “the problem isn’t necessarily the people you have an agreement with. It’s your own people. In politics, the enemy’s always behind you”. Callaghan found this out during the fire brigade strike of 1977, when several people burned to death. Labour "were trying to build this idea that they were moderating labour relations,” she says – that they were facing down their base, that they weren’t slaves to the trade unions. But without a parliamentary majority he couldn’t win the battles. The Winter of Discontent in 1978-79, when strikes were breaking out everywhere, was another apparent example of Labour’s weakness. This has happened to the Tories more recently, too: John Major came out of the 1992 election with an unexpected majority of 22, but a long string of by-election defeats and the defection of one MP, Alan Howarth, to Labour stripped it all away. And that left Major vulnerable to attacks from his own supposed supporters. “A minority government, or a small majority, leaves you vulnerable to the rebels in your party who don’t agree with your line,” says Fielding. “It gives power to extremists, to those who are committed to a cause.” The cause – as so often with the modern Conservative party – was Europe.
Getty / Keystone |
Taves is the Virgil Cordano Chair of Catholic Studies Department[2] within the Religious Studies Department at the University of California, Santa Barbara and a chair of the Religious Studies program charged, in part, with reviewing applications for potential Graduate Students. I arranged a meeting with Taves in order to ensure that I could submit my completed application in a timely manner- and that I had met all of the requirements for admission, including the recommended GPA requirements, Letter(s) of Intent, and scholarly accomplishments- all of which, by all accounts, my application satisfied. I walked into Professor Taves’s office and greeted her politely. I let her know my intentions to apply for the M.A. /Ph.D. Graduate Program and cited for her my various publications including features in American Atheist Magazine, Canadian Freethinker Magazine, and my own self-published book entitled “Disproving Christianity: Refuting the World’s Most Followed Religion”. Taves instantly turned to her computer- looked up my name- and took only one minute to browse my bookselling page on Amazon.com before saying “I need to word this carefully… you wouldn’t fit in with our department’s milieu because you are an atheist activist with an axe to grind.” When I heard these words, I was absolutely astonished. I told her that I was blown away by her remarks and that she was judging my book– and my work- by its proverbial cover, without doing any further research into the merits of my claims or the philosophical and biblical basis for my condemnation of biblical literalism. She went on to describe my work (which she still has not read) as “unsophisticated” and not up to the standards of the Graduate Department of Religious Studies. I defended my work and informed her that diversity in beliefs should be sought after- not condemned- within any department- especially one focused on the studies of various religions.
After the meeting, I sent Professor Taves an e-mail in which I (politely) criticized her judgmental statements and asked for a fair consideration of my application. I will paste an excerpt from this e-mail below:
“…since our meeting, I’ve been thinking about your mischaracterization of me with which you were able to dismiss me so quickly. When you said ‘… you won’t fit in with our department’s milieu because you are an atheist activist’, I was blown away. Every department needs diversity and a combination of ideas, and people who are passionate about those principles. And, at a secular university like UCSB, I was amazed that that you even brought my religious ideologies (or, more aptly, lack thereof) into the conversation. I am a hard worker, and I love the study of various religions from cultural, philosophical, and historical perspectives. I don’t think that means that I wouldn’t fit in as a graduate student- nor does it mean that I have an ‘axe to grind’- as you put it in our meeting.”
Just last month, I received my official rejection letter from the Department of Religious Studies (which had no specific details regarding the application) and Taves continued to deny her obvious biases and suggested that she didn’t recommend me for the program because of my grades in two classes that I had taken with her years earlier; a ‘B+’ and a ‘C+’. But no amount of back pedaling will change the fact that Professor Taves, a former Professor and Dean at Claremont Theological School, insisted that I wouldn’t be considered as a potential Graduate Student because I am “an atheist activist with an axe to grind.”
If you believe in secular rights to a higher education at a public university in the United States, I encourage you to forward this article to as many people as you can in order to get widest distribution to those who may be in a position to help.
[2] http://www.religion.ucsb.edu/catholicstudies/about.php. Access date: 30 March 2011A bout between a pair of featherweights looking for a return to the win column has been booked for the UFC’s return to San Jose, Calif., this summer.
Noad Lahat (7-1 MMA 0-1 UFC) will meet Steven Siler (23-12 MMA, 5-3 UFC) at UFC on FOX 12. The possibility of the bout first was mentioned on Wednesday’s edition of “UFC Tonight,” and a source with knowledge of the booking confirmed it to MMAjunkie. The course spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about the fight.
UFC on FOX 12 takes place July 26 at SAP Center in San Jose. The main card airs on FOX following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.
Lahat vs. Siler is expected to be part of the night’s preliminary card.
Lahat will be fighting in his backyard. He trains at the esteemed American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose. “Neo” started his pro career 7-0 to get the call from the UFC. But in his promotional debut in March, he was stopped by Godofredo Pepey’s “Performance of the Night” flying knee at UFC Fight Night 38 in Brazil.
Siler, a veteran of Season 14 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” started his UFC career 5-1. But he dropped a unanimous decision to Dennis Bermudez at the promotion’s third “Fight for the Troops” show in November, then was stopped in 77 seconds Rony Jason at the same show in Brazil at which Lahat made his UFC debut. His resume includes wins in the UFC over Mike Brown and Cole Miller, but he’ll be looking for his first victory in nearly a year.
The latest UFC on FOX 12 card includes:
Michael Johnson vs. Josh Thomson
Anthony Johnson vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira
Noah Lahat vs. Steven Siler
For more on UFC on FOX 12, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.
(Pictured: Steven Siler)Our countdown to the return of The Walking Dead continues today - in the run-up to the show's third season premiere, Digital Spy will be bringing you a ton of cast and crew interviews, which kicked off yesterday with an exclusive chat with series newcomer Danai Gurira, who plays comic book icon Michonne.
Today's interview is with fan favourite Norman Reedus, who plays crossbow-wielding bad-ass Daryl Dixon. In our chat below, Norman talks the arrival of the Governor (David Morrissey), the return of Merle (Norman Rooker) and why he doesn't want to see Daryl and Carol (Melissa McBride) making out against a tree!
How is filming coming along on season three?
"It's amazing. It's kind of intense - I have a bigger role this year so there's a lot more for me to do, I'm working quite a bit, but it's good work and I think this season is going to blow away last season."
How is your role different this year?
"Well, I've kind of stepped up in certain areas, so there is more for me to do. Shane (Jon Bernthal) left last year and he was a big part of the storyline - we have a lot of new characters, it's sort of spreading out. I don't want to give anything away, but I've sort of become Rick's right hand man in a way, so I'm doing a lot of physical stuff."
How much fun is for you to play Daryl? He has to be the most bad-ass character on TV.
"It's a blast - I run around shooting zombies in the brain all day, it's pretty exciting! I like playing him, as emotionally immature as he is. He's sort of like a little kid in a lot of ways.
"He is figuring out how to deal with people and situations for the first time. Even if there wasn't a zombie apocalypse, I don't know he'd be hanging out with many people - he's a man of few words!"
In season three, the survivors are moving to the prison. How is that going to affect the show?
"Well, we find the prison and when Rick sees it, he kind of imagines this whole grand idea. It's kind of like Club Med to us, a place where you can sleep easy at night. But the prison... you can sleep there and nobody can get in and it keeps you safe from walkers, but first you have to clear it out.
"There's a whole bunch of episodes a lot about that - we're finding people in the prison and all these things happen. It's nice for us, but the problem is that other people think the same thing!"
Was the prison a real physical set then for the most part?
"Graham 'Grace' Walker built it; he's kind of a genius at set design. He added portions of it to the back of our studios and then built the rest of the prison from there. If you come round one side, you enter the interiors of the prison, and then from the other side it looks like [the exterior of] a prison. Every single inch of that thing is amazing - I mean, it should be in the Louvre!"
Have you had the chance to work with the new stars of the show, like David Morrissey?
"Yeah, I have had the chance to work with David - that's now coming together in certain ways. He's a great guy, I love him. I sort of have a crush on the Governor - maybe next season me and the Governor can run off together!"
What would you say David brings to the role of the Governor? Fans are very excited to see that character...
"He's got a very commanding energy to him. He's quite the charmer, David Morrissey, but he has this evil behind his eyes - the way that he's playing this character and how they're writing him... it's interesting. He's not a one-dimensional guy.
"You look at the comic and people were going, 'You need this person to play this part and this person to play that part', but I think David is just the exact right person for this job because he has this martyr syndrome at the same time that he's twisting his moustache, so to speak.
"But he's a very interesting guy, he's super-charming. I've met his wife and his kids and I love the whole family... I want to move in!"
There's new cast members this year, but you lost some series regulars last season. What was it like saying goodbye to those actors?
"It's tough, because we're such a tight family over here and we really care for each other. We're kind of in this bubble in the woods away from Hollywood, away from the business, so to speak. Everyone becomes very tight, so when somebody dies there's lots of tears."
We know that Merle Dixon is back in season three. How is Daryl going to deal with that?
"There's a lot of talk about this right now. He's going to come back and he's going to come back pissed. He's going to want revenge.
"But where do Daryl's loyalties lie? There's going to be a lot of conflict and Michael Rooker is such a fun actor - he's so over-the-top, in the best possible way. He's such a bad guy! When I first found out he was my brother, I was so excited."
Daryl's relationship with Carol is another interesting part of the show. How would you like to see that develop?
"I don't want to see those two making out against a tree - I'd rather leave that to other characters that get introduced. But I like how damaged people gravitate towards damaged people and have this sort of kindred spirit. They see the damage in other people that they have in themselves.
"I always find it more interesting that you have someone's back for reasons that are very similar to yours, rather than just, 'I want to make out with her', y'know?"
Daryl isn't in the original Walking Dead comics. Do you enjoy knowing that the character can go anywhere and has no limitations?
"Exactly. I always tease [comic creator] Robert Kirkman about putting me into the comic book; it may happen, you never know. But I like not having a guideline. When I started this show, I never really had any conversations with Frank [Darabont] about Daryl. Frank created this character and he just sort of let me run with it.
"I had all these little subtle things that I tried to do from the beginning that showed that he had all this damage inside of him. I'm very grateful to the people who picked up on it; the fans pick up on all these little things. These little things are turning into storylines - it's nice that you can plant these little seeds as you go along and sometimes they turn into trees."
You mentioned the fans - what have you made of the fan reaction to the show? You even have your own fan club 'Dixon's Vixens'...
"Oh man, there's like 12 of those groups - it's kind of nuts how many of those groups there are. The nice thing about those... the 'Dixon's Vixens' and the 'Reedus Sl*ts'... is when you see on the social media sites that they're all befriending each other. I think some of them got kind of nasty with other ones, but I think now they're all getting along and becoming friends.
"I get so much fan mail and little presents of Daryl. I have a wall full of dolls and these little toys. I love getting little kids' drawings - there's so much artwork. And when I post one group's stuff on Twitter, the other groups respond to it. It's nice to see them getting together!"
The Walking Dead season three begins on FX in the UK on Friday, October 19 at 10pm. In the US, the series returns on October 14 on AMC.Without any explanation Google has suspended the FrostWire file-sharing application from the Android market. The timing of the removal is both remarkable and unfortunate. Google's decision follows the news that FrostWire had settled its dispute with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over privacy concerns.
With more than a million installs FrostWire is one of the most popular file-sharing applications on the Android platform. But despite this success Google has decided to pull the app from the Android market place.
FrostWire’s Angel Leon tells TorrentFreak that his company was not informed why FrostWire was suspended, but the first thought is that it has something to do with the recent settlement his company reached with the FTC.
