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a screen, rasterizing intently. A third was of Wowi himself, photographed through the lens of a smartphone. You, the viewer, were taking the picture, capturing the celebrity mayor. Welcome, creative class, the ads implied; we value your clicking, swiping, and staring.
And it wasn’t just Wowi anymore: now the entire Social Democratic Party (SPD) had decided to bet its fortunes on the new, wired working class. The symbol of the change was the party’s Internet guru, Sascha Lobo, known for his fuchsia Mohawk, his Fu Manchu mustache, and the wireless headset he frequently wears in photographs. In his 2006 book, We Call it Work, Lobo had celebrated what he called the “digital Bohème” and described himself as “online for most of my waking life.” In the course of the 2009 campaign, Lobo appeared on stage at numerous public events for the SPD, the red of their logo (a nod to their origins as a Marxist working-class party) coordinating perfectly with his Mohawk. At the same time, Lobo was the face of commercials for Vodafone that featured house music, time-lapse footage of Berlin streets, and clips of Lobo texting and photographing himself on a city bus. The ads provided the spiritual template for Wowi’s 2011 advertising campaign. The digital bohemian had arrived; he was the new constituency for the old SPD.
But who would stay poor and who would cash in on sexy in this brave new Berlin? The New York Times reported in 2010 on the “wave of international creative types” populating the Kreuzberg-Neukölln neighborhoods with “cafes, wine bars, the odd organic grocery and... an unusually hip monthly flea market.” Two years later, another Times scribe rhapsodized (this time in the Real Estate section) about the rise in property values that had resulted, quoting both a property broker on the “dance and yoga studios” springing up in the inner courtyards of formerly working-class neighborhoods and an Austrian transplant who holds “art lectures and concerts” in her apartment saying “confidently” that the value of her apartment had doubled in five years. The article also described the anti-gentrification protests of June 2010 as “light-hearted”; activists, even those who got arrested, were presumably just part of the “cosmopolitan crowd” “enlivening” the area.
In fact, the grievances of the protesters were not purely aesthetic. The share of Berliners on some form of social assistance had come close to 20 percent by the time the Times article appeared last year; Wowi’s policies were undeniably pro-sexy—Fashion Week was given prime locations, and even permitted to erect a tent on top of a memorial to the Nazi book burnings—but they were hardly pro-poor. Der Spiegel reported that, as tourism boomed, the mayor sold off 110,000 units of city-owned housing and ended subsidies for 28,000 units more. Rents in subsidized buildings rose more than 20 percent. Housing costs also rose 20 percent in the same period, considerably more than did the overall cost of living. The contradictions were especially stark in the neighborhoods where tourists and hipsters were thickest on the ground. In Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, where the city’s website promised “urban buzz, vibrancy and diversity at every turn,” both unemployment and rent were above the city average, with joblessness at 16 percent and rents in many parts running as high as 50 percent above the city mean. Neukölln, with a city-high unemployment rate of nearly one in five, nevertheless experienced a jump of 17 percent in rent in certain places in just a couple of years. It was a good time to be a landlord in Berlin. Workers? Not so great.
As the gap between wages and rents expanded, artists and expats became the scapegoats. Last summer, “Berlin doesn’t love you” stickers were plastered in English everywhere, and reports of expats barred entry to bars and galleries multiplied. The owners of one bar received international exposure when they denounced their own clientele in a home-edited web video as “all these fucking students, artists, layabouts, the complete mob called ‘creative class.’” Other signs appeared. On the door of a gallery scrawled in felt-tip marker: “No entry for hipsters from the U.S.” and “Other people imitating American hipsters are also not welcome. The capacity of Spanish hipsters and tourists is almost overdosed.” The term EU-Ausländer appeared with increasing frequency, especially as Spaniards and Greeks took refuge from the economic abyss of their own home countries and the tabloids demanded “no German money for Athens.” In 2012, Zitty magazine put a man in a purple plaid shirt, chunky spectacles, and a mustache on its cover and declared the Neukölln hipster the city’s “favorite hate object.”
Tensions spilled over into violence in an area that had resisted gentrification when three new chic eateries, including a cocktail bar, opened simultaneously on a street otherwise populated by a taxi-driving school, a Thai massage parlor, and a slot machine casino. One morning, shortly after the grand opening last summer, customers found the windows smashed and red paint splashed onto the sidewalk. The bar received the brunt of the attack and looked like the end of an art performance, both edgy and creepy in the violence of dripping red paint on the building’s cream exterior. An anonymous letter was posted on Indymedia claiming responsibility:
A scenester yuppie cocktail bar for rich West German students is going to open where a corner bakery sold fresh rolls to neighborhood residents a few months ago. We’re not interested in neighborhood upgrading schemes like these. The residents will have to follow the bakers soon when they can’t afford their apartments anymore, and the cocktail bar will bring hipsters too! The rents will rise sky-high and we won’t be able to afford anything that’s left.
Still, the hipster proliferation persisted, and it climaxed with last year’s “Berlin Hipster Olympics.” Over six thousand people cheered each other on in skinny jeans tugs-of-war, vinyl record spinning competitions, and tote-bag-hopping races. Most news publications took easy jabs at the self-consciously ironic nature of the Olympics, posting mocking photos of skinny young men and women wearing horn-rimmed glasses while tossing horn-rimmed glasses into the air. But few publications asked what the commingling of six-thousand-plus members of the loosely defined creative class meant for Berlin. Had Wowi’s vision been fulfilled? Was this a dress rehearsal for the 2019 World Congress?
The Toilet King’s Yummies
While the papers took potshots at the anti-athleticism of Berlin’s hipsters, it was an advertising agency, Wall Inc., that provided the sharpest analysis of what was happening. The company was a long-standing presence in Berlin, having established its foothold in 1984 after it won a contract to build and maintain a thousand bus shelters in exchange for the right to sell advertising on the shelters’ walls. The year after the fall of the (other) wall, Wall Inc. built eight hundred more bus shelters in the East and brought the West’s ads to the once-Communist streets. Then, in the nineties, Wall Inc. took over the provision of public toilets for the city, securing the rights to eleven advertising surfaces for every toilet they built and maintained for twenty-five years. While the old toilets had been free, these new ones cost fifty pfennig. So, for every service the company sold—services that the city used to offer for free—Wall also received a concession of public space, an exchange that has led to a virtual monopoly on outdoor advertising and an informal title, the “Toilet King,” for company owner Hans Wall. Playing on the German word for toilet (Klo), Wall has referred slyly to his model as Klo-balization, an apt term for his alchemy of public good into ad-revenue-producing private service.
How could the city remain “poor but sexy” if Wowi’s intention was to become rich?”
Last November, the Toilet Kings rolled out a campaign proudly naming the company’s “new target demographic”: the Yummie. This personage was <emYoung, was Urban, and was Mobile, and the company limned her glory with a composite character it called “Jessica,” a thirty-four-year-old woman with an English name, tousled blond hair, and red lipstick who lives in Berlin. Jessica looked the part of shabby chic, and had the retro blue sunglasses to prove it, but her occupation as a “real estate broker” demonstrated her professional savvy. On the company’s website, “Jessica” told the world how she liked to go out with friends, and “when we do, it’s especially important that we experience something cool!” Jessica’s hunger for the Cool and her casual hipness suggest the real appeal of the Yummie: they are the tastemakers, the consumer connoisseurs who discover and establish what the next trend will be.
This was the Berlin hipster, brutally reduced to her commercial essence. Click on “Was ist ein Yummie?” and you find that
Yummies like to consume. The target group tends to spend more than planned and to make spontaneous purchases. They are curious and open to inspiration. They are always up to date, follow trends and become trendsetters themselves. They never miss anything, thanks to their digital companion, the smartphone.
But how was an advertiser supposed to access a target demo that avoids the usual conduits of print, television, and radio advertising? Wall tried one strategy by offering free wireless access in twenty of its Berlin bus shelters along with outdoor outlets for charging electronic devices. Of course, it wasn’t really free: people had to download Wall Inc.’s app in order to access the internet, and forty thousand of them did, capturing the eyes of Yummies as they moved through the city. The longer-term solution that Wall unveiled late last year was the “Yummie Net”: a network of “points of interest” across the city that positions ads where Wall’s research showed that Yummies “gather spontaneously.” Ads are to be installed on Wall’s “street furniture”—bus shelters, benches, and so on—near cinemas, bars, cafés, and museums. While Yummies drink beer and smoke hand-rolled cigarettes at the folding wooden tables that ring every bar and café in Berlin, the Yummie Net will close in, stalking its tasty prey.
This is because the new, creative Berlin is also a privatized Berlin, where companies like Wall Inc. provide the necessary infrastructure in exchange for a chance to win the euros and brand loyalty of the Yummies. The Yummie Net also circles a fact even more unsettling: the public places where Berliners hang out are not really spaces for leisure or culture, but lucrative targets on a map. The sense of liberation that draws so many to Berlin only comes in the shadow of a new Wall.
Monetizing Toytown
That sense of liberation must be made to pay, must shed its traces of political activism. Toytown must be monetized.
Consider the city’s tech sector. A writer for Forbes reported in January 2013 on the “thriving start-up scene” in Berlin and compared the town’s tech innovations to—of course—the collapse of Communism: “Last time I was in Berlin [in 1989], there was a revolution going on. Now another has started, only this time it has nothing to do with politics.”
This was the kind of creativity that Wowi liked. In January, he paid a visit to the neighborhood that labels itself “Silicon Allee,” making his final stop at its most recent success story: Wooga, a company whose nearly three hundred employees are spread across two floors of a former bread factory in Prenzlauer Berg. The outfit develops video games for social networks, and is the largest such concern in Europe; over one hundred million people have played its hit game, “Diamond Dash,” and millions more have played Wooga’s other offerings, like the one where you can “build the kingdom of your dreams with your friends in Magic Land.” By creating worlds of perpetual play, Wooga attracted $32 million in venture capital by the end of 2012.
It wasn’t the hipsters who sacked Berlin; it was the man with the smartphone smile.
Wowi’s “poor but sexy” message has certainly found traction in Silicon Allee. For example, Wooga’s recruitment page invites you to come and work in “the coolest city in Europe,” a kingdom of your dreams where you can attend “parties held deep underground in bunkers, old breweries, and abandoned factories” and savor an atmosphere “like New York was in the 1980s.” Twitter announced they would establish their German headquarters in this coolest of cities, stating they were attracted to its “edge,” and Google has committed more than one million euros to an industrial complex close to the Berlin Wall Memorial. The name of the building—“the Factory”—takes a run at the legacy of Warhol while also cleverly acknowledging the city’s transition from the shop floor to the screen.
So maybe this time the Golden Age really has ended. Back when Berliners hung swings in window frames, painted houses in neon colors, and planted gardens on their rooftops, none of it was supposed to pay off. In the officially Creative city, though, everything is different. The town’s whimsy and play have been branded by the SPD, sold to venture capital, and dangled before its residents via the Yummie Net. As Wowi left Wooga’s loft office in the Berlin winter, he wore a scarf with a quote from French New Wave actress Jeanne Moreau knit into it: “The most beautiful memories are those yet to come.” The quote was fitting for someone who has presided over a period when so many old memories were erased. The monuments of East Germany have been demolished. Social services have been sold off, and with them have gone the memory of the city as a place of shared public goods. With the departure of manufacturing, the memory of the city as a place of manual labor is history too. The Creative reforms have worked to enrich a few, including a smattering of new arrivals, but they have done little for the rest of the city’s inhabitants. To this day, every fifth Berliner lives under the poverty line, and the number grows every year. Those looking to blame someone for what has happened—for a development scheme in which the most expensive places to live also have the highest unemployment, and in which the city known as the “capital of poverty” within Germany is sold for its gritty charm abroad—should forget about the expats and hipsters, no matter what easy targets they make. It wasn’t the hipsters who sacked Berlin; it was the man with the smartphone smile.Background (Calligraphy): حاكميت ملتكدر Hakimiyet Milletindir means "Sovereignty Belongs to the People" Mustafa Kemal presenting the Nutuk at the Assembly, 1927.Background (Calligraphy):means "Sovereignty Belongs to the People"
Nutuk (Modern Turkish: Söylev; The Speech) was a speech delivered by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk from 15 to 20 October 1927, at the second congress of Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi. The speech covered the events between the start of the Turkish War of Independence on 19 May 1919, and the foundation of the Republic of Turkey, in 1923. It is an important source for the study of Kemalism. It took thirty-six hours (on a 6 day span) to be read by Atatürk.
About two-thirds of this speech consists of a series of heavy criticism against the following individuals: Kazım Kara Bekir Pasha, Rauf Bey (Orbay), Refet Pasha (Bele), Mersinli Cemal Pasha (Mersinli), Nureddin Pasha, Kara Vasıf Bey (Karakol), Zeki Bey (Kadirbeyoğlu), Celaleddin Arif Bey, Cafer Tayyar Pasha (Eğilmez), Ali Ihsan Pasha (Sâbis), Bekir Sami Bey (Kunduh), Rıza Nur Bey, Edhem Bey and his brothers, Selahaddin Bey (Köseoğlu), Hussein Avni Bey (Ulaş), Ali Rıza Pasha, Şerif Pasha, Ahmet Izzet Pasha (Furgaç), and Çürüksulu Mahmud Pasha.BALTIMORE, Md. (WBFF) -- Multiple shootings occurred across Northwest Baltimore today, leaving two adult males injured and being treated at local hospitals, according to Baltimore Police Department.
At about 3:18 p.m., police were dispatched to the 2800 block of Rosalind Avenue for a reported shooting.
When officers arrived at the location, they observed a vehicle that jumped the curb and struck a house.
Citywide Shooting detectives were called to the scene and assumed control of the investigation. Further investigation revealed two occupants inside the vehicle.
One of the vehicle occupants, a 27-year-old male was suffering from a graze-wound to the head.
According to the victim, while driving in the 4800 block of Pimlico Road an unknown gunman began discharging a firearm.
In an attempt to escape the gunfire, the driver lost control of the vehicle which lead to the subsequent crash.
Medics were summoned and transported the victim to an area hospital for treatment.
At approximately 6:50 p.m., while writing a police report, an officer observed a gunshot wound victim enter an area hospital in seek of treatment.
The 24-year-old male was suffering from a gunshot wound to the shin.
Citywide Shooting detectives were called to the hospital and assumed control of the investigation.
Detectives later learned that the shooting incident occurred in the rear of the 4200 block of Park Heights Avenue.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Baltimore Police Department’s Citywide Shooting detectives, at 410-396-2221.
Those who wish to remain anonymous can utilize the Metro Crime Stoppers tip line, at 1-866-7LOCKUP.
You can also submit a tip by downloading the Baltimore Police Department’s mobile APP to your smartphone.In our quest to eliminate tea bags... ThinkGeek exclusive blends from Adagio Teas
Four delicious flavors of looseleaf tea
Earl Grey, Jasmine Green, Blood Orange, Chai
How do we hate tea bags, let us count the ways! Sadly, 95% of tea sales in the U.S are in tea bag form and they usually contain the crappiest tea possible. Since looseleaf tea can't expand in a bag, tea merchants decided to fill the bags with smaller leaves. Called "fannings" or "dust," this grade of tea is essentially the byproduct of real tea production. If you drink tea made from tea bags, you're getting water dressed in brown. Gross. No wonder people feel the need to dump tons of sugar in it! (Let's face it, people: "sweet tea" may be delicious, but it's really brown sugar water.) If you think you hate tea, blame it on the tea industry and boldly go give looseleaf tea a try.
We've teamed up with the tea gods at Adagio Teas to make four scrumtrulescent ThinkGeek exclusive blends. Each tin in the sampler contains enough looseleaf tea to make about 10 cups. From the replicator on the Enterprise comes Tea Earl Grey Hot, choice of fine Starfleet captains everywhere. Want something sweet and intoxicating like the feeling of having multiple lives? Pour yourself a cup of Timmy's 1UP Jasmine Green. Zombies short on brains will love the tangy Zombie Blood Orange and we'll guarantee that the spicy Pirate Chai will fight off scurvy almost as well as Root Jack.
Remember, there was a time when when you "brewed" coffee by pouring hot water over tiny dehydrated coffee crystals. (It was not the best part of waking up or good to the last drop.) But we learned the error of our ways and now have delicious coffee on every street corner and in every home. Let's start the tea revolution - Timmy's leading the way!You also say you're going to whip your colleagues. Has that effort started?
We have started it. The first thing we have done is very carefully keeping track of what our what colleagues actually say about this. A very substantial number of Democrats and Republicans have come out against attacking Syria, and we have begun the process of informing our Democratic colleagues about what their other colleagues are saying. We're circulating a letter that quotes a dozen other Democrats in Congress, as well as me, who have stated their reasons against an attack. That's the first step in what will be a very sophisticated process of persuading our open-minded colleagues on both sides of aisle.
Are you also working with Republicans on this effort?
I don't feel at liberty to go into a lot of detail about that at this point, but the answer is yes.
Are we going to see another vote like the Amash amendment, where both Democrats and Republicans were almost equally split on the issue of National Security Agency surveillance?
You're going to see Democrats and Republicans lining up against [the military authorization], but I think there's substantially more opposition to this than there was support for the Amash amendment already. The Washington Post is keeping track, and at this point, the number of members of the House who’ve spoken out against the resolution outnumber the declared supporters by more than three to one, and it's approaching four to one.
You're counting leaners as "no" votes? The Post has a smallish category for "opposed," but a large category in both houses that's leaning in that direction.
That in itself is very revealing, isn't it? There's no "leaning yes" category. When you actually look at the comments being made by those who are characterized as "leaning no," I think they're leaning pretty heavily. If anything, the sentiment when members talk to each other is far more negative than the public [statements] reflect. Particularly among Republicans -- the Republicans are hearing overwhelmingly from their own districts that this has nothing to do with us. We're talking about ordinary voters and activists both, they’re vehemently against this. If anything, what you're seeing in public is an understatement of the actual sentiment among House members.
We all come to this with an open mind -- I did, at least. But people heard the arguments, and now they're starting to hear from their constituents. Believe me, it's not going well for the pro-war point of view.
There was some thought that John Boehner and Eric Cantor coming out in favor of intervention might mean momentum was building in that direction.
Absolutely not. I think it's a fantasy to talk about momentum. Conceivably it will end up losing two to one instead of four to one. But there certainly is no momentum in favor of the other side's point of view. They're going to have to line up a staggering percentage of the undecideds to even come close. The ones listed as undecided, I’ve talked to lot of them. They're not really undecided. They're just waiting for a prudent time to make clear that this doesn't make sense for America.Expand Pineville Community Hospital, Pineville, Kentucky. © Americore Health Solutions
Rural America is in the midst of a health emergency that will probably get much worse if the US Senate’s healthcare bill passes.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), people who live in rural areas are more likely to die of all of the five top causes of death, including heart disease and cancer, than their urban counterparts. Making matters worse, on average the 46 million people living in rural areas – 15 percent of the US population – are older, sicker, and have less access to health care than those who live in urban areas, and the gap has widened in recent years.
The Senate bill, currently a discussion draft, would leave millions of people across the country without health insurance, but those in rural areas are likely to be hardest hit. Most of the damage would be done through the bill’s decimation of Medicaid. Like the House’s healthcare bill, the Senate’s draft legislation includes a US$834 billion reduction in Medicaid spending over the next decade. Unlike the House bill, this spending cut would hit after 2020.
Today, 700 rural hospitals are already in danger of closing their doors due to federal budget cuts. Experts predict a dramatic rise in that number if either the Senate or House legislation is signed into law.
Cuts to Medicaid would also exacerbate the overdose epidemic that is raging in rural counties throughout the nation. Although all states have experienced increases in opioid use and overdose deaths in the past decade, the heaviest concentration of deaths are in states with large rural populations such as Kentucky, West Virginia, Alaska, and Oklahoma. Many factors, such as poverty and unemployment, contribute to this disparity. But health insurance has proven to be a primary lifeline to recovery. Medicaid is the largest single source of health coverage for substance use disorders. In states that expanded Medicaid under Obamacare, more than 1.2 million people have been able to get drug dependence treatment.
President Donald Trump and the Republican Party are in control of the White House and Congress largely because of the rural vote. This Senate health care bill would repay support at the ballot box with a punch to the gut.Californians' civil right to be homeless would be given new legal protection under legislation approved Thursday by the Assembly.
Basically, the measure would deem violence against homeless people or their property as a hate crime for civil litigation.
Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal said her proposal would crack down on beatings, stabbings and shootings that target an extremely vulnerable population.
"There is just a tremendous amount of violence perpetrated against homeless people because they are easy prey," Lowenthal said.
The measure, Assembly Bill 2706, would add homelessness to civil rights protections for victims of violence based on race, color, religion, sex, marital status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or involvement in a labor dispute.
Fatal attacks against Californians living or sleeping on the streets in recent years have included the stabbing last month of Bernice Nickson, 68, while she slept on a downtown Sacramento bench, and the burning of John Robert McGraham, 55, who was set afire in Los Angeles two years ago.
AB 2706 would not enhance criminal penalties for attacking a homeless person, but victims who sue would be eligible for additional compensation that includes a $25,000 civil penalty and exemplary damages. Approved 46-21, it now goes to the Senate.
Republicans opposed the bill, contending it could clog the courts with frivolous or marginal lawsuits and that there is no proof that higher civil penalties would lead to fewer attacks.
To read the complete article, visit www.sacbee.com.A new interactive map reveals who would be most affected by the Republican Obamacare repeal bill, where those Americans live and what the effects would be. It also breaks down which areas stand to be hardest hit by coverage losses, both on a state and county level.
The map was released first to TPM by The Century Foundation. It assumed the Senate will follow the House version’s model. It assesses the effects all the way out to 2026, period that the Congressional Budget Office assessed in its score of the House bill, the American Health Care Act.
The researchers took the by-state coverage loss number tabulated by the Center for American Progress, in its analysis of the CBO report, and divided that by the total under 65 population (as those 65 and older are presumably on Medicare). The researchers then divvied up the states into three coverage loss categories—high, medium and low—based on the percentage of population losing coverage, per CAP’s estimates.
The Century Foundation researchers did the same exercise on the county level. The researchers looked at the 2015 American Community Survey data on county level enrollment in various types of health coverage and followed CAP’s model on how those populations would be affected by the American Health Care Act. The coverage losses were divided by the total under 65 county population, and those with higher percentages of coverage losses were distinguished accordingly.
The maps also show how many total people are on the Obamacare exchanges, Medicaid, employer plans and Medicare. The accompanying Century Foundation report outlines how all of those coverage programs stand to be affected by the House bill.eye Title Creator
Includes index
Topic: Ventilation
Topics: Drainage, Irrigation
14
Topics: Agriculture -- China, Agriculture -- Japan, Agriculture -- Korea
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Topic: Ventilation
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Topic: Ventilation
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Topic: Ventilation
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Cover title
Topic: Cheese
Book digitized by Google from the library of the University of Michigan and uploaded to the Internet Archive by user tpb.
Topic: Agricultural physics
Source: http://books.google.com/books?id=tJc1AAAAMAAJ&oe=UTF-8
Book from Project Gutenberg: Farmers of Forty Centuries; Or, Permanent Agriculture in China, Korea, and Japan Library of Congress Classification: S
Topic: Soils
Topic: Soils
Topic: Drainage
75 pages, 6 folded leaves of plates : 23 cm
Topics: Groundwater Wisconsin Measurement, Groundwater Wisconsin Whitewater Measurement, Stream...
California Digital Library 516 516 A text book of the physics of agriculture by King, F. H. (Franklin Hiram), 1848-1911 texts eye 516 favorite 0 comment 0
Topics: Irrigation, Drainage
Signatures: pi[superscript 12](-pi12), A-2D[superscript 8] 2E[superscript 16]
Topics: Irrigation, Drainage
The Library of Congress 404 404 Elementary lessons in the physics of agriculture by King, F. H. (Franklin Hiram), 1848-1911 texts eye 404 favorite 0 comment 0
Topic: Agricultural physics
Topics: Irrigation, Drainage
Cornell University Library 263 263 Ventilation for dwellings, rural schools and stables by King, F. H. (Franklin Hiram), 1848-1911 texts eye 263 favorite 0 comment 0
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Topic: Ventilation
Book digitized by Google from the library of Harvard University and uploaded to the Internet Archive by user tpb.
Topics: Agriculture, Agriculture, Agriculture
Source: http://books.google.com/books?id=FYkVAAAAYAAJ&oe=UTF-8
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Topic: Ventilation
Topic: Soils
Topics: Irrigation, Drainage
Topic: Ventilation
1
Topic: Agricultural physics
Cornell University Library 471 471 A text book of the physics of agriculture by King, F. H. (Franklin Hiram), 1848-1911 texts eye 471 favorite 1 comment 0
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Topic: Agricultural physics
Topic: Soils
The metadata below describe the original scanning. Follow the "All Files: HTTP" link in the "View the book" box to the left to find XML files that contain more metadata about the original images and the derived formats (OCR results, PDF etc.). See also the What is the directory structure for the texts? FAQ for information about file content and naming conventions.
Topics: Agriculture, Agriculture, Agriculture, Sustainable Agriculture
American Libraries 448 448 Soil management by King, F. H. (Franklin Hiram), 1848-1911; King, Carrie H. Baker, ed texts eye 448 favorite 0 comment 0
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Topic: Soils
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Topics: Agriculture, Agriculture, Agriculture, cbk
Source: http://books.google.com/books?id=MDgCAAAAQAAJ&oe=UTF-8
Topics: Agriculture, Agriculture, Agriculture
T.p. includes handwritten date "[1911]"
Topics: Agriculture, Agriculture, Agriculture
Book digitized by Google from the library of Harvard University and uploaded to the Internet Archive by user tpb.
Topics: Agriculture, Agriculture, Agriculture
Source: http://books.google.com/books?id=TTMaAAAAYAAJ&oe=UTF-8
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Topic: Soils
Source: http://books.google.com/books?id=0_Y5AAAAMAAJ&oe=UTF-8When a terror inducing attack takes place on American soil we are quick to question if it is a organized terrorist attack. We rush to identify to the perpetrator, that way, we can discover his ideology and thus motive then trace that to a particular extremist group.
The Charleston shooter made it easier for us by laying that all out for us in his manifesto.
His introduction to the structured ideology was facilitated by the ‘Council of Conservative Citizens’ the white nationalist group after a simple Google search.
“The first website I came to was the Council of Conservative Citizens. There were pages upon pages of these brutal black on White murders. I was in disbelief. At this moment I realized that something was very wrong.”
His misguided anti-black ideology is not an isolated opinion, he merely tuned into a long sustained strain which roots weave through the ever evolving CCC and into the real racist/xenophobic groups and undercurrents of America. His manifesto is merely a reformation of this perpetuated real ideology through his personal lens.
When a collective of people organize under such extreme hostile ideologies they are normally branded as a terrorist group. Well this wolf does have a pack and it lives online.
Coontown (disturbing content warning) is the name of a community 15,000 enlisted users strong on the social bulletin board-like website Reddit. User are able to form groups or communities around a shared interest, movement or in this case, ideology.
Users are openly adamant about sharing the same ideology and rallying around the shooter in these top voted comments within the group discussing the manifesto, please keep in mind 15,000+ pair of eyes intake this:
This instance of in-group fighting stemming from some of the members calling others a coward for not willing to do the same is a troubling form of goading:
This cyber-based neo-KKK utilizes free speech excuse as a form of protection from being removed. Reddit being tapped to form a sort of pseudo-terrorist cell.
Yet when does a group with a radical ideology become a terrorist group? When does a group practicing free speech become cause for concern?
I suggest when a group consciously facilities an echo chamber of hostile ideologies even remotely gearing towards taking action consideration for being put on a terrorist group is paramount.
From the looks of it, things will only get worse if these cells within America are not treated and cleared. These wolves have a home, the packs are growing larger and more hostile and they live online.
AdvertisementsTaxi fares to increase in 2012
Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Taxi fares to increase in 2012 1 / 1 Back to Gallery
Taking a cab in Seattle will cost more next year due to a new state law that requires taxi drivers to be covered by industrial insurance.
Nothing has been finalized, but the fare from downtown to Sea-Tac Airport could increase by $3, from $32 to $35, according to a preliminary estimate by Seattle's Consumer Affairs Unit, which regulates taxis. An average cab trip – about 4.4 miles – could cost about 85 cents more, from about $14.80 to $15.65.
A new state law requires taxi and limousine drivers to be covered by workers compensation insurance. That means taxi and limo owners have to start paying insurance premiums to the state Department of Labor and Industries.
The city of Seattle sets taxi meter rates, and the new law requires the rate to reflect the costs of the insurance premiums. Both the Seattle City Council and King County Council would have to vote to approve new rates.
The increase may turn out to be lower than early estimates, which were based on the state's original plan to charge a higher insurance premium. L&I now plans to charge a lower premium. (For the current taxi rate, read this article on how a taxi meter works).
The point of the new law was to ensure that drivers are covered for work-related injuries beyond what's covered by auto insurance. In the past, healthcare providers have mistakenly filed medical claims with L&I involving cab drivers who said they were injured on the job, even though no one was paying into the system for them.
L&I would have to sort out whether the driver was an employee |
good bit shocked by this first part. I’d say the author did a very good job of pointing out that “pagan” means something completely different in the States than it does in Scandinavia, where Wicca is all but nonexistent. There is little confusion by anyone that “pagan” means Norse gods and customs. Here in the States it means Wicca or some variation derived from Wicca. We need a name, and identity, that is distinct from Wicca. This isn’t meant as some sort of slam on Wicca, only to point out that we have next to nothing in common and are very different religions. There is, however, and element of identity in the use of Ásatrú for us that doesn’t need to be stated by our Scandinavian brothers and sisters. They still live on the old lands. They still bear the cultural and ethnic identifiers that we, as Americans, have to work very hard to incorporate or hold on to family customs. We need a tie to the old world that they do not, and how we refer to ourselves helps provide that binding tie. Sure, some might use it to exclude others but I see less and less of that as the old “Folkish” argument dies down. We need to cling to what is left of our ethnic heritage because there is so little left for us here and I can see how some might view this in the wrong light. We also have to deal with fundamentalist Christianity in ways they do not and the need for a solid identifier, a name to rally behind, to deal with them is far more necessary here than there. We have to be more blatant about how we are not them than our Scandinavian fellows do.
As for American Ásatrú being more devotional than what the author sees in Sweden, I’d bet he’s completely correct. Let me first start off by saying that I think the ancient customs were far more devotional than modern Scandinavians are. Let’s be honest, there isn’t much in the way of devotional practice left in Europe, regardless of religion. When church pews are all but empty 50 weeks out of the year, is it really any surprise that even our Heathen counterparts are less likely to be devotional than focused on folk customs? I also suspect that American Ásatrúar are more devotional in practice than the ancients were. Lacking the majority of folk customs still alive in Scandinavia we are left with rebuilding the religion side of things more heavily to compensate. Also, it does reflect the nature of American religious history and behavior, for good or ill. It does seem to me that there is a heavier focus on historic practices here than in Scandinavia. It seems to me that we are focused on rebuilding what was while they are focused on doing what is an extension of their current culture and customs. Lacking what they have, our behavior seems very reasonable and logical to me.
Reading about these differences and giving them some very serious thought has given me a new perspective on my own goals and intentions. I am interested in a devotional faith. I am lacking in folk customs and find myself uncomfortable at the idea of aping the customs I do know about. I grew up with some Swedish customs but they are remnants of a recent immigrant heritage more than active cultural awareness. I do see the difference between a folk custom faith and a devotional faith and I see where I am lacking in my own methods. I see the difference in identity as well and I have a better perspective on my own identity. I am also seeing a way forward in my own development and I’m good with that.
AdvertisementsIf you ask someone to list out seminal fantasy works, you get some pretty predictable responses. There’s that ur-pillar of fantasy, The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia for those not opposed to some heavy Christian allegory, the work of Robert E Howard for those not opposed to wading through some unsavory views on race, modern additions to the canon like Game of Thrones, and an ever-shifting group of young adult novels. But there’s a group of books that should absolutely be added to that go-to list: Michael Moorcock’s Elric stories.
There’s an old saying in philosophy circles that “There’s Plato and then there’s commentary,” but that line could easily apply to fantasy literature by just swapping out Plato for JRR Tolkien. With rare exception, every fantasy work that came after Tolkien — even those in other mediums — owes a gargantuan debt to The Lord of the Rings. Whether a straight riff on his works, a slight tweak in a new direction, or even an outright refutation of the fantasy tropes that he established, almost the entirety of fantasy is based in some way or another on Tolkien’s work.
But Elric? Elric is the result of a different evolutionary path.
Like a dolphin that lives in the water but came to that habitat by a very different method than the fish, Moorcock’s Elric stories are fantasy at its best, but boast a pedigree distinct from most of what surrounds them. While many of his contemporaries — and the majority of writers that have come since — saw Tolkien’s Middle Earth as the world to emulate, Moorcock set his sights on a different fantasy world: The Hyborian Age of Robert E Howard’s most famous creation, Conan the Barbarian.
Howard’s Conan was a simple figure. He fought, he stole, he ate, he drank, he loved and he hated, all in great, but equal, measure. He is one of the least conflicted characters in all of literature, and this is precisely what makes him great. He stands as a relic of pre-civilization, one that is romanticized and elevated, but also fearsome and, you know, barbaric.
With Elric, Moorcock took the sword and sorcery formula of Conan and turned it completely on its head. While Conan is bronze of skin with dark, black hair, Elric is a pale albino. While Conan is preternaturally strong, Elric is slender and weak. While Conan avoids, fears and despises magic, Elric revels in it. Even their paths stand in stark contrast, as Conan went from wandering brute to savage king, while Elric’s journey took him from Emperor to psychically tormented wanderer.
And that — the constant psychological torment that Elric must endure — is what truly separates him from Conan and his barbarian ilk. In Elric, Moorcock created a character that not only must fight the world around him, but must also contend with outside forces he can never truly comprehend, and most significantly, inside forces that he can never truly comprehend. The character of Elric is both complicated and complex, with his every choice, his every grasp at power, his every effort at doing good in a grim, hateful world, in one way or another coming back around to punish him.
Moorcock first created Elric in the early 60s, but it wasn’t until his appearance in 1972’s Elric of Melnibone that the character really took hold. In fact, Moorcock became one of the most popular fantasy writers of the 70s, penning numerous Elric stories and novels, as well as a slew of other fantasy works, with many having at least a loose connection to the world of his most famous creation.
Elric was the perfect fantasy hero for the 1970s, as he was mired in contradictions. Weak and frail but possessing great power, he was an emperor that despised what his kingdom had become, a sorcerer that hated the source of his power, a hero that took his power from the souls of the vanquished, and a swordsman that needed mystical drugs in order to even lift his cursed, black blade.
Elric embodies the fantasy of bongrips, crushed velvet paintings and airbrushed vans. It’s trippy, fascinating, unyielding work, bereft of any conventional morality, but with a hero still driven by an urge to do right – though he oftentimes doesn’t even know what that would truly entail. It’s true, psychedelic, heavy metal fantasy, which explains Moorcock’s connection to and relationship with British spacerock legends Hawkwind.
Not only was Hawkwind (including future Motörhead frontman, Lemmy Kilmister) inspired by Moorcock’s work, but they built an entire album based upon Elric. They also collaborated with Moorcock himself, who wrote lyrics, did spoken word performances on albums and even appeared with them live on stage. But Moorcock’s psychedelic influence also extended across the Atlantic, with the author writing lyrics for the proto-metal band, Blue Öyster Cult.
While Tolkien’s work brings to mind the gentle, folky aspects of Led Zeppelin, Moorcock’s is best accompanied by jangling guitars, unnatural synth noises and lyrics that are by turns esoteric and indecipherable. Both are great. Exquisite even. But Moorcock’s tone, his flavor, his overall aesthetic…is one that has been criminally underutilized in the past few decades.
If all you know of fantasy is forest-dwelling elves, magical middle ages settings and crusty but reliable dwarves, you owe it to yourself to check out Moorcock’s Elric stories. Opinions vary on the best place to start, but I firmly believe the answer is, “Wherever you feel like it.” Find a copy of one of the paperbacks at a used bookstore or even online (they all remain, shamefully, out of print) and dive in. And if you aren’t a fantasy fan? That’s even more of a reason to indulge in some of Moorcock’s idiosyncratic take on the genre, as you might find that there’s a lot more to fantasy than what you had imagined.
Elric — and Moorcock’s work as a whole — represents a relatively unexplored frontier within the fantasy genre. One that experienced its peak popularity during the 1970s, but which seems primed for a comeback, given the trying, stressful, grim times that the year 2015 finds itself mired in. Make fantasy weird. Make it trippy. Make it nihilistic, hateful and glorious. Read Elric.
Aubrey Sitterson is the creator of SKALD, a weekly, sword & sorcery serial podcast that owes more than a little to Michael Moorcock’s most famous creation. Listen to it on iTunes, Stitcher or Podomatic, then follow him on Twitter and check out his website.Precious few people with metal detectors will strike gold quite as spectacularly as Terry Herbert, who uncovered the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found and is expected to receive a seven-figure reward.
But if Mr Herbert's success does inspire you to try your luck, it's a good idea to know a little about the law governing unearthed valuables before you start digging. Here are some of the points to consider.
The most you are likely to end up with is half the value of the find, less tax. You won't receive the full value because any proceeds are normally divided evenly with the owner of the land on which the discovery was made.
But important items – those declared to be "treasure" – have to be handed over to the state, in which case the committee that takes charge has discretion over the size of the reward given to the finder and landowner.
"Assuming that what you have found is treasure, as defined by the Treasure Act 1996, the Treasure Valuation Committee will value the find and an ex-gratia payment will be made as a reward," said Trevor Austin, a member of the committee and general secretary of the National Council for Metal Detecting.
Guidelines in the Treasure Act state that the finder and landowner are eligible for a reward of the full market value of the find. The reward would usually be shared equally, with 50pc going to the landowner and 50pc to the finder or finders, Mr Austin added.
Some valuable finds are not declared treasure. "In this case, any valuable find is usually shared equally between the finder and landowner, although it must be remembered that the landowner has greater legal title to any non-treasure items found on his land," he said. "It is therefore prudent to come to an arrangement with the landowner beforehand, when you ask his permission to search."
If I find something I think may be valuable, what should I do?
You should first tell the landowner. You should then take your find to a local museum to ascertain whether the find comes under the definition of treasure. If it does, it must be deposited either at the museum or at the direction of the coroner.
If you do not follow the correct procedure for items of treasure, the Treasure Valuation Committee may reduce your portion of any reward due. You could also be fined or even imprisoned.
What happens if my find is not declared treasure?
If a find is not treasure, the finder and landowner may dispose of it as they wish.
How important is it to get permission to search before I start?
Before venturing onto any land, you should seek permission from the landowner. Even if you don't, you still have to report any suspected treasure in the usual way but your reward may be reduced.
"If you are on land without permission and find an item of treasure, it is still your duty to report it to a museum or a finds liaison officer – every county has one," said Mr Austin.
"The Treasure Valuation Committee will take into account the fact that you were metal detecting without permission and reduce any finder's portion of any reward accordingly, but weight will be given to the fact that the item was reported."
If I end up with the valuables in my possession, how should I go about valuing and selling them?
If your finds are disclaimed by the Crown or do not fall under the Treasure Act, you may want to dispose of them so that you and the landowner can share any proceeds. "Take your find to a reputable dealer in coins or antiques such as Spink or Bonhams, who will value the find for you. Be aware, however, that the valuation may cost more than the item's value in some cases."
Will I have to pay tax on valuable finds?
If you sell a valuable find, you will be liable to pay capital gains tax (CGT) on any amount above the annual exemption of £10,100 per person.
Stephen Herring, a tax partner at BDO Stoy Hayward, the accountancy firm, said: "It would be very unlikely that HM Revenue & Customs would view a casual discovery as a 'trade', so it would not apply an income tax treatment. They would probably anticipate that more people would make a loss in any case. Accordingly, a disposal would be treated as a capital gain. Above the £10,100 annual exemption a fixed rate of 18pc is payable."
An additional "chattels exemption" would probably apply, he added. "This applies, on an item-by-item basis, where the proceeds of the sale of tangible movable property, excluding currency of any description, are under £6,000."
British gold sovereigns, which are still legal tender, are exempt from capital gains tax, Mr Herring added.
Should I be insured?
Insurance is a good idea. The National Council for Metal Detecting (NCMD) supplies all its members with free public liability insurance of £10m, Mr Austin said. "Most local authorities will insist that metal detector users are insured before allowing them onto their land," he added.
How can I avoid disputes with landowners or people I am searching with?
Always get a written agreement before searching. A model agreement is available on the NCMD's website (www.ncmd.co.uk).
Anything else I should bear in mind?
Remember that all land belongs to someone and you will need permission before searching any land, even footpaths. If you want to try your luck on the beach, bear in mind that the region between low and high water marks belongs to the Crown. You may want to read the NCMD's code of conduct before you start searching.
The law is slightly different in Scotland, where all archaeological finds are regarded as Treasure Trove and need to be reported. The NCMD has more information.Street robberies in the city have spiralled by 30 per cent and the number of drivers caught speeding has doubled – but motor vehicle crime has dropped by a fifth.
Fresh figures for the April-June period this year reflect a varied picture of crime in Edinburgh for city police.
Sex attacks are up 70 per cent. Picture: Posed by models
There has been a 60 per cent hike in break-ins in comparison with the same period in 2014.
But Edinburgh’s police boss has stressed that an ongoing crackdown on thieves has prompted a month-on-month drop in incidents since March this year.
Chief Superintendent Mark Williams, pictured, said the trends for April-June 2015 were varying, but he vowed to tackle problem areas.
“It’s the first quarter,” he said. “It’s been an incredibly demanding month in August, and last year we had the impact of the Commonwealth Games. I’m hopeful and confident that with the resources we have got, we can make in-roads into some of the areas where we’d rather be performing better.”
The number of vehicle-related crimes dropped by 20 per cent in this quarter; falling from 1013 incidents to 812.
Ch Supt Williams said the decrease appeared to be a “continuing trend” throughout August, while his officers were managing to solve an increasing number of cases.
The unaudited police management figures showed that muggings have increased by around 30 per cent in the first quarter of the year, but Ch Supt Williams said he was “not complacent” about the sobering statistic.
Break-ins were another serious issue in the latest figures, as outlined in the panel to the right. Overall burglaries – including to outbuildings and offices – were up 20 per cent in comparison to the first quarter of 2014/2015.
Ch Supt Williams said his officers were currently solving nearly half of all break-ins, many of which are carried out by “prolific housebreakers”.
He said: “Edinburgh as a community has some really challenging generational issues around thieves, acquisitive crime, and house break-ins in particular, and it’s something that the police won’t solve on its own. I still expect by the end of this year that house break-ins will be down, and lower than they were last year. I’m confident of this.”
He said the problem thieves were being “taken off the streets”. “Tackling house break-ins is our number one priority. Operation RAC is making real in-roads and producing some fantastic results. Drugs, violence and road safety will also remain a focus for the rest of the year.”
FIRE-RAISING
REPORTS of fire-raising have soared by 75.5 per cent compared with April-June last year.
The number of cases hiked from 49 incidents to 86 – and just under a fifth of these were detected by police.
Firebugs have been particularly active in the West and Pentlands area of the city, while a 13.8 per cent increase in vandalism (from 1264-1439) has been most acute in the east area.
Ch Supt Williams said: “We are working closer with the fire service than we ever have. There has been a significant increase in vandalism and fire-raising.”
He said educating young people about the dangers of fire and the impact of vandalism was key to reducing the reports.
“It’s a big nuisance for local people,” he added.
SEX ATTACKS
REPORTS of sexual assaults – including rapes, sexual assaults and lewd practices – are up 70 per cent.
The number of incidents rose from 78 in the first quarter of last year to 133 this year.
The number of cases being solved has remained quite static however, with seven in ten cases being detected.
Ever-increasing reports of online sex crimes and historic incidents are partly to blame for the hike – which police expect to continue.
Historic rapes – classed as incidents which took place more than a year before being reported – account for roughly half of all reports. Other historic sexual assaults make up about 35 per cent of that category.
Edinburgh now has a dedicated full-time rape investigation unit to investigate sex cases.
HOUSEBREAKING
Figures show that domestic break-ins were up 60 per cent in comparison with the first quarter of 2014/2015.
Compared with April-June 2014, there were 211 more reports in the same period this year – 557 in total.
Police solved four in ten cases in that time frame in 2015, compared with almost half of cases in 2014.
However, a further breakdown reveals that the number of incidents has since dropped to a level similar to last year.
In April 2014, there were 83 break-ins in the city but this crept up every month until it peaked to 322 cases in February 2015.
To tackle the hike, police launched Operation RAC, a crackdown focused on targeting prolific thieves.
Figures comparing March this year to last month show that there was a 58 per cent drop in the numbers of break-ins to homes.
The number of break-ins in April was still high at 240 cases, but then reduced to 156 in May and 157 in June, before falling to 133 in July.
Ch Supt Williams said: “The quarterly figures are higher than it was last year – that’s not acceptable. That’s why I’m delighted that we’ve seen a steady reduction since. I’m confident that it will make a difference when we compare year to year statistics.”
SPEEDING
IN an extreme spike, there has been a 100 per cent increase in speeding offences in the Capital this year to date.
While 264 drivers were stopped for a speeding offence in April-June last year, 528 were handed tickets in the 2015 period.
This has been attributed to the fact that community beat officers have now been trained in using hand-held speed guns.
“They are using them more often, they are bringing speed down,” said Ch Supt Williams.
“Speed is a big factor in a lot of incidents. We respond to complaints from the public. If there are concerns about certain streets and areas, we will give it some attention.”
So far, there has been a 20 per cent reduction in casualties on the city’s roads in the 2015/2016 period, with the overall number of people injured or killed dropping from 370 to 295.
DRUGS
THE latest figures reflect a 14.4 per cent rise in total drugs crimes – which Ch Supt Williams is hailing as proof that operations to clamp down on major drug dealers are having an impact.
While there were 603 total drugs crimes in April-June 2014, 690 offences were recovered in the same time period this year.
With support from the national organised crime unit, officers have carried out a series of drugs raids in the city and seized a significant quantity of Class A and B drugs as well as prescription medicine in the wrong hands, or so-called “legal highs”.
Of the drugs offences, police solved 540 of the cases – a 78.3 per cent detection rate.
The figures refer to both the production and supply of illegal drugs across the city, much of which is linked to major organised crime groups.
MUGGINGS
ROBBERIES hiked in the first three months of 2015/2016 – and the majority of these were on-street rather than shops being robbed.
The number of incidents of robberies and assaults with intent to rob went from 47 to 61, equating to a 29.8 per cent increase.
Detectives solved three quarters of these, reflecting a similar trend for the same period last year.
The increase mainly related to a spike in “open space” robberies, where people have been mugged on the street for their mobile phones or cash.
Police have reported a drop in the number of shops being robbed, while a number of incidents also involve criminals stealing from each other due to drugs debts and other feuds.
Ch Supt Williams said: “This can be challenging, it’s not something we’re complacent about.”On Friday, Microsoft released its 3D Builder app, which allows Windows 8.1 users to print 3D objects, but not much else.
The simple, simplistic, free app from Microsoft provides a basic way to print common 3D objects, as well as to import other files from SkyDrive or elsewhere. But the degree of customization that the app allows is small, so 3D Builder basically serves as an introduction to the world of 3D printing.
In fact, that’s Microsoft’s intention, with demonstrations of the MakerBot Replicator 2 slated for Microsoft’s retails stores this weekend. Microsoft customers can buy a new Windows 8.1 PC, as well as the $2199 MakerBot Replicator 2, both online as well as in the brick-and-mortar stores themselves.
One of the selling points of Windows 8.1 was its ability to print 3D objects, a complement to traditional paper printing. Although Microsoft is pitching 3D Builder as a consumer app, the bulk of spending on 3D printing will come from businesses, which will account for $325 million out of the $415 million that will be spent this year on 3D printing, according to an October report from Gartner. However, 3D printers have made their way into Staples, and MakerBot latched onto an endorsement of the technology from President Obama during his State of the Union address, recently encouraging U.S. citizens to crowd-fund an effort to 3D printers in every high school in America. (MakerBot also announced a Windows 8.1 software driver on Thursday.)
Microsoft Microsoft’s 3D Builder includes some basic modification options.
Microsoft’s 3D Builder app could certainly be a part of that effort. Frankly, there’s little to the app itself besides a library of pre-selected objects, most of which seem to be built around small, unpowered model trains of the “Thomas the Tank Engine” variety. After selecting one, the user has the option of moving it around a 3D space, increasing or decreasing the size to a particular width or height—and not much else.
Users can also import models made elsewhere. Again, however, 3D Builder isn’t really designed to modify the designs. It’s also not clear which 3D formats are supported.
On the other hand, some might be turned off by the perceived complexity of 3D printing. If you have two grand to spend on a 3D printer but aren’t really sure how to use it, 3D Builder might be a good place to start.SpaceX will launch two paying passengers on a private flight around the moon in late 2018, the company's founder Elon Musk said Monday, Feb. 27, 2017. The mission would launch on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy seen here in this artist's illustration and take about five days to loop around the moon and return to Earth.
SpaceX will fly two private citizens on a trip around the moon in 2018, the company's founder Elon Musk announced Monday (Feb. 27).
The private spaceflight company will use its Falcon Heavy rocket to send the two paying passengers into space aboard one of the company's Dragon spacecraft. The two private citizens, who have not yet been named, approached SpaceX about taking a trip around the moon, and have "already paid a significant deposit" for the cost of the mission, according to a statement from the company. The names of the two individuals will be announced later, pending the result of initial health tests to ensure their fitness for the mission, the statement said. [SpaceX's Crew Dragon Spacecraft in Pictures]
An artist's illustration of a crewed Dragon spacecraft in space. (Image: © SpaceX)
SpaceX's Dragon Version 2 spacecraft is a manned space capsule designed to fly seven astronauts to and from low-Earth orbit. See how SpaceX's Dragon V2 spacecraft works in this Space.com infographic (Image: © by Karl Tate, Infographics Artist)
"Like the Apollo astronauts before them, these individuals will travel into space carrying the hopes and dreams of all humankind, driven by the universal human spirit of exploration," SpaceX representatives said in the statement.
The two passengers will be the only people on board what is expected to be about a weeklong trip around the moon, according to Musk, who spoke with reporters during a phone conference today.
"This would be a long loop around the moon … It would skim the surface of the moon, go quite a bit further out into deep space and then loop back to Earth," Musk said during the teleconference. "So I'm guessing, distance-wise, maybe [300,000] or 400,000 miles [about 500,000 to 650,000 kilometers]."
The moon flight is scheduled to launch after SpaceX flies NASA astronauts to the International Space Station as a part of the Commercial Crew Program. Right now, SpaceX is planning to make an uncrewed flight of its crew-carrying Dragon spacecraft to the space station this year, and its first crewed flights are expected to happen in mid-2018, according to Musk. (However, a recent report suggests that those dates may be pushed back.) That means the Falcon 9 and Dragon crew capsule will be approved for human spaceflight by NASA before the moon mission takes place.
The Falcon Heavy rocket consists of a Falcon 9 rocket with two additional first stage boosters strapped on. The integrated Falcon Heavy and Dragon crew capsule will undergo an FAA evaluation process for the moon flight, Musk said.
Musk also said that NASA "always has first priority," and that if the agency wanted its own astronauts to be the first people to fly on a "mission of this nature," then "of course NASA would take priority."
When asked about the ballpark cost of the mission, Musk said, "I … can't say the exact cost, that's confidential. It would be comparable to maybe a little more than what the cost of a crewed mission to the space station would be."
NASA currently pays about $80 million per seat on the three-person Russian Soyuz vehicle. SpaceX's first commercial crew contract with the agency is for $2.6 billion; the company is required to provide at least two and up to six flights to the station on the Dragon capsule, which can carry seven passengers at a time. That breaks down to anywhere from $1.3 billion to $433 million per flight.
Musk said the moon trip will contribute to SpaceX's ultimate goal of establishing permanent Mars colonies.
"The goal for SpaceX, from its founding in 2002, has been to accelerate … space exploration, ultimately with the idea of a self-sustaining civilization on Mars and making humanity multiplanetary," he said. "So a critical step along the way is getting to know what it's like to have people in deep space."
Editor's note: This story was updated at 7 p.m. ET with more details and comments from SpaceX and Elon Musk about the company's planned private moon flight in 2018.
Follow Calla Cofield @callacofield. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.We all have our embarrassing secrets. For instance, Jim has never hopped, too scared to take such a risk with gravity. Adam never realised you were supposed to apologise to ducks. And I’ve never played System Shock 2. It’s not my fault – I was busy. But with my first gap in my schedule since August 1999, I’ve been having a go at the freshly re-released version on Steam. It’s… it’s not easy, is it?
For me, System Shock 2 has become more of a beacon for what games no longer are, than what it perhaps is in its own right. It’s a fascinating piece, a fusty grandfather of the few FPSs still using their imaginations, a knowing father of games that defined my twenties like Deus Ex. But at the same time it echoes dying features of the 90s, some missed, some well abandoned. For instance, it’s been a while since I thought, “I really should have read the manual”.
So I’m not writing about the story here – I’ve not played enough of it yet to do that. This is about the mechanics, and how they’ve split my mind down the middle, both recognising what I’ve been missing, and how I have to admit to appreciating some levels of simplification.
The game begins with you – a nondescript soldier – training for accompanying the first FTL ship, the Von Braun, on its maiden voyage. And you’re given huge choices to make without any context. After a few perfunctory tutorials that entirely fail to teach you anything important about the game you’re about to face, you’re asked to choose between the Navy, the Marines, or the OSA. What is the OSA? Details aren’t clear. I picked the OSA, because I’d heard they were the most interesting, and they started you off with psi powers – supernatural abilities from your braintubes. What I should have picked was the Navy, because it turns out they’re the ones who focus on hacking, which is always my preferred route through a game.
This done, you’re then asked to pick two further particular fields of training, without any context to make that choice, and sort of hope they fall in your favour. The training doesn’t actually teach you anything, but rather sends your character away for a year of unseen brutal education that changes a stat once you’re finally in control. Oh, and you’ve been fitted with all sorts of cybernetic enhancements, which I don’t remember agreeing to. Something about a distress call. Something about alien eggs. Something about cryo sleep. SPACESHIP.
A detached voice, supposedly but obviously not Dr. Janice Polito, is giving you some sort of narrative guidance, while the ship’s on-board computer Xercies is telling you off for paying attention to her. And neither is being particularly helpful in terms of how you’re meant to not be dead all the time on a labyrinthine ship filled with shotgun-wielding zombie alien mutant hybrid things, and telekenitic monkeys.
“Polito” sort of talks you through your array of on-screen furniture. You’ve got a Tetris inventory, a minimalist character sheet, an awkward area for selecting psionic abilities, another section containing details about health and Psi levels, along with a Research button, the map, and two slots for items about which I have yet no idea. Then there are the recordings of dialogue from Polito, crew members whose recordings you’ve found, and hints about what you’re supposed to be doing, next to a button that says “MFD”, and another tab that collates the key access you’ve so far gained. Splurge.
Most bizarrely, the instructions for most of these elements, and more importantly how they relate to the world around you, are found in Information points mounted to the walls in the baddie-infested corridors. Even reading how to flipping play the game is dangerous. Because all those elements are further complicated by the need to charge some of them up via occasional charge points, others require the use of injections, food, boosters, software, and many other never-explained bits and pieces.
Despite appearances, I’m not an idiot. I fathomed pretty much all of it as I needed to. But I became aware that the process of fathoming as I go along is not one I miss. I think a game released today that was so muddled, so jumblingly complicated, would be criticised for it. But I’m certain there are Shock 2 fans currently boiling blood out of their eyeballs in rage at the paragraphs above. And I sympathise – I don’t doubt that games are far too over-simplified in terms of their first impressions these days. While I don’t wander into the scary world of RTS gaming, where I suspect such complexity likely still resides, certainly in the world of the FPS you’re lucky if you need to know more than three buttons and one menu.
But while I would love to see more intricate, complex systems returning to games, I am going to be heretical enough to say I wouldn’t want it to be delivered as opaquely as appears in Shock 2. Because for me, this process of being bemused by the game’s mechanics got in the way of enjoyment, and that’s where I think a line is crossed. Because System Shock 2 is really enjoyable.
And bloody terrifying. Oh my goodness, I’d forgotten what it was like to have a game be so unrelentingly tough and cruel. Even replaying the exquisitely frightening Thief a couple of years back, that game at least gave you down times, moments of respite. SS2 never lets up. You can’t clear an area of enemies – they can reappear from somewhere. But more terrifyingly, not in a predictable way. It doesn’t respawn them after so much time, or have everything reset when you revisit a previous location. It’s just, sometimes, seemingly at random, somewhere that felt safe suddenly isn’t any more.
And you’re weak. So, so weak. Everything about you is weak. If you’re not a Marine, you can’t even fire a gun when you start. As an OSA I was wandering the grey metal corridors armed with a spanner and a psi orb thing that let me fire off a slow, weakly bolt of cold that would eventually take out enemies if I ran away at the same time. If you can fire a gun, that gun is weak, degrading as though it were allergic to bullets. Tiny stupid monkeys can kill you in a couple of hits. Giant stomping robots probably don’t even notice you were there before they’re done spilling your blood. You’ve got tasks you need to complete in these tunnels-o-horror, you’re compelled to keep heading back and forth having retrieved a necessary code from the grossly mutilated corpse of a former crew member. But… but it’s scary!
It’s the unrelenting nature of that scary that makes SS2 most stand out to me. Deus Ex, which I’d argue is far more of a spiritual continuation of the game than anything within BioShock, had so much downtime. Time spent in safe offices, chatting with safe people, creeping around safe toilets of the opposite sex (how do you sex a toilet? female ones don’t have wee around the base). You got to occasionally climb off the tight rope and cling to a secure wall and get your breath back. Not here. Here it’s avoiddeathavoiddeathavoiddeathavoiddeathavoiddeath without pause. And it’s exhausting.
Good exhausting? A large part (not that part) of me wants to pretend that yeah, it’s great! Games like they used to be! None of this modern mollycoddling that’s raising a generation of gamers only capable of following another man’s bottom while they do the shooting/door opening for them. What will they all do when the Hagrons attack Earth from Dimension U? Not like us, eh? Raised on System Shock 2 and Terror From The Deep, ready for anything, capable of opening doors for ourselves. Admitting to anything else would highlight me as a pathetic wastrel, not suitable for games journalist, just some simpering idiot who should stick to Farm |
and the group's right to work towards liberating their homeland.
Let us hypothetically assume that all allegations against Qalbi-Dhagax were true and that he was a ruthless "terrorist" who carried out clandestine operations to sabotage Somalia and has killed and committed rape as the cabinet (no judge or jury) has declared, how do such allegations justify his rendition to Ethiopia? Why would the government not prosecute him in Somalia?
If he is guilty of these serious crimes, why he was living in Mogadishu for years as an ONLF officer without ever being arrested? Qalbi-Dhagax was not an anonymous figure. He was not in hiding. Clearly, the cabinet's decision to hand him over to Ethiopia is not a well-thought-out one.
If the cabinet does not withdraw the politically motivated charges directed at Qalbi-Dhagax and implant them into the law instead, anyone who supports him or the ONLF either verbally, in writing, by marching or even by simply rejecting the charges government directed at them could get charged with "aiding and abetting" terrorism and subsequently could be renditioned to Ethiopia.
Lies and deception
To understand the foreign-dominated, self-refuelling system that propels the Somali political process one should think of an aircraft carrier with a massive flight deck where the Somali president is granted the discretion to walk, march or even run to any direction he wishes as that will neither alter the carrier's course nor its destination.
For over a decade, the same strategy has been used to lure each Somali president into a glorified failure. I call it the "3F seduction": False security, false esteem, and false authority. That is to say, while he, the president, in on the deck of the aforementioned aircraft carrier, he can dress for the part and quixotically claim to be in charge. Meanwhile, the system continues its course.
The Qalbi-Dhagax case is not only good for Ethiopia, it is good for all other failed institutions: UNSOM, AMISOM, other clandestine operatives and economic predators who perpetuate the status quo in Somalia -the overtly most-aggressive beneficiaries being the UAE and Erik Prince of Blackwater port management partnership.
Can Farmajo be rescued?
Most of those who knew the new president (this author included) were confident that he would prove himself the right catalyst for a genuine Somali-led reconciliation process and revitalise Somalia's decaying sense of nationhood. Unlike his predecessors, President Farmajo came in with a certain level of experience and a significant political capital and public trust.
READ MORE: Somalia chides its regions for cutting ties with Qatar
He knew any substantive reform would have to be instituted and implemented within the first year. He was not to waste time or to squander opportunities. The expectation was to reclaim Somalia by pushing for the establishment of an Independent Reconciliation Commission, made of credible citizens of good character with no political affiliation or ambition; by pressuring the Parliament to establish a constitutional court; by establishing an Anti-Corruption Commission composed of trustworthy patriotic citizens; by creating a Somali military counterintelligence branch that keeps track of all foreign militaries, paramilitaries and mercenaries in the country and their activities; and by reaching out to Somaliland.
Back in February, I described the newly Parliament-elected president as "a champion of enlightened patriotism that is optimistic and relies on itself to restore the corroded dignity of a self-destructive nation". Two weeks later, after he appointed a man who was an employee and part-owner of Soma Oil and Gas as prime minister, I saw the writing on the wall but opted to give one last chance to the new president.
Seven months of dazzle have only proven that President Farmajo and his team have mastered how to seduce public sentiments - mainly overenthusiastic youth - with glittering generalities such as justice, peace, and accountability, without any specifics. It is common to hear President Farmajo make assertions such as: "Ours is a government of the people. We are accountable to the people." But, when the masses were outraged by the government's decision and demanded answers, the president of the people sought refuge in silence. He is yet to make a single statement regarding the Qalbi-Dhagax fiasco. Farmajo seems to have plunged into that old too familiar cesspool of presidential betrayals. He has succumbed to a system that was designed to perpetuate failure and keep Somalia where it is or worse. And in doing so, he has written his legacy in the pages of infamy by becoming the first ever president to commit betrayal of such magnitude against the Somali people.
At this point, aside from divine intervention, the only remaining conceivable game-changer is the Somali Parliament. The speaker of the parliament has appointed a committee to review this grave matter. The Somali people are now waiting to see whether its representatives are going to do the right thing.
Abukar Arman is a Somali political analyst, writer and former diplomat.
The views expressed in this article are the authors' own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial policy.Over the past two years we explained how in a time of ubiquitous central bank debt monetization, the amount of global sovereign bonds available for purchase - when taking into account CB purchases - has been declining at an ever faster pace, leading to a collapse in liquidity (something the TBAC warned about in the summer of 2013, leading to the Fed's taper and subsequent temporary halt of QE3), and - naturally - to soaring bond prices (and plunging yields). The latter has reached epic proportions recently, and resulted in $3.6 trillion in global government debt, 16% of total, that is now trading at negative yields.
But not even we had any idea just how bad it really would get.
* * *
Recall that many had touted 2015 as the year when the global "recovery", originally scheduled for the first half of 2013, would finally kick in. In fact it was said that this would be the year of central bank "renormalization."
They lied.
And one look at the Morgan Stanley chart below showing the net issuance of government debt in 2015, which will not only be the lowest in history, but - for the first time ever - be negative, explains all one needs to know.
* * *
Said otherwise, for the first time ever, "developed" central banks are now monetizing more than 100% of global sovereign debt issuance!
* * *
Some "renormalization."
We show this chart just in case there is still any confusion who is buying all the government debt and forcing bond yields ever lower, why $3.6 trillion in global debt is trading at negative yields, and why much more sovereign debt will very soon also reside in the terminal twilight zone of interest-bearing securities.Donald Trump had plenty to celebrate on Tuesday night after winning the Republican primaries in Mississippi and Michigan.
But that didn't really matter. He was still pissed at Mitt Romney for making fun of his companies.
So Trump turned his election night victory speech into an infomercial for Trump-branded products.
Here are some of the great deals he had to offer.
Trump Steaks
Romney said that Trump Steaks was among The Donald's many failed businesses. So Trump had to prove him wrong. "We have Trump Steaks," he said.
TRUMP STEAKS, Trump Chardonnay, Trump Rosé and Trump water will be served to guests at Trump's presser 2nite in FL pic.twitter.com/oAXg5wV8nQ — Nick Kalman (@NickKalmanFN) March 9, 2016
The only problem was, the steaks weren't actually Trump Steaks. In fact, they said Bush Brothers on them.
Close up of the "Trump Steaks." Does that say Bush Brothers? There's a Bush Brothers in WPB https://t.co/hhdMzBTBrJ pic.twitter.com/Ro3BiwwXkC — Greg Pollowitz (@GPollowitz) March 9, 2016
The actual line of Trump Steaks has been discontinued, according to The Wall Street Journal. They were sold at The Sharper Image, which has a commemorative page for them on its website.
Trump Water
Romney "talked about the water company," Trump said. He didn't actually mention it. But Trump wanted to make sure everyone knew he does have his own bottled water.
Being responsible at the open bar at the Trump press conference with some Trump-branded water pic.twitter.com/M7Usaq9Lvi — Ben Terris (@bterris) March 9, 2016
The official Trump website does say that Trump Natural Spring Water is "proudly served at Trump Hotels, Restaurants and Golf Clubs worldwide."
It's one of the "purest natural spring waters in the world," the site says. "Try its refreshing taste and you will agree—the difference is clear."
That said, a reporter at the press conference noticed the labeling on the bottle:
According to the label, Trump Water is actually bottled by this company https://t.co/mDHiMHOsYF pic.twitter.com/YBWAbqAgsd — Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) March 9, 2016
According to the Village Springs website, its products "are available in the Village Springs label or with your own private label. Village Springs bottles private labels for various convenience stores, grocery stores, and has many distributors that offer home delivery."
So basically, Trump Natural Spring Water is the same water you can buy at a gas station.
Trump Vodka and Trump Wine
"He mentioned Trump Vodka," Trump complained.
Trump then launched into a long discussion of Trump Winery. That really does exist.
@gatewaypundit Close up of Trump wine, water display by stage. pic.twitter.com/k2HtPVlwaK — Kristinn Taylor (@KristinnFR) March 9, 2016
But Trump Vodka was discontinued in 2011, the Journal reported.
Also, Trump Winery appears to be affiliated with Trump's son Eric and not with Trump himself:
Trump Winery is a registered trade name of Eric Trump Wine Manufacturing LLC, which is not owned, managed or affiliated with Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization or any of their affiliates.
Trump did offer the reporters a free bottle of the wine.
Fox News admires Donald Trump's spread of Trump Steaks, wine and bottled water pic.twitter.com/qCB1nTiHXq — Mashable Politics (@mashpolitics) March 9, 2016
Trump Magazine
Romney also cited Trump Magazine in the list of failed ventures.
"I thought I read one two days ago," Trump replied.
Image: Fox News
He grabbed a magazine and waved it in the air.
"This comes out and it's called The Jewel of Palm Beach and it all goes to all of my clubs. I have had it for many years. It's the magazine. It's great. Anybody want one?"
Well, it is not actually the magazine.
Trump Magazine folded in 2009. It looked like this.
Trump Magazine cover features boobs and a Donny Deutsch Q+A teaser #win pic.twitter.com/JINrI3de3z — Joshua Green (@JoshuaGreen) March 9, 2016
The Jewel of Palm Beach is published by a separate publisher called Palm Beach Media Group. Here is how they describe it:
The Jewel of Palm Beach, the exclusive publication of Donald J. Trump's spectacular Mar-a-Lago Club, highlights the elements that make this club one of a kind—from the star-studded events to the extraordinary fashions, cuisine and activities that members enjoy. This annual magazine is distributed at Mar-a-Lago and Trump International Golf Club in the Palm Beaches, as well as at all Trump properties in New York.
So, yes, Trump owns a club and that club has a glorified brochure published about it once a year.
Trump Airline
"Whatever happened to Trump Airlines?" Romney asked last week.
A Trump Shuttle at LaGuardia Airport in 1991. Image: David A. Cantor/ASSOCIATED PRESS
"Well, I sold the airline," Trump said. "I actually made a great deal. Complicated — and in really terrible times, the economy was terrible — and I made a phenomenal deal."
According to the Journal, Trump bought the assets of a defunct shuttle airline for $385 million in 1989 and tried to make it into a luxury business. That didn't work because passengers just wanted convenience.
Trump with Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., in happier times for the airline. Image: ASSOCIATED PRESS
"The airline carried a high debt load and eventually defaulted,"the Journal reported. "It was later sold to USAir."
"What's wrong with selling?" Trump said Tuesday night. "I mean, every once in a while you can sell something."
Trump University
Trump University has been pretty well documented at this point — it's the real estate education program that charged students tens of thousands of dollars and often left them mired in credit card debt.
On Tuesday, the Better Business Bureau confirmed that the university (which was later renamed the Trump Entrepreneur Initiative because it wasn't an accredited university) had a D- rating in 2010. The only reason its rating later rose to an A+ was because it began to shut down and no further complaints came in.
Don't let that stop Donald Trump, though.
"We're putting it on hold," Trump said of the university Tuesday night. "We're gonna start it up as soon as I win the lawsuit."
"If I become president, that means Ivanka, Don, Eric and my family will start it up," he continued, referring to his three grown children. "But we have a lot of great people who want to get back into Trump University. It's going to do very well, and it will continue to do very well."
Call now!
"I think what this shows is that advertising is not as important as competence," Trump said. (He was talking about the negative ads against him.)
Trump also talked politics Tuesday night. But he had already made his pitch.
Donald Trump: I am "more presidential than anybody other than the great Abe Lincoln." pic.twitter.com/K4HgGg0KDx — Mashable News (@MashableNews) March 9, 2016
UPDATE, March 9, 9:47 a.m.: Corey Lewandowski, the Trump campaign manager, spoke with Mashable to clarify some of Trump's statements. He didn't agree that Trump was making it look like some of his shuttered businesses were still operating.
Asked about Trump Steaks, he said Trump had made it clear that "he doesn't go out and butcher the cow." He also acknowledged that Trump Water is provided by a third party and Trump "puts his name on it. He doesn't go out and bottle the water himself."
Trump has had many magazines over the years, Lewandowski said, not just the Trump Magazine that folded in 2009. "His magazines now are primarily driven for the memberships of his clubs. The magazine that he has now is distributed among all his properties."
You can still get Trump Vodka at some Trump clubs, he said. It's "predominantly not sold to the public, but used in his facilities." As for Trump Winery, Lewandowski said that Trump's son Eric "does run that business for him."
He agreed that the Trump airline carried "a significant amount of debt," but reiterated that Trump "got a great deal" when he sold it. "He never defaulted on the airline," Lewandowski said. (The airline itself, however, did default.)
Lewandowski repeated Trump's assertions that Trump University had been rated as high as A+ by the Better Business Bureau. He acknowledged that its current rating is "No Rating," despite Trump's claim last week that it has a current A rating. He did not dispute that the rating had once been D-, but said the BBB ratings fluctuate: "Just because you've been given a rating today, that doesn't mean it's going to be the rating in perpetuity."
The BBB says Trump University's rating rose from D- in 2010 to A+ in 2015 — but only because the company was winding down its operations, and old complaints fell off the charts while no new complaints were received.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.A new forecast that America’s new health care law could lead some 2 million workers to leave the workforce has become a political flashpoint in the US. But short-term infighting over the US welfare state is missing the point—all the trends in the modern economy are leading toward less work, and Obamacare’s effects are something of a drop in the bucket:
Because Obamacare works to delink health care from employment by improving and subsidizing the insurance market for individuals, fewer Americans will need to work full-time simply to obtain healthcare, or delay their retirement until age 65 to access Medicare, the public healthcare program for seniors. Instead, they can work part-time and retire sooner, and, because of the way subsidies reduce with income increases, some low-income workers will have less incentive to seek small increases in hours or wages—although this also means that their employers will have an incentive to pay them more.
This will reduce some combination of hours worked and the size of the labor force itself, and it has spurred a debate over whether this phemonenon is good or bad. Most people make a distinction between voluntarily leaving the labor force for other pursuits—work ain’t everything, ya know—and not being able to get a job when you need one. But there are worries about the non-pay benefits from working or who, exactly, will be paying the taxes needed to subsidize all this.
But that’s not a discussion about Obamacare. It’s a discussion about the future of wealthy economies. First, there’s the aging population: Absent increased immigration, the population is going to get older and the workforce will shrink. There are also economic trends: More work is done in the service and knowledge sectors of the economy, and productivity gains mean fewer people are needed to grow food and make goods. There will also be more pressure for workers to increase their education level, keeping younger people out of the workforce longer.
This is the post-industrial economy of the future that inspires both trepidation and hope: The hollowing out of traditional middle-class jobs and the fact that increasing returns from technology benefit capital more than labor stoke fears of rising inequality. But the hope is that this trend could be an opportunity to reform economic institutions and improve human flourishing, and not just for the poor and the shrinking middle class—even the best-paid workers are wasting their best years working too much, even when all those long hours don’t necessarily produce anything at all.
So think of Obamacare as a tentative first step in what will be a multi-decade debate over what to make of a society in which the returns on labor are shrinking. There’s good reason for some controversy over health care, but we haven’t seen anything yet.Dr Ballou Ripley says data on the vaccine's efficacy and safety would not be available before the end of 2015
LONDON: An Ebola vaccine by British pharmaceuticals giant GlaxoSmithKline may not be ready for commercial use until late 2016 and should therefore not be seen as the “primary answer” to the current outbreak, a company researcher said.
“We have to be able to manufacture the vaccine at doses that would be consistent with general use and that’s going to take well into 2016,” Doctor Ripley Ballou, head of GSK’s Ebola vaccine research unit, told BBC radio in an interview aired on Friday.
“I don’t think this vaccine should be seen as the primary answer to this particular outbreak but we certainly hope that this vaccine could be used to prevent future outbreaks.
“Unfortunately it’s not going to be as quickly as we would like,” he said, adding: “In retrospect we should have pulled the trigger earlier.”
Ballou said data on the vaccine’s efficacy and safety would not be available before the end of 2015.
“In order for the vaccine to be used we have to have data on its safety and its efficacy and those data will not be available before the end of 2015,” he said.
He added that the whole process was “incredibly accelerated” as vaccine development would normally take seven to 10 years.
GSK’s is one of two vaccines along with one by US group NewLink Genetics that the World Health Organization has been focusing on and it has helped accelerate clinical trials.
Some clinical trials of the GSK vaccine have begun in the United States and Britain and the WHO has said that around 10,000 doses of the vaccine should be available by early 2015.
Read full storySome have urged President Trump to open negotiations with him. But it is unclear whether Mr. Kim is interested in talking, or what if anything he might demand in exchange for freezing or abandoning his nuclear program. He has made building a nuclear arsenal a top priority, arguing that it is the only way the North can guarantee its security and develop its economy.
His ultimate motives, like many details of his life, are uncertain. Since taking power, Mr. Kim has yet to travel abroad or host a visit from another head of state. Only a few people outside North Korea have been allowed to meet him, among them the former basketball star Dennis Rodman, a Japanese sushi chef and the vice presidents of Cuba and China.
What little is known of Mr. Kim’s record suggests ruthlessness — and some ideological flexibility.
South Korean intelligence officials say Mr. Kim has executed scores of senior officials, including his own uncle, a wily power broker who had been seen as his mentor. He is also assumed to have ordered the assassination of his half brother, who was poisoned by VX nerve agent at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia in February.
Yet Mr. Kim is also credited with loosening state controls on the economy and engineering modest growth, and regaining some of the public confidence that the dynastic regime enjoyed under his grandfather and lost under his father, whose rule is remembered for a devastating famine.
“Smart, pragmatic, decisive,” Andrei Lankov, a North Korea expert at Kookmin University in Seoul, said of Mr. Kim. “But also capricious, moody and ready to kill easily.”Earlier this year, Ars Technica celebrated the Hubble Space Telescope's 20th anniversary with a retrospective of what we considered to be some of its best images returned to date. The last image we highlighted was one from the Hubble Ultra Deep Field, which shows some of the earliest stars and oldest galaxies known to exist. Buried within a similar image was a speck known as UDFy-38135539, a galaxy with a redshift of approximately 8.6. Since the shifting of light towards the red end of the spectrum increases with distance (and hence time), a redshift of this magnitude means that the light seen by Hubble was generated over 13 billion years ago.
The apparently extreme redshift seen in the Hubble data was only a guess—albeit a scientifically supported one. The same data was consistent with the unlikely possibility that UDFy-38135539 existed at a more pedestrian redshift of 2.12, and was a much closer galaxy that appeared unusually young. To figure out which of these is the case, we needed to accurately measure the galaxy's distance from Earth by carrying out a spectroscopic analysis of the light that is just now reaching Earth.
The spectroscopic findings are published in this week's edition of Nature. Using the SINFONI spectrograph at the ESO Very Large Telescope, a British and French team measured the Lyman-α emission line from the light emanating from UDFy-38135539. The Lyman-α line is the light emitted when an electron falls from the n=2 quantum level to the n=1 (ground state) quantum level in a hydrogen atom. In its non-redshifted form, this light resides in the ultraviolet portion of the EM spectrum. The astronomers found the Ly-α spectral line at a wavelength of 11,615.6±2.4Å, resulting a redshift value of 8.5549±0.0002. The original UV light had been redshifted all the way to the near-infrared portion of the spectrum.
The other possibility, that UDFy-38135539 resides at a redshift of only 2.12, was also examined. If this were the case, then the spectral line the astronomers thought was a highly redshifted Ly-α line could actually be some other spectral line, like a doublet produced by oxygen that has wavelengths of 3,726 and 3,729Å. However, these lines would be very clearly resolved. Since they weren't, the authors conclude that the original assessment of the galaxy's immense age was indeed correct—UDFy-38135539 is officially the oldest object ever seen.
Not only is UDFy-38135539 the oldest object known, it comes from a critical time in the Universe's history. In between redshift values of 6 and 20—somewhere between 150 million and 1 billion years after the big bang—the neutral hydrogen atoms that permeated the Universe began to become reionized (a period known unsurprisingly as reionization) and formed the cold, low-density plasma that makes up the Universe today.
Observations of stars and galaxies from this time have the ability to provide key constraints on the physical parameters of the early Universe, including the locations of sources of reionization energy, which could clear up the muddy picture we have of it today.
Assuming that UDFy-38135539 shares some characteristics with galaxies of similar luminosity at lower redshifts, the authors can make some predictions about the nature of the galaxy. Using the Ly-α luminosity, the authors estimate a lower bound for the star formation rate to be between 0.3 and 2.1 solar mass per year.
With this number in hand, the authors attempt to answer a question: how much of the neighboring space could UDFy-38135539 have ionized? They estimate that it could impact a sphere of space no more than a couple of megaparsecs in diameter. To account for the relatively strong signal that is observed on Earth 13 billion years afterwards, they conclude that UDFy-38135539 did not act alone. There must be other unseen sources ionizing atomic hydrogen within a few megaparsecs of UDFy-38135539.
As is usual with papers of this sort, the authors conclude by suggesting that new data from the next generation of Earth-based and LEO telescopes will be able to shed much more light onto this period of the Universe's history. For now, we will have to be content with simply knowing we can see something that was formed 13+ billion years in the past.
Nature, 2010. DOI: 10.1038/nature09462
Listing image by NASA, ESA, G. Illingworth (UCO/Lick Observatory and the University of California, Santa Cruz), R. Bouwens (UCO/Lick Observatory and Leiden University), and the HUDF09 TeamYes, the time is nearly upon us. Ever since word leaked at last year’s draft that there was mutual interest between the Vancouver Canucks and local boy Milan Lucic, a fierce debate has raged amongst the fan base: should the Canucks be interested? Should we, the fans, be accepting of a key cog of the 2011 Boston Bruins, irrespective of the hero he was for this city in junior?
Milan Lucic is an illustration of the rift that has grown between Canucks fans. There’s a very real hatred associated with what he did to the Canucks five years ago, lifting the silver chalice in our building while sporting the spoked B. Yet it’s difficult to imagine that even his fiercest critic wouldn’t be able to find some semblance of forgiveness deep down inside them if the former Giant ended up pulling on the blue and green.
In short, Milan Lucic has us all deeply confused and conflicted. So.. should we bring him aboard?
Breakdown:
The ever venerable HERO chart paints Lucic in a pretty flattering light. In all manners of offence, he rates like a first line winger. He has been getting kicked around in terms of shot suppression, but he’s still in the black for possession on the whole. The Composite WOWYs at the top also demonstrate how he’s been a boon for his teammates rather than a hindrance.
His effect on teammates is further illustrated in this bubble WOWY from Corsica Hockey, containing all teammates that shared at least 200 minutes of ice time with Lucic last season in Los Angeles. With the exception of Drew Doughty, every player had a higher possession percentage with Lucic (blue) than without him (red), and Lucic’s possession on his own (green) was typically an improvement as well.
Career Statistics:
(Source: TSN.ca)
Lucic has been a productive player over the course of his career, having hit the 20-goal plateau on four separate occasions (including this past season), and the 30-goal mark once. At just 27 years old (he’ll be 28 in a week and a half), Lucic has already played over 100 playoff games, and has 26 goals and 64 points to show for 101 postseason appearances.
The Scouting Report:
I really shouldn’t have to tell you how Lucic plays the game of hockey. He’s a prototypical power forward, the type of player that you look to model young players after. How many times have we heard, “Could he be the next Lucic?” over the past several years? We hear it because everybody wants a player like Lucic on their team.
He scores goals, he dishes out hits, he drives possession, and he’s an absolute nasty piece of business. He’s no stranger to crossing the line on occasion, but generally speaking he plays on the right side of. To no surprise, he’s racked up more than twice as many penalty minutes over the course of his career as points, though he hasn’t broken 100 PIMs in a season since 2011-12. In most seasons, he draws nearly as many penalties as he takes.
Lucic has also been quite durable throughout his career, and he hasn’t missed more than three games in any of the last six seasons. Of course, Brandon Sutter was considered durable into he threw on a Canucks jersey, and we all know how that worked out.
The Fit:
This question has so many different facets to it. In the modern NHL, it’s not as simple as asking, “Do you want this player?”. Even if it was, you wouldn’t be getting a conclusive answer if you were to poll the fan base.
In terms of style of play, the Canucks could absolutely use someone who plays the game like Milan Lucic. As a team, they’ve lost nearly all of their “bite” and “snarl”, having dealt guys like Kesler and Bieksa, while watching Burrows age into more of a father figure than a pest. Back in the good old days, it used to piss people off to play against the Canucks – both because they were good and that they tended to rub it in. Now, the trip through Rogers Arena is a bit of a cake walk, with the exception of the reinvigorated Daniel “Thug Life” Sedin.
Could Vancouver use the scoring? Well, they finished 29th in the NHL last season in that department, so I’d check the box on that one. Lucic isn’t likely to score as many goals as some other free agent options like Steven Stamkos (duh), Loui Eriksson or Kyle Okposo, but as a free agent option, it’s hard to turn down an extra 20 goals in the line up.
Next, we’ll consider what’s known about the level of interest between the parties, and this situation is a particularly unusual. Lucic is an East Vancouver kid who spent his junior seasons as a member of the Vancouver Giants, winning a Memorial Cup in 2007. He also won a Stanley Cup as a member of the enemy in our territory, which has caused some serious contention between him and his home town. Thomas Drance chronicled some of that mess in an article back in November, which included threats against Lucic and vandalism against his family’s church. Yet the article also describes Lucic’s change in heart and desire to play for his home town team.
On the surface, Lucic wouldn’t seem like Linden and Benning’s type of “character player”, what with his penchant for sucker punches, groin spears, and death threats. That said, as a former Boston executive, we have every reason to suspect that Jim Benning is very interested, not to mention the fact that the Canucks already made a play for Lucic last year – so why would they change their minds now that the Canucks don’t have to give up anything in return?
Other than cap space that is.
Compensation is a large and worrisome consideration. Lucic is coming off a three-year deal worth $6 million per, including making $6.5 million in salary last year. There’s no telling what he’ll be looking for on his next contract. It’s not likely to be a substantial raise on the $6 schmill that he was just making, but that might already be an over-payment.
There is a tendency in most pro sports, hockey included, to pay for what a player has done, rather than what they’re capable of doing in the future – and Lucic’s future is far from certain. There is documentation abound that Lucic is already on the back nine of his career, including declining production rates and decreased effectiveness in driving possession. Though his numbers rebounded a bit in Los Angeles this past season (particularly towards the end of the year), it’s unlikely that he will be able to maintain that level of play based on what the game has done, or will do, to his body.
Canucks Army alumnus Cam Lawrence (Money Puck) published an article on Hockey Graphs last year that studied the career trajectories of players based on the amount of hits they dish out, as a proxy for how physical their style of play is. The results indicated that players that fit into a high hit cohort, like Lucic does, see their careers end earlier than less physically involved players – and that’s saying nothing of the diminishing production in the meantime.
(High hit cohort is set at 2.7 hits per game; Lucic has averaged 3.0+ hits per game each of the last four seasons, and 2.82 hits per game over the course of his career.)
Conclusion:
There are positives and negatives to this deal. Bringing Lucic into the fold in Vancouver has the potential to be both a huge attendance draw in the beginning and a major cap anchor later on. The crux of how it all plays out over the long haul is the structure of the contract. If Benning pays Lucic long term for what he’s been to this point (as is the custom), it’s probably going to look pretty bad near the end, when Lucic is likely to be a shell of what he is when they acquire him.
I’ve never grown as close to the Giants as I am to the Canucks, so any affinity gained for him during his time here in junior is entirely trumped by the hatred I grew for him during his time in Boston. Still, I can’t claim that it’s altogether a bad idea. He brings something that the team is lacking, even if it isn’t worth $6 million.
So I guess in the end, I can’t really give a recommendation one way or the other (other than don’t break the bank on him). I’m just like the rest of the fanbase – I’m conflicted. And I will probably continue to be conflicted until Lucic signs on the dotted line in July, whether it be with the Canucks or elsewhere.Microsoft has revealed the look and feel for its future Office for Windows Phone 8 software today. In a company blog post, Microsoft's John Jendrezak details some of the upcoming features, improvements, and interface changes. Discussing the new roaming settings service and Resume Reading features in Office 2013, that let you resume where you left off with settings intact, Jendrezak says "these features extend to your mobile device as well."
The software maker also revealed the new user interface for Office in Windows Phone 8 with a recent section that provides access to the latest cloud synced documents you may have edited elsewhere. Microsoft says it's also optimizing its Office Web Apps for smartphone use, including new "touch-friendly" UI controls. The changes to Office on mobile will debut in Windows Phone 8 later this year when Microsoft's hardware partners start to ship devices with the new operating system.Vine – an amazing tool for the food bloggers, cooks and eaters
(To be clear: I am a semi-technophobe but, miraculously, an ardent social media advocate. Read my piece on Social Media and the Food World here. I’m Food and the Fabulous on Vine)
“Hi, I’m Ishay. I cook, I eat, I speak a lot about food culture and nostalgia and sometimes I blog. I am utterly enamoured with six second videos too.”
Six second videos, you ask?
I’m speaking about Vine App, Twitter’s video application for iPhone and iPad. You’ve got six seconds to present your message and while at first you’ll be tempted to pan from one end of the room to the next, and consequently ‘spend’ your six seconds, what can be achieved is incredible! And, these videos play on a loop.
If they say a picture tells a thousand words (a concept, as a writer, I accept but don’t leap with joy at the thought of), then imagine what a combination of visuals, words and music, if correctly placed can do!
I’ve been using Vine for 57 days now and I believe it launched in mid January 2013. I have much to learn and am looking for a gadget to hook the iPhone to a tripod – steady hands make all the difference.
This is an example of a Vine video; I’m braising the spices for a yellow split pea dhal and show a few shots of the ingredients and preparation process.
For sound on the videos, open in separate window and unmute
In this video I share some of the ingredients I was using that evening: butter, chocolate, coffee granules, flour – I was testing about five different brownie recipes. It’s a spontaneous process in my case, and how it’s filmed evolves as I press go.
I am inspired by the visionaries, creatives and comedians who have found themselves a new outlet for expression, and who are gathering followers and fans like it’s going out of style. Except, it’s only beginning. More about these inspirationals in a bit.
Twitter’s CEO Dick Costolo in an interview about Vine, told the Wall Street Journal, “We all agreed that this is the next thing down the road.”
Bigger than Instagram?
For three months I’ve been saying a little yes on the inside when I’ve interviewed local digital leaders, hoping their answer would be the same. Mashable reported:
“Vine’s secret weapon |
torn ACL prior to his senior season. While he may not be the highest rated recruit coming into the ACC he will be given the keys from day one and the Wolfpack will live or die with Smith’s performance.The Winnowing of Ayn Rand
Like many others, I discovered Ayn Rand around the age of 15; her writings were my introduction to the field of philosophy, thereby setting me on the path to my present career. And while my views over the years have increasingly diverged from hers in numerous details, the fact that I remain an Aristotelian in philosophy and a libertarian in politics surely bears the impress of her influence.
I find myself in general agreement both with Doug Rasmussen’s explanation of the reasons for Rand’s enduring and growing popularity, and with his characterization of Rand’s work as on the one hand (contrary to her detractors) inspiring and philosophically insightful at the big-picture level, while on the other hand (contrary to many of her adulators) sometimes careless at the level of “details, counter-examples, and context.” As I’ve written elsewhere, she “imagined (and was encouraged by her followers to imagine) that she had worked out an engineer’s meticulous blueprint when much of what she had done was only an impressionist’s sketch.”
I don’t mean to imply by this latter remark that Rand was a philosophical lightweight, however. On the contrary: she developed independently, for example, many of the criticisms that philosophers like Saul Kripke and Hilary Putnam were beginning to raise against conventionalist theories of reference and necessity — criticisms that in their more familiar form are widely regarded as among academic philosophy’s most significant achievements of the past fifty years. (This is an example of a Randian outlook that was “contrarian” at the time she developed it but has since become part of the philosophical mainstream; her championing of a broadly Aristotelian approach to ethics is another.) If she lacked the patience to follow up her achievements with a rigorous working out of the details, that doesn’t make those achievements any less genuine in their own right. Rand was generally contemptuous of mainstream academic philosophy, which has largely returned the favor; but for the most part, neither side had a very clear understanding of what it was rejecting.
The questions that Rasmussen raises for discussion are well chosen; in what follows I try to address, inadequately, a few of them.
Egoism and Rights
Rand sets out to found a classical liberal conception of politics (including strong individual rights to negative liberty) upon a classical Greek conception of human nature and the human good. Such a project is not unprecedented; one can find broadly similar syntheses in thinkers as diverse as the Salamanca Scholastics, John Locke, and John Stuart Mill. But Rand, in addition to having little use for the various theoretical frameworks in which these earlier efforts were embedded, adds to her ethics a spirit of heroic exaltation drawn from Nietzsche and the French romantics.
Classical liberalism’s “thin” conception of politics is often thought to be at odds with the Greeks’ “thick” conception of ethics. If there is an objectively best way of life, or at any rate a family of best ways, then why should we value, as liberals do, the freedom to choose ways of life that are not the best?
Rand offers two answers. One is that being self-directed is an essential part of the good life, so that a way of life forced on someone from without no longer counts as best. But her other and more characteristic answer appeals less to the welfare of the potentially coerced and more to that of the potential coercer; to deal with others by force rather than persuasion is to betray one’s own nature as a rational being, and thus to make not only one’s victim but oneself worse off. (Rand here embodies what Douglas Den Uyl has called the “supply-side” aspect of Greek ethics.)
Central to Rand’s ethics is the idea that the nature of our self-interest is something that has to be discovered on the basis a consideration of our nature as rational beings, not something that we can simply read off our desires. Rand’s delineation of the content of our self-interest includes, crucially, both the thesis that there can be no genuine conflict between self-interest and morality, and the closely related thesis that there can be no genuine conflict between one person’s self-interest and another’s. [1] These claims may strike many today as implausible — one of Rand’s recent biographers calls the second thesis “eccentric” — but they were shared by nearly every major thinker in the first two thousand years of moral philosophy, from Socrates, Plato, and Rand’s beloved Aristotle, through the Stoics and Epicureans, and onward through Cicero to the aforementioned Scholastics. [2]
But what, in Rand’s view, connects our self-interest with the moral claims of others? For most of Rand’s aforementioned “eudaimonist” predecessors, the requirements of moral virtue were conceived as a constitutive part of the agent’s own interest; the Epicureans were the only major dissidents, regarding virtue instead as an instrumental strategy for attaining this interest (rather like Hobbes, in a way, though the Epicureans are surely closer to the main line of eudaimonism than Hobbes is). Rand appears to waver between these two approaches, treating the individual’s ultimate good sometimes as a robust human flourishing that has virtue as a component, and sometimes as mere survival to which virtue is only an external means. [3]
The constitutive approach predominates in her novels; the chief reason that Rand’s fictional protagonists (such as architect Howard Roark in The Fountainhead or railroad executive Dagny Taggart in Atlas Shrugged) do not cheat their customers, for example, is pretty clearly that they would regard such parasitism on the productive efforts of others as directly inconsistent with the nobility and independence of spirit that they cherish for themselves, and not because they’re hoping that a policy of honesty will maximize their chances of longevity. Like Aristotle, who preferred “a twelvemonth of noble life to many years of humdrum existence,” they evidently value quality of life over mere quantity. But as Rand began to work out — first in the lengthy “Galt’s Speech” near the end of Atlas Shrugged, and subsequently in a series of nonfiction essays and private seminars — a more elaborate set of theoretical underpinnings for the moral vision she’d presented in her fiction, her emphasis began to shift, though never unequivocally, to the instrumental reading. [4]
So when Rasmussen asks (in parts of his first and fourth sets of questions) whether and how Rand succeeds, or points the way toward success, in grounding respect for others’ rights in the agent’s own flourishing, I think the answer depends on whether one focuses on the instrumental or on the constitutive strand. The fatal weakness of the instrumental approach, as I see it, is that regarding the moral virtues as mere strategies for advancing one’s chances of survival makes it difficult to justify the kind of principled commitment to virtue that Rand seeks to defend. Working for a living, even at a hated job, is ordinarily a better strategy for survival than looking for discarded lottery tickets in the gutter; but if I happen to spot a winning ticket there, I have no reason not to take advantage of it. Yet it would be awkward if the superiority of honesty over dishonesty were similarly contingent on circumstances. (This is essentially the objection that Plato raises against the instrumental approach in book 2 of the Republic.) By contrast, the constitutive approach avoids this problem; when the means is an essential part of the end, the risk of cases arising where one can achieve the end by a different and incompatible means drops to zero. I regard the constitutive strand in Rand’s ethical writings both as more defensible in its own right (robust human flourishing is a goal we can make sense of for ourselves; bare survival isn’t) and as a valuable, though not necessarily complete, guide to the grounding of the other-regarding virtues, including (though not limited to) respect for individual rights. [5]
Teleology: The Living End
Among Rasmussen’s third set of questions is whether Rand’s apparent reliance on a naturalistic teleology to ground her ethics is defensible. Let me sharpen this question a bit further.
There are, broadly, three salient positions one might take on the relationship between teleological and evolutionary conceptions of biology. First, one might regard them as mutually incompatible; this position is taken both by those proponents of evolution who regard Darwin’s theory of natural selection as having debunked teleology, and by those creationists who think the obviousness of teleology in the natural world debunks evolution. (This option is especially attractive to those who think of teleology as necessarily involving purpose.) Second, one might on the contrary regard Darwinian evolution as vindicating teleology by providing a mechanism for it; notably, this was Darwin’s own view.[6]
Finally, one might regard teleology as compatible with Darwinian evolution without being grounded in it; this seems to be Rand’s own approach, since on the one hand she (like Aristotle) regards natural teleology as non-purposive and unconnected with any notion of “intelligent design,” while on the other hand she (again like Aristotle) identifies teleological traits in terms of their role in the organism’s current life-activity rather than in terms of the traits’ historical emergence. [7] If the question is whether this sort of teleology is defensible, I would point, in defense of an affirmative answer, to the compelling recent work of such mainstream (i.e. non-Randian) philosophers as Paul Sheldon Davies (Norms of Nature: Naturalism and the Nature of Functions), Michael Thompson (Life and Action: Elementary Structures of Practice and Practical Thought), and Philippa Foot (Natural Goodness). I would add that the considerations raised by Thompson and Foot seem more promising as a basis for a Randian-style ethic (in its constitutive strand, at least) than those raised by Davies.
As for whether the Randian approach successfully crosses the fact-value gap, I would say that identifying X as good for some organism is safely on the “factual,” value-neutral side of the ledger. (A shark’s eating me may be good for the shark, but my recognition of that fact doesn’t, absent further argument, give me any reason to endorse the shark’s doing so.) But once I recognize not only that X is good for some organism, but that I am the organism in question, it’s hard to see how I could reasonably continue to take a value-neutral attitude toward X.
Another issue on which Rand wavers, however, is whether the value to me of my biologically given goals depends on a further “choice to live” –another topic raised by Rasmussen in his third question. Rand seems to say yes, insisting that liability to moral assessment depends on this premoral choice; yet her obvious contempt for those who would choose not to live suggests that moral assessment must apply to this choice too. A genuinely Aristotelian approach to ethics would seem to favor the later option.
Capitalism as an Unknown Ideal
Foremost among Rasmussen’s second set of questions is whether Rand’s “account of capitalism” is “true to the work-a-day reality that people confront.” Here I think the right answer is: no, not at all. But how much of a problem that is for Rand depends in part on which meaning of “capitalism” one goes by, and thus on the extent to which our work-a-day reality is to be identified with capitalism in the first place.
Rand describes a “pyramid of ability” operating within capitalism, wherein the dull masses are carried along by the intelligent and enterprising few. “The man at the top,” Rand assures us, “contributes the most to all those below him,” while the “man at the bottom who, left to himself, would starve in his hopeless ineptitude, contributes nothing to those above him, but receives the bonus of all of their brains.” Rand doesn’t say that the top and the bottom always correspond to employers and employees respectively, but she clearly takes that to be the usual situation. And that simply does not correspond with the reality of most people’s everyday experience.
If you’ve spent any time at all in the business world, you’ve almost certainly discovered that the reality on the ground resembles the comic-strip Dilbert a lot more than it resembles Rand’s pyramid of ability. In Kevin Carson’s words: as in government, so likewise in business, the “people who regulate what you do, in most cases, know less about what you’re doing than you do,” and businesses generally get things done only to the extent that “rules imposed by people not directly involved in the situation” are treated as “an obstacle to be routed around by the people actually doing the work.” To a considerable extent, then, in the real world we see the people at the “bottom” carrying the people at the “top” rather than vice versa.
Rand’s notorious reference to big business as a “persecuted minority” (Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal, ch. 3) likewise jars with our real-world experience of “capitalism,” as we see the corporate elite lining up for tax-funded subsidies, protectionist regulations, bailouts, mandates, monopoly contracts, war profits, eminent domain giveaways, and other state-granted privileges.
Rand was not unaware of any of this, of course; on the contrary, she sharply condemns “men with political pull” who seek “special advantages by government action in their own countries” and “special markets by government action abroad,” and so “acquire fortunes by government favor … which they could not have acquired on a free market.” [8] Likewise, while readers often come away from Atlas Shrugged with the vague memory that Dagny Taggart was fighting against villainous bureaucrats who wanted to impose unfair regulations on her railroad company, in fact Taggart’s struggle is mostly against villainous bureaucrats who want to give her company special favors and privileges at its competitors’ expense. Moreover, most of the workplaces depicted in her novels are run by vain and incompetent bosses (like James Taggart in Atlas Shrugged or Guy Francon in The Fountainhead) who have to be continually flattered or outwitted by their subordinates.
Rand would deny, of course, that these are problems with capitalism. Government favors to business are directly incompatible with capitalism as she understands it, while incompetent and tyrannical bosses would be unlikely to thrive in a genuinely competitive market.
Yet as I read Rand, she once again wavers — this time between two conceptions of capitalism. On the one hand, she defines capitalism as “full, pure, uncontrolled, unregulated laissez-faire” in which “all human relationships are voluntary” — thus identifying capitalism as a 100% libertarian social system which by her own admission seems never to have existed in history. (Call this ideal capitalism.) Yet on the other hand she describes capitalism as a historical reality, saying for example that it “has created the highest standard of living ever known on earth.” (Call this historical capitalism.) How can capitalism have had all these wonderful results if capitalism has never existed? [9]
Rand’s answer, evidently, is that historical capitalism has been at least an approximation to ideal capitalism. But there is reason to doubt that this is so. Rasmussen speaks of the “heightening sense by many” that the current Democratic administration is ushering in a state of affairs in which “active state intervention in the economy will be more the rule than the exception”; but such intervention — usually on behalf of business interests — has arguably already been the rule for some time, with the present regime representing more a shuffling of the details than a major step toward greater statism.
Nor do we find a laissez-faire utopia when we turn to 19th century America; even if we set aside, as we shouldn’t, the fact that women and nonwhites –i.e. a majority of the population — were largely excluded from participation in the market, that market was heavily burdened by tariffs, banking regulations, monetary monopolies, postal monopolies, corporate subsidies, licensure laws, land seizures, cartelization schemes, censorship laws, anti-union laws, and Hamiltonian “internal improvements.”
Of course I don’t mean to deny that the United States and other countries generally identified as “capitalist” generally owe their prosperity to their free-market elements rather than to their statist and corporatist elements; but from a radical libertarian perspective that’s a bit like saying that the seriously ill owe what vitality they have to the respects in which they are not diseased.
The magnitude of the gap between corporatist reality and the free-market ideal was the subject of a previous Cato Unbound symposium in which I participated, so I won’t go into more detail now. But if that gap is greater than Rand assumed, then the use of a single term, “capitalism,” to cover both may be inadvisable. [10] More substantively, if Rand indeed underestimated the magnitude of the gap, then her defense of ideal capitalism may not translate as readily as she thought into a justification of various features of historical capitalism. [11] How much of her vision of titans of industry heroically striding across the economic landscape, their pyramid-shaped companies of the less-talented dangling from their pockets like watch fobs, is an artefact of competition-strangling regulations that prevent the flattening of corporate structures, the proliferation of small businesses, and the emergence of workers’ cooperatives?
A related concern about Rand’s vision of a “capitalist” society is the role she envisions for government: that it should be confined solely to the protection of rights, and “resort to force only against those who start the use of force.” In effect, Rand proposes to assign the job of rights-protection to a coercive monopoly insulated from competition, with all the informational and incentival perversities to which such monopolies are subject — and then demands that it not act like a monopoly. Rand described anarchism as a floating abstraction, but the charge might more justly be leveled against “limited government.” [12] (Ironically, one of the central messages of Atlas Shrugged — that the way to defeat an oppressive regime is not through violent revolution but through the mass withdrawal of consent — represents a distinctively anarchist approach to political strategy.)
Liberty In Context
Finally, another question from Rasmussen’s second set is whether, as Rand held, a genuinely free society requires “a moral backdrop to work, to be understood, to be defended.” I would certainly agree that the defense of liberty needs to invoke moral and cultural values beyond the libertarian nonaggression principle alone. For one thing, politics and culture form an interlocking system, with each influencing and reinforcing the other — so we can hardly expect to achieve or maintain liberty while leaving the other elements in the system unaddressed. For another, there are values that, though not entailed by the nonaggression principle itself, are entailed by the best reasons for adopting that principle, so that one could not reasonably embrace that principle while rejecting the associated values. Hence Rand was right to insist that the struggle for liberty must be a cultural as well as a political struggle. [13]
This is not to say that all of the values that Rand championed are well-suited to that struggle; those values included both enlightened attitudes and reactionary ones, mixed together. Moreover, Rand overstated the extent to which the highly specific set of values she defended was crucial to the cause of liberty. Yet while a free society need not require a specific set of cultural values (and might well require the reverse), it seems obvious that liberty is likely to fare better in some contexts than in others, and indeed that some contexts, while not technically inconsistent with libertarianism, are very likely to undermine it in practice. Thus even if there is no one cultural model that a free society must follow, it’s reasonable to suppose that there is some (broad, but not infinite) range within which the prevailing cultural forms in a society must fall if a society is to remain free. In short, we need a combination of generic universalism with specific pluralism. Rand’s commitment to rationality and ethical individualism will surely be included under that generic universalism, even if many of her more specific doctrines will not.
—
Roderick T. Long is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Auburn University
Notes
[1] Incidentally, Rand’s rejection of a conflictual model of human interests suggests that she may have blundered in choosing the term “selfishness” to describe her ethical perspective; for what “selfishness” ordinarily means is not merely dedication to one’s own interests, but dedication to one’s own interests at the expense of the interests of others. Thus the concept of “selfishness” is at home only within a conflictual model of interests. For someone like Rand, who denies that one can achieve one’s own interests by sacrificing those of others, it might perhaps be better to speak, not of the “virtue of selfishness,” but of the impossibility of selfishness. (The term “egoism” does not seem problematic to the same extent.)
[2] For a contemporary exposition of this “eudaimonist” perspective, see Julia Annas’s recent article “Happiness As Achievement.
[3] See also Eric Mack’s argument (“Problematic Arguments in Randian Ethics,” Journal of Ayn Rand Studies 5.1 (Fall 2003), pp. 1-66) that Rand likewise wavers over the closely related question of whether the connection between self-interest and morality is conceptual or causal.
[4] This interpretation is controversial; for an ingenious argument (though I remain unconvinced) for the ultimate compatibility of the constitutive and instrumental approaches in Rand, see Robert Bidinotto’s “Survive or Flourish? A Reconciliation.”
[5] For further defense of the constitutive approach, see Neera K. Badhwar’s Is Virtue Only a Means to Happiness? An Analysis of Virtue and Happiness in Ayn Rand’s Writings and my own Reason and Value: Aristotle versus Rand.
I take Rasmussen’s own position, as defended in such works as Liberty and Nature and Norms of Liberty, to be that the function of rights is to guide society-wide legislation rather than to guide personal conduct; my worry about this approach is that it threatens to leave the individual with only instrumental reasons to care about anyone’s rights but her own.
[6] James G. Lennox, “Darwin Was a Teleologist,” Biology and Philosophy 8.4 (Oct. 1993): 409-421. For a contemporary defense of the same view, see Ruth G. Millikan’s Language, Thought, and Other Biological Categories.
[7] Harry Binswanger’s The Biological Basis of Teleological Concepts, itself intended in part as a defense of Rand’s ethical foundations, seems to combine the second and third approaches.
Incidentally, and interestingly, Rand is to some degree indirectly responsible for the resurgence of interest in Aristotle’s biology within mainstream academic philosophy; Allan Gotthelf and James Lennox, two of the leading authorities within the study of Aristotelean biology (see their studies Philosophical Issues in Aristotle’s Biology, Aristotle on Nature and Living Things, and Aristotle’s Philosophy of Biology), both come from a background in Randian scholarship.
[8] “The Roots of War,” Capitalism, pp. 35-44. Moreover, as Rasmussen notes, the form of political oppression against which Atlas Shrugged prophetically warns, and which Rand generally saw as the chief danger facing the United States, was not socialism but rather a fascist-style government-business partnership promoted, in her view, by both left and right. (See, e.g., “The Presidential Candidates, 1968,” Objectivist 7.6 (1968); “The Fascist New Frontier,” Ayn Rand Column, 2nd ed., ch. 28; “The New Fascism: Rule by Consensus,” Capitalism, ch. 20; and “The Moratorium On Brains, Part II,” Ayn Rand Letter 1.3 (7 Nov. 1971).)
[9] As Chris Sciabarra asks: if concepts, according to Rand’s theory, are supposed to have “existential referents,” where is the existential referent for capitalism? “Despite Rand’s affection for the American, republican form of government, her own vision is less a description of historical reality than it is the projection of an ideal that has yet to be realized. … But if Rand’s ideal is anticipatory, then how can she claim validity for such a concept when it has no legitimate past or current referents? In actuality, Rand creates an ‘ideal-type’ by abstracting liberal referents from historical states, while disregarding nonliberal factors that have been internal to every state in history. For Rand, such concepts as ‘government’ and ‘capitalism’ are socially transformative; their ‘ideal’ character is latent in currently distorted social forms. … Rand’s voluntary political association remains an unknown ideal.” (Chris Matthew Sciabarra, Ayn Rand: The Russian Radical, p. 283.)
For further discussion of how to make sense of a term like “capitalism” within the context of Rand’s theory of word meaning, see my “Praxeology: Who Need It,” Journal of Ayn Rand Studies 6.2 (Spring 2005): 299-316.
[10] There’s an ongoing dispute among libertarians over the meaning of “capitalism.” While most libertarians use the term to refer to a free market, a growing minority (examples include Kevin Carson, Gary Chartier, Charles Johnson, Sheldon Richman, and Brad Spangler) tend to reserve “capitalism” for the corporatist status quo, favoring “socialism” for the free-market alternative; still others (such as Steve Horwitz and myself) lean toward avoiding the terms “capitalism” and “socialism” altogether.
[11] Certainly Rand’s defense of individual business figures like J. P. Morgan seems to rest on underestimating the extent of the gap; for details, see pp. 321-25 of my article “Toward a Libertarian Theory of Class,” Social Philosophy & Policy 15 no. 1 (1998), pp. 303-349 (online here and here).
[12] For analysis of free-market anarchism, see Edward Stringham, ed., Anarchy and the Law: The Political Economy of Choice, and Roderick Long and Tibor Machan, eds., Anarchism/Minarchism: Is a Government Part of a Free Country?.
[13] For the relations between libertarian principle and broader cultural values, see Chris Matthew Sciabarra, “Dialectics and Liberty,” and Charles Johnson, “Libertarianism Through Thick and Thin.”The solar eclipse takes place at 00:28 on the 10th May 2013 (UT) at 19TAU31.
This is the second of a series of 5 solar eclipses in Fixed signs as the nodes move through Taurus and Scorpio. We are in a period which is exploring our relationship with money, the concept of wealth, personal security, survival, death, personal and shared resources, taxes, banks and other financial institutions and ongoing themes related to sexuality, self-esteem and personal values.
Taurus – Grows
Scorpio – Decays
Taurus – Feeds
Scorpio – Withholds
Taurus – Acquires
Scorpio – Releases
This Taurus eclipse is an amped up New Moon. Generally, when the New Moon is in Taurus, it’s a time to reflect upon what you are growing in your life. In the Northern Hemisphere, this sign relates to the blossoming spring, days growing warmer, buds opening. It is a time of fertility and fecundity. Taurus energy is about patience, determination and the strength to carry on. Like the powerful bull that symbolises the sign, we need to work hard for the results we require. Taurus is a builder, the ultimate manifester. To use his energy best, we must become grounded and conscious of the earth beneath our feet.
The Aspect Picture
The solar eclipse is semi-sextile Jupiter, conjunct Mercury and conjunct Mars in order of orb.
The semi-sextile to Jupiter may feel like an opportunity is there but it’s easy to miss. It’s like weeding the garden when you don’t know a lot about plants and pulling up viable seedlings thinking they are weeds. Semi-sextiles indicate that something somewhere needs clarification.
The conjunctions to Mercury and Mars feel argumentative. With both wrapped around the South Node, old ways of thinking and doing things may need to be re-assessed. There’s also impatience which is no good in a sign like Taurus! There’s a danger of sweeping everything under the carpet just to get the house looking clean. But Taurus requires that things are done properly if they are done at all. Whilst Taurus does like to sit with his feet up, when he eventually does get to work, he doesn’t stop until it’s done. There are no half measures with this eclipse.
The Sabian Picture
The Sabian Symbol for the eclipse is :-
Wisps Of Winglike Clouds Streaming Across The Sky
This Sabian is all about how you interpret things. With the eclipse emphasis on Taurus, there’s a tendency to only believe it if you can taste it, touch it, hear it, feel it or see it. But there is a hint that there is more to life than meets the eye. An empty field is full of life under the surface. With the ruling planet of the eclipse (Venus) tottering on the edge of Gemini, you may need to check in with someone else to see if you have the full picture.
The beauty in this degree is that Mother Nature herself may offer you a clue or a blessing along the way. Those clouds may well be angels in disguise. If you are feeling stuck, impatient or just unable to put a finger on what you’re missing, ask for a sign.
The Asteroid Picture
The eclipse is directly conjunct Pallas. Pallas seems to distinctly suggest that planning is required if you want to see your projects and goals manifest. Her presence along with Mars and Mercury feels rather like a meeting after losing a battle, figuring out where you went wrong and where possibly you can implement a different tactic to win the war. Whilst those two bicker about whose fault it was, Pallas insists upon being constructive instead of destructive.
Maybe the lunar eclipse took a swipe at you sideways. Maybe you just didn’t see it coming. Whatever has been laid bare is now just waiting for you to fill the void.
With the emphasis on the South Node, you may need to chuck out the junk. Get rid of what isn’t working. The difficulty here is that with Taurus, change is hard – almost impossible!
“I can’t throw it away, I might need it sometime!”
The questions is, do your really value it or are you just afraid of not having it? You need to make room for new life.
I see echoes of the Saros Cycle 138 chart. Mercury and Mars are raring to go and there is some excitement here but it’s too easy to miss what’s really important. It’s like the moment the light goes out, you catch sight of something out of the corner of your eye but then when the Sun returns, you can’t see it any more – not unless perhaps you are ready to see it. The subtle message of the Sabian symbol is a reminder that the universe will offer you confirmation of what you are growing. What do you see? If you don’t like the signs, then maybe you need to weed out the messages you are giving out. The art of manifestation is all in the intention behind it. Pallas is a wise counsellor and she urges that you resolve any internal arguments in order to transform the shape of things to come. All good things come to those who wait.
Questions and Reflections for the Solar Eclipse
If you’re going to do it, do it right
Think before you act.
Get rid of what you don’t need to make room for new growth
What messages for the universe have you noticed?
What do the signs say about the path ahead?
How can you resolve your internal arguments?
How can you do it differently?
What might you be missing that’s important?
What do you consider to be important that maybe isn’t?
Are you motivated by scarcity or abundance?
Birthday’s Affected
9th – 11th May (Taurus) – Conjunction
11th 13th August (Leo) – Square
11th – 13th November (Scorpio) – Opposition
7th – 9th February (Aquarius) – Square
Any planets or angles falling within 18 – 20 degrees in your chart will be affected but the strongest will be in the signs indicated above due to the nature of the aspect.
Illustration image is from The Hierophant card in the Celestial TarotPlans to build a huge hydroelectric dam in the heart of one of Africa’s largest remaining wild areas have dismayed conservationists who fear that the plans will cause irreversible damage to the Selous game reserve in Tanzania.
After many years of delays and false starts, last week the president of Tanzania, John Magufuli, announced that he would be going ahead with the Stiegler’s Gorge dam on the Rufiji river. Magufuli, nicknamed “the Bulldozer”, was elected in 2015 in part on his record of successful road and infrastructure building. The dam will provide 2,100MW of electricity to a country that is currently extremely undersupplied: Tanzania, with a population of approximately 53m to the UK’s 65m, has just 1,400MW of installed grid capacity compared to the UK’s total grid capacity of 85,000MW.
Elephants could vanish from one of Africa's key reserves within six years Read more
The dam is planned for the heart of the Selous, a game reserve the size of Switzerland. The reserve is home to a huge variety of species including elephants, cheetahs, giraffes and crocodiles. The reserve is a world heritage site but was listed as “in danger” by Unesco a couple of years ago when there were catastrophic falls in animal numbers after heavy poaching.
“The Stiegler’s Gorge project has been a significant concern for many years now due to its potential negative impact on the world heritage site,” said the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s world heritage conservation officer, Remco van Merm. “This includes inundation of significant wildlife habitat, including that of the critically endangered black rhinoceros, as well as a heightened risk of poaching and other illegal activities due to increased access to the area.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Wildlife along the Rufiji river, Selous game reserve, Tanzania. Photograph: Ulrich Doering/Alamy
“Furthermore, the dam would likely have significant negative impacts on downstream land uses, commercial fishing and agricultural industries, and the livelihoods of local communities.”
Illegal wildlife trade threatens species at Unesco sites, says WWF Read more
Thabit Jacob, a Tanzanian specialist in energy and the environment, says: “The dam will cure the country’s energy deficit and more than double the grid’s current capacity. However, with current pressure to move away from fossil fuels, hydro dams are being framed as the ‘clean alternative’ while in reality they are not. It’s vital that robust environmental measures be put in place to protect the local ecology and avoid the danger of resettling local populations before the project goes ahead.”
The world heritage committee will meet in July to review the status of all their sites. For the last few years, while the dam project has been uncertain, they have frequently asked the Tanzanian government to abandon the project, believing that it could cause irreversible damage to the area. They say the construction of large dams on a site is not compatible with world heritage status.Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi pressed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to “say something” on claims in a media report that a company owned by BJP chief Amit Shah’s son saw a huge rise in its turnover after his party came to power in 2014. “Modiji, …Did you act as a watchman or were you a partner? Please say something,” Gandhi said on Twitter.
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In another broadside against the BJP, the Congress leader had said yesterday, “We finally found the only beneficiary of Demonetisation. It’s not the RBI, the poor or the farmers. It’s the Shah-in-Shah of Demo. Jai Amit.” He had also tagged a copy of the news report on the issue in his tweet.
According to the report on a website, the turnover of Jay Amit Shah-owned Temple Enterprise zoomed by around 16,000 times during 2015-16 from around Rs 80 crore in the previous year. The charge was rejected by the BJP and Shah’s son, who termed the story “false, derogatory and defamatory”.The video will start in 8 Cancel
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A cellphone 'bomb' has been discovered hidden inside a mobile phone by staff screening baggage in an X-ray machine at Mangalore Airport in India.
An IndiGo flight from Mangalore to Dubai was delayed this afternoon when a suspicious "clay-like" item was detected by airport scanners.
The discovery sparked a major security scare as Indian media reported a 26-year-old man travelling to Dubai had been arrested after police were called.
Early reports suggested there was confusion as to whether the device was viable or fake. Sniffer dogs reportedly gave a "mixed signal" if the item was explosive or whether it contained a chemical used to launch a possible gas attack.
Indian media reported a "suspicious clay-like object" was found in the Dubai-bound passenger's mobile phone which was located in his check-in baggage.
(Image: ANI/Twitter)
But later it was identified as a disguise for a hand-made power pack.
Mangaluru Police Commissioner TS Suresh said: "It was a self-made power bank and after through check it was allowed to proceed," according to Times Now News.
A photograph shows red and yellow electrical wires attached to a small silver object similar to a battery pack with a brown-coloured material keeping items in place.
One theory to emerge is that this was a 'dry run' by a 'terrorist sales rep' or arms dealer who was attempting to show customers how 'easy' it was to get the device onto a plane through security - but failed.
Airline IndiGo tweeted: "IndiGo's alert security screener staff at Mangalore caught a suspect carrying alleged cellphone bomb today.
"The matter has been reported to the local police. Since it is a sensitive security matter we have nothing more to share."
(Image: Hindustan Times)
India's Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) chief Rajesh Kumar Chandra reportedly ordered the object to be investigated.
The Times of India quoted a senior aviation official who said: "The passenger, M Mohammed, was booked on IndiGo's flight 6E 877 from Mangalore to Bangalore at 10 |
. If Oregon State won the Civil War, and it came down to a 12-1 OSU vs. an 11-1 Oregon for the NCG berth, I don't know that OSU would get the nod, based on strength of loss. So we might need the Ducks to lose before the Civil War, just to be sure. Because, you know, you needed another reason to root against the Ducks.
As I said, it's very unlikely, but not impossible. A lot of the teams that need to lose play each other, so there are some guaranteed losses there. Yes, it's a pipe dream likely to end shortly, but it's still plausible.
So there you have it. Now that we have the season's first goal -- bowl eligibility -- achieved, it will be fun watching them climb the ladder of possibility.
It's a great day to be a Beaver!Use this simple test to find out if viewing the eclipse through a kitchen colander has blinded you
How to tell if you damaged your eyes during the eclipse
Hospitals around the country were inundated with people arriving at their emergency departments to see if they had sustained eye damage as a result of watching the eclipse.
Doctors across the country also reported a huge volume of calls requesting information about the possible long term effects of having stared at the eclipse. One doctor told the Guardian: “If you can’t read this piece, then... ”
(Turn around.) Every now and then I get a little bit lonely. And you’re never coming ’round. (Turn around.) Every now and then I get a little bit tired of listening to the sound of my tears. (Turn around.) Every now and then I get a little bit nervous that the best of all the years have gone by. (Turn around.) Every now and then I get a little bit terrified. And then I see the look in your eyes.
(Turn around, bright eyes!) Every now and then I fall apart. (Turn around, bright eyes!) Every now and then I fall apart. (Turn around.) Every now and then I get a little bit restless. And I dream of something wild. (Turn around.)
Every now and then I get a little bit helpless. And I’m lying like a child in your arms (Turn around). Every now and then I get a little bit angry and I know I’ve got to get out and cry (Turn around). Every now and then I get a little bit terrified
But then I see the look in your eyes.
(Turn around, bright eyes!) Every now and then I fall apart.
(Turn around, bright eyes!) Every now and then I fall apart.
And I need you now tonight. And I need you more than ever. And if you only hold me tight. We’ll be holding on forever. And we’ll only be making it right. Cause we’ll never be wrong together.JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday he is seeking to have Arab Israelis stripped of their citizenship for joining the Islamic State group to fight in the Syrian conflict.
Last week, Israeli police said six Arab Israelis were arrested on suspicion of planning to travel to Syria to join IS in a case sparked by a man's paraglider journey.
On October 24, a 23-year-old entered Syria illegally on a paraglider from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, prompting an investigation by Israeli security forces.
Israeli authorities say about 45 Israeli Arabs have joined the ranks of ISIS in recent months, with some having been killed.
Ten who returned to Israel were arrested.
"I have asked the attorney general to advance steps to revoke the citizenship of those who join ISIS," Netanyahu said on Sunday.
"Whoever joins ISIS will not be an Israeli citizen. And if he leaves the borders of the state, he will not return," he said at the start of a cabinet meeting.
"I think this lesson is becoming increasingly clear throughout the international arena and it is fitting that we lead this effort as well."
Concern over foreign fighters travelling to and from Syria to fight with ISIS has risen in the wake of the November 13 Paris attacks.
Arab Israelis are those who remained in the Jewish state after its 1948 creation and account for more than 17 percent of the country's population.[Info] World Arena Season 2 and Rift Dungeon Balancing Modification
Greetings from the Development Team!
The first season of World Arena is about to end, soon!
Today, we'll inform you about the details of the World Arena schedule for season 1 and 2, and also about the rift dungeon balancing modification.
Before we go into the details, we'd like to thank all of you for your participation and support for the first season of the World Arena.
During the development, we were nervous to introduce the World Arena where all users from all servers battle together since it was our first time to develop such content. Fortunately, a lot of users seem to enjoy the World Arena which made the entire development team feel very proud of the work.
At the same time, we are constantly thinking about how we could improve the content and introduce a better gaming environment for you guys. We'll continue to keep our ears open for your opinions and try to reflect them to the gameplay.
Now, let's take a look at the details of the future plans for the World Arena.
▶ Future Plans for World Arena
- World Arena Season 1 will end on Jun. 28th. (v3.4.8 update)
- World Arena Season 2 will start on mid-July. (v3.4.9 update)
- Please note that the above schedule may change since the World Arena starts and ends with an update.
- We'll put up another notice if there's any change to the schedule and we're currently preparing to put up the season end/starting date on the main page of the World Arena. Please refer to the image below.
- After tallying, which will take a day, the reward for the World Arena Season 1 will be given to all servers starting Jun. 30th 12am PDT.
- You won't be able to enter the Ranking Battle during the Season 1 end - Season 2 opening, but you'll still be able to enter the Goodwill Battle.
- Moreover, the World Arena Victory Points will also reset after the tally. The process will be similar to that of the Arena and please refer to the chart below for details.
Next, we'd like to talk about the modifications on the rule of the next World Arena Season and new rewards that will be added.
▶ World Arena Season 2 Modifications
- Acquiring additional turns with Violent Runes will now be limited to only 1 turn.
: We got tons of opinions regarding the Violent Rune during the first season and decided to put a limit on it. We still believe that activating 1 additional turn can be a powerful variable in the gameplay.
- If you have consumed all of your turn time without any action, the time given in the following turn will be reduced by half.
For instance, if you don't make a decision within 15 sec during your first turn, the time that you get in your following turn will be reduced to 7 sec. For this 7 sec, if you don't make any action, your turn will be reduced by half once again, and you'll get 3 sec in the following turn. If you make an action within 3 sec and use your turn properly, the duration of your turn will be recovered back to 15 sec.
We've made such modification to prevent users from being stressed by the opponent who intentionally making delayed decisions, and the same rule applies to the pick and ban system. The total amount of time given in the first turn during the pick and ban is 30 sec, and the duration will be shortened as follows: 30 sec -> 15 sec -> 7 sec -> 3 sec.
- The base turn for additional effect activation will be changed as follows.
(Previously) 30 turns at first, increases the Attack Power by 10% and decreases the HP by 10% for every 15 turns afterwards.
(Changed to) 20 turns at first, increases the Attack Power by 10% and decreases the HP by 10% for every 15 turns afterwards.
In order for users to be able to enjoy more thrilling battles in the World Arena, we decided to reduce the number of turns that activate additional effects.
- Victory Point Balancing will be modified.
There were lots of opinions about the change of the victory point, and there were cases where users getting too stressed about that their gameplays are getting interfered. To relieve such stress, we decided to modify the calculation of the victory point based on the data we collected from season 1 so that it can be more balanced. So far we've discussed about the rules that will change in Season 2 of the World Arena. We hope that the new rules will make the content more complete!
In addition, we'll continue to listen to the opinions that you guys provide us and try to improve the gameplay. Along with the changes in the rules, exciting rewards will be added to Season 2!
Let's see what rewards are added!
▶ New World Arena Season 2 Rewards
First of all, Legend grade users will be given a special reward as noticed before.
- A new Hall of Fame Menu will be added in the World Arena.
: Some of you may have already noticed, but a new menu will be added to congratulate the users who reached the Legend Grade in each season. Who would be the honorable player to be registered to the Hall of Fame?
- A unique statue will be rewarded to the World Arena Legend.
: In addition to the Hall of Fame mentioned above, the Legend grade user will receive an additional reward, which is the below.
This statue can be installed on the island and a special effect (World Arena Season 1 Legend) will be displayed when you tap the statue along with your name.
- New World Arena Season 2 Rewards
: As a [season reward], Homunculus Transmogrification and new Transmogrification Effect, Ellia's Ride will be available.
Though we don't have the images yet, we can tell you that these will be great rewards for sure!
Along with the above rewards, Ellia's House and a building where Ellia's rides can be kept will also be added, so please stay tuned!
Next, let's talk about the modifications to be made to the Rift Dungeon.
▶ Rift Dungeon Reward/Balancing Modification
After opening this dungeon, we've had so many internal discussions on how to make improvement and we finally decided to make the following modifications.
- The rewards that are dropped in the Rift Dungeon will be adjusted.
: A new [Reward Box] will be added as a reward for the Rift Dungeon gameplay. From this box, Gems/Grindstones that are related to Fight/Determination/Enhance/Accuracy/Tolerance Runes as well as other items will be dropped with a fixed chance.
: No more Gems/Grindstones related to Fight/Determination/Enhance/Accuracy/Tolerance Runes will be dropped in the Rift Raid due to the modification.
(The drop rate in the Raid remains the same, so we believe that it'll be easier to farm Gems and Grindstones.)
: Condensed Magic Crystal will now be dropped for users who reach Grade B- and up. With this modification, the amount of Condensed Magic Crystals dropped each time has been slightly reduced. (The drop rate has increased, so you'll be able to acquire more Condensed Magic Crystals in the end.)Please refer to the chart below.
- The effects of Fight/Determination/Enhance Runes will be increased.
[Fight] Ally's Attack Power +7% -> +8%
[Determination] Ally's Defense +7% -> +8%
[Enhance] Ally's HP +7% -> +8%
- The price of Fight/Determination/Enhance/Accuracy/Tolerance Runes will be adjusted.
: The price will be increased from 161 up to 300% according to the grade of the Rune.
: The price of the Runes acquired before the patch won't be increased.
: Mana Stones will no longer drop as a Rift Dungeon reward. However, Runes/Grind Stones/Gems have been added enabling users to acquire Mana Stones by selling such items. Additionally, the price of the Rune has also increased, so we expect users to be able to acquire more Mana Stones than before.
- The amount of inflicted damage will be increased by 50% when using Monsters that have attribute advantages in the Rift Dungeon. However, Monsters with attribute disadvantage will receive 50% increased damage from the Rift Beasts. The defense of the Rift Beast will also slightly increase.
: It seems that only certain Monsters are being used in the Rift Dungeon, especially those of the attack type regardless of the attribute, and we thought that this should be changed since Summoners War expects users to enjoy strategic gameplay. By enhancing the attribute concept in the Rift Dungeon, we expect users to utilize as many Monsters as possible according to the attribute relations.
Many of you may like or dislike some of the modifications made to the Rift Dungeon, but please keep in mind that we've thought it through carefully before making such modifications and decided to do so in order to provide everyone with better gaming environment and to improve Summoners War even further.
Additionally, there's one last thing we've prepared for you!
As mentioned briefly at the 3rd Anniversary Invitational, a support-type Homunculus will be added with the next update!
- We're currently balancing the stats and skills so we can't give you many details, but it'll be a great Monster that possesses various beneficial and harmful effects.
- Homunculus crafting cost and evolution cost will also be greatly decreased with the update.
(Please keep in mind that the above content is still under development and may be different from the actual update.)
That's all we got for you today! We thank you for your patience and support and please stay tuned for the future update!“The free world… all of Christendom… is at war with Islamic horror,” the Louisiana congressman wrote in a post containing a picture from Saturday’s terrorist attack in London. Higgins was a Louisiana sheriff’s deputy before running for Congress, and was known nationwide for his tough talking videos targeting wanted criminals.
In one viral video, he told suspected gang members, “You will be hunted, you will be trapped, and if you raise your weapon to a man like me we will return fire with superior fire.”
Higgins has continued to use this style of rhetoric while in Congress. His Facebook post went on to say: “Not one penny of American treasure should be granted to any nation who harbors these heathen animals. Not a single radicalized Islamic suspect should be granted any measure of quarter.
“Their intended entry to the American homeland should be summarily denied. Every conceivable measure should be engaged to hunt them down. Hunt them, identity them, and kill them,” Higgins wrote. “Kill them all. For the sake of all that is good and righteous. Kill them all.”Cynthia V. Anderson was arrested on animal abuse charges (Hall County Jail)
A Florida woman was arrested late last week over allegations that she killed a puppy when she was not allowed to board a flight with the dog.
The Grand Island Independent reported that Cynthia V. Anderson, a 56-year-old resident of Edgewater, Florida, had first tried to board a flight at Central Nebraska Regional Airport on Thursday with three puppies and two dogs. All of the puppies were said to be less than 2 weeks old.
Grand Island police Sgt. Stan Steele told the paper that Anderson was not allowed to board because the two dogs had proper kennels, but the puppies did not.
After Anderson’s parents took two of the puppies, she attempted to board another flight on Friday by concealing the third puppy in her carry-on luggage, according to Steele. But she was again denied.
Anderson was later seen entering a bathroom in the airport terminal. After she left the bathroom, a dead puppy was found in one of the toilets by an airport customer.
The Central Nebraska Humane Society took custody of the puppy and conducted an autopsy.
“The cause of death was determined to be drowning,” Steele explained.
Anderson was booked into the Hall County Jail on charges of animal abuse.KIEV, Ukraine — As news broke of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 being downed in eastern Ukraine, the separatist’s shadowy commander with a pencil mustache issued a dark warning on social media.
Through his VK.com account, Russia’s version of Facebook, the self-proclaimed defense minister of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Igor Girkin — who goes by the nom de guerre Igor Strelkov — boasted about shooting down a plane.
"We did warn you — do not fly in our sky," he wrote.
A man stands next to the wreckage of the malaysian airliner carrying 295 people from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur after it crashed, in rebel-held east Ukraine, on July 17, 2014. Image: DOMINIQUE FAGET/AFP/Getty Images
Thinking it was a Ukrainian transport plane, Strelkov added that “a plane has just been downed somewhere around Torez, it lays there behind the 'Progress' mine,” referring to the mining town of some 80,000 people.
“And here is the video proving another 'bird' falling down,” he continued. “The bird went down behind a slagheap, not in a residential district. So no peaceful people were injured,” Strelkov wrote, adding that there is also information about a Ukrainian military plane shot down.
However, Strelkov deleted the post when he found out it was actually a commercial jetliner carrying 295 innocent people — not a military aircraft.
When Mashable called Alexander Borodai, self-declared prime minister of Donetsk People's Republic, to ask if the group was responsible for shooting down the plane, to which he responded: "Listen, we don't have these weapons [to down the 777]."
Then he hung up.
The pro-Russian rebels in Donetsk have been colliding with Ukrainian forces for months and have brought down several military aircrafts. However, the rebels denied their involvement with two crashes this week, saying they didn't have the kind of equipment to carry out such an event.
On Wednesday, the Ukrainian government claimed that a Russian military plane shot down a Ukrainian fighter jet. Just two days ago, Ukrainian officials suggested that a military transport plane carrying food and water for troops was shot down by an advanced rocket system fired from Russia.
Strelkov, a native Muscovite, is known for his brutality. As reported in Mashable, he led an illegal military tribunal and sentenced at least three Ukrainian citizens to death by firing squad under a 1941 Stalin-era law.
A Donetsk People's Republic fighter throw a bottle of water to colleagues as they arrive at gas station to fill their tank with fuel in Snizhne, 100 kilometers east of Donetsk, eastern Ukraine Thursday, July 17, 2014. Image: Dmitry Lovetsky/Associated Press
The conflict in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions began in April.Sebastian Marino already has an Academy Award for his special-effects work on James Cameron's Avatar, but the other evening he became a director, and staged a tiny shoot in his apartment. He and a small crew set up an array of cameras and filmed two actresses in front of a green screen. Only one of them delivered lines. "I imagine you're feeling a bit like Alice right now," she said enigmatically, "tumbling down the rabbit hole. Like her, I would suggest that you choose carefully." She pointed in one direction, then another. And that was it; they took down the green screen, and everyone went home.
But Sebastian Marino wasn't done. The next step was to turn that tiny shoot into the future.
Overnight, the data he'd captured with his cameras simmered; in the morning, he dropped the resulting file into the Unity 3D videogame engine and placed the actresses in a bare-bones apartment. In one room, a neon sign on one wall read WE WANT WHAT WE SEE, and a lamp against another wall cast its light across the actress' right side. In the other room, he made the interior light red and darkened everything so you couldn't see that the other model wasn't wearing much. After all, when you're making the future, you don't want to be, as Marino said later, "overly suggestive."
The thing is, this wasn't a videogame. It was a movie—and, even better, quite possibly the first actual VR movie to use human beings. The actress who gave the Alice-down-the-rabbit-hole speech looked nothing like a videogame character who was waving from the other side of the Uncanny Valley; she looked like herself. She was wearing the same clothes, her face moved perfectly, and her motions were fluid and flawless. Yet, she was standing in a room that didn't, in any real way, exist.
What Marino has managed to do, along the rest of his fledgeling VR company Uncorporeal, is solve in a very real way the cardinal problem that plagues the prospects of virtual filmmaking. And what's even more astonishing is that he and his two co-founders—whose careers encompass decades of wizardry at Lucasfilm/ILM, WETA, the Euro Space Agency, Google X, Microsoft, and Electronic Arts—have done it in stealth mode. They provided the company's seed funding themselves, they've never shown up at a VR conference, and they've used email accounts belonging to a holding company so that no one caught wind of the name Uncorporeal. "The number of people that have seen our stuff," Marino says, "you can count on your fingers and toes."
If you hadn't noticed by now, we are way down the rabbit hole.
Caught In the Frame
As we careen headlong toward 2016 and the long-awaited launch of consumer VR, there's still one very real problem plaguing the medium. It's not simulator sickness, or display resolution, or optical solutions; all of those things are effectively solved by now, and while they're not perfect, they're unimaginably better than they were even 18 months ago. It's not input; the three consumer systems coming (Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and Playstation VR) have demonstrable and elegant control schemes. And it's not content: from dozens of game titles under development to Netflix apps to virtual museum tours, a robust pipeline ensures that early adopters will have plenty to do.
The problem is movies. Specifically, live-action video capture. Consumer VR relies on external cameras to track your headset in space, and then translate its movements and positions into virtual environments. It's called positional tracking, and in VR gaming it's what allows you to crouch behind a desk, or peek around a boulder, or look under a table by making those movements in real life—crouching, leaning, bending. But there's currently no way to bring positional tracking to video.
Think about it: If you position an array of cameras around a central point to act as the "eye" of the person wearing the headset, then you're stuck with whatever 360-degree view you get from that vantage point. Of VR's optimal "six degrees of freedom"—nodding your head, turning your head, tilting your head left/right, and actually moving through space on three axes—VR video is thus far confined to moving your body. In other words, you can look around all you want, but you can't change your position, no matter how much you crouch and lean. (And with your brain registering physical movement without seeing movement reflected in your field of vision, you might actually feel some discomfort.)
In order to get around the positional-tracking thing, a number of VR "film" companies have opted to make Pixar-like CGI movies—using VR-optimized gaming engines like Unity 3D and Unreal 4 to create what are essentially non-playable games. (This weird hybrid model is exactly why words like "experience" and "storytelling" are supplanting the word "movie" in VR circles.) But while you get positional tracking, and all six degrees of freedom, you lose something else: realism. Trying to create photorealistic humans in a regular non-VR videogame already runs smack into the Uncanny Valley; doing it with the added processing burden of VR—stereo renders, each running at a whopping 90 frames per second—is utterly futile.
And that's where Uncorporeal comes in. They film actors just like any other VR video company, with an array of cameras that they've created themselves based on camera-on-a-chip technology. However, their cameras capture the entire lightfield of the room—like a video version of Lytro's still cameras that debuted in 2011. That means, in simple terms, that the company has so many light samples that it's able to process that performance and digitally by creating a geometric model that with sub-millimeter accuracy. "We've solved not only for the geometry of the subject," Marino says, "but then we also capture all of the light for all of those cameras, so we have every single pixel. No matter where you're looking at the subject from."
Uncorporeal
If that sounds like motion-capture, it's not. In mo-cap, you make a static 3D model of a character, then animate its skeleton and other underlying layers to create the performance; it may look realistic, and it might even be based on an actor wearing a suit covered in skeletal trackers, but it's still CG. However, Marino says, Uncorporeal's process is more like "per-pixel motion-capture"; every pixel is motion-tracked in 3D, and so can be digitized flawlessly, but it's still a human performer giving the human performance.
OK, but here's the other part: That's just the actor. Once the camera rig captures a person's performance, Uncorporeal synthesizes all the data and spits out a proprietary codec, u3d, that contains all the geometric information of the captured performer, as well as the lightfield information—which is really just color information. The u3d-encoded file can then be dropped directly into any environment built with the Unity 3D game engine, using a Unity plug-in that Uncorporeal built. The result? A human being in a virtual environment, and one who, thanks to the game engine, will cast a virtual shadow. The lightfield information means that the integration is seamless, rather than looking like a bad Photoshop job. Marino refers to the product—indeed, to the whole process—as "10DVR": the usual six degrees of freedom, plus three spatial dimensions and time.
By capturing real people and their real emotions, the process preserves the intimacy and empathy of VR video; by rendering them perfectly and bringing them into an infinitely customizable, positionally tracked virtual space, the process preserves that elusive sense of presence that we can only get in CGI experiences.
To be clear, Uncorporeal isn't the only company thinking along these lines. Earlier this year, Lytro raised $50 million to pivot toward VR applications for lightfield cameras, but we haven't seen anything from them thus far. Another company, OTOY, has shown footage of a lightfield render of an empty room, but we haven't seen human performance. What Uncorporeal seems to be alone in offering, however, is the marriage of image capture and visual effects. By capturing real people and their real emotions, the process preserves the intimacy and empathy of VR video; by rendering them perfectly and bringing them into an infinitely customizable, positionally tracked virtual space, the process preserves that elusive sense of presence that we can only get in CGI experiences.
Not surprisingly, Hollywood is listening. Marino confirms that Uncorporeal is actively talking to a variety of studios, but not in any high-profile way. "Since we self-funded our seed round, we didn't need to be out there pandering for attention," he says. "And given our contacts, we're able to get to who we need to speak to." And while they've steered clear of the usual VR events and conferences, they'll be attending the Future of Storytelling conference, which starts today in New York. Marino will be there, armed with a DK2, ready to show people what the true future of storytelling might look like.UK Construction Industry based organisations have introduced a mental health awareness campaign designed to prevent suicides among construction workers
Construction companies are starting to back the Mates in Mind program, and organiser Health in Construction Leadership Group intends to reach out to at least 100,000 constriction professionals this year to encourage positive mental health.
It's estimated that U.K. construction professionals are 10 times more likely to die from suicide than from an accident on site. One in six construction workers having at least 1 mental health issue, resulting in millions lost in work days annually.
Search for Construction Jobs
Mate in mind state: The aim of this programme will be to help raise awareness and understanding of poor mental health in the construction sector, importantly undertaken in a way that is consistent and made available to all workers across the sector. It is estimated that there are 2.5 million people employed in construction in the UK
Construction workers are 10 times more likely to die from suicide than from an accident on site: https://t.co/NMfVvt5klH #matesinmind — UK Construction Jobs (@Construct_job) February 1, 2017
The mates in mind program allows for employer share information with each other. The program is backed by more than 300 construction industry leaders and a number of mental health groups.
For More information on the program please email support@matesinmind.orgI felt a genuine pang of sadness at this week's news that Barack Obama has given up smoking. The pester-power of the women in his life, his wife and daughters, have apparently broken this proud man at last. Michelle Obama announced her triumph on American television.
How far we've come since tobacco was seen as one of life's bounties, something to be treasured. "More doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette," the old TV commercials once boasted. There were two songs called "Love is a Cigarette" which made the romantic case for tobacco. "And just like a cigarette," went one, "I never felt thrill of life until you touched my lips."
Smoking no longer represents the thrill of life, at least in respectable company. In fact, it has become an easy symbol of human weakness, self-indulgence and personal irresponsibility. During Obama's glory days as an occasional smoker, a writer in the Wall Street Journal asked, in all apparent seriousness, whether someone who confessed himself to be unable to give up smoking possessed "the intelligence, strength and human willpower to lead the most powerful nation on Earth".
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Enough now, surely, of this primness. The sound of scolding and tut-tutting from the ranks of the concerned has become tedious. We know that smoking is bad for the health, but it is also true that people make choices in their lives involving the balance between risk and pleasure. It is not obligatory to put safety and longevity before all other considerations in daily life. These people are not lesser citizens, only different from the majority.
Increasingly, difference is something to be treasured. At a time of mass conformity, when disapproval is in the air we breathe, a political leader who dares to smoke now and then is not showing weakness but strength. The famous photograph of Obama taking a joyous drag on a cigarette while a student is warm, human and strangely life-affirming.
Although I happen not to smoke cigarettes myself, I find myself admiring those in public life who still defiantly spark up, even when cameras are around. They are striking a light for individuality. If, as a society, we now believe that the human and economic cost of nicotine addiction is unfeasibly high then we should ban the habit, and have done. After that, the Government should take a long, stern look at alcohol and its considerably worse effects on the way we live.
Most thinking people will conclude that making smoking illegal would be too much of an infringement on personal decision-making. In a similar spirit, the nagging should end. We now agree that smoking should not be promoted, that it should be kept away from children. Surely we are grown-up enough to accept that, if the most powerful man in the world likes now and then to relax with a cigarette, when safely away from the cameras, that should be his right.
Perhaps what really annoys the campaigners, and motivates their bullying of smokers, is not so much the thought of its effect as the pleasure it affords: a socially acceptable contemporary form of puritanism is at work.
In America, a new smoking substitute called the e-cigarette is already feeling the effect of the new primness. Battery-operated, it provides a nicotine fix in the form of vapour, without harmful tar or smoke. Tobacco firms are worried and, weirdly, are being helped by the anti-smoking lobby. Already there are attempts to ban the electronic cigarette on the grounds that its manufacture is unregulated. The real problem, one suspects, is that it is an uncomfortably accurate imitation of the real thing, that it gives an inappropriate amount of pleasure.
Whether his nicotine treat is electronic or the real smoking thing, I hope that Barack Obama quietly slips off the wagon as he has done in the past. He is, after all, president of the Land of the Free.
terblacker@blacker; twitter.com/terenceblacker
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Cartoonists across the world have flooded the streets and the internet with powerful drawings in defiance of the armed gunmen who attempted to silence the satirical French newspaper, Charlie Hebdo.
Three men stormed the publication’s building in Paris on Wednesday, where they shot dead 12 people and injured 11. Amongst the victims were 10 journalists and at least four cartoonists.
Charlie Hebdo was well known for its controversial images which regularly satirised Islam amongst other religions, while the newspaper’s latest tweet featured a cartoon of Abu Baghdadi, the leader of Islamic State.
As tens of thousands of people gathered on the streets across the world to show support for those who were slaughtered, cartoonists everywhere took to their drawing pads in an effort to prove that pens are far mightier than swords.
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Cartoonists across the world, including Australian David Pope, have flooded the internet with touching drawings to show support and solidarity for the victims of the Charlie Hebdo terrorism attack
Many of the cartoons included pens or pencils to represent the victims: This one, originally thought to be by Graffiti artist Banksy, was liked more than 82,000 times on Instagram. It appears to be the work of illustrator Lucille Clerc
This image by The Independent's cartoonist Dave Brown, was retweeted by over 22,000 people including author J.K. Rowling
'And this is our gun!' A Chilean caricaturists thought up this clever image after the distressing event, which saw 12 people die and 11 injured
Illustrator James Walmesley's cartoon received 4,200 retweets within nine hours of being shared online
Using the hashtag #jesuischarlie, meaning I am Charlie in French, artists shared their own powerful and often satirical sketches to advocate for free press, denounce violence and mourn their innocent colleagues from the French publication.
One of the most widely shared drawings, which was shared more than 62,000 times and favourite by over 29,000 people within 13 hours of hitting the internet, was penned by The Canberra Times' cartoonist David Pope.
'Can't sleep tonight, thoughts with my French cartooning colleagues, their families and loved ones,' Mr Pope wrote alongside his drawing on Twitter.
An image by The Independent's cartoonist Dave Brown, which showed a hand coming out of a Charlie Hebdo magazine with its middle finger displayed as blood-red ink spills across the page, has been shared by over 22,000 Twitter users, including author J.K. Rowling.
Dutch cartoonist Ruben Oppenheimer alluded to the 9/11 terror attacks in New York with his thoughtful cartoon which received over 20,000 retweets
Brazilian cartoonist Carlos Latuff's cartoon shared a different message: while two gunman were drawn shooting into a building labelled as the Charlie Hebdo headquarters, the bullets are also shown hitting an Islamic building
Supportive cartoons came from artists as far and wide as India, Egypt, Brazil, Canada, Spain and Belgium
French artist Boulet's cartoon portrays the magazine as a duck, flying above a gunman. The words roughly translate to 'the ducks always fly higher than the guns', using the French slang for ducks which can also mean newspaper
Egyptian cartoonist Cheb Makhlouf drew this cartoon along with the words 'we know that our weapon is stronger than your weapon'
Meanwhile Indian artist Satish Acharya's image satirised the event with the pictured speech bubble
Many of the cartoons included pens or pencils to represent the victims, with some depicting a sharpened pencil claiming retribution against its attackers
One cartoon with this theme was drawn and shared gaining over 82,000 likes in six hours on Instagram alone. Originally credited to graffiti artist Banksy, it is thought to be the work of illustrator Lucille Clerc.
Supportive cartoons came from artists as far and wide as India, Egypt, Brazil, Canada, Spain and Belgium.
Brazilian cartoonist Carlos Latuff's cartoon shared a different message: while two gunman were drawn shooting into a building labelled as the Charlie Hebdo headquarters, the bullets were shown travelling through the office and into an Islamic building.
'Please, RT! Attack has another victim!' Mr Latuff wrote alongside his cartoon.
Nate Beeler was one of many artists who advocated for free press within his satirical drawing
The Washington Post's editorial cartoonist Tom Toles wrote 'but the pen will endure and the line will be drawn' on his illustration
Many of the images, including this one by Rob Tornoe, depicted sharpened pencils and pens claiming retribution against their attackers
Ffench cartoonist Gilles van Kote from the publication Le Monde wrote 'Wholeheartedly with Charlie Hebdo' in his image
Dutch cartoonist, Ruben Oppenheimer, compared the event to the September 11 attacks on the world Trade Centre in New York with his cartoon that showed a plane flying towards two erected pencils.
Each one resonated deeply with the words of the paper's editor and cartoonist, Stephane Charbonnier, who in 2012 said 'I would rather die standing than live kneeling' a year after the building had been fireb |
of the experience, however, lies not in the use of a single word, but the action as a whole, a public act of shaming designed to degrade the couple’s dignity in the eyes of the community. At its core, discrimination like this seems, to me, to be guided less by religious principles than by a startling lack of empathy and compassion.
Those, at any rate, are the stakes of the debate over “religious liberty”: The freedom to discriminate, to kick out gay couples who dare touch legs in your restaurant, versus freedom from discrimination, the liberty to live one’s life relatively free of prejudice-based indignity. You can decide for yourself which side has the better argument. But I’d seriously reevaluate my conception of morality before throwing my weight behind the Earl Cheneys of the world.Image copyright Shirley Baker Image caption Photographer Shirley Baker captured images of slum life at a time when substandard housing was being bulldozed
Photographs taken at the time of Manchester and Salford's post-war inner-city clearance programmes have gone on show.
Photographer Shirley Baker died in 2014 aged 82, leaving behind a body of work that had received little attention over her 55-year career.
An exhibition of her images is now on show at Manchester Art Gallery.
It focuses on what Baker saw as the needless destruction of working-class communities between the 1960s and 80s.
The museum held an open day in the hope of tracking down people who featured in the photographs, some of whom have come forward.
Image copyright Shirley Baker Image caption Children are pictured playing in the Hulme area of Manchester
Baker's images often show families going about their daily lives, with gangs of children playing in the street.
Broken urban landscapes of rubble, junk and abandoned shops also feature widely, at a time when dilapidated old houses were being bulldozed.
Many hundreds of homes fell into disrepair in the post-war era - sometimes due to bomb damage - forcing some families to leave for new areas.
Baker, who was born in Salford in 1932, once said: "Whole streets were disappearing and I hoped to capture some trace of the everyday life of people who lived there.
"I wanted to photograph the mundane, even trivial aspects of life not being recorded by anyone else, rather than the organised and official activities."
Image copyright Shirley Baker Image caption This boy's attention appears to have been drawn to an abandoned blackboard
Mary Sullivan, Sally Sheldon, Kate Withington and Bridget Cunniffe grew up in Honduras Street in Chorlton-on-Medlock, which features in some of the photographs.
Ms Cunniffe said: "We didn't have much room to play in our house, because it was just a two-up, two-down, and we had just a little back yard where all the washing used to be done.
"So we were always outside. Those demolished playgrounds were our playgrounds."
Image copyright Shirley Baker Image caption Shirley Baker's work often focused on the rubble and dereliction of clearance programmes
Brothers Stephen, Derek and Peter Williamson, who lived as part of a 10-strong family in Gertrude Street in Ordsall, Salford, are pictured in the exhibition.
"It was known as tea leaf alley, because all the old ladies used to empty their teapots into the road," Derek said.
"I smile when I see [the photographs] now. I think they were good times. I appreciated everything we had."
Women and Children: and Loitering Men will be on show at Manchester Art Gallery until the end of July
Image copyright Shirley Baker Image caption Many of the colour images were taken in the 1960s
Image copyright Shirley Baker Image caption Children often feature in the photographs
Image copyright Shirley Baker Image caption Baker's photographs were developed using different colour tones
Image copyright Shirley Baker Image caption The photographer often preferred to work in black and white
Image copyright Shirley Baker Image caption A gang of children appear happy as they play in a rubble-strewn streetThe yappy couple: Amanda and Sheba tie the knot, left, in front of 200 people (Picture: Medavia)
She kissed a few frogs on her way to true love but Amanda Rodgers has found wedded bliss… with her dog.
For the 47-year-old British divorcee has married her loyal pet terrier called Sheba.
They became a couple in front of 200 people in Split, Croatia, and Ms Rodgers couldn’t be happier. ‘Sheba had been in my life for years, making me laugh and comforting me when I was feeling low,’ she said. ‘I couldn’t think of anything more I’d need from a life partner.’
She married a man 20 years ago but the relationship ended within a few months.
Pup-tials: Together for richer or paw-rer (Picture: Medavia)
When cupid struck a second time Ms Rodgers, from south London, wanted to do things properly. She said: ‘I got down on one knee and proposed. I could tell by her tail wagging that she said ‘‘yes’’’.
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The ceremony took place in August 2012 and fulfilled all her dreams.
‘I’d dreamed of a perfect wedding dress since I was small, I made it myself for the ceremony. The day was wonderful, more fun than the marriage. I gave her a kiss to seal the deal and then everyone threw confetti. It was a wonderful moment,’ added Ms Rodgers who organises the Stranger than Paradise night at Hootananny in Brixton, south London.
‘I know the wedding to Sheba wasn’t real in the legal sense. But it was a nice way to mark what Sheba means to me. Sheba’s never unkind to me and she’s always happy.’It’s time for another Live Toy Box TV Episode! The weekly Disney Infinity Twitch Stream for 6.5.15 with your awesome hosts Allison Petrek & John Vignocchi!
The Live Stream
Watch live video from Disney on Twitch
This Week’s Recap
Allison has been super busy with all sorts of planning! A big event for the end of the summer…
John is wearing a Sriracha Shirt that he is very proud of.
JV likes to Periscope… until he hits the reverse camera button..
The Avalanche team is hammering out all the bugs of 3.0… they are the bug smashers!
Lots of coverage planned for E3! Fan interviews (public can enter this year!) Disney Infinity has a few 100 passes to release to their fans. Details soon! Figures will be handed out at the E3 event! The Events team is working hard at prepping for the conference.
Sean Patton joins us to play some Rise of the Empire!
Rise of the Empire Loading Screens!
Debugging Menu!
Fast forward to Hoth battle!
Multiple ways to take down the giant AT-AT
They show us a the AT-AT battery take down! Destroy the legs to reveal ledges to climb. Reveal the batteries and take them out for each leg. Beware the stomping attack.
The AT-AT take down game play is inspired by Shadow of the Colossus.
The AT-AT never actually turn in the Star Wars films, so the Studio Gobo team had to figure out how to animate them turning.
AT-AT and AT-ST have unique take down depending on how the tow cable wraps around the legs or how you attack it.
Unique animation was done for the AT-AT physics.
Three ways of take down for the AT-AT Toe Cable Take Down Battery Removal Eject the pilot & shoot using the controls!
Mode in the game that will allow for a two player AT-AT robot battle!
Jar Jar will be in Rise of the Empire! (No details yet)
During the Hoth Mission you begin building your Rebel base inside the ice cave.
AT-AT Sumo Mode!
Mini Mission to take down all 100 Hoth Birds!
Two Player Mode Split Screen
Sean & JV go head to head in AT-AT Sumo Mode
Sean takes JV down pretty hard in the face off. 50 to 20!
Bit of a bug with switching characters – JEDI GLOWING GHOSTS!
Sean and JV face off head to head as Luke & Leia
Star Wars Juggling Act!
Tyler makes an excellent hand model and shows off Luke & Leia
We get a look at the Playset piece for Rise Against the Empire.
Playset will feature 8-10 hours of game play!
You can replay and missions from the Playset.
Jeff Bunker looks just like Han Solo!
Tyler breaks out the Han Solo & Chewbacca figures!
Allison can’t do a very good Vader Impression. JV has to show her how its done.
Twilight of the Republic Power Disc Pack General Grevious Wheel Bike Forrest of Felucia (Texture) Skies Over Felucia (Skydome) Galactic Team Up – Mace Windu
Rise Against the Empire Power Disc Pack Princess Leia Boushh Disguise Luke Rebel Alliance Flight Suit The Y Wing Star Fighter Slave 1
Who did the music for the Playsets? Over 30 tracks of the authentic Star Wars tracks.
The large background image was actually one of the options for the GameInformer Magazine Cover.
No new rare power discs! (But there may be some special discs to be announced in the future.)
Special announcement from Jeff! Special featured videos from the top voices in Gaming including Stampee, CaptainSparkles and Pewdiepie
Tune in next week for more 3.0 game play including the Toy Box & Evilos custom figure master!
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Most surprising perhaps, a wave of incidents has washed over Germany, where atonement for the Holocaust and other Nazi crimes is a bedrock of the modern society. A commitment to the right of Israel to exist is ironclad. Plaques and memorials across the country exhort, “Never Again.” Children are taught starting in elementary school that their country’s Nazi history must never be repeated. Even so, academics say the recent episodes may reflect a rising climate of anti-Semitism that they had observed before the strife over Gaza.
This week, the police in the western city of Wuppertal detained two young men on suspicion of throwing firebombs at the city’s new synagogue; the attack early Tuesday caused no injuries. In Frankfurt on Thursday, the police said, a beer bottle was thrown through a window at the home of a prominent critic of anti-Semitism. She heard an anti-Jewish slur after going to the balcony to confront her assailant, The Frankfurter Rundschau reported. An anonymous caller to a rabbi threatened last week to kill 30 Frankfurt Jews if the caller’s family in Gaza was harmed, the police said.
The string of incidents comes after Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned anti-Semitic chants from pro-Palestinian demonstrators and President Joachim Gauck called on Germans to “raise their voices if there is a new anti-Semitism being strutted on the street.”via @Indians
The Cleveland Indians went to Progressive Field on Tuesday expecting to play nine innings of baseball against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Instead, they got a few innings in before play was suspended due to a rain delay.
Mike Aviles, Lonnie Chisenhall and Jason Kipnis made the best of the delay by using the soaked field tarp as a Slip 'N Slide.
Given the risk of injury, the players wanted to get permission before they went sliding around on the wet tarp. Aviles said, via MLB.com's Jordan Bastian, that he asked Cleveland manager Terry Francona for permission: "I asked him if we could. He didn't really say, 'No,' but he didn't really say, 'Yeah.' I didn't hear a, 'No.' It was like a, 'Maybe.' It counts. You've just got to read between the lines."
Francona may not have made it clear that he approved of the activity, but the Indians' Twitter account did:
The game was eventually postponed after the rain delay lasted three hours and 40 minutes. Arizona and Cleveland will play a doubleheader Wednesday.
[MLB.com, Cleveland Indians]Picture source: ThinkStock
The government has received 33 complaints regarding advertisements of Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurved Limited in the last one year of which 25 were found to be violating the advertising code.
In response to a Lok Sabha query, minister of state for information and broadcasting (I&B) Rajyavardhan Rathore said between April 2015 and July 2016, the department of consumer affairs had received complaints against Patanjali Ayurved advertisements in various media such as TV, print and product-packaging and in various sectors such as food and beverages, personal care, health care etc.
Patanjali has emerged as a significant player in the food and FMCG sector and one of the largest advertisers in the country.
The department found 17 advertisements of 21 whose content was found to be violating the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) code for self-regulation while six product packaging communications (out of eight complained against) were considered to be in violation of the code. Two TV advertisements out of four were considered to be in violation of the ASCI code.
The department of consumer affairs has established a portal called 'grievance against misleading advertisements' (GAMA) and ASCI has been assigned the task of handling the complaints received through this portal. The cases where the advertisers do not comply with ASCI's directions are referred to the department or the regulator Food safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for appropriate action.
FSSAI has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with ASCI to undertake comprehensive monitoring of advertisements appearing with respect of food and beverages (F&B) sector in print and TV media. Action against any FBO for any misleading advertisement will depend upon substantiating the same by ASCI.Abattoir shut down over cruelty concerns
Updated
A northern Sydney abattoir has been forced to close after footage emerged showing animals being beaten before their slaughter.
Late on Thursday the New South Wales Food Authority suddenly closed down the Hawkesbury Valley Abattoir after viewing video footage which it says reveals "acts of gross animal mistreatment".
The footage, taken secretly inside the abattoir, has been given exclusively to Lateline.
The NSW Food Authority is promising a full investigation of slaughter practices during the shutdown.
This morning, the NSW Department of Primary Industries said the abattoir was inspected four times last year.
Shot undercover over six days at the abattoir, the footage shows pigs being dragged onto the sticking table and being belted with what looks like an iron bar.
The pigs should be rendered unconscious by a stunner before their throats are cut, but the footage shows that it has not been done properly in some incidences.
It shows the slaughterman reaching for what looks like an iron bar.
On one occasion a pig's head was pummelled seven times. A minute later the same worker beat another pig over the head 13 times.
Animal Liberation's Emma Hurst says the footage shows "grotesque cruelty".
"It's absolutely hideous. Last year we saw footage from the live exports of the cattle live exports in Indonesia and some of the most horrific scenes that we saw in that footage was of cattle being slaughtered while fully consciousness and here in Australia at this abattoir we are seeing the same thing happen," she said.
Ms Hurst is calling for CCTV cameras to be installed inside abattoirs to help prevent animal abuse.
She says a regulator should assess footage periodically to ensure abuses do not happen.
Sorry, this video has expired Video: Peter Day from the NSW Food Authority talks to ABC News Breakfast (ABC News)
Vet Dr Mark Simpson has compiled a report on the footage, which has also been handed to NSW Police.
He says he believes the footage shows more than 100 breaches of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
He says the vision also shows that sheep are not being stunned properly.
"From the time they have their throats slit there shouldn't be any raising of the head, there shouldn't be any voluntary movement," he said.
Dr Simpson says the footage shows one of the animals trying to move its head around while it is bleeding out.
"So it will be losing consciousness but it can still sense what is going on around it," he said.
The footage also shows electric cattle prods being used to what Dr Simpson calls an excessive degree in another part of the abattoir.
"The internationally accepted standard is that less than 5 per cent of the animals that go through need to have a rod applied," he said.
"There is a piece of this footage where the whole footage, it wasn't selected, where 85 animals had the prod applied in excess of 100 times."
Earlier, one of the directors of the Hawkesbury Valley Abattoir, Glenn Langley, said he wanted 48 hours so he could take the footage to the regulatory authority and let them examine it.
In a statement the authority said the footage allegedly shows breaches of the Food Regulation 2010 and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979.
"Australian standards under the Food Regulation 2010 require that 'animals are slaughtered in a way that prevents unnecessary injury, pain and suffering to them and causes them the least practical disturbance'," the statement said.
"A full investigation of slaughter practices at the site is now underway, which involves the RSPCA."
The owners of the abattoir say they will not make any comment until the investigation is complete.
Topics: animal-welfare, law-crime-and-justice, rural, livestock, wilberforce-2756, nsw, australia
First postedWelcome to the Sunday Giveaway, the place where we giveaway a new Android phone each and every Sunday!
A big congratulations to last week’s winner of the LG G6 International Giveaway: Poochyena (USA).
This week we are giving away a brand new HTC U11, which was only announced last week!
The HTC u11 features a 5.5-inch Super LCD5 Quad HD display, protected by Gorilla Glass 5, and is powered by the Snapdragon 835 CPU with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of on-board storage. On the back it has a 12MP rear facing camera with f/1.7 aperture and it runs Android Nougat out of the box. The new Edge Sense feature is one of the most unique on a smartphone, letting you squeeze the phone in order to action certain features and it runs both, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, out of the box!
Related Articles Has the HTC U11 made the U Ultra obsolete already? What’s your favorite HTC U11 feature? [Poll of the week] HTC U11 vs the competition HTC U11 now has the highest DxOMark score, outranking Pixel and Galaxy S8
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Winners galleryWithin the past few decades, a new form of worship has become widely popular among Christians. Where before people would sing hymns accompanied by an organ, then listen to a sermon, in this new worship there are praise bands that use rock band instruments, short, catchy praise songs, sophisticated Powerpoint presentations, and the pastor giving uplifting practical teachings about having a fulfilling life as a Christian. This new kind of worship is so popular that people come to these services by the thousands. They go because the services are fun, exciting, easy to understand, and easy to relate to. Yet this new style of worship is light years away from the more traditional and liturgical Orthodox style of worship. How does an Orthodox Christian respond to this new worship? Is it acceptable or is it contrary to Orthodoxy? How should an Orthodox Christian respond to an invitation to attend these contemporary Christian services?
According to the Pattern
First we need to ask: Is there a guiding principle for right worship? St. Stephen, the first martyr, gave a sermon about the history of the Jewish nation. In this sermon he notes that Old Testament worship was “according to the pattern.”
Our forefathers had the tabernacle of the Testimony with them in the desert. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen. (Acts 7:44 NIV, italics added).
This phrase comes up again in the book of Hebrews.
They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” (Hebrews 8:5 NIV, italics added)
The phrase is a reference to Exodus 24:15-18 when Moses went up on Mt. Sinai and spent forty days and forty nights up there. On Mt. Sinai Moses was in the direct presence of God receiving instructions about how to order the life of the new Jewish nation. Thus, the guiding principle for Old Testament worship was not creative improvisation nor adapting to contemporary culture but imitation of the heavenly prototype.
The next question is: What is the biblical pattern for worship? In Exodus 25 to 31, Moses received instruction concerning the construction of the Ark of the Covenant, the Tabernacle, the lamp stand, the altar for burnt offerings, the altar for incense, the anointing oil, the vestments for the priests, and the consecration of the priests. The principle of “according to the pattern” was repeated several times in the design specifications for the Tabernacle (Exodus 25:8, 25:40, 26:30, 27:8). This was the template for the spiritual identity of the Jewish people. To be a faithful Jew meant that one offered to Yahweh the proper sacrifices in the prescribed manner.
Despite the clearly laid out instructions in Exodus and Leviticus, the Israelites struggled to keep to the biblical pattern of worship. The struggle to maintain the right worship of Yahweh in the face of temptations to follow the idolatrous ways of the non-Jewish nations is a theme running through Old Testament history. The sin of the golden calf in Exodus 32 was not the sin of heresy (wrong doctrine), but the sin of false worship. When the northern tribes broke from Judah, Jeroboam did not create a new theology, instead he had two golden calves made and appointed non-Levites to be priests as a way of consolidating his rule (II Kings 12:25-33). II Chronicles is a history of the struggle to maintain fidelity to Yahweh by holding to the biblical worship. II Chronicles 21 to 24 relates how a bad king—Jehoram—led the Israelites astray through Ba’al worship and a good king—Josiah—brought them back through the restoration of the Passover sacrifice. Apostasy in Old Testament times meant abandoning Yahweh for other gods and the chief means was the sin of idolatry (wrong worship). The lesson here is that right worship was critical for a right relationship with God.
Thus, orthodoxy —right worship—in the Old Testament meant keeping to the pattern of worship that Yahweh revealed to Moses on Mt. Sinai. Right worship was also key to Israel’s covenant identity. This suggests that right worship is key to our Christian identity. By studying how worship was defined in the Old Testament and comparing it with the Orthodox liturgy we can better understand why Orthodox worship is the way it is and how contemporary worship has strayed far from biblical worship.
Where Does Orthodox Worship Come From?
Worship in the Orthodox Church is patterned after the Old Testament Temple. Typically, an Orthodox church has three main areas: the narthex (entry hall), the nave (the central part), and the altar area. This is similar to the Old Testament Tabernacle which consisted of the Outer Court, the Holy Place, and the Most Holy Place (Exodus 26:30-37, 27:9-19; I Kings 6:14-36; II Chronicles 3 and 4). The layout of Orthodox churches may seem strange to those who attend contemporary services, but it is patterned after the Old Testament Temple. As a matter of fact, Orthodox church buildings are often referred to as temples.
When we enter into an Orthodox Church we are entering into sacred space much like the Old Testament Tabernacle. When I go to an Orthodox church on Sunday, I enter into the narthex, a small entry room. I light a candle in front of the sacred image of Jesus Christ and commit my life to Christ in preparation for worship. The short time I spend in the narthex helps me to shift my mind from the world outside to the heavenly worship inside.
Then I enter into the nave, the large central part of the church building where the congregation gathers for worship. All around me I see sacred images of Christ, the saints, and the angels. This is patterned after the Jewish Temple which had images of angels, trees, and flowers carved on the walls (I Kings 6:29; II Chronicles 3:5-7). Up in the front is a wall of sacred images (the iconostasis). In the middle of this wall is a door with a gate across it. This wall of images is patterned after the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place in the Jewish Temple (Exodus 26:31-33; I Kings 6:31-35). Behind this is the altar area where the Eucharist is celebrated. Just as the Jewish high priests offered sacrifices in the Most Holy Place at the Jerusalem Temple, the Orthodox priests offer up the spiritual sacrifice of Christ’s body and blood at the altar. The altar area also symbolizes Paradise, the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve enjoyed deep communion with God before the Fall. We receive Holy Communion in front of the altar reminding us that we have been restored to communion with God through Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross.
Orthodox worship is also patterned after the worship in heaven. At the start of the second half of the Divine Liturgy the church sings:
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of Hosts, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.
This is a participation of the heavenly worship described in Isaiah 6:3 and Revelation 4:8. For the Orthodox Church this point of the Divine Liturgy is not so much an imitation as a participation in the heavenly worship.
Another way Orthodox worship is patterned after the heavenly worship is the use of incense. Incense was very much a part of the heavenly worship. In his vision of God, Isaiah describes how as the angels sang: “Holy, Holy, Holy” the doors shook and the temple in heaven was filled with incense (Isaiah 6:4). The Apostle John in Revelation describes how the angels in heaven held bowls full of incense and how the heavenly Temple was filled with incense smoke (Revelation 5:8, 8:3-4, 15:8).
The vestments worn by Orthodox priests are patterned after the Old Testament and the heavenly prototype. The entire chapter 28 in Exodus contains instruction on the making of priestly vestments. In heaven, Christ and the angels wear the priestly vestments (Revelation 1:13, 15:6). The vestments are more than pretty decorations, rather they are meant to manifest the dignity and the beauty of holiness that adorns God’s house.
Old Testament Prophecies of Orthodox Worship
Orthodox worship is more than an imitation of Old Testament worship. It is also a fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies. The Old Testament prophets besides describing the coming Messiah also described worship in the Messianic Age. Within the book of Malachi is a very interesting prophecy:
My name will be great among the nations, from the rising to the setting of the sun. In every place incense and pure offerings will be brought to my name, because my name will be great among the nations, says the Lord. (Malachi 1:11)
The phrase “from the rising to the setting of the sun” is a poetic way of saying from east to west—everywhere. Here we have a prophecy that the worship of God which was formerly confined to Jerusalem would in the future become universal. This was confirmed by Jesus in his conversation with the Samaritan woman at the well. In response to her question whether Jerusalem or Mt. Gerizim was the proper place for worship (John 4:19), Jesus answered that in the Messianic Age true worship would not depend on location but on worship of the Trinity. His statement about worshiping the Father in spirit (Holy Spirit) and truth (Jesus Christ) (John 4:23-24) is a teaching that true worship is worship of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
What is striking about Malachi’s prophecy is the reference to incense. Where before incense was offered in the Jerusalem Temple, in the Messianic Age incense would be offered by the non-Jews. One of the most vivid memories many first time visitors have of Orthodox worship is the smell of incense. Incense is burned at every Orthodox service. In the Roman Catholic Church incense is used in the high Mass but not in most services. Most Evangelical and Pentecostal churches do not use incense at all. Thus, whenever an Orthodox priest swings the censer and the sweet fragrance fills the church one experiences a direct fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy. Protestants may complain about how strange incense is, but they should realize that the use of incense was an integral part of Old Testament worship and is one of the key markers of authentic biblical worship in the Messianic Age.
Malachi’s prophecy about “pure offerings” is a reference to the Eucharist. The Jewish rabbis taught that when the Messiah comes all sacrifices would be abolished with the exception of one, the Todah or Thanksgiving sacrifice. This was fulfilled in the sacrament of the Eucharist, that is, the last supper Christ had with his followers when he gave thanks over the bread and the wine (Luke 22:17-20). The word eucharist comes from the Greek word ευχαριστειν, “to give thanks.” Jesus’ statement about the cup of the new covenant meant that he was about to inaugurate the Messianic Age. The Eucharist is a remembrance of Christ’s death on the cross as well as a participation in Christ’s body and blood (I Corinthians 10:16-17). Thus, the Eucharist—the pure offerings—is another key sign of right worship in the Messianic Age.
In the last chapter of Hebrews is a strange verse that many Evangelicals and Protestants skip over:
We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat (Hebrews 13:10; emphasis added).
What the author is asserting here is that the priests and Levites working at the Jerusalem Temple have no access to the Christian Eucharist. The Eucharist is only for those who confess Jesus as the promised Messiah and his death on the cross as the ultimate Passover sacrifice. The reference to the altar tells us the early Christians celebrated the Eucharist on real altars and that they had priests.