Just before the weekend several news outlets reported that FrostWire and the FTC had settled their court case over privacy concerns. The government agency, which aims to protect the rights of consumers, alleged that FrostWire was disregarding users’ privacy by sharing files by default.
FrostWire agreed that this was a valid concern and based on pointers from the trade commission, updated its desktop and Android applications. These updates were actually carried out months ago, meaning that since then the application was no longer a concern for the FTC, hence the settlement.
“We fixed the app ages ago, and probably 99.9% of the userbase is actually running 0.6.3 (one generation over), so there shouldn’t be a hint of worry in regards to the FTC Complaints,” Leon said.
However, some reports in the media made it seem like FrostWire was still breaching users’ privacy, and this may have triggered Google’s decision to boot the app from the Android market.
Angel Leon notes that the worst part of it all is the lack of communication on Google’s part. Aside from a notice that the application had been suspended, the FrostWire team has received no information. It could be that the removal is totally unrelated to the FTC issue, but without a word from Google that’s impossible to confirm.
“It’s just plain wrong that you get suspended without ANY explanation or ANY notice, specially an app for which people have said they bought an Android for, and which has been installed on over 1 million devices during the last 12 months,” Leon says.
Attempts from both the developers and TorrentFreak to contact Google about the issue remained unanswered thus far, so there is no other option for FrostWire than to wait.
For now the FrostWire Android app can still be downloaded via the FrostWire website. However, the number of shared files has dropped dramatically since this setting was disabled by default.
In the coming weeks the FrostWire team will turn the Android app into a (more usable) BitTorrent client, as they’ve already done with the desktop version. The source of this new client will be released under a GPL license as soon as the first version is released.
Let’s hope that by then FrostWire will have been allowed back into the Android market.From 2008 until 2016, Jaime Harrison was a lobbyist for a powerful lobbying firm called the Podesta Group. The former whip for the House Democratic Caucus, Harrison relied on his Capitol Hill contacts to help clients like Lockheed Martin and Walmart press their cases to the federal government.
Now Harrison is running for chair of the Democratic National Committee in a bid to lead the party through the Trump era. He believes the party needs to embrace corporate lobbyists rather than vilifying them, as many Democratic politicians do.
"I'm no longer a lobbyist, but a lot of good Democrats are.... I won’t participate in this blanket assassination of various folks because some members of our party don't agree with what their jobs are," he told me in an interview on Wednesday.
“Part of the rejection we saw in this election was this elitism within the Democratic Party about people who do certain jobs. I can't just have that blanket statement saying, ‘Yes, if you're a lobbyist and even if you're a good Democrat, you can't contribute to get Democrats elected,’” he said. “We need to be a party of addition, not one of subtraction.”
The leading contender in the race is Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison, who thinks corporate lobbyists should have no place in the party. On Wednesday, the Huffington Post published an interview in which Ellison vowed to reinstate a ban on lobbyist contributions.
Obama Labor Secretary Tom Perez, the second most prominent candidate in the race, has landed somewhere between Ellison and Harrison. He’s refused to either rule out lobbyists' gifts or commit to them.
In a piece last week, I argued that one of the storylines about the DNC chair race was how it had become a personality contest over Bernie Sanders rather than turning on any specific policy debate. The question of corporate lobbying is shaping up to be an important exception. In our interview, Harrison stressed that he sees corporate lobbyists very differently than the Ellison and Sanders wing of the party — not as influence peddlers leeching, pariah-like, off the public dole but as often benevolent actors who can care deeply about important causes.
An edited transcript of my interview with Harrison follows.
Jeff Stein
I saw that Keith Ellison said today Democrats should reject corporate lobbyist money like the policy under Obama before Debbie Wasserman Schultz changed course. Do you think Ellison is right?
Jaime Harrison
Listen, as someone who has been a lobbyist — there are a lot of former Democrats and current Democrats, including those in the Obama administration, who looked hard to change this country and are looking for something to do. If you live in Washington, DC, if you work in the government or are working with the government in some aspect — many times that often turns into lobbying.
There are lots of good Democrats who each and every day represent as lobbyists universities and nonprofits. We in the Democratic Party have to stop the castigation of various people for the jobs they have. Lobbying is a profession I did for a number of years and represented the Port of Charleston, where a third of the jobs are tied to that. I'm very proud of the work we did to get the port dredged. People in my family were looking for our opportunity.
Yes, there are some bad actors. There are bad Cabinet officials and bad folks across the board. Part of the rejection we saw in this election was this elitism within the Democratic Party about people who do certain jobs. I can't just have that blanket statement saying, "Yes, if you're a lobbyist and even if you're a good Democrat, you can't contribute to get Democrats elected." We need to be a party of addition, not one of subtraction.
We've run into a problem when we tell American citizens — people who vote like everybody else — that you can't donate to the people you vote for or the people you believe in. I'm no longer a lobbyist, but a lot of good Democrats are, and I don't want to participate in that type of thing. If that means I lose some support, so be it. I won’t participate in this blanket assassination of various folks because some members of our party don't agree with what their jobs are.
Jeff Stein
Do you think it was right for Hillary Clinton to take [high speaking fees] from Goldman Sachs before running for president?
Jaime Harrison
There are a lot of people who take speaking fees. When she took them, she was a private citizen — right?
Jeff Stein
Yes, but she was about to run for president, and Goldman would have billions of dollars riding on her decisions.
Jaime Harrison
I think if you're thinking of running, you need to consider how those things are perceived. But if she's a private citizen and she has a job and is trying to make money, I don't see [the problem]. That's the society we live in. You get a job, and you try to make money for your family.
It's this thing; we put up these false things. If she was an elected official who was taking speaking fees from groups — yeah, I have a problem with that. But I don't know if when she took them, she knew she was running for president.
Jeff Stein
In several polls during the election, the Democratic Party and Clinton were less trusted by the American public to take on "special interests" than Trump. Why would that be, and what would you do about it?
Jaime Harrison
Hillary Clinton had been dogged for over a decade in terms of negative publicity from Republicans. Some could be justified, and some could not. Donald Trump, in the whirl of politics, was very new — he said he was going to take on this and that, and there wasn't much besides his word. She had been around forever, and that dogged her.
When you look at both parties, and look at who has been fighting for ethics reform — the party, hands down, has been better. Just look at the congressional ethics office a couple of days ago. That set of rules and restrictions were some of the most restrictive in the history of Congress, and it was Democrats under Nancy Pelosi that did that.
The American people are starting to realize that. [Trump] isn't about draining the swamp — he's swimming in it.
Jeff Stein
I want to press you a little more on your position on corporate lobbyists. Why would it be anti-elitist to oppose people who can make millions of dollars off trying to influence the government? Most people seem to see it the other way. And they seem to pull the Democratic Party to positions that make them less popular.
Why do you not see it that way?
Jaime Harrison
There are lobbyists for everything. The general perception is, "If someone is a lobbyist, they're making a gajillion dollars with wine and cheese parties." That's not the case. Universities have lobbyists, in these days where tuition is going up and public dollars are rare. I represented the University of South Carolina for several years. There are a lot of lobbyists for civic rights organizations, from the NAACP to defense funds.
Jeff Stein
So should the Democrats limit donations of companies like Exxon?
Jaime Harrison
I think we as a party — if we want to restrict that, and say, "These people are counter to what we believe in as a party,” we're all in our right to make that restriction. But to have a blanket rule because we're defining a whole class of people as bad, I think it's disingenuous, and I don't think it's right.
I say that because I know a lot of folks who [lobbied] and are great Democrats. And when Bill Clinton lost, Republicans controlled the White House and the Senate and the House. The question is: All of these smart Democrats who fought for Obamacare and equal pay — and everything Democrats have fought for for eight years — where do these people go?Battle of Caribou Date December 1838 Location Caribou, Maine, United States Status Resolved Canadian lumberjacks flee area after bear attack and opposing gunfire from Eaton guard
Webster-Ashburton Treaty signed August 9, 1842 Belligerents United States Canada Casualties and losses None 2 severely wounded by black bears during confrontation 1 black bear killed by Canadian lumberjacks, the gunfire from whom sparked the Americans to open fire.
The Battle of Caribou was a minor and ultimately bloodless skirmish between U.S. and British (Canadian) armed lumberjacks during the Aroostook War. It added to the growing tensions between the respective governments and encouraged the mobilization of local militias to the area, which nearly sparked an armed conflict.
Background [ edit ]
The area that would become Caribou, Maine was valued for logging, and tensions over which government owned the territory in the vicinity of the Aroostook River flared during the winter of 1838–39. Lumberjacks from both Maine and New Brunswick each wished to harvest wood to the exclusion of their competitors from across the border, and by December 1838, competition coupled with fierce national pride led both sides to carry weapons for their own protection.
The conflict [ edit ]
On December 29, 1838, New Brunswick lumberjacks were spotted felling trees on the estate that had formerly belonged to First Barbary War hero William Eaton. Eaton family members contacted American lumberjacks and other irregulars in the area, and an informal guard was deployed.[citation needed] On New Year's Eve, the New Brunswick woodcutters returned, and were promptly ordered to leave by the Eaton guard. Shouting began, and both sides drew firearms and prepared to fire. As this was occurring, however, a group of three Canadian lumberjacks were unexpectedly attacked by a black bear defending a small nearby cub. Though black bears are native to the area, they typically hibernate by that time of year, confusing the experienced outdoorsmen. The lumberjacks were able to shoot and kill the bear, but not before two of them suffered injuries. The Americans, assuming the shots were directed at them, fired several shots in retaliation. Though none of the Canadians were actually hit by fire, this coupled with the bear attack caused them to withdraw from the area.[citation needed]
Aftermath [ edit ]
News of the encounter quickly spread to both sides. In Maine, Governor John Fairfield ordered the local militia to the site to arrest the "unruly wood thieves" in February 1839. The Canadian lumbermen responded by seizing the Maine Land Agent, and an international incident was sparked. Tensions remained high, with several arrests on both sides, until the Webster-Ashburton Treaty signed August 9, 1842, finally settled the issue.Angry customer responds to Whataburger ban on open carry (Twitter)
Burger-craving gun lovers are outraged over Whataburger’s policy against openly carrying firearms inside the fast food chain’s Texas restaurants.
The state will allow licensed gun owners to legally carry handguns in belt or shoulder holsters starting in January — although individual business owners will be allowed to ban weapons if they display signs that conform to strict rules on appearance, wording and text size.
The company’s president and CEO, Preston Atkinson, said he personally enjoys hunting and holds a concealed carry permit – but he said the restaurant’s customers have said they’re uncomfortable eating around others who are openly carrying rifles and pistols.
Gun lovers expressed outrage on Twitter over the company’s decision.
//t.co/ZgG0xWSCtn I'm uncomfortable eating in a place that doesn't respect the Constitution. I've had my last WhatTheFuckBuger. — TeriDavisNewman (@TeriDavisNewman) July 13, 2015
They decide to pick & choose laws to follow in Texas, then we choose not to patronize. #2A #tcot TELL EVERYONE! https://t.co/LCy58EfFf3 — K. Clarkson-Harrison (@KCisSunshine) July 13, 2015
@Whataburger Bad move. Texans fought hard for open carry. #Whataburger=NOT_Texan. No open carry = lose a 40+ year customer… — Art Weaver (@Artw43) July 13, 2015
Some gun lovers compared the company’s decision to ban openly carried firearms – although concealed weapons are still permitted, as they have been for years – to the owner of an Indiana pizza shop’s stance against serving food at a same-sex wedding.
@serobbins so its "taking a stand" and "paving the way" when whataburger refuses service, but "bigoted hatred" when memories pizza does? — JohnF (@jfrankberger) July 13, 2015
How do you know what you can ban and what you cant? Open carry ban=ok Gay ban=God forbid Christian ban=Gov sponsored //t.co/REmbgcIFRS — Kant A'n (@ke7rzr) July 13, 2015
Other gun lovers made racist statements, as so frequently happens during political debates.
. @Whataburger fam? It's a Guilt ridden Lib or an affirmative action empl writing these tweets.Either way, Anti White bigots run the show — Chris Tatasciore (@ICTATAS) July 13, 2015
@nypost @Whataburger is going to miss my $$$. Maybe they need to leave Texas and move to NY to get shot by a criminal. #NoWhataburger — WestTexasDust (@WestTexasDust) July 13, 2015
Many Twitter users failed to understand that Texas law allows individual business owners to prohibit firearms on their property.
I urge all legal open carry residences of Texas visit their nearest WhataBurger and see if they deny you service. If they do – sue. — Southern Grandma (@CoFemale) July 13, 2015
Some would-be heroes warned the fast food chain that their customers would be endangered by the decision.
"Why do you need to bring a gun into a store where there are kids?"-Uh, becaue criminals arent terribly picky //t.co/REmbgcIFRS #OIP — Kant A'n (@ke7rzr) July 13, 2015
@Whataburger When I'm at Whataburger I'm without my handgun…which is why I don't Whataburger anymore! — Raymond Martinez Jr (@PapaGrande_54) July 13, 2015New UAB Basketball Coach Robert Ehsan
Mark Ingram, right, UAB Director of Athletics, introduces Robert Ehsan as the new UAB Men's Basketball Coach during a press conference at UAB, Tuesday, April 5, 2016. The former UAB assistant coach is now the sixth Blazer coach of men's basketball. (Tamika Moore / tmoore@al.com)
(TAMIKA MOORE)
Auburn and UAB have been in discussions for a future football game between the two schools, UAB athletics director Mark Ingram told a group of reporters at the APSE regional meeting in Birmingham on Monday.
Ingram said that he heard from around eight or 10 schools right before UAB announced its return to football last June 1.
Auburn athletics director Jay Jacobs is one of his friends, but Ingram noted that he didn't think Auburn had a football opening until 2019.
"I've had good conversations with Auburn," Ingram said. "Jay Jacobs, the athletic director, is a good friend of mine. He and I have talked about it. It's about finding the right year.
"I think their first availability was '19 and I needed '17. I've had conversations with them. They're interested. We're interested. It's just a matter of getting the guarantee right and getting the matchup right."
UAB has its 2017 schedule set and should be close to finishing its 2018 schedule. Ingram said that the Blazers have leverage because, for instance, the Big Ten won't play FCS schools any more.
"My value just went up because they have fewer options," Ingram said.
"Would you rather play Virginia, who is a good team that would pay $800,000 or would you rather play Auburn and they're going to pay you $1.5 million? I guess Auburn's the better team than Virginia, but you don't know that when you set it up. When you're going to play one, you might as well get paid. You might as well get what you can get."
The schools played in 1996, a 29-0 Auburn win. The schools are in the midst of a four-game basketball series. UAB will host Auburn in Bartow Arena this fall.
AL.com's Joseph Goodman contributed to this reportDid you know that, before they romantically illuminate the night, fireflies start out as fierce hunters that track down otherwise protected animals and kill them with venom? Learn about the cutthroat life of firefly larvae.
I know it’s naive to assume that just because an animal is pretty, it’s actually benign—but somehow, I thought that firefly larvae were small, translucent aquatic creatures that survived on algae and the work of John Keats. And when they become adults, most fireflies eat pollen, but a few just stop eating and accept their ephemeral natures.
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But now I know that they stalk the Earth like armored centipedes, hunting, killing, and devouring creates much bigger than themselves.
They can do this because they have a numbing agent that they can inject into their prey. It immobilizes the animals—usually slugs and snails—so the larvae can rip them to pieces and happily devour them. One insect enthusiast found a firefly larva and brought it back to his lab, to observe how it ate. He watched as the larva calmly walked up to snails, forced its way into their shells through the little aperture on the front, and paralyzed and ate them from the inside out. This was always successful—and you can see for yourself, with the video above of the larva eating, surrounded by the shells of its past victims. The only animal that stood a chance against a firefly larva was a slug, and that’s because the slug secreted so much slime that it took the larva over ten minutes to eat its way out.
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Fireflies are such bad news that some of them glow before they even fly. The glow is a signal to predators—sure, you can try to tangle with me, but you’ll be sorry.Warning: The following post contains spoilers for the Season 1 finale of Supergirl.
Your move, Les Moonves.
The producers of Supergirl made an excellent case for renewal to the CBS CEO, with a Season 1 finale on Monday that ended on a massive cliffhanger: Who — or what — is in that pod?
Let’s back up a bit, and briefly recap what went down in the season ender: After successfully releasing National City from the grip of Myriad’s brainwashing, Kara was tasked with her toughest missions yet — finding and destroying Non and Indigo to stop them from killing the human population (check!) and sending Fort Rozz back into outer space (check!).
But perhaps the most interesting events transpired after Kara had successfully saved the Earth. First, she and James finally got a chance to talk about that lip-lock from two weeks ago, and when James presented Kara with a candid picture he’d snapped of her a while back, the two exchanged another kiss — and this one didn’t end with James getting overtaken by an alien force.
And just as Kara began to celebrate her major victory of the day, surrounded by family and friends, a Kryptonian pod that looked remarkably similar to Kara’s crash-landed outside her loft, and whomever (or whatever) was inside gave Kara a major shock — even though the home audience didn’t become privy to the visitor’s identity.
For an explanation of that cliffhanger and more of the episode’s highlights, we chatted with executive producer Ali Adler. Read on for her finale insights:
TVLINE | Walk me through how you guys constructed this episode. Did you know, going in, that you wanted to end on a major cliffhanger, or was it something that came about as you broke the finale?
Traditionally, we want to add as much intrigue into next season as possible. What we did was answer a lot more questions. It’s a classic journey where [Kara] has to sacrifice herself for the greater good, and that’s a trope of comics. We started this season with her asking that real question of “Can I do this?” Tonight’s episode answers, emphatically, that yes, she can. Hopefully, getting into a second season, we can explore some other questions she might have.
TVLINE | Potentially silly question: Do you guys already know who’s in that pod? Or is that yet to be determined?
[Laughs] Hashtag-who-or-what-is-in-the-pod. We’ve absolutely had conversations — we’re waiting to tell CBS. In the spirit of good, old-fashioned cliffhangers, we certainly answer many more questions in terms of her trajectory with Jimmy Olsen, her relationship with Alex. We prove what an incredible hero she is. She was sent to save this world, and she does.
TVLINE | This episode had some really high stakes, and Kara is told multiple times that she’s on a suicide mission. Did you and your fellow producers feel the temptation to go dark with this finale and potentially kill off a cast member, even if it wasn’t Supergirl?
You know, we got pretty close. And while Kara is a lone hero, what we’ve shown all season was this idea of “stronger together.” We’re all bonded by blood, even if that is a love bond. We choose our families, and had it not been for her Earth family, Kara might not have survived.
TVLINE | I was pleasantly surprised to see Maxwell Lord and Kara become quasi-allies in these past few episodes. How did that relationship develop in the writers’ room?
We always say that the villain has to have as rational a point of view as the hero. For Maxwell Lord, it’s a very realistic stance. It’s the belief that if [aliens] have powers and they come and we can’t match them — his whole stance this season has been preparedness for a more nefarious alien, and he was right. When push comes to shove, he’s for the good of the planet. Sometimes, it’ll look like he’s just for the good of Maxwell Lord, but it was always about protecting the Earth.
TVLINE | Max has also got a romantic, flirtatious vibe with Cat. Is that something you guys are hoping to expand upon in a possible Season 2?
We’ve loved their chemistry all season. It’s been very palpable. They have a history together. Cat is |
executing and implementing the laws as written by Congress at this time,” said Ryan, the 2012 Republican vice presidential nominee and current budget committee chairman.
As the GOP debates limited reform this week, Ryan said that all the party will consider now is narrowly focused legislation to take care of the current border crisis and the tens of thousands of illegal and unaccompanied teens seeking asylum.
But he said that there is no chance that broad reform, like the type he supports or that already passed by the Democrat-controlled Senate, will ever see the light of day.
“It’s hard to see in this climate,” he said at a breakfast with reporters organized by the Christian Science Monitor when asked if a package could pass during Obama’s final years.
He added: “I think we need to deal narrowly with the border crisis, but because of the demonstrated distrust of the president in enforcing the laws, it’s very hard to see how Republicans can come together with a solution that we expect the president to enforce the laws.”
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner's "Washington Secrets" columnist, can be contacted at pbedard@washingtonexaminer.com.Former professional wrestler Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka died Sunday, the WWE announced. He was 73.
Snuka died at his son-in-law's home in Florida. Attorney Robert Kirwan II said Snuka was taken Sunday to the home near Pompano Beach so that he could spend his last moments there. Kirwan said Snuka died "due to complications from his ongoing medical problems" but did not elaborate.
Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka's final WWE appearance was at WrestleMania 25 in 2009. Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson tweeted his reaction to the news:
Our family @TaminaSnuka asked me to share the sad news that her dad Jimmy Snuka has just passed away. Alofa atu i le aiga atoa. #RIPSuperfly — Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) January 15, 2017
Over the past two years, Snuka faced charges related to the death of former girlfriend Nancy Argentino in May 1983. On Jan. 3, murder charges against Snuka were dismissed by a Pennsylvania judge who ruled that Snuka was not competent enough to stand trial.
"The family is simply heartbroken. It's been a long journey," Kirwan said on Jan. 3. "They are grateful to the judge for dismissing the charges against him."
Lehigh County Judge Kelly Banach on Jan. 3 dismissed the murder case against the retired WWE star after the defense said he had dementia, was in hospice care in Florida, and had six months to live.
Snuka was charged with third-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in 2015 in the death of Argentino -- more than three decades after her body was found in their Whitehall Township hotel room.
Prosecutors allege she was beaten, while Snuka maintained she died from a fall. Authorities reopened the investigation after The Morning Call newspaper raised questions about the case in 2013.
Snuka's wrestling career dated back to 1970, and he had multiple runs with the World Wrestling Federation, now the WWE. His 1983 jump from the top of a steel cage during a match against Don Muraco at Madison Square Garden is widely considered one of the most iconic moments in pro wrestling history.
He appeared intermittently for the WWE in the later stages of his life. Snuka's final two appearances for the company were at WrestleMania 25 in 2009, when he, Ricky Steamboat and Roddy Piper wrestled Chris Jericho in a 1-on-3 handicap match, and a surprise 2008 Royal Rumble appearance at MSG. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1996.
Kirwan said Snuka spent his final moments surrounded by family after he was brought to the home of his son-in-law on Sunday morning, not far from the VITAS Hospice Unit at Broward Health North in Pompano Beach, Florida, where he had been hospitalized since Dec. 17.
"It's with a heavy heart and sadness that he's gone," Kirwan told ESPN.com. "It was a long year and a half journey, and it's unfortunate that he passed away right after the case was finally dismissed."
Kirwan was notified by Snuka's family shortly after 1 p.m. of his death. Kirwan said the cause of death was not disclosed, but Snuka had been battling a number of ongoing problems including dementia and an infection.