Protestants today have the habit of calling the platform area altars and spiritual songs as sacrifice. This involves a significant spiritualizing of the meaning of Hebrews 13:10. Furthermore, if we take this spiritualizing approach the phrase “have no right to eat” would not make sense. In the early Church if one did not confess Jesus as Christ, one could not receive the Eucharist. Contemporary Protestant worship on the other hand welcomes everybody and makes no distinction between believers and nonbelievers in its worship. In short, the early Church’s worship style was radically different from Protestant churches that have dispensed with the altar and the idea of the Eucharist as a spiritual sacrifice. To those who advocate contemporary worship, the Orthodox Christian can reply: We have an altar, where is yours?
An Evangelical or Charismatic visiting an Orthodox service might object to the Eucharist on the grounds that it is a re-presenting of Christ’s once and for all sacrifice. First of all, this argument comes from the Protestant debate against Roman Catholicism. Orthodoxy is not the same as Roman Catholicism. Second, the idea of the Eucharist as a re-presenting of Christ’s blood is contrary to the teachings of the Orthodox Church. In the Liturgy, the priest prays: “Once again we offer You this spiritual worship without the shedding of blood….” (Kezios p. 25; italics added).
For the Apostle Paul the Eucharist was just as important as the Gospel message. As he went about planting churches across the Roman Empire, Paul taught them the Good News of Jesus Christ and how to celebrate the Eucharist. This can be seen in Paul’s formal phrasing: “For I received from the Lord what I also pass on to you….” in I Corinthians 11:23 for the Eucharist and in I Corinthians 15:3 for the Good News (Gospel). Paul’s phrase: “What I received from the Lord….” parallels that in Exodus 25:9: “exactly like the pattern I will show you.” The infrequent celebration of the Eucharist in Evangelical and Pentecostal worship shows how far they have moved from historic Christian worship.
Another prophetic sign of worship in the Messianic Age is the priesthood. The last chapter of Isaiah contains a prophecy about the time when knowledge of Yahweh would become universal among the Gentiles and God would make priests of non-Jews.
And I will select some of them also to be priests and Levites, says the Lord. (Isaiah 66:21 NIV;emphasis added)
Part of this great ingathering would be the consecration of Gentiles to the priesthood. This was fulfilled when Jesus gave the Great Commission to the apostles (Matthew 28:19-20). Paul understood his work of evangelism as a “priestly duty” (Romans 15:16). In Isaiah is another prophecy about the important role that the Gentiles would play in the rebuilding of Israel, that of the establishment of the New Israel, the Church.
They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
that have been devastated for generations.
Aliens will shepherd your flocks;
foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
And you will be called priests of the Lord,
you will be named ministers of our God. (Isaiah 61:4-6 NIV; emphasis added)
Isaiah’s prophecy could be understood to refer to the Jews’ return from Babylon in 538 BC, but the fact that non-Jews would be part of the rebuilding process is an indication that the prophecy points to the coming of Christ. At the first Church council, St. James, the Lord’s stepbrother, quotes from the prophet Amos in defense of admitting non-Jews into the Church:
After this I will return
and rebuild David’s fallen tent,
Its ruins I will rebuild,
and I will restore it,
that the remnant of men may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things
that have been known for ages. (Acts 15:16-17 NIV; Amos 9:11-12)
The key to understanding Isaiah’s prophecy about the priesthood is that a priest does not stand alone but in a certain context: temple, altar, and sacrifice. This pattern of priesthood, temple, and sacrifice can be found in I Peter 2:5:
…you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (NIV).
The Apostle Peter reiterates the teaching that the Church is a “royal priesthood” in I Peter 2:9. This can be seen in the fact that the early Christians celebrated the Eucharist regularly on the first day of the week, Sunday. The early Christians understood the Eucharist to be a spiritual sacrifice and had priests to lead them in worship. Today, two thousand years later, the Orthodox Church still has priests standing at the altar offering the eucharistic sacrifice. Contemporary worship has none of these. Thus, Isaiah 61:6 finds its fulfillment in Orthodox worship, not contemporary worship.
Protestants may object to the Orthodox Church having priests on the grounds that because of Christ we have no need for a man to serve as a mediator with God. This objection is based upon a misunderstanding of the nature of Orthodox worship and the office of the priest. Basically, the priest’s role is to lead the congregation in worship. If one listens carefully to the litanies one finds the priest addressing the congregation, For … let us pray to the Lord, and the congregation responding with, Lord have mercy. In other words, the congregation prays with the priest, not through the priest. As a matter of fact, in Orthodoxy the priest cannot begin the Divine Liturgy unless the laity is present. This is based on the Orthodox Church’s understanding that the priesthood resides in the whole church, not just in the ordained clergy. The participation of the laity is just as critical for right worship as the clergy. This can be seen in the fact that “liturgy” comes from the Greek λειτουργεια (leitourgeia) which in Christian usage refers to worship and in the ancient world referred to “public service.” Jesus Christ is our Mediator and he exercises that ministry through his office as the great High Priest. This means it is imperative that we be part of the Divine Liturgy and not off doing our own thing.
Protestants cite I Peter 2:5 as a repudiation of the priesthood. This reading of I Peter 2:5 relies on the illogical reasoning that since we are all priests, no one is a priest. The Protestant reading of I Peter 2:5 has resulted in churches without priests and no altars. Historically the Christian Church has recognized the offices of deacons, priests, and bishops. The practice of an ordained clergy has roots in the New Testament Church. We read in Acts 1:20, “Let another take his office” (NKJV, italics added; see also I Timothy 5:17-22, II Timothy 2:2). Where for over a thousand years Christianity had priests celebrating the Eucharist on altars |
, you try to be fast, and you don’t have the confidence, then you crash. You lose many points in the championship, and it’s hard," Márquez confessed. "But if you want to be a good rider you must understand these moments. After a moment like this, you have to come back stronger." It was something he had seen others do in the past, and had tried to emulate. "Lorenzo did that in the past. When he had some problems he come back much stronger. Also Valentino. Also Casey in the past. It’s important to learn about it and come back even stronger." The rest of the field have been warned.
Who can match Márquez' pace? At the moment, it is hard to tell. Only Dani Pedrosa, Bradley Smith and Jorge Lorenzo had posted more than one lap of 1'21, and only Lorenzo and Pedrosa had strung those laps together into a longer fast run. Pedrosa, Lorenzo and Valentino Rossi all looked capable of lapping consistently in the low 1'22s, the rest were a little further off the pace. Rossi may not have dipped into the 1'21s, but he had focused on working with an old tire, rather than stick on a new tire and getting a quick lap.
Whether Márquez can maintain his margin remains to be seen. Jorge Lorenzo struggled with a wrong electronics setting in the morning, which they started to solve in the afternoon. Valentino Rossi tried a different setting which he did not get along with, losing time while finding that out. Dani Pedrosa saw room for improvement in braking, with more support needed to cope with the stresses, especially at the bottom of the hill braking for Turn 12. They will surely get a lot closer by Sunday, with FP4 on Saturday being the canary in the coal mine betraying the real relative strengths of the riders. With the weather set to warm up significantly on Saturday, that too could throw a spanner in the works.
Where the soft tire was expected to be an advantage during qualifying, so far that hasn't worked out. Possibly because the track was already in quite good condition when morning practice started, the pace very quick from the outset, and the track not having much room to improve. Whether it was this or something else is hard to say, but the Suzuki riders complained of a lack of grip, an uncharacteristic problem for the GSX-RR. The lack of horsepower was only a minor inconvenience going up the hill, Aleix Espargaro said, the real problem was that the Suzuki lacked grip on the edge. This has always been the strongest point of the Suzuki, and until they can fix that, neither Aleix Espargaro nor Maverick Viñales will be pushing the fast guys in MotoGP. The Ducatis, too, were struggling, only occasionally posting a single fast lap. You have to believe that the push for Q2 on Saturday morning will be hectic, and the riders on the soft tire will pull something out of the bag during qualifying, but surprisingly, it looks like the factory bikes with the harder tires are in charge in Germany.
The biggest surprise on the timesheets was Scott Redding. The Marc VDS rider has struggled ever since getting the Honda RC213V bike he had longed for all last year, finding the bike much harder to go fast on than he had ever thought. Redding, like so many riders who come up from Moto2, are finding that racing a factory MotoGP bike is almost diametrically opposite to the approach needed in Moto2. In Moto2, the harder you push, the faster you go, whereas in MotoGP, the smoother you are, the more precise you are, the more conscious you are with your movements, the faster you go. Try to push, and you go slow. Try to relax, and you find yourself flying.
"We made a couple of small changes with the front of the bike but nothing big," Redding explained. "I feel good with the bike. I’m not fighting with it. I’m a bit more relaxed. It’s kind of doing what I want it to do. But nothing major has really changed. It’s not like now I’ve got a new chassis or swingarm or I’ve gone to rehab. Just a couple of small things and I got off on the right foot. You get a little bit more confidence with the feeling. Then the confidence with riding gets better. Then your lap time improves, your position improves and you can start to improve. You start building your confidence rather than starting from the floor all the time." Redding's confidence was clearly visible, a calmer, cheekier rider telling us about the change which had happened.
Trying to go fast clearly didn't work, Redding told us. "To be fast you have to be slow," he said. "The most bizarre thing you could have is the more you think, right, now I’ll make it, the slower you go. Now I’m making these fast laps you’re not like, ‘****! I’m on the brakes!’ You’re like, ‘Ah, I’m on the brakes, now gently release it. Gently on the gas, pick it up.’ You can’t think, get on the gas quick or you’ll lose everything. That’s the situation, to be fast and smooth." That was not easy when you are not confident, but when you have some confidence, it comes almost naturally. "The thing is to know that if you relax you’re going to go fast but also to be smoother and slower. Like when you come out of a corner instead of going on the throttle when you want you have to say, ‘Ok, wait.’ And you’re fighting to stop your hand from going. You have to have the confidence to know that’s going to make the difference. But still sometimes you’re like I can go now, but you don’t make the lap time. And that’s the hardest part."
This is the paradox at the heart of MotoGP. From the outside, especially on the Hondas, it looks like Marc Márquez, Dani Pedrosa, and Cal Crutchlow are trying to subdue a raging bull. In reality, they are coaxing it into playing along, rather than bullying it into submission, no matter how things look from the outside. Watch the bike underneath Marc Márquez and it looks like a beast which is tough to tame. But look at Márquez and what he is doing with his body, and you see he is moving fluidly, almost floating over the bike, caressing its controls and being gentle with it. It is not trying to break a wild stallion, it is Zen and the art of motorcycle racing.
With the Sachsenring being so short, it would appear to be the ideal spot to attempt a three-run qualifying strategy, swapping bikes and trying to push hard for a single lap three times. Some riders might attempt it, but Cal Crutchlow felt the nature of the Sachsenring worked against trying to do that. "The right hand side of the tire is so bad that you need to keep doing the laps to build the confidence, to build the heat, to build everything," Crutchlow explained. "But tomorrow is supposed to be a lot better than today, which is going to be better for all of us."
If Márquez looks in control of MotoGP, Danny Kent once again looks to have Moto3 in a stranglehold. Nobody can get within half a second of the British rider, and his championship rivals appear to be taking themselves out once again. After closing the gap to Kent, Red Bull KTM's Miguel Oliveira had a big crash in the morning and broke a metacarpal in his left had, and was immediately flown home for surgery. Enea Bastianini was fast in the morning, but crashed in the afternoon and spent a lot of time in the pits. Confidence is important in motorcycle racing, and when everything is going your way, the momentum almost sustains itself.
The situation in Moto2 was far more complex. Sam Lowes was fast in the morning, but a little slower in the afternoon, when he was trying the new Speed Up chassis. It gave the bike more feel, but needed more work to be ready for prime time, Lowes insisted. In the afternoon session, the grid turned topsy turvy, with Mika Kallio making a sudden comeback to top the timesheets, and a host of surprise names at the top of the timesheet. You would have to believe that normal order will be restored on Saturday, with Lowes up against Tito Rabat, despite the Spaniard's surgery, and Johann Zarco. But this is motorcycle racing, and anything can happen, and probably will.
Gathering the background information for long articles such as these is an expensive and time-consuming operation. If you enjoyed this article, please consider supporting MotoMatters.com. You can help by either taking out a subscription, buying the beautiful MotoMatters.com 2015 racing calendar, by making a donation, or by contributing via our GoFundMe page.You may remember that we leaked a GPU Z screenshot that showed clock rates of upto 1033 Mhz and then again when the official specs were confirmed we mentioned a probable variant; the GTX 780 Ti Ghz Edition. Well, sources tell us that the very same Ghz Edition will come equipped with a Black Reference Cooler – a unique identifier of sorts.
Image Credits Go to DG’s Nerdy Story
GTX 780 Ti Ghz Edition – Black Reference Cooler Will Mark the Beast aka ‘Black Edition’
While we don’t have images of the GTX 780 Ti Ghz Edition, we do have leaked images of the GTX 780 Ti. Like we already hinted in our 780 Ti Confirmed Specs post, our reports suggest that the GTX 780 Ti Ghz Edition will come equipped with 6GB worth of memory just like the Titan. Basically the much awaited Titan Ultra is indeed the GTX 780 Ti Ghz Edition. Aesthetically speaking we are also very interested in the Back Reference Cooler design choice. Nvidia has so far almost religiously stuck to professional looking silver look and we can’t wait to see how they pull Black off.
Image Credits Go to DG’s Nerdy Story
Our friends over at Videocardz are claiming that the GTX 780 Ti Ghz Edition will have ‘unlimited’ TDP and will have a 12 GB Variant. Once again we can neither confirm nor deny that since our sources did not mention the same. We are not exactly sure what a no TDP Limit card would mean. Rather like the Uber Mode in the R9 290X most probably where given certain conditions the card would increase its clock rate automatically.
GTX 780 Ti Ghz Edition to have Black Reference Cooler and apparently no TDP Limit. Might even come in 12 GB. WOW. http://t.co/dtYJI2G1ei — Usman Pirzada (@usmanpirzada) November 1, 2013“You’re talking about incredible numbers of people out there who now may have had their right to vote restored and don’t even know it,” said Reggie Mitchell, a former voter-registration worker for People for the American Way. In Florida, “we’re talking tens of thousands of people,” he said. “And in the 2000 election, in the state of Florida, 300 people made the difference.”
A loose-knit group of national organizations working to restore voting rights includes the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or Acorn (Ms. Bell’s employer); the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; and the Brennan Center for Justice.
Two other groups, the Sentencing Project and the Virginia and Florida chapters of American Civil Liberties Union, said they had given briefings to officials for Senator Barack Obama’s presidential campaign about how to register former felons. But the Obama campaign has been reluctant to acknowledge any concerted effort.
An Obama spokesman, Bill Burton, said via e-mail, “We are trying to register voters across the country and follow the state laws wherever we are.”
Charles J. Ogletree Jr., a Harvard law professor and senior adviser to the Obama campaign on criminal justice issues, said he had briefed campaign officials about felony disenfranchisement issues and the various and often-confusing state requirements to restore voting rights to former convicts.
Campaign volunteers get briefed on specific state laws governing voting rights restoration in case they come across former felons during general voter registration drives, Mr. Ogletree said, “but it’s not as if the Obama campaign said, ‘Here’s a plan for felony disenfranchisement.’ ”
None of the felony voter registration organizations contacted for this article could recall hearing from Senator John McCain’s campaign. And a campaign spokesman said there had been no effort to reach out to former prisoners specifically.
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Last month, Obama campaign workers took down a sign at their headquarters in Pottstown, Pa., that said “Felons can vote,” because it might have sent the wrong message.
“The fear is that it might cost them more votes to be portrayed as the candidate of the felons than it could gain them,” said Anthony C. Thompson, a New York University law professor and Obama campaign adviser. “This is a mistaken belief, in my view, when there are tens of millions of citizens with criminal records.”
In fact, felony voter restoration efforts have received bipartisan support in many states including Alabama, Florida, Indiana and Maryland. Still, surveys have shown that about 70 percent of former convicts lean Democratic, according to Christopher Uggen, a University of Minnesota criminologist who said that had led some to believe that Democrats benefited from felony voter restoration more than did Republicans.
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“That’s because of the high rate of incarceration among African-Americans, who have strong Democratic preferences,” Mr. Uggen said, “and because many people who have committed felonies are working class, relatively young, unmarried and in particular individuals with less than a high school education. These are all demographics that traditionally align themselves with the Democrats.”
Muslima Lewis, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union in Florida, said: “Really, you’re not having a full participatory democracy if you disenfranchise so many people. It weakens the whole system and, in particular, communities of color.”
All of Us or None, a prisoner-advocacy organization in San Francisco, held a rally last month about restoration of voting rights in California. Also last month, the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition successfully lobbied the Denver County jail system to begin registering felons upon their release.
The A.C.L.U. is also advising lawyers’ groups planning to deploy to polling places in November to enforce the rights of former convicts who have restored their voting privileges.
According to the A.C.L.U. only two states, Maine and Vermont, allow prisoners, parolees and probationers to vote. Thirteen states allow parolees and probationers to vote, eight states reinstate probationer voting rights, and 20 states restore voting rights to people who have completed their sentences, although each state has different processes, exceptions and limits on eligibility requirements. Kentucky and Virginia permanently disenfranchise nearly all felons.
Florida’s felony voter registration law divides applicants into three categories based on the seriousness of their crimes: nonviolent criminals, the biggest group, need not apply for restoration of voting rights and just need to re-register. Violent criminals, but not murderers or rapists, must apply to the clemency board. The board either grants those rights immediately or investigates on a case-by-case basis. The most violent criminals are subjected to a more rigorous investigation and must attend a hearing of the clemency board, which meets only four times a year, before their rights can be reinstated.
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Despite the state’s liberalization of felony voter procedures, only 9,000 out of a potential 112,000 former convicts in Florida registered to vote in the last year, according to a report last month in The Orlando Sentinel. Part of the reason is that thousands of notifications sent by the state went to the wrong addresses because of poor data and former prisoners’ high mobility.
Fred Schuknecht, the director of administration for the Florida Clemency Board, acknowledged in an interview that there was a backlog of 60,000 former felons who could potentially have their rights restored, but must first be reviewed by the agency. Despite the fact that 3,500 newly released prisoners are added to the caseload every month, the Legislature cut 20 percent of the staff devoted to felony voter restoration cases, Mr. Schuknecht said.
Further, Ms. Bell said that many former convicts shun attention, even if that means abdicating their voting rights.
“You might want them to fill out the registration form, but they have an outstanding warrant,” she said. “And in order to help them, I need to ask what their crimes are, but they might not want to say.”
Cheria Murray, 24, of Orlando, regained voting rights this year, after serving a two-day jail sentence with two years’ probation for grand theft in 2003. Ms. Murray lives in a housing project where, she said, many people had been stripped of their rights because of their records.
Her companion, Duane Miller, 28, recently returned from serving a sentence for illegal firearm possession, and has not applied to reinstate his voting rights.
Ms. Murray said she thought about restoring her voting rights only recently, inspired by the presidential campaign.
“When I saw Barack Obama, that’s when I got excited to get my rights back,” she said. “I wanted to vote for history.”Environmental concerns have pushed one flagship dam project to the brink of cancellation but a ‘gold rush on the rivers’ of south-east Europe puts these unique ecosystems and their wildlife, including the critically endangered Balkan lynx, in jeopardy
More is known about rivers in the Amazon than Europe’s last wild waterways in the Balkans. But these unique ecosystems in south-east Europe could soon be gone, along with endangered species such as the balkan lynx, if plans for over 2,000 dams go ahead, conservationists warn.
Western financial institutions have ploughed hundreds of millions of dollars into building dams in the region, arguing that hydropower is a green energy source that offers poor countries a way out of energy insecurity.
The Guardian has learned that the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is on the verge of cancelling one €65m (£48m) showcase project in Macedonia’s Mavrovo national park, after sustained environmental criticism centred on the potential extinction of the Balkan lynx.
But other projects are still in the pipeline, even if much of the energy they produce is destined for export.
On past trends, deforestation and soil erosion will follow, along with irrevocable changes to the course and character of untamed rivers, a quarter of which lie in pristine national parks and protected areas, according to new analysis by RiverWatch and Euronatur.
“What we have here in the Balkans at the moment is a gold rush on the rivers,” says Ulrich Eichelmann, the director of RiverWatch, an Austria-based NGO. “I sometimes think the western countries that are financially supporting this degradation process have no idea what they are destroying. There is nothing in Europe remotely like this river system.”
From the mountains of Greece where it is known as the Aoös, the Vjosa flows for 270km to the Adriatic Sea, reaching a girth of 2.3km at its widest, its course and shape changing with the seasons and rainfalls.
“Scientifically we know more about some rivers in the Amazon than about the Vjosa,” Professor Fritz Schiemer of the University of Vienna told the Guardian. “We have very little knowledge about the biodiversity of the river ecosystem, and its ecological processes like sediment transport.”
Facebook Twitter Pinterest The critically endangered Balkan lynx. Photograph: Ljubo Stefanov
But eight sites are being sized up for dam development along the Vjosa by foreign companies. The new Albanian government is privately resisting their approaches.
Edi Rama, Albania’s prime minister, told the Guardian that in his first six months in office, “I didn’t pass one day at work without someone calling or emailing me from Albania, Europe, or America, with this line: ‘We are interested in a hydropower plant development’.”
“Damian [Gjiknuri, the country’s energy minister] was overwhelmed. He said ‘What is this? Everyone wants to build a hydropower plant in our country. It looks as if we will repeat the great harm done by building illegal houses with hydropower plants everywhere and in the end we’ll have no water for irrigation’.”
Last year, foreign investment in extraction and privatisations across Albania’s hydropower sector made up almost 10% of the country’s GDP.
Across the Balkans, RiverWatch says it has evidence of 435 dams planned in Albania, 400 in Macedonia and Bulgaria each, 700 in Serbia, more than 100 in Bosnia and Hungary apiece, 70 in Montenegro and more than 50 in Slovenia.
In Albania, dam licenses already issued have an investment value of over £1.8bn, according to documents seen by the Guardian.
A quarter of the 646 larger hydropower plants that RiverWatch has analysed are in national parks and protected areas, or gold standard environmental sites covered by Natura 2000, Emerald, World Heritage, Ramsar and Biosphere.
Twenty-two of these are still slated for Mavrovo, Macedonia’s oldest and largest national park, a stunning 730 sq km wilderness of birch and pine forests, gorges, waterfalls, peat lands, and the country’s highest mountains.
Slate-coloured cliffs jut skywards until they disappear in mist. The air is alpine fresh. Snow-capped peaks and frosted pines tower above the remnants of avalanches on the park’s snaking roads. Beneath them, the raging ice blue Mala Reka river smashes itself upon rock clumps, churning up foam.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Mala Reka river, Macedonia. Photograph: Arthur Neslen
Mavrovo houses more than 1,000 plant species, and provides a sanctuary for bears, wolves, golden eagles and critically endangered species such as the balkan lynx, less than 50 of which are still thought to be alive.
But conservationists say that the planned dams will bring roads, transmission lines, noise, industrial disturbance and an influx of human activity, likely to scare animals from the park – making them easy prey for poachers.
“The lynx is a charismatic and very secretive animal,” says Alexander Stojanov, a project coordinator with the Balkan Lynx Recovery Project. “It prefers untouched wilderness areas where there are no disturbances. Construction would chase away the lynx’s prey and it will have to go outside the protected area – where there is no protection – and face the fate of being poached. There will definitely be a risk of extinction.”
The lynx is a beloved icon in Macedonia, etched into coins, stamps, and the national football team’s shirts. “It is our symbol in the world,” said Shuip Marku, a former farmer in nearby Debar town. “It is our lion.”
Despite that, poachers are active even inside the park and are believed to have killed one lynx that Stojanov’s team had fitted with a GPS collar. After an EBRD report denied that any lynx were present in the park, Macedonia’s environment ministry refused the Lynx Recovery Project permission to set any more photo traps, and the last feline pictures were taken in 2013.
The EBRD was later forced to retract that claim but its impact assessment for the dam was widely criticised for another suggestion that dams would help otters by increasing their access to food.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Mavrovo National Park, Macedonia. Photograph: Mihai Popa/Alamy
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) complained of a “superficial, incomplete and misleading” assessment that showed an “absence of basic understanding of otter behaviour as well as the functioning of river ecosystems”.
In a letter to the EBRD seen by the Guardian, the IUCN’s director, Julia Marton-Lefèvre urged the EBRD to halt its funding for a hydropower project at Boškov Most in Mavrovo, saying it presented “direct threats to critical species and habitats present in the area”.
Almost 100,000 people signed a petition against the project, 119 environmental scientists protested, and in December, the standing committee of the Bern Convention added to the pressure, opening an inquiry into the levees.
An EBRD spokeswoman told the Guardian that no funds had yet been disbursed for Boškov Most and the project is currently suspended. “At the moment, there is a [new] environmental assessment going on. Until it is finished, nothing is going to go ahead,” she said.
A bank source added: “There’s a lot of anger from conservationists and that makes work on the ground for our staffers very difficult. It is very likely that we will have to turn around and walk away from it.”
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Dam under construction on the Langarica, a tributary to the Vjosa, in Fir of Hotova national park. Photograph: Arthur Neslen
The World Bank, however, is still planning a €70m loan to build another large dam in Mavrovo at Lukovo Pole, in a border area with Kosovo, where the national dividing lines were recently changed in a way that fortuitously allowed the dam’s construction.
Across the Mavrovo region, dam proposals also have an ethnic dimension, sparking fury from local ethnic Albanian communities – a minority in Macedonia – who say that they would divert waters from their villages, which already suffer water shortages in summer, and destroy local agriculture, as well as ‘slow food’ culinary traditions.
“It is a big problem,” Marku said. “People believe that these projects are intended to steal the water and force Albanian people off their land.”
Thousands of ethnic Albanians have already emigrated from Debar, staging anti-dam demonstrations in countries such as Italy that mirror protests in Debar, although these are often staged in defiance of what Marku and others say is official intimidation.
In Albania about a third of energy is imported but the rest comes from hydropower, which is classified by the International Energy Agency thinktank as renewable. The country is regularly hit by blackouts all the same.
Some environmentalists question whether hydro should be classed as a clean energy. “It is not renewable as neither the landscape nor its biodiversity are renewable,” Eichelmann said. “When they are gone, they are gone.”
WWF is more supportive of hydro but says that stringent environmental criteria are needed.
“The siting of hydro in protected areas is a real problem in south-east Europe,” said Jason Anderson, WWF Europe’s head of climate and energy. “Sometimes a location is absolutely not appropriate, and we fight against that. But there are also adequate sites that can be found, when countries cannot meet their energy needs in other ways.”
Albania views new hydro plants as a source of energy independence and “a good source of hard energy for export”, according Gjiknuri. But around 42% of the country’s electricity supplies are lost in distribution, often due to theft from electricity lines.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Fishermen cast their lines in Vjosa river, near the city of Përmet, Albania. Photograph: Arben Celi/Corbis
The government claims great advances in curbing power piracy but many Albanians expect this to be reversed as price hikes from privatised hydro projects are rapidly passed on by foreign firms looking to recoup investment costs.
“The local people will not get energy for free for sure,” said Gilberto Yaceh, the mayor of Përmet, a picturesque town on the Vjosa. “They will pay for it. The dams bring nothing good for the local people.”
Albania’s energy ministry has put dozens of projects authorised in the last year on hold, but says that its hands are tied by fears of warding off foreign investment.
More than 200 Sali Berisha-era projects have been cancelled, which Edi Rama links to “a kind of black market of corruption... a madness”. But Albania walks a thin line between preserving its beauty and economic needs, he added.
What’s so unique about the Vjosa is not just that the river itself is intact but that its tributaries are too Ulrich Eichelmann
Rama is a former artist, who painted Tirana’s stalinist-era buildings in kaleidoscopic colours when he was the city’s mayor. Environmentalists view him as a natural ally but he gives the impression of lacking the full power to roll back an environment free-for-all he disdains.
“The international financiers have not generally been as careful as they would have been if these things were being built in their courtyards,” he noted. “It is the curse of poor countries.” The Albanian prime minister says that he asked the EBRD to finance small-scale agricultural production instead, but “they were more interested in hydro”.
One dam, in Kalivac, reached an advanced stage before controversy stalled its progress, leaving a concrete hulk on the river’s banks. “The trees along the river and on higher ground above it have been deforested since the beginning of the work,” Astrit Taka, a forestry worker in Kalivac told the Guardian. “Fifty-six hectares of plane and poplar trees in the river region have been cut down.”
The rivers of the Balkans inspire a deep attachment among the people who live near them – and songs too, like Poni’s 2010 Albanian hit ‘Vjosa (Lumi I Kenges)’, which still booms from bars along the riverside..
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Poni’s Vjosa (Lumi I Kenges)
“What’s so unique about the Vjosa eco system is not just that the river itself is completely intact but that its tributaries are too,” Eichelmann says. “They have their flood plains and the sediments they transport to the sea in a balanced system that’s almost impossible to find anywhere else in Europe. We all grew up with rivers more or less damaged, regulated and dammed. This makes the Vjosa extraordinarily important as a model for the rivers we need to restore across the EU.”
By 2027, Europe’s water framework directive will require all countries’ bodies of water to be of a good ecological status. Ironically, for Macedonia and Albania to fulfil their aspirations of EU accession, they may need to roll back the effects of a hydropower boom that the EU’s investment banks have foisted upon them.
The EU’s 2014 progress report on Macedonia’s accession bid said that the two big hydropower plants in Mavrovo raised “concerns about the potentially detrimental effect on the environment”.
Albanian hopes of EU membership by 2020 fared little better with the EU chiding it for a fragile power sector that is not very advanced in preparation for accession. An “almost exclusive reliance on hydropower exposes Albania to large fluctuations in power generation, resulting in large electricity imports in low-rainfall years,” the EU found.
Commission sources acknowledge effects that the planned dams are likely to have on the Balkans’ 69 fish species, but also the problems that new members often have with meeting the union’s environmental rules.
Balkan leaders such as Edi Rama say that a “huge investment” is needed to protect the region’s rivers from environmental degradation. But of late, EU officials have been more keen to push Tirana into clamping down on illegal cannabis growing than protecting its waterways.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Edi Rama, prime minister of Albania. Photograph: Arthur Neslen
“I don’t want to talk more about how EU money is planned,” Rama said. “It is to enter into a kingdom of wishful thinking. I have no illusions about it.”
“I understand we need to have prisons, courts, rule of law, all this,” he went on. “But just by improving the repressive side of the state you don’t improve the quality of life. Albania is rich in water, oil, minerals and presumably rich in gas but the biggest asset we have is beauty and the worst thing we’ve done in 20 years has been to draw scars on our country’s beautiful body.”
Environmentalists fear that these wounds could fester as flood plains disappear and water flows are channelled into narrower courses that are deeper, higher and move at faster speeds. Soil erosion caused by dam-related deforestation accentuates the process, adding to water volumes at flood peaks, which can only be controlled by opening sluice gates and letting out a torrent of water.
Albania may have received a taste of things to come earlier this month when it was buffeted by the second worst floods in its history.
“If the Kalivac dam construction is finished and the water level rises in a flood, they would have to open the sluice gates next time so the flood would be greater,” said Servet Boni, a forestry engineer in Tepelena on the Vjosa’s banks.
“There will be an ecological catastrophe,” added Philip Deman, a forestry worker from the same town. “Not only for biodiversity but for the landscape. All this beauty will be lost.”ANALYSIS/OPINION:
In the months since Edward Snowden revealed the nature and extent of the spying that the National Security Agency (NSA) has been perpetrating upon Americans and foreigners, some of the NSA’s most troublesome behavior has not been a part of the public debate.
This behavior constitutes the government’s assaults on the American legal system. Those assaults have been conducted thus far on two fronts, one of which is aimed at lawyers who represent foreign entities here in America, and the other is aimed at lawyers who represent criminal defendants against whom evidence has been obtained unlawfully and presented in court untruthfully.
Investigative reporters at The New York Times recently discovered that the NSA has been listening to the telephone conversations between lawyers at a highly regarded Chicago law firm and their clients in Indonesia. The firm, Mayer Brown, has remained publicly silent about the revelations, as has its client, the government of Indonesia. However, it is well known that Mayer Brown represents the government of Indonesia concerning trade regulations that govern exports of cigarettes and shrimp to the United States. The lawyers on the other side of the bargaining table from Mayer Brown work for the federal government, which also employs, of course, the NSA.
Can the NSA lawfully tell lawyers for the government who are negotiating with Mayer Brown lawyers what it overheard between the Mayer Brown lawyers and their client? The answer, incredibly, is yes. Federal rules prohibit the NSA from sharing knowledge with lawyers for the federal government only about persons who have been indicted. In this case, Mayer Brown is attempting to negotiate favorable trade relations between Indonesia and the United States, and the lawyers for the U.S. have the unfair advantage of knowing in advance the needs, negotiating positions and strategy of their adversaries. In the Obama years, this is how the feds work: secretly, unfairly and in utter derogation of the attorney-client privilege.
For 100 years, that privilege — the right of lawyers and their clients to speak freely and without the knowledge of the government or their adversaries — has been respected in this nation, until now. Now, we have a lawyer who, as president, uses the NSA to give him advance warning of what his office visitors are about to ask him. Now we have lawyers for the federal government who work for the president and can know of their adversaries’ most intimate client communications.
This is profoundly unfair, as it gives one side a microscope on the plans of the other. It is unwise, too, as clients will be reluctant to open up to counsel when they know that the NSA could spill the beans to the other side. In the adversarial context, for the system to work fairly and effectively, it is vital that clients be free to speak with their lawyers without the slightest fear of government intrusion, particularly when the government is on the other side of the deal or the case.
If you have spoken to a lawyer recently and if that lawyer is dealing with the federal government on your behalf, you can thank the constitutional scholar in the Oval Office for destroying the formerly privileged nature of your conversations.
That is not the only legal protection that President Obama has destroyed, though. In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in a case in which journalists in the pre-Snowden era challenged the government’s spying on them. The government won the case largely because it persuaded the court that the journalists did not have standing to bring the lawsuit because, the court ruled, their fears of being spied upon were only hypothetical: They suspected that their communications with their sources were being monitored, but they couldn’t prove it. In this post-Snowden era, we now know that the journalists in that case were being spied upon.
Nevertheless, during the oral argument in that case, government lawyers told the high court that should government prosecutors acquire from the NSA evidence of criminal behavior against anyone whom they eventually would prosecute and should they wish to use that evidence in the prosecution, the Justice Department would inform defense counsel of the true source of the evidence so that the defendant would have the ability to challenge the evidence.
Yet last week, in a case in federal court in Oregon, the same Justice Department that told the highest court in the land last year that it would dutifully and truthfully reveal its sources of evidence — as case law requires and even when the source is an NSA wiretap — told a federal district court judge that it had no need or intention of doing so. If this practice is permitted of using NSA wiretaps as the original source of evidence in criminal cases and keeping that information from the defendants against whom it is used, we will have yet another loss of liberty.
Federal law requires that criminal prosecutions be commenced after articulable suspicion about the crime and the defendant. Prosecutions cannot be commenced by roving through intelligence data obtained through extra-constitutional means. That is the moral equivalent of throwing a dart at a dart board that contains the names of potential defendants and prosecuting the person whose name the dart hits.
For the past 75 years, federal prosecutors have not been permitted to use unlawfully obtained evidence in criminal cases, and they have been required to state truthfully the sources of their evidence so that its lawfulness can be tested. This rule generally has served to keep law enforcement from breaking the laws it has sworn to uphold by denying to its agents the fruits of their own unlawful activity.
Liberty is rarely lost overnight. It is lost slowly and in the name of safety. In the name of keeping us safe, the feds have spied on the lawyers who negotiate with them, lied to the lawyers |
child sex trafficking," Newark, N.J. cops identified just one 14-year-old sex trafficking victim but it arrested another 45 people for normal prostitution or pimping. In Portland, one minor was recovered while 20 adult women were arrested on prostitution charges and three adults were arrested for promoting prostitution.
Under the JVTA, anyone soliciting paid-sex from a minor can be arrested on federal human trafficking charges. Throwing the book at child rapists is hard to argue against. But it’s worth noting that the “the Government need not prove that the defendant knew that the person had not attained the age of 18 years," nor that any element of force was involved. Also unnecessary is a real victim: the main catch in many “sex trafficking stings” are men who agree to pay for sex with a police decoy. And the breadth of these new anti-trafficking laws means they are used against individuals several degrees of separation from acts of child prostitution.
Take, for instance, Hortencia Medeles-Arguello, 71, who was recently arrested on federal charges as the “ring leader” of a sex trafficking syndicate. Arguello’s crime seems to be owning a bar where she allowed prostitution upstairs and didn’t check the ages of the women involved, some of whom were revealed to be teenagers. Bartenders and other employees were also charged as part of the sex trafficking “conspiracy.”
Most of the offenses the JVTA targets, including those of Medeles-Arguello, were already illegal under local prostitution, pandering kidnapping, or statutory rape laws. But under the new banner of human trafficking even relatively minor crimes related to sex work can come with serious felony status, a sex offender registry requirement and a mandatory minimum prison term.
Mandatory minimums are strictly fixed sentences that leave no room for a judge's discretion. They were a popular drug-war tack in the '80s and '90s that grew into a regular feature of counterterrorism and cybercrime laws; at their apex, every state had some form of mandatory minimum sentence on its books. In theory, these schemes bring fairness to sentencing, but in practice they're largely regarded to have been a flop—swelling prisons with nonviolent offenders, failing to prevent additional crime and even increasing recidivism rates among low-level offenders. Since 2000, 29 states have revised mandatory minimums, scrapping some and adding more judicial say back into others. At the federal level, bills such as the Smarter Sentencing Act, which Obama supports, aim to do the same.
"Mandatory minimum sentences have been studied extensively and have been found to distort rational sentencing systems, discriminate against minorities, waste money, and often require a judge to impose sentences that violate common sense," said Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.), co-chair of the Congressional Human Trafficking Caucus and one of only three members of the U.S. House to vote against the JVTA. The bill "contains a new mandatory minimum that someday will require a judge to impose a sentence that violates common sense," he said in a statement.
Scott is wary of the "the possible scope of defendants who could be prosecuted" under this provision. Known as the SAVE Amendment, it prohibits not just placing an "escort" ad for a minor or someone forced into it but also benefitting financially in any way from the ad—meaning that classified-ad hosting sites could be held criminally accountable as sex traffickers. And the penalty for this trafficking? Mandatory minimum imprisonment of 10 to 15 years.
While this may be justifiable in some cases, those prosecutable could include "all of the employees of the ad company, including the receptionist or the computer guy," said Scott. "The judge should have the discretion to consider all the facts and the culpability of the particular defendant."For several years, a metaphor has been popular in patriotic circles. A frog is sitting in a pot of water that starts out warm, and gradually gets hotter. The idea is to lull the frog into comfort, then helplessness, and then death.
The frog is a stand-in for the historic American people. The racist Left was sure that it was too late for the “frog” to save itself. They had—with great help from the allegedly patriotic GOP—inundated the country with racist, low-IQ, criminal, Third World aliens, thereby diluting the historic nation’s vote. Plus, the Republican Party had for years refused to give the nation any patriotic options, with globalist warmongers being presented as “patriots.”
Both sides were certain the frog was cooked, but lo and behold, in 2016 a political miracle occurred: The frog leapt out of the pot!
Ever since the miraculous election of Donald Trump, both sides have been scurrying after that frog, to force him back into the pot, and finish him off.
We, at VDARE.com, are in the frog-rescue business. No media outlet did more to save the frog, and none is doing more to keep it out of boiling water.
But we need money. Not a fortune. We do more with thousands than other outlets do with millions. Please send a generous donation—whatever you can afford—to VDARE.com.
Your posterity will thank you, as will “the frog”!
Thanks in advance for your generous support.
Sincerely,
Nicholas StixAs the Summer Olympics draws near every aspect of popular culture tends to involve itself in it. The design world especially plays an important part in inspiring people to get excited about the games. Recently there was a book released called "A Century of Olympic Posters" (which was mentioned in Fabiano's Best of the Week #18 post back in June). I've actually never seen the book, but I found that I didn't actually need it to see all the posters. Wikipedia has them all easily accessible.
Looking through these posters is great because it's like looking at a timeline of the changes and innovations in Graphic Design. Some of my favorites are: 1912 - I love the 1912 one because it has a sort of Art Nouveau look to it, which is pretty appropriate for the time. 1924 - This poster almost seems like a German or Soviet propaganda poster. 1956 - Here we see a departure from depicting the usual roman statuesque male form that was part of the posters since 1908. In fact in completely removes any natural form. 1968 - I'm totally digging this Mexico '68 poster. 1988 - this one is in almost classic 1980's style. It looks like they actually used early computer graphics to make this.
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source: haha.nuFor more on Thailand, click HERE.
By Giles Ji Ungpakorn
May 26, 2014 -- Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal -- The most striking thing about the latest coup d'etat in Thailand is the speed and size of the anti-coup protests. For the last three days, immediately following the coup, mass protests of ordinary people have simultaneously erupted in many areas of Bangkok but also in Chiangmai and other towns. This is history in the making.
These protests are spontaneous but it would be a mistake to think that they were “unorganised”. For years pro-democracy activists have been creating their own grassroots networks that are independent from Thaksin and Yingluck Shinawatra, the Pheu Thai party and the mainstream United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) leaders of the Red Shirts. Nevertheless, many Red Shirts who are still loyal to the UDD are also taking part. So are ordinary working-class people, although not as organised trade unionists. The more the protests grow, the more confidence is gained by those taking part and those watching and sympathising. Such grassroots protests make it more difficult for the military. There are hundreds of grassroots leaders, with new ones emerging every day. Arresting a few will only enrage people. It is not like arresting the UDD leaders and stopping the Red Shirt protests as before. Communication in these networks can be via social media, but “word of mouth” is also extremely important. This is the most positive development in Thailand’s political crisis for years.
Do not doubt for one moment that it is easy to defy a military junta and stand in front of armed soldiers who in the past have not hesitated to shoot down unarmed protesters. Some activists have been arrested and taken away. Others have been taken from their homes. Many people have been ordered by the junta to report to the army. This includes prominent progressive academics, some from the Nitirat group, and also including people like Ajarn Charnwit and Ajarn Suda. Some have been incarcerated in army camps. Those who are charged with “offences” will face military courts and prison.
But amazingly the protesters return in larger numbers. The hope is that this movement will grow and will reach out to the organised working class. But this will take time. It may well be a case of “two steps forward, one step back”.
Myths
There are a number of myths that have been shattered in the last few days. The first myth, constantly repeated by lazy journalists and elitist academics, is that the pro-democracy movement is predominantly rural. Millions of rural people will be enraged by this coup and hopefully they will organised themselves to oppose it in the coming days. But what we are seeing is an anti-coup movement developing in Bangkok and containing many Red Shirts. I have argued for years that the Red Shirt movement has significant support in Bangkok and that the capital city is not just made up of the conservative middle classes.
The second myth that has exploded is the idea that the palace is all powerful and controls the army. General Prayut Chanocha staged his coup d'etat without even bothering to inform the king until one day after the event. There were no pictures of the monarchy behind the junta as they read out their declaration. Again this is something I have been arguing for years. The military is a law unto itself, only using the monarchy to legitimise what it does. Given this fact, the Thai crisis cannot be explained as merely an elite dispute over the issue of royal succession. There is no point in fighting over a weak and powerless institution.
What the succession mongers are saying to the brave people who are on the streets and facing arrest is that they “shouldn’t bother”. “The gods on Mount Olympus will fight it out and determine your fate.”
The crisis is really about the democratic space in society. It is a two-dimensional struggle with an elite fight over the conduct of politics linked, in a contradictory and dialectical manner, to the struggle of millions of ordinary people for freedom, democracy and social justice. On the streets this is not a fight between two groups of people who support different elites, as conservative academics and NGO leaders claim.
Whether the rumours that Thaksin is considering setting up a government in exile are true or not, such a move would be irrelevant to the real struggle for democracy. Thaksin is firmly in the camp of the elites, though he favours the democratic process as a means to achieve power. He and his fellow party members have no intention of leading a real struggle for democracy that could tear down the structures of the old order, destroying the power of the army, abolishing lèse-majesté, punishing state killers and bringing in standards of human rights and equality via a welfare state. As Leon Trotsky argued in his theory of Permanent Revolution, such a task lies with the modern urban working class, in coalition with the small farmers.
A third myth that has been exploded is the claim by the junta that it was “an honest broker”, trying to bring about peace and stability between two warring sides. No one with half a political brain really believed this because the army and Sutep Tuaksuban’s mobs were working together. They also were on the same side as the monarchist yellow shirts back in 2006. What is now very clear is that almost all the people who have been arrested and ordered to report to the military are Red Shirts or progressive pro-democracy activists.
There has been a total silence from the various NGO and conservative academic “worthies” over this coup. In fact they helped create the conditions for it to occur in the first place, by demanding the elected government resign and compromise with anti-democratic thugs. The National Human Rights Commission, which is stacked with uniforms, has pleaded with the junta not to be too harsh. It is a disgrace to its name. The most that a small group of NGO figures linked to “FTA Watch” and consumers’ and environmental groups could bring themselves to say is that they hoped that the junta would return Thailand to democracy “at the earliest opportunity”. In other words, the junta should relinquish power when it feels the time is right. They also called on “both sides” in the crisis to negotiate and compromise. The result would be “half democracy”.
Supporters of Thai democracy abroad can do two simple and very important tasks. The first is to try to protect and publicise the plight of those who are arrested and imprisoned, including those who are already in jail for lèse-majesté. The second thing is to try to counter the lies and nonsense coming from the junta which appears in your own national media.
[Giles Ji Ungpakorn is a political commentator and dissident. In February 2009 he had to leave Thailand for exile in Britain because he was charged with lèse majesté for writing a book criticising the 2006 military coup. He is a member of Left Turn Thailand, a socialist organisation. His book, Thailand’s Crisis and the Fight for Democracy, will be of interest to activists, academics and journalists who watch Thai politics, democratisation and NGOs. His website is at http://redthaisocialist.com/.]Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.
In designing an antibiotic, you couldn’t create a drug that destroyed DNA, for example, because that’s something that both humans and bacteria share in common. It would kill bacteria, all right, but it might kill us, too. So, many antibiotics work by attacking the bacterial cell walls—something bacteria have, that we don’t.
Antifungals can attack the unique cell walls of fungus. Pesticides can work by attacking the special exoskeleton of insects. But, fighting cancer is harder, because cancer cells are our own cells. So, fighting cancer comes down to trying to find and exploit differences between cancer cells and normal cells.
Forty years ago, a landmark paper was published showing for the first time that many human cancers have what’s called absolute methionine dependency, meaning you can grow normal cells in a petri dish without giving them the amino acid methionine. “Normal cells thrive.” But, without methionine, cancer cells die. Normal breast cells, for example, grow no matter what—with or without. But, here’s leukemia cells, they need that extra added methionine to grow, or they just flatline.
What does cancer do with the methionine? Tumors generate “gaseous sulfur-containing compounds” with it, that specially trained diagnostic dogs can actually pick up. There are mole-sniffing dogs that can pick out skin cancer. There are breath-sniffing dogs that can pick out people with lung cancer. Pee-sniffing dogs that can diagnose bladder cancer. And, yes, you guessed it, fart-sniffing dogs for colorectal cancer. Doctors can now bring their Lab to the lab. Gives a whole new meaning to the term “pet scan.”
Anyway, methionine dependency is not just present in cancer cell lines in a petri dish. Fresh tumors taken from patients show that many cancers appear to have biochemical defects that makes them methionine-dependent—”including [some] tumors of the colon, breast, ovary, prostate, and [skin].”
Chemo companies are fighting to be the first to come out “methionine-depleting drugs,” but, since “methionine is sourced mainly from food,” a better strategy may be to lower methionine levels by lowering methionine intake—eliminating high-methionine foods for cancer growth control.
Here’s the thinking; look. “Smoking cessation, consumption of diets rich in [plants],…and other lifestyle measures can prevent the majority of cancers.” Unfortunately, people don’t do them, and, “as a result, each year, hundreds of thousands of Americans develop metastatic cancer. Chemotherapy cures only a few types of metastatic cancer…Unfortunately, the vast majority of common metastatic cancers…[like breast, prostate, colon, and lung] are lethal. We therefore desperately need novel treatment strategies for metastatic cancer. Dietary methionine restriction may be one such strategy.”
So, where is methionine found? Particularly chicken, and fish. Milk, red meat, and eggs have less. But, if you really want to stick with lower methionine foods, fruits, nuts, veggies, grains, and beans. In other words, “methionine restriction may be achieved using a predominately vegan diet.”
So, why isn’t every oncologist doing this? “Despite many promising preclinical and clinical studies in recent years, dietary methionine restriction and other dietary approaches to cancer treatment have not yet gained wide[spread] clinical application. Most clinicians and investigators are probably unfamiliar with nutritional approaches to cancer. [Ah, that’s an understatement.] Many others may consider amino acid restriction as an ‘old idea,’ since it has been examined for several decades. However, many good ideas remain latent for decades if not centuries before they prove valuable in the clinic…With the proper development, dietary methionine restriction, either alone or in combination with other treatments, may [also] prove to have a major impact on patients with cancer.”
Please consider volunteering to help out on the site.As of October 27, Hurricane Sandy, a storm so freakish it has been termed “frankenstorm”, had killed at least 38 people in Caribbean nations and was bearing down on the north-east of the United States. In the article below, first published at Think Progress on october 26, Stephen Lacey and Joe Romm take up the largely ignored role of climate change in creating a rising number of extreme weather events around the world.
* * *
As the US east coast braces for a possible direct hit from Hurricane Sandy, meteorologists are closely watching the storm’s “freak” formation. They’re calling it “unprecedented and bizarre”, a “perfect storm”, and a “frankenstorm” that could cause historic storm surges, last for multiple days, and cause more than US$1 billion in damage.
After hitting Jamaica and heading toward the Bahamas, it is likely that Sandy could swing into the US north-east and hit the coast somewhere between Washington, DC and Boston, affecting people all along the Atlantic seaboard. Projections for Sandy’s path are still uncertain, but models show that the threat is rising.
A confluence of factors are coming together to make the storm unprecedented. As Sandy moves through the Atlantic, it is expected to combine with an early winter storm from the continental US, causing pressure to drop ― potentially reaching pressure levels of a category three or four hurricane with winds over 115 miles per hour.
Brian Norcross of the Weather Channel described the storm this way on his Facebook page: “This is a beyond-strange situation. It’s unprecedented and bizarre.”
Another factor under consideration is climate change. Like a baseball player on steroids, our climate system is breaking records at an unnatural pace. And as with a baseball player on steroids, it’s the wrong question to ask whether a given home run is “caused” by steroids.
As Kevin Trenberth, former head of the Climate Analysis Section at the US National Center for Atmospheric Research, has written, all superstorms “are affected by climate change”.
Trenberth wrote in a September 24 Think Progress: “The air is on average warmer and moister than it was prior to about 1970 and in turn has likely led to a 5–10% effect on precipitation and storms that is greatly amplified in extremes.
“The warm moist air is readily advected onto land and caught up in weather systems as part of the hydrological cycle, where it contributes to more intense precipitation events that are widely observed to be occurring.”
The climate change link may be more than just more precipitation. A 2010 study by a Duke University-led team of climate scientists found: “Global warming is the main cause of a significant intensification in the North Atlantic Subtropical High.”
ClimateCentral.org’s Andrew Freedman explained in an October 25 article a possible influence: “Recent studies have shown that blocking patterns have appeared with greater frequency and intensity in recent years … While it is not unusual to have a high pressure area near Greenland, its intensity is striking for this time of year.
“As Jason Samenow of the Capital Weather Gang wrote on Wednesday, the North Atlantic Oscillation, which helps measure this blocking flow, 'is forecast to be three standard deviations from the average ― meaning this is an exceptional situation.'”
The storm comes at a unique time politically. In August, the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida was disrupted by strong rain and flooding caused by Hurricane Isaac. Two days later in his acceptance speech, Mitt Romney mocked President Obama’s pledge to deal with climate change and “slow the rise of the oceans” ― causing uproarious laughter among delegates.
And for the first time since 1988, the presidential candidates did not talk about climate change during debates ― even as data shows the US is experiencing the most extreme weather ever recorded. Meteorologist Jeff Masters explained in an April 17 Think Progress article: “The climate has shifted to a new state capable of delivering rare and unprecedented weather events.”Share
The Galaxy Note 7, Samsung’s latest smartphone, is apparently well on its way towards success. Pre-orders in South Korea began on August 6 through the three major networks — SK Telecom, LG Uplus, and KT Telecom — and according to a local report, 200,000 people rushed out to secure one for themselves in just two days.
Quoting industry data, rather than Samsung itself, the report says this is twice the number who pre-ordered the Galaxy S7 over the same period earlier this year, and is the highest recorded for a Galaxy smartphone. This bodes well for the Note 7. The Galaxy S7 Edge is currently the most popular Android phone in the world, according to Strategy Analytics, with more than 13 million already sold. The Galaxy S7 is close behind with nearly 12 million. According to Neil Mawston, Executive Director at the company, the S7 Edge’s popularity is at least partly due to, “its attractive curved hardware design blended with a sidebar of apps that consumers find easy to use.”
Sound familiar? The Galaxy Note 7 is at its heart a Galaxy S7 Edge with a stylus, with the added bonus of cutting edge security features. Anyone tempted by a Galaxy S7 Edge will be looking at a Note 7 as well. Mawston told Digital Trends in an email, “We forecast Samsung to ship 15 million Galaxy Note 7 units worldwide in the second half of 2016. We expect the Note 7 to be one of the world’s top-five best-selling smartphones in the second half of this year.”
Samsung’s doing its very best to attract people to the big-screen phone in South Korea, offering local buyers a free Gear Fit 2 fitness tracker with each order, and a promise that if the phone’s screen gets broken, it’ll stump up half the cost to get it repaired. Additionally, each Note 7 owner gets a gift card for use in Samsung’s local online store. Pre-orders have also started in the U.S., while networks and retailers in the U.K. will begin taking orders from August 16. Samsung in the U.S. is giving you the choice of a free Gear Fit 2 or a massive 256GB MicroSD card if you order the Galaxy Note 7, while in the U.K., the new style Gear VR headset will come with the phone, if you’re quick.
Samsung certainly wants to make sure those with at least $850 to spend on a smartphone don’t wait around to see what Apple reveals in the near future, and it appears to be working.The Senate Commerce Committee on Tuesday took up a controversial online sex-trafficking bill, hearing testimony from victims' families who urged lawmakers to act.
The hearing room was silent as Yvonne Ambrose tearfully told the panel about how her daughter, Desiree Robinson, was trafficked online and later raped and murdered.
“If there were stricter rules in place for posting on these websites then my child would still be with me today,” Ambrose said.
At issue is the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act (SESTA), championed by Sens. Rob Portman Robert (Rob) Jones PortmanAddressing repair backlog at national parks can give Congress a big win Texas senator introduces bill to produce coin honoring Bushes GOP Green New Deal stunt is a great deal for Democrats MORE (R-Ohio) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who have clashed with Silicon Valley over the bill.
The legislation would alter Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects web publishers from being sued for content posted by third parties on their sites. The bill would strip those protections away from websites that promote sex trafficking.
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Internet companies worry the bill could leave them unfairly liable for content posted by their users. But they are fighting an uphill battle to win over lawmakers.
Law enforcement groups and victims' rights advocates are forcefully painting the bill as a necessary step to crack down on sex trafficking.
Portman, who was added to the witness list just hours before the hearing began, testified that the bill is narrowly crafted to only target websites that are knowingly enabling sex trafficking. He insisted legitimate sites like Google and Facebook would not be affected.
“They have to be proven to have knowingly facilitated, supported or assisted in online sex trafficking to be liable in the first place,” Portman told the committee Tuesday. “Because the standard is so high, our bill protects good tech actors and targets rogue online actors like Backpage."
Backpage is a website for classified ads, similar to Craigslist, that has for years been accused of facilitating prostitution and underage sex trafficking.
Web companies insist they are going to great lengths to fight sex trafficking and that the bill would be counterproductive for those efforts.
“SESTA is a well-intentioned response to a terrible situation,” said Abigail Slater, general counsel for the Internet Association, a trade group representing most major Silicon Valley companies.
But she added: “We are concerned that SESTA opens up liability for frivolous lawsuits that do little for victims of sex trafficking."
The Internet Association has been leading opposition against the bill.
The industry group was backed up at the hearing by Sen. Ron Wyden Ronald (Ron) Lee WydenSenate reignites blue slip war over Trump court picks Overnight Health Care — Presented by National Taxpayers Union — Top Dems call for end to Medicaid work rules | Chamber launching ad blitz against Trump drug plan | Google offers help to dispose of opioids Top Dems call for end to Medicaid work rules after 18,000 lose coverage in Arkansas MORE (D-Ore.), one of the original architects of the Communications Decency Act, who told the committee that amending the law is not the way to fight sex trafficking.
“Absolutely nothing in the 230 statute protects against violating federal criminal law,” Wyden said.
None of the committee members has come out against the bill, but a handful have indicated they are open to revising it to address the tech industry's concerns.
This story was updated at 1:50 p.m.BILL PLASCHKE No man is an island, especially Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen
Jansen pitches for Dodgers but also for his family, to make sure they never again struggle on the Caribbean island of Curacao.
His giant arms have no tattoos. His whispery voice has no edge. His soft eyes are wide and wandering. He doesn't drink. He doesn't party. He is 25 years old and still lives with his parents, both in his hometown on the southern Caribbean island of Curacao and when they visit for long stretches in Los Angeles.
Jansen, the 6-foot-5, 260-pound closer whose midseason emergence has made a Puig-like impact on the pitching staff, takes the mound looking like a giant kid in his pajamas.
"You don't have to look like a tough guy," he said softly. "When the situation comes up, you just have to be a tough guy."
All of which makes Kenley Geronimo Jansen the weirdest one of all.
The Dodgers' bullpen is a dizzying array of beards and tattoos, its inhabitants marked by checkered pasts and chips on shoulders.
Many members of the Dodgers bullpen, which has been the National League's best since midseason, wear their hearts on their sleeves. Jansen wears his on his back. It can be found in his number 74.
There is a story behind the origin of this number. Earlier this week at Dodger Stadium, the story was told by both Jansen and his mother in tones both joyful and reverent. One gets the feeling it is a story they will be telling forever.
"To understand what happened, you have to understand my blessed, blessed boy," his mother Bernadette said while standing outside the stadium's family section.
The story begins in the fields of Willemstad, the largest city on Curacao, a small Dutch island off the Venezuelan coast and birthplace of several good major leaguers. Jansen was a tough young catcher who lived up to his middle name of Geronimo, which was given to him by his grandmother for inspiration.
When Jansen was 12, he needed that inspiration. His father Isidro, a construction worker, suffered a stroke and could no longer draw a paycheck. His mother, a travel agent, exhausted herself between work and caring for him.
Jansen and his two older brothers became fearful that they would lose the family home. Between juggling jobs and bills and regular visits to church, Bernadette continued to tell them each night that everything was fine.
"But everything was not fine.... Sometimes I was so tired, I cried," Bernadette remembered. "I was trying to do everything myself with the help of God. It was hard to pay everything, but I tried."
Kenley knew there was trouble. He occupied himself with school and baseball, but he couldn't ignore his mother's weary eyes.
"We had a tough time paying for the house," he said. "We hung on for the longest time but, at some point, my mom just couldn't do it anymore."
When things were really grim, Jansen, lacking any other options, would hug his mother and make a promise that he had no idea whether he could ever fulfill.
"He would tell me, "Mama, please believe, one day, we will have victory, you will enjoy our life, I'm going to do whatever I can to let you feel that," Bernadette recalled.Image: Game Sack/YouTube
Joe Redifer and Dave White were living my dream.
The two Colorado residents host Game Sack, a YouTube show about retro video games that brought immense joy to my life with each and every episode. Unlike other YouTube channels that became popular on the back of loud overacting and childish cursing—ahem—Game Sack distinguished itself with lighthearted yet in-depth discussion of topics like the Sega Saturn, Japanese video games that never left their home country, and the best controllers from the 32-bit era and newer. Yes this is my idea of fun and yes I'm excellent at parties.
That's why the show's January 26 Facebook post caused my jaw to drop and my heart to sink.
"Game Sack is going on hiatus," the post read. "We do have another episode coming up in two weeks but then after that we don't know when the next one will be."
As the hosts explained in the post, the pressure of continually creating new episodes essentially nonstop since April 2011 had finally taken its toll. "Even when there were obligations in real life we kept going through with Game Sack," the hosts said. "You take breaks on YouTube and people lose interest, subscribers diminish and people become angry."
I wasn't angry at Joe and Dave's decision—that would be selfish of me—but I did want to better understand where they were coming from, and to see if their experience might provide any insight into what it's like to be a part of the YouTube middle class: people whose shows are popular enough to generate a healthy following—it had just about 145,000 subscribers when the hiatus was announced—but who aren't so big that they can quit their day job to concentrate on creating videos all day.
***
"We created Game Sack just to make videos and see what kind of response we could get with it," Redifer told me in an email. "We weren't trying to become YouTube famous per se, but we saw how little effort went into the production of other YouTube videos that got thousands and thousands of views. We figured it couldn't be very tough since most of those folks put, like, next to no effort into their videos and did just fine."
Redifer and White live in the Denver metro area. They've been making "cheesy videos" (as White put it) together since high school, where they met as freshmen in 1987. (Clips of these amateur videos are sprinkled throughout several episodes of Game Sack, some of which are also included in the show's recently released Blu-ray compilation.) These high school videos "usually sucked," said White, "but we always had a great time making them and I have lots of great memories over the years from this." Working on these high school videos helped Redifer hone his editing skills, skills he would eventually put to use for Game Sack as well as his professional career.
In 2011, "We had no real idea for things we wanted to make on our own [but] YouTube was gaining momentum," White continued. "We figured we would have some fun making a show about video games, and to keep it interesting we would put a Nintendo vs. Sega spin on it and see if it worked."
It's these first few episodes, published long before I became a fan (I started watching in early 2015 before diving into the show's library), that ultimately convinced me that Game Sack was the YouTube show for me: Sure, I'd watched the occasional YouTube video here and there like everyone else, but if you had asked me in, say, mid-2014 who my favorite YouTuber was I'd have given you a blank stare. "Aren't those guys all loud and shouty?" would have been my question.
Not Joe and Dave.
One early episode, published in June 2011, shows Redifer and White, I don't know, sitting in someone's patio discussing "gaming schwag."
"What is gaming schwag?" Redifer asks, deadpan.
"This is gaming schwag," White replies, before spinning the table around to present a copy of Super Mario chess.
"Would you like to play chess with me?" White eventually asks, prompting perhaps the greatest exchange ever between two English-speaking humans:
"Mama mia! It's a battle for the mushroom kingdom!" exclaimed Redifer.
Replied White: "Let's save it!"
The sheer genuineness on display here, and throughout all of Game Sack, is what won me over.
***
"The original vision [of the show] was just to mainly talk about things in gaming we thought would be interesting to talk about," said Redifer, noting that he first got into gaming during the 8-bit era of the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Sega Master System. "Stuff that we'd like to see other people talk about but never really did." It's at this point that Redifer first hints at some of the problems that caused he and White to put the show on hiatus, noting that he and White sometimes—gasp!—liked to talk about subjects "that other people wanna see talked about." Popular games, in other words.
"[The] biggest complainers are usually those who are disappointed that we did not include the more popular games in any given episode," said Redifer. "And there are also those who say we shouldn't cover those popular games because everyone else has. I can see the argument from both sides, but sometimes we just wanna talk about games regardless of [their popularity]. It really doesn't matter to us any more."
White, who has worked as a courier for FedEx for 12 "long years," also noted that simple fatigue began to wear down on the hosts. "After working 40 hours a week it can be difficult finding time to play games and also finding time to spend with my family," he said. "It's a crazy balancing act and at times it's difficult to get it to work out."
And while Redifer noted that most people seem to have a positive attitude toward Game Sack, "there are a lot of jerks out there."
"It comes with the territory but that doesn't mean we have to like it," he added.
***
At this point, it's still unclear what, exactly, the long-term future holds for Game Sack. While both Redifer and White acknowledge that the show generates revenue (without revealing any specific figures, though White noted they were able to use some money to upgrade their video equipment), it's unlikely that the duo is swimming in ad dollars like PewDiePie or The Fine Bros—meaning that the show, if it's to continue beyond the self-imposed hiatus, would have to remain a fun hobby that's squeezed into their tight schedules.
"We have absolutely no intention of calling it quits," said Redifer, when I asked if he and White were done with the show for good. He conceded, however, that he has "no idea" how long the hiatus will last beyond speculating that he and White will likely need a few months to recharge their batteries after their four-year, non-stop run.
People "need to realize that a lot of effort needs to go into making a quality channel," said White. "Once you start going you can't stop."Andreas Raht Administrator
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OOTP 18 Update (Version 18.2.36) Available Now! Important: This update is only for OOTP 18 versions which were purchased directly from us or resellers who use our version.
It is NOT compatible with the Steam or Mac OSX AppStore version! The Steam update is available via the Steam client and the Mac AppStore version is pending review at Apple, which will take some more days.
Hey folks!
We worked hard over the weekend and were able to reproduce and fix most reported issues. Hence we have just released a maintenance update of OOTP 18 |
Originally a March. The tenth track on, sung by Farrar. Originally a Louvin Brothers song, Peter Buck approached the band after hearing Uncle Tupelo's version of this song performed live. It is an exemplar of the acoustic recordings found on Problems playing these files? See media help.
Shortly after Uncle Tupelo's signing, Giant Records changed its name to Rockville Records. The band's first album for Rockville No Depression, was recorded over ten days in January 1990, at Fort Apache South recording studio in Boston, Massachusetts. The album's thematic structure revolved around their lives as adolescents in Belleville; examples are songs about wanting to avoid factory work and songs about fearing a potential Persian Gulf War military draft.[17] Impressed by their previous work on Dinosaur Jr.'s Bug, the band wanted Paul Kolderie and Sean Slade to produce the album. Slade let Farrar play on the same 1961 Gibson Les Paul SG Junior that J. Mascis originally played on Bug. The album was released on June 21, 1990, and the band celebrated by playing at Cicero's for two nights.
In between tours, Farrar, Tweedy and Heidorn formed a country cover band named Coffee Creek, along with Brian Henneman (later a member of The Bottle Rockets). Henneman impressed Uncle Tupelo, and he was invited to be a guitar technician and occasional multi-instrumentalist for the band. While Farrar and Heidorn would avoid drinking too much after shows, Tweedy would continue drinking throughout the night. Although Tweedy stopped after he began dating Sue Miller in 1991, a significant communication gap had already been opened between Tweedy and Farrar.
By March 1991, No Depression had sold an estimated 15,000 copies, and was featured in a Rolling Stone article about rising stars.[5] However, Rockville Records refused to pay the band any royalties for the album, a theme that would continue for the remainder of the band's contract. Over seventeen days the band recorded a second album at Long View Farm in rural North Brookfield, Massachusetts. Still Feel Gone, with a more layered sound, was also produced by Kolderie and Slade, with contributions by Slade, Henneman, Rich Gilbert, Chris Bess of Enormous Richard, and Gary Louris of The Jayhawks. The band was disappointed with the production of the album and decided to discontinue working with Kolderie and Slade. Soon afterward, Uncle Tupelo recorded "Shaking Hands (Soldier's Joy)" on Michelle Shocked's album Arkansas Traveler and joined her on the accompanying tour with Taj Mahal and The Band. However, the tour only lasted for a few shows because of managerial problems between Shocked and The Band.[23][24][25]
Alternative rock had broken into the mainstream by 1992, and an album released in that style was expected to earn the group a major-label record deal. However, Uncle Tupelo didn't want to follow in the footsteps of groups such as Nirvana, and decided to play country and folk songs "as a big 'fuck you' to the rock scene". Peter Buck, guitarist for R.E.M., saw the trio perform at the 40 Watt Club in Athens, Georgia and sought them out after the show. Buck was impressed with a version of "Atomic Power" that the band played, and offered his services for their next album. Over a span of five days, Buck produced the group's next album, March 16–20, 1992. Buck allowed them to stay in his house during the sessions, and charged no money for his services. Brian Henneman's role was increased for this album, and he taught himself how to play mandolin and bouzouki. Despite turning away from the style of popular alternative rock, major labels began to show significant interest in Uncle Tupelo after March 16–20, 1992 was released. The album sold more than their two previous recordings combined, although Rockville was displeased that it did not conform to the style of popular alternative rock.[30]
Major label contract [ edit ]
In 1992, Joe McEwen of Sire Records began to pursue the band. McEwen, who brought notable acts such as Dinosaur Jr and Shawn Colvin to Sire, had been interested in them since hearing the Not Forever, Just for Now demo tape. At the urging of Gary Louris, McEwen offered Uncle Tupelo a contract. Band manager Tony Margherita invoked the $50,000 escape clause he had put in their Rockville contract, freeing the band to sign a seven-year deal with Sire. The deal required two albums, and specified a budget of $150,000 for their first.
Around the time of the recording of March 16–20, 1992, Mike Heidorn had secured a steady job at a Belleville newspaper company and was dating a woman who had two children from a previous marriage. Uncle Tupelo had planned a tour of Europe, but Heidorn wanted to stay in Belleville with his girlfriend, whom he married in August 1992.[25]
The band held auditions prior to the promotional tour for March 16–20, 1992, and two candidates stood out: Bill Belzer and Ken Coomer. Although singers Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy agreed that Coomer was the better drummer, they were intimidated by his six-foot-four stature and long dreadlocks. The band selected Belzer as Heidorn's replacement, but he only stayed with the band for six months. Tweedy explained Belzer's departure:
We had Belzer in the band for six months. I want to believe it was purely musical, and I honestly believe that it wasn't working musically. I also believe that we weren't emotionally mature enough to be close friends with a gay person at that point in our lives... And Bill was and is a very proud and righteous gay person, very open about his homosexuality.
After touring Europe opening for Sugar, the band replaced Belzer with Coomer. The band also experimented with new members: John Stirratt replaced Brian Henneman (who left to form The Bottle Rockets) while Max Johnston, the brother of Michelle Shocked, joined as a live mandolin and violin performer. Stirratt became a full-time bassist, allowing Tweedy to perform more songs with the guitar.
Now a five-piece, Uncle Tupelo recorded their major label debut at Cedar Creek studio in Austin, Texas in early 1993. Anodyne consisted of live-in-the-studio recordings and included a duet with Farrar and Doug Sahm of the Sir Douglas Quintet. The album sold 150,000 copies, and was their only entry on the Billboard Heatseekers chart.[38] The group toured until the end of the year, finishing with a sold out concert at Tramps in New York City. Because of their concert draw, major executives at Sire began to see the band as a potential hit.
In 1993, the band contributed a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's track "Effigy" to the AIDS-Benefit album No Alternative produced by the Red Hot Organization.
Breakup [ edit ]
With the addition of Stirratt, Coomer, and Johnston just prior to the recording of Anodyne, Farrar and Tweedy's relationship became more tumultuous, leading to verbal altercations after concerts. In one account, Tweedy recalled:
Around this time, I would say something into a microphone onstage, and afterward [Farrar would] pull me aside and say, "Don't you ever fucking talk into that microphone again." He would misconstrue me talking into the microphone as more evidence of my out-of-control, rampant ego, more evidence of me feeling like I didn't have to be so fucking afraid anymore.
Tweedy felt the new members gave him a new opportunity to contribute to the band, but Farrar felt disdain for Tweedy's new carefree attitude. Years later, Farrar would claim that he had been tempted to quit the band after seeing Tweedy stroking the hair of Farrar's girlfriend, an act which he believed to have been a proposition.[40] In January 1994, Farrar called manager Tony Margherita to inform him of his decision to leave the band. Farrar told Margherita that he was no longer having fun, and didn't want to work with Tweedy anymore. Soon after the breakup, Farrar explained his departure: "It just seemed like it reached a point where Jeff and I really weren't compatible. It had ceased to be a symbiotic songwriting relationship, probably after the first record."[42]
Tweedy was enraged that he heard the news secondhand from Margherita, since Farrar decided not to tell him in person. The following day, the two singers engaged in a verbal confrontation. As a favor to Margherita—who had spent a substantial amount of money to keep the band running—Farrar agreed to a final tour with Uncle Tupelo in North America. Tweedy and Farrar again engaged in a shouting match two weeks into the tour, due to Farrar's refusal to sing harmony on any of Tweedy's songs. The band made its first appearance on national television during the tour when they were featured on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Sire had requested that the band perform "The Long Cut" on the show, which further irked Farrar since the song was written and sung by Tweedy.
Uncle Tupelo's last concerts, two shows at The Blue Note in Columbia, Missouri and two shows at Mississippi Nights in St. Louis, Missouri took place from April 28 to May 1, 1994. A special "last leg" poster was created for the occasion which facetiously promoted the band as "St. Louis's 4th best country band", based on a readers' poll in the Riverfront Times. On the last night, Tweedy and Farrar each performed nine songs during the concert, and Mike Heidorn performed as drummer during the encore.
Following Uncle Tupelo's final tour, Tweedy encouraged his bandmates to join him in a new group, while Farrar searched for members for a band of his own. Tweedy was able to retain the rest of the Uncle Tupelo lineup, and created Wilco. Wilco began rehearsing a few days after the final Uncle Tupelo concert, and by August 1994 they were in the recording studio for their first album, A.M.. Farrar asked Jim Boquist to join his new band, Son Volt; Boquist was a multi-instrumentalist who had performed with Joe Henry as the opening act on Uncle Tupelo's last tour. Boquist also recruited his brother Dave, and Farrar convinced Mike Heidorn to leave Belleville to join the group. Farrar's new four-piece began recording their debut album Trace in November 1994.
Wilco signed to Reprise Records while Son Volt signed with Warner Bros. Records. Son Volt had an early college rock hit with "Drown" from the album Trace, but Wilco maintained a more commercially successful career in the years to follow.[46][47] Regarding the possibility of a reunion, Mike Heidorn reported in a PopMatters interview that "nothing's ever for sure, but I would have to say, 'No such thing' ".[48] Farrar said that he does not want the band to get back together, while Tweedy said that he believes that a reunion would not be productive musically.[49][50]
Farrar and Tweedy sued Rockville Records and Dutch East India Trading CEO Barry Tenenbaum in 2000 over royalties that the label allegedly owed them, winning reparations from Tenenbaum and the joint rights to Uncle Tupelo's first three albums. After securing the rights, the band released a compilation entitled 89/93: An Anthology. In 2003, Uncle Tupelo re-issued their first three albums, which before the lawsuit had cumulatively sold over 200,000 copies.
Influences [ edit ]
As The Primitives, Tweedy and Farrar were highly influenced by punk bands such as The Ramones and The Sex Pistols. However, they began to listen to country music because punk rock was not well received in the Belleville and St. Louis music scenes. While they originally were introduced to country by their parents, it wasn't until this time that they began to listen to it for leisure.[52] Farrar typically wrote songs about Middle America, while Tweedy wrote about more mainstream topics such as relationships. Farrar took influence from authors such as Kurt Vonnegut and Jack Kerouac, whom he read while working at his mother's bookstore.[53] As the lead singer of Uncle Tupelo, Farrar's lyrics would be front-and-center during performances, but the band's musical style was mostly driven by Tweedy and Heidorn (seen in the music's Minutemen-influenced start-stop arrangement). Jeff Tweedy said in an interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch:[10]
We probably have more influences than we know what to do with. We have two main styles that have been influences. For instance, we like Black Flag as much as early Bob Dylan and Dinosaur Jr. as much as Hank Williams... To us, hard-core punk is also folk music. We draw a close parallel between the two. We'll play both in the same set if we get a chance. We don't have any biases as far as music is concerned.
Tweedy in particular was inspired by the Minutemen, and wrote a song about D. Boon following Boon's death in a van accident.[55] The band has released songs originally performed by Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Carter Family, Lead Belly, Gram Parsons, The Soft Boys, The Louvin Brothers, Texas Tornados, and The Stooges.[56] Releasing March 16–20, 1992 when alternative music was breaking through was a move inspired by Neil Young's decision to release the challenging albums On the Beach and Tonight's the Night immediately after the commercially successful Harvest. Critic Michael Corcoran likened the band's musical style to "Bob Mould fronting Soul Asylum on a speeded-up version of a Gram Parsons song."[57]
Legacy [ edit ]
Uncle Tupelo is credited as one of the founders of the alternative country genre, a blend of alternative rock and traditional country music.[52][58] While the genre eventually became associated with solo artists such as Gram Parsons and Lyle Lovett, Uncle Tupelo is considered the first alternative country band.[59] Some media outlets like the BBC have even suggested that they were the genre's sole creator.[60][61] However, Tweedy and Heidorn dispute this claim, and Farrar says that there is no difference between alternative country and other genres such as roots rock.[62][63] Heidorn commented in a Country Standard Time interview:[64]
It's strange to hear Uncle Tupelo mentioned because what we were doing was in such a long line of musical history. People are wrong in starting with us and saying we started anything because we were just picking up the ball, starting with Woody Guthrie and on to the early '60s and the Flying Burrito Brothers that we were influenced by. We didn't start a genre. We contributed to a long line of fairly good music. That's the way we looked at it at the time—doing what was right for the song.
The band's first three albums influenced contemporary roots rock artists such as Richmond Fontaine and Whiskeytown.[65][66] Uncle Tupelo's usage of distorted guitars to play a style of music that was known for its earnestness became a lasting trend in 1990s modern rock.[67] Jason Ankeny wrote in Allmusic that:[68]
With the release of their 1990 debut LP, No Depression, the Belleville, IL, trio Uncle Tupelo launched more than simply their own career—by fusing the simplicity and honesty of country music with the bracing fury of punk, they kick-started a revolution which reverberated throughout the American underground.
Their 1990 album No Depression lent its name to an influential alternative country periodical.[69][70] Due to the influence of the album and periodical, the term "No Depression" became a byword for alternative country—particularly for bands with punk rock influence.[59][71] The alternative country movement played an important role in the success of future traditionalist country acts such as Robbie Fulks and Shelby Lynne.[72]
Members [ edit ]
Timeline
Discography [ edit ]
Studio albums [ edit ]
Compilations [ edit ]
Year Title Comments 1992 Still Feel Gone & March 16–20, 1992 Label: Dutch East India (6110-1) Double LP album only; two albums packaged together with a new cover design. 2002 89/93: An Anthology Label: Columbia (62223)/Sony Music (5076122)
Released: March 19, 2002 Retrospective compilation album with three previously unreleased tracks.
Demo tapes [ edit ]
All demo tapes are self-released on cassette.
Year Title Comments 1987 Colorblind & Rhymeless 1988 Live and Otherwise Recorded live at Blue Note in Columbia, Missouri. 1989 Not Forever, Just for Now
Singles [ edit ]
Year A-side B-sides Comments 1990 "I Got Drunk" Label: Rockville Records (ROCK6055-7) "Sin City" 1991 "Gun" Label: Rockville Records (ROCK6069-7) "I Wanna Destroy You" "Gun"/"I Wanna Destroy You"/"Still Be Around"' Label: Rockville Records (ROCK6069-4) Triple A-side.
Cassette version of the "Gun" single. 1992 "Sauget Wind" Label: Rockville Records (ROCK6089-7) "Looking for a Way Out" (live)
"Take My Word" 1993 "The Long Cut" Label: Sire Records "We've Been Had" (live)
"Truck Drivin' Man" (live)
"Anodyne" (live)
"Suzie Q" (live)
"Fifteen Keys" (live) Cover of single reads "The Long Cut + 5 Live"
Promotional single only.
Contributions [ edit ]
Uncle Tupelo also recorded a one-hour radio special that was released by Legacy Records in 2003. Legacy only distributed the CD, entitled The Long Cut: A One Hour Radio Special, to non-commercial radio stations as a way to promote the re-issues of the band's studio albums. The special is hosted by Lauren Frey and features interviews by Farrar, Tweedy, and Heidorn.[74]
Notes [ edit ]A former secretary of Homeland Security during the Obama's administration says President Trump Donald John TrumpREAD: Cohen testimony alleges Trump knew Stone talked with WikiLeaks about DNC emails Trump urges North Korea to denuclearize ahead of summit Venezuela's Maduro says he fears 'bad' people around Trump MORE is a few changes short of becoming an excellent leader.
“I actually believe Donald Trump has the potential to be a great president in sort of the Nixon goes to China way or Reagan goes to the Soviet Union way,” former DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson said Wednesday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
“If he can find some way to rein in some of the more unhealthy impulses, listen to his staff, bring on a full complement of political appointees who will help him govern.”
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Johnson added that he sees Trump struggling with Twitter, national security and terrorism.
“And I’m very concerned about the tweets, obviously,” he said. "And very concerned about the direction we’re taking in a lot of national security areas.”
“I’m very concerned that we’re, when it comes to Homeland Security, we may be fighting the last war,” Johnson added. "We may be responding to the terrorist attack of 10 years ago versus the next one.”
“And given where we are right now with the current threat environment, we need to focus on home-grown, home-born violent extremists, which is something we did a lot of in the last administration.”
Trump claimed earlier this month — without evidence — that Obama wiretapped Trump Tower in New York City during the 2016 presidential race.
FBI Director James Comey said Monday the Department of Justice has “no information” substantiating Trump’s claims against his predecessor, while top Republicans on the House and Senate Intelligence committees have both said there's no evidence that Obama ordered a wiretap on Trump.The deleterious consequences of humanity’s “plastic footprint” are many, some known and some yet to be discovered. We know that plastics biodegrade exceptionally slowly, breaking into tiny fragments in a centuries-long process. We know that plastic debris entangles and slowly kills millions of sea creatures; that hundreds of species mistake plastics for their natural food, ingesting toxicants that cause liver and stomach abnormalities in fish and birds, often choking them to death. We know that one of the main bait fish in the ocean, the lantern fish, eats copious quantities of plastic fragments, threatening their future as a nutritious food source to the tuna, salmon, and other pelagic fish we consume, adding to the increasing amount of synthetic chemicals unknown before 1950 that we now carry in our bodies.
We suspect that more animals are killed by vagrant plastic waste than by even climate change — a hypothesis that needs to be seriously tested. During our most recent voyage, we studied the effects of pollution, taking blood and liver samples from fish as we searched for invasive species and plastic-linked pollutants that cause protein and hormone abnormalities. While we hope our studies will yield important contributions to scientific knowledge, they address but a small part of a broader issue.
The reality is that only by preventing synthetic debris — most of which is disposable plastic — from getting into the ocean in the first place will a measurable reduction in the ocean’s plastic load be accomplished. Clean-up schemes are legion, but have never been put into practice in the garbage patches.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the United States supports environmentalist groups that remove debris from beaches. But the sieve-like skimmers they use, no matter how technologically sophisticated, will never be able to clean up remote garbage gyres: There’s too much turbulent ocean dispersing and mixing up the mess.
The problem is compounded by the aquaculture industry, which uses enormous amounts of plastic in its floats, nets, lines and tubes. The most common floats and tubes I’ve found in the deep ocean and on Hawaiian beaches come from huge sea-urchin and oyster farms like the one that created the oyster-buoy island we discovered. Those buoys were torn from their moorings by the tsunami that walloped Japan on March 11, 2011. But no regulatory remedies exist to deal with tons of plastic equipment lost accidentally and in storms. Government and industry organizations purporting to certify sustainably farmed seafood, despite their dozens of pages of standards, fail to mention gear that is lost and floats away. Governments, which are rightly concerned with depletion of marine food sources, should ensure that plastic from cages, buoys and other equipment used for aquaculture does not escape into the waters.Catherine E. Coulson, a classically trained actress who won fans as the enigmatic Log Lady in the TV series “Twin Peaks,” died on Monday at her home in Ashland, Ore. She was 71.
Her death, from cancer, was confirmed by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, where she had acted for 22 seasons.
Ms. Coulson had a long creative relationship with the director David Lynch, a co-creator of “Twin Peaks.” He had initially cast her as a nurse in “Eraserhead,” but she ended up as an assistant director instead on that 1977 film, which became a cult classic.
Mr. Lynch is known for his eccentric characters, and “Twin Peaks,” set in a small town in Washington State, was rife with them. But none were as peculiar as Ms. Coulson’s Log Lady, always cradling her precious log, a cross between a pet and a portal to the supernatural.An Atlanta-area man is dead and another is in custody after a dispute between an angry customer and a Waffle House restaurant employee turned deadly.
Atlanta’s WSB-TV reported that police were called to the Fulton County Waffle House at around 4:30 a.m., responding to a report of shots fire.
When officers arrived, they found 33-year-old Adrian Mosley shot to death.
A Waffle House employee was arrested and taken to Fulton County jail. Other employees and some customers were taken to police headquarters to give testimony about the sequence of events that led to Mosley’s death.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that the dispute began when a woman who was with Mosley got into an altercation with the restaurant’s security guard.
“The girl got into it first with the security guard and they told her she had to leave the property,” said witness Ontray Haley to the Journal-Constitution. “So she left but the other two guys hung around and they told them they had to leave. The cook refused to serve them because they were getting unruly.”
The men threatened the cook, said Haley, then gunfire erupted.
“It occurred right at the counter,” he said. “It was just chaos; I was ducking for cover like everybody else. I looked up and I saw the guy in the floor, dead.”
This is the second fatal shooting in an Atlanta-area Waffle House in as many weeks.
Earlier this year, the Republican-dominated Georgia legislature passed the so-called “guns everywhere” law, which the NRA called “the most comprehensive pro-gun reform bill in state history.”
Under the new law, licensed gun owners are allowed to carry their weapons to church, restaurants and bars. It will automatically grant military personnel the right to carry firearms off duty, and the law allows citizens to carry weapons into government buildings.
The law does not go into effect, however, until July 1.
Watch video about this story, embedded below:
[image of waffles and syrup via Shutterstock.com]ON A PLATFORM IN THE CELEBES SEA — IN the next several years, thousands of offshore oil and gas drilling rigs, many of them built during a global construction boom in the 1970s and ’80s, will reach retirement age and require decommissioning. Countries will have to decide whether to sink, remove or repurpose them.
While few proposals have been put in practice, there is no shortage of ideas for alternative uses of the platforms: supermax prisons, private homes, scuba schools, fish farms, windmill stations.
Unlike earlier generations of offshore rigs, which tended to be fewer, smaller and closer to shore, the ones being retired now are bigger, more numerous and spread much more broadly across the globe. Most of these retirement-ready platforms are too old for heavy industrial use, like drilling, but not necessarily old enough to demand full removal.
Oil and gas companies generally prefer to sink the rigs because it’s the cheapest solution. Many scientists back this approach, arguing that it creates underwater marine habitats and is less carbon-intensive than removing the platforms. Just renting a barge with a crane to pull the rig apart for scrapping can cost more than $500,000 a day. Eager to attract the tax revenue and investment often created by drilling, lawmakers in California have pushed a bill in recent years to fast-track approval for oil companies seeking to sink rigs.After winning the NFL’s MVP award and leading the Atlanta Falcons to a Super Bowl, Matt Ryan is finally getting the kind of recognition he deserves.
Ryan has racked up a lot of accolades throughout this offseason. The latest praise to come his way is that he’s been named the No. 1 best deep thrower in the league by NFL 1000 at Bleacher Report. Here’s Doug Farrar on why they gave Ryan the top spot:
Of all quarterbacks who attempted at least 25 deep passes last season, Ryan is the only one who didn’t throw an interception. Instead, he completed 32 of 63 deep passes for 1,149 yards and 11 touchdowns—including five completions for 128 yards and a touchdown in that ill-fated Super Bowl. His 60 percent completion rate on long throws led all quarterbacks with at least 50 attempts, and only Ben Roethlisberger threw more deep touchdowns.
Ryan came in just ahead of Tom Brady, Andrew Luck and Aaron Rogers. Jameis Winston of the division rival Buccaneers also made the cut. You can find the full top 10 rankings here.One day after a report suggested that Duke’s athletic department knew of two sexual assault allegations against the junior guard Rasheed Sulaimon for as long as 10 months before his dismissal from the team, the program’s athletic director attempted to tamp down speculation that Coach Mike Krzyzewski, or any other athletic official, had mishandled the case.
“Coach Krzyzewski and his staff understand and have fulfilled their responsibilities to the university, its students and the community,” Athletic Director Kevin White said in a statement. {snip}
On Monday, the student newspaper, The Duke Chronicle, reported that allegations against Sulaimon by two female students became known to members of the athletic department as early as March 2014. Sulaimon was dismissed Jan. 29, becoming the first player to be discharged in Krzyzewski’s 35-year tenure.
During a conference call with Atlantic Coast Conference coaches Monday, Krzyzewski declined to comment. The university, citing student confidentiality in a statement Monday, said it “takes immediate action when it receives reports of alleged sexual misconduct or other violations of the student conduct code.”
According to The Chronicle, an anonymous “former affiliate” of Duke basketball conveyed the allegations, which were lodged separately by the two students, at two Duke diversity retreats, to the team psychologist. Subsequently, the affiliate told The Chronicle, Krzyzewski, three assistant coaches and other athletics officials, including White, were told of the allegations.
Citing “sources close to the women,” The Chronicle reported that the immense popularity of Duke basketball had played a role in their decision not to file complaints with law enforcement or the Office of Student Conduct.
{snip}
Original Article
Share ThisThe Falcons got one of their best pass-rushers back on the practice field on Wednesday as DE Adrian Clayborn was able to participate in a limited role for the first time since Nov. 27.
Prior to injuring his knee, Clayborn was having success getting to opponents’ quarterbacks with 4.5 sacks on the year. Clayborn’s physical style of play helped set the tone early for how the Falcons’ defensive line would attack this year.
Clayborn said he’s observed closely while being on the sideline and is anxious to get back in the mix.
“Watching the way these guys have been rushing, [I’m] just trying to add my piece back in,” Clayborn said of what he’s learned while being out. “Bringing that angry tenacious player that I know I am.”
TE Austin Hooper (knee) and LB De’Vondre Campbell (concussion) were the only two Falcons to not practice.Much like Hillary's former IT consultant Paul Combetta who admitted to deleting Hillary's emails despite the existence of a Congressional subpoena, it seems as though James Comey has just had his very own "oh shit" moment.
After months of inexplicable delays, the chairman of the House Judiciary and Oversight committees, Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), announced moments ago a joint investigation into how the Justice Department handled last year's investigation into Hillary Clinton's private email server.
Among other things, Goodlatte and Gowdy said that the FBI must answer for why it chose to provide public updates in the Clinton investigation but not in the Trump investigation and why the FBI decided to "appropriate full decision making in respect to charging or not charging Secretary Clinton," a power typically left to the DOJ.
"Our justice system is represented by a blind-folded woman holding a set of scales. Those scales do not tip to the right or the left; they do not recognize wealth, power, or social status. The impartiality of our justice system is the bedrock of our republic and our fellow citizens must have confidence in its objectivity, independence, and evenhandedness. The law is the most equalizing force in this country. No entity or individual is exempt from oversight. "Decisions made by the Department of Justice in 2016 have led to a host of outstanding questions that must be answered. These include, but are not limited to: FBI's decision to publicly announce the investigation into Secretary Clinton's handling of classified information but not to publicly announce the investigation into campaign associates of then-candidate Donald Trump;
FBI's decision to notify Congress by formal letter of the status of the investigation both in October and November of 2016;
FBI's decision to appropriate full decision making in respect to charging or not charging Secretary Clinton to the FBI rather than the DOJ;
FBI's timeline in respect to charging decisions. 'The Committees will review these decisions and others to better understand the reasoning behind how certain conclusions were drawn. Congress has a constitutional duty to preserve the integrity of our justice system by ensuring transparency and accountability of actions taken."
Of course, this comes just one day after Comey revealed his secret Twitter account which led the internet to wildly speculate that he may be running for a political office...which, these days, being under investigation by multiple Congressional committees might just mean he has a good shot.
Finally, we leave you with one artist's depiction of how the Comey 'investigation' of Hillary's email scandal played out...
Here is the full letter from Goodlatte and Gowdy:OAKLAND — Late in the second quarter on Wednesday night, Omri Casspi slipped through the lane, rose into the air and banked in a layup.
As the understated Israeli forward hustled back down the floor, the Golden State Warriors’ lead ballooning to 10, the video screens that hang high above center court caught a smile sneaking across Casspi’s face.
Three months into his Warriors’ tenure, Casspi — who’s become a fixture alongside David West on the second unit that frequently dominates the second quarter — has been doing a lot of smiling.
“It’s fun. The system is great. The guys are great [and] they’re making my job easy,” Casspi said before the 97-84 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. “So, I’m enjoying every second.”
Now in his ninth NBA season, Casspi said playing under head coach Steve Kerr is pretty great too.
“I love it.”
And Kerr loves the way Casspi cuts.
“Some guys see the game better than others,” Kerr explained. “Omri sees the game beautifully.”
Against the Grizzlies, Casspi scored 12 points grabbed six rebounds and finished plus-14.
“He’ll maybe dance behind his guy,” Kerr added. “His guy will look at him and as soon as the guy turns his head back, Omri’s gone.”
Klay Thompson agreed with his coach, saying Casspi has a knack for knowing when his defender turns his head.
His teammate and coach were forthcoming but Casspi wasn’t interested in divulging his tricks.
“I can’t tell you guys all my secrets,” Casspi said with a laugh. “The next game I’m going to have my man looking at me the whole time.”
For the forward, who’s gone from a trio of DNPs in the first five games to an entrenched role in the rotation, every move on the court has a purpose. He’s ultra-efficient. Nothing’s wasted.
Casspi’s field goal percentage sits at 59.8 — up 15 points from his career average. Over the past four games, a stretch that has included a pair of double doubles, Casspi’s shooting 67.7 percent from the field.
Playing on a veteran’s minimum of $2.1 million, Casspi has emerged as the most valuable Warriors on a dollar-by-dollar basis — and as an enviable luxury for Kerr, who has had to navigate the club through a sea of injuries.
When J.B Bickerstaff, the Grizzlies interim coach, was asked if it’s almost unfair that the reigning champs can call on such an effective and affordably priced backup, he emitted a noise that was somewhere between a scoff and a laugh.
“I guess it is,” Bickerstaff said.
“You could not play him for two weeks and the third week he’s going to come back and play just as hard and be just as effective,” Bickerstaff said.
Whatever his role is on a given night, Casspi’s remains focused on delivering when Kerr calls his number.
“That’s what the game is all about,” he said, “being ready and having that trust from the coaches that they know they can count on you to come in whenever and do my job.”
Click here or scroll down to commentAre there really 3,700 abortions each day in the U.S.?
If you walked along Sheridan Road today, you probably noticed hundreds of tiny American flags lining the sidewalk, with signs declaring that there are 3,700 abortions each day. Today is the 34th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, as the signs also note. In today’s Daily, two students from Northwestern Students for Life, the group that put up the flags and signs, make the case that fetuses deserve protection. So are there really that many abortions in the United States?
Just about. Nationally, there are about 1.3 million abortions each year, which works out to 3,562 abortions each day, according to the New England Journal of Medicine. That number was based on this report. The New York Times cites a similar figure.
That’s down from a high of 1.6 million abortions in 1990.
The annual, creepily-titled “Abortion Surveillance” study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reports fewer abortions in recent years — 848,163 in 2003. But three states declined to provide their numbers to the CDC: New Hampshire, West Virginia and California. In California alone, there was an estimated 236,000 abortions in 2000, which would help would explain why the CDC’s numbers are so low in comparison.Adlene Philogene is the student who gets along with everyone at Cutler Bay High School, leading by example in the classroom and in numerous clubs and activities. (Published Friday, Feb. 19, 2016)
Adlene Philogene is the kid who gets along with everyone at Cutler Bay High School, leading by example in the classroom and in numerous clubs and activities.
"This is a young woman that has overcome so much but yet every day when you see her she has a smile on her face," said assistant principal Michelle Clarit.
Adlene is a college-bound senior. Her teachers say she’s an excellent student. She’s also a survivor.
"Amazing how far I've come," Adlene said. "This all seems like a dream to me at times."
Adlene nearly died in the calamitous earthquake that destroyed much of Haiti in 2010. Her younger sister didn't make it, dying under a pile of rubble. Someone carried Adlene to a field hospital, and she was later airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. She was 12 years old, alone in a strange place |
't what he does, whether he puts crack in them or," the president said before trailing off. (WhiteHouse.gov)
Michelle Obama made a face. "No, he doesn't," she said. "There is no crack in our pies."
There was, of course, plenty of reaction to Obama's cringeworthy quip.
President of the United States of America JOKES about crack cocaine--feels like I'm living on MARS..http://t.co/PkY4w6CiAP — Beverly Simcic (@BeverlySimcic) July 1, 2014
Ending the day with Obama & wife disagreeing on whether their pies taste like crack. Thank you libs. It's been a great Monday. — Breeanne Howe (@breeannehowe) June 30, 2014
Thanks for the clarification, FLOTUS: "There is NO crack in our pies." http://t.co/pbVeQIJIfU via @NBCNews — John Schwartz — NYT (@jswatz) July 1, 2014
#Obama jokes WH pies must have #crack in them bc they taste so good. Way to promote #drugs to kids, Mr #President http://t.co/hW9tnPJsaG — BrettMDecker (@BrettMDecker) July 1, 2014A recruitment drive by the police in Kashmir on Wednesday received an “overwhelming response”, with nearly 3,000 young men and women turning up for it, a spokesperson of the force said.
“The youth in Kashmir are showing overwhelming response to the ongoing Jammu and Kashmir Police recruitment process,” the spokesperson said.
“Today, the recruitment rallies were held in south Kashmir’s Anantnag and north Kashmir’s Bandipora district where hundreds of young men and women thronged the recruitment venues,” he added.
On the first day of the rally, 1674 candidates participated in Anantnag, while 1295 turned up in Bandipora, the spokesperson said, adding that the recruitment rallies will continue in Bandipora tomorrow and for next three days in Anantnag.
The significant turnout for police recruitment comes after militants killed a young Kashmiri army officer in an apparent attempt to dissuade the locals from joining the forces.
“The candidates who qualified the physical test today will have to appear in the written examination for the final selection,” the spokesman said.
First Published: May 10, 2017 23:40 ISTA Plea for Removing One More Skandalon in an Increasingly Scandalized World
by Very Rev. Dr. Peter Galadza
Allow me to begin by suggesting that today’s “new circumstances and challenges” referenced in the Draft Document “Relations of the Orthodox Church with the Rest of the Christian World” (par. 24) require a radical kenosis among Christians. The rapid rejection of Christ’s truth in the West, and the equally widespread secularization of the educated classes in the East, demand a new commitment to “modeling the new man in Christ” (cf. par. 23). This “new man in Christ” blesses those who curse him and does good to those who hate him (cf. Mathew 5:44). This kind of love shatters secularism’s self-assuredness.
In 1987, the Primate of the Ukrainian Greco-Catholic Church, Cardinal Myroslav Ivan Lubachivsky, publicly asked forgiveness of the Russian Orthodox Church in the following words: “Following the Spirit of Christ, we extend our hand of forgiveness, reconciliation and love to the Russian nation and the Moscow Patriarchate. We repeat the words of Christ that we spoke during our act of reconciliation with the Polish nation: ‘Forgive us, as we forgive’ (Matthew 6:12).” Unfortunately, this gesture has remained unanswered to the present day. Can Orthodox and “Uniates” not begin a new era of relations by having their Protohierarchs send – and respond to – such letters on a regular basis?
The present Primate of the Ukrainian Greco-Catholic Church, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, has continued his predecessor’s legacy. Contrary to some perceptions, he welcomed the recent meeting of Patriarch Kirill and Pope Francis The concerns he expressed related only to the phrasing of three paragraphs of the otherwise superb Havana Statement (pars. 25, 26 and 27). These presented a distorted interpretation of the situation in Ukraine, and belittled the ecclesial status of the Eastern Catholic Churches. The Statement referred to them as “ecclesial communities,” a term in Catholic parlance reserved for Protestants. Moreover, the fact that Greco-Catholics were informed of their “right to exist” (par. 25) was viewed as a patronizing concession to what is actually a Church of true martyrs. In any case, the Balamand Agreed Statement had already asserted this right almost 25 years ago. Notwithstanding this, Ukrainian Greco-Catholic hierarchs sincerely hope to see encounters like the Havana Meeting occur more often – and at different levels – so that each successive gathering might bring the participants closer to the Truth.
Recent history provides striking examples of Orthodox-Eastern Catholic rapprochement. In the mid-1960s Patriarch Athenagoras declared to Melkite Patriarch Maximos IV, that the latter had “spoken for the Orthodox” at Vatican II. In the USA, Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Theological School welcomed Melkite Greek Catholic seminarians for years – with wonderful results evident to all. In Canada, the Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies has hired not only a long list of Orthodox scholars as adjunct faculty, but was blessed to have the current chancellor of the Orthodox Church in America as a full-time, tenured professor. Finally, the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv frequently hosts presentations by scholars of the Moscow Patriarchate, and hires lecturers of various Orthodox Churches.
Eastern Catholics understand the sense of vulnerability that prevents many Orthodox from reciprocating such gestures. However, in the meantime, we hope for at least a change in attitude among those Orthodox who continue to view Eastern Catholics as either “traitors to Orthodoxy,” or “heretics.” The question of “treason” is too broad to be discussed here. However, as regards “heresy,” it is odd that while Eastern Catholics accept the same teachings as Roman Catholics, they are frequently treated with far greater disdain.
In any case, more Orthodox need to understand the reasons that so many Eastern Catholics remain Catholic. In part, at least, it relates to some of the unresolved issues that continue to generate division within Orthodoxy. Eastern Catholics have found them resolved as a result of union with Rome – imperfect as that union has been. Jurisdictional strife, for example, is essentially absent from Eastern Catholicism. Also, the ethno-phyletism that plagues parts of Orthodoxy is challenged by communion with a universal primate. Of course, Eastern Catholics can be just as guilty of the same ethno-phyletism (though, ironically, its proponents within Eastern Catholicism insist that they simply want a “national Church” – “just like the Orthodox”). However, as culpable as Eastern Catholics may be of this ecclesiological heresy, they nonetheless recognize the right of the Bishop of Rome to reprove and/or discipline Catholic leaders who would foment or tolerate nationalist hatred. And while the Pope’s admonitions may not always be heard, no one in the Catholic Church questions his right to exercise universal primacy in this way. These problems are not adduced here to point to “Orthodox failings.” They are only mentioned to illustrate why even those Eastern Catholics who passionately love Orthodoxy remain Catholic.
In conclusion, two concrete initiatives for strengthening the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3) – and thus removing hindrances to the gospel – seem quite feasible:
The creation of an international theological dialogue involving official representatives of the Byzantine Catholic (or, Greek Catholic) Churches on the one hand, and the Eastern Orthodox Churches on the other. Presently, the Eastern Catholics who participate in the International Orthodox-Catholic Dialogue do so as delegates of the Vatican – not their own Synods. In any case, theological meetings of Eastern Orthodox and Catholics of the Byzantine tradition would facilitate focused discussions of issues particularly germane to these Churches. Such a dialogue could develop, for example, a common historiography of the 1946 Pseudo-Synod of Lviv. Some of the same Orthodox who appropriately decry proselytism continue to champion the Synod as a legitimate “return to Orthodoxy.”
The publication by the Holy and Great Council – or a subsequent Conciliar commission – of theological and practical principles for Orthodox relations with Eastern Catholics. Naturally, different regions will adapt these principles according to diverse sensibilities. But certain uncharitable attitudes and behaviors, witnessed occasionally even in North America, would hopefully be declared unacceptable.
Finally, to end where we began: The concluding paragraph of the Draft Document reads: “The Orthodox Church is aware of the fact that the movement for the restoration of Christian unity takes new forms in response to new circumstances and new challenges” (par. 24). In the present circumstances of global strife and antipathy towards our Churches, truly committed Christians within Eastern Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy will “cleanse out the old leaven… the leaven of malice” and become new dough heated by the Holy Spirit so that we might again celebrate together “in sincerity and truth” (I Cor. 5:8).
Archpriest Peter Galadza is Kule Family Professor of Liturgy and Acting Director of the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies, Saint Paul University, Ottawa, Canada.
This essay was sponsored by the Orthodox Theological Society in America’s Special Project on the Holy and Great Council and published by the Orthodox Christian Studies Center of Fordham University.
Please join us June 23-25 for our “Tradition, Secularization, Fundamentalism” conference.
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PrintMartín Quispe Mayta, a Quechuan born into poverty, was inspired by copies of Mein Kampf and Henry Ford's The International Jew he found on a bookstall as a teenager
Martín Quispe Mayta frowns imperiously from behind a desk adorned with portraits of Adolf Hitler, a copy of Mein Kampf, and a collection of toy cars. Draped on the wall behind him is a large red, white and black flag bearing a symbol that looks suspiciously like a swastika.
This is the headquarters of the Andean Peru National Socialism movement, a far-right group that is currently attempting to gather enough signatures to be registered as a political party. Quispe Mayta, the group's 38-year-old founder, calls himself an admirer of Hitler and openly advocates the expulsion of Peru's tiny, well-integrated Jewish population.
Fewer than 5,000 Jews live in a country of nearly 30 million people: they seem an unlikely scapegoat in a Peru racked by its own race and class inequalities. Political and economic power remains largely in the hands of a minority white elite while indigenous Peruvians are at the bottom of the socioeconomic scale.
But then Quispe Mayta is an unlikely Nazi. His Quechua surnames indicate he belongs to one of Peru's most disadvantaged and oppressed castes. The youngest of eight children whose parents were migrants from the Andes, he was selling fruit on the street before he had finished primary school. "Why? Because the Jews controlled the world economy," he spits.
Henry Ford's antisemitic text The International Jew and Hitler's Mein Kampf, both discovered in a secondhand book market, became the inspiration of his life when he was a teenager. Since then he seems to have swallowed every antisemitic conspiracy theory going – and invented a few of his own.
He claims to have carried out research that reveals Winston Churchill, Theodore Roosevelt, Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, and Abimael Guzmán, the leader of Peru's Shining Path terror group, all had Jewish roots. He even claims that Francisco Pizarro – the illiterate goatherd who led Spain's brutal conquest of Peru – was also Jewish. "The Jew Pizarro and his band of genocidal Jews killed millions of native Peruvians in their mission to possess our gold," he said. He feel particularly aggrieved because of his own Inca heritage, he claims. He shares his second surname with the Inca emperor Mayta Cápac.
Quispe Mayta strikes an odd, almost comic figure in his khaki uniform and black tie (which he didn't know how to tie himself) but the Jewish Association of Peru said in a statement that it rejected his "open expression of antisemitic racism" and had "appealed to authorities to take the necessary measures to halt the incitement to racial and religious hatred".Search for missing crewman called off after tugboat sinks in the Thames and two are rescued
A search for a crew member missing after a tug capsized and sank on the Thames in London was called off this evening as marine accident experts began an investigation into the accident.
Two other crew members were rescued after the tug, called Chieftain, went down off Convoys Wharf in Deptford - close to Greenwich Pier - just before 11am.
The tug had been towing a crane barge named Skyline when it sank.
A major search-and-rescue operation was launched for the missing crewman, with efforts being co-ordinated by the Woolwich-based London coastguard.
Scroll down for video
A crane and life raft where the Chieftain tug sank this morning on the Thames - the wire connecting the two tugs can be seen leading into the river
Major search: The boat sank within minutes off Convoys Wharf in Deptford, near Greenwich Pier
But about four hours after the sinking, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said the search, involving police, the Port of London Authority, the fire brigade and lifeboat crews, had been called off.
The section of the river around Greenwich Pier had been closed while the search had gone on.
The MCA said: 'The Port of London Authority (PLA) is beginning the first stages of an operation to raise the sunken tug.
'The Marine Accident Investigation Branch have begun an investigation into the causes of the accident.'
The search for missing crew member included police, the Port of London Authority, the fire brigade and lifeboat crews
At the scene of the accident, a second tug boat, which river workers said was also attached to the barge, was still afloat and activity could be seen on deck.
One onlooker said they went to the riverside shortly after the incident at 11am but by then the Chieftain was underwater.
A passer-by who witnessed the sinking said: 'The front tug seemed to hit a buoy and capsized. It was submerged within a matter of minutes.
'I saw two men being pulled out of the water on the other side of the river.
'All the boats in the area scrambled and were searching for the third man.
'As the minutes dragged on, I started to fear the worst. It was terrible watching and not being able to help.'
Chris Lewis, who witnessed the incident from his flat, told the BBC the boat sank rapidly.
'I saw two crew members scramble off the capsized vessel and they were holding on to the ropes which were holding the tug and platform together,' he said.
The port authority closed the Thames around Greenwich while the search for the missing crew member was going on
'I could not see if both of them were pulled out but one of them was hauled on to the platform.
'The tug sunk very quickly, within about 30 seconds. I saw the stern of the tug going under.'
Daniel Jaffa had been due to go sailing but his trip was cancelled due to the rescue operation.
He told the BBC: 'The rescue teams are using tourist boats on that stretch of the river to search for the missing person. A RNLI lifeboat came over to us and told us the Thames has been closed between Greenwich and Tower Bridge, I believe.
'This is unheard of - I have not seen anything like this in my time sailing.'
The Thames Clipper was suspended between Masthouse Terrace and North Greenwich during the rescue operation.
River safety measures: After the Marchioness disaster in 1989, the London coastguard was set up at the Thames Barrier Navigation Centre at Woolwich
Thames safety measures were tightened in the aftermath of the 1989 Marchioness riverboat disaster in which 51 people died when their boat was in a collision with a dredger on the Thames near Southwark, south London.
The improved measures included the setting up of the London coastguard which is at the Thames Barrier Navigation Centre at Woolwich.
Today's sinking follows the death on the Thames last week of Ben Woollacott, 19, a crewman on the Woolwich Ferry.
He fell from the ferry and under its propeller while mooring ropes were being untied.
Paramedics treated the crewman when he was pulled from the Thames, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
He was the son of Stephen Woollacott, owner of a Thames riverboat company.
Transport for London said today the Woolwich Ferry will be suspended on Monday as staff will be paying their respects at Mr Woollacott's funeral.
Thames River Services and Crown River Cruises are also suspending services on Monday.Mental Health America's fact sheet "Finding the Right Care" and some of the sites listed below provide detailed information to help you choose a mental health professional and to enable you to better understand treatment options and the treatment process. Sites providing specialized treatment referrals for specific illnesses also include considerable information about the specific illness.
If you, or someone you know is in crisis, please seek help immediately. Contact the following organizations for information about 24-hour crisis services in your area:
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline's 24 hour toll-free crisis hotline, 1.800.273.TALK (1.800.273.8255) can put you into contact with your local crisis center that can tell you where to seek immediate help in your area.
Those who are uncomfortable with speaking on the phone can text "MHA" to 741-741 to speak with a trained crisis counselor at Crisis Text Line.
The Child-Help USA 1.800.4.A.CHILD (1.800.422.4453) crisis line assists both child and adult survivors of abuse, including sexual abuse. The hotline, staffed by mental health professionals, also provides treatment referrals.
In areas where 211 is available, dialing this number can connect you with mental health crisis services in your area or help you find where to seek immediate help in your area.
For referrals to affordable community mental health services:
Your local Mental Health America affiliate is an excellent resource for information about local programs and services including affordable treatment services.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Health Information Network (SHIN) has a Mental Health Facilities Locator that can also help you find community outpatient, inpatient and residential treatment facilities, including affordable mental health services in your area.
The SAMHSA Substance Abuse Treatment Facility Locator and the SAMHSA 24/7 Treatment and Referral line at 1.800.662.4357 provide referrals to alcohol, substance abuse and dual diagnosis treatment facilities, including facilities that offer sliding scale fees and other special payment arrangements. Dual diagnosis services provide integrated treatment for individuals who have both an alcohol or substance abuse problem and a mental illness. Use the detailed search option on the left hand side of the page to find the facilities that most closely match your needs.
Rehab Locator offers a searchable database for drug and alcohol rehab centers.
Universities or teaching hospitals may also be a source of low-cost or free treatment services. It is recommended that you contact those in your area.
The World Federation for Mental Health can assist people from other countries throughout the world in finding mental health services in their area.
For referral to individual mental health providers:
You can use Psychology Today's Therapy Directory to search for mental health professionals in your area. You can search by zip code, city, last name, etc. For each provider listed, you can read about their therapy approach, specialty areas, information about their fees including whether they accept insurance and whether they offer sliding scale fees, as well as their credentials and contact information. There are a variety of options for sorting your results to find providers who most closely match your needs. You can also send them an initial e-mail.
Theravive provides a searchable directory of licensed therapists who seek to make mental health counseling safe and easily accessible.
The Medicare Physician Compare can assist you in finding a physician who is enrolled in Medicare.
Your state Medicaid office, whose contact information can be found using the map on the National Association of State Medicaid Directors site, may be able to assist you in finding a provider who accepts Medicaid.
There are a number of professional provider associations and other national organizations that provide treatment referral services. These organizations are listed below with links to their websites.
Professional provider associations that provide treatment referral services include:
Professional provider organizations that serve specific audiences include:
Other organizations that offer specialized treatment referral services included:The Alaska senator is reportedly fielding some extraordinary offers for her vote for Graham-Cassidy. Photo: Oliver Contreras/The Washington Post/Getty Images
Senate Republicans are trying very hard to get Alaska’s senior senator, Lisa Murkoski, onboard their last-chance Obamacare repeal-and-replace legislation. As Eric Levitz reported yesterday, their current tack is to try to buy her vote by blunting the impact of the Graham-Cassidy bill on Alaska. Murkowski, as you may recall, was one of the three GOP senators that killed off the last big health-care drive by her party in July. And with Rand Paul apparently becoming a “hard no” along with Susan Collins, Murkowski’s vote could be decisive.
But while earlier reports showed Republicans tweaking some funding formulas on Alaska’s benefit (much as they did back in July), today’s rumors are of inducements that go far, far beyond the customary baksheesh that often lubricates difficult votes.
One solid report on an important inducement is from Politico; the text of Graham-Cassidy already includes a provision that may allow Alaska and four other “low-density states” (Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming) to escape, at least through 2026, the per capita cap on traditional Medicaid payments that the bill imposes on all other states. Helpful as that exemption might be to Alaska, its effect has already been factored into the state-by-state estimates that show Murkowski’s constituents losing quite a bit of money from the overall effects of Graham-Cassidy.
Hazier rumors today suggest some tasty treats for Alaska (and Hawaii, which often shares special arrangements with the federal government with its icy first cousin) in a new and unreleased draft of Graham-Cassidy that are of an entirely different order of magnitude, per the Independent Journal-Review. In addition to the delay in the Medicaid per capita cap, “Alaska (along with Hawaii) will continue to receive Obamacare’s premium tax credits while they are repealed for all other states,” even though “it appears this exemption will not affect Alaska receiving its state allotment under the new block grant in addition to the premium tax credits.” For dessert, the basic formula for federal Medicaid payments would be changed to Alaska’s advantage.
This deal, if it’s real, does not technically amount to what some Twitter pundits are describing as “Alaska can keep Obamacare,” since the insurance regulations would change, the individual and employer mandates would still go away, along with the existing Medicaid expansion money. Even the Medicaid per capita cap would apply after 2026. But from a fiscal point of view, the rumored deal would be a wash or perhaps even an Alaska windfall, along with the luxury of a relatively non-disruptive transition to the new system. It’s about as close as a total exemption from change as the sponsors could probably devise.
No one knows for sure if this is actually happening, much less whether Lisa Murkowski would accept a deal that subjects the rest of the country to the strictures of Graham-Cassidy in exchange for her own state cruising right along. And if this is where Senate Republicans are going in an effort to nail down the 50th vote to repeal Obamacare that has eluded them all year, they run some risk of other senators stepping right into Murkowski’s shoes and shaking down the sponsors to get the same deal. Even if that doesn’t happen, too much special treatment of Alaska or any other state could exacerbate a big existing problem in the House, where 21 Republicans represent California and New York, which would be really hammered by Graham-Cassidy. Alaska may have one very important senator, but it only has one representative in the House.
Still, if GOP leaders are truly willing to buy Murkowski’s vote with so large and unprecedented an inducement, all bets could be off. It would be helpful if she’d take her vote clearly and unconditionally off the market.Introduction
The Environmental Protection Agency won’t be hiring a scientist with strong ties to industry to run its chemical assessment program. As the Center for Public Integrity reported in December, one of two finalists for director of the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), which evaluates the health risks of toxic chemicals, runs a nonprofit that does substantial work for the chemical industry.
On Thursday, the EPA told its staff it was giving the job to Vincent Cogliano, who has been acting director of the program since 2010. Cogliano was previously the director of the International Agency for Research on Cancer Monographs program – which identifies environmental factors that can increase the risk of cancer – at the World Health Organization.
Political interference from the chemical industry and Republicans in Congress has prevented the IRIS program from completing many chemical assessments, even though the Obama administration promised to break the logjam. The EPA relies on these assessments to determine whether new regulations are needed to protect the public.
The EPA had been considering Michael Dourson to run the IRIS program. Dourson runs a nonprofit consulting group called Toxicology Excellence for Risk Assessment, or TERA.
An investigation by the Center for Public Integrity and InsideClimate News found that TERA has strong financial ties to industry. More than 50 percent of the peer-review panels TERA has organized since 1995 were for studies funded by industry groups. TERA also runs a risk-assessment database that receives financial and in-kind support from many companies and government agencies.
Dourson has been harshly critical of the IRIS program and promised to bring in outsiders to help with chemical assessments if he were tapped to lead it.NOTE: A photo of the person is available at http://novascotia.ca/news/Photos/2014/11/07/ELIAHS-KENT-SEPT-23-2014.jpg.
The Department of Justice is notifying the public about a man who was mistakenly released from custody today, Nov. 7, from the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Dartmouth.
Eliahs Knudsen Kent, 22, (born Sept. 9, 1992), was being held on remand and awaiting trial on a variety of charges, including attempted murder, home invasion, attempt to commit robbery, robbery, robbery to steal a firearm, using a firearm in the commission of an offence, and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose.
He was due to appear in court next week.
He was wearing a red hoodie with cocaine written in white letters across the front, grey pants and white sneakers. He is six-feet tall, 145 pounds, with dark hair.
Police have been advised and are trying to locate him. If anyone sees Mr. Kent, they should immediately call 902-490-5020 and notify police of his whereabouts.
An internal investigation is underway and the department will release the findings once they are available.
-30-CLOSE Art Stapleton and Chris Iseman discuss the Giants’ 30-10 loss to the Cowboys Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul (90) walks off the field after a Dallas touchdown in the second half. The Dallas Cowboys defeat the New York Giants 30-10 in East Rutherford, NJ on Sunday, December 10, 2017. (Photo: Danielle Parhizkaran/Northjersey.com)
EAST RUTHERFORD — It was another loss for the Giants in a season that keeps getting worse.
They lost to the Cowboys, 30-10, on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
Here's a look at what they were saying following the loss.
Interim head coach Steve Spagnuolo
On what it felt like to be the head coach: "It doesn’t feel good right now because we lost the football game. So, your mind goes back to all the things you could have, should have, would have done. That’s what happens when you lose. But, I didn’t feel uncomfortable. I thought everybody else around me – coaches, players, trainers – responded really well and to me that’s what I’m grateful for."
On letting the game slip away late: "We do have to figure out a way in the fourth quarter when it gets down to gut wrenching time to make a play or two. Now, I’m going to put a little bit of that on me. I didn’t like a couple calls I had in the fourth quarter that resulted in bad plays for us defensively. I don’t want that to be on the players."
On whether Eli Manning will start against the Eagles: "I’m not going to comment. I don’t know. I’m not going to comment on that right now. That would be my gut feeling. Look, without looking at it and evaluating, but Eli Manning is the quarterback right now."
STAPLETON: Giants avoid embarrassment in Dallas loss, but are still 2-11
ELI RETURN: Eli Manning's start overshadowed by another Giants loss
QB Eli Manning
On how it felt to be the staring QB again: "That’s where you want to be. That’s where I want to be. I wanna go out, be there with my teammates, try to get a win, be there for the fans and do my part. Hopefully the coaches believe I gave us the best chance to win at quarterback."
On the standing ovation he received at the start of the game: "My focus is trying to get the play and figure out what the Cowboys are doing. I appreciate it. I appreciate all of the support the fans have given me for 14 years and these last weeks, especially. I appreciate them coming out today and cheering me on and cheering on the Giants."
On playing without former head coach Ben McAdoo: "Process still pretty similar with the fact that I still talked with Sully on the sidelines. Mac always had his touches on the offense and everything, but it’s still about playing the game and communicating with the offensive coordinator, with Sully, and none of that changed."
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On the support he's received in recent weeks: "Whether it was from former teammates, friends, fans, notes, text messages, it meant a lot. Those former teammates who I played with, I appreciated it. It made me want to be a better teammate to Geno [Smith] and support him. And from the fans, I appreciate the nice words said about me. I just had to do the right thing and be a good person, and be a great teammate, and that’s what I strived to do."
CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie
On losing the game in the fourth quarter: "There is definitely something about that fourth quarter, man. You fight hard for three quarters and right when you think you got it, something goes wrong and then something else goes wrong and it’s just like keeps going wrong. For it to be like the 13th, 14th week in the season, we should already have a pinpoint on why that is happening and we’re still searching for answers."
TE Evan Engram
On having Manning back at QB: "No different. We just showed up. Came together all week to play a football game together. It’s not different."
On losing the game late: "Offensively, we had to make some big plays. Left some out there, so it was definitely a frustrating game being that close. Our defense was playing lights out. They were playing lights out all game. It was really frustrating as an offensive player, as an offense, that we came up, that we can’t play complementary football. We didn’t today as an offense."
DE Jason Pierre-Paul
On how it felt with Spagnuolo as head coach: "It felt great, man, it felt great. Guys came up, rallied together. We knew the situation that they were in. We knew that they had to come and get this win to keep the run going for the playoffs and we just couldn’t execute and finish right. I think all together, we came out and Spags actually did his thing. The score doesn’t show for it, but he actually did his thing."
Email: iseman@northjersey.comSusanne Posel, Contributor
Activist Post
Pharmaceutical corporations, like Novo Nordisk, have been using underdeveloped countries as testing grounds for experimental drug trials. Doctors are beginning to speak out against this practice, citing that it has more to do with increasing profits and less to do with scientific research.
In countries like India and South Africa, where the citizens pay for their medicines, these drug trials are quite profitable for drug corporations.
While drug licensing authorities do not require post-marketing studies, major drug corporations regularly contend that they must conduct more experiments on the human population. Using third-world nations is the easiest way to do so considering that the general population in those countries does not have the ability to speak out and protest.
Edwin Gale, emeritus professor of diabetic medicine at Bristol University in the UK, published a paper that questions the practices and purposes of drug trials in underdeveloped nations.
Pharmaceutical corporations, conducting post-marketing trials for analogue insulin (which cost more than 4 times as much as conventional human insulin) so that new forms of insulin can be produced for sufferers of type 2 diabetes was studied by Gale.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) reviewed the data provided by Gale and found that there was no additional cost benefit for people.
Gale maintains that since 2005 more than 400,000 people worldwide have been coerced into participating in post-marketing trials involving analogue insulin. These trials, providing limited scientific value, were conducted on nations where their citizens were of low-income and of little value to the drug corporations.
Gale notes that the doctors who participated in the trials did so without overt malice but showed that the “patient or healthcare system pays for a more expensive agent instead of one that is cheaper and equally effective, and the public is offered misleading claims of comparative merit based on studies of limited scientific value.”
John Yudkin, emeritus professor of medicine at University College in London, conducted a second study where he found that Novo Nordisk “used trade agreements in South Africa to block the government’s use of generic antiretroviral drugs” and in 2010 “Novo Nordisk invoked negative headlines by threatening to withdraw all its products from Greece because of a governmental order to cut all drug prices by 25%.”
In 1996, Pfizer conducted controversial drug experiments using Nigerian children. They were given the then unregistered antibiotic Trovan at the Infectious Diseases Hospital in Kano.
According to officials in Kano, 50 innocent children died because of the experiment; while untold others developed mental and physical deformities.
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This experiment was perfectly timed. While a meningitis epidemic broke out in Nigeria, Pfizer happen to coincide this problem with the reveal of Trovan, which was distributed to Nigerians in response to the “outbreak”.
To receive the Food and Drug Administration’s certification of approval, Pfizer used Africa as their clinical trial laboratory to produce the proof they needed to make Trovan a profitable endeavor.
Africa has been the scene of numerous reports of unethical experimentation and deadly clinical trials conducted by the pharmaceutical corporations over decades. While the citizens of Africa are largely illiterate and ignorant of the damages clinical trials can produce, they are the perfect people to experiment on. Their governments use the clinical trials as if they were distributing safe medication in a basic threat to either take the experimental drugs or receive no medicine at all.
Back in the 1970s and 1980s, Dr. Aubrey Levin headed a project that forced South African gay and lesbian army soldiers to undergo sex change operations while enduring electroshock therapy, chemical castration, and various medical experiments in military hospitals.
Survival Solar Battery Charger - Free Today! In the 1970s Depo-Provera was used as a population control experiment in Zimbabwe under the guise of “family planning programs”. Sterilization experiments were conducted in Namibia by Dr. Eugen Fischer against mixed-race children as an attempt to justify the national ban of mixed-race marriages in South West Africa. Fischer went on to conduct similar experiments on victims in Jewish concentration camps with Hams Harmsen, founder of the German branch of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). The smallpox eradication vaccine program sponsored by the World Health Organization was responsible for unleashing AIDS in Africa. About 100 million Africans living in central Africa were inoculated by the WHO. Prior to 1979, there were no reported cases of HIV/AIDS in Africa, according to Luc Montagnier, a French Pasteur scientist. By calculating Montagnier’s isolation of the first HIV case in Paris, France, the first cases of HIV must have begun in the fall of 1982. While AIDS was first announced in 1981, there were yet no reported cases proving that there was an African epidemic. Those populations in underdeveloped nations like Africa succumbed to the disease much quicker. Because of the lack of access to medical care, up to 40% of the population is estimated to be killed off. For more than three decades, through medical terrorism, pharmaceutical corporations have used third-world people as guinea pigs for experimental drugs without regard for their health or even their very lives. As of today, the drug corporations have not answered for their crimes against humanity. They will not be brought to justice until we expose their actions and demand that they be held accountable. Susanne Posel is the Chief Editor of Occupy Corporatism. Our alternative news site is dedicated to reporting the news as it actually happens; not as it is spun by the corporately funded mainstream media. You can find us on our Facebook page. var linkwithin_site |
into the new century, the question is will you be one that helps it move forward or are you going to be one of those “Purists” who believe that blues should be performed as a “Tribute” act doing music of the 20’s through the 50’s, and stop there. If you are one that believes that blues should be allowed to evolve and grow, then find an artist that moves you, they are out there touring right now! Head to their website, go to their shows, buy their music and support them. Join your local Blues Society, encourage them to support not only their local blues musicians, but also the touring blues artists. There is no shortage of really great blues musicians, locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. Ruf Records, Alligator, Blind Pig, Blind Raccoon, Midnight Circus Records, Delmark, Blues Leaf and a huge amount of independent blues labels all releasing great music from great blues artists. Take the time to discover, share and support them!
THAT is how you “Keep the Blues Alive”
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Like this: Like Loading...Who doesn’t love Air Jordans? They’re favorites of everyone from basketball players to the fashion conscious. When the shoes first hit the market, though, they had a high-profile naysayer: NBA Commissioner David Stern.
Nike released the first design of its instant-classic line of Air Jordan sneakers on September 15, 1985. On October 18th of that year, Stern officially barred Michael Jordan from wearing his signature kicks during games. Stern wasn’t just being an arbiter of fashion, though. He banned the shoes because their vibrant red-and-black color scheme didn’t match the shoes and jerseys that the rest of Jordan’s Chicago Bulls teammates were wearing.
If anyone could defy the most powerful commissioner in American sports, it was Jordan. His Airness continued to take the court in Air Jordans. Stern responded by fining Jordan $5,000 for each game he wore the shoes. A $5,000 fine sounds like pocket change in today’s NBA, but over an 82-game regular season it would add up to $410,000 in fines against Jordan’s salary of $630,000.
The fines really didn’t matter to Jordan, though, because Nike paid them. The hoopla around Stern’s smackdown on the shoes helped propel their sales to previously unimaginable levels. Nike even used the ban as the basis for an ad:
Needless to say, Stern eventually relented, and the Air Jordan became the most popular basketball shoe of its generation.This draft is not neatly themed like the minus-armor right-clicker strat in my last post; much more an assembly of counter-picks and comfort heroes than anything else. We’ll start with some quick notes about hero picks, then move on to the title topic of stuns and, why the fuck don’t I ever pick them??
Riki fell out of the pro meta, but I think he would fit well right now. He’s very solid at all levels of play and seems to counter a lot of popular heroes; I’ve played him six times this month myself and all I do is counter-pick. As well, anywhere under 5k he is straight up a power hero with a top tier win %. Plus comfort.
fell out of the pro meta, but I think he would fit well right now. He’s very solid at all levels of play and seems to counter a lot of popular heroes; I’ve played him six times this month myself and all I do is counter-pick. As well, anywhere under 5k he is straight up a power hero with a top tier win %. Plus comfort. Actually not super fond of Juggernaut right now, but this is a comfort pick. It’s quite good against Disruptor, and probably neutral with Slardar.
right now, but this is a comfort pick. It’s quite good against Disruptor, and probably neutral with Slardar. Silencer is not especially good with our lineup currently, but GS is a really good counter initiation tool against Snowball and potentially against Slar blink / Glimpse too. Helps that I consider him a power hero right now.
is not especially good with our lineup currently, but GS is a really good counter initiation tool against Snowball and potentially against Slar blink / Glimpse too. Helps that I consider him a power hero right now. We have rather awful initiation outside of Smoke Cloud into a bunch of nukes, and conversely the enemy team is chock full of initiators. But our lineup is not easy to jump – very hard to lock down a Riki or Juggernaut, and diving into March, GS, Omnislash, Smoke Cloud is a very dangerous game. Tinker could find Ice Shards to be pretty scary (flying vision), but he matches up well everywhere else, and is a classic Viper counter in lane.
could find to be pretty scary (flying vision), but he matches up well everywhere else, and is a classic in lane. Offlane Necrophos helps give us killing power when an enemy hero swallows too much incidental damage from March, Rockets, Tricks, Spin, Omnislash, Curse. Again it punishes initiation, but also helps take down tanky heroes like Tusk and Viper. If their lineup is about getting the jump, ours is all counter-jump.
Okay, so what’s the deal with the no stuns? If a teammate says we could use stuns, why do I say, it’s okay, we’ll be okay without them?
First a quick disclaimer I’m not talking about initiation, which is important too, and is also lacking, painfully. But I want to cover that topic in a separate post.
Stuns, as far as debuffs go, are situational in my view. Kind of a counter-intuitive claim, because stuns are really a catch-all; they combine every debuff together at the same time, totally the opposite of situational.
I suppose the better phrase is “stuns are situationally optimal“. If you compare a stun to a slow, silence, disarm, or root, most of the time a different debuff is the best. Not because the debuff itself is better – stuns are always the best effect. It’s because they are tuned more generously, they tend to last longer, or be faster to cast, or hit a larger area, or do more damage, or combine multiple effects, etc.
A stun would be optimal against say, Lina, AM, or TB. Not so much against Centaur, who suffers more against slows and roots (and damage amplifiers more than anything). A Weaver or Morphling would rather be stunned that silenced. Hex a Viper or Medusa, they don’t bat an eye, but disarm them and they will all-chat you to go fuck right off.
And against Tusk + Slardar? I don’t think a stun is necessary, they’re pretty likely to get a couple spells off unless we initiate and stunlock them until they are dead, full hp to zero. And they are pretty tanky. I feel like longer-lasting slows and silences do more against these two heroes. When I’m Slardar trying to amp a whole team, jump in and out for crushes, I hate Curse of the Silent. And I hate Last Word. Much more annoying than a couple two second stuns.
In this game there aren’t a ton of examples; our draft focuses more on avoiding clean ganks than on forcing any sort of issue. Which I think is completely fine, considering that if left alone we become a 5-core lineup… But next draft pay attention to the enemy picks and their weaknesses – stuns are sometimes but usually not the strongest way to mess with them.
As always, don’t next-level yourself. Stuns are still good, don’t avoid them and then blame MJJ for giving up a Shadow Fiend rampage.
-gg worst captain ever
AdvertisementsThere can be no doubt that one of the hottest startups of the last couple of years has been social sat-nav smartphone app Waze. Not surprising in an era when – largely due to Apple initially dumping Google Maps in iOS 6 – everyone woke up, as if from some slumber, about the importance of decent mobile maps. Something many had taken for granted was thrown into sharp relief, especially when it became clear that even the mighty Apple was capable of royally screwing up its own maps product. So it comes as almost no surprise to us that there are rumours flying around that Apple is sniffing around Waze with a view to a possible acquisition. After all, Waze is already a data partner for Apple’s Maps app and was the only app to gain meaningful marketshare after the Apple Maps fail. We have reached out to both. An apple spokesperson said: “We don’t comment on rumors or speculation.” We got a “we never comment on rumors” from Waze. [UPDATE: Another source confirms that negotiations are advanced, but Waze wants $750M and Apple is willing to do $400M plus $100m in incentives. Waze had less than $1M in revenues last year (primarily from ads). Negotiations may take awhile.]
Last month there was speculation that to help solve its maps issues, Apple had been looking at a Foursquare acquisition. This was based on Apple SVP of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue sending a single tweet which displayed a Foursquare check-in at Apple’s HQ. At the same time, Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley was spending a week in San Francisco. Did this imply an acquisition, or a software integration of Foursquare into iOS? It was hard to say.
But based on this tweet, Mat Galligan, CEO of Circa and mobile/location veteran, laid a bet that Apple would buy Foursquare “within 6 months“. However, outside the U.S., Foursquare is not a very big player in terms of location-based data. Certainly in the UK the TechCrunch team here has seen its use fall off a cliff amongst the tech community and there have been scant mainstream retailer deals of the like Foursquare has landed in the US.
By contrast, Waze’s international use has been growing because it is genuinely useful, especially in places where Maps remain a problem, such as in Asia and the Middle East. Because Waze maps are built on the location of moving cars, it’s far more accurate than check-in apps. Outside of Google’s project to map cities with Streetview cars – something which has taken years to complete – and the real-world mapping undertaken by volunteers on the Open Streetmaps open source project, there has been little to match Waze’s approach. Waze turned mapping into not only a game, but also a way for drivers to be social, reporting road obstacles, traffic and police traps. It is properly useful.
It would also cost Apple northwards of $500M+ to buy Foursquare (which has raised $71 million is known to be raising another round), and gain, what? The location of restaurants, bars and airports? Given Waze has raised $67 million, Apple could acquire far better mapping data and a real driving app.
Indeed, Waze has started to ape some of Foursquare’s more useful features. Last year it rolled out a new Foursquare-like product called Waze Ads, a location-guided ad platform for local business owners and big brands that want to attract the attention of nearby drivers.
At the last official count in September, Foursquare claimed to have over 25 million users. But while it’s approached 30 million users, and added Facebook Connect and other features, it’s Waze’s real-world road data that is most important. It’s that kind of data that could prevent people driving straight into a desert after using Apple Maps, for instance.
UPDATE: The media in Israel is also speculating on the rumours.Given the Pope's visit, the timing of Hank Luce's book could not have been more perfect.
Yet were this book's only saving grace temporal, it would fade quickly. This novel, a catalyst for deep thought, is packed with so much that it will continue to make for great reading long after the Pope returns to the Vatican.
A stunning work of fiction, it expertly melds intrigue, backstabbing, art and church history, feminism and journalism. Like his last book, "Brainways" which also defied easy categorization, the most important label of this book is that it is profound.
"Secret of the Nightingale Madonna" raises questions: What if Jesus had instructed his mother to also carry on his work? And what if Mary had been literate and had written about her time in Ephesus?
This is laid out in a brief prologue set in Paris in 1881 when ancient scrolls, believed to be written by Mary in Aramaic, were found. A cardinal orders them destroyed and the priest who found them exiled. Highly placed officials in the church have known about the scrolls but they are a secret that must be kept or risk shaking the church to its core.
Until our hero, Marcus Po, a book reviewer for a Vermont paper, finds the scrolls and has them authenticated, no one has actually seen them in 130 years.
Orphaned as a boy, he was raised in foster homes until a scholarship landed him in a Catholic boarding school, where a nun took him under her care.
"Every day for nearly six years, Sister Mary Angela had been there to encourage him, challenge him, and console him. And then one day, without a word, she was gone. And he wept."
Marcus works hard, but his ambitions are not the same as others. He could have been on the Olympics swimming or track teams, but declined the opportunity.
Awarded a Purple Heart and the Silver Star for valor during battle in Afghanistan, his training as an Army Ranger comes in handy as he outwits and outfights villains.
Like most book critics he lives a solitary life, but unlike most, he is in fabulous shape, fearless and rakishly handsome. To help him understand a painting, which he's writing about as part of a book review, he calls the kid sister of a friend who died in his arms on the battlefield. Bree has grown into a gorgeous woman who happens to be intrepid and an art history student.
When Marcus was a boy, his class had a field trip to the Cornelius and Monica Byrne Museum of Religious Art, near Montpelier, Vermont. Accidentally separated from his class, he saw an artist working on a painting of the Madonna. This painting showed her with a scroll and quill and Marcus stumbled upon it being altered, removing the writing instruments, so no one would ever know she was literate.
Assigned a book review on the art of the local museum, which specializes in Marian art, Marcus returns to gaze at the famous painting. Everyone is preparing for a visit from the Pontiff, a forward-thinking, beloved man, shaking up the church.
The painting and the attending scrolls are at the heart of the intrigue. Had Jesus told his mother to minister and were there proof that she had indeed done so would shatter 2,000 years of women not being allowed to serve as priests. Those intent on maintaining the status quo are not about to let this news leak out.
People will kill to keep this secret. Many have over the years and a number do throughout the course of this book.
Luce, of Flanders, takes readers into the catacombs of France, and along rural roads of Vermont. We meet an assorted cast of characters, and many are united against Marcus.
Here, he's in the French catacombs:
"Marcus looked around him and felt a chill. The dead were stacked in row upon row reaching to the ceiling, skulls and femurs and assorted other bones Marcus could not identify."
Marcus relies on his Ranger training: "Analyze the situation, assess your resources, formulate a plan, act decisively." Though Marcus' derring-do renders him a shade more than mortal at times and the love scenes feel belabored, this is still a terrific, smart book and a great one to read while the Pope is still on everyone's mind.
Jacqueline Cutler can be reached at jacquelinecutler@verizon.net. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook.For some designers, typography has taken a back seat to the demands of responsive web design and trending minimalist interfaces. Don’t let the nuts and bolts of web design divert all your attention from type – it’s the only timeless element of what you do. The following 10 typography optimization tips will restore balance and integrity to your designs.
1. Resizable Typeface
When specifying font size in your style sheet, make sure to account for varying screen sizes. Test your work on all the screens you can and get a feel for what sizes are not only readable, but also proportionally pleasing.
(Image by Information Architects)
2. Readable Line Length
Line length will have to adjust along with font size. There are plugins available to make your life easier, like Responsive Measure, but don’t get lazy. A different line length may call for some fine-tuning of line height, character spacing, and weight, as well.
(Image by Deborah Lyons using Responsive Measure)
3. Effective Contrast
Contrast is where the designer can express tone and meaning, greatly affecting the reader’s experience. Do not underestimate the importance and usefulness of contrasting colors, sizes, and weights.
(Image by Crazy Pixels)
4. Responsive Column Width
Again, the text does not exist in a vacuum. Just like a well-framed painting, use varying column widths to enhance your type.
(Image by Agility)
5. Serif vs. Sans Serif
This is the most popular designer debate. Better or worse, right or wrong – it can only be determined in the context of your content and overall design. It is an important decision, however, and can help establish a serious or casual tone.
(Image by Hero Design)
6. Distinguish Headings
The heading serves a different purpose than the body, right? So give it special treatment. SlabText is a great example of typeface that fully considers the unique needs and purposes of headings.
(Image by SlabText)
7. Consider Competing Devices
When you decide to do something bold, ornate, or high concept with your type, be sure to thoroughly test it on desktop, tablet, and mobile screens. You might need to showcase your work of art differently for each device.
(Image by Fine Citizens)
8. Mind Your Formatting
It’s the first lesson of layout, but it bears repeating. Watch out for widows and orphans; they’re especially pesky in the new world of responsive design.
(Image by Lena Shore)
9. Immerse Yourself in Fonts
Inspiration is everywhere. Pay attention to type design in daily life and note what works and what doesn’t; what moves you, and what merely distracts. There are more free fonts and hand-lettered typefaces at your fingertips than ever before, so spend some time appreciating (and using) others’ work, too.
(Image by Imgur)
10. Know Your Type History
The more you know about the origins and evolution of type, the more passionate you will be about keeping it at the forefront of what you do. Learn why certain fonts are classics and the legacy of ascenders and serifs. You’ll impress curious clients.
Image: 10. History
(Image by galjot)
Author’s Bio: Brian Morris writes for the PsPrint Design & Printing Blog. PsPrint is an online commercial printing company. Follow PsPrint on Twitter @PsPrint and Facebook.Engineered Osmosis: Revolutionizing Saltwater Desalination
February 22nd, 2009 by Timothy B. Hurst
A Cambridge, Massachusetts-based desalination start up has closed on a $10 million round of funding to develop its proprietary technology to produce clean, potable water from salt water using one tenth the amount of energy used in traditional desalination plants.
As we reported last month, Yale researchers Rob McGinnis and Dr. Menachem Elimelech have developed a proprietary desalination system called Engineered Osmosis that they say could produce clean drinking water from seawater or other wastewater at half the current cost. Now that their new company— Oasys Water—has secured Series A funding, it can proceed with the development of its potentially revolutionary commercial desalination platform.
Company officials claim the Engineered Osmosis (EO) process can produce drinking water at less than half the cost of current desalination methods by eliminating the need the for high-pressures used in modern Reverse Osmosis systems, thereby cutting electricity and fuel demands by more than 90%.
The result is a reduction in the economics of seawater desalination that will ultimately bring the cost of producing water from the ocean below the cost of conventional surface water, such as that used in California’s aquaduct system.
“Water shortages are no longer a ‘far-away’ problem,” said Aaron Mandell, President and CEO of Oasys, in a statement. Mendell noted that the ongoing drought in California, coupled with the fact water production is already the single largest use of California’s electrical grid, makes such developments so timely.
Company officials also see the tremendous potential EO can have in parts of the developing world, where severe water shortages are on the rise, resulting in large-scale political and social conflict. According to the World Health Organization, 2.4 billion of the world’s 6.8 billion people now live in highly water-stressed areas.
“Oasys has developed a truly disruptive technology to address the growing global water crisis,” said Jim Matheson of Flagship Ventures, one of the projects financiers.
As with so many of the promising clean technologies, one only hopes that the excessive demand in global markets does not prevent Engineered Osmosis and other low-energy intensive desalination technologies from getting where they could have the greatest impact.
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Image: © Tim HurstIt wasn't all bad for Chris Christie in 2016.
The guy he backed for president -- despite overwhelming criticism and long odds -- actually won.
He garnered praise in New Jersey for his abiding support of addiction recovery.
There were some encouraging gains in the state-run Camden school district.
And he's still got a pretty sweet job.
That said, The Auditor also knows this was one disappointing year for New Jersey's colorful and combative governor, who suffered losses from snowy New Hampshire down to gritty Trenton.
The year that began with Christie still hoping to stay in the presidential race ended with him back in Jersey as a lame duck with record-low approval ratings.
Along the way, there have been many low-lights in this roughest of political years for Christie. Here are 10 embarrassing moments, in chronological order:
1. The "mop" mess
Christie, who repeatedly said he was the most "tested" presidential candidate for having faced down Superstorm Sandy, found himself in a tough spot in January when a nor'easter dumped 2 feet of snow over much of New Jersey as he campaigned in New Hampshire. When an attendee at one of his myriad New Hampshire town halls asked why he wasn't in his home state, overseeing the clean-up effort in heavily flooded shore areas of Cape May County, Christie testily responded: "I don't know what you want me to do, you want me to go down there with a mop?"
The comments brought bad publicity at just the wrong time.
2. A 6th place finish in New Hampshire's primary
After pinning his hopes on the New Hampshire primary -- and spending a whole lot of time in the state Christie finished in sixth place. It meant he didn't even qualify for the next GOP debate the following Saturday in South Carolina, effectively ending his campaign. To make matters worse, it came just days after Christie's biggest moment in the campaign: when he demolished Florida senator Marco Rubio during what would be his final debate.
3. Hostage face
Christie faced a firestorm from establishment Republicans, including those in his own campaign, for endorsing Donald Trump not long after ending his White House bid. But that was nothing compared to the social media mock-fest that came after Christie introduced Trump and stood behind him with what can only be described as a blank stare on his face. Was he frightened? Was he thinking he'd made a big mistake? Did Trump take him hostage? There was even a hashtag #FreeChrisChristie. The governor said he was just happy to be there. "All these armchair psychiatrists should give it a break," he said.
4. Vice President? Always a bridesmaid...
For the second time in four years, Christie was on the short list for vice president. And once again, he came up short. Christie's bet on Trump had paid off, but he faced stiff competition in the veepstakes. If it is to be believed, one version of the story was excruciating for Christie: The Donald wanted him and actually offered it. But others in Trump's camp, including Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, whose father Christie had put in jail when he was a federal prosecutor, reportedly argued against him. Trump went with Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.
5. Bridgegate haunts again
Christie's former deputy chief of staff, Bridget Anne Kelly, and his top appointee to the Port Authority, Bill Baroni, were both found guilty for their roles in the Bridgegate scandal, which had already helped torpedo Christie's presidential run. Christie wasn't charged in the scheme to close lanes on the George Washington as political payback to a mayor who refused to endorse him for governor in 2013. But the trial did lots of damage as witnesses alleged he knew more than he let on and his administration was depicted as bullying and vengeful. Kelly even said that in a fit of anger, Christie threw a water bottle at her during a meeting. Christie denied it all during an interview on Charlie Rose the day before Election Day.
6. Transition chair no more
Just days after Trump's stunning Election Day victory, Christie was ousted as chairman of the president-elect's transition team and Pence was in. Lots of reasons were given, but the bottom line was that Christie was no longer the go-to guy in putting together Trump's cabinet.
7. Hey, I'm still the governor.
Nobody likes to be treated as yesterday's news while still in office. That's how it was for a few weeks as many thought Christie would be part of Trump's cabinet. Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno, who would assume Christie's job if he left early and is expected to run for governor next year, had planned to make a speech to the state's League of Municipalities, a task Christie had left for her for several years. But the governor apparently wasn't pleased with she planned to say, so he flew up from a Florida Republican governor's conference and made his own speech.
8. A Christie-less cabinet
No longer in charge of selecting Trump's cabinet, Christie didn't land in it either. Christie was passed over for U.S. Attorney General and, despite his lobbying for the post, nixed as chairman of the Republican National Committee, too. Sources close to the transition told NJ Advance Media that Christie turned down Trump offers for other posts, including head of Homeland Security and ambassador to Italy.
9. How low can he go?
Back home, Bridgegate, running for president and backing Trump took its toll. The latest polls put Christie's approval rating in the high teens, among the lowest ever for a New Jersey governor, and a historic low for any governor in the nation in states surveyed by Quinnipiac University.
10. No book deal
Lawmakers in Trenton abandoned Christie when legislation that would allow him to profit from a book deal while in office derailed after it was placed on the fast track by the governor just before the holiday recess.Mississippi Rebels head coach Hugh Freeze leads the team to the field before the game against the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. (Photo11: Spruce Derden, USA TODAY Sports) Story Highlights University of Mississippi officials are investigating a matter of athletes verbally harassed student actors
Coach Hugh Freeze issued a statement apologizing for 'any actions that offend or hurt people'
Ole Miss's faculty senate chair says the athletic dept. is 'treating the matter with utmost seriousness'
University of Mississippi officials apologized Thursday for the behavior of a group of freshman athletes who were were among an audience that used "borderline hate speech" in verbally harassing student actors during a university theater production of The Laramie Project.
EXPERT PICKS: Week 6 winners, losers
Michael Barnett, assistant chair of theater arts at the school and also chair of the Ole Miss faculty senate, said by phone Thursday that athletes from football and other sports were in attendance and that the athletic department was "treating the matter with utmost seriousness."
"We don't always have the best audiences, but this was taking it to a new level to be sure," Barnett said. "There were a lot of athletes there that night, so we're trying to identify who specifically was using hate speech."
The play is based on the murder of Matthew Shepard, a University of Wyoming student who was killed in 1998 due to his sexual orientation. The incident was first reported by The Daily Mississippian, an Ole Miss student paper.
The university's Chancellor, Dan Jones, and Athletics Director Ross Bjork issued this statement Thursday afternoon:
While we work to determine with certainty who disrupted the Laramie Project play, we want everyone within our university community and beyond to know that we strongly condemn the behavior exhibited Tuesday night. As a member of the Ole Miss family, each of us has a responsibility to be accountable for our actions, and these individuals will be held accountable. Our investigation will determine the degree to which any and all students were involved.
As a first step to addressing behavior at the performance Tuesday night, we will meet today with the freshman student-athletes (from various sports) who attended the play and have a dialogue about what happened, about our university-wide commitment to inclusivity and civility, and about the important role they play in representing the university. It is clear that some students badly misrepresented the culture of this university. From there, we will work with Student-Affairs and the Bias Incident Response Team to determine the facts and appropriate next steps.
Incidents like this remind all educators that our job is to prepare our students to be leaders in life during their years on campus and after they graduate from Ole Miss. This behavior by some students reflects poorly on all of us, and it reinforces our commitment to teaching inclusivity and civility to young people who still have much to learn. We will be engaging our student-athletes with leaders on the subject of individuality and tolerance, so we can further enforce life lessons and develop them to their fullest potential.
On behalf of our 22,000 students, our faculty, and our staff, we apologize.
A person with knowledge of the incident who was not authorized to speak on behalf of the theater department told USA TODAY Sports the audience Tuesday largely drew from an introductory theater appreciation class, which is a fine arts elective that the university's freshmen can choose. The person attributed much of the reaction to the audience being made up primarily of first-semester freshmen.
Barnett said the offenders were identified as athletes by the theater's house manager, who was familiar with them because she works with the athletic department. At that point, athletic department officials were contacted.
"From what I understand there were others who followed suit, who followed the lead of the students who were heckling some of our female cast members based on their body size," Barnett said. "And then there were several incidents from what I understand of using the term 'fag' or 'faggot.' That's when our house manager went to contact athletics."
Garrison Gibbons, a 20-year old acting major at Ole Miss who was in the play, said by phone Thursday the atmosphere at Tuesday's performance was "radically different" from other performances and that actors had heard gay slurs from the audience and laughter at moments in the play that weren't intended to be funny, including a funeral scene.
"They were laughing at lines that spoke in negative ways about gay people," Gibbons said.
Gibbons added that he felt "an incredible amount of judgment and laughter" while delivering a monologue in the play in which his character comes out as gay, including audience members taking pictures of him with their iPhones, which he said "appalled" him. He said the cast was later told after the play's second act that the group of football players in the audience were going to apologize after the show.
The cast, however, did not believe the apology was sincere, Gibbons said.
"One spoke up and said they were sorry and didn't mean to hurt our feelings," Gibbons said. "Another said they found humor in the play and then they were gone and the academic advisor who was with them basically said they had never been to a play before and didn't know what to expect."
Gibbons said he did not want players to be suspended for games but rather to learn lessons and help create a better atmosphere for gay students on campus.
"Even though it was a negative event, it made us positive this is why we need to do this show because we need to open the minds of people on this campus — not just athletes," Gibbons said. "I don't want to see them being punished, that's not doing anything positive. I want to see everyone get involved in showing their support for LGBT and equality. We have all these pride events going on but we need support behind them."
According to Rory Ledbetter, the faculty member who spoke to the student newspaper, football players weren't the only individuals using such speech, but they did seem to "initiate others in the audience to say things, too."
VIDEO: Around college football in Week 6
"The football players were certainly not the only audience members that were being offensive last night," Ledbetter said. "It seemed like they didn't know that they were representing the university when they were doing these things."
Ole Miss football coach Hugh Freeze tweeted Thursday morning, "We certainly do not condone any actions that offend or hurt people in any way.We are working with all departments involved to find the facts."
We certainly do not condone any actions that offend or hurt people in any way.We are working with all departments involved to find the facts — Hugh Freeze (@CoachHughFreeze) October 3, 2013
***
The football players later apologized at the request of the university's athletic department, according to the student newspaper. But theater department chair Rene Pulliam told the paper she wasn't "sure the players understood what they were apologizing for."
Ledbetter and Pulliam did not return phone messages or emails from USA TODAY Sports seeking comment.
Barnett said he was unsure what action the athletic department would take.
"They're taking it seriously," he said. "For the department of theater arts, what we want ultimately is for this to open up a dialogue on campus about the problems we have."
Contributing: Paul Myerberg
RANKING THE TOP 10 GAMES OF WEEK 6FRANKFURT/DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland says the Brexit vote has led to a jump in enquiries from London firms considering opening offices in Dublin, one of a handful of European cities trying to draw business away from Britain’s financial centre.
A British flag flutters in front of a window in London, Britain, June 24, 2016 after Britain voted to leave the European Union in the EU BREXIT referendum. REUTERS/Reinhard Krause
Irish officials say they have had more than 35 concrete enquiries from financial groups looking at setting up a base or expanding in Ireland, which is recovering after near bankruptcy in the financial crash.
“Post-Brexit, it’s meant a lot more meetings, more phone calls and a lot more travel,” said Eoghan Murphy, the minister tasked with promoting Ireland as a financial centre. “I’m in daily contact with different players in the industry.”
Financial companies based in London are concerned that Britain’s vote to leave the European Union will stop them selling products in the bloc. EU member Ireland’s tax regime makes it an attractive alternative.
However, there will be questions as to whether it can maintain its appeal after EU regulators on Tuesday ruled that a special scheme used by U.S. technology giant Apple to route profits through Ireland was illegal and ordered the company pay billion of euros in taxes to the Irish government.
Ireland is trying to woo companies with the offer of a contracting entity, a legal toehold on the island that could be expanded when Britain leaves the EU, allowing them to keep the same access to the European market.
Businesses are being courted by other financial centres including Frankfurt and Paris as executives consider alternatives to London while British Prime Minister Theresa May weighs when to trigger two-year-long exit negotiations.
Some, particularly in fund management and insurance, say they are warming to Dublin.
Insurers Admiral and Beazley have said they are considering moving more business to Ireland while the funds arm of insurer Prudential is looking at expanding Dublin operations.
Mark Hemsley, the European head of pan-European stock exchange Bats, said that Ireland was “attractive because it’s the most similar to the UK structure”.
Two lawyers who advise financial services firms told Reuters that a group of less than a dozen executives would be enough to open an arm for an insurer or fund manager in Ireland.
Moving part of a bank, however, would typically be a bigger task, requiring more capital and staff to be relocated.
“Brexit represents a historic opportunity,” said Kieran Donoghue of Ireland’s Industrial Development Authority. “Over the next few weeks, our approach will be dialled up.”
TAX REGIME CHALLENGED
But Ireland, whose prime minister Enda Kenny once told a foreign business audience that they could “call me any time”, faces obstacles to growing its financial centre, which employs more than 30,000 people.
Dublin’s open-door policy and flexibility could be upset by the European Commission’s demand that Apple hand over up to 13 billion euros to the Irish government for only paying between 0.005 and 1 percent on European profits.
Ireland said it intended to appeal the decision.
The iPhones maker cut tax by channelling profits through Irish subsidiaries. The penalty, overturning a tax arrangement agreed decades ago with Dublin, challenges the low-tax regime that has been the cornerstone of Ireland’s economy.
Low taxes also underpin its financial centre, home to more than 6200 investment funds, and were that regime to falter, it could dampen the interest of companies looking to relocate.
Jim Stewart, an academic with Trinity College Dublin, said Ireland’s financial centre had hosted many of the vehicles involved in the financial crash and that it used “smoke and mirrors” to “camouflage” some activity.
“It is not just the tax concession,” he said. “It’s regulatory as well. The concession is that there is sometimes no regulation.”
Stewart points to the extensive use of special purpose vehicles, including section 110 companies, allowing deductions to cut tax on profits to as little as zero.
Reliance on tax breaks may have spawned a financial sector with little real activity with Stewart saying investment funds are largely administrated rather than run from Dublin’s International Financial Services Centre (IFSC).
“A lot of the jobs in the IFSC are fairly low skilled,” |
for that community to vote in subsequent contests.
In 2012, blacks turned out at a higher rate than whites for what is believed to be the first time in American history and helped re-elect President Obama. But in the prior midterm election, in 2010, blacks turned out at a much lower rate, and Republicans won control of the House of Representatives and many state and local offices.
Jotaka Eaddy, the NAACP’s voting rights director, told a panel on black turnout and voter suppression that “as a result we saw a wave of voter-suppression laws.” Eaddy said 22 states passed laws stiffening requirements on the identification needed to vote, a move that disproportionately affects poor and minority voters.
{snip}
One way blacks have been motivated is by warnings of Republican attempts to limit their ability to vote. Republicans say they are only trying to stamp out voter fraud, but Democrats have highlighted the efforts to mobilize black voters. That effort continued Tuesday as speakers noted that the upcoming election will occur as the Voting Rights Act has, in their view, been gutted by a 2013 U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
{snip}
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Controversial British expatriate author and Harvard professor Niall Ferguson said on Friday that economist John Maynard Keynes’ ideas were fundamentally flawed and lacked concern for future generations because Keynes was gay and childless. According to Financial Advisor magazine, Ferguson (who is no relation to this reporter) made the offensive remarks at the Tenth Annual Altegris Conference in Carlsbad, California before an audience of some 500-plus financial advisors and investors.
The author was responding to a question from an audience member about Keynes’ philosophy as opposed to the economic theories of conservative economist Edmund Burke. Ferguson argued that Keynes, who was married to a ballerina, spent time talking “poetry” with his wife as opposed to producing children, and was therefore incapable of considering the needs of future generations.
Financial Advisor‘s Tom Kostigen wrote, “Apparently, in Ferguson’s world, if you are gay or childless, you cannot care about future generations nor society.”
“This takes gay-bashing to new heights,” Kostigen continued. “It even perversely pins the full weight of the financial crisis on the gay community and the barren.”
Ferguson is a Laurence A. Tisch Professor of History at Harvard University, and author of The Great Degeneration: How Institutions Decay and Economies Die. In the summer of 2012, Newsweek magazine was forced to print an apology and retraction after Ferguson’s cover story on President Barack Obama was shown to contain numerous falsehoods and misrepresentations.
The magazine explained away its failure to fact-check Ferguson to Dylan Byers of Politico, saying that the magazine “rel[ies] on our writers to submit factually accurate material.”
Newsweek lost its fact-checking department when the magazine was taken over by Tina Brown’s The Daily Beast.
The Daily Beast came under fire this past week when media critic Howard Kurtz published a factually inaccurate, anti-gay column about NBA player Jason Collins, who recently came out of the closet. The Beast was forced to correct the column, then retract it altogether.
Brown announced on Thursday that The Daily Beast and Kurtz have “parted company.”
UPDATE: Ferguson has offered an “unqualified apology” via his blog at NiallFerguson.com. It reads, in part, “During a recent question-and-answer session at a conference in California, I made comments about John Maynard Keynes that were as stupid as they were insensitive.”
He went on to say that he should not have “suggested – in an off-the-cuff response that was not part of my presentation – that Keynes was indifferent to the long run because he had no children, nor that he had no children because he was gay. This was doubly stupid. First, it is obvious that people who do not have children also care about future generations. Second, I had forgotten that Keynes’s wife Lydia miscarried.”
“My colleagues, students, and friends – straight and gay – have every right to be disappointed in me, as I am in myself. To them, and to everyone who heard my remarks at the conference or has read them since, I deeply and unreservedly apologize,” he concluded.
UPDATE 2: While Ferguson may be backing off the aspersions he cast at Keynes as a brief moment of public misspeech, economist Justin Wolfers pointed readers to this excerpt from Ferguson’s The Pity of War, in which takes a gratuitously homophobic swipe at Keynes, insinuating that the economist’s misgivings about World War I were traceable to the lack of anonymous gay sex in London.
“Though his work in the Treasury gratified his sense of self-importance,” Ferguson wrote, “the war itself made Keynes deeply unhappy. Even his sex life went into a decline, perhaps because the boys he liked to pick up in London all joined up.”
[image via Wikipedia]Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Tim Cook regularly visited Steve Jobs at his home during his illness
Apple chief executive Tim Cook offered a part of his liver to a dying Steve Jobs, according to a new book due to be released this month.
The book, Becoming Steve Jobs, excerpts of which have been published online, throws light on life inside Apple as it grew into one of the world's most powerful technology companies.
It also charts the relationship between Mr Cook and Mr Jobs.
According to the book, Mr Jobs angrily turned down Mr Cook's offer.
In 2004, Mr Jobs announced that he was suffering from pancreatic cancer and by 2009, the Apple chief executive was very ill, unable to come into the office and waiting for a liver transplant.
Mr Cook regularly visited Mr Jobs at home and after one visit he "left the house feeling so upset that he had his own blood tested", according to excerpts published by Fast Company executive editor Rick Tetzeli, who co-authored the book.
Fellow author Brent Schlender is a journalist who interviewed Mr Jobs several times throughout his life.
Transplant feasible
Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Steve Jobs refused the offer of a liver transplant from his friend
Mr Cook found out that he, like Steve Jobs, had a rare blood type, and guessed that it might be the same.
According to the book, he went through a series of tests and discovered that a partial liver transplant was feasible.
But when he shared the news with Mr Jobs, the dying Apple boss reacted angrily, according to the book.
"He cut me off at the legs, almost before the words were out of my mouth," an excerpt says.
"'No," he said. 'I'll never let you do that. I'll never do that.'"
"Steve only yelled at me four or five times during the 13 years I knew him, and this was one of them," Mr Cook added.
TV contradiction
Mr Jobs did go on to have a liver transplant, in March 2009.
He resigned as Apple chief executive in August 2011 and died in October at the age of 56.
The book also reveals that Mr Jobs contemplated buying Yahoo as a way for Apple to get into the search business.
But parts of it contradict an earlier biography written by Walter Isaacson. In that book Mr Isaacson claims that Apple was contemplating creating a television - but according to Becoming Steve Jobs, the Apple founder had little interest in this.
He tells Apple designer Jony Ive in the book: "I just don't like television. Apple will never make a TV again."Previous: A long time ago, in a village far, far away
Moses flew along, showing the way to The Magnificent Smullyan Bird’s nest. As they walked along, Maude saw the most curious sight: A small winged elephant perched on a nest.
“What is that!?”
Moses clicked his beak. “That is Horton Jr., or just plain Horton. I don’t know why everyone is so fascinated with his appearance. He can barely fly, his beak is all rubbery, and he lacks any plumage of note. Mind you, he is something of an expert on certain subjects and I do consult him from time to time.”
Maude asked about his expertise.
“Well, he does a lot of work playing with pebbles on vast grids that he lays out.”
“Speaking of egocentricity, Horton actually claims that by following certain rules, his pebbles can answer any question that songbirds like the Starling and Kestrel can answer. I think it’s interesting, but outside of fanciful flying creations like gliders and heavyweight spaceships, I don’t see the point.”
Maude was interested. Pebbles? “Well,” Moses said, “I alluded to this earlier. A certain lesser class of bird likes to build a bower out of various found objects.”
For example, I could show you the Stuart’s Tombird. It builds an elaborate bower out of just one material, chips of red crystal. It is intelligent, and claims its chips of Ruby can do various tasks like count to one hundred or even write nonsensical words like “fizz” or “buzz.”
“In any event,” continued Moses, “We may as well say hello to Horton since we’re here.”
horton
Moses introduced Maude to Horton. After exchanging pleasantries, Maude asked Horton what kind of song he sang.
“I am not particularly interested in songs,” said Horton, “I am working at the moment on bird sociology, particularly flocking birds. As you may know, some birds, like Schönfinkel’s Bright Bird and myself, are fairly solitary. Others like to live in large flocks.”
“In most such flocks, there is a strict pecking order. What interests me is how such flocks behave when each bird is autonomous and there is no centralized control over the order of rank for the birds.”
“I will show you,” started Horton, scribbling some marks in the dirt with a stick he held in his trunk. Moses hastily intervened.
“Alas, Horton, we are on our way to see The Magnificent Smullyan Bird so that Maude can learn about hopeless egocentricity and do not have time—” Horton would hear nothing of it. “Nonsense! Egocentricity can wait, that is fascinating for gaudy plumage fanciers but serious birds pay attention to sociology.”
“Sit. Pay attention. Listen.”
Moses squawked but in the end, he and Maude settled down as Horton began to speak.
surreal birds
“I have discovered that each bird in a flock knows some set of birds in its flock. Flocks are large, and in some cases no one bird personally knows every other bird in the flock. Each bird divides the birds it knows into two sets: Those that outrank it in the flock, and those it outranks in the flock. I call them greater known birds and lesser known birds respectively.”
“Of course, a bird may not know any birds it outranks in the flock. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t outrank any birds, it just doesn’t personally know any birds it outranks. The same goes for birds that outrank it: A bird may not personally know any birds it outranks, but that does not mean there aren’t any in the flock.”
Maude was making notes:
{any} = require('underscore') class FlockingBird constructor: ({@knownOutrankedBy, @knownToOutrank} = {}) -> @knownOutrankedBy or= [] @knownToOutrank or= []
“Now these birds often compete with each other: For good nesting sites, for mates, for a piece of food, for a good perch on a branch. Each will instinctively show its threat display and try to get the other to back down. As they do so, they screech at each other. When one stands fast and the other not stand its ground, the one that stands fast always outranks the other.
“I wondered how they sorted it out, so I observed and made extensive notes. I have discovered that they obey both of two simple rules. To simplify the explanation, imagine a bird is displaying on its courtship stage when a rival appears. We have the courting bird and the rival who square off in a challenge.
The first rule is that in order to stand its ground, the courting bird cannot know any bird ranked greater than the courting bird such that the rival would stand its ground against the greater ranked bird.
The second rules is that in order to stand its ground, the rival cannot know any bird lesser than the rival that stands fast against the courting bird.
Maude gave this some thought, and then wrote:
standsAgainst: (rival) -> courtingBird = this case1 = any @knownOutrankedBy, (gb) -> rival.standsAgainst(gb) case2 = any rival.knownToOutrank, (lb) -> lb.standsAgainst(courtingBird) (not case1) and (not case2)
“The first important rule about flocking birds is that they like to have a well-defined place in the flock’s pecking order. Specifically, they become confused if either of the following cases are true:
“First, a bird is confused if it knows a confused bird. Second, a bird is confused if any of the birds it knows it outranks would stand fast against a bird it knows outrank it.”
Maude quickly wrote:
confused: -> case1a = any @knownToOutrank, (lb) -> lb.confused() case1b = any @knownOutrankedBy, (gb) -> gb.confused() case2 = any @knownToOutrank, (lb) => any @knownOutrankedBy, (gb) -> lb.standsAgainst(gb)!!(case1a or case1b or case2)
Moses was preening itself, acting as disinterested as possible, but he fixed his eye on Horton and appeared to be thinking hard when Horton posed a question:
“Now that you know the basic rules of sociology, I present to you Mayzie, a flocking bird that is so self-centered it doesn’t know any other birds. Is Mayzie confused?”
Maude thought for a moment and then wrote:
describe "Lazy Mayzie", -> Mayzie = new FlockingBird() it "should not be confused", -> expect( Mayzie.confused() ).toEqual false
notation
Here Horton stopped and stared at Maude’s writing. “And what do you call this system of notation you have?”
“CoffeeScript,” said Maude, “because when it gets complicated, I need to drink a lot of coffee to work it out by hand.”
“Actually,” she said, “My uncle Brendan devised a notation for solving certain problems to deal with the appearance and behaviour of web spiders. He called it JavaScript, no doubt because of our family’s coffee plantation business. My cousin Jeremy liked Brendan’s ideas, but found them awkward for certain classes of problems and streamlined it somewhat. Jeremy called his variation CoffeeScript, and he taught it to me.”
After explaining the details of her notation to Horton, he agreed with her assessment. “Yes, Mayzie isn’t very sociable, but she isn’t confused.”
Horton continued with his explanation. “Some flocks have confused birds, some do not. I call a flock that has no confused birds a proper flock. Every proper flock has a simple pecking order. That is, you can arrange all of the birds in a line (as if perched on a branch), and there is always an arrangement such that every bird stands fast against any bird to its left.”
birds on a branch
Horton was gathering enthusiasm, and he fairly trumpeted the next explanation. “This idea of a branch where birds can perch in order is interesting. Let’s start with an empty branch. Now, let’s place Mayzie on the branch by herself in the middle:”
“Mayzie obviously forms a proper flock as she is not confused. As we have established, Mayzie doesn’t know any birds. But what if a bird alights to her right, a bird that knows her, perhaps from reading a book. This bird knows and outranks Mayzie.”
Maude considered, then wrote:
Mayzie = new FlockingBird() OneRight = new FlockingBird knownToOutrank: [Mayzie]
Maude asked, “Do these two birds form a proper flock?”
Horton curled his trunk and smiled. “You tell me! Do these two birds form a proper flock? And if so, do they obey the rules for ordering on a branch?”
Maude worked things out in her mind for a few moments, writing:
describe "a flock with two birds", -> it "should not contain confused birds", -> expect( Mayzie.confused() ).toEqual false expect( OneRight.confused() ).toEqual false it "should have a linear pecking order", -> expect( OneRight.standsAgainst(Mayzie) ).toEqual true expect( Mayzie.standsAgainst(OneRight) ).toEqual false
“Yes,” agreed Horton, “They form a proper flock. And now let us consider a bird that alights to the right of our bird to the right of Mayzie. It knows the bird to the right of Mayzie and knows that it outranks that bird. Do we have a proper flock?”
TwoRight = new FlockingBird knownToOutrank: [OneRight] describe "a flock with three birds", -> it "should not contain confused birds", -> expect( Mayzie.confused() ).toEqual false expect( OneRight.confused() ).toEqual false expect( TwoRight.confused() ).toEqual false it "should have a linear pecking order", -> expect( Mayzie.standsAgainst(OneRight) ).toEqual false expect( Mayzie.standsAgainst(TwoRight) ).toEqual false expect( OneRight.standsAgainst(Mayzie) ).toEqual true expect( OneRight.standsAgainst(TwoRight) ).toEqual false expect( TwoRight.standsAgainst(Mayzie) ).toEqual true expect( TwoRight.standsAgainst(TwoRight) ).toEqual true
“Interesting things happen when we consider this flock that is created by birds successively alighting to the right of the previous bird where each bird knows the bird immediately to its left (except for Mayzie).”
liberté, égalité, et fraternité
“First,” said Horton, “What happens if we are given two birds where the first stands fast against the second and the second bird stands fast against the first? Do they form a proper flock?”
Maude looked confused.
“No,” said Horton, “Do not become confused yourself. We said earlier that a proper flock can be arranged along a branch such that every bird stands fast against the bird to its left. This implies that the bird to its right stands fast against it. But we said nothing about whether a bird stands fast against a bird to its right.”
“If two birds stand fast against each other, they have equal rank and form a proper flock.”
FlockingBird::isOfEqualRankTo = (otherBird) -> case1 = @standsAgainst(otherBird) case2 = otherBird.standsAgainst(this) case3 = not @confused() and not otherBird.confused() case1 and case2 and case3 describe "equality", -> it "should be true for Mayzie vs Mayzie", -> expect( Mayzie.isOfEqualRankTo(Mayzie) ).toEqual true it "should be true for OneRight vs OneRight", -> expect( OneRight.isOfEqualRankTo(OneRight) ).toEqual true it "should be false for Mayzie vs OneRight", -> expect( Mayzie.isOfEqualRankTo(OneRight) ).toEqual false expect( OneRight.isOfEqualRankTo(Mayzie) ).toEqual false
“Now,” continued Horton, “We can define the relationship you were thinking of when we consider a strict ordering of birds in a flock. A bird outranks another bird if it stands fast against that bird and it is not of equal rank to that bird.”
Maude hastily updated her notes:
FlockingBird::outranks = (otherBird) -> case1 = @standsAgainst(otherBird) case2 = not @isOfEqualRankTo(otherBird) case1 and case2 describe "outranking", -> it "should work for Mayzie vs. Mayzie", -> expect( Mayzie.outranks(Mayzie) ).toEqual false it "should work for Mayzie vs. OneRight", -> expect( Mayzie.outranks(OneRight) ).toEqual false expect( OneRight.outranks(Mayzie) ).toEqual true it "should work for Mayzie vs. TwoRight", -> expect( Mayzie.outranks(TwoRight) ).toEqual false expect( TwoRight.outranks(Mayzie) ).toEqual true
“One interesting property of birds belonging to proper flocks is that they will sometimes pair up and work together to defend a nest or bit of food. Sometimes two unattached birds will pair up to chase away a higher-ranked bird from attracting a mate and so on.
“We have defined the ranking for birds against each other. It turns out that the birds have an equally rigorous way of ranking pairs of birds. Given any two birds x and y, their pairing has rank equal to some third bird we shall call P(x, y). How do we find this rank? Let’s take two birds B1 and B2. From my observations, four rules apply. The first two identify birds that the pair must outrank:”
If B1 outranks some bird L1, then P(B1, B2) must outrank P(L1, B2). If B2 outranks some bird L2, then P(B1, B2) must outrank P(L2, B1).
“The next two rules identify birds that must outrank the pair:”
If some bird G1 outranks B1, then P(G1, B2) must outrank P(B1, B2). If some bird G2 outranks B2, then P(G2, B1) must outrank P(B1, B2).
Maude pursed her lips. “That’s all very well, but how do we find such a bird? How do we know what birds a bird B1 or B2 might outrank?” Horton’s replied with deep simplicity: “Ask them!”
Maude considered, then decided to try things out and see if they worked:
{map} = require('underscore') P = (B1, B2) -> PL1B2s = map B1.knownToOutrank, (L1) -> P(L1, B2) PL2B1s = map B2.knownToOutrank, (L2) -> P(L2, B1) PG1B2s = map B1.knownOutrankedBy, (G1) -> P(G1, B2) PG2B1s = map B2.knownOutrankedBy, (G2) -> P(G2, B1) new FlockingBird knownToOutrank: PL1B2s.concat(PL2B1s) knownOutrankedBy: PG1B2s.concat(PG2B1s)
Horton was busy eating some ground nuts, so she showed her progress to Moses. “How,” she wondered, “Do I check my work?” Moses provided some hints:
describe "pairing Mayzie with a bird", -> it "should be the same rank as that bird", -> expect( P(Mayzie, Mayzie).isOfEqualRankTo(Mayzie) ).toEqual true expect( P(Mayzie, OneRight).isOfEqualRankTo(OneRight) ).toEqual true expect( P(OneRight, Mayzie).isOfEqualRankTo(OneRight) ).toEqual true expect( P(Mayzie, TwoRight).isOfEqualRankTo(TwoRight) ).toEqual true expect( P(TwoRight, Mayzie).isOfEqualRankTo(TwoRight) ).toEqual true describe "pairing OneRight with itself", -> it "should be the same rank as TwoRight", -> expect( P(OneRight, OneRight).isOfEqualRankTo(TwoRight) ).toEqual true
She showed her work to Horton. “Wait,” she said suddenly, “I should use a more descriptive name. I’ll just change P to Pair.” Horton demurred. “Actually,” he said, “The correct word isn’t ‘pair,’ it’s plus.”
It took a few moments for the revelation to sink in, then Maude laughed in delight. They explored the relationship between proper flocks and numbers further, then Maude spoke up.
what does it mean?
“Well,” Maude said, “This is all very interesting. But what does it mean? Is this a kind of ornithological circus trick? Or does it have some deep significance?”
Horton looked at her blankly. His trunk quivered, and tears began to well up in his eyes. Moses hurriedly consoled him. “There, there, she didn’t mean it, she knows nothing of your family history. She’s just interested in your work, that’s all.”
Horton calmed down, but not before his trunk tooted plaintively a few times. Then he sighed and turned away. “I must get back to my work,” he said quietly.
onwards
“Yes, of course, and most important work it is.” Said Moses. “And we really MUST be on our way. Thank you so much, good-bye, good-bye!” Maude said her good-byes as well and they walked away.
“I’m so sorry!” sad Maude, “I have no idea what I did to offend him…”
Moses fluttered awkwardly. “Well, it’s a very short story, but we are in a hurry to catch The Magnificent Smullyan Bird, so perhaps I will tell you about it another time. In the mean time, if you’ll just follow me…”
And together, Moses the Schönfinkel’s Bright Bird and Maude the Curious Person travelled further into the Enchanted Forest.
but
After walking on a bit, Moses stopped and asked Maude, “What is troubling you?”
Maude said that nothing was troubling her, but Moses cawed and squawked at her until she admitted that she was still troubled by what she had learned from Horton.
“I hate it when I learn something like this and leave it at that. It feels like there is more to the story, something very important to understand about the relationship between proper flocks and numbers.”
“It can’t just be a silly game, can it?”
Moses said nothing for a moment, then he seemed to shrink in defeat.
“I really want you to meet Smullyan, but I can’t allow you to carry this problem unresolved in your head. Come, we are going to talk to Zee Hackenbush Bird. Like Stuart’s Tombird, he is a bowerbird, he lacks the refinement of proper plumage.”
“But I have heard him talk of Horton’s work and I know he can explain its significance to you.”
Coming Soon: Zee Hackenbush Bird
notes:This may be a little late but I made this last night for my 4 year anniversary with my husband, Leo. During the livestream last night I went into full detail with the few people who were there about our relationship and how we met and it actually made a couple people cry (including myself). I was very touched that people called our love, true love and said they were happy for us. ;w; I dont think Ive ever been so happy when talking to someone about him. Gosh, I wish I had saved the chat to show you guys, but oh well.
His OC is named, Artisan by the way. His cutiemark is a wine glass (you cant see it in this picture though, lol) because when we met he used to always carry a wine glass in his trenchcoat. We came up with design for him when I first started taking commissions for ponies and Ive progressed my art a lot since then so I wanted to show a more recent picture of his character. Enjoy!~Perhaps predictably, Jason Alper doesn't think there's enough satire in art. As the man who became notorious for customising "The Blue Boy", the "Mona Lisa" and "The Laughing Cavalier" with the Louis Vuitton print, this is hardly surprising.
It is even less surprising when you know that Alper is also the man responsible for putting Sacha Baron Cohen's Borat in a mankini.
Since he started showing his art, nearly a decade ago, the LA-based Cockney, a costume designer who also helped create Ali G and Brüno, has established himself as the undisputed King of Irony. "I wouldn't say that subtlety has ever really been my strongest attribute," he says, as we sit on an upstairs sofa in Lab Art, his gallery on South La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles. "I've made a virtue out of putting conflicting brands together for the common good."
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With a keen eye and a biting wit, Alper juxtaposes iconic logos with famous imagery from the worlds of fashion, art and pop culture. A seven-by-four American flag made up of hand grenades and M16 rifles cast in rubber. The Last Supper attended by the cast of Hello Kitty. A gargantuan Chanel logo constructed from more than 5,000 Lego pieces - in Gucci colours. Caravaggio's masterpiece, "The Incredulity Of Saint Thomas", digitally altered with the apostles seemingly questioning the authenticity of Jesus' Louis Vuitton robe. Another piece is entitled "I Must Not Be Facetious", principally "because I had to write it out 5,000 times at school.
So I am really having the last word". The piece that perhaps best sums up his work is his version of the iconic "Love" design by Robert Indiana, in which Alper turns LOVE into IRONY.
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Will Dearborn
In the same way that photojournalism has become a hybrid of amateurs and professionals, the digital age has ushered in an era of "anything is possible" and "everything has been done before", making artists like the 46-year-old Alper increasingly interesting.
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The type of art you'll find in Lab Art - the gallery which he shares with a number of like-minded artists, and which is the largest gallery collective in the US devoted to street art - doesn't so much speak to the vibrant complexity of the city that produces it, as reflect the way in which art, fashion and commerce are now expected to be commodified for titillation. The climate at the moment is very much for a generation of artists to take existing iconography, most of it late 20th-century iconography, and embellish it, disturb it, abstract it, and mess it up. And Alper is one of the best - subverting the Coca-Cola logo, the Lego logo, the Star Wars logo, turning slogans into memes, fashion symbols into agitprop.
There is nothing extempore or accidental about his work, as, like the advertising and fashion worlds they mimic, Alper's art is analytical and all about communication. If Ed Ruscha's LA work in the Sixties focused on signs - the city's storefronts and apartment buildings, gas stations and restaurants ("That's what intrigues me about Los Angeles - the façade-ness," said Ruscha), then Alper's LA work is all about the adaptability of signage - successfully, laughably, inevitably. Alper's artworks (like those by Banksy, Mr Brainwash or any other custodian of this kind of street art-cum-social commentary) is playful and (unlike the work of Andy Warhol, whose obsession with advertising and consumerism was rarely displayed as satire) keen to tease. On many of Alper's Instagram posts you'll find just three hashtags: #art #luxury #fashion. Take your pick, they seem to be saying. "What I do is mix things up, creating the work in the process.
Mixing Star Wars with Disney, Playboy with Louis Vuitton, one brand with another," he says. "I remember thinking at one point that I wanted to combine the most iconic thing I could find in America - the cowboy - with the Star Wars logo, possibly the second most iconic thing about the US, as I just loved the idea of losing the lasso and replacing it with a lightsaber. "Coming from the world of costume design, I was thinking about working on the idea of embracing logos and art. I've always been a kid at heart. For instance Lego has always been prominent in my life. And, having children, I'm playing around with Lego a lot more now. When you look at a pixelated version of the Chanel logo, I thought it could transfer to Lego in a heartbeat. So I made a prototype and loved what came out of it. I'm also a huge fan of Space Invaders, and I've always wanted to make stuff that is attainable to everyone, because some of my work is really expensive."
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As his CV shows, Alper didn't start out in life with any aspirations to be an artist. His father was a hairdresser in east London, in the centre of West Ham (the football team Alper still supports) and he was brought up in a completely working-class environment, albeit in a family immersed in all forms of culture - art, music, literature, the lot. Having started his career training to be a hairdresser like his father at Neville Daniel and John Frieda in London's West End, Alper then worked for the clothing chain Woodhouse before joining the costumiers Angels & Bermans.
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This led to a career as a stylist for commercials, before he moved into television, doing anything that came his way, initially working for Thames Television as a production assistant on The Des O'Connor Show and This Is Your Life ("My job was to hold Michael Aspel's big red book, the one he gave to the celebrity at the end of the show") as well as The Bill, Rumpole Of The Bailey, Duty Free, Brookside,Blind Date, Surprise Surprise, Top Of The Pops and Knowing Me, Knowing You With Alan Partridge. It was when he started working on The 11 O'Clock Show on Channel 4 in 1998, though, that his fortunes began to change. It was there he met Sacha Baron Cohen, and, having clicked, the two of them started plotting. Between them they created the comic character Ali G, an uneducated, boorish "junglist" from Staines who wore outrageously tacky hip-hop suits, including a soon-to-be-iconic yellow PVC costume that was so bright it could apparently be seen from space. (A year after the premiere of the show, GQnamed him Comedian Of The Year at the Men Of The Year Awards, while The 11 O'Clock Show was also responsible for bringing Ricky Gervais, Mackenzie Crook and Daisy Donovan to our screens for the first time.)
Ali G was such a success that Baron Cohen and Alper formed a partnership, going on to create the comic's other characters, Borat, Brüno and The Dictator. It was Alper who came up with Borat's Mankini and Brüno's Velcro suit, not to mention the infamous Gaddafi suit seen in The Dictator.
Will Dearborn
As for his current career, it was born out of frustration more than anything. When he finished working on Brüno in 2009 he spent three months mooching around the galleries in LA and, not seeing anything he thought particularly inventive, and not finding anything he wanted to put on his walls, he thought he'd give it a go himself. "It" being art, that is. "I didn't tell anyone, I just started building stuff, and then it was too late to stop. In my first show everything sold, so it gave me the confidence to go on. There were 32 pieces in that show, so it gave me a cushion."
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Baron Cohen, famously reticent when it comes to interviews, was keen to support, in his own inimitable style, of course. "I told him, 'You can't even draw a circle. How are you going to put on an exhibition?'"
Yet that first LA show, It's All Back On, at the Guy Hepner Gallery in April 2010, was a complete success, which lead to his second, Proletarian Drift And The Enfranchisement Of The Bourgeoisie In The 21st Century, a few months later.
He hasn't looked back since. "Art has become much more attainable for everybody. Long gone are the days when you had to spend $50,000 on a great piece. I think people are now just buying art because they like it, which I think is a lot healthier than just investing. The centres of so-called excellence are changing, too. There is another branch of Lab Art in Dallas, as there is a massive appetite for modern art there. It doesn't look like the recession's really hit Dallas. You go to their malls and everything is so high end there. We shot Brüno in Dallas, and I hadn't been there before, and I was amazed just how well everyone's doing. There's a huge appetite for cool stuff there."
Will Dearborn
Now, while some like to say that irony was invented by Plato, as far as the entertainment industry is concerned, it reared its knowing, nodding felt head in the mid-to-late Eighties, roughly between the first sighting of Bruce Willis' smirk in Moonlighting, and Jack Nicholson's ya-gotta-love-me grin in Tim Burton's Batman. Irony seemed the natural conclusion of post-modern experimentation. And what wasn't to like? It was designed to be playful, funny, diverting. Suddenly everything came complete with a pair of large polystyrene inverted commas. Then, when the art world got involved - kick-started by street art, new Asian markets, Chinese art, and the habitual irony of Instagram - there was no stopping it. Which begs the question you hear all the time now: "Is it art, or is it just funny?"
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An immense amount of information can be conveyed with dialogue, without even saying anything specific. A well written dialogue scene that is comprised of something as simple as a character buying groceries could tell you a world about that character and ultimately add importance to what they are saying, specifically when employing the use of subtext – another subject I would love explore further in it’s own post.
The odd thing about narrative films is that although they are completely fictionalized we as the audience still want them to feel as real as possible. Even in a fantasy movie, we need to be able to relate to the characters and understand who they are on a raw, visceral level, and dialogue is the vehicle for achieving this. But keep in mind that compelling dialogue doesn’t necessarily mean having lots of dialogue. You may have a character that says very little, which in turn says a lot about them without the use of words. You may have one character that’s speech is filled with slang and another that sounds like a preacher. Having characters that speak in their own voices is tremendously important, and make sure that none of your characters sounds like the same person. A big issue that some screenwriters have is that they write all of their characters dialogue the same way. Ideally, you want to be able to cover the names of your characters on the script, and still know who is talking based on what they are saying and the way they are saying it. Tarantino is arguable one of the masters of dialogue, and any of his films may be a source of inspiration for writers looking to differentiate the voices of their various characters.
#5 – Think like an actor and give your character a point of view
Actors always talk about finding their point of view. They need motivation for the scene. They need to know where the character was the moment before they stepped into the room that opens the scene. They need to know what their character is really thinking and feeling when they are beating around the bush and allowing for the subtext of the scene to play out. To some writers, these constructs may seem like gimmicky tools that actors need to get in the right head space, but I would argue we as screenwriters really need to think like this too. If you expect your lead actor to be able to play a character effectively, you need to write a character that will allow for the actor to use their tools to tap into the scene. But more importantly, do it for the sake of your own screenplay and ensuring that you get the best final product. A character with a strong point of view will drive the story forward by giving the audience a through line to follow throughout each scene and each act in the film. We need to know where they are coming from and what they want in order to care enough to follow their story. Look at a character like Forrest Gump with an obvious point of view that dictates his actions, adds realism to what he does, and pushes the story forward from act to act as a result.
So many screenplays that I read are severely lacking in this respect. It’s obvious from the get-go that the writer didn’t pay enough attention to understanding the characters point of view, and making it clear enough for the audience to pick up on. The most common symptom of this problem are scenes that develop in a way that completely lack focus. I’ve read some scenes that could have been brilliant if they were cut down to a page or two, but the writer didn’t understand the characters point of view and as a result it ended up being a cluttered 5 page scene that ran in circles. One way to tell if you’re on the right track is to see whether or not you could write any given scene in one page if you had to. Certainly there are scenes that require many pages of dialogue, but before you make it work as an 8 page epic scene, make sure it in 1 – 2 pages as well, because if it lacks direction and focus even when condensed to that length, than it’s going to have major issues when extrapolated to be much longer.
What else can we do?
These five tips are really only the tip of the ice berg. It’s critical to the success of a film to have strong characters all the way through, that are likeable, realistic and have a distinct motivation and purpose in the story, but developing characters like this takes a lot of trial and error. There is no formula for it, but by using some really basic exercises like writing a 2-3 page backstory on every character, you will be will on your way to creating an original character. And once you have the bones of that character in place, don’t be afraid to let the character evolve, grow, and even dictate in some cases where the story is going to go.
Outside of these 5 tips there are an infinite amount of things that you can do to write better characters, whether it be from doing your homework and watching character driven films, to eavesdropping at your local restaurant to pick up on some dialogue. But regardless of which methods work for you, make sure that you pay enough attention to your characters, especially in the early stages of developing your screenplay.
And again if you haven’t already read it, be sure to check out my previous article on The Importance Of Story.Read the State Department report, "Country Reports on Terrorism"
Washington (CNN) -- Despite some setbacks, al Qaeda's core leadership in Pakistan remains the biggest threat to the United States, and the group continues to expand and strengthen worldwide, according to a new State Department report.
Last year, al Qaeda's "core in Pakistan remained the most formidable terrorist organization targeting the U.S. homeland," says the report, "Country Reports on Terrorism."
"It has proven to be an adaptable and resilient terrorist group whose desire to attack the United States and U.S. interests abroad remains strong," the report says.
The annual report covers the terrorism landscape in countries around the world and governments' efforts to combat it.
Al Qaeda suffered leadership loses and faced pressure stemming from the Pakistani military campaign in the tribal areas, which limited the group's ability to carry out spectacular attacks. However, according to the report, al Qaeda was "actively engaged in operational plotting" against the United States and continued to recruit, train and deploy operatives, including some from Western Europe and the United States.
Al Qaeda also sought to expand its operational capabilities by partnering with other terrorist groups worldwide, the report says.
The overall picture of terrorism last year underscores new threats in Somalia and Yemen, where insurgents have gained strongholds in vast, lawless areas.
Al Qaeda affiliates in Africa -- including al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and Al-Shabaab in Somalia -- are among al Qaeda's "most active" worldwide, the report says. Al-Shabaab, it says, presents a "serious terrorist threat to American and allied interests throughout the Horn of Africa."
Read about indictments against U.S. citizens linked to Al-Shabaab
The report also says groups such as al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula pose a significant threat to U.S. interests. It cited Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab, who attempted to blow himself up while on a flight into Detroit, Michigan, and admitted that he was trained by the Arabian Peninsula group in Yemen.
Weak efforts by the government in Yemen have allowed the group to use the country as a safe haven for planning future attacks, the State Department report says.
In addition to Yemen and Somalia, the report also singles out the tribal areas of Pakistan as a place where militants find safe haven. It says al Qaeda and other groups, such as the Haqqani Network, used the Federally Administered Tribal Areas in northwest Pakistan to "launch attacks in Afghanistan, plan operations worldwide, train, recruit, and disseminate propaganda," while the Pakistani Taliban also used that region to plan attacks against the civilian and military targets across Pakistan.
Lashkar-e-Tayyiba also found safe haven in Pakistan, enabling it to plan regional operations from within the country, according to the report.
It says Lashkar-e-Tayyiba "is an extremely capable terrorist organization with a sophisticated regional network. It continued to view American interests as legitimate targets."
Last year found more cases of Americans becoming operatives for terrorist organizations and advocates for violent extremists, most notably Anwar al-Awlaqi, whom the report called an "influential voice of Islamist radicalism among English-speaking extremists."
It noted that Nidal Hasan, the suspect in the Fort Hood, Texas, shooting in November 2009, sought out al-Awlaqi for guidance, and AbdulMutallab visited him at least twice in Yemen.
The report calls Iran the "foremost state sponsor of terrorism" for its support of Hezbollah, Hamas and other terrorist groups, which it says "had a direct impact on international efforts to promote peace, threatened economic stability in the [Persian] Gulf, jeopardized the tenuous peace in southern Lebanon, and undermined the growth of democracy."
It also says Syria helped Iran arm Hezbollah and provides safe haven to Hamas and other terrorist groups.
The threat environment of the future, the report says, could be shaped by a growing youth population in South Asia and the Middle East, as well as Europe, which has faced challenges integrating an increased number of Muslim immigrants.
Cyberspace will continue to be a focus of U.S. counterterrorism efforts, the report says.
Terrorists have been increasingly interested in using the Internet to target the United States, but to date have been able only to transfer funds and spread propaganda.
However, the report says, al Qaeda "continued its efforts to encourage key regional affiliates and jihadist networks to pursue a global agenda, using both the Internet as a means to distribute propaganda and telecommunications infrastructure to plan attacks and coordinate movements. Going forward, this will be an area of continued focus for the United States."The November 7 election is just around the corner – and with your help, we can chart a new course.
Greens are poised to take to control of a once-great city – Syracuse, New York – and turn it into a Rust Belt recovery story whose example could instigate Green electoral insurgencies across New York State and the nation.
For many years, Greens and other forward-looking people in Syracuse have been accumulating the skills, knowledge, and experience needed to turn Syracuse around.
We are now prepared to lead this city forward, with accomplished candidates and policies that can benefit all of us. (See below!)
With your help, WE CAN ELECT GREENS TO MAYOR AND THREE CITY COUNCIL SEATS in Syracuse in this year's November 7 elections.
But we cannot do this without your help.
A QUICK LOOK AT OUR PLANS
The Greens are running on a platform to radically democratize the government and economy of Greater Syracuse.
We are aggressively challenging the discrimination in education, housing, employment, and criminal justice that has made metropolitan Syracuse the nation's #1 most segregated city by race and class, with one of the nation's highest poverty rates and the nation's highest child lead poisoning rate.
We are making ecological sustainability – 100% clean renewable energy, affordable public transit, lead abatement, Onondaga Creek and Lake restoration, walkable neighborhoods – central to building an economically sustainable shared prosperity in Syracuse's depressed rust belt economy. Syracuse ranks dead last among the nation's 100 largest cities in economic growth and 294th among the world's 300 largest cities in the Brookings Institution's economic performance rankings.
The Green slate is running to win, not just make a statement. Our slate is running as a team for a consistent message and to economize our resources: one campaign fund, one budget, one treasurer, one campaign manager, four hard-working candidates, and dozens of campaign volunteers.
THREE WAYS YOU CAN HELP
First, make a financial contribution. We are counting on the small contributions of many. We don't take contributions from for-profit businesses. We are politically independent of moneyed special interests. The corporate-sponsored candidates will spend millions between them. Our slate can win with our projected $80,000 budget. Please make your contribution toward this goal.
Second, volunteer to help us bring our message to the voters. If you live in the city, we need your help on the streets knocking on doors and talking to voters. Anywhere you live, you can help with phone canvassing.
Third, if you live in the city, you can put up signs in your yards for our candidates to show public support. Let us know and we'll bring the signs to you.
MEET THE FOUR GREEN CANDIDATES
Howie Hawkins for Mayor
I'm a Teamster who works overnight at UPS and is active in Teamsters for a Democratic Union, the national reform caucus. I went to Dartmouth College, served in the Marine Corps, and worked in construction for many years, including in a worker cooperative I co-founded that specialized in energy efficiency and wind and solar installations.
But I believe my most relevant qualifications for mayor are the political skills I've developed as an organizer in movements for peace, justice, labor, the environment, and independent working-class politics since the 1960s. It will take political savvy to unite our city behind fundamental reforms, as well as to build coalitions across our county and state that can win the reforms that municipalities need from county and state government.
I've run many times as a Green, receiving between 35% and 48% in my last four local races. I twice won enough votes statewide to secure the Green Party a ballot line in New York's four-year election cycles through runs for governor in 2010 and 2014.
The Syracuse Post-Standard used to call me the "perennial candidate." This year they say I have "a steady base of support in the city." I've been included in all the debates and receive equal treatment by the media.
I'm in a four-way race. Ben Walsh is branding his candidacy as "independent," but he was head of business development for the retiring Democratic mayor – and he is also the scion of a Republican family political dynasty. His father was a member of Congress, and his grandfather was both mayor and a member of Congress. Local developers are bankrolling Walsh's campaign. Is it any wonder why?
Out of town developers and lobbyists grubstaked the candidate designated by the city Democratic Committee, Joe Nicoletti. But he lost the primary to Juanita Perez Williams, a conventional Democrat, socially liberal but fiscally conservative. Nicoletti remains on the ballot as the Working Families Party candidate, but is not actively campaigning. Perez Williams is now the candidate of a bitterly divided Democratic Party, many of whose leaders are backing Walsh.
The designated Republican, Laura Lavine, is unlikely to outperform the 15% Republican remnant left in the city. The other city voters are enrolled 56% as Democrats and 29% as no party or other parties.
I got 35% citywide for auditor two years ago. I like my chances in the Final Four.
Frank Cetera for Councilor-At-Large
Frank is a business advisor and co-op developer at the Onondaga Community College Small Business Development Center, where he is a steward in his teachers union and a delegate to the Greater Syracuse Labor Council, which has endorsed Frank's candidacy.
Frank is also deeply involved in community movements across the city, from leading the transformation of four unused Syracuse green spaces into productive fruit and vegetable gardens to serving as board treasurer of the neighborhood planning councils called Tomorrow's Neighborhoods Today and as board president of Cooperative Federal, Syracuse's community development credit union.
Frank has worked on many Green campaigns since 2010 and ran a strong campaign himself for 2nd District Councilor in 2015. Among Frank's leading policy proposals are a progressive city income tax to save the city from insolvency, neighborhood-directed planning and participatory budgeting, worker co-ops to fight poverty and inequality, and municipalization of sidewalk maintenance and snow removal in America's snowiest city where we average over 10 feet a year.
Eric Graf for 2nd District Councilor
Eric is a 26-year-old son of Tipperary Hill, the largely Irish community that is the largest voting bloc in the 2nd district. Eric announced his campaign at Stone Throwers Park, which commemorates the Irish youth in the 1920s who kept throwing stones to knock out the new stop light at the center of Tipp Hill because British red over Irish green symbolized British oppression of the Irish. The city finally relented and that corner by Stone Throwers Park today still has the world's only upside down stoplight, with green on top.
But Eric is about much more than protest. Eric graduated summa cum laude from the University of Albany in 2013 with a dual bachelor's degree in U.S. history and sociology. He works for the Syracuse City School District as a typist in the Special Education office. Eric is campaigning for proportional representation on city council, ranked-choice voting for mayor and auditor, a progressive city income tax, and anti-poverty measures to help his high-poverty side of town, including a $15 minimum wage and worker co-ops.
Serena Seals for 4th District Councilor
Serena is a leader in Black Lives Matter - Syracuse. Rahzie, as she is known to friends and family, is running on the Platform of the Movement for Black Lives. She said at her campaign announcement that "when all black lives matter, everyone's life will matter."
The issues around police brutality are personal for Rahzie. Her father, Tom Seals, was one of the first African American police officers in the city. He advocated for the Citizens Review Board and later became 4th district councilor. Rahzie's cousin, Jonny Gammage, was infamously suffocated to death by police officers in 1995 – much like Eric Garner on Staten Island in 2014 – in a traffic stop outside Pittsburgh while staying with his cousin and Serena's brother, Ray Seals, a defensive end with the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 2016, another cousin, Darren Seals, an anti-police brutality activist close to Michael Brown's family, was shot dead in a still unsolved murder in Ferguson, Missouri.
Rahzie works in the hospitality industry and operates an entertainment organization called BlackCuse Pride, which provides events and support for the inner city LGBTQ community.
SYRACUSE FACES A HOSTILE TAKEOVER
I want to be the next mayor of Syracuse, not its last mayor. Syracuse faces a hostile takeover. With a recurring structural budget deficit, the city will go broke during the next mayor's term without new revenues. A self-appointed commission of the local elite wants to dissolve Syracuse and consolidate it into a countywide metropolitan government featuring centralized top-down rule by an upper and upper-middle class political bloc whose power is magnified and entrenched by private campaign funding and winner-take-all elections. With insolvency, a state-appointed financial control board could force the city to dissolve into the county government.
Under this consolidation proposal, the city is reduced to a special "Debt District" with a county-appointed "overseer" to make city residents pay extra taxes for their segregated schools and the pensions and health care of their former city employees. Meanwhile, the surrounding 19 towns of Onondaga County can opt into the metropolitan government, which they won't because they value their local powers. Governor Cuomo awarded the metro region a $500 million economic development grant that includes $25 million to promote consolidation.
OUR PLAN FOR SYRACUSE
Syracuse is dying – behind the politicians' confident smiles and conventional prescriptions, even they know that. So we Greens, listening to and working with Syracuse residents, have developed a detailed and realistic plan for turning Syracuse around. It consists of new policy initiatives in four areas: (1) instituting progressive tax reforms, (2) fighting poverty, segregation, and violence, (3) building a sustainable prosperity, and (4) democratizing Greater Syracuse.
(1) Instituting Progressive Tax Reforms
Alone among the political campaigns in Syracuse, the Green Party is calling for Progressive Tax Reforms to put the city's fiscal house in order and save our city, including:
A progressively graduated city income tax on residents, commuters, and absentee landlords alike.
The restoration of former levels of state revenue sharing to pay for unfunded state mandates.
Countywide property tax sharing to equalize fiscal capacities and tackle the inter-connected problems of suburban sprawl and inner city decay by making property development anywhere benefit county taxpayers everywhere.
Adoption of the New York Health Act, the universal health insurance plan covering all New Yorkers for all medically necessary services, which would save Syracuse $80 million a year.
(2) Fighting Poverty, Segregation, and Violence
To reduce poverty and build community wealth, Syracuse Greens are calling for a municipal bank to plan, advise, and finance worker co-ops where the wealth created by workers' labor stays with working families as increased income and assets.
We are calling for municipal ownership of power and broadband utilities in order to end the city's abusive exploitation by giant power and telecom oligopolies and lower the costs of living and doing business in the city.
Alone among the city's political campaigns, the Greens are calling for policies to begin reversing the housing and school segregation that isolates minority, poor, and working-class people from resources and opportunities that more affluent people take for granted.
The Greens are calling for inclusionary zoning to begin desegregating housing and neighborhoods. We are calling for school desegregation by ending tracking within the school district and pursuing inter-district desegregation by race and class with adjacent affluent school districts.
Last but not least, with a record murder rate last year, a chronic problem of police abuse, and a police force that is 93% white and 92% from out of town in a city that is half people of color, the Greens are calling for investing in poor neighborhoods, police diversity, community policing, and restorative justice. Syracuse must move away from militarized stop-and-frisk policing in poor neighborhoods that has led to the mass incarceration of minority, poor, and working-class residents.
(3) Building a Sustainable Prosperity
The Green Party's sustainability initiatives include taking down the Interstate 81 elevated highway through the heart of the city, and replacing it with a community street grid with mixed-income, mixed-use, walkable neighborhoods.
We will require landlords to make their properties lead-safe before renting them out.
We are calling for de-channelizing and restoring Onondaga Creek's natural course, wetlands, and riverbanks. The result will be to reduce flooding and enhance the homes, parks, and recreation areas along the creek's path through the impoverished south side.
We are calling for public power so we have the democratic power to implement a rapid transition to 100% clean energy.
(4) Democratizing Greater Syracuse
The Greens are calling for an Inclusive Democracy featuring neighborhood assemblies, participatory budgeting, proportional representation on legislative bodies, ranked-choice instant-runoff voting for executive offices, and full public funding for candidates who opt out of private funding. We are calling for these reforms not just in the city proper, but throughout the metropolitan region.
Metropolitan government is the only way we can desegregate Greater Syracuse's housing and schools. It is the only way to have an enforceable metropolitan land use plan that ends sprawl and redevelops abandoned urbanized zones.
Unlike the anti-democratic consolidation proposal offered by the local elite, the Greens are calling for a grassroots-democratic form of metro government. It would be based on proportional representation in the metro legislature, ranked-choice voting for metro executive offices, and a metropolitan federation of city and town governments. Doesn't that sound more appealing to citizens across the metro region than the dissolution of existing local governments into a centralized top-down metro-government, as called for by our local elites?
CONCLUSION: COME JOIN US!
If Syracuse Greens win election and take these initiatives, we think our city could become an inspiration for municipal reform movements across New York and the nation. It could help all of us.
Local politics is where we can begin to take power from below and create positive alternatives to the racism and lawlessness of the Trump regime, the militarism and public austerity of the corporate-indentured Democratic leadership, and the relentless acceleration of the climate crisis.
Let's begin by winning in Syracuse on November 7. You are needed! Come join us!
Solidarity,
Howie Hawkins for the Syracuse Greens
P.S. If you prefer to send a check instead of contributing online, please make the check out to "Vote Green Syracuse" and send it to P.O. Box 562, Syracuse, NY 13205.
P.P.S. Please forward this appeal to people you think will be interested.Even before the old Empress Hotel burned to the ground two weeks ago, Yonge and Gould was a neighborhood in need of help.
Despite the Herculean efforts of nearby Ryerson University, which has led the charge to civilize the area, this stretch of Yonge remains as seedy as ever. A certain amount of seediness is to be expected, of course, especially in a precinct that likes to think of itself as Toronto’s Times Square.
But Times Square, 42nd St. and environs have all been cleaned up now, and the same should happen here. As the recent conflagration made depressingly clear, Canada’s Main Street has not been well treated, as often as not, even by those who have most invested in its fortunes.
The problem isn’t new; back in the dying days of the old City of Toronto, council expropriated the land on the east side of Yonge, north and south of Dundas, to halt the neighbourhood’s decline. The result — the brilliant Dundas Square and the not-so-brilliant building to the north, Toronto Life Square — were intended to begin a renewal process that remains incomplete.
The next big move will be the Ryerson Student Learning Centre, now being designed by the innovative Norwegian architectural form, Snøhetta. It will occupy the north corner of Yonge and Gould, where Sam the Record Man used to be. Given its credits — Oslo Opera House, the Alexandria Library — Snøhetta can be counted on to produce something memorable, even striking.A Swedish doctor known as ‘Dr Anal’ lost his license after years of strange behavior - particularly his use of anal massage to ‘cure’ people.
The doctor has been performing his “controversial” anal massage treatments in Sweden, Norway and Denmark over the past two decades.
In 2003, he was warned about his treatment after he treated an elderly woman’s back pain and headache with the anal massage. The woman described it as, "an incredibly offensive encroachment."
The Swedish Medical Board of Responsibility (HSAN) said the treatment was “dubious for a number of reasons,” while the doctor claims it to be effective.
The doctor said he had done up to 1,000 similar treatments with good results. He was allowed to continue to practice medicine after appealing to the courts in 2008.
He lost his license in Denmark last July after he pierced a patient’s lung after trying to inject his/her chest with anesthetic. This prompted the Swedish HSAN to revoke his license on Thursday.
In Norway, he was dismissed in 2006 after it was discovered he had been fired from another area the year before. The doctor described it as a witch hunt.
Dr. Anal says he is misunderstood.
“I have a personality disorder, or rather a syndrome, a form of Asperger’s. Just like Bill Gates or Einstein, for example,” he told Aftonbladet in 2006.CAROLINA DREAMIN’
Chris Campion compares the leftist model of Vermont with the “less progressive” model of North Carolina.
EthanAllen-
Vermont: A shining economic city on the hill. Well, after you’re done laughing, all that’s left is to mop up the tears and the patchouli, and either move on, or move out.
The sad part of Vermont’s slow-rolling economic demise is that its politicians, its heroes of Progressivism ™ like Peter Shumlin, point to certain statistics as proof that policies are working, that Vermont is a “great” place for jobs, and that inaccurate reporting makes Vermonters leave Vermont to seek their fortunes. Vermont makes frequent appearances on the annual Worst Economic Indicators surveys, while other states like North Carolina, which have different points of view about the size and scope of government, and make frequent appearances in surveys of Fastest Growing States, Fastest Growing Cities, or 3rd Fastest-Growing State for Women-Owned Businesses. It’s not an accident.
more
ht/ sam s.Career success depends on periodic introspection and re-evaluation of our career goals and progress
For many, the resume and the job interview turns out to be one of the rare occasions where this introspection takes place. Obviously, one’s career and passions would be much better served if this introspection took place in a less stressful environment than a job interview. This is where we come in. Our team will help you figure out what you want your qualifications and experiences to say about you. We will help you to avoid making your resume a simple list of past experiences. By exploring your passions, we will help transform your resume and interviewing strategy into a window into who you are and how this will benefit an organization.
At PolishedResume.com, we do more than just help clean up your resume, we work with you to help figure out where you are and where you want to go. We understand that career choices do not begin and end with a job interview, but it is marked by the attitudes and perspectives that shape each of the decisions we make daily.Land in Iceland is rising at a pace of as much as 1.4 inches per year in certain areas as a result of climate change, according to a new study. The melting of the country’s glaciers reduces pressure on the land below and allows the surface to rise, researchers say.
“Our research makes the connection between recent accelerated uplift and the accelerated melting of the Icelandic ice caps,” study co-author Kathleen Compton, a University of Arizona researcher, said in a statement.
The study, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, relied on data from 62 global positioning system receivers placed throughout Iceland that allowed researchers to track the land’s movement.
MORE: The Senate Discovers Climate Change!
While scientists have noticed the rise in land levels in certain areas across the globe, this study is the first to demonstrate the link between climate change and rising land, the researchers say.
“Iceland is the first place we can say accelerated uplift means accelerated ice mass loss,” said study co-author Richard Bennett, a professor at the University of Arizona.
Melting Away: One Photographer's Journey to Preserve the Polar Regions Camille Seaman Camille Seaman Camille Seaman Camille Seaman Camille Seaman Camille Seaman Camille Seaman Camille Seaman Camille Seaman Camille Seaman 1 of 10 Advertisement
Write to Justin Worland at justin.worland@time.com.Have you ever tried to walk a cat on a leash?
If so, you might be able to understand what it's like to have "chemo-brain".
Chemo-brain has got to sound like such a wishy-washy excuse for disorganization, procrastination or chronic forgetfulness. Before being diagnosed with cancer and having chemotherapy treatment, I would normally excuse an absent-minded mistake as a "blonde moment" because -hardy har- I'm a platinum blonde. I would get a chuckle and typically disarm any outrage over my error.
Now my absent-minded moments are so frequent that I can no longer pass it off humorously without coming off like a complete lunatic. I regularly forget appointments, names, and important obligations. "Just write it down," they tell me. Good suggestion, but I do write it down and will lose what I wrote, or forget to check what I wrote altogether.
It's like I'm under a spell, trying to walk a cat down the street while the fat bastard just lays down and lets me drag him behind me.
To have chemo brain is to have a mind that drags behind you all day long.
It tells you that you're thinking too hard on things that were once so simple.
Your speech drags.
You stare off into space.
You tire so easily.
You overwhelm so easily.
You feel dumb.
You get embarrassed.
You burst into tears for seemingly no reason.
And yet...
You realize how cool and patient people can be, when you're just open and honest about the effects of treatment. You discover the goodness of people that you are still accepted despite your absent-mindedness reaching super-annoying heights. You realize that you're allowed to have a mind like a fat, legless cat on a leash. Shoot, you deserve a break. You're kicking cancer's ass, and it's a crazy exhausting to do so.
You're tired, go to sleep.
Stop blogging this, Matt. That's right, I'm talking to you now.
Stop writing...it's 10:30 at night. You worked all day and you're rambling now.
Go to bed...
I said, go to bed...
Why are you still writing? Stop it...
Rest.This is a confessional. Maybe not the kind you were hoping for, but I’m sure you can find plenty of that kind elsewhere on the interwebs. This one is about my love for someone who is part mythical, part icon, part football, and yet 100% human. He changed my heart 180° when he came to Milan, and I will never forget him. I honestly don’t think there is another player on the planet like him, and his loss for me is being felt on so many levels. I have to face the facts, I am in love with Mario Balotelli. And now he’s walking out of my life.
A few years back, I was blogging for an Italian national team site, and Balotelli was always coming up for discussion. I always maintained the position that he was amazingly talented, but that he needed psychological help and was thus too much of a risk for any team, perhaps even the national team. I definitely didn’t want him at Milan. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
First of all, at least half of the things written by the media about him are actually untrue. You can thank the British media specifically for that. But the proof is in the fact that while at Milan, he was relatively quiet and well-behaved, compared to the monstrous psychopath they painted him out to be there. In fact, his worst moment was probably earning a 3 match ban last year for talking to the refs after once again being manhandled and not getting any fouls called (and probably having been racially abused, too.) He was the most fouled player in Serie A, the most racially abused, facing abuse when he wasn’t even present, even at a youth match. In contrast, our captain, Montolivo, earned a two match Champions League ban last season for a bad tackle that impacted the team far worse than anything Balotelli did during his time at the club. But Balotelli gets all of the hate.
Most ironic photo ever.
Balotelli is probably the most over-criticized player, too. Everyone had something negative to say about him no matter how well he played. If I had a nickel for every time I saw Milan fans screaming on Twitter that he was underperforming or wasn’t putting in enough effort or “going to ground easy” when he had 2-3 defenders constantly attached to him like leeches, then I could afford to write the check to Milan to keep him and buy as many world class players as we liked, too. Balotelli was always doing something positive for us. He was defending, often going all the way back (and then criticized for not staying in the box,) he was passing and looking to help his teammates, he was drawing the defenders and drawing the fouls (well those just happened no matter what he did, but he often didn’t get the calls.) His free kicks were the stuff fantasy was made from, and his penalty record simply amazing.
According to the haters, Balotelli is a terrible teammate, never smiles, and never celebrates.
Balotelli had the most shots in Serie A during his time at Milan, but never gave enough “effort”, according to the haters. As the most fouled player, he really did keep it together very well. Still not enough for the shortsighted fans, but they will miss him on the pitch this year when opponents just walk right through our defense/midfield/attack to score goal after goal, with no one like him to stop them anymore. And the constant racial abuse he took on the pitch was bad enough, but he also kept it together to play for a club whose management also racially abused him, even from the beginning, and whose CEO supported a racist for FIGC president instead of supporting a former Milan player, let alone everyone else at the club. No one could possibly know how Balotelli felt, playing at “home” for the club of his dreams with “support” like that.
A fan there told me he trained the longest, then hung out to sign autographs
But he became more than just a hero to me for withstanding so much abuse, both physical and emotional, and still scoring 30 goals in 18 short months in Serie A, Coppa Italia, and the Champions League. I saw in him such strength. Not just physically, he is obvously amazingly strong, virtually unstoppable. He was also so strong mentally, despite what people think. He smiled so much since he came to Milan, even if haters still criticize him for not smiling (seriously, name one other player who gets criticized for his facial expressions?) He had to shut out a world of overblown hate and criticism just for being so awesome, and was still able to be a world class striker. At a time when Milan’s commitment to football and winning was at an all-time low. If that’s not emotional fortitude I really don’t know what is.
The man is clever and creative... and freaking awesome.
I don’t know what exactly it was that changed me from someone who questioned his purchase to one of his biggest fans who is now devastated at his loss. Maybe it was when he wanted to drive a go kart, but his contract stipulated that he couldn’t, so he drove his Ferrari on the track instead. Brilliant. It wasn’t any one thing, actually. I think that by both seeing his fun personality come out through Twitter and Instagram, and watching him fight for Milan week in and week out amidst the most harsh odds, I began to realize that there was so much more to him than meets the eye. And I think that more than any other player who has come to Milan in recent years that was a Milanista, I saw more red and black, more courage, and more fight in him than any other player.
What more can I say? He walks on water. 'Nuff said.
While I’m glad that I fell in love with Super Mario, I’m crushed that he is moving on. Not just because I became so attached to him, but for what this move represents from management. I have yet to hear why he left, maybe it was his choice. And I can’t say that I’d blame him if it was. But the fact is that he is leaving, my heart is broken, and there isn’t another player in the world that can fill his pink and blue shoes. Milan are losing their most talented player, but they are also losing a true lion. Someone who fought |
while reactions in his own party were more muted, some struck a harsher tone.
“That’s a lot of money for a hairdresser, and for the French in general,” Thierry Mandon, the junior minister for higher education and research, told the LCP news channel. “For many people in France that really, really, really is a lot of money.”
Still, the revelations have yet to morph into a full-blown political scandal in France, where the financial excesses or abuses of politicians are sometimes met with a shrug. On Twitter, French observers expressed a mixture of amusement and outrage.
“When my 2,600 euros of income tax represent one week of the hairdresser’s salary #CoiffeurGate #shameful,” one user wrote. “#CoiffeurGate — ah, now I finally understand the expression ‘budgetary cuts,’” mused another. Some photoshopped royal wigs, mullets or toupéesonto the French president’s sparsely adorned head.
The hairdresser, identified by Le Canard Enchaîné only as Olivier B., was first mentioned in a book by two French journalists published in April that aimed to give a behind-the-scenes look at the Élysée Palace, the presidential residence.
The book identified the hairdresser as Olivier Benhamou, and said that his monthly salary was 8,000 euros. When the tabloid magazine Closer wrote an article using that information, Mr. Benhamou sued them; that case is pending.
The work contract Mr. Benhamou signed with the Élysée Palace was recently introduced as evidence in a French court as part of that case, and was obtained by Le Canard Enchaîné, which used it as the basis of its report.
The contract was signed by Mr. Hollande’s former chief of staff. It is unclear whether Mr. Hollande knew how much the hairdresser is paid. On Wednesday evening, Valérie Trierweiler, Mr. Hollande’s former companion, wrote on Twitter: “Let’s be fair: F. Hollande was not aware of the hairdresser’s salary. I can attest to his anger when he learned about it later.”
The Élysée Palace confirmed the report, telling Le Canard Enchaîné that Mr. Benhamou started his days very early and that “he redoes the president’s hair every morning and as much as needed, for each public statement.”
A 2015 report by the Cour des Comptes, the French organization that conducts financial audits of the state and other public institutions, found that personnel spending at the Élysée Palace in 2014 — 68.2 million euros, out of the palace’s overall budget of 100 million euros — had fallen by 1.6 percent from the previous year and that staff numbers had been cut.
NY TIMESSudden Strike 4 [Steam] is the first in the series to have Linux support, it releases later today with day-1 Linux support. Here's what I think so far.
Disclosure : Kalypso Media provided me with a copy before release.
I will state for the record, that I have no previous experience with the Sudden Strike series. Other reviewers will likely compare them, I shall not. I shall take the game as it is right now, with obvious comparisons to similar games.
Sadly, the Linux version is not on GOG. I've been told this is due to GOG Galaxy not being on Linux yet. They said they're looking into it and hope to sort it in the near future. Update: Linux version is now on GOG.
It was actually surprising to see a Sudden Strike game come to Linux, but it’s thanks to the Unity game engine that we have it, since it makes it easier to bring games to Linux. Doesn’t make it trivial, of course, and it’s not just a simple push of a button, but it’s helped Linux gaming a lot.
It’s actually not a traditional RTS game in the sense that you don’t construct any buildings and you can pause it at any moment to get your head together. It’s generally classed as a “real time tactics” game. You also don’t get to build any new units, unlike a lot of strategy games where units become as disposable as tissues; it makes SS4 a slower, more thoughtful game where you really need to get your tactician hat on.
So what we have here is a game where you need to think and plan ahead, you need to utilize each unit to the fullest extent possible. Instead of the cycle of build, expand and repeat, you actually get a more realistic experience of war itself. Armour does play an important role in the game, as you can see bullets and shells bouncing off the more highly armoured units. For example, keeping soldiers to the side or behind armoured vehicles can save their lives (although it needs tweaking, as sometimes bullets seem to pass through). Likewise, getting behind a heavy tank to knock it out is important, since their armour is weaker at the back.
Much like other slightly similar strategy games, you pick a specific commander who come with various different abilities. This enables you to mix-up your strategy depending on the type of scenario you will be facing, some of the abilities are really quite useful too, like having the ability to sit a few soldiers on your tanks.
Using interesting tactics is important during the campaign, as you're rewarded extra points based on what you do. These points are added up and you're given 1-3 stars in each mission depending on how you did. You can then use your stars to activate special abilities for your commanders. One thing they need to address, though, is that it's not clear exactly what you need to get all three stars, they need to give you more details.
You can hide soldiers inside fields of wheat or sunflower fields, which can enable you to sneak up on your enemy. That's awesome by itself, but even more impressive is the simulation going on. Individual sunflowers get knocked down and your soldiers leave a line through the fields where they've pushed through. There’s so many features that have made me really appreciate the graphics, as well as the overall gameplay.
If you want to see a video of my failure, check out this video taken from a livestream preview I did.
Graphically, the game is stunning. Compared with the bleakness of titles like Company of Heroes and Dawn of War it’s a totally different world, visually speaking. Seeing a tank catch fire, blow up and watch as a soldier crawls out of it certainly leaves a lasting impression. Every single element in the game seems like it’s had real attention paid to it. The ground decals look highly detailed, each individual wheel inside the tank tracks can be seen moving, the explosions look fantastic showing bits of debris flying into the air and so on.
When it comes to the gameplay, it initially felt a little more simplistic than some other strategy games, but there’s actually a lot of things going on I didn’t notice initially. Unlike some games, you cannot repair a tank from near destruction up to full health, you can only repair critical damage if they can’t move, for example. You can also tell individual soldiers to lay down, making it harder to see and hit them.
The campaign is extremely varied in the types of missions you will do, but one moment in particular stuck with me. Early on in the German campaign I was pushing into Russia and I split my forces in two, hoping my tanks could take the front line, while my soldiers and lighter vehicles went around the side to take out some troops. I had done a pass-over with recon planes first, so I had a general idea of what they were hiding. It — uh — didn’t go quite as planned. My tanks were doing fine, ploughing through their infantry seeking refuge in trenches, but when I quickly panned the camera back over to my lighter units moving up the side, two tanks and a god damned rocket truck came into view and annihilated a bunch of my troops. Thankfully, I did have a few anti-tank infantry and a bunch of mortars, so this is all that remained of them in the end:
Sadly, the problems continued. My armoured units were running low on ammo, some of them completely out and some advancing enemies coming out of the trees made quick work of my supply truck so I was in a bit of a bind. Thankfully, some of the enemies had their arms up having given up, so I didn’t have to kill all of them. There’s lots of stories the game will end up creating for you, which is part of why I’ve been enjoying it so much. Another, much more minor detail stuck with me too, as I pushed further into Russia you come into a ruined city, as my tanks leveled one of the buildings, an enemy soldier flipped out of a window as it was falling. So many little details — it's so fun to see it all.
One downside, is that some of the voice over work for the German's sounds...British. It's a really weird thing to be playing through a German campaign, hearing a British accent trying to sound a bit German.
Unlocking historical footage was a nice touch in the Extra’s menu, I quite enjoyed listening to the videos as I progressed through the game.
The game has a Skirmish mode, although it is a little on the limited side. There's only four maps in the standard edition, plus an extra if you pre-ordered. That's a little disappointing for those who like to play against the AI, so hopefully given the extensive modding support (more on that below), plenty of extra maps should get released. There's also only one game mode for the Skirmish battles and little customization offered, with no difficulty options or anything interesting. You choose the map, the sides and that's it.
Unlike the campaign, in the Skirmish mode if you manage to capture a train station you will be able to get reinforcements. These cost points that you gain from capturing the "Field HQs", to win you simply need have captured all of these HQs and then it's over, so victory and loss is quite sudden.
When it comes to the online multiplayer, you will be pleased to know that the game features full cross-platform multiplayer between Windows, Mac and Linux. It’s also cross-compatible between the Steam & GOG versions. I haven't been able to test the online play, due to it not being released while reviewing. Update : What we were told was obviously wrong, it does not have cross-platform play.
Performance wise, I’m honestly surprised. It’s been swimming along without an issue, constantly above 100FPS in most situations — glorious! Even during battles consisting of many different types of units and lots of explosions it hardly budged. It was reduced while livestreaming and recording the initial teaser, but when running without OBS in the background it really does perform well.
The game even features modding support with the Steam Workshop, so it will be interesting to see what people are able to create. Hopefully people will mod in some bigger maps, to satisfy people wanting a bigger battlefield. What makes the mod support especially interesting, is that people will have the ability to connect maps together to form their own scenarios/campaigns. Modders will have full access to all unit values/stats and there’s no hard-coded limit to the size maps can be or the amount of units available at any one time. Insofar as modding support goes, this game seems like it has it down completely.
With all that said about modding support, here’s the sad bit: The actual modding tools are Windows-only. This happens with a lot of games, so it’s not exactly surprising, still disappointing though. I’m just glad we will be able to access all the Steam Workshop content without restriction.
Overall, it might not be as in-depth as some people had hoped, with rather lacklustre skirmish battles, but there’s a massive amount to appreciate and multiple campaigns are pretty decent. If you like your strategy games, especially when it comes to the World War II era then this is simply a must-buy. It looks gorgeous, it performs amazingly well and it’s really quite fun. Now this is how you do Linux support!If you've ever gazed into the beautiful void that is Gustav Courbet's "The Origin of the World," you're probably familiar with just how provocative (and NSFW) the painting is.
As the title cleverly references, it is a portrait of the female genitalia, through which all human beings enter into life. Combining the romance of realism and the lustful voyeurism of erotic art, it's, well, heavy stuff.
So, you can only imagine what would happen if someone -- let's say, a daring performance artist -- attempted to reenact the racy anatomic still life from 1866... in front of an audience of museum patrons assembled at Paris' Musée d’Orsay.
Do you have a clear picture yet? Now compare that to the video below, in which Luxembourgian artist Deborah de Robertis actually transforms painting into performance, by revealing her own vulva in front of some surprised passersby. Just watch (and remember, it's not safe for work):
According to Le Monde, the racy act took place on May 29 at the Musée d’Orsay's Room 20. De Robertis entered the room in a gold sequin dress and proceeded to expose her own "L’Origine du monde" to a crowd of unsuspecting security guards and applauding gallery goers. The artist was eventually taken away by police and, as Artnet reports, the museum and two of its guards subsequently filed sexual exhibitionism complaints against the bold woman.
“This is a typical case of disrespecting the museum’s rules, whether for a performance or not,” the Musée d’Orsay’s administration said in a statement published in Artnet. “No request for authorization was filed with us. And even if it had been, it’s not certain we would have accepted it as that may have upset our visitors.”
De Robertis feels differently. “If you ignore the context, you could construe this performance as an act of exhibitionism, but what I did was not an impulsive act,” she explained to Luxemburger Wort. “There is a gap in art history, the absent point of view of the object of the gaze. In his realist painting, the painter shows the open legs, but the vagina remains closed. He does not reveal the hole, that is to say, the eye. I am not showing my vagina, but I am revealing what we do not see in the painting, the eye of the vagina, the black hole, this concealed eye, this chasm, which, beyond the flesh, refers to infinity, to the origin of the origin.”
To be fair, de Robertis claims she's performed "Mirror of Origin" more than once in the Paris museum, without causing hysteria. And it's not the first time that an avid student of art history has opted to demonstrate the sincerest form of flattery by imitating a famous work of art. Just last year, a 26-year-old known as Arthur G. stripped down to his birthday suit in front of the Musée d’Orsay’s parade of male nudes, “Masculin/Masculin."NEW YORK, NY (Oct. 4, 2016) — Researchers at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine (CDM) Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) have identified 41 master regulator genes that may cause gum disease, also known as periodontal disease. The study was the first of its kind to employ genome-wide reverse engineering to identify the gene pathways that contribute to periodontitis.
Identification of the genes represents a vital step toward developing compounds that can be used in targeted, individualized treatment of severe periodontitis, before loss of teeth and supportive bone occurs.
Findings of the study were published recently in the Journal of Dental Research.
In gene expression studies, investigators find those genes that are most commonly expressed in either healthy or diseased tissue. But such studies cannot identify a causal link between these genes and the disease, and often miss genes that affect a larger number of genetic pathways, which may have a large impact on the disease process.
In this study, a team led by Panos N. Papapanou, DDS, PhD, professor and chair of oral, diagnostic and rehabilitation sciences at the College of Dental Medicine at CUMC, “reverse-engineered” the gene expression data to build a map of the genetic interactions that lead to periodontitis and identify individual genes that appear to have the most influence on the disease. “Our approach narrows down the list of potentially interesting regulatory genes involved in periodontitis,” says Dr. Papapanou. “This allows us to focus on the handful of genes that represent the most important players in the process rather than the whole transcriptome.”
To identify the genes, Dr. Papapanou partnered with CUMC investigators including Ryan Demmer, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology, at the Mailman School of Public Health, and researchers in Systems Biology who had previously developed algorithms to identify regulatory genes that fuel cancer growth. The researchers examined RNA from healthy and diseased gum tissues of 120 patients with periodontitis. They applied one algorithm to study the interactions among the genes and used another algorithm to identify genes that disrupt healthy tissue and drive the disease process.
Many of the genes identified by Dr. Papapanou and his team are implicated in immune and inflammatory pathways, confirming laboratory and clinical observations of the development of periodontal disease.
Identification of the master regulator genes will allow investigators to test compounds that interrupt their action, creating treatments that stop periodontal disease at its source. “Now it’s important to do the downstream work of validating these master regulators in the lab before we can test these genes in experimental models,” says Dr. Papapanou.
About:MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., April 1 (UPI) -- Google backtracked on its 2016 April Fools' Day joke and apologized after the Minion-related prank caused headaches for Gmail users.
The prank saw the addition of a "MicDrop" feature to Gmail that allowed users to close an email thread by sending an animation of a Minion -- the animated characters that first appeared in the film Despicable Me -- dropping a microphone.
The button resulted in a flood of unforeseen complaints, as Gmail users who accidentally clicked the button found their email threads closed prematurely.
"Well, it looks like we pranked ourselves this year," Google said in a statement. "Due to a bug, the Mic Drop feature inadvertently caused more headaches than laughs. We're truly sorry. The feature has been turned off. If you are still seeing it, please reload your Gmail page."
At least one person posting on the Google forums claimed to have lost a job.
"Thanks to MicDrop I just lost my job," the poster wrote. "I am a writer and had a deadline to meet. I sent my articles to my boss and never heard back from her. I inadvertently sent the email using the MicDrop send button."A Newfoundland man is facing several charges, including possession of child pornography and mailing obscene material, after allegedly ordering a child sex doll from Japan.
Const. Terry Follett, a member of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary’s child exploitation unit, says it’s the first time Criminal Code charges have been laid in relation to a child sex doll in Newfoundland — and it’s the first case he’s heard of it in Canada.
The four-foot-tall doll, Follett says, depicts a lifelike, prepubescent female with genitals and is considered child pornography.
“It’s by no way a standard doll that anyone would go purchase for their children to play with. The doll and the accessories that come with it (are) used for sexual gratification purposes.”
On Jan. 30, Canada Border Services officers were inspecting international mail at a processing facility in Mississauga when they flagged the package for a more detailed examination. The parcel was travelling from Japan to a home in St. John’s and they suspected it contained child pornography.The system hardening process of a system is critical during and after installation. It helps the system to perform its duties properly. This blog post shows you several tips for Ubuntu system hardening. It will dive into the most critical steps to take first. Then more specific hardening steps can be added on top of these. As most security guides only tell you what to do, we will also go into more detail on why a specific security measure is important. This way you can make educated decisions on what steps you want to do, or the ones to skip. After all, each system is different.
Supported operating systems:
Ubuntu 14.04 LTS desktop and server (Trusty)
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS desktop and server (Xenial)
Ubuntu 18.04 LTS desktop and server (Bionic)
Most of the steps will work on Ubuntu versions before and after these releases. This guide will cover both the desktop and server versions.
Ubuntu is already secure, right?
Every Linux distribution needs to make a compromise between functionality, performance, and security. While Ubuntu has secure defaults, it still needs tuning to the type of usage. Ubuntu desktops and servers need to be configured to improve the security defenses to an optimal level.
System hardening
If you are new to system hardening, let’s start with a definition:
System hardening is a technical process of increasing the security of a Linux system by reducing its attack surface. Those items that pose the most risk to the system are adjusted by taking specific security measures. This can be done by adding, adjusting, or removing certain components of the Linux system.
During this steps in this guide, we will apply a combination of measures to improve the security of your Ubuntu installation and configuration. Although there are some specific Ubuntu security features, most of the hardening tips can be universally applied to other Linux distributions.
Desktop versus server
The process of Ubuntu system hardening is very similar for desktops and servers. The only difference is the purpose of the machine. Desktop users are most likely using it for browsing the web or reading emails. Privacy might be an important focus area. These activities are less likely on servers, where typically data integrity and availability are more important. So while the hardening steps are similar, keep always the role of the system in mind.
Hardening steps during installation
The first few hardening improvements can be done during the installation. If you already have a system running, the most likely these steps can’t be easily applied after the fact. Consider reinstalling the system, or use the hardening measures as part of a future installation.
Use strong passwords
After the first installation steps, the creation of a user account is performed. This user will be added to the administrative group, allowing him or her to become root. For this reason, the password should be a strong password.
Why a strong password matters: weak passwords don’t belong on systems. Not during development and especially not for production purposes. This is a serious risk as automated tools can perform many guesses per second, often discover weak passwords in just a few seconds. So system hardening should also apply to the strength of your passwords.
Tips to enhance your password: use longer passwords to make brute force password guessing much harder. One trick that is simple and powerful is adding a single character many times to your password (e.g. add 10 dollar signs at the beginning). Besides increasing the length, the variety of used characters is important. Add capitals, numbers, and other characters.
Use disk encryption
Enable encrypted LVM volumes during the installation of your Ubuntu desktop or server system. It is a great measure to hardening the system and data in particular. Although it won’t protect against all attacks, it matters for what we call data at rest. This means that when your system would get stolen, the data can only be retrieved if the attacker has the related key or passphrase to decrypt the data.
Select the guided partition method with “use entire disk and set up encrypted LVM”.
Next step is selecting a passphrase. This is used during the boot process, to unlock the disk (or volume).
Why disk encryption matters: Your system may be stolen, even if it is a server. Another possibility is that you have to return a broken disk. In both cases, others should not be able to read data stored on the disk.
Every server needs software packages to fulfill its destiny during the lifetime of the system. Ensure that it gets regularly patched and updated by using unattended-upgrades. This is done with the “Install security updates automatically” option during the installation.
Why applying automatic security updates matters: almost daily new weaknesses are detected in software packages. This is no different for Ubuntu servers. Although most administrators rather not update their systems automatically, applying only the security updates is a relatively low-risk action. This is because no new features are introduced, only security flaws are patched. After that is done, a new software update is released to solve the related vulnerability. These updates are often linked to a CVE number (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), which provides more information about the vulnerability itself. So don’t take risks and apply those automatic security updates.
Minimal installation
The Ubuntu installation has been improved over the last years. It already applies the “lean” principle. This way it will only install what is really needed. The administrator can still select additional packages or software groups. There is the possibility to add new software groups at the end of the installation process or do it manually later on. Our security tip is to only select the groups and services which are really needed. For server systems, it makes sense to select the SSH server role. This way OpenSSH and the SSH daemon will be installed.
Why a minimal installation matters: Ubuntu has the tendency to enable installed services and start them by default. This means that if you just install a package, it may actually already be running with weak configuration defaults. Security professionals speak often about the footprint or attack surface. This means that the risk of a breach increases if you have more packages you have installed. And not just packages, also the number of services running or (old) users enabled. In other words, each package, service, or user is increasing the chance that your security defenses will be breached.
Hardening steps after installation
After you have your system installed, it is time to configure the system. This is also the phase in which your security defenses can easily be weakened. So each time you perform activities on your servers, consider what it does for your overall security level of the server.
During the installation, there was the option to select automatic security updates. If you already had a system running, you can add this component easily by installing the unattended-upgrades package
apt install unattended-upgrades
Although this package works fairly well out of the box, you might want to check its configuration. This is because only packages from the security repository are updated. Others are skipped. So look for external repositories that may be available to the system and consider adding those packages to the configuration. The configuration file of unattended-upgrades is /etc/apt/apt.conf.d/50unattended-upgrades. For more details regarding the configuration, have a look at our more in-depth article about unattended-upgrades.
Besides security updates, we suggest to regularly plan a moment to install normal updates. Often they contain improvements to improve system stability. Especially on servers, this is of high importance.
Earlier Ubuntu releases:
apt-get update && apt-get upgrade
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS and later:
apt update && apt upgrade
Accounts
Besides the required software packages, systems can only work if it allows users to make use of it. In some cases, we will be giving them access to the server, especially for system administration purposes. Also for web servers, it is common to see that users can access the system directly via SSH and SCP, to allow updating the website of the user.
Related risks to user accounts
There are a few risks with user accounts on systems, especially on servers. Hardening in this area is therefore required. The first risk is that local users may use local exploits to elevate their permissions and become root. Fortunately, this can only happen if there is actually a known weakness and when the user is skilled enough to run the related malicious script or code. Unfortunately, it is common to see Linux servers running for years, without a single reboot. Even when security updates are automatically installed, an update to the kernel still requires a system restart.
The second risk is that old accounts may be lingering on the server too long. Sometimes employees or customers that no longer for the company. When these accounts have a weak password, they might be abused one day. To counter this, set a password policy and delete accounts when they are no longer needed. This last one is a difficult one, as you may need a strict process to control who can access the system and a way to determine the user has no business on the related system anymore.
Configure PAM: pwquality
PAM is an abbreviation for pluggable authentication module. It extends the existing functionality of the authentication steps, allowing for a very fine-grained configuration. PAM is usually a little bit scary for those who are new to its configuration, as there is not a clear path it follows. Files are including each other and have sometimes cryptic names. Still, don’t be scared and test your changes first on a virtual system where you always have root access. Create an additional test user and log in with that, to help with testing.
The first step is to install the PAM component “pwquality”, short for password quality.
apt install libpam-pwquality
One of the things we learned earlier is that a longer password is more secure. This is because it usually takes more time to crack by automated tools. So if you want to increase the minimal password length for all users, we have to configure that in the PAM configuration.
Open the file /etc/pam.d/common-password in a text editor and search for the line that has the pam_pwquality.so reference in it. By default, it only includes “retry=3”. This number refers to the retries a user has before PAM will show that the authentication has failed and disallow access.
As we want to increase the minimal password length, we add “minlen=10” just before the retry parameter.
password requisite pam_pwquality.so minlen=10 retry=3
Save the file and then switch to your test user in the other terminal. Now use the passwd command and try to use a short password like 123456. If things are properly configured, that should fail.
Next step is to add complexity rules to pwquality module. This can be done with the parameters: dcredit, ucredit, lcredit, and ocredit. See the man page for their details and again test your changes.
man pam_pwquality
Besides this password length and complexity, we can also configure how often a user should change his or her password. This is done via /etc/login.defs with the options PASS_MIN_DAYS and PASS_MAX_DAYS. By default, the maximum days are set to 99999 days and might need to be tuned down. For more sensitive systems this number should be fairly low, like every 30 days.
Firewall installation and configuration
Now that we implemented a few measures, it is time to look at the network services. Even systems that are already filtered by a network-based firewall, might still benefit from a local firewall. There are a few options available when it comes to Linux firewalling, including UFW and iptables.
Firewall options
The best firewall for Ubuntu is the one that you can actually manage. The most common option is iptables. This filtering engine exists for a while and is rock-solid. Its syntax is not that friendly compared with others like pf on BSD. Still, it does the job and gradually you become better at it. UFW or Uncomplicated FireWall is a good option for those that want to apply some simple rules. UFW will take care of generating the required rules for iptables.
Why use a firewall on Ubuntu?
An important reason to use a firewall is to protect against other systems in the local subnet. Let’s say you enabled SSH on all your servers and filtered SSH traffic on your network firewall. Other systems could still use the service internally. In case one system is breached, others might get breached as a result. So one option could be to allow SSH only from predefined systems, like your bastion hosts (a.k.a jump server or stepping stone).
Another reason to use iptables or other firewall solutions is to block bad traffic. Sure, it is better if you can do this on a network level, but sometimes only the receiving system can make the decision what traffic is good or bad. Especially when traffic is encrypted, like HTTPS. The receiving server has a better idea on what is going and may decide to start blocking a particular client when it had too many invalid or malicious requests.
A basic iptables configuration could be looking something like this:
# Accept all incoming traffic on local interface
iptables -A INPUT -I lo -j ACCEPT
Next step is to allow traffic to our services:
# Allow traffic to SSH (to port 2222), SMTP (25), and our web server (80, 443)
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp -m tcp –dport 2222 -m state –state NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp -m tcp –dport 25 -m state –state NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp -m tcp –dport 80 -m state –state NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
iptables -A INPUT -p tcp -m tcp –dport 443 -m state –state NEW,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
Finally, drop all other traffic in the input chain:
iptables -A INPUT -j DROP
This simple configuration is just a start. It still allows outgoing traffic, which might need some filtering as well.
Using AppArmor security framework
Two common security frameworks are SELinux and AppArmor. The choice for which framework on systems running Debian and Ubuntu is easy. Only AppArmor is available. This is because only support for this framework is compiled into the Linux kernel.
If you really want to harden your Ubuntu systems, then AppArmor is a great addition. This framework defines what running processes can do, or access. Think of it like a prison guard that continuously monitors its prisoners, to ensure they only do activities that are allowed. The allowed activities are stored in policy files, together with the related processes.
To determine the current status of AppArmor, use the aa-status command.
sudo aa-status
AppArmor mode
AppArmor can run three different modes. The first of all is disabled. In this mode, AppArmor will simply ignore the policies and not restrict any process. In complain mode, AppArmor will perform monitoring, and only notify when a process is performing an unauthorized action. The most restricted mode is when AppArmor is enforcing. All unauthorized actions are blocked and logged.
To learn more about AppArmor, have a look at the AppArmor server guide.
Next steps for system security
Now that you implemented the basic Ubuntu hardening measures, it is time for the next steps. These steps include:
We will be adding more links for these subjects with step-by-step instructions.
Security assessment with Lynis
If you like to learn what can be improved on your system, use the open source security tool Lynis. This tool is not restricted to Ubuntu. It performs hundreds of individuals tests to detect possible weaknesses of the system. Besides that, it comes with a report that shows suggestions, or room for security improvements on your system.
More resources
The web has a lot of resources available when it comes to system hardening, including for Ubuntu Linux. Our experience is that there are a lot of low-quality articles, with just some steps to apply and without any reasoning behind it. Avoid those, as they usually have bad examples that can even introduce weak security weaknesses!
Useful learning resources
Do you learn something during following this guide? Great! Become part of the community and share this article on your favorite website or on social media. Got questions or ideas to enhance this guide? Use the comments!A $100 Million Shot At Glory For US Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency
December 26th, 2017 by Tina Casey
Fortunately it looks like the report of ARPA-E’s death was an exaggeration. The agency has just announced that it is soliciting new submissions for its OPEN “transformative” energy program. If all goes well, OPEN will have a new round of $100 million to distribute among new projects next year.
$100 Million For Renewable Energy + Other Stuff…
The OPEN program seeks out transformational projects that don’t exactly fit into other Energy Department programs, but do complement other areas of research. The idea is to focus federal dollars on projects that promise an outsized impact for a relatively modest investment.
The 2015 round of funding shot $125 million into 10 project areas, all having to do with renewable energy or energy efficiency:
…building efficiency, industrial processes and waste heat, data management and communication, wind, solar, tidal and distributed generation, grid scale storage, power electronics, power grid system performance, vehicle efficiency, storage for electric vehicles, and alternative fuels and bio-energy.
Don’t get too excited all at once. The energy efficiency angle covers a lot of territory, so past rounds of OPEN have included a healthy dose of fossil fuel projects.
For example, the 2015 OPEN roster included projects aimed at gasmobile engines, gas-powered electricity generation, and gas-to-liquid fuel conversion.
On the other hand, the 2015 OPEN awardees list was also peppered with renewable energy projects, including a cutting edge electrohydrodynamic system for harvesting offshore wind energy by leveraging positively charged airborne water droplets, so there’s that.
Considering the Trump administration’s focus on fossil fuel development, it’s possible that the 2018 OPEN round could shrink the representation of renewables. The $25 million dip in funding ($100 million for 2018 compared to $125 million for the 2015 round) isn’t a particularly good sign either.
Nevertheless, fingers crossed. Energy Secretary Rick Perry didn’t signal any significant shift in focus in the funding solicitation announcement for OPEN. He emphasized the Energy Department’s national security mission and invited innovators to “show us the next breakthrough in energy security.”
You could read just about anything into that statement, though if the US Department of Defense has any say in the matter of national security then things are looking good for renewable energy.
The funding announcement also noted that the 2018 round will seek innovations “across the full spectrum of energy applications.” The OPEN web page further explains:
A broad variety of projects will be welcomed, and examples include electricity generation by both renewable and non-renewable means; electricity transmission, storage, and distribution; energy efficiency for buildings, manufacturing and commerce, and personal use; and all aspects of transportation, including the production and distribution of both renewable and non-renewable fuels, electrification, and transportation energy efficiency.
The deadline for submitting concept papers is February 12, 2018 so if you have any bright ideas send ’em in.
It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over
On a less positive note, even if OPEN is open for business, awardees could have trouble squeezing their dollars out of the Energy Department.
That’s what happened to another group of Energy Department projects this year. During the first months of the Trump administration, the Energy Department held back $91 million in funds already in the awards pipeline.
Fortunately, on December |
referendum within two years.
Accusing Theresa May of thwarting Scotland’s desire for a special deal with Europe, the first minister confirmed she plans to hold the vote between autumn 2018 and spring 2019 unless the UK government offers substantial last-minute concessions.
Sturgeon said the prime minister’s refusal to discuss full Scottish access to the single market and to threaten heavy restrictions on the new powers for Scotland after Brexit made a second referendum all but inevitable.
Nicola Sturgeon calls for second Scottish independence referendum - Politics live Read more
Any pretence that the UK was a partnership of equal nations was now dead, Sturgeon said, adding that there had been no attempt to inform the Scottish government that May could invoke article 50 as early as Tuesday.
“The UK government has not moved even an inch in pursuit of compromise and agreement,” Sturgeon said. “Our efforts at compromise have instead been met with a brick wall of intransigence.”
Buoyed by three successive opinion polls putting the yes vote nearly neck and neck with the no vote, Sturgeon’s challenge has dramatically increased the complexities and uncertainties of Brexit negotiations.
Sturgeon’s announcement effectively starts a two-year independence campaign that will overstretch the UK government and the civil service in Whitehall, threatening to undermine its negotiating capacity in Europe.
Acknowledging there was not yet majority support for independence and that challenging questions about leaving the UK remained unanswered, Sturgeon insisted she had to maximise Scotland’s chances of being able to control its future relationship with the EU by pressing for independence before Brexit was ratified by EU member states.
“If the UK leaves the EU without Scotland indicating beforehand – or at least within a short time after it – that we want a different relationship with Europe, we could face a lengthy period outside not just the EU but also the single market. That could make the task of negotiating a different future much more difficult,” she said.
With opinion polls showing less than 40% of Scottish voters in favour of a new referendum before Brexit, Downing Street said it did not believe Sturgeon had the mandate for second vote.
“Only a little over two years ago people in Scotland voted decisively to remain part of our United Kingdom in a referendum which the Scottish government defined as a ‘once in a generation’ vote,” a spokesman said.
“Another referendum would be divisive and cause huge economic uncertainty at the worst possible time.”
Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Tory leader, said Sturgeon was guilty of political opportunism. She said: “Nicola Sturgeon has today given up acting as first minister for all of Scotland.
“The first minister’s proposal offers Scotland the worst of all worlds. Her timetable would force people to vote blind on the biggest political decision a country could face. This is utterly irresponsible and has been taken by the first minister purely for partisan political reasons.”
Questioned about the exact offer she would put to voters on an independent Scotland’s relationship with the EU, Sturgeon carefully avoided confirming she would call for full EU membership. She also sidestepped questions on which currency an independent Scotland might use, saying the answer would come “in good time”.
That suggests the Scottish government could eventually propose the so-called “Norway option” of joining the European free trade area instead of full EU membership if a large minority of pro-independence voters continued to show scepticism about full integration.
The latest opinion poll by BMG for the Herald, published on Monday, showed that 17% of those who voted both yes in 2014 and leave last year now want Scotland to stay in the UK, compared with only 8% of those who both voted no and remain switching to back independence now.
“What Scotland deserves, in the light of the material change of circumstances brought about by the Brexit vote, is the chance to decide our future in a fair, free and democratic way – and at a time when we are equipped with the facts we need,” Sturgeon said.
“It is, above all, about informed choice. We know that Brexit has made change inevitable. The option of ‘no change’ is no longer available.”
In a lengthy speech at Bute House, her official residence in Edinburgh, Sturgeon said her timetable for a new referendum will start with a vote in the Scottish parliament next week to win its approval to start talks on the basic terms of the referendum with the UK government.
Under the Scotland Act, Holyrood must seek the approval of Westminster under a section 30 order to allow it to hold a referendum. The 2014 independence referendum followed lengthy talks between the two governments that culminated in the Edinburgh agreement in October 2012.
The first minister expects to narrowly win that vote after the Scottish Greens said its six MSPs would support her, giving the Scottish National party the necessary majority at Holyrood.
Sturgeon will then table a referendum bill, paving the way for a vote by autumn 2019. She told reporters on Monday she expected the legislation to be agreed early in 2018.
Scottish independence: why a second vote is back on the table Read more
Scottish Labour, the Lib Dems and Scottish Tories confirmed they would oppose Sturgeon’s motion at Holyrood next week.
Labour’s Kezia Dugdale said: “Scotland is already divided enough. We do not want to be divided again, but that is exactly what another independence referendum would do.” She said that 85% of people voted in 2014’s referendum with a clear vote against independence. Dugdale said a majority had rejected the “SNP’s false hopes and lies”.
Jeremy Corbyn said: “The 2014 Scottish independence referendum was billed as a once-in-a-generation event. The result was decisive and there is no appetite for another referendum.
“Labour believes it would be wrong to hold another so soon and Scottish Labour will oppose it in the Scottish parliament. If, however, the Scottish parliament votes for one, Labour will not block that democratic decision at Westminster.”
He said that if there was a referendum Labour would oppose independence as it was not in the interests of Scotland.
The Liberal Democrat leader, Tim Farron, said his party would oppose another referendum. “The SNP are risking taking Scotland out of both the UK and out of the EU. Being outside both would be the worst of all worlds for Scotland.”Reggie meets the angry young British men who think feminism has gone too far - and some of the women who have felt their wrath on an internet tailor-made for anti-feminism.
Being a British guy in 2015 is not easy, and in this series Reggie Yates travels to the extreme edge of modern British masculinity to discover that 21st-century pressures are changing the way we live, the way we love and even the way we look.
In the second film, Reggie meets the angry young British men who think feminism has gone too far - and some of the women who have felt their wrath on an internet tailor-made for anti-feminism and trolls. He meets young guys espousing men's rights at Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park and the underground movement of male separatists of MGTOW (or Men Going Their Own Way). Reggie also encounters infamous self-styled pick-up artist Roosh V, who dishes out advice on how to have more sex with women - but doesn't seem to like them very much.The Internet Movie Database says its message boards are ‘no longer providing a positive, useful experience’ for the majority of its 250 million monthly users
The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is shutting down its message boards, the organisation has announced.
In a statement on its website, the IMDb said it had “concluded that IMDb’s message boards are no longer providing a positive, useful experience for the vast majority of our more than 250 million monthly users worldwide”, and that the decision was “based on data and traffic”.
More specifically, the company – which was set up in 1990 by Bristol-based IT worker Col Needham and later sold to Amazon – said that a shift to social media had made the message boards less vital; users, they said, had “migrated to IMDb’s social media accounts as the primary place they choose to post comments and communicate with IMDb’s editors and one another”.
Meet the most powerful Brit in Hollywood: Col Needham, creator of IMDB Read more
The message boards had long been seen by Needham as an integral part of the IMDb’s appeal. He told the Guardian in 2013: “The human brain likes to make connections. Somebody spots a connection between two things... you want to share that knowledge. And IMDb is a good platform.”
The news comes amid increasing disquiet at the influential website’s vulnerability to malign outside influence, with one recent example cited being the blizzard of negative polling for Raoul Peck’s Oscar-nominated documentary I Am Not Your Negro.
The message boards will be permanently disabled on 20 February, following a two-week transition period.One of the most dissatisfying aspects of modern physics is the fundamental constants. It's not that they are constant that bothers anyone, it is their very existence that is offensive to right-thinking people. Fundamental constants are needed to get working versions of the mathematical models we use to explain our observations. But their values are entirely derived from experimental measurements. There is no theory that predicts the value of fundamental constants like the speed of light or Planck's constant.
To make matters worse, we cannot even be sure that the fundamental constants are constant. A recent paper in Physical Review Letters presents an analysis of astronomical data indicating that either the fundamental constants do change—but not in some simple, easily measured fashion—or there is something very wrong with their analysis.
Why constants may not be constant
Before we get to the data, let's take a very brief detour into why we might think that the fundamental constants might change. The speed of light as, perhaps, the ultimate constant, comes to us through considering how light propagates through the vacuum. This turns out to be determined by the electrical and magnetic properties of the vacuum—basically, light propagates by wiggling charges that pop in and out of existence in the vacuum.
But if the properties of the vacuum are found to change, then so too will the speed of light. Our model for the vacuum doesn't preclude this, but our observations tell us that, if it has, it didn't change drastically. Now, since the vacuum has been expanding away like crazy since time began, it isn't unreasonable to assume that vacuum properties might have changed. Hence, in the distant past, the speed of light might have been different.
Similar arguments can be made for the other fundamental constants. We know so little about this that we can't even say if they apply to any, all, or none of the constants. With that lack of knowledge, it makes sense to measure as many of them as possible at once, so researchers tend to concentrate on what's called the fine structure constant.
The fine structure constant contains the speed of light, Plank's constant, the charge of an electron, and the permittivity of vacuum in one bundle. Its job is to determine how strongly electrically charged particles couple to each other. This constant helps to determine what colors of light different atoms and molecules will absorb and emit. This is very convenient, because we are good at spectroscopy: we can measure absorption and emission very accurately and use that data to determine the value for the fine structure constant.
One measurement, many constants
This is exactly what people have been doing: buying a boat load of telescope time, observing the spectra from distant quasars, calculating the value of the fine structure constant, and determining if it is different from that measured here on Earth. Since the quasars are located at vast distances from us, the light we observe now was emitted much earlier in the history of the Universe. So if the fine structure constant was different, the light will have a different color from that emitted by the same elements on Earth.
The results turned out to be a bit of a mess. Some experiments failed to find any change, others observed that the fine structure constant was smaller in the past, and yet others found that it was larger in the past. When looking at all these results, the only conclusion that doesn't result in a migraine is that the fine structure constant is constant.
Luckily, there are physicists made of sterner stuff than me. What they noted is that the experiments are getting more and more precise. Those results that suggest that the fine structure changes are far less likely to be the result of statistical flukes than they were in earlier work. Maybe there is a variation that is more complicated than initially thought.
Now, there is a precedent here. The cosmic microwave background was initially thought to be isotropic—it's the same where ever you look. However, accurate measurements show that there is a slight difference and the Universe seems to have some sort of global orientation. This might also imply that the fundamental constants could be different depending on which direction we look.
Checking with quasars
To test this, a group of Australian researchers observed quasars with the Keck telescope and the Very Large Telescope. Because of their different locations, they look at different sections of the night sky with a small overlap. The combination had common quasars to use to eliminate measurement uncertainties, but could still look different directions to see if there were different fundamental constants.
To make sense of the data, they assumed that, like the cosmic microwave background, there was a preferential direction to the Universe, and depending on the direction and distance of the quasar, they would see a different fine structure constant. What followed was a whole lot of statistics related to trying to determine if the results of the analysis were themselves just an accident of chance.
Unlike the cosmic microwave background measurements, we don't have a firm theory on which to ground any measurements, so the statistical analysis becomes much more important. In the end, the researchers could conclude the following: their findings are not dominated by a few outlier measurements; their data follows a form that may (with some imagination) be consistent with the anisotropy observed in the cosmic microwave background; and, finally, the results are statistically significant to just over four standard deviations, meaning there is a 99.99 percent certainty that their data does indicate a consistent change to the fine structure constant.
99.99 sounds pretty good, yet the paper's conclusions are very tentative. Perhaps, the authors say, the results are due to some measurement artifact in the instrument or data processing. I would imagine that they are awaiting the magic five-sigma confidence. In particle physics, if the results are such that you can claim that the signal has a significance of five-sigma, then people will accept that it is real. Otherwise, it might be a fluke.
Even now, though, these results are likely to have theorists going back over their models and classifying them into "those that fit the data" and "those that don't." So, even if the results don't hold up exactly as the researchers would like them to, they are still good enough to rule out many different models and act as inspiration for new directions in fundamental physics.
Physical Review Letters, 2011, DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.191101Today we're going to deploy a Phoenix application to DigitalOcean using the gatling tool from HashRocket. In the process, we'll configure distillery to generate a release.
Gatling is extremely cool. It takes some setting up, but you end up with a deployment process that feels like heroku, but builds proper erlang releases. Let's get started
Project
We're building a tool to help us organize the content in our Slack. It uses hedwig to connect to our Slack and listens for posts that have a tag, then stores them. It's still very early, but we wanted to deploy it so we could easily hit the API, and it seemed like an excellent thing to write an episode around.
We're starting with the phoenix_slack_posting repo tagged before this episode.
Distillery Release
First, we need to set up our project to build a release with Distillery. We'll add the dependency:
vim mix.exs
defmodule SlackPosting. Mixfile do #... defp deps do [ #... { :distillery, " ~> 1.5", runtime: false } ] end #... end
mix deps.get
We also need to tweak the production configuration a bit:
vim config/prod.exs
#... # We'll set up phoenix to use an env var to figure out what port to host on config :slack_posting, SlackPostingWeb. Endpoint, http: [ port: { :system, " PORT" }], # Use an ENV var for our port url: [ host: " localhost", port: { :system, " PORT" }], # This is critical for ensuring web-sockets properly authorize. cache_static_manifest: " priv/static/cache_manifest.json", # We want phoenix to run our server when launched as an otp app server: true, # Let's expose the version of our app in this config version: Application. spec ( :slack_posting, :vsn ) # We also need to tell phoenix to serve its endpoints for the OTP release config :phoenix, serve_endpoints: true # Let's configure the database with env vars # I already have these set in my environment # NOTE: This will mean that these variables are compiled in at compile time - # we'll be compiling on the server, so it will work fine. Just keep it in mind. # More details here: https://elixirforum.com/t/what-is-the-difference-between-using-system-port-and-system-get-env-port-in-deployment/1975/4 config :slack_posting, SlackPosting. Repo, adapter: Ecto. Adapters. Postgres, username: System. get_env ( " DB_USERNAME" ), password: System. get_env ( " DB_PASSWORD" ), database: System. get_env ( " DB_DATABASE" ), hostname: System. get_env ( " DB_HOSTNAME" ), pool_size: 20 #... # remove prod.secrets.exs bits, we don't use that
Then we build our release:
mix release.init MIX_ENV = prod mix release --env = prod
==> Assembling release.. ==> Building release slack_posting:0.0.1 using environment dev ==> One or more direct or transitive dependencies are missing from :applications or :included_applications, they will not be included in the release: :exactor This can cause your application to fail at runtime. If you are sure that this is not an issue, you may ignore this warning. ==> You have set dev_mode to true, skipping archival phase ==> Release successfully built! You can run it in one of the following ways: Interactive: _build/dev/rel/slack_posting/bin/slack_posting console Foreground: _build/dev/rel/slack_posting/bin/slack_posting foreground Daemon: _build/dev/rel/slack_posting/bin/slack_posting start
It built our release, but it's missing exactor, which ex_admin depends on. Let's add it to our extra_applications list:
vim mix.exs
defmodule SlackPosting. Mixfile do #... def application do [ #... extra_applications: [ #... :exactor ] ] end #... end
Build the release again:
MIX_ENV = prod mix release --env = prod
Now when we run the app, the Phoenix application will be running on the port specified in our PORT environment variable, which for me is 4000.
_build/prod/rel/slack_posting/bin/slack_posting console
We need to build our assets - this is an API but it has an ExAdmin interface, so we have some to build via brunch:
cd assets./node_modules/.bin/brunch b cd.. MIX_ENV = prod mix phx.digest MIX_ENV = prod mix release --env = prod
Now if we run it, we can visit the app:
_build/prod/rel/slack_posting/bin/slack_posting console # visit <localhost:4000> and it's running.
That's got our release running locally.
Deploying with gatling
Now that our distillery release is out of the way, we can deploy with gatling! First, I'll provision a new DigitalOcean droplet:
I just want the cheapest box they have, in the New York datacenter. I'll do that, and give it my public SSH key so I can get into the droplet.
Awesome. We have some metal to run our app on. Let's ssh in and install Elixir, nginx, and the gatling archive. I'll set up an ssh config for this host, so I don't have to type the IP all the time:
vim ~/.ssh/config
Host phoenix-slack-posting Hostname SOME.IP.WE.GOT User root
Now I can ssh into the box as root and I don't have to remember that that's the user for this IP. If you don't use the ssh config file you totally should.
ssh phoenix-slack-posting
And I'm in! We'll install gatling's dependencies:
Elixir
We probably want Erlang and Elixir on the box:
# We'll add the erlang solutions apt repository wget https://packages.erlang-solutions.com/erlang-solutions_1.0_all.deb && dpkg -i erlang-solutions_1.0_all.deb # Then refresh our list of packages apt update # I'm going to install some very specific versions of erlang and elixir because # of an issue with gatling that I ran across # https://github.com/hashrocket/gatling/issues/53 apt-cache showpkg esl-erlang | more apt-cache showpkg elixir | more # note the available versions above, use pre-20 and pre-1.5 sadly apt install -y esl-erlang = 1:19.3.6 apt install -y elixir = 1.4.5-1 # hold the versions to avoid auto-update apt-mark hold esl-erlang elixir
nginx and git
gatling wants nginx and git installed, and what gatling wants gatling gets.
apt install -y nginx git
JavaScript things
We will build the assets on the box. Consequently, this box needs node. We're also going to include build tools on the box. Don't do this on an important deployment.
curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_7.x | sudo -E bash - apt install -y nodejs build-essential
Databases are good
We'll run a database on this box and talk to it. Let's install postgres:
apt install - y postgresql
Let's add a database user, named deploy:
sudo -u postgres createuser -s -P deploy
We'll enter the password deploypassword here. We'll also create a database for the user:
sudo -u postgres createdb deploy
The gatling archive
Then we need to install gatling on the box itself. We probably want a user. We'll make a deploy user:
adduser deploy
We want deploy to be able to sudo without requiring a password, so we'll do that:
visudo -f /etc/sudoers.d/deploy
Put this in there:
deploy ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD:ALL
Then we'll become deploy and use him from now on.
su deploy cd mkdir ~/.ssh # We'll set up an authorized key so we can log in as this user without a # password in the future. vim ~/.ssh/authorized_keys # copy in my key
And we'll install the gatling mix archive so we can use it as this user:
mix archive.install https://github.com/hashrocket/gatling_archives/raw/master/gatling.ez
We'll install hex and rebar:
mix local.hex --force mix local.rebar --force
Now we want gatling to be ready for our project. We use mix gatling.load with our application name as the argument.
mix gatling.load slack_posting
This creates a git repository on our server. Now we'll go back into our project and add a domains file that lists the domains our API will respond on:
vim domains
phoenix-slack-posting-test.dailydrip.com
And add it to git:
git add. git commit -m "added gatling deployment"
I'll add an A record for this subdomain quickly off-screen.
We also need to have gatling build the assets before deployment. We can use its lifecycle hooks to do this. We make a deploy.exs file in the root of our project:
vim deploy.exs
defmodule SlackPosting. DeployCallbacks do import Gatling. Bash def before_mix_digest ( env ) do bash ( " mkdir", ~ w [ - p priv / static ], cd: env. build_dir ) bash ( " npm", ~ w [ install ], cd: env. build_dir <> " /assets" ) bash ( " npm", ~ w [ run deploy ], cd: env. build_dir <> " /assets" ) end end
We can also run migrations before upgrading our app. To do this, we add another file in the root of our project:
vim upgrade.exs
defmodule SlackPosting. UpgradeCallbacks do import Gatling. Bash def before_mix_digest ( env ) do bash ( " npm", ~ w [ install ], cd: env. build_dir <> " /assets" ) bash ( " npm", ~ w [ run deploy ], cd: env. build_dir <> " /assets" ) end def before_upgrade_service ( env ) do bash ( " mix", ~ w [ ecto. migrate ], cd: env. build_dir ) end end
And commit them:
git add. git commit -m "Add deploy, upgrade scripts for gatling"
Now we can push the app to the box with gatling for the first time:
git remote add production deploy@phoenix-slack-posting:slack_posting git push production feature/gatling:master # In this case, I'm pushing my local feature branch to the remote's master # normally you would just do: # # git push production master
We need to be running production mode, so we'll tweak the server's environment. Now's a good time to set the env vars we prepared for configuration earlier as well:
ssh phoenix-slack-posting vim /etc/environment
#... MIX_ENV=prod DB_USERNAME=deploy DB_PASSWORD=deploypassword DB_DATABASE=phoenix_slack_posting_production DB_HOSTNAME=localhost SLACK_TOKEN="this_is_secret"
We'll reboot for good measure. Our environment will now have these variables set.
reboot # make tea ssh deploy@phoenix-slack-posting echo $DB_USERNAME #=> deploy
Now we'll do our initial deployment. On the droplet:
sudo --preserve-env mix gatling.deploy slack_posting
That's deployed our app. However, as it stands it doesn't seem to create my database, and I can't quite figure out why. Regardless, we can do it ourselves:
cd ~/slack_posting PORT = 4000 mix ecto.setup
Now we can view the app at the domain:
http://phoenix-slack-posting-test.dailydrip.com
Let's make a small tweak to the homepage, and see upgrades work:
vim lib/slack_posting_web/templates/page/index.html.eex
<div class= "jumbotron" > <h2> DailyDrip Phoenix Slack Posting API </h2> </div>
We also have to bump our version in order for an upgrade to happen:
vim mix.exs
defmodule SlackPosting. Mixfile do #... def project do [ #... version: " 0.0.2", #... ] end #... end
git add. git commit -m "Update homepage" git push production feature/gatling:master
And we can see gatling building our release and upgrading it in place. If we visit it, we'll see the new code was hot upgraded and our changes took effect.
Summary
In today's episode, we added a distillery configuration to build releases for our app, set up a DigitalOcean droplet from scratch, and configured gatling deployments. Now we can deploy our app, with hot upgrades, as easily as if we were pushing to Heroku. See you soon!
ResourcesWhen Hillary Clinton seemed to collapse while getting helped into the back of a black van earlier this month, Jane Orient, a physician in Tucson, Arizona, says it felt like a vindication. In early August, she'd published an op-ed on the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons' website questioning whether Clinton has a traumatic brain injury that would make her unfit for the presidency. And this month, the Association—of which Orient is the executive director—published a survey apparently showing that other physicians believe much the same thing. Almost instantly, that survey made it to Facebook’s coveted Trending Topics section.
For Orient—and the many media organizations that have recently been circulating her work—Clinton's stumble looked like proof that they were right.
There's just one thing: Orient and the Association are not just the broad-based coalition of dispassionate, unbiased medical spectators that the conservative media makes them out to be.
Instead, Orient and the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, or AAPS, have been unabashedly anti-Clinton for decades. Contrary to its official-sounding name, the AAPS does not represent hundreds of thousands of physicians like, say, the American Medical Association does. Instead, the small non-profit based out of a medical park in Tucson represents a niche group of fewer than 5,000 members, not all of whom are doctors. While it claims to be non-partisan, even Orient admits the group has a guiding "philosophy," one that just so happens to correlate with conservative politics on every issue from vaccine mandates to abortion rights to immigration.
Now, Clinton’s health is the association’s favorite talking point. Orient and others have chimed in on Clinton's pneumonia diagnosis and her persistent cough. "We’re not diagnosing her," Orient says. "We’re just saying questions have been raised."
This isn’t the first time the AAPS has emerged as conservative conspiracy theorists' favorite signal booster; the organization has existed for nearly three-quarters of a century. But today, thanks to algorithms that decide whether stories are newsworthy, a burgeoning conservative media industry that includes the likes of Breitbart and Infowars, and rampant distrust of mainstream media, the AAPS now has a network ready and willing to broadcast its ideas to millions of readers.
The Friendly Fragmented Media
The AAPS has been rooted in conservative ideals since its inception when a group of doctors opposed to "socialized medicine" founded it in 1943. Since then the AAPS has evolved into a catch-all organization for conservative rebuttals to scientific consensus.
So, you think the vaccination debate is settled? The AAPS says vaccinations cause autism. You think HIV causes AIDS? The AAPS has its doubts. You think indoor smoking bans are good? The AAPS suggested they could be harmful. You say President Obama's oratorical skills won him the White House? The AAPS thinks he used a "covert form of hypnosis" to win over the public.
"They're not a national organization that represents any sort of mainstream physicians," says Paul Offit, a pediatrician and director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "They're a political group."
The AAPS’s agenda is well-documented. In 2009, Mother Jones likened the group's members to "Glenn Beck with an MD," citing ties to the Tea Party and its anti-Obamacare activism. In his 2011 book The Panic Virus, Seth Mnookin called the AAPS an "extreme-right-wing group that openly derides 'evidence based medicine,'" noting its involvement in opposing vaccinations.
'They're not a national organization that represents any sort of mainstream physicians. They're a political group.' Paul Offit, Director, Vaccine Education Center
And yet, five years after Mnookin's book came out, the AAPS is still relevant. That’s largely because the current media landscape, fragmented and frenetic, has created the perfect environment for the AAPS to flourish. Under pressure to publish, media outlets increasingly take scientific studies and opinions at face value, without ever double-checking their origins. John Oliver criticized this phenomenon in a recent episode. Meanwhile, unabashedly partisan media sites like Breitbart and Infowars are always looking for evidence that backs up their existing points of view. Orient is now a regular commentator on both.
"Create an organization with a name that sounds official or vaguely like other credible organizations, and you’ll get people in the media taking you seriously without doing two seconds of background research into what this group actually is," says Mnookin, director of MIT's graduate program in science writing. “It’s easier than ever for them to do this because of the Internet.”
That’s even more true now that algorithms like Facebook’s are exercising their own news judgment. This month, the social media giant spread that AAPS survey claiming "most doctors" are concerned about Clinton's health. The algorithm failed to consider that the survey was of 250 of the Association's own members.
Orient acknowledges that within in the AAPS' ranks, "there are not too many people who are favorable to Mrs. Clinton." In fact, in 1993 the AAPS sued Clinton's healthcare task force. Today, its Twitter feed is awash in anti-Clinton rhetoric. So is Orient's.
Orient takes issue with the idea that the AAPS should be treated any differently than any other mainstream medical association. It does, after all, have all the trappings of one. It has an email list of roughly 5,000 and collects some $800,000 a year in membership dues. Though the group doesn't disclose a list of members, the list of officers named on its IRS filings include working physicians in private practice, such as Melinda Woofter, an Ohio-based dermatologist who serves as its president. The group has also included notable people like Senator Rand Paul, himself a physician. And it has its own medical journal, the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, or JPANDS.
The group may be small, but to Orient, size is irrelevant. "Truth is not a function of numbers or revenue. If we had only ten members, just enough for a minyan, would our opinions be less credible for that reason?" Orient wrote in an email, using the Hebrew word for a quorum of ten Jewish men needed to say certain prayers.
Facebook spread an AAPS survey claiming'most doctors' are concerned about Clinton's health.
That’s valid. But the difference between the AAPS and, say, the American College of Physicians, is that while the American College of Physicians spends more than $12 million a year producing educational courses, guidelines, and assessment tools, the AAPS is almost entirely a media operation, According to its 2015 IRS filings, the group spent more than half of its roughly $900,000 in revenue on "dissemination of pertinent information" and publication of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons.
Orient is the only person who collects a paycheck from the AAPS, according to the group’s Form 990. An independent public relations executive, Tricia Erickson, distributes most of the group’s op-eds to media and publishes them on her own site, TheConservativePundit.net.
And while the Thomson Reuters IP & Science Journal Citation Reports, which ranks journals, lists the American College of Physicians' Annals of Internal Medicine at number 5 in the General and Internal Medicine category, the AAPS’ journal isn't listed at all. It is, however, included on an oft-cited list of “potential, possible, or probable predatory scholarly open-access journals” put out by a librarian at the University of Denver.
Of course, the AAPS is far from the only publisher on that list. But its impact is particularly potent this election, because its articles and viewpoints plug right into the dominant narrative that Trump and his followers are promoting this election cycle.
"They've written articles claiming immigrants are bringing disease and crime into the country," says David Gorski, managing editor of ScienceBasedMedicine.org, noting articles like this one which begins, "A flood of illegals has massively surged at our southwestern borders."
Symbiosis on the Internet
Then there’s the fact that Orient has never actually examined Clinton or Trump. Groups like the American Psychiatric Association have warned doctors against speculating about candidates they’ve never treated. But that hasn't stopped Orient and her colleagues from aggressively dissecting Clinton’s health through a combination of public records about Clinton’s history of blood clots and concussions, statements made by Clinton associates, and, in particular, YouTube videos.
Many of these videos are carefully edited to show Clinton purportedly having seizures on the campaign trail or losing her train of thought. Some of them have millions of views. "A lot of people have been taking videos that raise questions," Orient says. "The ones where she loses her train of thought. She has unusual head motions and eye motions, prolonged inappropriate laughter, and a state of confusion that it takes her a while to recover from."
Which videos, specifically? "Look," Orient says, "it’s all over the Internet." In her view, that makes it her job to ask questions. "Do you think Americans are supposed to turn a blind eye to the possibility that they'd be electing a commander in chief with neurologic damage precluding her ability to think clearly, who is simply used as a cover for someone unknown to decide weighty matters like war?"
What's key here is Orient's careful presenting of these ideas as questions. She stops short of diagnosing Clinton directly—she couldn't, of course, without directly examining the candidate herself. But as a physician, Orient's opinion still seems to carry weight.
And once she's talking about it, the media can, too. Because an idea is "being discussed" some outlets will inevitably use that as grounds to cover it. "That passive construction doesn't acknowledge it’s out there because media organizations are talking about it and putting it out there," Mnookin says.
Orient has not applied the same standard to Trump. Wrongly or rightly, people with medical degrees have speculated baselessly about Trump's mental state and medical records. But the AAPS has conducted no survey on Trump's fitness for the presidency, nor does it plan to. "Why would we?" Orient asks. "There are lots of polls we could do, and we didn't do. People who think Donald Trump has a psychological issue ought to do a poll."
And if they did, we're confident there are plenty of liberal-leaning publications that would eagerly write about it. That doesn't mean they should.The showrunners of Game of Thrones are taking some big questions about season 5. Below, David Benioff and Dan Weiss (along with producer Bryan Cogman) tease what’s in store for fans of HBO’s acclaimed fantasy hit this year, while tackling issues like the show’s increasing divergence from George R.R. Martin’s novels and this year’s toughest production challenges. We have a lot of topics to explore, so let’s get right to it (and don’t worry, we’re avoiding spoilers):
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Now that you’re done shooting, what strikes you as the most unique thing about the new season?
David Benioff: Worlds are colliding. For so long, we’ve been in separate continents, and finally this season we’re starting |
Times report notes, the UN presence isn’t small:
The United Nations force consists of nearly 19,000 military personnel. The annual cost has risen to close to $1.5 billion. But it was the arrival of the new, offensive-minded intervention brigade and its tough new Brazilian commander that changed the tenor of the mission.
But Stearns emphasizes the importance of the pressure on Rwanda:
But it may be the third factor that was the determining one—the absence of support from Rwanda. According to several reports from the frontlines, despite indications of some cross-border support in the Kibumba area, the M23 was largely left to its own devices. “The Rwandans just wouldn’t pick up their phone calls,” one source close to the M23 leadership told me. This is a drastic change from August, when many sources—the UN, Human Rights Watch, and foreign diplomats—all reported hefty support coming across the border. The fact that the M23 did not put up much of a fight in Kiwanja and Rumangabo was another indication that they knew they stood no chance against the superior firepower of the UN and the FARDC. According to several diplomats, the US Secretary of State John Kerry as well as a senior British diplomat called President Paul Kagame last Friday to impress how important it was for Rwanda to sit this out. While similar pressure has been applied before—President Obama called his Rwandan counterpart with a similar message last December—this time it may have just been the final straw for the Rwandan leaders.
Last year, Susan Rice—now President Obama’s national security adviser—came under sharp criticism for her long-running support for Rwanda:
Support for Mr. Kagame and the Rwandan government has been a matter of American foreign policy since he led the Tutsi-dominated Rwandan Patriotic Front to victory over the incumbent government in July 1994, effectively ending the Rwandan genocide. But according to rights organizations and diplomats at the United Nations, Ms. Rice has been at the forefront of trying to shield the Rwandan government, and Mr. Kagame in particular, from international censure, even as several United Nations reports have laid the blame for the violence in Congo at Mr. Kagame’s door.
Added the Times, in its account of Rice’s too-close relationship with Kagame:
Aides to Ms. Rice acknowledge that she is close to Mr. Kagame and that Mr. Kagame’s government was her client when she worked at Intellibridge, a strategic analysis firm in Washington. Ms. Rice, who served as the State Department’s top African affairs expert in the Clinton administration, worked at the firm with several other former Clinton administration officials, including David J. Rothkopf, who was an acting under secretary in the Commerce Department; Anthony Lake, Mr. Clinton’s national security adviser; and John M. Deutch, who was director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
The Nation editors chart a path forward for New York City under the leadership of Bill de Blasio.The agitation demanding cancellation of a provisional list of judicial officers appointed in Telangana judiciary intensified Tuesday as the High Court in Hyderabad suspended nine more lower court judges on disciplinary grounds.
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The High Court had suspended two lower court judges Monday. As Tuesday’s disciplinary action came, 200 judicial officers in Telangana decided to go on a mass leave for 15 days.
For the first time in the state, scenes of judges in their robes protesting outside courts were witnessed Tuesday morning, while outside the High Court some protesting judges were removed from the spot by the police.
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So far, 11 judges — district, senior civil, and junior civil — have been suspended for protesting despite acting Chief Justice Dilip P Bhosale taking a serious view of the conduct of the judges and their violation of the code of conduct.
Those suspended include Telangana Judicial Officers Association president K Ravinder Reddy, who is IV Metropolitan Magistrate at Nampally Criminal Courts, and general secretary G Varaprasad, Additional Civil Judge at Ranga Reddy courts. Their suspension led to further escalation of the stan-off against judicial officers hailing from Andhra Pradesh being posted in Telangana.
The others who were suspended were Srinivas Reddy, Senior Civil Judge at City Civil Court; Chandrasekhar Prasad, Senior Civil Judge at City Civil Court; Radhakrishna Chowhan, Metropolitan Magistrate; R Thirupathi, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate; D Ramakanth, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate; S Saritha, District Judge, Nizamabad; P Raju, Judicial Magistrate, Kurnool; and G Venu, Metropolitan Magistrate at Medchal.
“After our colleagues were suspended, we, the members of Telangana Judicial Officers Association, held a general body meeting today afternoon,” a suspended judge said. “Of the 200-odd members 150 attended and the rest who could not attend extended their support. It was resolved in the meeting that all judges of Telangana will go on mass casual leave for 15 days starting today. Come what may, we will not relent.
“The HC is threatening us with disciplinary action but we are willing to face that. There is no going back on this. We will stick to our demand to withdraw the provisional list of judges hailing from AP appointed to Telangana judiciary.”
Apart from the judges, several Telangana advocates are also protesting on the matter. Advocate Jaya Vindhyala was arrested for protesting at the no-protest zone outside the High Court. She is likely to start her hunger strike Wednesday.
Meanwhile, K Kavitha, MP and daughter of Telangana CM K Chandrasekhara Rao, told The Indian Express that even though Telangana became a separate state, people from Andhra Pradesh were still trying to exert their influence.
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“Some judges are opting to work in Hyderabad and Telangana instead of AP. The AP government is trying to control things in Telangana even now,’’ said Kavitha, adding that the HC must be bifurcated immediately to avoid further confrontation between judges and High Court.Intel is considering selling its security business as the company tries to focus on delivering chips for cloud computing and connected devices, according to a news report.
The Intel Security business came largely from the company's acquisition for $7.7 billion of security software company McAfee. Intel announced plans to bake some of the security technology into its chips to ensure higher security for its customers.
With the surge in cyberthreats, providing protection to the variety of Internet-connected devices -- such as PCs, mobile devices, medical gear and cars -- requires a fundamentally new approach involving software, hardware and services, the company said in February 2011, when announcing the completion of the McAfee acquisition.
Intel has been talking to bankers about the future of its cybersecurity business for a deal that would be one of the largest in the sector, reported The Financial Times, citing people close to the discussions. It said a group of private equity firms may join together to buy the security business if it is sold at the same price or higher than what Intel paid for it.
“I could see them selling a piece of the service, but not all security capabilities,” said Patrick Moorhead, president and principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy.
“Intel has a decent security play right now and security is paramount to the future of IoT,” Moorhead said. “Hardware-based security is vital to the future of computing.”
Intel is declining to comment on the report, a company spokeswoman wrote in an email.
The company rebranded its McAfee business as Intel Security in 2014.
The security sector has seen a lot of interest from private equity buyers. Symantec said earlier this month it was acquiring Web security provider Blue Coat for $4.65 billion in cash, in a deal that will see Silver Lake, an investor in Symantec, enhancing its investment in the merged company, and Bain Capital, majority shareholder in Blue Coat, reinvesting $750 million in the business through convertible notes.
Intel said in April that it was cutting 12,000 jobs, or 11 percent of its workforce, by mid-2017 as it tries to evolve from chips for PCs to silicon for data centers and the Internet of Things.There's no doubt, people love their pets. However, there are many animals that are neglected for various reasons. One big reason being ignorance. Rabbits and baby chicks for Easter. Really? I'm doubt Jesus was thinking about furry bunnies and baby chickens while he was on the cross.
Fortunatley though, there are MANY folks who love and appreciate animals. They know the challenges and results that are inherent with domesticating animals for profit. They dedicate their lives to rescuing them, and by doing so, demonstrate that they are true guardians for the humane treatment of animals.
One organization, Animal Friends has a detailed list of organizations that exist to help people help animals in need. Animal Friends is based in Pittsburgh, PA so some of the resources are local to that area, however there are many more that are national. I think the list is helpful for anyone who has a interest in helping animals. When you consider how close the world is becoming with Facebook and Twitter, you never know when a status update or a tweet comes along where someone is trying to help a friend whether it be a human, animal or both. By bookmarking this resource page, you have a handy reference to pass along to help. And the photo on this page is so adorable, it will bring a smile to your face.
Paying it forward comes in many currencies, and this resource is a an example of that.Okay, so I may have added "bitch" for emphasis—but this AT&T vs. Verizon lawsuit over the "Map for That" ads is turning into an all-out PR smackdown. This stuff isn't even written in proper legal language anymore.
When your lawsuits sound like press releases, it's because they probably are (not that we care, the whole case is pretty entertaining). Check out this opening statement from Verizon:
AT&T did not file this lawsuit because Verizon's "There's A Map For That" advertisements are untrue; AT&T sued because Verizon's ads are true and the truth hurts.
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YA BURNT, AT&T! Verizon goes on to accuse AT&T of failing to adequately expand its 3G coverage to match demand for its smartphones, which is sort of a hard point for AT&T to argue. Verizon claims that its advertisements are "literally true" (instead of philosophically true? Metaphorically true? True in the sense in which it is used in animal husbandry, as in purebred? What?) and not misleading, and that AT&T has failed to provide customers with an accurate map of its coverage. It's pretty great, really—if you've ever wished the American legal system was more like it is on Law and Order, this whole statement is a gift. [Engadget]As Grant Elliott calls time on his international career, here's a look at his exploits in New Zealand colours over the years (0:49)
Grant Elliott, the New Zealand allrounder who played a starring role in his country's run to the World Cup final in 2015, is to announce his retirement from international cricket.
Elliott will sign for Birmingham Bears as a Kolpak registration, joining fellow New Zealanders Jeetan Patel and Colin de Grandhomme at Edgbaston, but will play in the NatWest Blast only.
While Warwickshire's director of sport, Ashley Giles, stated that Kolpak registrations were "not a favoured option for me" when he rejoined the club, he did also say "never say never".
Giles said: "Grant has proven himself as a match-winner on the biggest stage. He top scored in the final and semi-final of the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2015 and he has a wealth of T20 experience, having played in several of the world's leading competitions.
"Securing Grant, and the earlier addition of Colin de Grandhomme, gives us the additional batting firepower that we wanted to complement a strong top order. He also gives us even more options with the ball and has good experience of English conditions.
"As a teammate of Jeetan, we know that Grant has great character and he will play an important role in developing the younger members of the squad. He will be a proud Bear and we look forward to welcoming him to Edgbaston in July."
At the age of 38, Elliott's decision is understandable. He has already retired from ODIs and has not played for New Zealand since their defeat by England in the World T20 semi-final exactly one year ago, but remains a sought-after T20 specialist.
Most recently, he was playing for Lahore Qalanders in the Pakistan Super League, where his final-ball six against Islamabad United, and subsequent bat-drop, attracted global headlines.
Born in Johannesburg, Elliott emigrated to New Zealand in search of new challenges in 2001, and played the first of his five Tests against England at Napier seven years later. He also featured in 16 T20Is, but it was in the 50-over format that he forged his international reputation.
In all, he played 83 ODIs, starting with a central role in New Zealand's 3-1 victory in England in 2008, but reaching its zenith on an unforgettable night at Auckland in the 2015 World Cup, when he struck the final-over six off Dale Steyn that propelled New Zealand into their first World Cup final.
Though they finished the tournament as runners-up, beaten by Australia in the final at Melbourne, Elliott top-scored for his team with 83 from 82 balls, to cement his cult-hero status among New Zealand's supporters.The show was packed compared to typical Friday's. Way more than last year. Tomorrow with Stan Lee it should be twice as much. The panel was the last of the day. It was in a big room with about 75% full. The crowd laughed the whole time.
Chip Zdarsky: “The best thing about writing a cult character like Howard is no one at Marvel pays attention and you can do what you want.”
Skottie Young: “Rocket Raccoon was supposed to come out a year in advance but I slow rolled it on purpose to have it come out at the same time as the movie which really helped my bank account.” He also said it was supposed to be a 5 issue mini series but when you make 10,000 baby covers they let you call shots.
Original Sins was used by Marvel as a tryout book for artists and writers. Erica Henderson and Chip Zdarsky got two page tryouts leading to ongoing series.
Erica Henderson said she laughed watching the hype over Squirrel Girl‘s first appearance (which she couldn't remember the name of) after the trademark news leaked.
Skottie Young said he based his sequencing and story arc for Rocket Raccoon on The Simpson's. Explaining that no matter how radical the book gets it comes back to the beginning. He said story arc isn't necessary. Also he didn't want to step on Brian Michael Bendis' toes.
Chip Zdarsky: “Don't get used to Howard as a PI. I may change that at any moment. I did that for the first few issues.” Chip feels that since the original creator Steve Gerber killed Howard in his Image series he feels in all technicality he is writing a book about a clone so he can do what he wants while still staying true to the creators wishes. For example he said you will never see Duckworld.
Joe Quiñones hated how Howard looked in the movie and would only do the book if he could redesign.
Funny note in Howard #5 they were told they could use Chewbacca only to find out it was a joke. Joe Quiñones said he wants gonna sneak a cosplay Chewbacca in soon.
Tradd Moore: “They called me for Ghost Rider. I said yea no. Then they said you can create your own. And I was interested.” Old Ghost Rider fans hated the change to the car. He then made Nicolas Cage jokes. Said he commonly gets the joke “Since he is in a car, isn't he Ghost Driver?”
Chip Zdarsky said he was told to do Howard yellow because of the Marvel / Disney suit from years ago but he said “What's Disney gonna do? Sue itself?”
Erica Henderson gets my respect for the amount of research she puts in to the various characters who battle squirrel girl. She said she does not want to offend any creators.
NEWS: Squirrel Girl/ Howard the Duck crossover in the works.
Skottie Young: “I'm so used to signing other peoples comics that I hate when writers sign my variants in MY spot. ”
Tradd Moore wants to do Black Bolt or Silver Surfer.
Scottie Young has been planning a Generation X reboot but Marvel has been cold to the idea.
Erica Henderson, Chip Zdarsky, and Skottie Young all tried to add Brute Force to their books but Marvel has said no one wants to read that.
Audience question: “Has the editorial process changed at Marvel allowing these books to exist?” Chip Zdarsky: “Yeah, they fuckin' love money” as he makes it rain 20s and has to get help picking them up.
Skottie Young: “I love Ben Caldwells book Prez but fuck DC they suck. Go Marvel!”
We end with sex and cocaine jokes from Skottie Young and Chip Zdarsky as they noted: “Thank God Marvel isn't here!”The page "Los angeles mass transit" does not exist. You can ask for it to be created, but consider checking the search results below to see whether the topic is already covered.
Los Angeles Metro Rail an average weekday in 2018. Los Angeles had two previous rail transit systems, the Pacific Electric Red Car and Los Angeles Railway Yellow Car lines, which 53 KB (3,223 words) - 09:34, 25 February 2019
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Transportation in Greater Los Angeles Subways and light commuter rail lines are present within Los Angeles proper, allowing mass transportation within the city. Commuter railroads are run 20 KB (2,086 words) - 04:34, 22 May 2018Strong characters, immersive environments and a ripping 70s soundtrack - that’s Marvel’s latest film Guardians of the Galaxy in a nutshell. With two main characters that would be realized entirely in CG, and with vast space and earth-like environments to create, the visual effects crew were once again crucial to completing the film. Overall visual effects supervisor Stephane Ceretti, associate visual effects supervisor Olivier Dumont and visual effects producer Susan Pickett guided the ship. They lead a vast army of VFX artists from 13 companies including MPC, Framestore, Luma Pictures, Method Studios, Imageworks and an in-house unit, plus previs/postvis teams from Proof and The Third Floor. fxguide takes a look at just some of the major sequences.
Central to the film were the characters of Groot and Rocket. Knowing that the tree-like form of Groot and the feisty Rocket - a genetically modified raccoon - would not only pose technical challenges but also need to be treated like any other performer, production arranged for several vendors to contribute animation tests. “We had some concepts and we shot some plates with a small crew,” says Ceretti. “We gave that to some vendors and they did some tests. We had five vendors doing these tests for us and they were so excited about it - it was fun to see the different approaches from each of them.”
Ultimately, MPC would be awarded creation duties for Groot, with Framestore handling Rocket. Both facilities, however, produced each character for their respective shots, sharing models and textures but of course taking Groot or Rocket through their own respective pipelines (more on this below). Proof was also an important contributor to the performance of Rocket and Groot, even going so far as to build a real-time fur shader for Rocket and enabling special blend shapes to show Groot’s changes in size and scale.
A shooting methodology was devised that mostly utilized stand-in performances. For Groot, some exploration took place into mocap (including a performance from James Gunn himself), but it was deemed that this would not fit in with the style of shooting. The final approach made use of a mime (Krystian Godlewski) on set who would wear a blue body suit and wear a Groot ‘helmet’ featuring a printed mask that matched the character’s eventual eyeline.
For Rocket, several on-set approaches were employed. The director engaged his brother Sean Gunn to perform Rocket’s lines and also stand-in with the actors. A small statured actor also walked the scene with a picture of Rocket on her bodysuit to help with eyelines, while a stuffie raccoon was placed in the shots for lighting and positioning reference, aiding DOP Ben Davis in designing and positing lighting.
Each take, then, actually required multiple plates. These included a clean plate and ones that made use of the Groot and Rocket stand-ins. “The most important thing for us,” says Ceretti, “was to make sure all the acting would be believable and that the actors would be able to respond to another actor. Groot doesn’t have much to say - he says ‘I am Groot’ most of the time (ultimately voiced by Vin Diesel), but he has a lot of expression on his face and this determines what he means. Rocket has a lot of lines and jumps around, so it was important for James to have a real actor there to bounce around with the other actors. I think James was clever to get his brother to do that, first of all because he was really good at it, and the other actors loved it. They were afraid of talking to tennis balls - which they did end up doing but Sean would always be there next to the set.”
“That really created a huge base for everybody to work, for the actors to work on, for the camera operators to frame their shots and the editors to edit the scenes,” adds Ceretti. “For Rocket, for example, the editors would get the takes with all the actors in and Sean, and they would have two timelines, one with the reference and the other timeline with the empty version of it which we would use most of the time for the film. It was also great reference for the postvis people and it was a great reference for the animators and for Bradley Cooper and inspired himself for what was happening on set. And then the animators would see his recording sessions and use new things he’d done too.”
Growing Groot
In crafting Groot, MPC’s main consideration was to maintain the character’s human qualities. “We were trying to understand how would we make him emote,” outlines MPC visual effects supervisor Nicolas Aithadi. “One of the things we realized early was that we didn’t want him to be too elastic and malleable. What makes a human face what it is, is the fact that it’s moving a lot. But because he’s made of wood we had to keep the notion that he’s made of a rigid metal.”
The studio recognized that Groot’s eyes would be key. “We spent a lot of time designing and building very complex eye dynamics,” says Aithadi. “We put a lot of detail into his textures and things that would be displaced in his irises - we really wanted to get shadows in there. And we worked a lot on trying to break the symmetry. When you look at humans what makes the eyes interesting is the imperfections - trying to make these two irises not aimed at the same place - trying to make them strange and look more human. I could watch a turntable of Groot for ages because he had this really piercing look and this wisdom in his face.”
Since Groot is tree-like, MPC decided to model him as individual branches; rigged individually. “You could move an arm and it would have a branch moving in his back or on his waist,” notes Aithadi. “It was our way of getting some muscle system into Groot. If it was a human character or soft flesh character we would have all this muscle sim moving around, but with Groot we made all his individual branches dynamically reacting to each other to create the notion that he was alive.”
Groot’s face, too, made use of individual pieces. “We decided to break up the face into all these little plates,” says Aithadi. “It’s individual geo modelled individually that looks like one object when it’s neutral, but you can see the plates sliding on top of each other. The moving plates system emphasized every expression he had.”
The creature was rendered in RenderMan. Textures for Groot came from a number of sources, including from a botanical garden visit in London. “We thought he might be one type of wood, but we realized that was kind of boring,” comments Aithadi. “And so we started to mix and match the type of wood. We went through hundreds of iterations for color and whether he had moss or lichen. We kept the moss mostly on his shoulders or head. We started making the feet and lower leg darker because he would pick up dirt, say, but then it looked like he had fuzzy boots!”
“Groot is actually a teenager, not an old tree,” adds Aithadi. “One of the things that makes wood wood is bark, but it looks like wrinkles on characters. We started with photographs of bark on his face - it looked cool but it made him look too old. When we started to take the bark away it started to look flat. So we had more rugged bark on the side of his face, but receding on his front.”
MPC carried out two animation studies for Groot (the studio’s anim supes were Greg Fisher and Gabriele Zucchelli). One study followed a humanistic look and one added in poses in between actions. This was the preferred style. “It was as if it was a couple of frames where Groot was tree-like static,” describes Aithadi. “It was giving him a weird type of animation - doing things a human can do but with a strangeness to it. Going from one animation to the other, it had a moment of stillness.”
Framestore matched MPC’s Groot for shots it was handling, by adapting its pipeline for the complicated character. One extra challenge was for the Kyln escape where Groot is shot at by several hover-bots and parts of his outer tree-structure are blown off. “We came up with this concept that he was going to grow a shield as an extension of his arm,” says Framestore visual effects supervisor Jonathan Fawkner. “But for the rest of the body we came up with this concept that he’d grow an extra layer of vines and twigs that gave a plausible answer to growing some sort of defence. He also had to grow twigs which we did via a Houdini plugin, an FX driven approach that could then be individually placed by an animator.”
Realizing Rocket
Fleshing out the character of Rocket involved, like Groot, constant reference to the concept art, stand-in performances and voice characterization - all things that Framestore took into consideration in building the creature. “Everything came down from what we shot on set,” says Ceretti. “We had the actors there and the interaction was so natural there. There were, though, lots of little things the animators brought in. When Rocket talks about something, he’s always playing with something on the table. That’s something we found out from racoons - they are very tactile so when they grab something they really play around with it and work around - so these things made him very natural.”
Framestore’s brief for Rocket was that he would present as a ‘grizzled and cynical’ character, according to Fawkner. “That mood is not strictly true because there are moments in the film where you catch a glimpse of what’s really going on underneath this outward appearance of stand-offish grumpy character. It’s this injured and tortured soul. There’s a moment, for example, where he isn’t wearing any costume and you see his implants and biotech implants into his body.”
Rocket devises a plan.
The studio received several pieces of concept art as part of the design exploration. “We went right back to a raccoon - we’d been given raccoon reference, we’d been to see a raccoon,” says Fawkner. “We did two versions of Rocket and in the end he got more bipedal and was more human sized in his proportions. We really dealt with him as a creature that could emote and talk, and that somehow seemed slightly easier once we had got his facial features sorted out. We had big shadows under his eyes which let his brows emote. All these things were gradually done to allow a face that would read more human.”
Of course, one of Rocket’s major challenges was his hair. For this, Framestore relied on its in-house hair system called fcHairFilters and its sim tool known as fDynamo. “This uses a series of filters that are built up into a network of different functions to give each hair its shape,” explains Framestore TD Rachel Williams. “As raccoon fur is made up from a layer of short fine hair and a layer of longer thicker hairs we were able to separate these out so that it was possible to only simulate the longer hairs. In doing so we were able to simulate the full hair count of the longer hairs instead of using a low density set of guide hairs to drive the rest of the groom. This resulted in much more accurate simulations. The fur was also separated into sections as the different costumes created natural split points. This meant we could easily remove parts of the fur which were not visible in shot. It also meant we had more hair sets to manage, altogether the three variants comprised of a total of 22 hair sets.”
The hair was rendered in Arnold with a Marschner shader based on the disneyISHair model. Williams says this is “an artist friendly, physics inspired hair shading system which uses importance sampling for hair scattering. For the markings we used multiple colour maps which were then mixed in different ways along the length of each hair. For the short fine hair we were able to achieve the speckled look along each hair which is present in real raccoon fur by swapping between the different maps in certain areas controlled by mix masks. The longer hairs had less colour changes along the length which gave the recognisable raccoon mask.”
Rocket wears a bounty-hunter costume and also prison garbs. Framestore CFX Supervisor Sylvain Degrotte oversaw the cloth sims that interacted with the fur simulations. To enable this, Rocket’s groom was split into the head, arms and tail that could be sim’d separately. The bounty hunter costume was more rigid, while the prison cloth was looser and had to slide and wrinkle much more - although it could be modeled from photogrammetry to get all the right wrinkles since the costume existed in real life. Framestore used its in-house software Jet to automate the simulation process.
Rocket devises a plan in the Kyln.
In terms of animation, Framestore jumped on something Gunn had asked them to do. “James pushed us to not overdo it,” recalls Fawkner. “He asked us to carefully look at what the human actors were doing. He felt that animated characters can often look overdone for the sheer sake of seeing the face shapes that are available. He said actors don’t do 20 face shapes in one shot - they often just do one and hold it. And that we shouldn’t be afraid of being more minimal. James might have remembered something Sean did and want us to use that. Sometimes there would be something that they did in postvis even if Bradley or Sean didn’t do it. And then our own animators would also film themselves sometimes and use that as reference.”
- Framestore's making of for Rocket
Rocket carries with him a four-barreled gun. On set, production had 3D printed a version of the gun that Framestore then matched in CG. “I think they had a view that the 3D printed gun looked a bit perfect,” notes Fawkner, “so when they gave us the 3D asset we replicated that but they hadn’t loved the gun in the first place. So we beat up the gun a bit and MPC did a lot of shots where it extends and unfolds.”
MPC’s translation of Rocket, like Framestore’s adaptation of Groot, had to result in an indistinguishable version of the character. The main challenge for MPC was realizing Rocket’s fur in its Furtility system and rendering in RenderMan. “In Furtility,” explains Nicolas Aithadi, “we added the ability to load an Alembic file of Framestore’s work. We knew we’d have to tweak all the parameters in the fur to get the same model - not just the same groom. We had to keep control of thickness and layout of the hair.”
Making Morag
Peter Quill’s (Chris Pratt) adventures on Morag to steal an orb - seen early in the film - featured vast landscapes that were partial sets and then extensions by MPC, which also delivered shots for inside the temple where Quill confronts the Korath. “The planet was inspired by a place in Egypt called the White Desert,” notes Ceretti. “I actually went there to take some stills which were used as reference for building the sets back in London. Our approach with production designer Charlie Wood is that if we can build something, we should build it. We want people to be acting in a real environment as much as possible. We had to find the right balance between greenscreen and how much you can top up and extend.”
Designs for Morag continued to evolve, with MPC implementing a system of pointy and angular-looking ‘angry rocks’, according to Aithadi. “We also created these gigantic arch-like environments,” he says. “James wanted to have a contrast of a beautiful sky and a really gnarly - not ugly - but aggressive and contrasting ground. Mixed together it becomes beautiful.”
The sequence also includes the introduction to Quill’s ship, the Milano, a 777-sized craft that had to be lifted up by a geyser. “Our first reaction to that shot was ‘Oh my god!’,” recalls Aithadi, “but the effects guys did a great job of translating the size of the geyser.”
On Xandar
Quill then tries to sell the orb on the Nova Corps planet Xandar, where he encounters Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Rocket and Groot in a mall area. MPC was responsible for crafting visual effects for Xandar views and compositing live action mall photography into the city - which was |
hired, the persistent leaks from his office, and his abuse of attorney-client privilege — would all suggest his preference for questionable tactics," Biggs wrote.
"He has repeatedly shown that he has no interest in ending his crusade. The credibility of the American justice system — and indeed, our representative republic — is at stake," he added.
Biggs, a freshman Republican lawmaker, has called for Mueller's recusal since June, which he notes in the piece.
Other Republicans have cast doubt on the integrity of Mueller's team, raising speculation over whether the president will order the firing of the special counsel.
The White House has repeatedly denied that Trump is considering firing Mueller or ending the special counsel investigation.Following a fatal Model S crash on Autopilot reported earlier this week, one of Tesla’s main supplier for the Autopilot program, Mobileye, commented on the accident and explained that its Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) wasn’t meant to avoid the impact.
Tesla has since responded to Mobileye’s statement, which we added to our article on the comment, but it’s worth elaborating on the differences between the systems as we recently learned more about them through tests earlier this week, and the tragic accident which is only now coming to light.
First of, here’s the statement issued by Dan Galves, Mobileye’s Chief Communications Officer:
“We have read the account of what happened in this case. Today’s collision avoidance technology, or Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) is defined as rear-end collision avoidance, and is designed specifically for that. This incident involved a laterally crossing vehicle, which current-generation AEB systems are not designed to actuate upon. Mobileye systems will include Lateral Turn Across Path (LTAP) detection capabilities beginning in 2018, and the Euro NCAP safety ratings will include this beginning in 2020.”
Tesla quickly issued the following statement in response:Illustration: Google
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Does it make sense to install solar panels on your roof? You probably have no idea. But as of today, Google knows. The colorful and recently alphabetized search monstrosity has launched a new tool called Project Sunroof. It will use data you may not have realized that Google even had to tell you how much money you can save by turning your roof into a photon harvester.
For my girlfriend’s old house in Menlo Park, Calif., Google says she could have saved $600 a year by installing enough photovoltaic panels (25 square meters) to generate 4 kilowatts. Installation would have cost her a total of $0 on a 20 year lease. Google calculates the amount saved by taking into account typical utility rates, relevant federal and state tax credits, utility rebates, and whatever renewable energy credits might be available in your area. Meanwhile, the power that the panels can theoretically produce is modified by what Google knows about local weather patterns on a day-to-day basis.
It’s not as though calculators like these didn’t already exist: the U.S. Government’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory has one called PVPWatts. All you need to know to use it (besides your address) are things like DC system size, module type, array type, expected system losses, and the tilt and azimuth of your roof. And some other stuff. Finding this information isn't even that difficult if you want to put the time into it (and you have a way to access your roof without killing yourself). Google’s calculator will keep you off your rooftop because it has done most of the hard work for you. You need to know nothing besides your address and the amount of your typical monthly electric bill.
Most significantly, Google is able to estimate not only the size of your roof, but also its orientation and slope and whether trees or other buildings may block the sun at certain times during the day. Google hasn't provided any details on how this all works, but we can guess: By now, Google has access to enough aerial imagery that it can generate 3-D models of buildings and trees using oblique images taken from different angles. While it seems that direct access to the 45 degree image sets is no longer available, here are some examples of 3D models created from them. Google hasn't 3D-ified the entire United States yet—which is at least in part why Sunroof is currently restricted to just a few cities: the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston, and Fresno.
This tool is certainly valuable for anyone thinking about a solar panel installation, and for anyone who wants to know whether he or she should be thinking about it. It’s a potentially valuable tool for Google as well, since those suggestions for companies to install solar panels for you are sponsored by the companies themselves. In other words, Google is giving you unbiased information about whether you might want solar panels installed, and then (potentially) biased information about who should install them, since you may not see companies on that list if they haven’t paid Google for the privilege.
We can’t really fault Google for this. It deserves to make money off of a useful service that it has created (or at least refined). Our recommendation, though, would be to use this tool to find out whether solar power is right for you, and then consider using Google the old fashioned way to find the right company to make it happen.Hundreds of people have already attended Beyond Bernie public meetings all over the nation. Hosted by Socialist Alternative and Movement4Bernie here are reports from the meetings from the weekend of July 9-10. More posted here!
Berkeley, California
On Saturday, July 9th over 200 people in the Bay Area came out for our meeting to discuss how to move Beyond Bernie and take the political revolution forward. We packed the Berkeley library’s
meeting room to watch an address from Jill Stein and Kshama Sawant, which was met with enthusiasm and cheers for a new party and a break from the Democratic establishment.
A line formed when we opened up the discussion and dozens of people expressed their opinions about Bernie as a leader, local elections, “Brand New Congress”, the pros and cons of the Green party, and people also promoted their groups, including a movement to lower the voting age to 16. There was a general consensus that the Democratic Party is a dead end, and people were searching for an independent path forwards.
At the end of the meeting, 45 people signed up to join Socialist Alternative because of our successful protests and marches locally and our national profile with an elected socialist, Kshama Sawant, in Seattle. Some of these potential members said they wanted a more focused discussion, sticking to politics and tangible next steps. That sort of process – of democratically debating the issues and then putting these collective ideas into action – is exactly what they will find in Socialist Alternative when they join.
Radio coverage here.
Today over 80 people gathered on the westside of Los Angeles to discuss how to continue the political revolution and build a party of the 99%. Organized by Movement4Bernie and Socialist Alternative activists, it was a crucial step towards breaking the two-party duopoly and providing a voice for working people.
While watching video speeches from Jill Stein, Eljeer Hawkins, and Kshama Sawant, there were resounding cheers for the denouncement of our corrupt political system and the prospects of building an alternative. People were very excited for Jill Stein’s proposal of a green new deal and forgiving student debt. Many were inspired by the success story of Kshama Sawant’s election victory as a third party candidate on the Seattle city council. There was an emphatic cheer when all the speakers discussed Black Lives Matter.
Socialist Alternative organizer Hanna Burge started the forum discussion part of the meeting by delivering an impassioned speech on the importance of building a party that gives a voice to working people: “The message needs to be emphasized that the Democratic Party cannot be reformed and is not an ally of the working class.” At the meeting, four people immediately expressed interest in joining Socialist Alternative. People lined up to contribute to the discussion. We heard from activists, delegates for Bernie Sanders, teachers, and students. There were disagreements of course, but the discussion as a whole was very positive and constructive. There were too many speakers lined up to fit into the time booked at the venue. Next time, we will book a bigger space with more time for people to speak! The excitement was palpable, everyone was hungry for change and looking forward to the next opportunity to continue building an alternative.
On July 9, the Houston branch of Socialist Alternative hosted around 40 enthusiastic community members, including Green Party members and numerous Bernie Sanders supporters, at the Beyond Bernie public event. Following video addresses by Jill Stein, Eljeer Hawkins, and Kshama Sawant, attendees engaged in a spirited discussion. Hillary Clinton and her policies received nothing but criticism, and there was a lively exchange of ideas about how to maintain and channel the energy of the Sanders movement. The organization and activity of the new party of the 99% advocated for by Socialist Alternative was a topic of keen interest as well, and SA’s support for Jill Stein’s campaign was discussed. Thanks to everyone for coming out to raise their voice and show solidarity for a growing political alternative!
On July 9, Boston Socialist Alternative (along with over 20 branches across the country) held a meeting on the next steps for the political revolution of the 99%, beyond the candidacy of Bernie
Sanders – it was a tremendous success! With over 80 people in attendance and over $900 raised to help fund travel to the DNC protests, the broken Democratic Party will have no choice but to hear from angry and misrepresented workers from Boston during the convention in Philadelphia.
After inspiring video addresses from Jill Stein, Eljeer Hawkins, and Kshama Sawant, Genevieve Morse lead-off a tremendous discussion about importance of breaking from the Democratic Party and building an independent third party by working people, for working people. The discussion was dominated by exciting contributions as people are beginning to sense the need for a party that is NOT invested in capitalism – which is responsible for savage exploitation of people in this country and globally. The door is open to build local grassroots campaigns and demand better living conditions for everyone who our capitalist system exploits and oppresses. As Joe from Veteran’s for Peace put it, “there’s this big wash of independent people looking for something!” And while we may just be at the beginning of building a challenge to the two parties of capitalism, meetings like the one Socialist Alternative called today could be an important stepping stone. A handful of folks were interested in becoming members of Socialist Alternative in Boston, and that is a terrific way to continue the fightback against the onslaught of austerity, neoliberalism, and budget cuts that seem to be perpetually threatened by the rich and powerful. Solidarity, and see you in Philly!
Chicago “Beyond Bernie” Meeting
Over 80 Chicagoans came out on a humid July 9 to discuss the way forward “beyond Bernie”. This was a few days before Bernie’s endorsement of corporate warmonger, Hillary Clinton and there was a strong, fighting mood to take things to the Democratic Convention in Philly. After watching the videos of Jill Stein and Kshama Sawant, still appealing to Bernie to break out of the Democratic Party prison, we heard Chicago SA member Darletta Scruggs’ message of solidarity with the resurging Black Lives Matter movement. An up to the minute analysis from new member Ryan Hartson, who first met us at our February Movement4Bernie rally, we went into a discussion with about 20 speakers coming in from the floor. First up was a chilling, in fact downright creepy account from a Bernie delegate about her experiences trying to work within the corrupt Democrat Party over the past several years: the takeaway quote being from an elected Democratic State Representative who took her by the arm at a meeting to discuss a bill to protect public employee pensions and told her: “Listen sweetie. It doesn’t matter what you want, or what you think. This is the way it’s going to go down and there’s nothing you can do about it”. This is the party that Bernie should never have entered. Representatives from the Illinois Green Party also came into the discussion, and the meeting ended with a financial appeal that raised over $1100 to take the Political Revolution all the way to Philly later this month. Another $250 plus was raised at the door and from literature sales, and plans were laid for a Chicago #March4Bernie during the Democratic National Convention.
Spokane “Beyond Bernie: Building A Party of the 99%” Public Meeting – July 9, 2016
At our biggest public meeting to date, we began by asking the 50 in attendance the “central question”: “Do we back Clinton and the Democrats (shouts of ‘NO’ from the crowd) or support Jill Stein and work toward a new party of the 99% (applause and cheers)?”
Following Emily’s lead-off, attendees spoke. Expressing oft-repeated disgust with the Democratic Party, some Bernie delegates described being “treated like trash” at having seen primaries stolen and the delegate process “railroaded” by the corporate Clintonite Democratic Party. One described the county platform “as the anti-thesis of everything Sanders stands for” in a county that went overwhelmingly for Sanders.
One Green described this as an “amazing revolutionary moment” and warned of the “farce of a convention two weeks from now” in Philadelphia. She called for all left forces to “mobilize for Houston” and the Green Convention.
A few expressed wariness over the use of the word “socialism,” as well as concern about whether a socialist economy could include small family businesses. These questions provided the opportunity to discuss the embracing of socialist ideas – complete with the bold use of the word itself – by growing numbers especially of young people, and the inability of capitalism, with its devastating social and environmental costs, to be reformed.
NW Arkansas
A huge thanks to everyone who came out Saturday night to learn more about how to continue supporting the causes dear to Bernie via Movement4Bernie, $15 Now, Socialist Alternative, and Dr Jill Stein’s campaign!
Great to have 30 amazing individuals present (including a half-dozen who drove over an hour) to hear video talks by Jill Stein, L. Eljeer Hawkins, andCouncilmember Kshama Sawant. Thanks for your attendance and for all the discussion before, during, and after the meeting — let’s keep the momentum going! More photos to come.
#Movement4Bernie
#Northwest Arkansas $15 now
#DemocraticSocialism
#Movement4APartyOfThe99Percent
#15Now #SocialistAlternative
Photo courtesy of Layza Lopez-Love and Ryan Michael Lopez-Love.
Madison, WI
Madison Socialist Alternative held a successful Beyond Bernie public meeting with almost 50 people in attendance, in a packed room at the Wil-Mar Community Center. Many attendees were
exposed for the first time to Jill Stein’s campaign and program, and Kshama Sawant’s democratic socialism. Members of the Progressive Dane coalition, the IWW, grassroots Bernie organizing groups, and the Green Party showed up.
The mood was united against Hillary Clinton’s corporate politics – determined not to let a politician who was on the board of Walmart to be the standard-bearer for our movement.
We had a lively discussion on the details of the Stein campaign and finding the correct balance of support between Bernie Sanders and Jill Stein before the DNC. The idea of a party of the 99% that is involved in direct actions as well as electoral politics was very well-received.
After the public forum, there was a Black Lives Matter march on the state capitol and county jail. SA members and some attendees went along and added our numbers to the protest in defense of black lives.
Olympia, WA
The Beyond Bernie meeting hosted by Olympia Socialist Alternative connected roughly 25 Green party members, socialists, and other community activists to discuss where to direct our energies now that Sanders’s campaign is effectively over. The vast majority of attendees were disappointed that he had endorsed Hillary Clinton, and were very receptive toward the idea of building a real workers’ party. Some still held illusions that progressive Democrats “Berniecrats” could reform the party from the inside but that was not the majority opinion. These issues and others were discussed at length until the meeting’s conclusion. Several activists were interested in joining Socialist Alternative and requested electronic copies of the New Member Reading Packet. Follow-up meetings with these individuals are being planned.The former lawyer for the Prime Minister's Office says the Conservative government has lost the moral authority to govern, and he's voting for change this election.
Benjamin Perrin says in a statement that based on what he's personally seen and experienced, he felt there was no other choice but to abandon his lifelong Conservative vote.
"Last week, I voted in an advance poll for change," Perrin said in a statement.
"As a lifelong conservative I never thought that would happen. But after what I've personally seen and experienced, there was no other choice. The current government has lost its moral authority to govern."
Perrin is currently a University of British Columbia law professor, on parental leave. He lives in the riding of Vancouver Kingsway. He did not specify for whom he cast a ballot, but said he voted "strategically."
Perrin worked in the PMO back in 2012-13, and was part of the staff that dealt with the scandal surrounding Senator Mike Duffy's contested living expenses.
Bombshell testimony at Duffy trial
But Perrin very publicly broke ranks with the government this August when he testified at Duffy's fraud and breach of trust trial.
He said that Harper's most senior aide Ray Novak was told during a meeting about former chief of staff Nigel Wright's secret repayment of Duffy's $90,000 in expenses.
"Because it was so surprising to me, I immediately looked to my right to see Mr. Novak's reaction and he didn't have any reaction to that information," Perrin said during his testimony.
Novak, who currently works as a senior campaign director, has denied that he knew; and Harper has backed his version of events.
Perrin also testified that he disagreed with Harper's assertion that an individual who owned $4,000 worth of property in a province met the constitutional requirement for representing that province in the Senate.Gordon Brown's plan to reform the system of parliamentary allowances ran into trouble tonight when David Cameron and Nick Clegg flatly rejected Downing Street's central proposal to introduce a daily allowance for MPs.
The prime minister will put pressure on backbench Labour MPs to support his plans in a parliamentary vote next week after the Tory and Liberal Democrat leaders said they would vote down his scheme.
In a tense 6pm meeting at the Commons, Cameron warned the prime minister that introducing a daily allowance would pave the way for a corrupt Strasbourg-style system. "It will be a sign on and bugger off system," Cameron told the Tory backbench 1922 committee last night.
Brown attempted to seize the initiative on Tuesday when he announced plans to rush through a series of reforms after he was warned of a public backlash against the current system of parliamentary allowances.
His key proposal was to abolish the additional costs allowance, worth £24,006 a year, which is used by MPs to subsidise the costs of a second home. This would be replaced by a daily allowance which would only be paid when parliament is sitting.
The rate would be set by the senior salaries review body. But government sources said that the daily rate would be between £128 and £150, which would work out between £17,920 and £21,000 a year.
Cameron and Clegg dismissed this system. One Tory source said: "We totally rejected what Gordon Brown put forward. We received no assurances that the prime minister's scheme would not end up like the system for the European Parliament. His system is totally corruptible. The majority of MPs would still be able to claim similar amounts of money."
The Tory leader told the prime minister that he would attempt to put his own proposals to a vote in the Commons next week. Cameron would replace the Additional Costs Allowance with a "Transparent Parliamentary Allowance" which would be worth less to MPs. There would be four key changes:
• Claims could only be made for mortgage interest payments, which would be capped, and for rent, utility bills and council tax.
• The so called "John Lewis list" would be ended by banning claims for furniture, televisions, home decorations, television bills, stamp duty and moving costs.
• All claims, with receipts, would be published online within 28 days.
• MPs who live together would only be allowed to claim once.
Cameron accepted other proposals put forward by the prime minister. These include greater transparency on MPs' second jobs – mainly aimed at shadow cabinet members who work in the City – and making MPs' staff direct employees of parliament.
Cameron said after his meeting with Brown: "Sadly, what is clear is that the prime minister is absolutely wedded to his idea of having a system where we pay MPs to turn up and do their job. What he's effectively doing is replacing a system where you have to produce some receipts with a system where you get the money without having to produce any receipts, it's completely untransparent. I simply don't think the British public will accept that and so I think we'll have to oppose it."
The Tories had initially thought that they would have to sign up to the prime minister's plan on the grounds that he would portray them as opponents of reform. But when it became clear overnight on Tuesday that the daily allowance was being seen as a new version of the discredited Strasbourg system they realised they could say no.
Government sources indicated tonight that Brown would press ahead with the Commons vote next week even without the support of Cameron and Clegg. The prime minister believes that the Tory proposal would still give MPs an incentive to take out large mortgages. "There is some scepticism about their plans," one source said.Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Auckland escaped the worst of the storm, but still suffered some heavy rain
Heavy rain and strong winds are lashing parts of New Zealand as Cyclone Cook, called the worst storm in decades, sweeps across the North Island.
States of emergency have been declared in the Coromandel Peninsula and Bay of Plenty, with landslips, flash flooding and downed power lines closing roads.
Some coastal communities have been evacuated and thousands of homes left without power.
The storm was expected to pass over the capital, Welllington, overnight.
Cyclone Cook killed one person when it swept through the Pacific islands of New Caledonia earlier this week.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption BBC Weather's Jay Wynne explains how Cyclone Cook formed and what the forecast holds for New Zealand.
'Gusts like freight trains'
The storm made landfall in the Bay of Plenty at about 18:30 local time (06:30 GMT) on Thursday, where it knocked out power to much of the town of Whakatane, Radio NZ reported.
Red Cross spokeswoman Lauren Hayes told the broadcaster that 114 people were staying in a civil defence shelter there.
Some had arrived with "tales of near misses with uprooted trees and other debris", she tweeted.
Image copyright Twitter/Lauren_Olive
The storm then moved on to batter Hawkes Bay on the eastern coast, where two people were hospitalised after a tree hit their car, the New Zealand Herald reported.
One resident, Malcolm Davie, told the newspaper "enormous gusts like freight trains" had been hitting his house.
"We're really getting hammered. It's a lot worse than we thought," he is quoted as saying.
About 11,000 people in the area were without power, as of 02:00 local time, according to the Unison power company.
Air New Zealand cancelled flights out of Rotorua, Tauranga, Napier and Hamilton in the North Island, and Nelson and Blenheim in the South Island.
The New Zealand Met office said the storm was expected to pass over Wellington at about 03:00 local time on Friday, before reaching Kaikoura on the east of the South Island at 06:00.
Image copyright TVNZ / Reuters Image caption Roads were also flooded in Kaeo, north of Auckland
Severe weather warnings for Auckland, Coromandel and the Bay of Plenty have now been lifted.
Forecasters have been warning of 5m (16ft) waves, storm surges and 150km/h (90mph) winds.
Schools and businesses across the island closed early on Thursday, while residents in affected areas were urged to stock up on emergency supplies and avoid all but essential travel.
The storm comes after severe floods caused by the remnants of Cyclone Debbie hit some parts of the country last week.
The storm has been classified as an extra-tropical cyclone. That means it has changed into a different weather system as it approached to New Zealand, but has not necessarily weakened or been downgraded, according to New Zealand's MetService.
Image copyright NZ Defence Forces Image caption The military helped with preparations
Image copyright EPA / Nasa Image caption The cyclone swept through the South Pacific before approaching New Zealand (in outline)
The cyclone formed around Vanuatu on Sunday before moving towards New Caledonia, bringing heavy rain and winds and causing cuts to power and water supplies.
New Zealand weather officials said Cyclone Cook would be the worst to hit the country since 1968.
They have warned that it would bring a "phenomenal" amount of rain and wind, reported The New Zealand Herald newspaper, compared with Cyclone Debbie which was more spread out.
Cyclone Debbie hit Australia at the end of March, before its remnants moved towards New Zealand.
It soaked New Zealand cities like Wellington and Auckland. Authorities are now worried about how Cyclone Cook will impact land that is already saturated from heavy rains.
Image copyright @bowlshut Image caption Despite disruption, some people's positive attitude was not totally dampened by the storm
Sign-up to get news from the BBC in your inbox, each weekday morningIn his recent blog post the honorable Rabbi David Rosen, a man I greatly admire, asks a provocative question, “Is any meat today kosher?” While never fully addressing the question posed in the article’s title he answers by advocating for Jews to eat more plants and fewer animal products. He also encourages Rabbinic figures to speak out about the abuses of the factory farm system and to advocate for plant-based diets. The Rabbi’s description of factory farming is disturbing, accurate, and astute. What Rabbi Rosen fails to do is present a path to resist the cruelty of factory farming while continuing to eat meat—and it is on this point that I wish to respectfully challenge him.
Rabbi Rosen and I agree that there can be no doubt about the cruel and immoral nature of the factory farm system. Through my own experiences growing up on an Israeli factory farm, working as a shochet (kosher slaughterer) in an industrial beef plant in the midwest, and now working as an animal welfare advocate at the Jewish Initiative For Animals (JIFA), I have come to know the factory farmed industry first hand. My colleagues and I at JIFA are all staunchly opposed to factory farming regardless of the kosher status of the meat it produces, which is not an issue we feel qualified to comment upon.
That said, I question why the only alternative to factory farming that Rabbi Rosen embraces is a move towards plant-based diets. The easiest way to avoid factory farming while keeping kosher may be to choose plant-based, but it is not the only way.
For example, the Rabbi failed to mention a once-common kosher meat product that just became available again for the first time in over 50 years, American Poultry Association (APA)-certified heritage chicken. In his post the Rabbi correctly states that “Chickens in today’s factory farms grow three times as fast as they did fifty years ago as a result of selective breeding programs and the use of antibiotics” and that “This leads to crippling bone disorders and spinal defects causing acute pain and difficulty in moving.” This cruel and commonplace practice of breeding chickens and turkeys to grow at an abnormal rate is of great concern to us at JIFA and addressing this problem was our first priority when founding the organization a little over a year ago.
Since then, we’ve worked with two kosher meat distributors, KOL Foods and Grow and Behold, to help bring to market the first commercial run of certified heritage and certified kosher chicken in decades. These APA certified heritage breed birds are raised under robust animal welfare standards and come from genetic lines that can be traced back to before the advent of factory farming. They grow at a healthy and natural rate, reaching a normal slaughter weight of 5 pounds after a minimum of 112 days of growth. This is in contrast to the industrial Cornish Cross chicken, which typically takes only 42 days to get the same weight and, as a result, suffers from unnecessary and painful problems with skeletal development, organ function, obesity, and more.
There are also other higher welfare products that the Rabbi failed to mention. For example, KOL Foods deserves special recognition for being the only national purveyor of domestically farmed 100% grass-fed kosher beef. Grass-fed cattle take longer to raise but are able to live healthy and natural lives, totally removed from the factory farmed system. The fact that KOL is the only distributor of this product shows that this is a sector of the industry that needs more caring kosher consumers on its side.
Perhaps Rabbi Rosen’s most controversial statement is that“responsible rabbinic leadership should be advocating a plant based diet as much as possible, as the most kosher diet available for most people today.” I fear that this suggestion forgets the realities of the worldwide Jewish community. Many of us, myself included, feel that animal products make up an important part of our diets and is crucial for our health. To propose that Rabbinic authorities advocate for a plant based diet as the only alternative to factory farming and not mentioning any higher welfare options leaves the vast majority of the kosher-keeping population feeling as if they have little to do but continue purchasing factory farmed products.
I also believe that Rabbi Rosen doesn’t go nearly far enough in advocating for institutional-level change in buying practices. If the membership of a Jewish institution finds factory farming to be cruel and immoral then their concerns can be turned into action by applying those concerns to an institutional food policy that takes these serious matters into account. This is why the Jewish Initiative for Animals has made it a top priority to work with Jewish institutions to create ethical food buying policies that address animal welfare.
If you keep kosher and are concerned about the conditions described in the Rabbi’s article than there are many concrete steps you can take to fight factory farming. Here are a few suggestions:
Advocating for plant-based diets as the only alternative to the factory farm system is not the way to most successfully fight its extreme cruelty. Even the great Rabbi Avraham Isaac Kook, mentioned at the end of Rabbi Rosen’s article, was known to eat some meat on Shabbat and holidays. If that great Rabbi, who advocated for a vegetarian diet, couldn’t make a full transition we certainly cannot expect the millions of everyday Jews throughout the world to become vegan overnight.
I believe that we can all play a vital role in the fight against factory farming. I invite Rabbi Rosen to join me and the diverse group of caring individuals that make up the Jewish Initiative For Animals in widening the tent and offering a path for each and every individual that wishes to make this world a more humane place for all of God’s creations.The Miller quick coupler comes in a few different sizes. The one I tried out has the proportions of a laundry bin and weighs nearly 700 pounds. It allows the operators of hydraulic digging machines to switch buckets without ever leaving the cab. Two flanges rise from its sides, supplying it with the Volkswagen-like curves that inspired its nickname, the Bug. The flanges are drilled clean through with four holes set inside four bosses; beneath the front pair of holes are two upturned latches, like the open ends of two wrenches. Other than its poppy-red color, the device appears to be an ordinary specimen from the menagerie of heavy-duty construction equipment.
But in a Chicago courtroom on Oct. 26, the Bug will star in a multimillion-dollar dispute that represents a new frontier in the march of global capitalism. The nominal occasion is a paternity feud between two of the Bug’s corporate parents, Miller UK, the equipment manufacturer based in Cramlington, England, and Caterpillar, the American construction-equipment giant that was once Miller’s biggest customer. The themes of Miller UK v. Caterpillar are classics of the intellectual-property genre: greed, betrayal, bloodlines. But Miller’s method of funding its side of the production is something new. Rather than paying its lawyers out of pocket, Miller has turned to a private firm to front the money for its legal costs: the Illinois-based Arena Consulting, which is headed by two brothers, Herbert and Douglas Lichtman. If Miller loses, Arena gets nothing. If it wins, Arena will get a share of the proceeds, which could run well into the tens of millions of dollars.
This new form of lawsuit funding is called litigation finance. It lies at the crossroads of two Anglo-American tendencies. The first is our litigious side, in which we celebrate our equality before the law by dragging those who have wronged us before a judge. The second is our ingenious mercantilism, as demonstrated by our penchant for turning everything from church raffles to mortgages into marketable securities to be chopped up, bundled and resold. Like the celebrity bonds backed by royalties and popularized by David Bowie during the 1990s, litigation finance represents the expansion of securitization into hitherto virgin territory. Those involved in the practice argue that it allows smaller companies like Miller to afford a day in court. Detractors worry that it could give rise to a litigation arms race, with speculative money aggravating the already high costs of the American legal system.
While the amount of litigation funded by outside financiers is still relatively small, the industry — which barely existed outside personal-injury cases until the mid-2000s — is growing rapidly, driven by increasingly permissive laws, the promise of high returns and hourly billing rates that run $500 or more for the largest and most sophisticated law firms. Between 2013 and 2014, Burford Capital, a public company traded in Britain, increased its lawsuit investments from $150 million to $500 million. During the same period, its profits rose by 89 percent, with a 61 percent net profit margin. The two-year-old Gerchen Keller, one of the industry’s youngest funds, manages more than $840 million. With investor-backed war chests, plaintiffs are crossing borders to find the most favorable jurisdictions, and sometimes enlisting the help of foreign governments. Like equities and mortgages, lawsuits are making a transition from a private arrangement to a fully monetized asset class. The ‘‘portfolio’’ held by IMF Bentham, an Australia-based funder, consists of 39 cases, which the firm values at just over $2 billion. United States lawmakers are beginning to ask questions. In August, two senators from the Judiciary Committee sent letters to major funders asking them for the names of the cases they had invested in and many details of their business dealings. The letter called litigation finance a ‘‘burgeoning industry’’ that was ‘‘largely unregulated and operates with no licensing or oversight.’’After continually blasting Hillary Clinton for being a "Wall Street puppet" during the campaign, Donald Trump has picked yet another Goldman Sachs executive to work in his administration, NBC News reports.
On Friday, Trump reportedly offered Gary Cohn, the president and COO of Goldman Sachs, the job as director of the National Economic Council. Should he accept, Cohn would be tasked with overseeing and advising the president on domestic and international economic policy.
Cohn is the third administration appointee with ties to the baking giant. Trump has already given Steve Bannon, a former Goldman Sachs investment banker, the job as his chief strategist, and tapped Steven Mnuchin, a longtime Goldman Sachs partner and Hollywood producer, for treasury secretary.
Trump's transition team hasn't confirmed the pick yet, but that didn't stop Bernie Sanders from jumping to point out the irony in Cohn's selection.Just a brief show reminder here for tonight’s episode of A Voice for Men Radio, which airs tonight at 9:00 p.m. EDT on Blog Talk Radio. Tonight’s show will be on the subject “What Women Want,” but more importantly (among an infinite number of other things) is that we will also have Tom Martin appearing on the show for an interview and to take your questions.
As recently covered in The Guardian, Mr. Martin is currently suing the London School of Economics for anti-male sexual discrimination in their gender “studies” program, an action which seems to have the entire feminist world in a twist.
Tonight you will get insights into this case that you have not heard reported by the mainstream media, so be sure to tune in live for that.
Also, with the recent rush of activity around register-her.com, you will get an update on that as well.
The call-in number to the show is 310-388-9709, or if you are a registered listener (easy and highly recommended) you can skype in to join us and/or visit the chat room during the show.
This should be a great show, so don’t settle for the archives. Tune in live and enjoy it as it happens.In this movie, Quicksilver dies saving Hawkeye and Costel (the kid Hawkeye saves before boarding the carrier), from Ultron firing at them from the Quinjet. In X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), Quicksilver's movements are so fast, that it almost seems that time has frozen, allowing him to move in the midst of almost motionless bullets in mid-air, and even changing their trajectories by simply moving them around. There is evidence in this movie, that Quicksilver can do the same as his "Days of Future Past" counterpart, in the scene where he crosses Mjölnir (Thor's Hammer) trajectory and tries to grab the weapon in mid-air, only to be, to his very surprise, violently taken away with it (since it can only be wielded by "those who have been found worthy"). As Quicksilver is the first major protagonist to die in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, controversy has sparked about how he could have easily avoided such a fate. The reason Quicksilver did not do the same as his X-Men counterpart (and survive the attack) is partially because of the licensing agreement between Marvel and Fox, as no references to Quicksilver's affiliation with the X-Men could be made in a Marvel movie, and no references to his affiliation with the Avengers could be made in an X-Men movie. The other reason being that the Screenwriters for this movie, purposely shrank the scope of Quicksilver's powers, significantly limiting his capabilities, which also served to distinguish him from his X-Men doppelganger.0 SHARES Facebook Twitter Google Whatsapp Pinterest Print Mail Flipboard
Hillary Clinton called out Donald Trump on Friday for not taking accountability for his own history of sexual misconduct while criticizing others for theirs – and the man-sized child in the White House was not happy about it.
In a tweet Saturday morning, Trump told the 2016 popular vote winner to “get on with your life” but urged her to “give it another try in three years.”
Cro |
Butterscotch: *takes a deep breath* Mmm...Fluttershy: *smiles*Butterscotch: *gentle voice* Such a nice morning we're having...Fluttershy: *equally as gentle* Oh, yes... really nice... *blushes*Butterscotch: *looks at her* Thank you for walking with me...Fluttershy: *unsure if she should do it* Y-your... you're welcome, Scotch...Butterscotch: *smiles and keeps walking*Fluttershy: *in her mind* He's sooooooo cute... Oh, why can't I show him how much he means to me?Butterscotch: *in his mind* My... she's awfully quiet today... even for a mare like Fluttershy...Fluttershy: *in her mind* But I can't take it much longer! I want to do it! *unsure* But... what if he hates me? What if he doesn't want to be with me anymore?Butterscotch: *in his mind* Oh, she's so cute... and that blush... *sighs*Fluttershy: *couldn't take it anymore* That's it! *grabs Butterscotch by the collar of his shirt and pulls him closer to her* KISS ME, YOU STUD! *kisses him*Butterscotch: *surprised* Mmph?!! *blushes*Fluttershy: *in her mind* Oh dear! I'm... I'm kissing him! I'M KISSING HIM! *squees*Butterscotch: *in his mind* She's... kissing me... *closes his eyes and succumbs to the kiss* and it feels... lovely... *embraces her*Fluttershy: *embraces him**they stay like that for a couple of minutes, until they finally stop, and they both speak*Both: *whispers* I love you...The Republican Speaker John A. Boehner, following the collapse of negotiations with President Obama, appears to be considering a path that would involve the House Republicans voting to raise the federal debt ceiling on their own terms, with little expectation of Democratic support.
It’s unclear what Mr. Boehner’s proposal, set to be unveiled on Monday, will entail. Some reports suggest that it might consist of a six-month increase in the debt limit, which would put the issue into play again in January or February just as the Iowa caucuses are taking place. But Mr. Boehner also hinted that his plans could include elements of the Republicans’ “cut, cap and balance” proposal, which was approved by the House last Tuesday but is stymied in the Senate.
If the House was able to approve any kind of increase to the debt limit, it would transfer focus to the White House and to the Senate. Mr. Obama has threatened to veto a short-term increase, but he would have little time left before the Treasury’s Aug. 2 deadline and perhaps little leverage. The Democratic-led Senate would probably be the bigger barrier: it could move to vote on its own proposal, leading to a potential standoff between the two chambers. Still, Mr. Boehner could put Democrats on the defensive, if not necessarily into checkmate.
Mr. Boehner, however, has a math problem. Republicans have 240 members in the House, and 217 votes are currently required to pass a bill. That means they could lose at most 23 votes, or about 10 percent of their caucus, assuming they picked up no Democratic support.
Mr. Boehner had previously indicated, however, that at least 59 Republicans would not vote to raise the debt limit under any circumstances, a number that appears to coincide with the 60 Republicans who are members of the Tea Party Caucus.
It is telling, perhaps, that the “cut, cap and balance” bill, although winning the support of all but 11 Republicans, did not raise the debt ceiling. Instead, it erected another barrier to it, requiring that a balanced budget amendment be approved by two-thirds majorities of both houses of Congress before additional borrowing authority was given to the Treasury.
In addition to Republicans who might defect for ideological reasons, some others might do so for electoral ones. Polling on the debt limit, which at earlier points had appeared to show a clear plurality of Americans against any increase, has now become highly ambiguous, with widely varying results depending on question wording. But both the debt limit increase and the spending cuts attached to it are likely to inspire mixed feelings in voters, and the roughly 75 Republicans serving in swing districts would need to consider the contours of the proposal carefully.
Thus, the sharp rhetoric in the Republican conference call Sunday, in which Mr. Boehner and other Republican leaders took a number of swipes at Mr. Obama while also urging their members to unite behind the proposal. Kevin McCarthy, the Republican House majority whip, reportedly told his colleagues that Mr. Obama was “throwing a fit because he’s worried about the election.” The idea seems to be that, if the most conservative Republicans aren’t swayed by pressure from Wall Street, or from the potential effects to the economy, perhaps the only thing that can move them is the potential to force Mr. Obama to concede defeat.
But if the vote on Mr. Boehner’s proposal fails, the risks to him are clear. It would presumably rattle markets, while making him look ineffectual. Most importantly, it would demonstrate that Republicans could not pass a bill, even through the House, without Democratic support, which would substantially reduce their leverage, as Mr. Boehner explicitly acknowledged in the conference call.
Then again, even if the Republican bill failed in the House, the counterproposal by Democratic leaders in the Senate would reportedly focus solely on spending cuts with no tax increases. Although some of the savings the Senate bill might claim to achieve would reflect an accounting treatment of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, that seems as much like a victory for Republicans as a defeat.
Meanwhile, although calling Mr. Obama’s bluff on his stated refusal to accept a short-term increase might qualify as a tactical victory for Republicans, its longer-term implications are ambiguous. Polls show that the public has a lukewarm view, at best, of how Mr. Obama has handled the negotiations. But the ratings for Republicans are much worse, calling into question whether they would benefit from another round of negotiations next winter under the heat lamp of the presidential primaries. There are increasing suggestions in the polling that the public could tell both Mr. Obama and the Republican Congress to find a new line of work.
Thus the real gamble that Mr. Boehner is taking: in seeking to trip up Mr. Obama, he may be putting his own majority at risk.Having spent the past 18 months winning the confidence and trust of Hearts supporters, I would like to reassure those supporters that despite the somewhat sensationalist headlines and reporting of the last two days, I remain committed to open and honest communication. That being the case, I would like to explain my statement more fully and accurately and correct some of the misinformation that has been reported, following interviews given by me on Tuesday, at the annual SFA Convention, the SPFL’s subsequent written statement and SPFL Board Directors' comments.
Interview
At the mid-day break during the SFA convention, I was asked by the media to give feedback on the morning sessions. I was happy to do so and was very pleased to give entirely positive feedback. I stated that the two keynote speakers were excellent and that the convention (only in its second year) was a first-class forum to encourage the exchange of ideas and the sharing of best practice, while providing the opportunity to better understand the issues facing football in the wider European context.
I was then asked what I thought of the new League Cup format. I responded that I really could not comment as, at that time, I knew no more than the media did regarding the detail, no final meeting of member clubs having taken place to discuss the proposals. I had seen an advance copy of the press release, which had been issued to clubs the previous afternoon, and which I had read on email the previous evening. I had, therefore, had no opportunity to discuss the implications with co-directors or executives at the club, or indeed with other member clubs.
I expressed my surprise and disappointment that once again the SPFL and the SPFL Board had, in my opinion, failed to communicate/consult adequately with its members on decisions which will have a material impact on club operations. At no time did I state anything negative about the proposals.
SPFL Statement
The SPFL clearly took exception to comments regarding the communication/consultation process and issued a Press Statement, most of which I have no issue with.
I am very happy to confirm that the club was in attendance at all the SPFL meetings as outlined. I consider it our duty to ensure the club is represented and indeed our responsibility to show support to the SPFL through our attendance.
I am also very happy to confirm that I did indeed approve the BT broadcasting deal, which committed us to a new format for the League Cup, including a July group stage. No further detail regarding the League Cup was known/agreed at that time.
Similarly, I am happy to confirm full awareness of the existence of the Competitions Working Group.
I would stress, however, that contrary to what has been reported, Hearts did not have a representative on the Working Group.
In terms of detail in the press statement, I would take issue with comments, such as:-
“… all 42 clubs were again fully consulted on the considerations and recommendations of the working group...”
and
“… all clubs were given a detailed update on intentions for the Scottish League Cup…”
I have full notes from all of the meetings attended and do not consider the above remarks to accurately reflect the level of discussion/briefing.
Press Reporting
While my interview has been fairly accurately reported, in my opinion much of the press coverage on this issue has been sensationalist and ill-informed. When challenged, a number of journalists have openly admitted that they have not contacted ourselves or other clubs to verify statements made in the last 36 hours. We would have been happy to take questions. So, do not, as they say, believe everything you read in the papers!
Underlying Issue
The key factors underlying this difference of opinion, centre around two questions. Firstly, what is the purpose of setting up Working Groups if their findings and recommendations are not to be shared with all member clubs? Secondly, to what extent is it the responsibility of League representatives on the SPFL Board to keep the member clubs they represent fully briefed on key discussions/decisions; and indeed, to what extent should they consult the member clubs before casting a vote, ostensibly on their behalf?
I would emphasise that I am not alone in expressing surprise and disappointment that no final discussion/briefing on this matter took place with those member clubs, who were not involved in the Working Group and do not have seats on the SPFL Board.
There was widespread expectation that such a meeting would take place before any public announcement.
We have been contacted by a number of other clubs, over the past 48 hours, who have expressed the view that they share our dissatisfaction with the process. They absolutely expected a meeting to enable full understanding of the implications of the proposed format, prior to any announcement being made. Those who have contacted us include individuals who were themselves on the Working Group!
In Conclusion
Whatever the rights or wrongs of why this disagreement has come about, I would stand by my conviction that clubs must speak out if they are unhappy with how decisions are being made and communicated.
For the last 18 months, we have worked tirelessly to make a positive contribution to Scottish football; and will continue to do so. I answered an honest question with an honest answer.
I also believe that the SPFL must address the fact that, whether real or perceived, there is a widely-held view that communication between the SPFL and its members, is poor. Poor communication was one of the main findings of the Deloitte strategy review discussed at the SPFL Board meeting in August 2014; notes of which were then circulated to member clubs. The Board agreed at that time to establish seven Working Groups to address the key recommendations in the Deloitte Report. One of those working groups was the Competition Working Group involved here; another was to address Communications. Hearts is represented on the Communications Working Group. As of today, more than a year later, there have been no meetings of the Communication Working Group.Abraj Kudai is a hotel currently under construction in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It was projected to open in 2017, but a financial hiccup in 2015 halted construction and pushed out its completion to 2019 or 2020.[1] When completed, it will be the largest hotel in the world, consisting of a ring of 12 towers 45 stories high, with 10,000 bedrooms, 70 restaurants, and four rooftop helipads. There will also be five floors for the sole use of the Saudi royal family.[2] According to Arabian Business, 10 of the towers will provide four-star accommodations, while the other two towers will be reserved for special clientele offering five-star amenities.[3][4]
The estimated project cost is US$3.5 billion, and will cover approximately 1.4 million square metres.[5] The London-based firm Areen Hospitality has been contracted to design the hotel and the rooms interiors.[3]
Controversy [ edit ]
As the owner of the Abraj Kudai project, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Finance is also a prime customer of The Saudi Binladin Group (SBL), one of the country's largest construction companies. The actions of the government directly affect SBL and so when low oil prices began propelling the government "to cancel or suspend projects and delay payments", SBL suffers too. Further exacerbating the situation, as reported by Gulf Business, was when one of SBL's cranes fell into the Grand Mosque in Mecca, resulting in 107 deaths and the company being banned "from receiving new state contracts altogether." In response to its potential financial collapse, the conglomerate laid off thousands of employees and stopped work on several important projects including Abraj Kudai.
Unconfirmed reports in August 2017 indicated that work was expected to resume on the hotel project.[6]
References [ edit ]
Official Website
Coordinates:The High School University magnet is being redesigned to include a majors system in which students will be required to declare a specialty by the end of their sophomore year.
The changes are a response to last April’s audit of Manual’s magnet programs, which recommended changes to HSU.
The new majors include World Studies, American Studies, Web Design, Fashion, Consumer Science, Social Sciences, Humanities, Biopsychosocial Sciences, Life Sciences and Information Technology. Students who wish to design their own majors can present their custom curricula to the HSU committee for approval.
Incoming HSU students will be required to complete four elective courses in their respective clusters in order to graduate. Courses taken in freshmen and sophomore years will be counted retroactively.