During a December hearing to re-evaluate Snuka's mental state, his wife, Carole Snuka, told a judge via live video that her husband had been placed in hospice care and was given six months to live. Kirwan said Snuka was ruled not physically well enough to travel and did not attend the Jan. 3 trial that cleared his name.
Kirwan said that although there's no timetable in place for when Snuka's family will make a public statement, there is a large sense of relief and peace that he is no longer in pain. Snuka's daughter, Tamina Snuka, a pro wrestler signed with the WWE, shared her goodbye to her father on social media.
I LOVE YOU DAD #FOREVERMYDAD #RestWell #FamiliesAreForever #BestDad #SnukaLegacy A photo posted by SaronaSnuka (@saronasnukawwe) on Jan 15, 2017 at 11:19am PST
As a teenager, Kirwan watched Snuka perform on television each Saturday morning. Kirwan said Snuka still had a huge following of fans and former friends in the business who stayed loyal despite the recent headlines.
"I don't think he will go down in history as anything other than what he was: a legend in the wrestling world and just a good person," Kirwan said. "I haven't heard one person say anything bad about Jimmy who knows him from the wrestling days, and many came to support him [in recent months.]
"Jimmy was bigger than life. Whenever you were in the room with Jimmy, you knew that you were in the room with Jimmy Snuka. Even when he was in his weakest condition, he still had a personality about him."
Information from ESPN's Brian Campbell and The Associated Press was included in this report.The optics were already pretty bad: As an estimated 40,000 plus climate activists descended on D.C. last Sunday to pressure the president to make good on his promise to address climate change, Obama was in Florida golfing privately with Tiger Woods. It appears that it gets worse: The president was not only teeing off with the famed golfer and philanderer, he was also, according to HuffPo, joined by a "pair of Texans who are key oil, gas and pipeline players."
The "Climate Forward" rally, bottom-lined by environmental group 350.org, focused on protesting the Keystone XL pipeline extension, which would carry crude oil from Alberta’s tar sands to the Gulf Coast, while — according to opponents — producing lethal levels of carbon emissions, uprooting communities and lining the pockets of oil magnates the Koch brothers. Meanwhile, the president, who will decide on whether to permit the controversial pipeline in the coming months, spent his President's Day weekend with men set to richly benefit from the pipeline. Via HuffPo:
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[O]n his first “guys weekend" away since he was reelected, the president chose to spend his free time with Jim Crane and Milton Carroll, leading figures in the Texas oil and gas industry, along with other men who run companies that deal in the same kinds of carbon-based services that Keystone would enlarge. They hit the links at the Floridian Yacht and Golf Club, which is owned by Crane and located on the Treasure Coast in Palm City, Fla.
However, as Tyson Slocum, director of Public Citizen’s Energy Program, noted, "A golf outing does not policy make, but it's clear that folks in the oil industry have access to the president... The president has made very clear his firm commitment to not just the oil and gas sector, but to expanding the oil and gas sector by increasing production, by, as he said, cutting red tape, and expanding offshore drilling."
Analysts believe that Obama is likely to eventually approve the Transcanada-owned pipeline, in what may well be the first major test in the eyes of environmentalists on Obama's inaugural address and SOTU vow to combat climate change.Aid of $150,000 (around Rs 90 lakh) would be given for relief work in the flood-ravaged state of Uttarakhand, US Ambassador to India Nancy J Powell said on Sunday.The aid would be given through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to NGOs working in the badly hit areas of the hill state."The support will provide emergency relief to the families residing in remote areas of the state in coordination with the state authorities," said an official statement.The statement also said that the ambassador, "on behalf of the American people, offered her condolences to the families of those killed and to those rendered homeless in the recent flooding and landslides in the hill state"."We are deeply saddened by the tremendous personal loss and the damage to houses, public buildings, temples, roads, and bridges, as well as safe drinking water sources, livestock, and agricultural land," the ambassador said, reiterating the commitment of her country to help those affected by the floods.Following hacking @ DEVCON1, Martin Swende is Nr. 1 on the leaderboard of the Ethereum Bounty Program. The bounty program is ongoing and the last bounty awarded amounted to 5 BTC. The program is open to anyone. With BTC Relay getting ready for launch on Ethereum and its importance for many DApps, we want to highlight its ongoing security audit by including it in the Ethereum Bounty Program.
BTC Relay is an Ethereum contract that implements Bitcoin SPV: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Thin_Client_Security
The chief purpose of BTC Relay is to pass along any sufficiently confirmed Bitcoin transaction, to a specified Ethereum contract. If someone makes a Bitcoin payment, or any arbitrary transaction on the canonical Bitcoin blockchain, the relay should be able to send it to any specified Ethereum contract. More details in the spec.
The goal is to identify security issues such as accepting invalid blockheaders, false proofs, or invalid Bitcoin transactions. Similarly, if there is a valid Bitcoin transaction which BTC Relay does not fully relay, that would also be eligible for bounties.
Please note that since BTC Relay has a separate open-source grant for bounties, major bugs will be rewarded up to 1 BTC. Much higher rewards are possible (up to 5 BTC) in case of very severe vulnerabilities. Rewards are eligible for everyone except bounty program judges and developers of BTC Relay.
The scope is on the contract, the 5 “.se” files in the root directory of:
https://github.com/ethereum/btcrelay/tree/1466934855225b1e4a87031d299c1209ba12d503
(This is a commit on https://github.com/ethereum/btcrelay develop branch).
Not in scope is complete SPV client functionality (for example Bitcoin block timestamps are not checked to save gas costs). Better mechanisms for incentivization, gas cost and other algorithm optimization are not in scope. That said, any such feedback will still be gladly considered.
With BTC Relay now included in the Ethereum bounty program, most of the rules on http://bounty.ethdev.com apply. For examples, websites are not part of the bounty program and first come, first serve – issues that have already been submitted by another user or are already known to the team are not eligible for bounty rewards. But, this also means that beyond monetary rewards, every bounty is also eligible for:
Listing on the the Ethereum bounty leaderboard with points accumulating over the course of the program.
Personal inscription in the Ethereum namereg once it's live.
An exclusive, limited edition Ethereum Bountyhunter t-shirt
If you’d like to join the channel for BTC Relay, it is open to all at https://gitter.im/ethereum/btcrelay. The bounty program will run for a few weeks before launching BTC Relay to Frontier. Here are some items to discuss with the community and open questions for the Frontier launch:
what should be the first block in BTC Relay? for technical and practical reasons, the earliest block that can be stored in BTC Relay is block 2016 (first difficulty retarget). BTC Relay’s first block must be on a difficulty retarget, ie a block divisible by 2016.
how likely are you to verify Bitcoin transactions from a while ago?
how useful would it be if BTC Relay started with the block two difficulty retargets ago? currently, that would be block 389088
there is a script that anyone can run to submit block headers to BTC Relay and what do you think its default fee, which verifiers of a Bitcoin transaction pay in ETH, should be? script’s current fee is 0 it usually costs less than 0.01 ETH to submit a block header. should the default fee be 0.01 ETH? this default fee can be overridden to whatever submitter desires, although the incentive mechanism makes it so that setting the fee excessively is unlikely to be rewarding
Finally, the BTC Relay Bounty Program was added in “news & updates” to bounty.ethdev.com a couple of weeks ago, and has already attracted 1 bounty submission!The federal Competition Bureau has discontinued an inquiry that started last June into groups accused of making false or misleading claims about climate science.
Mélanie Beauchesne, a senior communications adviser with the federal government, said the allegations against the Friends of Science Society, International Climate Science Coalition and Heartland Institute are no longer being investigated.
“After careful consideration of the facts in this case,” she said in an email, “and to ensure the effective allocation of limited resources, the commissioner of competition decided to discontinue this inquiry.”
The 24-page complaint, filed in December 2015 by Charles Hatt of the Ecojustice legal charity, alleged that anti-climate change statements contravened the Competition Act’s rules against false and misleading representations.
The complaint outlined numerous examples of billboards and other advertisements that denied man-made climate change appearing in cities across Canada, including Edmonton and Calgary.
These included billboards from the Friends of Science Society featuring statements such as “Global Warming? Not for 18+ years!” and “The sun is the main driver of climate change. Not you. Not CO2.”
Hatt filed the complaint on behalf of six individuals, including Tzeporah Berman, who recently served on, and was dismissed from, the Alberta Oil Sands Advisory Group, and David Schindler of the University of Alberta.
In a news release Tuesday, Hatt said that public conversation must be based on scientific evidence, not falsehoods and junk science.
“We are extremely disappointed that after more than a year, the Competition Bureau has dropped its investigation into climate denier groups who appear to purposely mislead and deceive the public about climate change science to help preserve the status quo of a fossil fuel-based economy,” Hatt said in a news release.
Schindler, a professor emeritus of biology, spoke with Postmedia about the complaint in 2015.
“What they do is use short snippets of data that support their point of view, and (then) talk about there not being anything settled on climate,” Schindler said.
“Well, recent papers show 97 per cent of people who publish on climate change agree on what causes climate change.”
rcsernyik@postmedia.com
With files from Gordon KentPresidential historian H. W. Brands’ new biography of Ronald Reagan and his conclusion that modern American politics is best seen as “The Age of Reagan” has aroused liberals to circulate once again the hoariest myths about the man and his presidency, including the malicious charge that Reagan was deliberately indifferent to the lot of African-Americans and other minorities.
Liberal Myth No. 1: Reagan’s dangerously belligerent foreign policy had little to do with the disintegration of Soviet Communism. Mikhail Gorbachev was the leader most responsible for bringing the Cold War to a non-nuclear conclusion.
Reality: In the 1970s, as presidential scholar Kiron Skinner has written, Reagan formulated four key ideas about U.S.–Soviet relations and the Cold War. One, discussion of Soviet expansionism around the world had to precede any talk about arms control, not the reverse. Two, America was an “exceptional” nation obligated to match deeds with words in the promotion of freedom around the world. Three, because the Soviet Union was an “abnormal” nation with no popular base of support, it was prepared to foment global crises to maintain its control. Four, the Soviet Union’s inefficient economy and inferior technology “could not survive competition” with America. Once elected president, Reagan began carrying out a multifaceted victory strategy based on these ideas.
Reagan ordered an across-the-board buildup of the defense establishment, including land-based weapons, new ships, and new medium-range missiles. He launched a psychological offensive, declaring that the Soviets’ “evil empire” was headed for “the ash heap of history.” He made SDI (the Strategic Defensive Initiative) the cornerstone of the Reagan Doctrine and would not surrender it, even at the Reykjavik summit. He strongly supported anti-Communist forces in Afghanistan, Nicaragua, Angola, and Cambodia.
He carried his crusade for freedom into the disintegrating Soviet empire. Standing before Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate in 1987, he directly challenged the Kremlin, saying, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” A little more than two years later, the wall came down and Communism in Eastern and Central Europe collapsed. Lech Walesa, Nobel laureate and founder of the Polish trade union Solidarity that confronted the Communist regime, said of President Reagan, “We in Poland … owe him our liberty.”
Democracy triumphed in the Cold War, Reagan wrote in his autobiography, because it was a battle of ideas—“between one system that gave preeminence to the state and another that gave preeminence to the individual and freedom.” The Cold War ended in triumph for the idea of freedom because of Ronald Reagan, not Mikhail Gorbachev, who as late as 1988 quoted the Communist Manifesto when asked his position on private property.
Liberal Myth No. 2: The ’80s were a decade of greed that benefited only the wealthy and overlooked the middle class.
Reality: Reagan inherited a dangerously weakened economy. High tax rates had severely limited jobs and investment and brought in less than expected government revenue. President Reagan reversed the process by cutting personal tax rates and government regulations, stabilizing the economy and encouraging entrepreneurs.