These new graduation requirements will only apply to incoming HSU students, so current students will not be asked to declare a major.
“This system will allow our HSU students to have a bit more of a focus,” said Magnet Coordinator Mr. Tim Holman (Social Studies). “By taking a concentration of at least four of these elective classes, they walk away able to say that they graduated with detailed knowledge in a specific subject area.”
Some current HSU students think the policy is too restrictive. “The new system sounds a little too forceful,” says Bailey Wojciak (10, HSU). “It’s very hard to set your classes when you don’t even know what you want to do when you grow up.”
Others think that the new system will help push students in the right direction while still offering flexibility. “The major system would be extremely beneficial for HSU kids because we have the most number of electives we can take,” said Lynn Ogawa (11, HSU). “This system can guide us to take specific electives.”It sounds like the most useless advice imaginable: Just put on a happy face. Conventional wisdom is that smiling is an effect of feeling happy, rather than the other way around. Simply smiling in stressful situations can’t possibly make you feel any better, right?
Wrong. A fascinating new study by University of Kansas psychologists that will soon be published in the journal Psychological Science indicates that, in some circumstances, smiling can actually reduce stress and help us feel better.
“Age old adages, such as ‘grin and bear it,’ have suggested smiling to be not only an important nonverbal indicator of happiness but also wishfully promotes smiling as a panacea for life’s stressful events,” said researcher Tara Kraft. “We wanted to examine whether these adages had scientific merit; whether smiling could have real health-relevant benefits.”
To investigate the claim, the researchers recruited 169 willing college students for a hands-on experiment. But they had to engage in a bit of deception. Actually telling the participants that they were testing whether smiling would make them happier would have distorted the results, so the students were told that the experiment was about multi-tasking.
First, the participants were instructed on how to perform an unusual task: holding chopsticks in their mouths in particular ways that prompted various facial expressions. They were divided into three groups, one that was taught how to form a neutral expression, one that learned how to form a normal smile, and one that was instructed to form a Duchenne smile (also known as a genuine smile), which involves the use of eye muscles, as well as those around the mouth. Additionally, only half of the smilers actually heard the world “smile” during the learning phase; the others were simply taught how to hold the chopsticks in a way that produced smiles, without the expression being identified as such.
Next, the students were put in “multi-tasking situations” that were intentionally designed to be stressful. In the first one, they were asked to trace a star shape with their non-dominant hand while looking only at a mirror image of it, and were misled about the average person’s accuracy in completing the task. While attempting to execute the maneuver with as few errors as possible to win a reward (a chocolate), they were continually reminded to hold the chopsticks in their mouths to maintain the intended facial expression. Afterward, they were instructed to do the same as their hands were submerged in ice water.
During and after each of these tasks, the participants’ heart rates were continuously monitored, and at regular intervals, they were asked to report their levels of stress.
The experiment’s findings were startling. As a whole, the smilers had lower heart rates while recovering from the stressful tasks than those who had assumed neutral expressions, and those with Duchenne smiles had lower heart rates yet. Even those who were smiling only due to their instructed chopstick position—without explicitly being told to smile—showed the same effect. Since heart rate is an indicator of the body’s stress response, it seems as though the act of smiling actually reduced the participants’ overall stress level.
Most intriguingly, a small difference was noted in the self-reported stress levels of the groups after the ice water task. Although the amount of positive feelings declined for all participants after putting their hands in ice water, the decline was slightly smaller for smilers than for those with neutral expressions.
Researchers are baffled regarding why this might happen. The connection between facial expressions and underlying mental states is still largely unexplored, but some have suggested that smiling could reduce levels of cortisol, a stress-related hormone. This study flips our traditional understanding of emotion and appearance on its head: Feeling good could sometimes be a consequence of smiling, not just the other way around.
What does this mean for your daily life? When feeling stressed, try forcing a smile on your face. If you can manage a genuine, Duchenne smile—what people often refer to as “smiling with your eyes,” not just your mouth—that’s even better. For whatever reason, forcing yourself to look happier could actually end up helping you feel happier.
“The next time you are stuck in traffic or are experiencing some other type of stress you might try to hold your face in a smile for a moment,” said Sarah Pressman, one of the researchers. “Not only will it help you ‘grin and bear it’ psychologically, but it might actually help your heart health as well.”Fernando Alonso is recovering at his residence in Dubai
McLaren have admitted they do not know the cause of Fernando Alonso's crash in pre-season testing nor when he will return to the cockpit.
The Spaniard misses the season-opening Australian Grand Prix to recover from concussion sustained on 22 February.
The team initially said strong winds caused him to lose control at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
But they have now said "it is not known exactly why the accident occurred" and it is "not up to us" when he returns.
Alonso, who has been signed by McLaren-Honda this season on a three-year deal worth $40m (£27.1m) a year, has said he intends to return for the next race in Malaysia on 27-29 March.
But to do so he must be cleared by his own doctors, who advised him to miss Australia, and pass extensive medical tests by governing body the FIA.
McLaren admit they do not know what caused the crash
There is video of the accident from closed-circuit television cameras at the track and from a camera mounted to the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel, which was following Alonso at the time he crashed.
But the images are said to be poor quality, indistinct and inconclusive by insiders who have seen them.
There has been speculation that Alonso, who lost control of his car at about 134mph, suffered some kind of cerebral malfunction and might possibly have been unconscious before hitting the wall.
But McLaren say all tests on the 33-year-old have been negative.
A spokesman told BBC Sport: "After undertaking a very thorough analysis, we are confident that the accident was not caused by a car malfunction of any kind.
Media playback is not supported on this device Three drivers? What's going on at Sauber?
"Equally, the exhaustive imaging and monitoring tests that Fernando has undergone have revealed no abnormalities whatsoever.
"Bearing both those facts in mind, it is not known exactly why the accident occurred.
"Nonetheless, we at McLaren-Honda are continuing to liaise and co-operate with the FIA, and with Fernando's doctors, but it will not be up to us to decide when he will return to the cockpit.
"In the meantime, therefore, all we can say is that he feels fit and well, he is training hard, and he is keen to go racing again as soon as possible.
"It goes without saying that, on his behalf, we share that keenness."
The FIA has given no information on its investigation into the accident nor when it might reveal its findings.
The governing body is expected to stay silent on the issue until its doctor tests Alonso, which will be in Malaysia if he goes to the race.
McLaren chairman Ron Dennis has admitted the cause of the accident may never be known.
Australian GP practice results
Australian GP coverage details“To many minds here in China the U.S. dollar’s time is almost up,” wrote Stephen Green, an economist in the Shanghai offices of Standard Chartered, in a research note last Thursday. “The euro zone suffers from political paralysis and a too-conservative central bank, while two decades of economic stagnation and a shrinking population do the yen no favors.”
For decades, China has shielded the renminbi behind high barriers. Authorities in Beijing prevented sizable amounts of the currency from building up beyond China’s borders to allow them to control the exchange rate and tightly regulate the financial system.
By keeping the exchange rate low, China keeps its exports competitive.
But, as a result, almost all payments for China’s imports and exports, as well as international investment in China and Chinese investment abroad, are made in dollars. Smaller sums cross China’s borders as euros and yen, but seldom renminbi.
China is now starting to tear down these walls and free the renminbi — a decision driven partly by recognition of China’s rising role in the world economy and partly by disenchantment with the currencies and financial systems of the industrialized world during the current downturn.
“China definitely wants to reduce its dependence on the U.S. dollar,” said Xu Xiaonian, an economist at the China Europe International Business School. “Given the quantitative easing of the Fed and the risk of worldwide inflation, it is understandable why China would want to accelerate the convertibility of the renminbi.”
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China’s leaders tend to plan far ahead, however, and full convertibility for the renminbi is likely to take years, said three people who have discussed the issue with China’s central bank policy makers. All three said that China’s recently announced goal to turn Shanghai into an international financial center by 2020 meant that China probably wants a renminbi that is fully convertible into other currencies by then.
Full convertibility is necessary for other countries’ central banks to hold renminbi in their foreign exchange reserves instead of the dollar, but not sufficient by itself. China also needs to show long-term economic and financial stability — something it has demonstrated over the past year in greater abundance than most countries.
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Currency specialists and economists estimate that China still holds close to three-quarters of its $2 trillion in foreign reserves in the form of dollar-denominated assets. But these holdings have nearly stopped growing since the global financial crisis began last September, as Chinese authorities have also shifted away from the longer-maturity bonds and the securities of government-sponsored enterprises like Fannie Mae, and toward shorter-dated securities, especially Treasury bills.
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Zhou Xiaochuan, the governor of the People’s Bank of China, called this spring for a greater role in the global financial system for special drawing rights, a unit of account used in dealings with the International Monetary Fund. But Mr. He, the vice foreign minister, said on Sunday that such discussions were an academic exercise.
Eswar S. Prasad, the former head of the I.M.F.’s China division, said that senior Chinese central bankers had told him that Mr. Zhou’s suggestions about using special drawing rights as a kind of global currency were intended to stimulate debate, and that China’s main goal is to enhance the role of its own currency.
“The Chinese authorities see full convertibility as a long-term objective, recognizing this is essential for the renminbi to become an international reserve currency,” Mr. Prasad said.
Full convertibility of the renminbi is not an unalloyed benefit for China, because it would be harder, although not impossible, for China’s central bank to continue controlling the currency’s value in terms of the dollar. A sharp rise in the renminbi could drive thousands of export factories out of business and cause large-scale layoffs, which the Communist Party fears as potentially destabilizing. A more volatile currency would also require Chinese businesses to develop more sophistication in managing risk, and most likely involve losses along the way among those that fail to do so.
In the last several months, Beijing authorities have begun moving to let central banks from Argentina to Malaysia settle payments in renminbi with China’s central bank. On Monday, the government moved gingerly toward allowing the private sector to handle more renminbi beyond mainland China’s borders.
The new program is restricted to companies in Shanghai and in the biggest cities of Guangdong Province, a center of exports next door to Hong Kong. Companies in these cities are now eligible to send or receive payments in renminbi with customers or suppliers in Hong Kong, Macao and Southeast Asia.
Chinese exporters have been eager to see the renminbi used more widely for trade — particularly after many suffered losses a year ago, when the Chinese authorities allowed the renminbi to rise 8 percent against the dollar from December 2007 until the exchange rate was frozen through market interventions in late July 2008. That rise in the renminbi hurt Chinese companies that had signed contracts to export goods for payments in dollars, only to find that those dollars did not go as far as they hoped in covering expenses incurred in renminbi.
“Expanding the renminbi usage area and making it more flexible is great news as we sell a lot to various countries overseas — this should also remove the risks associated with currency fluctuations,” said Wang Yapeng, a sales manager at Shanghai Electric International Economic and Trading Company Ltd., which exports a wide range of machine parts.Minister for Cycling Robert Goodwill has reiterated that the official line from the Department for Transport (DfT) is that cyclists may ride on the footway – more commonly referred to as pavements – provided they do so considerately, and that police officers need to exercise discretion.
The confirmation came in an email sent to a cycle campaigner in London just two days after the Metropolitan Police confirmed nearly 1,000 cyclists had been fined for pavement cycling as part of its Operation Safeway.
In a letter emailed to Donnachadh McCarthy of the pressure group Stop Killing Cyclists, which has recently held protests outside the headquarters of Transport for London (TfL) on Southwark Bridge Road and at Vauxhall Cross, the minister said that original guidance issued by the Home Office 15 years ago when Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) were introduced, and repeated in 2004, was still valid.
Mr Goodwill told Mr McCarthy, who had written to his ministerial colleague at the DfT, Baroness Kramer, in December: “Thank you for bringing the issue of cycling on the pavement around dangerous junctions such as Vauxhall Cross to my attention. I agree that the police should be using discretion in enforcing this law and would support Paul Boateng’s original guidance. You may wish to write to Sir Hugh Orde, President of the Association of Chief police Officers, to bring this matter to his attention too."
That guidance from Mr Boateng, issued in 1999 said: “The introduction of the fixed penalty is not aimed at responsible cyclists who sometimes feel obliged to use the pavement out of fear of traffic and who show consideration to other pavement users when doing so. Chief police officers, who are responsible for enforcement, acknowledge that many cyclists, particularly children and young people, are afraid to cycle on the road, sensitivity and careful use of police discretion is required.”
Stop Killing Cyclists has hailed the minister's clarification as its first major success and Mr McCarthy said: “Fining vulnerable cyclists for cycling responsibly on the pavement at extremely dangerous junctions like Vauxhall Cross, is a bedroom tax on two-wheels as there is no safe alternative for them to cycle on.”
In a press release, the group added that it "is calling for an urgent meeting with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner to discuss policing of cyclists in the capital.
Together with issues such as red light jumping, cyclists riding on the pavement is an issue that regularly sees bike riders come under criticism, and is one that is regularly highlighted at meetings between the police and local residents across the country.
While it is rare for pedestrians to be killed or seriously injured following a collision with a cyclist, occasionally cases do hit the headlines where the latter has been riding recklessly.
Last month a cyclist received a suspended prison sentence for wanton and furious driving after he collided with a teenage girl on a shared footpath on Southend-on-Sea’s promenade, leaving her with life-threatening head injuries.Madeline Ratcliffe
As Big Four accountancy firm PwC publishes its annual report Madeline Ratcliffe talks to chairman Ian Powell.PWC, ONE of the world’s largest financial services companies, will today report their full year profits increased by six per cent, to £818m, reflecting a policy of growth and investment over the last eight years.The Big Four firm said revenues in all four departments – assurance, tax, deals and consulting – were up, and it had managed to shake-off a number of potential problems including the introduction of mandatory audit rotation for listed EU countries, and sharp criticism from the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee over its tax practice.In February MPs accused the accountants of “promoting tax avoidance on an industrial scale,” which the company vigorously denied. Chairman Ian Powell told City A.M.: “We try to be transparent on our own tax arrangements and we advise business to be transparent in the way that they report their tax. We do draw to our clients’ attention the reputational issues as well.“But as long as countries are using tax to make their own country more attractive for business investment you will see tax arbitrage (capitalising on the difference), you will see big companies looking at the international aspect of tax to move their operations round the world.“I think people would like to see a simplification of the tax system, I think that would enhance trust. We are engaging with the politicians in terms of the discussion around that.”He also pointed out that the firm paid over £1bn in taxes to the Exchequer this year, and for the last four years has disclosed the effective rate of tax for the partners, which is about 48 per cent this year.At least 80 per cent of the firm’s clients have UK headquarters.Powell said he was especially proud of the way the firm had handled the recession, and that the company’s growth for the year to 30 June was a direct result of “investing throughout the crisis, not going for short-term profit, really thinking about long-term growth. We held our nerve, and recruited, and accepted stable or very slow growth.”He added such a strategy was largely possible because of PwC’s size and market position, which afforded a freedom that is not an option for many listed companies.This long-term strategy continues. Although profits were slightly ahead of expectations, Powell said of the company's forecast for next year: “we will continue to invest in the business by promoting and recruiting people, so this coming year we won’t budget for significant growth, we would budget for long term investment.”It represents a cautious optimism which Powell says he has seen for UK firms, largely due to the increasing strength of the US economy, which has driven confidence and material gains here. This is why the firm’s M&A business is “particularly buoyant,” unusually alongside growth in business recovery operations too, which provides debt and restructuring advice, and so tends to be counter-cyclical.One set of statistics less heartening was the number of female to male partners at the company, at 17.1 per cent. The firm has led the way in publishing gender pay statistics, and is not afraid of advocating for changes to the law to force all companies to do so. PwC’s own gender pay gap is 15.3 per cent, compared with the national average 19.1 per cent. One of its strategies to reduce this is a 30 per cent quota – the minimum number of female promotions to partner.Republican leaders and their water carriers want you to think the filibuster is an immovable object blocking conservative legislation. But that’s not true, neither historically nor politically. Beating the filibuster just takes guts and a desire to win.
The filibuster, as designed and implemented, is not a minority veto on legislation. It is merely a delaying tactic. A filibuster can only prevent the passage of a bill when the leadership consents to that. That is, only if the majority leader caves to the filibustering Senators will the filibuster veto, rather than delay, a bill.
Majority leaders rarely wish to look like they’re caving, so they put in a rule to allow themselves to give in without looking like it. This is called the “two-track” system, whereby a majority leader can set aside the filibustered bill and bring another bill up for a vote instead. Since the two track system was implemented, the use of the filibuster has grown as the minority has taken advantage of that displayed weakness.
When Democrat Strom Thurmond filibustered the Civil Rights Act for 24 hours in 1957, or when Republican Ted Cruz filibustered a continuing resolution for 21 hours in 2013, those filibusters did not veto their targeted bills. The filibuster worked as intended: the speakers were able to delay, gain attention, and give the public an opportunity to side for or against the bill. The minority had a chance to win the debate by throwing a road block in front of the leadership.
That’s what the filibuster is good for, and what it’s meant for. Mitch McConnell and the Republicans can bring the filibuster back to that simply by ending use of the two-track system. Tell the Democrats that they can get up and speak, and filibuster any bill, but that as long as they do that, then they are blocking all the business of the Senate. Let them shut down the government in order to filibuster. Make them be the heavies.
The Democrats won’t have the stomach to shut down the government indefinitely. They have less nerve for that than Republicans do, even, because their unionized patrons cannot tolerate it. They need government funneling cash into the coffers of the unions that donate to their campaigns, and when government employees get disgruntled, that threatens their funding.
Take a stand for once in your miserable careers, Senate Republican leaders. Repeal Obamacare, root and branch, like you promised. Be men of your words, or be proven as useless liars.There's a photo taken on media day of John Henson, Larry Sanders and NBA newbie Giannis Antetokounmpo standing next to one another, arms stretched out, touching fingers.
The key to the pic is not the 21 feet their combined arm length covers, it is the expression on Antetokounmpo's face. Just look at his face. The whole face. Not just the smile; that's too easy. The story of Giannis Antetokoumpo can be found in the soul of what his face says at that moment the shutter on the camera closed.
"I just wanted to get here," the young Antetokonumpo says to me. "Get here to play in the League. When I got here I had to ask myself, 'Can I play in this league?' Then I go out and compete with the other guys, and uh, Coach gives me that chance to go out there and compete, and I see I belong in this League. Even though I'm 19 years old, I feel like I can do something."
It's joy. Pure. Unsoiled and undisturbed. Innocent. The joy of the game. The joy of simply being able to -- at 18 years old at the time of that picture -- know that the feeling you have at that moment can be the beginning of the rest of your life.
When is the last time someone averaging slightly more than seven points and four rebounds per game generated this much interest? Someone who has only been in 44 games in the NBA, started only 21? With only two double-doubles and five DNP-CDs? Why have national magazines, newspapers and websites given Ant |
no federal framework in place, it falls to provincial governments and medical colleges to regulate the practice of doctor-assisted death.
Colleges have already developed guidelines, but these rely on the wording of the Carter decision. That means some people will be eligible for assisted death, starting on Monday, who may become ineligible when Bill C-14 passes, if it is not amended to reflect the wording of the Supreme Court judgment.
• Email: mdsmith@postmedia.com | Twitter: amariedaniellesThe Air Force Academy doesn’t usually produce NFL-sized wide receivers that are considered redzone threats. Well, Jalen Robinette made a name for himself at the Academy, and now will be looking to make a name for himself in the NFL. There’s no doubt that his skill set and size will be intriguing to NFL teams.
PROFILE
Jalen Robinette
Senior
Unranked Recruit
*Dominator Rating: 48.8%
*Breakout Age: 19.6
Age: 23
COMBINE
Height 6’3″
Weight 220 lbs.
Arm Length 32⅜”
Hand Size 10⅞”
40 Yard Dash 4.62
Vertical Jump 31½”
Broad Jump 120″
3-Cone Drill 6.77
20 Yard Shuttle 4.46
60 Yard Shuttle 11.68
Bench Press 13 reps
(*Dominator Rating and Breakout Age provided by playerprofiler.com)
BACKGROUND
Overcoming adversity is a difficult thing to do, but Robinette has had to defeat the odds his entire life. Robinette’s mother Trine Rowell is African-American and his father Michael Robinette is white. This unconventional background led to Jalen dealing with racial questioning from those around him, according to an article by Brent Briggeman of The Gazette. Briggeman’s article explained that since Robinette’s mother was just a teenager when Robinette was born, he was already put at a statistical disadvantage from the start.
In the same article by Briggeman, a study from the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy explains that students born to teen mothers are 50% more likely to repeat grades and less likely to complete high school. Not only did Robinette defeat the odds, he put them to shame.
Robinette has outstanding athletic genes. He ended up following in his father’s footsteps and played high school basketball, lettering all four years. His mother ran relays in college which was influential to Robinette as he would run track as well.
Both basketball and track experience would benefit Robinette, considering he played wide receiver and quarterback while at Bexley High School. His mother made sure to make most of Robinette’s football games. At his last game of his high school career, he put his mother’s last name, Rowell, on the back of his jersey as a tribute to her and the sacrifices she made to be there for him.
His football career would continue as he signed as an unranked recruit with the Air Force Academy on May 9, 2012. He would be the second leading receiver his freshman year with 291 yards on 16 receptions and three touchdowns. His average yards per catch would increase each year from 18.2 his freshman year to 27.4 his senior year.
What is really telling is that during his sophomore year, he had 43 receptions with 18.7 average yards per catch while his senior year he had 35 receptions with 27. 4 yards per catch. He would have only 153 more total yards his sophomore year than his senior year. His college career would end with 2697 yards on 120 receptions and 18 touchdowns while averaging 22.5 yards per catch.
SCOUTING REPORT
Key Positives
Size:
At 6’3” and 220lbs., Robinette has the frame needed to be successful at the next level. His long arms and baseball-mitt hands make for an elite catch radius. Teams would most likely want to use Robinette in redzone situations, as he has the basketball experience and length to box out defenders and high point the ball at the catch point.
Body Control and Balance:
An impressive trait that Robinette possess is his body control and adjustment to the ball. He knows where he is on the field and demonstrates good awareness, to not only adjust to the ball, but track the ball. His mental awareness is indeed a plus when it comes to how he times his body adjustment.
On this play, Robinette does a good job of tracking the ball and not allowing the oncoming defender to phase his decision-making. He does a great job of quickly analyzing the situation while using a very good shift in body weight to redirect himself and make the defender miss. His above average contact balance and functional strength allow him to stay on his feet and run into the endzone.
Here Robinette misleads the defender to the inside while gaining leverage to the outside. He then maintains outstanding control and balance to gain extra yards. This one play displays how his tenacity, body control and awareness combine to help Robinette make this play successful.
Blocking:
Falcons pass the ball on an average of 15% of the time. This doesn’t help Robinette’s stats because it’s a double-edge sword, as this type of system has forced him to have experience run-blocking. His technique needs some fine tuning, but the willingness and physicality are evident. He uses his length and frame well, clamping his hands into the shoulder pads of the defender while maintaining good knee and elbow bend.
Key Negatives
Concentration:
For every “wow” moment that Robinette showcases, there are moments where his lack of concentration plagues him. He attempts to frame the football with his hands, yet allows the ball to go right through his fingertips. A lot of times it’s when he is attempting to catch away from his body that he has difficulty with his concentration. For a guy that has almost 11” hands, this is unacceptable. The inconsistency when high pointing or catching away from his body can be very concerning when translating his game to the NFL.
Route Running:
Playing in an offense that focuses on running the ball doesn’t bode well for a receiver understanding and learning route concepts. It’s unfair to knock a guy for the offense he plays in, but there are other concerns that will limit his route running.
First, his lateral quickness is below average. At times he is almost coming to a complete stop to change direction. There is no fluidity in his movements and he runs too upright, taking more time for him to lower his body and adjust his hips to break in his routes.
Second, he overuses his upper and lower body gestures, hindering whatever story he was trying to tell with his routes. His head fakes and arm movements will be used once or twice before he attempts to redirect into his route. By this time the defender has caught on to his phony deceptiveness.
Lastly, his lack of explosion and burst off the line of scrimmage limits his ability to beat faster and more agile defenders. He has a decent amount of acceleration that helps him beat man coverage from time to time, but he lacks the initial first step to generate a good cushion. If he can learn to use his hands and physicality more functionally against man or press, his lack of explosion won’t deter his ability to beat this type of coverage.
Conclusion
There is a ton of upside with Robinette. It is important to understand his background to comprehend what type of player you are going to get. He has high character, high work ethic and is very family oriented. He is a natural leader that all NFL teams should want in the locker room. The fact that he has proven to overcome adversity is just the icing on the cake.
His NFL size mixed with his above-average balance, leverage and physicality make him a very appealing vertical threat. Teams will most likely use him in redzone situations and if used properly, he could make a living in the endzone. Robinette is likely a mid to late pick in the NFL draft, and a third or fourth round pick in a fantasy dynasty draft with landing spot determining his upside.Researcher Ermanno Pietrosemoli has set what appears to be a new record for the longest communication link with Wi-Fi.
Pietrosemoli, president of the Escuela Latinoamerica de Redes (which means networking school of Latin America) established a Wi-Fi link between two computers located in El Aguila and Platillon Mountain, Venezuela. That's a distance of 382 kilometers, or 238 miles. He used technology from Intel, which is concocting its own long-range Wi-Fi equipment, and some off-the-shelf parts. Pietrosemoli gets about 3 megabits per second in each direction on his long-range connections.
Most Wi-Fi signals only go only a few meters before petering out. Conventional Wi-Fi transmitters, however, send signals in all directions. By directing the signal to a specific point, range can be increased.
Honing the signal, however, means that the receiver and transmitter have to be aligned. Trees, buildings and other objects that get between them can sever the link. The curvature of Earth, misalignment between the transmitter and receiver, as well as shaking and any sort of movement at the transmitting or receiving end can also impair the signal. (To ameliorate some of these factors, Intel has created a way to electrically steer the signal, which in turn increases bandwidth.)
Geography was on Pietrosemoli's side. El Aguila and Platillon Mountain sit in the Andes, which form fairly jagged peaks in this part of the range.
The old record was 310 kilometers. Swedish scientists made a link between a balloon and an Earth-bound station. We say "apparently" on Pietrosemoli's record, in case someone out there has set a better record about which we are unaware.
More details can be found in an article at the Web site for The Association for Progressive Communcations. (Inveneo, which is trying to bring PCs to emerging markets, told us about Pietrosemoli's achievement.)
Intel, along with organizations like Inveneo, are testing the feasibility of long-range Wi-Fi as a communication link in Uganda and other emerging nations. Long-range Wi-Fi isn't as robust at WiMax, but the towers cost a lot less. Some hobbyists have accomplished a long-range Wi-Fi connection with low bandwidth.
Similar experiments are being carried out in the United States as well. A long-range Wi-Fi link connects Intel Research's Berkeley Lab and a Sun Microsystems lab on the San Francisco Peninsula, more than 20 miles away.According to the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre, the increase could be due to the rising trend of informal volunteerism, which refers to people volunteering without going through any organisation.
SINGAPORE: The rate of volunteerism in Singapore has almost doubled from 2014 to 2016, according a survey conducted by the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) released on Wednesday (Mar 15).
Volunteerism rates jumped from 18 per cent in 2014 to 35 per cent in 2016, the survey showed.
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According to NVPC, the increase could be due to the rising trend of informal volunteerism, which refers to people volunteering without going through any organisation.
The Individual Giving Survey also found that the total amount of donations almost doubled from S$1.25 billion in 2014 to S$2.18 billion in 2016. Volunteering hours similarly doubled from 66 million hours in 2014 to 121 million hours in 2016. Individual volunteers, however, are volunteering fewer hours on average.
NVPC said that informal giving, whether through volunteering or donating, would continue to rise in Singapore as more Singaporeans start their own ground-up initiatives to serve the community.
Melissa Kwee, CEO of NVPC, cited the example of people showing initiative to help others in the aftermath of the death of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. For instance, many took it upon themselves to distribute umbrellas and water to those who were queuing outside Parliament House to pay respects to Mr Lee as he lay in state.
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HEY WHAT’S UP???On September 20 international not-for-profit organization the Carbon Disclosure Project released the results of this year's carbon disclosure and climate change strategies from companies around the world.
Each company is ranked out of 100 for the detail of their response regarding their carbon emissions; a high score in Carbon Disclosure equals a comprehensive report into their carbon practices. This year, for the first time ever, the report also includes a Carbon Performance score which ranks and recognizes companies that are taking positive measures to reduce the impact of their business on climate change.
Later in the year, companies addressing environmental issues will also be acknowledged in The Green Awards. The Awards recognize companies that have used marketing and communications campaigns to promote the issue of environmental sustainability in a creative manner. Past winners of the competition include mobile phone company Nokia and soft drinks manufacturer Coca-Cola.
Join Independent Minds For exclusive articles, events and an advertising-free read for just £5.99 €6.99 $9.99 a month Get the best of The Independent With an Independent Minds subscription for just £5.99 €6.99 $9.99 a month Get the best of The Independent Without the ads – for just £5.99 €6.99 $9.99 a month
Environmentally friendly business practices are becoming increasingly important to both manufacturers and consumers; reports show that consumers look more favorably upon companies that are perceived to be 'green' and are more willing to spend larger amounts of money on products they deem environmentally friendly.
The top ten 'Global 500' companies recognized on the Carbon Disclosure Leadership (CDL) index and the Carbon Performance Index (CPI) are as follows:Virtual Currencies and Beyond : Initial Considerations
Author/Editor:
Dong He ; Karl F Habermeier ; Ross B Leckow ; Vikram Haksar ; Yasmin Almeida ; Mikari Kashima ; Nadim Kyriakos-Saad ; Hiroko Oura ; Tahsin Saadi Sedik ; Natalia Stetsenko ; Concha Verdugo Yepes
Publication Date:
January 20, 2016
Electronic Access:
Free Full Text. Use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this PDF file
Summary:
New technologies are driving transformational changes in the global financial system. Virtual currencies (VCs) and the underlying distributed ledger systems are among these. VCs offer many potential benefits, but also considerable risks. VCs could raise efficiency and in the long run strengthen financial inclusion. At the same time, VCs could be potential vehicles for money laundering, terrorist financing, tax evasion and fraud. While risks to the conduct of monetary policy seem less likely to arise at this stage given the very small scale of VCs, risks to financial stability may eventually emerge as the new technologies become more widely used. National authorities have begun to address these challenges and will need to calibrate regulation in a manner that appropriately addresses the risks without stifling innovation. As experience is gained, international standards and best practices could be considered to provide guidance on the most appropriate regulatory responses in different fields, thereby promoting harmonization and cooperation across jurisdictions.The arrest of a Turkish dissident has again highlighted the way rogue regimes use Interpol to hunt their enemies inside the EU.
Armed police arrested Dogan Akhanli on Saturday (19 August) morning at his hotel in Granada, Spain, handcuffed him, and drove him for questioning at a regional HQ.
Akhnali has spoken out against Erdogan's genocide denial and human rights abuses (Photo: Raimond Spekking)
The 60-year old writer was later freed, but is not allowed to leave Spain until judges have decided whether to extradite him to Turkey.
“They [the police] were also surprised because they were looking for a terrorist and then a delicate old man stood before them. The picture did not fit,” Akhanli told Tagesschau, a German news service, on Sunday.
“I had opened the door in my underpants and my wife was still lying in bed,” he said.
The Spanish police came after him because Turkey had filed a so called “red notice” at Interpol, an international police agency based in France, for his arrest as a terrorist.
The writer, who is a critic of Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan and of Turkey’s denial of the Armenian Genocide, fled to Germany in the 1990s and obtained German citizenship after being persecuted in his home country.
“I thought I was safe in Europe. I thought Turkish arrogance cannot reach Europe, but probably this is not quite true,” he said.
“I find it a shame because Spanish democracy has experience with Franco and fascism and such tricks as have just been tried by Turkey,” he said, referring to a former Spanish dictator.
The Spanish police let Akhnali out of custody after German leader Angela Merkel and foreign minister Sigmar Gabriel spoke out on his behalf.
Merkel told the RTL broadcaster on Sunday that Turkey “must not misuse international organisations such as Interpol”.
She said that Akhnali was “unfortunately [just] one of many cases” in which Turkey had gone after German citizens for political reasons.
Gabriel said “it would be horrible if Turkey could have people jailed at the other end of Europe for raising their voice against president Erdogan”.
“I have full confidence in the Spanish judiciary and know that our friends and partners in the Spanish government know what is involved here,” he said, referring to Akhnali’s extradition process.
The Akhanli case is one of several in recent years to show Interpol’s openness to political abuse.
Germany itself, in 2015, arrested Ahmed Mansour, a journalist for the Al-Jazeera news agency, on an Interpol notice filed by the Egyptian regime.
Belgium, last year, arrested Maxime Azadi, a Kurdish journalist on a Turkish Interpol request.
Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Russia have routinely used Interpol notices and so called “diffusions” to hunt and harass political opponents in the EU.
Interpol, which is an independent intergovernmental body, has no external oversight.
It has an internal oversight body, the so-called CCIF, but this is just five people who meet three times a year to weed out political abuse from the 30,000 or so red notices and diffusions filed in Interpol’s database.
Akhanli told Tagesschau that: “I would never have expected such a quick reaction by German politicians … I am somewhat proud and glad that I am a German citizen and have this support”.
But Interpol’s critics have warned that dissidents with a smaller public profile have less chance of protection.
"What about the 'little man,' who is accused in some show trial? There is a high risk he gets stopped at the border just not knowing that Interpol has been notified," Eerik Kross, an Estonian politician who was hunted by Russia via Interpol, previously told EUobserver.
Merkel, in her remarks to RTL, mentioned that Turkey has also detained a German journalist, Deniz Yucel, on terrorism charges.
Erdogan, speaking on Saturday, indicated that he would only free Yucel if Germany extradited Turks living in Germany whom he has accused of complicity in last year’s failed coup.
Lady’s bargain?
“I gave the file of 4,500 terrorists to the lady in charge of Germany, and unfortunately the files of these terrorists were not accepted," Erdogan said.
“She asked me to return one person, two people, three people … forgive me, but you have your legal system and so do we,” he added.
He also urged the 1 million or so Turkish expats in Germany, who are eligible to take part in German elections in September, not to vote for Merkel.
"Teach them [Merkel’s CDU party] a lesson”, he said.
His remarks prompted criticism from Germany’s Gabriel and from Austria’s foreign minister, Sebastian Kurz.
Gabriel said it was an “unprecedented act of interference in the sovereignty of our country”.
Kurz said Erdogan was “trying to manipulate Turkish communities, especially in Germany and Austria. He is … importing conflicts from Turkey to the EU”.For Immediate Release, December 3, 2014 Contact: Jeff Miller, (510) 499-9185 California's Tricolored Blackbirds Get Emergency Protection Central Valley Birds Suffered More Than 60 Percent Decline in Six Years VAN NUYS, Calif.— The California Fish and Game Commission today enacted emergency protections for tricolored blackbirds in response to a petition filed by the Center for Biological Diversity in October. The commission has protected the tricolored blackbird under the California Endangered Species Act for 180 days. The Department of Fish and Wildlife will next evaluate the petition and recommend to the commission whether to protect tricolors on a permanent basis and impose limits on activities that kill or injure tricolored blackbirds. Photo courtesy USFWS. Photos are available for media use. “This species has been in a dangerous decline for years, so this is a very important step to protect tricolored blackbirds and their nesting colonies,” said the Center’s Jeff Miller. “Tricolors are particularly vulnerable to human impacts, because a small number of breeding colonies can contain most of the entire population. These new protections and limits on killing of tricolors are vital tools to try to help recover the population.” Tricolored blackbirds once formed massive nesting colonies of millions of birds in California’s Central Valley but have declined dramatically due to destruction of wetlands and native grasslands, shooting, pesticide use, and mowing and harvest of crops used as nesting sites during nesting season. Comprehensive statewide surveys of the entire population of tricolored blackbirds found an initial count of 395,000 birds in 2008 followed by a decline to 259,000 in 2011 and only 145,000 in 2014 — the smallest population ever recorded. Forced from their natural nesting sites by conversion of wetlands and native grasslands in the Central Valley to urban and agricultural development, many tricoloreds have adapted by nesting in agricultural crops — typically dairy silage fields. Crop harvesting often coincides with egg laying and hatching, and many eggs and nests are destroyed during harvests. Recent surveys documented up to half the entire tricolored population nesting in just two colonies in the Central Valley in dairy silage fields where thousands of nests containing eggs and hatchlings were mowed down during the harvest — despite the fact that mowing of active tricolor nesting colonies is supposed to be prevented by California Fish and Game Code Section 3503, which protects all bird nests and eggs from destruction. An unknown number of adult tricoloreds are also killed each year by rice farmers, who are allowed to kill other blackbirds to protect their crops. Today’s emergency protection should prevent or significantly limit such activities during the upcoming spring nesting season for tricolored blackbirds. “The commission has finally heard the warnings from biologists and conservationists about widespread losses of tricolored blackbirds and nesting colonies over the past two decades and taken action,” said Miller. “It’s crucial that harvesting and plowing activities on private lands used for tricolor breeding are prohibited or delayed during the upcoming 2015 nesting season — and that prohibitions on shooting are enforced.” Over the past decade the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and other partners have initiated voluntary measures to save tricolor nests from destruction during crop harvest by making crop purchases or reimbursing farmers for delayed harvest on private agricultural lands where tricolors nest. Unfortunately these measures have not stopped the decline of the species or prevented destruction of tricolor nests on many dairy farms and other agricultural lands in the Central Valley. In 2011, for example, 56 percent of all tricolor nests in silage fields were destroyed despite efforts to contact farmers and coordinate buyouts of harvest delays. Background
The tricolored blackbird (Agelaius tricolor) is a medium-sized bird that breeds in dense colonies in California’s Central Valley, coast ranges and Southern California. The primary breeding range is the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys. Adult males are a glossy blue-black with striking red and white shoulder patches, while females are mostly black with grayish streaks, with a small but distinct reddish shoulder patch. Tricolored blackbirds typically eat insects but will also take grains, snails and small clams. Tricoloreds form the largest breeding colonies of any North American land bird, with a single colony often consisting of tens of thousands of birds. These large breeding colonies are a defense again predation. In the 1800s one observer described a wintering tricolored flock in Solano County as “numbering so many thousands as to darken the sky for some distance by their masses,” and in the 1930s a biologist reported a flock of more than a million tricoloreds in the Sacramento Valley alone. Tricolored numbers declined in the Central Valley at least 50 percent between the 1930s and early 1970s, and an additional decline of approximately 56 percent of the remaining population was reported from 1994 to 2000. The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 800,000 members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.After months of speculation that Republican fundraiser and Dallas restaurant mogul Ray Washburne would join the Trump Administration, the Mi Cocina owner has officially been tapped for a new gig.
President Trump has chosen Washburne to lead the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, reports the Dallas Morning News. Washburne will serve as president of the government agency that assists American businesses in making investments in “emerging markets” overseas. Previously, it was rumored that Washburne would join Trump’s cabinet, potentially as Secretary of Commerce.
Washburne, whose M Crowd Restaurant Group operates multiple locations of Tex-Mex restaurants Mi Cocina and Taco Diner in Dallas-Fort Worth, faced criticism for his support of Trump last year, when he served as chair of the Trump Victory Committee. A group of local activists organized protests at the group’s restaurants, and Washburne was allegedly the target of death threats.
Washburne doesn’t have the gig just yet — his appointment must be confirmed by the Senate — but considering the Republican majority, it’s likely that he’ll sail right through.At its peak in the 1990s, Lai Changxing's smuggling empire transported chemicals, cooking oil, tobacco and cars. He had hundreds of police, customs officers and government officials on his payroll in the southern port city of Xiamen, which he ran like his own personal fiefdom.
But the law finally caught up with Lai: he was sentenced yesterday to life in prison for smuggling and bribery in a corruption case that reached into the highest echelons of the Communist Party and involved a 12-year extradition battle with Canada.
"The crimes involve massive sums and particularly serious circumstances," court officials told the Xinhua news agency.
We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. From 15p €0.18 $0.18 $0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras.
Between 1995 and 1999, Lai's company, Yuanhua, oversaw the smuggling of £2.64bn worth of goods, officials said, with the loss in revenues to Chinese customs estimated at £1.36bn.
Despite some public anger that the crime boss was apparently operating with impunity, Lai cultivated the image of a Chinese Robin Hood, and was often referred to as the "Bandit King". In his heyday he built football stadiums and handed out wads of cash to the poor.
But following an investigation he fled China, initially heading to Hong Kong and arriving in Canada in 1999. The extradition battle was drawn out because Lai claimed he would be tortured and executed amid fears that he might implicate senior officials. He was finally extradited to China last year after Beijing promised that he would not face execution.
Among the high-profile figures caught up in the scandal were Li Jizhou, China's former vice-security minister, who was given a suspended death sentence, the deputy mayor of Xiamen, and the wife of Jia Qinglin, the Fujian province party secretary until 1996 and an ally of then-president Jiang Zemin.
By some estimates, more than 500 senior officials have been implicated in Lai's activities. About 300 have been convicted, 14 were sentenced to death and another seven were summarily executed. Others committed suicide.
In July last year the People's Daily called it the biggest economic crime since the founding of the People's Republic in 1949.
Fighting corruption has become a priority for the Communist Party, as it is regularly cited as the issue that most angers the population, and Lai's conviction is being depicted in the state media as an example of the Party's progress in the battle.
We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view.
At The Independent, no one tells us what to write. That’s why, in an era of political lies and Brexit bias, more readers are turning to an independent source. Subscribe from just 15p a day for extra exclusives, events and ebooks – all with no ads.
Subscribe nowCity Council President Bill Linehan filed an order Monday that would give him and his colleagues a $25,000 raise, a proposal that appears to have support on the City Council.
The raise would increase councilors’ annual salaries to $112,500, a boost of nearly 29 percent from their current pay of $87,500. The raise would take effect immediately if passed by a simple majority of the 13-member council and signed by the mayor.
“I’ve going to vote for it,” said Councilor Frank Baker of Dorchester. “It’s difficult to live in Boston. I know $87,500 seems like a lot, but for a family of four and for the amount of work that we do? I’m out every night of the week. I start early and end late. We put in a lot of hours.”
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Councilor Mark Ciommo of Brighton said he was leaning toward yes but had not made a final decision on how he would vote because he wanted to gauge the fiscal impact on the city.
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“I am in favor of a raise,” Ciommo said. “I would like to follow the pattern that most city employees have gotten over the last 10 to 12 years, which is probably how long this is going to last.”
Eight councilors, including Linehan, could not be reached Monday for comment. Last week, Linehan told the Globe that he was going to push for a raise because councilors had not received one in eight years. The council president said he proposed a “moderate increase” that was “the same or less than what other city employees have received.”
“It’s long overdue, in my opinion,” Linehan said. “The sentiment is that it’s been a long time and that we need to address it. There are many people on the body who feel this is long overdue.”
The measure will be formally introduced at Wednesday’s council meeting.
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Linehan said in Friday’s story that the council would have a hearing to publicly air the proposal before holding a vote. The matter will be formally introduced at Wednesday’s council meeting.
The raise would give councilors a higher annual salary than 74 percent of city workers. The average pay for municipal employees is $64,733 a year, not including overtime.
With a salary of $112,500, councilors would be on par with elementary school principals, police and fire captains, and the chief engineer for the Public Works Department. The median household income in Boston is $53,136, according to the US Census.
Boston has more than 40 municipal unions representing roughly 91 percent of a workforce of more than 17,000. One union — Salaried Employees of North America. or SENA — represents middle managers and workers at Boston Centers for Youth and Families. The union has a collective bargaining agreement that runs until 2016. Employees will receive annual raises totaling 20.5 percent from July 2007 through the end of the contract.
Mayor Martin J. Walsh will wait until the City Council votes before deciding whether he will approve a raise, said press secretary Kate Norton.
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Councilor at Large Stephen J. Murphy said he did not know whether he would vote in favor of the raise. “I’m going to go to the hearing whenever that is and let the legislative process take its course and figure it out,” Murphy said.
Councilor Tito Jackson said he had not had an opportunity to study the proposal.
“Once I see what we’re voting on, I’ll be able to make a decision,” Jackson said, adding that the high cost of living in Boston should be taken into consideration.
“I think the work that we do is valuable.” Jackson said.
Councilor at Large Ayanna Pressley did not say whether she supported the raise but noted that there would be a hearing.
“I’ve a lot of questions,” Pressley said.
The remaining seven councilors who could not be reached for comment were Charles C. Yancey of Dorchester; Josh Zakim of Back Bay; Michelle Wu of the South End; Michael F. Flaherty Jr. of South Boston, who is councilor at large; Salvatore LaMattina of East Boston; Timothy McCarthy of Hyde Park; and Matt O’Malley of Jamaica Plain.
Andrew Ryan can be reached at acryan@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globeandrewryanU.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor submitted a racially-charged dissent in a Fourth Amendment case on Monday, which commentators hailed as a “Brown/Black Lives Matter manifesto.”
The case, Utah v. Strieff, was occasioned when police stopped Salt Lake City man Edward Strieff on leaving a house suspected to quarter drug activity. The state of Utah concedes the initial stop was illegal, as the officers in question had no probable cause to seize and search Strieff.
During the course of the stop, officers discovered Strieff had an outstanding warrant for a small traffic violation, and methamphetamine in his pocket. The Court was asked to decide whether the exclusionary rule — which prohibits police and prosecutors from using evidence obtained illegally — applies when an officer learns during an illegal stop that there is a warrant for an individual’s arrest, and finds additional contraband while executing the arrest on said warrant.
The High Court ruled 5-3 that the arrest, and the evidence obtained during the arrest, were legitimate, even if the initial stop was not. Justice Thomas wrote the majority opinion, joined by the Chief Justice, and Justices Kennedy, Breyer, and Alito.
Sotomayor filed a peppery dissent, joined in part by Justice Ginsburg.
“The white defendant in this case shows that anyone’s dignity can be violated in this manner,” she wrote. “But it is no secret that people of color are disproportionate victims of this type of scrutiny. For generations, black and brown parents have given their children ‘the talk’— instructing them never to run down the street; always keep your hands where they can be seen; do not even think of talking back to a stranger—all out of fear of how an officer with a gun will react to them.”
“We must not pretend that the countless people who are routinely targeted by police are ‘isolated,’” she continued. “They are the canaries in the coal mine whose deaths, civil and literal, warn us that no one can breathe in this atmosphere.”
Elsewhere in the dissent, she characterizes the United States as a “carceral state,” and pillories the “civil death” endured by those subject to arrest, a process she describes in vivid terms. She also accused the Court of treating minority communities as “second class citizens.”
The dissent’s citations are as interesting as the text itself, which read like a survey of the American black literary tradition. At various points, she cites “The Souls of Black Folk,” by W. E. B. Du Bois, Michelle Alexander, a law professor who has written extensively on over incarceration, and the more radical works of James Baldwin and Ta-Nehisi Coates.
Sotomayor has written passionately on racial issues before. Liberal commentators were effusive in their praise of her dissent in Schuette v. Coalition To Defend Affirmative Action, among the most widely read of the Court’s opinions in recent years.
“Race matters to a young woman’s sense of self when she states her hometown, and then is pressed, ‘No, where are you really from?’, regardless of how many generations her family has been in the country,” she wrote. “Race matters to a young person addressed by a stranger in a foreign language, which he does not understand because only English was spoken at home. Race matters because of the slights, the snickers, the silent judgments that reinforce that most crippling of thoughts: ‘I do not belong here.’”
Liberals observers lionized the dissent within minutes of its publication. Lawyer and journalist Glenn Greenwald said the opinion is a “perfect illustration of why diversity matters.” Adam Bonin, a Philadelphia attorney and DailyKos blogger, called it “epic and important.” “It’s a Brown/Black Lives Matter manifesto,” he added.
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Addressing the 47th anniversary of Tamil magazine Thuglaq, founded by the late Cho S Ramaswamy, Modi particularly referred to the noted journalist's ability for satire and humour and called for more of this in daily life.
"I think we need more satire and humour. Humour brings happiness in our lives. Humour is the best healer. The power of a smile or the power of laughter is more than the power of abuse or any other weapon," he said.
"Humour builds bridges instead |
joy’ being in their early 20s (as the advertising for products they can’t afford exhort them to do).
Return of the MOOC?
As I write, there is a sense among the professoriate that the MOOC monster has been somewhat stung, if not slayed. Like the dreaded creature in any horror movie worth its salt, however, a return is inevitable – especially when the protagonists least expect it. (For instance, just this morning the publically-funded New York Public Library announced that it would foot the bill for instructors to guide smaller groups in person through some of Coursera’s proprietary massive online courses, ‘as part of its own public-service mission.’)[23] But even if MOOCs as currently conceived and implemented do die, we are left with the same economic ‘realities’, and the same narrow circuits of thinking, which connect the sinister dots along the continuum between pedagogic distraction and destruction: ‘assessment’ (whereby more funds are allocated to ‘assess’ an educational initiative than to staff or mount it), ‘data’ (in which the quantative enjoys its ultimate triumph over more subtle and potentially revealing modes of interpretation), and ‘learning outcomes’ (where professors are forced to stuff the warm gelatinous sculptures of their conceptual edifice into the cold Tupperware boxes of mythical categorical clarity). Not to mention once again, the unethical minefield of soaring tuition rates, crushing student debt, a demoralised army of adjuncts, and the increasing adoption of automatic grading machines (surely the most tangible sign that we have tipped somewhere along the line into a dystopian situation: as if Kafka and Orwell were joint-appointed the Global Ministers for Education).
The sense that professors lost a war that they didn’t even know had been declared is increasingly difficult to shake off. Yet with FemTechNet and other such initiatives and counter-offensives, there is room for cautious optimism. It is not through rejecting technology, but by being mindful of its dangers, and strategic with its potentials, that the committed stewards of higher education can avoid being herded into the slaughterhouse.
* * *
At the end of last semester, I received a wonderful email from a student, who said – with only a touch of irony – that she would never have written such an outstanding final paper if it weren’t for my ‘sense of disappointment’, which she apparently felt all too palpably while we were discussing an early draft. This made me smile, as it perfectly captured the way that subtle interpersonal signals, including or especially body language, can inspire people to reach the proverbial next level. After all, no one wrote a great paper because they wanted to impress Wikipedia.
Dominic Pettman is Chair of Liberal Studies, New School for Social Research, and Professor of Culture & Media, Eugene Lang College. His most recent books are Human Error: Species-Being and Media Machines (Minnesota, 2011), Look at the Bunny: Totem, Taboo, Technology (Zero Books, 2013), and In Divisible Cities (Dead Letter Office / Punctum Press, 2013).
FootnotesLike many of us, common Americans, I too have been watching the rising violence of ever more ubiquitous protests with a mixture of disgust and trepidation. We on the right side of the political spectrum tend to impute the blame to the eight years of Obama’s administration’s perpetuating a narrative of division and racial inequality. Those on the left side of the isle are doing the same, imputing it to President Trump and his supporters. The truth is on neither side.
Violence is not a recent phenomenon and must be viewed in the context of history, if not ancient history, at least that of the late 19th and entire 20th century, the most violent century ever. Violence is based on a means-to-end philosophy and is thus almost always intended means to a pre-conceived goal. Unfortunately, those who perpetrate it are rarely aware of either.
As Carl Von Clausewitz, famous Prussian general and military theorist, said: War (violence) is “the continuation of politics by other means.” Pursuant to his definition, when political discourse fails, either war or violence ensues.
Engels stated that violence was necessary “to accelerate economic development.” Mao Tse-tung surpassed this statement with his own version: “Power grows out of the barrel of a gun.” Mao simply meant that the gun is the best means to achieving political power – and, for sure, he practiced what he preached. Marx, however, provided us with more insight into the modern phenomenon of violence than any other thinker when he said that any revolution must be only temporary, “followed by the dictate of the proletariat.” It was Marx who stated that violence defines the end, which is the imposition of the dictate – or, perhaps, we might say: of a political will in general.
For those of you who are now glancing at what is happening in Europe swamped by the Muslim horde, the violence there is not dissimilar to violence here. It is tolerated with more complacency, however, because of the so-called Coudenhove-Kalgeri plan for “Pan-European” integration. This 1922 plan is supposed to be good for the small nations of Europe because it is supposed to provide them with the opportunity to integrate, in order to become more powerful; and because its purported end is to avoid violence (war), thus forming a post-World War II substitute for the pre-World War I balance of powers.
What is not obvious is that violence is not the end but always the means, as is the plan itself. Resulting globalization is thus seen as the only option to avoid violence or war, and it is touted as the end – while it is the means, which substitutes violence. The ultimate goal is the total destruction of the individual and its subjugation to the State, the only God in this post-national atheistic society.
We cannot avoid violence. Violence has always been with us and is a part of our human condition. One may even say that it is psychologically healthy. After all, it was the great nihilist Sartre, who said (I paraphrase): “Through violence, through his mad fury, man is re-creating himself.” I am sorry to say a man of such psychological insight did so much damage to the European psyche. His Existentialism coupled with Marxism had completely confused even the smartest of intellectual elite.
Sartre famously wrote that “To shoot down a European is to kill two birds with one stone… there remain a dead man and a free man.” How come no one has paused over this statement and pondered its meaning?
Violence has been transformed into a vehicle of liberation. To achieve the ultimate freedom, one human being must kill. Whether you kill yourself or another, or kill yourself in the process of killing another, does not matter. Note that this globalist-cum-socialist philosophy also coincides with Islamic theocracy, which likewise (and to the same extent) propagates death and diversity (“We will make your women bear our children!” as the “refugees” in Germany and elsewhere keep threatening the locals).
Modern violence starts with Marx’s transformation of Hegel’s Thought into Action: one must not think, one must act. Action speak louder than words. Kill the cops to liberate us! Kill whoever disagrees with me because my violence is the means to my political ends, which stand above the value of any individual human being; and if you cannot kill them because they are dead, kill what they represent: topple and maim their images, their statutes! Violence defends politics, thus the notion of “self-defense” – be it against a police officer or a misguided neo-Nazi – is born.
Meanwhile a word of reason or wisdom, a silent pause providing for reflection on both sides, would be a million times more effective solution. But this solution would go against the basic percept of the dictate of the proletariat: a society based on the power of the mass cannot recognize an individual’s right to self-determination, because god knows what would happen to the crowd if one adverse, self-thinking individual stood up and said “no” or “how about…?”
Therefore, there is ultimately no difference between Antifa, ISIS, and the New Left (communists) because they all use violence to subjugate the individual – thought, mind, body and soul – to the mass. Never mind that the dictate of the proletariat becomes the dictate of the state and a tyrant like Maduro or Kim Jong Un takes over. That is the ultimate goal, but the mesmerized mass will never see it coming.Is Broncos quarterback Paxton Lynch ready for his close-up? More than 18 months after being drafted in the first round, has Lynch finally learned the dang playbook?
OK, let’s stop it right there.
Here’s the real question: Are the fuddy-duddies on the Broncos coaching staff, so stuck in the 1990s they should be wearing flannel and listening to Nirvana, finally ready to put Lynch in a position to succeed?
If Vance Joseph, Mike McCoy, Bill Musgrave and all the old quarterbacks on the Denver staff are incapable of designing an offense that embraces the spread principles succeeding from Philadelphia to Kansas City, then John Elway should fire them all and start over with new coaches who understand how to win football games in 2017.
When the Broncos installed their offensive game plan Wednesday for Cincinnati, the quarterback throwing the ball on pass plays with the first team was … dum dee dum dum … Lynch!
So what does that mean?
Well, Brock Osweiler was dinged with a shoulder bruise suffered during a beatdown against New England. Osweiler is expected to be healthy enough to start against the Bengals.
But here’s the real importance of Lynch supplanting Trevor Siemian as No. 2 on the depth chart. Although seven games remain in the regular season, this team has come to the realization 2018 is closer than anybody in Broncos Country has previously wanted to admit.
“If you ask me if I can play, I’m going to say yes,” said Lynch, sidelined with a shoulder injury suffered in August.
So let’s get on with it. Let Lynch play. Sooner rather than later. The Broncos’ Super Bowl past is dead.
Yes, a 9-7 team will probably sneak into the AFC playoffs. With a 3-6 record, the Broncos are not mathematically eliminated from the wild-card hunt, because the schedule will serve Denver nothing except cupcakes from now until New Year’s Eve.
But unless Elway is blind, he saw in back-to-back dismantlings of his Broncos by the Eagles and Patriots that Denver is not a serious contender. Not this year.
It’s time to get on with the future. And, frankly, the Broncos have been hopelessly stuck in the past, while Deshaun Watson, Dak Prescott, Carson Wentz, Russell Wilson, Marcus Mariota, Russell Wilson and even 33-year-old Alex Smith have redefined how a quarterback can succeed at the pro level by using the spread formation and implementing read-option techniques long popular at the college level.
It’s time for a change. Brock Osweiler and Trevor Siemian, who have guided Denver to last place, know the score.
“Teams are always trying to find someone better and cheaper to replace you,” Osweiler said.
Siemian wandered through the locker room like a lost puppy, looking like a discarded team captain who could use a stiff drink from Captain Morgan.
Former Broncos coach Gary Kubiak, whose play-action offense was more ’90s than Starter jackets and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” never had any real use for Lynch, who came out of Memphis playing a style of football that wasn’t the coach’s style. This isn’t a knock on Kubiak, who won Super Bowl 50 with a dominant defense and Peyton Manning, the ultimate old-school quarterback.
But what is McCoy’s excuse? The game plans of Denver’s offensive coordinator should be thrown in the garbage. At 18.4 points per game, Denver ranks 24th of 32 NFL teams. If McCoy offers Lynch the same milquetoast offensive suite of plays given Osweiler and Siemian, the team’s No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft is doomed to failure. Related Articles Kiszla: With richest contract in Denver sports history, Nolan Arenado says “Yes!” to Rockies’ championship dream
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Weeks ago, as Denver prepared to play the Chiefs, I asked Joseph if spread offensive concepts were here to stay in the NFL.
“It’s part of our league now,” Joseph said. “It’s here and it’s not going away, even the zone-read stuff.”
The future? What a concept. Let’s get on with it.
Lynch will never be Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers. But he might be Smith or Prescott, if the Broncos give him a game plan not stuck in the ’90s.Search Gallery Mater (Diana) SlashaRussia 5 Jimin BTS SlashaRussia 5 Advertisement Advertisement Yoongi illustration sketch SlashaRussia 2 Colouring in line art test (Hair) SlashaRussia 4 Test with new laptop (Hair) SlashaRussia 1 Selfie SlashaRussia 2 15 minute challenge - tree SlashaRussia 0 Chetna's Doghnuts copy SlashaRussia 0 Chocolate treat digital illustration SlashaRussia 1 Cake Digital Illustration SlashaRussia 1 Skin Colour Experimentation SlashaRussia 0 Skull tattoo SlashaRussia 0 Koi Fish tattoo SlashaRussia 1 Dream catcher tattoo SlashaRussia 2 Sugar skull tattoo SlashaRussia 1 Chiaki Nanami - SDR2 (quick sketch ) SlashaRussia 3 Water color experiments 3 SlashaRussia 0 Water color experiments 2 SlashaRussia 0 Watercolour eye SlashaRussia 2 Water colour face #3 SlashaRussia 0 Water color experiments SlashaRussia 0 Water colour face #2 SlashaRussia 1 Henry Moore Sketch SlashaRussia 0 Facial Features SlashaRussia 0Using fail2ban and redis under ansible's orchestration for common good.
Fail2ban
Fail2ban is a service that parses log files and can perform configured actions when a given regex is found. Usually it is used to ban offending IP addresses using firewall rules on linux machines. In situations that we have more than one server under our responsibility, it could be better to apply those actions not only to the server experienced the offending behaviour. For example we may refuse connections to our web server from the IP that just messed up with our mail server and so on.
For this demonstration we will configure only one jail and one action.
Jail configuration (template):
This is a simple ssh jail that parses /var/log/secure.log and detects failed logins:
jail.local.j2
[DEFAULT] # Ban hosts for one hour: bantime = 3600 # Override /etc/fail2ban/jail.d/00-firewalld.conf: banaction = redis - publisher [sshd] enabled = true
Action configuration (template):
For the action configuration we will use the following file. It is a copy from the default firewallcmd-ipset.conf with the variables actionban and actionunban commented out and changed to call a python script with a JSON string as argument.
redis-publisher.conf.j2
[INCLUDES] before = iptables - common.conf [Definition] actionstart = ipset create fail2ban - < name > hash :ip timeout <bantime> firewall - cmd -- direct -- add - rule ipv4 filter <chain> 0 - p <protocol> - m multiport -- dports <port> - m set -- match - set fail2ban - < name > src - j <blocktype> actionstop = firewall - cmd -- direct -- remove - rule ipv4 filter <chain> 0 - p <protocol> - m multiport -- dports <port> - m set -- match - set fail2ban - < name > src - j <blocktype> ipset flush fail2ban - < name > ipset destroy fail2ban - < name > # actionban = ipset add fail2ban-<name> <ip> timeout <bantime> -exist actionban = /usr/sbin/publisher.py "{\" action\ ": \" ban\ ", \" ip\ ": \" <ip>\ ", \" bantime\ ": \" <bantime>\ ", \" name \ ": \" < name >\ ", \" published_by\ ": \" \ "}" # actionunban = ipset del fail2ban-<name> <ip> -exist actionunban = /usr/sbin/publisher.py "{\" action\ ": \" unban\ ", \" ip\ ": \" <ip>\ ", \" bantime\ ": \" \ ", \" name \ ": \" < name >\ ", \" published_by\ ": \" \ "}" [Init] chain = INPUT_direct bantime = 600
Redis
Redis is an open source key-value data store, used as a database, cache and message broker. Since redis is using memory for data storing it is extremely fast. We can use it for our little project as message broker in Pub/Sub (publish/subscribe) mode to distribute messages from any of our servers to all of them. You can use almost any programming languge to integrate with redis. We will use python and the recommended "redis-py" library for this demo.
About configuration, we leave everything to default changing only the binding ip address (by default redis listens only on localhost).
Redis configuration (template):
redis.conf.j2
bind {{ ansible_default_ipv4.address }} protected -mode yes port 6379 tcp-backlog 511 timeout 0 tcp-keepalive 300 daemonize no supervised no pidfile /var/run/redis_6379.pid loglevel notice logfile /var/log/redis/redis.log databases 16 save 900 1 save 300 10 save 60 10000 stop-writes-on-bgsave-error yes rdbcompression yes rdbchecksum yes dbfilename dump.rdb dir /var/lib/redis slave-serve-stale-data yes slave-read-only yes repl-diskless-sync no repl-diskless-sync-delay 5 repl-disable-tcp-nodelay no slave-priority 100 appendonly no appendfilename "appendonly.aof" appendfsync everysec no-appendfsync-on-rewrite no auto -aof-rewrite-percentage 100 auto -aof-rewrite-min-size 64 mb aof-load-truncated yes lua-time-limit 5000 slowlog-log-slower-than 10000 slowlog-max-len 128 latency-monitor-threshold 0 notify-keyspace-events "" hash-max-ziplist-entries 512 hash-max-ziplist-value 64 list-max-ziplist-size - 2 list-compress-depth 0 set-max-intset-entries 512 zset-max-ziplist-entries 128 zset-max-ziplist-value 64 hll-sparse-max-bytes 3000 activerehashing yes client-output-buffer-limit normal 0 0 0 client-output-buffer-limit slave 256 mb 64 mb 60 client-output-buffer-limit pubsub 32 mb 8 mb 60 hz 10 aof-rewrite-incremental-fsync yes
Ansible
Ansible is the most known orchestration - automation tool that we honored here with multiple articles. It is simple, agentless and works! You need to be familiar with ansible to follow this demo.
We will write an ansible-playbook that we can run against groups of servers (eg. servers that are exposed to the web). If a new server is added later, we can add it's hostname in our ansible-inventory and run the same playbook again.
A simple inventory file with the groups needed for this demo is the following:
hosts
[ REDIS - CLIENTS ] aphrodite artemis athena [ REDIS - SERVER ] aphrodite
Note that redis server "aphrodite" is also a redis client.
The ansible playbook need to:
Install all required packages depending on whether host is running redis-server or just client.
Configure all the services handling restarts.
Secure the environment configuring firewall and selinux (if we are enforcing selinux policys).
For now, let us finish with prerequisites.
What else we need?
Excluding the above, we need two scripts:
The first one can connect to redis server, publish a new message and exit. Of course this will be triggered by fail2ban when offensive behavour is detected. The second will be run as linux service, listen for messages and perform system actions.
A simple "publisher" python script is the following (template). It is just publishing its first argument on execution (sys.argv[1]).
publisher.py.j2
#!/usr/bin/env python3 import sys import redis redis_server = "{{ groups['REDIS-SERVER'][0] }}" redis_port = 6379 redis_db = 0 redis_channel = 'fail2ban' def encryptor (message): # Out of article's scope return message def main (): message = encryptor(sys.argv[1]) r = redis.StrictRedis( host = redis_server, port = redis_port, db = redis_db ) p = r.pubsub() r.publish(redis_channel, message) p.close() main()
The script for redis listener is a little more complex. It gets the JSON message from redis turning it to a python dictionary object and executes the same command that fail2ban would execute locally. We also added a basic logger that is writing in /var/log/fail2ban.log file.
redis_listener.py.j2
#!/usr/bin/env python3 import redis import logging import json import subprocess redis_server = "{{ groups['REDIS-SERVER'][0] }}" redis_port = 6379 redis_db = 0 redis_channel = 'fail2ban' logfile = '/var/log/fail2ban.log' r = redis.StrictRedis(host = redis_server, port = redis_port, db = redis_db) p = r.pubsub() p.subscribe(redis_channel) logging.basicConfig( format = '%(asctime)s %(levelname)s: %(message)s', filename = logfile, level = logging.DEBUG ) def decryptor (message): # Out of article's scope return message def execute (message): if message[ 'action' ] == 'ban' : command = 'ipset add fail2ban-{name} {ip} timeout \ {bantime} -exist'.format( * * message) else : command = 'ipset del fail2ban-{name} {ip} -exist'.format( * * message) logging.debug( '{host} triggered: {command}'.format( host = message[ 'published_by' ], command = command )) return_code = subprocess.call(command, shell = True ) if not return_code == 0: logging.info( 'Command: {command} failed with rc={rc}'.format( command = command, rc = return_code )) else : logging.debug( 'Command: {command} executed succesfully'.format( command = command )) def main (): for record in p.listen(): if record[ 'type' ] =='message' : message = json.loads(decryptor(record)[ 'data' ].decode( 'utf-8' )) execute(message) main()
Comment/Disclaimer:
This article is basically a proof of concept. If you intend to use it on a production environment, you need to be serious about message validation and encryption. The script "as is" could allow any user of your servers inject shell commands as redis messages and run them as root on all your servers.
Since the script will run as linux service we also need a simple systemd unit file:
redis_listener.service
[Unit] Description = Redis Listener: Daemon that listen, ban and unban Before = network-pre.target Wants = network-pre.target After = polkit.service Conflicts = iptables.service ip6tables.service ebtables.service ipset.service [Service] ExecStart = /usr/sbin/redis_listener.py - -nofork - -nopid ExecStop = /bin/kill -HUP $MAINPID # supress to log debug and error output also to /var/log/messages StandardOutput = null StandardError = null Type = idle [Install] WantedBy = multi-user.target
The playbook
fail2ban-distributed.yml
- hosts: REDIS-CLIENTS vars: remote_user: ansible tasks: - name: Upgrade all packages yum: name: '*' state: latest become: yes - name: Install epel repository yum: name: 'epel-release' state: latest become: yes - name: Install fail2ban, redis, python3, pip yum: name: '{{ item }}' state: latest with_items: - fail2ban - redis - python34-pip - python34 become: yes notify: - restart fail2ban - restart redis - name: using pip to install python libraries pip: name: redis executable: pip3 become: yes - name: Configure redis template: src: redis.conf.j2 dest: /etc/redis.conf owner: redis group: root mode: 0640 when: "'REDIS-SERVER' in group_names" become: yes notify: - restart redis - name: Enable redis port on redis server only for redis clients firewalld: zone: public rich_rule: rule family=ipv4 source address= {{ hostvars[item][ 'ansible_enp0s3' ][ 'ipv4' ][ 'address' ] }} port protocol=tcp port=6379 accept permanent: true state: enabled with_items: "{{ groups['REDIS-CLIENTS'] }}" when: "'REDIS-SERVER' in group_names" become: yes notify: - restart firewall - name: Install publisher python script template: src: publisher.py.j2 dest: /usr/sbin/publisher.py owner: root group: root mode: 0700 become: yes notify: - restart fail2ban - name: Install fail2ban action conf template: src: redis-publisher.conf.j2 dest: /etc/fail2ban/action.d/redis-publisher.conf owner: root group: root mode: 0644 become: yes notify: - restart fail2ban - name: Configure fail2ban SSH jail template: src: jail.local.j2 dest: /etc/fail2ban/jail.local owner: root group: root mode: 0644 become: yes notify: - restart fail2ban - name: Copy selinux policy file copy: src: my-python3.pp dest: /root/my-python3.pp owner: root group: root mode: 0644 become: yes - name: Copy unit file to systemd copy: src: redis_listener.service dest: /etc/systemd/system/redis_listener.service owner: root group: root mode: 0755 become: yes notify: - restart redis_listener - name: Install redis_listener template: src: redis_listener.py.j2 dest: /usr/sbin/redis_listener.py owner: root group: root mode: 0700 become: yes notify: - restart redis_listener - name: install selinux policy file command: semodule -i /root/my-python3.pp become: yes handlers: - name: restart fail2ban systemd: name: fail2ban.service state: restarted enabled: True become: yes - name: restart redis systemd: name: redis.service state: restarted enabled: True become: yes when: "'REDIS-SERVER' in group_names" - name: restart firewall systemd: name: firewalld.service state: restarted enabled: True become: yes when: "'REDIS-SERVER' in group_names" - name: restart redis_listener systemd: name: redis_listener.service state: restarted enabled: True become: yes
Comments:
The playbook was tested on CentOS Linux release 7.4.1708 servers with ansible 2.4.2.0. We tried playbook task names to be descriptive. Network interface names are hardcoded in the playbook (enp0s3 - the same for all servers). If your environment is less standardized you can configure interfaces as host variables in your inventory. On firewall configuration (module firewalld) check how we are looping over [REDIS-CLIENTS] group and running only on [REDIS-SERVER]. If you are running selinux with "enforcing" policy you will find out that connection to redis server will be refused on clients. To overcome this, you need to generate and apply a new selinux policy (check the quote in the end of the article). In playbook, my-python3.pp file mentioned is generated manually once and installed to all clients.
Distributed fail2ban in action
The following lines are copied from /var/log/fail2ban.log file from all servers after some failed logins from ip 192.168.16.49 to server aphrodite:
aphrodite:
2017-12-29 15:53:09,868 fail2ban.filter [1007]: WARNING Determined IP using DNS Lookup: konstantinos.epilis.gr = ['192.168.16.49']
2017-12-29 15:53:09,868 fail2ban.filter [1007]: INFO [sshd] Found 192.168.16.49
2017-12-29 15:53:11,389 fail2ban.filter [1007]: INFO [sshd] Found 192.168.16.49
2017-12-29 15:53:22,485 fail2ban.filter [1007]: INFO [sshd] Found 192.168.16.49
2017-12-29 15:53:25,687 fail2ban.filter [1007]: INFO [sshd] Found 192.168.16.49
2017-12-29 15:53:30,318 fail2ban.filter [1007]: WARNING Determined IP using DNS Lookup: konstantinos.epilis.gr = ['192.168.16.49']
2017-12-29 15:53:30,319 fail2ban.filter [1007]: INFO [sshd] Found 192.168.16.49
2017-12-29 15:53:30,999 fail2ban.actions [1007]: NOTICE [sshd] Ban 192.168.16.49
2017-12-29 15:53:31,075 DEBUG: aphrodite triggered: ipset add fail2ban-sshd 192.168.16.49 timeout 3600 -exist
2017-12-29 15:53:31,094 DEBUG: Command: ipset add fail2ban-sshd 192.168.16.49 timeout 3600 -exist executed succesfully
artemis:
2017-12-29 15:53:31,503 DEBUG: aphrodite triggered: ipset add fail2ban-sshd 192.168.16.49 timeout 3600 -exist
2017-12-29 15:53:31,511 DEBUG: Command: ipset add fail2ban-sshd 192.168.16.49 timeout 3600 -exist executed succesfully
athena:
2017-12-29 15:53:31,414 DEBUG: aphrodite triggered: ipset add fail2ban-sshd 192.168.16.49 timeout 3600 -exist
2017-12-29 15:53:31,424 DEBUG: Command: ipset add fail2ban-sshd 192.168.16.49 timeout 3600 -exist executed succesfully
... an hour later:
aphrodite:
2017-12-29 16:53:31,021 fail2ban.actions [1007]: NOTICE [sshd] Unban 192.168.16.49
2017-12-29 16:53:31,101 DEBUG: aphrodite triggered: ipset del fail2ban-sshd 192.168.16.49 -exist
2017-12-29 16:53:31,121 DEBUG: Command: ipset del fail2ban-sshd 192.168.16.49 -exist executed succesfully
artemis:
2017-12-29 16:53:31,529 DEBUG: aphrodite triggered: ipset del fail2ban-sshd 192.168.16.49 -exist
2017-12-29 16:53:31,535 DEBUG: Command: ipset del fail2ban-sshd 192.168.16.49 -exist executed succesfully
athena:
2017-12-29 16:53:31,439 DEBUG: aphrodite triggered: ipset del fail2ban-sshd 192.168.16.49 -exist
2017-12-29 16:53:31,447 DEBUG: Command: ipset del fail2ban-sshd 192.168.16.49 -exist executed succesfullyA teenager said he lost his job in Tacoma, Wash., this past weekend after initially being sent home because he was wearing a Denver Broncos jersey.
Nathaniel Wentz said he was fired by Odyssey 1, a family entertainment center in Tacoma, for not returning to work Sunday. He was sent home after being asked to change out of the Broncos jersey into a standard uniform, according to the company.
But the 17-year-old Wentz told Colorado's NBC affiliate KUSA-TV he was fired for donning a Broncos jersey.
"It was all about you can't," Wentz told KUSA. "You can't represent your team. There's something wrong with that."
The Broncos will face the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl on Feb. 2.
Odyssey 1 acknowledged it invites employees to wear Seahawks jerseys on Sundays in order to "show support" for the team on game days. The company posted a statement on its Facebook page Tuesday, claiming that wearing other teams' jerseys is prohibited in order to "prevent possible conflicts." Tacoma is located about 30 miles south of Seattle.
"To show support for the Seattle Seahawks on game day, our employees may choose to wear a Seahawks jersey in place of our standard uniform, which is required," the company's statement said. "To prevent any possible conflicts, the option of wearing other teams' jerseys is not allowed.
"The employee reported to work in an unauthorized uniform and was asked to change into a standard uniform. Soon after he left to change into an accepted uniform, we received a phone call stating that he was not returning to work, leaving his position unfilled and creating extra stress for the staff covering his job on a busy weekend day."
Wentz's father, Randall Wentz, told KUSA that he called Odyssey 1 and asked to speak to the owner. After the call went unreturned, Wentz says, his son decided to stay home.
Nathaniel said he learned the following day that he'd been fired.
He indicated to KUSA that he wasn't too concerned about losing his job -- at least he won't have to work when Peyton Manning and the Broncos take on Richard Sherman and the Seahawks.Hidden a few blocks away from Tijuana’s main thoroughfare, an old warehouse has become a cultural landmark for the city’s fashion-concious men.
Wings painted outside the building are the only indication something is different about the space, most recently used as a gym. Inside, a Drake song blasts over stand-up speakers, the smell of aftershave fills the air and scissors snap over men in antique barber chairs.
The space is home to one of Tijuana’s rising social media stars, 30-year-old barber Edgar Buena, better known as Don Edgar. Using Facebook, he has cultivated a following with instructional videos on men’s grooming aimed at a new generation of Mexican men, who want well-maintained beards and fade cuts, where hair on the sides and back is very short and tapers to a longer length at the top.
Edgar who dresses intentionally like an old time barber — handlebar mustache, gray-rimmed glasses, bow-tie and suspenders — said his customers no longer scoff at spending money on their looks.
“Men enjoy how they look and take better care of themselves now,” he said.
Don Edgar Barberia is one of more than 100 barber shops that have opened in Tijuana in the last three years, mirroring growth in the men’s grooming industry in the United States and Europe.
Tijuana had roughly 50 to 80 barber shops in 2013 but now has more than 150, said the city’s economic development office. Baja California now has the second most barber shops — roughly 220 — of any Mexican state (Sonora has around 270).
Retail experts say going to a barbershop is a way of selling masculinity, but there are other factors that attract clients: Nostalgia, bargain prices, access to beard products and increased amenities offered by barbers.
Alejandro Tamayo / The San Diego Union-Tribune Customer Jesus Romero at barbershop Nobel and Fine getting a face mask. Customer Jesus Romero at barbershop Nobel and Fine getting a face mask. (Alejandro Tamayo / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
The process at Tijuana’s new barber shops isn’t all that different from a classic shop, with a few notable differences. Barbers tend to trim and style facial hair first, followed by a mix of clippers and scissors for the head and finish off with a hair wash and styling. Other services include a hot towel to the face (with or without a shave), a face mask during the hair cut and a few shops offer manicures.
Barbers also use a vibrating hand massager on men’s heads, neck and faces after a cut. The device, which straps to the back of a barber’s hand while a blender-looking engine sends vibrations through fingers, was first used by barbers in the 1940s and has become a staple of the Tijuana barber scene.
Ruben Chavarria, 40, a machinist in San Diego who lives in Tijuana, used to get his hair cut in San Diego now but goes to Don Edgar Barberia once a week.
Chavarria’s girlfriend, 30-year-old Nallely Preciado, sat at a cafe in the same space rented by Don Edgar, sipping coffee and surfing Instagram. She goes to a salon every two months but doesn’t mind her boyfriend getting groomed weekly. “It’s the trend right now,” she said. “And it (haircut) looks good on him.”
The big rage in all of Tijuana, though, are beards and that has led to another trend: beard tinting. Cali Cuts, which has four locations in the city and another in Mexicali, uses a black wax that stains the skin to make a beard look more full for about $11.
It sounds crazy, but the results work so well it seems like magic and is offered at most Tijuana barber shops — even if most treatments last only a day |
( reut.rs/2nGg1OH
Currently, the only way to determine whether people are transgender is for them to self-identify as such. While civil rights activists contend that should be sufficient, scientists have taken their search to the lab.
That quest has made some transgender people nervous. If a "cause" is found it could posit a "cure," potentially opening the door to so-called reparative therapies similar to those that attempt to turn gay people straight, advocates say. Others raise concerns about the rights of those who may identify as trans but lack biological "proof."
"It's an idea that can be wielded against us, depending on the ideology of the user," said Kale Edmiston, a transgender person and postdoctoral scholar at the University of Pittsburgh specializing in neuroimaging.
Dana Bevan, a transgender woman, psychologist and author of three books on transgender topics, acknowledged the potential manipulation of research was a concern but said, "I don't believe that science can or should hold back from trying to understand what's going on."
Davis stressed that her study does not seek to produce a genetic test for being transgender, nor would it be able to. Instead, she said, she hopes the data will lead to better care for transgender people, who experience wide health disparities compared to the general population. ( reut.rs/2cyp674
One-third of transgender people reported a negative healthcare experience in the previous year such as verbal harassment, refusal of treatment or the need to teach their doctors about transgender care, according to a landmark survey of nearly 28,000 people released last year by the National Center for Transgender Equality.
Some 40 percent have attempted suicide, almost nine times the rate for the general population.
"We can use this information to help train doctors and nurses to provide better care to trans patients and to also develop amicus briefs to support equal rights legislation," said Davis, who is also director of research for Vanderbilt's gender health clinic.
A worker checks the serial number on a slice of human brain before using a saw to cut a piece from the sample at a brain bank in the Bronx borough of New York City, New York, U.S. June 28, 2017. Picture taken June 28, 2017. Carlo Allegri
The Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Tennessee has one of the world's largest DNA databanks. It also has emerged as a leader in transgender healthcare with initiatives such as the Trans Buddy Program, which pairs every transgender patient with a volunteer to help guide them through their healthcare visits.
The study has applied for a grant from the National Institutes of Health and is exploring other financial sources to provide the $1 million needed to complete the genotyping, expected to take a year to 18 months. Analysis of the data would take about another six months and require more funding, Davis said.
The other consortium members are Vrije University in Amsterdam and the FIMABIS institute in Malaga, Spain.
PROBING THE BRAIN
Until now, the bulk of research into the origins of being transgender has looked at the brain.
Neurologists have spotted clues in the brain structure and activity of transgender people that distinguish them from cisgender subjects.
A seminal 1995 study was led by Dutch neurobiologist Dick Swaab, who was also among the first scientists to discover structural differences between male and female brains. Looking at postmortem brain tissue of transgender subjects, he found that male-to-female transsexuals had clusters of cells, or nuclei, that more closely resembled those of a typical female brain, and vice versa.
Slideshow (24 Images)
Swaab's body of work on postmortem samples was based on just 12 transgender brains that he spent 25 years collecting. But it gave rise to a whole new field of inquiry that today is being explored with advanced brain scan technology on living transgender volunteers.
Among the leaders in brain scan research is Ivanka Savic, a professor of neurology with Sweden's Karolinska Institute and visiting professor at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Her studies suggest that transgender men have a weakened connection between the two areas of the brain that process the perception of self and one's own body. Savic said those connections seem to improve after the person receives cross-hormone treatment.
Her work has been published more than 100 times on various topics in peer-reviewed journals, but she still cannot conclude whether people are born transgender.
"I think that, but I have to prove that," Savic said.
A number of other researchers, including both geneticists and neurologists, presume a biological component that is also influenced by upbringing.
But Paul McHugh, a university professor of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, has emerged as the leading voice challenging the "born-this-way" hypothesis.
He encourages psychiatric therapy for transgender people, especially children, so that they accept the gender assigned to them at birth.
McHugh has gained a following among social conservatives, while incensing LGBT advocates with comments such as calling transgender people "counterfeit."
Last year he co-authored a review of the scientific literature published in The New Atlantis journal, asserting there was scant evidence to suggest sexual orientation and gender identity were biologically determined.
The article drew a rebuke from nearly 600 academics and clinicians who called it misleading.
McHugh told Reuters he was "unmoved" by his critics and says he doubts additional research will reveal a biological cause.
"If it were obvious," he said, "they would have found it long ago."Kickstarter Facebook is buying Oculus VR, a startup that makes virtual reality headsets, in a $2 billion deal.
Oculus doesn't make a consumer product yet, but its headset called the Oculus Rift for video game developers has completely changed the way many feel about video games.
Oculus owes a lot of its success to a successful Kickstarter campaign.
Back in 2012, the startup raised more than $2.4 million from 9,522 backers.
As with other Kickstarter campaigns, there were several tiers of "rewards" one could receive for backing the early Oculus headset, like T-shirts and posters.
If you put in $300 or more, you got the very first version of the headset sent to developers interested in making virtual reality games.
Some people put in hundreds more — even thousands.
But because Kickstarter doesn't get you any equity, none of those people who put in capital to help a young company get off the ground will benefit from the deal made today.If you saw a postal truck pulling away from your house on a Sunday morning, what would be your first thought?
a. The postal carrier was late delivering Friday’s mail.
b. Somebody got the calendar mixed up and thought it was Monday.
c. The mailman had been on a Saturday-night bender and was just now heading home.
d. Somebody stole the mail truck and was joyriding.
One thing that probably wouldn’t occur to you is that the mailman was actually delivering mail. But it may be time to start thinking differently about the postal service.
I got a ring on my doorbell this past Sunday around 10 am, and looked outside to see who it might be. A postal truck was pulling away. At first I thought I was the one who got the day wrong, which meant … I was late for work!
But there was a small package in the mailbox, just delivered: a pair of gloves I had ordered from Amazon (AMZN) less than 24 hours earlier. Ah-ha! This was the new Sunday delivery I had heard about. I hadn’t asked for Sunday delivery or paid extra for it, but it turns out Sunday delivery is included for Amazon Prime members like me, who pay $79 per year for expedited shipping and a few other perks. Amazon has just rolled out the service in the New York and Los Angeles metro areas and will bring it to several other cities next year, including Phoenix, New Orleans, Houston and Dallas.
Customer service: Not dead yet
Here’s my initial reaction: Wow. Cool. Many Americans have gotten used to the idea that customer service is dead. If you want something special, you almost always have to pay extra for it, and even then, odds are roughly even you’ll get stuck on the phone for 45 minutes pleading for your privileges with some anonymous voice from Manila or Bangalore. Amazon, by contrast, is one retailer that strives to fulfill the old Steve Jobs mantra about “surprising and delighting” consumers, which, as a longtime Amazon customer, I’ve noticed before.
The U.S. Postal Service, however, hasn’t delighted me in a long time. It did once – when I was 10 years old or so, and the local mailman seemed to have an endless supply of rubber bands he happily shared with the boys on my street. It’s an understatement, however, to say the postal service has lost its mojo since then. As for surprises, I guess I’m surprised the mail usually shows up on time, but the truth is, I don’t even want to be surprised by the postal service.
That’s what I thought, anyway, until I found myself feeling — I’ll admit it — surprised and delighted that the postal service could deliver something, at no extra charge, on the traditional day of rest. Amazon is responsible for most of this magic, no doubt, thanks to its mastery of logistics and its seamless network of distribution centers. But the postal service is apparently an able partner. It already delivers on Sundays on a limited basis, under contract, while FedEx (FDX) and UPS (UPS) don’t. The USPS has also been aggressively looking for ways to innovate, since its legacy business — the physical delivery of letters and printed ephemera — is in sharp decline, on account of the digital revolution.
The postal service is an easy target for lampoonery, largely because of the 1950s vibe you get whenever you set foot in an actual post office, and the occasional flubs that are inevitable when you deliver mail to every address in America. The reality, however, is that the postal service is a weird hybrid agency that’s supposed to act like a regular corporation, except that Congress retains the authority to micromanage and manipulate it and keep it locked in the past. As I and many others have argued, the real problem with the USPS is its 535-person board of directors.
The postal service lost $5 billion in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, a disastrous financial performance that would trigger alarm in any ordinary company but generates only shrugs on Capitol Hill. There’s one bright spot, however — package delivery, which rose by 8% to $923 million in revenue during the most recent year. The Sunday delivery deal with Amazon (the exact terms are private) won’t generate enough revenue to offset the need for deep reforms elsewhere. But it’s clearly a step in the right direction, with same-day delivery possibly coming next. Worth noting: Those are the types of innovations typical of private enterprises, not government agencies. Competitors may have to change their own practices to respond.
It’s also a win for consumers, who don’t usually feel the U.S. Postal Service is on their side. That may change as the mailman becomes the face of instant gratification and we feel excitement, rather than disappointment, when we hear the phrase, “It’s in the mail.”
Rick Newman’s latest book is Rebounders: How Winners Pivot From Setback To Success. Follow him on Twitter: @rickjnewman.4437 SHARES Facebook Twitter Reddit Stumbleupon Pinterest
In 1967, Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to officially enter the Boston Marathon. The way she was treated was disgusting, shocking, and unbelievable. From the video description:
Kathrine Switzer wasn’t the first woman to run the Boston Marathon, but her presence as an official entrant made her a visible and potent threat to the sports world’s status quo. The simple gesture exploded when an official attacked Switzer on the course. The incident was broadcasted worldwide and put a shocking face on the hostility to women’s full participation in athletics. Her 38 subsequent marathons (she’s still running them) include a win in New York in 1974. She led the successful drive to get the women’s race into the Olympic Games, has won an Emmy for her TV commentary, and is the author of three books, including her memoir, Marathon Woman. Switzer’s ongoing campaign to help women around the globe empower themselves through the simple act of running made her a 2011 Inductee into the National Women’s Hall of Fame,
Watch the video below.The Russian president delivered the ominous threat as tensions between the West and Russia hit all-time highs over Russian airstrikes in Syria. In the clip, which was filmed at a Russian press conference, Mr Putin claimed the US is focusing on Russia and Iran "to distract voters from the country's problems" by creating "an enemy and uniting the nation against them".
GETTY Putin has warned the US that
It's not funny anymore. If somebody out there wants confrontation... This is not our choice but this means that there will be problems Putin
He said: "Jeopardising Russian-American relations in order to gain brownie points internally – I consider this to be harmful and counter productive. "It's not funny anymore. If somebody out there wants confrontation... This is not our choice but this means that there will be problems." The worrying video has already racked up 1.3 million views as fears escalate over a third world war.
GETTY Mr Putin slammed Hillary Clinton's "very aggressive" stance towards Russia
Mr Putin weighed in on the US presidential race and criticised Hillary Clinton's "very aggressive" stance towards Russia. He said: "Mrs. Clinton has chosen to take up a very aggressive stance against our country, against Russia. "Mr. Trump, on the other hand, calls for cooperation – at least when it comes to the international fight against terrorists. He added: "Naturally we welcome those who would like to cooperate with us. And we consider it wrong, that we always have to be in conflict with one another, creating existential threats for each other and for the whole world. "Would Mrs. Clinton delivers on he threats and harsh rhetorics against Russia if she became President? Or will she correct her position against us?"
GETTY Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump clashed over Russia during the final presidential debate
The Russian leader's criticism of Mrs Clinton comes after the Democrat accused Russia of espionage over the hacking of Democrat emails. In the third and final US presidential debate, Mrs Clinton said: "Russian government has engaged in espionage against Americans. They have hacked American websites, American accounts of private people, of institutions. Then they have given that information to WikiLeaks for the purpose of putting it on the Internet. "This has come from the highest levels of the Russian government, clearly, from Putin himself, in an effort, as 17 of our intelligence agencies have confirmed, to influence our election."
Vladimir Putin in pictures Tue, December 13, 2016 Russin President Vladimir Putin in pictures Play slideshow 1 of 56In an op-ed for The Guardian this morning, Epic Games co-founder Tim Sweeney has launched a withering attack on Microsoft and its Universal Windows Platform (UWP) initiative in Windows 10. "Microsoft has built a closed platform-within-a-platform into Windows 10," says Sweeney, "as the first apparent step towards locking down the consumer PC ecosystem and monopolising app distribution and commerce."
UWP is part of Microsoft's effort to create universal apps that run across all sizes and types of devices, and is closely tied to the Windows Store. Sweeney's displeasure stems from the fact that Microsoft has launched new Windows features exclusively in UWP, incentivizing developers to get on board if they want access to those features. He sees that move as forcing developers to cede control over their app distribution — which would be done through the Windows Store — and to lose their direct relationship with customers, while also "curtailing users’ freedom to install full-featured PC software."
As the developer of the massively successful Gears of War and Unreal Tournament franchises along with the Unreal Engine for game development, Epic Games is a big and influential name in the games industry. Like Valve's Gabe Newell, Tim Sweeney's name is instantly recognizable to gamers, and he will have thought long and hard before expressing such strident criticism of Microsoft's actions. "In my view, if Microsoft does not commit to opening PC UWP up... then PC UWP can, should, must and will, die as a result of industry backlash," says the Epic Games chief.
"A closed, Microsoft-controlled distribution and commerce monopoly"
Sweeney's editorial makes a number of strong suggestions on how UWP can be modified so that it can be embraced by developers, with the core of his argument being that third-party companies must be able to retain the right to distribute their content independently. Instead of trying to supplant Steam as the main destination for Windows games via "a series of sneaky manoeuvre," Microsoft should remember the PC's proud history of having an open ecosystem and abandon its plans to lock everything down.
Microsoft's steps toward implementing a locked-down "walled garden" approach — as made famous by Apple's iPhone software ecosystem — on the PC are meeting with stiff resistance from the people who helped make the PC, and PC gaming in particular, as popular as it is today. Microsoft's official response claims that "the Universal Windows Platform is a fully open ecosystem, available to every developer, that can be supported by any store," but Sweeney is no longer convinced by the company's words. "Microsoft’s intentions must be judged by Microsoft’s actions, not Microsoft’s words. Their actions speak plainly enough: they are working to turn today’s open PC ecosystem into a closed, Microsoft-controlled distribution and commerce monopoly."
The biggest games coming to Xbox One and PC this springA proposed Wood Street bike lane extension is in the works. View Full Caption Google Maps; Ald. Brian Hopkins (Cyclist)
BUCKTOWN — A meeting on a proposed Wood Street bike lane extension through Wicker Park and Bucktown and a Cortland Street greenway is scheduled for Wednesday evening.
The extension is backed by Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd), who says it could "increase comfort for bicyclists and pedestrians and improve accessibility to the existing bicycle network and 606 trail and parks."
A bike lane for Wood Street — a north-south side street that runs past the elevated 2.7-mile long Bloomingdale Trail — part of The 606's network of parks connecting four neighborhoods — could lessen northbound bike traffic on Damen Avenue, supporters say.
Cortland Street runs east-west and is parallel to the Bloomingdale Trail.
The public meeting, set for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Bucktown-Wicker Park Library, 1701 N. Milwaukee Ave., is being hosted by the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT). Residents will be able to see design draft plans, give input and ask questions.
If approved, construction is estimated to start in 2017.
The bike lane was first announced in February.
CDOT has been working with "a small group of neighborhood representatives/ stakeholders" to develop and modify the lane and the Cortland greenway, Hopkins said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
The Cortland greenway would extend along a 0.3-mile stretch between Damen and Ashland avenues, while the Wood Street lane would run along a 0.7-mile strip between Milwaukee Avenue and Cortland Street.
The goals of the projects include reducing speeding and cut-through traffic by motorists and making it more comfortable and safer for people to walk and ride bikes, Hopkins said.
Michael Claffey, a CDOT spokesman, previously said that the bike lane will consist of "minimal pavement markings, signage, and traffic calming devices."
The proposed Wood Street stretch would extend a bike lane that currently ends at the Milwaukee Avenue and Wood Street intersection near Walgreens, 1372 N. Milwaukee Ave.
"It will ultimately extend the existing Wood Street Neighborhood Greenway that currently exists between Augusta and Milwaukee Avenue," Claffey said.
No cost of the extension was available but Claffey said the bike lane will be funded primarily through a Federal Congestion Air Mitigation Quality or CMAQ grant. A local match covering one-fifth of the project cost would be needed, he said.
The fund structure outlined by Claffey is similar to the $95 million Bloomingdale Trail/606 project, which was funded in large part by a CMAQ grant.
CMAQ commuting dollars are intended to "support surface transportation projects and other related efforts that contribute air quality improvements and provide congestion relief," according to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning.
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:Moose overcome Monsters in 4-0 win
The Moose played their second of two games against the Lake Erie Monsters (NHL Columbus) on Wednesday night. After surrendering 5 goals, and being pulled for the first time this year, Eric Comrie was right back in net, ready to deliver more of the solid goaltending we’ve come to expect from him this season.
Key Plays of the Game:
For the first 19:45 of the game, the only significant event was Julian Melchiori stapling Sonny Milano to the boards just outside his own zone – the same spot where Josh Morrissey has crushed two different guys in the new year.
With about 15 seconds left in the first, J.C Lipon picked up a rebound at the side of the net, and though he had bit of room, he was hooked as he was shooting; instead, he took the puck behind the net and wrapped it around, beating Brad Thiessen and putting the Moose up 1-0.
The Moose led 1-0 after 1; shots were 10-a-piece, but apart from the goal, neither team had many good chances
Just over four minutes into the second, on a Moose PP, Chase de Leo passed the puck out front to Austen Brassard, who took a shot from the slot – the rebound came to De Leo, who scored to put the Moose up 2-0.
Just two minutes later, Jan Kostalek tee’d up De Leo from the right circle, and he fired a wicked shot into the top of the net to put the Moose up 3-0.
The Moose led 3-0 after 2, led shots 18-14, and were the far better team to this point in the game
With 7 minutes left, and the Moose in control, Nic Petan found Jiri Fronk alone in the slot – Fronk made a quick fake and then went backhand shelf, putting the Moose up 4-0.
Game Stats Summary
Tonight’s Top Moose:
Chase De Leo – He created, and finished the play for his first goal, and had an absolute snipe for the second. He has one of the better shots on the team, and seems particularly adept at beating goalies high. He’s also quite strong on the puck for a guy who is generously listed at “5’10, 185”. As I’ve written before, he has probably been the most consistent forward for the Moose this season, as he is usually generating chances even when he’s not necessarily hitting the score sheet. Overall, he’s having a very impressive rookie season, leading the team in goals (11) and second in points (20).
J.C Lipon – He got the team going with a goal late in the first on a nice individual effort, and got the Gordie Howe hat trick midway through the game with 1G, 1A, and a fight. After De Leo, Lipon has probably made the most impact game-in, game-out for the Moose, as he also generates a lot of scoring chances, and has been a decent finisher at this level, with 8 goals in 29 games. (On pace for 22 in a full season).
Eric Comrie – In possibly his easiest game of the season, Eric Comrie did all he had to do to get the first shutout of his professional career, making 24 saves. After a stretch of games which saw him face 44, 38, 36,38, 25, and 45 shots, before being pulled in the last game, it must have been refreshing for the Moose goalie to play a game where he didn’t have to save the day.
*Honourable Mention – Jimmy Lodge
Lodge has had a tough start to his pro career, going pointless through 20 games. However, last game he suddenly started to look more a bit comfortable, and today he had by far his best game, creating some nice chances, and managing the puck well in situations that were previously giving him a lot of trouble.
Injuries:
Matt Fraser returned to the Moose lineup, while Thomas Raffl and Jay Harrison are still out. Harrison may play on the upcoming road trip, while Raffl remains out indefinitely.
Audio:
Chase De Leo
Eric Comrie
Coach McCambridgeThis story originally ran in May, 2011. With Betsy DeVos’ recent appointment as Education Secretary in the Trump Administration, we thought now would be a good time to get reacquainted with one of America’s most stealth — and effective — right-wing oligarchies.
Since the 2010 elections, voucher bills have popped up in legislatures around the nation. From Pennsylvania to Indiana to Florida, state governments across the country have introduced bills that would take money from public schools and use it to send students to private and religious institutions.
Vouchers have always been a staple of the right-wing agenda. Like previous efforts, this most recent push for vouchers is led by a network of conservative think tanks, PACs, Religious Right groups and wealthy conservative donors. But “school choice,” as they euphemistically paint vouchers, is merely a means to an end. Their ultimate goal is the total elimination of our public education system.
The decades-long campaign to end public education is propelled by the super-wealthy, right-wing DeVos family. Betsy Prince DeVos is the sister of Erik Prince, founder of the notorious private military contractor Blackwater USA (now Xe), and wife of Dick DeVos, son of the co-founder of Amway, the multi-tiered home products business.
By now, you’ve surely heard of the Koch brothers, whose behind-the-scenes financing of right-wing causes has been widely documented in the past year. The DeVoses have remained largely under the radar, despite the fact that their stealth assault on America’s schools has the potential to do away with public education as we know it.
Right-Wing Privatization Forces
The conservative policy institutes founded beginning in the 1970s get hundreds of millions of dollars from wealthy families and foundations to develop and promote free market fundamentalism. More specifically, their goals include privatizing social security, reducing government regulations, thwarting environmental policy, dismantling unions — and eliminating public schools.
Whatever they may say about giving poor students a leg up, their real priority is nothing short of the total dismantling of our public educational institutions, and they’ve admitted as much. Cato Institute founder Ed Crane and other conservative think tank leaders have signed the Public Proclamation to Separate School and State, which reads in part that signing on, “Announces to the world your commitment to end involvement by local, state, and federal government from education.”
But Americans don’t want their schools dismantled. So privatization advocates have recognized that it’s not politically viable to openly push for full privatization and have resigned themselves to incrementally dismantling public school systems. The think tanks’ weapon of choice is school vouchers.
Vouchers are funded with public school dollars but are used to pay for students to attend private and parochial (religious-affiliated) schools. The idea was introduced in the 1950s by the high priest of free-market fundamentalism, Milton Friedman, who also made the real goal of the voucher movement clear: “Vouchers are not an end in themselves; they are a means to make a transition from a government to a free-market system.” The quote is in a 1995 Cato Institute briefing paper titled “Public Schools: Make Them Private.”
Joseph Bast, president of Heartland Institute, stated in 1997, “Like most other conservatives and libertarians, we see vouchers as a major step toward the complete privatization of schooling. In fact, after careful study, we have come to the conclusion that they are the only way to dismantle the current socialist regime.” Bast added, “Government schools will diminish in enrollment and thus in number as parents shift their loyalty and vouchers to superior-performing private schools.”
But Bast’s lofty goals have not panned out. That’s because, quite simply, voucher programs do not work.
The longest running voucher program in the country is the 20-year-old Milwaukee School Choice Program. Standardized testing shows that the voucher students in private schools perform below the level of Milwaukee’s public school students, and even when socioeconomic status is factored in, the voucher students still score at or below the level of the students who remain in Milwaukee’s public schools. Cleveland’s voucher program has produced similar results. Private schools in the voucher program range from excellent to very poor. In some, less than 20 percent of students reach basic proficiency levels in math and reading.
Most Americans do not want their tax dollars to fund private and sectarian schools. Since 1966, 24 of 25 voucher initiatives have been defeated by voters, most by huge margins. Nevertheless, the pro-privatization battle continues, organized by an array of 527s, 501(c)(3)s, 501(c)(4)s, and political action committees. At the helm of this interconnected network is Betsy DeVos, the four-star general of the pro-voucher movement.
The DeVos Family Campaign for Privatization of Schools
The DeVoses are top contributors to the Republican Party and have provided the funding for major Religious Right organizations. And they spent millions of their own fortune promoting the failed voucher initiative in Michigan in 2000, dramatically outspending their opposition. Sixty-eight percent of Michigan voters rejected the voucher scheme. Following this defeat, the DeVoses altered their strategy.
Instead of taking the issue directly to voters, they would support bills for vouchers in state legislatures. In 2002 Dick DeVos gave a speech on school choice at the Heritage Foundation. After an introduction by former Reagan Secretary of Education William Bennett, DeVos described a system of “rewards and consequences” to pressure state politicians to support vouchers. “That has got to be the battle. It will not be as visible,” stated DeVos. He described how his wife Betsy was putting these ideas into practice in their home state of Michigan and claimed this effort has reduced the number of anti-school choice Republicans from six to two. The millions raised from the wealthy pro-privatization contributors would be used to finance campaigns of voucher supporters and purchase ads attacking opposing candidates.
Media materials for Betsy DeVos’ group All Children Matter, formed in 2003, claimed the organization spent $7.6 million in its first year, “impacting state legislative elections in 10 targeted states” and a won/loss record of 121/60.
Dick DeVos also explained to his Heritage Foundation audience that they should no longer use the term public schools, but instead start calling them “government schools.” He noted that the role of wealthy conservatives would have to be obscured. “We need to be cautious about talking too much about these activities,” said DeVos, and pointed to the need to “cut across a lot of historic boundaries, be they partisan, ethnic, or otherwise.”
Reinventing Vouchers
Like DeVos, several free-market think tanks have also issued warnings that vouchers appear to be an “elitist” plan. There’s reason for their concern, given the long and racially charged history of vouchers.
School vouchers drew little public interest until Brown v. Board of Education and the court-ordered desegregation of public schools. Southern states devised voucher schemes for students to leave public schools and take the public funding with them.
Author Kevin Michael Kreuse explains how this plan was supposed to work in White Flight: Atlanta and the Making of Modern Conservatism. “At the heart of the plan to defend school segregation, for instance, stood a revolutionary scheme called the ‘private-school plan.’ In 1953, a full year before Brown, Governor Talmadge advanced a constitutional amendment giving the General Assembly the power to privatize the state’s entire system of public education. In the event of court-ordered desegregation, school buildings would be closed, and students would receive grants to attend private, segregated schools.”
Given the racist origins of vouchers, advocates of privatization have had to do two things: obscure the fact that the pro-privatization movement is backed primarily by white conservatives, and emphasize the support of African American and Democratic lawmakers where it exists.
In 2000, Howard Fuller founded the Black Alliance for Education Options. The group was largely funded by John Walton and the Bradley Foundation. Walton, a son of Walmart founder Sam Walton, contributed millions to the Betsy DeVos-led All Children Matter organization, including a bequest after his death in a plane crash in 2004.
A report by People for the American Way questions whose interest was being served in the partnership between the Alliance and conservative foundations. The summary of the report reads, “Over the past nine months, millions of Americans have seen lavishly produced TV ads featuring African American parents talking about school vouchers. These ads and their sponsor, the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO), portray vouchers as an effort to help low-income kids. But a new report explores the money trail behind BAEO, finding that it leads directly to a handful of wealthy right-wing foundations and individuals that have a deep agenda — not only supporting the school voucher movement, but also backing anti-affirmative action campaigns and other efforts that African American organizations have opposed or considered offensive.”
Black Commentator.com was more blunt, describing vouchers as “The Right’s Final Answer to Brown” and tracking the history of vouchers from die-hard segregationists to the Heritage Foundation’s attempt to attach vouchers to federal legislation in 1981. The article stated, “The problem was, vouchers were still firmly (and correctly) associated with die-hard segregationists. Memories of white “massive resistance” to integration remained fresh, especially among blacks, who had never demanded vouchers — not even once in all of the tens of thousands of demonstrations over the previous three decades.”
The article continues, “Former Reagan Education Secretary William Bennett understood what was missing from the voucher political chemistry: minorities. If visible elements of the black and Latino community could be ensnared in what was then a lily-white scheme, then the Right’s dream of a universal vouchers system to subsidize general privatization of education, might become a practical political project. More urgently, Bennett and other right-wing strategists saw that vouchers had the potential to drive a wedge between blacks and teachers unions, cracking the Democratic Party coalition. In 1988, Bennett urged the Catholic Church to ‘seek out the poor, the disadvantaged…and take them in, educate them, and then ask society for fair recompense for your efforts’ — vouchers. The game was on.”
In this winning formula, vouchers or “scholarships” are advertised as the only hope for under served and urban minority children. Those who dare to defend public education from voucher schemes are, ironically, implied to be racist. Glossy brochures published by the DeVos-led entity All Children Matter show smiling faces of little children as well as those of the African American and Democratic politicians who have joined the campaign. Kevin Chavous, a former D.C. city councilman who takes credit for “shepherding” vouchers in D.C. and New Orleans, served as senior advisor to All Children Matters and now leads the BAEO and sits on the board of the DeVos-led AFC and Democrats for Education Reform.
All Children Matter was fined $5.2 million dollars in Ohio for breaking campaign finance laws, and lost an appeal in early 2010. The fine has not been paid. The DeVos-led organization also received bad press due to a fine in Wisconsin for failing to register their PAC as well as complaints in other states. In 2010 the entity began working under the name American Federation for Children (AFC) and registered new affiliate PACs across the nation, just in time for the 2010 elections.
The 2010 effort included a state that was not even included in Dick DeVos’ list of potential targets when he spoke to the Heritage Foundation in 2002 — Pennsylvania. An affiliate of AFC registered a PAC in Pennsylvania in March 2010 and less than a year later a voucher bill, SB-1, was sponsored in the Senate.
Throughout this well-coordinated campaign, the Pennsylvania press never once mentioned the name Betsy DeVos.
The Religious Right Foot Soldiers
The strategy in Pennsylvania in 2010, like efforts in other states, benefited from years of previous efforts to build alliances in the voucher movement. The conservative policy institutes have limited reach in the general public. In order to win the battle for hearts and minds, a larger public relations effort is required. The Religious Right fills this role with their tremendous broadcast capability and growing access to churches and homes. The partnership between free market fundamentalists and social conservatives is often contentious, but they share a common goal — to end secular public education. The free marketers object to the “public” aspect while the Religious Right objects to the “secular” component of public education.
A significant forum that brings together free-market power brokers and Religious Right leaders is the Council for National Policy (CNP), a secretive group that has met several times annually behind closed doors since 1981. Richard DeVos described CNP as bringing together the “donors and the doers.” This partnership gives the Religious Right access to major funders, including Richard Mellon Scaife, who are not social conservatives.
Many of the free-market think tanks are secular, but there is a trend toward merging free-market fundamentalism with right-wing religious ideology. The Acton Institute is described by religious historian Randall Balmer as an example of the merging of corporate interests with advocates of “dominion theology.” Dominionism is the belief that Christians must take control over societal and government institutions. The Acton Institute funds events featuring dominionist leaders including Gary North, who claims that the bible mandates free market capitalism or “Biblical Capitalism.”
Betsy DeVos has served on the board of Acton, which is also funded by Scaife, Bradley and Exxon Mobil. A shared goal of this unlikely group of libertarians and theocrats is their battle against environmental regulation. One of the Acton Institute fellows leads a group of Religious Right organizations called the Cornwall Alliance, which is currently marketing a DVD titled Resisting the Green Dragon. The pseudo-documentary describes global warming as a hoax and claims environmentalism is a cult attacking Christianity. Another shared goal of the free marketers and Christian dominionists is eradicating secular public education.
Gary North explains why getting students out of public schools is key to the Christian dominionist camp. “So let us be blunt about it: we must use the doctrine of religious liberty to gain independence for Christian schools until we train up a generation of people who know that there is no religious neutrality, no neutral law, no neutral education, and no neutral civil government. Then they will get busy in constructing a Bible-based social, political, and religious order which finally denies the religious liberty of the enemies of God.”
And the Christian Right has been busy enacting this vision. One of the first goals of the Christian Coalition was to take |
Then we fitted generalized mixed models (GLMMs with negative binomial distribution, logit link function) [31] to damages, with zone as random factor. We evaluated model performance and parsimony using Akaike Information Criteria (AIC), the difference (ΔAIC) between each candidate model and the best model (lowest AIC), and AIC weights (AICw [32]). Analyses were performed in R and SAS [33, 34].
Discussion Conflict scenarios rooted in human attitudes and confronting perceptions of large carnivores, e.g. groups that oppose carnivore recovery vs. carnivore supporters, are major obstacles for carnivore conservation and recovery [35]. Therefore, disentangling the relative importance of ecological, economic and societal factors involved in human-carnivore interactions should facilitate coexistence [36]. We used the number of news on wolf damages per zone as a proxy of social conflict, and found that the press coverage of wolf damages was not correlated to their economic costs. The unbalanced press coverage is relevant because news stories on damages correlated to wolves killed in management actions (Fig 3; Table 4). Media coverage is thus a potential driver of public risk perception of large carnivores (e.g. [26, 28]), showing that conflict resolution does not necessarily lay just on ecological grounds [37], or in science communication. Indeed, social factors may influence management actions (e.g. Fig 3). We found that livestock damages were positively correlated to wolf culling intensity in the previous year, hinting an undesired outcome of management based on culling. The relation between wolf culling and subsequent damages corresponded to a set of paired years and wolf zones (Fig 2; Table 3); it did not depend on overall trends in wolf numbers or damages, but actually showed a relation between culling and the number of damages the year after. Previous studies showed that culling or hunting do not necessarily minimize depredation on livestock [38,39] and recent research in North America even found similar counter-expected effects in black bears, pumas, and wolves [40,41,42]. To our knowledge, a positive correlation between number of culled large carnivores and increased damages has never been published in Eurasia. Several plausible scenarios could explain those effects: source-sink hypothesis (e.g. [41]), and social disruption, i.e., an outcome of random culling in highly social animals like wolves [43]. Culling reduces pack size, which together with the social disruption caused by killing reproductive individuals could result in an increase of the number of packs in a region [44, 45]. In addition, kill rates in wolves depend on season, pack size, prey size and prey density, among others [46, 47]. Kill rates seem to be higher in Europe than in North America, perhaps indicating that higher risk of human-related mortality in European wolves leads to a decline in consumption of each carcass [47, 48]. Although the levels of damages on livestock in our study area may seem disparate for the number of packs and average pack size [49], the observed pattern could arise if wolves spent less time at kills because livestock owners and rangers visit the carcasses. A similar effect has been described for pumas living closer to human residential areas [50]. Availability of wild prey is also an important factor behind carnivore predation on livestock [51, 52]; abundant wild prey may avert predation on livestock. However, data are rarely available to test that idea [53]. We did not have robust data on abundance of wild prey, but our surrogate (ungulates harvested in the previous season) showed a positive correlation with the number of damages by wolves on livestock. Furthermore, unguarded livestock is susceptible to depredation even if wild prey is available [54], adding a human-dependent issue to predator-prey interactions. Livestock husbandry is an objective component that plays a major role in the magnitude of damages by large carnivores [55, 56]. Yet, hard data on type and dedication of husbandry practices are absent in our study area. The number of bears in the Cantabrian Mountains increased during the study period, coinciding with an increase in damages to beehives. A simple explanation would be that bears shift to anthropogenic resources when the natural ones are scarce, thus increasing damages to human properties. However, we found that bear damages correlated with females with cubs in the previous year. This may indicate that an increase in the proportion of juvenile bears in the population–which have faster growth rates and are often less wary—lead to an increase in damages to beehives. Bear damages did not seem as conflictive to the press as wolf damages, judging from the dramatic skew in the treatment of damages by bears and wolves: compensations paid annually for wolf damages were indeed five times higher than those paid for bear damages (691,498 v. 127,203 € per year), yet media coverage of wolf damages was 30 times larger (91 v. 3 news per year). Such bias and its potential effects on management can remain undetected when studying only one of several sympatric species in a conflict scenario [12, 57]. Management and conservation implications A widespread measure to increase social acceptance of large carnivores is to compensate economically the damages they caused [11, 58]. In our study area, about 85% of the complaints were compensated after verification, but compensations did not seem to ease conflict. It is worth noting that stockbreeding activities are subsidized by the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the European Union. Those subsidies are higher for livestock grazing in protected areas, to compensate restrictions associated to them, including potential inconveniences of sharing the landscape with large carnivores and wild ungulates [59, 60]. The situation we described urges the implementation of better livestock husbandry practices instead of wolf culling, which is counterproductive from damage-management and conservation perspectives. Indeed, improving livestock handling is often regarded as the most rational and conservation-oriented measure in different scenarios. It also calls for attention to the role of media and opinion makers as potential amplifiers or drivers of wildlife-related conflicts: wolf depredation affected annually 0.69 ± 0.14% of free-ranging livestock in our study area, i.e., depredation is not a major cause of livestock mortality, but media is seemingly driving the implementation of culling programs. Culling of populations of apex predators is unjustified on scientific grounds [61]; indeed, culling suppress certain ‘apex’ traits [62, 63], thus altering their role in ecosystems. In addition, the implementation and outcome of conflict-related management actions on large carnivores should also be evaluated on ethical grounds [45, 64].
Supporting Information S1 Dataset. Data on damages by bears and wolves used in the analyses. Data on bear and wolf damages, numbers of female bears with cubs, wolf packs, wolves killed in culling programs, harvested wild ungulates, and news on wolf damages used in the analyses of this study. See Table 1 for description of variables. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0151541.s001 (XLS)
Acknowledgments Records of damages by bears and wolves in Asturias, number of female bear with cubs, number of wolf packs, wolves killed in culling programs, and hunting records of wild ungulates, were provided by the Asturian administration, which during our study period was in charge of implementing the bear management plan in the range of bear distribution (Decree 9/2002, article 4), and the wolf management plan in the whole territory of Asturias (Decree 155/2002, article 5).
Author Contributions Conceived and designed the experiments: AFG JN ER MD. Performed the experiments: AFG JN AO MQ ER MD. Analyzed the data: AFG JN AO MQ ER. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: AFG JN MQ ER. Wrote the paper: AFG JN AO MQ ER MD.Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
Saturday, August 4, 2012
These games remind us that for all our differences, we’re Americans first. And we could not be prouder of the men and women representing our country in London, in both the Olympics and in the Paralympics.
Last weekend, Michelle led the American delegation to London and reaffirmed the special relationship we share with our strongest ally, Great Britain. She met with the Queen, and with Prime Minister Cameron’s wife, Samantha. She spent some time thanking our brave service members and military families. And, of course, she took in as many events as she could to cheer on our athletes.
I’ve got to admit I was a little jealous she got to go. But like many of you, I caught as many events as I could, jumping off the couch for a close race, or a perfect vault. I watched the wonderful young women of our gymnastics team recapture the team gold for America, and I was filled with pride watching Gabby Douglas win the all-around gold with incredible poise and grace. I watched our swimmers win a haul of medals, and Michael Phelps become the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time. I saw our women’s soccer team power through the competition.
And I’m just as proud of all our athletes in sports that don’t always get as much attention. The U.S. women’s eight continued its rowing dominance with another gold medal. Kayla Harrison won America’s first-ever gold medal in Judo, and Marti Malloy won a bronze. Kim Rhode became the first American to win individual medals in five straight Olympics with her gold in skeet shooting; and her teammate, Army Sergeant Vincent Hancock, won his second skeet gold.
I also thought of the truly difficult journeys that many of our athletes have made. Some have faced personal loss, or beaten cancer. Some have worked long shifts at multiple jobs to feed their Olympic dream. And some have done the impossible. Less than four years ago, Bryshon Nellum was shot three times in his legs. But this week, he’ll run the 400 meters. And as a boy, Lopez Lomong fled war and persecution and life as a refugee—one of the “Lost Boys” of Sudan. Today’s he’s an American—and representing his country at the Olympics for the second time.
So it’s no surprise America is vying for the top of the medal count. But it’s not the medal count alone that inspires us—most of our athletes won’t claim a medal at all. It’s the character of the men and women who compete for those medals. It’s their hard work and sacrifice—the countless hours in the gym, in the pool, on the track. It’s their dogged perseverance and unyielding determination, through disappointment and triumph alike.
It’s that unconquerable spirit—that American spirit—that says even though we may have very different stories to tell; even though we may not look alike or talk alike or be dealt the same hand in life—if we work hard, we can achieve our dreams. We can make it if we try. We are one people, with common values and ideals; we celebrate individual excellence, but recognize that only together can we accomplish great and important things we cannot accomplish alone.
That’s why we watch. That’s why we cheer. That’s why we come together, for two weeks in summer, and swell with pride at the incredible things our fellow citizens can do.
So to all our Olympic and Paralympic athletes—whether you’ve already competed or have yet to compete—your country could not be prouder of you. Thank you for presenting the best of America to the rest of the world. And, thank you for becoming new role models to our children—mine included—and inspiring them to believe that if they work hard and do their best, they can achieve great things, too.
Go get ‘em this week, Team USA. We can’t wait to welcome you home.
God bless you, and God bless America.One of the leading lights of the café racer scene in the US right now is Dime City Cycles. Here’s the latest build from Jason and Herm, a very heavily modified Honda CB400—as you may have guessed from its name. It’s a comprehensive overhaul of the classic 70s Super Sport, right down to the modified, braced frame and swingarm. They’ve also upgraded the motor with Yoshimura 54.5mm pistons (boosting capacity to 466cc), a Kibblewhite Precision Machining valve train, and Keihin CR carburetors.
The suspension comes from Progressive, and the rims are from Excel; the front end is a blend of CB400F, CB450 and CB750 parts. If the tank looks slightly familiar, that’s because it’s a vintage Ducati replica race tank, behind a matching fairing. Most of the other custom parts are Dime City’s own items, including the exhaust system. If this whets your appetite, you can see more of Dime City’s work in the newly-released DVD of Cafe Racer TV, Season 1—which also includes Bike EXIF favorites Lossa Engineering, Santiago Choppers and Garage Company Customs. [Images by Pete Maresco.]
Build Sheet
1975 CB 400 Four Super Sport
Vintage Ducati Replica Race Fuel Tank & Fairing
Dime City Original Wasp Rear Seat Section
Dime City Original Lower Cowl Section
Modified Frame (Chromoly Backbone, Braces and DCC Rearsteel Loop)
Modified Swingarm (Chromoly Sections and Bracing)
BlackBox Yoshi 466 Piston Kit
Kibbellwhite Valve Train
Custom MAC/DCC Exhaust System
Progressive Suspension Front & Rear
Excel Shouldered Aluminum Rims w/ Metzler Rubber
Combination CB400F, CB450 & CB750 Front End w/ YZF Dual Discs
Loadedgun Rear Sets & DCC Linkage Kit
Keihin CR Race Carburetors
Tommaselli Clip-ons
Acewell gauge UnitHollywood is never shy about finding inspiration in real life. Given the decision by Donald Trump’s personal lawyer to hire his own lawyer, it’s only a matter of time until NBC goes to pilot with… Law & Order D.C.
•••
SCENE: A jogger huffs along Connecticut Avenue in the D.C. dawn. She turns onto a quiet side street and abruptly comes upon… four FBI agents going through the Attorney General’s garbage.
AGENT Nothing so far, sir. Just several empty tubes of Brylcreem, a copy of this spell that forever traps a child in the body of an elfin man and… hang on… sir, a ticket stub from the Russian ballet!
SPECIAL AGENT Looks like our Attorney General has been Baryshni-caught!
•••
SCENE: A prestigious D.C. law firm. A distinguished woman in her 50s stands to address an impromptu gathering of partners and employees.
HANNIGAN I’ve got some great news. I have been personally approached to formally serve the President of the United States.
Applause. Shouts of “Congratulations!”
HANNIGAN Effective immediately, I’ll be working as official counsel. To the lawyer. Of the lawyer who is current serving as the President’s other personal lawyer.
Crowd goes silent as everyone tries to figure that out.
HANNIGAN Anyway…
•••
SCENE: A D.C. court. In session.
KINCAID Your Honour, may I approach the bench?
The judge waves him forward.
JUDGE Is there a problem, counselor?
KINCAID Depends. I’m going to need that retainer cheque pronto if you want me to represent you.
JUDGE A guy has one squash game with the National Security Advisor…
KINCAID Be happy you’re not Ivanka’s Pilates instructor. FBI’s been camped outside his house since he ordered borscht at that place on K Street.
•••
SCENE: Afternoon. Courthouse hallway. An elevator door opens and…
ROTH I object to that skirt you’re wearing, counselor. It’s clearly intended to give rise to the jury.
LOWELL It can never work between us, Chet. You represent the president’s lawyer’s lawyer’s plumber’s lawyer. And I was just retained to represent the President’s son-in-law’s family’s lawyer’s lawyer’s esthetician.
ROTH Damn this town.
They walk away silently, looking at their phones.
•••
SCENE: KINCAID approaches a hot dog vendor while talking on his cell phone.
KINCAID Look, I’ll have my assistant send you a brochure with our most popular legal representation options for White House officials. But I’ll tell you right now: You’re going to want to go with The Kushner. It’s our most popular package. Great representation, good value.
[Covers phone. Speaks to hot dog vendor.]
KINCAID Gimme two, Tony. And hey: I’m going to need that retainer cheque.
TONY (shaking his head) Three congressional subpoenas! For what?
Kincaid hands him a $10 bill.
KINCAID At these prices, probably larceny.
•••
SCENE: Nighttime. Bar. Drinks.
KINCAID Big day today – 11 billable hours. I’m going to make partner if I keep up this pace.
SOUZA Who’s the client?
KINCAID Sweet gig. I represent the lawyer who is advising the lawyer who is under retainer to serve the President’s personal secretary’s personal lawyer’s personal driver.
[There is a pause.]
SOUZA Hang on a minute. But aren’t you the guy who…
KINCAID Holy hell, I’m my own lawyer! There’s no way I can afford what I’m charging me!
FADE TO BLACK
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER DICK WOLFIn A Church Built On Tradition, The Pope Likes Spontaneity
Enlarge this image toggle caption Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty Images Alberto Pizzoli/AFP/Getty Images
In the seven months since he was elected, Pope Francis has shaken up the Catholic world and beyond with off-the-cuff homilies, phone calls to ordinary folk and unscripted interviews. His Twitter followers now exceed 10 million. Described by the Vatican as "conversational," the new papal style is drawing praise from large numbers of Catholics and nonbelievers alike.
But it's also making some conservative Catholics deeply uncomfortable.
Greg Burke, the Vatican's communications strategist, says that with Francis' election — after a papacy plagued by crises — attitudes toward the Roman Catholic Church changed overnight.
"I don't know of any other institution in the world where things could have changed so much and so quickly in terms of communications and public relations and moral authority," Burke says.
Surprising Spontaneity
Francis stunned the world in July with an impromptu airborne press conference, where he said, "Who am I to judge gays?"
That was followed by a long interview with a Jesuit journal in which he said Catholics should stop being obsessed with abortion, contraception and homosexuality. Then came an interview with an atheist journalist.
Eugenio Scalfari, founder of the left-leaning daily La Repubblica, describes how their encounter came about.
"I was stunned when all of a sudden my phone rang and Pope Francis was on the line. He was answering my open letter asking him to join in a conversation," Scalfari recalls. "I could hear him leafing through his calendar as he set the time for us to meet."
The journalist met the pope in the small hotel on Vatican grounds that Francis has chosen as his modest residence, forsaking the palatial papal apartment. And Francis made some sensational statements, including: "Proselytism is solemn nonsense" and "The world's most serious afflictions today are youth unemployment and the loneliness of the old."
He also complained about a "Vatican-centric" view that "neglects the world around us."
If that were not enough, Francis has also emerged as the "cold-call pope," often picking up the phone and chatting with ordinary people.
This poses challenges for his handlers, who don't learn about some conversations until after the fact. And in an organization where papal pronouncements had always been prepared ahead of time and carefully vetted, the press staff now has to keep up with a pope who constantly goes off script.
"We are dealing with the unexpected, with spontaneity," says the Rev. Tom Rosica, who often pitches in as Vatican spokesman. "The pope is teaching us the art of communicating."
"The most vivid example of the new evangelization is not a book, not an apostolic exhortation, it's Pope Francis," Rosica says. "The pope is becoming the message."
For Developed World, 'A Lot Of Tough Love'
But not everybody is comfortable with that message. In Italy, several articles have appeared that reflect the growing unease of unnamed sources within the Vatican bureaucracy over the direction of the new papacy.
And in the U.S., many conservative Catholics feel like the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son, as Pope Francis preaches the message of mercy, reaching out to gays, women, nonbelievers and the secular world. That leaves more traditionalist Catholics feeling left out, says Robert Mickens, Vatican correspondent for The Tablet, a British Catholic weekly.
"People who live in a black-and-white kind of world are not satisfied at all with this kind of more elastic or pastoral path that the pope has taken, by giving these interviews and using the type of language that he does," he says.
Mickens describes the pope's language as both easily understandable and enticing. But he adds that Francis' message is also deeply challenging.
"His strong admonitions against greed, not to be greedy, not to hurt the environment... these are not just nice things people want to hear; they are strong gospel, prophetic means of talking to people but in a language that is contemporary," Mickens says.
Burke, the Vatican communications strategist, acknowledges that for some Catholics living in the U.S. and other parts of the developed world, the pope's emphasis on a church for the poor and his sharp criticism of globalization and laissez-faire capitalism could be very disturbing.
"Mercy is the main message," Burke says. "But in the wealthy comfortable world, there's going to be a lot of tough love."By Baird Helgeson and Jennifer Brooks
Despite an improving economy, Minnesota state leaders face a new, $1.1 billion budget deficit, according a new economic update released Wednesday.
Minnesota has been pulling itself up during a fragile economic recovery, but the sliver of additional tax revenue is not enough to keep up with rising costs, the numbers show.
The budget numbers, which are always a moving target, are more uncertain than usual as Washington leaders debate the so-called fiscal cliff, which could plunge Minnesota and the nation into another recession.
Minnesota Management and Budget has released the complete economic and budget details. The new budget number will become the foundation of DFL Gov. Mark Dayton’s budget proposal, expected to be released next month.
The improving economy in the current budget cycle will allow the state to repay $1.3 billion borrowed from public schools to balance the state budget. However, the state still owes the schools more than $1 billion and the new deficit means there is no immediate plan to pay back the balance.
“The economy is a little weaker than we thought it would be last February. Not a lot weaker, but a little weaker,” State Economist Tom Stinson said.
The uncertainly around the fiscal cliff is a bigger drag on the economy, Stinson said. If President Barack Obama and Congressional leaders fail to strike a different budget deal, a menu of tax hikes and deep spending reductions will kick in and begin tugging at an already anemic economic recovery.
“There’s no reason for us to have a recession in 2013 or 2014,” Stinson said. “And if we do, it will be self-inflicted. But that doesn’t mean we won’t have one.”
If the two sides reach a deal and bring new predictability to taxes and spending, it could unleash a torrent of pent up spending and give a notable boost to the economy in Minnesota and the nation.
“One can imagine increased business spending and increased business hiring once they knew what the rules could be,” Stinson said.
The twice-annual economic forecast takes into account an array of indicators, including local economy, the national economy, even the financial instability spiraling throughout Europe.
Minnesota's economy is already doing better than many parts of the nation. Minnesota’s unemployment rate is hovering around 5.8 percent, about two full percentage points better than the national average.
Minnesota’s construction sector endured the worst of the last recession, and has suffered the most stubbornly high unemployment rates. Stinson said he finally sees that sector improving in a significant way.
“We are expecting the housing sector to begin to turn around and begin to grow over the next couple years,” he said.
The healthcare industry continues to outperform many other sectors, particularly as Minnesota baby boomers edge toward retirement.
Dayton is going to use the budget forecast data to form his budget proposal, which is likely to include a plan for a massive retooling of the state tax system.
The changing economy has left the state relying too little on income and sales taxes and placing too much reliance on property taxes, Dayton has said.
Dayton’s revenue and budget officials want to distribute the tax burden more evenly, potentially lowering some taxes and increasing others.
Stinson said a reshuffling of the tax laws could finally break Minnesota out of the cycle of annual budget deficits that caused years of statewide reductions and borrowing. State leaders haven’t made a comprehensive reform effort since the 1980s.
“We certainly need to make sure that Minnesota’s tax system is appropriate for dealing with the economy that we have in 2012 rather than the economy that existed in 1984,” Stinson said.
Read the full budget forecast documents here.
Full Budget Forecastback to news Changelog War Thunder Update 1.69 "Regia Aeronautica" - changelog War Thunder presents
Update 1.69 "Regia Aeronautica"
C.202EC
BR.20 DR
C.205 serie 3
S.M.79 serie 8
Bf 109G-14/AS
F-84G-21-RE New Aircraft Italy CR.32
CR.32 bis (Premium)
CR.32 quater
CR.42
Marcolin's CR.42CN (premium)
G.50 series 2
G.50AS series 7
C.200 series 3
C.200 series 7
Ba.65 (K.14) L
BR.20 DR C.202
C.202EC
C.205 series 1
C.205 series 3
C.205N2
Breda 88 (P.XI)
S.M.79 series 1
S.M.79 series 8
S.M.79 AS
S.M.79 bis/T.M
S.M.79 B
G.55 sub-series 0 G.56
Z.1007 bis series 3
Z.1007 bis series 5
P.108A series 2
P.108B series 1
P.108B series 2
Bf 109G-14/AS
G.91 pre-serie
G.91R/1
F-84G-21-RE
G.55 series 1
G.55S (Premium)
G.56 Germany Bf 109A Flegel (premium) USA PB4Y-2 Privateer
F3F-2 Galer (premium) New Ground Vehicles Object 268 Churchill Mk.I T95E1 Japan Chi-To Late Germany Sd.Kfz. 234/2 USA М60А2
Т95Е1 Britain Vickers Mk.1
Churchill Mk.I
Chieftain Mk.5 USSR Object 268
Т-55А New locations “Tunisia” air location
Significant changes in the “Kuban” location.
Black Sea port New missions Gladiator 1x2 and 4x4 missions have been added to custom battles for the following locations: Kursk Berlin Eastern Europe Krymsk Mozdok Sinai.
Assault PvE mission Assault PvE mission for ground vehicle arcade. (Available Soon) Location and mission updates: Performance optimization for “Poland”, ‘Eastern Europe”, “Normandy” and “Berlin” (up to 25% performance boost for low end PCs).
New trees have been added and some vegetation has been reworked on the ‘Eastern Europe”, “Normandy” and “Berlin” locations.
Updated vegetation in “Poland”, “Normandy” and “Berlin”.
Test flight/drive change: a user no longer exits to the hangar automatically after his vehicle has been completely destroyed. Mechanics Functionality of launching smoke grenades for rank 5 ground vehicles equipped with smoke grenade launchers in reality has been added. In addition, smoke grenades have been added to the following non rank 5 ground vehicles: Britain: А13 (all modifications)
Valentine Mk. XI
Valentine Mk.IX
Centurion Mk.1
Centurion Mk. 3
Strv-81
Caernarvon
FV4202
Tortoise
Charioteer Mk.VII USSR: Т-44-100
ASU-85 Smoke shells have been added to the following ground vehicles: USA: M103
M26
M46
M47
M48A1
M4A3 (105)
M56
M60
M60A1
M3 GMC
M18
M3 Lee
M41
M4
M4A1
M4A2
M4A1(76)W
M4A2(76)W
M4A3E2(76)W
M4A3E2
M4A3E8
M8A1
Calliope Britain: Achilles
A30 Challenger
A30 SP Avenger
Black Prince
AC4 Thunderbolt
Centurion Mk I
Centurion Mk 3
Charioteer Mk VII
Chieftain Mk 3
Caernarvon
FV4202
Sherman Ic Firefly
Sherman Vc Firefly
Archer Japan: Ho-I
Chi-Nu
Ho-Ni I
Ho-Ni III
ST-A1
ST-A2
STB-1
Type 61
Type 74 USSR: USSR:
KV-1 ZiS-5
KV-1E
KV-1S
SU-122
SU-76M
T-34E
T-34E STZ
T-34 1941
T-34 1942 Germany: Nb.Fz
Pz.Bfw.IV
Pz.III Ausf.N
Pz.IV Ausf.C
Pz.IV Ausf.E
Pz.IV Ausf.F1
Pz.IV Ausf.F2
Pz.IV Ausf.G
Pz.IV Ausf.H
Pz.IV Ausf.J
Maus
E100
StuG.III Ausf.A
StuG.III Ausf.F
StuG.III Ausf.G
StuH.42 G Flight Models changes Do 217J-1, J-2, E-2, E-4, K-1 - Flight models have been updated. The error where engines on WEP mode caused the speed of horizontal flight being less than should be possible has been fixed.
- Flight models have been updated. The error where engines on WEP mode caused the speed of horizontal flight being less than should be possible has been fixed. P-47 (all modifications) - Fuel consumption has been corrected. When using emergency mode with water injection (WEP) the consumption is less than when using the take-off mode (100%).
(all modifications) - Fuel consumption has been corrected. When using emergency mode with water injection (WEP) the consumption is less than when using the take-off mode (100%). Ju 88A-4, C-6 - A bug that caused the propeller pitch to hang in the extreme position after diving which caused the engines to not spin at normal speed has been fixed.
- A bug that caused the propeller pitch to hang in the extreme position after diving which caused the engines to not spin at normal speed has been fixed. Ki-43 (all modifications) - Flight models have been updated. You can check the full characteristics in the data sheet..Chassis amourisation has been improved.
(all modifications) - Flight models have been updated. You can check the full characteristics in the data sheet..Chassis amourisation has been improved. Ki-44 (all modifications) - Fluctuations in aiming have been reduced. Thermodynamics and controlling of radiators have been refined. General controlling for all game modes has been improved.
(all modifications) - Fluctuations in aiming have been reduced. Thermodynamics and controlling of radiators have been refined. General controlling for all game modes has been improved. Ki-96 - Flight model has been updated. You can check the full characteristics in the data sheet. Handling on all types of controls has been improved. Acceleration characteristics (especially in a dive) have been improved. Course stability has been improved.
- Flight model has been updated. You can check the full characteristics in the data sheet. Handling on all types of controls has been improved. Acceleration characteristics (especially in a dive) have been improved. Course stability has been improved. Bf 109B-1/п - Flight model has been updated. Propeller motor group efficiency has been improved. The brakes have been strengthened. Stability on all flight modes has been improved. The moments of inertia have been recalculated. The polars of the wing group have been updated.
- Flight model has been updated. Propeller motor group efficiency has been improved. The brakes have been strengthened. Stability on all flight modes has been improved. The moments of inertia have been recalculated. The polars of the wing group have been updated. He 100D-1 - A bug when controlling with mouse aim which resulted in uncontrolled rotation (corkscrew) at low speeds has been fixed.
- A bug when controlling with mouse aim which resulted in uncontrolled rotation (corkscrew) at low speeds has been fixed. F-82E - Maximum allowed speed in a dive has been increased to 535 mph.
- Maximum allowed speed in a dive has been increased to 535 mph. He 51 (all modifications) - Flaps have been modelled (fight/take-off/landing).
(all modifications) - Flaps have been modelled (fight/take-off/landing). Spitfire (all modifications), Seafire (all modifications) - The effect of flaps on oil temperature has been fixed.
(all modifications), Seafire (all modifications) - The effect of flaps on oil temperature has been fixed. Spitfire LF. Mk.IX, Spitfire F Mk.24, Seafire FR.47 - Incorrect calculation of power when using 150 octane fuel in AB has been fixed Economy and research Premium aircraft for first battle completion in German aircraft has been changed from the Marcolin's CR.42 CN to the Bf 109A Flegel.
Premium aircraft for the first battle in US aircraft has been changed from Thach's F2A-1 Buffalo to F3F-2 Galer.
F2A-1 Buffalo, Thach's F2A-1 Buffalo - BR has been changed from from 1.3 to 2.0. Sounds Sound settings changes have been improved depending on the distance of the enemy aircraft (AI). CPU load has been reduced.
The position of the sound source for machine guns in ground vehicles has been fixed. Graphics Improved smoke visual effects for “fumes” from vessels have been improved, vessel fire visual effects have also been updated.
4k resolution support for PlayStation®4 Pro has been enabled.
“Metal” (MAC) render support is now available - it improves game performance by up to 100% on MAC platforms newer than 2012.
Aircraft model, damage model, characteristic and weaponry changes A bug where information on protected fuel tanks was not being displayed has been fixed.
A bug where specific aircraft could not apply user-made camos has been fixed.
Ki-67-I - A bug where the preset for torpedo weaponry was opened while researching bomber presets has been fixed.
- A bug where the preset for torpedo weaponry was opened while researching bomber presets has been fixed. A bug where the torpedo weapon preset was unlocked after researching the bomb pylon has been fixed.
P-63 (all modifications) - information about the influence of fuel injection on flight characteristics has been been corrected.
(all modifications) - information about the influence of fuel injection on flight characteristics has been been corrected. PV-2D - A preset without secondary armament has been removed.
- A preset without secondary armament has been removed. PV-2D - Defensive armament elevation angles have been corrected.
- Defensive armament elevation angles have been corrected. PV-2D - Bomb armament has been fixed, Tiny-Tim rockets have been added.
- Bomb armament has been fixed, Tiny-Tim rockets have been added. Sunderland Mk.III - A preset without secondary armament has been removed.
- A preset without secondary armament has been removed. A-26B-50 - Aircraft class has been changed to attacker.
- Aircraft class has been changed to attacker. P-51 (all modifications) - Fuel tank visual effects have been fixed.
(all modifications) - Fuel tank visual effects have been fixed. Ju 87 - Damage model has been updated
- Damage model has been updated FW 200C-1 - Defensive armament ammo display in x-ray view has been fixed.
- Defensive armament ammo display in x-ray view has been fixed. Pe-8 M-82 - A bug where a defensive turret could still fire whilst its gunner was knocked out has been fixed.
- A bug where a defensive turret could still fire whilst its gunner was knocked out has been fixed. Spitfire F Mk.22 - duplicate pylon names for different bomb presets has been fixed.
- duplicate pylon names for different bomb presets has been fixed. B-29 - Deflection angles of defensive turrets have been fixed.
- Deflection angles of defensive turrets have been fixed. Tu-4 - Deflection angles of defensive turrets have been fixed.
- Deflection angles of defensive turrets have been fixed. Tu-4 - Number of displayed gunners in the crew menu has been corrected.
- Number of displayed gunners in the crew menu has been corrected. N1K2-J, N1K2 - Ja rocket armament modules have been fixed.
, - Ja rocket armament modules have been fixed. F2A-1 - Buffalo offensive armament has been fixed.
- Buffalo offensive armament has been fixed. B-29 - Number of displayed gunners in the crew menu has been corrected.
- Number of displayed gunners in the crew menu has been corrected. BV 238 - Deflection angles of defensive turrets have been fixed
- Deflection angles of defensive |
a look at the Ruby 2.4.0 NEWS file.
Here are some more articles covering the new release:When I was a kid, my dream job was to drive a train. And not like a subway* or some short regional passenger route or anything like that. I wanted to drive something more long haul, specifically a coal train**. Firefighter? Policeman? Some sort of athlete? Nah fuck that. Driving a train was the job for me. Traveling by rail through the mountains, or forest, or desert, or wherever, sounded amazing to my young mind. It still does, actually, although the job has lost its appeal. The reality of the irregular work schedule has put me off.Now that I think about it, maybe I should look into becoming a hobo instead. It’s basically the same thing with the added benefit of never being far from home.
*not to be confused with Subway***
**not to be confused with Coltrane***
***although traveling cross country with either, or both, of those does sound interesting…Get the biggest daily stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
A CAMPAIGN has been launched to win a posthumous apology for computer pioneer Alan Turing over his conviction for homosexuality.
The brilliant mathematician, who spent his key years at Manchester University, is hailed as one of the founders of modern computing.
But a conviction for homosexuality effectively ended his career. Troubled Turing went on to commit suicide in 1954, aged just 41.
Now a group of admirers of the scientist - named as one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century by Time Magazine - are lobbying the government to make a posthumous apology.
Codebreaker
The Cambridge graduate was one of Britain's best wartime codebreakers - part of the team at Bletchley Park which unravelled the secret of the Enigma code machines used by German U-boats. Turing was awarded an OBE in 1945 for his wartime services to the Foreign Office and moved to Manchester to help work on the pioneering Mark 1 computer.
He was prosecuted for gross indecency for having sex with a man in 1952, but escaped jail after being offered an alternative of taking an experimental hormone treatment to reduce sex drive.
However, the case effectively ended his career and Turing fell into despair. His body was found by a cleaner at his Wilmslow home in 1954 - next to him was a half-eaten apple laced with cyanide. It was not until 1967 that laws against gay men were lifted.
More than 500 people have now signed the petition on the 10 Downing Street website to call for an official apology'recognize the tragic consequences of prejudice that ended his life and career'.
Hounded
John Graham-Cumming, a leading British computer expert who launched the campaign, said: "I think that Alan Turing hasn't been recognised in Britain for his enormous contribution because he died in his forties and almost certainly because he was gay.
"It is atrocious that we don't recognise this man and the only way to do so is to apologise to him. This man was a national treasure and we hounded him to his death.
"One of the things for people in the computing world is that he was part of the war effort but we don't give him recognition in the same way as other heroes. To me, he was a hero in the second world war."
Since his death, plaques, buildings and statues have been raised in Turing's honour. The computing world's equivalent of the Nobel Prize has been called the Turing Award since 1966.News Item: Spreading voluntaryism left and right
(Category: Miscellaneous)
Posted by Wendy McElroy
Thursday 29 January 2009 - 07:54:43
Spreading voluntaryism left and right
by Ross Kenyon
It’s counter-intuitive but I’ve found it to be true: turning liberals onto voluntaryism can be a less daunting challenge than turning conservatives onto consistent libertarian principles. The right finds itself drifting without consistent philosophical underpinnings, but liberals sometimes get a whiff of the old reliable argument from self ownership, albeit inconsistently.
From a philosophical starting point, voluntaryists will have much more in common with a conservative of the Libertarian or Republican variety. They won’t challenge assertions on individualism, private property rights, or government’s massive failure to produce successful outcomes. In addition, they may even give you that taxes are violent, but will venture that this violence is necessary, without which roads would never be built and all of the worst parts of the Bible would occur. If they believe in a free market, consistency demands they rationally explain why certain goods (like personal defense, infrastructure, and contractual enforcement) could not be provided cheaper and more efficiently by entrepreneurs. For many conservative free marketers, this extra stop on the Liberty train can be a foreign leap too far for in the direction of the pejorative known only as “anarchism.â€
It isn’t absurd to suggest that conservatives can seem more callous about the plight of the impoverished than their liberal adversaries, at least on the surface. Their arguments to keep their material wealth derive not out of some well-established philosophical adherence to ethical behavior and the disapproval of theft in any scenario, but out of the nearly innate idea of, “HEY! I earned this! It’s mine!†While we can agree that that the right to their justly acquired property is important and should exist, they come off sounding foolish and cold to those with primarily humanitarian concerns. Rather than defending their success as a pinnacle of human productivity, development, and free and voluntary trade they end up caricatured as ‘selfish’ cigar-chomping fat cat mafia dons who would prefer to see the poor fighting each other with trident, net, and gladius than to pay them a decent wage.
This undermines the case for individualist ethics as a superior morality because they lack a sound foundation for supporting their undeveloped sense of individualism: self ownership. If self ownership is not recognized as a universal principle any conversation on how society should operate and how individuals should interact will remain hopelessly neutered and befuddled. As long as conservativism fails to defend their free marketeering from a consistent ethical principle we will continue to observe cultural conservativism employing the guns of state to ironically create its vision of a healthy society.
It is so much easier to appeal to liberals because their heart is often in the right place. They want to help people and to save the world, but they have not followed the ethical rabbit holes of their premises to their logical conclusions. If they will admit (or you can convince them) that private property can, should, or does exist, and that theft of that property by the government or private individuals is immoral and violent, it is only a matter of working through the “yeah buts†until they reach the logical and moral conclusion that state solutions are violent solutions. They believe they oppose violence, and when they realize that the only tool the state has to utilize for good or evil is violence they will transform into voluntaryists.
Reliance on the guns of the state to solve problems is drilled into us. It is everywhere around us, and it doesn’t help that most of our education is confusingly a violent state solution to a social problem. The true nature of the state is never openly and honestly examined. The actions of the state are perceived as legitimate answers to predicaments. Rather than condemning the violence of state schools as immoral, an average left-leaning person will assume that the problem with the public school system derives from inadequate funding. The fact that people without children might like to keep their money and that people with children might like to send their kids to school elsewhere are being coerced into supporting public education is sloppily dismissed under the vague pretenses of social contract theory. You chose to live in a public school district, sorry!
Rather than getting trapped in the well with Rousseau’s endorsement of involuntary relationships, it is better to approach those who are already positing arguments for self ownership in the queer and reproductive rights arena and to help them expand their affinity for self ownership to its logical conclusion. Once the principle of self ownership is rightfully understood the economic implications of libertarianism will follow. Convincing a cultural conservative who likes free markets to respect the self ownership of those with atypical but nonaggressive lifestyles can be terribly frustrating. Without that fundamental recognition of self ownership petty prejudices and localized preferences will subvert all attempts at inspiring consistent individualism. Those who are arguing for specific cases of self ownership have seen some of the trees. Show them the forest.
This news item is from WendyMcElroy.com
( http://www.wendymcelroy.com/news.php?extend.3043 )Shondaland veteran Stacy McKee will serve as showrunner on the drama from Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers.
ABC is spinning off Grey's Anatomy a second time.
The network has handed out a straight-to-series order for a spinoff centering on a group of heroic firefighters. The first episode will air as a planted episode of the veteran medical drama.
This marks the second spinoff from Grey's Anatomy. Creator Shonda Rhimes and producing partner Betsy Beers spun off Kate Walsh's character Addison to form Private Practice, which ended its run after six seasons. Rhimes and Beers will executive produce the new untitled project.
The drama, like Grey's Anatomy, is set in Seattle and focuses on firefighters from the captain down the ranks in their personal and professional lives. It's unclear which planted episode the series will launch out of, but the Grey's Anatomy season 13 finale is set to feature an explosion at the hospital.
“No one can interweave the jeopardy firefighters face in the line of duty with the drama in their personal lives quite like Shonda, and Grey’s signature Seattle setting is the perfect backdrop for this exciting spinoff,” ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey said Tuesday in a statement.
McKee, who has written some of the most memorable Grey's Anatomy episodes, will pen the script and exec produce the ABC Studios and Shondaland drama. An episode count and launch date has not yet been determined. McKee recently departed Grey's, with former writer Krista Vernoff boarding as an exec producer, setting her return to bolster a staff that includes Debbie Allen.
The decision to spin off Grey's Anatomy comes as the show continues to be a massive performer for ABC. In its 13th season, it ranks as ABC's No. 1 scripted drama — an impressive feat for a veteran series. Additionally, Grey's was moved to open Thursdays at 8 p.m., and now serves as a launchpad for ABC's Rhimes-produced, TGIT-branded night of programming that also includes Scandal, which is ending after its forthcoming seventh season, and How to Get Away With Murder.
For Rhimes, she will again have at least five shows on ABC's schedule: Grey's, Scandal, Murder, freshman For the People and now the spinoff. Additionally, rookie Still Star-Crossed — picked up a year ago — will debut later this year. If that is renewed, Rhimes would have six shows on the air at the same time for the first time in her career.
The news, announced Tuesday as part of ABC's upfront presentation to ad buyers, comes as Rhimes has previously considered other spinoffs of both Grey's and Scandal. In 2013, she told The Hollywood Reporter that she had mulled exploring Kevin McKidd's character Owen and his history in the military as well as his PTSD.
"Every once in a while, I come up with a crazy idea. When we did our war episode where we saw Owen's past and the history of his PTSD, I always thought that was an amazing world, with the idea of a MASH unit. There are a lot of different worlds for a spinoff," Rhimes said.
She also She also scrapped an idea for a planned Scandal spinoff about Joe Morton's B613 storyline.
That ABC would look to build another procedural out of Grey's Anatomy comes as NBC has built a franchise out of Dick Wolf's Chicago — with firefighters, police and medical shows.The Court of Appeal has handed down a 15-month sentence to a man who regularly raped and sexually assaulted his girlfriend while she slept.
The Appeal Court ruled that a wholly suspended seven-year sentence imposed by the Central Criminal Court was unduly lenient.
Magnus Meyer Hustveit, 26, was sentenced to seven years last July after pleading guilty to one count of rape and one count of sexual assault of a 28-year-old woman in Dublin between 2011 and 2012.
However Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy suspended the entire prison sentence after saying it was a very exceptional case.
Hustveit, a Norwegian man with a previous address at Leo Street, North Circular Road, sent an email to his former partner, Niamh Ní Dhomhnaill, and told her he had been using her body for his "gratification" for nearly a year.
Ms Ní Dhomhnaill waived her right to anonymity to allow Hustveit to be named.
The appeal court said the trial judge was in error in suspending the entire sentence and set that sentence aside.
This afternoon the court said the seven-year sentence should stand but it would suspend all but 15 months of it.
The court accepted submissions from Hustveit's lawyers that he could not have been extradited to Ireland and said his voluntary return for the appeal and sentence review was a matter of particular significance.
Mr Justice George Birmingham said Hustveit was "amenable to the court today because he chose to make himself amenable.
"It is particularly of note that he did so at the sentence review stage when his attendance could not have been compelled."
He said the court was required to sentence someone who came to court and left for his homeland having been told he would not have to serve a sentence, and then returned voluntarily.
It was appropriate that he receive a lesser sentence than what would have been appropriate in the original sentencing court, the judge said.
"What happened since means that this court can go to a point lower than what was available to the sentencing judge."
The court refused an application by the prosecution to submit an updated victim impact statement.
The judge said it was a review court and did not usually take evidence.
In court today his lawyers had appealed for leniency saying his attitude to this case had always been one of 100% cooperation.
They said he and his current partner had suffered from the high level of publicity the case attracted and one Irish person had written to his employer in Norway calling for him to be fired.
They said he had a job, his employer was aware of this case, and the job was still available.
Hustveit was led away to begin his sentence.
Ms Ní Dhomhnaill left court without making any comment.
A friend said she needed time to consider the court's decision.MIAMI -- On second thought, LeBron James won't ground his pregame dunking routine after all.
After suggesting earlier this week he might shut down his popular dunking session in warm-ups before Miami Heat games, James shifted positions Thursday, claiming he'll rise above the negative criticism he's received.
James and his teammates have spent the final minutes of warm-ups upstaging one another with dunks for several weeks. But the league's three-time MVP said Tuesday that criticism, presumably from fans on social media and some former players, for his unwillingness to compete in the All-Star Weekend dunk contest forced him to reconsider.
But after Thursday's practice, James said he was committed to the routine and wouldn't stop anytime soon.
"I don't do it for anyone besides our team," James said about his pregame dunks, which have gone viral on the Internet in recent days.
"We came up with something to say, 'Let's get warmed up even more.' We're happy our fans love it, and we're going to continue to do it. It's something we enjoy. It's something that gets us up for the game."
The team now streams the pregame dunking routine on its official website, and owner Micky Arison has used his Twitter account to encourage a usually late-arriving home crowd to get to AmericanAirlines Arena early.Melbourne police raids target Middle Eastern organised crime gangs
Updated
At least 27 people have been arrested in a series of raids in Melbourne's western suburbs aimed at Middle Eastern organised crime gangs.
About 700 police officers were involved in Operation Skyborne set up by the Santiago Taskforce.
Police seized drugs, firearms, cash, ammunition, vehicles and stolen property in the pre-dawn raids on 44 properties in Altona North, Williamstown, Truganina and Sunshine.
The warrants were issued by the Santiago Taskforce, which was set up in 2008 to investigate organised crime and non-fatal shootings involving a number of families and their associates.
Neighbour Chris heard loud motorbikes around 1:30am.
"It's not the first time that the police have been here. Put it that way," he said.
Assistant Police Commissioner Stephen Fontana says intelligence gathered by Victorian and federal investigators suggests the crime gang was heavily involved in trafficking methamphetamines and firearms.
"We've seized over 100 kilos of dried cannabis," he told ABC local radio.
"We're currently at a property in Moorabool where we're pulling out over 35,000 tobacco plants.
"We've seized nine firearms, a large quantity of ammunition, large quantity of cash and other stolen property."
Extra police back-up, including the special operations group (SOG), were brought in for what police called the "risky operation."
"We had about six high risk arrests. The SOG was deployed for three of them," Mr Fontana said.
"We're very happy that this operation has run relatively smoothly.
"No-one has been injured which is a real bonus when you're looking at such a high risk group of individuals that we were targeting."
Seven people faced court this afternoon charged with various offences including weapons, drug possession and trafficking offences.
Topics: police, crime, campbellfield-3061, essendon-3040, sunshine-3020, altona-north-3025, truganina-3029
First postedHarry Campbell
In the debate over whether law schools are worth what they cost students, sober analysis often seems to give way to angry rhetoric.
The heated response to the recently released paper titled “The Economic Value of a Law Degree,” which found that a law degree on average had $1 million in value, thus was no surprise. The indomitable Elie Mystal at the Above the Law blog, called the study “garbage,” stating that it was an “advertising piece for law schools still hoping that they can trick prospective law students into making bad choices.”
What does this study do that it can inspire such anger? The paper looks at what a law school graduate can expect to earn from a law degree. The authors, Michael Simkovic, a law professor, and Frank McIntyre, a labor economist, find that the “mean annual earnings premium of a law degree is approximately $53,300” a year, and that the average pretax value of a law degree over a lifetime was $1 million. In other words, the average law school graduate can expect to earn about one million dollars more than if they had not gone to law school.
Averages, though, are only part of the story, as they can be biased upward by a small number of high earners while many others make nothing. Mr. Mystal’s critique strongly focused on this point.
But the authors also found that median additional lifetime earnings for those with a law degree were $610,000. That means half of law school graduates made more and half less than this amount over their lifetime. So even at the 25th percentile, lifetime additional earnings were $350,000.
Thus, the earnings for 75 percent of law school graduates easily exceeded the amount of tuition paid, even with tuition at about $50,000 a year. The authors also found that the median law degree holder earned 60 percent more than the median college graduate.
This data refutes some of the arguments made by those who say law school is a “scam.” It is no surprise that this study would be attacked by many of the same people. After all, the law school scam industry has been bountiful for some, just like being a Kardashian.
To be fair, this criticism is also well intentioned. These commentators are springing to the defense of real law students who cannot find jobs. But it is simply that, and when the rhetoric dies down, perhaps this paper will turn to a more serious and needed study of what is going on in the law market and what the true value of a law degree really is. (And yes, in fair disclosure, my bias is that of a tenured professor at a major law school.)
In particular, even beyond its salary points, the paper by Professors Simkovic and McIntyre makes a number of new points that should inform the debate. Bureau of Labor Statistics data on lawyer salaries is often cited to justify the assertion that law school is not economically justified based on current lawyer salaries.
The study’s first major point is that these Bureau of Labor Statistics figures are probably biased downward. The reason is that the numbers do not include the salaries of self-employed lawyer, who are not only sole practitioners but also mostly law firm partners.
Among the AmLaw 100, the top 100 grossing law firms in the country, the average partner earned $1.47 million in 2012. This study corrects this downward bias by using broader-based data compiled by the Census Bureau.
Projections by the statistics bureau are often cited as supporting a shortage of jobs for law school graduates. But to my knowledge no one has actually looked back at prior years to see how accurate these forecasts have been. It may well be that the statistical projections are unreliable or it may not, but no one has even looked.
The study’s second major point is that loan default rates for law graduates are much lower than for college graduates. The Department of Education only reports default rates for independent law schools.
Using these figures, which go through the recession into 2011, the authors project that the average default rate for law school students who graduated in 2009 was roughly 3 percent. By contrast, the default rate for students with an undergraduate education or less was 19.2 percent.
The default rate among law schools varies significantly, and some, like Vermont Law School, had a 0 percent default rate. The authors cite this finding as justifying the conclusion that most law school graduates are earning enough to cover their debt, refuting a common claim made by commentators.
Because this data is based on numbers provided by independent law schools, which tend to rank in lower tiers, default rates at more highly ranked schools may be even lower.
The study’s third major point is that about 40 percent of lawyers currently do not practice law. Much has been said about the number of law school graduates who are not finding law jobs, and surely there are many who do want law jobs but cannot find one.
The full-time employment rate for law graduates who obtained legal jobs was only at 56.2 percent last year, according to the American Bar Association. But given these figures, it appears this has always been the case, and it is hard not to conclude that many lawyers do not go to law school to be lawyers (again, no one has really looked to see if this is true or not, though). Indeed, according to the Simkovic-McIntyre study, 50 percent of senators and 10 percent of chief executives at large companies are lawyers.
While the attacks on the article will probably continue, it would be more beneficial to everyone if the paper instead inspires a deeper look at the data. To my knowledge, this is the first study performed by a professional labor economist to look at this issue since the financial crisis.
Much of the previous research has been akin to forecasting the weather during a hurricane. The biggest critics of law schools have looked at the current data and simply assumed it would always be the case.
To be sure, the job market for lawyers has historically been a cyclical, and it is currently at a low. Law jobs are harder to find, and law school graduates have too often been left struggling. This is one thing that has always been the case, but it is more so now.
Still, no graduate program promises its graduates a job. Just look at those offering doctorates in English. But even if 75 percent of students have an economic justification for law school, not everyone does. In this light, every potential student should do a real cost-benefit assessment in light of the law school tuition he or she will be paying.
This study steps outside the current tempest to look at data over a period of decades. Since only 2 percent of a law school graduate’s lifetime earnings come in the first year after graduation, the longer term is arguably a better measure; looking at current employment rates is only one part of that picture.
Ultimately, that is what the debate over law school boils down to these days. Will the recent turbulence persist, or will the historical data win out? If the current figures represent the new normal, something about law has changed and there will be fewer jobs going forward.
But that may not be the case. The market may recover, as markets tend to do and as the population grows. There may even be more legal jobs if, for example, the Dodd-Frank Act becomes a full-employment act for lawyers.
As for the argument that technology has changed everything in the law market, I was struck by a quote in a study from the Harvard Law Review in 1901, decrying modern technology by stating, “[t]he stenographer and the typewriter have monopolized what was his work … and he sits outside of the business tide.”
This quote from a hundred years ago shows that claiming change is afoot – bringing obsolescence and wholesale disruption in the law market – is a century-old phenomenon. The question is whether this time is different.How much does it cost to be the first person to hunt a mountain lion in Nebraska? $13,500.
The state's Game and Parks Commission unanimously approved a cougar-hunting season earlier in July, and the last of 102 permits were claimed on October 16. Beginning on January 1, hunters will pursue the state's 22 big cats, to the celebration of Nebraska farmers and the dismay of wildlife conservationists.
"We got along fine without them for 100 years," one anti-cougar Nebraska farmer told High Country News.
Mountain lions were once native to Nebraska but completely hunted off by the 1890s. A century passed before the mountain lions were spotted crossing from Colorado to the Cornhusker State. Today, less than two dozen cougars comprise the state's breeding population, and many say that's not enough to justify a hunting season.
"The decision wasn't a surprise," wrote Pete Letherby in an op-ed for High Country News. "The nine commissioners were appointed by a like-minded governor who leans over backward to please the state's agriculture interest, which demands that any potential threat to their livestock and corn—however minuscule or exaggerated—must be eliminated."SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The Pentagon on Wednesday invited outside hackers who have been vetted to test the cyber security of some public U.S. Defense Department websites as part of a pilot project next month, the first such program ever by the federal government.
A man types on a computer keyboard in Warsaw in this February 28, 2013 illustration file picture. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Files
“Hack the Pentagon” is modeled after similar competitions known as “bug bounties” conducted by many large U.S. companies, including United Continental Holdings Inc UAL.N, to discover security gaps in their networks.
Such programs allow cyber experts to find and identify problems before malicious hackers can exploit them, saving money and time in the event of damaging network breaches.
“I am confident that this innovative initiative will strengthen our digital defenses and ultimately enhance our national security,” Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in a statement unveiling the pilot program.
He told reporters it was time for the Pentagon to learn from best practices across industry, especially since the military was “not getting good grades across the enterprise” for its level of cyber security.
“We can’t just keep doing what we’re doing. The world changes too fast; our competitors change too fast,” he said during a public discussion at the RSA conference.
DJ Patil, the White House’s chief data scientist and a former executive with eBay and LinkedIn, said bug bounties had become the fastest and most efficient way of securing networks at a time when software was becoming increasingly complex and more difficult to test.
He said other federal agencies were watching the Pentagon project and could follow suit, which would further enhance collaboration and result in greater economies of scale.
“When people hear ‘bug bounty,’ they think we are just opening ourselves to attack, but what people forget is, we are always in this day and age under attack,” he said. “By bringing crowds to the problem... you’re getting a jump on the curve.”
The Pentagon has long tested its own networks using internal “red teams,” but this initiative would open at least some of its vast network of computer systems to cyber challenges from across industry and academia.
Participants must be U.S. citizens and will have to submit to a background check before being turned loose on a predetermined public-facing computer system. The Pentagon said other more sensitive networks or key weapons programs would not be included, at least initially.
The initiative is being led by the Pentagon’s Defense Digital Service, set up last November to bring experts from the tech sector into the military for short stints.The new 3D Blu-ray of Star Wars: The Force Awakens is now available, including an audio commentary from director/co-writer JJ Abrams. Abrams gives a lot of cool behind the scenes information in the track, but one of the most interesting bits is his acknowledgement of where some of the ideas and changes came from, including contributions from Steven Spielberg, John Lasseter, Jon Kasdan, Ava DuVernay and more. Learn about The Force Awakens contributions, who contributed notable moments in the film and what they were, after the jump.
Force Awakens Contributions
Filmgoers love to believe that movies are the work of one person, the director. But the truth of the matter is that most movies are the work of hundreds if not thousands of people. And I’m not just talking about the crew members involved in the production, the greatest directors show early cuts of their movies to their trusted friends, and often times some of the best moments from movies come out of these notes.
Germain Lussier at io9 has a good rundown of bits from the commentary. What follows is a compilation of stories that Abrams relays during the commentary track about the ideas and people who contributed them to the final film.
JJ Abrams is good friends with director Steven Spielberg. The two produced Super 8 together, and Spielberg is often shown early cuts of Abrams films to give feedback and notes. Not only was Steven Spielberg shown an early cut of the movie, but he was also on set for some of the reshoot filming at Bad Robot.
As for some of Spielberg’s contributions, Abrams reveals on the commentary track that the idea for there to be a sand explosion after Poe and Finn’s TIE Fighter sunk on Jakku came from Steven. After watching an early version of the final fight, Spielberg asked Abrams, “Can the trees be falling down around them?” Abrams then asked the visual effects team at ILM, who responded, “If you want to pay for it.” They paid for it and it adds so much danger to that climactic sequence.
In one of the Force Awakens books, it was revealed that the bird seen in the sands of Jakku, called a Steelpecker, was also the idea of Steven Spielberg. Apparently, the filmmaker had a conversation with JJ about the idea of a bird eating metal, “poking around the innards of a machine and come out all oily and dirty and crumbly – old filthy rust all over its feathers.”
Producer Bryan Burk came up with some of the film’s best moments. The reveal where Rey says “That ship’s garbage” only toshow that it is the Millennium Falcon and that the “garbage will do” was Burke’s idea, as well as the now iconic moment where Luke’s lightsaber flys past Kylo Ren and going into the hands of Rey. I’m sure Burk contributed many ideas to the film, but these are the ones Abrams singled out in the commentary track.
We previously were told the story of how Burk found a way to edit Alec Guinness’ voice into Rey’s Forceback. He surprised Abrams with old Obi-Wan Kenobi’s voice saying the name “Rey”.
Disney Animation Studios and Pixar regularly screen very early cuts of their films to their respective brain and story trusts. We’ve written in the past about how films like Finding Dory and Zootopia were drastically improved from these sessions. But it’s not just animated films that are screened early for the Pixar brain trust, we know that live-action films like Tron: Legacy also get the same treatment, often leading to reshoots to help enhance the film.
Pixar/Walt Disney Animation Studios chief creative officer John Lasseter saw an early version of the film and he suggested to Abrams that BB-8 should have more physical comedy. As a result, Abrams added in the now iconic thumbs-up scene.
Lucasfilm Story Group member Pablo Hidalgo contributed many bits to the final film. We’ve previously relayed the story of how Pablo clarified a line by Han Solo in reference to where the Millennium Falcon had been all these years. In Lawrence Kasdan and J.J. Abrams‘ original screenplay, Solo said that he knew they “should have double checked the outer rim.” Hidalgo informed Abrams that the outer rim is actually too large of an area for that line to really make sense for a guy as knowledgeable about this galaxy. Pablo instead suggested a smaller region in the Star Wars galaxy: the Western Reaches.
In the new audio commentary, Abrams name-checks Pablo as the person who came up with the idea of Finn knowing the stormtrooper suit specs and that gas could kill them came from.
Michael Arndt was the original screenwriter of Star Wars: The Force Awakens before Lawrence Kasdan was brought on to co-write the movie with Abrams. At the time there was a lot of rumblings that Arndt was thrown off the project, but that was not the case at all. Abrams even mentions that Arndt came in during the editing process and suggested they remove an early scene with Leia tasking Maisie Richardson-Sellers’ character, who we only see for a second before she dies during the attack by Starkiller Base, to go to the New Republic Senate and explain the threat of the First Order. Arndt felt, and Abrams agreed, that Leia’s reintroduction was more powerful if it was seen through Han’s eyes on Takodana, so they decided to hide the character from the audience until that moment.
One of the most interesting bits from the commentary is that Jon Kasdan, son of Empire Strikes Back screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan, helped write the pivotal Kylo Ren/Han Solo Starkiller Base confrontation which ends in Han’s death. And many of you know that Jon and Larry wrote the screenplay for the upcoming Han Solo movie.
And we’ve previously told you that Selma director Ava DuVernay was responsible for a shot during the Rey/Kylo Ren lightsaber fight sequence: “I showed an early cut to my friend Ava DuVernay, and she had a bunch of great suggestions. One of them was she really wanted to see Daisy, in her attack on Ren, have one really cool moment,” says Abrams before pointing out a closeup of Ridley about to deliver a decisive blow to her rival. “Boom! It’s a little thing, but it really connects you to her intensity.”Two days ago, BCT user Jesse James, also known as DoctorEvil, finished his review of the implementation of Curve25519 in Nxt.
Jesse James may be known to some, as he has already uncovered a security flaw in Nxt and reported it instead of taking advantage of it.
Here is the summary of his review, again with the relevant links from Jesse James:
“I spent some quality time reviewing the core crypto NXT relies on. As part of my review I re-implemented the relevant algorithms https://gist.github.com/doctorevil/9521126 using a different approach in a different language to make sure I understood everything deeply. Although the implementation NXT uses doesn’t follow certain algorithm specifications to the letter, the deviations noted (motivated by simplicity and/or performance) seemed reasonable and in general nothing stuck out as a red flag. There was one bug in the signature generation function (that NXT is aware of and currently working around) for which I’ve provided a patch (or more precisely tweaked BloodyRookie’s proposed patch). It should be should be safe for devs to incorporate this patch at their convenience.
Review: https://gist.github.com/doctorevil/9521116
Code: https://gist.github.com/doctorevil/9521126 “
I have had difficulty making this post, as describing the importance is outside my competence, so I decided to ask one of our resident technical people, chanc3r, who is also a member of the Nxt Infrastructure Committee to explain it to me.
Here is what he mailed back to me:
Like many other crypto’s SHA-256 of a ‘brain wallet passphrase’ are used to generate the private key for a given account..
In the case of NXT, Curve25519+EC-KDSA as originally designed by Daniel Bernstein is additionally used by NXT to generate the public key for the account.
The original implementation of Curve25519 in x86 assembler has been lost and NXT originally used a port from C to Java to implement the Curve25519 encryption, the accuracy of the C-port was unknown due to th missing assembler sources.
It has been a source of concern that there is no direct link between the original Curve25519 specification paper and the Java implementation used within NXT.
Therefore the NXT community commissioned an audit of the current implementation against the original specification written by Dr Bernstein.
The results of this audit by Jesse James are now available, a summary of this is shown below and the full audit report can be found here https://gist.github.com/doctorevil/9521116
1. The choice of NXT developers of this cryptographic scheme is suitable for this purpose.
2. The implementation has a number of valid deviations/improvements from the original Curve25519 specification
3. NXT is immune as a result of this implementation to signature malleability.
4. The audit included a new Curve25519 implementation in Python from the original papers, this implementation and the NXT Java implementation agree exactly on key output when tested verifying the accuracy of the NXT Curve25519 implementation.
In summary the implementation of Curve25519 is an accurate translation of the specification of its designer Dr Daniel Bernstein and is a suitable choice for the use-cases that NXT requires.Hiking is one of the best ways to explore the great outdoors, whether you’re a serious trekker or just enjoy a short hike with the kids, it’s |
ando Castile, and in support of Black Lives Matter during a march along Manhattan's streets, New York, July 8, 2016. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz The Bahamas issued a travel advisory for its citizens who plan to travel to the US, citing the recent shootings of black men by police officers.
"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration has taken a note of the recent tensions in some American cities over shootings of young black males by police officers," the statement says.
"We wish to advise all Bahamians traveling to the US but especially to the affected cities to exercise appropriate caution generally," it continued.
"In particular young males are asked to exercise extreme caution in affected cities in their interactions with the police. Do not be confrontational and cooperate."
This advisory comes after two black men — Alton Sterling and Philando Castile— were shot and killed by police earlier this week, the latest in a series of similar incidents, as well as the killing of five police officers in a coordinated sniper attack in Dallas on Thursday.
You can read the full statement here.If Dak Prescott leads the Dallas Cowboys back to the Super Bowl, he’ll be the first quarterback to get America’s Team there since Troy Aikman. So, over Thanksgiving, just after he turned 50, we visited with the legend to try and figure out what he’s learned in the years since he won his first Super Bowl, about what it’s like to be the city’s reigning savior—and all that comes after.
Two days after his 50th birthday, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman pulls out of a Starbucks in an upscale shopping mall in Dallas’s Highland Park, heads towards today’s Cowboys practice, and talks about his GQ cover shoot from 1993. It was the summer after he’d won his first Super Bowl, and shortly after he suffered the back injury that helped cause him career-ending pain.
“When we were doing the shoot, I couldn’t move,” he says, “I was in back spasms. They propped me up against the wall.”
Aikman’s dressed head-to-toe in black athletic gear, his statuesque 6-foot-4 frame entirely too massive for the driver’s seat of his dark gray Range Rover. On the 23-year-old GQ cover, Aikman wears a boxy, double-breasted suit with a comically big pocket square. You can't see it looking at the photo, but Aikman was in a full sweat because of the pain, nearly 20 miles from where we are now, at the Cowboys’ old practice home in Valley Ranch.
“When I got done, I couldn’t get the clothes off because I was in such bad spasms,” says Aikman, gearing the Range towards the Dallas Cowboys’ new facility in Frisco, Texas.
Troy Aikman sat at his locker after the shoot ended, clothes still on, thinking, Shit, I’m going to spend the night in here. He was the reigning Super Bowl MVP at twenty-six; he was the hero that had delivered America’s Team to their first championship in fifteen years; he was, as GQ dubbed him on its cover, “God’s Quarterback.” And he couldn’t get his pants off.
“Every time I see that cover,” Aikman says now, “I think about it.”
Two teammates came in and got him undressed. He would go on to get an MRI and discover he had a herniated disk. Surgery came days later. He’d play eight more years, the last of which would require shots to deal with the debilitating back pain. He’d win two more Super Bowls in the next three seasons. That shoot, in June of 1993, was the beginning and the end of Troy Aikman’s football career.