Following the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981, unemployment in the succeeding years fell an estimated 45 percent. During the ’80s, the consumer price index rose only 17 percent, private domestic investment grew 77 percent, and economic growth averaged 4.6 percent annually. The real income of every stratum of Americans increased, and total tax collections rose from $500 billion in 1980 to $1 trillion in 1990 (in constant dollars).
At the same time, Reagan deregulated oil prices, making energy cheaper, and launched U.S.-Canadian free trade, setting the stage for NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement). Perhaps most important of all, he created IRAs (individual retirement accounts) and 401(k) programs, giving birth to what has been called “the investor class.” New industries arose in computing, software, communications, and the Internet that streamlined and transformed the American economy.
Liberal Myth No. 3: The federal government continued to grow and expand under Reagan, who callously tripled the national debt.
Reality: During the Reagan years, overall domestic spending did increase, as the president battled with a Democratic House of Representatives led by a fiercely partisan Speaker Tip O’Neill. Spending on education, social services, medicine, and food almost doubled. However, federal outlays on regional development, commerce, and housing credit decreased by about 22 percent. And the size of the federal civilian workforce declined by about 5 percent, because of conservative managers such as Donald Devine, described by The Washington Post as “Reagan’s terrible swift sword of the civil service.” The annual federal deficit as a share of GDP fell significantly from 6.3 percent in 1983 to 2.9 percent in 1989. As Reagan left office, the CBO (Congressional Budget Office) projected that “deficits were on a path to fall to about 1 percent of GDP” by 1993.
The near tripling of the national debt was mostly due to Reagan’s defense spending. In President Carter’s last budget, America spent just under $160 billion on national defense. In 1988, the Reagan administration spent $304 billion, including more than twice as much on military hardware. During his years in office, Reagan expended a total of $1.72 trillion on national defense, an unprecedented amount that he stoutly defended.
Challenged in a cabinet meeting that he “couldn’t spend all of this money on the military” and that it would look bad to boost spending on guns while cutting the butter, Reagan replied: “Look, I am the president of the United States, the commander-in-chief. My primary responsibility is the security of the United States. … If we don’t have security, we’ll have no need for social programs.”
The essential question was, “What price peace?” Was it worth $1.72 trillion to build up America’s defenses so that Reagan could end the Cold War at the bargaining table and not on the battlefield? Most Americans would not hesitate to emphatically answer, “Yes!”
If we examine the economic report cards of postwar presidents from Truman through Reagan, according to Harvard economist Robert Barro, Reagan easily finishes first. Using the change each year in inflation, unemployment, interest rates, and growth in gross national product, Reagan ranks first. He engineered the largest reduction in the misery index (inflation plus unemployment) in history—50 percent. The 1980s, says economist Richard B. McKenzie, were, up to then, “the most prosperous decade in American history.”
Liberal Myth No. 4: Reagan was a cynical, calculating politician who used “states’ rights” to win the 1980 election and paid little attention to African-Americans as president.
Reality: The African-American columnist Joseph Perkins has calculated that black unemployment fell from 19.5 percent in 1983 to 11.4 percent in 1989. The income of black-owned businesses rose almost one-third between 1982 and 1987. The black middle class grew from 3.6 million to 4.8 million during the Reagan years, while the cash income of black households (adjusted for inflation) rose by 12 percent. By contrast, the median income of black households fell by 2.2 percent during the Obama years from 2010 to 2013.
Throughout the ’70s, Reagan exhorted fellow Republicans to address the party’s failure to attract black voters. At the 1977 Conservative Political Action Conference, he said, “We [Republicans] believe in treating all Americans as individuals and not as stereotypes or voting blocs.” Speaking to the Urban League in August 1980, after having won the GOP’s presidential nomination, Reagan said, “I am committed to the protection and enforcement of the civil rights of black Americans... into every phase of the programs I will propose.”
While marking Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday in 1983, President Reagan drew an arresting parallel between the first Republican president and the man Americans were honoring that day. “Abraham Lincoln freed the black man,” he noted. “In many ways, Dr. King freed the white man. … Where others—white and black—preached hatred, he taught the principles of love and nonviolence.”
Who better than Ronald Reagan to have the last word about which is the myth and which is the reality about his commitment to civil rights?
Originally published in the National ReviewYoung Australians worried about alcohol, drugs, getting a job, body image: Mission Australia survey
Updated
Young people have reported stress, school, study and body image as the biggest issues in their personal life, in the biggest survey of its kind in Australia.
The survey, carried out by Mission Australia every year, also asked young people aged between 15 and 19 what they considered to be the biggest issues of national concern.
Key points: Mission Australia survey found 27 per cent of respondents were mostly concerned about alcohol and drugs
Younger people concerned about equity and discrimination and the economy and financial matters
The survey of nearly 19,000 young Australians showed females are generally less confident than their male counterparts.
It found 27 per cent of respondents were mostly concerned about alcohol and drugs, followed by equity and discrimination and the economy and financial matters.
"Alongside general concerns surrounding alcohol and drugs use in peers, this concern may reflect the permeation of the drug ice through many communities in Australia," CEO of Mission Australia Catherine Yeomans said.
With double digit youth unemployment, Ms Yeomans said it was not surprising many young people thought it would be difficult to achieve their goals.
"More than half of the young people in Australia who responded to the survey think that there are actually barriers to achieving what they want, in terms of their future, education and employment goals, so that really is a standout and some of the areas the young people have identified as being barriers, are academic ability, financial difficulty and a lack of jobs," she said.
There's a lot of pressure on you to do well, and it's hard just balancing family life and a job and everything else as well. Claire Hiley, 17
The survey of nearly 19,000 young Australians showed females are generally less confident than their male counterparts.
"Twice as many young women think that their academic ability is likely to be a barrier to future success, and twice as many young women also believe financial difficulty and lack of jobs will be a barrier for them compared to young men," Ms Yeomans said.
"I think that raises questions around why young women are not feeling as confident as young men, because objective data tells us that women do just as well academically — they're doing very well in studies, their educational attainment and in their opportunities to secure tertiary places as well.
"So it is speaking to a confidence level.
"It highlights the increased need to tackle wider gender equality. Despite some progress, women are still woefully underrepresented in leadership roles across all sectors.
"Without strong female role models I fear young women will continue to lack the confidence to aim high and attain their goals."
Life a balancing act for teenagers
Seventeen-year-old Claire Hiley has just started Year 12 at a selective school in Sydney's south.
Like many others students her age, she said life already felt like a balancing act.
"I guess just getting good results, especially at a selective school it's really competitive, and there's a lot of pressure on you to do well, and it's hard just balancing family life and a job and everything else as well," she said.
It is a similar story for 15-year-old Nicole Pingon — who is at the same school.
"I guess school work and pressure from school is starting to build up going into Year 11. I think just being at a selective school there's a lot of pressure to do well," she said.
As a dancer, Claire Hiley said body image was a constant concern.
"Especially in a dance world, you're expected to be that skinny dancer and eat well all the time," she said.
"That's just the pressure on you. You just have to reassure yourself that not everyone has that body type and just deal with what you have really."
The survey released did have some good news — many young Australians are feeling positive about the future.
"Six in 10 of the respondents actually say that they are feeling very positive, or positive about the future, and again this reflects an age group they're seeing their future ahead of them," Ms Yeomans said.
"They do have a lot of hopes and aspirations. It's incumbent on us to help them overcome some of the barriers that they perceive so that they can truly achieve their goals."
Topics: youth, work, discrimination, schools, community-and-society, drug-use, alcohol, australia
First postedTexas state Sen. Wendy Davis (D) is backing a proposed “open carry” law that would allow licensed Texans to wear a pistol on their hips in public, the Associated Press reported Thursday.
In a statement to the AP, Davis said her support for expanding gun rights for Texans includes open-carry. She joins her rival in the gubernatorial race, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott (R), in supporting the proposed open-carry law for handguns (Texas already allows open-carry of long firearms, like rifles and shotguns).
Davis said the “open carry” law should allow private property owners to decide whether to allow openly carried weapons on their property, according to the AP, adding that background checks and training requirements would “help ensure that only mentally stable, law-abiding citizens may carry, whether concealed or open.”
Her support for the law is at odds with the state party’s stance.
“There is little or no public safety justification for open carry,” Emmanuel Garcia, a spokesman for the Texas Democratic Party, told the AP.
One Democratic consultant suggested that since Abbott supporters already tried to paint Davis as an anti-gun candidate, it may be pragmatic for the state senator to support the proposal.
“If the issue isn’t important to you, then it would be smart to take it off the table by saying, ‘Me, too; now let’s go back to talking about education and how we fund road building and the stuff the mainstream of Texas is really concerned with,'” strategist Harold Cook told the AP.All the resources available on CodyHouse are released under the MIT license.
Today’s resource is inspired by the Primer app, which makes a great use of cards and motion throughout its design. We applied similar effects to a portfolio template, with expandable items and a bold, full-page navigation.
Images: Unsplash
Creating the structure
The HTML structure is composed by 3 main elements: a.cd-nav-trigger for the menu icon, a nav.cd-primary-nav for the main navigation, and a.cd-projects-container wrapping the unordered list of projects.
Each project contains a div.cd-title with the project title and a div.cd-project-info with project description. The project image is set as background-image of the.cd-title::before pseudo-element.
<header> <a href="#0" class="cd-logo"><img src="img/cd-logo.svg"></a> <button class="cd-nav-trigger">Menu<span aria-hidden="true" class="cd-icon"></span></button> </header> <nav class="cd-primary-nav"> <ul> <li class="cd-label">Navigation</li> <li><a href="#0">The team</a></li> <!-- other navigation items here --> </ul> </nav> <!--.cd-primary-nav --> <div class="cd-projects-container"> <ul> <li class="single-project"> <div class="cd-title"> <h2>Project 1</h2> </div> <!--.cd-title --> <div class="cd-project-info"> <button class="cd-scroll">Scroll down</button> <div class="content-wrapper"> <p> Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit. Quisquam molestias suscipit mollitia vitae ea non ex, dignissimos aperiam minus magni totam sint culpa vel voluptate ipsa sunt repellendus. Ab, magni! </p> <!-- additional project info here --> </div> </div> <!--.cd-project-info --> </li> <!-- other projects here --> </ul> </div> <!--.cd-projects-container -->
Adding style
The div.cd-projects-container has a height of 100% and a relative position. The single projects are in absolute position, have a height of 100% and are placed one on top of the others in the top left corner of their wrapper.cd-projects-container.
The second and third projects are then translated along the Y axis of, respectively, one-third and two-thirds of the.cd-projects-container height. This way, only one-third of the viewport height is visible for each project.
.cd-projects-container { height: 100%; position: relative; overflow: hidden; }.cd-projects-container.single-project { position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px; height: 100%; width: 100%; transition: transform 0.4s; }.cd-projects-container.single-project:nth-of-type(2) { transform: translateY(33.3333333333%); }.cd-projects-container.single-project:nth-of-type(3) { transform: translateY(66.6666666667%); }
Here's a quick animation that explains the cards positioning:
We then set a height of 33.33% to the.cd-title (one-third of the viewport height ), and a height: 300% to the.cd-title::before pseudo-element (equal to the viewport height).
.cd-title { height: 33.3333333333%; }.cd-title::before { /* background image */ content: ''; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; height: 300%; width: 100%; background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; }.single-project:nth-of-type(1).cd-title::before { background-image: url(../img/img-1.jpg); }
When a project is selected, we use the.selected class to assign a translateY(0) to the selected project, while we translate its project siblings to the bottom (translateY(100%)) so that the whole project image is revealed.