Dak Prescott was born in July.
Now the 23-year-old rookie quarterback has taken over the reins of the Cowboys franchise, improbably leading the 2016 team to a 13-3 record, an NFC East title, and a top seed in the playoffs. A fourth-round draft pick out of Mississippi State overlooked by almost everyone, Prescott has seized the opportunity that came in the wake of Tony Romo’s preseason back injury, dazzling while his predecessor—the guy who, at one point, seemed like he could be Aikman’s heir-apparent—carried a clipboard. In a press conference held November 15, a healthy 36-year-old Romo graciously ceded his starterdom to the younger Prescott.
Aikman was once that young prince. The first overall pick in the 1989 NFL Draft, and the first pick of a new Cowboys era under the recently consummated ownership of Arkansas oilman Jerry Jones, his team went 1-15 in his rookie year. He didn’t play in the Cowboys’ lone win and was among the lowest-rated starting quarterbacks in the NFL. In 1990, the Cowboys drafted running back Emmitt Smith and went 7-9. In 1991, they went 11-5. In the 1992-1993 season, they won the Super Bowl. Aikman threw for 273 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions in that win. They repeated in the 1993-1994 season; won again in 1995-1996. And sure, it wasn’t that simple (it forgets the coaching genius of Jimmy Johnson; the importance of lesser known players like Mark Stepnoski, Daryl Johnston, and Jay Novacek; the particular brand of off-the-field impropriety that ultimately added to the '90s Cowboys legend). But memory draws its pictures with straight lines, making all points seem more directly connected than they really are. If Dak Prescott leads the Cowboys back to football’s promised land next month, then the revisionist lens of sports history won’t remember him as having taken over for Romo. Prescott will have taken the crown from Troy Aikman, current reigning savior.
In the Range Rover, which is spotlessly clean in a way that makes you think Troy Aikman’s linen closet is probably extremely organized, the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback talks about his brief stint as a youth girls basketball coach.
“I coached the girls as an assistant coach in a couple of sports, and I was way too competitive for that,” says Aikman, talking about his daughters, Jordan and Alexa (now 15 and 14, respectively). “I had the girls running sprints one day. One girl, she was playing grab-ass in the back of the line. She was probably six. I said, ‘If you want to goof around, there’s a playground over there.”
See, Troy Aikman doesn’t have a problem with playing. He just doesn’t want you doing it at practice. He explained this to the six-year-old.
“She just kinda looked at me,” he laughs.
Today, Aikman’s hair is as blond and full as it was on the GQ cover, just shorter and not as perfectly coiffed. But the signs of age creep: his ears are bigger; his eyes, still big and blue, droop slightly; creases sit at their corners, and around his mouth, too. In profile, Aikman’s nose looks slightly flattened, like maybe it took too many hits. He’s polite, gentle(ish) and much more thoughtful than he was ever given credit for. But, as his brief coaching career shows, he’s still intense, still competitive. On Thanksgiving morning, he’ll go to Flywheel and lose to Mark Cuban’s brother, but makes sure to note that the guy wasn’t really adding all of the proper resistance. “It’s all housewives during the week. You ask about my competitiveness. Well, I beat them,” he jokes—I think. He started playing golf after he retired, and obsessed to the point that he got down to a 3-handicap. Joe Buck, his partner in the Fox booth and frequent golf buddy, adds, “He doesn’t like to play in club events, because he knows people will, for the rest of their lives, go, ‘I beat Troy Aikman.’ He doesn’t like that.”
From the 1991-1992 season through the 1996-1997 season, a stretch that saw the Dallas Cowboys win three Super Bowls, Troy Aikman rarely got beat. He was one of the so-called “triplets”—the other two being Hall of Famers Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith—who led the team to 74 wins in the 101 games he started over that stretch. He missed only nine games in those six years, his relentless competitive drive pushing him to play through injury. Read about Aikman’s prime—or, better yet, watch it—and you’ll see: he got pounded, in a way quarterbacks now don’t.
“It's a different game, clearly, than when I played. You can’t touch a quarterback,” he says. “Even a slight little graze with a hand against the head. If they put [out] a reel of hits that I took that were legal, these guys would be suspended. It’s crazy.”
The most notorious of his licks came in the 1994 NFC championship game against the 49ers, when Troy took a knee to the head so hard he had to be told by his agent multiple times in the hospital after the game that, yes, he’d played well, and, yes, they’d won, and, yes, that meant they were going to a second consecutive Super Bowl. He led his team to a championship victory the following week.
He was the quarterback the NFL built in a lab: the handsome leader of “America’s Team”; unceasingly competitive; tough to an extreme whose medical consequences we did not yet understand; boring enough to stay out of the news, but media-savvy enough to deliver a perfectly hard-nosed quote. (For instance, he told me: “Football is a tough game. It’s a tough game for tough people. And, as a kid, going out and practicing in Oklahoma in two-a-days and it’s 100 degrees, and you’re tired and sore, and you’re getting hit, and you got to get back up and you go through the really tough times. You’re not unraveling baseballs in the dugout and spitting sunflower seeds. You’re not telling jokes. Football’s hard and it’s tough.”)
Aikman’s resolve is borne out of a tough dad. His family moved from California to Oklahoma when he was 12 (he’s from California, but read any profile from his playing days and there is the too-easy characterization of Troy Aikman as truck-drivin’, tobacco-spittin’ simple hillbilly) and he stayed behind to play on his little league’s all-star team. The day he arrived in Oklahoma, he found his dad building his family’s house. He told Troy to get up on top to roof it. Troy did, and then spent his career trying to prove to his dad he was tough, too.
“I don’t even know if he knows that there’s a part of me that wanted to prove that I was as tough as he was. But it certainly helped me in my athletic career,” he says. “He loved football. He didn’t make a lot of baseball and basketball games. But he didn’t miss many football games.”
But where Aikman could not save himself from his own motivation in the past, there was something about lining up a six-year-old for a wind sprint that seemed to be a bridge too far.
“I knew my girls would see me in an entirely different light and I just didn’t want that,” he says, noting that if there’s anything to know about his life, it's that it's all about his two girls. “I just want to be Dad.”
Having “retired” into his Fox role in 2001, Aikman has now been a color commentator for sixteen seasons. He played for twelve. On the first weekend of February, he will broadcast his fifth Super Bowl. He played in three. And though he struggled with the nature of this gig at the beginning—being tangential to the game that consumed him; lacking a scoreboard on which to measure his merit—he seems genuinely content to be the former athlete calling games from the sideline. His relationship with who he used to be is a healthy one.
Whoever thought they were going to get to 50? I remember when I was a kid, [thinking] that, ‘Man, when the year 2000 [comes], I’ll be 34 years old.’ And then 2000 hits, and you’re like, ‘Shit.’
“It was great time and great moments of my life,” he says, as he nears One Cowboys Way, the address of the Cowboys’ facility. “But I’m fifteen years removed from it. It’s like talking about my Little League days. Time’s gone by.”
Aikman parks his Range Rover outside the $1.5 billion, 91-acre property whose rightful title is “The Star in Frisco, Dallas Cowboys World Headquarters.” He’s here for production meetings with Cowboys’ players and coaches for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving Day game on Fox. He walks up a grassy hill in front of the parking lot, and across the concrete leading to the looming structure, its floor-to-ceiling glass gleaming under a clear blue sky. As he does, a man with a Texas-sized waistline glimpses Aikman. The shockwave when you recognize an old friend spreads across his face. “Troy!”
“Hey, how’s it going?” Troy cordially replies to the man he doesn’t know.
Last season, Miller Lite aired a commercial starring Troy Aikman. He stops into a convenience store to buy a 12-pack. He puts it on the counter to checkout when a Cowboys fan, behind him in line (and wearing a #8 Aikman jersey), stops him and says, “Excuse me. Huge fan, man. The touchdowns, and the wins, and the...[mimics throwing a Miller Lite Tall Boy like a football]...passes.” Troy turns around and politely tells him, “I don’t like to dwell in the past, but thank you.” Just then his cell phone goes off. “Aikman! Touchdown! Unbelievable!” goes the ringtone, three times. Troy turns back to his fan and deadpans, “I dwell in the past.”
Troy Aikman not only won’t dwell in the past—at least, not with me—but it’s also the only time during our conversations that I see him start to sound the slightest bit annoyed.
“You just come off as old when you start talking about that,” he says when I ask about the glory days. “I know there’s a group of fans that those were their years. And those were my years! Hell. They’re meaningful to me, but I think that… I don’t think anybody really wants to hear about 25 years ago. I don’t.”
Is it a pain in the ass when people like me come in and ask about it?
“If you do anything with the Cowboys, there’s an interest in it. And there are people who constantly want to write books about our teams in the ‘90s. They want to interview me. I say, ‘Look, I’ve done it a million times. I’m just not interested. What’s left to tell?'” And here he starts to get a little more worked up. “Write your book, but that doesn’t mean I want to sit down and spend all this time talking about it.” But despite what Aikman says, people do want to hear about 25 years ago. That commercial gets Aikman wrong, but it nails the guy in line behind him. And the guy who greets him outside The Star.
Later that afternoon, in the back of a nondescript movie theatre in Grapevine, Texas, as Aikman leaves an event and heads for his parked car, people will spill out behind him. One by one, they come up, wide-eyed and mostly speechless, shoving memorabilia in his hands for a signature; or sidling close for pictures, before scurrying away to text their friends. “That was badass, huh?” notes a cop who I’m pretty sure was supposed to be his security, before pulling out his phone to show a nearby woman the picture he took with Troy Aikman.
Dallas hasn’t won a Super Bowl since Troy Aikman brought one home in 1995. So, as far as NFL championships go, time hasn’t gone by. 1995 is yesterday, frozen in amber until another comes along to replace it. And with each step closer, the shadow of Troy Aikman looms larger.
Outside of his car, you get a sense for how truly massive Troy Aikman is. His hands are huge; his back and shoulders test the stretch limits of an Under Armour shirt designed to stretch. Even his teeth are big. Walking behind him is what water-skiing behind an ocean liner must be like.
He has a black backpack (matching his all-black outfit) slung over his right shoulder, which any middle schooler with a mom would know is crazy for a guy who had to retire because of chronic back pain. But when asked if he feels better now than he did at twenty-six, he says, “Oh yeah.” He says he’s been back pain free for a decade, thanks to a new trainer and workout.
“It’s a brutal game. I consider myself to be one of the really, really fortunate ones, to have gotten out of the game as healthy as I did,” he says. “If somebody said, ‘What do you feel? Do you wake up stiff?’ No. I feel great. I don’t feel anything. I don’t think there’s many that could say they played ten-plus years in the NFL that don’t have something that’s really bothering them.”
Did you ever imagine feeling this good at 50?
“Whoever thought they were going to get to 50?” he says. “I remember when I was a kid, [thinking] that, ‘Man, when the year 2000 [comes], I’ll be 34 years old.’ And then 2000 hits, and you’re like, ‘Shit.’”
“It's a different game, clearly, than when I played. You can’t touch a quarterback. Even a slight little graze with a hand against the head. If they put [out] a reel of hits that I took that were legal, these guys would be suspended.”
The front door of The Star opens into a cavernous, sunlit foyer with marble floors and floor-to-ceiling glass windows and looks out onto two pristine outdoor practice fields (in between which Jerry Jones sometimes lands his helicopter). It’s so bright, you actually might not immediately hate a visitor wearing his sunglasses inside. Troy Aikman passes his tiled name in the floor—”#8; Troy Aikman; 1989-2000.”
He takes a right out of the facility’s blinding foyer and through a corridor lined with both fans—the building is open to the public—and Dallas’s five Lombardi trophies (or replicas, at least; the real ones are in Jerry Jones’s office). Opposite the trophies are the Cowboys’ corresponding Super Bowl rings. Aikman owns three of them, but keeps them in a safe.
Troy continues past a glass display case showcasing his pre-draft scouting report. Compiled by Jim Garrett, father of current Cowboys head coach and former Aikman backup quarterback Jason Garrett. It is effusive, littered with exclamation points and typed in all caps so you can imagine a red-faced Texas football coach screaming it at you: “HE HAS THE EASIEST THROWING MOTION I HAVE EVER SEEN!”; “IT IS AS PERFECT AS SAM SNEAD’S GOLF SWING.”; “THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN, BUT, HE MIGHT FALL VICTIM TO HIS OWN IDEALS FOR PERFECTION!”; “HE IS VERY SPECIAL, BUT, HE IS NOT ‘CLARK KENT.’”; “HE IS READY ‘RIGHT NOW’ TO PLAY AND STAR IN THE NFL!”
It’s from October 7, 1988, six months before Aikman was drafted. Going into the final game of that season, the Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers were both 3-12. If the Cowboys won, and the Packers lost, Green Bay would land the first pick—and told Aikman they’d draft him. But he didn’t want to play in the cold, so he went to their final game in Arizona against the Cardinals, and rooted for them to win. It worked. The Packers won, the Cowboys lost, and Aikman got his wish to play somewhere warm. He’d go on to win three Super Bowls. It's a thin margin between the thing you become and the thing you could've been. Aikman knows what’s on the line for Prescott.
“As good as this has been this year, however it shapes up, when they get into the post-season, that’s when it all counts,” he’d tell me later. “If you don’t win, now you’ve got that following [you]. Peyton [Manning] had that. The first three times he’s in the postseason they didn’t win. He was 0-3 at the start of his career. So then it’s like, ‘Oh, you can’t win.’ And you get tagged with that.”
Passing through this Cowboys facility, the glories of his old job—trophies, rings, scouting reports, all encased in glass—equal parts shrine and eulogy, cast shadows over his walk to his current one. Down on the indoor practice field, his team is helmed by a precocious twenty-three-year old who’d sent him a Happy 50th text two days earlier.
“That’s what happens,” Aikman replied to Prescott. “One day, you’re the Cowboys rookie quarterback, and the next day, you’re half a hundred.”
The next evening, twilight of Thanksgiving Day. Inside AT&T Stadium, the Cowboys have just defeated the Washington Redskins 31-26—their tenth straight win—to move to 10-1 on the season. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman are in their booth on the 50-yard-line, standing behind a 15-20-foot open-air window looking down onto the field, on the desk in front of them nine different monitors and a surface littered with cards full of team information and statistics. Above them is the “Ring of Honor,” which wraps around the stadium between the lower and upper concourses. It’s reserved for history’s most revered Cowboy legends: Roger Staubach, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin, Troy Aikman. They have finished their broadcast and everywhere there are remnants of a finished telecast: empty plastic water bottles and paper coffee cups, about five different types of Blue Diamond almonds containers in front of Aikman, a mostly empty plate of cookies in the back of the room. There are wires, of every color, strewn across the floor and up the wall, crawling across the ceiling, connected to cameras, lights, and monitors, a messy teenage techie’s chaotic bedroom.
Dak Prescott was sensational, throwing for 195 yards, completing 17 of 24 passes for one touchdown, and running for one more. He impressed both Buck and Aikman who, with about ten minutes left in the third quarter, have the following exchange:
Buck: “Your former backup [and now Cowboys coach] Jason Garrett said that Dak Prescott plays like you did in your eighth year. Which I thought was a shot at you.”
Aikman: “Well he said seventh year.”
Buck: “Okay. Seventh. Whatever.”
Aikman: “But I still think it was a shot at me.”
Buck: “He’s saying that Dak Prescott has figured it out way before you did.”
Aikman: [laughs] “No question about that. I didn’t win a game as a rookie and I threw 18 interceptions!”
Troy and Joe wait to do one last postgame hit for Fox, standing at attention under bright lights, the field at their backs. Aikman is hot and frustrated; this shot wasn’t planned, he doesn’t like waiting. A fan outside yells “Troy!” up at him, trying to get his attention. On the monitor next to him, which he can’t see, facing away, a smiling Dak Prescott is in the locker room, exchanging hugs with Jerry Jones and, believe it or not, longtime Cowboys fan Chris Christie.
“Probably the most enjoyable time for me was when the game had ended and we had won,” Aikman had told me in the car the day before.
EDITOR’S PICK
Aikman and Buck finish their shot, and everyone streams out—Buck; the stat guys; the woman who did Troy’s make-up—until, at some point, Aikman is one of a lingering few left inside. To get to the elevator to get out, Aikman has to walk through glass doors that open into one of the many fancy sports-bar-looking clubs set off the concourse of the glossy mall that is the Cowboys stadium. Fans mill around, sensing that Aikman is inside. They stand or sit at hi-tops, watching the screens showing Jason Garrett’s press conference and Cowboys highlights. Four young boys hover next to a picked-over buffet, leftover hot dogs and tortilla chips nearby, but no parents in sight. They all wear Cowboys jerseys. The youngest’s face is a chocolate bloodbath, the mostly mutilated cookie in his hand the likely culprit. The oldest-looking among them, wearing a Witten jersey and with one of those middle-school, spiked-at-the-front, Abercrombie-era haircuts, asks me, “When is Mr. Troy is coming out?”
I don’t know.
He says, “I’ve been a Cowboys fan my whole life.”
How long is that?
“11 years.”
I ask the only obvious question, the reductive one that compares two things that aren’t really comparable but, for Cowboys fans, might forever be side-by-side.
So who do you like better: Dak or Aikman?
“Aikman!” the 11-year-old says, somewhat incredulously.
“He’s the one who started this whole thing.”Dec 25, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh looks on against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the third quarter at Heinz Field. The Steelers won 31-27. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
With their loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Baltimore Ravens have missed the playoffs for the third time in four years, causing many to call for the firing of coach John Harbaugh. He’s not the problem.
The Baltimore Ravens have missed the playoffs for the third time in four years. It’s a harsh reality for Ravens fans to accept, especially since it came at a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, but accept it they must.
However, as often happens in situations like these, the knee-jerk reactions from fans has been to call for John Harbaugh’s firing, but in all honesty, that would just be cutting off your nose to spite your face.
Does John Harbaugh bear some of the blame for the Ravens poor performance over the past few seasons? Sure, as any coach would. He’s 31-32 since the Ravens won the Super Bowl in 2012. But there’s a lot more that’s gone wrong with the Baltimore Ravens, things that aren’t necessarily within Harbaugh’s control.
First and foremost, Harbaugh needs help from the front office in the draft. The mantra around Baltimore for the past several years during every draft has been “In Ozzie We Trust,” because we know Ozzie Newsome drafts well. But that hasn’t really been the case lately.
The 2013 draft was a total bust, with safety Matt Elam and linebacker Arthur Brown turning out to do virtually nothing. The 2015 draft was rough to say the least, especially considering how poorly wide receiver Breshad Perriman and tight end Maxx Williams have played, and the second and third round picks from 2016, linebacker Kamalei Correa and defensive end Bronson Kaufusi, have done very little (though to be fair, Kaufusi has been injured).
The Ravens will have a higher draft pick this year than usual, so they need to use it wisely and address the major team needs: young defensive playmakers to replace the older ones (such as Elvis Dumervil and Terrell Suggs), a defensive back to complement Jimmy Smith and Tavon Young, and better interior blocking (it also wouldn’t hurt for the Ravens to try and sign a free agent wide receiver, as the receiving core needs help).
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Harbaugh also needs a better offensive coordinator. Gary Kubiak did an excellent job with Joe Flacco, and Harbaugh needs someone else like that. The playcalling this year under Marty Mornhinweg and Marc Trestman wasn’t great, and is in desperate need of improvement.
The Baltimore Ravens aren’t a team that’s falling apart like the New York Jets or the Los Angeles Rams, they’re a very good football team that was very close to a realistic shot at the AFC North title. It’s easy to forget that John Harbaugh is still one of the best coaches in the NFL from a record standpoint, behind only Bill Belichick, Mike McCarthy, and Mike Tomlin in total wins.
If the Ravens can address the needs they have this offseason, through the draft or through free agency, and make the necessary personnel changes, they could come into next year with another very good chance at being the AFC North champions. Let’s just hope they do it.US troop landings delay Haiti aid
Updated
An order giving United States military aircraft priority to land in Haiti after last week's massive earthquake has delayed the arrival of urgently needed medical teams and supplies by up to 48 hours.
Doctors have described a "dramatic" situation, where more than five cargo planes carrying surgical equipment have been refused landings at Port-au-Prince airport in the days after the 7.0-magnitude quake.
More than 200,000 people are thought to have died in the disaster and hundreds of thousands more are now homeless.
There have been reports of looting and riots in Haiti's capital as anger grows over the slow arrival of food, water and medical aid.
Benoit Leduc from Medecins Sans Frontieres says the delays have made the situation worse and doctors are now in a race against time to save the injured.
"It's difficult operations, we're facing logistics constraints. We had five of our planes, three cargo planes and two of our expatriate staff - including surgical teams that we tried to send in pretty quickly - five of these planes were refused to land," he said.
"They had to go across the border. So these additional delays - we clearly had like 48 hours of delay - because of this access problem to the site."
Under a 'cluster system' set up by the United Nations, US military planes were given priority to land at the Port-au-Prince airport.
Mr Leduc says even as late as yesterday afternoon the system was still causing bottlenecks at the airport.
"Obviously as the planes did not land and vital equipment equipment like surgical equipment and a hospital and some surgical teams [did not land], the cluster system did not work and we are 48 hours delayed in this operation," he said.
"We have been trying through all our contacts, which is either UN or people in the US or here in Haiti. We tried all possible scenarios that these planes could land.
"We had been given assurance that they could land and in the end they ended up circling over Port-au-Prince and then being diverted.
"It's not clear to us [who is to blame]. Yesterday clearly we had two planes derouted with cargo inside. People had been informed I think the US were on the ground at the airport. The planes didn't land and this was yesterday afternoon."
Earlier today the United Nations' John Holmes said it had made changes to the landing system at the Port-au-Prince airport to ease congestion.
"I'm confident that whatever problems there are are being resolved and there's no lack of goodwill and an intention to coordinate, it's simply a matter of organising the best way possible," he said.
500 surgical operations
Medecins Sans Frontieres says doctors in Haiti have performed 500 operations since the quake, but Mr Leduc says they are still behind pace.
"We have all these patients, a lot of amputations, a lot of trauma, head injuries and these people are waiting for operations," he said.
"So we're just trying to build up our surgical capacity and treat all those people. We need treatment pretty soon and of course we are behind pace, it's really a race."
He says medical teams are now trying to reach the injured in areas closer to the earthquake's epicentre.
"We are trying to see what's happening in the western area... places that have been very badly hit," he said.
"The epicentre is on that side, in the south-west part of Haiti. So we have teams doing exploratory missions but access is pretty difficult. You have to fly a helicopter to go there.
"Basically there is a lot of destruction in the towns and no health capacity, no operational treatment. And again it's the same need for treatment."
Mr Leduc says determining the numbers of people affected by the quake outside of Port-au-Prince is also difficult.
"Of course in the towns there are a lot of [internally displaced persons] camps. It's difficult to count, difficult to get accurate figures," he said.
"Most probably when we talk of over 200,000 people sleeping in the streets, in any open space you have groups of several hundred families, thousands of people there on the plastic sheeting."
The United States has sent troops into Haiti in the wake of the disaster and the UN has boosted its peacekeeping contingent in the country.
The Federal Government today announced that it would double Australia's immediate emergency assistance to Haiti to $10 million, but has ruled out sending any Australian troops to Port-au-Prince.
Topics: earthquake, disasters-and-accidents, relief-and-aid-organisations, haiti
First postedSAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio police officer is fired after bragging to his partner he gave a homeless person a feces sandwich.
The department identifies the officer as Matthew Luckhurst, who had been on the force five years.
In an exclusive interview, SAPD Chief William McManus disavowed the officer’s alleged behavior.
"It's a disgrace to the department. It's a disgrace to the badge,” he said. “It’s an attack on dignity, human dignity.”
The alleged incident happened back in May.
"The officer's accused of putting feces on bread, putting it in a Styrofoam carryout container and putting it next to a homeless person,” Chief McManus said.
The Chief says the officer told his bike patrol partner what he had done, and the partner told him to take back the feces sandwich.
"So he supposedly walked back or rode back, took the container and threw it in the trash can,” Chief McManus said.
The story circulated through the department, triggering an internal affairs investigation in July. Last week, Chief McManus fired Luckhurst.
"He said it was a practical joke,” the Chief described how Luckhurst characterized what happened.
Luckhurst has hired a private attorney, Ben Sifuentes. Sifuentes declined an on-camera interview, but spoke with us over the phone.
“The Chief’s allegations are not true,” Sifuentes said.
Sifuentes says his client was joking with other officers and that there were no witnesses to the alleged incident. Luckhurst is appealing his termination, a process that could take six to nine months.
Investigators haven’t been able to find the homeless man who allegedly received the feces sandwich.
In recent years, SAPD’s worked to soften its approach with homeless people and get them back on their feet.
"We've taken 50 steps forward as far as our dealings with the homeless goes and this puts us 100 steps backwards - the act of one particular officer,” Chief McManus said.
Major Ivy Taylor released the following statement concerning the alleged incident: “Firing this officer was the right thing to do. His actions were a betrayal of every value we have in our community, and he is not representative of our great police force."
Interview with San Antonio Police Chief William McManusYour wait now has an endpoint: HBO just announced the premiere date for Game of Thrones season 5.
The launch date is not a big surprise as Thrones always tends to return around the same time each year. But now it’s official: Thrones will unveil its fifth season on Sunday, April 12. HBO will also launch the fourth season of Veep and the second season of Silicon Valley on the same date.
Thrones fans have seen practically nothing from the new season so far and over the next few months there are several key assets yet to be revealed. HBO has yet to release photos from the new season or a trailer of the eagerly awaited new season. There have been a couple teasers, a few seconds each, largely consisting of old footage.
The premiere date comes on the heels of HBO’s surprise announcement that Thrones will get a limited IMAX roll-out later this month. The big-screen presentation of HBO’s most successful series of all time begins Jan. 23 will include the final two episodes of season 4 and an exclusive trailer for the upcoming season. According to IMAX, this will mark the first time a TV series has been showcased in the format. For more see our post: Game of Thrones season 5 rumors debunked.
HBO also announced Thursday that Bill Maher’s Real Time talk-show has been renewed for a 14th and 15th season, and that comedian Tig Notaro (Transparent) has landed her first stand-up comedy special.The following script is from "ALMA" which aired on March 9, 2014. Bob Simon is the correspondent. Michael Gavshon and David Levine, producers.
At this very moment, astronomers are exploring parts of space that have never been seen before. They are seeing the actual birth of planets and stars, countless millions of them, from the top of a remote plateau in Northern Chile. Deep in the Atacama Desert, they've built a revolutionary new observatory, known as the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, ALMA for short. It's a different kind of telescope, not the kind you look through.
ALMA is the world's most powerful radio telescope, which means it deciphers wave lengths of light -- colors really -- that the human eye cannot see, giving scientists a window on parts of the universe that are otherwise invisible. It's a project that's been 30 years in the making and cost $1.3 billion. ALMA is just getting started, but has already made some astonishing discoveries.
Chajnantor, Chile
For centuries, people have come to this high plateau in Northern Chile to look far into the heart of space. It's called Chajnantor, which means "place of departure." As these time lapse pictures show, it is the Earth's window to the stars. At 16,500 feet, it's above most of the Earth's atmosphere, there's very little here separating man from the heavens. |
even if it isn’t some complex Euro thing, it’s fun—and isn’t that what gaming is all about? Bring Your Own Book can be found on Kickstarter here, although it looks like they met their pledge goal quickly after the page went live.
2. The Shadow Over Westminster
Release Date: TBA
I could make a joke about how H.P. Lovecraft’s influence on boardgaming is as big as zombies are on videogaming, but if you walk into any boardgame store you’ll see shelves dedicated to both zombies and Cthulhu alike. Although The Shadow Over Westminster never uses Cthulhu or Lovecraft by name, the influence is obvious—but that shouldn’t cause you to erase this boardgame off your list. The designer’s goal for the game was to create a co-operative story-based gaming experience without making it a long chore. The result was a game that mainly uses the mechanic of deckbuiding, but with a catch. Since you can see the back of cards, you can plan a strategy ahead of time by having an idea about what’s coming next. The players play agents trying to secretly battle the “terrible darkness” called the Cataclysm and save the world without ever letting the general public know what happened.
There’s a board where each player will move their miniatures around to tackle whatever challenge they see fit—although cooperation is essential to success. The Shadow Over Westminster will include 12 different Cataclysms (read as mysteries) to solve, which should bring additional reply value to the deckbuilder-adventure hybrid. The art is a little off-putting at times, with unappealing text over busy images, but hopefully it will be improved by launch. The Shadow Over Westminster was successfully funded on Kickstarter back in June and is expected to launch soon. If you missed out on the Kickstarter and are interested in preordering, you can do so at the Zenion Games store.
3. The Siblings Trouble
Release Date: December 2015
I’m a sucker for a good story, and story is what the cooperative, card-driven roleplaying game The Siblings Trouble is all about. “The Siblings Trouble is about that nostalgia for childhood, adventures in the backyard and mysteries in the attic,” said Eduardo Baraf, the lead designer of The Siblings Trouble. The game would fit in as a great filler to any social boardgame or roleplaying group since it plays in about 30 minutes and requires very little setup. The four characters are named Danger, Adventure, Mischief and Mayhem, which may already get an image in your head of the different stories that will be told at locations like hillside cave and abandoned junkyard. Stacks of cards are built with a boss, a path and an encounter, and the table will work together to tell the story that comes to their mind when the image on a card is shown.
Depth is something that this game doesn’t have, so don’t except to be coming up with deep strategies to defeat bosses like the handsome troll. Like many roll playing games, the player going through an encounter will roll for either a successful or failed encounter, which will in turn be determined by the player what that means. Players are welcome to give a compliment to an enemy and walk on by on a successful roll if they have a sudden case of empathy for lonely trolls in caves. Look out for a Kickstarter for The Siblings Trouble in early April, with an expected delivery by late December.
4. Wizard Dodgeball
Release Date: December 2015 (if funded)
Relive your favorite high school memories with the light tactical two-player game Wizard Dodgeball. The game is finding itself on Kickstarter for the second time after fixing many of the complaints from reviewers of the original print and play version, such as a confusing rulebook and having to spend too much time managing the board. The first thing you’ll notice about the game is that the theme is wonderful and already looks retail ready—it was the best looking new game I saw at PAX South. Players begin by selecting wizards (players on their team) either randomly or through a draft, and the dodgeballs are placed in the center of the gridded game board just like a real game of dodgeball.
Like any war game or tactical videogame like Final Fantasy Tactics each character has a different range of standard moves—attack, dodge, cast, resist, move and magic. Different sets of dice (based on your attack range) are used as the primary battle mechanic, but only against the opponent—if you want to cast a helpful spell to a teammate, no roll is required. The war/sports hybrid is playable in about 30 minutes and looks to be a solid addition to any strategic boardgamer’s shelf. The designer made sure to listen to reviewers with an open mind and changes like colored dice that match the cards associating with them are the little things that make gamers happy in a world overrun with confusing rulebooks. If you’re interested in learning more, you can check out their Kickstarter here.
5. Conduct
Release date: TBD
Giant boats like the RMS Lusitania seem like a no-brainer when it comes to theming boardgames that rely on a story. A lot of stuff happens on boats—romance, escaping life for days or weeks, pure disaster, and the list goes on. The Gilded Age cooperative adventure game Conduct finally answers my calls to play a game based around a giant boat. Players will work together to travel through the Lusitania and will find story-changing events, monsters and even a hidden traitor element e.g. Shadows Over Camelot. The players have a choice of several story packs to choose from—where each pack will focus on a different supernatural menace, as well as going through different parts of the ship. To give an example, the awful boiler room from the previous game you played might not be involved in a different story pack.
Players will have a unique deck that assists them in their cooperative journey, which brings diversity to the table as each character plays dramatically different. Dice will be rolled to test the success or failure of plot points, but working together as a team is necessary to stand a chance at making it out of the Lusitania alive. As with any boardgame with a hidden traitor, it can get pretty cutthroat at times, so it may not be the best game for your friend that is known to be particularly salty. The art in the game is beautiful and I’m excited to play a game themed during the Gilded Age. Check out their Twitter page for updates and watch out for this whenever it is released.
Jay Egger works in digital media in Austin, Texas and writes whenever he gets the chance. You can catch him playing boardgames while drinking fancy beer. His Twitter handle is @jayeggr.A previously deported illegal immigrant with a prior felony conviction was charged for allegedly abusing a young girl sexually.
Law enforcement officials say that Oscar Perez Rangel, 40, sexually abused a 12-year-old girl at an in-home daycare where he lived with his girlfriend who operated the business, according to FOX 5.
Rangel was arrested at the home on Friday after investigators received information about the alleged abuse on March 28.
The alleged sexual incidents occurred between October and December 2016. Rangel has been charged with three counts of felony animate sexual penetration and two counts of felony aggravated sexual battery.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) placed a detainer on Rangel shortly after the charging. His prior felony conviction stems from an attempted robbery with a firearm in June 2003.
After serving time in prison, he was released in July 2009 and was deported to Mexico. He re-appeared in the United States in 2011 using a different name and was arrested and sentenced to two years in prison and was later deported.
The daycare was licensed and operating legally until Monday.
Ryan Saavedra is a contributor for Breitbart Texas and can be found on Twitter at @RealSaavedra.By Shaun Cronin
Ireland fly-half Ian Madigan has praised the “fantastic” level of support his side has received from the travelling fans in their first two games at the Rugby World Cup.
Yesterday’s game against Romania saw the record for attendance at a Rugby World Cup broken for a second time this tournament - as 89,267 fans, mainly in green, turned out.
The crowd beat the previous mark of 89,019 set in the Pool C meeting of New Zealand and Argentina on opening weekend.
“The support was absolutely fantastic,” said Madigan. “It was numbing coming into the stadium seeing all the supporters lining the bus.”
“I came out to kick about an hour and half before the game and got a fantastic reception off the crowd. It just set the tone of the day for me.”
Not only did the Irish fans pack out the home of English football, they also thronged the Fanzone just outside and that is something that hasn’t gone unnoticed by the players.
“(The) hair was standing up on my neck when The Fields of Athenry was being sung.”
“As ever, it was an enthusiastic Mexican wave,” joked the Leinster fly half.
Madigan went onto admit the Irish fans could have a role to play in the upcoming Pool D matches with Italy and France.
“Their (Irish fans) knowledge of the game is fantastic. The way they lift you at certain times in the game is going to be huge going forward against Italy and France,” said Madigan.Large, darkened retail spaces aren’t a good look for Atlanta’s signature street.
The next big void along the so-called Midtown Mile will be a large corner space that’s been home to Tex-Mex restaurant Mi Cocina for four years.
The Texas-based eatery suddenly closed Saturday, offering only this non-explanation on Facebook: "It is with a heavy heart that we close our restaurant here in Atlanta... We have thoroughly enjoyed our time here and hope you will visit us in the Dallas/Fort Worth area," as What Now Atlanta (and before them, Tomorrow’s News Today) reports.
It’s the third major retail loss on Peachtree Street at the multi-block 12th & Midtown project in the last couple of years, following the closure of CB2 about a year ago and Republic of Couture fashion boutique in 2014. According to WNA, Mi Cocina spent about $1.5 million to build out its sprawling 8,800-square-foot space.
Add to that the empty buildings that once housed clubs Vanquish and Reign — vacant for almost two years now — and this key stretch of Peachtree Street is beginning to appear, as developers say, gap-toothed.
Midtown boosters have been trumpeting the Midtown Mile concept since 2005. The vision calls for a vibrant, 14-block corridor of shopping (a la Madison Avenue or Chicago’s Magnificent Mile) running up Peachtree from North Avenue to 15th Street. The concept’s momentum took a beating during the recession but showed signs of promise with the openings of STK, Cafe Intermezzo, and everything that’s since closed.
Daniel Corp., the developer behind 12th & Midtown, describes their project as the Midtown Mile’s “cornerstone.”
A jolt of life for the Midtown Mile could come in 2018, with the planned opening of Colony Square’s redo by North American Properties.
The redevelopment calls for transforming Colony Square’s bunker-like relationship with Peachtree into a more pedestrian-friendly experience (see below). So all the news isn’t necessarily grim.Image copyright Getty Images
Confidence among Chinese entrepreneurs has picked up for the second quarter running, according to the country's central bank.
People's Bank of China surveys showed the business confidence index rising to 51.2% in the third quarter.
That was 2.2 percentage points higher than in the second quarter.
China's factory output and retail sales grew faster than expected in August, on the back of a strong housing market and government infrastructure spending.
Economic change
The world's second largest economy has lost some of its momentum during this year, as it has entered a period of readjustment.
China is looking to transform its economy away from factories and exports towards domestic consumption.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) expects China's GDP to grow by 6.6% this year, close to the low end of China's own official forecast of between 6.5% to 7%.
That will come after decades of near double-digit growth.
Housing costs
Meanwhile, a separate central bank survey showed a bankers' confidence index rising to 46.5% in the third quarter, 2.8 percentage points higher than in the April to June period.
The survey showed one in five bankers believed monetary policy would be relatively loose in the fourth quarter of this year.
The People's Bank of China has reduced interest rates six times in 22 months, and and also cut the amount of cash banks must keep in reserve.
And a third survey issued by the central bank at the weekend showed that 53.7% of households believed housing costs were "unacceptably high", up 0.3 percentage points from the second quarter.Richard Jefferson, for months, said he begged Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue for the chance to check Kevin Durant.
Jefferson, 36, got his chance in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, and did a more-than-admirable job on the former MVP.
RJ thinks it's unfair what Cavs ask of LeBron. He wanted to help. The decision at least temporarily saved the Finals https://t.co/nGgVFXFiQp — Jason Lloyd (@JasonLloydNBA) June 12, 2017
“Fucking begging for it,” Jefferson told The Athletic. “I’ve been begging… “I’ve been doing this for 16 years. I can do things. And the more you give me a little bit of an opportunity, the more you give me a little bit more of a leash, I can contribute … The best thing Ty did is he gave me a leash.”
Durant missed six of seven shots with RJ as his primary defender in the Cavs’ 137-116 win.
Per Cleveland.com:
“Well, I’ve guarded K.D. since he came into this league,” Jefferson said prior to the Cavaliers’ practice Sunday afternoon in Oakland. “He’s one of the best talents that this league has seen. It’s the same with guarding LeBron. I had to do that. All the high-level small forwards. Carmelo (Anthony). These are guys that are very different players. They’re all very unique talents, and so you have your hands full when you get that opportunity to guard them.”
During the Cavs’ Game 4 win Friday, Jefferson tallied a playoff-high 22 minutes, scoring eight points to go with three rebounds. But his biggest contribution came on the defensive end, a part of the rotation that held Durant to his least efficient game of the series.
Related
Richard Jefferson: All Pressure on the WarriorsGENEVA (Reuters) - The Syrian opposition said on Sunday it rejected any attempt by the government to delay the next round of peace talks until after a parliamentary election on April 13 and urged Russia to press its ally into serious talks on a political transition.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad called the election last month, in a sign of confidence reflecting his growing momentum on the battlefield after five years of civil war. Elections are held every four years and the last one was in 2012.
The two warring sides have been holding separate talks for the past week in Geneva with U.N. Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura, who has said he plans to suspend them on Thursday and resume in early April.
“We’re aware that the regime has asked for a two-week delay for the next round of talks. The regime is trying to evade its responsibilities and postpone negotiations,” Yahya Qadamani, deputy coordinator of the opposition High Negotiations Committee (HNC), told a news conference in Geneva.
“We insist that the next round be held on time. The regime is not entitled to impose any postponement of the next round that begins on the April 4.”
“We hope that Russia uses its influence on the Assad regime to enter into serious negotiations over a political transition,” he said, making clear also that the political transition should end with the ousting of Assad.
Earlier, HNC spokesman, Salim Al-Muslat, told reporters in Geneva: “We won’t accept a postponement to hold illegitimate elections.”
The HNC had not been informed by de Mistura of any delay in the next round, but would raise it with him in talks resuming on Monday, he said.
Syrian government negotiators at the talks are coming under unaccustomed pressure to discuss the fate of Assad, whose departure the opposition demands.
De Mistura describes Syria’s political transition as “the mother of all issues” and after the latest week of talks, praised the opposition for the depth of their ideas, but criticised the veteran diplomats on the government side for getting bogged down.
Riad Hijab, a former Syrian prime minister who leads the HNC delegation, is due in Geneva on Monday, HNC sources said.Building Tutorials > Small Asian House
1. Place several cobblestone blocks to set the layout of your house. Leaving the middle open ensures that your design is centered and square-shaped.
2. Fill the Foundation.
3. Use wood blocks to place four pillars with a size of 5 blocks at each end.
4. More pillars.
5. Fill the lowest level between the pillars with horizontally placed wood blocks.
6. Repeat with the topmost level between the pillars.
7. Give your house a nice wooden floor.
8. Fill in with wooden blocks.
9. Place wooden stairs upside down in the middle of each side.
10. Fill the open spaces with fence blocks. Those will be your windows.
11. Place a wooden door in the center of each side.
12. Use wooden slabs to build a veranda as pictured. Leave the edges open.
13. Place two wood blocks at each end of the veranda and place three fence blocks on top of them.
14. Put wooden planks on top.
15. Surround with wooden stairs.
16. Place "help blocks" (use cobblestone or dirt) for the next step and use these to place a lower level of stairs.
17. Surround lower level with wooden stairs. Don't forget to remove your help blocks!
18. Fill the opening on the roof-to-be with one ring of wooden blocks.
19. Place wooden slabs on the ring from step 18.
20. Repeat until your roof is finished.
21. Surround the lowest level of stairs with one ring of wooden slabs. Place double (or use wooden planks) at each end for accentuation of the roof.
22. Use cobblestones and cobblestone slabs to create nice natural stairs.
23. Done!
This step-by-step tutorial will show you how to create a small Asian-style house with simple materials. The design easily fits into most landscapes: Build several in a lake and connect them with small bridges to create a southeast-asian fishing village, build it on a slope and create a foundation with cobblestone to make a nice hill house, or construct several close to wheat fields to create a small rural farming village.Since the layout of the building is square-shaped and since all sides have an uneven number length, you can easily expand this building by just adding another one right next to it. This way you can build longer houses, assembly halls or larger Japanese, style mansions.The blocks you need to place in each step are highlighted in white. You need the following blocks and items for the construction:Daniel Chick in happier days with the West Coast Eagles. Credit:Vince Caligiuri "Enjoy your reunion Embers, you played a great game in the 2006 GF," Chick wrote on Facebook. "Good to see the club managed you very well and set you up for life and your family... I got the opposite but that's life. "If we flipped the story, how ya think you'd be travelling right now if you got my deal?" Chick, who went public in grand final week last year about the Eagles' drug culture, said Embley seemed nervous during the TV interview and was not telling the complete truth about the drug scandal that engulfed the club in the mid-2000s.
Daniel Chick has started a GoFundMe campaign to try and raise money for his medical expenses. Credit:John Donegan "So ya start just start telling fibs and smiling to hide your fear and downplay it, when the truth is, this drama did not have to happen and it ruined my life," Chick writes. The 40-year-old then unloaded on his former club, saying the Eagles treated him like a commodity that was to be exploited. "A gladiator that entertains the people (and) fills your pockets with riches," he writes. "Then you dump them broken troubled gladiators back on the street and think, 'yeah that's cool, this will never come back to bite us, we own everyone and the media, no one will ever find out hey'.
"It's only a game okay, it's not real, it's entertainment... and I got hurt entertaining you all at work okay... simple, and I have rights and i'll use the law to get them rights working for me." The animosity between Daniel Kerr and Andrew Embley continues. In posts highlighted by Radio 6PR Breakfast's rumour file segment, Chick alludes to wanting nothing to do with any of his premiership teammates. It was suggested on The Footy Show that only Chick and Ben Cousins had not yet confirmed their attendance at the 10th reunion of the Eagles' 2006 flag. "I'm done with the footy ego trip.. it does not serve me," Chick wrote. "Fix me up and let me get on with my life, what's left of it.
"You can have your little footy function and your nifty circle of brothers who cowardly left Chicky to suffer after he was a far better warrior than most of you. "I got a fight far bigger on my hands than footy memories and ego trips." Chick derided West Coast for failing to acknowledge the drug culture that had engulfed the club in the years before and after the 2006 premiership. "You had a chance to step up and show some balls... i'm proud of myself for standing up and taking you pricks head on and you just empowered me even more. "AFL fans surely see through the bulls---t now... own up and let some healing take place? No, psychopaths never show empathy unless they need to trick you into thinking they care."
"My heart is bigger than your fist." Daniel Chick is no longer a fan of former coach John Worsfold. Chick also had 2006 premiership coach John Worsfold in his sights for failing to contact him when he was unwell, while claiming he almost died from an injury suffered while at the club. "Thanks for the call Woosha, I been going real well since my last Derby [2007]," he writes. "You aware that I been sick but never called me in 9 years and I was lucky to have not died from that injury mate to the throat and whiplash trauma but nope, you don't give a f--k that's proven now."
Daniel Chick's claims include that he suffered a stroke during his AFL career. Chick then berates the club and his former teammates for their lack of compassion for his welfare. "Come on, put your hand up and take some heat you cowards... I have, Cuzzy (Ben Cousins) has, Kerr is in denial and always will be, and the rest of my teammates who sat back and watched me struggle when I was hurt all these years, to save your asses from running amok too much... shame on you. "I protected you all for years and you can't even stand up for me now? "Disappointed and gutted - why smash my body to protect a few cowards getting all the glory now?"So much for fighting the Uber fight. Today Karhoo — a company that wanted to take on Uber by pulling together prices and offerings from competing car services into a single app — announced that it is shutting down its service and looking for “the next steps for its business” after running out of money and failing to raise more. The full statement is below.
Update: One day later, Karhoo has officially gone into administration. “After considering all options, Karhoo Limited and Karhoo Technologies Ltd have today been placed into administration,” said a statement provided by a spokesperson. “Paul Cooper and Paul Appleton of David Rubin & Partners Ltd, a firm specialising in restructuring have been appointed as Joint Administrators.” [Original article continues]
We’d been hearing for about a week now that times were tight at the company, with employees skipping paychecks as times got lean.
Then yesterday Sky posted an internal memo that stated the company had to shut down its R&D operations temporarily in Israel after being unable to pay workers, but that it was close to securing an emergency round of funding from a backer that was willing to support the company to profitability.
It looks like that never came to pass, however.
It’s a pretty significant crash and burn for the startup. Karhoo, founded by Daniel Ishag (who stepped down as CEO several days ago), had never publicly disclosed how much it raised. A report in the FT last year written with cooperation from the company claimed it was around $250 million with ambitions to raise $1 billion in total. (CrunchBase further notes two rounds, with an undisclosed amount coming in January.)
We’ve had tips from sources disputing that funding figure, however, saying it was much lower.
Investors according to that FT article included David Kowitz, co-founder of Indus Capital Partners, the US hedge fund; Jonathan Feuer, managing partner at CVC Capital Partners, the European private equity group; and Nick Gatfield, former chairman and chief executive of Sony Music Entertainment. Eric Daniels, the former chief executive of Lloyds Banking Group, was a board director at the company.
Karhoo was active in London with starting trials in New York and ambitions also to extend to Singapore. It also had an R&D operation in Tel Aviv, Israel.
In London, Karhoo claimed a network of 200,000 cars, with partners including the likes of Addison Lee and ComCab in the UK. In its New York trial, meanwhile, it had some 10,000 cars and its partners included Carmel. Competitors in London included Kabbee, which works also with fleets, like Karhoo. (We’ve reached out to Addison Lee for comment and will update as we learn more. The company has confirmed to us that it was not an investor.)
Karhoo’s business model was based around it taking a 10% commission on rides booked through its platform, providing a competitive edge on Uber’s 20-25%.
But ultimately, that structure — which by definition would bring in less returns for Karhoo than Uber’s — is based on very large economies of scale to have any kind of reasonable margin. And building out any transport service before it can get to that scale is extremely capital intensive — as Uber has demonstrated — which would deteriorate those margins even further.
Karhoo, however, didn’t appear to have the reach with consumers to achieve anything like enough scale. The company, according to Google Play, only had between 50,000 and 100,000 downloads of its Android app. It doesn’t look like it was faring much better on iOS, where, according to AppAnnie, it last ranked at number 86 in transport apps in the UK and didn’t even make the charts in the U.S. at last check.
As Uber, which has raised at least $10 billion and is valued at $60 billion, continues to grow globally, many smaller regional competitors have fallen by the wayside, consolidated or been snapped up by strategic backers who have the capital and reach to grow them (or at least only get slightly bruised trying).
In Europe, competitive movements have included Minicabster filing for insolvency; Gett picking up strategic investment from VW to work on a service together; and Hailo getting majority-acquired by Daimler and merged with MyTaxi.
It’s not just a European story, though: we have even heard through the rumor mill that Lyft in the U.S., which trails Uber by some way in the growth stakes with just $2 billion in funding, has considered acquisition offers in recent times.
More to come. Full statement from Karhoo below.Dylan Matthew Bundy (born November 15, 1992) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball. Bundy was drafted by the Orioles with the fourth overall pick in the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft.
Early years [ edit ]
Bundy attended Owasso High School in Owasso, Oklahoma. As a senior, he had a 0.25 earned run average and 158 strikeouts in 71 innings. He was the 2011 Gatorade National Baseball Player of the Year, Baseball America High School Player of the Year, the USA Today National Player of the Year,[1][2][3] 2011 Louisville Slugger Player of the Year,[4] 2011 National High School Coaches Association Baseball Player of the Year[5] and the 2011 National High School Baseball Coaches Association Player of the Year.[6]
Bundy is the only player to win the Gatorade State player of the year in any sport three times (2009, 2010, 2011).
He went on in 2011 to become the first baseball player to win the Gatorade Athlete of the Year award.[7]
Bundy's older brother, Bobby attended Sperry High School, where he too was a pitcher. He was drafted by the Orioles in the 2008 Major League Baseball draft and has played minor league baseball for nine seasons.
Professional career [ edit ]
Bundy was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles with the fourth overall pick in the 2011 Major League Baseball Draft.[8] On August 15, 2011, he signed a major league contract with the Baltimore Orioles, who added him to their 40-man roster.[9]
Bundy made his professional debut on April 6, 2012 with the Single-A Delmarva Shorebirds pitching against the Asheville Tourists. He allowed no hits over three innings while striking out six batters. His fastball was reported to reach 97–98 mph in the game.[10][11] In 30 innings pitched with Delmarva, Bundy maintained an ERA of 0.00 with 40 strikeouts, two walks and two unearned runs.[12] Hitters went 5 for 94 against him.[13]
Bundy was promoted to the high Class A Frederick Keys on May 23, 2012[13] where he posted a 6–3 record with a 2.84 ERA.[14] He was named to appear in the 2012 All-Star Futures Game.[15]
Bundy was promoted to the Bowie Baysox on August 14, 2012. Bundy was promoted to the Baltimore Orioles on September 19, 2012.[16] On September 23, Bundy made his MLB debut against the Boston Red Sox in a relief appearance. He recorded two outs. He appeared once more during the season on September 25 against the Blue Jays, pitching one inning, allowing one hit and walk.
On June 27, 2013, he underwent Tommy John surgery. He was expected to miss at least 12 months.[17] In January 2014, Bundy had circled June 28, 2014—one year and one day after his Tommy John surgery—as the target date for his return.[18]
On July 29, 2015, Bundy was shut down indefinitely with calcification in the back area of his shoulder.[19] At the time of his shutdown, there was no timetable for his return. On August 26, it was announced that he would pitch in an instructional league, along with fellow Orioles pitcher Hunter Harvey, in September 2015.[20]
2016 [ edit ]
Out of minor league options in 2016, Bundy had an impressive spring and made the Orioles Opening Day roster. He made his season debut on April 7, 1290 days after his last Major League appearance. Bundy pitched an inning against the Minnesota Twins, allowing only one hit, while earning a hold.
At the All-star break, Bundy had appeared in 22 games out of the bullpen, pitching to a 3.08 ERA in 38.0 innings. He went 2–1 and collected 32 strikeouts. After the All-star break, Bundy was inserted into a struggling Orioles rotation to help find stability. Bundy had a rocky first start, as he pitched 31⁄ 3 while giving up four runs all via the home run. Bundy had a much better start the second time around against the Cleveland Indians, going 5.0 innings while allowing one unearned run. On July 27, against the Colorado Rockies, Bundy took a perfect game into the sixth inning with one out before allowing a walk and then a home run to former Oriole Nick Hundley. In his very next start against the Texas Rangers, Bundy turned in his best performance, throwing 7 innings of one-hit baseball. He carried a no-hitter through 52⁄ 3 innings before giving up a single.
Bundy finished his first full year in the majors, having pitched in 36 games (14 starts), pitching to a 4.02 ERA while going 10–6 and striking out 104 batters. He led the major leagues in steals of home allowed, with two.[21]
2017 [ edit ]
Bundy was slotted as the Orioles number two starter after injury to staff ace Chris Tillman. In his first start of the season, Bundy tossed seven innings, giving up only one hit while striking out eight batters to earn his first victory of the season. On May 18, Bundy's consecutive quality start streak of 8 to start the season came to an end. Bundy struggled in the month of June and July, and finished the first half with an ERA of 4.33 in 108 innings of work. In his first start back from the All-Star break, Bundy set a new career-high for innings pitched in a season. On August 1, he had the longest outing of his career, going eight innings against the Kansas City Royals, allowing one unearned run in the Orioles 7–2 victory.
On August 29, Bundy had the most dominant start of his career, tossing his first career Complete Game Shutout against the Mariners. He allowed just one hit, a bunt single in the 4th inning, while striking out 12 batters and only walking two.
2018 [ edit ]
Bundy started off the 2018 MLB season strong by posting a 1.42 ERA through 5 starts.
On May 8, 2018, Bundy set an MLB record against the Kansas City Royals by allowing four home runs without recording a single out. Bundy gave up the home runs to Jorge Soler, Mike Moustakas, Salvador Perez and Alex Gordon. In total, Bundy gave up 5 hits, 7 runs, and 2 walks before being pulled in the first inning. [22] He was placed on the disabled list on June 26 with an ankle injury.[23]
Bundy ended the season leading the majors in home runs allowed, serving up 41 in 171 1⁄ 3 innings. For the 2018 season, he also led the majors in giving up the most home runs per nine innings (2.15).[24] He finished with a record of 8-16 in 31 starts, with a 5.45 ERA.[24]
Pitching style [ edit ]
Bundy has been considered one of the most physically gifted pitchers in professional baseball, and he is remarkably advanced for his age. He throws four-seam, two-seam and cut-fastballs as well as two off-speed pitches—a curveball and a changeup. His four-seamer has touched 100 mph as a high school player.[25] Since the elbow surgery, his fastball is in the 93–94 mph range, topping out around 97–98. Bundy's second-best pitch is his 88–94 mph cutter. He uses his cutter primarily against left-handed batters to overpower them on the inner-half of the strikezone.[25] He also throws a curveball at 75–77 mph that rates as one of the best in the Orioles system,[26] as well as a solid changeup.
Beyond his extraordinary fastball velocity and late-breaking curveball, Bundy also has impressive command—especially for a young power pitcher. His balanced, fluid delivery and repeatable mechanics allow him to throw strikes consistently and he is able to spot his fastball around the strike zone with precision.[25]DONETSK, Ukraine — Pro-Russia protesters rallied for a second day in Lenin Square here on Sunday, demanding a referendum on joining the Russian Federation and blasting Western influence on the region.
A week earlier, Ukraine’s southern Crimea region voted to secede and to join Russia, igniting minor clashes between the two countries and Western sanctions against Moscow.
Thousands in the square waved Russian and regional flags. They demanded that ousted pro-Russia President Viktor Yanukovych be returned to office, denounced the country’s interim leaders as Nazis, and accused the West and the European Union of causing unrest.
“U.S. and EU out of the Ukraine,” read one sign. “They sponsor terrorism.”
“Why did the U.S. and the EU pay for the Maidan?” asked protester Vasili Michailak, referring to the uprising in Kiev’s central square that prompted Yanukovych to flee to Russia.
“We don’t want war, and we don’t want fascists here,” said Michailak, 57. “The occupation taking place in Ukraine was paid for by the U.S. The people of eastern Ukraine don’t want to be part of NATO.”
Although protesters hope to rejoin Russia — and to end Ukrainian independence that followed the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union — others fear a Russian invasion.
NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, expressed concern about Russia’s military buildup on Ukraine’s eastern border.
That Russian force “is very, very sizable and very, very ready,” Breedlove told an event hosted by the German Marshall Fund, a Washington-based think tank.
A February study by Ukraine’s Democratic Initiatives Foundation found that 33.2 percent of Donetsk residents favor joining Russia, a sentiment second in size only to Crimea’s.
One woman in the crowd said she moved to Donetsk two years ago to find a school with Russian language classes for her daughter. She refused to give her name, saying she fears persecution.
She echoed familiar themes, dismissing anti-Yanukovych forces as “paid … pseudo-patriots” and “Nazis.”
“I just feel like if we stayed under one big yellow-and-blue flag” — Ukraine’s national banner — “we will continue to be second-class citizens … deprived of speaking Russian,” the 35-year-old advertising worker said.
“My love for Ukraine is supposed to be equated with my hatred of Russia. It shouldn’t be like that.”
Svetlana Lemeanska, 44, wore an English-language sign on her back: “Stop |
in 1968. Looking more closely at the results, the last solid win for a Democrat in Texas was Lyndon Johnson’s in 1964. (Johnson’s political base was in Texas.) After the civil rights era, it wasn’t until 1992 that a Democrat won the White House without also winning Texas.
WATCH: Hillary Clinton lashed out at Donald Trump for remarks he made Wednesday night about his plan to sack high-ranking U.S. military generals if elected president.
The idea that Texas could become competitive has intrigued observers of U.S. politics for years, because of the electoral votes at stake. And given Republican contender Donald Trump’s comments about Mexico, Hispanic voters are shunning him. Hispanics are expected to outnumber whites by 2020 in Texas, and be a majority of the state by 2042.
This week, the Dallas Morning News, which has a famously conservative editorial page, endorsed Hillary Clinton, writing that “Trump’s values are hostile to conservatism,” citing what it called his “astounding absence of preparedness,” and arguing that “his improvisational insults and midnight tweets exhibit a dangerous lack of judgment and impulse control.”
The last Democratic presidential hopeful the paper endorsed was Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940.
Though it wasn’t shown to be in play in the Post poll, Utah drew attention in August as an unlikely swing state.
Utah, which has voted Republican since 1964, and with one exception since 1948, would seem to be as much of a GOP stronghold as it’s possible to be.
On the other hand, Utah’s GOP primary voters gave Trump a crushing 14 per cent support. Many observers say that Trump’s problem in Utah is that while Mormons tend be conservative and vote Republican, they are also offended by Trump’s personal style and abrasive rhetoric.
In August, the New York Times spoke to Utah Mormons who were considering voting for a Democrat for the first time in their lives, but without enthusiasm.
A recent poll showed the state in a rough three-way split between Trump (37 per cent), Clinton (27 per cent) and Libertarian Party presidential candidate Gary Johnson (23 per cent). (In 2012, Republican Mitt Romney got over 70 per cent of the vote in Utah.)
Evan McMullin, a Mormon former CIA officer from Utah who is running for the presidency as an independent conservative, may end up as a little-known niche candidate for anti-Trump conservatives – nationally. In Utah, however, his local credentials may make him a factor in a state with lots of conservatives who can’t stand Trump.
Will McMullin divert enough Republican votes to make Utah the unlikeliest blue state in November? We’ll see.
However, the Post poll showed some weaknesses for Democrats as well – Wisconsin and Michigan were also too close to call.
Wisconsin has been voting for Democrats for the presidency since backing Reagan’s re-election in 1984, and Michigan has been blue since voting for George H.W. Bush in 1988.
Trump’s opposition to the North American Free Trade Agreement has attracted support in parts of the Midwest where job loss is blamed on free trade.The NASGA website has been updated to include the schedule for the 2014 Sea Glass Festival. https://seaglassassociation.org/FestivalSchedule2014.html
On Saturday, the schedule includes two not-to-be-missed presentations as well as a chance to ask sea glass experts the things you’ve always wanted to know about sea glass:
Presentation: Shipwrecks of New Jersey by Margaret Buchholz, noted author and expert on Atlantic coastal history, takes us on a gripping 350-year voyage through the “Graveyard of the Atlantic” — a name bestowed upon the state’s treacherous shoals and inlets.
, noted author and expert on Atlantic coastal history, takes us on a gripping 350-year voyage through the “Graveyard of the Atlantic” — a name bestowed upon the state’s treacherous shoals and inlets. Open Forum: The Mystery and History of Genuine Sea Glass Panel discussion with sea glass experts and serious collectors Mary Beth Beuke, Jeanie Hood, Jenna Perfetti, Maryann Wadiak, and moderated by Cape May’s own Darlene Eldridge. Bring all of your sea glass questions for the panel.
Panel discussion with sea glass experts and serious collectors Mary Beth Beuke, Jeanie Hood, Jenna Perfetti, Maryann Wadiak, and moderated by Cape May’s own Darlene Eldridge. Bring all of your sea glass questions for the panel. Presentation: The Sea Glass Center and Traveling Sea Glass Museum by Danielle Perrault. Join Danielle Perreault, Executive Director of The Sea Glass Center Kennebunkport, Maine as she reveals images of natural and man-made sea glass taken from a scanning electron microscope at The University of Southern Maine.
On Sunday, the Festival’s premiere event, the Shard of the Year Contest, awards up to $2,000 in cash prizes for the most pristine and unusual shards of genuine sea glass and other found objects.
See the web site page for details on how to enter the contest and your chance to win the top prize of $1,000. https://seaglassassociation.org/Festival_SOTY.html
As well, NASGA has made arrangements for free remote parking and a free short trolley ride to shuttle you back and forth to the Cape May Convention Hall. Details and a map are now on the Cape May Information page: https://seaglassassociation.org/CapeMayInfo2014.html
The festival is six short weeks away – see you then!Most golfers dream of that perfect shot on the short part three. The ting of the iron, one bounce on the green, a short roll and plunk – it drops in the bottom of the cup. A hole-in-one!!!
But wait, wouldn’t ALL golfers, not just MOST, wish for this event. Not golfers in Japan. There, a hole-in-one can be very expensive.
Tradition dictates that the maker of the hole-in-one must throw a party and give gifts (sometimes lavish ones) to all those that helped the golfer make the miracle shot. Those with whom he was playing, family members and coworkers are a part of this list. Failure to follow the tradition is considered bad form and the perpetrator is view poorly.
Costs for a hole-in-one could run into thousands of dollars. Enter Hole-In-One insurance; not like the coverage common in America, but to help the golfer cover the costs of all the gifts that must be bought and the party that must be thrown. Premium is relatively low, $10 to $20 per year – and it is worth it for the golfer to protect his reputation.They were a part of history, bringing the biggest news events — from Watergate, to the 9/11 terror attacks and raging local wildfires — to San Diegans’ doorsteps.
And now, the presses at The San Diego Union-Tribune are themselves history, with the final print run in Mission Valley coming to a close at 1 a.m. Sunday.
Starting with Monday’s paper, the Union-Tribune is being printed in Los Angeles, a byproduct of the U-T’s sale last month to the Tribune Publishing Co., parent company of the Los Angeles Times.
The purchase allowed for the consolidation of the two newspapers’ printing operations in L.A. About 100 of 178 layoffs at the U-T, announced after the sale was final, came from the paper’s operations department.
The massive press machinery — which at top speed can produce 62,000 papers per hour — and the three-story, football field-sized plant it occupies, were not part of the sale by Manchester Financial Group to Tribune.
Final Press Run
“It really is the end of an era,” said longtime pressman Stan Angeles, who joined the company in 1970, when its headquarters was still in downtown San Diego. Angeles, 65, wasn’t on duty Saturday night but came in with his 16-year-old granddaughter to witness the last run.
“It was so exciting; it is still so exciting. We saw it all,” Angeles said. “You know, when news happens, it’s the TV stations that come here to show the paper coming off the presses.”
In the bittersweet moments before the press start, about 30 crew members and supervisors reminisced, slapped each other on the back and shook hands. Greg Williams, a 29-year-employee, also came in on his day off, snapping pictures of friends and familiar places with his Canon 6D camera.
Four pressmen stood in a circle exchanging cellphone numbers. “Yeah, this is something we should have done 10, 15 years ago,” one of them said to laughter. Joked another, “We’re networking.”
They all gathered for a group photo, looking upward to a second-story catwalk at U-T photographer Howard Lipin.
“No crying!” someone yelled out. “Endangered species!”
With history recorded, they took to their various stations, securing their earplugs and making final preparations for the machines to be fired up, as they had done since they were newly installed in 1973, when the U-T moved to Mission Valley.
Howard Lipin June 13, 2015 - San Diego, CA, U.S. - The final scheduled press run of the San Diego Union-Tribune goes through the presses Saturday night, ending an era. David Allen (L) goes through plates as Pressroom Manager Rob Witherspoon (R) keeps an eye on the time. San Diego Union-Tribune photo by Howard Lipin June 13, 2015 - San Diego, CA, U.S. - The final scheduled press run of the San Diego Union-Tribune goes through the presses Saturday night, ending an era. David Allen (L) goes through plates as Pressroom Manager Rob Witherspoon (R) keeps an eye on the time. San Diego Union-Tribune photo by Howard Lipin (Howard Lipin)
Pressroom supervisor Rob Witherspoon gave the go-ahead and bells started clanging. With a thunderous roar and building-vibrating force, the final printing began at 10:02 p.m.
The ensuing hours would be spent eyeballing pages for inconsistencies in inking and registration, or focus, with crew members hurriedly making computerized adjustments. With the din, supervisors have to communicate through headsets and gestures.
Pressroom manager, Rob Witherspoon, reflects on his 30 years at the U-T San Diego. Pressroom manager, Rob Witherspoon, reflects on his 30 years at the U-T San Diego. SEE MORE VIDEOS
The run was not without some glitches but it was nothing compared one of the more momentous nights over the years. Pressroom supervisor Ron Seneff said that during the 2003 wildfires, with roads closed and families evacuated, only 18 of the 36-person crew could come in.
“Those who could get here had to get it done. People needed the news,” said Seneff, an 18-year veteran.
He said through the years, technological advances, circulation declines and financial cutbacks had thinned the employee ranks. And he recognized the rationale behind the pressroom’s closure.
“It’s progress, that’s what the name of the business is,” he said. “To survive you have to consolidate.”
It’s unclear what will become of the press machinery. Richard Gibbons, president of Manchester Financial Group, said there is a market for it in South America but that minus a deal, the presses would be dismantled and sold for scrap.
“We’re evaluating what we’re doing, but nothing has been finalized yet,” he said. “Obviously things are moving very quickly.”
On Sunday morning, when the presses slowed and the last papers were spit out, still warm from the ink, a quiet calm set in. The building stopped humming and so did the crew. The balletic, semi-frantic, monitoring and adjusting ceased.
There would be no post-run get together; a potluck had already been held the week before.
It was time to clean up and head home.
RelatedHappy International Orangutan Day! As is probably obvious, orangutans are my favorite animal, so I’m glad that they get their own day.
I’m not entirely certain why I’m so drawn to orangutans. I think part of it is because, out of all the non-human great apes, I see more of myself in them than in any other. I think of them as intelligent and introverted (especially the adult males). They’re patient and good at problem-solving. They’re usually the hardest animal to keep enclosed at a zoo, with their strength, dexterity, and intelligence being enough to break out of all but the best-designed enclosures.
They’re just such marvelous beings. I really hope that humanity can preserve them for the future. It would be such a loss if this species went extinct.
Here are some resources for learning more about and helping orangutans.
Reflections of Eden, by Birute Galdikas, is a book all about the author’s experiences in Borneo studying orangutans. It’s an excellent book, and it’s full of interesting information about orangutans. Before Galdikas, scientists really knew very little about these solitary apes. Even the locals sometimes thought of them as ghosts, or as the adult males being an entirely different species from the females and sub-adults. Birute Galdikas was the first person to study them thoroughly.
Galdikas also wrote Orangutan Odyssey, which is more of a photobook. It’s filled with gorgeous images of orangutans.
Orangutan Foundation International “is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of wild orangutans and their rainforest habitat. OFI also supports research on orangutans and forests, education initiatives, both local and international, and brings awareness concerning orangutans wherever it can.” The World Wildlife Fund also lets you help by “adopting” an orangutan.
The Ape Who Went to College is a documentary about Chantek, an orangutan who learnt sign language and grew up on a college campus, raised by humans. Orion Magazine has a good article about him, too. There’s also a Tedx talk about him, given by the woman who raised him, Lyn Miles.
The Palm Oil Guide and Scanner lets you scan bar codes of food and other products to see which contain palm oil. Palm oil plantations are the leading cause of deforestation in Malaysia and Indonesia, where many orangutans live.
If you’re looking for some orangutan pendants or statuettes, Jason Shanaman makes the best I’ve found.
The San Diego Zoo has some good information about orangutans, too, as well as some beautiful orangutans at the zoo itself, some of whom you can see in my above photos.
And finally, these are all my posts about orangutans.
AdvertisementsThe Calgary Korean Association cordially invites you to the 15th Annual Korean Day Festival.
It will celebrate and showcase Korea’s unique culture to thousands of Calgarians participating in the event. The Korean Day Festival is held to preserve and promote Korea’s heritage, including exciting events such as traditional dance performances, and Korean food. Come and enjoy this day at the festival, as we joyfully honor our heritage and culture here in Calgary.
Various folk dances such as Taekwondo demonstration and various athletic events including raising, throwing, throwing, rope jumping, and air play are held at this Korean Day Festival where various attractions and food are prepared. Gilnori and Samulnori, as well as various colorful and multi-ethnic performances including various traditional Korean folk performances.
Who is it for?
all-ages
Free event
WHEN & WHERE
Date & Time: Saturday, August 18, 2018
10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Venue: West Hillhurst Community Association and Park, 1940 6 Ave NW, Calgary
Free Parking
Public transport accessible
More to do
What’s On This Weekend in Calgary
15 Alberta Waterfalls Worth a Weekend GetawayFrom The Toronto Sun
We pay to reduce our emissions, other nations hide theirs
By Lorrie Goldstein, Toronto Sun
First posted: Saturday, August 12, 2017 02:04 PM EDT | Updated: Saturday, August 12, 2017 02:06 PM EDT
One thing you learn on the climate change beat is that the best journalism is done overseas.
In Canada, too many in the media, not knowing the issues, are empty vessels waiting to be filled by Trudeau government propaganda, which they uncritically regurgitate to their audiences.
By contrast, in the UK, one of many examples of serious reporting is a new radio documentary by the BBC’s environment correspondent, Matt McGrath.
Called “Carbon Counting,” McGrath reveals how many nations that signed the Paris accord are inaccurately reporting and/or hiding their greenhouse gas emissions from the United Nations.
Reporting is done once every two years, but the accord doesn’t require independent verification of the numbers.
This “Cinderella world of carbon accounting”, McGrath warns, is a greater threat to the credibility of the Paris agreement – which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signed in Dec. 2015, along with the leaders of 194 other countries – than the U.S. withdrawal from the accord by Donald Trump.
Why should Canadians care? Because if global emissions are being under-reported and hidden, then the Paris accord is a fraud and carbon pricing in Canada, which raises our cost of living to reduce our emissions, is just a cynical government cash grab.
McGrath found “serious flaws in the way that countries measure and report their emissions…Potent greenhouse gases that are supposed to be banned are still appearing in the atmosphere and there’s evidence of blatant cheating in some national greenhouse gas reporting.”
Some countries, he said, are “simply ignoring the realities and making stuff up…leaving…gaping holes in national greenhouse gas inventories. There’s an awful lot of dodgy data…”
The last time China reported its emissions to the UN was 2012. It was 30 pages long. By contrast, the UK’s submission runs to several hundred pages, the size of an old-style telephone book.
This isn’t surprising. In China, environmental information is a state secret. China is also notorious for dramatically revising its emission levels after the fact by an order of magnitude as much as the size of Germany’s annual emissions, impacting global measurements.
In 2007, the Chinese government refused to recognize scientific documentation China had become the world’s largest emitter.
Read the full story here.
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RedditA D.C. man who faced criminal charges for using an unregistered gun to kill a pit bull as it mauled a neighborhood boy is now raising funds for the 11-year-old victim to help him cope in the aftermath of the vicious attack.
The effort comes amid an outpouring of support from gun-rights activists offering to raise money for Benjamin Srigley, 39, who was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine as part of an agreement he would not be charged with a crime.
“People asked ‘Is there a hero fund or something we can do?’ I looked around and didn’t find anything,” said Peter Upton, who runs the Second Amendment Check website and decided to start a fund for Mr. Srigley.
But as Mr. Srigley learned about the campaign that was registered on the fundraising website Pledgie.com in his honor, he urged those who wanted to support him to instead donate money to his neighbor, 11-year-old Jayeon Simon.
“I am truly touched and very grateful for all the public support that I have received.” Mr. Srigley wrote on the campaign website. “If you can only afford to make one donation, I would prefer that you give the money to Jayeon.”
As Mr. Srigley’s case is still active in court, he has declined to talk publicly about the incident but did verify the authenticity of the fundraising campaign for Jayeon.
Three pit bulls attacked Jayeon as he and a friend rode bicycles in their Brightwood neighborhood on a Sunday afternoon in January. Witnessing the attack on his neighbor, Mr. Srigley went inside his home to retrieve his Ruger 9 mm pistol. He came out and began firing at the dogs as they mauled Jayeon in the alleyway behind his Northwest D.C. home. Mr. Srigley’s gunfire struck and killed one of the dogs and attracted the attention of a nearby Metropolitan Police Department officer, who responded to the scene and shot the other two dogs.
Jayeon’s family and authorities credit Mr. Srigley with saving Jayeon’s life. But because Mr. Srigley’s handgun, and two others he owned, were not legally registered in the District, he potentially faced criminal charges.
Prosecutors struck a deal this month, agreeing not to go forward with criminal charges as long as Mr. Srigley, who has no prior criminal record, paid the $1,000 fine and avoids getting into any trouble for the next two months.
“It’s just not fair that a hero be punished like that. There’s a lot of people in the Second Amendment community that want to support him,” said Mr. Upton, 38, of Fairfax County. “I would like to see the Second Amendment community stand up and expand upon Ben’s wishes for Jayeon.”
Though Jayeon’s wounds from the attack have healed, leaving deep scars on his elbow, torso and leg, his family said he hasn’t been the same since then.
“He’s coming around, but he’s still not himself,” said Chris Speight, 45, a cousin who helps care for Jayeon.
The boy who Mr. Speight said was once eager to play with his siblings or other children in the neighborhood, sat on his front stoop passively watching the others on a recent afternoon. Quietly responding to a reporter’s questions about the incident with timid “yes” and “no” answers, Jayeon said he no longer rides his bike in the neighborhood. It’s not because of the dogs, he insists. Rather his bicycle chain is broken, he said.
The family is investigating whether the dogs’ owner had any form of insurance that would help pay for counseling.
“If the guy wanted to start a fund for Jayeon, that wouldn’t hurt. It would only help,” said Mr. Speight, who was unaware of the fundraising effort that began Friday.
As of Tuesday, the fund for Jayeon had raised $350.
“If ultimately Jayeon’s medical bills are taken care of by DC, or by an award or settlement with the owner of the dogs, I will place any monies collected into a college fund for Jayeon,” Mr. Srigley wrote on the Pledgie.com website.
The dog’s owner, Alan Paige, faces nine criminal charges — including three counts of possession of a dangerous dog, three counts of having an unleashed dog, and three counts of allowing a dog to go without a collar — and is due in court in June.
Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.Mr. Davis was “the most accomplished and admired appellate lawyer in America,” Richard Kluger wrote in “Simple Justice,” a history of the Brown case, which Mr. Davis lost in a unanimous 1954 ruling.
When the Supreme Court hears arguments on April 28 in the marriage cases, among them Obergefell v. Hodges, No. 14-556, the main lawyer opposing same-sex marriage will be John J. Bursch, who practices at a medium-size firm in Michigan. He served as the state’s solicitor general and has argued eight cases in the Supreme Court. But his firm, Warner Norcross & Judd, will not be standing behind him.
“When the State of Michigan asked me to handle the case, I asked the firm’s management committee about the engagement, and the management committee declined the representation,” Mr. Bursch said. “I am still a partner at Warner Norcross, but the firm has no involvement at all in the marriage case.”
Image Clarence Darrow represented men accused in a deadly blast. Credit Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Douglas E. Wagner, the firm’s managing partner, said the case was just too controversial. “This is an issue that engenders strong emotions on both sides for our clients, attorneys and staff,” he said.
Mr. Bursch’s experience was similar to that of Paul D. Clement, who served as solicitor general in the George W. Bush administration and has argued more than 75 cases in the Supreme Court. He defended a federal law, the Defense of Marriage Act, that denied benefits to married same-sex couples, losing in the Supreme Court in 2013 by a 5-to-4 vote. He is conspicuously absent this time around.
Mr. Clement seems to have learned a bitter lesson from the last case, United States v. Windsor. In 2011, as it was heating up, his law firm, King & Spalding, withdrew from the case under pressure from gay rights groups. Mr. Clement quit, moving to a smaller firm and continuing to represent his clients.
“I resign out of the firmly held belief,” he wrote at the time, “that a representation should not be abandoned because the client’s legal position is extremely unpopular in certain quarters.” Mr. Clement did not respond to a request for comment.A colorful mural depicting a butterfly’s wings that until recently decorated a piece of wall space of a Pacific Gas & Electric substation at the corner of 19th and San Carlos streets was defaced with the graffiti tag “KHY” on Thursday night, as shown in an image uploaded to the social media site Reddit sometime on Friday.
On Friday afternoon, the mural by artist Cameron Moberg, or Camer1, was covered entirely with a layer of black paint.
The tag “KHY” could be a reference to the moniker “Keep Hoods Yours” – a San Francisco-based graffiti crew that organizes against gentrification and racism. Although the group has not officially claimed involvement and did not immediately respond to requests for comment, they did post images of the tagged mural to their Instagram.
An adjacent mural of a honey bear, a collaboration between Moberg and street artist Fnnch that was painted on the San Carlos Street wall space of the building in early April, was defaced with the same phrase.
Moberg did not comment on his plans for restoring the mural, but said that he was not angry at the vandalism, adding that it attests to a “divide” felt in communities across the city.
“I’m not mad at the crew that did this. If anything I’m saddened because this is a reflection of the divide in our city right now that continues to widen,” wrote Moberg in an email. “I hope what has happened to my art won’t be in vain but rather it can help their voices be heard. They have lived here longer than most people in this city. We can not discredit the way they feel.”
While the honey bear has been mostly restored, it is unclear if the butterfly wings mural will make a comeback.A man who reportedly threatened a Ukip MEP with a gun was not a migrant but actually a British gangster, police sources have told a newspaper.
The Daily Telegraph newspaper cites a senior police source saying that said a man who was accused to threatening Mike Hookem at Dunkirk was in fact the ringleader of a UK-based gang.
Mr Hookem was on a fact-finding mission to a migrant camp in Calais when his group was asked to leave by a group of people, according to video footage posted on social media.
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“Just been threatened with a gun by migrants in Dunkirk,” Mr Hookem tweeted on Monday afternoon, before adding that he had reported the incident to the police.
After a number of users on social media suggested that the incident had been invented for publicity reasons, Mr Hookem added:
“All those saying I made it up: unlucky. We have footage. Looking forward to the apologies.”
The newspaper says France police have seized 30 cars with UK number plates from the camp Mr Hookem visited and that the men are under surveillance.
Shape Created with Sketch. In pictures: Calais crisis intensifies Show all 20 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. In pictures: Calais crisis intensifies 1/20 Calais crisis French gendarmes try to stop migrants on the Eurotunnel site in Coquelles near Calais 2/20 Calais crisis French gendarmes try to stop migrants on the Eurotunnel site in Coquelles near Calais Getty Images 3/20 Calais crisis A migrant climbs a security fence of a Eurotunnel terminal in Coquelles near Calais 4/20 Calais crisis A migrant climbs a security fence of a Eurotunnel terminal in Coquelles near Calais 5/20 Calais crisis French gendarmes block migrants along a road to prevent them access to train tracks which lead to the Channel Tunnel in Frethun, near Calais 6/20 Calais crisis Policemen try to prevent migrants from reaching the Channel Tunnel operated by Eurotunnel in Coquelles near Calais 7/20 Calais crisis A policeman faces migrants trying to reach the Channel Tunnel operated by Eurotunnel in Coquelles near Calais 8/20 Calais crisis A policeman tries to stop migrants on the Eurotunnel site in Coquelles near Calais 9/20 Calais crisis Migrants who managed to pass the police block on the Eurotunnel site climb over a fence to make their way towards the boarding docks in Coquelles near Calais 10/20 Calais crisis Migrants are seen near a Channel Tunnel train in Coquelles near Calais 11/20 Calais crisis Migrants trying to reach the Channel Tunnel run past policemen in Coquelles near Calaisa 12/20 Calais crisis Migrants step over the fence as they try to catch a train to reach England, in Calais 13/20 Calais crisis A migrant climbs a security fence of a Eurotunnel terminal in Coquelles near Calais 14/20 Calais crisis Migrants warm themselves with a fire as they attempt to access the Channel Tunnel, in Calais 15/20 Calais crisis An Afghan flag flies above makeshift shelters at a site dubbed the "new jungle", where migrants trying to cross the Channel to reach Britain have camped out around the northern French port of Calais 16/20 Calais crisis Migrants build a makeshift shelter around the northern French port of Calais 17/20 Calais crisis Migrants build a makeshift shelter 18/20 Calais crisis Migrants walk in a makeshift camp in Calais 19/20 Calais crisis A driver climbs on his truck as he waits to cross the English channel, in Calais 20/20 Calais crisis Migrants walk along the roadside while a French policeman secures the area as lorries queue in Calais 1/20 Calais crisis French gendarmes try to stop migrants on the Eurotunnel site in Coquelles near Calais 2/20 Calais crisis French gendarmes try to stop migrants on the Eurotunnel site in Coquelles near Calais Getty Images 3/20 Calais crisis A migrant climbs a security fence of a Eurotunnel terminal in Coquelles near Calais 4/20 Calais crisis A migrant climbs a security fence of a Eurotunnel terminal in Coquelles near Calais 5/20 Calais crisis French gendarmes block migrants along a road to prevent them access to train tracks which lead to the Channel Tunnel in Frethun, near Calais 6/20 Calais crisis Policemen try to prevent migrants from reaching the Channel Tunnel operated by Eurotunnel in Coquelles near Calais 7/20 Calais crisis A policeman faces migrants trying to reach the Channel Tunnel operated by Eurotunnel in Coquelles near Calais 8/20 Calais crisis A policeman tries to stop migrants on the Eurotunnel site in Coquelles near Calais 9/20 Calais crisis Migrants who managed to pass the police block on the Eurotunnel site climb over a fence to make their way towards the boarding docks in Coquelles near Calais 10/20 Calais crisis Migrants are seen near a Channel Tunnel train in Coquelles near Calais 11/20 Calais crisis Migrants trying to reach the Channel Tunnel run past policemen in Coquelles near Calaisa 12/20 Calais crisis Migrants step over the fence as they try to catch a train to reach England, in Calais 13/20 Calais crisis A migrant climbs a security fence of a Eurotunnel terminal in Coquelles near Calais 14/20 Calais crisis Migrants warm themselves with a fire as they attempt to access the Channel Tunnel, in Calais 15/20 Calais crisis An Afghan flag flies above makeshift shelters at a site dubbed the "new jungle", where migrants trying to cross the Channel to reach Britain have camped out around the northern French port of Calais 16/20 Calais crisis Migrants build a makeshift shelter around the northern French port of Calais 17/20 Calais crisis Migrants build a makeshift shelter 18/20 Calais crisis Migrants walk in a makeshift camp in Calais 19/20 Calais crisis A driver climbs on his truck as he waits to cross the English channel, in Calais 20/20 Calais crisis Migrants walk along the roadside while a French policeman secures the area as lorries queue in Calais
Mr Hookem today tweeted: "For the record, we discovered it was a British gang in Teteghem and reported it accordingly.”
The British Government has sent extra private security to northern France to help restore order in areas where migrants are camped near ports and the portal to the channel tunnel rail link.
A poll conducted by YouGov this month found that most of the British public support deploying armed forced to the region.
We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view.
At The Independent, no one tells us what to write. That’s why, in an era of political lies and Brexit bias, more readers are turning to an independent source. Subscribe from just 15p a day for extra exclusives, events and ebooks – all with no ads.
Subscribe now.BROWNOUT Presents: Brown Sabbath at Bonnaroo Interview with: Greg Gonzalez
Brown Sabbath is an 8 piece group from Austin, Texas with a passion for metal, and Latin music. Their creative energy captures the music of Black Sabbath and recreates it with a modern touch. BROWNOUT Presents:is an 8 piece group from Austin, Texas with a passion for metal, and Latin music. Their creative energy captures the music of Black Sabbath and recreates it with a modern touch.
“The horn section will be flying to Nashville next week for a few days of rehearsal with the Superjam band.” – Greg Gonzalez
Bonnaroo Music Festival this year. Greg Gonzalez, bassist with Brownout, talked with us about the band’s upcoming performance, summer plans and how the band started their bond as Brown Sabbath. The band is set to perform at the 2015this year. Greg Gonzalez, bassist with Brownout, talked with us about the band’s upcoming performance, summer plans and how the band started their bond as Brown Sabbath.
Brown Sabbath: Which Stage on Friday, June 12 from 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Q. Which song was the first Black Sabbath song that you learned to play together as a group?
“Into the Void. We played it as an instrumental before we knew who was gonna sing on the project.” – Greg Gonzalez
Q. On Friday, June 12 your group is opening up music on the Which Stage at Bonnaroo. Has the group performed for a crowd this size before?
“I’m not sure that we have actually. We’ve played some pretty good festival stages, Psych fest in Austin, Carolina Rebellion, Pachanga Fest, Utopia Fest, Pickathon in Portland etc But nothing on the scale of Bonnaroo. We actually played at Bonnaroo a couple years ago in the Tent supporting the GZA of Wu-Tang clan then did our own show on the Sonic Stage the next day but this could potentially be Brownout’s biggest crowd yet.” – Greg Gonzalez
Q. The band is stationed out of Austin, Texas. How is performing at Bonnaroo different from other festivals? How is it similar?
“Bonnaroo is definitely more high profile than most festivals. It’s the first major summer festival that rolls out all the big name bands and the size and scope of it are pretty tremendous. I like the mix of bands and the many different sort of Jams and special events that happen as well as the whole camping element. It’s a bit remote, unlike ACL which is held in central Austin, but that’s also a cool thing. It makes the festival experience feel more exclusive. For many of the band members, myself included, this is our third time at the ‘Roo. We first played there with Grupo Fantasma, then again a couple years later backing up the GZA and also as Brownout. We kinda know what to expect at this point so we’re all very excited to get to do it again. It’s also really cool that our horn section is getting to partake in the super jam alongside Reggie Watts, Chance the Rapper, Karl Denson, and members of Pretty Lights, Snarky Puppy and others…” – Greg Gonzalez
Q. How do the logistics work with touring with an 8 piece group?
“It’s a constant struggle. Our overhead is twice that of most bands and our profits also have to be split that many extra ways. We’ve had to adjust to make the most of it. In many cases we have to do jobs ourselves that smaller bands could delegate to paid outsiders. At the same time that helps keep us humble and forces us to have many different formations and repertoires to make the most out of all the many talented individuals involved. There are definitely a lot of personalities at work but we’ve been doing it for a while so we’re all like family now. The love is necessary to keep us all bonded together in spite of the occasional bumps in the road. It also helps that there’s so many talented guys in the band. Writers, arrangers, producers, players… Always someone to inspire you somehow.” – Greg Gonzalez
Q. Your group has mentioned performing original material at the Bonnaroo Music Festival for a late night set. Can you expand on that?
“We’ve been asked to perform at a late night event the Saturday of Bonnaroo. We’re really looking forward to showcasing some of our own original music as well as getting to jam with some of the amazingly talented musicians on this year’s lineup.”- Greg Gonzalez
Q. Have some of the horn players been practicing for the late night SuperJam? Can you talk about gearing up for that special performance?
“The horn section will be flying to Nashville next week for a few days of rehearsal with the Superjam band. We’ve been sworn to secrecy however as to what the show will entail. |
at Friendly Tavern in Redington Shores).
If you’re not familiar with Festivus, this video is a good primer, and festivusweb.com has details, the but here are the basics: there’s an unadorned metal pole (because Frank finds tinsel distracting), feats of strength ("Festivus isn’t over until you pin me"), and — most importantly — the airing of grievances, when people share their complaints for the preceding year.
As Costanza put it, "I’ve got a lot of problems with you people, and now you’re going to hear about it."
Last year, we asked you to send us complaints from 2016, and people from all over the country delivered big time. You complained about the overuse of the word "amazing," the Florida winter heat, shopping carts, pumpkin spice cappuccino, the president and your brother-in-law Craig’s birthday.
Now we want to hear about 2017.
Did your sports team blow its playoff hopes in an epic way? Did the networks cancel your favorite TV show? Maybe you had the first date from hell, your neighbor’s dog yelped all night or your co-worker’s lunch smelled up the office. What do strangers, your loved ones and businesses do that really irks you?
We want to hear about it all.
Submit grievances via the form below, and we’ll publish a selection of them on or before Dec. 23, the traditional date of Festivus. Extra points for funny grievances that aren’t about presidential politics. (You must enter a name that isn't obviously fake to be considered).WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Pentagon said on Friday the transfer of heavy-caliber multiple-launch rocket systems from Russia to Ukrainian separatists appeared to be imminent with the arms close enough to the border they could be handed over “potentially today.”
“We have indications that the Russians intend to supply heavier and more sophisticated multiple-launch rocket systems in the very near future,” said Army Colonel Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, adding that the weapons were in the over-200mm range.
Warren indicated the weapons had been seen getting closer to the border and the Pentagon believed a transfer was imminent and could happen “potentially today.”
“We believe that they are able to transfer this equipment at any time, at any moment,” he said.
Warren said it was unclear whether Russian operators of the rocket launchers might cross the border as well but he said there been indications of Russian operators of other systems going over.
A multiple-launch rocket system is a wheeled or tracked vehicle mounted with multiple tubes capable of firing a half dozen or more guided or unguided rockets in quick succession at targets scores of miles (km) away. The rockets are generally 100mm to 300mm, with those over 200mm in the heavier-caliber category.
“We’re very concerned with the quantity and the capability of weapons flowing from Russia into the Ukrainian separatists’ hands,” Warren said.
“There has been a continuous flow over the last several weeks of weapons and equipment from Russia to Ukraine,” he said, noting that the “most egregious example” was a column of more than 100 vehicles crossing the border.
The Pentagon’s assessment that a transfer of heavy weaponry was imminent came as Russian authorities accused Ukraine of firing a volley of mortar rounds across the frontier into Russia on Friday while a group of investigators was in the area assessing reports of cross-border shooting.
A Russian security official said up to 40 mortar bombs fired by Ukrainian forces fell in the Russian province of Rostov near the border where Ukrainian government forces are fighting pro-Russian separatists. There were no reports of injuries.
Warren also said the United States continued to see Russian artillery on Russian soil firing on Ukrainian military positions inside Ukraine, a practice that has been going on for several days now.
He said he had no information about Ukrainians firing across the border into Russia.
Warren said the Pentagon continued to see a “continuous slow and steady buildup” of Russian forces along the border. He said the number was still in the 10,000- to 12,000-range, but was now “towards the high side” of that range.
Others officials estimated the size of the Russian force had grown larger. U.S. Ambassador to NATO Douglas Lute told a security forum in Aspen, Colorado, there were now some 15,000 Russian troops amassed along the Ukraine border.
Warren said the growing size of the Russian force was “very concerning to us.”
“We’ve repeatedly called on the Russians to withdraw force from the border and to help de-escalate,” he said.NSW Premier Mike Baird is promising to "streamline" oversight of the NSW Police including consideration of a UK-style Police Complaints Commission if re-elected in March, following public hearings into a long-running bugging scandal.
Mr Baird will make the announcement on Wednesday, as a parliamentary inquiry reports on its investigation into the scandal over Operation Mascot which targeted allegedly corrupt police and has rocked the most senior ranks of the NSW force.
NSW Premier Mike Baird said the current system for reviewing complaints against officers is complex and unsatisfactory. Credit:Christopher Pearce
Deputy commissioner Catherine Burn was team leader of Mascot, which bugged her fellow deputy commissioner Nick Kaldas more than a decade ago.
The inquiry has been examining why oversight agencies including the Police Integrity Commission and police internal affairs failed to resolve complaints about how Mascot was run, including why it targeted honest police and civilians.Monday, James Anaya, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, issued his highly anticipated report on "The situation of indigenous peoples in Canada." Professor Anaya has reported a broken relationship between the federal government and Indigenous peoples, which is mired in distrust. He highlighted a serious and persistent crisis in outcomes for Indigenous people in this country, and the fact that the steps taken by the Conservative government to date have failed to address this crisis.
The lagging education outcomes persist unchanged, housing shortages have reached crisis levels, water and waste water systems are at the breaking point and the tragic gaps in Indigenous health outcomes are continuing unabated. When talking about the unacceptable wellbeing outcomes for Indigenous peoples, Professor Anaya noted that during the years the Conservatives have been in power, "there has been no change in that gap."
Although First Nations have made meaningful strides to improve education, a lack of proper resources and systemic structural problems in the First Nations' education system have severely limited their progress. Unfortunately, the Conservatives' recent legislation was unilaterally developed and will do little beyond entrenching what has been government policy for the last 30 years. Although they have changed the name of the bill to suggest actual control is being transferred to First Nations, the Minister retains extensive powers to intervene in the administration of First Nations' schools. First Nations' education reform must recognize First Nations jurisdiction, deliver a comprehensive approach to protect language and culture, include an effective mutual accountability framework and adequate, sustainable and predictable funding. Most importantly, it must be co-developed with First Nations and part of an ongoing and meaningful dialogue with First Nations communities. Bill C-33 does not meet these essential criteria for success.
Responding to Professor Anaya's claim that Indigenous housing is in crisis, the Parliamentary Secretary for Aboriginal Affairs bragged that his government had built "11,000 units of housing" on reserve since coming to power. He failed to mention that funding and target levels pre-dating his government should have built more than 18,000 units between 2006 and 2014. Those targets did not even account for an additional $295 million over five years committed in 2005 by the previous Liberal government to further improve on-reserve housing. Their own 2011 federal evaluation of First Nations housing identified a shortfall of 20,000 to 35,000 new units and the AFN has identified a gap of as much as 85,000 units. Unfortunately, the Conservatives have no plan to deal with on-reserve overcrowding and dilapidated housing, which the Special Rapporteur characterized as a "crisis."
Their answer to crumbling First Nations' water systems was to simply push through legislation that downloaded more responsibility and liability onto First Nations communities, without any additional resources to actually address the problems.
The Conservative government has engaged in a cynical and unilateral approach that has badly damaged the relationship between the Crown and Indigenous peoples in Canada. The government's stubborn refusal to fulfill its legal obligation to consult with Indigenous peoples on matters that may impact their inherent and/or treaty rights cannot continue. The result has been both an erosion of goodwill and bad public policy. This should not be a partisan issue. This is about rebuilding the trust between Canada and Indigenous peoples in this country. As Indigenous people in Canada have made clear, "nothing decided about us without us."
Unfortunately, the government's answer to the assessment of, among others, Professor Anaya, former Conservative Minister Jim Prentice and their own Special Envoy on West Coast Energy Infrastructure that it has failed to adequately consult with Indigenous peoples regarding resource development is that the status quo is doing the job. The government told the Special Rapporteur that, "the duty to consult and accommodate in connection with resource development projects can be met through existing processes, such as the environmental assessment process."
Aside from the fact that Bill C-38 gutted that assessment process, it is not acceptable to deal with this Constitutional duty as an afterthought in a regulatory process designed to address other issues like environmental impacts. The result is that too many resource development projects are moving forward without Indigenous people receiving a fair share of the economic benefits or being engaged as partners in their development. It also means this issue repeatedly ends up in the courts where Indigenous people are consistently winning. This approach not only undermines the honour of the Crown, but is expensive, time consuming and simply bad economic policy.
Professor Anaya also forcefully reinforced the overwhelming consensus in Canada on the need for a national public inquiry into the ongoing tragedy of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. He echoed the demands for an inquiry by the grieving victims' families, Indigenous leaders, and all of the premiers. This horrifying situation was already a crisis when the Native Women's Association of Canada identified almost 600 cases in 2009 and recent statistics compiled by the RCMP have doubled that estimate, identifying approximately 1200 cases. This epidemic of violence must end and this Conservative government, which claims to be tough on crime and to stand up for victims of crime, cannot continue to ignore this national disgrace. One immediate way to begin to restore the broken trust with Indigenous peoples would be to immediately implement the Special Rapporteur's recommendation for a national public inquiry.
This report is an important external review. At only 26 pages long, it has the additional possibility of providing all Canadians with a readable summary of the current situation and clear recommendations for what Canada needs to do to improve things. I urge every Canadian to take the time to read it -- it is a great way to "Idle KNOW More."
These are not just Indigenous issues. They are issues that the 96 per cent of the Canadian population who are non-Indigenous need to understand so they can add their voices to demand the government implement Professor Anaya's recommendations. The Conservatives need to heed the UN recommendations to authentically reset the relationship by engaging in a true partnership with Aboriginal communities to make urgently needed progress on the appalling conditions for far too many Indigenous people in Canada.
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Before the 2010 congressional elections, Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) and his fellow GOPers developed and implemented a simple campaign strategy: say “where are the jobs?” over and over and over. Even though the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office had declared thst President Barack Obama’s stimulus package had created or saved about 3 million jobs and a recovery (albeit weak) was under way, the Republicans blamed Obama for screwing up the economy (not Wall Street or the Bush-Cheney administration). In politics, an attack doesn’t have to be fair or accurate to work—and this one did.
Since then, have you heard Boehner screaming about jobs? No. He and his comrades have focused on one thing: cutting government spending, which will undoubtedly lead to job loss in the short run (if not the long run). Wait—that’s not fair. They’ve also focused on abortion (with legislation that would make it harder for a woman who was raped to obtain federal assistance for an abortion), Planned Parenthood (with legislation that would defund the outfit), NPR (ditto), and American Muslims (with today’s hearings on radicalization among Muslim Americans). There’s not been much talk of jobs.
Consequently, this new poll from Bloomberg is hardly a surprise:
Americans say President Barack Obama lacks an effective strategy for improving the U.S. economy. They have much less confidence in the Republican vision for success. By a margin of 51 percent to 40 percent, a Bloomberg National Poll shows Americans say Obama lacks the right formula for long-term growth, a goal he presented in his State of the Union address with the phrase “win the future.” The Democratic president still does better than Republicans: When asked who has a better vision for the years ahead, 45 percent of poll respondents chose Obama and 33 percent picked the Republicans.
Four months ago, the GOPers shellacked the Democrats. They became the new kids on the block and claimed they were eager to refurnish their image with the American public. Yet once in power, they have reverted to their old ways—culture war and spending cuts. Meet the new boss, same as the…During a May 10 meeting with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ambassador to the U.S. Sergey Kislyak, Trump began describing details about an Islamic State terror threat, according to current and former U.S. officials. (The Washington Post)
The Post reports on a stunning development:
President Trump revealed highly classified information to the Russian foreign minister and ambassador in a White House meeting last week, according to current and former U.S. officials, who said that Trump’s disclosures jeopardized a critical source of intelligence on the Islamic State. The information Trump relayed had been provided by a U.S. partner through an intelligence-sharing arrangement considered so sensitive that details have been withheld from allies and tightly restricted even within the U.S. government, officials said. The partner had not given the United States permission to share the material with Russia, and officials said that Trump’s decision to do so risks cooperation from an ally that has access to the inner workings of the Islamic State. After Trump’s meeting, senior White House officials took steps to contain the damage, placing calls to the CIA and National Security Agency.
Trump critic and former State Department official Eliot A. Cohen tells me, “For anyone else, if accidental it would be a firing offense. If deliberate, it would be treason.”
It is not clear whether this was accidental or a deliberate attempt to aid Russia. However, in one fell swoop he has told allies he is untrustworthy, thereby impairing intelligence-sharing that is critical to our national security. He has also dumped a bucket of fuel on the fire with regard to the Russia investigation, suggesting he has some affinity or at the very least blind spot with regard to Russia.
Republicans such as Sens. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) who continue to play defense for the president will now be put to the test. More responsible members including GOP House and Senate committee members will need to decide if they need to accelerate their investigation into Russia meddling. And certainly, this breaking news adds a further level of intrigue to the unfolding story behind the firing of former FBI director James B. Comey.
Moreover, it is interesting that someone within the administration felt compelled to leak the information, an act sure to infuriate the president. Plainly there are those in the administration who think Trump imperils our security. We should thank these patriots, but also move to investigate and, if need be, remove the man who proves over and over again to be compromised or unfit or both.
Update: Thomas Wright of the Brookings Institution tells me: “This is quite literally the sum of all fears. For the past few months, we have heard that Trump is normalizing. It is nonsense. There are some sensible people around him working around the clock to avert catastrophe but ultimately he is in charge and he will do what he wants, no matter how mad.” He adds, “We are blind and dancing on the precipice.”[Steve Collins] is a regular around Hackaday. He’s brought homebrew LIDARs to our regular meetups, he’s given a talk on a lifetime’s worth of hacking, and he is the owner of the most immaculate Hackaday t-shirt we’ve ever seen.
For the 2016 Hackaday SuperConference, [Steve] took a break from his day job of driving spacecraft around the Solar System. As you can imagine, NASA plans on things going wrong. How do you plan for that? [Steve] answers all your questions by telling you what happens when things go wrong in space.
Space is the worst possible place for hardware. Not only do you have temperature swings of hundreds of degrees, solar radiation, and limited bandwidth, but you also can’t fix a space probe once it’s in orbit. Anyway you look at it, everything needs to go perfectly or you need to be exceptionally clever. Muphry’s Law will inevitably crop up to defeat the former, leaving the latter par for the course. This is what it’s like to work at the Jet Propulsion Lab.
Most satellites that go up are, surprisingly, very standardized. GPS satellites are built around a two or three common ‘busses’, or models. When a company wants to launch a few dozen communications satellites, the first one-off the pad won’t be much different from the last. Whenever SpaceX gets around to launching four thousand of their low orbit Internet satellites, all of those birds are going to be the same.
Deep space satellites are completely different. Each one is a custom build, and the best examples of twin deep space probes – Spirit and Opportunity on Mars, and Voyager 1 and 2 – are the exception rather than the rule. A unique piece of hardware flying around the Solar System presents a few challenges for the hardware designers. Power is always an issue, you need to plan for redundancy, and every piece of hardware needs some sort of fault protection system. Everything is a challenge in designing a deep space probe, and you need to plan for every contingency.
This is the theory of designing hardware that has to work perfectly in the worst environment imaginable, but how about some practical examples of what to do when things go wrong in space?
Throughout [Steve]’s storied career, he’s been a part of a lot of NASA missions. In the 90s, one of his jobs was planning the Deep Space 1 mission. This was a mission to a comet done on the cheap — only about $150 Million – used to demonstrate up and coming technologies like ion propulsion. While in the planning stages, [Steve] and his colleagues discussed what could go wrong. Since this was a very inexpensive mission, only one star tracker was flown on this tiny satellite.
This star tracker is important, as it’s the only thing on the spacecraft that tells the computer where it’s pointing. In the planning stages, [Steve] discussed what would happen if that star tracker died. The hypothetical solution to this problem used the science camera to point at a single star and determine the probe’s orientation. This solution sat around in the back of [Steve]’s mind for a few years until — you guessed it — the star tracker died. It wasn’t pretty, but the hack of using a science camera to determine the spacecraft’s orientation worked.
That’s a sample of what happens when things go wrong in space. What happens when things go right? Check out the video below. That’s a car, landing on Mars, with the help of a rocket-powered crane. It’s Curiosity dropping into Gale crater, and [Steve] was in the control room for this astonishing feat of engineering. He’ll be doing it again in late 2020, and with this guy at the helm we shouldn’t have much to worry about.After a poor start to the season, Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins has managed to find his rhythm and build up some momentum. He’s put together a string of solid-but-unspectacular performances with flashes of progression and the occasional mishap along the way.
An argument often made against Cousins is that he fails to win against good teams. On Sunday, he faced the top-ranked Vikings defense, without star left tackle Trent Williams and the team’s best deep threat, wide receiver DeSean Jackson. Despite that, Cousins put on another solid performance and helped guide Washington to victory.
One of the encouraging themes from Cousins’s performance on Sunday was his patience in the pocket. There were plays that he made against the Vikings that I don’t think he would have made last year or maybe even earlier this season.
On this play, Washington runs a corner-flat route combination with the receiver on the outside clearing space with a go route.
This type of route combination typically asks the quarterback to read from deep to shallow, meaning Cousins would initially look for tight end Jordan Reed on the deeper corner route before coming back down to his other tight end, Vernon Davis, in the flat. But Reed gets jammed at the line of scrimmage for a significant amount of time. That really disrupted his route, meaning he wasn’t in sync with Cousins’s drop.
Quarterbacks like to throw in rhythm, so Cousins would normally like to be looking to release the throw as his back foot plants at the top of his drop, or after taking a hitch step. But because the Vikings were able to jam Reed for so long, the timing on this play is completely thrown off. Cousins takes a hitch step and appears to look to check it down to Davis, even going as far as to load up his weight on his back foot, ready to drive off of it on his throw.
But then Cousins takes another hitch step and goes back to Reed, noticing that he is even with his defender and has better leverage. Cousins adjusts himself and then delivers a strike to Reed on the corner route for a big completion.
Personally, I think that Cousins doesn’t make that throw last year. Even earlier this season, Cousins often took the check-down option early in the play despite having time in the pocket to allow plays to develop. He displayed this patience later in the game too.
This isn’t too dissimilar from the concept we saw on the last play. Like before, a receiver runs a go route to clear out the defense for an out-flat route combination. On the back side of the play, wide receiver Pierre Garcon runs a dig route. The Vikings line up showing a heavy blitz from the left side of the offensive line.
Feeling a blitz coming, Cousins works to his right, knowing the flat route is the hot route if the blitz arrives quickly. Despite the Vikings blitzing to the left side of the line, the offensive line picks it up relatively well. Cousins is afforded time to wait for routes to develop.
He reads the out route from Jamison Crowder, but the defender sticks tight to Crowder as he cuts outside. Instead of panicking under the pressure of the blitz and checking it down to the flat, Cousins calmly works back to his left and finds Garcon cutting inside on the dig route for a first down.
In previous games, Cousins has felt the need to get the ball out of his hands as quickly as he could when he senses a blitz coming. But Cousins is now learning to trust his protection and be more patient, allowing routes to develop down the field for bigger completions.
Another part of that play I want to highlight is the subtle movements in the pocket that helped Cousins buy a little bit of extra time.
As Cousins reaches the top of his drop, notice how he takes his hitch step forward and slightly to his right, away from the blitz. That subtle movement took him maybe a yard or two further inside and away from the rush, but it was needed. As Cousins releases his throw, a Vikings defender breaks through the protection and lands a hit on Cousins, bringing him down to the ground. Had Cousins not taken that step inside, the defender might have been able to disrupt the throw.
That type of subtle movement in the pocket has been a strength of Cousins’s game in recent weeks. He’s done well to step up in the pocket, allowing the tackles to run edge defenders past him. He’s also taken opportunities to break the pocket and extend plays when needed.
The Vikings blitz the left side of the offensive line again on this play. As Cousins reaches the top of his drop, he feels the pressure arriving, but also a lane developing. Cousins steps up in the pocket and then breaks out of it as he rolls out to his right. He keeps his eyes down the field the whole time, looking for an open receiver. Wide receiver Ryan Grant starts to make a move to give Cousins an option, but is brought down after the ball was thrown.
These are all positive signs for Cousins, but that’s not to say he’s been flawless. He had a throw in the red zone early on that could have drastically changed the game.
Here, Cousins initially looks to his right, but quickly recognizes there is nobody open. He begins to work back to Jordan Reed over the middle, but the pass protection breaks down and pressure arrives. Instead of just throwing the ball away or taking a sack, Cousins makes a terrible decision and lofts up a panicked throw to Reed. Two Vikings defenders converge on the ball and end up running into each other, allowing the pass to fall incomplete.
It’s a poor decision that could have changed the game entirely. Washington scored a touchdown on the next play, but wouldn’t have been able to do so had that ball been intercepted as it should have been. That play could, and probably should, have taken seven points off the board in a game that was only won by six.
These poor decisions are too much of a common occurrence in Cousins’s game. While he is improving in this aspect at least in my opinion, he still has one or two of these types of throws a game, which is too often.
But overall, Cousins looks much better now than he did at the start of the season. He appears to be more in sync with his receivers and trusting his protection more. He already seems to have a good connection with undrafted free agent wide receiver Maurice Harris, who spent most of the season on the practice squad and is unlikely to have had many repetitions with the starting quarterback.
Harris lines up in the slot on this play and runs a deep out route.
Many quarterbacks in the league would wait for a receiver to make his cut before delivering the ball to a player that they haven’t had many reps with. But Cousins shows a lot of trust in Harris on this play. He begins his delivery as Harris makes his cut and then fires a perfect throw on a rope to where only Harris can make the catch. Harris repays the faith shown in him by Cousins with a good catch while tapping both feet in bounds to complete the catch.
Being in sync with his receivers means Cousins can take more command of the offense. Back in Week 1, Washington had a run play called but Cousins spotted a cornerback playing off coverage against DeSean Jackson. Cousins gave Jackson a signal to run a route.
Cousins expects Jackson to run a slant route, while Jackson actually runs a hitch route.
That disconnect between Cousins and Jackson nearly results in an interception, as the ball is thrown straight to the corner, but fortunately he drops it.
After nearly throwing an interception, it would be understandable if Cousins was reluctant to make a call at the line of scrimmage like that for a while. But against the Vikings, he gave Pierre Garcon the exact same signal.
Like before, Washington originally called for a run play. The corner is playing press coverage against Garcon, but Cousins still likes the look and gives Garcon the signal.
Garcon was on the same page as Cousins and ran the slant. Cousins puts the ball right on him and allows him to turn up the field and pick up a few extra yards after the catch.
Those types of plays take some advanced-level quarterbacking, but also complete trust in the receiver to be on the same page. When they do work out, they result in easy yards for the offense that can put them in better positions in second and third downs.
Cousins still has plenty of progress to make before I’m ready to call him a franchise quarterback worthy of a huge contract. But he is showing steady signs of improvement. The key moving forward will be how much he can cut down on those one or two terrible decisions each game. If he can manage to do that without resorting to conservative check-downs, then he’ll put himself in good position for a big contract in the offseason.
Mark Bullock is The Insider’s Outsider, sharing his Redskins impressions without the benefit of access to the team. For more, click here.
More from The Post:
Sizing up the Redskins’ opponent, the Green Bay Packers
Mailbag: What to expect from Cravens, Jones and Cousins
Snap counts: The line stands out | OLB rotation is working
More: Redskins | Best photos | Our NFL coverage | Fantasy football
Follow: @MikeJonesWaPo | @lizclarketweet | @MasterTesGetty Images Do a Google Image search for "robotics" and you'll see the expected: Cute, humanoid machines reminiscent of a sci-fi movie. "Industrial robotics" yields something else: Images of iron arms on swinging pedestals constructing cars on an assembly line.
The reality is somewhere in between. In 2016, hulking machines are still executing heavy duty tasks, but humanoid types are increasingly working alongside humans on assembly lines.
Manufacturing isn't that different from everyday life—smart robots are showing up in factories just as they're invading our homes. "People say the robots are coming," said Sander van't Noordende, group chief executive of Accenture's products group. "But I think they're already here."
Eyed robots
Robots have typically been used in an industrial setting to complete repetitive tasks. However, a new wave of robots can adapt and learn new tasks much like a human. In 2012, for instance, Rethink Robotics introduced Baxter, a human-sized robot ranging from 3 feet tall and 165 pounds to 6 feet and 300 pounds. Spend a few minutes teaching Baxter how to do a simple task, like putting something on a conveyor belt or packing a box, and he can do it forever. But you can also teach something Baxter new after that, so he's endlessly adaptable.
Baxter has since been overshadowed by Sawyer. The younger sibling can lift more than Baxter and do more precision work. Like Baxter, he's safe to work around. A monitor screen sports animated eyes. "They're actually indicators," said Mike Fair, manager of application systems at Rethink Robotics, of Sawyer's eyes. "You're not surprised what he's going to do next." The eyes also make Sawyer more human-like. "We tried to give him personality," Fair said. "It makes people feel more comfortable about working around robots."
Similarly, Germany's pi4 has a robot called Anna that can learn a new motion just by being guided to do so. pi4 also recently spun off a unit that rents robots. "The robot then gets paid like a worker minimum wage, €8.50 per hour," said Ralph Schmidt. "But this worker then works like three workers, overnights also."
Expect more of their type. MIT professor Daniela Rus doesn't see robots replacing humans necessarily, but rather helping them perform physical tasks the way smartphones help us execute mental work today. Rus's Distributed Robotics Lab at MIT has built robots that can tend gardens, bake cookies and cut a birthday cake, among other tasks.
Influence on manufacturing
While robots are up and coming, they are not commonly seen on the shop floor. Robots are currently used for about 10 percent of all the tasks they could be employed for, according to the Boston Consulting Group.
That's not always the case. Japan has more industrial robots-306,700-than in all of North America, according to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). The auto industry also over-indexes for industrial robots. Some 35 percent of all industrial robots are helping make auto parts, while another 29 percent are making the cars themselves, according to the IFR.
Such robots perform unsubtle work like hefting heavy things, painting and applying glue. As the robots get smaller and more agile, their list of chores will expand. Renault uses units that weigh 64 pounds and drives screws into engines.
These more agile robots will likely boost the bots-to-human ratio in manufacturing. The global robotics market will grow from $25.69 billion in 2014 to $53.22 billion in 2020, according to Research and Markets. The Boston Consulting Group predicts by 2025, the share of manufacturing tasks performed by robots will jump to 25 percent.
The outlook for robots
In 2016, there's evidence that robots can help with more and more tasks. Amazon's Echo, a cylinder device that uses artificial intelligence, has become a hit. Robots also help vacuum and mow the lawn. In addition, robotic process automation is taking on white-collar work like data entry and some IT jobs.
For years, the manufacturing industry has held the robots largely at bay because of their relative clunkiness. Now that they're getting more lithe, it will be hard to hold them back.
This content was created for Speaking Industry, a partnership between WP BrandStudio and GE.Follow me on Twitter @14AdotWalsh for shitty jokes, DFS advice & retweets from beat writers
TODAY’S PODCAST
Detroit Pistons @ Atlanta Hawks (-3.5, ML: -155) – O/U: 201.5
————-Pace> DET: 27th – ATL: 8th
OFF Efficiency> DET: 21st – ATL: 23rd
DEF Efficiency> DET: 10th – ATL: 6th
DET :
-Reggie Bullock (out)
The one guy above all that I’m interested in is Tobias Harris. Since making the move to the bench, he’s been taking any shot that he wants and that’s resulted in three straight 30+ FDP performances. $6000 on both sites is a little more than I want to pay for a bench player, but we have seen stretch fours take the Hawks to school all season long.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is very interesting here as well. We have seen shooting guards tee off on the Hawks lately, so let’s play a game of follow the leader.
ATL :
-Tiago Splitter, Ryan Kelly (out)
While Dwight Howard and Andre Drummond are wasting energy on each other in the paint, this could be a perfect opportunity for Paul Millsap to veer away and do his thing. Unfortunately, there are cheaper power forwards that can produce just as well as he can.
Milwaukee Bucks @ Minnesota Timberwolves (PK) – O/U: 209
————-Pace> MIL: 19th – MIN: 22nd
OFF Efficiency> MIL: 10th – MIN: 11th
DEF Efficiency> MIL: 8th – MIN: 26th
MIL :
-Matthew Dellavedova (out)
-Rashad Vaughn (questionable)
Absolutely love this outlook for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker tonight. The T-Wolves’ struggles on defense have been well documented and these two can certainly expose all of their faults. Wiggins and LaVine are among some of the worst defenders in this league; I’m not sure who will draw The Greek assignment, but I don’t envy them one bit. Parker will be matched up against Dieng or KAT, and neither guy has the mobility to keep up with him around the perimeter.
Greg Monroe has finally been let out of Jason Kidd’s doghouse. He’s put up 33 FDP in two of his last three games but, as is always the case, that J-Kidd doghouse is a very mysterious place.
Matthew Dellavedova is going to miss tonight’s game and that’ll open up more minutes for Malcolm Brogdon. Typically, he’s been excelling with the second unit so it’ll be interesting to see what he does with this golden opportunity. Brogdon has shown 32 FDP upside recently and he could be a nice pivot off of McConnell from Philly.
MIN :
Karl-Anthony Towns and Gorgui Dieng both have fantastic matchups in this one. We have been able to pick on the Bucks frontcourt for a while now, so why not do it one more time before 2016 is over? KAT will likely be the more coveted player in this scenario, but Dieng has a decent floor when he’s on his game. Jabari will have a difficult time dealing with Dieng down low.
I don’t mind Zach LaVine or Andrew Wiggins in this spot, but I’d obviously rather have the one that The Greek isn’t defending. If you can figure that out…congrats! Ricky Rubio works in this spot too, since pain in the ass Dellavedova is out tonight.
New York Knicks @ New Orleans Pelicans (-2, ML: -135) – O/U: 212
————-Pace> NYK: 12th – NO: 11th
OFF Efficiency> NYK: 16th – NO: 25th
DEF Efficiency> NYK: 24th – NO: 14th
NYK :
-Courtney Lee (questionable- missed last game)
My favorite targets from the Knicks will be Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose. I guess Kristaps Porzingis could work too, but I worry about him getting into foul trouble against AD. Melo and Rose have the primo matchups in this game and I’ll let it ride with them.
A lot of people may go to Joakim Noah after some solid performances in three of his last four games. I’m not hating on the guy, but he’s just someone that I never go to. I may end up regretting this.
If Courtney Lee doesn’t play, then Justin Holiday could be a solid value play.
NO :
I really like the combination of Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday tonight. Bigs have been incredibly profitable all season against the Knicks and I feel like AD’s $10,700 DK/$11,100 FD price tag isn’t that outrageous for the type of ceiling that he can hit. Holiday is more risky, due to the fact that there is a crowded backcourt on the Pelicans roster. However, point guards have been doing some serious damage against the Knicks lately and Holiday is itching for a breakout performance…especially since his brother is on the other sideline tonight.
Los Angeles Clippers @ Houston Rockets (-10.5, ML: -625) – O/U: 217.5
————-Pace> LAC: 17th – HOU: 5th
OFF Efficiency> LAC: 6th – HOU: 3rd
DEF Efficiency> LAC: 5th – HOU: 18th
LAC :
-Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Brice Johnson (out)
-JJ Redick (questionable)
CP3 is out tonight and that’ll open up tons of value for the Clippers. Most people will run to Austin Rivers and Raymond Felton, but don’t forget about Jamal Crawford and JJ Redick…and that massive DeAndre Jordan fella. It’s typically |
to devastating extreme weather effects -- an estimated 25 percent of small- to mid-sized businesses do not reopen following a major disaster. [Small Business Majority, 6/25/13] [Small Business Majority, 7/25/13]
Study: Climate's "New Normal" May Force Changes For Insurers. A paper from the Geneva Association, an insurance research group, found that "In some high-risk areas, ocean warming and climate change threaten the insurability of catastrophe risk more generally" because they lead to "a shift towards a 'new normal' for a number of insurance-relevant hazards." As The New York Times explains, this means "the past can no longer reliably predict the future," which has traditionally been the tactic of insurers. [Geneva Association, June 2013] [The New York Times, 9/1/13]
Swiss Re: Sandy May Be Preview Of Extreme Weather's Impact On Insurance Industry. A report from reinsurance company Swiss Re found that 2012 was the third most expensive year on record for the insurance industry at over $77 billion, largely driven by extreme weather events, some of which may be worsened or made more likely by climate change. For example, even without considering climate change's effect on future hurricanes, "the impact of sea-level rise alone is likely to be significant for both those seeking and those providing insurance protection":
The report found that a 10-inch rise in global average sea levels by 2050 would nearly double the probability of extreme flood losses. "For the industry, this means that a $20 billion insured loss event, now expected once in 250 years, would be expected once in 140 years," Swiss Re said in a press release. A 10-inch increase in sea level by 2050 is considered to be a conservative estimate, since it does not include the effects of a potentially rapid melt of land-based ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica, Swiss Re said. "So even without considering how climate change may affect future hurricane frequency or severity, the impact of sea-level rise alone is likely to be significant for both those seeking and those providing insurance protection," the report said. According to Matthias Weber, Swiss Re's group chief underwriting officer, Hurricane Sandy may be a preview of what's to come as rising seas make future coastal storms more destructive. "Sandy challenged the industry with its combination of record wind field and storm surge," Weber said in a press release. "The possibility that such events could increase in frequency and strike densely populated regions such as the northeast U.S. means that extreme storm surges need to be more thoroughly understood." [Climate Central, 4/1/13]
Extreme Weather Events Cause Billions In Damages. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently aggregated 19 scientific studies of the most extreme weather events from 2012 and found that "approximately half of the analyses found some evidence that anthropogenic climate change was a contributing factor to the extreme event examined." A 2013 report from the Center for American Progress found that "billion-dollar" damage extreme weather events, some of which are made more likely or more damaging by climate change, dealt up to $188 billion in total damage in the U.S. from 2011 to 2012. [Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 9/13] [Center for American Progress, 2/12/13]
PricewaterhouseCoopers: "Climate Change Is A Risk 'Multiplier.'" PricewaterhouseCoopers stated that climate change is a "risk multiplier," as the increasing frequency and intensity of certain extreme weather events can, for instance, disrupt the global supply of commodities. This graphic created by PwC shows that the supply of rice will be particularly disrupted by climate change:
From PwC:
In 2010, Russia suffered a severe heat wave. The resulting economic losses were estimated to be US$15bn as drought and wildfires destroyed crops, particularly wheat. The knock-on effect was export restrictions on wheat in Russia, which contributed to global price increases. [...] Often overlooked, climate change adds to complexity. It amplifies or alters existing risks, for example raw material availability (e.g. water, energy) or transport disruption due to extreme weather events. The resulting shocks on the global supply chain can be severe and persistent. So climate change is a 'risk multiplier'. [PricewaterhouseCoopers, accessed 6/10/13]
Munich Re: We Must "Find Improved Solutions For Adaptation, But Also Mitigation" Of Climate Change. In October 2012, a report from Munich Re, an internationally distinguished reinsurer, looked at extreme weather events in North America and reported that storms accounted for about $805 billion in losses from 1980-2011. The study found that while increasing losses were previously "primarily driven by socio-economic factors, such as population growth, urban sprawl and increasing wealth," the report provided "new evidence for the emerging impact of climate change." From Munich Re's press release on the report:
The Head of Munich Re's Geo Risks Research unit, Prof. Peter Höppe, commented: "In all likelihood, we have to regard this finding as an initial climate-change footprint in our US loss data from the last four decades. Previously, there had not been such a strong chain of evidence. If the first effects of climate change are already perceptible, all alerts and measures against it have become even more pressing." Höppe continued that even without changing hazard conditions, increases in population, built-up areas and increasing values, particularly in hazard-prone regions, need to be on Munich Re's risk radar. All stakeholders should collaborate and close ranks to support improved adaptation. In addition, climate change mitigation measures should be supported to limit global warming in the long term to a still manageable level. "As North America is particularly exposed to all kinds of weather risks, it especially would benefit from this", added Höppe. Peter Röder, Board member with responsibility for the US market, said: "Climate change-related increases in hazards - unlike increases in exposure - are not automatically reflected in the premiums. In order to realize a sustainable model of insurance, it is crucially important for us as risk managers to learn about this risk of change and find improved solutions for adaptation, but also mitigation. We should prepare for the weather risk changes that lie ahead, and nowhere more so than in North America." [Munich Re, 10/17/12]
Top Consulting Groups: The Winners In Insurance Industry Will Consider Climate Impacts. In 2008, Ernst & Young named climate change the top risk to insurance companies. PricewaterhouseCoopers states that the "winners in [the insurance] sector will be those companies that understand the [climate] risks and opportunities facing their businesses":
The insurance sector is going to be one of the hardest hit by climate change, from rising claims to losses on investments. The winners in this sector will be those companies that understand the risks and opportunities facing their businesses, and embed it into their strategies and operations. [PricewaterhouseCoopers, accessed 6/12/13] [Ernst & Young Press Release, 3/24/08]
METHODOLOGY: We searched TV News Search and Borrow and an internal video archive for "climate change OR global warming" from June 14, 2013 through September 17, 2013. Our analysis includes any segment devoted to climate change, as well as any substantial mention (any mention more significant than listing climate change as one of many topics).
Shauna Theel contributed to this report.Nobody cares? Apparently, that's not the case.
Top Rank says that 16,000-plus tickets have been sold for tomorrow night's Manny Pacquiao vs Juan Manuel Marquez event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, a complete sell-out which accounts for a live gate of over $10.5 million.
Bob Arum, as you would imagine, is pretty happy. He's probably also not surprised.
"Manny and Juan Manuel may have unfinished business in the ring, but as far as the live box office, it’s business as usual – another sellout," the 81-year-old promoter said.
Some fans have wondered if there would be brisk business for this bout. There's no telling what the pay-per-view will sell, but at least one million buys are expected, and there is talk it will equal the 1.3 million the two sold in November 2011 for their third fight, which was seen as a mismatch going in. This one is not -- it's been recently made very clear once again that Marquez is still Pacquiao's equal, no matter the weight class, and nobody is talking about an old Marquez not being able to handle the weight jump for the fight, as they were last year.
This is seen as a pick'em fight, and one that will both renew and end boxing's best rivalry in recent memory, and one of the best ever. Expect strong PPV numbers to match the live gate.
Weigh-in Live Stream: 5:30 pm EST
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Pacquiao vs Marquez I (2004)
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Pacquiao vs Marquez III (2011)Jonah Lehrer at Wired has been looking into recent research into depression, and wondering whether it isn’t in fact a sort of evolutionary advantage.
The study itself was simple: A large group of subjects ranging from healthy to clinically depressed played a decision-making task on a computer. Their goal of the task was to hire the best applicant in a simulated job search. Each applicant was assigned a monetary value – some were much better than others – and presented in random order to the subjects. While this task might seem somewhat arbitrary, the scientists note that it closely resembles a common everyday dilemma. It doesn’t matter if we’re shopping for clothes or going on dates — it’s often unclear when we’ve explored enough options, when we should stop searching and just make a damn decision. Furthermore, this task was designed so that it has a known optimal strategy, with the best decision-makers sifting through a certain number of alternatives. Here’s where things get interesting: depressed patients approximated the optimal strategy much more closely than non-depressed participants did. The main problem with healthy subjects is that they proved lazy, unwilling to search through enough applicants. Those with depression, on the other hand, were much more willing to keep on considering alternatives, which is why they performed far better on the task. While this study comes with many caveats, it remains an interesting demonstration that depression, at least in specific situations, seems to enhance our analytical skills, making us better at focusing on social dilemmas.
It’s a very seductive idea for anyone who has ever experienced clinical depression (which I have and still do), but a decade of hanging around on the internet has made me leery of what I think of as “wish-fulfilment science” – these are bits of science journalism, usually psychological diagnoses, that make you feel that your particular affliction actually makes you a superior snowflake rather than simply a special one.
(For an extreme version of such, see Gary Westfahl’s earnest but extraordinarily ill-advised Aspergers confessional at Locus Online; “fans are Slans”, indeed. It’s one thing to “own” your afflictions, but very much another to claim they put you in the evolutionary vanguard.)
But as Lehrer points out, the prevalence of depression suggests there must be some evolutionary benefit to it, and my own experiences of rumination match up strongly with what he’s discussing, with respect to obsessing over social dilemmas and so forth. Does that make depressed people somehow “better” than everyone else? I don’t think so; the price is pretty high, and the insights gained into oneself and the world aren’t necessarily the sort of insights that make it any easier to sleep at night. (Quite the opposite, in fact.)
That said, I’ve always refused pharmacological treatments for it… partly because I’ve seen what antidepressants have done to people I’ve known for years (I don’t see chronic anxiety, character change and mood swings as a “cure”, I’m afraid), but mostly because, as Tennessee Williams put it, I worry that killing my demons might kill my angels as well.An alleged New York City conman, who told police he took a cab from the Big Apple to Best Buy in Watertown to upgrade his phone, was arrested after police discovered he wasn’t who he claimed.
Police arrested 22-year-old Darrel I. Grosvenor of 440 164 St. Apt. 6 in New York on Feb. 3 for alleged identity fraud, and two counts of attempting to commit a crime, and to wit larceny over $250.
Officers were dispatched to Best Buy at the Watertown mall at 5:30 p.m. on the report of a possible fraudulent incident, Watertown Police Lt. James O’Connor said. Upon arrival, officers spoke with a store manager who stated that Grosvenor had entered the store and was trying to upgrade a cell phone service. According to the employee, he purchased two iPhone 6s phones valued at $399.99 each.
The manager said he requested Grosvenor’s drivers license, which is standard practice when upgrading phone plans, the cellphone number, the zip code of his hometown, and the last four digits of his social security number, O’Connor said. The driver’s license matched the name on the account, but Grosvenor didn’t know the zip code or the social security number.
The manager became suspicious when Grosvenor couldn’t answer his questions tried calling the phone Grosvenor was trying to upgrade and got a voice mail with a different voice on it, O’Connor said. The manager then called police.
Officers discovered the Grosvenor had stolen an identity of a person from Connecticut, O’Connor said. The license he had produced was also a fake.
“It was a fake license with correct info of the real guy who owned the service,” O’Connor said.
That wasn’t all officers found.
“As officers investigated, they found another Connecticut license with Grosvenor’s picture on it, and another, different named on it,” O’Connor said.
When police asked Grosvenor to explain why he had two licenses, he told them he was from New York, O’Connor said.
“He said he took a cab from New York City to Best Buy in Watertown specifically to upgrade his phone,” O’Connor said. “And his idea was to go back to New York City via cab from Watertown.”
Officers also contacted the person whose identification was stolen, and confirmed that the ID had been stolen, O’Connor said.
Grosvenor was placed under arrest, O’Conner said. Officers later discovered that Grosvenor had an outstanding warrant out of Kinsgbury, New York for identity fraud, O’Connor said. Police also alerted Connecticut State Police of the situation as well.Tankers!
The historic "Liberation of Paris" that took place from August 19, 1944 to August 25, 1944 was the monumental battle that liberated the city of Paris from German forces in World War II. In honor of this historic date, we're putting a number of French vehicles on discount throughout the weekend.
Event Begins: 04:00 PDT (07:00 EDT) on August 23, 2013
Event Ends: 04:00 PDT (07:00 EDT) on August 26, 2013
Liberation of Paris Weekend
x2 Crew Experience for All Vehicles and Tiers
50% Gold and Credit Discount for Emblems
30% Credit Discount and 20% Bonus Credit Earnings on the Following Vehicles
50% Gold Discount for the Following Premium Vehicle
III FCM 36 Pak 40
Mission: French Press
For many of us, our days can't begin until we get that first delicious cup of coffee. In celebration of the drink that was perfected by the French, this mission will reward with a batch of Credits and Strong Coffee for completing the criteria listed below.
Objective (repeatable): Win 10 Battles in French Vehicles Tier III or Higher
Reward: 50,000 and x3 Strong CoffeeCalifornia, which in 1989 became the first state to ban so-called assault weapons, has expanded that category twice since then: in 1999, when the legislature added a generic definition to the original list of specifically proscribed models, and last week, when Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill aimed at a device that legally circumvented the ban. With the ink barely dry on the new law, another workaround is already available.
The 1999 law covered any semiautomatic centrefire rifle with a detachable magazine and any of six "military-style" features: 1) a flash suppressor, 2) a grenade launcher or flare launcher, 3) a thumbhole stock, 4) a folding or telescoping stock, 5) a forward pistol grip, or 6) a pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon. But regulations issued by the California Department of Justice defined "detachable magazine" as "any ammunition feeding device that can be removed readily from the firearm with neither disassembly of the firearm action nor use of a tool being required." The regulations specifically said "a bullet or ammunition cartridge is considered a tool," which left the door open to "bullet buttons" that release the magazine when you insert a cartridge into them. Since guns with bullet buttons did not technically have detachable magazines, they could legally include the features that offended the sensibilities of California legislators.
Gun controllers saw that creative solution as an outrageous loophole, which they sought to close with S.B. 880 (a.k.a. A.B. 1135). The new law makes any of the six detested features illegal on a gun "that does not have a fixed magazine," and it defines "fixed magazine" as "an ammunition feeding device contained in, or permanently attached to, a firearm in such a manner that the device cannot be removed without disassembly of the firearm action." Enter the Bullet Button Reloaded, a.k.a. the Patriot Mag Release, which allows removal of the magazine only when the rifle is opened, thereby disassembling the firearm action, as demonstrated by inventor Darin Prince in this video:
Prince, who describes himself as "the inventor of the original bullet button," says, "We have had the BB Reloaded in the wings for many years," which suggests entrepreneurs are at least a step ahead of gun prohibitionists. "The Bullet-Button Reloaded is hardly ideal," writes Dan Zimmerman at The Truth About Guns. "AR owners will have to release the rear pin on their rifle and tilt the upper receiver forward in order to drop the (10-round) magazine. But it's at least an option for keeping and continuing to use your long gun legally."
Zimmerman says "the moral of the story" is "there's almost always a way, and some enterprising individual will find it." More specifically, Prince's invention once again demonstrates the futility of trying to reduce gun violence by banning arbitrarily defined categories of supposedly intolerable firearms. Every time legislators pass an "assault weapon" ban, its supporters complain that the firearms industry is complying with it by making functionally unimportant changes. They think that's an indictment of sneaky gun makers; it is actually an indictment of misguided legislators.
[Thanks to Robert Woolley for the tip.]In thinking about the possible extent of the current economic crisis, I have been focused on understanding the role of debt. I first started looking at household debt. The Federal Reserve publishes statistics called the “Flow of Funds” which track sources and uses of capital in the economy over time. The following chart shows household debt, broken down into consumer debt (credit cards) and home mortgages, starting in 1966.The chart shows an eye-popping explosion in debt from a few hundred billion dollars to over 13 trillion dollars. Of course there are a number of things one needs to correct for. First up, inflation. Dollars in 1996 were worth a lot more than dollars now. Using 1990 as a base year and applying the CPI as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics results in the following chart.So that takes some of the slope out of the chart. Next one might argue that there are more households in the US now than there were in 1966 and that one really needs to look at this on a per household basis. Thankfully the Census Bureau provides a time series of the number of households. Using this series results in the following per household chart.While this results in a further reduction in the slope of the debt curve, the overall numbers are still impressive. In constant 1990 dollars (meaning the effect of inflation has been taken out), the per household debt in 1966 was less than $25,000 and by 2007 had grown to over $70,000. Finally, one might argue that households can afford more debt because they have more income so that one should really look at is the household debt level relative to household income. Using the Census Bureau’s household income data gives the following picture.Household debt went from 74% of income in 1966 to an amazing 165% in 2007. Since these numbers are averages and since there are clearly some housholds that have very little or no debt, it means that there are many households that have more debt than 2 years worth of income. Even if one of those households were able to save 10% of income, it would take them 20 years to pay off their debt. And a 10% savings rate is high in the US. In fact, the aggregate savings rate was as low as 5% by 2004 and by 2007 had gone negative.As the charts show quite clearly, the first significant acceleration of household debt started around 1984. It is likely that this was in response to a drop in interest rates after Volcker had used high interest rates to fight inflation. But the really steep increase starts in 2002 and directly reflects the real estate bubble.One might ask, so what? Well it turns out that consumers were responsible for a large part of economic growth in the US. During the period from 2002 to 2007, consumers accounted for almost 75% of all economic growth and for the longer period of 1985 to 2007, consumers accounted for over 77% of growth (this is based on the National Accounts data published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis ). So arguably, we have had at least 5 years and possibly over 20 years of economic growth that was significatly in excess of a long term sustainable rate, with the excess fueled by increasing household debt. Now, with the implosion of the housing bubble and the threat of a global recession with massive layoffs, consumer spending is drying up rapidly. There is actually an interesting bit of detail in the BEA data which breaks out whether consumer spending was on non-durable goods, durable goods or services. In 1966 consumer spending on durable goods accounted for only 26% of GDP, but by 2007 that had risen to 42% – think new cars, personal computers, etc. Of course those durables are exactly the area where it is easiest for consumers to delay new purchases, which means that the drop off in consumption is likely to be rather abrupt.Dec 12, 2015-
A proposal that was debated umpteen times and was even considered almost a dead duck in the past is now being revived by the Prime Minister’s Office again, at a time when the country is bracing for negative economic growth in 33 years.
The PMO, according to a highly placed source, has asked the Ministry of Home Affairs to make arrangements for lifelong “perks” and “facilities” to the VIPs such as former president, vice president, prime ministers, chief justices (CJs) and Speakers of the House, much to the chagrin of officials at the PMO and MoHA, who say such a move could cause losses of millions of rupees to the state coffers.
Just as the country was trying to come to terms with the massive losses due to the April 25 quake, protests over the constitution in the Tarai since August and an unofficial Indian blockade since September have resulted in free fall of economy.
The proposal has outlined monthly allowances and other facilities, including salary for the staff, for the former VIPs.
As per the proposal, Rs 2.5 million will be spent from the state coffers for former president for his house rent (Rs 130,000), Rs 50,000 (monthly allowance) and Rs 24,000 (stationery and other expenses).
In addition, salaries for his staff, including one under secretary, one non-gazetted official, one driver and one cook will also be taken care by the state. Similar expenses have been outlined for former vice-president, PMs, CJs and House Speakers. Besides, all the VIPs are entitled to get vehicle and maintenance facilities in addition to salaries for their staff.
Former bureaucrats who were in the loop when the proposal was being prepared and discussed in the past have taken serious exception to the PMO plan.
They say such a move by the government could open the floodgates of criticism, as these expenses could come at the cost of misery of people affected by the quake and protests coupled with blockade.
“In a democracy, politicians should not receive pension. If a VIP does not own a house in the Capital or who does not have a vehicle of his own, then the state can and should make sure that they get these facilities,” said former chief secretary Leela Mani Poudyal, adding: “But it is not compulsory for a VIP to stay in Kathmandu throughout his/her life.”
The proposal, however, is not something that was prepared recently. Officials say it has been there for quite some time and it was even blue-pencilled a number of times “for adjustment” following disagreements between the political leadership and top government officials.
Describing such “perks” and “facilities” to VIPs as prodigal expenditures, Poudyal said, “Facilities should be extended on the basis of necessity; not for serving the country for some time.”
Published: 12-12-2015 08:25→ Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi ←
I
Primo Vere
Uf Dem Anger
II
In Taberna
III
Cour D'Amours
Blanziflor et Helena
Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi (Fortune, Empress of the World)
Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi is the first part of Carl Orff's brilliant Carmina Burana- a work which sets poems written by disreputable 13th century monks and scholars to modern orchestral and choral music. Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi means "Fortune, Empress of the World", and is about fate. It consists of two movements, "O Fortuna" and "Fortune Plango Vulnera". Both describe the horror of fate's unfair meddling in human life, and its influence on the lowly and powerful alike. Orff has written dramatic and insidious music to illustrate the themes. I present below the text of the poems with an english translation, and intersperse my comments on the music.
1. O Fortuna
The piece begins with its most recognisable movement - the mighty "O Fortuna". This is known to couch potatoes around the world as the "Old Spice" music, as it memorably accompanied the old advert for the rancid aftershave.
The low instruments of the orchestra thump out a descending three note line. After the first note has captured the audience's attention, the brass and choir enter. The "O" is a startling discord, and the "Fortuna" is similarly jarring. The pattern is repeated for the "velut luna". Then the powerful bass note sounds again, and the choir and the rest of the orchestra enter one more. This time, the 6-part harmony is less jagged, but it is pitched much higher- and the final "-lis" is held out for several beats.
O Fortuna O Fortune, velut luna like the moon statu variabilis, you are changeable,
The arrangement now changes. The mood is still one of anguish. As the text changes to consider the specifics of the writer's views on fate, the music becomes more subtle, but remains eerie. The time signature changes from the laborious 3/1 of the introductory lines to a jerky, unsettling 3/2. Each line of the text takes two bars of the score; and pair of bars begins with a shadow of the shuddering bass notes from the introduction. This lends structure, and emphasises the start of each line. The choir is in unison and the woodwinds track them through the verse. Each note of the choir's part is deliberate and is accented heavily, which stresses each and every syllable, making each word crystal clear. The other instruments dart around rapidly and quietly, lending an air of urgency. A huge contrast and sudden contrast to the bombast that precedes the section.
semper crescis ever waxing aut decrescis; and waning; vita detestabilis hateful life nunc obdurat first oppresses et tunc curat and then soothes ludo mentis aciem, as fancy takes it;
egestatem, poverty potestatem and power dissolvit ut glaciem. it melts them like ice.
Now the choir moves into a simple discord, which shifts back into unison on the closing syllables of. This marks the end of the first verse.
The second verse continues in the same vein as the first- the same notes and phrasing are used throughout.
Sors immanis Fate - monstrous et inanis, and empty, rota tu volubilis, you whirling wheel, status malus, you are malevolent, vana salus well-being is vain semper dissolubilis, and always fades to nothing, obumbrata shadowed et velata and veiled michi quoque niteris; you plague me too; nunc per ludum now through the game dorsum nudum I bring my bare back fero tui sceleris. to your villainy.
The last verse of this movement is again loud, which comes as a shock after the quiet contemplation of the last two. The sense of urgency instilled there breaks out into a kind of musical panic. The arrangement has the same structure, but the soft bass note is again a great thump of bass instruments and drum at the start and end of each line. The tenors and sopranos of the choir are now a full octave higher. The darting counterpoint from earlier has lost its juddering hesitancy and gained harmonic complexity.
Sors salutis Fate is against me et virtutis in health michi nunc contraria, and virtue, est affectus driven on et defectus and weighted down, semper in angaria. always enslaved.
Hac in hora So at this hour sine mora without delay corde pulsum tangite; pluck the vibrating strings; quod per sortem since Fate sternit fortem, strikes down the strong man,
At this point, things are ratcheted up another notch. An open cymbal now joins the thumping introduction to each line. The choir's octave interval s become a scrunchy harmony. Everything grows louder still, moving from forte to fortissimo
Finally, the structure which has been observed for much of this movement breaks down completely. The choir splits up for the "omnes", the tenor and soprano parts soar away and the bass and alto parts maintain the rhythm. All the words of this line are sung over 5 bars rather than the 2 or 4 used elsewhere. At this point the choir come back together for a unison "-te", which is held for a further 7 bars of fortississimo, maximum volume. The darting counterpoint from before is now in the ascendant, and is revealed to be reminiscent of a spinning wheel. The cymbal crashes that marked the start of each verse now speak of the mechanism driving this wheel of fate. The final gathering chord is underlined by an extra pulse of energy from the choir, a drum-roll and a rattling triangle.
mecum omnes plangite! everyone weep with me!
2. Fortune plango vulnera
The next movement deals directly with the fickle, cyclical nature of fate. In three verses, it describes how the poet's fortunes change, how he fell from his place in the world; and his resentment of those currently favoured. It ends with a warning that the wheel of fate will turn again, and today's champions will face ruin soon enough
Each of the three verses is arranged identically, sung to the same tune with the same accompaniment. The piano is prominent throughout the orchestration.
The first four lines of each verse are accompanied by simple, sustained octave chords from the orchestra. The choir enters on the beat after this chord has been introduced at lines 1 and 3. The time signature is 4/2, but the last bar of lines 2 and 4 are cut short, forming a 1/2 bar. This is enough to make the rhythms of this section irregular, but they fit the natural rhythm of the words perfectly. The tenors and basses sing the first four lines in unison, their voices rising to the start of lines 2 and 4 and falling to their ends. The tune is influenced by chant, but runs along much more rapidly.
Fortune plango vulnera I bemoan the wounds of Fortune stillantibus ocellis with weeping eyes, quod sua michi munera for the gifts she made me subtrahit rebellis. she perversely takes away.
The male voices continue for the next four lines, but the arrangement changes. The rhythm is more regular, the choir singing equal-length notes for most of each line, and sustained notes at the end. Staccato phrasing is used to ensure that the words can be heard clearly, even though this section is quieter- a sort of stage whisper. The orchestra follows the choir part, with a jerky counterpoint playing through the gaps left by the staccato; on the choirs' sustained notes it plays a quick, low trill.
Verum est, quod legitur, It is written in truth, fronte capillata, that she has a fine head of hair, sed plerumque sequitur but, when it comes to seizing an opportunity Occasio calvata. she is bald.
The last four lines of each verse are repeated, with the volume coming back up to a robust forte, and the sopranos and altos joining the male voices. The tune and the choral harmony remain the same, but the orchestral part is busier, with the strings adding a layer of complexity. After the end of each verse, the orchestra has a rapid 10 bar passage, wish repeatedly rises and falls like a wheel spinning out of control, each revolution marked by a cymbal crash, and the final by a thrilling run of violins and flutes.
In Fortune solio On Fortune's throne sederam elatus, I used to sit raised up, prosperitatis vario crowned with flore coronatus; the many-coloured flowers of prosperity; quicquid enim florui though I may have flourished felix et beatus, happy and blessed, nunc a summo corrui now I fall from the peak gloria privatus. deprived of glory.
Fortune rota volvitur: The wheel of Fortune turns; descendo minoratus; I go down, demeaned; alter in altum tollitur; another is raised up; nimis exaltatus far too high up rex sedet in vertice sits the king at the summit - caveat ruinam! let him fear ruin! nam sub axe legimus for under the axis is written Hecubam reginam. Queen Hecuba.
The next part is Primo Vere, which deals with the arrival of spring- it's not all doom and gloom!
Sources:
Imperial College Union Choir's 2002 performance
PDF sheet music typeset by Michael Bednarek, http://mbednarek.com/
The 1997 recording with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Royal Choral Society under Richard Cooke
I think of this site: http://www.fuggled.co.uk/choir.swf as this writeup's evil twin.On the 28th of July in 1945 a B25 crashed into the Empire State Building. The photographs look like something out of an old King Kong movie, with flames licking up the building. But the fire was extinguished within 40 minutes, still the only fire at such a height that was ever successfully controlled.
And if that hasn’t already got you wanting more, the accident also resulted in 19-year-old Betty Lou Oliver taking the Guinness World record for the longest survived elevator fall recorded.
So what happened?
Lieutenant Colonel William Franklin Smith Jr was the pilot of the B25 bomber.
750thSquad
Col Smith was with the original complement of officers as a 1st Lieutenant when the unit was formed and a Lt Col at the end of the war. He had a jaunty and devil-may-care attitude and was very popular with the men who flew with him. He witnessed all 236 missions of the 457th but fate caught up with him in 1945 after returning from England. He and several others were flying a B-25 bomber from Boston to his new assignment in the midwest.
The plane, a North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber, was called the “Old John Feather Merchant”.
Lt. Colonel Smith was flying from Boston to Newark airport where he would pick up his superior officers. He travelled through steadily increasing fog and requested a weather report at 25 miles east of his destination. ATC at New York Municipal Airport (now La Guardia) reported that the ceiling was “near zero” and visibility forward limited to three miles.
The B-25 that Crashed Into the Empire State Building • Damn Interesting
Municipal tower reported extremely poor visibility over New York, and urged him to land, but Lt. Colonel Smith requested and received clearance from the military to continue his flight. “From where I’m sitting,” the tower operator warned, “I can’t see the top of the Empire State Building.” Despite the advice from the Municipal tower, Smith plunged into the soupy fog with his two crewmen, bound for Manhattan.
The Empire State Building, built in 1930, is 1,453 feet to the tip of the broadcast tower. It was built to take the impact of a 10-ton aircraft.
Gloria Pall was 18 and worked at the Empire State Building on the 56th floor, having been turned down by the Catholic War Relief Services group on the 79th floor because she was Jewish.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing the bomber overhead at about 500 feet and said that it just missed the Rockefeller center. The plane then climbed away back into the fog.
Historical Perspective: Plane hits Empire State Building
No one |
at the stadium or watching from home this weekend, take a minute to appreciate the uniqueness of Baum Stadium. There aren't many places that can compare.The best deal Mr. Weisman has found is 2 percent on a one-year certificate of deposit offered by ING Direct, an online bank that has become a bit of a darling among the fixed-income crowd.
Interest on one- and two-year Treasury notes was just 0.40 percent and 0.89 percent, as of Monday. Bank of America offers 0.35 percent on a standard money market account with $10,000 to $25,000, and Wells Fargo will pay 0.05 percent on a basic savings account.
Indeed, after fees are subtracted, inflation is accounted for and taxes are paid, many investors in C.D.’s, government bonds and savings and money market accounts are losing money. In fact, Northern Trust waived some $8 million in fees on money market accounts because they would have wiped out all interest, and then some.
“The unemployment situation and the general downturn in the economy had an impact, but what’s going to happen now as C.D.’s mature is that retirees and the elderly are going to take anywhere from a half to three-quarters of a percent cut in their incomes,” said Joe Parks, a retired accountant in Houston on the advisory board of Better Investing, an organization that works to help people become savvier investors. “It’s a real problem.”
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Experts say risk-averse investors are effectively financing a second bailout of financial institutions, many of which have also raised fees and interest rates on credit cards.
“What the average citizen doesn’t explicitly understand is that a significant part of the government’s plan to repair the financial system and the economy is to pay savers nothing and allow damaged financial institutions to earn a nice, guaranteed spread,” said William H. Gross, co-chief investment officer of the Pacific Investment Management Company, or Pimco. “It’s capitalism, I guess, but it’s not to be applauded.”
Mr. Gross said he read his monthly portfolio statement twice because he could not believe that the line “Yield on cash” was 0.01 percent. At that rate, he said, it would take him 6,932 years to double his money.
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Many think the Federal Reserve is fueling a stock market bubble by keeping rates so low that investors decide to bet on stocks instead. Mr. Parks of Better Investing moved more money into the stock market early this year, when C.D.’s he held began maturing and he could not nearly recover the income they had generated by rolling them over.
He began investing some of the money in blue chip stocks with a dividend yield of at least 3 percent and even managed to find an oil-and-gas limited partnership that offered 8 percent.
Mr. Parks said, however, that he would not pursue that strategy as more of his C.D.’s matured. “What worked in the first quarter of this year isn’t as relevant, because the market has come up so much,” he said.
No one is advising a venture into higher-risk investments. Katie Nixon, chief investment officer for the northeast region at Northern Trust, said that, in general, “no one should be taking risks with their pillow money.”
“What people are paying for is safety and security,” she said, “and that’s probably just right.”
People who rely on income from such investments for support, however, are being forced to consider new options.
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Eileen Lurie, 75, is taking out a reverse mortgage to help offset the decline in returns on her investments tied to interest rates. Reverse mortgages have a checkered reputation, but Ms. Lurie said her bank was going out of its way to explain the product to her.
“These banks don’t want to be held responsible for thousands of seniors standing in bread lines,” she said.
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Such mortgages allow people who are 62 and older to convert equity in their homes into cash tax-free and without any impact on Social Security or Medicare payments. The loans are repaid after death.
“If your assets aren’t appreciating and aren’t producing any income, you’re getting eaten up in this interest rate environment,” said Peter Strauss, a lawyer who advises the elderly. “A reverse mortgage is one way of making a very large asset produce income.”
Eve Wilmore, 93, has watched returns on her C.D.’s drop to between 1 percent and 2 percent from about 5 percent a year or so ago. Yet the Social Security Administration recently raised her Medicare Part B premium based on those higher rates she had been earning. “I’m being hit from both sides,” Mrs. Wilmore said. “There’s some way I can apply for a reconsideration, and I’m going to fight it. I have to.”
She said she was reluctant to redeploy her money into higher-risk investments. “I don’t know what my medical bills will be from here on in, and so I want to keep the money where I can get to it easily if I need it,” she said.
Peter Gomori, who taught a course on money and investing for Dorot, a nonprofit that offers services for the elderly, did not advise his students on investment strategies but said that if he had, he would probably have told them to sit tight.
“I know interest rates are very low for Treasury securities and bank products, but that isn’t going to be forever,” he said.
But investment professionals doubt rates will rise any time soon — or to any level close to those before the crash.
“What the futures market is telling me,” Mr. Gross said, “is that in April 2011, these savers that are currently earning nothing will be earning 1.25 percent.”SETI—the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence—has been one of the most captivating areas of science since its inception in 1960, when the astronomer Frank Drake used an 85-foot radio telescope in the first-ever attempt to detect interstellar radio transmissions sent by beings outside our solar system. Yet despite its high public visibility and near-ubiquity in blockbuster Hollywood science fiction, throughout most of its 55-year history SETI has languished on the fringes of scientific research, garnering relatively scant funding and only small amounts of dedicated observation time on world-class telescopes.
Today, in a live webcast originating from London and set for 6:30 am Eastern, the Russian entrepreneur Yuri Milner, along with the physicist Stephen Hawking, is announcing his intentions to change that. Watch the live streamed event below, starting at 6:30 am.
Although Milner has made his name—and billions of dollars—through investments in Facebook, Alibaba, and many other tech start-ups, his true passion is science, which he has demonstrated through his formation of the Breakthrough Prize Foundation. This organization awards the world's most lavish scientific prizes. Milner's latest project is part of the Foundation's new Breakthrough Initiatives division and is called Breakthrough Listen. Providing $100 million in funding over the next decade to top SETI researchers, Breakthrough Listen will allow new state-of-the-art radio and optical surveys to take place using the world's premiere telescopes, creating the most ambitious and robust SETI program yet performed. The project is set to begin making observations in 2016.
Following the live webcast, Milner and distinguished scientists participating in Breakthrough Listen will conduct a media teleconference to discuss the new project and answer questions. Scientific American will continue to follow this story as it develops.Shopping at LCBO stores is happy yet sometimes pricey. Two days ago I went to LCBO to check if there were any 720ml bottles of Dassai 39 Junmai Daiginjo Sake available in stock. Too bad there weren’t any but a dozen bottles of Dassai 23 Junmai Daiginjo 300ml were on the shelves. I was extremely excited because Dassai 23, the brand’s flagship premium Junmai Daiginjo that rice was milled down to 23% of its original size before fermentation started, were not always available for sale at the LCBO stores, and I immediately decided to buy one.
Price for a 300ml bottle of Dassai 23 is CAN$62.55. Not cheap though. But it’s real value for money, in my opinion. I am a fan of Dassai’s Junmai Daiginjo Sake. I cannot forget the fruity aroma coming out from the bottle once a Dassai Junmai Daiginjo Sake is opened. I cannot stop thinking about Dassai’s beautiful and elegant flavours which are unique among all Japanese Sake at the same levels. I also miss the long-lasting aftertaste.
Asahi Shuzo, the company created the Dassai brand, is a legendary brewery. Established in 1948, Asahi Shuzo is regarded as one young brewery when compared to those having been brewing traditionally in Japan for hundreds of years. Then, what makes Asahi Shuzo an outstanding brewery that their Sake are chosen by Shinzo Abe for State Dinner, and as gifts for head of states such as former US President Barack Obama and current President of Russia Vladimir Putin? I believe it’s because the company has been willing to adopt the cutting edge technology, and had it integrated into the traditional sake brewing environment. For instance, the centrifuge machine used for separating completed sake from the lees – Asahi Shuzo was the first in Japan to use it. Moreover, the 23% rice-milling ratio – Asahi Shuzo was the first brewery to mill down the rice to a minimum of 23% of its original size. In Japan, very few breweries own polishing factories, whereas Asahi Shuzo owns 16 polishing machines at its factory operating 24/7. Asahi is also one of the very first breweries to brew sake year round. The way that Asahi Shuzo has changed in brewing, in addition to the successful marketing strategies, has made major breakthrough to the products. Dassai’s exclusive characters have spoiled numerous drinkers around the globe. Once they have had wonderful tasting experiences with Dassai, they easily get addicted and demand for more.
At LCBO’s Highway 7 store, I eventually bought two bottles of Dassai, the famous Dassai 23 Junmai Daiginjo and Dassai 50 Nigori sake. Holding two sake in my hands, I did not want to end my shopping trip; therefore I drove to another LCBO store on Steeles Avenue at Markham Road, which recently has been designated as a new centre for Asian wines. I had a big surprise there! As I was told at the Highway 7 store that all 720ml of Dassai 23 were out of stock, I did not expect to see a couple of them actually available on the shelves. Price for a 720ml bottle was CAN$151.35 compared to the 300ml I bought at $62.55, consumers did not get a better price if they bought a bigger bottle. Having said that, I was happy to find the Dassai 23 packaged in wooden wine box. I brought it to cashier and checked out without hesitation. As August is my birthday month, this is a birthday gift for myself.
AdvertisementsFormer Manila congressman and billionaire Mark Jimenez, the “corporate genius” whose checkered history in US and Philippine politics made him a colorful figure in the late 1990s and early 2000s, died on Tuesday.
He was 70.
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Jimenez left behind 13 children. “He embodied a story for all of us, one of starting humbly, rising above all his circumstances and eventually choosing a life of service,” his family said in a statement issued Tuesday night.
“This is the story we choose to remember him by, as his children, all 13 of us, and his chosen children, in District 6 in Manila,” their statement read.
Jimenez’ body will lie in state at Funeraria Rey in Pandacan on April 27 and 28 with masses at 7 p.m. and will then be moved to Heritage Park in Taguig City on April 29 and 30 with masses at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
A final Mass will be held at 8 p.m. on Sunday.
A former Manila representative, Jimenez was once described as a “corporate genius” by former President Joseph Estrada, who had invited him to help in the government’s anti-poverty alleviation programs.
Jimenez had made a fortune in the late 1980s after establishing a firm in Miami, Florida that exported computer parts to Latin American markets.
Then he entered the public sphere in the Philippines when he became one of Estrada’s trusted confidantes and political operators, later becoming the latter’s adviser on Latin American affairs.
He briefly became owner of the Manila Times newspaper after it came under tremendous political pressure from the Estrada administration as it faced a P100 million libel suit, which had prompted the Gokongwei family to sell the publication.
Jimenez was elected representative of the sixth district of Manila in May 2001, after Estrada was ousted through the peaceful uprising known as Edsa Dos. But he was unseated in 2002.
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While this was happening, US authorities were seeking his extradition to the US as he was indicted on tax evasion charges and election financing offenses for his campaign contributions to the Democratic Party.
He had initially contested his extradition but in December 2002 he offered “voluntary” extradition and left the country.
On Nov. 14, 2003, he was convicted and sentenced to 27 months in prison in Miami, Florida, and fined $1.2 million after pleading guilty to the charges. He served 22 months of his sentence.
Born Mario Crespo on Dec. 31, 1946 in Paco, Manila, he was the fourth child in a brood of seven of Ramon Salamat Crespo and Carmen Acosta Batacan.
At a young age, Jimenez was sent to the Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary in Makati, but he left when he could no longer take the vow of poverty. He dropped out in his first year in college at Ateneo de Manila when he met and married his first wife.
In 1981, Jimenez showed moments of promise as a businessman in Manila until his marriage fell apart. Running away with his seven children, he had hoped to find a new life in the US, but his estranged wife had succeeded in putting his name in the hold-departure list of the immigration bureau.
He managed to get a new passport from “someone,” he said, but it cost him a lot. His new name, “Mark Jimenez” was inspired by his devotion to St. Mark, and the last name of a family friend, Jimmy Jimenez, who helped him find his bearings in the US.
The bulk of his wealth, he claimed, came from his buy-and-sell business and from computers. In 1984 and with only a $2,000 capitalization, Jimenez said he put up Apex Magnetics in California, a company engaged in buying out-of-brand diskettes such as Verbatim and selling these at discounted prices. In 1986, Apex shifted to selling Seagates hard drives which replaced the diskettes.
In 1988, Jimenez said he moved to Miami, Florida and replaced Apex with Future Tech International, a computer firm that exported parts to lucrative markets in Latin America, “which was at that time three years behind in computers.”
He said he managed to convince two American manufacturers of computer components—Quantum Corp. of Milpitas, California and Cyrix Corp. of Richardson, Texas to make him the exclusive distributor of their components in Latin America. Soon, he said, Future Tech was considered one of the top 300 fastest growing companies in America.
In 1998, Jimenez fled to the Philippines in time for the presidential election, and just before a US justice department campaign-finance task force could charge him with tax evasion.
In April 1999, the task force filed the charges in a 47-count superseding indictment. His first indictment was for violation of US election laws which prohibit hard-money contributions from foreign nationals.
Jimenez said he became very close with Estrada. But soon enough, they had a falling out. Some people suspect that it was Jimenez who provided most of the damning documents that implicated the former actor-president during the impeachment trial.
After Estrada was ousted by People Power, Jimenez ran for and won a seat in Congress in 2001.
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LATEST STORIES
MOST READI am in two minds. And so are you.
According to scientists Metcalfe and Mischel, our minds are governed by two operating systems: one is ‘hot’ and the other is ‘cool’.
The hot system is the fast, automatic, reflexive, and impulsive part of the brain that persuades you into thinking procrastination, eating chocolate whenever you get the chance, and flirting with other people’s girlfriends are all good ideas.
The cool system is the slow, deliberative, reflective, and rational part of the brain that makes informed decisions concerning your long-term well being.
The ‘hot’ system is responsible for your cravings and the ‘cool’ system for your willpower.
Naturally, these two systems are in constant conflict with one another.
And because willpower is a finite resource and it seems like cravings can be never-ending, we can have a difficult time controlling our cravings.
In this article you will learn constructive tips on how to help your willpower out and better control your cravings.
Make it difficult to satisfy your cravings
If you wrap your chocolate in tin foil, stash in a plastic box, and put it into your freezer then you won’t really want to go through all that hassle of eating it.
Similarly, if it’s easily accessible (i.e. just sitting there in front of you) you’ll snatch it without giving it a second thought.
That’s why it’s good to mine your home with healthy snacks so that when you do experience cravings, you have a healthy substitute to indulge in.
Practice mindfulness
“It is awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally to the unfolding of the experience moment-by-moment” – Jon Kabat-Zinn (2003)
The mindfulness approach encourages people to accept their difficult thought and feelings rather than working against them.
Rather than giving in to your cravings, you can surf them (i.e. urge surfing) by bringing awareness to these cravings.
This will help you be more willing to experience these feelings.
Just watch the cravings-related thoughts as though you’d watch them on a television screen. The mindfulness approach suggests that although you might experience these thoughts – your thoughts are ultimately not you.
So don’t beat yourself up if you experience cravings. Just realise that it is just a feeling, a thought. Simply accept these thoughts and be willing to experience them, without having to act them out.
Everybody experiences cravings but only action validates them.
Watch out for stress
The ‘wanting’ part of your brain attributes what scientists call ‘incentive salience’ to things in our environment. Incentive salience is the motivation that you associate with something rewarding. Your ‘why’ for reaching out for something rewarding.
For instance, you might associate cigarettes with relaxation, chocolate with a sugar rush, or alcohol with feelings of euphoria. Incentive salience is when your ‘wanting’ exceeds your ‘liking’ of the reward.
If you’re stressed, your cravings become magnified. The dopamine system in your brain becomes activated and magnifies this incentive salience to cues. That is, you will feel that things are more rewarding than they usually are.
This is because stress accentuates your ‘hot’ system and attenuates your ‘cool’ system.
That means that whenever your stressed, rational thinking is likely to go out the window and you are more likely to indulge in every whim that your emotional self might desire.
Get rid of external cues
According to the Elaboration Intrusion theory, craving will be elicited by external cues (i.e. visual cues like images of sweets or chocolate).
If these cues are vivid and there’s a lot of them in your immediate environment, it will be incredibly difficult for you to resist.
These cues will also lead to elaboration on the intrusive thoughts that these cues provoke.
Don’t elaborate on your intrusive thoughts
It is a common occurrence to experience intrusive thoughts. Images of chocolate pop into your head. You smell cigarette smoke and you instantaneously think about smoking.
By elaborating on these thoughts and thinking about the silkiness of the chocolate, about how sweet and smooth it would taste – you’re not increasing your chances.
These thoughts will cause cravings. They will bias your choices in what to eat. By prioritising these thoughts, they will overload your cognitive capacity to exact some sort of self-control over yourself.
The more you elaborate on these thoughts, the more you will overload your cognitive capacity (Working Memory). That is, your short-term memory, attention and perceptual processing will be overloaded by this craving.
Scientists show, however, that if you can overload your cognitive capacity with another cognitively competing task – you will be able to reduce your cravings. So how does this work?
Focus on something else – use competing imagery
By using imagery you can indulge in a “preferential allocation of mental resources” which is a scientist’s way of saying ‘just focus on something else’.
Harvey, Kemps, and Tiggemann (2005) conducted an experiment in which they induce food cravings via a visual imagery task (i.e. “imagine you are eating your favourite food).
Then, the participants took part in a imagination task which was either a) visual (e.g. imagine a rainbow), or b) auditory task (e.g. imagine a telephone ringing). It was found that those that imagined visual cues experience a significant reduction in cravings.
Kemps and Tiggemann (2007) extended the findings of this experiment to olfactory images. The use of olfactory imagery is as successful as visual imagery in reducing cravings.
Therefore imagining visual and olfactory things whenever you crave could be a good idea.
This is effective because cravings are visual and olfactory in nature rather than auditory. Instead of elaborating on your cravings, you would be able to distract yourself and reduce your craving simply by imagining different visuals or scents.
This happens because of diverting attention for your Working Memory to process – it is preoccupied with that, leaving less room for other cognitively competing tasks (i.e. imaging about food)
Closing thoughts
It’s easy to fall prey to our cravings.
After all, we as a species evolved to be impulsive in the sense that we want instant gratification. Our predecessors benefited from this attribute as it aided in them in their survival.
For 99.5% of our evolutionary history, members of the genus Homo lived as nomadic hunter-gatherers.
Because of their nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle, our predecessors ate high calorie and calorically dense foods whenever they got the chance to avoid the unpredictable periods of food shortage.
Strongest cravings were developed for nutrients that were essential but incredibly rare in the environment such as sugar, fat, and salt.
This sort of impulsivity was essential for survival and that’s why our need for instant gratification is deeply etched in our emotional, ‘hot’ brain (i.e. the limbic system).
But nowadays this impulsivity is affecting our long-term goals of future well-being, fitness, weight loss, health – you name it.
If you use these tips, hopefully they will help you better deal with your cravings.
AdvertisementsIt’s the start to a fresh new season! The previous weekend in Milan some of the best and brightest minds in European Eternal gathered in the Lombard capital of Milan to crown the first champions of the season. And I was there, too! With MKM introducing the so-called “Power 8” rewards system, my plans are to hit all their events this season, hopefully finishing among the Top8 players in their leaderboard to collect the sweet attendance rewards of up to 300,- € per event. Last year Milan was my first step in establishing a strong lead in the rankings that I would not drop until the end of the season — and I was determined to repeat this performance in 2017! Kind of. As determined as someone not playing Miracles can be, I guess. At least the other players on the tour think my odds are pretty good.
Our team for this ride consisted of:
Christian “Reuschel” Reuschel — Food Chain
Duc “Le Canard” Tran — Death & Taxes
Marius Hausmann — Food Chain
Me — Elves
Friday- Grand Legacy Trial
Conveniently for us, the Grand Legacy Trial on Friday would only start at 2pm, meaning that we could just make our way from Munich in the morning. After an uneventful ~5h ride, we arrive at the legendary Casa dei Gnocchi Giochi. Last time we stayed here I misspelled the venue’s name, leading our host to believe we were in town for some weird pasta fetish party or something. Here’s what I played and how my trial went:
I initially wanted to run three Winter Orbs in the board, but Marius convinced me to go with the third Surgical Extraction because he expected “a lot of crap decks” to show up. Previously, while still busy hunting down that third copy, I eventually decided to just scrape off the super thick layer of paint on one of my “altered” Winter Orbs I once wanted to submit for a Secret Santa but ultimately decided against since it turned out really (for the lack of better words) repulsively ugly. Scratch-off Magic cards, you’ve heard it here first. Take note, Wizards of the Coast!
Round 1 — UR Painter — 2:0 WIN
Round 2 — Miracles — 1:2 LOSS
Round 3 — GBr Nic Fit — 2:1 WIN (but scooped since I was paired up vs my friend Tomáš Vlček)
Round 4 — Miracles — 1:2 LOSS
Round 5 — Elves — 2:1 WIN
Final Record: 3-2 // 2-3 – No Byes for me
In the first round my opponent was about to Grindstone himself but accidentally flipped over a couple more cards, leading the judge to issue a Warning and instruct him to shuffle his deck. This turned out really bad for him as it looked like Painter’s Servant might have been his third card down, which would have put him in an excellent position to win the game from there.
After losing R2 to Miracles, I was paired up against everyone’s friendly neighborhood Czech Miracles player Tomáš Vlček. With the 2 Byes only awarded to the winning player, I didn’t want to stand in my friend’s way, but still wanted to ensure I could get a competitive match versus him. So instead of outright telling him I was going to concede I secretly wrote “I will concede if I win this” on a piece of paper and hid it under our playmats. What followed was a very intense game3 I can only describe as Nissa, Vital Force vs Meren of Clan Nel Toth. Getting a 5/5 every turn is surprisingly bad when your opponent has access to recurring Veteran Explorers. “Fortunately” Tomáš eventually ran out of basic lands and soon found ~12 of his lands semi-locked under my polar bears’ grip of death. Problem was, I also didn’t really do too much as I kept drawing lands and useless spells. Since Nissa was also constantly on the verge of dying to some giant Scavenging Ooze Tomáš had assembled, my board was stuck in “Abyss Mode”. Best I could do was to improvise and build my own Constant Mists, throwing one of my lands in front of the Ooze-bus every turn in order to keep my Planeswalker alive with their noble sacrifices. Eventually Tomáš just had Overwhelming Forces overwhelming forces, leading me to trade my Planeswalker in for her emblem. And then another one soon after. Drawing FOUR cards per Fetchland, I was finally able to overcome Tomáš’ rag-tag crew of random value dudes and bury them deep underneath a Behemoth stampede. Great game! Afterwards I turned over my hidden trap card underneath the playmat and filled out the slip in his favor. He would later unfortunately lose the finals to David “I-Top8ed-the-Bazaar-with-a-73-card-maindeck” Teze’s latest mad creation: Daze Elves.
As for me, I unfortunately dropped another match to Spy Network Miracles. Looks like the format’s finally adjusting to the Birchlore Rangers menace.
Saturday- Modern Main Event
The tragedy of writing is that you can’t see the countless attempts I have made to come up with a clever introduction to the Modern part of this weekend. Looking back, I did actually spend more time trying to think of something witty to say than I spent on thinking about which deck to play in Modern this year. Yeah, I really don’t care much about the format. I’m just happy I was lucky enough to find something stupid that works. Here’s the list Rodrigo had shipped me:
As I have mentioned in previous articles, times have gotten tougher for Ad Nauseam. Not only are people now packing Surgical Extractions because of Dredge.dec (a card barely seen before in Modern), there’s also a new sheriff in town: Death’s Shadow has been bossing around the format ever since it became a real deck a couple of months ago. Who would have thought a playset Urza’s Bauble would end up being worth more than Tarmogoyf? Oh Modern, you never fail to amaze me. Anyway, while I was thinking about picking up Death’s Shadow myself, WotC’s recent announcement of heavily decreased support for the format made me hesitant. I never really liked the format to begin with but always played it for the same reason George Mallory said he climbed Mt. Everest for: “Because it’s there.” In the end I just stuck to my guns and went with my (t)rusty Ad Nauseam. Here’s how my tournament went:
Round 1 — Grixis Death’s Shadow — 1:2 LOSS
Round 2 — Eltronzi — 2:1 WIN
Round 3 — Junk — 2:0 WIN
Round 4 — Living End — 2:1 WIN
Round 5 — Grixis Control — 1:2 LOSS
Round 6 — Merfolk — 2:0 WIN
Round 7 — Sun and Moon — 2:1 WIN
Round 8 — UWr Control — 2:0 WIN
Final Record: 6-2 for 15th out of 117 players
Funny enough, my only two losses came at the hand of the two cards I had previously identified as the two biggest problems for Ad Nauseam these days: a disruptive Death’s Shadow deck as well as Surgical Extraction in Grixis Control. Albeit I gotta admit I made a huge sideboarding blunder in the first round, keeping in Slaughter Pact after seeing both Death’s Shadow and Tasigur, the Golden Fang in game 2. Despite promptly drawing it in our final game, I came pretty close to overcoming my opponent throwing every discard and counterspell my way, but eventually fell a couple of mana short. It sucks to start off with a loss, but next to Infect and Eldrazi & Taxes, this felt like one of the worst matchups I could face.