.cd-projects-container.single-project.selected { /* selected project */ transform: translateY(0); }.cd-projects-container.single-project.selected ~ li { /* hide siblings projects */ transform: translateY(100%); }
As for the.cd-project-info, it has a height of 100%, an overflow: auto (to be able to scroll it) and is placed in the top-left corner of its.single-project parent. Its ::before pseudo-element is then used to push the div.content-wrapper below the project image.
.cd-project-info { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; overflow: auto; opacity: 0; visibility: hidden; transition: opacity 0.4s, visibility 0.4s; }.cd-project-info::before { /* use to push the.content-wrapper below the intro project image */ content: ''; display: block; height: 100%; width: 100%; pointer-events: none; }.cd-project-info.content-wrapper { position: relative; z-index: 2; padding: 2em 0 3em; background-color: #FFFFFF; }.selected.cd-project-info { opacity: 1; visibility: visible; transition: opacity 0s, visibility 0s; }
As for the full-page navigation, the.cd-primary-nav is placed below the.cd-projects-container ; when the user clicks the.cd-nav-trigger, the single projects are translated to the bottom to reveal the navigation.
.cd-primary-nav { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; /* height = (100% - 9%) - 9% is the space taken by the projects when the navigation is open */ height: 91%; width: 100%; overflow: auto; opacity: 0; }.cd-primary-nav ul { transform: translateY(50px); transition: transform 0.4s; }.cd-primary-nav.nav-open { opacity: 1; }.cd-primary-nav.nav-open ul { transform: translateY(0); }.cd-projects-container.nav-open.single-project { box-shadow: 0 0 30px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5); transform: translateY(91%); }.cd-projects-container.nav-open.single-project:nth-of-type(2) { transform: translateY(94%); }.cd-projects-container.nav-open.single-project:nth-of-type(3) { transform: translateY(97%); }
Events handlingBot Colony leverages a technological breakthrough in Natural Language Understanding (NLU), a problem scientists have been trying to solve for many years. Natural Language Understanding is technical jargon for computer understanding of human language (English in the case of Bot Colony). The characters in Bot Colony understand what the player says, and are often able to respond in a cogent manner. North Side believes that the NLU capability of Bot Colony is superior to that of Apple’s Siri or IBM’s Watson.
Bot Colony is an episodic sci-fi adventure game in which one plays as a robot cognition specialist investigating the disappearance of prototype robot sensors, and tracking down a spy across an exotic South Pacific island.
While currently video games rely on dialog trees – players clicks canned dialog lines written by someone else – in Bot Colony players use their own words to control the outcome. Language understanding is not limited to commands: players can ask characters questions, state facts or opinions, and clarify what a character said - and the characters will respond intelligently in most cases. Players can also ask robots to carry out commands and robots will comply, or learn new commands that are not yet part of their repertory. The ability to speak freely with the characters increases the player’s immersion into the game and truly makes the player part of the story.
North Side launched a kickstarter campaign in September 2013 but canceled it a few days due to lower than expected interest and is instead opting for fan funding by selling access to the Open Alpha version for $2.95.
North Side intends Bot Colony to offer a first-hand experience of realistic verbal communication with intelligent machines, much like the interactions depicted in sci-fi movies like The Space Odyssey, I, Robot or Blade Runner. This interaction is designed to be both challenging and entertaining. The ultra-literal way in which robots understand language is sure to drive home the realization of how much we take for granted in our day to day communication with other people.
“Every year we see incredible advances in game graphics, sound, physics, etc., but character interaction is still ruled by the pre-defined dialog tree approach we’ve had since the 70’s. The ability for characters in a game to understand what you say and respond in an intelligent way has the potential to change the gaming world,” Eugene Joseph, CEO of North Side and lead architect, explains.
Bot Colony leverages North Side’s proprietary natural language understanding (NLU) technology – deep Artificial Intelligence. North Side first started R&D in NLU in 2001 and invested over $18 million in R&D. Currently, the software understands English sufficiently well to enable players to complete game levels, as long as they don’t veer too much off topic. Off topic conversations are also supported – and characters use them as an opportunity to learn new concepts from the player. Reponses by the game’s robotic characters are generated on the fly by parsing the speech of players (or typed text), reasoning on a fact base, AI rules |
, including people, economics, hardware, software, ethics, policy, and other aspects of the real world
Look beyond the security protocol to see weaknesses in the surrounding system
Thwart the adversary by understanding how adversaries think
Learn how to build cryptography into new products
Niels Ferguson is a cryptographer for Microsoft who has designed and implemented cryptographic algorithms,protocols, and large-scale security infrastructures. Bruce Schneier is an internationally renowned security technologist whose advice is sought by business, government, and the media. He is the author of Applied Cryptography, Secrets and Lies, and Schneier on Security. Tadayoshi Kohno is a professor at the University of Washington. He is known for his research and for developing innovative new approaches to cryptography and computer security education.
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Schneier on Security is a personal website. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of IBM Resilient.Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Annalisa Flanagan's pupils experienced the full effect of the world's loudest shout this week
Silence is golden is a classroom mantra repeated the world over.
But, imagine a classroom being shaken by a sound louder than a rock concert; a sound as loud as a thunderclap or a chainsaw.
Welcome to the classroom of Annalisa Flanagan - the owner of the world's loudest shout.
The Belfast primary school teacher bellowed her way into the world record books in 1994 with a thunderous bellow of the word (what else?) 'quiet!'.
The shout clocked up an earth-shattering 121.7 decibels, setting a world record and potentially damaging the hearing of anyone within earshot.
'Hoarse'
Despite her record standing for 22 years, no-one has yet been able to out-shout her - a fact that recently re-emerged when her Richter-scale rippling exploits featured on the hit BBC TV programme QI.
Corey Taylor, lead singer of renowned heavy metal outfit Slipknot was on the show - and even he was blown away.
"Our shows top out at 109 (decibels) and those are quite loud," he said. "So 121 is stupid."
Fortunately, even though Annalisa has this sonic secret weapon to unleash on her pupils at Finaghy Primary School, she insists it is one she never uses.
"I'm really not a shouter," she laughed. "I'd much rather bribe the kids with sweets than shout. I want them to love me!
"Also, after the first couple of weeks of teaching you can't be shouting all year. I'm hoarse all the time as it is."
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption When QI featured the Belfast teacher's shout, even Slipknot's lead singer was blown away
Her pupils back her up too, and appear to be sincere when they say Ms Flanagan mostly keeps her hidden talent for hollering outside the classroom.
In fact, her skill is completely unrelated to teaching and purely a coincidence.
Indeed, the gift is one that probably would have stayed hidden, if it were not for a streak of competitiveness.
"In 1992, I was at a church summer camp. There were about 500 people attending and they held a record breaking day," she recalled.
"Now, normally I'm quite a competitive person. They had this shouting competition, but to be honest, I thought it was a bit embarrassing so I stayed out of it.
"But, then one of the kids told me my twin sister was winning. So I thought, if she is good then I'll be good too."
'Amazed'
The competition was taking place in world record conditions, meaning whatever was recorded was eligible to smash the old record of 119 decibels.
"My sister got 119.1 and I got 119.4 - so she held the record for a little while, and then it was me."
Image caption Ms Flanagan says she prefers to use other methods instead of shouting to control a class
Two years later, Annalisa was invited to defend her title at an event in Belfast.
"I got 121.7 decibels - and it has stood ever since."
Annalisa said she was amazed that her almost-accidental record has endured for 22 years.
'Let rip'
Even though she admitted that she would be considered on the loud side, the teacher said she had no particular technique.
"I just open my mouth and let rip," she said. "I was on a TV programme and they took me to the Harley Street Clinic, where a lot of singers would go to get their vocals checked.
"In the end, the expert's conclusion was that I was so competitive when I set the record, so determined to beat my sister, that it spurred me on."
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Ms Flanagan says a church camp competition led to her shouting record
However, it is an ability that has diminished slightly over the years particularly after her tonsils were removed.
"I don't like being measured as much any more, because I'm nervous I won't really get to be as loud," she said.
"I can get to around 115 but I haven't come near 120 in a while. It's difficult to match the record. I'm not sure if I'm holding back a little bit. Also it hurts my head when I'm on full power."
Meanwhile, the children she teaches remain suitably impressed by their record-breaking teacher.
"It's quite sweet actually," Annalisa said.
"Sometimes I see past pupils who are in their 20s walking past the school gates. They would go: 'Alright Miss, still the world record holder?'
"It's just mad that it (the record) has stuck this long."Once upon a time I wrote a formatter for a new hard disk drive product. I was young and impressionable, and had once lost a bunch of work when I accidentally wiped a disk, and so this utility was paranoid and asked if you were really sure, absolutely positively bloody sure that you wanted to format the disk, and it did this by prompting and forcing you type in the phrase, “Yes Mother, I really want to format the hard disk.” Verbatim. Including capital-M Mother and the dot at the end. I was young, and was a jerk.
It was an interim tool anyway, just a hack to get our disk prototypes off the ground. A couple months later I wrote a GUI-based formatter and that’s what shipped to end-users. I forgot about the earlier utility. Childish things, and all that. As far as I know, only a couple of people in the s/w development group had had to suffer through my sick little joke, and they did so with complete empathy. Everyone has lost data to some bright moment of utter stupidity. (Oh shit, did I really just type Y, return? Did I really not back anything up in the last week?)
About a year later one of my cow-orkers visited the Taiwanese factory where they made the drives, and he returned with a curious story. It turned out that the official GUI-based formatter had a bug, and it didn’t work on the very first format of some (low) percentage of the drives. We’d only had a few of the drives to work with, and “factory fresh” wasn’t a test case we’d been able to do much with.
But we didn’t even know it was a problem, because the ever-resourceful folks running the factory saved the day without telling us. Somehow they acquired a copy of the original command-line based formatter, which did work on the troublesome “fresh” drives. And so, on a couple of lab benches in a small re-work area, some workers had been given cue cards and had been taught to type in the phrase “Yes Mother, I really want to format the hard disk.” Capital-M for Mom, and a dot at the end.
I don’t know if the workers ever found out what the phrase meant. I’d like to think they’d laugh it off, but somehow I doubt it.Connor Wood
So: in a spasm of reactionary populism, Britain has voted to depart the European Union. This decision, shocking though it is, wasn’t an isolated incident. Far-right parties have recently gained ground in Poland and Hungary. Elsewhere in Europe, upcoming elections may catapult yet more right-wing populists to power, while American voters are succumbing to their own demagogic right-wingery in the form of Donald Trump. Why this sudden global outpouring of retrograde populism? The answer is that we’re embroiled in a pitched struggle between two sets of values: those of cavemen and those of civilization. But you’ll be surprised to learn who resembles whom.
You may have read the article that’s been floating around the internet for the past few months, claiming that there’s “one weird trait” that predicts support for Donald Trump. That “weird trait” is authoritarianism, a psychological construct that reflects support for strong leadership, obedience, and hierarchy. Matthew MacWilliams, a PhD candidate in psychology at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, made an enormous splash when he published the results of his poll of 1,800 potential Republican voters, finding that authoritarianism predicted support for Trump more strongly than any other single demographic trait – from income level to race. People who like rules, obedience, hierarchy, and order are Trump’s rank and file.