In round 5 I was paired against Tômás Mår (of “Czech pile” fame) piloting the usual greed.dec he became known for in pretty much every format. Usually these decks are great matchups for Ad Nauseam as they’re pretty clunky, have no real clock and can’t rarely afford to tap out at the end of their opponent’s turn. You will still drop a game to them every once in a while, especially when you don’t have Leyline of Sanctity (which is how I lost game2) but overall should be able to comfortably overcome them. It also helps that quite often their only way to deal with a resolved Phyrexian Unlife is Cryptic Command, allowing you to Ad Nauseam and Spoils of the Vault much safer and freely. Accordingly, I managed to set up a board state in game3 where I had said Unlife in play and was sitting on 3 copies of Ad Nauseam, ready draw a counterspell at Tómâ’s end of turn, untap and follow up with even more Ad Nauseams (including Pact of Negation backup!). What could ever go wrong? This was pretty much the perfect hand, it would take an insane amount of countermagic to…..ah fuck, there’s Surgical Extraction. Remember what I said about the format having become harder for Ad Nauseam? My opponent countered my end-of-turn Ad Nauseam and with me tapped out tried to surgically extract it from my graveyard. At this point I had to just blow my Pact of Negation in order to stay in this game. Unfortunately for me, Tømåš was able to follow things up with a Cryptic Command bouncing my Phyrexian Unlife, killing me in the process since my life total was already well below zero from his previous attacks. In a way, Surgical Extraction acts like a 0 mana supplemental Cryptic Command with a locked-in second mode of “you probably win the game.” Not bad.
Round 6 saw me go up against a nice Merfolk player who however constantly reminded the two of us that he had won the Grand Modern Trial the day before and how unlucky he had gotten to only face bad matchups following his 2 Byes. That’s something I just can’t get behind. I already feel a bit ashamed whenever I’m complaining about bad matchups to my friends (after all, everyone complains about something at times), but complaining to strangers is something I actively try to avoid. You’ve only got one chance to make a first impression and I’d rather leave a good one. Like, I’m 99% sure my opponent in general probably isn’t super whiny, but that’s just the first impression he gave me and what I will remember him for next time I see him. I’m perhaps reading way too much into this anyway, but I have a very distinct philosophy when it comes to complaining in competitive games: never complain about variance, complain about structure. Meaning if there’s something generally wrong, complain as much as you can in order to get it fixed; but don’t complain about variance unless the source of it is structural in nature, e.g. a powerful card with huge inherent variance or a weird tournament structure. If it is not, complaining about “random” variance itself is rather pointless.
Anyway. I win a couple more games and end up in Top16. The list itself felt strong, even though I wish we had a good way of fighting Surgical Extraction, like maybe Dispel, but probably rather something better like Relic of Progenitus even; Relic earns bonus points for also not using mana, countering Snapcaster Mages and replacing itself. However, I can’t really see myself cutting the two Spell Pierces for it, which performed incredibly well countering Blood Moons, Stony Silences, Liliana of the Veils, Chalice of the Voids and discard spells left and right.
After I collect my prize, Marius, Duc and I head to our favourite pizza place for dinner. Marius, after dropping out of Modern, has won Saturday’s Grand Legacy Trial, taking down Duc in the finals. (Duc, I don’t know how he does it. Every single time I watch him, he’s constantly punting horribly. But then I turn away, only to come back 4 matches he’s suddenly 4-1. In a way he’s like the Eurydice of Legacy.) Reuschel, Duc and I order one pizza each while Marius is a little hungrier:
Marius: “Two pizzas, one with..”
Waiter: “Just one pizza!”
Marius: “Just one pizza? But I want..”
Waiter: “Sorry, just one pizza.”
I’m still not sure what exactly happened there, but it looked like Marius’ order had encountered a critical error. After a couple more issues we eventually manage to reboot the waiter and Marius finds a temporary fix by ordering one pizza, immediately followed by another one. Checkmate, restaurant algorithm! After dinner we stop by some Indian corner store where we pick up a couple supplies just like we did the night before. Back then the place had already struck me as pretty sketchy since they didn’t have price labels for anything and my random bar of chocolate was 2.50 €. When Reuschel asks me about the price I jokingly tell him that it would probably be 5,- € today as the guy was likely just feeling out how high he could go with us. Little did I know that’s exactly what the store keeper was asking for today as he immediately sticks his five fingers into Reuschel’s face as he puts the chocolate on the counter. After we left the shop I tell Marius about it — who then instantly grabs Reuschel and turns around. Back at the shop Marius starts arguing with the guy, telling him his prices are usury and how he would call “la policia” if he didn’t take back the chocolate. The two of them have a short shouting match at the end of which the chocolate bar is actually taken back and eternal justice is restored to the animal kingdom or shit. Reuschel goes to bed without chocolate that night.
On a more tournament-specific note, special shout-outs go to Angelo Cadei, who made Modern S plinter Twin Swahili Twin great again!
Angelo Cadei – UWr Copy Cat – Top8 at MKM Milan Modern 2017
The obvious Swahili Saheeli combo aside, this deck is full of amazing synergies! Something I saw Angelo do was to über-Fact of Fiction his Jace, Architect of Thought by using Felidar Guardian to blink it. On another occasion he would activate the +1 twice in order to stop an otherwise lethal attack. Another tricky play that might not always be obvious is to blink your own Spreading Seas; if the opponent is tight on colored sources, this forces him to float mana for a potential removal spell as he otherwise wouldn’t be able to react to the resolution of Felidar Guardian‘s trigger, moving Spreading Seas to one of his untapped lands. Apart from that, you can always just Saheeli Rai or Felidar Guardian your own value-creatures like Snapcaster Mage or Wall of Omens to pull ahead in those long and grindy games Modern has always been known for…
I really love Angelo’s deck. And that’s coming from someone who always considered UWr control to be almost unplayable in Modern.
Sunday – Legacy Main Event
Finally it’s time for Legacy! For the main event I made a couple of changes as even though Italy is always full of Miracles, there’s usually even more Delver everywhere. And as much as I liked Winter Orb during my testing, I decided to revert back to the Artifact/Enchantment-less sideboard for the matchup as Wear/Tear is just |
slaves and moved them about in defiance of higher standards of slaveholder behavior.[134] A series of pamphlets known as the Coffin Handbills were published to attack Jackson, one of which revealed his order to execute soldiers at New Orleans.[105][135] Another accused him of engaging in cannibalism by eating the bodies of American Indians killed in battle,[136] while still another labeled his mother a "common prostitute" and stated that Jackson's father was a "mulatto man."
Rachel Jackson was also a frequent target of attacks, and was widely accused of bigamy, a reference to the controversial situation of her marriage with Jackson.[138] Jackson's campaigners fired back by claiming that while serving as Minister to Russia, Adams had procured a young girl to serve as a prostitute for Emperor Alexander I. They also stated that Adams had a billiard table in the White House and that he had charged the government for it.[139]
Rachel had been under extreme stress during the election, and often struggled while Jackson was away. She began experiencing significant physical stress during the election season. Jackson described her symptoms as "excruciating pain in the left shoulder, arm, and breast." After struggling for three days, Rachel finally died of a heart attack on December 22, 1828 three weeks after her husband's victory in the election (which began on October 31 and ended on December 2) and 10 weeks before Jackson took office as president. A distraught Jackson had to be pulled from her so the undertaker could prepare the body. He felt that the abuse from Adams's supporters had hastened her death and never forgave him. Rachel was buried at the Hermitage on Christmas Eve. "May God Almighty forgive her murderers," Jackson swore at her funeral. "I never can."
Presidency (1829–1837)
New York: Ritchie & Co. (1860) President Andrew JacksonNew York: Ritchie & Co. (1860)
Philosophy
Jackson's name has been associated with Jacksonian democracy or the shift and expansion of democracy with the passing of some political power from established elites to ordinary voters based in political parties. "The Age of Jackson" shaped the national agenda and American politics. Jackson's philosophy as president was similar to that of Jefferson, advocating Republican values held by the Revolutionary generation. Jackson took a moral tone, with the belief that agrarian sympathies, and a limited view of states rights and the federal government, would produce less corruption. He feared that monied and business interests would corrupt republican values. When South Carolina opposed the tariff law, he took a strong line in favor of nationalism and against secession.
Jackson believed in the ability of the people to "arrive at right conclusions." They had the right not only to elect but to "instruct their agents & representatives." Office holders should either obey the popular will or resign. He rejected the view of a powerful and independent Supreme Court with binding decisions, arguing that "the Congress, the Executive, and the Court must each or itself be guided by its own opinions of the Constitution." Jackson thought that Supreme Court justices should be made to stand for election, and believed in strict constructionism as the best way to insure democratic rule. He called for term limits on presidents and the abolition of the Electoral College.[149] Jackson "was far ahead of his times–and maybe even further than this country can ever achieve."
Inauguration
Jackson departed from the Hermitage on January 19 and arrived in Washington on February 11. He then set about choosing his cabinet members. Jackson chose Van Buren as expected for Secretary of State, Eaton of Tennessee as Secretary of War, Samuel D. Ingham of Pennsylvania as Secretary of Treasury, John Branch of North Carolina as Secretary of Navy, John M. Berrien of Georgia as Attorney General, and William T. Barry of Kentucky as Postmaster General. Jackson's first choice of cabinet proved to be unsuccessful, full of bitter partisanship and gossip. Jackson blamed Adams in part for what was said about Rachel during the campaign, and refused to meet him after arriving in Washington. Therefore, Adams chose not to attend the inauguration.
On March 4, 1829, Andrew Jackson became the first United States president-elect to take the oath of office on the East Portico of the U.S. Capitol.[154] In his inaugural speech, Jackson promised to respect the sovereign powers of states and the constitutional limits of the presidency. He also promised to pursue "reform" by removing power from "unfaithful or incompetent hands." At the conclusion of the ceremony, Jackson invited the public to the White House, where his supporters held a raucous party. Thousands of spectators overwhelmed the White House staff, and minor damage was caused to fixtures and furnishings. Jackson's populism earned him the nickname "King Mob."
Petticoat affair
Jackson devoted a considerable amount of his presidential time during his early years in office responding to what came to be known as the "Petticoat affair" or "Eaton affair." Washington gossip circulated among Jackson's cabinet members and their wives, including Calhoun's wife Floride Calhoun, concerning Secretary of War Eaton and his wife Peggy Eaton. Salacious rumors held that Peggy, as a barmaid in her father's tavern, had been sexually promiscuous or had even been a prostitute. Controversy also ensued because Peggy had married soon after her previous husband's death, and it was alleged that she and her husband had engaged in an adulterous affair while her previous husband was still living. Petticoat politics emerged when the wives of cabinet members, led by Mrs. Calhoun, refused to socialize with the Eatons. Allowing a prostitute in the official family was unthinkable—but Jackson refused to believe the rumors, telling his Cabinet that "She is as chaste as a virgin!" Jackson believed that the dishonorable people were the rumormongers, who in essence questioned and dishonored Jackson himself by, in attempting to drive the Eatons out, daring to tell him who he could and could not have in his cabinet. Jackson was also reminded of the attacks that were made against his wife. These memories increased his dedication to defending Peggy Eaton.
Meanwhile, the cabinet wives insisted that the interests and honor of all American women was at stake. They believed a responsible woman should never accord a man sexual favors without the assurance that went with marriage. A woman who broke that code was dishonorable and unacceptable. Historian Daniel Walker Howe notes that this was the feminist spirit that in the next decade shaped the woman's rights movement. Secretary of State Martin Van Buren, a widower, was already forming a coalition against Calhoun. He could now see his main chance to strike hard; he took the side of Jackson and Eaton.
In the spring of 1831, Jackson, at Van Buren's suggestion, demanded the resignations of all the cabinet members except Barry. Van Buren himself resigned to avoid the appearance of bias. In 1832, Jackson nominated Van Buren to be Minister to Great Britain. Calhoun blocked the nomination with a tie-breaking vote against it, claiming the defeated nomination would "... kill [Van Buren], sir, kill dead. He will never kick, sir, never kick." Van Buren continued to serve as an important adviser to Jackson and was placed on the ticket for vice president in the 1832 election, making him Jackson's heir-apparent.[126] The Petticoat affair led to the development of the Kitchen Cabinet. The Kitchen Cabinet emerged as an unofficial group of advisors to the president. Its existence was partially rooted in Jackson's difficulties with his official cabinet, even after the purging.
Indian removal policy
Throughout his eight years in office, Jackson made about 70 treaties with Native American tribes both in the South and the Northwest. Jackson's presidency marked a new era in Indian-Anglo American relations initiating a policy of Indian removal. Jackson himself sometimes participated in the treaty negotiating process with various Indian tribes, though other times he left the negotiations to his subordinates. The southern tribes included the Choctaw, Creek, Chickasaw, Seminole and the Cherokee. The northwest tribes include the Chippewa, Ottawa, and the Potawatomi.
Relations between Indians and Americans increasingly grew tense and sometimes violent as a result of territorial conflicts. Previous presidents had at times supported removal or attempts to "civilize" the Indians, but generally let the problem play itself out with minimal intervention. There had developed a growing popular and political movement to deal with the issue, and out of this policy to relocate certain Indian populations. Jackson, never known for timidity, became an advocate for this relocation policy in what many historians consider the most controversial aspect of his presidency.
In his First Annual Message to Congress, Jackson advocated land west of the Mississippi River be set aside for Indian tribes. On May 26, 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act, which Jackson signed into law two days later. The Act authorized the president to negotiate treaties to buy tribal lands in the east in exchange for lands farther west, outside of existing state borders. The act specifically pertained to the Five Civilized Tribes in the South, the conditions being that they could either move west or stay and obey state law, effectively relinquishing their sovereignty.
Portrait of Jackson by Earl, 1830
Jackson, Eaton, and General Coffee negotiated with the Chickasaw, who quickly agreed to move. Jackson put Eaton and Coffee in charge of negotiating with the Choctaw. Lacking Jackson's skills at negotiation, they frequently bribed the chiefs in order to gain their submission. The tactics worked, and the chiefs agreed to move. The removal of the Choctaw took place in the winter of 1831 and 1832, and was wrought with misery and suffering. The Seminole, despite the signing of the Treaty of Payne's Landing in 1832, refused to move. In December 1835, this dispute began the Second Seminole War. The war lasted over six years, finally ending in 1842. Members of the Creek Nation had signed the Treaty of Cusseta in 1832, allowing the Creek to either sell or retain their land.[170] Conflict later erupted between the Creek who remained and the white settlers, leading to a second Creek War. A common complaint amongst the tribes was that the men who had signed the treaties did not represent the whole tribe.
The state of Georgia became involved in a contentious dispute with the Cherokee, culminating in the 1832 Supreme Court decision in Worcester v. Georgia. Chief Justice John Marshall, writing for the court, ruled that Georgia could not forbid whites from entering tribal lands, as it had attempted to do with two missionaries supposedly stirring up resistance amongst the tribespeople. Jackson is frequently attributed the following response: "John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it." The quote, apparently indicating Jackson's dismissive view of the courts, was attributed to Jackson by Horace Greeley, who cited as his source Representative George N. Briggs. Remini argues that Jackson did not say it because, while it "certainly sounds like Jackson...[t]here was nothing for him to enforce." This is because a writ of habeas corpus had never been issued for the missionaries. The Court also did not ask federal marshals to carry out the decision, as had become standard.
A group of Cherokees led by John Ridge negotiated the Treaty of New Echota. Ridge was not a widely recognized leader of the Cherokee, and this document was rejected by some as illegitimate.[175] Another faction, led by John Ross, unsuccessfully petitioned to protest the proposed removal.[176] The Cherokee largely considered themselves independent, and not subject to the laws of the United States or Georgia. The treaty was enforced by Jackson's successor, Van Buren. Subsequently, as many as 4,000 out of 18,000 Cherokees died on the "Trail of Tears" in 1838. More than 45,000 American Indians were relocated to the West during Jackson's administration, though a few Cherokees walked back afterwards or migrated to the high Smoky Mountains.[179] The Black Hawk War took place during Jackson's presidency in 1832 after a group of Indians crossed into U.S. territory.
Reforms, rotation of offices, and spoils system
In an effort to purge the government of corruption, Jackson launched presidential investigations into all executive Cabinet offices and departments. He believed appointees should be hired on merit and withdrew many candidates he believed were lax in their handling of monies. He asked Congress to reform embezzlement laws, reduce fraudulent applications for federal pensions, revenue laws to prevent evasion of custom duties, and laws to improve government accounting. Jackson's Postmaster General Barry resigned after a Congressional investigation into the postal service revealed mismanagement of mail services, collusion and favoritism in awarding lucrative contracts, as well as failure to audit accounts and supervise contract performances. Jackson replaced Barry with Treasury Auditor and prominent Kitchen Cabinet member Amos Kendall, who went on to implement much needed reforms in the Post Office Department.
BEP engraved portrait of Jackson as president
Jackson repeatedly called for the abolition of the Electoral College by constitutional amendment in his annual messages to Congress as president.[183][184] In his third annual message to Congress, he expressed the view "I have heretofore recommended amendments of the Federal Constitution giving the election of President and Vice-President to the people and limiting the service of the former to a single term. So important do I consider these changes in our fundamental law that I can not, in accordance with my sense of duty, omit to press them upon the consideration of a new Congress."[149]
Although he was unable to implement these goals, Jackson's time in office did see a variety of other reforms. He supported an act in July 1836 that enabled widows of Revolutionary War soldiers who met certain criteria to receive their husband's pensions. In 1836, Jackson established the ten-hour day in national shipyards.
Jackson enforced the Tenure of Office Act, signed by President Monroe in 1820, that limited appointed office tenure and authorized the president to remove and appoint political party associates. Jackson believed that a rotation in office was a democratic reform preventing hereditary officeholding and made civil service responsible to the popular will. Jackson declared that rotation of appointments in political office was "a leading principle in the republican creed."[183] Jackson noted, "In a country where offices are created solely for the benefit of the people no one man has any more intrinsic right to official station than another." Jackson believed that rotating political appointments would prevent the development of a corrupt bureaucracy. The number of federal office holders removed by Jackson were exaggerated by his opponents; Jackson only rotated about 20% of federal office holders during his first term, some for dereliction of duty rather than political purposes. Jackson, nonetheless, used his presidential power to award loyal Democrats by granting them federal office appointments. Jackson's approach incorporated patriotism for country as qualification for holding office. Having appointed a soldier who had lost his leg fighting on the battlefield to postmaster, Jackson stated, "[i]f he lost his leg fighting for his country, that is... enough for me."
Jackson's theory regarding rotation of office generated what would later be called the spoils system. The political realities of Washington sometimes forced Jackson to make partisan appointments despite his personal reservations. Supervision of bureaus and departments whose operations were outside of Washington (such as the New York Customs House; the Postal Service; the Departments of Navy and War; and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, whose budget had increased enormously in the previous two decades) proved to be difficult. Remini claims that because "friendship, politics, and geography constituted the President's total criteria for appointments, most of his appointments were predictably substandard."
Nullification crisis
In 1828, Congress had approved the "Tariff of Abominations", which set the tariff at an historically high rate. Southern planters, who sold their cotton on the world market, strongly opposed this tariff, which they saw as favoring northern interests. The South now had to pay more for goods it did not produce locally; and other countries would have more difficulty affording southern cotton. The issue came to a head during Jackson's presidency, resulting in the Nullification Crisis, in which South Carolina threatened disunion.
The South Carolina Exposition and Protest of 1828, secretly written by Calhoun, asserted that their state had the right to "nullify"—declare void—the tariff legislation of 1828. Although Jackson sympathized with the South in the tariff debate, he also vigorously supported a strong union, with effective powers for the central government. Jackson attempted to face down Calhoun over the issue, which developed into a bitter rivalry between the two men. One incident came at the April 13, 1830, Jefferson Day dinner, involving after-dinner toasts. Robert Hayne began by toasting to "The Union of the States, and the Sovereignty of the States." Jackson then rose, and in a booming voice added "Our federal Union: It must be preserved!" – a clear challenge to Calhoun. Calhoun clarified his position by responding "The Union: Next to our Liberty, the most dear!"
In May 1830, Jackson discovered that Calhoun had asked President Monroe to censure Jackson for his invasion of Spanish Florida in 1818 while Calhoun was serving as Secretary of War. Calhoun's and Jackson's relationship deteriorated further. By February 1831, the break between Calhoun and Jackson was final. Responding to inaccurate press reports about the feud, Calhoun had published letters between him and Jackson detailing the conflict in the United States Telegraph. Jackson and Calhoun began an angry correspondence which lasted until Jackson stopped it in July.[126] The Telegraph, edited by Duff Green, initially supported Jackson. After it sided with Calhoun on nullification, Jackson needed a new organ for the administration. He enlisted the help of longtime supporter Francis Preston Blair, who in November 1830 established a newspaper known as the Washington Globe, which from then on served as the primary mouthpiece of the Democratic Party.
Jackson supported a revision to tariff rates known as the Tariff of 1832. It was designed to placate the nullifiers by lowering tariff rates. Written by Treasury Secretary Louis McLane, the bill lowered duties from 45% to 27%. In May, Representative John Quincy Adams introduced a slightly revised version of the bill, which Jackson accepted. It passed Congress on July 9 and was signed by the President on July 14. The bill ultimately failed to satisfy extremists on either side. On November 24, the South Carolina legislature officially nullified both the Tariff of 1832 and the Tariff of 1828.[198] In response, Jackson sent U.S. Navy warships to Charleston harbor, and threatened to hang any man who worked to support nullification or secession. On December 28, 1832, Calhoun resigned as vice president to become a U.S. Senator for South Carolina.[126] This was part of a strategy whereby Calhoun, with less than three months remaining on his vice presidential term, would replace Robert Y. Hayne in the Senate, who would then become governor. Hayne had often struggled to defend nullification on the floor of the Senate, especially against fierce criticism from Senator Daniel Webster of Massachusetts.
In December 1832, Jackson issued a resounding proclamation against the "nullifiers," stating that he considered "the power to annul a law of the United States, assumed by one State, incompatible with the existence of the Union, contradicted expressly by the letter of the Constitution, unauthorized by its spirit, inconsistent with every principle on which it was founded, and destructive of the great object for which it was formed." South Carolina, the President declared, stood on "the brink of insurrection and treason," and he appealed to the people of the state to reassert their allegiance to that Union for which their ancestors had fought. Jackson also denied the right of secession: "The Constitution... forms a government not a league... To say that any State may at pleasure secede from the Union is to say that the United States are not a nation."[201] Jackson tended to personalize the controversy, frequently characterizing nullification as a conspiracy between disappointed and bitter men whose ambitions had been thwarted.
Jackson asked Congress to pass a "Force Bill" explicitly authorizing the use of military force to enforce the tariff. It was introduced by Senator Felix Grundy of Tennessee, and was quickly attacked by Calhoun as "military despotism." At the same time, Calhoun and Clay began to work on a new compromise tariff. A bill sponsored by the administration had been introduced by Representative Gulian C. Verplanck of New York, but it lowered rates more sharply than Clay and other protectionists desired. Clay managed to get Calhoun to agree to a bill with higher rates in exchange for Clay's opposition to Jackson's military threats and, perhaps, with the hope that he could win some Southern votes in his next bid for the presidency. The Compromise Tariff passed on March 1, 1833. The Force Bill passed the same day. Calhoun, Clay, and several others marched out of the chamber in opposition, with the only dissenting vote coming from John Tyler of Virginia. The new tariff was opposed by Webster, who argued that it essentially surrendered to South Carolina's demands. Jackson, despite his anger over the scrapping of the Verplanck bill and the new alliance between Clay and Calhoun, saw it as an efficient way to end the crisis. He signed both bills on March 2, starting with the Force Bill. The South Carolina Convention then met and rescinded its nullification ordinance, but in a final show of defiance, nullified the Force Bill. On May 1, Jackson wrote, "the tariff was only the pretext, and disunion and southern confederacy the real object. The next pretext will be the negro, or slavery question."
Foreign affairs
Addressing the subject of foreign affairs in his First Annual Address to Congress, Jackson declared it to be his "settled purpose to ask nothing that is not clearly right and to submit to nothing that is wrong."[183]
When Jackson took office, spoliation claims, or compensation demands for the capture of American ships and sailors, dating from the Napoleonic era, caused strained relations between the U.S. and French governments. The French Navy had captured and sent American ships to Spanish ports while holding their crews captive forcing them to labor without any charges or judicial rules. According to Secretary of State Martin Van Buren, relations between the U.S. and France were "hopeless." Jackson's Minister to France, William C. Rives, through diplomacy was able to convince the French government to sign a reparations treaty on July 4, 1831, that would award the U.S. ₣ 25,000,000 ($5,000,000) in damages.[210] The French government became delinquent in payment due to internal financial and political difficulties. The French king Louis Philippe I and his ministers blamed the French Chamber of Deputies. By 1834, the non-payment of reparations by the French government drew Jackson's ire and he became impatient. In his December 1834 State of the Union address, Jackson sternly reprimanded the French government for non-payment, stating the federal government was "wholly disappointed" by the French, and demanded Congress authorize trade reprisals against France. Feeling insulted by Jackson's words, the French people began pressuring their government not to pay the indemnity until Jackson had apologized for his remarks. In his December 1835 State of the Union Address, Jackson refused to apologize, stating he had a good opinion of the French people and his intentions were peaceful. Jackson described in lengthy and minute detail the history of events surrounding the treaty and his belief that the French government was purposely stalling payment. The French accepted Jackson's statements as sincere and in February 1836, reparations were paid.
In addition to France, the Jackson administration successfully settled spoliation claims with Denmark, Portugal, and Spain. Jackson's state department was active and successful at making trade agreements with Russia, Spain, Turkey, Great Britain, and Siam. Under the treaty of Great Britain, American trade was reopened in the West Indies. The trade agreement with Siam was America's first treaty between the United States and an Asiatic country. As a result, American exports increased 75% while imports increased 250%.
Jackson's attempt to purchase Texas from Mexico for $5,000,000 failed. The chargé d'affaires in Mexico, Colonel Anthony Butler, suggested that the U.S. take Texas over militarily, but Jackson refused. Butler was later replaced toward the end of Jackson's presidency. In 1835, the Texas Revolution began when pro-slavery American settlers in Texas fought the Mexican government for Texan independence. By May 1836, they had routed the Mexican military, establishing an independent Republic of Texas. The new Texas government legalized slavery and demanded recognition from President Jackson and annexation into the United States. Jackson was hesitant in recognizing Texas, unconvinced that the new republic could maintain independence from Mexico, and not wanting to make Texas an anti-slavery issue during the 1836 election. The strategy worked; the Democratic Party and national loyalties were held intact, and Van Buren was elected president. Jackson formally recognized the Republic of Texas, nominating Alcée Louis la Branche as chargé d'affaires on the last full day of his presidency, March 3, 1837.
Jackson failed in his efforts to open trade with China and Japan and was unsuccessful at thwarting Great Britain's presence and power in South America.
Bank veto and election of 1832
1832 election results
1833 Democratic cartoon shows Jackson destroying the "Devil's Bank"
The 1832 presidential election demonstrated the rapid development and organization of political parties during this time period. The Democratic Party's first national convention, held in Baltimore, nominated Jackson's choice for vice president, Van Buren. The National Republican Party, who had held their first convention in Baltimore earlier in December 1831, nominated Henry Clay, now a senator from Kentucky, and John Sergeant of Pennsylvania. The Anti-Masonic Party emerged by capitalizing on opposition to Freemasonry, which existed primarily in New England, after the disappearance and possible murder of William Morgan. The party, which had earlier held its convention also in Baltimore in September 1831, nominated William Wirt of Maryland and Amos Ellmaker of Pennsylvania. Clay was, like Jackson, a Mason, and so some anti-Jacksonians who would have supported the National Republican Party supported Wirt instead.
In 1816, the Second Bank of the United States was chartered by President James Madison to restore the United States economy devastated by the War of 1812. Monroe had appointed Nicholas Biddle as the Bank's executive. Jackson believed that the Bank was a fundamentally corrupt monopoly. Its stock was mostly held by foreigners, he insisted, and it exerted an unfair amount of control over the political system. Jackson used the issue to promote his democratic values, believing the Bank was being run exclusively for the wealthy. Jackson stated the Bank made "the rich richer and the potent more powerful." He accused it of making loans with the intent of influencing elections. In his address to Congress in 1830, Jackson called for a substitute for the Bank that would have no private stockholders and no ability to lend or purchase land. Its only power would be to issue bills of exchange. The address touched off fiery debate in the Senate. Thomas Hart Benton, now a strong supporter of the President despite the brawl years earlier, gave a speech strongly denouncing the Bank and calling for open debate on its recharter. Webster led a motion to narrowly defeat the resolution. Shortly afterward, the Globe announced that Jackson would stand for reelection.
Despite his misgivings about the Bank, he supported a plan proposed in late 1831 by his moderately pro-Bank Treasury Secretary Louis McLane, who was secretly working with Biddle, to recharter a reformed version of the Bank in a way that would free up funds which would in turn be used to strengthen the military or pay off the nation's debt. This would be done, in part, through the sale of government stock in the Bank. Over the objections of Attorney General Roger B. Taney, an irreconcilable opponent of the Bank, Jackson allowed McLane to publish a Treasury Report which essentially recommended rechartering the Bank.
Clay hoped to make the Bank an issue in the election, so as to accuse Jackson of going beyond his powers if he vetoed a recharter bill. He and Webster urged Biddle to immediately apply for recharter rather than wait to reach a compromise with the administration. Biddle received advice to the contrary from moderate Democrats such as McLane and William Lewis, who argued that Biddle should wait because Jackson would likely veto the recharter bill. On January 6, 1832 Biddle submitted to Congress a renewal of the Bank's charter without any of the proposed reforms. The submission came four years before the original 20-year charter was to end. Biddle's recharter bill passed the Senate on June 11 and the House on July 3, 1832. Jackson determined to veto it. Many moderate Democrats, including McLane, were appalled by the perceived arrogance of the bill and supported his decision. When Van Buren met Jackson on July 4, Jackson declared, "The Bank, Mr. Van Buren, is trying to kill me. But I will kill it." Jackson officially vetoed the bill on July 10. The veto message was crafted primarily by Taney, Kendall, and Jackson's nephew and advisor Andrew Jackson Donelson. It attacked the Bank as an agent of inequality that supported only the wealthy. The veto was considered "one of the strongest and most controversial" presidential statements and "a brilliant political manifesto." The National Republican Party immediately made Jackson's veto of the Bank a political issue. Jackson's political opponents castigated the veto as "the very slang of the leveller and demagogue," claiming Jackson was using class warfare to gain support from the common man.
At Biddle's direction, the Bank poured thousands of dollars into a campaign to defeat Jackson, seemingly confirming Jackson's view that it interfered in the political process. On July 21, Clay said privately, "The campaign is over, and I think we have won the victory." Jackson successfully portrayed his veto as a defense of the common man against governmental tyranny. Clay proved to be no match for Jackson's ability to resonate with the people and the Democratic Party's strong political networks. Democratic newspapers, parades, barbecues, and rallies increased Jackson's popularity. Jackson himself made numerous public appearances on his return trip from Tennessee to Washington, D.C. Jackson won the election by a landslide, receiving 54 percent of the popular vote and 219 electoral votes. Clay received 37 percent of the popular vote and 49 electoral votes. Wirt received only eight percent of the popular vote and seven electoral votes while the Anti-Masonic Party eventually declined. Jackson believed the solid victory was a popular mandate for his veto of the Bank's recharter and his continued warfare on the Bank's control over the national economy.
Removal of deposits and censure
In 1833, Jackson attempted to begin removing federal deposits from the bank, whose money-lending functions were taken over by the legions of local and state banks that materialized across America, thus drastically increasing credit and speculation. Jackson's moves were greatly controversial. He removed McLane from the Treasury Department, having him serve instead as Secretary of State, replacing Edward Livingston. He replaced McLane with William J. Duane. In September, he fired Duane for refusing to remove the deposits. Signalling his intent to continue battling the Bank, he replaced Duane with Taney. Under Taney, the deposits began to be removed. They were placed in a variety of state banks which were friendly to the administration's policies, known to critics as pet banks. Biddle responded by stockpiling the Bank's reserves and contracting credit, thus causing interest rates to rise and bringing about a financial panic. The moves were intended to force Jackson into a compromise. "Nothing but the evidence of suffering abroad will produce any effect in Congress," he wrote. At first, Biddle's strategy was successful, putting enormous pressure on Jackson. But Jackson handled the situation well. When people came to him complaining, he referred them to Biddle, saying that he was the man who had "all the money." Jackson's approach worked. Biddle's strategy backfired, increasing anti-Bank sentiment.[240]
In 1834, those who disagreed with Jackson's expansion of executive power united and formed the Whig Party, calling Jackson "King Andrew I," and named their party after the English Whigs who opposed seventeenth century British monarchy. A movement emerged among Whigs in the Senate to censure Jackson. The censure was a political maneuver spearheaded by Clay, which served only to perpetuate the animosity between him and Jackson.[243] Jackson called Clay "reckless and as full of fury as a drunken man in a brothel." On March 28, the Senate voted to censure Jackson 26–20.[245] It also rejected Taney as Treasury Secretary. The House however, led by Ways and Means Committee chairman James K. Polk, declared on April 4 that the Bank "ought not to be rechartered" and that the depositions "ought not to be restored." It voted to continue allowing pet banks to be places of deposit and voted even more overwhelmingly to investigate whether the Bank had deliberately instigated the panic. Jackson called the passage of these resolutions a "glorious triumph." It essentially sealed the Bank's demise. The Democrats later suffered a temporary setback. Polk ran for Speaker of the House to replace Andrew Stevenson. After Southerners discovered his connection to Van Buren, he was defeated by fellow-Tennessean John Bell, a Democrat-turned-Whig who opposed Jackson's removal policy.
Payment of US national debt
The national economy following the withdrawal of the remaining funds from the Bank was booming and the federal government through duty revenues and sale of public lands was able to pay all bills.
On January 1, 1835, Jackson paid off the entire national debt, the only time in U.S. history that has been accomplished.[249][250] The objective had been reached in part through Jackson's reforms aimed at eliminating the misuse of funds and through his vetoes of legislation had he deemed extravagant. In December 1835, Polk defeated Bell in a rematch and was elected Speaker. Finally, on January 16, 1837, when the Jacksonians had a majority in the Senate, the censure was expunged after years of effort by Jackson supporters.[243] The expunction movement was led ironically by Benton.[253]
In 1836, in response to increased land speculation, Jackson issued the Specie Circular, an executive order that required buyers of government lands to pay in "specie" (gold or silver coins). The result was high demand for specie, which many banks could not meet in exchange for their notes, contributing to the Panic of 1837. The White House Van Buren biography notes, "Basically the trouble was the 19th-century cyclical economy of 'boom and bust,' which was following its regular pattern, but Jackson's financial measures contributed to the crash. His destruction of the Second Bank of the United States had removed restrictions upon the inflationary practices of some state banks; wild speculation in lands, based on easy bank credit, had swept the West. To end this speculation, Jackson in 1836 had issued a Specie Circular..."[255]
Attack and assassination attempt
The first recorded physical attack on a U.S. president was directed at Jackson. He had ordered the dismissal of Robert B. Randolph from the navy for embezzlement. On May 6, 1833, Jackson sailed on USS Cygnet to Fredericksburg, Virginia, where he was to lay the cornerstone on a monument near the grave of Mary Ball Washington, George Washington's mother. During a stopover near Alexandria, Randolph appeared and struck the President. He fled the scene chased by several members of Jackson's party, including the writer Washington Irving. Jackson declined to press charges.
On January 30, 1835, what is believed to be the first attempt to kill a sitting president of the United States occurred just outside the United States Capitol. When Jackson was leaving through the East Portico after the funeral of South Carolina Representative Warren R. Davis, Richard Lawrence, an unemployed house painter from England, aimed a pistol at Jackson, which misfired. Lawrence then pulled out a second pistol, which also misfired. Historians believe the humid weather contributed to the double misfiring.[256] Jackson, infuriated, attacked Lawrence with his cane. Others present, including Davy Crockett, restrained and disarmed Lawrence.[257]
Lawrence offered a variety of explanations for the shooting. He blamed Jackson for the loss of his job. He claimed that with the President dead, "money would be more plenty," (a reference to Jackson's struggle with the Bank of the United States) and that he "could not rise until the President fell." Finally, Lawrence told his interrogators that he was a deposed English king—specifically, Richard III, dead since 1485—and that Jackson was his clerk. He was deemed insane and was institutionalized.
Afterwards, the pistols were tested and retested. Each time they performed perfectly. Many believed that Jackson had been protected by the same Providence that also protected their young nation. The incident became a part of Jacksonian mythos. Jackson initially suspected that a number of his political enemies might have orchestrated the attempt on his life. His suspicions were never proven.
Anti-slavery tracts
During the summer of 1835, Northern abolitionists began sending anti-slavery tracts through the postal system into the South. Pro-slavery Southerners demanded that the postal service ban distribution of the materials, which were deemed "incendiary," and some began to riot. Jackson wanted sectional peace, and desired to placate Southerners ahead of the 1836 election. He fiercely disliked the abolitionists, whom he believed were, by instituting sectional jealousies, attempting to destroy the Union. Jackson also did not want to condone open insurrection. He supported the solution of Postmaster General Amos Kendall, which gave Southern postmasters discretionary powers to either send or detain the anti-slavery tracts. That December, Jackson called on Congress to prohibit the circulation through the South of "incendiary publications intended to instigate the slaves to insurrection."
U.S. Exploring Expedition
USS Porpoise, a brig ship laid down in 1835 and launched in May 1836; used in the U.S. Exploring Expedition
Jackson initially opposed any federal exploratory scientific expeditions during his first term in office. The last scientific federally funded expeditions took place from 1817 to 1823, led by Stephen H. Harriman on the Red River of the North. Jackson's predecessor, President Adams, attempted to launch a scientific oceanic exploration in 1828, but Congress was unwilling to fund the effort. When Jackson assumed office in 1829 he pocketed Adams' expedition plans. Eventually, wanting to establish his presidential legacy, similar to Jefferson and the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Jackson sponsored scientific exploration during his second term. On May 18, 183 |
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"Would I have preferred to see someone like Elizabeth Warren selected by Secretary Clinton? Yes, I would have," Sanders told moderator Chuck Todd during an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday.
The Vermont senator said Kaine has views that are "more conservative" than his, which he has described as democratic socialist.
Warren, who was elected in 2012, has made a name for herself as a progressive focused on reining in big banks and Wall Street, areas Sanders focused on during his campaign.
But Sanders' campaign manager Jeff Weaver diverged a bit from his boss's assessment of Kaine.
"If people wanted a sort of more overtly progressive candidate — I certainly appreciate that," Weaver told MSNBC "AM Joy" host Joy Reid on Sunday. "I live in Virginia. I voted for Tim Kaine in the past. He's my senator. You know, his politics seem to be animated a little bit by his Catholic faith, and I sort of appreciate that. And hopefully, as he finds his way as the vice president, he'll be more animated by that part of his experience."
Sanders endorsed Clinton last month but has yet to drop out of the race for the nomination despite not having the number of delegates and superdelegates necessary to secure a win.
Sanders admitted "there are a lot of reasons why one loses," but he did not blame the Democratic National Committee, even after emails leaked by WikiLeaks on Friday indicate the party was more supportive of Clinton's campaign than his.
He said no one has personally apologized to him in the wake of the scandal.It seems the witch hunt will be postponed. Apparently some of the glaring flaws that the drone community pointed out about the FAA’s proposed public drone sightings website proposal may have (finally) become apparent to them – the FAA has withdrawn their Office of Management and Budget request for notice and comments on the project.
Saying that the document “contained errors, and needs further clarification,” the FAA filed an official notice to withdraw the agency’s “Notice to collect information to process and report Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) airborne and ground based observations by the public of drone behavior that they consider suspicious or illegal.”
The proposed website would have made it possible for anyone in the public to report a drone that they considered suspicious. The proposal was widely criticized, with many in the drone industry questioning the validity of publicly sourced data, and voicing concerns about the potential harassment of legitimate drone operators.
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
Email Miriam
TWITTER:@spaldingbarker Subscribe to DroneLife here.Please feel free to leave feedback in this thread regarding Sejuani or any related bugs you encounter. Your feedback here will influence the changes we make, as well as aiding us in our future champion Relaunches.
In her Relaunch, Sejuani has a bunch of changes blowing in her direction. Gone are the days of the bikini, and here a much more battleborn and badass Sejuani rides! Expect to see this new approach in her updated model, and in all her new animations, particles, sounds, and VO! All of Sejuani and Bristle's skins will see this fierce upgrade as well. Meddler has also given her kit some love and attention, to help give her kit some higher impact.
We're looking forward to see your reception as we ride out!
For more information on these changes, or to gain insight into why we did this, please see this thread: [pending]"On the night of April 2, the Armenian-Azerbaijani line of contact around the separatist region of Karabakh erupted in the worst violence for two decades until a tenuous ceasefire ended hostilities three days later. What is notable about the brief violent conflict is that both sides used Russian-made weaponry, as Moscow pursues a policy of “parity” in arming Armenia and Azerbaijan—which makes neither Yerevan nor Baku happy. The two South Caucasus rivals each seek new armament shipments, but both are facing growing inability to pay for them.
The ongoing conflict between the two republics began in 1988, three years before the collapse of the Soviet Union, when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts, resulting in a so-called “frozen conflict” that endures to the present day. As the recent confrontation shows, the possibility of future violence remains present, and both sides are seeking tactical advantage on any future battlefield by securing advanced Russian weaponry. Up to the present time, Azerbaijan’s oil revenues have allowed it to outspend its rival, Armenia, by a significant amount to buy advanced Russian weaponry.
Last week (April 9), Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev visited both Yerevan and Baku in a shuttle diplomacy effort to reduce the tensions over Karabakh. While serving as president (2008–2012), Medvedev had repeatedly met with his counterparts from Armenia and Azerbaijan to discuss issues of the Karabakh conflict settlement. This time, however, Medvedev was evidently welcomed more warmly in Baku than in Yerevan (Vestniik Kavkaza, April 9).
The weaponry Azerbaijan has been purchasing from Russia played a key role in the recent military confrontation with Armenia. According to Yerevan, Azerbaijani forces deployed to the front line a number of Russian weapons systems, including TOS-1A 220-milimeter multiple rocket launcher and thermobaric flamethrower weapon systems mounted on a T-72 tank chassis as well as Smerch BM-30 heavy multiple rocket launchers (ArmeniaNow, April 8). According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s Arms Transfers Database, as of 2015, Armenia had not received either weapons system from Russia. This would give Azerbaijan significant battlefield tactical advantage as both systems can lay down concentrated heavy rocket fire (Sipri.org, accessed April 11).
Nor are the TOS-1A and Smerch BM-30 systems the only advanced Russian arms purchased by Azerbaijan. Between 2010 and 2014, Baku bought Russian weaponry estimated at $4 billion; beyond the two aforementioned systems, Azerbaijani purchases included two batteries of S-300PMU-2 anti-aircraft missiles, several Tor-2ME antiaircraft missile batteries, roughly a hundred combat and transport helicopters, at least 100 T-90S tanks, 100 BMP-3 armored personnel carriers and 18 MSTA-S self-propelled artillery (Kommersant, April 3). Should Azerbaijan deploy its full panoply of Russian armaments in any future conflict with Armenia, its antiaircraft batteries and helicopter capabilities would likely ensure air superiority while its T-90 brigades and artillery would probably dominate the tactical battlefield.
One problem common to Armenia and more recently Azerbaijan has been how to pay for their Russian armaments imports. In March, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitri Rogozin, who oversees defense industry issues, made an unannounced trip to Baku. Both Russian and Azerbaijani press outlets cited unnamed sources who alleged that Rogozin’s visit was intended to sort out Azerbaijan’s failure to pay for some of its armament purchases. But dismissing these reports, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said the purpose of Rogozin’s visit was to iron out issues surrounding the technical specifications of the weapons deliveries, unrelated to the financial crisis the country is suffering as a result of falling oil prices (Haqqin.az, March 18).
Despite its massive arms purchases over the previous half decade, Azerbaijan is now concerned that the recently announced Russian arms sales to Armenia (see EDM, March 18) could diminish the current and expensive quantitative edge Baku had acquired. On February 18, Yerevan received a $200 million loan from Moscow specifically to purchase Russian armaments. Included in the order were not only TOS-1A and Smerch BM-30 weapons systems, previously purchased by Azerbaijan, but also Igla-S surface-to-air man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS), 9M113 wire-guided anti-tank missiles, RPG-26 grenade launchers, Dragunov sniper rifles, armored vehicles, and Tigr all-terrain infantry mobility vehicles. Cumulatively, this purchase could largely negate Azerbaijan’s previous tactical aerial and armor battlefield superiority derived from years of Baku’s massive Russian armaments purchases (Kommersant, March 18).
The week after the Armenian-Russian agreement was signed, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs lodged a formal protest to Moscow regarding the loan, prompting Armenian Defense Ministry spokesman Artsrun Hovhannisyan to comment, “[Azerbaijan’s protest] is simply ridiculous, given Baku’s $4 billion arms deal with Russia, which is 20 times as much as the loan provided to Armenia for the same purposes.” Hovhannisyan claimed that while Azerbaijan has numerical advantage over Armenia when it comes to particular types of weapons, “this advantage has never been critical in terms of the aggregate coefficient,” further noting that earlier Moscow had provided the Armenian government with all the necessary guarantees that Russian arms supplies to Azerbaijan would not affect the regional balance of power (Verelq.am, March 3).
For 22 years, a definitive settlement of the Karabakh dispute has eluded negotiators, and the recent flare-up of hostilities proves that any temporary peace remains tenuous at best. Russia regularly asserts that its supply of yet more weaponry to the two South Caucasus rivals will produce parity in the conflict. But such cynicism aside, the underlying logic of allowing Armenia to buy MANPADS and antitank weapons will, in fact, likely negate Azerbaijan’s tactical military superiority on the battlefield, perhaps leading both of these post-Soviet republics to serious negotiations, as neither will have the military capacity to score a knockout blow. For now, in the absence of serious negotiations, it is hard not to see such armament sales as anything more than a Kremlin attempt to increase its political influence in the region. But in the interim, such sales threaten to bankrupt the defense ministries of both South Caucasus countries.People who can’t afford cars or don’t want to use them are also deserving citizens. For example, children should have priority in a city too. They should be able to walk and bike to school and around their neighbourhoodsin safety. Their parents shouldn’t have to fear that their child might get hit by a car while engaging in this normal, healthy, social activity. Teenagers, as well, should be able to get to work or socialize independently of their parents. They shouldn’t have to rely on mom or dad simply because it is too unsafe to reach their destination except by car or too time consuming to reach it by public transit.
The trouble with Guelph is that, like so many cities, it subscribes to zoning laws that are designed around the car. Because the city is divided into sections depending on specific uses, citizens are forced to work in one part of the city, play in another, shop in another, and meet medical needs in yet part of the city. Add unprotected bike lanes on to that, and it seems pretty obvious to me as to why there aren’t a whole lot of people embracing cycling as their primary mode of transportation.
All is not lost, though. Despite the odds, Guelph really isn’t a bad city to cycle in. I find it fairly safe, especially since I figured out how to get around on mostly quiet roads and bike lanes. I find motorists, for the most part, are used to cyclists and give me a wide enough berth. And of course, where I do find it intimidating to ride, such as riding down Edinburgh or Victoria Road (busy streets in my town), there is always the sidewalk—shhhh, don’t tell the police! Furthermore, because of our large, active, and socially aware university student population, I’m not alone cycling on the roads.
And Guelph is working towards becoming more bicycle friendly. Our city council has approved a Cycling Master Plan that should continue to connect Guelph via a broad range of on and off road bicycle lanes throughout the city. It has already installed a separated multi-use path along the busy Woodlawn Road. In order for an 8 year old child or a 70 year old grandmother to take to the bike lanes, however, we will have to have either more protected bike lanes, or slower speed limits for cars. Let’s hope that the city stays on target and proves that it is committed to the idea that cycling is a viable form of public transportation.
Will this happen? I don’t know. But for me, this biking adventure has really opened my eyes to the transportation difficulties of those who don’t drive. It has made me more socially aware. I’m glad to say that bike riding and walking have irrevocably changed my view of how cities should serve their residents. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to run another errand on my bicycle.
(Top photo by Adam Coppola photography)Nike Dresses The Air Max 97 “Silver Bullet” In Swarovski Crystals
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Nike kicked off the big 20th Anniversary celebration of the Air Max 97’s legacy with an epic, over-the-top, $400 priced release that featured Swarovski crystals embedded into the upper of the shoe. That was one helluva way to make a statement as it blended the sport heritage of the 97 with the glitz and glamour of luxurious Swarovski crystals. It appears that Nike is teaming up with Austrian company once again, but this time on the original “Silver Bullet” colorway for a September 7th release. The Nike Air Max 97 LX “Silver Bullet” will release at select Nike Sportswear retailers and will likely retail for $400.
Nike Air Max 97 LX
Release Date: September 7th, 2017
$400US at Bottom of G8 Emissions Reduction/Climate Change Action Rankings
The US ranks next to last among G8 member countries when it comes to cutting greenhouse gas emissions and paving the way toward a clean energy economy, according to a World Wildlife Fund-Allianz SE study released July 1.
US greenhouse emissions have risen by almost 15% since 1990–the base reference year used in the voluntary CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets built into the UN Kyoto Protocol global climate change agreement–the main reason why the US ranks as low as it does among its peer group of developed, industrialized nations, according to the G8 Climate Scorecard.
Urging Action
“For too long, the U.S. has resisted action while other nations have begun the transition to a clean energy economy. Other nations have dramatically cut greenhouse gas pollution, set national targets, ramped up investments in energy technology and set regulatory frameworks to spark innovation in key sectors. And now other countries dominate markets in sustainable energy and technology,” WWF president and CEO Carter Roberts stated in a media release.
Some Congressional representatives opposing the American Clean Energy & Security Act of 2009, which cleared the House of Representatives by a narrow margin last week demanded that other countries “first step up to the plate,” Roberts noted.
“The truth is that not only has much of the rest of the world already been at the plate, they’re several innings into the game and we’re only now emerging from the dugout.”
He urged senators to take up and pass the ACES forward for Pres. Obama’s signing in time to prepare for the upcoming UN climate change agreement negotiations in Copenhagen this December.
“It is time for the U.S. to get into the game and make up for lost time. Passage of the American Clean Energy and Security Act by the House on Friday took us a big step forward. We need the Senate to pass the bill, get it to the President before Copenhagen and give us the means to challenge other countries to work with us in solving this global problem,” Roberts said.
G8 Climate Scorecard
Using a variety of metrics, the study assesses and ranks the policies of G8 countries, including reduction or growth of greenhouse gas emissions since 1990, the percentage of a country’s energy portfolio derived from renewable sources, and investments in clean energy technology.
No G8 member’s efforts were sufficient to rank in the report’s “Good” category. Ranking ahead of Canada and behind Russia, the next-to-last-place finish is actually a step up for the US, which has consistently ranked last in these annual reports, according to WWF. “Green” energy and economic stimulus included in federal emergency legislation late last year, a push in Congress to pass bills that would cut CO2 and GHG emissions reduction along with Pres. Obama’s stated efforts to foster a new low carbon/clean energy economy boosted the US up one place in the ranking.
Germany ranked first in the study, followed by the United Kingdom and France. All three have cut their greenhouse gas emissions to the point where they have already met the voluntary reductions they agreed to try to meet as per the Kyoto Protocol.
The WWF-Allianz SE G8 Climate Scorecard report is available here.If you ever decide to walk the length -- and at least part of the breadth -- of Grandview-Woodland and you do it on a winter's day, then it pays to start out with a hearty breakfast. You can get one of those, billed as a ''meat skillet'' and served in the cast iron pan in which it is cooked, which seems both manly and befittingly industrial, arising at the corner of Powell and Commercial, where Kessel&March operates its foodstore/eatery.
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Breakfast is served at the headwaters, so to speak, of Commercial Drive, the sinuous soul of Vancouver's east side and, it might be argued, one of the last hold-outs of class and conscience in a city gone mad with glass and nonsense.
Just a few short metres from my two baked eggs, ham, breakfast sausage, potatoes, baked beans, tomato, mushroom and toast is a chain link fence, several garbage cans, surveillance cameras and, on the other side of the fence, on the railway tracks, a rust-brown CN car bearing the emblem of La Commission Canadienne de Blé.
A river's job is to find its way to the sea. Commercial Drive, by contrast, flows up hill, away from the inlet to where the view is still grand but the land less wooded than when the railroad first made its way to Vancouver's shore. The port is all fenced off these days, and some of the near shore industry and chandlery has given way to huge storage lockers because apparently, in the modern economy, once we've offloaded all those goods that arrive from China in containers, our houses are no longer sufficient to accommodate the stuff we buy, so we pack it away back down near its port of entry. Self-storage is the fastest growing segment of the commercial real estate industry. Strange times.
Opposite Kessel&March on Powell is the stirring of an even newer economy, Tesla's Vancouver service centre, itself just metres away from a Hydro substation that hums the tune of a post fossil-fuel world. I've never seen a Tesla actually driven up Commercial Drive, mind you. The east side still inclines more to fixing things than to flashing them about.
Up aways on the corner of Franklin, at Storm Brewing Ltd., brewmaster James Walton is ''renovating'' though it is hard to separate what's new from what's, well, chaotic. Anyway, when an epidemic finally hits our shores, be sure to have some Black Plague Stout on hand. It might not stave off Ebola, but at 8.5 per cent alcohol by volume, drink enough of it and you won't care. Across the street, meanwhile, Sincerity Wholesale Ltd. seems to promise more than it can possibly deliver.
The first major tributary to intersect with Commercial Drive is Hastings Street. Look right to get your first glimpse of distant downtown -- and a foretaste of the eastward creep of developers like Millennium (of Olympic Village fame), who are offering up 82 units in a four-storey condominium development, Bohème, and promising ''a wonderful new neighbourhood of white brick residences, shops and restaurants in the heart of authentic Vancouver.'' I suppose if your idea of bohemianism is to live in a white brick condo on Hastings Street on the site of a previously ''authentic'' car lot, then plunking down a quarter of a million clams on a 500-square-foot box in ''Vancouver's Trendy East Village'' might be just the ticket. Fill your boots, and feed your inner gypsy.
The corner of Commercial and Hastings is also where the proletariat chariot, the No. 20 Victoria bus, turns south and begins its climb past Nick's Spaghetti House, which has fattened many an east side family for nigh on 60 years. In the parking lot a binner gives a friendly wave, while a woman with bright green hair (a real bohemian, perchance?) who lives upstairs between the NGE Convenience Store's 7UP sign and that of a happily revived York Theatre opens the door to admit a friend. Kitty-corner is the Adanac Towers -- at 12 storeys, one of the tallest buildings in the precinct, a modernist concrete tower built in the late 1970s and a precursor, perhaps, to a flood of incoming density. At three or four times the height of most apartment blocks in the area, you would think it would offend the skyscape, but just like the 12-storey Panorama Gardens up on Frances Street, its injury is more in its drab design than its brawn. Adanac Towers looks down on a stream of cyclists hithering and thithering crosstown on one of the east side's most popular bike routes, and it's here that the first of The Drive's S-bends curls up to meet Venables Street.
Just before The Drive straightens out, in the space of half a block, you can get a tattoo, a haircut, your computer repaired, stock up on medical marijuana and -- ''vibes! lubes!'' -- tool up at Womyn's Ware to apply some rotation to your sugar plum. Just around the corner, the delightfully named S&M Auto will rotate your tires, but John Le Van's rubber is strictly for the road. Opposite is Astorino's, the Red Velvet Room and the Ace of Suedes, all due for the chop if developer Daniel Boffo can get his 15-storey mixed-use tower approved, which will rehouse rather than displace the Kettle Friendship Society. Those 15 stories haven't thrilled local heritage advocates, but a well-designed development might just give a welcome fillip to the bottom end of The Drive.
'My kind of street'
It's on this corner that the first signs subscript Commercial Drive as The Drive -- as something more than just another city street. In an act of urbapomorphism, The Drive is assigned a personality, it being at the ''heart'' of Grandview-Woodland, according to the City of Vancouver, ''a collection of ethnic restaurants and food stores, coffee bars, clothing stores, and street activity (emphasis added)." In more plannerese, "The Drive is an eclectic high street with layers of rich history, a diverse array of independent shops and services, social and cultural facilities, and a thriving public life. In addition to its well-known commercial character, The Drive is also home to a number of apartments and other housing options (emphasis added)."
In 2011, Spacing magazine named Commercial Drive one of the top 10 public spaces in British Columbia. My friend Bruce Hill, veteran of Haight-Ashbury and a celebrated northern B.C. environmentalist, knows a thing or two about the best public spaces in the province and, on a recent visit to Vancouver, described The Drive much more lyrically than our city planners do: "What a raggedy-ass part of a street. You want diversity? Reminded me of the old Dr. Hook song, 'Freakers Ball.' Best people watching in Vancouver. My kind of street." Elsewhere, you can find comparisons that stretch as far as Greenwich Village or the Rive Gauche. Certainly, The Drive and its flanks form an ecosystem that is diverse, resilient and unique in Vancouver, and -- just as with ecosystems in the province as a whole -- under threat.
Stepping up from the corner of Venables onto The Drive proper, almost immediately I spy two of Vancouver's more Paleolithic personalities -- the opera's Charles Barber, and pseudo-socialist symphonist Bob Williams -- ''talking about funerals'' over meat and eggs and coffee at Zawa Restaurant. Specifically, they are celebrating the scholarship of the recently departed Ralph Maud, founder of Simon Fraser University's English Department and a particularly trenchant critic of ethnographer Franz Boas. Williams pauses long enough to comment on Vision Vancouver's win in the November civic elections. ''You hold your nose.''
Thedrive.ca says there are about 400 ''single location, owner operated'' stores between Venables and 13th Avenue. Like all ecosystems, The Drive's is mutable, in constant seasonal and economic flux. There is die off, as signalled by brown paper in the windows of Urban Empire that marks not just the passing of Patricia Salmond, The Drive's ''Queen of Kitsch'' who died in early 2013, but a store that didn't survive her. There is renewal, right next door where, in this case, brown paper in the windows heralds the coming of Moja Coffee, because of course The Drive needs more coffee shops. Plus ça change, as they say on the Rive Gauche, which is precisely the point. Change and growth are essential characteristics of healthy ecosystems, which thrive on the interaction of their many parts. So it is with the ecology of Grandview-Woodland.
A little farther upstream, the TV sets start, as if to remind us How Soccer Explains the World, as Franklin Foer wrote a decade ago in his ''unlikely theory of globalization.'' On The Drive, soccer's loyalties and rivalries are some of the more boisterous manifestations of the community's resistance to homogeneity. You can watch soccer at the redoubtable Portuguese Club of Vancouver, at the dubious Joe's Café, or at any of a succession of Cafés, Caffes, Caffés (and in some cases all three at the same time) whose names roll off the tongue like a language lesson: Abruzzo, Amici, Bella Napoli, Giancarlo's; plus bars like Avanti, Falconetti's, Federico's; and while it doesn't have soccer on TV, just for the sheer fun of it say La Grotta del Formaggio out loud a few times. There, you feel better already.
An oddity this day is that Caffe/Caffé Roma is playing NFL on its flat screens, for which it is rewarded with a single patron. Café/Caffé Calabria hosts Italian motorcycle aficionados one Tuesday night a month, meanwhile.* Prado steams up with the eager breath of its posse of entreposeurs, while at Continental Coffee some media types strike a pose of what Adam Gopnik calls ''café millennialism,'' in this case the Vancouver Sun's John Mackie waxing anxious to a couple of cashiered former CanWesters about the future of the Star Weekly/Grandview Smoke Shop sign across the street. It, like the Grandview Lanes bowling pin, is a neon rarity. JJ Bean's newer sign adds a dash of welcome colour, although the whiff of the kiff from the Jamaican patio in rear of JJ Bean -- well, remember that reference to ''street activity?'' There be it.
A couple of doors south, meantime, an exuberant new eatery, Lear Faye, opens and lasts barely six months, but next door Fadi Eid is thriving at Jamjar, doing for Lebanese food what Vikram Vij did eponymously for Indian food over near South Granville. Jamjar is a brilliant addition to The Drive's menu, which runs a pretty good gamut of international cuisine: Thai, Greek, Himalayan, Salvadoran, Italian, Indian, Japanese, Ethiopian, Belgian, Mexican, Tunisian, French, Chinese, Jamaican and various takes on whatever passes for Canadian these days. Jamjar sits at the base of the Marquee, a four-storey redevelopment of the old Van East Theatre site, where believe it or not, you can drop upwards of eight hundred large on a condo. The prices are ridiculous and the building is unlovely, but the scale of it is about right, and there are said to be more re-developments on the way in the three- to four-storey range.
Then came the towers
There's no doubting that The Drive's building stock needs a refresh. One local observer and resident, Elizabeth Murphy, recently wrote that about 50 per cent of Grandview-Woodland ''is made up of the original heritage character built prior to 1920, generally well maintained and adaptively reused as multiple-suite buildings that tend to be more affordable than new. Many streets are entirely intact with the original buildings.'' That's not always a good thing, especially when it comes to commercial buildings, and The Drive has rather more sad sack one- and two-storey stucco boxes than it needs, although it also has some terrific two- to three-storey buildings whose posture, as one architect friend observes, affects an ''Edwardian Commercial Italianate'' air (the Red Burrito is in one; so is the new Moja Coffee). Then there are outright mistakes, like Il Mercato on the corner of First Avenue, although at least it is redeemed as the home of the best pizza in town, at Lombardo's.
First Avenue is, of course, a major traffic thoroughfare. So too, East Broadway, eight blocks south. At the corner of Commercial and Broadway, the last of The Drive signs appears. While the street extends another kilometre or so, Broadway is effectively The Drive's south shore. It is here, just after crossing the Grandview Cut, that the city deems The Drive to have ended, and with it, apparently, any lingering regard for eclecticism, or any further tolerance for character. In the planning process currently underway, it is as if all bets are suddenly off once celebrations of The Drive's ecumenical nature are magically left behind.
Cross over Broadway and you might as well have crossed the Rub |
on the project, given that he is a Mass Effect fan, but also has penned action pics with a strong espionage bent, something that factors into the overall plot of the Mass Effect games," according to Variety.
Thor screenwriter Mark Protosevich wrote the previous draft of Mass Effect, based on the Electronic Arts and BioWare game.Brett Ratner, a top producer and director whose films include “Rush Hour” and “The Revenant,’’ is facing allegations from women who said he had sexually harassed or assaulted them over the course of two decades, making him the latest prominent Hollywood figure to be accused of sexual misconduct.
In an article published Wednesday in The Los Angeles Times, six women described encounters with Mr. Ratner that ranged from lewd comments to assault.
One actress, Natasha Henstridge, who has appeared in films including the “Species” series and “The Whole Nine Yards,” said that Mr. Ratner had forced her to perform oral sex more than 20 years ago. Another, Olivia Munn, said Mr. Ratner had masturbated in front of her when, as an aspiring actress, she delivered food to his trailer.
Late Wednesday, Mr. Ratner issued a statement saying that “in light of the allegations being made’’ he was stepping away from all activities related to Warner Bros., the movie studio with which he has a $450 million agreement to cofinance films.The Recap: Peridot tries to impress Amethyst by being funny but winds up doing more harm than good when her Homeworld mentality starts creeping into her comments.
I don’t often bring this up, partly because I figure we’re mostly weird adults of some stripe and partly because I’m not entirely sure what this show’s target demographic actually is anymore (8-14?), but this is a really great episode for kids. Like, amazingly good, and a much subtler take on the whole “trying to be popular leads to cruelty” plot than you often get. Even this show tried it before to lesser effect in season one’s “Lars and the Cool Kids,” which suffered from being a bit closer to boilerplate as well as the fact that Lars episodes can be … rough. (I truly do like the character, but it seems like the writers took longer in finding a groove for him than anyone else in the cast.)
The difference here ends up being how well we’ve gotten to know the characters on all sides and the amount of subtlety that allows the episode to play to, both for the theme and the excellent character development. When Peridot latches onto the idea of being “funny” it’s not just out of a nebulous desire to be part of the “in crowd” but a lonely terror born out of being unmoored from an extremely regimented system. And while most episodes that tackle this sort of plot resolve by having the uncool kid reject the false friendship and go back to their uncool friends, “Too Far” is interested in a more nuanced set of emotions. These are characters we know, and ones that are going to carry on in close proximity. They can’t just hurt each other and then shrug it off, happy to never see each other again. And because neither major player is introduced just to set up the lesson, we can have emotional investment on both sides.
We know, after all, that Amethyst is still working through some deep self-loathing and anger; moreover, early season one Amethyst had her own streak of meanness in her sense of humor, and putting her against Peridot throws into sharp relief how much Amethyst really has grown, despite ostensibly still being the “teenager” of the group dynamic (compare her jokes here to, say, “Tiger Millionaire”). She’s not perfect—once she and Peridot start working each other up, Amethyst is perfectly happy to listen to mockery about the other Gems and even Steven, and only calls it to a halt when it’s her personal issues on the line—but then, no one can be expected to be perfect. And even her anger is far more under control than in the similarly themed “On the Run,” where she went into a full-on destructive rage against Pearl.
As for Peridot, we once again have her being casually bigoted (that Garnet episode is gonna be a doozy, friends) based on Homeworld beliefs, with the added factor that she’s now getting a positive reaction out of them. The escalation over the course of this episode is pretty familiar to anyone who survived adolescence: a desire for attention becomes exaggerating one successful maneuver until you overstep the bounds, followed by bewilderment as to why it isn’t working anymore. It’s painful to see the obliviousness on display at the Kindergarten, up to Peridot ignoring Steven’s embarrassment in the name of scraping together a little approval. And the plot both condemns Peridot for her words but offers understanding for how she got there, providing a far more relatable roadmap for a young viewer than many of its narrative ilk.
Beyond the whole “don’t tear others down to make yourself feel bigger” plot, the incorporation of humor into the plot lets it double as a mini-lesson on jokes. There’s a theory that all humor comes from some kind of pain, be it emotional or physical. And that becomes coupled with the idea of “punch up”—basically, that since comedy has historically been the one tool of the powerless against the privileged, that truly good comics speak truth to power in some way. SU is something of a branch off of that, preferring humor that’s gentle, fond, or self-deprecating in general, which is part of what makes it so appealing. That gets something of a workout through Peridot—a character we’re watching become kinder but who’s still kind of an awful brat in a lot of ways.
Peridot’s jokes do initially seem to come from the powerless—she’s literally tied up, after all. And the stuff that makes Steven and Amethyst laugh stems from the fact that Peridot has a weird, unique lens on how she views the world (notably, here, inanimate objects). Even when she’s initially ranting, the joke is her own anger at her situation (“everything is annoying”)—it’s an accessible emotion if not a specific situation, and the extremity of it, from the outside, is what’s funny. The comic as their own joke (even if that’s not Peridot’s intent, which is gonna get her in trouble in a second).
And then, the individual targets start. Peridot’s comments about the Crystal Gems are funny, to her, because she knows how things “should” be in Homeworld society. The joke is that Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl are abnormal, and apparently too dumb to know it. With Steven, that gets mixed with his human biology, something that isn’t a behavior but a very part of his being. It’s part of who he is, intrinsically, and so there’s the feeling that Peridot is calling his identity faulty. And when it comes round to Amethyst, there’s both operating from the superior position (knowledge of Homeworld – this is another episode where things we technically knew become important by way of personal context) and the implication that the target of the joke is wrong by their very nature. Peridot slowly shifts until she has, by words and knowledge alone, the position of power (she’s gained power as a voice being listened to, despite ostensibly being a “powerless” prisoner – her power is her valued opinion), and that’s when her jokes stop being funny.
All of that’s subtextual stuff, of course, but it’s hugely relevant to the cultural conversation about how jokes are told and when humor is making an incisive comment about a painful issue and when it’s just silencing a subjugated group. It’s difficult stuff even for adults, and with the ever changing way people communicate it’s certainly not going to change when the kids watching this show grow up. So kudos to the show for introducing the concept.
Speaking of Peridot, this is also an occasion of two firsts for her: she throws herself into danger to save Amethyst, and she makes an actual heartfelt apology (she was making an effort with Pearl, but this episode makes it clear that there’s a lot more to do there in the respect department). While I fully expected Peridot to make a sacrifice for the Gems at some point, probably earning a new design in the process, I hadn’t expected to see shades of it so early. In fact, this whole pairing was one delightful surprise I didn’t see coming. It makes perfect sense in retrospect, of course—both characters are more sibling-like to Steven than the maternal Pearl and Garnet, and the jock/nerd dynamic is leveled by their similar easy-to-rile, prank loving (and attention seeking) personalities.
While they could easily have brought out the worst in each other, as they briefly do here, the honest baseline they end up on might just turn out to be something the other was missing. The final few minutes are too sweet and earnest, the very epitome of SU’s gentle heart, not to build upon. Peridot fusing with someone seems pretty inevitable at some point (though not, at the very least, until she learns proper respect for Garnet and the importance of fusion as a concept—how amazing would it be if Stevonnie was involved?), and I’d say Amethyst just bypassed Steven as the most likely candidate. Whether that’s as a friend or as something more … well, the longtime anime fan in me has seen far too many results of that “awkward tackle” trope not to have one eyebrow (approvingly) raised.
And…that’s it. Barring any last minute news that hasn’t made it to my ears yet (which isn’t outside the realm of possibility—this week’s episode aired later than usual, for instance, and CN didn’t bother to inform the crewniverse), this is the last episode of 2015. What a precipice to pause upon. The next episode, whenever we see it, will either be “Super Watermelon Island,” a standalone episode that’s been continually pushed back for the sake of this Peridot arc; or “Gem Drill,” which I imagine will be the Garnet and Peridot bonding episode. Well, I say bonding. What I mean is, Garnet steps up from her “having the best one liners” role this episode into “truth bomb verbal beatdown” mode. Because Garnet’s a downright saint this episode, listening to Peridot trash something integral to her life philosophy with her usual stoicism, but she can’t and shouldn’t have to put up with that forever. You’ll pay for your whole seat, but you’ll only use the edge!
I’ll certainly see you when new episodes begin again—though I have a few ideas up my sleeve, so it might not be so dire as radio silence until then. And if you find yourself missing my loquacious ridiculousity too much, you can always come watch me recap the 90s classic Gargoyles in the meanwhile. Either way, stay safe out there. Until we meet again, readers.
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Vrai is a queer author and pop culture blogger; they find the fact that Steven Universe is on hiatus but Gravity Falls is not way more indicative of a weird multiverse fusion than that whole Berenstein Bears thing. You can read more essays and find out about their fiction at Fashionable Tinfoil Accessories, support their work via Patreon or PayPal, or remind them of the existence of Tweets.Adrian Peterson's 5.8 ypc average so far this season is a career high. (Jeff Wheeler/MCT/ABACAUSA.COM)
A few weeks back, I waxed poetic on here about the thought of Percy Harvin as an MVP candidate. Turns out, I had the wrong Vikings player.
Through 10 games of a surprisingly successful Vikings season, Peterson leads the league in yards rushing with 1,128 and, even more remarkably considering Peterson's knee blow out last year, he's third in carries at 195.
Even scarier for Minnesota's opponents? Coach Leslie Frazier said this week what most of us have been thinking: that Peterson seems to be getting better -- read: stronger and more comfortable on his previously injured knee -- as the season progresses.
Over the Vikings' past four games, Peterson has averaged 157.3 yards on the ground and scored five touchdowns.
How is he doing it? As good as he's been, it is certainly not a one-man show. Peterson is playing at an elite level, but the Vikings' offensive line has done its best to help him. More on that in this week's "Break It Down":
Peterson's first big run Sunday during a 171-yard outing against Detroit came early in the second quarter. On a play designed to go left, Peterson instead bounced back against the grain through a huge cutback hole to his right for 15 yards.
This was not an unusual occurrence -- Peterson finds those backside lanes better than perhaps any other running back in the league, in part because the Vikings provide support from him against the flow.
On that 15-yard run, for example, the Vikings set up with two tight ends. John Carlson (No. 89) was offset on the left side of Minnesota's line; Kyle Rudolph (No. 82), a huge focus of Detroit's defense in the pass game, offset on the right.
The entire Minnesota line pushed to the left, sealing off six Detroit defenders. Rudolph broke into the flat, forcing a linebacker to follow him.
The key to the play was Carlson, who came in motion and managed to drive Detroit defensive end Cliff Avril deep into the backfield.
Another topic for another day (though it will come up at least twice more before we're done) is how vulnerable the Lions leave themselves to cutback runs. Detroit's defensive line loves to push upfield aggressively, and team after team has trapped the Lions' interior linemen there with down blocks, as the Vikings did on the 15-yard Peterson run.
But while the blocking and play call there appeared to be set for a run left, Carlson's motion and block on Avril indicate that the Vikings were prepared for Peterson to double back. Minnesota does this time and again on handoffs to Peterson, using one player to protect the cutback lane.
The result on this play:
The Viking mascot could've picked up at least seven or eight yards through that hole.
Later, Peterson broke free for a 61-yard touchdown run. As with the 15-yarder we just looked at, it only happened (as most long TD runs tend to) because of a terrific combination of blocking and vision from the running back.
The Vikings lined up in a clear run formation, with fullback Jerome Felton in front of Peterson and a second fullback, Rhett Ellison, on the right end of the line next to tight end Kyle Rudolph. Guard Brandon Fusco pulled wide right, while Felton led Peterson into the hole.
The two guys circled below are Ellison and right tackle Phil Loadholt. The Vikings pulled off sensational blocks all over this play, but that duo was key to setting the edge.
Loadholt blocked down on Suh, trapping him inside (overaggressive Lions D!), while Ellison took on DE Willie Young one-on-one and stalemated him.
Peterson allowed all of his blocks to occur -- below, marked with Xs, are Fusco pancaking CB Chris Houston, Felton taking on safety Erik Coleman and Rudolph pushing into the second level to engage LB Stephen Tulloch.
Every single Vikings blocker won his battle on this play, and Peterson patiently bounced outside between the Fusco and Felton blocks.
From there, it was sheer A.P. athleticism. He outran the remaining Detroit defenders for a back-breaking touchdown.
One more Peterson run from Week 10. This one came late in the fourth quarter, with the Vikings nursing a lead. Again, Minnesota lined up in a heavy run formation and, as we saw before, everyone blocked in the same direction (on this play, right), except left tackle Matt Kalil.
He fired out left toward DE Kyle Vanden Bosch, giving Peterson the block he needed to execute this counter play.
And... boom.
Only DeAndre Levy (No. 54) and safety Ricardo Silva (39) are available to try to stop that move back left by Peterson. Levy missed, leaving Silva to push Peterson out of bounds 21 yards downfield.
Great vision, great blocking and exceptional skill from the running back. What more could you want?
But lest you think this is just Peterson taking advantage of the Lions' deficiencies, allow me to present another example of a similar play from Week 7 against Arizona, the first game in Peterson's ridiculous four-game stretch.
This play, which resulted in Peterson picking up 22 yards, started with Minnesota lining up six on the line (with a tight end to the right) and bringing WR Stephen Burton in motion. The defender lined up over Burton, strong safety Adrian Wilson, passed him off in coverage, then came with a blitz at the snap.
Wilson's blitz worked -- he shot untouched through a gap in Minnesota's line. Except instead of taking Peterson, Wilson stayed on QB Christian Ponder. Once Peterson took the handoff, then, there was minimal resistance on the weak side, thanks to left tackle Matt Kalil holding back to take out the defensive end.
When Peterson gets blocking like he had in the examples above, well... good luck to the defenses. Because even when the blocking is not there, Peterson is capable of making incredible things happen.
Let's jump over to Week 9, when Peterson staggered the Seahawks early with a 74-yard run.
Unlike on the previous examples here, the Vikings did not block that play well at all. By the time Peterson took a handoff from Ponder, Alan Branch had blown Loadholt into the backfield, while Leroy Hill and Richard Sherman waited for Peterson around the edge against just one blocker.
But Branch missed a tackle in the backfield. Then Hill missed. And Sherman. Peterson turned the corner and raced up the sideline all the way to the Seattle 1.
So, if you can't stop Peterson when he's hemmed in like he was there, how can you expect to stop him when he has blocking like this?
Peterson followed Felton through the Seattle line for 24 yards there, en route to 182 and two touchdowns on the day.
We need not pretend that the Vikings have one of the all-time dominant offensive lines nor that this offense is a well-oiled machine -- Ponder played well against the Lions, but his inconsistency has been noted frequently.Maccabi Tel Aviv v Dundalk. Netanya Stadium, Thursday, 6pm. Live on EirSport 1 and ESPN
Their position might have been seriously undermined by the home defeat to AZ Alkmaar but Dundalk’s confidence seems undamaged as they prepare to take on Maccabi Tel Aviv at the Netanya Stadium. What other team would travel insisting that the need to score away goals essentially suits them?
Both Stephen Kenny and the team’s key creative influence, Daryl Horgan, maintain that a win is achievable. However, the fall-back position of a score draw and a more favourable result in Alkmaar is actually preferable to the scenario that most other teams would embrace: a need to head away, keep things tight and come home with a clean sheet. It is, you might say, not the Dundalk way.
Still, it might well be achievable against opponents who have lost their knack for scoring goals. Maccabi came to Dublin a few weeks ago off the back of a 5-0 defeat of city rivals Hapoel. The goal-scoring threat they posed featured heavily in Kenny’s pre-match assessment.
Having been beaten to nil in Tallaght, they have found the net in just three of 11 games since. They are, one might suggest in light of their location, suffering a drought of almost biblical proportions.
Their latest blank was drawn over the weekend against Hapoel Ashkelon, who are currently bottom of the league table. By way of making it sort of clear that any comparison is largely irrelevant, Kenny says they came and parked a bus.
The way Maccabi are playing, though, being able to do the same would surely seem attractive to most men in his position as the Israelis seem to be unable to hit the back of the net.
Big game
“I know a score draw might put us through, but if you end up hanging on for that, then a goal in Alkmaar or one for Maccabi here could end up putting us out. That’s not a situation you would want to put yourselves in; well, not unless word came through that Zenit were a couple of goals up in the closing stages.
“No, look, I know I’ve said this a few times but we’ve scored in every city that we’ve gone to over the last few years and we feel we have it in us to do it again. The 1-0 in Dublin didn’t flatter us in the slightest, we could have won by more. This might be harder again but we believe we can do it.”
If they do, then Horgan’s performance in what might well be his last game for the club prove a key factor. Like Andy Boyle, the winger seems set to leave for Championship side Preston North End in the new year, but the 24-year-old says a place in the Europa League’s last 32, rather than any impending transfer, is his priority just now.
“I suppose that’s the way it is at the end of every season,” he says when asked about the prospect of this being this group’s last game together. “That’s just the way football is, but I haven’t really been thinking about it. I just want to get through this game and see where we go from there.”
Horgan did well in the home tie but, like Kenny, accepts that things might be much tougher this evening.
Team effort
“In the home game, our shape was good and when we had the ball, we broke well at pace. We controlled a lot of the ball well. I think it was a good overall team effort with everyone, rather than just one player, playing well.
“And we try to play our game no matter where we are or who we are playing against. Some teams might change their style depending on where they are playing, but the manager just wants us to control the ball and score goals, even in games away from home and that’s key. I think that’s why we believe we have such a big chance now in this game.”
The rest which the team has had in recent weeks should help too as long as they are not rusty, which was one explanation put forward for their terrible start at home to AZ.
Chris Shields is fit again and Stephen O’Donnell comes into consideration having sprung “a surprise”, according to the manager, by taking part in training on Monday.
Dundalk getting through would be a bigger surprise than that to most people. This is not so for Kenny or his players, though, who will merely see it as another junction on this team’s amazing journey.
The only thing certain in this group is that Zenit, with 15 points, are already through. Currently second, AZ are sure to join the Russians in the knockout stages if they win but they will also progress if they draw and the other game is also drawn or they lose and the other game ends nil-all.
Dundalk will take second place if they win and AZ do not or if they manage a score draw in Tel Aviv and AZ lose.
However, Maccabi will sneak through ahead of both of them if they beat Dundalk and AZ fail to win at home to Zenit.Exhibit A: a tweet from Iron Man 3 and No Heroics screenwriter Drew Pearce.
Belated happy new year, people. Oh, and #AllHailTheKing — Drew Pearce (@mrdrewpearce) January 3, 2014
Exhibit B: One Shots have never related specifically to the feature film with which they share the disc. The Hulk-related The Consultant was on the Thor disc; A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Thor’s Hammer was on the Captain America disc; Agent Carter was on the Iron Man 3 disc. And Item 47... um… is the exception that proves the rule. Proves it.
Exhibit C: Ben Kingsley has already shot something, and based on what happened with Agent Carter the timing is right for it to be this.
Exhibit D: Trevor Slattery’s King Lear was the talk of Croydon.
I rest my case. And, on the basis of Exhibit D, I’m pretty confident we know exactly which King the title refers to, and who it was hailing him.
So… I’m thinking we’re set for some kind of recruitment story, likely featuring a nice speedboat.
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None foundThere was no danger of missing the parting message from Hong Kong’s protesters on Thursday. It was chanted as they awaited arrest, spelt out in gold balloons, chalked on to the road and formed in giant letters made from their discarded tents: “We’ll be back.”
The dismantling of the main protest zone at Admiralty on Thursday has concluded the first phase of a pro-democracy movement that astonished even its most enthusiastic advocates, at one stage drawing tens of thousands into unprecedented mass civil disobedience.
But while the occupation is over – bar the handful of participants left at a small site in Causeway Bay – no one believes the clearance has finished off the campaign for genuine elections.
Carrie Lam, chief secretary of Hong Kong, said earlier that the government was not “naive” enough to think removing demonstrators from Admiralty would mark the end of the movement.
Long before the barricades fell and the tents were dragged away, activists had begun debating their next course of action. Behind closed doors, authorities are also pondering their options.
Ho-fung Hung, of Johns Hopkins University in the US, grew up in Hong Kong and follows its politics. He said: “If Beijing signals a little bit of willingness, they think it will give the wrong signal to people to come out again, so for now I think the hard line will prevail.
“There will be arrests and the situation will turn for the worst, but the young people’s anger is still here... This could erupt any time.”
The authorities would crack down to warn people off further protests, he said, through means including prosecutions and restrictions on travel to the mainland. Yet such measures are likely to further antagonise people.
In the short term there is likely to be more street activism – probably “shopping trips” by protesters, who roam the busy pavements of areas such as Mong Kok shouting slogans, and perhaps boycotts, sit-ins and other measures. Small clusters of protesters still milled around Admiralty and a secondary, minor site at Causeway Bay on Thursday night, while a few had moved their tents to a park in Wanchai.
On the government side, there will be a second public consultation on the plans for the election of the next chief executive in 2017. Protesters say Beijing has in effect reneged on its promise of universal suffrage by making clear that candidates will be tightly controlled by a committee stacked with pro-Beijing figures. That is merely “fake” or “Iranian-style” democracy, they say.
Pan-democrats, as the opposition in Hong Kong politics are known, have vowed to veto the proposals if they come before the Legislative Council in their current form, and no one believes that China will back down by allowing open nominations. But Hung said Beijing could give a token concession – for example, by tweaking the make-up of the nominating committee – giving cover to a handful of democratic legislators to vote for the bill.
Some think that China can afford to let the bill fall: it can say it has done its part by offering universal suffrage to Hong Kong, only for the offer to be rejected.
Hung disagrees: “Beijing wants to get it passed, because once it has passed the whole issue that defines the democratic camp looks like it’s over: the issue of universal suffrage is settled.
“It keeps the democratic movement going if they veto it... It still gives people hope that Beijing will eventually give another [better] proposal.”
Polls show that as the occupation dragged on, it lost much of the public sympathy it had garnered in its early stages. Yet the underlying demand for greater democratic rights is still evident.
Michael Davis, of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said: “The government may be inclined to think it won when they cleared the streets tonight, but that would be wrong … The government has lost the public’s trust. [And] they have made the world very conscious of what’s going on here.
“The democrats haven’t lost anything because they didn’t have anything. The whole process has united them in a way they haven’t been for years; being in permanent opposition had meant a lot of fissures in the democratic camp.”
Davis, like many other residents, sees it as an awakening for Hong Kong – though not all sudden upsurges in political action result in long-term shifts.
It will take decades for the real struggle to play out. Though the protests were sparked by the electoral reform proposals, they were fuelled by concern that the existing freedoms and rights enjoyed by residents under the “one country, two systems” framework are imperilled by Beijing’s tightening grip, and that migration and closer integration with the mainland are wearing away its culture.
Even those who do not care greatly about gaining the ability to choose the chief executive may value the independence of their courts, for instance. Yet this summer a white paper from Beijing said that local judges should be “patriotic”, alarming many in the territory.
Beijing seems determined to make itself felt – but each such move sparks a backlash, in particular among the younger generation, who are more likely to identify as “Hong Kong people” than “Chinese”.
When the former British colony was handed back in 1997, few anticipated how much the region’s identity would change – and how little the mainland would shift politically. That has created an apparently irreconcilable tension.
“A hard line on Hong Kong might eventually be able to keep the middle and upper class in line,” predicted Hung, “but it can never contain the resistance of the younger generation.”The Cleveland Indians placed a league-high six players on the 2017 All-MLB team, including starter Corey Kluber, the only unanimous choice among the 45 players, general managers, executives, scouts, analysts, writers, broadcasters and other major league personnel surveyed by Yahoo Sports.
In creating an All-MLB team, the goal was to provide the equivalent of the NFL’s All-Pro team or the All-NBA team: recognition that better represents the full breadth of the season than an All-Star appearance and covers a wider swath of players than annual MVP voting. Ballots were cast within the last 48 hours and form the basis of the first-, second- and third-team All-MLB rosters listed below.
The New York Yankees, who could face the Indians in the American League Division Series, also had six players make the teams, though Cleveland led the first team with four players and tied for the most on the second team with two. Kluber, the AL Cy Young favorite, was a first-team choice on all 45 ballots. Others just missing unanimity were Washington starter Max Scherzer and Houston second baseman Jose Altuve (44 votes), Boston starter Chris Sale and closer Craig Kimbrel (43 votes) and Los Angeles Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen (41 votes).
Indians pitcher Corey Kluber is the only unanimous choice among the 61 players on the All-MLB team. (Getty Images)
The Dodgers, Nationals and Arizona Diamondbacks each placed five players, while fellow playoff teams Houston (four), Boston (three) and Chicago (three) joined them near the top. Also with three were Colorado, which could clinch a postseason berth this weekend, and the Los Angeles Angels and Milwaukee.
Every National League team booked at least one player on a team. Six AL organizations failed to do so: Chicago, Detroit, Kansas City, Oakland, Tampa Bay and Texas (though the White Sox, Tigers and A’s did trade players that eventually made it). Of the 61 players on the teams, 34 come from the NL.
The goal was to fill each everyday position – catcher, first base, second base, shortstop, third base, left field, center field, right field and designated hitter – with someone who regularly plays there, plus add a utilityman to each team to recognize the value of versatility in 2017. Because of a lack of specificity in the directions – something that will be remedied next year – the utility role, in particular, sowed some confusion. The first-team utilityman, Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez, also received the second-highest vote total at second base. Rather than list him multiple times, he was removed from consideration at second base (and third, where he garnered first- and second-team votes). The rules for 2018 clearly will outline utility eligibility, as well as that for DH, where only two actual designated hitters received votes, leaving the third team without a DH.
Unlike hitters, who were wedded to their positions, pitchers were not selected by where they slot into a team’s rotation or what innings they pitch out of the bullpen. The three teams include the 15 best starters and 15 best relievers as judged by the panel.
In total, voters cast valid ballots for 115 players, with the widest variation on the field coming at catcher and utility. The position, followed by the nominated candidates:
Catcher: 8
First base: 4
Second base: 6
Shortstop: 7
Third base: 6
Left field: 5
Center field: 5
Right field: 5
Designated hitter: 2
Utilityman: 12
Starting pitcher: 24
Relief pitcher: 31
Though only two first-team players didn’t make the All-Star team, the number jumps to nine of the second team’s 20 players and 14 of the third team’s 21. If the goal was to recognize excellence that may have gone underappreciated otherwise, it seems to have been met, and hopefully well enough that the exercise grows in scope and participation to encompass as full a rendering as possible of the season that was.
With that in mind, the first – hopefully of many – All-MLB team:
First team
Catcher: Gary Sanchez, New York Yankees
First baseman: Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds
Second baseman: Jose Altuve, Houston Astros
Shortstop: Francisco Lindor, Cleveland Indians
Third Baseman: Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies
Left fielder: Tommy Pham, St. Louis Cardinals
Center fielder: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
Right fielder: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
Designated hitter: Nelson Cruz, Seattle Mariners
Utilityman: Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Indians
Starting pitcher: Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians
Starting pitcher: Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals
Starting pitcher: Chris Sale, Boston Red Sox
Starting pitcher: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
Starting pitcher: Luis Severino, New York Yankees
Relief pitcher: Craig Kimbrel, Boston Red Sox
Relief pitcher: Kenley Jansen, Los Angeles Dodgers
Relief pitcher: Corey Knebel, Milwaukee Brewers
Relief pitcher: Andrew Miller, Cleveland Indians
Relief pitcher: Archie Bradley, Arizona Diamondbacks
Second team
Catcher: Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants
First baseman: Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks
Second baseman: Jonathan Schoop, Baltimore Orioles
Shortstop: Corey Seager, Los Angeles Dodgers
Third Baseman: Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs
Left fielder: Marcell Ozuna, Miami Marlins
Center fielder: Charlie Blackmon, Colorado Rockies
Right fielder: Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins
Designated hitter: Edwin Encarnacion, Cleveland Indians
Utilityman: Chris Taylor, Los Angeles Dodgers
Starting pitcher: Zack Greinke, Arizona Diamondbacks
Starting pitcher: Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals
Starting pitcher: Justin Verlander, Houston Astros
Starting pitcher: Gio Gonzalez, Washington Nationals
Starting pitcher: Carlos Carrasco, Cleveland Indians
Relief pitcher: Chad Green, New York Yankees
Relief pitcher: Pat Neshek, Colorado Rockies
Relief pitcher: Felipe Rivero, Pittsburgh Pirates
Relief pitcher: Roberto Osuna, Toronto Blue Jays
Relief pitcher: Anthony Swarzak, Milwaukee Brewers
Third team
Catcher: Willson Contreras, Chicago Cubs
First baseman: Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves
Second baseman: Brian Dozier, Minnesota Twins
Shortstop: Andrelton Simmons, Los Angeles Angels
Third Baseman: Anthony Rendon, Washington Nationals
Left fielder: Justin Upton, Los Angeles Angels
Center fielder: George Springer, Houston Astros
Right fielder: (tie) Mookie Betts, Boston Red Sox and J.D. Martinez, Arizona Diamondbacks
Utilityman: Marwin Gonzalez, Houston Astros
Starting pitcher: Jacob deGrom, New York Mets
Starting pitcher: Robbie Ray, Arizona Diamondbacks
Starting pitcher: Jimmy Nelson, Milwaukee Brewers
Starting pitcher: Marcus Stroman, Toronto Blue Jays
Starting pitcher: (tie) Alex Wood, Los Angeles Dodgers and Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies
Relief pitcher: Brad Hand, San Diego Padres
Relief pitcher: David Robertson, New York Yankees
Relief pitcher: Wade Davis, Chicago Cubs
Relief pitcher: Ryan Madson, Washington Nationals
Relief pitcher: Tommy Kahnle, New York YankeesMerkel on Wednesday said that Germany’s own past experience of reunification meant that it had a duty to help in Korea.
"We would very much like to support Korea in this important issue," said Merkel, after meeting with South Korean President Park Geun-hye in Berlin. "Germany was divided for 40 years. Korea, meanwhile, has been in such a situation for 70 years."
"It’s our goal and, to a certain extent, our duty to help other countries to re-establish their national unity," said Merkel. The Chancellor, a pastor’s daughter raised in East Germany before going on to lead her country years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, described herself as a product of reunification.
Park said that her country and Germany had a "bond" as they shared the "painful experience" of division, which ended in Germany when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989.
"German unity is for us an example and model for a peaceful reunification," the South Korean president told reporters though an interpreter.
Amid speculation about the instability of Kim Jong Un's regime in North Korea, the South Korean President has recently declared the need to make plans for reunification.
The disparity of wealth between North and South Korea dwarfs that between East and West Germany immediately before reunification, with the prospect of reunification worrying many in the South. Nevertheless, Park herself has said the country could enjoy a "bonanza," bringing together the South’s thriving technology base and the North’s extensive natural resources.
Behind closed doors
The North and South - divided along the 38th parallel of latitude north of the equator - technically remain in a state of war, the 1950-53 Korean War ending with |
7.500 AE Token3rd Winner: 3.750 AE Token4th Winner: 1.250 AE TokenStart date: 12-03-2017 End date: to be confirmed_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________All bounties will be managed by Irfan_pak10 Either post here in the thread or send a private message to Irfan_pak10.Thank you!Regards[/list](*) (22.03.2017) Amount was reduced due to the recent ETH price increase. More campaigns worth 180.000 AE tokens will be announced as compensation.Tom Goldstein, a respected Supreme Court analyst and publisher of the influential SCOTUSblog, predicted Monday that President Barack Obama was most likely to nominate his Attorney General Loretta Lynch to the Supreme Court.
Goldstein’s post came after he first suggested African-American Ninth Circuit Judge Paul Watford would be the likely nominee, since Democrats could use Republican opposition to his appointment to galvanize black voters. However, “the fact that Lynch is a woman gives her nomination a very significant advantage,” he argues.
“I think the President personally will be very tempted to appoint a black Justice to the Court, rather than a second Hispanic,” Goldstein writes. “His historical legacy rests materially on advancing black participation and success in American politics. The role Thurgood Marshall previously played in that effort is inescapable. The President likely sees value in providing a counterpoint to the Court’s only black Justice, the very conservative Clarence Thomas.”
“She is known and admired within the administration,” he continued. “At some point in the process, she likely would have to recuse from her current position, but the Department of Justice could proceed to function with an acting head. Her history as a career prosecutor makes it very difficult to paint her as excessively liberal.”
“At this point I think that Attorney General Lynch is the most likely candidate,” he concludes. “I think the administration is likely to nominate her, that the Senate will initially refuse to proceed with the nomination but ultimately accede after delaying the process significantly, and then vote her down on party lines.”
[Image via screengrab]
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>>Follow Alex Griswold (@HashtagGriswold) on Twitter
Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.comMany consider Paris to be the most beautiful city in the world. I am one of them. Today, it is a very modern city, cloaked in glorious, age-old buildings and ancient history. During the 1930s, only 80 years ago, the great-grandfathers of Parisian messengers were delivering 15kg or so of daily newspapers on their racks and participating in sanctioned alley-cat races.
Martin Zeplichal is a designer and developer of interactive media systems located in Vienna, Austria. While he is focused on harnessing technology to enliven the human sensory experience, when it comes to bicycles he prefers to ride a tarnished Cinelli Criterium built up with a substantial front rack and a coaster brake hub, in the style of those debonair French porteurs.
Look closely and you might spot a few upgrades, like the steering dampener that can be found on modern cargo bikes, and a Paul front brake — but virtually all other components could be the same vintage as the frame. Sure, it’s a generation or two younger than the original porteurs of Paris in the 30s, but it still proves that a steel-framed bicycle is the ideal lightweight urban transport solution.
Special thanks to Martin, and Bengt Stiller for the marvellous photos. For more information on the French porteur races of the 30s, head to the BlackbirdSF site.The Obama administration announced Friday it will stop deporting illegal immigrants who come to the country at a young age.
The politically charged decision comes as Obama faces a tough reelection fight against Republican Mitt Romney, and Hispanic voters in swing states will play a crucial role in the contest.
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The change in policy could allow as many as 800,000 immigrants who came to the United States illegally not only to remain in the country without fear of being deported, but to work legally, according to a senior administration official speaking to reporters Friday.
In a Rose Garden statement, President Obama said the measure would “lift the shadow of deportation” from immigrants, some of who have made “extraordinary contributions” by “serving in our military and protecting our freedom.”
“That we would treat them as expendable makes no sense,” Obama said.
“They study in our schools, play in our neighborhoods... they pledge allegiance to our flag, they are Americans in their hearts and minds... and in every single way but one: on paper."
Obama was briefly interrupted by a reporter during his statement, a rare breach of protocol that caused the president to lose his temper.
"Excuse me sir, it's not time for questions, sir, not while I'm speaking," Obama said.
Later in his statement, Obama, pointing his finger at the reporter in front of the live TV cameras, said: "And the answer to your question, sir — and the next time I prefer you to let me finish by statements before you ask a question — is this is the right thing to do for the American people. I didn't ask for an argument, I'm answering your question."
The new policy will not grant citizenship to children who came to the United States as illegal immigrants, but will remove the threat of deportation and grant them the right to work in the United States.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the policy change will apply to those who came to the United States before they were 16 and who are younger than 30 if they have lived here for five years, have no felony or "significant" misdemeanor offenses, graduated from a U.S. high school or served in the military.
A memo from DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano ordering the "prosecutorial discretion with respect to individuals who came to the United States as children" argued that those covered by the order "only know this country as home." It said these people "lacked the intent to violate the law."
The new policy will apply to individuals who are already in deportation proceedings, the memo said.
The policy change will accomplish portions of the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, legislation that has stalled in Congress amid Republican opposition.
More from The Hill:
♦ Sen. Graham says Obama's move is 'possibly illegal'
♦ EPA issues tougher rules on soot
♦ GOP lawmaker: Policy violates oath of office
Obama has a massive lead over presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney among Hispanic voters, but criticism from immigration activists over the administration’s deportation policies has intensified in recent weeks. Earlier this week a government report showed the administration’s attempt to cut back on deportations of law-abiding illegal immigrants has had little effect.
Hispanic voters could be key in the swing states of Florida, Virginia, Colorado and Nevada, and elsewhere.
"It's a medium-risk, high-reward strategy," said Democratic strategist Jamal Simmons. "I think you risk angering people who are upset about immigration, yes. But for a president who’s got to win Florida, Nevada, Colorado, it is definitely something that can give the Latino community something to rally around."
A number of Republicans criticized the move, arguing it could be illegal.
"How can the administration justify allowing illegal immigrants to work in the U.S. when millions of Americans are unemployed?" said Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. "President Obama and his administration once again have put partisan politics and illegal immigrants ahead of the rule of law and the American people."
Sen. Lindsey Graham Lindsey Olin GrahamHouse to push back at Trump on border Trump pressures GOP senators ahead of emergency declaration vote: 'Be strong and smart' This week: Congress, Trump set for showdown on emergency declaration MORE (R-S.C.) said on Twitter that Obama's action could be unlawful.
“President Obama’s attempt to go around Congress and the American people is at best unwise and possibly illegal,” Graham said in a Tweet.
“This type of policy proposal, regardless of motivation, will entice people to break our laws,” Graham said in another tweet.
Sen. Marco Rubio Marco Antonio RubioHillicon Valley: Senators urge Trump to bar Huawei products from electric grid | Ex-security officials condemn Trump emergency declaration | New malicious cyber tool found | Facebook faces questions on treatment of moderators Key senators say administration should ban Huawei tech in US electric grid Trump unleashing digital juggernaut ahead of 2020 MORE (R-Fla.) praised the policy but criticized Obama for going around Congress.
“Today’s announcement will be welcome news for many of these kids desperate for an answer, but it is a short term answer to a long term problem," the Cuban American Rubio said in a statement. "And by once again ignoring the Constitution and going around Congress, this short term policy will make it harder to find a balanced and responsible long term one.”
Rubio, a possible vice presidential candidate, has been working on his own version of the DREAM Act but has yet to release any legislative language.
The change in policy comes eight months after the Obama administration set an annual record for deportations by removing nearly 400,000 people who were in the country illegally in fiscal 2011.
Of the 396,906 individuals removed, more than half — 216,698 — had been previously convicted of felonies or misdemeanors, which represents a 90 percent increase in the number of criminals deported over fiscal 2008, according to the numbers released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement last October.
A spokesman for Homeland Security said the department would continue to focus its enforcement resources on "the removal of individuals who pose a national security or public safety risk, including immigrants convicted of crimes, violent criminals, felons and repeat immigration-law offenders."
"Today’s action further enhances the department’s ability to focus on these priority removals," the spokesman said.
The National Immigration Law Center (NILC), an immigration reform advocacy group, lauded Obama's announcement on Friday, saying it was evidence of his "true capacity to lead."
The group then said it was time for Congress to pass the DREAM Act.
“President Obama is showing the nation his true capacity to lead by taking the bold and courageous step to remove the fear of deportation and provide dreamers with the legal means to contribute their full potential to society," said Marielena Hincapié, the executive director for the group.
"This announcement provides real and much-needed relief now, but it is not enough. President Obama cannot provide these youth with the path to citizenship, which would allow DREAMers to participate in all sectors of civil society. We therefore renew our calls to Congress to pass the DREAM Act.”
NILC is one of the immigrant activist groups that had previously been critical of the administration's immigration policy.
"We’ve been disappointed by the administration’s record pace of deportations, and DREAMers have been among those deported," said Adela de la Torre, communications manager for the NILC, in an email to The Hill. "This is why today’s announcement is so important."
— Posted at 10:03 a.m. and last updated at 2:44 p.m. This report was corrected at 11:25 a.m.
—Amie Parnes and Mike Lillis contributed to this story.In addition to blocking traffic from websites they don’t like, it looks like the web-geniuses behind the American Family Association’s OneNewsNow site have a few other tricks up their sleeves, such as automatically replacing any use of the word “gay” with the word “homosexual” in any of the AP stories they run … leading to instances in which proper names are reformatted to meet their ridiculous standard, such as this article about sprinter Tyson Gay winning the 100 meters at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials in which he is renamed “Tyson Homosexual”:
Though AFA has since corrected its article, it looks like this auto-replace feature has been embarrassing them for quite some time now:
And while they may have fixed this particular instance, it looks like they haven’t gone back through their archives and corrected other articles where this happened, such as this article where professional basketball player Rudy Gay is referred to as “Rudy Homosexual.”Codi Wilson and Amara McLaughlin, CP24.com
The arrest of a 43-year-old suspect who allegedly set a fire inside a Weston church on Easter Sunday is a “big sigh of relief” for the church community.
The man was arrested on Monday by Ontario Provincial Police near Huntsville, Ont. at around 2:30 p.m., which Father Andrew Maderak says is a “big sigh of relief for everyone.”
“I am relieved,” Father Maderak said. “I am relieved because last night I was thinking what if he comes back again for the church or the house? You just don’t know what’s in someone’s mind. I’m definitely going to be sleeping a lot better tonight knowing that (a suspect) has been apprehended and police can deal with him and keep the community safe.”
Fire started after 'flammable device' thrown through a church window, police say
His arrest comes after a small fire broke out at St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church near Weston Road and Lawrence Avenue on Sunday, halting the Easter service.
According to police, the suspect threw a “flammable device” through a window of the church at around 7:30 a.m.
No one was inside the building when the fire was started, and the flames didn’t last long.
Investigators say the fire extinguished itself before it was discovered by a church-goer.
A student volunteer, who arrived to open the church later that morning, found smoke in the building, Father Maderak told CP24.
“I thought, okay, maybe there’s a little bit of smoke,” he explained. “I said to open the windows, but when I came in, you could probably not see 10-feet in front of you … opening the windows was the wrong thing to do.”
The fire charred an interior window and floor, and coated pews and books in soot, forcing the parish to cancel its two Easter Sunday masses.
Although the fire was contained to a small area of the church, it resulted in approximately $5,000 worth of damages, investigators added.
“At first, it didn’t look like there was much damage but it’s quite evident that there is,” Father Maderak said. “All the books have to be removed, cleaned, any of the linens need to be removed off site.”
Father Maderak said scaffolding will be erected inside the church sometime this week so clean-up crews can reach the ceiling and pillars.
He hopes the church will reopen for mass on Saturday evening.
'When this kind of thing happens, it cuts to the heart of a community'
One of several security cameras on the premises – installed by Father Maderak after a spate of minor vandalism incidents – aided police in making an arrest.
Marc Porlier is charged with arson and mischief over $5,000 in connection to the incident.
He is expected to appear in a Toronto court on Tuesday.
Father Maderak, who has presided over the church for the last two and a half years, believes Porlier was a former parishioner of the church.
Mayor John Tory visited the church on Monday afternoon to discuss the incident with Father Maderak parishioners.
"When this kind of thing happens, it cuts to the heart of a community that has been a wonderful, contributing community in our city for decades," Tory said.
"I think it must have been a divine hand that looked down on this church because you can see how easily the whole church, the wooden part of the structure, could have erupted in flames if it had been any different but fortunately that didn’t happen."
Fire crews have yet to determine exactly what kind of device was used to spark the fire.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police at 416-808-1200 or Crime Stoppers at 416-222-8477.Episode 12- CAN You Taste the Difference?
Does a beer that was canned taste different than the same beer from a bottle? This week, we put ourselves through a blind tasting to see if there we could detect a difference. Check out our results below.
Heineken
Avery White Rascal
Magic Hat #9
Paulaner Hefe-Weizen
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
New Belgium Ranger IPA
Results:
After being poured in another room, samples were presented in glasses labeled A and B. We were aware of the beer brand/type being served, but not which of our glasses contained the can sample or bottle sample. Our job was to try to determine which samples were poured from a bottle, and which were poured from a can.
John
Heineken Correct
Avery White Rascal Correct
Magic Hat #9 Correct
Paulaner Hefe-Weizen Correct
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Correct
New Belgium Ranger IPA Correct
Anastacia
Heineken Correct
Avery White Rascal Incorrect
Magic Hat #9 Correct
Paulaner Hefe-Weizen Incorrect
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Correct
New Belgium Ranger IPA Correct
Grant
Heineken Correct
Avery White Rascal Correct
Magic Hat #9 Correct
Paulaner Hefe-Weizen Incorrect
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Correct
New Belgium Ranger IPA Incorrect
Mike
Heineken Incorrect
Avery White Rascal Correct
Magic Hat #9 Correct
Paulaner Hefe-Weizen Correct
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Correct
New Belgium Ranger IPA Correct
Ryan
Heineken Correct
Avery White Rascal Incorrect
Magic Hat #9 Incorrect
Paulaner Hefe-Weizen Correct
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Correct
New Belgium Ranger IPA Correct
In conclusion, we were all able to reliably guess correctly more than 50% of the time. We also thought that the samples that came from cans most often displayed the more favorable characteristics. Additionally, the canned samples displayed fewer flaws or off-flavors in our opinions.
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Download a PDF of our show notes for this episode here.
The Beerists are: John Rubio, Anastacia Kelly, and Grant Davis. With Mike Lambert and guest Ryan Mesch.
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info@thebeerists.comAyisha Falaq shot two men who had kidnapped her brother-in-law from Delhi.
A national-level shooter, 33-year-old Ayisha Falaq, has been handling guns for the last six years. But last week, she took up her licensed revolver for the first time to counter crime after her 21-year-old brother-in-law Asif Falaq, was abducted. Ms Falaq, the police said, fired two bullets at two men - one bullet grazed a man, another man was shot in the foot.Mr Falaq, who works part time as a taxi driver, had gone to Dariyaganj on Thursday night to pick up two men, who had booked his cab online to visit Shastri Nagar. But after getting into the cab around 10 pm, they overpowered him and took him away to a village, Bhopra, near the Haryana border. Then, within an hour, they called the family and demanded Rs 25,000 as ransom.When Ms Falaq's husband, Falaq Sher Alam, got the call, they alerted the police, but the couple also decided to go to the spot.With a police vehicle on their tail, Ms Falaq and her husband reached the kidnappers. It was decided that she would be the one handing over the money. The rendezvous point was near the village at post-midnight.Ms Falaq, who won gold in 2015, carried her.32 bore licensed revolver with her."They had started suspecting that we had the police with us," said Ms Falaq. As soon as her husband parked his car parallel to theirs, they started shouting 'kill them', she said. "They came out of the car and it was then that I shot them at their feet," she said.Ms Falaq said she teaches self defence to girls. "So I often teach these techniques and I was not scared," she added.The police arrested the two men from the spot, who were later identified as Mohammad Rafi and Akash. "It is a very brave effort. It was past midnight and since she is a national-level shooter, her aim was real good," said police spokesman and senior officer Ravinder Yadav.The State Opposition says Colin Barnett is a “despicable little man” after the Premier claimed Labor would have walked away from the police’s job of investigating the Claremont serial killings.
Speaking yesterday about damning police survey results in The West Australian, Mr Barnett said people should also look at police successes such as the arrest of the alleged Claremont serial killer.
“The arrest of an alleged perpetrator of the Claremont murders (is) something that the Labor Party walked away from,” Mr Barnett said. “Remember Michelle Roberts criticising the police for not doing the job — well, they did the job.”
When asked by a journalist whether he was making a political point out of the Claremont murders, Mr Barnett replied: “I’m making the point that the police do a great job.”
“They did not give up — Michelle Roberts, the Opposition police spokesperson gave up.”
Labor’s Ben Wyatt said Mr Barnett was trying shamelessly to gain “political mileage” out of tragic circumstances.
Mr Wyatt said he was part of a small group of young Perth lawyers along with Ciara Glennon at the time she became one of the Claremont victims and he took offence at the suggestion Labor was not committed to police investigations into the Claremont serial killings.
“For Mr Barnett, despicable little man that he is, to make a political statement about what has been a tragic period in WA history... shows how desperate he has become... and how low he is willing to go,” Mr Wyatt said. Mr Barnett said Mr Wyatt’s comments were “pathetic”.
Bradley Robert Edwards, 48, has been charged with the wilful murders of Jane Rimmer, 23, and Ms Glennon, 27.
The disappearance of 18-year-old Sarah Spiers in January 1996, whose body has never been found, remains an open investigation.
Mr Barnett made the comments yesterday after opening the new Wooree Miya Women’s Refuge in the south-eastern suburbs of Perth.With the Irish set to face-off against USC, Brian Kelly went on the Dan Patrick Show this morning to discuss the rivalry. While Kelly interestingly talked about playing USC’s Fight Song during the week to get his team ready for their annual battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh (a word I’m still struggling to spell correctly on my first shot), he had an revealing give and take with Patrick about the state of his football team.
When asked point blank how good his team was, Kelly was remarkably candid.
“It’s a lot better than it was earlier in the year,” Kelly said. “We really have needed the time to figure out who we are as a football team. Offensively, defensively. Emerging new leaders and voices. It was a rough six weeks.
“We played a tough schedule, but we’ve come out of it as a better football team moving forward and I’m really excited about the second half of the season for us.”
Kelly’s candor doesn’t take the sting away from two early season losses, but it doesn’t put into perspective some of the grinding that was taking place behind the walls at The Gug throughout the season’s early weeks.
As we saw in Kelly’s very measured response after the loss to Michigan, it was clear that this team was still figuring itself out.
Here’s the complete interview with Dan Patrick:Los Angeles has proposed a new water management law that would require rainwater harvesting on all new homes, large developments, as well as on some redevelopment projects. The Department of Public Works unanimously approved the new ordinance in January for the increasingly parched region. It requires various methods to capture, reuse or infiltrate all of the rainwater runoff that is generated by a 3/4 inch rainstorm.
These rain barrels have been made from recycled cherry containers.
Sustainable Water Management Is Our Future
In addition to encouraging the use of rain storage tanks, builders would be required to use other low-cost and sensible water management methods; these include simple measures, like diverting rainfall to gardens, constructed infiltration swales, mulch and permeable pavement, all of which will help to sustainably direct the rain directly where it falls. Any builders who are unable to manage 100% of a project’s runoff on-site would be required to pay a penalty of $13 a gallon for the water that is not safely redirected. This fee will help to fund sustainable off-site water management projects.
Not only will Los Angeles’ new ordinance help to recycle our planet’s most precious resource, it will also help to keep polluted urban water out of our increasingly acidic seas. The Board of Public Works Commissioner Paula Daniels, who initially drafted the ordinance last July, explained that the new requirements would prevent over 104 million gallons of polluted urban runoff from ending up in the ocean. Daniels’ work is also informed by having served on the California Coastal Commission.
Designing water management systems which help to control rainwater runoff at its local source, with a variety of small, cost-effective natural systems, instead of massive expensive and inefficient chemically intensive treatment facilities, is very smart planning. In drought-stricken southern California, this proposed regulation truly demonstrates visionary leadership. Water recycling and more sustainable water management practices are an inevitable part of our future.Lawyer accuses taxi-app company of hiding behind language to claim drivers are not employees
Lawyers representing Uber workers have accused the company of “doublespeak” and speaking with “forked tongues” over claims of job creation and its relationship with drivers.
The taxi app company is fighting legal action from drivers who argue they are employees of the organisation rather than independent operators running their own businesses.
Uber says it is a technology company rather than a transport provider, working with “driver partners” who have a “commonality of interest” and offering them flexibility to control how much and often they work.
Uber driver earned less than minimum wage, tribunal told Read more
But Thomas Linden QC, representing James Farrar and Yaseen Aslam in two test cases, suggested to the central London employment tribunal that Uber was hiding behind language to claim that its drivers are not employees of the business.
He cited a response from Uber to Transport for London in October 2014 in which the company claimed it could “generate tens of thousands of jobs in the UK” by working with jobcentres and agencies to help people become Uber drivers.
Linden told Jo Bertram, Uber’s UK general manager, that the statement was “blowing Uber’s trumpet as a creator of jobs”.
Bertram suggested the word “jobs” had been misused, telling the tribunal: “I am saying the correct word to use here is an ‘economic opportunity to earn money’.”
But Linden accused the company of boasting about the idea of job creation when it suited it but dismissing the idea that drivers were employees when it did not. He said: “My suggestion to you is that Uber speaks with forked tongues.”
Bertram replied: “We emphasise that it is ‘economic opportunities’. I agree that use of the word ‘jobs’ in this context may be misleading but we are very proud of the economic opportunities that we offer.”
Linden also accused Uber of doublespeak when he said on the one hand it described itself as a technology company, like Apple, but on the other told passengers it was offering them “Uber transport” with “Uber drivers”.
He suggested a process the company calls “onboarding” was actually another word for recruitment, saying to Bertram: “You want to avoid any idea that drivers may have an employment relationship with Uber.”
Bertram replied: “Because they don’t.”
The tribunal also heard that of the 30,000 registered Uber drivers in London, 99.9% operate individually, and just 68 run small businesses with other drivers operating under them as other Uber drivers.
In her witness statement, Bertram cited a poll of 551 Uber drivers that showed the majority in the capital did not use the Uber app platform on a full-time basis, that 72% use it for less than 40 hours a week, and more than 50% use Uber to supplement their main income.
But Linden said Uber had commissioned the work to support its case in the tribunal, and it was nothing to do with employment rates.
He suggested that important statistics – 61% of drivers do not have another job, and 80% of drivers say their Uber work is a significant source of income and rely on it for their livelihoods – were buried.
Bertram dismissed his claim that Uber had asked for the poll to support its case as “a bit of a stretch”, saying: “It showcases the opportunities available to drivers.”
In her statement, Bertram said drivers were their own boss and were under no obligation to log on to the Uber app. She said: “They can do so whenever they choose, at whatever time they choose. There is also no requirement on them to only use the Uber platform.
“They can contract with, work for or be employed by any company or also have other business interests on a self-employed basis.”
The tribunal, which continues on Friday, is the first time Uber has faced legal action in the UK over whether its drivers are workers or self-employed.
The test cases will determine another 17 claims that have been brought against Uber and could have wider implications for thousands more drivers across the country.Map of Atlantis "Plato, ambitious to elaborate and adorn the subject of the lost Atlantis, as if it were the soil of a fair estate unoccupied, but appropriately his by virtue of some kinship with Solon, began the work by laying out great porches, enclosures, and courtyards, such as no story, tale, or poesy ever had before. But he was late in beginning, and ended his life before his work. Therefore the greater our delight in what he actually wrote, the greater is our distress in view of what he left undone. For as the Olympieium in the city of Athens, so the tale of the lost Atlantis in the wisdom of Plato is the only one among many beautiful works to remain unfinished." (Plutarch, Parallel Lives Solon 32.1-2).
Atlantis was a large island in the Atlantic Ocean which lay in front of the mouth of the pillars of Heracles (straits of Gibraltar). Their inhabitants became a spiritually ugly race and for that reason Zeus and the gods destroyed them by letting the island be swallowed up by the sea. Atlantis was ruled by a confederation of kings and its power extended over Libya as far as Egypt and over Europe as far as Tuscany. About 8000 years before the Trojan War, Atlantis attempted to conquer the whole of the Mediterranean world but was defeated by the Athens of those remote times and its allies. Later, when the gods perceived that Atlantis was inhabited by an evil race, they let the island be destroyed by the third of the floods which preceded the Flood in the age of Deucalion 1. The first ten kings of Atlantis (five pairs of twins) were all sons of Poseidon and Cleito 2. The first born was Atlas, who was appointed to be king over the rest and after whom the island was called. The legend of Atlantis is not connected to other myths except for the names of Atlas and Poseidon. Account of the Egyptian priest According to Plato's account it was Solon, the Athenian statesman and poet whom History says lived 600 years after the Trojan War, the one who brought from Egypt the story of Atlantis. The very old Egyptian priest who talked with Solon was not at all impressed by the ancient stories of the Greeks, such as the one referring to Phoroneus as "the first man," or the legend of the Flood of Deucalion 1, for these stories, according to his view, were not at all ancient. Periodical destruction of mankind This Egyptian priest knew that humankind is periodically destroyed, either by fire or water, or by lesser means. And behind the story of Phaethon 3, the Egyptian said, lies the shifting of the celestial bodies around the earth, which cause destruction by fire on its surface at long intervals. When this happens those living in dry areas or dwelling in mountains suffer destruction more than those living near rivers or by the sea. On the other hand, when the world is flooded, those living in mountains are saved, but those populating the cities near the sea are swept into it by the streams. Things being of this nature, those living by the Nile were spared when the world was destroyed by fire, and when it was destroyed by water they were also spared because rain is scarce in Egypt, the water welling up always from below. In this way, said the Egyptian priest, memories of ancient times could be preserved in this country while all records were destroyed elsewhere. And while in other countries the periodical destruction caused irreparable losses, in Egypt it was possible to keep records of very ancient times. This is the reason why, continued the priest, the Greeks could just remember the Flood of Deucalion 1, ignoring that many other floods had previously occurred. And in the same way they had lost the memory of that Athens which existed 8000 years before the Trojan War (which is in our own day said to have taken place about 1200 BC). Atlantis defeated in war According to this Egyptian priest, that Athens of old resisted the invasion of the people from Atlantis, an island larger than Libya (name for the whole of northern Africa except Egypt) which lay in front of the mouth of the so called "Pillars of Heracles" (today called "straits of Gibraltar"). The island Atlantis was ruled by a confederation of kings which held power also in surrounding islands. The people of Atlantis had occupied Libya as far as Egypt and southwestern Europe, as far as Tuscany in Italy. And having conquered those regions, they gathered a host to extend their dominion to both Egypt and Greece. The Athenians of old, however, defeated this powerful army. Atlantis and Athens destroyed At a later time, earthquakes and floods destroyed the two opponents, Athens being swallowed up by the earth, and the island of Atlantis by the sea, vanishing for ever. This is why, the Egyptian said, the ocean at the spot where Atlantis once was, became impossible to sail across, being blocked up by the mud created by the large island when it sank. Atlantis allotted to Poseidon Now, when the gods divided among themselves different regions of the earth, the island of Atlantis was allotted to Poseidon, who settled there the children he had begotten of a mortal woman. In the middle of the island there was a fertile plain, and in its centre there stood a mountain where the autochthons (offspring of the soil) Evenor 4 and Leucippe 6 lived with their daughter Cleito 2. When they died, Poseidon married this young woman, and decided to alter the landscape, making the hill impregnable. And so the god carved circular beltsthree of sea and two of land around the hillisolating it completely, for at that time sailing was unknown. He also brought up springs of warm and cold water, producing all kinds of food. The ten kings of Atlantis Poseidon and Cleito 2 had five pairs of twins, who, along with their descendants, ruled the ten provinces into which Poseidon had divided Atlantis. The island and the ocean were called after Poseidon's first-born, Atlas, who was also king over his brothers. The brothers and the descendants of their ten royal houses ruled over many other islands, and also over the Mediterranean peoples living west of Egypt and Tuscany. The ten kings, who governed each his own province, are said to have assembled every fifth year and every sixth year, administering the public affairs and delivering judgement according to the law that Poseidon handed down to them, and according to records inscribed in a pillar of orichalcum. Wealth of Atlantis The people of Atlantis possessed an immense wealth, having at their disposal all kinds of supplies in endless abundance: metals, timber, animals (both tame and wild), including elephants, a great variety of fruits and vegetables, and many other things. Receiving all these products, they promptly furnished their temples, harbors, and the rest of the country. Around their metropolis, which was at about 10 kilometers (ca. 6 miles) from the sea, they built a circular system of channels and bridges with towers and gates, and circular walls of stone which they coated with brass, tin, and orichalcum. Atlantis defeated Atlantis was a flourishing realm. And yet, in spite of all the power deriving from wealth and advanced technologies, mighty fleets and large armies, Atlantis was defeated in war by the Athens of those remote times. Also, for all the knowledge the people of Atlantis had at their disposal, they were not able to prepare themselves against the natural catastrophe that affected them, nor could they avoid utter destruction. It has also been said that the people of Atlantis degenerated, being unable to live a happy life, and having become spiritually ugly. For this reason, Zeus and the gods, perceiving how evil this race had become, inflicted punishment upon them and let them be swallowed up by the sea.CLOSE Plaintiff Timothy Love talks about a District Court decision to overturn Kentucky's gay marriage ban. He spoke about the case with his attorneys Laura Landenwich and Dan Canon. Michael Clevenger, The Courier-Journal
Buy Photo Steven Carr and David Bannister, who don’t claim to be activists, approached Highland Baptist’s pastor 2 1/2 years ago and shared their desire to be married at the church. (Photo: Jacob Zimmer, Special to The C-J )Buy Photo
They have lived together for five years. They have a garden and a dog. They have a joint bank account. But only recently did they have the right to be married at their church.
David Bannister Jr., 29, and Steven Carr, 25, are to be married next May at Highland Baptist Church, which will break with most churches in its denomination by performing its first gay marriage ceremony.
"It takes courage to step out into the unknown," said Pastor Joe Phelps, who was approached by Bannister and Carr about the ceremony 2 1/2 years ago. "It's taking us courage to be one of the first churches to do this."
As state law stands, the marriage will not be recognized by the state of Kentucky, which is appealing a court ruling requiring it to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states.
And while a district court ruled Tuesday that same-sex marriages performed in Kentucky are legal, the judge stayed the decision, halting any legal gay marriages for now.
The church's decision "may influence the debate," said Sam Marcosson, a law professor at the University of Louisville.
"What Highland is really doing is what churches do on important issues," he said. "They're taking a stand in order to influence their community and move their community in a certain direction."
The church's move is part of a trend toward gay marriage across the country.
Besides recent court decisions on the matter, the Presbyterian Church of |
saying: "We believe there are many ways to be a great mum or dad.
"Our campaign simply aims to celebrate the different approaches and opinions around parenting, including whether or not mums choose to breastfeed in public, recognising that it's ultimately what works for you and your baby that matters the most."
Many have voiced their opinions on social media.
Image copyright @lizzylewis93
Image copyright @Lizzierhian
Image copyright @carlajhalton
Bev Bevster said on Facebook she was "disgusted that Dove supports the discrimination of breastfeeding mothers" and "promotes child cruelty" by allowing babies to cry.
"What has any of this got to do with do with body products?"
Rhiannon Kendrick wrote: "I have just seen your ludicrous, sensationalist and downright upsetting Baby Dove advert. Who wants to see a picture of a crying baby for goodness sake?"
Image copyright Unilever Image caption Some complaints have criticised the statistics quoted on Baby Dove's website
In England and Wales, it is illegal for anyone to ask a breastfeeding woman to leave a public place, such as a cafe, shop or public transport.
Scottish law makes it an offence to deliberately prevent or stop a person from feeding milk to a child in their charge in a public place or licensed premises.
Northern Ireland ministers have been considering legislation to protect mothers who breastfeed in public.
Last year, a study published in medical journal The Lancet found that the rates of breastfeeding in the UK were the lowest in the world.
The Advertising Standards Authority said the "general nature" of the complaints it had received were that it was not clear where the statistics were from.
The complaints said one advert encouraged a parenting style that was poor or neglectful, while the other perpetuated a negative perception of breastfeeding in public.
An ASA spokesman said the complaints were being assessed and no decision had yet been made on whether advertising rules had been broken.Opposition MPs say the lack of marine charts, navigation aids and ice-breaking services for the environmentally sensitive Arctic is disappointing and a significant worry for those who study the North.
The problems were revealed Tuesday in an audit by Environment Commissioner Julie Gelfand.
NDP environment critic Megan Leslie said that with glacial ice melting, traffic in the Arctic is increasing, making the lack of charts and navigation aids more concerning.
"Just imagine if there's an accident in the North," Leslie said.
"We have delicate ecosystems in the Arctic. Further to that, there is a really small window right now of when we could actually do that cleanup. We've seen a lot of discussion about drilling in the Arctic and that's one of the major concerns is that if something were to happen, the ice comes pretty quickly. Is there enough time to even clean up the damage that could be done?"
'Disappointing'
Leslie said that despite Prime Minister Stephen Harper's annual trips to the North, he hasn't mentioned how climate change will affect the Arctic.
"So it's disappointing," she said.
Green Party Leader Elizabeth May said not having proper maps and charts for the region is "a significant worry to people who study the Arctic."
She said it's surprising the Harper government is ignoring the needs of users like mining companies, who may need to navigate Arctic waters to develop the area.
"It's quite shocking.… We're looking at potentially 300 more navigations through these waters in the near term in order to accommodate development interests, which clearly interest the prime minister," May said.
Inadequately surveyed
In her first report as Canada's environment commissioner, Julie Gelfand found a stark contradiction between the government's words and actions when it comes to Canada's plans for the Arctic.
Despite the Conservative government's much vaunted "Northern Strategy," Gelfand's report found Arctic waters were inadequately surveyed and, on top of that, there isn't sufficient capacity to make charts.
The environment commissioner's report looked at the state of the Canadian government's preparations for increased marine navigation in the Arctic. (Chris Wattie/Reuters)
It also took aim at the Canadian Coast Guard and its icebreaking services, which are overseen by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and at the Canadian Hydrographic Service, which makes marine charts.
"The Canadian Coast Guard's icebreaking presence in the Arctic is decreasing while vessel traffic is increasing," she wrote.
Speaking to reporters after the report was released, Gelfand pointed out that the Arctic coastline is twice as long as the Atlantic and Pacific coasts combined. The more than 160,000 kilometres of coastline is travelled by only 350 vessels compared with tens of thousands of ships travelling the other coasts, Gelfand said.
"It is a concern, but we do need to put it in context of the size of the Arctic and the number of travelling ships in that area," she said.
"We have made a recommendation that the hydrographic service prioritize the really important places in the Arctic that need to be charted and think about it in terms of, nationally, where do we need to put the resources."
Transport Minister Lisa Raitt told the House her department has been working on the issue "for a very long period of time."
"We have actually a great world-class tanker panel that has been taking a look at safety, including specifically on shipping in the North," she said.
That panel is due to complete its second phase of work "soon," Raitt added.
No plan for future challenges
Another chapter of Gelfand's audit looked at the implementation of the 2012 Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. It found some serious issues with transparency — in particular, the commissioner didn't understand how the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency chose projects to assess.
"Overall, we found that the agency's rationale for identification of projects for environmental assessment is unclear," wrote Gelfand.
For instance, in the new regulations, diamond mines and railway yards are to be scrutinized, but wind turbines and in situ oilsands are not.
Environmental Commissioner Julie Gelfand speaks about her 2014 fall report at a news conference in Ottawa. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)
"Most of the agency's processes and the rationales on which recommendations are based are not made public. As the intent of the new legislation is to focus on projects that have the greatest potential for enviro effects, it is important for the agency to have a clear, transparent basis for identifying those projects," she said in her report.
Gelfand's audit of the government's 2020 greenhouse gas reduction plan added to a growing canon of criticism.
She also drew attention to the fact the federal government does not know what Environment Canada's role will be in oilsands monitoring after March 2015.
Overall, Gelfand found the government rudderless in many areas of environmental concern.
"In many key areas that we looked at, it is not clear how the government intends to address the significant environmental challenges that future growth and development will likely bring about," she said.
The commissioner of the environment and sustainable development is part of the Office of the Auditor General of Canada. The commissioner's office generally releases two reports to Parliament a year.
Gelfand was appointed in March, replacing Scott Vaughan, who left the office in 2013.Well Built 1965 Chevy Malibu SS on Hot Cars.
Most people think that all it takes to build a muscle car these days is a big buck. There are all kind of high performance parts, monstrous engines and body mods you can order, but what most people don’t realize is the hard part is to put those together in a way so they will actually work. Everything that goes into building a muscle car is about feel…it’s about sound, style and execution. That’s exactly what Gil has done to his 1965 Chevy Malibu SS.
Gil’s Black Chevrolet has a gorgeous classic look, the right stance and sports a 500 horse power LS1 Small Block motor linked to a T56 Viper Transmission. The interior seems very simple without anything fancy in it, but it looks way better than many show cars we have seen around. Last but not least, this muscle car is perfectly balanced and feels very nice to drive.
Check out this episode of Big Muscle for the whole story. Watch, Enjoy & Share!
More on Hot Cars: All You Want to Know about Chevy L89 Muscle Cars
657 SharesA hungry, slightly inebriated man knew just what to do when he stopped by a South Carolina Waffle House early Thursday only to find the restaurant’s staff snoozing: He cooked up his own meal, snapping selfies along the way.
>> Read more trending news
Alex Bowen said in a Facebook post that he stopped by a Waffle House in West Columbia because he couldn’t sleep.
The restaurant’s employees apparently did not have the same problem.
“I walked back outside to my car to look for employees,” Bowen told WIS. “No one in sight.”
It wasn’t until he walked back inside the restaurant that he noticed an employee snoozing in a corner booth.
“Then it was go time,” Bowen told WIS. “(I) got hot on the grill with a double Texas bacon cheesesteak with extra pickles. When I was done I cleaned the grill, collected my ill-gotten sandwich and rolled out.”
Couldn't sleep so I went to waffle house....guess what...everyone on shift was asleep Posted by Alex Bowen on Wednesday, November 29, 2017
He told WIS that he wouldn’t normally have gotten behind the grill.
"I give all the credit to my old friend vodka," Bowen said.
He said he returned later to pay for the sandwich. As proof, he posted a photo on Facebook of himself smiling with a Waffle House employee.
In a statement released to WIS, a Waffle House spokesperson said employees reached out to Bowen to apologize and that the employee photographed by Bowen while sleeping in one of the restaurant’s booths had been suspended for a week.
“For safety reasons, our customers should never have to go behind the counter,” the statement said. “Rather they should get a quality experience delivered by friendly associates. We are reviewing this incident and will take appropriate disciplinary action.”Donald Trump may be blowing up Republican politics as we know it, but his most lasting impact may be more substantive — he has pushed the GOP into a much more populist corner on policy, challenging the party’s platform on everything from free trade to entitlements.
Trump’s populist positions on Wall Street (“Hedge fund managers are getting away with murder”), free trade (“We need fair trade, not free trade”) and immigration (“We’ll have a great wall”) are resonating at a time when conservatives are openly grappling with how to reach working- and middle-class voters when the GOP platform best reflects The Wall Street Journal editorial page.
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“We have to develop policy ideas that deal directly with their concerns,” said longtime GOP pollster and strategist Glen Bolger.
John Brabender, political strategist to former Sen. Rick Santorum who sought unsuccessfully to appeal to working class voters in his presidential campaign, said GOP elites who covered their eyes eight months ago are paying attention to Trump now.
“They didn’t want to believe it,” Brabender said. “For the establishment, familiarity doesn’t breed contempt. It breeds comfort.”
Trump diverges from GOP orthodoxy in significant ways: While Republican elites push to rein in or privatize entitlements almost as a matter of faith, he vows to preserve Medicare and Social Security — while reassuring that “we're going to take care of the people on the street dying” after he repeals Obamacare.
Trump is strongly protectionist on trade and pushes closed borders to reassure workers who feel threatened by undocumented workers and the exodus of manufacturing jobs.
He proposes even more massive tax cuts than his Republican rivals, but casts his tax plan as a way to lift up middle-class families and stick it to Wall Street.
And on top of all that, he boasts that he can’t be bought by the special interests and advocacy groups that normally fund political campaigns.
But if Trump’s success in New Hampshire has forced the GOP establishment to recognize it has a problem, neither conservative elites, nor reformers are rushing to embrace prescriptions that they see as underdeveloped, far-fetched and, in some cases, mean-spirited. They argue his success has been fueled by his persona, not his positions.
“Obviously Trump has tapped into an anger felt throughout the country, and voters have good reason to be angry at Washington,” said Doug Heye, a former spokesman for the Republican National Committee and a sharp Trump critic. “But that anger isn't exclusive to any particular demographic and should demand serious policy prescriptions. Which Trump eschews.”
Here’s how he stands on six big issues, and how those stances have helped him consolidate support among blue-collar voters.
Immigration
Perhaps no issue has galvanized Trump’s supporters as much as his bellicose posture on immigration. Besides his push to build a wall on the border with Mexico, and his demand that Mexicans pay for it Trump has suggested rounding up and deporting 11 million undocumented immigrants. He also wants the birthright citizenship of their children revoked.
While those ideas resonate with stressed voters who lost ground in the Great Recession and who see immigrants as competitors and even as freeloaders, they rankle reform conservatives as well as traditional business-minded Republicans.
“The idea of building a wall just absolutely runs counter to the free market business ideals that you would think a businessman could wrap his head around,” says Craig Regelbrugge, a lobbyist for the horticulture industry.
Michael Strain, an economist at the American Enterprise Institute.
Strain, said that presidents like Ronald Reagan have courted voters with similar fears without being so divisive. “We’ve seen presidents who have been able to do that but who haven’t been morally offensive and unserious,” he said.
Trump’s also railed against temporary work visas, which he says hurt American workers. But Republican strategists worry that stance alienates Hispanic voters when the party seeks to broaden its base by appealing to both blue-collar workers and Hispanics.
Trade
Trump has called for as much as a 45 percent tariff on Chinese exports to the U.S. and a 35 percent tax on cars crossing the Mexico border, arguing his protectionist approach would bring high-paying manufacturing jobs back to the U.S.
“We’re going to beat all of these countries that are taking so much of our money away from us on a daily basis,” Trump said at his New Hampshire victory speech on Tuesday. “It’s not going to happen anymore.”
He has also called out corporations like Apple, demanding they “build their damn computers and things in this country.” He boasts of “a great relationship with the unions,” and labor leaders worry Trump’s message could appeal to their members.
“He targets people like us. But what is he really pushing?” said Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO. Trumka has blasted Trump, who opposes raising the minimum wage, for "a campaign fueled by contempt and exclusion."
While Trump’s plan for high tariffs might appeal to workers worried their jobs are disappearing overseas, trade experts say his proposals would actually hurt his blue-collar base by raising the price of cheap imported goods.
Trump’s position “is out of whack with the Republican party four years ago,” said Derek Scissors, a China expert at the American Enterprise Institute. “The question is how far out of whack is it with the Republican Party now?”
Entitlements
While Trump has denounced Obamacare, he’s also spoken approvingly of single-payer systems in the past, making it difficult to figure out his precise positions.
Trump has vowed to oppose cuts to Social Security and Medicare and to ensure every American has health coverage, horrifying some on the right. “It was a red flag for me,” radio host Rush Limbaugh said last week about Trump’s promise not to leave anyone without access to needed care.
Unlike Republican ideologues he doesn’t want to reduce the size of government so much as make it competent from his perspective.
Policy analysts compare his platform to that of European populist parties, which have a more nativist appeal, vow to protect the safety net and put less of an emphasis on the social issues that have animated many conservatives in the U.S. for decades.
Trump also supports allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies — a longstanding Democratic idea reflexively opposed by the GOP. But the idea may resonate with a public fed up with skyrocketing drug costs.
“Who better than Donald Trump to be your chief negotiator with the drug companies?” said Dean Clancy, a veteran GOP health wonk backing Sen. Ted Cruz.
Taxes
Like other GOP candidates, Trump proposes a massive tax cut that would benefit the top 1 percent more than middle-class — making it hard to believe, as Trump claims, that he’d pay more under his own plan. (Trump appears to be the only Republican candidate to have once backed the “wealth tax” popularized by the French economist Thomas Piketty.)
There are a few populist pieces to Trump’s plan. Under his proposal, the number of taxpayers who won’t owe income taxes — Mitt Romney’s famous 47 percent — would jump to 63 percent, according to the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center.
But Trump has also been more willing to play up his man-of-the-people bona fides than some of his rivals.
During a recent GOP debate, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey called raising taxes on the wealthy “class warfare,” even though polls shows the idea is popular. In contrast, Trump often plugs his proposal to end the preferential treatment of carried interest that help private equity managers. And he isn’t shy about dumping on the Wall Street types who actually aren’t the prime beneficiaries of carried interest. “The hedge fund guys didn’t build this country,” he said last August.
Education
Trump’s anti-Common Core, pro-school choice positions are in line with the GOP and he’s open to scrapping the Education Department. But Trump also sounds like liberal hero Sen. Elizabeth Warren when he talks about college loan debt.
“These student loans are probably one of the only things that the government shouldn’t make money from and yet it does,” Trump wrote in his 2015 book “Crippled America.”
That line could resonate with voters across the political spectrum. Polling has found that a strong majority of Republicans, Democrats and independents believe that college loan debt is a major problem.
Defense/National security
Trump reassures voters fearful of terrorist attacks and America’s place in the world with his calls for a military “so big and so strong and so great” that he says no one will mess with it. He’s called for destroying the Islamic State, without saying how, and plugs his opposition to the 2003 Iraq invasion.
He’s also talked about barring Muslims from entering the country. And most recently, he defended waterboarding, going further than his rivals by saying he’d “bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding.”
At the same time, Trump has shown minimal understanding of some key foreign policy issues, once suggesting he got his advice on security matters from the Sunday shows. He’s confused the Kurds with the Quds Force, and been unable to explain the nuclear triad — gaps that have not eaten into his support so far.
And while he’s called China and Mexico trade bullies, Trump has praised Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has become a pariah among other Republicans.
At a Dec. 15 debate, Trump said he would seek to block the Islamic State from using the Internet, even as he offered no details. "ISIS is using the Internet better than we are using the Internet and it was our idea," he said, adding he would "get our brilliant people from Silicon Valley” to solve the problem.
Adam Behsudi, Helena Bottemiller Evich, Paul Demko, Eric Engleman, Darren Goode, Kimberly Hefling, Jeremy Herb, Marianne Levine, Brian Mahoney, Katy O'Donnell and Tim Starks also contributed.The floods that hit Louisiana in late 2016 were described as the state's worst natural disaster since Hurricane Sandy, destroying homes and displacing people en masse. TOGM did our part to help those affected, and provided our generous donors with an opportunity to snag a once-in-a-lifetime deal on a photo signed by three of the biggest names in My Little Pony!
Printing, signatures, and all costs associated with the cross-country shipping involved in obtaining the signatures were donated by TOGM and the VIPs themselves.
HOW THIS CHARITY GIVEAWAY WORKED:
First, our donors DONATED at least $50 to at least ONE of the following:
The American Red Cross
Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana Then, when they received a donation receipt, they forwarded it to charity@greymare.net. When the signed posters were ready for shipping, donors were emailed to request their shipping address. Ordinarily, for this sort of event, TOGM would charge actual shipping charges; however, due to a shipping delay, this time, shipping costs were donated by The Mare herself.
The photo prints from this event measured 19" wide by 13" tall. (Looking for a frame? Amazon has lots of nice 19" x 13" frames!)'Train to Crystal City' Tells A Secret Story Of WWII Internments
RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:
The internment camps where Japanese-Americans were sent during World War II are a well-documented part of American history. One lesser-known camp was called Crystal City in southern Texas. And there, thousands of Japanese immigrants were detained along with many people of German and Italian descent. Hundreds of these Americans were then sent back to their countries of origin in exchange for Americans who were caught behind enemy lines when the war broke out.
Jan Jarboe Russell writes about these secret trade arrangements in a new book called "The Train To Crystal City: FDR's Secret Prisoner Exchange Program And America's Only Family Interment Camp During World War II." Russell writes about the families who came to Crystal City to be with their loved ones who have been detained.
JAN JARBOE RUSSELL: You had wives and fathers and children living in tiny huts in this 290-acre internment camp. It had schools. It had a swimming pool. Of course, it was an internment camp. It had barbed wire fences. It was under constant armed guard. All of the mail in and out of the camp was censored. But most heartbreaking is that President Roosevelt set up a division within the Department of State called the Special War Problems Division.
MARTIN: And this is where we get to the subtitle of your book "The Secret Prisoner Exchange Program."
RUSSELL: In the run-up to the war, the president realized that Americans would be tracked behind enemy lines in Germany and in Japan, especially. And he charged the Special War Problems Division with creating pools of people that he could trade for important Americans - soldiers, diplomats, businessmen, journalists, missionaries.
MARTIN: As you say, these were all Americans who happened to be living abroad when World War II breaks out. And the Roosevelt administration is trying to figure a way to get them home. And they think they have leverage by repatriating German-Americans, Italian-Americans, Japanese-Americans. Many of these people were born in America.
RUSSELL: Well, that was the tragedy of Crystal city, not the way the internees were treated. In about the 50 children of the camp that I spent time with and interviewed, some of them say that as hard as it was, those were the best years of their life because they were with their parents and their siblings. And so they aren't resentful about the Crystal City camp or their treatment. What they are resentful about it is that thousands of internees in Crystal City, including their American-born children, were exchanged into war for more important Americans.
MARTIN: You trace the story in the book of two young girls - Ingrid Eiserloh and Sumi Utsushigawa. What happened to those girls? What happened to their families when they were sent back to Germany and Japan?
RUSSELL: They went with their family. They all went together. The, you know - Sumi's father, who was a photographer in Los Angeles, and her mother went to Japan. And Ingrid and her brothers and sisters and her parents went to Germany. And they saw, of course, devastated lands, and they encountered unimaginable trouble while they were in Germany and Japan. The Germans thought that these American-born kids were spies. And despite all of that, these people - Ingrid and Sumi and a lot of other kids that were in the Crystal City camp traded with their families into war became astonishingly resilience American loyalists and made their way back to the United States after the war was over, even though their country had betrayed them.
MARTIN: In the end, you write about how Ingrid discovers that it wasn't just Americans who were exchanged for other Americans. She was sent back to Germany in exchange for the freedom of some European Jews.
RUSSELL: None of these people ever knew really who was getting out of the war. And I learned from a document at the National Holocaust Museum that a handful of Jews - 136 Jews in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp were on the train coming out of Germany. And one of them is named Irene Hasenberg, who is roughly the same age as Ingrid. And I tell the story about when I was able to tell Ingrid this is who was on that train coming out. She said everything that happened to my family now makes sense to me. At least Irene and her brother and her mother got out.
MARTIN: The book is called "The Train To Crystal City." It is written by Jan Jarboe Russell. Thanks so much for talking with us, Jan.
RUSSELL: Thank you, Rachel.
Copyright © 2015 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.Piguazhang
Piguazhang is a style of Chinese martial arts which is traditionally practiced alongside Bajiquan. It is suggested that the two systems where once one of the same style (brother (Yang) and sister (Yin).
Whist it could be said that Bajiquan is a direct straight and explosive style, Piguazhang, emphasis’s quick, coiling, wrapping, soft, hard, splitting and chopping techniques as well as developing a quick a flexible mind. It is said that Piguazhang hand techniques are like “rain falling in a storm” and “the body and feet like a coiling dragon” turning around its prey.
Piguazhang 劈掛掌, (commonly known as "chop-hanging palm" or “chop – hanging fist”)
Wudang PiguaZhang system was passed on by Great Grandmaster Long Jin Ju, as practiced for many hundreds of years in Wudang mountain Temples. Utilising the Taoist Theory of YiJing, Bagua, Taji, Wu Xin and Six harmonies Principles, PiguaZhang is a unique yet complementary style to other forms of Chinese exercise ideal for health protection and longevity.ES News Email Enter your email address Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid You already have an account. Please log in or register with your social account
Sadiq Khan today promised to spend £770m on cycling over the next five years under plans to get more Londoners out of their cars.
The Mayor announced plans for two new cycle superhighways as he claimed he had gone “well beyond” a manifesto pledge to increase the proportion of Transport for London’s budget spent on cycling.
The move was widely welcomed by the cycling community but there was concern that the full amount would never be spent after a series of schemes first proposed by predecessor Boris Johnson were delayed or axed.
The funding, part of TfL’s business plan that is being published later this week, works out at an average of £154m a year. This compares to the £158 million spent in Mr Johnson’s last year as Mayor and the £302 million he spent in his second four-year term.
If the money is spent, it will almost double the scale of investment in cycling infrastructure. Mr Khan says the average of £17 per Londoner per year is on a par with leading cycling nations such as Denmark and the Netherlands.
Mr Khan said: “I said in my manifesto that I’d be the most pro-cycling Mayor London has ever had. Today I’m delighted to confirm that TfL will be spending twice as much on cycling over the next five years compared to the previous Mayor.”
Construction of the Farringdon to King’s Cross northern extension of the North-South superhighway will begin next year. Consultations will begin next year on CS4 between Tower Bridge and Greenwich, and CS9 between Kensington Olympia and Hounslow.
The funding package includes the highly-controversial CS11 between Swiss Cottage and Oxford Circus and the western extension of the East-West superhighway between Paddington and Acton. However, no dates for these extensions were released today.
There was also a pledge to plan or build 20 “quietways” - non-segregated routes through residential streets. City Hall was unable to guarantee that all new superhighways would be fully segregated - regarded as essential in improving safety for cyclists. The aim is for 1.5 million journeys a day to be made by bike by 2025/26.
Ashok Sinha, chief executive of the London Cycling Campaign, said: “This unprecedented investment in cycling shows the Mayor is serious about meeting his promises to triple the extent of London’s protected cycle lanes, fix the most dangerous junctions and enable boroughs to implement major walking and cycling schemes. It will help make London a better, greener, healthier and less congested city.”
Andrew Gilligan, who was Mr Johnson’s cycling tsar, said: “£154m is less than we spent last year. But even this level of spending will not be achieved unless the Mayor actually starts building something. So far, most movement has been in the other direction, with shovel-ready schemes delayed or cancelled.
“The promise to consult on two cycle superhighway routes is welcome, though neither will reach central London and I note there is no commitment that they will be segregated.”Benjamin Netanyahu is due to meet separately with Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton this coming weekend. | Getty Netanyahu to meet Sunday with Trump, Clinton
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to meet separately with Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton this coming weekend, people familiar with the arrangements confirmed on Friday.
After Haaretz reported this week that Netanyahu would meet with both presidential candidates if asked, Trump’s campaign engaged in a conversation with the Israeli prime minister’s advisers to discuss a meeting, a senior Trump aide said. They agreed to meet, but both sides decided to keep the plans under wraps to give Netanyahu the opportunity to let Clinton’s team know about the meeting with Trump before it was made public.
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A Clinton campaign aide confirmed that the former secretary of state plans to meet with Netanyahu on Sunday. "Our team has been in regular touch with PM Netanyahu's team throughout the week," the aide said.
News of the meetings was first reported by NBC’s Andrea Mitchell.CLIVE, Iowa — Donald Trump’s parade of policy speeches will continue on Tuesday night outside Philadelphia, where he’ll roll out a proposal for paid family leave and hope to win over a key group of swing voters, suburban women, who continue to elude him.
But for that appeal to succeed, Trump’s female critics will not only have to forgive the GOP nominee's litany of crude, misogynistic statements, they’ll also have to pocket their calculators. Because Trump’s proposal to pay for his plan without increasing the budget deficit doesn’t add up.
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Trump is suggesting the federal government guarantee six weeks of paid maternity leave for new mothers and is fleshing out the child-care tax cut plan he put forth last month. A campaign adviser said the new leave benefit would be funded by “eliminating fraud” in unemployment insurance, which one 2013 Federal Reserve study estimated to be $3.3 billion a year — but even the most bare-bones family leave program would likely cost three times that amount, according to independent budget analysts.
It’s the latest in a string of Trump's high-cost promises to voters that have been vague, or misleading, on how he plans to fund them. Mexico says it won’t give a dime for Trump’s border wall, but Trump says it will pay for all of it. Trump also says he’ll triple the number of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, preserve entitlements, grow the military and make child care tax-deductible, all while sweeping in large-scale tax cuts.
“Promising the electorate the world in the campaign with every intention of working out the details after the election is hardly a new phenomenon, but it used to be one that Republicans rejected,” Noah Rothman, a conservative columnist, wrote Tuesday in Commentary Magazine. “Today, under Trump’s corrupting umbra, the GOP has become the party of wild assurances and cascading spending proposals with no intention of ever making good on them.”
By comparison, Hillary Clinton’s proposal to have the federal government cover 12 weeks of paid leave, with workers earning two-thirds of their salary while away, carries a price tag of $300 billion over 10 years — but she’s proposed a specific means of absorbing that cost: raising taxes on the rich.
Beyond the budget hole, Trump’s outreach to women is plagued by a history — both during his campaign and long before — of derogatory statements about women. He once told a female lawyer she was “disgusting” when she left a deposition to pump breast milk, and he described his second wife to Howard Stern as “nice tits, no brains.” He has disparaged female journalists multiple times, from saying “bimbo” Megyn Kelly had “blood coming out of her wherever” to referring to an NBC News correspondent as “little” Katy Tur.
Trump’s outreach to women, and particularly his use of paid leave to do it, is complicated by reports that he has in fact failed — despite his own statements to the contrary — to provide paid maternity leave or child care for his own employees.
The GOP nominee plans to use his daughter Ivanka, who will appear with him onstage Tuesday night, to sell the plan that she encouraged and helped craft, as Trump told supporters Tuesday afternoon during a rally in a Des Moines suburb.
"'Daddy, Daddy, we have to do this,'" Trump said, crediting his daughter's insistence on the subject. "Very smart, and she's right." But the Trump Corp., which Ivanka runs, does not appear to provide paid maternity leave or child care to its employees.
Trump has been resistant to giving any information about the leave policies at his companies. He told Fox News’ Stuart Varney last year that paid leave is something “to be careful of” in order to keep the “country very competitive.” In 2004, he said in an interview with NBC’s "Dateline" that pregnancy is “certainly an inconvenience for a business” and suggested that a former employee should have felt pressure to come back to work after maternity leave.
For private companies, it can be nearly impossible to uncover paid-leave policies because most don’t make that information public, and only 12 percent of private-sector workers in the country have access to paid family leave from their employer, according to the Labor Department. Trump’s employees are also bound by strict non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements.
Ivanka Trump has said she offers eight weeks of paid maternity leave at her company, but the same is not necessarily true for companies she contracts with. The Washington Post reported last month that she uses a contractor to design her clothing line that doesn’t offer any paid leave maternity leave for its workers.
In addition to the maternity leave proposal, Trump will update his plan to allow families to deduct child-care expenses, something else he has failed to provide for his own employees, despite misleading statements that he does. The two programs he cited, "Trump Kids" and "Trumpeteers," cater to patrons of Trump's hotels and golf club, not his employees.
The Trump campaign has been looking for ways to make its tax-reform plan more focused on the middle class and will allow parents to deduct child care up to the average cost in their states from their income taxes. Individuals with incomes up to $250,000 and couples who make less than $500,000 would be able to qualify for the deduction, which would exclude the wealthiest American families but still provide benefits to large numbers of high-income people. Poorer families that don’t pay income tax would also get assistance, but it would generally be smaller in value.
The tax code already offers a number of subsidies for child expenses — a dependent care credit, the child tax credit, flexible spending accounts — and it’s unclear whether Trump’s proposals would replace or augment those provisions.
Inconsistencies aside, Trump’s pitch to female voters is understandable, given Trump’s continued struggles to overcome the gender gap: The Republican trailed by 15 points among female likely voters in last week’s ABC News/Washington Post poll, and led Clinton by only 5 points among white women. Mitt Romney won the votes of white women by about 14 points in 2012, according to exit polls.
Among white women with a college degree, Trump was 10 points behind Clinton, 40 percent to Clinton’s 50 percent. Trump was stronger among white women without a degree, leading by 17 points, 51 percent to 34 percent. But that lags behind Trump’s stronger support among male non-graduates: a gaping 40-point advantage over Clinton in the ABC News/Washington Post poll.
And as Trump tries to make inroads with women, the Clinton campaign will be taking aim at his proposals — and wasted no time ripping his family leave policy on Tuesday.
"We’ve got 56 days left in the campaign and he’s finally decided to talk about policy, and it's everything we would have expected it to be,” Clinton’s senior policy adviser Maya Harris said in a campaign-organized conference call on Tuesday evening. “It’s completely out of touch, it’s half-baked, and it’s out of touch with how Americans are living today."
Gabriel Debenedetti, Steve Shepard and Cogan Schneier contributed to this report.October 5, 2016
Edith Windsor, the Queen of Gay Marriage, just got married again. Windsor was the lead plaintiff in United States vs. Windsor, the case which helped make gay marriage legal everywhere. As such, she has gained status as the Queen of Gay Marriage, patron saint for a movement that is widely held to have gained “full equality” for gays and lesbians everywhere.
Windsor was widowed in 2009, when her spouse Thea Spyer (they married in Toronto in 2007) died leaving her with a combined estate tax of over $638,000 ($363,000 federal, $275,000 state). She filed the lawsuit claiming discrimination: Only heterosexual couples were and are exempt from paying the taxes.
Overnight, Windsor became the iconic symbol of a movement of gays and lesbians who claimed to be driven to poverty because of an unjust tax system. $638,000 in taxes is in fact a lot for a single person to pay, but what the gay community, the media, |
the media.
“I certainly don’t need to defend our reputation or the reputation of our company. Just ask any GM, including the GM of the New York Yankees, and they will tell you how much they respect how we go about our business and advocate for our players.
“With regards to Dellin, it was very ironic to hear the Yankees’ president express his love and affection when he spent the only portion of the hearing, to which he contributed to, was calling this player by the wrong first name. It is Dellin, for the record. He then proceeded to blame Dellin for the Yankees’ declining ticket sales and their lack of playoff history while trying to bully the panel, saying something to the effect that the sky will fall if they rule for the player. He is not going to bully this player. After that he turned it over to the lawyer the Yankees hired to argue the case and the (Major League Baseball) Labor Relations Department for everything else.
“Bottom line, they had very little good to say about a player who grew up as a Yankees fan and contributed more than virtually any other relief pitcher in baseball. This guy was a 3-time All-Star. He is a unique pitcher that the arbitration system had never seen. He is about as unique as they come. We all knew it was going to be a landmark decision because of what this player has done.
“The panel decided for the club and it could have ended at that. While we wholeheartedly disagree with their decision, we respect it and we (including Dellin) were prepared to move on.
“I have not spoken to Randy Levine in several months. I know he said that he told us how many times our number was unrealistic when he spoke with the media earlier … the FACT is that we have not talked about Dellin’s salary ONCE. Also facts:
“We have a great working relationship with Brian [GM Brian Cashman] and Jean [assistant GM Jean Afterman] and have nothing but respect for both of them. Knowing where this thing was heading, I approached Brian and Jean in December to try to amicably work out an agreement. We talked again earlier in the week and we even made an attempt to settle before we sat down at the hearing. I understand that two sides can see the same thing differently. We were willing to accept that and move through this process amicably – that is, until today’s press conference.
“The only person overreaching in this entire situation is Randy. He might as well be an astronaut because nobody on earth would agree with what he is saying. Even the others in the room would disagree with him.
“Nonetheless, as Dellin has done throughout his career, he will continue to be a professional and an outstanding member of the community no matter how the Team President values him.”
The 28-year-old Betances, an All-Star in each of the past three seasons, led all major-league pitchers with 15.5 strikeouts per nine innings in 2016. He posted a 3.08 ERA and 1.12 WHIP with 126 strikeouts in 73 innings, and he saved 12 games – all after the team traded closer Aroldis Chapman and reliever Andrew Miller.
Chapman is back with the Yankees after signing a record five-year, $86 million free-agent contract this past offseason – closer money. So, Betances again will pitch in a setup role in 2017, though it remains to be seen whether he’ll do so with hard feelings toward the front office.
"You look at it a little differently now. I think (free agency) will be a little easier when the time comes." – Dellin Betances — Bryan Hoch (@BryanHoch) February 18, 2017
Betances seemed as shocked by the entire situation as Shapirio.
“Randy Levine talks about his 30 years of experience. I was in more than double the hearings in the last three weeks than he has been in in his career,” Shapiro said.
“This was a profound disagreement about valuation, not a wild goose chase. We firmly believed Dellin Betances’ accomplishments would allow him to merit a $5 million salary. We were wrong.”Microsoft's New Patch Tuesday Model Comes With Benefits And Risks
Microsoft has transitioned its Patch Tuesday update process to a cumulative rollup model. What businesses need to know about the new patching regimen.
Microsoft as of this month officially transitioned its Patch Tuesday model to a cumulative patching process for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 that security experts say is a more flexible and streamlined way to update vulnerable systems. But it also comes with some risks.
October 11 marked the first time Microsoft released updates via its new system, which combines security and non-security fixes into large bundles. Three distinct update bundles will roll out each month; two available to enterprise customers, and one for consumers.
On the second Tuesday of each month, otherwise known as Patch Tuesday, Microsoft will distribute two update batches.
One of these, for businesses and consumers, is released via Windows Update, Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), and the Windows Update Catalog. This is a monthly rollup of security and non-security fixes, which contains all updates for the month as well as fixes for the previous months. If a user skips a month, they will receive the patches for that month in the following month's bundle.
The second bundle contains all security patches for the specific month and excludes fixes from previous months. These security-only rollouts, intended for enterprise users, are distributed through WSUS and Windows Update Catalog.
"What Microsoft is trying to do is make things simpler for users by delivering all updates together," explains Amol Sarwate, director of vulnerability labs at Qualys. "When administrators install patches, they can just deploy one patch." This model also makes it easier to learn which fixes are included and which aren't, he adds.
On the third Tuesday, Microsoft will release a preview of non-security updates slated to arrive in the following month's rollup. This allows businesses to test updates on their systems and verify compatibility.
Sarwate explains how this new strategy is intended to streamline the update process for enterprise customers and give them the option to choose specific bundles. He advises organizations to take advantage of the opportunity to test new updates ahead of their release.
Microsoft's new update model also addresses problems businesses previously encountered when applying new security fixes.
"The main issue in the past has been that some users, mostly by mistake, didn't install all patches," explains Johannes Ullrich, dean of research at SANS Technology Institute. "This led to a very fragmented user base and increased the risk of new patches, as you couldn't be sure that all old patches were applied correctly."
Business systems are more tightly managed, he continues, and decisions are more carefully made as part of a controlled patch process. Organizations can delay patches for a particular month if they conflict with business-critical apps.
The Tradeoffs
While the change is intended to make patching simpler for enterprise users, experts agree there is still risk involved.
"As someone who manages patching, I welcome the change," says Michael Gray, VP of tech at Thrive Networks. "The time spent researching every patch is exhaustive."
However, he continues, there is a risk of people not wanting to download these monolithic updates. What's more, the larger these bundles get, the more likely it is someone could compromise the entire package.
Ullrich acknowledges the new model will make patch application easier, but there is also risk related to availability.
"If a particular patch interferes with a particular function of the PC, either a hardware component or customer software, then the entire patch has to be delayed and it will not be advisable to just apply a partial patch," he explains.
This further emphasizes the importance of patch testing, which may be a bit easier on the new system since there will be less variability, he continues. However, it remains to be seen how this will work out in the first few months of Microsoft's new model.
As IT managers begin to roll out these changes, they should keep standard patching best practices in mind, says Sarwate. He recommends deploying updates in waves, so if there's a need to roll back, it's only necessary for a small group of workers.
Ullrich advises corporations to apply patches as soon as Microsoft releases them. Home users should still automatically apply patches.
Related Content:
Kelly Sheridan is the Staff Editor at Dark Reading, where she focuses on cybersecurity news and analysis. She is a business technology journalist who previously reported for InformationWeek, where she covered Microsoft, and Insurance & Technology, where she covered financial... View Full BioOsmosis Jones is a 2001 part animated, part live action film whose title character is Osmosis Jones, a white blood cell who takes on a deadly virus.
He's one cell of a guy. (taglines)
Osmosis Jones [ edit ]
Yo, you see this badge? You see this gun? You see this gooey white sackous membraneous 'round my personhood? Well, you dealin' with a white blood cell here! I should be out in the veins, fightin' disease, not in the mouth on tartar control!
Osmosis Jones to dispatch. We got multiple germs - I repeat, multiple germs - comin' down the windpipe, and if these bad boys hit the blood stream, we're gonna be illin'! I'm talkin' nose-drippin', chicken soup-drinkin', rectal thermometer-stickin' illin'!
You want Osmosis? You got Osmosis!
[from trailer] Disease is the crime, I'm the cure!
Disease is the crime, I'm the cure! [The Chief asks Jones where he was in their conversation] You were just starting to say how you were giving me...a promotion to Head of Brain Security, I believe. Yep.
You were just starting to say how you were giving me...a promotion to Head of Brain Security, I believe. Yep. [Thrax demands to know who the undercover Jones really is] Who am I? WHO AM I?! A "Bad Booty-Shaken Pickanosis", yeah, that's who I am.
Who am I? WHO AM I?! A "Bad Booty-Shaken Pickanosis", yeah, that's who I am. [Drix shoves his gun arm into the flu shot's mouth and Osmosis gets an idea] Uh-oh, you done done it now, Chill. This guy's a psycho cop. You had your chance to spill it, but it's too late. This guy just got off the thorazine, and now he's Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs! He's going El Pollo Loco on your crazy behind!
Uh-oh, you done done it now, Chill. This guy's a psycho cop. You had your chance to spill it, but it's too late. This guy just got off the thorazine, and now he's Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs! He's going El Pollo Loco on your crazy behind! I know sugar pills who cured cancer, because they believed.
[After Jones gets punched in the face] Why did you hit so hard?
Why did you hit so hard? [To Thrax when his claw gets stuck in Shane's false eyelash] She ain't going down! You are!
She ain't going down! are! Drips, sometimes being too careful is all it takes.
[story to before the beginning of the movie] A couple of years ago, I crusin' the digestive track, just minding my own business. Outside it was Shane's school's science fair. And everyone was real excited, 'cause the winner was gonna get their picture on the front page of the local paper. I was workin' in the kidneys when I heard about a 631 in progress, that's incoming shellfish so I headed down to the stomach just to be safe. And then I saw him! He rode in on the clammiest lookin' oyster I've ever seen! [he sees the virus and panics to finds a way to keep frank healthy after he sees the Emergency only Puke button.] There was no time to ask questions, so I did what I had to do. You can probably guess which photo made it to the front page of the paper the next day. Overnight, Frank became the town laughingstock. The photo got picked up and ran in every daily across the country. He even got fired from his job at the pea soup factory. Lucky for us, our old friend Bob hooked up Frank with a job at the zoo. It was a 90% cut in pay, but, it was the best we can do. Needless to say, none of this helped Shane. And as for me, I got suspended for unnecessary force. Since then, not a day's gone by that I haven't wondered: "Did I do the right thing?".
Drixenol [ edit ]
[first line] Special Agent Drixo-Benzo-Medapedramine. [changes tone of voice to more commercial-friendly] Drixenol! The brand that eases your coughs and sneezes! Warning: Do not exceed recommended dosage. If symptoms persist, consult a physician. May cause drowsiness. Do not attempt to operate heavy machinery. Pregnant women should not handle broken tablets. You can call me Drix.
Special Agent Drixo-Benzo-Medapedramine. Drixenol! The brand that eases your coughs and sneezes! Warning: Do not exceed recommended dosage. If symptoms persist, consult a physician. May cause drowsiness. Do not attempt to operate heavy machinery. Pregnant women should not handle broken tablets. You can call me Drix. Funny, he doesn't look fluish.
I'd like to examine your irritated areas.
Thrax [ edit ]
[first line] Careful, I'm contagious. Ow.
Careful, I'm contagious. Ow. Think I'll turn up the heat in here!
Ebola? Let me tell you something about Ebola, baby. Ebola is a case of DANDRUFF compared to me!
Hit all the pressure valves. They're about to blow the scene.
You see this? This little DNA bead comes from a little girl in Riverside, California... didn't like to wash her hands. Took me three whole weeks. And this one: nice lady in Detroit, Motown. Six days flat. Then there's this old guy in Philly. I killed him in 72 hours. Yeah, I'm getting better as I go along, baby, but the problem is I never set a record! Until my man Frank, that is. I'm gonna take him down in 48 hours! Get my own chapter in the medical books!
Well, what do we have here? An officer of Frank's finest. Somebody lay down a towel! [points his heat-glowing claw at Jones' face] This is gonna be messy...
This is gonna be... [after killing two other germs] Medical books aren't written about losers!
Medical books aren't written about losers! [after seeing Frank's bad dreams; terrified] Whew! This cat was sick before I even got here.
Whew! This cat was sick before I even got here. You know what, Jones? You want this chain so bad? Big Daddy Thrax is going to let you have it! [begins choking Osmosis with the chain] Looks good on you Jones! You wear it well! It's a shame you came all this way just to die!
Looks good on you Jones! You wear it well! It's a shame you came all this way just to die! [last word] Can you feel the heat, Jones? [chuckles evilly] Too bad you won't be here to see me break my record when I take down Frank's pretty little girl... [...] What?! NOOOOOOO!!!
Frank Detorre [ edit ]
Honey, the reason that monkeys eat so many fruits and vegetables is because they're not smart enough to butcher a cow. Your mother - God bless her soul - she didn't believe the old-fashioned ideas about nursing and breast-feeding and all that. Uh-uh, you were fed cheeseburgers as a baby, and look at you. You're as big as a house, you're as strong as a bull, you smell like a cow. Your cholesterol's probably a little high, but they have medicine for that now. You can get an angioplasty, get it all cleared out. You're doing great, honey. All right, I'll start workin' out tomorrow. I gotta start taking better care of myself, okay?
[first lines] Well, sometimes I think I should be hanging out with a better class of animals. [sees monkeys scratching their behinds] Oh, come on, hey! Have some class will ya? We got mixed company down here. [scratches his own behind]
Well, sometimes I think I should be hanging out with a better class of animals. Oh, come on, hey! Have some class will ya? We got mixed company down here. Oh, that is much prettier. Tom Brokaw called her Hurly.
Is beer fluid?
[after almost dying, but returning to life; to Shane] Mom says "Hi".
Mom says "Hi". [last lines] What the heck? Out with the old, in with the new.
Mrs. Boyd [ edit ]
[after laughing hysterically] Oh my God, I got the giggles.
Oh my God, I got the giggles. [sees Frank's enormous pimple; quietly] What a zit! I mean, I mean, What is it? What do you want?
What a zit! I mean, I mean, What is it? What do you want? You want me to call the cops? Or maybe Shane would like be reminded about the 200 yard restraining order that's still in effect?
Oh. [sarcastically] Humiliated. [angrily] I'll tell you about humiliation, you turned me into a walking air sickness bag, my whole family was humiliated, do you understand that? Do you have any idea of the—the teasing that my little sons Ralph and Chuck have had to endure?
Humiliated. I'll tell you about humiliation, you turned me into a walking air sickness bag, my whole family was humiliated, do you understand that? Do you have any idea of the—the teasing that my little sons Ralph and Chuck have had to endure? Shane has nothing to do with this. I would never hold anything against one of my students. [she sees her students looking at her and Frank] GET BACK TO WORK!
GET OUT! OUT! THE ANSWER IS NO! ABSOLUTELY NOT!
Dialogue [ edit ]
Osmosis Jones: Whoo-hoo! Next time, I'll be the bad cop. Drix: You are a bad cop. Osmosis Jones: Yo, who ya calling "bad cop"?!
Drix: Attention, germs! You are surrounded! Uh-huh! Uh-huh! Uh-huh, uh-huh, surrounded! Osmosis Jones: Yo, Hammer! You can stop dancing!
Osmosis Jones: Goodbye, Drips. Drix: That's Drix. Osmosis Jones: Whatever.
Osmosis Jones: In the words of the immortal James Brown: GET DOWN! Drix: James who?!
[deleted scene] Drix: The eye? What are we doing here? Do I have to remind you that I am on a strict twelve hour time release program? First the throat, then the nose, then the aches and pains. Osmosis Jones: Yeah, I got it. Real important stuff. Now, get your butt out of my car! Drix: Oh! I don't even have a butt. Officer, if I don't get to the sinuses, my entire relief mission could be jeopardized. Osmosis Jones: Yo, it's time we take a look at the big picture. See? The Big F. He's the one we're here to protect and serve. I mean, just look at him. Doesn't he make you want to be a better cell? Drix: [Drix sees Frank clean his tongue] Ew! I see why you feel such a strong connection. Osmosis Jones: Hey, watch it! Show the man some respect! He's the reason all of us are here. Drix: Take me to the nose! Osmosis Jones: Dude, just wait in the car. I got police work to do.
Osmosis Jones: Baby, I always knew you and me were gonna hook up. I know this little spot right behind the eye, has the perfect view - perfect for a little rendezvous between me and you. You know what I'm sayin'? Do you know what I'm sayin'? 'Cause I been sayin' it a long time. Leah: Jones, what in the world makes you think I would ever go out with you? Osmosis Jones: Whatcha talkin' about? I'm a legend, girl! The chicks line up to divide with me. Leah: Oh, really? 'Cause to me you look like the kind of cell who most likely divides with himself.
Leah: [on a recently ingested cold pill] Whoa, this is huge. Osmosis Jones: Don't be all impressed, 'cause 99% of that is just sugar, ya know. Leah: Yeah, and 99% of you is just stupid. Osmosis Jones: Ooh, like I haven't heard that one before!
Osmosis: So, where you from, tough stuff? Drix: I was developed at the University of Chicago, where I graduated Phi Beta Capsule. Osmosis: Great, got me a college boy... Drix: Where did you study? Osmosis: Study? When you grow up on the wrong side of the digestive track, you ain't got no money for no fancy schools. Drix: Oh... Osmosis: I'm not kiddin', man. My school was Crack Central. Drix: Oh? Osmosis: No, it was in the crack. [Drix whimpers] Right in the stanky, puckered center. We were so poor, we lived off of peanut butter and cellulite sandwiches! You ever try to blow-dry your hair with a fart? Drix: OK, I get it. You were poor. Osmosis: You bet I was! You ever try to make a snowman out of toilet paper cling-ons? Now that's poor! Drix: OK, please, you're going to make me vomit! Osmosis: Vomit? We couldn't afford no vomit; that's for rich folk. Drix: Excuse me while I wipe my eyes. Osmosis: Oh, you wanna talk about wiping? Drix: NO!
Scabies: Did the Foot Fungus pay up yet? Joe Cramp: Nah. That guy's getting flaky on us. Scabies: Well, you ain't gonna collect nothin' from him up here in the pit! Now get down there, send him a message. [Thrax strolls into the sweat gland spa, humming] Thrax: So, this is where the scum of Frank comes to fester. Bruiser: Hey, you lost, pal? This is a private sweat-gland. Now beat it! Thrax: I'm looking for volunteers, yo. Some nasty germs who want in on a big score. Scabies: Yo, Red, we run the rackets around here. Take your little hustle someplace else. Thrax: Oh, baby, this ain't about no hustle. This is about the baddest illness any of y'all have ever seen. Scabies: Look who thinks he's the ebola virus, huh? [he and his thugs laugh] Thrax: [angrily]...Ebola? [shoves past Bruiser and Joe Cramp] Let me tell you about ebola, baby: ebola is a case of DANDRUFF compared to me! Scabies: All right, pal, you're outta here. Bruiser, take this punk up to the face and bury him in a blackhead. When we're done with you, it'll take a Swedish facialist and six steaming washcloths to get you out! Thrax: Hmm, sounds like a gas, baby. Bring it on.
Osmosis Jones: I bet Johnny Streptoccocus and the Melanoma family would be very interested to hear about your flu shot work. Chill: You can't jack me on that, brother! I'm in the Virus Protection Program.