Progressives, of course, took this finding as yet further evidence that Trump fans are moral troglodytes. The cosmopolitan moral code downplays obedience, loyalty, and hierarchy, instead valuing individual liberty, freedom, and equality. From this perspective, right-wing populism is not only distasteful and dangerous – it’s a massive step backward, to a time when patriarchy reigned and children were taught rote obedience instead of exploring their own potential. After all, self-described progressives believe in, well, progress. But here’s the irony: as futurist Robin Hanson points out, the ethos of personal liberty and anti-authoritarian social equality is actually pretty close to how our hunter-gatherer ancestors lived.
Progress or Circle?
Researchers have consistently found that societies that depend on foraging (that is, hunting and gathering) tend to have strongly egalitarian values. The anthropologist Christopher Boehm has even shown that most forager societies actually punish people who try order others around. In foraging cultures, relationships and decisions are based on voluntary agreement, and individual initiative is rewarded. No one gets to tell anyone else what to do.
This individualism and egalitarianism works well for foraging. Foragers never know where their next meal will come from, so flexibility and individual initiative are crucial. But in a farming society, reliability, steadfastness, and respect for authority become a lot more important. Farming is repetitive: plant seeds, water and tend them, harvest and thresh the grain, fallow the field, ad infinitum. At most stages of the farming process, the payoff is still many months away. Farmers who plant in April don’t get to harvest until late summer or fall.
Hence, conscientiousness – the ability to fulfill obligations and delay personal gratification – becomes the keystone virtue for farming societies. It’s a profound contrast with foragers, who eat what they find, when they find it. Summarizing these connections, famed anthropologist Erika Bourguignon wrote that hunter-gatherers and foragers
live in terms of short-range risks and immediate successes. They…must have appropriate self-reliance, independence, initiative, and achievement motivation.…[By contrast, in agricultural societies] Adults must be reliable individuals, taught to accept responsibility and the care or nurturance of animals or plants; they must be obedient to their seniors and to social rules.
It’s no surprise, then, that farming cultures are near-universally more hierarchical than foraging societies. Foragers are proud individualists, but farmers are proud authoritarians.
Modern-Day Foragers
Over the centuries, agricultural societies have become the norm, so farmer values – delayed gratification, respect for authority, a moral preference for stability and predictability – have spread and become widely institutionalized. Major religions have embedded these values deeply within their own ethical codes, so that “big god” religions like the Abrahamic faiths are, practically speaking, massive tools for inculcating farmer-like values. As the Industrial Revolution kicked off, many of the same virtues proved useful for factory life. Conscientiousness and respect for authority helped workers cope successfully with repetitive, physically challenging work within hierarchical organizations. So society continued to encourage and value the farmer ethos – especially for the working classes.
But by the early 21st century, a large subset of the Western population – mostly the slice that’s college-educated – has come to value a more individualistic, egalitarian mindset that’s unexpectedly reminiscent of…the hunter-gatherer ethos. I’m not the first one to suggest this. Back in 1999, the science writer David Berreby pointed out that “the information economy is undoing a culture of hierarchy, stability and reliability, and it is rewarding egalitarianism, adaptability and self-assertion.” Berreby claimed that modern tech companies and the globalized, information economy were inspiring people to pursue a lifestyle that was remarkably similar to that of our hunter-gatherer ancestors: less respectful of authority, more individualistic, more opportunistic.
Berreby’s observation is spot-on in light of today’s much-hyped “ gig economy ” and in the robust anti-authoritarianism that permeates Silicon Valley. Universities, too, go out of their way to inculcate the same individualist ethos, teaching students to be skeptical of authorities and to critically question received wisdom. Overall, our elite class has been taught to act and think like a band of foragers: proudly disdainful of orders and authority, eager for the next opportunity, unwilling to do things in a certain way simply because that’s the way they’re done.
It’s tough to blame them. In some ways, forager lifestyles might actually be a better fit with our innate cognitive and emotional architecture: spontaneity and egalitarianism allow for constant creativity and self-expression, whereas the farmer ethos requires self-suppression and obedience to external authorities. By all appearances, being a farmer isn’t as much fun as being a forager. If elites can get away with acting like neo-foragers in a varied, exciting, urban world, why not go for it?
The problem comes when you consider what keeps that world running. For hunter-gatherers in the ancestral African savannas, the surrounding environment was rich and self-sustaining. Humans lived off plants and animals in an ecosystem that was naturally fairly stable. But the urban cosmopolitans who live like neo-foragers today – and who are often the biggest supporters of globalization and economic integration – live in an environment that is entirely made possible by the conscientious labor of people who are still acting and thinking like farmers.
For every savvy college graduate working at a startup in a big city, working odd hours and pursuing her passion, there are a bunch of people somewhere else (usually in a less fashionable neighborhood) who turn up for work whether they feel passionate or not, rain or shine. Once they’re clocked in, they get about the business of making urban life possible: the electric company workers, the sewer crews, the delivery drivers. In general, this class thinks and acts like farmers, not like foragers. Why? Again, working-class jobs, like farming, requiring steadiness and consistency rather than initiative and individualism. And so, as you might expect, research has consistently shown that working-class people value obedience much more than upper-middle-class folks, and that these values are profoundly reflected in the different child-raising ethics of these two classes: working-class parents train their children to listen to and obey authorities, while educated parents teach kids to think for and assert themselves.
Keeping that difference in mind, let’s look at the four-item survey scale, developed by psychologist Stanley Feldman, that MacWilliams used to measure whether respondents were “authoritarians:”
Please tell me which one you think is more important for a child to have: independence or respect for elders? Please tell me which one you think is more important for a child to have: obedience or self-reliance? Please tell me which one you think is more important for a child to have: to be considerate or to be well-behaved? Please tell me which one you think is more important for a child to have: curiosity or good manners?
Realistically, this survey might as well be called the “Do You Have Working-Class Values?” scale. So the real story isn’t that Trump supporters and Brexit voters are authoritarians. They’re “farmers” – the people who, traditionally, have done the low-innovation, high-consistency work that keeps civilization grinding on. As is only natural, they teach their kids to do the same.
But over the past 20 years, as a forager ethos has become more and more popular among the educated, these working-class folks have found themselves not only left behind economically, but also increasingly on the business end of harsh moral judgments directed explicitly against their farmer ethos. In a real way, the researchers and pundits who wring their hands about working-class authoritarianism are pathologizing exactly what makes working-class people, well, working-class.
So maybe we shouldn’t be so shocked that the populists of the West are revolting now. The internet is bursting with opinions about the modus operandi of populists: they’re racist bigots. They’re economically disenfranchised and bitter. They’re ill-informed. These theories all have a grain (or three) of truth. But the upsurge of Western populism is also a messy rebellion by people who are sick of being condescendingly tsk-tsked and morally censured for holding precisely the values that are necessary for keeping civilized life running. After all, as David Berreby wrote more than fifteen years ago:Nancy Pelosi gives a news conference on gas prices in front of a Shell gas station in San Francisco in July. Pelosi: At-risk Dems back drilling
California Democrat Nancy Pelosi may be trying to save the planet — but the rank and file in her party increasingly are just trying to save their political hides when it comes to gas prices as Republicans apply more and more rhetorical muscle.
But what looks like intraparty tension on the surface is part of an intentional strategy in which Pelosi takes the heat on energy policy, while behind the scenes she’s encouraging vulnerable Democrats to express their independence if it helps them politically, according to Democratic aides on and off Capitol Hill.
Story Continued Below
Pelosi’s gambit rests on one big assumption: that Democrats will own Washington after the election and will be able to craft a sweeping energy policy that is heavy on conservation and fuel alternatives while allowing for some new oil drilling. Democrats see no need to make major concessions on energy policy with a party poised to lose seats in both chambers in just three months — even if recess-averse Republicans continue to pound away on the issue.
“The reality is we will have a new president in three months, and what Bush and the Republicans are trying to do amounts to a land grab for the oil companies,” said one senior House Democratic aide involved with party strategy. “I don’t think we have to give in at all pre-election — we have many more options postelection.”
It’s a reality that Rep. Nick J. Rahall (D-W.Va.) personally delivered to President Bush recently.
Rahall spent more than an hour last week talking to the president about energy. Bush spent the entire flight aboard Air Force One, and much of a subsequent limousine ride, grilling the West Virginia Democrat about legislative solutions to the high price of gasoline, Rahall said last week.
So, does the president think Congress can get anything done this year?
“No,” Rahall replied in a short interview with Politico. “He’s realistic about it.”
Asked if Congress will produce a comprehensive energy bill in September before Congress adjourns again for elections, Rahall replied, “This year? No.”
Instead, the chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources believes Democrats are all about 2009.
“We’ve laid the groundwork this year,” Rahall said.
Democratic House aides say the energy agenda has been carefully gamed out in strategy sessions, and Pelosi always intended to take heat on gas prices while tacitly encouraging more vulnerable Democrats to publicly disagree with her and show their independence.
Freshman Democrats like Jason Altmire of Pennsylvania and Don Cazayoux of Louisiana have taken her up on the offer.
Altmire has said a drilling vote “will happen,” while Cazayoux, hoping to hang on to his seat in a conservative Baton Rouge-area district, on Friday sent a letter to Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) demanding a vote on more domestic oil exploration.
“There will be a vote,” said Altmire, who faces a rematch with former GOP Rep. Melissa Hart this fall in the Pittsburgh suburbs.
Indeed, Congress must vote before Sept. 30 to renew the annual moratorium; otherwise, it will lapse on its own, giving states the right to decide whether private companies can search for potential drilling sites three miles offshore..
This article tagged under: 2010
PoliticsThe Netherlands will use a new legal procedure to seek the extradition from Germany of an 88-year-old Dutchman who was jailed for killing Jewish prisoners at a Nazi transit camp, but escaped from prison in 1952.
Nazi guards at Belzec death camp in occupied Poland in 1942. (AP / Yad Vashem).
The extradition of former SS soldier Klaas Carel Faber has been hindered by a German law preventing extradition of German nationals for war crimes; though Germany itself sentenced another former Dutch Nazi, Heinrich Broere, to life in prison in March this year.
A special Dutch prosecution team, the TES, that seeks to enforce older sentences said on Thursday it had issued a European Arrest Warrant against Faber. That warrant supersedes national regulations and, prosecutors argue, could allow Germany to hand him over for trial.
"Faber escaped from the prison in Breda in 1952, went to Germany and the Netherlands has tried a few times to make sure he sits out his life long sentence...in Germany or to get him back in the Netherlands," prosecutor Reinoud den Haan told Reuters in the town of Zwolle where the TES is based.
"But that didn't work out because the German constitution forbids to extradite people with German passports."
German Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger told a German newspaper in September that she would welcome a new Dutch attempt to get Faber to serve out his sentence.
Israel has also requested Germany hand Faber to the Dutch.
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A spokesman for the Bavarian general attorney said they had not yet received the warrant but would study it carefully.
Faber joined the Dutch SS along with his brother Pieter Johan. Their father Pieter Faber was killed by the resistance.
Klaas Carel was sentenced to death in 1947 for the killing of at least 11 people in the Westerbork camp in the Netherlands which was a staging post for Dutch Jews on their journey to concentration camps in Germany, Poland and Ukraine.
While his brother was shot by firing squad after the war, the sentence of Klaas Carel was commuted to life imprisonment.
Faber escaped to Germany in 1952 with several others. Extradition attempts so far failed because Faber, due to his SS membership, also has German nationality. A German court ruled in 1957 that it had insufficient evidence to try Faber who, according to newspapers, is living in the Bavarian town of Ingolstadt and worked at local carmaker Audi.PORTLAND, Ore. -- Representative Earl Blumenauer will skip the inauguration ceremonies for President-elect Donald Trump, opting instead to spend the day with constituents in Portland.