Drix: My, what big zits he has. How does something like this happen? Osmosis Jones: You wash your face with fried chicken, that's how.
Thrax: And who are you? Osmosis Jones: Who am I? Who am I? Uh, Bad Booty-shakin' Pickanosis. Yeah! That's who I am! Thrax: I never heard of you. Osmosis Jones: That's cause you just got here. You ask any of these suckers, when it comes to illin', Bad Booty-shakin' Pickanosis stands above the rest.
Dispatcher: [over radio] Suspect is headed toward the uvula - repeat, headed toward the uvula. Osmosis Jones: What the heck is a u-va-la? Drix: It's that little dangly thing that hangs down in Frank's-- Osmosis Jones: [interrupting] Boxer shorts! Okay, here we go! Drix: Not that little dangly thing! The one in his throat! [Pause] Osmosis Jones: I knew that. I knew that.
Shane: I'm not going. Frank: You're not going where, hon? Shane: To Buffalo. I'm not going. Frank: Honey, I'm- we're all packed. Buffalo's gonna be a blast. Shane: I'm going camping with my friends. You're welcome to join us. Frank: Well, I don't think- Shane: I'd really like you to come. Frank: No. No, no. No, no, no, I- You don't want me huffing and puffing after you. If you want to go camping, Okay, I'll-- I know I can get uncle Bob to go with me in Buffalo. [lays down on couch] Shane: [frustrated] I'm tired of this! It's not fair! I go where you want to go, I eat what you want to eat. Don't you ever think of anyone other than yourself? Frank: I think about you all the time. Shane: Were you thinking about me when you packed me a fried Slim Jim sandwich for lunch? Frank: Yeah, it was a turkey Slim Jim! Shane: You know, dad, maybe if you and mom listened to me a little more and took better care of yourselves, maybe she'd still be here. Frank: Will you knock off that hamburger talk? Come here, honey. Hey... [Shane sits next to him] your mom died... because she got sick. Shane: And how do you think you get sick? Frank: Germs. Shane: It's the way you eat. [Shane rolls her eyes and sighs frustratingly; leaves room]
Taglines [ edit ]
He's one cell of a guy
Every body needs a hero
Cast [ edit ]
Animation voice cast [ edit ]
Live-action cast [ edit ]In a White House press briefing Monday, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said he will try to ensure so-called sanctuary cities do not receive federal grants from the Department of Justice.
An executive order from President Trump already spelled out plans to cut off federal funding to cities and counties that restrict their staff from cooperating with immigration agents.
Sessions reiterated the administration’s position that counties and cities that do not honor ICE detainers put the nation at risk.
“DUIs, assaults, burglaries, drug crimes, gang crimes, rapes, crimes against children and murders. Countless Americans would be alive today — and countless loved ones would not be grieving today — if the policies of these sanctuary jurisdictions were ended,” he said.
Portland and Multnomah County declared themselves sanctuary jurisdictions that limit their cooperation with federal immigration authorities, and the entire state of Oregon is sometimes referred to as a “sanctuary state.”
County sheriffs in Oregon, citing a 2014 Oregon court case, say they can no longer comply with ICE detainers — essentially, a request from the federal government to hold a person in jail past their scheduled release date to coordinate transfer into immigration detention.
In his remarks Monday, Sessions gave a more detailed explanation of how the DOJ will try to penalize sanctuary jurisdictions.
He said cities and counties that want to receive grants from the Department of Justice will have to prove they comply with federal law — specifically 8 U.S. Code § 1373, which requires them to share information with immigration authorities.
“The Department of Justice will also take all lawful steps to claw back any funds awarded to a jurisdiction that willfully violates 1373,” Sessions said.
That part of the U.S. code has received attention from Republican lawmakers, including Sessions, in the past.
Last year, lawmakers asked the DOJ inspector general to investigate whether sanctuary jurisdictions were violating that law. The inspector general concluded that some jurisdictions could be violating it.
Local leaders in the Portland area dismissed the attorney general’s remarks as political showmanship.
“I think it’s just a continued effort on the part of the Trump administration to distract the public from the real issues,” said Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury. “President Trump has just been handed a major defeat by his own party.”
Multnomah County receives approximately $2.5 million in federal funding and does not expect to lose any of it.
Kafoury said the county is not aware of any new restrictions placed on federal grants. She said the county complies with all federal laws, including 8 U.S.C. 1373.
“Current law does not require states to assist federal immigration authorities. That is because the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibits the federal government from commandeering state resources and personnel to carry out federal policy objectives,” she noted.
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler called Sessions’ remarks “inaccurate and harmful.”
He noted that over the weekend ICE arrested a young Oregon man, Francisco J. Rodriguez Dominguez, who was participating in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.
Rodriguez-Dominguez had been arrested for drunk driving, a misdemeanor, and was participating in a diversion program. He works with Mulntomah County’s Sun Schools program and coaches a soccer team at Glenfair elementary, according to a press release from the ACLU of Oregon.
“Far from being a violent criminal, Francisco is a respected member of the community, a student, and a volunteer. This arrest does nothing to promote public safety,” Wheeler said.
Rodriguez-Dominguez will be released on bond, the Associated Press reported Monday afternoon.
The city of Portland has received about $3 million worth of DOJ grants in recent years.President Donald Trump blasted establishment and left-wing media on Tuesday afternoon for failing to report the facts on violent left-wing protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia over the weekend.
In the main lobby of Trump Tower in New York City, the president grew combative after a throng of reporters started shouting questions about why he “waited” to specifically condemn neo-Nazis and white nationalists.
“There was no way of making a correct statement that early,” he said, defending his first statement on Saturday before the facts were in. “Unlike you and unlike the media, before I make a statement, I like to know the facts.”
As reporters grew more agitated, Trump continued defending his decision and condemning the media for their one sided reporting.
Trump again denounced racist elements among the protesters, including people supporting the KKK, neo-Nazis, and white nationalists, but clarified that some of them did not identify with the most extreme elements in the crowd.
“I’ve condemned neo-Nazis. I’ve condemned many different groups,” he said. “But not all of those people were neo-Nazis, believe me. Not all of those people were white supremacists by any stretch.”
Reporters demanded to know whether the driver of the car that injured counter-protesters and killed a woman in the crowd was a domestic terrorist.
“I think the driver of the car is a disgrace to himself, his family and this country,” Trump replied. “The driver of the car is a murderer. What he did was a horrible, horrible, inexcusable thing.”
Trump also condemned what he called the “alt left” demonstrators that charged into the crowd of alt-right protesters without a protest permit.
“Do they have any semblance of guilt? What about the fact that they came charging with clubs in their hands, swinging clubs? Do they have any problem?” he asked. “I think they do.”
Trump described the day as “horrible,” but reminded reporters that there were “two sides to a story.”
“I think there is blame on both sides,” Trump said. “I have no doubt about it and you don’t have any doubt about it either, and if you reported it accurately, you would say that.”
CNN’s Jim Acosta protested that the “neo-nazis” started the violence by showing up in Charlottesville to protest the removal of a statue depicting Confederate general Robert E. Lee.
Trump did not deny that there were “bad people” in the alt-right group but said that there were some protesters who were not white nationalists or neo-nazis that were protesting.
Trump dismissed media assertions that he was putting the alt-left and white supremacists on the same moral plane.
“I am not putting anybody on a moral plane,” he said. “You had a group on one side and the other and they came at each other with clubs and it was vicious and horrible.”
When asked if he spoke with the family of the victim, Trump replied, “I’ll be reaching out.”Police in Moore, Oklahoma are currently investigating why state Sen. Ralph Shortey was hanging out in a hotel room last Thursday with a teenage boy.
A text exchange between Shortey and the teen are central to the investigation, according to The Oklahoman.
Police were first tipped off by concerned relatives of the boy.
On Tuesday, Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn acknowledged he’d received a initial police briefing and is awaiting a final report before decides whether to press criminal charges.
Related: Antigay Senator/Prostitute Patron David Vitter Gets Trolled On Twitter
According to the prosector, 35-year-old Shortey was questioned Monday by police.
First elected in 2010, Shortey (R-Oklahoma City) has been married to his high school sweetheart since ’02.
On Tuesday, Lt. Kyle Dudley to The Oklahoman:
“On March 9 … officers of the Moore Police Department were contacted in reference to a welfare check at a local hotel.”
“Responding officers found a juvenile male in a hotel room which was also occupied by an adult male. The circumstances surrounding this incident are currently under investigation and no additional information can be released at this time.”
Shortey has proven to be a controversial figure during his time in Senate. Most recently, he infuriated voters by proposing that approved drug laws be undone at the polls in November.
Related: A Brief History Of Antigay Politicians Caught Doing Very Gay Things In Public Restrooms
Earlier this year, he advised former state Rep. Dan Kirby, R-Tulsa while embroiled in a sexual harassment scandal at the Capitol. Kirby later resigned after a House investigative committee “commended his expulsion.”
The Oklahoman contacted Shortey on Tuesday afternoon. He said he would have a response later.A Canadian expatriate working in Kathmandu has been arrested and threatened with expulsion from Nepal because of his social media posts criticizing the country's human-rights situation.
Robert Penner, a software developer living in Lalitpur, a district south of Kathmandu, had been writing about issues such as the problems of the Madhesi minority, the arrest of prominent journalist Kanak Mani Dixit and the local reaction to a recent report by Human Rights Watch on Nepal.
Mr. Penner said the local police came to his office on Monday afternoon.
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"I repeatedly asked Nepal Police to tell me under what charges they're taking me but they won't say," he tweeted just before his arrest.
Mr. Penner was being held overnight on immigration charges that his Twitter posts were harming "security and mutual harmony in Nepal," his lawyer, Dipendra Jha, told The Globe and Mail.
"They're saying they plan to deport him back because they can cancel his visa."
Rishi Ram Sharma, Chief District Officer of Lalitpur, confirmed to The Globe that local police took Mr. Penner into custody at the request of immigration officials.
"Immigration asked us to hand [him] over," he said when reached by phone.
Kedar Neupane, director-general of the Department of Immigration, declined to comment when contacted by The Globe, saying he was busy with a meeting.
Mr. Neupane, however, told the Nepalese newspaper Republica that his department wants to expel Mr. Penner back to Canada.
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"He obtained a visa for working at an IT company but he was found engaged in making provocative statements that may jeopardize national integrity," Mr. Neupane was quoted as saying.
"Foreigners are not allowed to engage in such activities."
Madhesi activist Puru Shah said Mr. Penner had riled up many Nepalese nationalists by questioning how their country was handling human-rights concerns.
"He's a very logical guy. He sees something that is not logical, he will call it out," Mr. Shah said in an interview.
The arrest puts a spotlight on the country's controversial new Constitution, which has upset minorities such as the Madhesi, who say they will be marginalized under its citizenship rules.
Under the new Constitution, children of Nepali women who marry foreigners won't have full-fledged citizenship rights, an issue for the Madhesis, who live near India and have a tradition of cross-border marriages, Mr. Shah said.
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He said Mr. Penner had written two articles for a pro-Madhesi website. "He made a lot of people upset."
According to his social media posts, Mr. Penner is a former Kelowna, B.C., resident who first visited Nepal a decade ago and has been living in the Kathmandu area for the past four years, working for a technology outsourcing company, CloudFactory.
"My Twitter timeline is a war zone these days," Mr. Penner told a friend on Facebook last December.
He shared screen captures of people on Twitter accusing him of having a hidden agenda and using human-rights discussions as a cover to promote "the secessionist movement."
Some made threats, others called on the Nepalese government to expel Mr. Penner.
Mr. Shah said he saw a tweet written in Nepali earlier this month that alerted an official government account about Mr. Penner's writings. The government account then replied, asking for more details, Mr. Shah said.
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Under the new |
a custodian to work alone; now they work in pairs. There also is a zero-tolerance policy regarding weapons. A custodian lost his job because he brought a gun to school and kept it in his car, Mayfield said.
Also, there is now a quality public service council comprised of representatives from the school and union.
The former Dreyfoos janitor had a well-documented history of odd and violent behavior.
Burgos was accused of trying to sell a gun to a fellow custodian on school grounds, as well as grabbing his crotch in front of a female co-worker and challenging another a co-worker to a fight, records show. Burgos was the subject of several complaints to school police and officials during his years at the school.
In August 2010, Orama and Dreyfoos administrators, including Principal Ellen Van Arsdale and Assistant Principal George Miller, met with Burgos to discuss his behavior and attendance.
Van Arsdale told him that there are to be no guns on campus. She also said touching or scratching himself while in the presence of others falls into the category of sexual harassment. The principal encouraged Burgos to speak up about any problems, and to seek help through an employee- assistance program. However, it is unclear if he ever did.
The meeting notes show Burgos was interested in transferring schools to one closer to his home, and he was encouraged to do so.
"I think it is in every one’s best interest if you seek a position elsewhere," Arsdale said, according to documents.
Monty LaParche, the central area custodial coordinator, told Burgos the custodians felt threatened by him and uncomfortable with his behaviors. He said at the meeting that Burgos that he had an anger-management problem and that he didn’t want Burgos’ behavior directed at students.
"Javier, we know you have guns and a history of inappropriate behavior," he said. "The custodians feel threatened."
Burgos blamed his coworkers and said they provoke him.
"I’m not a troublemaker. I’m not a problem. They provoke me. They know I get angry," he said.In the 2007/08 season Bayern München broke the Bundesliga’s defensive record, conceding just 21 goals in 34 league matches, a fantastic achievement in its own right and one that is quite unprecedented in one of Europe’s highest scoring leagues. Borussia Dortmund nearly equaled that record last season and this year it seems that Borussia Mönchengladbach are well on their way to do the same. Lucien Favre’s team have conceded just 12 goals in 20 league matches so far, kept nine clean sheets and have conceded more than one goal in a match on only two occasions since Favre took over in February of last year. In his 31 matches in charge, Gladbach have conceded just 21 goals compared to 74 in the 31 matches preceding his arrival. So, what is the secret behind the Bundesliga’s best defense?
Are Gladbach a counter attacking side?
Before we examine Gladbach’s defense in more detail let’s address a question that has arisen quite often over the last couple of weeks and one whose answer will serve as an appropriate segway and shed some perambulatory light on the topic at hand. The level of defensive organization, the quick transitions out of defense, the lightning quick breaks and the mazy runs from Reus and Herrmann make Gladbach appear like a side that have perfected the art of counter attacking and utilizes it as its primary game plan. They certainly executed their counter attacks to perfection against Bayern on the opening day of the Rückrunde and against many other sides in the league this year. Their ability to launch attacks within seconds have led many to label them a counter attacking side but that fails to do justice to the other facets of Favre’s team.
When you think of teams whose game plan revolves around counter attacks the likes Hannover and Napoli spring to mind for example, both of which have become renowned for the way they hit opponents on the break. Both have been extremely successful in using that strategy but there are distinct differences between what Hannover and Napoli do and what we see from Gladbach. Before we expand on that let’s examine what constitutes teams specifically tailored to attack on the counter. The basis of any counter attacking side is defensive organization, utilized both to draw opponents in as well as to launch the eventual attacks in a timely and precise fashion. Napoli and Hannover both have very well drilled backlines, which ultimately make their counter attacks so effective. Napoli conceded the fewest goals last season after champions Milan and Hannover had the league’s sixth best defense last year.
For the purpose of this article, let’s use Hannover as an example. In their system, coach Mirko Slomka generally prefers a sitting backline. That is not to say that his fullbacks are not encouraged to get forward but generally speaking, they are more defensive minded than most others in the league. The reason for that is to present the opposing wingers and fullbacks with the space and time to come forward, thereby leaving ample space behind them. In fact, 78% of Hannover’s attacks have come from wide positions. In addition, numerical advantage in the back generally makes for a more stable defense. Hannover under Slomka are systemic in the sense that roles are specifically assigned and executed almost in an assembly line manner. Defenders recover possession and immediately lay it off to their central midfielders, who are never far from their own sixteen-yard box. They in turn locate the wide players and forwards in as few moves as possible as if scripted and practiced to perfection in training.
Now on to Gladbach. They too have a very well drilled backline that initiates quick transitions and we all know about the pace and ingenuity of Arango, Reus and Herrmann. There is more to them than meets the eye however and a glance at Gladbach’s defense, specifically their use of possession, passing and tackling, reveals a much more calculated approach, not necessarily one that excludes counter attacks, but one that utilizes the strategy as one of many in their arsenal. Moreover, using a counter attacking side as a backdrop explains what makes Gladbach so strong defensively and brings us closer to the answer to the above question.
The Building Blocks
Possession
Given that counter-attacking sides choose to sit back in order to initiate their attacks, it is no surprise that they rarely if ever see more of the ball than their opponent. The possession statistics are then almost always in the favor of the opponent, the counter attacking team content to let go off the ball, knowing that they will recover in defense and quickly hit them on the break. We see this with Hannover who have averaged just 47% possession throughout the season. Their best run of form this year came in their four opening league matches in which they collected 8 out of 12 points. In that stretch Hannover had 45%, 42%, 45% and 55% possession respectively, the Mainz match being the only one in which they saw more of the ball. The rest all followed a similar pattern, stay compact at the back, maintain their positions and try to win back possession when most of the opponent was far advanced into Hannover’s half.
Gladbach on the other hand have averaged 52% possession this year, behind only Bayern München and Borussia Dortmund, and for the sake of comparison, let us take a look at their best run of form, a five match unbeaten run at the end of October where they collected 13 out of a possible 15 points. Coincidentally, that run started with a win over Hannover in which Gladbach had 53% possession, followed by 57% vs Hertha, 51% vs Bremen, 58% vs Köln, 55% vs Dortmund. The result against Dortmund is especially impressive considering that Dortmund rarely concede more of the ball to their opponents and average a possession % in the league bettered only by Bayern. The link between possession and defense is quite simple, the more you have the ball, the less likely the opponent is to score.
Whereas Hannover primarily use their attackers in the opponents side Gladbach’s offensive players are very much involved in their half of the pitch and are thus more active in the game’s events. Therefore a significant part of Gladbach’s successful defense is the the collective participation of the team. Possession as a means of defense, in all areas of the pitch. That is also why Gladbach goalkeeper Ter Stegen sees the ball more than most of his peers in Germany. In the match against Nürnberg for instance, Hannover’s striker Moa Abdellaoue touched the ball just 15 times. Player involvement is actually directly linked to player positioning, defenders seeing the most of the ball, the midfielders following and the strikers last. Gladbach are more spread out in that category. Against Werder Bremen for example, Marco Reus had the second most touches in the game, same with Juan Arango against Borussia Dortmund. This adds an additional safety net to Gladbach’s backline.
The fact that Gladbach’s game does emphasize possession is a significant deviation from what is traditionally expected from a prototypical counter attacking side. That will also become more apparent when we look at the next element of their game.
Passing
Passing can be a key component to an effective defense. Precision in passing equals precision in possession and as mentioned above, possession is inversly proportional to the likelihood of conceding goals. Sure enough, the two sides with the highest average possession this season are the two with the best defenses apart from Gladbach. (Bayern and Dortmund) Let’s use Hannover as an example once more. In that stretch of four matches, Hannover were out-passed on all but one occasion, that being the game against Mainz. In each of the other three matches they were out-passed by their opponent by more than a 100 passes. Hannover are not worried about passing statistics though and focus more on moving the ball quickly. They take a more conservative approach and maintain a flat backline so their defensive strategy is based more on numerics than passing and build up play.
Contrast that with Gladbach who use passing as part of their collective defensive strategy. Favre has constructed a well drilled group of players who put in an industrious shift in every match and as mentioned above, their offensive players are asked to do a lot of defensive work. That industry is not just cosmetic but a means to optimize their passing game. Rather than release the ball as soon as they win it back like Hannover, Gladbach contemplate their attacks and build them patiently unless they see immediate gaps or deal with sides like Bayern who are harder to dispossess and break down than most teams in the league.
Gladbach’s center backs, Brouwers, Dante and Stranzl are three of the most precise passers in the league this season, all having a passing completion rate of over 90%. The same can be said of their fullbacks, Jantschke and Daems, who have 83% and 86% completion rate, bettered by few fullbacks in the league. Passing the ball rather than surging up the field with it at every turn is a means of expanding a player’s on field options, which has the added benefit of improving every surrounding player by virtue of increased passing lanes and destinations. Footballers are taught at an early age to look up before releasing the ball, a truism that has been proven beyond doubt by the current generation of Spanish footballers for example and Favre’s adoration for Barcelona and Spain is fairly well known. In a sense, Favre’s Gladbach is an amalgamation of Barcelona and Spain’s retention game and Germany’s new direct fast paced attacking style.
To hammer home their passing efficacy, here are some statistics from the above mentioned unbeaten run. These are Gladbach’s completed passes in each of those matches, the opponent’s completed passes being in parentheses.
434 passes completed vs. Hannover (346)
439 passes completed vs. Hertha Berlin (296)
343 passes completed vs. Werder Bremen (323)
535 passes completed vs Köln (349)
351 passes completed vs. Borussia Dortmund (252)
This video sums it up better than I ever could and it is a visual guide to the points I am trying to make if you find my ramblings excessive.
Tackling & Positioning
Because Hannover invite opponents into their own half more than most other sides they also end up committing more fouls in an attempt to regain possession. They are only behind Köln this season in total cards collected with 45 whereas Gladbach are much more precise in their tackles, having been booked only 31 times in total. Fouls can have an adverse effect on a team in more ways than one. They can interrupt the run of play, stop a side’s momentum, lead to a potential dismissal and subsequent change in tactics and they can disrupt a team’s flow. For any side emphasizing passing and possession it is crucial to commit the least amount of fouls possible, allowing for the continuation of their natural game without any disturbances. Gladbach did not get to where they are by just keeping and passing the ball faster than their opponents. Their tackling and ability to both win the ball and ward off attacks has been impressive to say the least and one of the biggest factors in their impressive defense.
Similar to the possession and passing statistics, Gladbach’s attacking players also have unusually high tackling statistics. In that sense, they are the team’s first line of defense. Against Köln, Patrikc Herrman and Marco Reus had more successful challenges than Gladbach’s center backs and central midfielders. Similarly impressive is Gladbach’s backline. Dante, once one of the most erratic players in the league is now a composed and intelligent defender and Gladbach’s primary outlet for build ups at the back and his defending has improved tremendously under Favre. The Brazilian has won 63% of his 188 challenges so far. His partner Martin Stranzl has won an even more impressive 68% of his tackles and duels and had the best tackling quote in the league in the first half of the season. That standard applies to their fullbacks as well. Their right back, Tony Jantschke, has won 60% of his 234 challenges, an average of 12 per match and the fourth highest in the league in his position, even higher than Bayern’s Philipp Lahm.
In addition to their tackling is their positioning, without which none of the above stats would even exist. As show below, Gladbach’s backline is extremely well disciplined positionally and don’t show much space to the opposition. It is the best execution of zonal marking in German football at the moment. Basically, every defender is alloted an area of the pitch that they are responsible for and in which they perform their defensive duties. What may seem like a straightforward strategy in theory is much more difficult in execution. It requires a great degree of communication to avoid errors and good enough awareness to read the opponent’s next moves. When successful though it can help with possession and quick transitions, the players always ready and present in their zones to make the next move. It is what allows Gladbach to be so sharp on the counter and so prescient in defense.
Conclusion
Ultimately one cannot consider Gladbach a purely counter attacking side but one also cannot exempt the tactic when describing them. A more appropriate description would be a “retention based counter attacking team” or “calculated quick passing counter attacking”, picking the moments most appropriate to utilize the strategy. Their impressive defense under Favre is built on existing foundations of counter attacking philosophy though, namely an orderly backline with great both positional discipline but also on a quick passing game going forward and collective pressing from front to back. In addition, it includes high awareness in all areas of the pitch, precision in passing (both defensive and in the build up) and clinical tackling.With all due respect to the Paley Center for Media, this year's Vampire Diaries panel was a bit of a fiasco. The moderator didn't ask a single question that suggested she even watches the show with regularity (and didn't seem to have written out any questions beforehand), and she definitely got an F for, you know, moderating the conversation. I mean, Candice Accola was only asked one question. One! So, without insightful questions or even basic follow-ups, the panel ended up really just a venue for Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley to freestyle charm everybody and talk amongst themselves as the moderator politely sat in silence. Fortunately those two guys are straight-up hilarious, but with a few exceptions listed below, anyone hoping for actual moments of meaningful insight from this panel left mostly disappointed.
After a screening of this week's brand new episode, "1912," Executive Producer Julie Plec confirmed a few choice pieces of information: Elena will be making a big choice by season's end with regard to the Salvatore brothers, plus we haven't seen the last of Esther or her plot to murder her own children. We the audience were sworn to secrecy over the specific, mega-spoilery details of "1912", but I can tease a few things: In this episode we'll learn that Jeremy may be in danger, wherever he is. Sheriff Forbes throws somebody in jail over the string of murders. Rebekah has really good reflexes. Matt gets in some quality time with Elena. And Damon's 1912 wig is hilarious. (Obviously.)
For the remainder of the discussion—mixed in with all the vague season finale teases and coyly deflected questions—the guys and gals of The Vampire Diaries did treat us to a few choice moments of insight. (Thank God for the audience Q&A.;) What follows are my favorite (serious) moments of the panel, including: How Plec pieces together an episode from scratch; inspirational words from working actors to aspiring ones; and a surprisingly frank account of how Ian Somerhalder nearly didn't become Damon Salvatore.
EP Julie Plec on breaking an episode and writing the season:
It's horrible. [Laughter] We start every episode with a blank white board and no formula and no procedural elements and no franchise elements. And essentially every episode is its own new movie. And we do 22 over the span of 7 months and we immerse ourselves completely into trying to decide what is the next move emotionally for all these characters? We usually start there. We start with the best emotional move, then what's the next move in our mythology, and then how can we thematically link those things together so that they organically feed off of each other.
And then we come up with our fabulous Mystic Falls very special Event-with-a-capital-E! Which, now, I'll tell you it's kind of a joke, but also from a storytelling point of view is crucial to our show because more often than not it is the central element that brings all of our characters together and links all the stories together so that the episode feels like a movie with a beginning, middle and end. So while we share the joke, we share the laugh about, like, 'Oh this week is the Ball or whatever, and next week is the Great Chilli Cook-Off, it actually makes the show feel like you're tuning into a movie each week as opposed to just an endless, serialized mass of nothing.
Julie Plec on staying one step ahead of the fans:
The way these [actors] tune into their characters, they get a sense if the rhythyms or behaviors of the characters start to feel stale or not surprising. We writers pride ourselves on always being right there so that we're making changes and making decisions for the characters just as the actor themself is starting to feel constrained. Or, as the fanbase is starting to feel a little bit tired. You know, we're always five or six or seven episodes ahead, I can always track in the social media feedback, just when somebody's starting to complain really loudly about a storyline, I'm always like, 'Hehehe' because I know that we've already made the turn, and we're already going in the direction that the fans are clamoring for. They don't know that, but we like to feel in sync with everybody.
Paul Wesley: Do the fans ever influence the direction?
Plec: You know, I'll tell you, it's hard to shut out that and not take some of that into consideration because [fan feedback] is loud. And I mean that respectfully: It's beautifully loud. But you have to try to be true to character all the time and there's obviously been certain moments where we sit in the writers room and we say, 'Oh, we can't do that, because boy would that piss somebody off.' But then we'll talk about it and say, 'No, no, no, we're not making decisions based on satisfying everyone. Let's be true to the core of our theme, the core of our characters, and the journey that they're on.'
The cast and crew on making it in the entertainment industry:
Julie Plec: The opportunity to do this is such a dream come true, obviously. It can happen after a long, long, hard road, or it can happen in an instant. And everybody's experience is different. It's like the proverbial discovered-at-the-mall versus you're 45, you've been at it for 25 years and somebody finally says, 'Hey, I like what you do.' But you never take it for granted, because it doesn't really happen very often. Success doesn't really happen very often and multiple success doesn't really happen very often, so we just are very incredibly grateful to be part of that.
Ian Somerhalder: I would think that the TV pilot world in general, a lot of it is a fluke, I think. You know? Even if something's good... It doesn't test well, it doesn't go, it doesn't find an audience. I feel like it's such an arbitrary kind of thing. I feel like you just sit at a blackjack table and have to hit 21 or something. It's an old adage, but the idea that luck is when opportunity meets preparation. Luck does not just fall in your lap. An opportunity can come at you and if you were not prepared to take advantage of that opportunity, it's essentially never going to happen. So by virtue of that, it's a very strange thing, because this aspect of whether it's either writing, directing, producing, acting, this entire business, life in general, is a lot about when you are prepared to accept the opportunity that's given you.
Paul Wesley: Conversely, can you be prepared and then never have any opportunity?
Somerhalder: You know, there are a lot of people that— That may happen.
Candice Accola: That is where positivity comes in. That plays a very big part. My dad always told me that 'No doesn't mean never. It means not yet.' And so with all the 'No's that came a lot of the time, it's good to just keep working and better yourself and know that more opportunities are more opportunities for 'Yes.'
Wesley: The single most important thing is to believe in yourself. Really believe.
Somerhalder: Even when no one else does. Because the amount of rejection that happens... Actually you want to hear about rejection? And Julie [Plec] was there for this and Kevin [Williamson] as well. It was really brutal. You know, the process of booking a television show is an extensively nerve-wracking, nail-biting, awful experience. Do not kid yourself. You can believe in yourself so much but when you realize you want something in life, the stakes are raised. It's very difficult to differentiate whether you are worthy of this or you aren't, you just have to do what you do as best as you can.
Namely, I knew this was my role. I wanted this role, I knew I could do it. You go through a series of testing, you meet the directors and producers and writers, and then go through a testing phase, and then you get an offer. Then you go and test for the studio—in this case Warner Brothers—and then you test for the network. If at the end of that network test they want you, then you get the job. If you do not pass the studio then you would never make it to the network.
I passed the studio, got to the network, and whether it was too much coffee, that B12 shot I gave myself, who knows. I choked in the network test. I bombed it. In the first take of the network test— First of all, you're in a theater where you say a word and it doesn't move. It's this, like, vacuum of a room. And I finished the first take of it and Kevin Williamson goes [gestures 'let's go outside']. So I walked outside, Kevin Williamson walks up and he goes, 'Yeah. That wasn't good, was it?' I said, 'No.' And he said, 'Just go back and do what you know you need to do.' And I did. I did what I thought I needed to do, I left feeling awful. Guess what? It wasn't good enough.
And I had to go back and re-test because all our big boss, [CBS President] Les Moonves, did not buy it, the fact that I was Damon. And I wanted to jump off of a building. And you know what? I went back there and I realized— And there was some other [actor] in the room, I don't know what he was doing. Something distracting, like singing while reading a book—I just said, 'You know what, screw this. This is mine. This is not his.' And I went in and did it and oddly enough, ended up getting the call. But it was after 10 days of virtual hell. And you don't always win. But every time you lose, you get better.
[All photos courtesy PaleyFest.org]Terrelle Pryor bounced around the NFL for a while as a quarterback, but after being released by the Cincinnati Bengals earlier this spring, the former Ohio State star has decided to give wide receiver a try with the Cleveland Browns.
While Pryor hasn't played much receiver during his lifetime, he is bringing the work ethic he is known for to his off-season workouts, as he prepares for his new life of catching passes in the NFL next month.
[div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"] [div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"] Grip A video posted by terrellepryor (@terrellepryor) on Jul 7, 2015 at 2:58pm PDT
[div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"] [div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"] Getting better working with guys like @willallenwaf Buckeye Fam!! #Browns vs Steelers #willAllen #knowledge A video posted by terrellepryor (@terrellepryor) on Jul 6, 2015 at 1:45pm PDT
[div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"] [div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"] Happy 4th Work! :) A video posted by terrellepryor (@terrellepryor) on Jul 4, 2015 at 11:44am PDT
[div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"] [div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"] A video posted by terrellepryor (@terrellepryor) on Jul 3, 2015 at 12:05pm PDT
[div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"] [div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"] @t_cortazzo Working hips here! A video posted by terrellepryor (@terrellepryor) on Jul 2, 2015 at 6:45pm PDT
[div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"] [div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAAIBE81IqBJdS3lS6zs3bIpB9WED3YYXFPmHRfT8sgyrCP1x8uEUxLMzNWElFOYCV6mHWWwMzdPEKHlhLw7NWJqkHc4uIZphavDzA2JPzUDsBZziNae2S6owH8xPmX8G7zzgKEOPUoYHvGz1TBCxMkd3kwNVbU0gKHkx+iZILf77IofhrY1nYFnB/lQPb79drWOyJVa/DAvg9B/rLB4cC+Nqgdz/TvBbBnr6GBReqn/nRmDgaQEej7WhonozjF+Y2I/fZou/qAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"] A video posted by terrellepryor (@terrellepryor) on Jul 2, 2015 at 5:17pm PDT
[div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"] [div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAAGFBMVEUiIiI9PT0eHh4gIB4hIBkcHBwcHBwcHBydr+JQAAAACHRSTlMABA4YHyQsM5jtaMwAAADfSURBVDjL7ZVBEgMhCAQBAf//42xcNbpAqakcM0ftUmFAA |
explains, the vehement controversies surrounding European Muslims are better understood as persistent, unresolved intra-Europeantensions.
O'Brien contends that the best way to understand the politics of state accommodation of European Muslims is through the lens of three competing political ideologies: liberalism, nationalism, and postmodernism. These three broadly understood philosophical traditions represent the most influential normative forces in the politics of immigration in Europe today. He concludes that Muslim Europeans do not represent a monolithic anti-Western bloc within Europe. Although they vehemently disagree among themselves, it is along the same basic liberal, nationalist, and postmodern contours as non-Muslim Europeans.
Print editions available for purchase from Temple University Press.Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings.
May 14, 2015, 8:21 AM GMT / Updated May 14, 2015, 1:20 PM GMT By Alexander Smith
Fans of "The Simpsons" may have to learn to live without the original Mr. Burns, Ned Flanders and Principal Skinner.
Actor Harry Shearer, who voices the characters, tweeted early Thursday that he was leaving the show after 26 seasons.
Shearer suggested that his apparent departure was linked to a dispute over contract terms.
He said in a series of tweets at around 12:30 a.m. ET that the move came "because I wanted what we've always had: the freedom to do other work."
Appearing to confirm the move, "The Simpsons" showrunner Al Jean tweeted later on Thursday that Shearer’s characters would be "recast if Harry does not return."
However, Jean disputed the reasons given by Shearer, saying the actor was offered the contract he wanted — the same deal as the other stars of the show — "and he still passed."
Jean added: "His statements implied he rejected final offer to do other projects, which we always let him do. It's confusing."
He also defended against dismayed fans' accusations that Shearer had been mistreated, adding: "My dream in life is for someone to treat me the way the Simpsons treated Harry."
However, asked if Shearer could return to the show, Jean said: "In life I never say never."The DOB is more like the MOB, according to shocking new revelations reported today.
At least six inspectors with the city's Department of Buildings have been videotaped taking bribes at construction sites, and some were seen dealing cocaine and prescription pills, according to the New York Post.
The workers, some of whom allegedly have ties to the Luchese crime family, will be arrested later this month, along with about two dozen mafioso, sources told the Post.
"This is going to be big," their source said.
The forthcoming arrests are the result of a two-year probe which spawned a 2007 New Jersey case involving a Luchese squad that ran a $2 billion-a-year gambling ring and supplied drugs and cellphones to Bloods members in state prisons, according to the Post.
As the investigation sprawled across the Hudson, probers began following buildings inspectors and captured crooked workers taking $50 and $100 payoffs to ignore violations. Then, even more shocking, several inspectors reportedly were videotaped selling OxyContin, Vicodin and cocaine while on duty.
Two inspectors are now allegedly cooperating with the investigation, sources told the Post.
As of last week, none of the inspectors under investigation are still employed with the Buildings Department, according to a statement released by Commissioner Robert Limandri.
“The allegations are disgraceful and do not reflect the diligent work of employees at the Department of Buildings. Our inspectors are entrusted to protect the public from unsafe building conditions, and it appears that these inspectors betrayed that trust," Limandri said in the statement. "In June, the Department began re-inspections of all buildings associated with the inspectors in question, including visiting every site, and we expect to complete that process soon."
Limandri also noted that the DOB recently launched a new program last month that would track the location of every inspector with global-positioning systems.
While the GPS wouldn't specifically prevent the kind of corruption that is alleged to have occurred in this latest case, Limandry said they "expect this new tracking system will act as a deterrent and hold inspectors accountable for their work."We are pleased to announce availability of an early access version of Percona’s PAM Authentication plugin for MySQL. This plugin supports MySQL-5.5.x, Percona Server 5.5.x and MariaDB 5.2.x. The PAM Authentication plugin can be used for:
MySQL authentication using operating system users (pam_unix)
MySQL authentication from LDAP server (pam_ldap)
authentication against RSA SecurID server
any other authentication methods that provides access via PAM
We name it early access as it does not yet have the full list of features we want to implement. It is currently functional and we want to make it available for everybody. In this version you still need to create individual users in MySQL (even though they will be authenticated via PAM), in the final (non-early access) version this restriction will be removed. Percona PAM Authentication Plugin for MySQL as always, is fully open source, free of charge and can be used on an unlimited amount of servers. Resources:If a new video purportedly by cyber-group "Anonymous" is to be believed, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has become the focus of a pointed threat.
In the video, uploaded on Saturday, the anonymous group, self-described as loosely connected and Internet based, allegedly claims that the Federal Reserve is guilty of "crimes against humanity" and calls for the resignation of Ben Bernanke. In addition, the group would seem to demand the break up of the Federal Reserve and other major banking institutions.
In response to criticism of the Federal Reserve's secrecy, Ben Bernanke this year gave the first-ever press conference by a Fed chairman. He plans to make the press a quarterly affair. The duties of the Federal Reserve include regulating bank and setting interest rates, among others.
This is not the only high-profile threat by the group -- also threatening Bank of America and Sony -- nor is it the first time the group has taken aim at Bernanke. The group first requested his resignation on March 12 of this year, in a similarly-designed video, according to Business Insider.
Both Bernanke-related videos link to the same domain name: AmpedStatus.org. In an April video threatening Sony with a data breach, a group, also said to be part of Anonymous, uses a similar-looking emblem to represent themselves, although the domain name, irc.anonops.in, is different.
Anonymous does not have one central site to confirm of deny the video is in their name. Searches for official confirmation did not prove successful.
If Bernanke doesn't resign by Flag Day, June 14, the video calls for public protests until demands are met, under the name "Operation Empire State Rebellion." But as Cnet News points out, it remains unclear whether the group will engage in cyber attacks against the Fed if it chooses to escalate.
The group is currently being blamed by Sony for allegedly hacking and shutting down its Play Station system in May, an accusation the group has denied.
Just this past Sunday, Anonymous reportedly took down the site of the Spanish Police, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. Spanish police claim to have no evidence that the individuals in question are associated with the group.A living shark species “from the age of the dinosaurs” has caused ripples across the world after being caught off a Portuguese coast.The Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere has dubbed the creature a “living fossil” as it is one of those rare animals that are still alive, despite belonging to an era when dinosaurs like the very-famous Tyrannosaurus Rex were still roaming the earth.Scientists are claiming the species is 80 million years old.The ultra-rare frilled shark species has over 300 teeth and jaws, like that of a predator and a snake-like body.It was caught off the Algarve coast in Portugal recently, by a group of European Union researchers from a depth of 701 metres off the sea. Scientists have named the species as Chlamydoselachus anguineus, because of its gill arrangement with 300 teeth.The Sun, who first reported the story, wrote: “Professor Margarida Castro of the University of the Algarve told Sic Noticias news website that the shark gets its name from the frilled arrangement of its 300 teeth.”He was also quoted as saying that this teeth arrangement allows the animal to trap squid, fish and other sharks in sudden lunges.- A lawyer says the Punta Gorda Police Department knew officer Lee Coel was "a problem and nobody wanted to fire him.”
Coel accidentally shot and killed a woman during a citizens academy role-playing exercise, but this incident is the latest in what Attorney Scott Weinberg says is a string of missed warnings.
Weinberg says he went into a meeting with Punta Gorda Police Chief Tom Lewis with one goal in mind: He wanted officer Lee Coel off the streets.
The meeting did not yield the results he wanted, but he kept voicing his concerns.
“I know the police chief, he’s a very good guy,” Weinberg said on the Bubba the Love Sponge show in June. “But I think the more publicity this gets, the more likely that this officer will no longer be able to hurt anybody else.”
Two months after Weinberg uttered those words, Coel shot and killed a 73-year-old Mary Knowlton at a Citizens Police Academy.
Weinberg, who is planning to file suit for the incident, says the department had numerous opportunities to prevent Tuesday’s shooting death of Mary Knowlton, but missed them.
“Everybody knew this officer was a problem, and nobody wanted to fire him," Weinberg said. "The problem is not just in this local police department; the problem is nationwide,” he said. “For some reason, being a police officer is almost the hardest job to get fired from, which makes no sense. It should be the easiest job to get fired from because we are putting so much trust in them."
From Vet Tech to K-9 Officer
Before Coel shot Knowlton, and before his K-9’s attack sent an unarmed, barefoot bicyclist to the hospital last October, and before he lost his job at the Miramar Police Department after receiving excessive force complaints, he was a tech at a local veterinary hospital in Davie.
In 2010, Lee Coel was a new grad from an Iowa college with a degree in pre-veterinary medicine. He had just relocated to Florida when he met some officers from the local police department who would bring their canines in for care.
“Myself and other members of the K-9 unit, after some years, finally convinced Lee to put his application in with our department,” said one Miramar officer’s letter of recommendation, included in Coel’s personnel file. “I feel strongly that Lee Coel would be an asset to your department. I am very saddened that he left.”
Nine months after Lee Coel had started with the Miramar Police Department, he was told to report to Internal Affairs. In April 2013, detectives told him he was the target of an investigation for two allegations of excessive force. He was placed on leave immediately, according to letter he included in his application with the Punta Gorda Police Department.
“I was stripped of my badge, gun and other police paraphernalia and placed on administrative leave,” he wrote. “It was as if my heart and soul had been ripped out of my chest, unjustly. I knew that I had never used any amount of force which was not justified.”
A week later, his employment with Miramar ended. His state law enforcement record says he “failed to satisfactorily complete” his probationary year.
Still, Coel’s application was filled with a dozen letters of recommendation from people identifying themselves as instructors or supervisors with Miramar Police Department. One says he made more than 100 arrests during his short time on patrol.
Punta Gorda Police Department hired him on. Three months in, they chose him to be department’s K-9 officer.
By 2014, he was training with the Punta Gorda Police Department, and had been selected as the department’s K-9 unit. His annual review notes the trophies he brought back to the K-9 department from national competitions.
Similar to his time in Miramar, his arrest stats were high: He’d filed more than 300 charges in a year and a half. Weinberg says that’s where he first grew concerned about Coel, saying he saw a pattern of aggressive tactics in his arrests.
Records provided by Weinberg, but not independently verified, show more than a third of those charges were dismissed by prosecutors.
“That’s an astronomically high number and those cases are being dismissed very early on… which means people are seeing he is violating people’s rights, illegally searching them and arresting them for bogus reasons,” he said.
Attempts to reach Coel for comment were unsuccessful. At a press conference on Thursday, Chief Lewis would not respond to questions.
“Stop, or I’ll send the dog!”
One night last October, Coel was out on patrol with his K-9 when, according to his report, he saw a man riding a bike without lights.
Dashcam video shows Coel following 25-year-old Richard Schumacher, flipping on his emergency lights, and yelling.
“Yo! Sir! On the bike! Stop, or I’ll send the dog!” Coel is heard saying.
Schumacher, who was barefoot, kept pedaling. Coel revved his engine and kept following him.
Weinberg says Coel’s first words set the tone for the rest of the policing encounter.
“Not, ‘How are you doing sir, what are you doing sir, why don't you have a light on your bicycle?” Weinberg said, adding that Schumacher was slow to obey Coel’s commands, and was reluctant to lie on the street - but did not pose threat warranting what could have been a deadly encounter. “My client, in no way, threatened that officer, and he decided to send the dog on him."
Schumacher was mauled by Coel’s K-9 for two minutes. In the video, Coel is heard telling Schumacher to stop resisting, while Schumacher screams in agony. Coel gives commands for the K-9 to keep attacking.
The injuries sent Schumacher to the hospital for two weeks. Coel was cleared in Punta Gorda’s internal affairs investigation of the incident, though the department says it has since changed its policies to prevent such an encounter. Coel was not disciplined for the incident and maintained his position as a K-9 officer.
After Weinberg went public with his concern, he says Punta Gorda waged a counter-publicity campaign. A few weeks after the dashcam of the K-9 attack was released, PGPD posted a photo on its Facebook page showing Coel with a dog it says he rescued. A few weeks later, Coel is shown in a video with his K-9 on a helicopter ride.
"For what purpose that would serve, I have no idea, other than to get people to like their Facebook page and say, 'oh, isn't that nice,'” Weinberg said. “I assume that's why he was involved in this training program as well, because they were trying to soften his image."
Lt. Katie Heck, a spokeswoman for the department responded to FOX 13’s requests for comment about the allegation by stating Coel had participated in the Citizen Police Academy before questions arose about the K-9 attack.
She also said there was a reason Coel is featured in several posts on their Facebook page: "I would note that he is assigned to our canine unit which does serve a large community relations role.”So here it is, though it will be hard for us to read: Card's Litany of Hate.
From a 1990 Essay:
This applies also to the polity, the citizens at large. Laws against homosexual behavior should remain on the books, not to be indiscriminately enforced against anyone who happens to be caught violating them, but to be used when necessary to send a clear message that those who flagrantly violate society's regulation of sexual behavior cannot be permitted to remain as acceptable, equal citizens within that society.
From a 2004 Essay:
Regardless of their opinion of homosexual "marriage," every American who believes in democracy should be outraged that any court should take it upon itself to dictate such a social innovation without recourse to democratic process. And we all know the course this thing will follow. Anyone who opposes this edict will be branded a bigot; any schoolchild who questions the legitimacy of homosexual marriage will be expelled for "hate speech." The fanatical Left will insist that anyone who upholds the fundamental meaning that marriage has always had, everywhere, until this generation, is a "homophobe" and therefore mentally ill. Which is the modern Jacobin equivalent of crying, "Off with their heads!"
So the people advocating for equal rights, according to OSC, want to murder anyone who opposes them.
Any homosexual man who can persuade a woman to take him as her husband can avail himself of all the rights of husbandhood under the law. And, in fact, many homosexual men have done precisely that, without any legal prejudice at all. Ditto with lesbian women. Many have married men and borne children. And while a fair number of such marriages in recent years have ended in divorce, there are many that have not.
So it is a flat lie to say that homosexuals are deprived of any civil right pertaining to marriage. To get those civil rights, all homosexuals have to do is find someone of the opposite sex willing to join them in marriage. In order to claim that they are deprived, you have to change the meaning of "marriage" to include a relationship that it has never included before this generation, anywhere on earth.
From a 2008 Essay:
Because when government is the enemy of marriage, then the people who are actually creating successful marriages have no choice but to change governments, by whatever means is made possible or necessary.... What these dictator-judges do not seem to understand is that their authority extends only as far as people choose to obey them. How long before married people answer the dictators thus: Regardless of law, marriage has only one definition, and any government that attempts to change it is my mortal enemy. I will act to destroy that government and bring it down, so it can be replaced with a government that will respect and support marriage, and help me raise my children in a society where they will expect to marry in their turn. Biological imperatives trump laws. American government cannot fight against marriage and hope to endure. If the Constitution is defined in such a way as to destroy the privileged position of marriage, it is that insane Constitution, not marriage, that will die.
So if Gay Marriage is legalized, he will advocate for the violent destruction of the United States. This despite the fact that he calls anyone who advocates for equality a Jacobin murderer.
This man is now the Mormon Church's representative to the National Organization for Marriage, the people behind the "A Storm is Coming, and I am Afraid" video.
He is using the money from his books to advocate for the destruction of the American government if the rights of gays and lesbians are protected.
This breaks my heart. Normally, if I was confronted by a right wing republican who said such things, I would be able to say "Wow, he's crazy," and move on. But this man was an important figure in my childhood.
This is the man who inspired me to write. This is the reason I am writing now. The things he wrote helped shape my world view. To discover that this man I have looked up to since I was twelve has used my adoration to advocate horrific violations of human rights is beyond tragedy.
I know that I am being far too charitable to Card when I say this, but I hope that when we are victorious, which we inevitably will be, that history remembers this man more for his wonderful books, than for his bigotry and hatred; for the ideas of love that he professed though he failed to practice them.
I will never purchase another one of his books so long as he is alive, or so long as he or his estate choose to use the proceeds from his work to encourage theocratic oppression, and the criminalization of gays and lesbians.
Though it absolutely breaks my heart, I encourage you to do the same.
[Update] In addition to new books by Orson Scott Card, there is a video game from which he will receive royalties called Shadow Complex. Though most of the creators are decent people, I also urge the boycott of Shadow Complex because the royalties from it will aid card in his bigoted crusade.
Please don't use this diary to start a witch hunt. There's a difference between the writer who says something abhorrent, and the writer who becomes a political activist for something abhorrent. In his classes, his speeches, and his activities, Card is attacking civil liberties. If you give him your money, he will be better enabled to do so. Don't burn his books, and don't demand that they be taken off library shelves. Just don't buy them, and encourage others not to.A North Korean family pose for a family portrait at a flower festival as part of celebrations for the 105th birth anniversary of their late leader Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang, North Korea. (Photo: Wong Maye-E / AP)
Pyongyang, North Korea — The clouds of war, it might seem, are gathering around the Korean Peninsula.
The North Korean government flaunts an increasingly sophisticated arsenal of intercontinental missiles and launches a midrange version, which apparently fails seconds after takeoff. The U.S. moves an immense warship to the waters off the peninsula in a display of military might. President Donald Trump warns he’s ready to “solve North Korea,” while North Korea’s deputy foreign minister says his country will conduct its next nuclear test whenever it sees fit.
And in Pyongyang, where war would mean untold horrors, where neighborhoods could be reduced to rubble and tens of thousands of civilians could be killed, few people seem to care much at all.
On Sunday, the city’s zoo was crowded, playgrounds were full of children and families strolled along downtown sidewalks speckled with the falling blossoms of apricot trees. At the city’s annual Kimilsungia flower show — held to celebrate Saturday’s 105th anniversary of the birth of North Korea’s founding ruler, Kim Il Sung, and the purple orchid named for him — thousands crowded around the displays, many using cellphones to take photos of friends and family.
In a country where the propaganda is all-encompassing, and where the same family has held power for three generations, every display mixed bright flowers with reminders of Kim Il Sung or the nation that his grandson, Kim Jong Un, now rules. So there were dioramas of Kim Il Sung’s birthplace, photos of him meeting foreign leaders, paintings of new housing developments — and models of missiles.
And there was Chong Ok An, a retiree pushing her way through the crowds with her family.
“We’re not afraid,” she said. “As long as we have Marshal Kim Jong Un we can win any fight.”
Her response reflected the phrasing of North Korean propaganda, as well as the reality that every person here has heard talk of war for decades. The Kim family has entrenched its rule by portraying the country as being relentlessly under siege, leaving its people unable to distinguish between daily hyperbole and the reality of an increasingly tense situation.
The same unending hyperbole has affected South Koreans as well. They have heard North Korean warnings of their destruction for so long that the threats barely even register. While interest in North Korea spikes immediately after a missile launch, within hours internet search traffic is again dominated by TV comedy shows, taxes and real estate.
After the North’s weekend birthday celebrations passed with no huge provocations like a nuclear test, people and the media in South Korea were more preoccupied Monday with domestic news such as the start of the official campaigning period for next month’s presidential election and a popular singer and actor’s wedding plans. Later Monday, South Korean prosecutors were expected to indict former President Park Geun-hye on corruption charges, providing for headline-grabbing news.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Read or Share this story: http://detne.ws/2oOLdwcHere is a tale ’bout a bright star named Vega.
For years, astronomers have combed through their data
and discovered that Vega is more than a star.
It’s surrounded by dust clouds: one near and one far.
Next to the star is some dust that’s quite hot.
We’ve only just found it. There isn’t a lot.
Farther away, there’s some dust that’s much colder
It comes from collisions between big icy boulders.
The hot dust’s a mystery; it shouldn’t be here.
Every speck of that dust should be gone in a year.
So Vega must have a constant supply
of fresh dust that’s brought in from somewhere on high
and thrown down real close to the star to get fried.
We talked quite a lot, Amy Bonsor and I.
Could a system of planets lie in Vega’s sky?
A system of planets on orbits between
the cold and hot dust and remain sight-unseen?
The planets could orbit right there in the middle,
toss comets from the freezer down onto the griddle.
This means the hot dust must come from the cold.
And make Vega’s warm dust in our very own mold.
Zodiacal dust is found close to the Earth.
But it comes from comets which, at their birth
condensed in the cold, way out far from the Sun.
Then were brought in by planets, kicked in by each one.
For this to work Vega’s planets must shift
They can’t empty out all the comets too quick.
And the outermost planets can’t be too big
or they’ll clean house and shut down the whole gig.
The planets serve as a conveyor belt.
Comets are delivered inward to melt.
But a gas giant planet far out in the chain
would break down the belt and the hot dust will wane.
So that is the story. We think that Vega
has a system of planets. We hope that new data
will find these planets within a few years.
For the gory details please lend me your ear,
Or rather your eyes. The paper’s right here.
AdvertisementsI waste a bit of time playing online chess, and I’ve always thought it would be interesting to look at data from these games. In particular, how does my ELO ranking compare to other internet chess players?
This made for a good scraping exercise, and with a bit of coding (python lxml) I scraped some data that could answer my question. Chess.com happens to have over a billion (!) archived games, of which I sampled just over 24,000. The data I scraped were game date, white and black rankings, and game result. Data were analyzed in Matlab.
I first plotted the ranking time-series (Fig 1). Aside from the blip in 2011 (not sure happened there - maybe a big influx of players?), from 2012 on the distribution of rankings looks stable. Since the mean is stable for this period, an average rating of 1293 (SD 299.4) should describe the data pretty well. At first glance, my green line is hovering around the site average. However, is the slight difference noticeable statistically?Image caption The bus stop in Towyn was cordoned off by police after the discovery
Police have appealed for motorists to check their dashcams as they continue their search for the mother of a newborn girl found in a bus shelter.
The baby was found at the bus stop near the Magpie and Stump pub in Towyn, Conwy county, at 07:15 BST on Tuesday.
Daniel Braxton, 35, who discovered the infant, has told how she was lifeless at the time but managed to revive her.
Police are concerned about the welfare of the baby's mother and have urged her to come forward.
A North Wales Police spokesman issued an appeal for motorists who drove along the main A548 Towyn coast road between 23:30 BST on Monday to 09:00 on Tuesday to send any footage they have.
Conwy council said the baby had been placed under an interim care order.DWO's upcoming, one-hour, full cast audio drama celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who started post production today.
One Fine Time Lord - a special project for Children in Need, tells the story of the early days of Gallifrey and how one senior Time Lord, Lord Archeron has a plan to change the planet forever - with no Doctor to come to the rescue...
The production of the story took place from 3rd-5th June at Anglia Ruskin Studios in Cambridge and saw a whole host of professional actors gather together to tell the story and Colin Baker even popped up to give the guys some encouragement!
The show will be in post production over the coming months and will be free to download right here on DWO. Further details of the full story are being kept under wraps for now but Writer / Director, Brendan Sheppard said:
"There will be some surprising revelations about Time Lord culture as an old relic from the past is about to cause a serious amount of damage to the people of Gallifrey"
He also commented that:
"The cast and crew were simply wonderful and they worked extremely hard, at their own expense, to bring you this extremely special story, we hope you will enjoy it and donate whatever you can, directly to Children in Need. Who knows where this story might end up and there is the strong possibility that this might be the first of many..."
We shall keep you updated with more on this exciting project!
[Source: Doctor Who Online]
42dd6f67-b380-4f06-9adf-53c2b113082b|5|5.0So far, the steps have been mainly symbolic. Last week, Hamas cleared out a gated Gaza City villa that belongs to Mr. Abbas but had been seized during the 2007 battle. Surrounded by withering plants, the house had been occasionally used as a security base. Inside, an open refrigerator showed signs of rot, a broken elevator was filled with broken furniture; and a photo album showing Mr. Abbas with Western and Arab diplomats sat on a table in the salon.
Newspapers from Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza have resumed circulation across the Palestinian territories. Members of Fatah and Hamas have been sitting together in solidarity tents to support hunger-striking prisoners.
Social reconciliation affects a relative handful of the more than four million Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, but it is laden by layers of ideology, emotion, and money. Qatar has pledged $5 million — about $11,500 per family — though many of the bereaved say no amount is enough: They want Qisas, an Islamic principle that calls for capital punishment of murderers.
“I will never forgive,” said Hamza Al-Rafati, 24, whose father, Mohammed, a Hamas-affiliated businessman and imam, was among the victims. Three Fatah members were convicted in a Hamas court in 2012 of breaking into the Rafati family’s apartment, shooting Mohammed in the leg, carrying him on a mattress into the street and executing him.
“I want them to be killed,” said Hamza, the eldest of the Rafati family’s five children, who is scheduled to graduate this spring with a law degree. “I want their children to suffer the same way we suffered.”
Ismail Radwan, Hamas’s representative on the committee handling social reconciliation, said that families would not be forced to forgo civil or religious court processes, but that the leaders were counting on them to “present the idealistic moral examples in forgiveness.”
In many cases, like that of Maher Radi, the specific killers are unknown. Security chiefs and faction leaders who ordered shootings could be held accountable in tribunals, but Akram Attalah, a Gaza-based analyst, said “this will prevent any progress” in the broader reconciliation effort.Former European Champion will retire when 2015 NASL season concludes.
By Cosmos News Service - Para español clic aqui
NEW YORK (June 10, 2015) – The New York Cosmos announced today that former Spain international Marcos Senna plans to retire once the NASL Fall Season concludes in November. On his retirement, Senna will return to Spain but remain part of the Cosmos organization while working in an international development role.
“I’ve been blessed to have had the career I’ve had and fortunate to play with some truly exceptional players and teams,” Senna said. “Right now, my body feels great and I want to make sure that I’m able to retire while I’m playing well and on my own terms. The move to New York and joining the Cosmos has been fantastic for my family and we’ve experienced some truly unforgettable memories here in the U.S.”
During his time with the Cosmos, the 38-year-old Senna helped bring the Cosmos the 2013 NASL championship during the club’s first professional season in almost 30 years. Over the past two years, Senna has made 43 total appearances for the Cosmos, registering 11 goals and 3 assists. He also scored the winning goal in the 2013 NASL championship game.
“From the day that he signed with us, Marcos has been a tremendous presence,” head coach Giovanni Savarese said. “His leadership has helped the team and he’s played at an incredibly high level for us. We’ve been honored to have Marcos with us the past two years and he will be a part of the Cosmos family forever.”
Senna began his career in his native Brazil, but prior to coming to New York, he spent 11 seasons at Villarreal CF where he was recognized as one of the top midfielders in La Liga, Spain’s top league. Senna has also served as captain of both Villarreal and the Spanish national team. On the international stage, Senna has 28 caps for the Spanish national team. He was an integral part of the Spanish team that won Euro 2008 and was selected to the UEFA Team of the Tournament.
At Villarreal, Senna made over 300 appearances, scoring 29 goals in all competitions for the Yellow Submarines and helped lead the club to promotion back to La Liga in 2013. During his time at Villarreal, the club reached the UEFA Champions League semifinal and also finished second in La Liga.Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson said Thursday he will file a lawsuit against the FCC's decision to undo net neutrality rules implemented under the Obama administration. The vote was 3-2, with Republicans on the FCC board carrying the majority.
"Yesterday I sent a letter to the FCC asking them to delay their vote gutting net neutrality. Unfortunately, they did not, Ferguson wrote in a statement. "Today, I am announcing my intention to file a legal challenge to the FCC’s decision to roll back net neutrality, along with attorneys general across the country."
The FCC's new rules could usher in big changes in how Americans use the internet. The agency got rid of rules that barred companies like Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon from playing favorites with internet apps and sites.
The broadband industry promises that the internet experience isn't going to change. But protests have erupted online and in the streets as everyday Americans worry that cable and phone companies will be able to control what they see and do online.
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Tech companies big and small also fear what the changes could mean for the future of innovation online.
"The open and fair internet was the basis of hundreds of thousands of startups," said Brett Greene, founder of New Tech Northwest, a community builder for local tech companies.
Meanwhile, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai argues the federal government was micromanaging the internet, calling the previous regulations "heavy handed."
"Returning to the legal framework that governed the internet from President Clinton's pronouncement in 1996 until 2015 is not going to destroy the internet," said Pai during Thursday's hearing.
However, critics of the move fear that the giant telecommunications companies and internet service providers will be able to manipulate web traffic and speed, creating hypothetical fast or slow lanes depending on how much you're willing to pay.
"The broadband companies in particular will have the power to basically put their competition out of business if they want to," said Greene who worries the rollback of regulations will put the little guy at a huge disadvantage.
"The companies that have more money will be able to do more just because they have those resources," Greene continued.
The lobbying group, U.S. Telecom push back against the criticism, claiming broadband providers remain committed to net neutrality.
Full statement
Reaction from Washington's congressional delegation to the FCC decision was mixed along party lines.
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash.
"The heavy-handed rules from the Obama administration stifled investment in rural communities, like those in Eastern Washington, and created uncertainty for ISPs in meeting the requirements for those rules. What I want is for everyone to come to the table to find a bipartisan, legislative solution that will protect consumers while not harming investment, and free-market principles."
Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Wash.
“America has been a world leader in innovation in large part because we’ve benefited from a free and open internet, but we won’t remain at the top by adopting backward policies that hurt consumers,” DelBene said. “I strongly oppose the FCC’s decision to fully repeal net neutrality and allow internet service providers to influence the content users can see. Given the opportunity, internet service providers could block content and services or charge premiums for the kind of open access we’ve come to expect. There’s no question that today’s vote is a massive loss, both for consumers and for innovation.”
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash.
"Despite the pleas of millions of Americans, President Trump’s FCC voted to change the internet as we know it, and turn it into yet another money-making tool for large corporations."
Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.
“Today’s decision threatens our booming innovation economy,” said Senator Cantwell. “It’s impossible to know where the next big companies will come from, which makes an open and free internet all the more important to innovators, entrepreneurs and job creators – especially in the tech-driven Pacific Northwest.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Copyright 2017 KINGDonald Trump is gunning for Hillary Clinton, and he’s now invited Russia to help him in the task. But if the Wikileaks release of thousands of Democratic National Committee emails shows just how disruptive those kinds of unexpected releases can be, Clinton should be worried about another potentially formidable foe: Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, who could still put out more information that affects how voters perceive the Democratic presidential nominee.
Assange told CNN Tuesday that his website may release “a lot more material” relevant to Clinton’s election campaign, which already appears to have been damaged by the site’s release of 20,000 emails from the |
18. At only 32, he is already a senior figure, having been in the gang for 17 years. During most of that time his group has been battling the other main Salvadoran gang, the Mara Salvatrucha or M-13. Now both groups are also facing a major crackdown by the government known as the Super Super Mano Dura — the Super Super Iron Fist.
Santiago is of a slight build, probably only 120 pounds and standing only a few inches over five feet. It is almost hard to take him seriously as a threat, but his back and chest are marked by large "18" tattoos and his eyes burn with fierce intensity when he speaks of the current gang war being fought in El Salvador's streets.
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Santiago is of a slight build, probably only 120 pounds and standing only a few inches over five feet. It is almost hard to take him seriously as a threat, but his back and chest are marked by large "18" tattoos and his eyes burn with fierce intensity when he speaks of the current gang war being fought in El Salvador's streets.
Santiago is a regional leader of Barrio 18. At only 32, he is already a senior figure, having been in the gang for 17 years. During most of that time his group has been battling the other main Salvadoran gang, the Mara Salvatrucha or M-13. Now both groups are also facing a major crackdown by the government known as the Super Super Mano Dura — the Super Super Iron Fist.
That crackdown is not driven by any well thought out anti-crime strategy, Santiago claims, but by political calculations.
"The social fabric was broken since before the civil war. It was broken during the civil war and it's still broken after the civil war," Santiago says of the country's 12-year conflict between left wing guerrillas and US-backed right wing governments that ended with peace accords in 1992.
"We haven't had a reconciliation of those involved in the war in order to bring the peace and tranquility needed to reconstruct the social fabric, harmony and a culture of peace," he adds. "So how are they going to blame me for breaking and rupturing something that I have no fault in having ruined?"
Exceedingly articulate, Santiago is quoted often in media reports and has a nuanced perspective that the gangs can put forth to enhance their new claims of having picked up the mantle left by the guerillas.
The gangs, says the gang leader, are the product of discrimination, lack of opportunities, and abuses committed by the government. They are also, he boasts, the only structure present in the country that can mobilize the poor and this is why the government fears them and is attacking them.
"The party in power used to represent the interests of the poor," he says of the Farabundo Marti Liberation Front, or FMLN, the guerrilla army that became a political party after peace was signed and has been in government since 2009. "Now, the poor have remained poor but the party that used to represent them is no longer there for them."
The current crackdown comes after the breakdown of a truce between the Barrio 18 and the Mara Salvatrucha that had been accompanied by a fall off in murder rates in 2012 and 2013. Since then the violence has reached unprecedented levels.
Related: The Neverending War in El Salvador
Santiago insists that the gangs don't want the war with the government or with each other. He blames this year's skyrocketing murder rate on the government's decision to transfer imprisoned gang leaders to maximum-security prisons where their communications with the outside were cut, which left younger less experienced leaders to make their own decisions in an anarchic vacuum.
It is a common refrain we hear from gang members, even low level ones in rural areas. This isn't our fault. We don't want violence. Give us jobs. Give us opportunities. How come no one comes into our neighborhoods to help?
I meet Santiago just off a main road in a broken down shack. I am not sure who is getting rich off of the gang's activities, but it is definitely not him. "We want a clear objective and future for both us and for our communities", he says. "We want our communities to have all the benefits they should have and their human rights to be respected because our communities are still large, marginal and unequal and the gap between rich and poor people is getting wider and wider."
But such arguments, and the claims to carry the legacy of the old guerrillas of the 1980s, always run up against the terror the gangs represent for so many ordinary Salvadorans.
"What would happen if each gang member killed one human being in this country per day? In how many days will the six million people living here be finished?"
Neither Santiago, nor any of the other gang members we meet, can really articulate a clear political project behind their actions that so obviously revolve around turf, money, and violence. And while the guerrillas had wide popular support in their struggle against the US-backed extreme right wing repressive governments of the 1980s, the current government's war against the gangs is widely believed to be at least partially a response to a popular cry for their eradication.
Even the smooth-talking Santiago also regularly slips out of the discourse of peace and into something more menacing.
The gangs don't want a full on war with the government, he says, because they would need money to buy more weapons, more members to fire those weapons, and more territory. And to get the money would require more kidnapping, extortion, theft and war taxes. But if the government really wants war, he also says, the gangs will give it to them.
Photo via screenshot from Living in Fear: Gangs of El Salvador (Part 2)
"They talk about 60,000 gang members in El Salvador," he says. "What would happen if each gang member killed one human being in this country per day? In how many days will the six million people living here be finished?"
And while the gangs complain that nothing is done for their neighborhoods, they don't mention how difficult it is to get into them.
Both times we try to enter a gang controlled barrio without police — once with an NGO and once with a church group — the restrictions are obvious and the fear palpable. Phone calls to prison leaders are needed. Walking a few more blocks requires consultations with gang members. No one will talk. One NGO tells us of the extraordinary efforts required to get gang permission to organize a soccer tournament for neighborhood children.
Related: The 18th Street Gang Just Set Out to Prove It Runs El Salvador's Transport System
Forget new businesses and job creators. Businesses already operating in El Salvador are mercilessly extorted, and murders are common when disputes arrive.
One shop owner says paying the gangs is "like a tax." A market stall owner says she coughs up extortion fees, "like you pay the mayor's office." When we attempt to speak with another he points to a young teenager within sight. "We can't talk," he tells us, "They're always watching."
Some of the roots of El Salvador's gangs can certainly be traced to the failure of Salvadoran governments to bring reconciliation after the civil war or address the poverty that still pervades the country. The spiral of violence also feeds off the ease with which gang members impose their terror. It can sometime seem like a bunch of nihilistic teenagers in oversized t-shirts and basketball shorts who simply aren't afraid to pull the trigger — or to die.
The origin and growth of the gangs also draws on a number of misguided US policy decisions.
During the 1980's, the US flooded El Salvador's civil war with 6 billion dollars in support of the government and accepted a wave of refugees. Many flocked to Los Angeles, where they were preyed upon by various gangs and formed their own as protection.
After peace was signed US immigration policy changed and thousands of hardened gang members were deported back to El Salvador. They flourished in the post-conflict country where weak state institutions were unable to cope.
Now, there's an estimated 60-70,000 gang members in El Salvador with 500,000 people depending on them for survival. That's one out of every 12 people in the country.
"They will always return. They will always come back. There will always be tens of thousands of gang members."
"Gangs are deep rooted in society. It's impossible to remove such an important part of society so any result in which it appears the gangs are retreating is temporary," says José Luis Sanz, the director of the online news site El Faro. "They will always return. They will always come back. There will always be tens of thousands of gang members."
According to Insight Crime, a website that focuses on crime in Latin America that has extensively documented El Salvador's gang war, though the top leaders in prison can issue big orders, each territorial area or neighborhood controlled by Barrio 18 has a leader known as a "cancha" who operates somewhat autonomously. Echoing what Santiago told us, the website says that since the truce ended things have grown less bureaucratic and the leaders outside prison have grown younger and less indebted to the hierarchal structure of the gangs.
Yet while the gangs appear to be much more decentralized than the Mexican or Colombian drug cartels, some say they are heavily coordinated, particularly when it comes to surveillance. They can seem like veritable stasi states. Everything is heard. Everything is seen. The slightest transgression, even visiting a neighborhood controlled by MS-13 when you live in a neighborhood ruled by Barrio 18, can get you killed. El Salvador has become a nation of informers, except people talk to the young men and women who kill, instead of whispering to the state.
One rainy night in mid-September, we embed with Los Halcones, or The Hawks, one of the premier rapid response units in El Salvador. It is their job to engage with the gangs, and the newest crackdown has given them additional leeway to do just that.
The day we head out with them, 25 people have been killed already and it is not even 8pm, and one of their units took fire earlier that day.
Despite being one of the fiercest units around, the men all don face masks. Police officers have frequently been targeted by the gangs with 54 killed by the end of October. There are rumours that certain gangs have ordered that at least two police officers be killed in every territory.
We drive around in a small convoy along San Salvador's strip malls of chain restaurants and American fast food and past car dealerships and gas stations and nightclubs. We pull off the main roads abruptly down sloping hills into narrow streets, some cobble and some dirt.
The lights are turned on in the car, the windows rolled down, an officer placed in the back of the pickup truck has his gun leveled to the streets below. The men tense up and point their guns out the windows. Large graffiti bearing an 18 or a 13 is everywhere, some only a block or two from each other.
Photo by Zachary Rockwood
For most of the evening, the men offer the usual government and police talking points. The time for negotiation is over, they say. The only thing left to do with the gangs is eradicate them.
The officers say the truce was nothing more than a pause in the war that gave the gangs time to consolidate their power, recruit and expand. They deny the accusations of excessive force and extrajudicial killings, saying it is only gang members and their relatives who make those accusations.
Things turn a bit more interesting when we discuss a new ruling by El Salvador's supreme court that means arrested gang members can be charged with terrorism. Both men question me on how the United States classifies who a terrorist is. I tell them it can seem a bit arbitrary at times, and many people are very critical of the way an event like a mass shooting in a school is presented as a problem of individual mental health when the gunman is a white. The men nod along. El Salvador's gangs are definitely terrorists, they say. They point to the recent spate of car bombs, the targeting of police, the terror they inflict on the population.
"Justice in this country is like a serpent. It only bites those who are barefoot."
Towards the end of the night the conversation takes a different direction when asked what they think causes the violence. Both officers agree with the gang members that it's lack of opportunities that leads to crime. They say that maybe fighting isn't the answer. They seem to concur with critics of the crackdown that it is nothing more than a political ploy.
"We are like their puppets. The politicians make us do whatever they want, so that they can get a good image politically in front of society and we are killing each other," says one of the officers. "Because, you see, the gang members that get killed are poor people that don't have any opportunities, and it's the same for us. The ones that die are the regular cops…we are getting used and that's the problem."
His partner nods along in agreement. An hour earlier, we had seen both men hop out of the car in one of the more dangerous gang controlled neighborhoods in the city to run down two alleged members. Both had expressed their desire to eradicate the gangs, but despite their vocal support for the policy, both have mixed feelings about the role they are playing.
"I don't think it'll be a solution to have a direct battle with them. So many of them come from the same neighborhood so it's basically a war of poor people against poor people," the monologue continues. "Most policeman coexist with gang members, even our family members are in the gangs sometimes. So that's what I mean, poor people are the ones dying, the ones spilling blood and so the other [the government] just uses us, we are just puppets that they use politically."
The officer pauses for a second and invokes the name of Archbishop Romero, El Salvador's Catholic saint who talked about social justice and whose assassination by a right wing sniper is talked about by some as the trigger that started the civil war. It is another demonstration of how scrambled the old ideologies of left and right have become.
"Our Archbishop Romero had a saying during the war, that justice in this country is like a serpent," he says. "It only bites those who are barefoot."
Related: El Salvador Just Had Its Most Violent Month Since the End of the Civil War
Follow Danny Gold on Twitter: @DGisSERIOUSDavid Brevik helped cofound Blizzard North over twenty years ago, and played a pivotal role in the design and development of the studio’s influential hit Diablo.
The game was released at the end of 1996, and to celebrate its 20th anniversary Brevik took the stage at GDC today to deliver a postmortem look back at his work on the game.
“The original concept was something I came up with in high school,” said Brevik, who went to school in California’s Bay Area and got the idea for the game’s name from local peak Mt. Diablo. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do, make games, and even in high school I was thinking about what kinds of games I could make and what names I could use.”
The original concept for Diablo, says Brevik, was more of a traditional party-based RPG, turn-based and heavily influenced by his early love of games like Rogue and Nethack.
But right out of college, he wound up working at a digital clip art company that eventually went under; when that company went under, a few survivors went on to launch their own company, named after a secret project the clip art company had been working on: “Project Condor.” Thus, Condor the game company was born.
It was there that Brevik put together a design document for Diablo, describing it as a turn-based, single-player DOS game that would have expansion packs -- like booster packs for Magic the Gathering cards, whch were big then. It also had permadeath, says Brevik. “That was a big feature of roguelikes, so that’s why I wanted that."
It was also, as is sometimes rumored, originally designed with a “claymation” art style -- kind of.
“It wasn’t just claymation,” said Brevik, noting it was actually inspired by the look of contemporary arcade fighting game Primal Rage.
“I loved the way Primal Rage looked in the arcade," said Brevik. "It used stop-motion for all its characters and graphics," and Brevik wanted to use a sort of stop-motion art style for Diablo. But once he learned how expensive and time-consuming it would be, the idea was shelved.
How Justice League Task Force brought Blizzard North and South together
But since Condor had to stay in business, it was planning out Diablo while it was also working on some other sports and licensed games, including the Sega Genesis game Justice League Task Force.
Brevik remembers taking the latter game to show it at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and finding an unexpected comrade-in-arms in developer Silicon & Synapse, which would eventually become Blizzard Entertainment.
“We show up, and we have our game on display, and we look over and...there’s another version of the product, for Super Nintendo!” Brevik said.
Condor had no idea there was a Super Nintendo version of Task Force being made (because the publisher had never bothered to tell them) and yet the two games were still “strangely similar.” Condor wound up talking to the developers, Silicon & Synapse -- who also happened to have dreams of striking out on their own and making their own original PC game, just like Condor had been trying (unsuccessfully) to do with Diablo.
“We’d been trying to pitch this game idea to a whole bunch of people...and they have said no, RPGs are dead. There is no way we are investing in an RPG,” said Brevik.
But after Silicon & Synapse became Blizzard and made Warcraft, they came back to Condor and heard the studio’s pitch for Diablo. They liked what they heard, and offered to publish the game.
“We were very excited, so we signed a contract to do Diablo,” remembers Brevik. The studio then had to figure out what, exactly, this turn-based isometric game it had been thinking about for so long would actually look like -- and how it would be angled and rendered on-screen.
“This was not easy back then...I kind of took a screengrab of X-Com, and we just took that, and put it right into Diablo,” said Brevik. “So the actual tile-square basis -- the same shape and size -- is exactly the same in X-Com and Diablo.”
So in a sense, says Brevik, the look and technology of Diablo is all based directly on a screenshot of X-Com.
Brevik also remembers that the decision to make Diablo real-time, rather than turn-based, as a controversial one. He said that, despite rumors to the contrary, it's not true that when Condor first pitched the game as a turn-based game, Blizzard said it was great -- but that it had to be real-time and multiplayer. That came later, after development of the game had begun in earnest.
“Eventually, Blizzard South, they approached us and said ‘well, we’d really like to make this a real-time game,’” recalls Brevik. At first, he says, he was adamantly against it -- he loved classic turn-based dungeon crawlers like Rogue, and he didn’t want to give up turns because giving players time to agonize over their decisions between turns could create so much "delicious" drama.
“‘Yeah,’ [Blizzard South] said, ‘but real-time will be better,’” said Brevik. So Blizzard North eventually put it to a vote, “and I voted no, but everyone else voted yes, so I said I guess we can do this.”
So Brevik called Blizzard South to say yes, we can do this, but we need lots more time to overhaul the game -- and also, another milestone payment.
“They agreed to that, and I went ‘yesss,’” remembers Brevik. “So I sat down on a Saturday afternoon, and in a few hours I had it running [in real-time.]”
"That was when the APRG was kind of born"
At that point Brevik fondly recalls clicking his mouse, watching his formerly turn-based warrior walk across a room in real-time and smash a skeleton, “and I remember saying out loud ‘oh my god, that was awesome!’”
“Sure enough, that was when the ARPG was kind of born,” said Brevik. “It was an amazing moment, and I was lucky enough to be there.”
During Diablo's development Condor became Blizzard North, in part, remembers Brevik, because of the company's less-than-stellar business sense.
“We were so excited to do Diablo, that we signed the contract [with Blizzard] without realizing we’d just agreed to do Diablo...for $300,000,” said Brevik. “We have 15 people in this studio, so….are we just going to pay them $20k a year to do this? Also, how are we gonna pay for this office space?”
But they really wanted to make Diablo, so Condor went looking for more work to bolster its finances. They found 3D), and signed a contract to make a football game for the console -- for almost $1 million.
“That helped,” said Brevik. “That helped a lot.” Even so, the company didn't get all that money up front and was still struggling, day-to-day, to pay its staff and maintain its operations.
“Then at one point, Blizzard South came to us and said ‘hey, we’d like to acquire you guys,’” Brevik said. “That was a big relief, not having to worry about making payroll anymore. But 3DO got wind of it, and didn’t like the idea -- so they stated making their own pitches.
"3DO was offering us twice as much money, and we turned them down"
“So this bidding war started, between Blizzard and 3DO,” said Brevik. “3DO was offering us twice as much money, and we turned them down, because we felt that Blizzard really got us, and got the game. And we were so close in company culture and beliefs that we turned down twice as much money to get bought by -- and become -- Blizzard.”
Incidentally, Brevik recalls that late in ‘96, as Diablo's development was in crunch mode, a businessman named Sabeer Bhatia came to Brevik and said, basically, “I’m going to make email on the internet….I’ll give you ten percent of my company if you let me have a room in the back [of your office] to work.”
Brevik said “No way, this doesn’t make sense! Email, on the internet? I already have email on the internet!” And with Blizzard North crunching away on Diablo, Brevik remembers telling Bhatia he couldn’t spare any room to work on his company.
Bhatia’s company came to be known as Hotmail, which went on to be worth roughly $400 million. So Brevik would have had $40 million worth, which in today’s dollars (he estimates) would be roughly $280 million.
On the plus side, developing Diablo gave rise to Blizzard’s Battle.net, which was borne out of Blizzard North but primarily developed at Blizzard South. But Diablo didn’t have multiplayer modes - or code -- for most of development, so in the last months of development a team from Blizzard North had to actually move down south to work with Blizzard South on getting Battle.net support built into Diablo, and Brevik says the studio was completely unprepared for how quickly -- and badly -- cheating became a problem in the game.
“We knew people were going to be able to hack, or cheat,” said Brevik, but the studio figured it would be isolated incidents. “Then the game came out, and instantly we were like ‘oh my god...they can just upload the cheats and EVERYBODY can cheat! I didn’t even think about htat!”
Looking back, Brevik recalls this was one of the biggest “egg on our face” moments of Diablo’s livespan, and it srongly drove Blizzard to revamp the client-server architecture for Diablo II.
"I'm gonna say it: Battle.net ran on one computer"
Also: “It’s not much of a secret anymore, I don’t know if I’m going to get into trouble if I say it, but I’m gonna say it: Battle.net ran on one computer,” said Brevik. “Because we had people directly hooking up with each other, we didn’t have to carry a lot of bandwidth...we just had to make these connections.”
Brevik then showed a brief snippet of a Diablo pre-release alpha demo the company shared via PC Gamer demo discs in November of ‘96, one of which he’d managed to find in his own home.
“One of the things we didn’t like about RPGs at the time is they all had like 25 minues of character creation before you could get into the game,” said Brevik. And Blizzard North had a lot of love for the menus in Doom, so they designed Diablo’s UI with a lot of thematic inspiration from id’s work, to meet the “mom test” -- “could my mom play this?” Brevik said. The idea was to make something that players could start playing as quickly as possible, with minimal hang-ups.
Speaking of UI, Brevik noted that the map of Diablo was inspired directly by the minimalistic automap of Dark Forces, and that "we invented the hotbar some time in the last 3 months of the project."
Before that, said Brevik, there was one slot in the lower-left corner of the screen where players could put potions, but otherwise, you were straight out of luck. The studio also almost got rid of the “right-click to use skill” mechanic (requiring the player to bring up the skill book and click on a skill each time to use it) and almost put cooking and eating mechanics into the game, right at the end of development, but ultimately didn't have time.
"The end was really, really rough"
“The end was really, really rough; we crunched for 8 or 9 months,” remembers Brevik. “My wife was pregnant at the time; the baby was due in late December...you can see where this is going.”
Around December 10th, recalls Brevik, his wife called him at the office and said “I’m having contractions. It’s go time.”
The studio was already in trouble, since it had tried -- and failed -- to have Diablo ready for Christmas of ‘96. But it wound up shipping on December 31st, and the contractions proved to be a false alarm -- Brevik’s daughter was born January 3rd, days after his game.
“We were super, ultra-focused on making this thing great, and I think it paid off in the end,” said Brevik. “Crunch is never fun, but sometimes, at least for myself, I think it’s a necessary evil.”
(Incidentally, Brevik noted that crunch on Diablo II was even worse -- about a year and a half straight. "It was the worst crunch in my life," he said.)
Here’s a weird bit of trivia about the game: Brevik remembers running a contest after Diablo launched, offering to pay $100 to the first player who could kill Diablo. Shortly thereafter a player used a health-swapping skill to run down to the final boss, swap health with him, nearly die, swap again and slay him.
“We promptly yanked that skill out of the game,” said Brevik. Presumably, Blizzard North also paid the player his $100.
Another tidbit of design trivia: “Deckard Cain’s name was actually a contest..as part of a PC gaming magazine contest, people could send in name suggestions to get their name in Diablo,” said Brevik, in response to a question from the audience about where the Diablo character got his name. “Some guy sent in the name Deckard Cain, I don’t know if it’s made up or not, but we were like ‘Damn, that’s badass. We’re gonna use that!’”The Physicality of Service in German Ideas of Knighthood, c.1200-1500
Patrick Meehan
Brown Journal of History: Vol. 7 (2013)
Abstract
“Ich Jörg von Ehingen, ritter…” Close to death, a fifteenth-century Tyrolian knight by the name of Jörg von Ehingen decided to tell the story of his early days as a knight. His memoirs spin the tale of an eager young man ready to fulfill his destiny in a life of courtly service. He rises in rank, distinguishes himself in a network of princely politics, and travels throughout Europe in search of monarchs seeking voluntary service. Rarely do medieval sources come so close to the inner world of that evocative and perplexing historical figure, the medieval knight. Today, imagining knighthood draws on the long and diverse tradition of portrayals by others, whether twelfth-century clerics or nineteenth-century Romantics. Even the most romantic visions of knights largely conjure a literate or reflective individual. More likely is the frightening image of a conqueror ravaging the countryside, or perhaps a hero more interested in romancing ladies and participating in tournaments than bloodying himself in real battles.
It might be that neither impression is all that far off. Jörg himself, straddling both ends of the spectrum, is a perfect example. As a fifteenth- century knight serving in various princely courts, he was frequently obliged to take part in the fineries of courtly life – dances, feasts, pageantry. On the other hand, he traveled across the continent in search for active service in battle until finally coming to the rapidly expanding kingdoms of Portugal and Spain. Nor was the distinction between courtly and practical lifestyles black and white. He admits in his memoirs the utility of courtly games as tests of strength and exercises in martial skill, for instance. Failing to neatly fit either category, his story demonstrates that while both images of knighthood have some plausibility, neither on its own sufficiently characterizes the knight as a historical figure.
Click here to read this article from the Brown Journal of History
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our weekly emailIraqi And Kurdish Forces Agree To Pause Fighting
Enlarge this image toggle caption Ahmad al-Rubaye /AFP/Getty Images Ahmad al-Rubaye /AFP/Getty Images
Iraqi and Kurdish forces have agreed to temporarily pause their fighting.
This has the potential to open the door for talks, NPR's Jane Arraf reports, after Iraqi forces moved to wrest territory from the Kurds, including the oil-rich city of Kirkuk.
The Kurdish autonomous region held a non-binding independence referendum last month, despite the opposition of Iraq's government and other regional and international powers. Voters overwhelmingly approved the proposal.
Earlier this week, the Kurdish regional government offered to freeze its bid for independence, an offer the Iraqi government did not accept. It has urged the Kurds to void the results. Then came the ceasefire announcement.
"Kurdish officials say the agreement was brokered by the United States," as Jane reports. "U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to urge him to enter talks with the Kurds."
Abadi said in a statement that he halted troop movements for 24 hours to allow for discussions about deploying federal Iraqi forces to disputed areas and the international border. He added that this is to "prevent a confrontation and bloodshed between sons of the same country."
One of the areas that Abadi said the forces will focus on is the Fish-Khabur area, which the Kurdish Rudaw network says is a point "located within undisputed Kurdistan Region territory where it borders Turkey and Syria."
"The ceasefire is holding," said Vahal Ali, the media director for Kurdish President Masoud Barzani, as Reuters reported.
The fighting that erupted earlier this month in areas that were under Kurdish control has displaced more than 160,000 civilians, according to Kurdish regional authorities.
Iraq's Kurdish authorities operate autonomously. They have their own security forces, the Peshmerga, which has played a major role in the fight against ISIS.
"We are following events in north #Iraq," State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert said in a tweet. "Dialogue remains the best option to defuse tensions. We welcome & encourage coordination by both sides."
Army Col. Ryan Dillon, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS, stated that this was not an official "ceasefire," though both parties are talking with one another.Things have gone from bad to worse over the past few months for the Duggar clan, the erstwhile stars of the popular TLC reality show 19 Kids and Counting.
On August 19, just over a month after TLC announced it had canceled 19 Kids due to allegations of sexual abuse centering on the oldest Duggar child, Josh, evidence surfaced that Josh had a paid membership to Ashley Madison, the dating site for those seeking extramarital affairs that was recently hacked, exposing the private information of millions of users, Gawker reports.
It's the latest twist in a string of bizarre revelations about the 19 Kids and Counting family — parents Jim Bob and Michelle and their 19 children — who came under fire in recent months after allegations emerged that Josh Duggar had molested several young girls, including four of his sisters, when he was a teenager.
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The stories span decades and involve an alleged cover-up by Duggar's parents and church, a disturbing police report, and a very badly timed marathon of 19 Kids and Counting on a network that has experienced more than one reality show scandal in recent years — plus now the reveal of Josh's purported infidelity. There's also an element of religious hypocrisy and a muted attempt to turn the situation into another front in the culture wars.
For people who don't watch much reality TV — to say nothing of those who don't watch lots of TLC reality TV, which is almost a genre unto itself because it focuses on families from outside the American mainstream — the whole thing can sound like a particularly strange satire of how far the television industry will go to garner big ratings.
But it's not.
Who are the Duggars?
The Duggars are an Arkansas family and stars of the now-canceled TLC reality series 19 Kids and Counting. The show, TLC's most popular, regularly scored in the Nielsen cable top 25 before it was pulled from the air.
The show began on September 29, 2008, as 17 Kids and Counting, and starred Jim Bob Duggar, a former Arkansas state representative turned real estate agent; his wife, Michelle Duggar; and their 17 biological children. Since that time, Jim Bob and Michelle have had two more children.
The names of all 19 children are:
Joshua James Jana Marie John-David Jill Michelle Jessa Lauren Jinger Nicole Joseph Garrett Josiah Matthew Joy-Anna Jedediah Robert Jeremiah Robert Jason Michael James Andrew Justin Samuel Jackson Levi Johannah Faith Jennifer Danielle Jordyn-Grace Josie Brooklyn
Over the course of the show’s 10 seasons, three of Jim Bob and Michelle’s children — Josh, Jill, and Jessa — got married and had or are expecting children of their own.
The Duggars are strict Baptists. They adhere to many of the principles of the "Christian patriarchy" movement, though they claim not to be members themselves in their second book, A Love That Multiplies. Christian patriarchy, also often known as the "quiverfull" movement, is a strain of fundamentalist Christianity that, as the Daily Beast puts it, emphasizes "a combination of beliefs that run counter to mainstream America: absolute female submission, a ban on dating, homeschooling, a rejection of higher education for women, and shunning of contraception in favor of trying to have as many children as humanly possible."
The Duggar parents raise their children by many of these tenets: They advocate for not using birth control — Jim Bob has stated he believes his wife's brief time on birth control caused her to miscarry — have decided to homeschool all their children, prohibit dating (and kissing and unchaperoned interactions with romantic prospects) before marriage, and require extreme modesty in dress at all times.
What are the sexual abuse accusations against Josh Duggar?
On May 19, 2015, InTouch Weekly magazine reported that Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar’s oldest son, Josh, now 27, had been named in a prior sexual assault probe involving a minor. On May 21, InTouch revealed that Josh had been investigated for molesting at least five underage girls beginning in 2002, when he was around 14.
InTouch obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request a sealed 2006 police report that detailed the accusations against Josh Duggar. Here are a few key points:
In March 2002, Jim Bob Duggar was told by a minor that Josh had been fondling her while she was sleeping. The report said 14-year-old Josh admitted to this in July 2002.
In March 2003 Josh was again accused of fondling "several" minors, "often when they slept, but at times when they were awake," according to InTouch.
Jim Bob informed the elders of his church, who decided Josh would be sent to a program that "consisted of hard physical work and counseling." But Michelle Duggar later told police the program "was not really a training center" and instead was "a guy they know in Little Rock that is remodeling a building."
After Josh returned home, Jim Bob and several church elders took him to meet with an Arkansas state trooper named Jim Hutchens, who gave him a "very stern talk" but did not pursue any official course of action. (Hutchens is currently serving a 56-year prison sentence on child pornography charges.) The Duggars also spoke about the incidents with a family friend, who wrote down details in a letter and put it in a book, which was then lent to another member of the Duggars' church. That letter is thought to be how people outside the Duggars' congregation learned of the sexual abuse charges.
In 2006, before a planned appearance by the Duggar family on The Oprah Winfrey Show, the studio received an email from an unnamed source explaining the accusations against Josh and saying the parents had been "hiding this secret for a long time." (It's unconfirmed whether this source was the one who found the letter.) The studio sent the letter to the Department of Human Services, and a police investigation was launched. When police asked Jim Bob to bring in Josh for an interview, he refused and attempted to hire a lawyer.
On May 21, the same day InTouch published the police report, Josh Duggar appeared to confirm the incidents of molestation in a statement on Facebook, saying both he and "those affected by [his] actions" had received counseling.
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champion men’s and women’s indoor track teams and their Pac-12 champion softball team, it was even more evident how far Oregon -- two years removed from a Pac-12 title and a national title game appearance -- has fallen.
Oregon beat Washington 45-20 in 2014, and the Ducks were surging toward the College Football Playoff. Meanwhile, Washington coach Chris Petersen was working through an 8-6 season, his first as the team's head coach.
Now, the roles are completely reversed (though at this point the Ducks would be lucky to reach eight wins).
And at the beginning of the fourth quarter, Huskies fans had no problem reminding Oregon of that as they began waving at the fans heading for the exits. “Nah, nah, nah, nah,” they sang, “Hey, hey, hey, goodbye.” They echoed the chorus a few times, throwing their "W" signs up at the Oregon "O's."
And, just like on the field, Oregon didn’t have much of a retort.
The message is clear: Washington is here and not planning to go anywhere. So, goodbye to that 12-year losing streak and hello to an even more obvious national title contender.Several records were set in nominations for the 88th Academy Awards, with plenty of oddities and eyebrow-raisers as well.
The top two vote-getting films, “The Revenant” (with 12 nominations) and “Mad Max: Fury Road” (with 10), both starred Tom Hardy, who scored his first nom for the former.
With today’s best actress nom for “Joy,” 25-year-old Jennifer Lawrence is now the youngest actor ever — male or female — to earn four Oscar nods.
“Mad Max” opened in May, the only best-pic contender that didn’t bow domestically in the fourth quarter. Three launched in October (“The Martian,” “Bridge of Spies” and “Room”), two in November (“Brooklyn,” “Spotlight”) and two others in December (“The Big Short,” “The Revenant”). Of the eight best-pic hopefuls, “Revenant” is the only one that hadn’t debuted at a film festival.
With its five nominations, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” now has 30 nominations for the franchise, tying it with “Lord of the Rings.”
This is the first time that the song category includes two documentaries, with “Manta Ray” from “Racing Extinction” and “Til It Happens to You” from “The Hunting Ground.” The former was written by J. Ralph and Antony Hegarty; the latter was written by Diane Warren and Lady Gaga. This marks the eighth nom for Warren. Previously, four docus yielded song contenders, and the only winner so far is Melissa Etheridge’s “I Need to Wake Up” from “An Inconvenient Truth.”
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George Miller is nominated in his fourth category. He’s up this year for director and as a producer of “Mad Max,” and had previously been nommed in the writing and feature-animation categories, winning for “Happy Feet.”
Besides Miller, the double-nominees included Steve Golin, producer of both “Spotlight” and “The Revenant.” Sandy Powell was nommed for her costume designs on “Cinderella” and “Carol.” Others nabbed two noms, but for one film: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (“The Revenant”), Pete Docter (“Inside Out”), Adam McKay (“The Big Short”) and Tom McCarthy (“Spotlight”). Arnon Milchan got an official nomination as a producer of “The Revenant” and was one of the four producers of “Big Short,” but wasn’t named in the Academy’s list.
Sylvester Stallone earns his second nom for playing Rocky Balboa. Previously, five other people got two noms with the same character: Bing Crosby (Father O’Malley in “Going My Way” and “Bells of St. Mary’s”), Paul Newman (Fast Eddie Felson in “The Hustler” and “The Color of Money”), Peter O’Toole (Henry II in “Becket” and “The Lion in Winter”), Al Pacino (Michael Corleone in two “Godfather” films) and Cate Blanchett, for two “Elizabeth” works. Crosby and Newman won.
John Williams now has 50 nominations, extending his record as the living individual with the most noms. He has 45 for music score (including this year’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”), plus another five for song. The only person with more was Walt Disney, with 59.
Nine of the 20 acting contenders are American. The others represent Australia, Canada, Ireland, Sweden and the U.K., with Michael Fassbender repping both Germany and Ireland.
Andy Nelson scored two noms for sound mixing, for “Bridge of Spies” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” He is now tied with Kevin O’Connell for the most noms in the category, with 20.
Roger Deakins scored his 13th bid for cinematography, a record for any living person. The record is held by Charles B. Lang Jr. and Leon Shamroy, with 18 apiece. Sandy Powell holds the record among living people with her 12th nom for costume design. The record holder is Edith Head, with 35.
Three of the foreign language nominees are from Europe, one from South America and one from the Middle East. It’s the first nominations for Colombia and Jordan (“Embrace of the Serpent” and “Theeb,” respectively).Back in October, fans caught a glimpse of Kanye West's unexpected yet very entertaining audition on American Idol in San Francisco. A commercial for the new season that included the rapper came out a month later, fueling the final product. We are finally blessed with it today.
The clip features Kanye taking his place in front of judges Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, and Harry Connick Jr. with the same confidence and enthusiasm that has made him a star. "I always wanted to rap but nobody believed in me," he jokes before saying, "I just wanted to do something original. It has one of the judges names in it." He then proceeds to rap "Gold Digger," a selection J.Lo certainly jives with. Chances are this will be one of the biggest highlights of the entire season. Watch the awesome clip above.Climate denier in White House prompts a 'March for Science' on Earth Day
Denis Hayes, coordinator of the first Earth Day, helped organize this year's action, which may prove to be an important moment for those opposed to President Donald Trump. Denis Hayes, coordinator of the first Earth Day, helped organize this year's action, which may prove to be an important moment for those opposed to President Donald Trump. Photo: JORDAN STEAD, SEATTLEPI.COM Photo: JORDAN STEAD, SEATTLEPI.COM Image 1 of / 40 Caption Close Climate denier in White House prompts a 'March for Science' on Earth Day 1 / 40 Back to Gallery
The power of climate change deniers in Congress -- plus a president who once called global warming "a hoax" -- has galvanized Earth Day on its 47th anniversary.
Its main event this year, on April 22, will be a March for Science in Washington, D.C., and around the world. Its goal being "to save science from this assault," in the words of Denis Hayes, president of the Seattle-based Bullitt Foundation.
"The concept of white coats marching is intriguing," said Hayes, who as a Stanford law student helped organize the first Earth Day in 1970.
The assault on science is now and real. The Trump administration is talking of a 19-20 percent cut in the National Institutes of Health, the nation's bulwark against disease. The NIH usually approves grants on a multi-year basis.
"If the cuts go through, they will be able to make no grants at all in 2018," Hayes said.
The federal Sea Grant program supports 3,000 scientists across the country, a fair number of them -- under University of Washington auspices -- working to restore Olympic Peninsula salmon runs and bolster the shellfish industry. The Trump administration wants to totally eliminate Sea Grant.
The list goes on, from blocking publications by U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists until review by political appointees, to scrubbing references to climate change on the White House website. The Environmental Protection Agency is targeted for a 31 percent budget cut.
"Unlike any movement I can think of, environmentalism is a science-based movement," Hayes argues.
The first Earth Day in 1970, with its marches and teach-ins, was science-inspired.
Rachel Carson, in her bestseller "Silent Spring," had outlined the threat to bird life posed by the pesticide DDT. Scientists had outlined how nuclear testing in the atmosphere put strontium 90 into children's milk.
President Richard Nixon was no environmentalist: A White House photo op showed the 37th president walking on the Pacific beach outside his San Clemente, California, home wearing wingtip shoes.
Still, Nixon saw a popular cause and signed into law the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act, and legislation creating the EPA. He did veto the Clean Water Act, but was overridden by an overwhelming bipartisan vote in Congress.
After promising to be "the environmental president," George H.W. Bush signed amendments strengthening the Clean Air Act.
"Science isn't Republican or Democratic; to the extent that we have smart or dumb public policies, science is for smart policies," Hayes said.
The scientific community is speaking up, resisting a witch hunt being mounted against climate scientists by the House Science Committee and climate change-denying Rep. Joe Barton, a Texas Republican and ally of Big Oil.
More than 14,000 women scientists signed a pledge, and 151 scientific institutions sent President Donald Trump a letter arguing that he should rescind his travel and immigration crackdown.
The March for Science, like the Women's March earlier this year, began as a Reddit conversation. Its main event, as in 1970, will be a rally and teach-in on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
Denis and Gail Hayes were on a long-planned New Zealand trip when the desire of a National Mall march caught hold. Denis Hayes is now trying to raise the money necessary to pull it off, and to get the needed permits.
"This has become a lot tougher since the women's march wonderful that it was," Hayes joked.
"Can we do this fast?" Hayes asked, a month before the march.
Nor, as with the first Earth Day, will you need travel to Washington, D.C., to be in on the action. According to Hayes, 400 groups around the country are planning marches or teach-ins or demonstrations.
The first Earth Day, April 22, 1970, engaged 20 million Americans and launched a movement that has made America's air cleaner, cleaned up rivers that were fire hazards, and protected millions of acres of America's wild places and the country's scenic "crown jewels."
It has spawned an Earth Day Network that works year-round with partners in 192 countries: A billion people now join Earth Day activities around the world, making it the globe's larges civic observance.
The urgency of Earth Day in 2017 is unequaled since 1970. After all, the new EPA director, a former Oklahoma attorney general, is a climate change denier who made his mark suing the agency he now directs.Like most of the Drupal community, I’m excited and looking forward to DrupalCon. This year, DrupalCon is in Baltimore, only a few minutes’ drive from the Unleashed Technologies headquarters. Unleashed Technologies is proud to be a sponsor and will be sending members of our staff to speak at sessions, help organize, staff our booth, and attend the conference.
Whenever I get ready to attend an event like this, I always scour the schedule ahead of time to map out a plan and make the best use of my time. As a manager of a Drupal shop, I’m always looking for better ways to manage projects, engage with clients, organize our teams, or just be more efficient. I suspect there are others with the same objectives. I thought I’d share a few of the sessions I’m looking forward to attending.
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
DrupalCon seems to have a lot to offer this year. When I’m not in sessions, I’ll be hanging out at our booth 110 in the exhibit hall talking to whoever might stroll by. If you’re looking for a new opportunity to work with a team of expert web developers and designers, come on by the Unleashed Technologies booth. Or, if you would like to hear what we offer, get some advice on how to manage a team, or see a few of our portfolio items, come say hi. See you there!Introduction: Flexbone Option Offense
This first series of articles I will be writing will be more college oriented and go over one of my favorite offenses, the flexbone option or what many people refer to as “the triple option.” This offense is the direct decendent of the wishbone that ran rampant across college football in the 70’s and early 80’s. The flexbone is really the exact same offense, but the halfbacks are now aligned as slot-backs, which give the offense four vertical passing threats, a spread element, and more misdirection opportunities. Many will tell you the offense is specifically designed for smaller and weaker players, especially on the O-line. That may be so, but there is nothing stopping a team with NFL caliber linemen and All American backs from running it either. It can be viable with just about any group of players as long as it is properly installed, coached, and executed.
The current ambassador of the offense is no doubt Paul Johnson, the head coach at Georgia Tech, but many credit Fisher DeBerry (Air Force head coach from 1984-2006), as the pioneer of the offense. Today, the most notable teams running the offense are Georgia Tech, Army, and Navy, who are all under the Paul Johnson coaching tree. For simplicity and easy use of terminology, this series will focus on the Paul Johnson version of the offense. I have a link to one of his playbooks from when he was coaching Georgia Southern linked below.
Paul Johnson 1990’s Georgia Southern Playbook Link
This offense revolves around the inside veer (triple option). Additional plays are designed to compliment or mirror the inside veer and to attack where the inside veer cannot. The goal is to use minimal formations and plays and to have multiple adjustments to the few plays they run. There are six core plays in this offense: Inside veer, midline, zone dive, rocket toss, counter option, and veer pass. Each play attacks a different area of the field. If one play isn’t successfully attacking an area, teams do not search for a new play to attack that area. They just tweak and adjust the current one. Military-like discipline and stubbornness is required for this offense. Many says it is because the offense is easier for smaller players, but it’s the strict disciplinary style of this offense that really allows it to fit in with the military academies so well. There are two quotes I like that sum up this offense’s philosophy: “Fear the Veer!” and “Four or more.” The second quote means that as long as the offense can get four yards per play, they don’t have to worry about fourth down and they’ll always score.
Formation and alignment
The base formation utilizes a balanced double slot/double wing formation. This is so the defense cannot dictate a strong or weak-side, and gives the offense the potential to run all plays in either direction. The base formation, or what Paul Johnson terms as his “spread” formation consists of two split ends, two slot-backs, known as A-backs, and a fullback, known as the B-back who lines up 4-4.5 yards behind the QB.
The offensive line sets up in a way that isn’t really seen in the NFL. The splits are three feet wide (most of your NFL teams use one to two foot splits). There are many reasons for this. First, the wide splits put defenders that are reads/keys on options farther from the QB, giving him more time to read. Second, the wide splits create hard angles so that offensive linemen can block down on defenders easier to seal them inside. Third, the splits help to push backside defenders farther from the play so they cannot chase the play down as easily. The offensive line is also farther back from the line than most other offenses; about as far back as a lineman can legally be. The rule is ear-hole of helmets should be even with the center’s hips. This makes it harder for defenses to stunt (because they unwind in front of the O-line), and it helps linemen trying to get to the linebacker level by allowing them more space to arc or step inside of defensive linemen that may be covering them.
Personnel
I like to think of this offense more like a four-WR offense than a three back offense. While it is indeed a three back offense, the slot-backs are more similar to wide receivers or small scat backs or slot receivers than true tailbacks. The best NFL examples I can think of to play slot-back are Darren Sproles and Wes Welker. The B-back is the featured running back in this offense. An Adrian Peterson or Eddie Lacy would probably play this position. If this offense cannot get the B-back yards, the entire offense tends to struggle. The split ends tend to be larger and slower receivers, but have great hands that the QB can rely on in a third and long situation. Demaryius Thomas is a prototypical WR for this offense, and of course he played for Johnson at Georgia Tech. If I were to compile a dream-team for this offense though, my pick for split end would definitely be Calvin Johnson.
A mistake many people make is thinking that you need a track star at QB. That couldn’t be farther form the truth. The only thing you lose without a fast QB is being able to outrun the defense on long runs when the QB keeps the ball. What is needed athletically is more on the shifty side rather than the fast side. Outside of that, toughness and willingness to hit are the #1 natural abilities a QB for this offense needs. Brains comes next, because even though they aren’t dissecting coverages like Peyton Manning does, they need to be able to make very fast split-second decisions on the fly that will almost certainly result in them getting hit or not. The offense is heavily reliant on audibles as well, and QB’s in this offense often have a lot of freedom with changing plays and making calls. If I had to pick any NFL QB today to run this offense, it’d be Russell Wilson. I like him because of his shorter stature and his calmness. Very tall and lanky QB’s tend to not fit this system really well, regardless of their speed.
In an NFL system, or in a more conventional offense, your tackles are the biggest and the strongest players on the line and protect the QB. Then your guards are smaller and quicker for run blocking, pulling, etc. In the flexbone, the roles are opposite. You want smaller and faster tackles because they often have to slip by defensive ends and reach linebackers and defensive backs. The guards need to be big and strong, because most of the time they have to drive block and double team on defensive tackles. The center can has more wiggle room in terms of size and strength but he must be extremely explosive coming off the line, since he’s often climbing to linebackers or cutting a nose guard. He, like in any system, also has to be extremely smart because he has to make a lot of the O-line’s calls. This is one of the few systems where you’ll see offensive linemen using four point stances as well. The explosiveness off the line on run plays is key for this offense, so most of the time the linemen have a heavy forward lean. On pass plays, they often cut block or slide rather than retreat to help compensate for this.
If-Then Method
For play-calling, Paul Johnson uses an if-then method. If the defense does this, he will call that. If the defense does that, he will call this. It’s a very simple system especially with only around 6-10 plays in the core arsenal. Play callers in this system usually don’t even have play cards or call sheets. After this series is completed, an article on the if-then method will follow putting all of the core plays together to see how they make a complete system.
The Count System
Before this offense can start, especially the inside veer, the offense must identify what the defense is doing. Paul Johnson uses a count system that starts with the first man on/outside the offensive tackles. The first defender that is heads up or outside of a tackle is #1. The next defender outside is #2, then #3, then #4. #3 and #4 are almost always defensive backs while #1 and #2 are usually defensive ends and linebackers. This count system helps to determine who will block who. This also helps to eliminate the need for assigning blocks by man, such as “you have the OLB, and you have the safety, and you have the defensive end.” That approach can get confusing when a defense gives multiple fronts and looks, so by simply doing a count system, regardless of which defender they are, the assignments stay consistent.
The Flexbone Option Passing Game
By philosophy, most flexbone option offenses are very run heavy, but the offense has great potential as a passing offense too. The passing game revolves around two ideas. First, the routes on play action passes are designed to mirror the blocking schemes used by the receivers and slot backs. Second, the passing game, including those play action routes are derived from the classic Run ‘n’ Shoot! If you were to read up on the Run ‘n’ Shoot, you’d also be reading up on the flexbone option’s passing game. Go, X-choice, levels, switch, four verticals, they’re all in Johnson’s playbook. Teams that use Johnson’s system even use the half-sprint drop-back that is the most recognizable feature of the Run ‘n’ Shoot. Ever since June Jones left SMU, if you want to see the original Run ‘n’ Shoot in action, your best bet is to watch Army, Navy, or Georgia Tech. Another neat thing that ties the two offenses is that the Run ‘n’ Shoot essentially started off in a flexbone formation. As Paul Johnson says in the first video of the article, the offense is really a marriage of the wishbone option and the Run ‘n’ Shoot.
Conclusion
This sums up the introduction to the flexbone option offense. There will be more articles coming to break down the offense further. The next two articles will focus on the core play, the inside veer. The first article will cover the inside veer, and the following articles together will cover all six core plays in this offense. Stay tuned!The United States has dipped its toes into the professional rugby market and Southland's Jamie Mackintosh is one of the pioneers. LOGAN SAVORY caught up with Mackintosh to chat about the experience.
The United States Pro Rugby competition is a far cry from the bright lights of Super Rugby in New Zealand.
A few thousand people is regarded a good crowd and media coverage is almost non-existent in a country where sports like basketball, American football, and baseball are king.
Most Americans don't even know a new five-team competition has kicked off this season.
READ MORE:
* Jamie Mackintosh's potential Stags return still unclear
* Mackintosh scores another try for Ohio in PRO Rugby North America competition game
* Unique Fijian frontrower Peni Ravai hunts 2016 Stags spot
* Welcome to Whoppercargill: Stags captain and Mayor Tim swap jobs
But Jamie Mackintosh sees potential and he is thriving in trying to play his part in helping the new professional competition lift-off in the United States.
The one-test All Blacks prop and former Highlanders and Chiefs player was one of the competition's marquee signings heading into the inaugural season.
He has linked with the Ohio Aviators team, which jointly leads the competition at the moment.
"The American competition is pretty raw and brand new but there is certainly a lot of potential over here and there is a lot of excitement about it. They are already talking about expanding the competition next year and bringing in a couple of new teams," Mackintosh said.
"The quality of athletes over here is phenomenal. It is just the infrastructure in American rugby is still growing, there is such a variance of levels. You've got the high school and university programmes that are starting to become quite big and popular now and that is creating a bit of a skill base.
"But American sport seems to drop off after college and it is the same with rugby. A lot of them finish their careers after high school if they don't get into college. With football players, the good ones go to college and then only one percent of the good ones that go to college actually get drafted into the NFL.
"So you've got these guys who are 23, 24 who are super athletes with unreal skills and they are fit and their football careers are over. There is no club football, it is either professional or not. So there is a massive market for rugby to pick up some super athletes."
Mackintosh's role in the Ohio setup has extended further than propping up the scrum as the New Zealander tries to help bring the green American players up to speed.
"My first responsibility is as a player. I didn't want to come in start barking orders, we've got a group of about three or four guys who have got a good understanding of rugby that are pretty experienced, our captain Shaun Davies plays for the Eagles. It is the coaches first time coaching a professional rugby team as well, so as far as systems and structures we were well behind. But we've been able to bring them up to speed with that. We are doing the best with what we've got and for me it is awesome with my ambitions after rugby to coach," he said.
"It's just the fundamental skill sets. In New Zealand if you go to a park we are playing touch with a rugby ball and drawing and passing, just simple things we take for granted. But in America, they are either shooting a basketball or throwing a pig skin. So these guys work hard at getting up to speed but it's rugby IQ, we grow up watching rugby and understanding rugby."
"There is so much for them to learn. At this stage for me, it is about making sure that the information you give them isn't too overwhelming and that information you give them is going to make the most significant difference for the weekend.
"The growth in my team from the first day I got here and the improvement we have made in the last seven weeks has been extraordinary really. So for American rugby to grow they need to keep this competition alive."
On a personal front, Mackintosh has declared his overseas stint refreshing.
The 31-year-old had been part of the New Zealand rugby system since he was a teenager.
"It's been a crazy few months, getting to play Top 14 rugby in France for Montpellier and they are doing really well. I went from France to back home for two weeks for my brother's wedding and then straight over here [to the United States]. It's been really good."
"The thing I've learned over the last year is rugby is full of great people wherever you go. You can get stuck in your own bubble and you get outside your comfort zone and you meet some amazing people. I met some amazing people in France, I was actually living with my best mate Tom Donnelly. Even coming here [to the United States] they are a great bunch of guys, I'm really enjoying my time here. I'm just lucky to be paid to play rugby, travel the world and meet some great people."
Mackintosh is undecided just what is next for him and he is likely to make a decision in the coming weeks.
He could return to play for the Stags in New Zealand's provincial competition before heading back next year to play in the States.
The other option would be to take up a contract in Europe.
"I'm just working through a few options now. The French market is still open and so is the English market. There is a lot of wheels in motion and there is a lot of things that have got to line up if I want to come back here next year. I've just got to weigh up a few things and make the best decision for me at the moment."
Sign up here for the Rio Olympics: Going for Gold newsletterThe UESPWiki – Your source for The Elder Scrolls since 1995
Months of the Year [ edit ]
The Tamrielic calendar is composed of twelve distinct months (sometimes called "Seasons"[1]), each approximately thirty days in length. Each month has an associated constellation, which is said to affect the traits of anyone born in that month, and each month corresponds roughly to an equal period of time in the Gregorian calendar. The months — and their real-life equivalents — are measured as follows:
Name of
Month Argonian name[2] Birthsign[1] Gregorian
Equivalent Days
Arena, Daggerfall Days
Morrowind Days
Oblivion, Skyrim Days
Gregorian Morning Star Vakka (Sun) The Ritual January 30 † 31 31 Sun's Dawn Xeech (Nut) The Lover February 30 28 28 28‡ First Seed Sisei (Sprout) The Lord March 30 31 31 31 Rain's Hand Hist-Deek (Hist Sapling) The Mage April 30 30 30 30 Second Seed Hist-Dooka (Mature Hist) The Shadow May 30 31 31 31 Midyear* Hist-Tsoko (Elder Hist) The Steed June 30 30 30 30 Sun's Height Thtithil-Gah (Egg-Basket) The Apprentice July 30 31 31 31 Last Seed Thtithil (Egg) The Warrior August 30 31 31 31 Hearthfire* § Nushmeeko (Lizard) The Lady September 30 30 30 30 Frostfall* Shaja-Nushmeeko (Semi-Humanoid Lizard) The Tower October 30 30 31 31 Sun's Dusk Saxhleel (Argonian) The Atronach November 30 31 30 30 Evening Star Xulomaht (The Deceased) The Thief December 30 31 31 31
* These three months are variously referred to as one word or two words.
§ Hearthfire is occasionally referred to as Heartfire, the name given to said month in TES:Arena. In Skyrim, "Heart Fire" is used exclusively on the game calendar, although it appears as "Hearth Fire" (as one or two words) in some books.
† Morning Star was not present in Morrowind, most likely omitted by accident.
‡ Except on a leap-year, when it's 29.
Note that the constellation of The Serpent does not correspond to any one month, because The Serpent wanders randomly around the sky.
Days of the Week [ edit ]
A week in the Tamrielic calendar is also, as with the real-life equivalent, measured in seven days. In order, the days are:
Tamrielic Gregorian Sundas Sunday Morndas Monday Tirdas Tuesday Middas Wednesday Turdas Thursday Fredas Friday Loredas Saturday
The names of the days are mostly different corruptions of the same naming scheme we have on the English calendar, only with the exception of Middas and Loredas. Sundas, Morndas, Tirdas, Turdas and Fredas are respectively different corruptions of Sun, Moon, Tyr, Thor and Frigg, the same as the English calendar. Middas could mean the day at the middle of the week, as traditionally the deities corresponding to Wednesday (Wodanaz (Odin) / Mercury / Hermes) could not possibly be corrupted to form a "mid-" stem. It would, however, be analogous to the German word for Wednesday, "Mittwoch", and its literal English translation and synonym "midweek". Loredas is most likely taken from the Nordic languages where Saturday is called a "Bath Day" - "lördag", "lørdag," or "laurdag", in place of the Roman God Saturn, as the Vikings had a habit of bathing on Saturday.
Arena Calendar [ edit ]
This calendar was included with Arena. It is not accurate to that game, since Arena had 30-day months, but rather it is a Tamriel-ified version of the actual 1993 calendar, which was the year the game was intended to be released.
Local/Regional Holiday National Holiday Daedric Summoning Day (Daggerfall) National Holiday & Daedric Summoning Day
Morning Star S M T M T F L 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Sun's Dawn S M T M T F L 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 First Seed S M T M T F L 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Rain's Hand S M T M T F L 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Second Seed S M T M T F L 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Mid Year S M T M T F L 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Sun's Height S M T M T F L 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Last Seed S M T M T F L 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Heart Fire S M T M T F L 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Frost Fall S M T M T F L 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Sun's Dusk S M T M T F L 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Evening Star S M T M T F L 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
The actual Arena calendar in the game, however, had 30-day months, and at random you would start the game on Tirdas, either on the first of Morning Star or the first of Heart Fire, even though the days of the week could not line up in such a way that both these days are on a Tirdas in the same year.
Daggerfall Calendar [ edit ]
Daggerfall's calendar was somewhat different, in that each month had 30 days, and always started on a Sundas. This is what it looks like:
Local/Regional Holiday National Holiday Daedric Summoning Day (Daggerfall) National Holiday & Daedric Summoning Day
Morning Star S M T M T F L 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Sun's Dawn S M T M T F L 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 First Seed S M T M T F L 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Rain's Hand S M T M T F L 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 |
ingängen gemacht. Sich auf die Cloud und IoT zu konzentrieren, gleichzeitig einen von der breiten Community angesehenes Desktop-OS zur Verfügung zu stellen … klingt irgendwie gut. Anders gesagt ist es vielleicht doch leichter, mit dem Strom zu schwimmen.
Beim Desktop hört das aber noch nicht auf. Wir werden immer noch sehen müssen, welchen Container-Plattform sich durchsetzt. Snaps, Flat Pack, AppImage?
Schlechter Verlierer?
Auf der einen Seite rechne ich es Mark Shuttleworth an, dass er sagt, er müsse in Bereiche investieren, die die Firma vorwärts bringen. Das sind eben Cloud und IoT. Auf der andere Seite lese ich auch einen schlechten Verlierer.
Im Endeffekt sagt er ja, dass seine Entwickler Großartiges geliefert hätten, dies von der restlichen Linux-Community aber nicht entsprechend gewürdigt wird. Man könnte sich aber auch mal bei der eigenen Nase packen und sich eingestehen, dass man in Sachen Mir, Konvergenz, Smartphone und so weiter nicht ein einziges Mal geliefert hat, was versprochen wurde. Das ist Fakt! Funktionierte es so gut, dann würden es die Nutzer auch einsetzen. Mehr als ein erweitertes Proof of Concept ist bisher aber nicht wirklich dabei rausgekommen.
Persönlich bin ich Alles Andere als böse, wenn sich Ubuntu der restlichen Community wieder nähert. Ein Quertreiber weniger und vor allen Dingen mit diesem Kaliber kann wirklich nicht schaden. Für mich ist das Eingeständnis des Scheiterns in diesem Gebiet sogar ein gutes Zeichen. Es wäre sehr wünschenswert, wenn mehr Leute am sleben Strang ziehen – vor allen Dingen, wenn Du eine Nische bist.
Sei der Erste, der diesen Beitrag teilt! Danke! teilen
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Swift ist ein bedingungsloses Krypto-Einkommen - ich hole mir jeden Tag meine 100 ab.
Du kannst gerne Deinen Senf zu diesem Beitrag geben: Hier geht es zu den KommentarenAs of May 1, new large buildings in the City of Vancouver will be better built and more energy efficient. The improvements stem from the city’s new Green Building Policy for Rezoning, which is an important step in the broader Greenest City plan. Buildings constructed under the new rules will release half as much carbon pollution, with slightly lower construction and operating costs.
So what does rezoning mean? A builder or developer will apply to rezone a property when they want to build something that doesn’t meet the requirements set for the location. The most common rezoning application is to build taller residential and commercial buildings, and these applications represent about 55 per cent of new development. Moving forward, the improved standards will apply to all rezoned buildings.
Developers are free to choose the building practices, technologies and energy sources, including electricity and natural gas, to meet the standards, and we expect most will focus on thicker insulation and air tightness to prevent heat loss and reduce the amount of heating energy needed. These relatively simple solutions allow for smaller and less-complex heating and ventilation systems, which in turn help to keep construction and maintenance costs down.
Beyond the financial and climate benefits, the new homes and offices will be quieter, less drafty, and more comfortable. And requirements for better air circulation will give occupants cleaner air to breathe. It is these benefits that helped organizations such as the Urban Development Institute, the Condominium Home Owners Association, and the Pembina Institute support the new standards when they were approved by city council last November.
Vancouver isn’t alone in realizing the benefits that better buildings have to offer. Similar building codes exist across Europe, and many North American cities, states and provinces are moving in this direction. B.C. recently introduced a province-wide standard for energy efficiency in new construction called the B.C. Energy Step Code. The Step Code is similar to Vancouver’s new rezoning policy, and it can now be adopted by municipalities throughout the province.
The changes are good news for our local trades, builders and developers who are already doing this work. Aligning energy efficiency requirements across the province will offer the construction and development industry a welcome consistency when working in multiple municipalities. The better we get at designing and building homes and offices that are very energy efficient, the better positioned we will be to export those skills and technologies to jurisdictions with similar objectives.
While the near-term benefits are a big deal, it’s important to applaud the many designers and developers who are already several steps ahead. For example, Passive House is a super-energy-efficient building standard that needs so little energy, the heat from a blowdryer would be enough to keep it warm. There are currently more than 300 passive house units built or currently in development in Vancouver alone, with new proposals popping up across the region. Later this year, the Heights will be completed and become Canada’s largest passive housing complex with 85 market rental suites.
The city would eventually like all new developments to achieve high levels of performance comparable to Passive House, but before that can happen, more work is needed to bring down costs and help all designers and builders learn about the best approaches and technologies. This is why Vancouver is helping to improve training, encourage more developments that exceed current standards, and remove barriers to make it easier for developers to choose high-performance options.
As we move toward the Greenest City goal of eliminating our dependence on fossil fuels, the new Green Building Rezoning Policy provides a great model to follow. It focuses on solutions that are achievable today, make significant cuts in carbon pollution, and help to reduce costs. In the coming decades, we can save money, have cleaner air, a healthier environment, and grow our economy.
Matt Horne is the City of Vancouver’s climate policy manager. If you have questions about the plan, please email the city at renewablecity@vancouver.ca or visit Vancouver.ca/renewablecity.New Delhi: As the government races ahead with its plan to digitise cable TV services in four metros, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday criticised the move saying it will affect poor people as set-top boxes are beyond their reach.
"Our poor people will be ruined. They should have evolved some mechanism for this. What was the need for this decision for making mandatory the use of set-top boxes?" Banerjee said here.
"Poor cable operators will be ruined. They will lose business. It will hurt the common man. How he will pay for set top boxes? Don`t they (government) want the poor people to watch cable TV and have some entertainment?" she wondered.
The government has set October 31 as the deadline for completing digitisation in four metros. The I&B Ministry is involved in a high pitched campaign for installation of set- top boxes (STBs) for implementing the digitisation process.
"They have looted the country in seven days, if they are allowed, they will give information and broadcasting also to one private party," Banerjee further said in her speech.
Trinamool leader CM Jatua was a Minister of State in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry at the Centre before the party withdraw its support from the UPA government.
PTILindsey Graham, last seen saying "Free speech is a great idea, but we're in a war," decides to get out the steam-powered shovel and keep digging, in an are-you-kidding-me? interview with National Review's Robert Costa. So much insane, constitutionally inept militarism, so little time:
NRO: Some of my National Review colleagues are being pretty rough on you today. What is your response to some of the outrage on the right about your comments regarding free speech?
GRAHAM: General Petraeus sent a statement out to all news organizations yesterday, urging our government to ban Koran burning. Free speech probably allows that, but I don't like that. I don't like burning the flag under the idea of free speech. That bothers me; I have been one of the chief sponsors of legislation against burning the flag. I don't like the idea that these people picket funerals of slain servicemen. If I had my way, that wouldn't be free speech. So there are a lot of things under the guise of free speech that I think are harmful and hateful.
When General Petraeus wants us to say something because our troops are at risk, I'm glad to help. I don't believe that killing someone is an appropriate reaction to burning the Koran, the Bible, or anything else, like I said Sunday; but those who believe that free speech allows you to burn the flag, I disagree. Those who want free speech to allow you to go to a funeral and picket a family, and giving more misery to their lives than they have already suffered, I disagree. And if I could do something about behavior that puts our troops at risk, I would. But in this case, you probably can't. It's not about the Koran; it's about putting our troops at risk. And I think all of us owe the troops the support we're capable of giving. [...]
NRO: But don't you fear that if we let Islamic extremists determine the speech debate in the United States, then we've lost something?
GRAHAM: No. Here's what I fear: I fear that politicians don't have any problem pushing against laws in the Middle East that are outrageous. It's perfectly acceptable for me to push back against prosecutions by Islamic countries against people of my faith. And it is perfectly appropriate for me to condemn Koran burning when the general who is in charge of our troops believes that such action would help. I'm not letting Islamists determine what free speech in America is, but I am, as a political leader, trying to respond to the needs of our commander. You've got to remember, General Petraeus decided that this was important enough to get on the record as being inappropriate. And I want to be on the record with General Petraeus.
NRO: Instead of being an advocate for Petraeus, should you not first and foremost be an advocate for the First Amendment?
GRAHAM: You know what? Let me tell you, the First Amendment means nothing without people like General Petraeus.A magnitude 5.7 earthquake has hit near Tokyo, shaking buildings in the Japanese capital. No tsunami risk is reported.
The US Geological Survey said the quake had hit at 16:23 local time (0723 GMT), with its epicentre 57 kilometres north-northeast of Maebashi and around 143 kilometres north-northwest of Tokyo.
A few minutes later a 4.7-magnitude aftershock was registered, The Daily Yomiuri reports.
"It shook vertically for about 10 seconds. Nothing fell from shelves and window glass was not shattered. There was no report of fire and we are preparing to patrol the city," Takayuki Fukuda, spokesman for the Nikko city fire department in Tochigi prefecture near epicenter told AFP.
The Japan Meteorological Agency had earlier put the magnitude at 6.2. The agency said the epicenter was about 10km deep. It registered 5 in most parts of Tochigi, including Nikko, 4 in Fukushima and Gunma prefectures, 3 in Saitama and 2 in Chiba and Tokyo, where tall buildings swayed for upwards of half a minute after the quake.
National broadcaster NHK said no abnormalities were detected at nuclear power plants near the epicenter.By Eric Stock
NORMAL – Illinois State football coach Brock Spack has announced running back Marshaun Coprich has been suspended indefinitely following his arrest on drug charges last week.
“Marshaun has been suspended, effective immediately,” Spack said in a statement. “Though we are disappointed that he is in this situation, we will let the process continue before a final decision is made.”
According to McLean County court records, Coprich, 20, was arrested last week on a charge of unlawful delivery of marijuana. He allegedly tried to sell between 10 and 30 grams of the drug to an undercover agent with Illinois State Police Task Force Six on April 16. He was released from custody on his own recognizance and faces a May 22 court date.
The offense carries a possible sentence of anywhere from probation to three years in the Illinois Department of Corrections if convicted.
Coprich, a native of Victorville, Calif., was a first-team All-American during his junior season in leading the Redbirds to a trip to the FCS Championship Game. He led FCS in rushing yards and touchdowns.
Eric Stock can be reached at eric.stock@cumulus.com.Shahindokht Molaverdi stands up for Iranian women who were prevented from watching a volleyball match in Tehran over the weekend
Iran’s volleyball saga continued to intensify this weekend when a group of male hardliners blocked the attendance of women spectators at a match during The Volleyball World League last Friday.
Iranian female Vice President, Shahindokht Molaverdi, swiftly launched an attack against the threats, denouncing the ‘sanctimonious’ opposers who distributed out flyers in central Tehran vilifying female volleyball fans as prostitutes and sluts.
Molaverdi wasn’t the only one. Since the match took place, women have been taking their protest to Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #LetWomenGoToStadium.
In Iran right now, volleyball isn’t just a game, it’s quickly symbolising something more than just sport. For many, it is increasingly representing the difficulties facing women to achieve equal rights in a country struggling to realign gender reform without angering the views of conservative hardliners.
Despite only 200 out of a total of 12,000 seats in Tehran’s Azadi sport complex being allocated for women, many remained hopeful that things were beginning to change under the leadership of President Hassan Rouhani’s current government. Since 1979’s Islamic Revolution, women have been banned from attending any sporting events.
This weekend’s latest leap backwards wasn’t something Molaverdi, responsible for women and family affairs, was willing to let go without a fight. On Facebook, she bravely launched a very public and blistering attack on those who claimed seat allocations weren’t approved by security officials at the stadium.
Identifying the aggressive opposers as “from those who were denounced two years ago by voters, and who had crawled into their cave of oblivion”, she went on to attack their bid to block progress.
Molaverdi continued to denounce the men involved as a ‘crowd of sanctimonious people who published one notice after another denouncing the modest and decent girls and women of this land [who] talked of confrontation used obscene and disgusting insults that only befit themselves.’
This isn’t the first time volleyball in Iran has hit the headlines in the last year. In 2014, a British-Iranian woman was sentenced to a year in prison for watching a men’s volleyball game. She was released after five months in jail.
This week’s latest derailment will make President Rouhani’s comments about the ‘deficiencies in women’s rights and in gender equality’ last year more relevant than ever.TPKon 4: TP&Kon Online (–Sun, Oct 8, 2017) Event # 154882 Hope everyone is having a great August thus far, and ready for the foruth TPKon online convention, TP&Kon! TP&Kon will be held online, via Roll20 and Discord, on October 6th-8th, 2017. General GM Registration: IS NOW OPEN! Player Registration: To be Announced, but will be done through Warhorn Scenario Support Submitted to Paizo: TBD Convention Session Slots (All times EST [UTC-4]): --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Friday, October 6th, 2017
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A 9 AM to 3 PM
B 3 PM to 9 PM
C 9 PM to 2 AM Saturday, October 7th, 2017
------------------------------
D 3 AM to 9 AM
E 9 AM to 3 PM
F 3 PM to 9 PM <--The Multi-Table Special will be in slot F
G 9 PM to 3 AM Sunday, October 8th, 2017
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H 9 AM to 3 PM
I 3 PM to 9 PM
J 9 PM to 3 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------- GMs will submit sessions to us via the submission process detailed below. We will then manually import those sessions into TPKon's warhorn page on a regular basis. The PFS Registration process for TPKon will be as follows: 1) Go here and check out what sessions are already scheduled. 2) Decide what scenario you would like to run and what slot you would like to run it in. (Make sure you are eligible to run any scenarios you submit - you meet the GM Star Requirements for exclusives, for example.) 3) Go here. Click the "Submit A Game Listing" link at the bottom of the session list page. 4) Enter the requested information, making sure you enter the following information correctly:
>Primary Paizo Alias (We suggest you click your profile on Paizo and copy the alias from the end of URL. Example: http://paizo.com/people/Imhrail - Don't submit the whole URL, just the name displayed at the end of the URL.)
>Your PFS Number (No PC number)
>Your Email that you used on your Paizo.com account. (This MUST be your Paizo associated email address or you will not get scenario support)
>Which Slot you wish to run your game in.
>The Scenario you wish to run in the Slot chosen above.
>Check the "Core?" Checkbox ONLY if you are running this session as a Core Campaign game.
>"Session Full" is currently locked and cannot be marked.
"URL to Signups" can be ignored - this will be a link to the TPKon Warhorn once all sessions are imported.
Enter any Notes you wish to include. (This will be public, so anything you "note" will be publicly view-able.)
** Please double-check all values before submitting session. ** NOTE: If you make a mistake while entering a session please do not resubmit your game,just reply to the confirmation email with any changes you need to make. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- NOTES:
>Scenarios and Time Slots may be subject to approval/changes to avoid conflicts, et cetera.
>All sessions must be run using Roll20.net, that is the unofficial VTT of TPKon.
>GMs can use Google Hangouts, the built in A/V in Roll20, or Discord for audio/video in games.
>Private Games are NOT allowed. All games must be listed for open/public registration.
>Non-English games are welcome and invited - please indicate Non-English languages in the Notes section of the form when submitting your session. GM Boons:
Every GM that runs a game will automatically get a GM boon, if we hit convention support. (Each GM gets one boon, regardless of how many sessions are run.) Table/Player boons, if we hit convention support, will also be available at every table run and GMs will receive emails on how those work prior to the convention. Both players and GMs are eligible to win Table/Player boons. Only GMs can receive the GM boons. Paizo Scenario Support:
Free Scenario support, if we hit convention support, will be provided by Paizo for games submitted to us through the form above by the Deadline (will update later). If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at lordjecks@gmail.com, reply to this post, or contact us through the Discord Server at http://PFSChat.com, in the #tpkon text channel. (The Convention's PFS "Help Desk" will be on Discord during/prior to the convention.) Look forward to seeing you all at TKPon 4: TP&Kon!. =) Thanks!
Imhrail (Discord: Finegas) & Sayok (Discord: Sayok)
The untitled! & Venture-Agent
lordjecks@gmail.com Where No location selected. Contact Finegas, Sayok, Hels & IronHelixx
lordjecks@gmail.com Search Thread Search this Thread: Imhrail Hope everyone is having a great August thus far, and ready for the foruth TPKon online convention, TP&Kon! TP&Kon will be held online, via Roll20 and Discord, on October 6th-8th, 2017. General GM Registration: GM SIGN UPS ARE OPEN Player Registration: To be Announced, but will be done through Warhorn Scenario Support Submitted to Paizo: Scenario support request will be sent on September 8, 2017. If you need scenario support, you must submit your games before then. You may register games using the website until October 2nd, 2017 for the con. If you submit a game on the website, you are committing to being present for the game at the registered time. If you are not present for the game at the submitted time or cancel without notifying one of the organizer by email or by tagging us on Discord (Finegas, Hels or me), you will not be allowed to GM in future TPKons. It is your duty to make sure we are notified and have received your message if you have to cancel a game. Convention Session Slots (All times EST [UTC-4]): --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Friday, October 6th, 2017
------------------------------
A 9 AM to 3 PM
B 3 PM to 9 PM
C 9 PM to 2 AM Saturday, October 7th, 2017
------------------------------
D 3 AM to 9 AM
E 9 AM to 3 PM
F 3 PM to 9 PM <--The Multi-Table Special will be in slot F
G 9 PM to 3 AM Sunday, October 8th, 2017
------------------------------
H 9 AM to 3 PM
I 3 PM to 9 PM
J 9 PM to 3 AM -------------------------------------------------------------------- GMs will submit sessions to us via the submission process detailed below. We will then manually import those sessions into TPKon's warhorn page on a regular basis. The PFS Registration process for TPKon will be as follows: 1) Go here and check out what sessions are already scheduled. 2) Decide what scenario you would like to run and what slot you would like to run it in. (Make sure you are eligible to run any scenarios you submit - you meet the GM Star Requirements for exclusives, for example.) 3) Go here. Click the "Submit A Game Listing" link at the bottom of the session list page. 4) Enter the requested information, making sure you enter the following information correctly:
>Primary Paizo Alias (We suggest you click your profile on Paizo and copy the alias from the end of URL. Example: http://paizo.com/people/Imhrail - Don't submit the whole URL, just the name displayed at the end of the URL.)
>Your PFS Number (No PC number)
>Your Email that you used on your Paizo.com account. (This MUST be your Paizo associated email address or you will not get scenario support)
>Which Slot you wish to run your game in.
>The Scenario you wish to run in the Slot chosen above.
>Check the "Core?" Checkbox ONLY if you are running this session as a Core Campaign game.
>"Session Full" is currently locked and cannot be marked.
"URL to Signups" can be ignored - this will be a link to the TPKon Warhorn once all sessions are imported.
Enter any Notes you wish to include. (This will be public, so anything you "note" will be publicly view-able.)
** Please double-check all values before submitting session. ** NOTE: If you make a mistake while entering a session please do not resubmit your game,just reply to the confirmation email with any changes you need to make. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- NOTES:
>Scenarios and Time Slots may be subject to approval/changes to avoid conflicts, et cetera.
>All sessions must be run using Roll20.net, that is the unofficial VTT of TPKon.
>GMs can use Google Hangouts, the built in A/V in Roll20, or Discord for audio/video in games.
>Private Games are NOT allowed. All games must be listed for open/public registration.
>Non-English games are welcome and invited - please indicate Non-English languages in the Notes section of the form when submitting your session. GM Boons:
Every GM that runs a game will automatically get a GM boon, if we hit convention support. (Each GM gets one boon, regardless of how many sessions are run.) Table/Player boons, if we hit convention support, will also be available at every table run and GMs will receive emails on how those work prior to the convention. Both players and GMs are eligible to win Table/Player boons. Only GMs can receive the GM boons. Paizo Scenario Support:
Free Scenario support, if we hit convention support, will be provided by Paizo for games submitted to us through the form above by the Deadline (will update later). If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at lordjecks@gmail.com, reply to this post, or contact us through the Discord Server at http://PFSChat.com, in the #tpkon text channel. (The Convention's PFS "Help Desk" will be on Discord during/prior to the convention.) Look forward to seeing you all at TKPon 4: TP&Kon!. =) Thanks!
Imhrail (Discord: Finegas) & Sayok (Discord: Sayok)
The untitled! & Venture-Agent
lordjecks@gmail.com Imhrail Because i'm a horrible person and didn't update this.... *shields himself from rocks and worse* Here is the link for the warhorn signups for the event this weekend Community / Forums / Gamer Life / Gaming / Gamer Connection / [Roll20 / Discord] TPKon 4: TP&Kon - -Sun, Oct 8, 2017 All Messageboards Forums Paizo General Discussion Customer Service Product Discussion Website Feedback PaizoCon General Discussion Events Organized Play Paizo Events Third-Party and Fan Events Community Use Licensed Products General Discussion Comics Digital Games Pathfinder: Kingmaker Pathfinder Adventures Pathfinder Online Miniatures Archive Pathfinder Playtests & Prerelease Discussions Pathfinder Playtest Ultimate Intrigue Playtest General Discussion Playtest Feedback Occult Adventures Playtest General Discussion Rules Discussion Playtest Feedback Advanced Class Guide Playtest General Discussion Playtest Feedback Class Discussion Mythic Adventures Playtest General Discussion 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Last post: 2 hours, 13 minutes ago by subrangerThe video interviews in this article were recorded as part of CoinDesk’s coverage of the Global Bitcoin Summit in Beijing, which took place 10th-11th May 2014.
China’s bitcoin exchanges and mining equipment manufacturers usually grab the headlines in that part of the world. However, there are several startups breaking new ground in different parts of the digital currency ecosystem, and their focus is often on international markets as as much as China.
We spoke to three such companies at the recent Global Bitcoin Summit to find out about their ideas and how they plan to change the bitcoin landscape.
Jack Wang, Bitfoo/Bifubao
Bitfoo is the international name of secure wallet service Bifubao, which gained attention back in March as one of the first online bitcoin wallets to announce a cryptographic proof-of-reserves function. This allows users to verify that the company actually holds all bitcoins it claims to, while also keeping coins off-block chain.
Bitfoo’s service also allows the creation of vanity addresses and the sending and receiving of bitcoins via email addresses.
Wang’s background as a Chinese-American and former Silicon Valley lawyer gives him a perspective from both sides of the Pacific, and insights into market conditions in each country.
Liang Qiu and Wei Lu, Peatio
Peatio has developed open-source bitcoin exchange software that anyone in the world can tailor and develop to their own needs – all via an API that allows trading in any currency or language.
The two developers, Qiu and Lu, said Peatio was funded by Bitfund.pe, a bitcoin private investment company owned by China’s largest bitcoin holder (and Beijing summit president) Li Xiaolai.
Lu said the project, which lives on GitHub, already has over 200 starts and more than 50 forks.
Liang Qiu’s answers are in Chinese, translations by Wei Lu.
Hanson Hong, BitOcean
BitOcean is developing a new bitcoin ATM in partnership with Chinese exchange OKCoin, and already has a number of orders from around the world.
Its demonstration machines were one of the most popular items at the summit, with users able to feed in Chinese yuan and purchase bitcoins on the spot.
Hong, BitOcean’s co-founder and CMO, said the machines can be two-way, allowing users to both buy and sell, and that BitOcean is working on implementing financial compliance measures for different jurisdictions. He said bitcoin remained legal to hold and use in China, though further clarification was still needed.
Special thanks to Rui Ma of 500 Startups, and Jian Li and Ruiyang Wang of btcmini.com for their assistance in the shooting of these videos.This article is about the word "neologism" in its various senses. For Wikipedia policy on neologisms, see WP:NEO. For flagging an article as possibly promoting a neologism, see Template:Neologism
A neologism (; from Greek νέο- néo-, "new" and λόγος lógos, "speech, utterance") describes a relatively recent or isolated term, word, or phrase that may be in the process of entering common use, but that has not yet been fully accepted into mainstream language.[1] Neologisms are often driven by changes in culture and technology,[2][3] and may be directly attributable to a specific person, publication, period, or event. In the process of language formation, neologisms are more mature than protologisms.[4]
Background [ edit ]
Neologisms are often created by combining existing words (see compound noun and adjective) or by giving words new and unique suffixes or prefixes. Portmanteaux are combined words that are sometimes used commonly. "Brunch" is an example of a portmanteau word (breakfast + lunch). Lewis Carroll's "snark" (snake + shark) is also a portmanteau. Neologisms also can be created through abbreviation or acronym, by intentionally rhyming with existing words or simply through playing with sounds.
Neologisms can become popular through memetics, by way of mass media, the Internet, and word of mouth, including academic discourse in many fields renowned for their use of distinctive jargon, and often become accepted parts of the language. Other times, however, they disappear from common use just as readily as they appeared. Whether a neologism continues as part of the language depends on many factors, probably the most important of which is acceptance by the public. It is unusual, however, for a word to enter common use if it does not resemble another word or words in an identifiable way.
When a word or phrase is no longer "new", it is no longer a neologism. Neologisms may take decades to become "old", however. Opinions differ on exactly how old a word must be to cease being considered a neologism.
Sources [ edit ]
Popular examples of neologism can be found in science, fiction, branding, literature, linguistic and popular culture. Examples include laser (1960) from Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, robotics (1941), agitprop (1930).
History and meaning [ edit ]
The term neologism is first attested in English in 1772, borrowed from French néologisme (1734).[5] A proponent of a new word or doctrine may be called a neologist.[citation needed] Neologists might[vague] study cultural and ethnic vernacular.
The term neologism has a broader meaning that includes not only "an entirely new lexical item" but also an existing word whose meaning has been altered.[6][7][8] Sometimes, the latter process is called semantic shifting,[6] or semantic extension.[9][10] Neologisms are distinct from a person's idiolect, one's unique patterns of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.
Neologisms are usually introduced when an individual or individuals find that a specific notion is lacking a term in a language, or when the existing vocabulary is insufficiently detailed, or when the neologist is unaware of the existing vocabulary.[11] The law, governmental bodies, and technology have a relatively high frequency of acquiring neologisms.[12][13] Another trigger that motivates neologists and protologists to coin a neologism is in order to disambiguate a previously existing term that may have been obscure or vague due to |
00:05:01,910 --> 00:05:07,140 There were too many kouhai, I did a lot of trials and I brought two 78 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:15,000 Amazing! You brought two of them! But quit calling them for corporal punishment 79 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:20,540 It's great that you brought two. So without delay, please tell us their names. 80 00:05:20,540 --> 00:05:25,620 The first girl is called Maaya-chan, the second is Momoko-chan. 81 00:05:26,020 --> 00:05:31,650 Well, Maaya chan sounds like a fictional character again, is it all right? 82 00:05:31,650 --> 00:05:33,680 Yes. Is she real? Yes. 83 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:38,680 Then, everyone, let's call Maaya chan, Momoko chan together. 84 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:44,220 Ready, set... MAAYA CHAN! MOMOKO CHAN! 85 00:05:44,910 --> 00:05:46,480 Here! 86 00:05:58,280 --> 00:06:01,170 OK, please introduce yourselves. 87 00:06:01,170 --> 00:06:05,370 I'm Asou Maaya. I've joined as 6th grade student. 88 00:06:05,370 --> 00:06:10,370 I'm good at kendama, and my favorite food is red ginger. Please treat me well. 89 00:06:12,570 --> 00:06:16,170 Red pickled ginger. Yes, yes. And... 90 00:06:16,450 --> 00:06:20,740 I've joined as 1st year middle school student, I'm Okazaki Momoko. 91 00:06:21,020 --> 00:06:24,480 My specialty is dance and Double Dutch. Please treat me well. 92 00:06:28,910 --> 00:06:30,680 I see. 93 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:34,620 Just... you are shorter among a kouhai and a student of the same year. 94 00:06:34,620 --> 00:06:36,910 That's a mortifying phenomenon. 95 00:06:36,910 --> 00:06:40,710 You're clearly been made fun of 96 00:06:40,710 --> 00:06:43,970 You're on the threshold of being alien 97 00:06:43,970 --> 00:06:48,220 OK, why did you bring these two girls, Yamaide? 98 00:06:48,220 --> 00:06:54,050 Maaya-chan was originally a fan of Sakura Gakuin, and she often went to the live shows. 99 00:06:54,050 --> 00:06:55,480 Is that so? 100 00:06:55,480 --> 00:07:00,140 So, perhaps, she is one of us 101 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:04,370 What's the matter with you 102 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:08,280 Well, truly, she likes red ginger 103 00:07:08,280 --> 00:07:11,940 She gives this impression of a fukei 104 00:07:11,940 --> 00:07:17,280 I have a question for Maaya chan, which Sakura Gakuin song you like the most? 105 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:19,480 Mikansei Silhouette 106 00:07:20,250 --> 00:07:24,050 You passed the test! She passed? Yes. 107 00:07:24,050 --> 00:07:28,680 So she passed the fukei test? Actually I don't know on which basis. 108 00:07:28,680 --> 00:07:30,820 By the way, Mori Sensei, which one do you like? 109 00:07:30,820 --> 00:07:33,250 Well, at the moment it's "Kimi ni Todoke" 110 00:07:33,250 --> 00:07:36,820 Aah. It's a good song but it gives a feeling of new... 111 00:07:36,820 --> 00:07:41,080 Don't say I'm a new fan! 112 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:45,800 It's a nice song, and I'm sure among the fukei-san there's a lot of people who like it 113 00:07:45,800 --> 00:07:50,340 But Mori Sensei, if you mention the title song of last nendo's album... 114 00:07:51,940 --> 00:07:58,600 I... you know, I worked for more than 4 years in Sakura Gakuin, and I'm still a new fan? 115 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:01,140 You're too much heartbreaking! 116 00:08:01,140 --> 00:08:03,850 Is there anything else about Asou you'd like to check? 117 00:08:03,850 --> 00:08:07,310 Who's your favorite member in the current Sakura Gakuin? 118 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:09,310 It's Aiko chan! 119 00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:13,620 She forced you to tell that 120 00:08:13,620 --> 00:08:17,020 You told her to say that when you brought her here 121 00:08:17,710 --> 00:08:21,020 Well... actually... isn't that written in Mori Sensei's script? 122 00:08:21,020 --> 00:08:23,620 Script? Don't give me that!! 123 00:08:24,020 --> 00:08:27,340 Everything is happening right here! 124 00:08:27,740 --> 00:08:31,740 They are seeing each other for the first time here! 125 00:08:32,220 --> 00:08:33,450 Yamaide! 126 00:08:33,450 --> 00:08:35,170 It's true! Pleased to meet you! 127 00:08:35,170 --> 00:08:37,310 Pleased to meet you, shut up already. 128 00:08:38,110 --> 00:08:41,540 Oh well, so that she can become a hako-oshi [fan of all members] 129 00:08:41,540 --> 00:08:43,400 I'll keep brainwashing her. 130 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:46,570 What's with this brainwashing boom now 131 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:48,680 Then Asou, I'm counting on you. 132 00:08:48,680 --> 00:08:49,850 Please treat me well. 133 00:08:49,850 --> 00:08:51,400 And then... 134 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:54,170 Sorry that was a bad timing. 135 00:08:55,970 --> 00:08:57,800 That wasn't scripted, right now! 136 00:08:59,050 --> 00:09:01,200 Well, well. Okazaki. 137 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:03,080 Why did you bring her here. 138 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:05,910 Momoko chan is in the same school year as me. 139 00:09:05,910 --> 00:09:08,940 What's more, she's neat so she has the same flavor as me 140 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:13,940 Yamaide, and where is your tidiness? 141 00:09:13,940 --> 00:09:18,250 Where? You can see that at a glance. 142 00:09:18,250 --> 00:09:19,820 It's obvious. 143 00:09:19,820 --> 00:09:26,110 Stop that, that's far from giving a sense of neatness 144 00:09:26,110 --> 00:09:27,680 What else? 145 00:09:27,680 --> 00:09:30,400 Well, Momoko chan said it just now 146 00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:32,050 She is good at Double Dutch 147 00:09:32,740 --> 00:09:37,820 That's a bit surprising, being able to jump two ropes 148 00:09:37,820 --> 00:09:39,250 Shall we try it? 149 00:09:39,250 --> 00:09:41,340 Here? Without rope? 150 00:09:41,340 --> 00:09:44,850 Without rope. Ready... set... 151 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:46,600 She's in 152 00:09:47,371 --> 00:09:48,485 She's turning 153 00:09:49,050 --> 00:09:51,280 She's going faster! Amazing! 154 00:09:55,170 --> 00:09:56,570 Amazing 155 00:09:57,340 --> 00:09:59,970 See, that's wonderful 156 00:09:59,970 --> 00:10:04,370 Everyone can do that! Even I could do it without rope. 157 00:10:12,340 --> 00:10:18,340 Some day it would be good to show this technique with a real rope 158 00:10:18,340 --> 00:10:20,200 OK then, I'm counting on you both 159 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:22,170 Please treat us well! 160 00:10:24,850 --> 00:10:26,570 Please sit down. 161 00:10:28,820 --> 00:10:31,480 Well then. For the new Sakura Gakuin. 162 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:36,140 I think we will go with these 10 people 163 00:10:36,140 --> 00:10:38,740 No! Please wait! Mori Sensei! 164 00:10:38,740 --> 00:10:41,770 What's up? Why did you say it's wrong? 165 00:10:41,770 --> 00:10:45,200 You're wrong, Megu brought one as well. 166 00:10:47,140 --> 00:10:50,740 I thought you went to dig for the Tokugawa treasure. 167 00:10:50,740 --> 00:10:51,880 Really? 168 00:10:52,420 --> 00:10:54,850 Don't you have something hidden in there? 169 00:10:54,850 --> 00:10:59,220 So you brought one? Now it's enough! We don't need more 170 00:10:59,220 --> 00:11:00,450 No, no. 171 00:11:00,450 --> 00:11:01,770 Really, I brought one. 172 00:11:01,770 --> 00:11:06,140 Really? Since you went to the trouble, please tell us her name. 173 00:11:06,140 --> 00:11:07,740 She's called Soyoka chan. 174 00:11:07,740 --> 00:11:12,970 Soyoka chan. Then everyone, please call together Soyoka chan. 175 00:11:12,970 --> 00:11:16,600 Ready, set... SOYOKA CHAAN~! 176 00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:18,000 Here! 177 00:11:30,080 --> 00:11:32,740 Then, please introduce yourself. 178 00:11:32,740 --> 00:11:35,620 I've joined as 5th grader 179 00:11:35,620 --> 00:11:37,340 I'm Yoshida Soyoka. 180 00:11:37,340 --> 00:11:42,280 My favorite food is lemon, and my specialties are piano and calligraphy 181 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:44,110 Pleased to meet you 182 00:11:51,650 --> 00:11:54,850 Can I verify one thing? 183 00:11:55,200 --> 00:11:56,510 Are you real? 184 00:11:57,480 --> 00:12:01,570 She looks like she is coming out from a 2D world 185 00:12:01,570 --> 00:12:03,310 Soyoka chan is not a CG! 186 00:12:03,310 --> 00:12:04,770 She's not CG? 187 00:12:04,770 --> 00:12:07,110 She doesn't give a sense of reality though 188 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:10,940 Then Okada, why did you bring Yoshida here? 189 00:12:11,680 --> 00:12:14,450 As you can see... 190 00:12:14,450 --> 00:12:16,400 She is smart... 191 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:18,480 What? As you can see? 192 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:21,540 As you see, doesn't she look smart? 193 00:12:21,880 --> 00:12:25,050 It's just because she's wearing glasses? 194 00:12:25,050 --> 00:12:27,080 No, no. Let's go Soyo chan. 7x7? 195 00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:28,450 49! See? 196 00:12:28,450 --> 00:12:33,200 That's too easy! Anyone can do that, she is in 5th grade! 197 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:37,770 Well, even Sara chan has some problems with the multiplication table of 7 198 00:12:37,770 --> 00:12:43,400 She has? Poor thing, she's not here and she's covered in blood 199 00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:46,850 So Kurashima has problems. What else? 200 00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:52,000 For Soyoka chan, there's a senpai in Sakura Gakuin she sees as a model 201 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:54,940 Yes. It's the graduate Matsui Airi 202 00:12:54,940 --> 00:12:58,680 Matsui Airi? So you'd better quit 203 00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:02,770 It's better she quits. 204 00:13:03,250 --> 00:13:09,000 At dramas she has to kiss... she has to take audacious photobooks... 205 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:11,820 Please stop it! 206 00:13:11,820 --> 00:13:16,540 Soyoka chan would like to be a model like Matsui Airi! 207 00:13:16,540 --> 00:13:18,770 She aims at being a model? 208 00:13:18,770 --> 00:13:21,620 OK so while you're there could you do a model walk? 209 00:13:22,310 --> 00:13:23,570 Can you? 210 00:13:23,570 --> 00:13:24,940 I c-can. 211 00:13:24,940 --> 00:13:31,080 What's with this feeling? You talk like you're being bullied. 212 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:34,600 Well then, let's try this model walk? So move to the back. 213 00:13:34,600 --> 00:13:38,000 Do we have music? Some cool one. 214 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:43,820 Ooh! She's cool. Amazing, she is getting cheers only for this 215 00:13:43,820 --> 00:13:46,480 Ok let's go! Music... start! 216 00:14:01,910 --> 00:14:03,510 Cute! 217 00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:05,450 Amazing! 218 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:11,940 The moment she turned she played around, with a smile 219 00:14:11,940 --> 00:14:14,880 She opened the window and bakkyun! 220 00:14:15,650 --> 00:14:18,340 She shot the crows outside 221 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:22,200 So you'd like to be a model yourself 222 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:24,914 Yes. I see. 223 00:14:28,080 --> 00:14:30,000 Then Yoshida, I'm counting on you 224 00:14:30,000 --> 00:14:31,680 Please treat me well 225 00:14:34,140 --> 00:14:37,140 Please seat down 226 00:14:37,850 --> 00:14:43,140 Then, this year we will go with these 11 people in Sakura Gakuin 227 00:14:43,540 --> 00:14:45,620 If we count Dai-chan, we get to 12 228 00:14:47,510 --> 00:14:52,170 Mori Sensei, didn't you forget about me? 229 00:14:53,710 --> 00:14:55,200 You're... 230 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:56,820 Kurashima. Ah, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. 231 00:14:56,820 --> 00:14:58,600 Before, you called me properly 232 00:15:01,110 --> 00:15:03,820 Kurashima I thought you just did a race 233 00:15:03,820 --> 00:15:06,340 No, I actually found a transfer student. Really? 234 00:15:06,340 --> 00:15:11,480 They are increasing again? Then please tell us the student's name 235 00:15:11,480 --> 00:15:13,340 It's Mirena-chan. 236 00:15:15,570 --> 00:15:21,480 They're all like yeah, I guessed right! 237 00:15:22,710 --> 00:15:29,800 So, it's Mirena chan. Please everyone, let's call her together 238 00:15:30,250 --> 00:15:33,800 Ready, set... MIRENA CHAAAN! 239 00:15:33,800 --> 00:15:35,140 Here! 240 00:15:44,400 --> 00:15:46,200 OK. Please introduce yourself. 241 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:50,080 I'm Kurosawa Mirena, I've joined as 2nd year in middle school 242 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:53,820 My favorite food is chicken wing tip, my specialty is swimming. 243 00:15:53,820 --> 00:15:55,600 Please treat me well. 244 00:16:01,220 --> 00:16:04,050 Kurosawa, you're 2nd year middle school, right 245 00:16:04,050 --> 00:16:05,070 Yes. 2nd year 246 00:16:05,070 --> 00:16:07,740 It's the first time for a student to join in 2nd year. 247 00:16:07,740 --> 00:16:09,050 Why? 248 00:16:09,050 --> 00:16:12,110 Well, I was the only one in 2nd year, so 249 00:16:12,110 --> 00:16:14,570 I felt lonely 250 00:16:14,570 --> 00:16:19,620 But Mirena, she's got a lot of experience from Tensai TV kun and other things 251 00:16:19,620 --> 00:16:21,850 So I thought it was all right 252 00:16:21,850 --> 00:16:27,600 I saw you as well. I saw you together with my daughter. 253 00:16:29,910 --> 00:16:32,020 Then other points about her? 254 00:16:32,020 --> 00:16:35,340 Mirena chan has very good reflexes, 255 00:16:35,340 --> 00:16:37,250 And she's first class at swimming 256 00:16:37,250 --> 00:16:39,280 Wait a minute please. 257 00:16:39,280 --> 00:16:41,910 I'm first class at swimming, but 258 00:16:41,910 --> 00:16:45,420 in Japan Swimming Federation swimming test I'm first grade 259 00:16:45,420 --> 00:16:46,770 That's amazing 260 00:16:46,770 --> 00:16:49,420 You're bothersome, saying that yourself 261 00:16:49,420 --> 00:16:51,200 I am picky about that 262 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:54,850 I see, you mean it's a highest rank than normal 263 00:16:54,850 --> 00:16:56,570 That's amazing! 264 00:16:56,570 --> 00:17:02,600 She is. Some time let's make a race between Sara's running and Mirena 265 00:17:02,600 --> 00:17:08,110 There would be too much difference. You're proposing an absurdly heterogeneous fighting game 266 00:17:08,110 --> 00:17:14,540 Ok then Kurosawa... ah, by the way what were your feelings when you were called by Kurashima 267 00:17:14,540 --> 00:17:16,140 I was really happy 268 00:17:16,140 --> 00:17:17,220 Happy? 269 00:17:17,220 --> 00:17:22,370 In addition, Sara chan bowed her kokeshi-like head many times asking me 270 00:17:22,370 --> 00:17:24,050 Didn't you torment her 271 00:17:24,050 --> 00:17:28,710 Rather than that, it was Sara's power, my kokeshi power 272 00:17:28,710 --> 00:17:30,540 Kokeshi power? 273 00:17:30,540 --> 00:17:36,310 You write kokeshi as ko keshi [= get rid of the child], right? Please stop it with this kokeshi power. 274 00:17:36,620 --> 00:17:40,400 Then you said you sent her your kokeshi power? OK, Kurosawa, I'm counting on you. 275 00:17:40,400 --> 00:17:42,340 Please treat me well 276 00:17:46,280 --> 00:17:47,740 Well, then. 277 00:17:48,140 --> 00:17:50,740 Now they are complete 278 00:17:50,740 --> 00:17:53,280 All right? All members 279 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:56,770 So please go in front 280 00:17:59,940 --> 00:18:06,050 Then, this year's Sakura Gakuin is these 12 members! 281 00:18:16,510 --> 00:18:19,620 Are there people who guessed them all? 282 00:18:20,050 --> 00:18:22,480 There's none I guess 283 00:18:25,450 --> 00:18:27,000 Maybe there's like one 284 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:30,220 Only one. Yes, well then. 285 00:18:30,220 --> 00:18:35,820 If there's any questions from the senpai, I'd like to hear them. 286 00:18:35,820 --> 00:18:37,220 Okada. 287 00:18:37,220 --> 00:18:41,110 What's your favorite stacking way for stone walls? 288 00:18:41,110 --> 00:18:46,020 I don't know. I don't think they know. OK Fujihira. 289 00:18:46,020 --> 00:18:47,220 What's up Yamaide? 290 00:18:47,220 --> 00:18:50,770 Can't we just put this question aside? 291 00:18:50,770 --> 00:18:53,450 Because... the stacking way of stone walls... 292 00:18:53,450 --> 00:18:55,250 OK let's ask it just in case 293 00:18:55,250 --> 00:18:58,000 Then go, Fujihira 294 00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:02,220 Tell us your favorite stacking way for stone walls. Go ahead, Fujihira! 295 00:19:02,220 --> 00:19:05,310 You see? Please stop it. 296 00:19:07,310 --> 00:19:09,250 I wasn't bulling them! 297 00:19:12,370 --> 00:19:15,220 Which type of stacking for stone walls? 298 00:19:15,220 --> 00:19:16,400 I don't know. 299 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:18,170 You don't know?? 300 00:19:18,170 --> 00:19:22,370 That's the correct answer! 301 00:19:23,540 --> 00:19:25,620 Okada is reconsidering 302 00:19:25,620 --> 00:19:29,510 Without intention she ended up hurting a small girl. 303 00:19:29,510 --> 00:19:32,370 Then, anyone else? Isono. 304 00:19:32,370 --> 00:19:35,480 Your favorite song in Sakura Gakuin. 305 00:19:36,740 --> 00:19:38,970 They're all so quick for this one 306 00:19:38,970 --> 00:19:43,970 Fujihira your heart is broken, didn't you want to raise your hand? 307 00:19:43,970 --> 00:19:48,420 Then what should we do, let's start from Kurosawa, your favorite song. 308 00:19:48,420 --> 00:19:49,970 I like Sleep Wonder 309 00:19:51,250 --> 00:19:55,280 Sleep Wonder, that's interesting. Why do you like it? 310 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:57,880 The song is cute, and 311 00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:02,940 the singing at the live is really cute too, that's why I like it. 312 00:20:02,940 --> 00:20:04,200 I see. 313 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:07,620 Kurosawa is too reliable and serious! 314 00:20:11,110 --> 00:20:15,340 She's completely different than you 315 00:20:16,170 --> 00:20:18,800 But that's good. I like that. 316 00:20:21,820 --> 00:20:25,050 Then, next. Fujihira. 317 00:20:25,050 --> 00:20:26,570 It's Verishuvi 318 00:20:27,250 --> 00:20:28,800 Verishuvi, you say... 319 00:20:32,050 --> 00:20:33,570 What a new fan! 320 00:20:33,570 --> 00:20:35,310 That's wrong! 321 00:20:36,250 --> 00:20:38,140 It's from 2011 nendo 322 00:20:42,340 --> 00:20:43,940 Why Verishuvi? 323 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:50,080 Because it's the first song I've heard after knowing about Sakura Gakuin 324 00:20:50,080 --> 00:20:55,940 So it's the 1st impact? So after that other songs couldn't surpass it? 325 00:20:55,940 --> 00:20:58,910 The one when you knew about the group was the peak 326 00:20:59,250 --> 00:21:01,080 That's not the case, right? 327 00:21:01,080 --> 00:21:03,340 All of them. I like all of them. 328 00:21:09,370 --> 00:21:12,170 Then, next, Hidaka! 329 00:21:12,170 --> 00:21:15,880 My favorite song is My Graduation Toss 330 00:21:17,110 --> 00:21:20,220 Lies! 331 00:21:22,970 --> 00:21:28,940 She wanted to say that. She randomly picked a song with a long English title, what do you like in it? 332 00:21:28,940 --> 00:21:33,400 I like the lyrics and I also like the sound of Guitar 333 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:35,050 I see. 334 00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:40,020 What, Ooga? 335 00:21:40,020 --> 00:21:42,280 That caught her attention. 336 00:21:42,280 --> 00:21:47,020 I see. How would you say guitar in that cool way 337 00:21:47,020 --> 00:21:48,540 Guitar? 338 00:21:49,910 --> 00:21:52,280 How is guitar in an English way 339 00:21:55,680 --> 00:22:01,250 It's not giru? I don't know. 340 00:22:01,250 --> 00:22:04,140 OK then Asou, you said it before, but other than that? 341 00:22:04,140 --> 00:22:07,140 Yes, before I said Mikansei Silhouette 342 00:22:07,140 --> 00:22:09,450 But I also love Magic Melody. 343 00:22:13,740 --> 00:22:16,420 What do you think about that, Shirai? 344 00:22:16,420 --> 00:22:18,250 That's not like a new fan at all. 345 00:22:18,880 --> 00:22:27,740 Since Magic Melody is not in any DVD or album CD 346 00:22:27,740 --> 00:22:30,770 So it means they had to buy the CD 347 00:22:30,770 --> 00:22:34,220 It's pitiable if there's fukei who don't know about Magic Melody 348 00:22:34,220 --> 00:22:37,250 I guess they know about Magic Melody 349 00:22:37,250 --> 00:22:40,740 I think people who went to TIF know this. 350 00:22:42,570 --> 00:22:45,370 Then, Asou, how do you feel about Shirai having an eye on you? 351 00:22:45,370 --> 00:22:46,800 I'm happy. 352 00:22:46,800 --> 00:22:50,650 Are you happy? I'd cut that relationship if I were you. 353 00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:56,740 Then Okazaki. Your favorite song. 354 00:22:56,740 --> 00:22:59,450 I have three 355 00:22:59,450 --> 00:23:01,710 Mezase Super Lady, 356 00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:07,450 We like the musical intervals. 357 00:23:09,370 --> 00:23:12,910 The intervals are nice. The melody. 358 00:23:13,620 --> 00:23:16,540 Why you say the melody! 359 00:23:17,170 --> 00:23:19,200 What about the other two 360 00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:21,940 "Makeru na! Seishun Hizakozou" 361 00:23:21,940 --> 00:23:23,420 And Verishuvi. 362 00:23:28,280 --> 00:23 |
2676 5 GM PETROSIAN TIGRAN 2660
Armenia is not as strong as Russia by rating, and they are only comparable to Ukraine, but they are the defending champions and somehow they do amazing in every team tournament. Will their chemistry prevail over Russia's powerhouse?
USA 1 GM HIKARU NAKAMURA 2786 2 GM GATA KAMSKY 2721 3 GM ALEX ONISCHUK 2672 4 GM RAY ROBSON 2613 5 GM VARUZHAN AKOBIAN 2625
America always has had a problem and that is the lack of a reliable fourth board. Gareev was unable to participate in the event due to passport issues which means that USA will be missing one of their top rated players and has to rely on Robson and Akobian to hold down the fort on the last board. If Nakamura is on fire and Onischuk can keep his solid style they could even win the tournament. USA crushed the American qualifier to make it to the event, eliminating Cuba on the way.
CHINA 1 GM CHAO LI 2679 2 GM LIREN DING 2711 3 GM YUE WANG 2725 4 GM XIANGZHI BU 2683 5 GM YANGYI YU 2668
The obvious absence here is Wang Hao, but despite this China's team is still quite strong. They are not lining up according to rating and it will be interesting to see how well Li Chao can do on board one. A successful result for him would give China excellent chances to medal. They are the Asian qualifier winners.
AZERBAIJAN 1 GM MAMEDOV RAUF 2647 2 GM SAFARLI ELTAJ 2653 3 GM MAMEDOV NIDJAD 2616 4 GM DURARBAYLI VASIF 2559 5 GM GUSEINOV GADIR 2607
Azerbaijan, the President's Nominee for the event, fields a pale team in comparison to the squad that won the European Team Championship last week. The absence of Gashimov, Radjabov and Mamedyarov and with young and unstable players on boards one and two it is unlikely that Azerbaijan scores very well in this event.
EGYPT 1 IM MOHAMED EZAT 2454 2 IM KHALED ABDEL RAZIK 2450 3 IM SHOKER SAMY AHMED 2500 4 GM BASSEM AMIN 2652 5 IM LABIB IBRAHIM HASAN 2411
As usual Egypt is the team that qualified from the African continent. They are missing a key player as Adly was unable to attend due to his military service. Bassem will have to pull miracles on board four for this team to have a chance at not finishing last.
Opening Ceremony
The opening ceremony featured some traditional dances
Also very importantly for the tournament itself it was the time to make the pairings. Each team sent a representative to choose a figurine that held their pairing number on the bottom.
Van Wely was the Netherlands' chosen one
Round 1
Round one came with very few surprises. A super match was featured at the very start as Kramnik and Aronian played board one of Russia vs. Armenia. However not a single board finished in a decisive result and the teams had to split the point.
Grischuk played a very aggressive game against Akopian but was unable to overcome his opponent's Berlin
Kramnik-Aronian was a wild affair in a Botvinnik system. However it ended when White saw nothing better than to give a perpetual.
The players came down to the press conference to analyze their game and to see what was going on in the remaining boards
Karjakin has a record for having amazing performances in team tournaments, even back when he played in Ukraine such as his gold medal in the 2004 Olympiad
Germany was able to squeak a win past Egypt as Shoker surprised Naiditsch with a win with black. However Meier and Baramidze's wins edged the score 2.5-1.5 in favor of the European team. Here is Baramidze game:
[Event "2013 WORLD CHESS TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP"] [Site "ANTALYA"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "1.1"] [White "Amin, Bassem"] [Black "Baramidze, David"] [Result "0-1"] [Annotator "Ramirez Alvarez,Alejandro"] [PlyCount "62"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. e5 Qe7 7. Qe2 Nd5 8. c4 Nb6 9. Nc3 Qe6 {The most popular line still.} (9... Bb7 $5 {Has gained some popularity since the famous Shirov-Kramnik game from a few years ago and thanks to the recommendation made by Larry Kauffman in his opening treaty.}) 10. Qe4 g6 11. Bd3 Bg7 12. f4 Ba6 $5 (12... O-O {is the common choice and far more popular than the move in the game.}) 13. b3 d5 14. cxd5 (14. Qf3 dxc4 15. Be2 {is interesting as Black is somewhat paralyzed since he cannot take on b3.} ) 14... cxd5 15. Nxd5 $5 {Bassem goes for the complications. It is not so clear if he should have done this considerating that his opponent might have prepared something specifically in this variation.} Nxd5 16. Qa4+ c6 $1 17. Bxa6 Bxe5 $1 {This is the point of the position. White has no choice but to take the bishop or he loses material instantly.} (17... O-O 18. O-O {simply leaves White up a pawn.}) 18. fxe5 (18. Kf2 Bc3 $1 {Is a crazy and inhuman move, but Black's combination of threats will eventually allow him to be ahead in material.} (18... Bxa1 $6 19. Re1 Qxe1+ 20. Kxe1 O-O {is just unclear.})) 18... Qxe5+ 19. Kf2 (19. Be2 $2 O-O $1 {And white cannot defend his rook on a1 and the pressure on the e-file at the same time. For example:} 20. Rb1 Nc3 $1 21. Qc4 Nxb1 {and it's all over.}) 19... Qf6+ 20. Kg3 Qc3+ 21. Kh4 {The king is on h4, but it is untouchable at the moment. The fourth rank is covered by the queen on a4 and the bishop on c1 can cover any check on the d8-h4 diagonal. } O-O $1 (21... Qxa1 $2 22. Qxc6+ $18) 22. Bh6 Ne7 $1 {This simple retreat puts unsolvable problems on White's position.} 23. Qf4 $2 (23. g4 $2 g5+ $1 24. Bxg5 Ng6+ 25. Kh5 Qh3+ $19) (23. g3 $1 {Giving the king the h3 square was the only chance.} Nf5+ 24. Kh3 Nxh6 $17 {and Black is only a little bit better. He has a safer king and an extra pawn but White is active and his pawn structure is certainly superior.}) 23... Nf5+ 24. Kg4 Rfe8 {any move bringing the rook into play wins.} 25. g3 Qa5 $6 (25... Re5 $1 {Inching closer to the king was more precise.}) 26. Bd3 $6 {This gives Black a free tempo in the attack as Baramidze finishes off his opponent in fantastic style.} (26. Bc4 Rad8 (26... Nxh6+ $1 27. Kh3 Nf5 $17) 27. Kh3 $11) 26... Rad8 $1 27. Bxf5 Rd4 $1 {This is the point. The queen is lost as it cannot take the suicide rook on d4.} 28. Rae1 (28. Qxd4 Qxf5+ 29. Kh4 Qh5#) 28... Qxf5+ 29. Kf3 Rxf4+ 30. Bxf4 Rxe1 31. Rxe1 g5 {A fantastic win that proved vital for Germany to come up ahead in this match.} 0-1
Meier, who somehow is a student in America but plays every European event, absolutely annihilated his opponent today in a mere 22 moves
Turkey lost to Azerbaijan as Nidjat Mamedov beat his opponent in a very dragged out position. Mamedov was simply better throughout the entire game.