The Democrat wrote in a Facebook post Saturday morning that his constituents have wide-ranging concerns about a Trump administration, including worries about his policies on the environment, immigration, nuclear weapons and others.
“I will forgo the inauguration, spending the day instead in my district talking with Oregonians to hear their priorities, try to answer their questions, and prepare for the coming assault on the values and programs we hold dear,” Blumenauer wrote.
He added, “it is hard to think of a better use of my time on January 20th.”
Blumenauer joins at least two other Democratic representatives who have announced plans to skip Trump’s inauguration.
Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts said she decided to not attend after discussions with her constituents.
“I do not feel that I can contribute to the normalization of the President-elect’s divisive rhetoric by participating in the inauguration,” Clark wrote.
Rep. Luis Gutierrez told CNN he would also boycott the ceremony.
So far no other members of Congress from Oregon or Southwest Washington have announced plans to skip the inauguration.NFL Should Take Lead In Rehabilitating Domestic Violence Offenders
AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast For several years, Brandon Marshall was part of the NFL's problem, his run-ins with the law including several domestic violence incidents. Now he's one of the league's biggest mental heath advocates.
On Friday afternoon, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell tried -- and failed -- to defend the league's initial mishandling of the Ray Rice incident, its lack of transparency in the ensuing months and its ongoing inconsistency in penalizing players for various transgressions. The string of failures since February has resulted in the biggest crisis in NFL history.
The focus has been squarely on Goodell for weeks now. Ever since Rice's release from the Ravens and indefinite suspension by the league on Sept. 8, the story has been less about the troubled running back and more about institutional failure, within the team and the NFL overall. But while most are focusing on Goodell's job security and the future of the league, one must also wonder what's next for Rice.
Last Tuesday, the NFL Players Association filed an appeal on Rice's behalf, contending that the indefinite suspension, following his original two-game suspension, means he is being punished twice for the same offense, a violation of the collective bargaining agreement. Rice was cut by Baltimore, so even if he wins his appeal, he's not guaranteed a return to the league. In fact, it's hard to imagine that any team would be willing to take on the public relations disaster that would accompany signing him this season.
But what about next year? Or even 2016? At 27, the three-time Pro Bowler certainly has a few good years left in his legs. Does he deserve another chance to play in the NFL? Would the league send a more powerful message by banning him for life or by welcoming him back?
Leigh Goodmark, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Law, where she teaches a course called the Gender Violence Clinic, believes in the power of second chances.
"If Rice does the really hard work that's necessary to show that he understands why his behavior is wrong and he shows a real willingness to change, evidence of change and an engagement in the process, then why should we take away his livelihood for the rest of his life?" Goodmark said. "Depriving his wife and his child and him of his livelihood for the rest of his life seems a pretty severe penalty without giving any opportunity for redemption. It's a 'Hate the sin, at least have hope for the sinner' thing."
Goodmark strongly disagrees with the zero-tolerance "one-and-done" policy that a group of female senators has urged the NFL to adopt in cases of domestic violence.
"I think what that does is to create a complete disincentive for any player's wife or girlfriend who has been abused to come forward," she said. "Particularly if she's interested in continuing the relationship but trying to get help to stop the abuse.... As a practical matter, it cuts off avenues for help for people who are willing to deal with their issues, and for the wives and girlfriends of players who might find that it's actually much more dangerous for them if they cut their partners off from any livelihood or opportunity to continue in the NFL.
"You have to see if at least there's a possibility for change," Goodmark said. "And people will disappoint you and then everyone will point fingers and say, 'See, you never should've given him a second chance,' but maybe some people won't [disappoint you]. Maybe they'll change and they'll become part of the community of accountability that spreads the message within the NFL that says this is not how we do business here."
"Maybe," Goodmark said, "they'll be like Brandon Marshall."
What's needed is a bigger emphasis on redemption, which is a bigger emphasis on teaching skills. If you teach skills to a person who wants to change, you can definitely help them. Marsha Linehan, psychologist
For several years, the Bears receiver was part of the NFL's problem. His history of off-the-field troubles date to college. It includes several domestic violence incidents, as well as a DUI arrest, a team-imposed suspension for acting out at Dolphins practice and a much-publicized incident with his now-wife.
Marshall, 30, is now an advocate for mental health awareness. He turned his life around after being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in 2010, and he is proof of the worth of second chances. He's earned three consecutive Pro Bowl nods since joining the Bears post-diagnosis, and he has created awareness and fundraising via the Brandon Marshall Foundation.
Thursday afternoon, Marshall held a news conference addressing his past issues, after attorney Gloria Allred on Wednesday said that Goodell ignored previous complaints lodged against Marshall.
"My view on the NFL and this current climate that we're in, I think it's a shame," Marshall said. "But I do love and respect what we're doing because the NFL, we all know, has the ability to transform lives, to transform communities. We have influence to really shape and mold a culture."
Is it the NFL's responsibility to rehabilitate players who lose their way, or do men like Rice give away their right to play in the league when they commit such abhorrent actions?
Marsha Linehan, a renowned psychologist, author and founder of the Linehan Institute, which advances behavioral technologies in the treatment of those with complex and severe mental disorders, argues that the emphasis shouldn't be on making the NFL look better, but rather on making its players better.
"We have treatments that are effective," Linehan said. "So many people learn to regulate and control their behavior. And that has to be the target. We have to target change, not target judgmentalness, punishment or anything else. Because the only reason for punishment is to get the behavior to change."
Linehan created Dialectical Behavior Therapy, which McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, regards as one of the most successful and effective treatments for patients with borderline personality disorder. The therapy combines elements of mindfulness, interpersonal skills, emotional-regulation skills and distress-tolerance skills. Marshall has discussed his work with Linehan and how DBT has aided his recovery.
"You have to bring together acceptance and change," Linehan said. "You have to accept the person for how they are and you have to get them to change anyway. The second part of it is skills training, increasing the person's skillful behavior. It assumes that people are always doing the best they can, that people are incapable of being better than they are because they don't have the skills they need to regulate their own behavior."
Said Linehan: "What's needed is a bigger emphasis on redemption, which is a bigger emphasis on teaching skills. If you teach skills to a person who wants to change, you can definitely help them."
Goodmark and Linehan said the best way for the NFL to tackle its domestic violence problem is from the inside out, using the power of its own community.
The research shows that male peer-to-peer intervention is more effective than almost anything else in getting people to change their abusive behavior. So imagine if you could cultivate within a team of group of guys whose mission it was to ensure that they weren't going to have these kinds of problems on their team. Leigh Goodmark, professor
"You can look at the NFL as a community and say, 'How do you hold this guy accountable?'" Goodmark said. "So he's been found to have committed a domestic violence offense and he's been suspended for his games, but then what? Do the players on his team say to him, 'We're going to hold you accountable by being here for you if you need to talk, if you need a timeout, if you need to walk away. We're going to put you up for a few weeks while you go through your batterer's intervention counseling and stay away from your wife until things calm down a bit. And we're going to be there for her, and if she calls us and says there's a problem, you're not going to have a problem just with her, you're going to have a problem with us.'"
"The research shows that male peer-to-peer intervention is more effective than almost anything else in getting people to change their abusive behavior," Goodmark said. "So imagine if you could cultivate within a team of group of guys whose mission it was to ensure that they weren't going to have these kinds of problems on their team."
Goodmark believes every rookie needs to go through a required domestic violence training program before entering the league and be assigned a mentor or group that he can approach if he's worried he might have a problem. She applauds the NFL for adding a panel of domestic violence experts, but says the league failed to address the need for diversity with its current appointments.
"I find the panel to be a wonderful idea and yet incredibly problematic in that it's all white women," Goodmark said. "That was really tone-deaf by the NFL. I can imagine a panel that involved domestic violence experts, people of color, players and league officials. They would hear these claims, hear from both the player and his partner and any other supportive people in their lives. They would say, 'This is what the experience was, this is what I want, this is what I need to be safe and this is what we can offer as a community.'
"I realize not everybody believes in that kind of restorative approach, but in the long term, it's about change. If you don't do anything to change him, he just goes on to abuse his next partner."
Linehan has her own advice for the league.
"They should provide opportunities for treatment. They should give [those involved in domestic violence] skills training from sophisticated people who could work with them and give them opportunities for private help. You want to look good? Put a lot of money into research on violence, research on out-of-control behaviors and difficult-to-change behaviors. Become known as the people who are funding this.
"They could become a real force for change. I would tell them to do it if they want to save their name, they could do it for that reason. And if they want to save people, they could do it for that reason."
Both women agree that the key is to get offenders the appropriate treatment. And both agree that assuming there's no room for change is a simplistic way of approaching the problem. While Rice's and Marshall's issues differ, Goodmark says Rice's opportunity to experience a redemption like Marshall's will come down to the same thing: self-awareness.
"Being self-aware about his condition made a tremendous difference for Marshall," said Goodmark, who did not work with Marshall during his treatment but is familiar with his case. "The guys who go through batterer's counseling and change are the guys who are self-aware about their conditions and willing to change."
After his diagnosis, Marshall dove into treatment at McLean Hospital, studying the brain and his illness. In the NFL Network's "Brandon Marshall: A Football Life," which premiered Friday night, Marshall talked about his devotion to getting better.
"I have three months to do this before the season starts," he said of his time at McLean in 2011. "I'm going to spend every single day conquering this."
In 2012, he gave the keynote speech at the National Alliance on Mental Illness convention.
"Showing people out there that, basically, where they're at, where there is no light, and seeing me go from there, with no light, to the end of the tunnel, where there's freedom," Marshall said that day. "I want to use this platform to help others."
Linehan said Marshall is the perfect person to help get the NFL to approach domestic violence and behavioral issues with a desire for meaningful change.
"Brandon Marshall is not alone," Linehan said. "Athletes have gone through our treatment. Find a group of these people, because they're the ones who are going to get everybody else to go along."
As we look to the future of the NFL, what happens to men like Rice is just as important as what happens to Goodell. While the commissioner may save face by eliminating the problem from his league, he's merely sending the problem off into the world for others to deal with. It may be difficult to imagine seeing Rice in an NFL uniform again, but the same was true for Marshall during his lowest moments.
The NFL has always prided itself on being a family. Healing and restoring its sons is a better use of league power than simply kicking them out of the house. Offenders must be punished for their crimes, yes, but the crimes will continue if they aren't shown the way to change and given a reason to want to fight for that change.
Marshall came out of his personal darkness to shine both as a player and a leader. Rice doing the same would be the best possible outcome for him, for his wife and child, and for the league.This regional insight was prepared as part of the 2014–2015 Renegotiating Civil-Military Relations in Arab States: Political and Economic Governance in Transition Project run by the Carnegie Middle East Center.
The Syrian army’s officer corps has remained intact despite the immense pressure of nearly four years of civil and military conflict, a fact that has prevented the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime. The military housing system is a crucial aspect of this cohesion: it reveals the world Syrian officers inhabit, their relations with the regime and wider Syrian society, and the reasons why so few have defected so far.
While there have been defections in the infantry, no major fighting unit has broken away en masse, as defection on this scale would have required the participation of middle- to high-ranking officers. Indeed, the core of the officer corps continues to stand by the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The fact that a majority of officers are drawn from Syria’s Alawite community has often been noted as the primary, even singular, factor in the army’s cohesion since 2011. But this explanation overstates the role of sectarian affiliation.
Kheder Khaddour Kheder Khaddour is a nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. His research centers on civil military relations and local identities in the Levant, with a focus on Syria. More >
Army officers have access |
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