Bu Xiangzhi's persistence gave his team the victory as his was the only decisive result in the Netherlands vs. China encounter. In yet another win with Black Bu was able to convert a passed pawn a gainst Tiviakov.
Kamsky's pawn sacrifice did not pay off for him and eventually Korobov was able to convert it and give Ukraine the win in the Ukraine vs. USA match.
Akobian is a very solid player, but America will need him to win when he is white. Also don't confuse him with Akopian who plays for Armenia.
Tomorrow's round will surely be very interesting. The official website is providing live commentary and interviews with the players as soon as they are finished with their games.
1.1 Germany 2½ - 1½ Egypt 1 Khenkin Igor 2612 ½ : ½ Ezat Mohamed 2454 2 Meier Georg 2623 1 : 0 Abdel Razik Khaled 2450 3 Naiditsch Arkadij 2727 0 : 1 Shoker Samy 2500 4 Baramidze David 2614 1 : 0 Amin Bassem 2652 1.2 Turkey 1½ - 2½ Azerbaijan 1 Ipatov Alexander 2630 ½ : ½ Mamedov Rauf 2647 2 Solak Dragan 2618 ½ : ½ Safarli Eltaj 2653 3 Yilmaz Mustafa 2577 0 : 1 Mamedov Nidjat 2616 4 Esen Baris 2565 ½ : ½ Durarbayli Vasif 2559 1.3 Netherlands 1½ - 2½ China 1 Giri Anish 2732 ½ : ½ Ding Liren 2711 2 Van Wely Loek 2678 ½ : ½ Wang Yue 2725 3 Tiviakov Sergei 2663 0 : 1 Bu Xiangzhi 2683 4 Sokolov Ivan 2625 ½ : ½ Yu Yangyi 2668 1.4 Ukraine 2½ - 1½ United States of America 1 Ivanchuk Vassily 2731 ½ : ½ Nakamura Hikaru 2786 2 Korobov Anton 2713 1 : 0 Kamsky Gata 2721 3 Moiseenko Alexander 2709 ½ : ½ Onischuk Alexander 2672 4 Kryvoruchko Yuriy 2701 ½ : ½ Akobian Varuzhan 2625 1.5 Russia 2 - 2 Armenia 1 Kramnik Vladimir 2793 ½ : ½ Aronian Levon 2801 2 Karjakin Sergey 2756 ½ : ½ Movsesian Sergei 2700 3 Grischuk Alexander 2785 ½ : ½ Akopian Vladimir 2681 4 Nepomniachtchi Ian 2721 ½ : ½ Sargissian Gabriel 2676
Replay today's games
Photos by Fatma Koc Ozturkposter="http://v.politico.com/images/1155968404/201703/712/1155968404_5366080283001_5366041759001-vs.jpg?pubId=1155968404" true Clinton camp unloads on Comey
Former top officials for Hillary Clinton’s campaign vented their frustration with both FBI Director James Comey and congressional Republicans on Monday as he testified on Capitol Hill.
Five months after Comey stepped into the 2016 election fray in the campaign’s closing days to talk about investigations into Clinton’s email use — which Clinton herself has said was a cause for her loss to Donald Trump — many Democrats are still seething about his role.
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Noting that Comey acknowledged receiving Department of Justice approval to publicly reveal his agency’s investigation into potential collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russia, Clinton’s former press secretary Brian Fallon tweeted, “An approval he did not care to obtain in Clinton’s case."
Fallon — who was a former senior official in the Justice Department under Attorney General Eric Holder — joined other former Clinton aides in also grumbling about the revelation that the FBI was investigating the Trump campaign as of late July, but that Comey didn’t disclose it until now.
“Russia probe that Comey confirmed was, as best we can tell, in effect before Nov. 8,” he wrote, referring to Election Day. “Fair to ask why he didn’t think voters deserved to know."
“Doing some jobs right requires being in the news everyday, becoming a household name, enraging everyone,” wrote longtime Clinton aide Philippe Reines, who played Trump during her debate prep, tapping into Democrats’ pool of anger with Comey. “FBI Director isn’t one of them."
But the operatives’ frustration also extended to the talk of Russia’s meddling in the election more generally — and Comey’s acknowledgment of the country’s intent, now that Trump is president.
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Noting that Comey said it is “correct” to say that Russia preferred Trump to Clinton in the election, former Clinton communications staffer Tyrone Gayle, now the press secretary for California Sen. Kamala Harris, wrote, “That sound you just heard was every ex-Clinton staffer banging their heads on the wall from California to DC."
Nearly a year-and-a-half after Clinton herself testified before Congress over the 2012 attack in Benghazi, they also had little patience for House Republicans.
“Focus on leaks meant to serve same purpose as Trump allegation about wiretapping: distract from possible collusion,” Fallon wrote in response to GOP lawmakers’ lines of questioning about leaks to the media.
“To Members of House Intel deflecting real questions on Russia hack for partisan purposes: this threat isn’t partisan,” added former campaign manager Robby Mook, who has raised the alarm about Russia’s election meddling across the world since November. “Anyone could be next."When the record-breaking 41 out athletes compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games they are carrying the torch of more their predecessors, both in and out of the closet at the time they competed. Since 1928, more than 250 LGBT Olympians have made their mark in sport, by my estimate. They have left a proud legacy that has grown with every Olympic Games, despite continuing prejudice and personal insecurities.
The history of LGBT athletes and the OIympics goes back more than a century. Have you heard about the gay man who was dropped from his Olympic team because he was too butch? It happened to 28-year-old Danish gymnast Niels Bukh. He was considered too "thick-set" to fit in with his otherwise slim-built team and was not selected. All this was happened in 1908.
Bukh's sexuality was known to his family, and had he competed in London 1908 he would have been the first known LGBT Olympian. Undeterred, he turned to coaching and coached Denmark's gold medal-winning gymnastics team in Stockholm 1912. Unfortunately, Hitler was one of his biggest fans and roped him in to help with the propaganda of the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
In Amsterdam 1928 Otto Peltzer of Germany had made his Olympic debut and is the first gay Olympian. He was the 800- and 1,500-meter world record holder, team captain and the favorite to win a gold medal. Sadly, injury prevented his success in Amsterdam. At the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles it was the wrong running shoes that let him down. Peltzer was arrested for his homosexuality in 1934 and later imprisoned, making it impossible for him to train for the Berlin Olympics. He eventually wound up in a Nazi concentration camp that was liberated by American forces in May 1945.
Peltzer's sexuality wasn't known in Amsterdam 1928 but fellow German Renée Sintenis was living an openly lesbian lifestyle. In Amsterdam she won a bronze medal, becoming the first LGBT Olympic medal winner. But it wasn't in sport and she was not considered an athlete. She won her medal in sculpture, as art was part of the Olympic competitive program for several decades before 1952.
The Berlin games also saw the first big gender controversy. A relatively unknown sprinter, America's Helen Stephens, nicknamed the "Fulton Flash," beat the reigning Olympic champion in the women's 100 meters. Poland's Stanislawa Walasiewicz, the 1932 champion, was as stunned as anyone. Polish team managers accused Stephens of cheating and of being a man, which was proved to be false. In a twist, in 1980 Stanislawa was murdered and her autopsy revealed she was intersexed.
Stanislawa Walasiewicz shares with Mildred "Babe" Didrikson the honor of being the first female LGBT Olympic athletes, both making their debut in 1932. Didrikson was a sporting prodigy. With her first javelin throw she broke the world record and became Olympic champion. She also won gold in the 800 meters. Outside the Olympics Didrikson excelled in many sports including the one in which she became most famous, golf. In 1999 the Associated Press voted Didrikson the best female athlete of the 20th century.
Figure skating provides the youngest ever LGBT Olympian. At Innsbruck 1964 Czech skater Ondrej Nepela competed just a week after his 13th birthday. At the Sapporo 1972 games he became Olympic champion. His death in 1989 makes him the second LGBT Olympian to die of AIDS-related causes, the first was Tom Waddell, founder of the Gay Games, in 1987.
Nepela's successor as champion also died from AIDS. John Curry was European and British champion going into the 1976 Innsbruck Olympics. His gold medal performance still ranks as one of the best in Olympic history. However, it was what happened the morning afterwards that makes him the first openly LGBT Olympic champion. He was outed by a newspaper and although Curry didn't deny he was gay he didn't confirm it either. Instead he insisted that people should look at his skating and not at his private life. In the closing ceremony ice gala he deliberately chose to give a more masculine performance to his winning routine. By the time his reign as champion ended in 1980 he had come to accept that his sexuality was an open secret.
But who was the first athlete to actually compete as an openly LGBT Olympian? This was U.S. equestrian Robert Dover who came out during his second Olympic appearance in Seoul 1988. Dover currently holds the record for the most Olympic appearances by an LGBT athlete — six successive games since 1984.
In the 1980s and 1990s the fear of the homophobic backlash that followed the emergence of HIV effected many LGBT athletes. This homophobia is still felt in many sports, which is one reason why fewer male athletes have come out than female. The number of known LGBT Olympians to have competed in the women's competitions is 153 compared to 93 in the men's.
Between Robert Dover in 1988 and the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics the numbers of out athletes at each games remained in single figures. The numbers of athletes who competed and came out later has always been at least twice that. We are seeing more athletes than ever expressing their sexuality openly to the extent that the proportion of those openly LGBT athletes equals or sometimes surpasses the numbers of athletes who came out afterwards.
Tony Scupham-Bilton is an Olympic historian who lives in England. His blog, The Queerstory Files, is a compilation of LGBT history.The Ciarán Tobin extradition case concerns requests for the extradition of Irish businessman Francis Ciarán Tobin from Ireland to Hungary. Tobin is the subject of a European Arrest Warrant issued by the Hungarian authorities after he was found guilty of causing serious bodily harm by negligent driving when his car went out of control killing two Hungarian children in the village of Leányfalu near Budapest in April 2000. He was tried in his absence after he failed to return from Ireland for his trial.
After joining the European Union in 2004, Hungary issued a European Arrest Warrant for Tobin's forcible surrender to Hungary to serve his prison sentence. The Irish Supreme Court has refused to extradite Tobin on two separate occasions.
Twelve years after the case, Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny expressed regret but confirmed that the case is officially closed.[1]
In January 2014 Tobin started to serve his time in prison.
Facts [ edit ]
Ciarán Tobin is an Irish citizen. In 2000 he was working as a senior manager of Irish Life and Permanent Hungary, having been seconded there. On 9 April 2000, he was driving towards Budapest through the village of Leányfalu. His speed was established as at least 70 km/h (43 mph) in a 50 km/h (31 mph) zone. According to Tobin, he was in the process of changing lanes when his car became unresponsive, failed to straighten out into the rightmost lane and mounted the pavement.[2] On mounting the pavement the car caused the immediate deaths of two children, 2-year-old Petra Zoltai who was sitting in a pram, and her brother 5-year-old Márton Zoltai.[3][4]
Trial and departure from Hungary [ edit ]
In the immediate aftermath of the accident, Mr. Tobin was placed under formal investigation by the Hungarian police and was taken to a police station to be interviewed. Mr. Tobin was not acquainted with any Hungarian lawyers but knew a young Hungarian woman Káta Soós whose father Tibor Soós was a lawyer. In the interviews which followed Ms. Soós was asked by the police to act as an interpreter in the absence of anyone else present who could speak both English and Hungarian.
Mr. Tobin was subsequently charged with negligent driving causing serious bodily harm and in accordance with Hungarian law chose not to attend court but was represented throughout the criminal proceedings by his lawyers. When Tobin was first interviewed by the police they had asked him to present his passport which they retained. In the autumn of 2000 he requested the return of his passport so that he could visit Ireland for a wedding and to see his family. This request was granted but he was not asked to return his passport on his return on 9 October 2000. On 30 October 2000 Tobin returned to Ireland permanently, his period of secondment to Irish Life Hungary having come to an end.
Tobin's trial took place in Hungary on 7 May 2002 in Mr. Tobin's absence albeit in the presence of lawyers acting on Tobin's behalf. Statements made by Tobin after his arrest were ruled to be inadmissible on the basis that they had been translated by his lawyer's daughter. His trial took place under section 187 of the Hungarian criminal code which provides that:
(1) A person who causes grievous bodily harm to another person or persons by violating the rules of public road traffic, by negligence, commits a misdemeanour, and shall be punishable with imprisonment of up to one year, labour in the public interest, or fine. (2) The punishment shall be a) imprisonment of up to three years, if the crime causes enduring handicap, serious health injury or mass catastrophe, b) imprisonment between one to five years, if the crime causes death, c) imprisonment from two years to eight years, if the crime causes the death of more than two persons or a fatal mass catastrophe.
He was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison. On appeal his sentence was amended to allow for the possibility of parole after 18 months.
Tobin 1 [ edit ]
Meanwhile Hungary joined the European Union on 1 May 2004, and transposed the European Arrest Warrant framework decision into their national law. Hungary requested the surrender of Mr. Tobin by issuing a European Arrest Warrant. However, a judge of the Irish High Court, Mr. Justice Peart, refused the surrender on the basis that Tobin had not "fled" Hungary as required by the Irish legislation which implemented the framework decision, since he left Hungary with the consent of the Hungarian authorities.[5][6] This decision was later upheld by the Irish Supreme Court.[7] The Irish authorities also refused the Hungarian request to make Mr. Tobin serve his time in an Irish prison, an option within the EAW framework decision but never implemented in Ireland
Hungary, on the other hand, strongly disagreed with this interpretation of the EAW law and the word "flee".[8] Hungary argued that anyone not returning to serve his or her sentence is fleeing from justice. Hungary kept the warrant in effect as the Irish decision has no bearing for other EU members. Hungary also explored other legal options, including turning to various EU fora, to enforce its court's decision.
Tobin 2 [ edit ]
In 2009, Ireland amended its domestic EAW legislation to bring it into line with the EAW framework decision by removing the requirement that, in conviction cases, a person the subject of a EAW had "fled" the issuing country.[9] An amendment which came into force on 29 August 2009. On 17 September 2010, Hungary issued a new European Arrest Warrant seeking Tobin's arrest and surrender. Tobin was arrested on 10 November 2009 and his surrender was ordered on 11 February 2011 by Mr. Justice Peart, the same High Court judge who had previously refused the surrender.
However, Mr. Tobin was again successful in gaining the leave of the High Court to appeal its decision. Notwithstanding this Ciaran Tobin voluntarily entered custody in Ireland on 9 November 2011 on the basis that any time spent in prison in Ireland will be deducted from any time in prison that he might ultimately spend in Hungary.[10]
Mr. Tobin won the appeal against surrender on 19 June 2012 when the Supreme Court over-ruled the High Court on a three to two majority.[11]
In prison [ edit ]
On 14 January 2014 Mr. Tobin voluntarily returned to Hungary to begin his prison sentence in a Hungarian jail. As a part of an agreement with the Hungarian Minister of Justice, Mr. Tibor Navracsics,[12][13] on 17 January Mr. Tobin flew back to Ireland to serve the remainder of his time there.[14] On 5 February 2014 Mr Tobin sent a letter to the family of the deceased children in which he expressed his regret and apologized. According to the lawyer of the family, the father sees it as a kind of closing of the case.[15]December 11, 2014
It is true that the internet is playing a more and more important role in learning a language. In my opinion you still can’t beat the old fashioned way of learning with a teacher, but there are some great online resources available for learning languages, especially English and Spanish. I want to show you guys the best free resources for learning Spanish online. We will start with the free resources because many people are learning Spanish as a hobby and don’t want to spend money on something if they don’t have to. That being said there are many online courses, and teaching programs that are worth your money, but this article will focus on the free ones:
1. Spanish Programs
Duolingo is a really popular tool (available as an app too) that teaches you through translation. It is really well designed and set up like a game with points, leaderboards and competition. It has a placement test as well.
Memrise doesn’t have a placement test (it does have an app), but you can choose the level and activity you want to do. They have a great tool that allows you to review words and keep practicing with them so that they are more likely to stick in your memory.
Livemocha was created by Rosetta Stone and it allows you to practice all aspects of language learning including speaking. You can record your own voice and have it reviewed.
Busuu is another new program that I really liked but only the vocabulary, reading and writing sections are free. You have to pay for grammar, exams and speaking sections. That being said if you do purchase the premium version you will have access to some classes with native teachers.
You have probably heard of at least some of these language learning programs. Which one is right for you? I suggest you try them out and pick the one that works for you. Maybe Duolingo or Memrise is a good option for those who want to study on their phones on the way to work, maybe Busuu is a good option for those who eventually want to pay for a teacher. These programs are definitely worth checking out there are constantly being updated and the support you get from other users and staff is great. The only downside is that they are mainly designed for beginners and intermediates. Theses language learning programs make a great add-on tool to classes, but you won’t become fluent only using these programs. You need to use and speak the language in a natural way.
LingQ, in another language learning program but it is different from the others. It has lessons and allows you to create flashcards of words that you don’t know from the lessons. You can than download the lesson and listen to it. The idea is to read, listen and review to help you learn a language (they have an app too). I like how they say no one can teach you a language, you have to learn it.
StudyingSpanish.com has many free lessons in grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation, but they are detailed and really go into depth. They also have a ton of tests. This site a great resource for the advanced Spanish student.
2. Conversation Exchange
This leads us to the next type of resource: conversation exchanges:
All of these websites offer a similar service, conversation exchanges with someone from another country. Some of them connect through Facebook and others through Skype. There are a ton of websites GoSpeaky, NekoPlaza, CoffeeStrap, SharedTalk, ConversationExchange.com, Bindaloo, Easy Language Exchange Hodoyoudo.com, Interpals, HellTalk, and The Mixxer are some of the many conversation exchanges. Interpals is by far the most popular with more than 6 million users monthly. ConversationExchange and GoSpeaky are also quite popular.
3. Dictionaries and Other Online Resources
The BBC‘s Spanish page is amazing! There are lots of free resources here: links to public broadcasters all over the Spanish world, videos, crosswords and the BBC News in Spanish. They also offer various lessons and courses.
Not an entirely free site but 123 Teach Me does have free Spanish computer and phone games. The tank battle game is great for fans of Scorched Earth and Wake up the Box is similar to Angry Birds.
Readlang is an amazing browser extension that allows users to translate words and phrases while reading a text or website. The Readlang website allows users to share videos with the subtitles added by users as well as texts.
Lang-8 allows you to post some writing in Spanish and have it corrected by a native speaker. They encourage you to correct writings of others who are learning English. RhinoSpike is similar but with audio files, it allows you to post some writing in Spanish that you want read aloud and then have it read by a native speaker, in exchange you must return the favour and read something in English.
As for dictionaries of course there is Google Translate, but a better option is WordReference or SpanishDict which provide more detail than Google. I have also found Reverso‘s conjugater to be very useful as it allows you to see all the conjugations of a given verb. A great resource for me has been Reddit, especially the Argentina subreddit. If you use Reddit I would recommend that you subscribe to the subreddit of the Spanish country that interest you the most. Here you will find interesting things and news related to that country, so you can practice your reading, but also you can read and leave comments. This has proven to be a great way for me to practice my writing and learn some Argentine slang at the same time.
4. Tests
Lastly find out your Spanish level at Cervantes Escuela Internacional.
These resources are best used when combined. For example using Duolingo twice a week combined with a conversation exchange once a week or LingQ combined with videos from Readlang and a Spanish class. To learn a language you need to maximize your exposure to that language and you need to practice all four areas: speaking, reading, writing and listening. Also check out a list of Spanish podcasts I made here and I will add some Spanish video links soon too.President Obama hugs Hillary Clinton after delivering a speech at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia in July. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post)
Okay, black people. Look, I get it. Hillary Clinton isn’t Barack Obama, and the history she could make as the first woman president of the United States does not move you in the way making Obama the first African American president did. But if you love Barack and Michelle as much as you say you do, you better get over it. A “President Trump” will erase everything they have accomplished.
Black millennials are skeptical of Clinton. Some bemoan her “lack of authenticity.” According to a report from the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies released Thursday, “67 percent of all black voters described President Obama as someone they like very much, while Clinton garnered this response from only 29 percent of all black voters.” And striking fear into the hearts of Democrats from the White House to elsewhere was the news of “soft” black turnout in early voting.
[Democrats, get your damned big-boy pants on]
This explains why Obama sounded emphatic, pleading and, daresay, desperate when he talked to the mostly African American audience of the “Tom Joyner Morning Show” on Wednesday. “I’m going to be honest with you right now, because we track, we’ve got early voting, we’ve got all kinds of metrics to see what’s going on,” Obama told Joyner, “and right now, the Latino vote is up. Overall vote is up. But the African American vote right now is not as solid as it needs to be.” Then he addressed the lack of enthusiasm of black voters and why their vote is crucial.
And I know that a lot of people in the barbershops and the beauty salons and in the neighborhoods who are saying to themselves, ‘Well, you know, we love Barack. We especially love Michelle. And so it was exciting and now we’re not excited as much.’ You know what? I need everybody to understand that everything we’ve done is dependent on me being able to pass the baton to somebody who believes in the same things that I believe in. So if you really care about my presidency and what we’ve accomplished, then you are going to go and vote. And if you don’t know where to vote, go to www.iwillvote.com.If you’ve already voted, but your mama hasn’t voted, your cousin hasn’t voted, your nephew hasn’t voted, I need you to call them and say that the President and Michelle personally asked you to vote. It’s not that hard. And I know it’s not that hard because we’ve done it before. But if we let this thing slip and I’ve got a situation where my last two months in office are preparing for a transition to Donald Trump, whose staff people have said that their primary agenda is, to have him, in the first couple of weeks, sit in the Oval Office and reverse every single thing that we’ve done. …
The last time the president sounded this alarmed was in the run-up to the 2014 midterms. What Obama told radio host Steve Harvey then has a familiar ring today.
The truth of the matter is, African American voters, young voters, progressive voters, Latino voters, they now vote at relatively high rates during presidential elections. But I bet a whole bunch of your listeners aren’t even thinking about this election coming up on Nov. 4. … Back in 2010, folks didn’t vote. As a consequence, Tea Party took over the Republican Party. We lost the House. And, although we’ve made a lot of progress on various issues since then, basically Congress has fought me every step of the way and it led to things like the shut down and all kinds of negative consequences in terms of things like gun control that we couldn’t get done. So, we really need to have the kind of Congress that is serious about the issues that matter to folks and the responsibility is ultimately up on everybody’s who’s listening….If people voted at the same rates during midterms as they did during presidential elections we would maintain Democratic control of the Senate….and so I need everybody listening to understand this is really, really important.
African American voters, like most Democrats during midterm elections, didn’t show up. Republicans increased their majority in the House to the largest since World War II. And Democrats lost control of the the Senate. As Steve Phillips reported in his book “Brown Is the New White: How the demographic revolution has created a new American majority,” 14 million fewer Democrats cast ballots for Senate candidates in 2014 as had in 2008.
[Don’t ignore the danger signs presented by Donald Trump’s militant supporters]
So, it’s no wonder that Obama used his farewell address to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation dinner in Washington two months ago to issue a thunderous call to action.
During a keynote address to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation on Sept. 17, President Obama imp |
the tournament.
Simmons’ match-winning half-century in the final was his sixth 50-plus score in the season, the most by a Mumbai batsman across all IPL franchises. Rohit Sharma was at his usual best and scored 482 runs in total and led the team to a second IPL title in an exquisite manner. His leadership was vital in their turnaround this season. Kieron Pollard had his best ever season in IPL cricket. He was given a lot more responsibility and in the absence of Corey Anderson, who left midway through the tournament due to injury, the pressure to perform enhanced and boy, didn’t he do well? He guided the likes of Ambati Rayudu and Hardik Pandya and was crucial to their performances as well.
https://twitter.com/bhogleharsha/status/602493894194900992
As far as the bowling side of things was concerned, the experience of Harbhajan Singh and Lasith Malinga, with an aggressive newcomer in Mitchell McClenaghan, probed the opponent batsmen with some really attacking bowling. They picked up 62 wickets combined in 15 matches. Malinga was the second highest wicket-taker with his 24 in 15 matches and slowly regained his finesse and touch which seemed missing during the earlier stages of the tournament. Harbhajan Singh’s performance made us wonder whether he had turned the clock five years back as he seemed to bowl a lot slower and flighted the ball a lot more. He also managed to regain his spot in the Indian Test team for the tour to Bangladesh.
“Some of the guys that played for MI for the first time this season did extremely well for us. The likes of J Suchith and Hardik Pandya were very impressive. Also, Vinay Kumar – I know he is an experienced campaigner, but this was his first year for MI. I thought he didn’t start out very convincingly but he finished brilliantly. He peaked at the right time.” — Sachin Tendulkar on how Mumbai’s unknown talent performed this season.
The likes of Jagadeesha Suchith, Hardik Pandya and Ambati Rayudu did a lot more than what was expected of them. They didn’t hog the limelight but certainly produced some match winning performances and were fundamental in Mumbai’s run to the finals.
“Being a part of an IPL winning team is going to be at the top of my list in my cricketing career for a long time. I guess life will be changing for me after this. This experience with the Mumbai Indians will change the way I look at the game. Hopefully this is just the beginning and I have lots more to look forward to in the future.” — All-rounder Hardik Pandya on his maiden IPL season.
Bowling Coach Shane Bond stated: “I think there are a range of guys who have impressed me from this team. I think the two guys who played for us consistently in the back end of the tournament; Hardik Pandya and Jagadeesha Suchith have great attitudes and worked hard. They have got big futures ahead and it was fun working with them.”
The story of the Mumbai Indians is a fascinating one and their turnaround is one of the most remarkable things to have happened in IPL history. The whole team must be credited for turning a cornerstone and they truly deserve their trophy and the celebrations to come with it..Nothing is worse than showing up to a show without ear plugs and the venue not having any. You are totally fucked if that happens. Hearing damage is very real, and if you don’t wear proper protection, you’re gonna end up like that dude in Saving Private Ryan who had the grenade go off by his head. A grenade going off by your head is pretty close to what it’s like seeing Whirr live.
Whirr is fucking wild, man. If you act like a nerd on their Facebook page, you are called out immediately by the band, basically telling you to put your head in a garbage disposal. This new track, "Lines,"shows what they do best, fuzzy, reverbed up shoegaze that will send you into a deep yet chill catatonic state. From listening, you can hear a lot of nods to the older greats like My Bloody Valentine and Galaxie 500 but also to contemporaries like their homies in Nothing. If "Lines" is an indication, their new album Sway is set to be the band’s most encompassing and deafening yet.
Don’t let your ears kill you on their fall tour:
Tour Dates:
8/30/2014 - San Francisco, CA @ The Rickshaw Shop!
9/1/2014 - San Diego, CA @ Soda Bar!
9/2/2014 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo!
9/3/2014 - Tempe, AZ @ 51 West!
9/5/2014 - Dallas, TX @ Sons of Herman
9/6/2014 - Austin, TX @ Holy Mountain
9/7/2014 - Houston, TX @ Mangos
9/9/2014 - Orlando, FL, @ Backbooth
9/10/2014 - Savannah, GA @ Graveface HQ #
9/11/2014 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade Purgatory #
9/12/2014 - Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 503 #
9/13/2014 - Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter #
9/14/2014 - Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery #
9/15/2014 - Philadelphia, PA @The Barbary #
9/16/2014 - New York, NY @ The Studio @ Webster Hall #
9/17/2014 - Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Upstairs #
9/18/2014 - Hamden, CT @ The Space #
9/19/2014 - Montreal, QC @ Sala Rosa #
9/20/2014 - Toronto, ON @ Hard Luck #
9/21/2014 - Cleveland, OH @ Mahalls #
9/22/2014 - Lansing, MI @ Mac's Bar #
9/23/2014 - Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen #
9/24/2014 - St. Louis, MO @ Fubar
9/26/2014 - Denver, CO @ 7th Circle Collective
9/27/2014 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Shred Shed
9/28/2014 - Boise, ID @ The Crux
9/29/2014 - Seattle, WA @ Vera Project ^
9/30/2014 - Vancouver, BC @ The Electric Owl ^
10/1/2014 - Portland, WA @ Slabtown ^
! = w/ Sad Actor
# = w/ Cloakroom
^ = w/ Special ExplosionPVI Score: State presidential vote relative to nationwide vote More Rep. ’88 ‘92 ’96 ’00 ’04 ’08 ’12 ‘84 More Dem. ’80
The country is more than just red states and blue states. Some former battlegrounds have moved to the sidelines. Other once reliably Republican or Democratic states have come into play as the composition of their electorates change.
One way to gauge partisan tilt is by using a partisan voter index, which measures how many points more Republican or Democratic a state is than the nation overall, based on the two-party share of the vote. Since it is a relative measure, a state like Florida—which Democrats won in 2008 and 2012—appears slightly Republican leaning because Democrats' margin of victory there was smaller than the national popular vote.
Here’s a look at how Republican or Democratic each state has been from 1980 to 2012.Rolling Along — Pontiac’s Iron Duke. Also referred to as the Tech 4 or Tech IV.
Introduced: 1977 Pontiac Astre
Last Year In Production: 1994 USPS Grumman Postal Truck
After being stung by the unreliable Vega engine, Pontiac played it safe with the Iron Duke 2.5L I4 engine.
Compared to the Vega engine, this was a step back to an iron block and push rods.
But, the Iron Duke was designed to last a long time and give American drivers the low-end torque they expected.
When Iron Duke was put in the Pontiac Fiero for 1984, it got a bad reputation for throwing rods and catching the car on fire.
According to inside GM sources, a bad patch of connecting rods (due to poor metallurgy) made it past quality control.
The bad rods were mixed in with the good rods and sorted for length and put into sets.
Some engines had one bad rod, some did not — it was a lottery for the owner of the vehicle.
When a rod would fail (this was often hastened by hard driving and low oil), it would punch through the block, dump oil on the catalytic converter and cause a fire.
Specs:
Power: 85-110 hp
Torque: 123-135 lb·ft
Innovations:
• One of the first all-metric fastener engines from GM.
• Throttle Body Injection
By 1988, the Iron Duke had a roller camshaft, balance shaft and even a distributorless ignition system.
Other improvements over the years included new pistons, rods, crankshaft and an in-pan oiling system.
The engine was super reliable and produced most of its power below 3,000 rpm.
Some Iron Dukes still deliver your mail as the engine in the Grumman postal truck.
Why does this engine deserve some respect?
While many of the high-revving, aluminum cast four-cylinder engines of the 1980s have long been sent to the scrap yard, you can still hear the drone of an Iron Duke as it delivers your mail or being flogged by a young driver.
You can’t kill the Duke.
Source: Underhood ServiceWisdom, the oldest known wild bird, has yet another feather in her cap—a new chick.
But Wisdom's longevity would be unknown if it weren't for a longtime bird-banding project founded by USGS research wildlife biologist Chandler Robbins.
Now 94, Robbins was the first scientist to band Wisdom in 1956, who at the time was "just another nesting bird," he said. Over the next ten years, Robbins banded tens of thousands of black-footed albatrosses (Phoebastria nigripes) and Laysan albatrosses as part of a project to study the behavior of the large seabirds, which at the time were colliding with U.S. Navy aircraft.
Robbins didn't return to the tiny Pacific island—now part of the U.S. Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument—until 2002, when he "recaptured as many birds as I could in hopes that some of them would be the old-timers."
Indeed, Robbins did recapture Wisdom—but he didn't know it until he got back to his office at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel, Maryland, and checked her band number in the database.
"That was real exciting, because we didn't think the chances of finding one that old would be that good," Robbins said Wednesday in an interview from his office at the Patuxent center, where he still works.
View Images Chandler Robbins counts birds in Maryland's Patuxent Research Refuge. Photograph by David H. Wells, Corbis
Albatrosses No Bird Brains
Bigger birds such as the albatross generally live longer than smaller ones: The oldest bird in the Guinness Book of Animal Records, a Siberian white crane (Leucogeranus leucogeranus), lived an unconfirmed 82 years. Captive parrots are known to live into their 80s. (See National Geographic's bird pictures.)
The Laysan albatross spends most of the year at sea, nesting on the Midway Atoll (map) in the colder months. Birds start nesting around five years of age, which is how scientists knew that Wisdom was at least five years old in 1956.
Because albatrosses defend their nests, banding them doesn't require a net or a trap as in the case of other bird species, Robbins said—but they're far from tame.
"They've got a long, sharp bill and long, sharp claws—they could do a job on you if you're not careful how to handle them," said Robbins, who estimates he's banded a hundred thousand birds.
For instance, "when you're not looking, the black-footed albatross will sneak up from behind and bite you in the seat of the pants."
But Robbins has a fondness for albatrosses, and Wisdom in particular, especially considering the new dangers that these birds face.
Navy planes are no longer a problem—albatross nesting dunes were moved farther from the runway—but the birds can ingest floating bits of plastic that now inundate parts of the Pacific, get hooked in longlines meant for fish, and be poisoned by lead paint that's still on some of Midway Atoll's buildings. (Also see "Birds in 'Big Trouble' Due to Drugs, Fishing, More.")
That Wisdom survived so many years avoiding all those hazards and is still raising young is quite extraordinary, Robbins said.
"Those birds have a tremendous amount of knowledge in their little skulls."
"Simply Incredible"
Wisdom's accomplishments have caught the attention of other scientists, in particular Sylvia Earle, an oceanographer and National Geographic Explorer in Residence, who said by email that Wisdom is a "symbol of hope for the ocean." (National Geographic News is part of the National Geographic Society.)
Earle visited Wisdom at her nest in January 2012, where she "appeared serenely indifferent to our presence," Earle wrote in the fall 2012 issue of the Virginia Quarterly Review.
"I marveled at the perils she had survived during six decades, including the first ten or so years before she found a lifetime mate. She learned to fly and navigate over thousands of miles to secure enough small fish and squid to sustain herself, and every other year or so, find her way back to the tiny island and small patch of grass where a voraciously hungry chick waited for special delivery meals."
Indeed, Wisdom has logged an estimated two to three million miles since 1956—or four to six trips from Earth to the moon and back, according to the USGS. (Related: "Albatross's Effortless Flight Decoded—May Influence Future Planes.")
Bruce Peterjohn, chief of the North American Bird Banding Program, called Wisdom's story "simply incredible."
"If she were human, she would be eligible for Medicare in a couple years—yet she is still regularly raising young and annually circumnavigating the Pacific Ocean," he said in a statement.
Bird's-Eye View
As for Robbins, he said he'd "love to get out to Midway again." But in the meantime, he's busy going through thousands of bird records in an effort to trace their life histories.
There's much more to learn: For instance, no one has ever succeeded in putting a radio transmitter on an albatross to follow it throughout its entire life-span, Robbins noted.To some, fashion is about personal expression, creativity or making a statement. For the team at Seattle's Union Gospel Mission, it's about all three -- especially the latter.
The organization, which provides emergency care and long-term recovery services to homeless people in the Seattle area, recently announced it is producing a fashion line in the hopes of moving its mission forward.
"It's more than just a fashion statement," the group said in a press release. "It's a human statement."
The label, one of the first of its kind in the country, combines the talents of local fashion students with clothing donated to the organization to create unique pieces, according to Q13 Fox News. The line, titled "Others Like Us" or OLU, will be available for purchase online starting March 7.
OLU currently features black, white and gray T-shirts, hooded sweatshirts and hats, which range in price from $14 to $35. Some of the T-shirts will showcase the smiling faces of Seattle's homeless to personalize the cause.
All revenue from the clothing line will go toward the work being done by Seattle's Union Gospel Mission.
Jeff Lilley, the president of the organization, told Q13 Fox that he hopes the clothing line will eventually result in jobs for those shipping the clothes, selling them in-store, and possibly those staying in shelters who choose to create their own merchandise.Channel Nine has been forced to defend a'planted' camera crew after viewers labelled the Today Show's Block of cash giveaway a scam. Courtesy: Today Show
THE wife of a Woolworths employee from the NSW Central Coast who found himself at the centre of Today show “scam” allegations has staunchly defended her husband.
Josh Huxley scored himself $130,000 on Wednesday when his phone rang and he answered with those five magic words: “I wake up with Today”.
The morning show’s Block of Cash giveaway quickly turned into a controversy when viewers questioned whether the “random call” was set-up in advance.
The speculation was fuelled by how quickly a film crew had burst into the Huxleys’ home.
Today viewer Coralie Allan even launched a change.org petition demanding “Channel 9 should refund all monies to entrants for the I wake up with Today scam”.
In the petition, Ms Allan argued: “A television crew filmed him answering the phone ‘live’ in order to win a major jackpot. This call is supposed to be random. A television crew in presence, in his house belies this claim.”
It should be noted Mr Huxley wasn’t shown on camera answering the phone, the cameras entered his home a short time after.
But on Thursday afternoon, Mrs Huxley told the Mail Online the idea that the winner was pre-determined was “a load of rubbish”.
“We didn’t have a clue about it,” she said. “It’s a competition where you sit in front of the TV and so we were just sitting there like everybody else.
“The only reason the door was open is that I was expecting my grandchildren who come down every morning and then all of a sudden there’s a camera in my face. The last thing I wanted was to be on TV.”
Earlier, Nine addressed the controversy on Facebook. They posted the clip of Mr Huxley winning and explained:
“In case you’re wondering, we had no idea whether our $130,000 cash call winner was going to pick up the phone today within three rings, and scoop the cash. We had a cameraman waiting outside his home just in case, so we could share the magic with viewers if we got a winner — and it was a big IF.”
The Facebook post continued, explaining it’s “not the first time” the show has waited outside a viewer’s home on the off chance they pick up the call.
“Often they don’t pick up, and the jackpot rolls over to the next call,” the post read.
“On this occasion, Mr. Huxley got lucky, and so did we. We’re delighted to share his joy on national television!”
They also released a statement to news.com.au saying:
“To correct any misinformation and concerns, Nine reaffirms the competition is run in accordance with clearly stated terms and conditions to protect all entrants and ensure fairness in the operations.
“As a live television show, when it is possible to have a crew in the vicinity of the call recipient, and if they answer the call correctly, we are able to capture the reaction as soon as possible.
“Often, the public is unaware of the presence of a crew because the call is not answered in time. When there is a moment of joy to be shared, we endeavour to do so with our viewers.
Locals in Halenkulani where the Huxley’s live told news.com.au they had no doubt the call was “random”.
“I’ve only seen what I’ve seen on Facebook and I can tell you nobody here thinks that, everyone’s supportive,” New Body Fitness owner Mick Jolley said.
Mr Jolley revealed that in the hours after winning the big cash prize, Mr Huxley went about his daily routine, which involved going to the gym.
“He’s here every day, he’s a big fella, probably the biggest in the gym,” he said.
“He’s very quiet, comes in, does what he needs to do and the ‘bye’, so I think all this has caught him off guard a bit.
“I think he’s got a few things he needs, I think his car has had it and that sort of stuff, so we’re all very happy for him.”
While there, Mr Huxley told locals how the phone call happened.
“He told the guys his wife was making coffee and he just heard them say ‘Halekulani’ on the Today show and the next thing his phone was ringing,” Mr Jolley told news.com.au.
“I have never seen the guy anywhere without a hat on and there he was on TV looking like he just got out of bed.”
According to the terms and conditions for the giveaway, Today show’s Block of Cash segment runs until May 18.
During that time, viewers can enter by calling 1902 555 901 (or via SMS on 199 55 901) and leave their full name, address and a telephone number they will be able to be contacted on.
At 5pm AEST each day, the promoter (Nine) will draw entries at random for the hosts to call the next morning.
If the randomly chosen viewer answers the call within three full rings and says, “I wake up with Today (or any alternative phrase as deemed suitable by the Promoter in its absolute discretion)” they win the cash.Sir Alex Ferguson has today confirmed what we all feared, that Phil Jones, who turned 21 today, is unlikely to face Real Madrid in the second leg game.
“Phil Jones is the one we’re concerned about in terms of the Real Madrid game,” he said. “We’re working hard on it and I’d say he has an outside chance – no more than that. Phil tackled awkwardly the other night and tangled his foot there, that’s why he has the injury he has. He has the courage and willingness to tackle. Bryan Robson was the same. Bryan couldn’t see danger and neither can Phil. It’s a measure of his courage and I don’t want to take that away from him. Phil did an incredible job in Madrid. He doesn’t care who he’s playing against, he has no fear of playing against anyone. We’ll have to wait and see if he’s fit for the second leg. It’s two weeks away. A lot can happen. When you look at his tackles, he tackles like a young man. Maybe he’s too brave. He was unbalanced in the tackle and ended up injured. He’s an outside chance, that’s all.”A deadly combination of a plummeting birthrate and massive immigration portend that native Italians will make up an increasingly small percentage of Italy’s overall population, a new study reports.
Italy’s fertility rate is less than half of what it was in 1964, the Centro Machiavelli reported in its study titled “How immigration is changing Italian demographics.” It has dropped from 2.7 children per woman to just 1.5 children per woman currently, a figure well below the replacement level for zero population growth of roughly 2.1 children per woman.
As of the first of this year, Italy had over five million foreigners living as residents, a growth of a remarkable 25 percent relative to 2012 and a whopping 270 percent over 2002. At that time, foreigners made up just 2.38 percent of the population while fifteen years later the figure has nearly trebled to 8.33 percent of the population.
Moreover, even the children being born in Italy are over-represented by immigrants, whose birthrate is considerably higher than native Italians, the study revealed. It is “unsurprising,” therefore, that Italian regions with the highest fertility rates are no longer in the south, as was ever the case, but in the Italian north and in the Lazio region, where there is a higher concentration of immigrants.
If current trends continue, the report states, by 2065, first- and second-generation immigrants will exceed 22 million persons, or more than 40 percent of Italy’s total population.
By comparison, it was only in the not far-off 2001 that the percentage of foreigners living in Italy crossed the low threshold of one percent, which reveals the speed and magnitude of demographic change occurring in Italy, a phenomenon “without precedent” in Italy’s history, the study asserts.
An added concern brought forward by the report is the high concentration of immigrant populations from just a few countries of origin, which often results elsewhere in the formation of “closed, homogeneous communities that fail to integrate with their host society,” or what Pope Francis has termed “ghettoization.”
In the 1970s, the top ten countries of origin made up just 12.8 percent of the total immigrant population in Italy, the study found, whereas today five times that figure, or 64 percent of the total immigrant population, comes from just ten countries.
Unfortunately, Italy is not alone in its demographic turmoil, the study stated. Extrapolating from current trends, British citizens will no longer be the majority of the population in the United Kingdom around 1965.
In Germany today, 36 percent of children under five are born to immigrant parents, which presages a significant demographic shift in the next generation in that country as well.
In this regard, Italy represents a microcosm of Europe itself, which accounted for over a fifth of the entire world population in 1950 (22 percent), yet is expected to make up just 7 percent of the world population in the year 2050, the study states.
Follow Thomas D. Williams on Twitter Follow @tdwilliamsromeState Sen. Bryce Reeves (R-Spotsylvania) center, speaks at a news conference to announce a gun deal with Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), right. Virginia Secretary of Public Safety Brian Moran is at left. (Steve Helber/AP)
A package of bills tied to Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s surprise gun compromise with Republicans cleared its last legislative hurdle on Monday and headed for the governor’s desk.
McAuliffe (D), who endured fierce pushback over the deal from erstwhile allies in the gun-control movement, promised to sign the bills.
“Today the General Assembly finalized its work on a bipartisan public safety agreement that will save lives,” he said in a written statement. “I look forward to signing this legislation into law.”
The measures expand the rights of concealed-carry handgun permit holders in Virginia in exchange for tighter restrictions on gun ownership by domestic abusers and voluntary background checks at gun shows.
McAuliffe, who ran for governor bragging about his F rating from the National Rifle Association, has billed the deal as a pragmatic compromise on a difficult issue.
But some of his allies in the gun-control movement renewed their criticism. “Governor McAuliffe let his constituents down, striking a deal with the NRA that will allow concealed-carry permit holders from across the country to avoid Virginia’s laws on who can carry hidden, loaded weapons in the commonwealth,” said Jennifer Herrera, Virginia director of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “It was a giveaway to the gun lobby, and as a mother and a Virginian, I expect more from my leaders — and once again urge Governor McAuliffe to veto the concealed-carry bill.”
McAuliffe’s secretary of public safety, Brian Moran, hammered out the compromise with lobbyists for the NRA and one of the group’s chief allies in the legislature, Sen. Bryce E. Reeves (R-Spotsylvania).
[Five things that (kind of) explain Terry McAuliffe’s gun deal with the GOP]
The negotiations began after Reeves, often mentioned as a lieutenant governor candidate in 2017, and Sen. J. Chapman “Chap” Petersen (D-Fairfax) approached the governor. Reeves and Petersen were looking for a way to counter action taken by Attorney General Mark R. Herring (D), who had revoked reciprocity rights with 25 states that have looser standards than Virginia.
Their eventual compromise not only reverses Herring’s move but extends reciprocity to every state but Vermont, which does not issue concealed-carry permits.
Gun-rights legislators and activists have roundly cheered the deal — underscoring the feeling among some gun-control advocates that they gave up more than they got.
“This bill not only restores Virginia’s existing concealed-carry reciprocity agreements, but will also expand such agreements with additional states,” Reeves said in a statement.
McAuliffe has said he was willing to expand concealed-carry rights in exchange for prohibiting people convicted of domestic abuse from possessing guns. They will have to give away or sell their guns within 24 hours of conviction but are not required to surrender their weapons to law enforcement. Gun-control advocates said that creates a dangerous loophole, because guns could be given to friends or relatives and then be reclaimed.
McAuliffe has emphasized another aspect of the compromise, which calls for posting a state trooper at every gun show to conduct criminal background checks for private sellers. The checks would remain optional, and critics note that federal law already allows private sellers to run checks through licensed dealers. Moran has said the new procedure will be simpler and quicker.
McAuliffe said the troopers’ attendance will “change the culture at gun shows in Virginia by providing all sellers with access to criminal background checks.”
Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun-control group launched by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I), has been especially critical of the compromise, launching a media campaign against McAuliffe in recent weeks.
[Bloomberg gun-control group has new target: Terry McAuliffe]
Just a few months ago, Everytown was so firmly in McAuliffe’s camp that it answered his call for help in the fall Virginia Senate races by bankrolling $2 million in attack ads. Republicans nevertheless held onto the chamber.
The governor has dismissed Everytown’s criticisms by characterizing his former ally as a group of meddling out-of-towners.
On Monday, rather than comment directly, Everytown issued the statement from Herrera of the Moms Demand Action group, an Everytown affiliate. The statement noted that Herrera is a volunteer and a Virginian.
Also weighing in was Jasper Hendricks III, director of Brown Virginia, which he described as a “statewide network of organizations representing people of color.”
“Our voices matter, our lives matter, and our relationship with your administration matters too,” he wrote in a letter to McAuliffe. “It is vital that in this debate you see communities of color as more than just photo opportunity props.”Max Keiser and Stacy Herbert report from Belfast on location at the G8 and anti-G8 meetings. They juxtapose the protests in China where thousands wait in line to buy gold to protect against G8-style inflationary policies to the less-effective protests in Belfast where placards are waved in ‘free speech zones;’ while in Westminster, secret proposals are drafted by Rothschilds to retroactively raise interest rates on $40 billion in outstanding student loan debts. The plan is suggested in order to make the debt more attractive to private investors. In the second half, Max talks to independent journalist, Luke Rudkowski, about fake shopfronts in Belfast meant to disguise the true state of the economy and about the few protesters demanding communism and socialism when that’s part of the reason our financial and economic systems have collapsed.The 506th Infantry Regiment, originally designated the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (506th PIR) during World War II, is an airborne light infantry regiment of the United States Army. Currently a parent regiment under the U.S. Army Regimental System, the regiment has two active battalions: the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment (1-506th IR) is assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, and the 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment (2-506th IR) is assigned to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.
The regiment served with the 101st Airborne Division in World War II. Regimental elements have served with the 101st in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Regimental elements have also served in peacetime with the 2nd Infantry Division, and deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom. The regiment's Company E ("Easy Company") actions during World War II were featured in the 2001 HBO miniseries Band of Brothers.
History [ edit ]
World War II [ edit ]
The regiment was initially formed during World War II at Camp Toccoa, Georgia, in 1942 where it earned its nickname, "Currahees", after the camp's Currahee Mountain. Paratroopers in training ran from Camp Toccoa up Currahee Mountain and back with the shout "three miles up, three miles down!". The Cherokee word, which translates to "Stand Alone", also became the unit's motto. Members of the unit wear the spade (♠) symbol on the helmet outer and the Screaming Eagle patch (indicating membership in the 101st Airborne Division) on the left sleeve. Its first commanding officer was Colonel Robert F. Sink, and the 506th was sometimes referred to as the "Five-Oh-Sink". On 10 June 1943, the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment officially became part of the 101st Airborne Division, commanded by Major General William Lee, the "father of the U.S. Army Airborne".
Sink read in Reader's Digest about a Japanese Army unit that held the world record for marching. Sink believed his men could do better, so he marched the regiment from Camp Toccoa to Atlanta: 137 miles (220 km) in 75 hours and 15 minutes, including 33.5 hours of actual marching. Only 12 of the 2nd Battalion's 556 enlisted men failed to complete the march. All 30 officers completed it, including 2nd Battalion commander Major Robert Strayer. Newspapers covered the march; many civilians turned out to cheer the men as they neared Five Points. In Atlanta, they boarded trains for Airborne School in Fort Benning, Georgia.
The 506th would participate in three major battles during the war: D-day landings, Operation Market Garden, and the Battle of the Bulge. (They would have participated in Operation Varsity, but SHAEF decided to use the 17th Airborne Division instead.)
D-Day: Operation Overlord [ edit ]
Like almost all paratrooper units, the 506th was widely scattered during the Mission Albany night drop on the morning of D-Day. The most famous action for the 506th on D-Day was the Brécourt Manor Assault led by 1st Lieutenant Richard Winters. Later, they fought in the battle for Carentan.
The unit had been promised that they would be in battle for just three days, but the 506th did not return to England for 33 days. Of about 2,000 men who jumped into France, 231 were killed in action, 183 were missing or POWs, and 569 were wounded — about 50% casualties for the Normandy campaign.
Operation Market Garden [ edit ]
The airborne component of Operation Market Garden, Operation Market was composed of American units (82nd Airborne Division, the 101st Airborne Division, and the IX Troop Carrier Command), British units (1st Airborne Division) and Polish units (1st Independent Parachute Brigade). The airborne units were dropped near several key bridges along the axis of advance of the ground forces, Operation Garden, with the objective of capturing the bridges intact in order to allow a deep penetration into the German-occupied Netherlands and to capture the key bridge crossing the River Rhine at Arnhem.
The 101st Airborne was assigned five bridges just north of the German defensive lines northwest of Eindhoven. The daylight schedule resulted in well-targeted and controlled drops into the designated zones. The 101st captured all but one bridge, the one at Son, which its German defenders blew up as the airborne units approached. The ground forces of British XXX Corps linked up with elements of the 101st Airborne on the second day of operations but the advance of the ground forces was delayed while engineers replaced the Son bridge with a Bailey Bridge. XXX Corps then continued its advance into the 82nd Airborne's area of operations where it was halted just shy of Arnhem due to German counterattacks along the length of the deep penetration.
The 101st Airborne continued to support XXX Corps advance during the remainder of Operation Market Garden with several running battles over the next several days.
Battle of the Bulge [ edit ]
The 506th fought in the Battle of the Bulge from December 1944-January 1945. In December, the unit, along with the rest of the 101st Airborne Division, was resting and refitting in France after Operation Market Garden. On 16 December, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander on the Western Front, ordered them to move into the Belgian town of Bastogne by 18 December, so that the Germans would not gain access to its important crossroads. The short-notice move left the unit short of food, ammunition, arms, men, and winter clothing. The unit, along with the rest of the 101st Airborne, was encircled immediately. The 506th was sent to the eastern section of the siege. During the siege, there were reports of problems with tying in the gap in between the 501st PIR and the 506th. To stall the Germans so that the defense could be set up, the 1st Battalion of the 506th (along with Team Desobry from the 10th Armored Division) was sent out to fight the Germans in the towns of Noville and Foy. One-third (about 200 men) of the battalion was destroyed, but took out 30 enemy tanks and inflicted 500 to 1,000 casualties. The battalion was put into reserve and the 2nd and 3rd Battalions were put on the lines. A supply drop on 22 December helped to some extent. After the U.S. Third Army, under General George Patton, broke the encirclement, the 506th stayed on the line and spearheaded the entire offensive by liberating Foy and Noville in January, until being transferred to Haguenau. They were pulled off the line in late February 1945.
Rest of the war [ edit ]
The regiment was put back on the line on 2 April, and continued for the rest of the war, taking light casualties. It helped encircle the Ruhr Pocket and capture Berchtesgaden, then took up occupational duties in Zell am See, Austria. The 506th then began training to be redeployed to the Pacific theater but the war ended in August 1945.
Post World War II [ edit ]
The 506th was deactivated in 1945, then was re-activated as the 506th Airborne Infantry Regiment in 1948–1949, again in 1950–1953 and finally, in 1954 to train recruits. Despite the |
were busy taking down the Atlanta Falcons at this year’s Super Bowl, mobile carriers T-Mobile and Verizon decided they had better things to do than watch the game – like throwing shade at each other on Twitter in the strangest way possible.
A bit of background: T-Mobile just launched a new campaign starring comedian Kristen Schaal that hits out at Verizon over its various overages.
That was followed by a tweet from Schaal that was likely aimed at kicking off a war of words between the two brands:
.@Verizon overages hurt so bad. Do you punish your customers that way, @TMobile? #TheSafeWordisUnlimited — Kristen Schaal (@kristenschaaled) February 5, 2017
Then came this reply from T-Mobile:
Sorry @Kristenschaaled but with our UNLIMITED network, you won’t feel the pain of overages. Can we still be friends? #TheSafeWordisUnlimited https://t.co/ZpZpMqMqdS — T-Mobile📱 (@TMobile) February 6, 2017
Not to be outdone, Verizon returned fire with these zingers (cover your eyes, kids):
Unfortunately no one will hear your safe word if you're on @Tmobile. 🤐 — Verizon (@verizon) February 6, 2017
Yes @Tmobile, we're into BDSM. Bigger coverage map, Devastating Speed, and Massive capacity. — Verizon (@verizon) February 6, 2017
T-Mobile CEO John Legere wanted to have the last word, so he went with this:
And that’s why you only follow your mobile carrier’s Twitter account when you need customer support.
Read next: Netflix's Stranger Things returns with season two this HalloweenThe RAM Conundrum: How Much RAM Do We Really Need?
Recently, we were treated to announcements of one of the first smartphones running Android that come with 6GB of RAM.
6 freaking GB! That is a lot of RAM in a mobile device.
Starting up the number game is the Vivo Xplay5 Elite. Vivo as a company may not be very well known outside of China, but the company, to its credit, has made some really thin smartphones in the past. With the Xplay5 Elite, they tried to fit in a lot of specs in a device that aims to stand amongst kings.
The Vivo Xplay 5 Elite features a dual-curved 5.43″ QHD Super AMOLED display on a metallic frame for the body. Inside, there is the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC clocked at 2.15 Ghz, Adreno 530 GPU, 6GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 128GB of non-expandable storage. For camera, the rear is a 16MP Sony IMX298 sensor with f/2.0 and the front is an 8MP shooter. Keeping in mind these specs and the metallic build of the device, it should be no surprise that it would cost quite some even for the Chinese consumer. With a price tag of CNY 4,288 ($660), this is certainly a Chinese flagship rather than an affordable mid-ranger.
The Vivo Xplay5 Elite is not the only smartphone right now with 6GB of RAM. A lesser known and newly founded Chinese OEM, Vernee, is aiming to bring greater consumer accessibility to gargantuan amounts of RAM by launching a mid-ranged device, the Vernee Apollo.
The Vernee Apollo will come bearing MediaTek’s high end SoC, the Helio X20. There will be the aforementioned 6GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage, a 21MP Sony IMX230 rear camera and a 5.5″ 2K display. With all of that, the Apollo would cost $399.99. The press information sent to us had no mentions of a Chinese price or of target markets, so the phone is still quite a bit of mystery.
Both of these phones beg us to ask the question, do we really need so much RAM right now?
To answer this question, we have to understand how Android handles memory management and RAM. Mishaal did a fantastic job at explaining the intricacies of Android’s memory management in a previous article, which still maintains its relevancy six months later.
“The way Android handles memory management is like so: rather than immediately killing off every process after its activity ended (like when you press the home button to exit an app), the process is kept in memory until the system needs to kill it to free up more memory. How does the system decide what processes to keep and what to kill? The LMK (Low Memory Killer) driver. Every process is assigned an oom_adj value ranging from -17 to 15 by the ActivityManager Service, which dynamically adjusts the oom_adj value depending on the process’ importance. Higher oom_adj values mean the process is more likely to be killed to free up memory, while lower values mean the process is less likely to be killed.”
“Android categorizes each process into five categories (Foreground, Visible, Service, Background, and Empty) ranging from most important to least important to keep running. Processes belonging to each category are killed off at different levels of free memory remaining (called the LMK minfree value). For example, if your device’s LMK minfree values are set to “2560,4090,6144,7168,8192” (listed as 4k pages, which can be read from /sys/module/lowmemorykiller/parameters/minfree) then your device will kill off processes defined as ‘Empty’ when your free memory falls below 32MB, processes defined as ‘Background’ when free memory is below 28MB, and Foreground apps when free memory falls below 10MB (heavens forbid!) Now, these minfree values aren’t typical on most devices these days as manufacturers love to tweak these to their liking depending on how they feel it best suits their device. But what you should take away from this brief explanation is that the more free memory you have, the less likely you’ll see critical processes being killed off.”
As Mishaal mentions, the actual values vary from OEM to OEM, so you could have varying experiences with multi tasking on different phones with similar specs. Another variable in the mix is the amount of bloatware on the device. Heavily modified Android UXs like TouchWiz tend to pack in a lot of features over and above Android based on stock AOSP, and as such, require a lot more resources to be allocated to the system to function at the level the OEM wanted it to. This leaves lesser room for 3rd party apps to get cached, which in turn aggravates low memory killing.
Mostly Soft
“The main difference between a device with 2GB of RAM versus a device with 3GB of RAM is that the device with 3GB of RAM should be able to cache more processes in the background without triggering the LMK driver to kill it off.”
So theoretically, more RAM available at the hardware level should lead to more processes remaining cached at the OS level and a larger pool for the OEM to partake from. But more often than not, even on devices with 2GB of RAM, you see a lot more free RAM even after the system and apps have locked onto what they need. Here is the same gallery from Mishaal’s post, comparing free RAM across various devices:
As you can see, devices with the lightest of UI’s, like the Nexus 5 and the Nexus 6, have the largest proportion of free RAM available on the device. Even the heaviest of them all, the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 with 4GB of RAM and TouchWiz to boot, has around 1.7GB of RAM that is available for app caching. Even with such a large pool of free RAM, the Note 5 suffered from multitasking issues where the device would resort to aggressive memory handling. This was because of the OEM’s choice of LMK values: pumping in more RAM at the hardware level will not help! The fix for the Note 5 for improving multitasking actually involved tweaking these LMK values to be more multitasking friendly than Samsung’s stock settings, which is ironic for a device that focused on productivity. As such, just having more RAM will not automagically make the device more multitasking friendly.
Coming back to the gallery again, part of the free RAM displayed is already used for app process caching, but part of this remains actually idle doing nothing. Here are some screenshots from my OnePlus One showing the free RAM displayed, and then the breakup into cached RAM and idle RAM:
Even in the small ~1 second instance that it took me to swap out of an active game and select the option to display cached processes, the system worked to trim down the actual RAM used. This happened because the game, NFS No Limits in this case, had a change in priority, moving from a Foreground process to a Background process. This was done with a view to keep the OS flowing smoothly at all times, as the RAM under active usage changed from 2.5GB to 1.9GB, while the NFS No Limits game process was cached. As the game shifted in its priority, it is now killable if the OS actually needs more free RAM. There is no user interaction required here.
The point of this example was to highlight how Android’s memory management has evolved to be more efficient in prioritizing the system and all of its processes. There’s only so many apps that will remain cached at any time: the OS ideally does not use the entire free RAM in caching processes. A part of the free RAM is left to idle. This is by design, for occasions when a process may need to scale up their RAM usage very quickly.
There is a RAM allocation cap for app processes as well, as defined by the OEM again for individual phones. According to an old discussion post by Dianne Hackborn, Android Framework Engineer, there is a limit on the Java heap where java objects will reside before garbage collection is initiated, but even that can be extended with clever use of the NDK. In simple words, this means that there is a maximum cap on the RAM that was available to any app that wanted to run on that device. For older devices, this heap was set to 24MB, but on recent devices, the size has been increased thanks to the increase in RAM in devices as well as increased hardware demands. Android’s Compatibility Definition Document for Android 6.0 mentions (Section 3.7) the minimum values that these heaps should be set by the OEM. For comparison, my OnePlus One on CM12.1 boasts of a 192MB limit for normal Dalvik VM heaps and allows for as much as 512MB for apps that specify android:largeHeap=true in their application manifest. Theoretically, a single app can only use up to 512MB of RAM on my device. Beyond that, garbage collection will be initiated to keep the other necessary system processes free flowing.
Now combine the heap size limit for apps with LMK values assigned to them based on their priority and the OS’s insistence to keep a certain amount of free RAM idle, and you can imagine how Android’s multi tasking works. It’s a complex mechanism that involves a lot of variables between the hardware, the software and the app itself; fine tuned to allow even the most basic devices to function while still allowing the best of flagships to take absolute advantage of their potential, theoretically. Practically, this is not a perfect world, so neither of those happens. This means that there is no guarantee that a device with 4GB of RAM will work equally as another with 4GB of RAM. Nor does it mean that an extra GB of RAM beyond a certain threshold will give you a directly proportionate increase in multitasking and memory handling.
The Practical & The Future
So, coming back to the original question, do you really need 6GB of RAM in your devices in early 2016? For me, the answer is no.
The majority of devices I own have 3GB of LPDDR3 RAM, and one has 4GB of RAM. And there is simply no noticeable difference in performance when it comes to multitasking. Here is a multitasking demo from my recent OnePlus X review, a device with 3GB of RAM and a close to stock Android ROM:
The device had no issues switching between 12 apps (13 if you count the active screen recorder) without having to kill any of these apps. There was no reload and no redraw, and this experience remains surprisingly consistent throughout daily usage without any reboots or manual app killing. A normal consumer simply has no need to actively switch between these many apps during practical usage!
But what if the user wishes to switch between these many games instead? Agreed, factors mentioned above would come into play to allow switching between only a few games at best. In such a condition, having more physical RAM would let the device hold more games passively in memory. But a counterpoint to this advantage is that a lot of games often do a force reload themselves upon multitasking! Their intention is to avoid cheating mechanisms from manipulating game data while the game is running, so a reload/resync/refresh forces integrity checks to come into play again. Their intention is different, but this makes a lot of games poor candidates to multitask between.
There are yet some more factors as well, that would stop you from taking advantage from all that glorious RAM. If you do find a task/several tasks combined that require all 6GB of your device’s LPDDR4 RAM, you’d have a much bigger bottleneck in the form of the mobile SoC. Granted, the Snapdragon 820 and the Helio X20 may be the flagship processors of their respective companies, but they are still mobile SoC’s. As such, they have other limitations such as heat generation, heat dissipation, thermal throttling and battery life which would make them poor choices for tasks intensive enough to use so much RAM for a prolonged period of time. In such cases, you are better off using a system that is not meant to be held in your hand; one that has more liberal limits on the heat it can generate and the power it can consume.
At the end of the day, no matter how much free RAM you have, apps will still get kicked out. That’s just how memory management works. There are still advantages to going big on RAM, like a further increase in heap size will help in powering bitmap assets on higher resolution displays, allowing us to go beyond QHD resolutions on our devices. An increased heap size as a trend across the market will lead to apps that can do aspire to do more. Unless RAM is locked off as untouchable, there will always be some or the other use for it. But considering that screens seemingly hover between 1080p and 1440p on flagships, we might see 4GB as a reasonable standard for another year or two.
As a conclusion, we get to answer the question: do we really need so much RAM right now? No, we don’t. For devices that have price as one of the factors that they need to keep low, 3GB or 4GB of RAM would serve them well enough. For flagships with demand from users that do not care about prices as much, it would not hurt to future proof. As a customer, just make note that you won’t be using all of that RAM just yet.
What are your thoughts on phones with 6GB of RAM? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!00pm
NatGeo
All-new series American Weed finds Colorado medical marijuana businesses under scrutiny and facing mounting pressures from local residents. Medical cannabis entrepreneur and Fort Collins dispensary owner Josh Stanley works aggressively to counter such pressure with radio ads and fundraisers. As the oldest of 11 kids, Josh relies heavily on several of his brothers to work at the grove and keep his business supplied in medical marijuana. Meanwhile, Sgt. Jim Gerhardt and fellow officers on the North Metro Task Force continue to find illegal grows by residents claiming to be growing medical marijuana. Is the pendulum swinging back to curb the 10-year proliferation of medical marijuana in Colorado?
American Weed: Marijuana Drama
Premieres Wednesday, February 22, 2012, at 10 p.m. ET/PT
Fort Collins dispensary owner Dawn Clifford and her husband, John, are facing the possibility of their business being shut down due to a proposed marijuana dispensaries ban. If it happens, all owners are on the chopping block, and hundreds of patients will be left in the cold. The Stanley brothers are growing their medicinal marijuana to sell at their dispensaries throughout the state. But the guys face a problem: their $250,000 crop must be moved before the plants outgrow the space and the crop is lost. Meanwhile, Scoot Crandall is rounding up votes to stop Fort Collins from being what he calls the “pot capital of Northern Colorado.” And Sgt. Jim Gerhardt discovers marijuana is growing in a suburban neighborhood within reach of children — who have picked leaves and taken them to school.President Obama’s Transportation Bill Prioritizes Livability, High-Speed Rail
A draft of the president’s full transportation bill [PDF], obtained by the semi-underground Transportation Weekly, has started floating around Beltway policy circles. This draft is more informative than the partial bill that started making the rounds last week, but it’s still undated and it’s not necessarily the final proposal.
The draft bill closely follows the outline presented by the White House in February, apparently unaffected by the raging budget battles that have consumed Congress since then. Although high-speed rail was completely de-funded in the last budget battle, the president’s bill still provides $53 billion over six years to the program, with $37.6 billion of it for network development and the rest for system preservation and renewal. The proposal also sticks to the language of a “transportation trust fund” rather than a “highway trust fund.”
An accompanying section-by-section analysis [PDF] explains the new Livability Program (one of the five areas the entire transportation program would be folded into). It would consist of three program components, according to the analysis:
The formula-based Livable Communities Program, which would absorb popular livability programs including Transportation Enhancements, Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program, National Scenic Byways Program, Recreational Trails Program, Bicycle Transportation and Pedestrian Walkways, and Safe Routes to School. Some transit projects proven to improve air quality would be allowed. States would be required to use some of the money to employ a full-time Safe Routes to School coordinator and at least one bicycle and pedestrian coordinator. States would also be required to develop a livable communities strategy in support of national performance goals for livability, to be reported on annually. The budget allocates $23 billion over six years to this program.
, which would absorb popular livability programs including Transportation Enhancements, Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program, National Scenic Byways Program, Recreational Trails Program, Bicycle Transportation and Pedestrian Walkways, and Safe Routes to School. Some transit projects proven to improve air quality would be allowed. States would be required to use some of the money to employ a full-time Safe Routes to School coordinator and at least one bicycle and pedestrian coordinator. States would also be required to develop a livable communities strategy in support of national performance goals for livability, to be reported on annually. The budget allocates $23 billion over six years to this program. The discretionary Bicycling and Walking Transportation Grant Program has a big “[NEED TO MODIFY]” in front of it in boldface type, so let’s take all this with a grain of salt. The analysis says the program would fund “sidewalks, bikeways, and shared use paths” and other facilities, including bike-share stations, and bike education and encouragement programs. Grants could be as high as $20 million, out of an annual program budget of a half-billion dollars.
has a big “[NEED TO MODIFY]” in front of it in boldface type, so let’s take all this with a grain of salt. The analysis says the program would fund “sidewalks, bikeways, and shared use paths” and other facilities, including bike-share stations, and bike education and encouragement programs. Grants could be as high as $20 million, out of an annual program budget of a half-billion dollars. The discretionary Livability Capacity Building Grant Program would give grants for data collection, training, technical upgrades, and the development of transportation modeling. Grants would be awarded to projects that further the goals of the HUD-EPA-DOT interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities. This programs gets $200 million a year.
The president’s bill, as we’ve mentioned, is useful as a standard to hold Congressional transportation legislation up against. It contains policies that would transform the highway-centric status quo, and reformers appreciate the administration’s decision to present an agenda that is such a quantum leap over previous funding levels, performance metrics, organizational structures, and priorities. However, don’t expect it to be central to the debate in Congress. By refusing to adjust to a still-struggling economy, high gas prices, and a deficit-obsessed Congress, the president has rendered his own plan moot.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee started writing its transportation reauthorization bill a few weeks ago. That committee, as well as the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, is moving away from talk of a Memorial Day deadline and are now shooting for “sometime in June” with the president’s signature before the end of the fiscal year.
We’ve had plenty of warning at this point that the House bill will likely include funding levels lower than SAFETEA-LU. The Senate’s plans are less clear, though insiders are forecasting a bill with more robust investments than the House version, but nowhere close to the president’s agenda.
“I don’t’ see how you get a bill passed without some deficit spending,” NRDC federal transportation analyst Deron Lovaas told Streetsblog, “and I don’t see how you deficit-spend in the current climate.” Certainly, he said, a gas tax falls further and further out of the realm of possibility as gas prices remain high, and that fact is tying this debate up in knots.
Reconciling the House and Senate transportation bills could be nearly as contentious as the battles over the federal budget, so if all goes well, the two houses will leave ample time for knock-down, drag-out fights over funding levels before the current extension of SAFETEA-LU runs out September 30. Experts say if they can’t agree to at least some deficit spending, the bill will be too small to garner much support for passage, and that could leave a two-year bill as the only viable option. Some wonder if Sen. Max Baucus’ recent comment in favor of a short bill might have been a powerful dose of foreshadowing.
Whether the committees have anything to show for themselves by Memorial Day or not, experts say the real deadline is the August recess. If a bill hasn’t been passed by then, some say, it’s hard to see how anything would be passed before 2013.Put down that mulled wine immediately. We are making bookcloth today.
Happy Holidays! Here, put on this apron and stop drinking. We’ve got work to do. We’re making our own bookcloth today, so tell your family to get lost and let’s get started.
Bookcloth is a basic bookbinding material made of cloth backed with paper. The paper backing is what protects the cloth from the adhesives you use when you glue or paste the bookcloth to boards. Commercial bookcloth comes in many colors and textures, and I love digging through sample books to find just the right shade for one of my printed editions. But when I am making blank books and empty boxes, I like to make my own bookcloth out of patterned cloth. Why? Because it is fun. And when I’m finished I have something that looks like this:
I learned to make bookcloth at the University of Alabama. Similar instructions for backing cloth can be found in in Kojiro Ikegami’s excellent Japanese Bookbinding on pages 27-28. Do you have a copy? No? Get one. It is an amazing book.
So, first order of business, I went to my neighborhood sewing store the other day and picked out a couple of 100% cotton fat quarters. Fat quarters are a great size for book cloth making, and are readily available for cheap. If you are cutting cloth that you already have, I would start with something around 18″ square or a little bit larger. You can make larger sheets of bookcloth, but I advise starting with this size and moving up if you feel comfortable.
To back this cloth with paper, I am going to use paste, an adhesive made from starch that is easy to cook up in the kitchen. (I know, I know, I know, there is a quick and dirty iron-on thing. Please. We are trying to be serious today.) Wheat starch is easy to find in cheerful packaging at an Asian grocery store. Here is mine:
MAKING PASTE
There are like a hundred and twelve paste recipes out there. This is the one I use, but there are lots of people out there making lots of paste and it’s all working out ok for everyone. So if you already make paste in your own way, just make some paste and skip this part.
I make my paste in a 1 part wheat starch, 5 parts water ratio. Today that shakes out to 100ml wheat starch (roughly a quarter cup) to 500 ml water.
Throw the starch and the water into your saucepan and let it sit and soak for half an hour or so. When half an hour has passed, start stirring over low-medium heat. If your hob runs hot, keep it to low. Do you like stirring? I hope so, because you are not going to stop for thirty or forty minutes.
Some people make paste in the microwave. They don’t have to stir, but then they don’t get forty minutes of guilt-free Battlestar Gallactica. (I know that computer looks pretty precarious, but it is on the verge of collapse and I am simply giving it the opportunity to go out on its own terms.)
Your paste will slowly start to thicken. It will stop looking like milk and start looking more translucent.
Soon it will start to look like gooey ooze.
Keep stirring until you start to see tiny little microbubbles. Like these:
When the microbubbles arrive, keep stirring for about five minutes, and then pour your paste into a container to cool.
After it has cooled down, you can pour some water over the top and store it in the fridge. If you are not going to use it right away, change the water every day. WARNING: if you do not use this paste within a week, it will start to smell like sewage. People will not want to come to your house for holiday parties, neighbors will start to complain about you to your landlord or the police, and you will embark on a surprisingly abrupt descent into lonely smelliness. If this happens to you, flush your paste down the toilet immediately. Don’t look back.
Once the paste has cooled, let’s get serious.
MATERIALS AND TOOLS YOU’LL NEED
Cloth
I have washed my 100% cotton fat quarters in the washing machine to eliminate all those new-cloth chemicals.
Japanese Paper
I am using an unidentified roll of Japanese paper that I found on sale earlier this year at Falkiners. Japanese paper (or much of it) is made from the kozo plant. The long kozo fibers make it particularly strong. There are countless varieties of Japanese paper. I am not picky about what kind I use. I am looking for medium weight, around 50 gsm or a bit less. Maybe something in this neighborhood. I don’t want anything tissue thin because it is hard to work with. Thick paper yields thick book cloth. You can order sample books of Japanese paper, or visit an art supply store with a good paper section. This paper does NOT have to be of excruciatingly high quality.
Large Boards
You’ll need at least two boards a few inches larger than your cloth in all directions. I like to use plexi (that’s perspex to you, UK) but large sheets of MDF or high quality, smooth plywood will work as well. In the absence of these options (as I am today) I use a thick acetate or mylar taped to sheets of binders board. I am in between sheets of plexi since my move, but am hoping to upgrade again soon.
You’ll also need a stipple brush (not critical, but very useful,) a large glue brush, a dishcloth or two, a strainer, a spray bottle of water, your paste, and a bowl. You might also want a dowel or long ruler, but this is not essential.
STRAINING YOUR PASTE
I begin by straining my paste. (And here you thought I was finished going on and on about paste.) Straining the paste eliminates the lumps that can cause trouble for you later. If you are lazy you can do this in a blender.
I scoop a good bit of paste into my strainer and start to work it through and into the bowl using my large brush. I am using about half of what I made.
smoosh smoosh smoosh.
When I am done, I need to add a small amount of water and work the paste with my brush.
I like to re-strain the paste to help me get rid of all of those little lumps and bumps.
I want to work my paste and add small splashes of water until it is nice and silky smooth and roughly the consistency of a loose hair conditioner. I am patient. (This smooth, strained paste will keep for a day, but not much longer. Take heed.)
BACKING THE CLOTH
We’re ready now to back the cloth. Your cloth should be stretchy in one direction and not stretchy in the other direction. This non-stretchy direction is the warp, and should be parallel with the grain of your paper. (The stretchy direction is called the weft and a recent google search told me that the weft is also called the woof, which is ridiculous.)
Lay your cloth on top of your paper so that the warp is aligned with the grain of the paper.
Cut a piece of paper that is larger in all directions by at least an inch.
Lay out your boards. I am doing this on my dining room table so that I’ve got space to move around.
Lay your cloth face down on one of the boards. Spritz it with water.
Use your hands to manipulate the dampened cloth so that it is lying flat and has no wrinkles.
If your cloth has a geometric pattern, beware stretching the cloth and warping the pattern.
Lay your Japanese paper on the other board. If there is a rough side and a smooth side to your paper, put the rough side up. Remember your grain direction here and lay the paper with the grain going the same way as the warp. Now paste out the paper with your large brush, starting in the middle and covering the entire sheet with large strokes to the outside. Make sure you get coverage everywhere. The entire surface should be slick.
Using a dowel, a long ruler, or a spare bit of wood, pick up the pasted out paper. You can also do this with your hands, which is what I usually do.
Look, I’ve abandoned the wood and put on an apron all of a sudden. Anyway, carefully drape the paper, paste-side down, onto the cloth. Paste is very slow drying, so you have time to reposition. This is much easier with two people, but if you are on your own, just be patient. Don’t be afraid to pick the paper up and try again. You want the paper to extend beyond the cloth without any big air bubbles or wrinkles.
If you have a large wide brush, you can use it to smooth the paper onto the cloth. I gently use the sides of my hands. I am not moving or repositioning at this stage, just smoothing everything out.
It’s dish towel time! A rolled up dishtowel may not be a traditional bookbinding tool, but it is the best thing for this job. Repeatedly bang that towel with a straight up and down motion all over that sheet, making good contact everywhere. If it looks like there are areas that need a bit more attention, I go back with my stipple brush and give it to them. Beware damaging the paper here, if you see fibers tearing away or wrinkling occurring, use less pressure and be careful of your angle.
With your paste brush, paste the edges where the paper extends beyond the cloth. Do NOT put paste on the cloth areas.
Clean off the surface of the board you used when you applied paste to your large sheet of paper.
Pick up your soggy sheet of bookcloth...
... and drape it down onto the clean board, this time with the cloth-side UP.
Use your fingers to smoosh the pasted edges onto the board.
Rip a small piece of scrap paper and insert it at a corner. This will help you take the cloth off tomorrow.
Stand the board up and let the bookcloth dry overnight.
Repeat! Once you’ve got your paste mixed up, you are ready to go, so I usually make four or five sheets at a time. It is helpful to have a number of boards so that you can keep on going.
The next morning, you may find that your cloth is falling off the board on its own, or you may have to coax it off with a tearing knife or letter opener.
Trim the edges off the cloth, and it is ready to use!
That was fun, right? Maybe you want to do it again and again and again like I do?
Or perhaps you want to drink mulled wine and start talking to your family again. Ok, me too. Happy Holidays from Big Jump Press!
AdvertisementsMARS SOCIETY ANNOUNCEMENT View this email in your browser Robert Zubrin Comments on Elon Musk's Plans for Mars
The enclosed comments were made by Mars Society President and founder Dr. Robert Zubrin following SpaceX CEO Elon Musk's address yesterday to the 2016 International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico.
In his talk today, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk presented a number of very interesting and useful ideas. I don't think they are practical in the form he presented them, but with a little modification, they could be made practical and very powerful. He's right on the mark about using methane/oxygen propellant, which can be made on Mars and about making the spacecraft reusable and refillable on orbit.
The key thing I would change is his plan to send the whole trans-Mars propulsion system all the way to Mars and back. Doing that means it can only be used once every four years. Instead he should stage off of it just short of Earth escape. Then it would loop around back to aero-brake into Earth orbit in a week, while the payload habitat craft with just a very small propulsion system for landing would fly on to the Red Planet.
Used this way, the big Earth escape propulsion system could be used five times every launch window, instead of once every other launch window, effectively increasing its delivery capacity by a factor of ten. Alternatively, it could deliver the same payload with a system one-tenth the size, which is what I would do.
So instead of needing a 500 ton launch capability, he could send the same number of people to Mars every opportunity with a 50 ton launcher, which is what Falcon Heavy will be able to do. Done in this manner, such a transportation system could be implemented much sooner, possibly before the next decade is out, making settlement of Mars a real possibility for our time. Interplanetary Transport System Facebook Twitter Website YouTube Share TweetBill Maher, Trevor Noah, Seth Meyers slam Trump's 'treasonous' Russia comments
Bill Maher (Photo: Janet Van Ham)
The Republican National Convention is over, but late night hosts are still talking Trump.
While many shows had been prepared to cover all things Hillary this week as the Democratic National Convention continues in Philadelphia, with live-shows and visits to the City of Brotherly Love, comedians like Trevor Noah, Bill Maher and Seth Meyers had to talk about Donald Trump. And specifically, the comments he made regarding Russia and his opponent Hillary Clinton's emails.
"Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing," Trump said Wednesday at a news conference. "I think you will probably be rewarded mightily by our press."
The hosts took issue with this statement. Here are the biggest reactions.
Real Time With Bill Maher
“The part of this scandal that was actually a scandal was that the Democratic National Committee’s emails were hacked by Russia, and Trump today was calling on Russia to now hack Hillary’s emails,” Bill Maher said in the monologue for his live post-DNC show. “A U.S. presidential nominee encouraging Russia to commit espionage? Donald Trump: the voice of treason.”
“It just looks so crazy,” he continued, discussing Trump's public statements about Russia in general. “First of all, Trump is always talking about how much he loves Putin. He said today he won’t tell Putin what to do—he tells everybody else! He takes Russia’s side against NATO. I mean, fuck! What is all this? He’s always taking Russia’s side. Plainly, Trump is a Russian agent. I mean, I don’t know it for a fact, but a lot of people are saying it… Oh yes, Donald Trump: the spy who loved himself. But, you know, being president is not a joke. If this doesn’t prove that, I don’t know what does.”
The Daily Show
"Are you (expletive) me?" was Trevor Noah's reaction to Trump's quote. "Trump is like if the Manchurian Candidate actually ran as the Manchurian Candidate," he said later, expressing disbelief that Trump had spoken the sentiment out loud. After a few more minutes of analyzing Trump's comments, Noah summed up his argument for the episode: "This (expletive) is getting scary."
Late Night
Seth Meyers presented viewers with another installment of his "A Closer Look" segment, in which he digs deep on one topic. And what started out as a look at Bernie or Bust protests and the speakers on Night two of the DNC quickly swerved to Trump. "Not sure why Trump would openly ask Russia to spy on Americans, but I'm sure he has his treasons," Meyers said on the show.
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Baltimore, MD — Two Baltimore police officers were involved in an altercation after attempting to question a man Thursday, who did not want to be questioned.
As the video begins, James Young, 21, was not told he was under arrest. He became agitated that he was being harassed and from the video and the arrest report, it appears that the officers had no probable cause to initiate the stop.
As the stop progresses, the officers continue to put their hands on the shirtless Young, who repeatedly tells them not to touch him.
Young, who was clearly angered at the harassment |
into celebrating crowds on Bastille Day, in an assault claimed by so-called Islamic State.
Most of the victims died at the time of the attack, but the authorities in Nice said a man had died on Thursday from his injuries, taking the total of those killed to 85.
Image copyright AFP Image caption Martine Aubry (with scarf) sampled the flea market's mussels and chips specialty when she visited in 2012
Twelve days after the Nice killings, on 26 July, two French jihadists of Algerian origin killed a priest in his church in a suburb of Rouen.
Michel Lalande, the top government official in the Lille region, said the flea market would have presented a security risk because of its "hyper-urban format with its streets full of people".
He added: "There comes a time, despite our passions and our convictions, when we have to say stop."Its defeat must be read as a vote against Rahul Gandhi's legislation-based approach to governance.
The widespread rout of the Congress in the just-concluded set of assembly elections will attract a wide variety of explanations. The theories could range from the overwhelming influence of the Narendra Modi factor to the role of chief ministers to a number of local political issues. But if the Congress were to be introspective enough, it would also see the results as a vote against its approach to governance under Rahul Gandhi, an approach that relies heavily on centralised legislation.
The rise of Gandhi in the Congress has seen the party come up with a legislation for every problem. The pronounced shift to the rights-based approach started innocuously enough with the right to information. But it soon moved from the relatively peripheral aspects of governance to the heart of the major issues India faces, including the right to education, and finally food security. Before long, it became the response to every crisis. When the gangrape in Delhi last December grabbed national attention, the government response was couched almost entirely in terms of changing the law.
This rights-and-legislation approach had civil society cheering it along, but there were always questions about how the wider Indian audience would react to it. Few voters have time for the intricate legal debates and their shouting-match versions on television. They are more concerned with how things pan in the parts of their lives that affect them. They have used the elections to send out as forceful a message as possible to the Congress that if the party continues to play around with laws rather than actually changing conditions on the ground, the voters will have none of it.
With the benefit of hindsight, it is not difficult to understand the anger of the voters. In its most benign form, centralised legislation can merely follow what some states have already done. This is particularly true of the food security bill, in the case of which the Congress had to hold back its own state government in Karnataka from providing cheap food until the Central law took shape. And in Chhattisgarh, food security was certainly not something you could beat the state government with.
... contd.
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Please read our terms of use before posting commentsWelcome to Metal MIDI, Thanks a lot to visit. This site was made to share metal MIDI files that I've downloaded from internet to other who interests in metal music like me. I hope all Metal heads 'll enjoy MIDI in this site.
Last update : August 22, 2010
Do you know, why MIDI file is so small?
Because MIDI only records information about tracks, timing, notes and instruments. The notes are regenerated with synthesizers or actual instrument sample on the sound card. This results in complex, textured music that can be stored in a compact file.The only drawback ( besides requiring a sound card for playback ) is that MIDI doesn't handle voice, while most of other formats can.
Download a lot of free MIDI files from these bands:
BLACK SABBATH, CARCASS, CHILDREN OF BODOM, CRADLE OF FILTH, IRON MAIDEN, METALLICA, MEGADETH, OLD MAN'S CHILD, OVERKILL, OZZY OSBOURNE, PANTERA, SEPULTURA, SLAYER and TYPE O NEGATIVE.BOSTON (Reuters) - An openly gay bishop will deliver a prayer for President-elect Barack Obama in an inauguration event on Sunday that could help defuse controversy over an anti-gay pastor who will give the main invocation.
New Hampshire Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson in a file photo. REUTERS/Brian Snyder
New Hampshire Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson, at the center of the Anglican church’s global battle over homosexuality, will speak on Sunday on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, where civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963.
“I’m just overwhelmed and so humbled by this invitation,” Robinson said in a telephone interview.
Many Democratic Party activists and gay rights advocates who supported Obama sharply criticized his choice of Rick Warren, an evangelical pastor, to give the invocation when the next president takes office on January 20, saying it undermined the Democrat’s vows of inclusiveness.
Robinson has called the choice of Warren a slap in the face. But he said on Monday he did not believe Obama invited him in response to the Warren criticism but his prayer would help ease concerns among gay and lesbians.
He said he believed the invitation, which came about two weeks ago, was made because he endorsed Obama in May last year. The two also met during the presidential primary.
“But this will certainly not go unnoticed in the gay and lesbian community,” he said. “It’s important for the people to feel represented.”
Warren, pastor of a megachurch in southern California, is known for campaigning against poverty and disease, but he also advocated California Proposition 8, the state gay marriage ban passed by voters in November.
Obama opposed California’s ban on gay marriage. He generally has said he supports equal rights under the law for same-sex couples. Some religious conservatives said the choice of Warren showed Obama was willing to reach out to them.
Robinson said he advised Obama several times during his presidential campaign.
“I was very early on taken with his anti-polarization message,” he said. “So part of the invitation came out of the albeit brief relationship that we have had.”
The 77 million-member Anglican Communion, a global federation of national churches, has been in upheaval since 2003 when the Episcopal Church consecrated Robinson as the first bishop known to be in an openly homosexual relationship in more than four centuries of church history.
The Episcopal Church is the U.S. branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Joe Solmonese, president of gay rights advocates the Human Rights Campaign, called Robinson’s selection “encouraging.”
“Bishop Robinson models what prayer should be — spiritual reflection put into action for justice,” he said.
Robinson, who last year entered into a civil union with his longtime partner in New Hampshire, said his prayer would focus on inclusiveness.
“It will certainly be a message that everyone in the nation can identify with. And part of the prayer will be for President Obama but also I am going to include words of prayer for the nation and what I think we are called upon to do,” he said.This has been a long week for the Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS), as the terrorist group has launched their largest assault on the Deir Ezzor Military Airport in the last ten months.
What seemed like a promising offensive for ISIS, turned into disaster once they approached the Deir Ezzor Military Airport’s southwestern gates, as the Syrian Arab Army’s (SAA) stiff defenses proved too much for terrorist group.
On Friday morning, ISIS attempted to mount another assault on the army base to the southwest of the Deir Ezzor Military Airport; however, the Syrian Arab Army’s 137th Artillery Brigade of the 17th Reserve Division – in coordination with the 104th Airborne Brigade of the Republican Guard – repelled the attack for the third time since Monday.
As a result of the failed attack, the terrorist group was forced to withdraw their fighters to the Artillery Battalion Base, allowing for the Syrian Arab Army’s 137th Brigade to launch a counter-assault amid the multitude of airstrikes from the Syrian Arab Air Force (SAAF).
Since Wednesday, ISIS has been unable to progress towards the Deir Ezzor Military Airport; this failure has given the Syrian Armed Forces ample time to regroup and deliver a counter-assault to recover the ground they lost to the terrorist group over the last five days at this volatile front.
According to a military source, the number of ISIS casualties has jumped to an estimated 140 combatants in the last 72 hours; this includes their dead fighters at the Military Airport, Al-Muri’iyah, and Al-Jafra.
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With the Chiefs losing four of five games and some (including me) raising the question of whether rookie quarterback Patrick Mahomes should get a chance to play, it’s interesting to ponder coach Andy Reid’s comments to the media the day after an embarrassing loss to the Giants, which featured nine total points in more than 68 total minutes.
Asked to discuss quarterback Alex Smith‘s performance after watching the film of the game, Reid said this about his current starter: “He mentioned about getting in rhythm, I know that was said. I felt the same way that we, over the last couple of weeks, we get going and then all of a sudden something takes you backwards. In this league that’s a tough thing to overcome and it’s a proven thing.”
So who has the responsibility for getting the offense in rhythm?
“The quarterback has the responsibility there,” Reid said. “He’s a standup guy and he’s always going to tell you he can do better.”
Reid nevertheless acknowledged that plenty of other factors impact a quarterback’s perceived performance, including late pressure on his arm or a poorly run route or whether the call was right for the coverage.
“That’s how we go about it and that’s how you play, all of those things go into that and that’s how we analyze that,” Reid said. “It’s been fairly successful for us. We’re going to keep doing that. We’re going to tweak what we need tweaked and we’re going to keep working that system that we’re doing and try to get better at it.”
Reid knows he’s part of that overall process.
“I’ve got to make sure I’m putting the guys in the right position to make the plays, Alex included, and then when given the chance we’ve got to make them,” Reid said. “Right now it’s one of those things where we’re off by one tick on a play. Now unfortunately that’s costing us and we have to get out of that. We have to all pull together here and keep pulling that rope in the tug-o-war in the right direction. If we do that we’re going to be OK. You have to dance the same dance, everybody has to be dancing that. You have a mistake here or there and bad things happen unfortunately.”
That doesn’t sound like a guy who’s thinking about making a change at quarterback. At some point, however, change for the sake of change may be the only thing that busts the team out of its 1-4 funk. Especially if the guy ultimately responsible for getting the offense in rhythm has lost his ability to do so, and can’t get it back.You're going to have to sit down for this one because the list of best YA books of October 2017 is pretty much mind-blowing for we young adult lovers. Let me tell you two things.
There are multiple books coming in October that have already made the National Book Award longlist. That's a seriously big deal. John. Green. Is. Back. That's really all I need to say.
But before you scroll down already to the list to pre-order and put everything on your TBR, let's chat a little more about the busy month you're going to be having reading.
Starting from the bottom of the list, yes, John Green is making his long-awaited return to your bookshelf after 2012's The Fault in Our Stars (which you've probably heard of). I already have the date heart-shaped in my day planner.
But the rest of this list is so incredible, even the monumental shadow Green casts can't overshadow the talent and stories. I'll throw out a few more names: Nnedi Okorafor! Libba Bray! Philip Pullman! Jason Reynolds!
Speaking of the latter, Reynold's powerful novel has already been longlisted for the prestigious National Book Award, alongside Samantha Mabry, Robin Benway, and debut YA novelist Erika L. Sánchez.
Make some room on your bookshelf, because here are the best YA books of October.
'Wild Beauty' by Anna-Marie McLemore (Oct. 3; Feiwel & Friends) The Nomeolvides women are both blessed and cursed with magic. In a Practical Magic-esque spin, any person they fall in love with is prophesised to vanish—which is a problem because they've all fallen for the same woman. Then, one day, a mysterious man wanders into their lives, and the women wonder if he is one of this vanished lovers. Anna-Marie McLemore brings her singular lush, magical realism to this fairy-tale-style story, and it's only enhanced by the setting: All the cousins tend to the enchanting gardens of La Pradera estate, and readers are brought into this evocative world. Click here to buy.
'Before the Devil Breaks You' by Libba Bray (Oct. 3; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) Get your praise hands ready because Libba Bray and The Diviners are back! This time the latter is taking on a new enemy: ghosts. We're transported back to 1920s New York, where stories of possessions and even murder based out of an old Ward's Island asylum have the crew investigating paranormal activity—and its possible ties back to the King of Crows. Come on, fellow Bray fans: You already know you are going to love this page-turning installment. Click here to buy.
'That Inevitable Victorian Thing' by E.K. Johnston (Oct. 3; Dutton Books for Young Readers) E.K. Johnston takes us to a futuristic Victorian setting that imagines what would have happened if the British Empire didn't die out but overtook the globe and retained control of the world. This novel is told in a future version of that world, which is under the reign of teenager Victoria-Margaret. In this world, genetics determine your romantic match, so Canadian teen Helena holds a secret: her genes say she's intersex, which could disrupt the protocol of her world. The story is a uniquely told romance, centering on Margaret, Helena, and a boy named August, and the world-building is so compelling you'll be drawn right in. Click here to buy.
'Far From the Tree' by Robin Benway (Oct. 3; HarperTeen) Muppet arms for Robin Benway, because Far From the Tree is already longlisted for the National Book Award. This probably already earns it a spot on your TBR, but there's more, because people are already calling it the This Is Us of YA. 16-year-old Grace is an only child who was adopted from birth, and she just put her baby up for adoption. Facing this difficult decision makes her want to look into her own biological family, and she finds out she's not an only child, she's actually biologically a middle child. There's Maya, her younger sister, who was adopted by a wealthy family; and there's older brother Joaquin, who has spent his years in the foster care system. Through these birth siblings, Benway tells a heartfelt, tearjerking, and poignant story about family, adoption, identity, teen pregnancy, and so much more. Click here to buy.
'Akata Warrior' by Nnedi Okorafor (Oct. 3; Viking Books for Young Readers) We've been waiting since 2011 for a sequel to Akata Witch, and now the incredible Nnedi Okorafor has given us more of Sunny Nwazue and the Leopard Society. An older Sunny is still learning and training but is more in tune with her powers and is destined to avert an apocalypse. Readers are transported back to Okorafor's magical world, where present-day Nigeria blends with a fantasy, mythological world. Okorafor is a master, so of course you need to get your hands on this. Click here to buy.
'The Nowhere Girls' by Amy Reed (Oct. 10; Simon Pulse) Amy Reed's The Nowhere Girls is a call-to-action to fight back against rape culture. Grace Salter has just moved to town, and she learns that the former occupant of her new home and bedroom had accused three high school athletes of gang raping her at a party. After doing so, she was shamed and pushed out of town—and the men went unpunished. Incensed by the injustice, Grace and her two new friends Rosina and Erin, form a group to combat misogyny: The Nowhere Girls. This frank story about female sexuality and rape culture is (unfortunately) so timely and important, and hopefully the novel itself will challenge the status quo as much as the Nowhere Girls themselves do. Click here to buy.
'Turtles All the Way Down' by John Green (Oct. 10; Dutton Books for Young Readers) Do I even need to say that John Green releasing a new YA novel is a Really Big Deal? It's been five (long!) years since The Fault in Our Stars, so come on, we all know we're going to add this one to our collections. Turtles All the Way Down, as Green tells us, isn't about turtles at all, but is about a 16-year-old named Aza who suffers from OCD and finds herself wrapped up in solving a mystery for a $100,000 reward. Green himself lives with OCD, so expect a very honest, heartfelt portrayal of mental illness. Click here to buy.
'All the Wind in the World' by Samantha Mabry (Oct. 10; Algonquin Young Readers) If your crisp days of fall need some passion and dangerous romance, you can do no better than Samantha Mabry's All the Wind in the World, which has already made the National Book Award longlist. Sarah Jac and James pretend to be cousins to disguise their love as they work cutting maguey in the vast, dry fields of the Southwest. After an accident sends them on the run to a new, allegedly cursed, ranch called the Real Marvelous, their past comes back to haunt them in Mabry's evocative, dystopic fable. Click here to buy.
'The Memory Trees' by Kali Wallace (Oct. 10; Katherine Tegan Books) Sorrow Lovegood spent the first eight years of her life on a matriarch-run apple orchard in Vermont that had been passed through her family for generations. But after her 16-year-old sister's death, Sorrow was sent to live with her father in Florida. Now, eight years later, Sorrow returns to the orchard to test her memories of the night her sister died in a fire and uncovers mysteries and secrets about her childhood, her family, and the longstanding feud with the orchard's neighbors. Kali Wallace draws you into this darkly lyrical tale and doesn't let you go. Click here to buy.
'Forest of a Thousand Lanterns' by Julie C. Dao (Oct. 10; Philomel Books) Julie C. Dao has created a dark, East Asian, fantasy fairy tale that will completely captivate you. Xifeng is fated to become Empress — at least according to her abusive aunt, a witch named Guma who has raised her in an impoverished, tiny village. To achieve her destiny, Xifeng escapes Guma and runs away with the love of her life, Wei. However, she soon realizes that to become Empress, she has to sacrifice her relationship with Wei and succumb to some of her darker, more violent desires. The result is lush twist on the Evil Queen origin story from Snow White, and thankfully it's just book one of Dao's series. Click here to buy.
'I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter' by Erika L. Sánchez (Oct. 17; Knopf Books for Young Readers) Perfect Mexican daughter? That was Olga, who works, helps her parents, and dresses appropriately. But it's Julia that's left behind when her 22-year-old sister Olga is hit by a truck and killed. Julia, for her part, can never live up to her Amá and Apá’s expectations and rebels against their rules. Still, Julia suspects Olga's facade wasn't her true sister, and the more she explores Olga's things, the more that perfect exterior starts to crumble. Alongside her best friend and her new boyfriend, Julia learns more about her sister and also how she can be herself under her family's constraints. Click here to buy.
'A Line in the Dark' by Malinda Lo (Oct. 17; Dutton Books for Young Readers) How perfect is this book cover art for October? The inside, though, is even more hauntingly captivating thriller. Malinda Lo spins a unique murder mystery told half in first person and half in third and via police transcripts. Chinese-American teenager Jess Wong, our original first person speaker, has an unrequited crush on her best friend Angie, who in turn, is dating popular boarding schooler Margot. Jess worries about Margot's influence on her friend, and when one of Margot's best friends is found murdered, Jess finds herself at the center of the investigation. Click here to buy.
'The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage' by Philip Pullman (Oct. 19; Knopf Books for Young Readers) OK, so this book veers into middle grade but... Philip Pullman! Philip Pullman is writing a new fantasy series: The Book of Dust! It's in the very same parallel world as our girl Lyra Belacqua and His Dark Materials! We're sold. In this three-part series Pullman will tell different parts of Lyra's life and how she came to live at Jordan College. In this book, he'll start when Lyra was a baby. In the next, it will jump 20 years later. And right now, he's not spilling any secrets on book three. Characters we know will pop in and out (some will be familiar if we were paying close attention!), and honestly, he doesn't have to say anymore because we are in. Click here to buy.
'Long Way Down' by Jason Reynolds (Oct. 24; Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books) Jason Reynolds' Long Way Down has already been longlisted for this year's National Book Award, and the accolade is well-earned. Reynolds — never one to shy from a writing challenge — tells his story in verse over the course of one 67-second elevator ride. Black teenager Will just witnessed his older brother shot and killed on the street, and he knows his rules: "if someone you love / gets killed, / find the person / who killed / them and / kill them." So he finds his brother's gun and goes seeking revenge. But on every floor of the ride, another "ghost" from his past, another victim of gun violence, steps onto the elevator to confront him. A masterpiece in structure and in story, Long Way Down is intense and powerful, it's so full of humanity and it will move readers, especially in this current climate. Click here to buy.Sheila Jackson Lee’s glib, surly and completely inaccurate response to new law
Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet.com
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Democratic Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee told a House Homeland Security subcommittee hearing yesterday that the passage of a law which allows the nation’s airports to replace TSA screeners with private security personnel could cause a new 9/11-style attack.
Reacting to the Senate’s approval of the measure, which defies attempts by the Transportation Security Administration to block applications from airports attempting to replace TSA screeners, Lee stated, “My comment: we are looking forward to returning to 9/11.”
The Democrat’s statement is of course completely glib, ludicrous and without foundation. Replacing TSA workers with private security personnel will if anything increase the safety of traveling Americans because better trained screeners will be able to concentrate on genuine threats to security, and not 85-year-old women’s colostomy bags, baby’s diapers, and veterans with surgical implants.
Indeed, the TSA has cultivated a reputation of being proficient when it comes to harassing and abusing innocent Americans at checkpoints, while falling down on the job when it comes to missing loaded guns, swords, knives and other weapons.
On top of this, TSA workers have also been caught stealing cash, jewelry and expensive electronic items from travelers’ carry on bags on innumerable occasions.
Replacing TSA workers with privately hired screeners will not eradicate all these problems, but it will certainly be a step in the right direction. A greater number of Americans will also be more willing to travel in the knowledge that they won’t be treated like criminals and have their genitals fondled by uniformed goons.
“Some airport executives have argued that contract security personnel are more courteous than government workers,” reports CNN. “It was felt that a private contractor would provide friendlier customer service to the traveling public,” the head of a Roswell, New Mexico, airport wrote to Congress.”
Not to be outdone, Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.) also waded in with his own stupid remarks in response to the bill’s passage.
A d v e r t i s e m e n t
“I think if we’re going to start contracting out the security of the flying public, then why don’t we contract out the FBI or DEA or Secret Service or Capitol Hill Police?” he said in an interview.
Costello makes out as if the TSA has been securing the nation’s airports for decades. In reality, the agency has only been in existence for 10 years, and airports were using private screeners for a far longer period beforehand.
“Security is, in my judgment, a function for professional law enforcement officials and should not go to the lowest bidder and that’s what you have when you contract out,” he added.
If Costello believes that TSA screeners resemble anything approaching “professional law enforcement officials,” given the epidemic of criminality that characterizes their behavior, he is living on a different planet.
The passage of the bill now provides America’s 450 U.S. airports that currently use TSA screeners with the opportunity to ditch them in favor of privately hired personnel.
This is undoubtedly a watershed moment in peeling back the executive power grab that has enabled the TSA to become a literal occupying army, running thousands of internal checkpoints at bus depots, train stations, on highways and even at high school prom nights.
The federal agency could also about to be embroiled in another fight. If elected to the 2013 biennial legislature, Texas State Rep. David Simpson has promised to resurrect the Traveler Dignity Act, a bill that would have made invasive TSA groping a criminal offense in Texas. After a contentious political battle, the bill was eventually defeated last year when the feds threatened to enforce a no fly zone over the lone star state.
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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 regular fill-in host for The Alex Jones Show and Infowars Nightly News.
This article was posted: Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 4:55 am
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Comment on this articleVIOLENCE, gore and gunplay were staples on prime-time television even in the most sensitive period directly following the Newtown school shooting.
A study of 392 prime-time scripted programs on US broadcast networks shown during the month after US Vice President Joe Biden's January meeting with entertainment industry executives on violence in the media revealed that 193 had some incident of violence, according to the US Parents Television Council.
Some violent episodes are cartoonish - quite literally, with Homer strangling Bart for mouthing off on The Simpsons - but there is plenty of gunplay, stabbings and beat-downs.
Here's a sample of the incidents captured by the PTC between Jan. 11 and Feb. 11:
-A character on Body of Proof says he dreams of ripping a woman's brain out while she's still alive, but he's shot as he's about to stick a hook up her nose. Then he's pushed off a balcony and killed.
-A woman on The Following jams an ice pick into her eye.
-A prison riot episode of Hawaii Five-O includes one man trying to kill someone in a laundry room press, a man snapping someone's neck with his legs and a man injected with something that causes a violent convulsion.
-A man threatens hospital workers on Chicago Fire with a gun before he's disabled with a Taser.
-A gun fight on Last Resort is ignited by one man stabbing another in the abdomen with a screwdriver.
-A man on Criminal Minds is shot dead by the FBI as he tries to cut the eyelids off a gallery owner's face.
-Two characters on Bones wake to find a corpse hanging from the canopy above their bed, dripping blood onto them.
-An already bloody man is dragged into a warehouse on The Mentalist, choked to death and thrown in a furnace - all witnessed by a little boy hiding in the building.
-A man writhes in pain on Fringe before a parasite violently bursts out of his body. He's surrounded by the bodies of others who had met the same fate.
-A scene in Grey's Anatomy features a woman's nightmare about sawing her leg, as blood spurts and she screams in pain.
-A gymnastics coach is stabbed several times in the groin on Law & Order: SVU.
-A man working on a coffee cart on "The Following" is doused with gasoline and burned alive.
-On Blue Bloods, a man aims a gun at a group of children in the park before he is shot dead.
-Even President Grant on Scandal gets into the act, removing an oxygen mask from a woman's face so she suffocates.
Real life has continued to intrude on television entertainment as the months go by. NBC pulled an episode of its serial killer drama Hannibal after the Boston Marathon bombing, as did US ABC with a Castle episode where a character stepped on a pressure-sensitive bomb. Some Newtown parents objected to a recent Glee episode that depicted a school shooting.
"I think it is only going to get worse," said Dr. Victor Strasburger, pediatrics professor at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, who has written frequently on the topic of violence in the media. He said media executives are "not willing to own up to their public health responsibilities."
TV executives are reluctant to talk about violent content, and when pressed question any link between what they air on television and aggressive behavior in real life. Schedules get shifted around when tragic events are in the news, but there's no indication they have changed the types of programs being made. Policy debates have largely overlooked the issue, focusing instead on background checks for gun owners or bans on assault weapons.
In the past, networks have disputed some of the PTC methodology. Some comedic moments are counted as violent episodes in PTC's study when they could be questioned, like a play swordfight on The Cleveland Show. The PTC doesn't detail the one violent incident it counted on Betty White's Off Their Rockers, but it's hard to imagine comparing it to the serial killer on The Following.
"I've had a hard time finding these studies to be very useful to parents or anyone who is looking at this objectively," said Jim Dyke, executive director of TV Watch, a Washington-based advocacy group that opposes government involvement in television programming.
Still, it's a sobering body count.
The parents' group said it found not only an increase in gore from other studies it has conducted over 18 years but a greater specificity and darkness to the violence.
"There has been no accountability, in my opinion, in terms of the degree and amount of violence," said Tim Winter, the parents' group president.
Broadcast networks find themselves squeezed by cable networks that are able to be more explicit in what they show; Mr Dyke, in fact, said it is unfair for a group like the PTC to study broadcast violence and not include what's on cable. There's also a feeling that they're giving viewers what they want. The explosive popularity of zombie show The Walking Dead among young viewers in the US has clearly made broadcasters take notice.
Talking about the gore involved in The Following shortly before it went on the air this winter, Fox entertainment chief Kevin Reilly said nightmarish scenarios are part of the entertainment menu that a broadcast network needs to provide to its viewers. When a network does this, it must be able to compete with smaller network on an intensity level, he said.
Parents also have the ability to block out programming that they do not want to keep it from their children, the networks' defenders said.
A CBS representative declined comment on the PTC study, while US networks ABC, NBC and Fox did not respond to a request for comment.
"Networks are out to make money and will do whatever it takes to make money," Dr Strasburger said.
"When the public health of children comes into conflict with big money, big money always wins."
May represents a turning point for networks, which announce their fall schedules to advertisers in a couple of weeks. The four biggest networks ordered pilots for a total of 44 prospective dramas that they are considering airing sometime in the next season.
Some of them suggest the same issues will persist. Two of US ABC's pilots are Killer Women and Murder in Manhattan. Fox is considering series about a family of assassins working for the US government, about a gang member infiltrating a police force and about a person systematically murdering people in the federal witness protection program.
CBS, which already has a lineup heavy on police procedurals, has ordered Anatomy of Violence, about a psychologist with expertise on sociopaths. NBC's The Blacklist is about the world's most wanted criminal and Hatfields & McCoys updates the legendary family feud in a modern setting.A week ago, Microsoft delivered the Windows 8 Release Preview, the final pre-release of the platform before the forthcoming operating system hits the release-to-manufacturing stage. OEMs get their hands on the final code at this stage, which is followed by Windows 8's general availability, where it's available to us all.
I've been following Windows 8 closely over the past few months, spending a lot of time not only with the official releases but also with a number of leaked builds, and I've had the chance to install the operating system on a variety of hardware platforms, both old and new. However, since my primary working platform is a desktop system, this is where I've had the chance to spend the most time with Microsoft's new operating system.
I'm now ready to sum up my Windows 8 experience with a single word: awful.
I could have chosen a number of other words -- terrible, horrible, painful and execrable all spring to mind -- but it doesn't matter, the sentiment is the same.
And I don't say this lightly. I want to like Windows 8. I really do. From a performance point of view, I've no complaints since it's just as snappy and responsive as Windows 7, and will likely get a little better as drivers mature. Hardware support is also excellent; the platform able to handle effortlessly everything I threw at it.
Windows 8 is also very robust and reliable. I did experience a shower of error messages on one occasion when trying to install it on a notebook, but on restarting the installation everything seemed to work just fine the second time around. Apart from this single incident, I've not experienced another crash or lockup while using the Windows 8 Release Preview.
"It just works." I'm trying to think where I've seen that phrase before.
And if nothing else, I want to like Windows 8 because I know that I'll be spending a lot of time using it over the coming years.
But despite being rock-solid, snappy and responsive, as a platform to do real-world work on, Windows 8 feels utterly unusable, and that's down to one thing -- the "Metro UI" user interface.
I'm going to avoid commenting on Metro on touch-based systems for now because Windows 8 is too far off in the future to know what the hardware is going to be like. Instead, I'm going to limit my discussion to using the operating system on desktop and notebook systems.
On the face of it, the Metro UI looks good. It's new and shiny and refreshing, and it looks like it could actually be quite usable. If you've used Windows Phone then the interface feel familiar. Things feel good.
And then you start to use it.
The first problem comes when you try to find the application you want to run. Every version of Windows since Windows 95 has trained us to scroll through a vertical list looking for the applications we want to launch, but with Windows 8, Microsoft has thrown away this concept and instead adopted a system called the Start Screen where the links to all your apps are spread across the screen.
As a result, rather than keeping your attention focused on a small part of the screen, you've now got to scan over the entire screen. The larger the screen, the more area you have to scan. It turns the process of finding the app you want to run into a game of "Where's Waldo?" -- and I detest playing that game or puzzle, or whatever it is.
The last thing I want is for my PC to force me into playing "hunt the app" every time I want to get something done.
Microsoft has offered users an escape chute, given that you're not going to be able to find anything, and added a search feature that allows you to filter the apps by typing the name of what you're looking for. This works, but it's clumsy and makes a mockery of having all the icons displayed on screen in the first place. Every time I'm forced to use it, it's another failure for the Microsoft design team.
Another annoyance with the Metro Start Screen is that all roads lead to it. Almost everything you do ends up throwing you into the Start Screen. I find it utterly crazy that I can go from clicking on a tile on the Start Screen and then be unceremoniously dumped into things like a Classic Control Panel applet or Windows Explorer. Then, to do the next thing, you're back to the Start Screen again.
Bolting on a new user interface is one thing, but when that user interface is incomplete, it makes you question the value of having it in the first place.
But it gets worse.
Not only did someone at Microsoft think that it was a good idea to make Metro the primary user interface in Windows 8, but they also decided to destroy the 'classic' user interface experience too by also 'Ribbonizing' most of the applications. These Ribbon toolbars are packed with small user elements and are fiddly to use with a mouse, and even more fiddly -- at times bordering on impossible to use -- when driven with a finger.
The Ribbon toolbars, which we first saw in Office |
’ priority this offseason will be to shore up its offensive line.
Which is good because the 2016 draft should help.
“You hear rumors the offensive line is strong this year,” Kubiak said. “We’ve got to go figure that out ourselves. We know the strengths of our team. We were very strong on the defensive side of the ball. I think we improved special teams wise. We’ve got to get better offensively. We were inconsistent throughout the course of the year. We had a lot of things going on. Got to improve up front. It always starts up front offensively. That would be the biggest point. Got to play better in that phase this year.’’
Kubiak was already part of a Broncos team that pulled off a Super Bowl repeat. He was the team’s offensive coordinator during the Broncos’ first two Super Bowl championships in 1997-98.
But there seems to be greater challenges for Super Bowl champs in these times of parity as only the 2003-04 New England Patriots have gone back-to-back since the late-90s Broncos.
“There is a lot of changes in football nowadays compared to the past, I think we all know that,’’ Kubiak said. “Teaching, having young players contribute to your team has a lot to do how consistent you are as a football team. I think what we need to do, my message to the players when they come back [on April 18,] we’re a different team. There’s going to be new players, there’s going to be new faces on our team. As long as we have the same standard, let’s go be as good as we can be, and take it a day at a time and not get too far ahead of ourselves. That’s what it’s all about.’’
A year ago at the combine, Kubiak dropped Matt Paradis on the local media as a player who could emerge from the Broncos’ practice squad.
Paradis took advantage of his coach’s support by becoming the Broncos’ starting center and was the only player to take every snap this season.
Was there a Matt Paradis-type on this season’s practice squad?
“It’s interesting you asked that because I’ve got one for you this year,” Kubiak said. “We’ve got a young man -- well a couple players. I think [center] Dillon Day has a chance to be a good player. One of our young offensive lineman. I think Jordan Taylor -- I tell ya what, that kid worked extremely hard. He’s a young receiver. You name it he did it for us last year, and I think he has a bright future for our football team.”
Providing Osweiler returns as expected, Trevor Siemian will be the Broncos’ backup quarterback. The Broncos will add one more quarterback – either a veteran from free agency to back up Osweiler or draft one to groom.
But is Siemian ready to fill in for a game or two?
“He has an NFL arm, no doubt,” Kubiak told a group of local reporters. “He made a lot of progress as far as mentally and what he’s doing. I think he’s going to be very competitive. Now, it’s Trevor time. It’s going to be up to him to show what type of leader he is. How hard he works. Big jumps are made from year one to two.”
Winning the Super Bowl has been a whirlwind for several Broncos players like Miller, Jackson, Chris Harris Jr., C.J. Anderson, Brandon Marshall and, for a few days soon after the Super Bowl, Manning, who haven’t been shy about making personal appearances.
Is the coach concerned some of his players have spent a little too much time in the spotlight?
“No, I think they should enjoy it,” Kubiak said. “They’ve worked really hard. I told Patrick [Smyth, the Broncos’ public relations boss] walking over I’m really proud of them. I’m not a late-night guy, but I saw a few of them and thought they handled themselves very well and proud of them. They should enjoy it. Enjoy it for a few more months and then it’s time to go back to work.’’
Rookie offensive tackle Ty Sambrailo, a second-round draft pick last year, is expected to return from his left-shoulder surgery in time for the start of OTAs in mid-May. Rookie tight end Jeff Heuerman, a third-round pick, should be ready to return from his knee injury by the start of conditioning on April 18.
Copyright 2016 KUSAIn previous posts, I have mentioned something which I refer to as the “natural aristocracy,” which should form the leadership caste within a well-ordered polity. My views on social order demand the rejection of democracy and allied systems which “spread around” authority within a society, leading to increased social entropy and an unnatural, increasingly non-functional social system. Instead, authority and power should be concentrated in the hands of that “wise few” whose energies and abilities are used to provide guidance and direction to a society so that it may be provided with competent, good government and that it may retain rational social structures which are in line with the natural order of things.
Typically in human history, aristocracies have consisted of those who are considered nobles by birth (hereditary aristocracy) or else who gain and keep power through their access to wealth and other resources (plutocracy). While these do not always coincide completely with the natural aristocracy of which I’ll be writing, there is a great deal of consequential overlap, which I will discuss below.
When we talk about an aristocracy being “natural,” what we don’t (or at least shouldn’t) mean is that there is some group of people who are “inherently” superior to their fellows in society, as through genetics or some other deterministic means. Rather, we should understand the term to be describing those who make the effort to adopt, cultivate, and perfect certain traits and capabilities in their own lives that will “naturally” make them stand out from and excel the general run of the masses, simply because the possession of these derived traits will make one superior to those who lack them. In other words, it is not an aristocracy that exists through no merit of its own. Rather, it is an aristocracy that rises to the top as the cream does from the milk, through nourishing their inborn traits by self-discipline while fostering new ones through effort and activity.
In many ways, societies and civilisations are tripartite beings, much as the human being himself is. When members of a society develop and enhance the attributes which perfect spirit, soul, and body, then they also strengthen the organism of their society in the same ways as well. An organism is healthier when its individual cells are healthy. When they are not, the organism begins to approach that entropic equilibrium point known as death. The natural aristocracy are those who go above and beyond the run-of-the-mill members of the ochlos in seeking to perfect themselves in spirit, soul, and body.
The natural aristocrat will seek, first of all, to improve himself in his spirit. This is done by cultivating habits of virtue and temperance which will enable him to master his own high-spiritedness and desires. The “spirit” (pneuma) is the vital principle of man, the anima which deals with his emotions, motivations, responses to stimuli, and so forth. Through self-control, he will not be prone to wild swings of mood or emotion, nor to making foolish decisions or actions. At the same time, he will also seek to positively display virtuous behaviour in his life, the sort of behaviour that will earn him the respect of the respectable with whom he surrounds himself. His conduct will be informed by a genuine devotion to true religion which teaches solid moral principles rather than sentimentalism or mere formalism.
The natural aristocrat will also improve his mind and intellect, he will work to enlarge his soul (psyche). He will be well-read, with a focus on older and classical works which teach lasting truths while avoiding modernistic perversions. Yet, he will not limit his intellectual endeavours merely to acquiring knowledge, but to synthesising and applying it as well. His areas of interest will be broad, not confined to one particular topic or field. He will understand, as Confucius said, that “a gentleman is not a pot.” A pot is good for one thing only – holding things. The superior man, on the other hand, is good for and good at many things. Has range of perceptions and aptitudes will be wide, and he will be as facile in the use of music or art or science as he is in history or philosophy or literature.
The superior man, lastly, will be a man of activity and industriousness. He will actively seek to improve the world around him in real and tangible ways which benefit both himself and his community and society. He will understand what Carlyle meant when he said, “conviction is worthless unless it is converted into conduct.” He won’t just complain about what ought to be done – he will take it upon himself to get out there and do it. Yet, he will also understand that mere rabble-rousing will not solve problems. Rather, he will act intelligently in ways which will advance his goals without undermining his own efforts or those of other good men.
This nobility of merit may often coincide with the more common forms of aristocracy that were mentioned above – those of wealth and heredity. After all, an industrious man is much more likely to find worldly success in life. However, it is also true that many businessmen often focus on business to the exclusion of anything else, including the perfecting of spirit and soul. However, when such a man of industry gives attention to those as well, he will be a natural aristocrat. Likewise, the hereditary aristocracies in Europe (and presumably those elsewhere) originated though the exertions of daring and capable men, men whose descendants were often patrons of the arts and literature and who were often very devoted to spiritual matters as well. Yet, it is also true that such aristocracies can decline due to the degeneracy and profligacy of heirs still riding on the coattails of their distant ancestors. Such was lamented by Horace,
“Time corrupts all. What has it not made worse?
Our grandfathers sired feebler children; theirs
Were weaker still – ourselves; and now our curse
Must be to breed even more degenerate heirs.”
The great opponent of natural aristocracy is democracy, and more generally, the principles of populism and demotism. These actively work against the cultivation of true merit among those who would seek to do so, and instead drag down every one who would try to rise above his fellows. In every area, democracy and populism have weakened the pillars of natural aristocracy.
In the spiritual arena, they have degraded genuine moral religion into a morass of syrupy sentimentality and popular clichés designed to bring in the largest crowds to be entertained (rather than to be taught doctrine and ennobled morally). The man who tries to lead a virtuous life will either be derided as a sap, or else despised for “thinking he’s better than everyone else.”
In the intellectual arena, acquiring an education that is not limited to the lowest common denominator pabulum taught in the public schools marks one out as a “loser.” Learning and knowing things is viewed as a waste of time. Mental capabilities suffer, as does simply the culture of the democratic society. It is not surprising that the grand works of Western civilization – the Mozarts and the Beethovens and the Titians and the other great artists – were generally produced within the courts of Europe’s great monarchies or within the Catholic church. Democracies tend to produce fewer Heinrich Bibers and more Justin Beibers.
The tendency in democratic systems is toward social and economic leveling, which necessarily sets itself against the active and industrious life of the natural aristocrat. In democracies, the masses of the citizenry are always at least a little suspicious of anyone who really begins to excel, figuring that it’s the government’s job to bring them to heel.
Simply put, the natural aristocracy consists of those relative few who really try – and succeed – in doing what is necessary to raise themselves above the level of the common run of humanity. In each area of human existence, they seek to perfect themselves – morally, intellectually, and physically. They will overcome the natural debilitations of human laziness and envy and ignorance, and demonstrate a life characterised by eutaxy and virtue. We should not be reticent or ashamed to acknowledge that such men are superior to others. Let us cast by the wayside the demotic inhibitions against recognising truly superior individuals and rewarding them for their exertions.
That government is best which governs in such a way as to advance superior men into authority. Such a government will almost never be a democratic system of any sort. Aristocracies and monarchies are much more effective at this, and hence tend to be more stable and more competently ran than governments operating on popular principles. One of the goals of Tradition and neoreaction should be the restoration of social and political systems which enable the rise and advancement of this natural aristocracy of superior men.
AdvertisementsJay Z last week released his new album 4:44, a Tidal exclusive where the rapper fires shots at Apple Music’s Jimmy Iovine. Now, however, it appears that the album will become available on Apple Music and iTunes after all…
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According to a new report from Billboard, 4:44 will be made available on Apple Music and iTunes next week, just one week after its launch on Tidal. The album will most likely go live on the additional services this Friday, July 7th.
A source confirmed that 4:44 will be added to Apple Music/iTunes next week after its one-week exclusivity window on Tidal; the songs also streamed on 160 iHeartRadio stations across the U.S. after 4:44‘s release and they will air until midnight on July 1 on the network’s Urban and Rhythmic formats.
It was reported last year that Apple was in talks to acquire Jay Z’s Tidal streaming service, but no deal was reached. The rapper seemingly fires shots at Iovine on his new album.
From the track called “Smile” per lyric annotation site Genius:
F*** a slice of the apple pie, want my own cake Chargin’ my own fate Respect Jimmy Iovine But he gotta respect the Elohim as a whole new regime
Jay Z also goes on to reference exclusive music being lifted off Tidal specifically. For a short period, Jay Z’s music catalog disappeared from competing services including Apple Music.
Nevertheless, Jay Z fans can rejoice and listen to 4:44 on Apple Music next week.Siberia is an American supernatural drama series shot in the style of a reality television show where 14 contestants must survive in the Siberian territory of Tunguska. Shortly after arrival, the contestants notice strange things and are abandoned by the production of the reality show. The show was filmed in Birds Hill Provincial Park just north of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.[3] It premiered on NBC on July 1, 2013.
It was met with generally favorable reviews from critics and viewers, with average viewership per episode coming in around 2.03 million viewers. Metacritic scored the show with a 63 out of 100.[4] The first season concluded on September 16, 2013. The show was independently financed and only licensed to NBC and therefore has not been officially cancelled. The producers are in talks to renew the series either on NBC or another platform.[5]
Premise [ edit ]
Sixteen reality-show contestants, each hoping to win $500,000, arrive in a Siberian forest to take part in a reality show. Two are immediately eliminated, and fourteen settle in for the contest. The unexpected death of a fellow contestant throws them off, but they eventually all accept it as an accident. Strange events continue to happen, and when a contestant is injured and no help arrives, they realize they will have to band together to survive in a land they do not understand. More unusual events happen that parallel the ones natives experienced 100 years earlier during the Tunguska event.
The show is described as having a "Lost-meets-Survivor premise",[6] and is compared to The Blair Witch Project and The River.[7]
Cast [ edit ]
Episodes [ edit ]
No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date U.S. viewers
(millions) 1 "Pilot" Matthew Arnold Matthew Arnold July 1, 2013 ( ) 3.07[8] In the series premiere, 16 contestants from all around the world arrive in the remote Siberian wilderness where they must try to survive and be the last ones remaining in a show that has no rules and offers no help from the producers, in order to win $500,000. The last two contestants to arrive at the camp where they will be staying will be eliminated from the competition (these turn out to be Harpreet and Berglind). At night, the remaining 14 contestants hear a strange noise in the forest. In the morning, Tommy wanders away searching for mushrooms for food. Later, the contestants are informed by Jonathon, the host, that Tommy has had a fatal accident. 2 "A Question of Reality" Matthew Arnold Travis Rooks July 8, 2013 ( ) 2.60[9] George decides to leave the competition. Later, Daniel finds the site where Tommy was killed along with a strange footprint and cave markings showing tribesmen fighting a large creature with the same footprint. The contestants then find a shed full of food, which they decide to ration. Victoria unintentionally eats uncooked poisonous mushrooms and begins hallucinating. The next day, she returns to normal and decides to leave. Before she does, she warns Daniel that in her hallucinations she saw that the group is going to die. 3 "Lyin' and Tiger and Bare" Matthew Arnold Odin Shafer and Andrew Adair July 15, 2013 ( ) 2.36[10] At night, the group finds the food shed set ablaze. In the morning, Natalie and Annie return to camp claiming to have seen a tiger. The contestants discover that Johnny burned the food shed, but a hidden camera inside the shed reveals Carolina as the true saboteur, who framed Johnny. Later, Neeko and Sabina find a partially eaten tiger and wonder what could have killed it. 4 "Fire in the Sky" Matthew Arnold Dorian Hess July 29, 2013 ( ) 1.93[11] In the morning, the contestants find a spear in their camp with an attached message warning them to leave. At night, the sky mysteriously turns green. After the sky returns to normal, Carolina reveals to the group that she is a TV actress named Joyce who was ordered by the producers to frame Johnny for burning the food shed. 5 "What She Said"[12] Matthew Arnold David Paster August 5, 2013 ( ) 1.80[13] Natalie leaves behind a note informing the contestants that she has left the competition. Later, Irene gets caught in a booby trap, severely injuring her leg. Desperate, the contestants search for the producers' basecamp to get help for Irene, but they find the basecamp in ruins. 6 "Out of the Frying Pan"[14] Matthew Arnold Matthew Arnold and Odin Shafer August 12, 2013 ( ) 1.86[15] Now on their own, the contestants discover that Miljan found a century-old Russian diary that describes violent creatures called “Valleymen” and a nomadic tribe called the Evenki. Later, the contestants spot a radio tower in the distance that Johnny, Daniel, Sam, and Joyce hike towards while the rest stay at camp. Along the way, the hikers find a site reminiscent of the Tunguska event. 7 "First Snow"[16] Slava N. Jakovleff and Herbert James Winterstern Matthew Arnold and Shaun Hudson August 19, 2013 ( ) 1.83[17] With temperatures dropping, the away team continues their harsh trek. Back at camp, a deranged Miljan attacks Irene, forcing the group to tie him down. Miljan persuades Esther to untie him and to dose the others with sleeping pills so he can secretly take Irene into the woods. 8 "A Gathering Fog"[18] Slava N. Jakovleff and Herbert James Winterstern Brian Rost August 26, 2013 ( ) 1.73[19] While the group at camp searches for Irene and Miljan, they stumble upon Natalie's corpse. As Neeko and Sabina press on, Annie and Esther stay behind to bury Natalie but are later captured by unseen forces. Meanwhile, the away team loses sight of the radio tower but instead finds shelter in a deserted Russian research station. 9 "One by One"[20] Slava N. Jakovleff and Herbert James Winterstern Matthew Arnold and Brian Rost September 2, 2013 ( ) 1.73[21] At the research station, the away team discovers a lab conducting mutation experiments and find the radio tower destroyed. Back at camp, Neeko and Sabina find Miljan, who handed Irene over to the Evenki tribe for help. The three are later captured by the tribesmen. 10 "Strange Bedfellows"[22] Slava N. Jakovleff and Herbert James Winterstern Shaun Hudson and Andrew Adair September 9, 2013 ( ) 1.81[23] At the research station, Johnny, Daniel, Sam, and Joyce use a radio to make contact with a rescue team. Meanwhile, the Evenki tribesmen take Sabina, Neeko, and Miljan to their encampment, where they find Esther, Annie, and a healed Irene. Believing the area is cursed due to the Valleymen creatures that roam the woods, the Evenki direct the six towards the research station. 11 "... Into the Oven"[24] Herbert James Winterstern and Matthew Arnold Travis Rooks and Matthew Arnold September 16, 2013 ( ) 2.2 [25] Season finale. A squad of Russian black ops soldiers arrives at the research station to kill the reunited contestants but is attacked by the Valleymen. The contestants escape in a truck, but Annie is killed by the troops. When the truck gets stuck in ice, Esther (who appears to possess the prize money) hijacks the truck. The contestants find shelter in an evacuated small town and are discovered by Jonathon (the host). Note: This episode was merged with the 12th episode to compensate for the Royal Baby Special, regarding the birth of Prince George of Cambridge, which delayed the airing of the 4th episode.
DVD releases [ edit ]
On March 11, 2014 Lions Gate Entertainment released Siberia - Season one on DVD in Region 1 with all 11 episodes on a 3-disc set.[26]A 25-year-old man was acquitted yesterday of having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl when he was 18.
A 25-year-old man was acquitted yesterday of having unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl when he was 18.
The man, on trial at Donegal Circuit Court, had pleaded not guilty to a single count of sexually assaulting the girl in his car at a beach car park on a date in October 2003.
He admitted having sex with the young girl but insisted that he believed she was 18 or 19 at the time.
He was the sixth man to face charges of sexually assaulting the girl when she was 12 and 13 and the only one to be acquitted.
The troubled 13-year-old, who kept a detailed diary of her sexual exploits, recorded having sex 57 times with 22 men by the age of 13.
Three men are serving jail sentences while two others have been given suspended jail sentences.
Yesterday it took the jury of seven men and five women just under half-an-hour to return a verdict of not guilty.
The trial had heard that the extremely vulnerable 13-year-old had turned her back on a troubled family life and befriended older teenagers.
In 2003, by the time she was aged 13, she was drinking alcohol, smoking and having sex with boys and men.
She kept a detailed diary in which she recorded the names of men she had sex with as well as colour-coded lists on which she rated the men. One such list contained 55 names.
Capable
The case for the prosecution was not that she had been coerced into sex, but that she was not legally capable of consenting to sex.
In her evidence, the young woman, now aged 20, said she believed the accused man had known her age because he had previously been in a relationship with her 15-year-old friend, and knew that she was younger.
The accused man told the trial that he had met the 13-year-old in a pub where she had purchased alcohol.
He said she dressed older than her age, wearing "stylish clothes" and "big, fancy high-heeled boots".
Judge John O'Hagan told jurors that a mistake about the age of a young person could be raised by the defence.
If the jury concluded that there had been such a mistake, then the defendant must be given the benefit of the doubt.
But if they rejected it, then they must convict.
The judge recalled the defence's case that the girl was not refused admission by pub bouncers and had bought drinks at various bars.
He also pointed out that the victim's mother had been called in evidence just to prove her daughter's age.
"I can only say it as a matter of comment that the mother was not asked in evidence how her daughter looked at the age of 13," he said.
Defence counsel Hugo Hynes said that the law gave the defendant allowance for a genuine mistake and he believed the girl was older than him.
Seconds after the verdict, the woman left the court with her father and social worker.
Irish IndependentPARSIPPANY — Noise was blaring from everywhere and Nick Brigante couldn't see. Then it happened.
"You're tying to get oriented and I went past the room," Brigante, a Boonton firefighter, said. "That blew my mind. It's a terrifying feeling when you've put in this time, put in this effort and you're going forward and you miss something."
But it was OK. It was just a training exercise at the Rapid Intervention, Safety and Survival weekend at the Morris County Public Safety Training Academy Sunday. The next time, Brigante said, he wouldn't miss the room or the chance to save someone's life.
More than 50 firefighters — most from Morris County — participated in the three-day, nearly 24-hour program created by Wharton's Scott Warner, a retired Dover fire captain, and Roxbury's Joe Lang, a Harrison fire lieutenant.
Scott DiGiralomo, a Morris County Department of Law and Public Safety director, said the program is invaluable.
"This weekend-long training program is about saving firefighters' lives," said DiGiralomo, who also thanked the Morris County freeholder board for backing the program. "This has already been demonstrated by firefighters who have sustained critical injuries and credited their survival to this specific training here at the Morris County training facility. I can't think of a training program that is more important."
Morris County Fire Training Coordinator Jack Alderton agreed.
"This is a physically challenging weekend for the firefighters," he said, "but it could mean the difference between life and death."
Brigante knows that situation all too well. The 20-year-old was on his first call as a fireman near Rowan University a year ago when he had to respond to a report of a woman whose car was hit by a tractor trailer on Route 55.
Brigante and his crew worked fast to save the woman's life.
"There's no time," he said. "And that's what these guys have been training us. It has to become muscle memory. You have to just know it and get to work."
Lang said the program has been running in Morris County for about four years. He said the facility at which the training occurs — a 20,000 square-foot building — allows for firemen to train for all locations—offices, apartments, hotels, homes, hospitals and more.
After a night of lecture, the participants are thrown into real-life situations—carrying bodies up steps, wandering through rooms without being able to see, escaping via ladder.
The program's most difficult, and perhaps most important exercise, was the "confidence course," Lang said. "It's 75 feet of pure hell."
Participants dodge a variety of obstacles — from collapsing floors to falling debris to limited oxygen and sight — and learn to think under extreme pressure, Lang said.
Nick Dimegerodakis, 39, of Morris Township said the course helped tame a fireman's biggest fear: getting trapped.
"It allows you to build your confident for, God forbid you're by yourself at a later date anad you have to make your way out," he said.
Warner said that was the plan.
"Not only do we try to save civilians," Warner said, "but when we get in trouble, who's going to save us?"At Holguín’s Frank País García International Airport, preparations are underway to build a modern, 36-meter air traffic control tower. Foto: Juan Pablo Carreras Of the 150 flights that arrive to Cuba each day, 60-80 land at Havana’s José Martí International Airport. Foto: Jose M. Correa By the end of January, 2017, a 15% increase in visitor arrivals to Cuba as compared to 2016 was noted. Foto: Julio Martínez Molina During the first quarter of the year, airlines like American Airlines and Jet Blue doubled the frequency of their flights. Foto: Freddy Pérez Cabrera Cuba welcomed 284,937 U.S. visitors in 2016, representing a 74% increase on 2015. Pictured is Villa Clara’s Abel Santamaría International Airport. Foto: Arelys María Echevarría Rodríguez There has been an increase in the provision of services to domestic and international flights at Holguin's airport. Foto: Juan Pablo Carreras
As every action is logically followed by a reaction, at the peak of the Cuban tourism high-season (November-April), with hopes for a 17% improvement on the same period last year, the sustained increase in passengers traveling to the island is being backed by the rapid development of air transport operations and gradual progress in securing investment projects to optimize infrastructure conditions.
In this regard, the President of Cuba’s Civil Aviation Institute (IACC), Alfredo Cordero, noted that an increasing number of airlines are flying direct to the island’s ten international airports. At the end of 2016, 80 airlines were serving the island, of which 61 with regular flights, and 19 charters. This summer a new airline from Suriname is expected to join this number.
Airlines themselves have recognized how much swifter the process of receiving passengers now is on the island. According to Cordero, in the immediate future investments should be undertaken on a larger scale, as between 60 and 80 of the over 150 flights that arrive daily to Cuba, land at Havana’s José Martí International Airport.
As such, it is understandable that the infrastructure improvement process is currently focused on the capital’s airport, which saw an increase in operations of 24% last year.
Cuban civil aviation authorities have reported that, by the close of 2016, air operations had increased by 18%, as a result of the growing interest among global travelers in visiting the island.
Considering that average annual air transport growth in any other country ranges between 3-6%, the increase seen in Cuba is extraordinary.
***
After welcoming a record number of more than four million foreign visitors last year, marking growth of 14.15%, Cuba expects to receive 4.2 million tourists by December 2017. By the end of January this year, the island had already seen growth of 15% in traveler arrivals.
Cuba reached its first million visitors this 2017 on March 4, seven days earlier than in 2016. The Ministry of Tourism’s (Mintur) Marketing Director General, María del Carmen Orellana, noted the sustained trend of increased visitors and income for the island. While European emissary markets are expanding, the top emissary country of travelers to the island continues to be Canada, with a market share of 30% of vacationers.
Travel from the United States has also seen stable growth. In 2016, Cuba received 284,937 U.S. travelers, representing 74% growth as compared to 2015. Meanwhile, during the first quarter of the present year, the flight frequencies of certain airlines such as American Airlines and Jet Blue have doubled, with five and four daily flights, respectively. Other U.S. airlines that serve Cuba are Delta, Spirit, United Airlines, Alaska, Frontier, Southwest and Sun Country.
In order to offer travelers a direct route between Los Angeles and Havana, the first Alaska Airlines aircraft arrived at Havana’s José Martí International Airport in January, the eighth U.S. airline to begin operations with Cuba following the approval of regular flights between the two countries.
Speaking to Cubadebate, Juan Carlos Quintana, director general of the capital’s airport, stated: “The importance of the Alaska flight is that it comes from Los Angeles and allows those from the West Coast - both U.S. citizens and Cuban-Americans - to enjoy a nearby option to be able to travel to Cuba.”
Meanwhile, the Airbus 320, flying from Port-au-Prince to Havana, inaugurated flights operated by Haitian airline Sunrise Airways in February, with a twice-weekly frequency (Thursdays and Sundays).
Likewise, Holguín’s Frank País García International Airport has seen an increase in the provision of services to domestic and international flights. According to press reports, Carlos Pérez, director general of the Cuban Airports and Aviation Services Enterprise in the north eastern region of the country, “the reception and dispatch of aircraft with tourists from both abroad and from other Cuban cities” grew by more than 6% in 2016, attending to more than 803,000 passengers.
As reported on daily Juventud Rebelde’swebsite, “favored by the positioning of the Cuban tourist product in the European and Canadian markets, and the signing of new agreements with North American and Caribbean airlines, in said installation an average of 75 weekly arrivals are served, including from American Airlines, Silver Airways, Jet Blue, Aruba Airlines and Eastern Airlines.” Added to this is the construction of a modern air traffic control tower, over 36 meters high.
Recently, an Air Services Agreement signed between Cuba and Finland put the possibility of regular flights from this European nation arriving in Havana on the table. Currently, Finnair is the only Finish airline to serve the island, with a weekly charter flight to Varadero.
Kimmo Lädhevirta, director general for the Americas and Asia at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, stated that this bilateral understanding would help tourists, businesspeople and other interested parties to travel to the Cuban capital starting next November, with regular and direct flights.
Likewise, Lädhevirta has stated that Finland’s good air connections with the rest of Europe and Asia could contribute to increasing potential passengers to the Caribbean archipelago.
Among the latest airlines to begin operations in Cuban airspace in 2016, seeking to take advantage of this great period for international tourism, was French company Air Caraibes, which began flights to the island in December. This has facilitated the increase in the arrival of French visitors. So far this year, France has reaffirmed itself as one of the main emissary markets to Cuba.
The same was the case with Turkish Airlines, which operates multiple connections, with three weekly flights on the Istanbul-Havana-Caracas route inaugurated in December, using Boeing 777 aircraft with capacity for 349 passengers, thus allowing for increased visitor arrivals from different European, Middle Eastern and Asian cities.
Another resounding success of the Cuban aviation sector, which of course directly influences tourism, is the incorporation of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, one of the most modern aircraft in the world, to be operated between Spain and Havana by Air Europa.
This plane, with room for 296 seats, will fly daily to the island. A Mintur statement emphasized that, with this important step, “Air Europa reiterates its commitment to the destination Cuba and the capacity is demonstrated of the country’s airport infrastructure to assimilate new technologies that bring greater efficiency and comfort.”
These modern aircraft consume 20% less fuel and produce 20% less emissions, compared to other similar sized technologies. Due to their aerodynamic characteristics, they also reduce flight times and offer better entertainment options, including an onboard Wi-Fi service.
At the same time, the launch of this new Boeing is an important event not only for aviation, but also for Cuban tourism, which “demonstrates the favorable climate for the foreign investment and business process that is underway on the island.” With a total 153,340 visitors in 2016, representing 42% growth on the previous year, Spain is still among the main emissary markets of tourists to Cuba.
***
At the beginning of 2017, when Mintur estimated that a total of 164,400 more international visitors would arrive to the island than in 2016, Cuba had a total of 66,547 hotel rooms available, including 5,891 rooms which were repaired or refurbished in 2016. It is hoped that by December of this year, a further 4,020 rooms will be added to the island’s hotel capacity.
Mintur Director of Development and Investment, José Reinaldo Daniel, explained that a further 20,000 rooms are expected to be available by 2020, and depending on tourist arrivals, it is predicted that another 104,000 hotel rooms will be added by 2030.
Some of the most important developments in hotel and non-hotel infrastructure have been seen in Havana, Varadero, Trinidad, the keys along the northern coast of the country, and Holguín.
For example, Holguín, which will host the 37th International Tourism Fair, FITCuba 2017, from May 3-6, has 5,440 rooms in 21 hotels, and stands out for its natural and historical riches.
However, the famous resort of Varadero is still among the most popular, with 20,000 rooms in 52 hotels. For the ninth consecutive year, in 2016, this beach destination located in Matanzas surpassed one million visitors.WHAT IS WAKINGWORLD?
WakingWorld has been created to kick-start change on our planet and to bring us together.
There are approximately 7.2 billion of us on Earth. Sadly, though, most of us live in fear of one another or in competition with each other.
But contrary to what you were taught in school, or what you have been fed by the mainstream media and entertainment industry, we need each other for the collective advancement of |
value at zero,” the prosecutor said. “Those are the others he appeared to have sold privately.”
Randy Wood, owner of The Music Shoppe in Champaign, said his business never purchased UI instruments from Rumbelow but did accept the university’s old instruments and gave the UI trade-in value for them. Rumbelow then applied the trade-in value to new instruments, Wood said of the long-time accepted business practice.
“We never paid anything for instruments,” Wood clarified. “Our end of it was perfectly legitimate.”
Lozar said in a criminal case, restitution is limited to out-of-pocket expenses that can be documented so it was agreed that it would not be an element of his sentence. Rumbelow was ordered to pay just routine court costs.
"They are free to and may choose to pursue him civilly," Lozar said of the UI.
Scott Rice, legal counsel for the university, said the UI is continuing to investigate Rumbelow and may do just that.
Rice and UI spokeswoman Robin Kaler were in court while Rumbelow pleaded guilty.
The UI's band program declined comment.
Archivist Scott Schwartz, director of the Sousa Archives, called it a "truly sad" episode for the UI's "exceptional" band program.
"Sousa and Mr. Harding would be rolling in their graves," Schwartz said, referring to composer John Philip Sousa and Albert A. Harding, the first director of university bands.
"People will look at it differently, and that's unfortunate. But you've got great people leading it right now, and they'll lead it to where it should always be, the best band in the country," he said.
Schwartz said there were signs that "something wasn't right" before Rumbelow's official resignation in August.
UI police had received a tip about Rumbelow's activities on June 17 and learned that UI auditors were also looking into the case after receiving a tip through the University Ethics Office in Springfield, according to police.
Schwartz's office gave a tour of the archives to Rumbelow's family on July 3, several days before Rumbelow was placed on leave by the university July 8.
"It's a very sad state of affairs," Schwartz said.
Rumbelow was hired by the UI in January 2010 to replace James Keene, who had been just the fourth director of university bands over nearly a century.
Linda Moorhouse is now acting director of bands.
News-Gazette staff writer Julie Wurth contributed to this report.Share. First details on the next game from the creators of Halo. First details on the next game from the creators of Halo.
Exit Theatre Mode
Leaked materials provided to IGN by a reader have revealed story details and concept art from Destiny, Bungie’s follow-up to the Halo franchise. Bungie has confirmed to IGN that the document was prepared by an advertising agency and represents an outside look at Destiny’s plot, key values and more.
According to the document, “Our story begins seven hundred years from now in the Last City on Earth, in a Solar System littered with the ruins of man’s Golden Age. A massive, mysterious alien ship hangs overhead like a second Moon. No one knows where it came from or what it’s here for, but only that it’s our protector. Meanwhile, strange, alien monsters creep in from the edge of the universe, determined to take Earth and the Last City. We are young ‘knights’ tasked with defending the remains of humanity, discovering the source of these monsters and – eventually – overcoming it.” Elsewhere in the document, the massive alien ship is referred to as “the Traveler.”
Destiny is further described as “fun and accessible to all,” aiming “to create a universe as deep, tangible and relatable as that of the Star Wars franchise.” Based on the language in the document, it appears that Bungie aims to create a universe accessible to multiple demographics, perhaps suggesting that Destiny will be less mature than Bungie’s efforts with Halo. A quote from Bungie co-founder Jason Jones says “Destiny is designed for your inner seven year old. We want to make it feel like a mythic adventure.”
Destiny’s gameplay is described by the document as “social at its core,” offering “a world to explore with friends, both old and new.” It’s unclear whether this confirms comments from Bungie in 2011 that the game is an MMO, which Bungie later called a joke. The document also includes a Destiny logo along with Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 icons, as well as the URL Destiny.com. While Destiny.com is currently password-protected, if it is indeed a URL that’s been purchased by Bungie, it could suggest that Destiny will ultimately be the game’s final name rather than a codename as previously speculated.
We reached out to Bungie regarding the information and received the following statement:
“We’re not quite ready to take the wraps off our next universe, but in light of recent events we thought we’d give fans something a little more official over at Bungie.net. Feel free to drop by and say hello! There’s much more to come.”
Shortly after, Bungie posted the following image on its official site:
In addition, the document provided to IGN includes several pieces of concept art from Bungie, seen below:
Four additional images were also provided by Bungie's agency:
It's worth noting that the agency-provided images do appear to be mock-ups for advertising purposes and are likely based on previously existing imagery. Eagle-eyed readers have pointed out that the second image appears to be based on artwork from canceled Command & Conquer game Tiberium.
The name Destiny first emerged in May when court documents revealed details on four games in the series. At the time, installments in the Destiny series were revealed to be coming in fall 2013, fall 2015, fall 2017 and fall 2019. In 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020, downloadable expansions known as “Comet” were also said to be planned.
The contract suggested the first Destiny game would be available first on Xbox 360 as well as “the next successor console platform released by Microsoft,” which the contract referred to as Xbox 720. Releases on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and PC were said to be planned in the years following, though today's information suggests a more closely timed release could be a possibility.
For more information on Destiny, keep an eye on IGN's Destiny wiki guide.
Andrew Goldfarb is IGN’s associate news editor. Keep up with pictures of the latest food he’s been eating by following @garfep on Twitter or garfep on IGN.In the winter of 2015 I began investigating a group of young British Muslims from Brighton who left the south coast to fight in Syria. I wanted to discover how and why three brothers, Abdullah, Jaffa and Amer Deghayes, chose to join Jabhat al-Nusra, the Syrian affiliate of al-Qaida, once the most powerful Islamist group fighting the forces of Bashar al-Assad. The project soon became my first exposure to the world of Libyan extremist politics and the influence it exerted over young men growing up in places such as Brighton and Manchester.
The remarkable narrative that unfolded through detailed testimony from family, friends, police, social services and counterterrorism officials seemed to offer a sequence of facts that would probably never be repeated. That was until Manchester.
It should be said that while the Deghayes brothers opted for al-Qaida’s branch of extremism and detested Islamic State, where Salman Abedi’s allegiance appeared to lie, they never displayed any intention to attack the west. But the similarities, including a shared Libyan axis, angst over the killing of Muslim children in Syria, issues with identity and a wayward hedonistic adolescence that became an increasingly pious outlook undoubtedly suggest a pattern.
Abedi and the Deghayes brothers had Libyan parents with strong connections to the capital Tripoli. Both families had fled persecution by the dictator Colonel Gaddafi. The father of Abedi, Ramadan, fought with the Libyan Islamic Fighting Froup (LIFG) against the Gaddafi regime during the Libyan revolution in 2011.
The uncle of the Deghayes boys, Omer, was also linked to LIFG, an outlawed group that the US state department says has links with al-Qaida. Omer would be detained at Guantánamo Bay from 2002-2007 and interrogated over “general-to-specific information on LIFG personalities and activities” within the UK.
Abedi also had a Guantánamo connection and is understood to have known former detainee Ronald Fiddler, 50, alias Jamal al-Harith, who lived nearby in south Manchester. In February this year he detonated a suicide truck in Mosul, Iraq
The Deghayes brothers frequently went to Libya. British police found a Facebook account registered in Libya, linked to Jaffar Deghayes and which contained an image of men in balaclavas on horseback in a desert in front of jihad’s “black flag”. Four months after the discovery, Jaffar headed to Syria.
Abedi, who some sources say also travelled to Syria, returned from Libya days before the attack. On Wednesday Abedi’s father and brother Hashem were arrested in Tripoli by counterterrorism forces. A third brother, Ismail, has been arrested in the UK, raising, superfically at least, the latest instance of radicalised siblings.
Two of the Deghayes brothers who went to Syria had a history of delinquency, smoking cannabis and repeated low-level crime. Abedi, too, smoked cannabis, drank and, according to at least one source, was known to the authorities for antisocial behaviour. Both Abedi and Jaffar Deghayes – the youngest British jihadist thought to have died in Syria – came to the attention of Prevent, the government’s anti-radicalisation programme, but no action was taken. Even though both Abedi and the Deghayes brothers were on the radar of counter-terrorism officials, they were able to travel abroad.
It is a cliche of the globalised era to say that conflicts in faraway countries can affect our own lives. In the jihadi era, we are only now coming to realise the toxic British legacy of the dysfunctional, violent world of Gaddafi’s Libya.Everyone knows the electron, but in our daily routines of charging laptops and phones, we don’t often think of its antiparticle, the positron. Where has all the antimatter gone, in the long time passing since the dawn of the universe?
That’s what scientists working on Japan’s electron-positron colliding accelerator, SuperKEKB, hope to find out. They’ll accelerate electrons and their antimatter brothers close to the speed of light before slamming them together. By peering into the debris and searching for rare particle decays, they’ll try to figure out why we live in a world full of matter.
Japan’s high-energy accelerator research organization, known as KEK, announced today that scientists successfully accelerated and stored electrons and positrons in their separate rings, each nearly 2 miles around. This is the first in several steps to commission the accelerator after a five-year upgrade that included new beam pipes, new magnets (and magnet power supplies) to guide the beam, and a reinforced radio-frequency system that accelerates the particles. Technicians also added a new positron source for the antimatter particles and a new electron gun.
The improvements should create many more collisions per second than the previous iteration of the accelerator, KEKB, was capable of–and that means a better chance of seeing interesting particle decays. The collisions will create pairs of bottom quarks and bottom antiquarks, hence the “B” in SuperKEKB.
The project will also involve an upgraded version of the Belle detector that previously recorded the collisions. The initial run of the Belle detector yielded some interesting results, including a difference in the way particles called B mesons decayed. The asymmetry, called CP violation, was an intriguing find.
“This is still puzzling,” KEK Director-General Masanori Yamauchi said in a Symmetry interview last year. “We still don’t know how it happens. We need at least 10 times more data to find out. That’s why we started the upgrade of KEKB.”
The rare decays that Belle II will try to capture might also have occurred early in our universe’s history. Replicating them could provide clues to the current matter-antimatter imbalance and help us better understand the physics that underlies our cosmos, which can’t be fully explained by the current Standard Model.
Before that can happen, researchers need to tune the accelerator so it operates perfectly, a process slated to take through June. They’ll also add powerful superconducting magnets that will focus the beam and install the Belle II detector. Once it is in place and working properly, they’ll get back to work on the case of the missing antimatter.Environmental Protection Agency science advisers may not be so impartial, according to congressional investigators. Scientists tasked with reviewing one of the EPA’s costliest regulations to date have received government grants and often peer review their own research.
Texas Republican Rep. Lamar Smith wrote to the EPA last week detailing his concerns that the EPA’s Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) Ozone Review Panel suffers from conflicts of interest and lacks impartiality.
The ozone panel is tasked with reviewing EPA documents related to clean air regulations and is intended “to have complete independence” from the agency, according to Smith — who chairs the House Science Committee. Smith wrote that the panel suffers from “panelists reviewing their own work; a lack of turnover among CASAC Ozone Review Panel members; and, existing financial relationships between Panelists and the Agency.”
According to Smith, 16 of the 20 members on the current Ozone Review Panel are cited by the EPA in key regulatory science documents the panel is tasked with peer reviewing. The work of panel members is cited more than 700 times in these documents which panelists are asked to critically assess.
Smith notes that this runs afoul of the EPA’s own rules for peer reviewing its science, citing an agency handbook saying an “independent peer reviewer is an expert who was not associated with the generation of the specific work product either directly… or indirectly…”
“The CASAC Ozone Review Panel appears to violate agency policies designed to ensure balance, independence and impartiality,” Smith wrote. “Due to the substantial economic cost associated with finalizing a more stringent ozone standard, EPA should make every effort to ensure the transparency of the regulatory process.”
Furthermore, 15 of the 20 panelists are on the EPA’s payroll. The Washington Examiner reports that 15 of the 20 “CASAC ozone review panelists received $180.8 million in EPA grants.” The largest dollar amount of these grants went to panelist Ed Avol of the University of Southern California who got $51.7 million. The seven members of the ozone panel’s executive committee got $80.2 million of the total from the EPA.
“Any claim that the 15 grant recipients on this panel have ‘complete independence’ from the EPA — as federal law requires — when their careers have depended on EPA grants of such magnitude is a disgusting farce,” writes Ron Arnold, the executive vice president of the Center for the Defense of Free Enterprise.
CASAC’s ozone panel is currently in the process of reviewing the EPA’s National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). The EPA wants to lower NAAQS in order to set more stringent air quality standards, but the rule is projected to cost $100 billion annually — making it one of the costliest in EPA history.
Setting NAAQS below natural air quality levels could put huge swaths of the U.S. out of compliance with the law, meaning that severe penalties could be levied on communities around the country, Smith writes.
But it’s unclear if the science advisory panel knows whether or not it’s supposed to advise the EPA on the socioeconomic factors of its rulemaking.
Dr. Roger McClellan, the former chairman of the clean air panel, told Congress in 2011, “I am not aware that CASAC has ever advised EPA to take account of the role of socioeconomic factors, unemployment or other risk factors influencing the health endpoints under consideration.”
McClellan’s testimony was bolstered by remarks from former EPA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation Jeff Holmstead who said that it “appears that, until recently, most CASAC members were not aware that they have a statutory obligation to advise the head of EPA on certain issues [bad effects of regulation].
“As far as I know, CASAC had never fulfilled this requirement as it relates to the ozone standard or any other,” Holmstead added.
It’s not only that the panel is unclear on what it’s supposed to advise the EPA on, but testimony from former CASAC members reveals the agency’s efforts to keep them silent. Dr. Robert Phalen, a former member of the CASAC panel on fine particulate matter, told Congress that the current CASAC process “is seriously flawed, it is narrowly focused, and it is even ethically questionable.”
Phalen added that, “CASAC was not allowed to discuss any of the adverse consequences associated with setting new standards… [T]he subcommittee that I was on did not adequately inform the Administrator on the pitfalls, the scientific limitations, and even the adverse health consequences that would flow from a more stringent regulation.”
Smith has asked the GAO to look into if EPA science advisers are carrying out their statutory duties.
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Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.Tobias Harris is traded to the Sixers. Was the price right, and how will they look with him? The Clippers show yet again why front office and ownership realism is one of the biggest advantages in the NBA. Then we discuss the other LA team’s trade for Reggie Bullock, go through the rest of the news including some trade rumors and how John Wall's Achilles tear affects Washington going forward, and finally do a Mock All-Star draft, plus discuss some of the notable All-Star snubs.
Click to subscribe via RSS feed or iTunes.
Tobias Harris is traded to the Sixers. Was the price right, and how will they look with him? The Clippers show yet again why front office and ownership realism is one of the biggest advantages in the NBA. Then we discuss the other LA team’s trade for Reggie Bullock, go through the rest of the news including some trade rumors and how John Wall's Achilles tear affects Washington going forward, and finally do a Mock All-Star draft, plus discuss some of the notable All-Star snubs.
With host Nate Duncan (@NateDuncanNBA). And if you like this pod, please donate to support Nate and Danny at Patreon.com/DuncanLeroux. Merchandise available at NateDuncanNBA.com.Virtual reality tricks your brains in weird, wonderful ways. If you've done a good VR demo or two, you've likely experienced that sense of presence, of feeling like you really do exist in this made-up world: reacting to virtual people as if they're real people, or trying to balance yourself on a virtual table and falling on your face IRL. I don't think presence is the end of VR's bag of tricks, though. Judging from one VR demo I tried recently, it's just the beginning.
Ripcoil, from developer Sanzaru Games, will ship this year alongside the launch of the Oculus Touch motion controllers. As game designs go, it's fairly simple. Actually, it's pretty close to VR Pong, starring you as the paddle. Two giant robots, one of whom is you, face each other in a brightly-lit future-sports arena, tossing a flying disc back and forth. If the disc goes behind you into your goal, the opponent gets a point. You can catch it and throw it back, rebounding it off the walls if you like, or you can charge up your fist and punch it back at high speed. To defend your own goal, you can move back and forth.
The strangest part is, you never actually move.
You play the game in a standing position, feet planted and knees bent. If you shift your torso to the left or right, you move laterally in that direction in front of your goal. You need only gently nudge your body to start moving slowly, and it doesn't take much movement to zip quickly back and forth.
There's a lot of smart design that goes into* Ripcoil* making you feel as if you embody the giant robot you're portraying. Your arms and body are fully rendered, and move realistically as you shift yourself around. The fast action and responsive controls of the game quickly let you lose yourself in its fiction, and you'll be zipping back and forth catching and tossing flying discs with ease.
Oculus
Playing a game like Ripcoil is a good reminder that motion-control devices like the Wii and Kinect weren't the flash-in-the-pan gimmicks detractors like to portray them as. Instead, they were baby steps along the road to VR. Used in isolation, they don't have much of a lifespan (as evidenced by the fact that Nintendo and Microsoft have abandoned them as standalone devices)—but coupled with VR display, Wii-like motion controls and Kinect-like body tracking are perfect, seamless input methods.
But that's not the crazy part.
It didn't take me very long to adjust to tilting my body to send my paddle-robot back and forth in front of the goal. And once it became second nature, something amazing happened: Although my legs were planted firmly on the ground in meatspace, it felt like I was moving. I was standing in a tiny demo room in the Oculus booth, but it felt as if, outside the VR display, my body was on some kind of crazy Disney theme park ride where I was physically sliding to the right and left.
The only stimulation my body was receiving at that moment was what was being shown to my eyeballs. But somehow, everything synced up so perfectly that my brain told me, in no uncertain terms, that we were in motion. Perhaps the fact that I was standing still in the room, and that the game's design had locked me to a single plane of movement, helped cut down on any potential eye-body dissonance that might have otherwise reminded me that I wasn't actually moving.
Either way, I didn't have long to think about it since on the other side of the arena, my opponent (played by one of the game's developers) was winging rebounding shots at me that I was mostly failing to intercept. Finally, they walked another reporter over to the other Oculus in an adjacent room, so we could play against each other in something resembling a fair fight. We kicked things off and started throwing the ol' virtual disc around. And before long, the other reporter experienced exactly what I was feeling.
"OH MY GOD," I heard from the other room. "IT FEELS LIKE I'M MOVING!"For those of us that don't enjoy starting over with every new league, and instead prefer to constantly refine and revise and upgrade a smaller number of characters, do you keep in mind the time investment of players, particularly on Standard and Hardcore, when you make larger changes for balance or future content?
Yes. This is the reason why we're careful with large-scale balance changes, especially ones that affect items. When planning future content, we also try to make sure that there is enough content that affects Standard/Hardcore players periodically. Generally, expansions add content to Standard/Hardcore (whether it's act content, the Labyrinth, or a revamped endgame) whereas challenge league releases only add mechanics to the challenge leagues.
Have you guys and gals considered forcing logout of AFK players after 45mins of inactivity? I love the improvements to trading so far, they have helped improve the issue of contacting a player and having the issue of them not being logged in, however I still have this issue at times, it's a little less often, now... A new issue is that (and I know people that do this a lot who are friends too) people will stay AFK in the game almost the entire day so that they can reply to whispers when they come back to the game, sometimes they are afk 6-8hrs or more, I sometimes get responses 4hrs later and sometimes even the next day after I have gone to bed and logged in on the weekend, from something I tried to buy the previous night, this whole going AFK but leaving the game running all the time is hurting trading if you ask me.
This is a very interesting idea. While we don't plan to actually log people out for inactivity, the idea of considering them offline for trade visibility purposes (if they're actually away from their computer and not around to answer messages) is very possible. I'll talk to the team about this further.
Chris, Jonathan, Erik and any others on the office, how is the feel to have accomplished so much about developing Path of Exile? Ten years ago PoE was only a vague idea for you guys I assume, so in this decade, how much proud you guys feel? And could you cite a moment (after seen a build, a video or whatever) where you had the thought "That's why I made Path of Exile!"?
This is a tough question to answer! On one hand, we feel great pride when thinking about Path of Exile and how it has entertained millions of people. On the other hand, this game has been part of our lives for almost ten years now. We were very confident that the world needed another great Action RPG with a deep item system, and so we've worked for basically our entire working lives to create that. This is all worthwhile every time we see someone come up with a cool build idea or post an item that they are really proud of. That feeling that the player feels is why we made Path of Exile.
Any plans to hire US-based Customer Support folks?
Nope, sorry. Our customer support team are based in our office in Auckland, New Zealand.
Are there any plans to torture that p... I mean... bring back that magnificent bastard Fairgraves again in later acts?
The team love Fairgraves and seeing him crop up again in early drafts of future content always makes me smile. Having said that, I know of no current plans to bring him back in the future.
Is the game still limited to 32 sounds? Is there already an improvement for the game to output more sounds simultaneously?
There are three settings in the sound options right now. Low is 32 channels, medium (the default) is 64 and high is 128.
Are we going to expect new legacy items in the future?
Inevitably, yes. While we don't specifically set out to create them, changes to unique items happen and these generally create legacy items. We view this as a positive thing for the game, because it rewards people for playing now rather than later.
What time does GGG office close? And what time do you guys come in for work?
People arrive between around 7:30am and 11:30am, and leave from around 4:30 to 11pm, depending on how long they've been in and what's going on. We're pretty flexible with work times, so as long as developers are here during the core part of the day, there's no problem.
Our customer support team are rostered so that the department is open 24 hours, so the office itself never really closes.
Currently, if players were to die in hardcore temporary/challenge league, they would be sent to regular standard league. It's kinda unfair that the standard players will have early access to new items that are specifically exclusive to the challenge leagues only, while players in regular default hardcore league have to wait 3-4 months for those exclusive items to come to them.
There is definitely asymmetry here, but it's a designed-in consequence of the way the leagues work. Think of it more as a bonus for playing in the hardcore challenge league: items that you die with (or find and put on a low level character that you kill on purpose) are worth extra in Standard if they're available early.
Is it possible for people to go from hardcore challenge league to standard challenge league instead of regular standard league?
We considered this, but we felt that it would feel bad for the players in the standard challenge league. If people appear (potentially above them on the ladder), complaining about how their character is worthless now, then it's not going to make those standard challenge league players feel very good about their progress. It would also dramatically disrupt the economy of that league, with all of the items from the hardcore players being rapidly sold off for currency in a fire sale. Finally, we feel that having the characters move back to actual permanent Standard creates slightly more of a feeling of permadeath for the hardcore mode. The character is no longer useable for finishing the current challenges.
What would you say the shavronne's wrappings of your development team is? I.E Who was the hardest or rarest type of developer you had to find or needed as poe went from infancy to production? Was it more on the team management side? PR side? Programming or Art & Graphics? Basically what would you say is lacking the the game development industry? What's hard to find?
Producers who understand Path of Exile and our development philosophy. We generally train senior designers with good project management skills for this role instead of hiring dedicated producers.
Out of curiosity how many player created uniques are still pending?
We have completed and released 163 player-created uniques. We are currently working on 37 in collaboration with supporters. The queue of uniques that haven't been started is currently at 299. While this sounds like a huge number, most of those are players who have told us they'd like to wait for later when they have ideas of what to make. The process of creating them has become faster over time, as we have dedicated staff working on them.
When can we expect to see more Vaal skills? They're a really cool idea that hasn't really been touched much since they were introduced in 1.1
The team have some cool ones in mind, and will probably release them in a batch together in the future. We don't intend for every single skill in the game to have a Vaal version.
What do you guys enjoy about the Free to Play model? What has it allowed you to do that you couldn't do with a flat cost game?
The immediate characteristic of Free to Play games is that your players don't have to make an up-front purchase before they're able to play. This means that your incentives are completely aligned with providing a fun and compelling experience for players, rather than a fancy store page and set of trailers to compel a purchase before they have played the game.
This has allowed us to focus on creating the game that we want to, while trusting that our community will support it if they want to see more.
Where do you think other developers get it wrong when trying to monetize a free game?
Rather than going with the obvious answer of how they often offer pay-to-win functionality and how that's bad for competitive games, I'd rather talk about maximum purchase size. Many games cap out at around the $120-150 mark for the most you can purchase in one transaction. We have had a lot of success selling supporter packs at higher values, especially ones that contain real life merchandise and signed stuff. While it may seem like a hassle to have to sign thousands of things, it's totally worthwhile because the community loves it and people who support the game receive something special. My advice to people monetising free games is to better consider the super-fan and their desires.
Are there any plans to add more functionality to loot filters?
In an upcoming patch there's support for differentiating between Identified and Unidentified items (which is useful with a certain unique cloak). We do plan to add functionality over time, but haven't got any firm plans currently for what features and when. It's a great area to improve.
Will master hideout layouts ever change, swap around between masters, or become attainable in any additional ways? I really want to get Leo's amazing hideout in the next temp league, but it's just not feasible with how little PVP gets played.
I'd like to revamp this system a little bit to provide more options for players. We actually have some other experimental hideout layouts mostly finished, so there is definitely stuff coming in the future in this space!
How do you guys GGG feel about your future design space? With so many things creeping universally into every build: curses, auras, golems, mobility, triggers, totems, orbs, warcries - there are many things to consider when making a build. The choice limit makes excellent variety, but I must admit it is starting to feel pretty cramped socket wise. Personally I have been more and more into 2h and Bow due to being able to have those new skill types in the chest and utilize the power/variety of 3x 6L. How does that sit balance wise?
You're definitely right that there are many different things to consider when making a build. Socket space is certainly cramped. However, this does present its own benefits! We've found that the secondary skills that players love the most are the ones that have low up-front costs. There's little drawback to having a Golem, for example. The main cost that some of these skills have is their opportunity cost, and for that to matter, socket space has to be cramped. We're keeping a close eye on this as we add more content.
What are your goals in going to the GDC every year?
Not everyone from our team goes to GDC - just people who choose to. Flying to and staying in San Francisco isn't cheap, especially when measured in New Zealand dollars. People attend the conference for different reasons:
The conference talks are excellent and keep our team members at the forefront of what's going on in the industry. I greatly enjoy production talks given by other online game teams.
The ability to meet other developers, from teams working on similar games to famous developers that you randomly run into and fanboy all over.
The show floor is often hit-or-miss, but can contain awesome technology to look at. It is turning into a pile of VR stuff these days though.
The parties are also great for socialising.
Was the newly released hideout decorations back at the start of prophecy league intentional Easter Egg or was it just an accident? Regardless of which, when can we expect to see them implemented BACK into the game?
This was an accident. We were preparing them for future use and they were accidentally enabled during this process. Our current plan is to finish off these decorations and release them with future hideout-related content or changes.
Is it possible to become a game moderator but not a game developer? And if yes then how does one do so?
We have an internal customer support team who work from the same place as our development team. We don't have stand-alone game moderators. It's possible to apply to the customer support team, but you need to already live in Auckland, New Zealand!
How often does GGG staff participate in temp leagues? Either just for fun or for the reward MTX or does the staff automatically get the MTX stuff?
Our team frequently play in the current leagues. There are some big Action RPG fans on our team, so they'd probably be playing Path of Exile regardless! It's very important to play the game in a real environment so that we can see how things work in practise, especially with regards to emergent player behaviour. The staff don't automatically get MTX rewards from leagues, so if they want them, then they have to earn them.
Have any of the original D1 or D2 developers reached out to you or anyone else on the team to show appreciation for the game you have created and it's impact on their legacy? If so can you share the story?
Yes. We are good friends with David Brevik and both Max and Erich Schaefer, who we visit whenever we're over in San Francisco. They're great guys and while they have far more experience in the games industry than we do, there's enough common ground to be able to have some really interesting discussions. I have to admit, I am a huge fan of theirs so getting to meet my heroes was one of the highlights of my career.
What non-ARPG games would you say have been the biggest influences on PoE? Whether it's mechanical or thematic, I'm very interested in any insight into what contributed to the creation of PoE outside of the most obvious.
Final Fantasy VII and Magic: the Gathering are two that immediately come to mind for me. The team probably have other games that they have been inspired by while creating the mechanics and world of Path of Exile.
Is there ever going to be rewards for lifetime race points as mentioned in the past, or has that idea been dropped?
We've dropped this idea, sorry.
What is the deal with the Jet Ring base that appears on the website? It was added there months ago but no sign of that base exists in-game as far as anyone knows.
This base type was added for the "Band of the Victor" unique item, which was the trophy item that was going to be given out for an additional PvP season that we never ran. We will eventually re-purpose it for some other use, or maybe throw together a PvP season with it once we have the resources.
The recent manifesto post about experience gain brought up a question I found difficult to answer. I was hoping you could address the question: How fast should a player be able to reach level 100? What is GGG's position on such a question?
The internal answer varies from person to person, but my feeling is that if someone pushes themselves very hard within a three-month challenge league, it should be possible to get to 100. Adjusting towards this goal is something that we're doing carefully and alongside the parallel introduction of higher level content.
There have been rumors that a new currency type is in the works. Confirm/deny.
I haven't seen any of these rumours, but let's make this interesting by confirming it.
Why is burning ground map mod still in the game? It doesn't make the game any more difficult. It just lowers frame rates and makes the game much less enjoyable.
This is the type of question where people are going to be angry about the answer regardless of what I say, but the truth is that we don't want to remove content for performance reasons until we're sure that we can't fix it. We can improve the performance of ground fire and have been working on this for a long time. Fixes will be deployed as soon as they are working. In the meantime, we don't want to compromise the mechanical aspects of the game.
Will there ever be another cut-throat league? It's the only achievement I have left.
Yes, there definitely will be. There are some in the
Currently most high level players skip over 95% of the rares that drop even in the highest map tiers. Additionally items like the new Reach of the Counsel makes id rares of the same type seem far less |
/Sony, a lot is still on the shoulders of Tyler to prove he and his boisterous tribe aren’t some flash-in-the-pan sensation.
But if the pressure’s on, I guess Tyler’s not gonna crack. He calmly sits at the mahogany table and for well over an hour answers all questions, even though the process of doing interviews annoys the hell out of him. Although he cusses too damn much, the mischievous man-child is a compelling conversationalist. Thank God Mr. 666 was on his best behavior.
How’d you come up with the Odd Future concept?
It was supposed to be a magazine, at first, in my sophomore year. But what 15-year-old do you know—from a single parent—who’s gonna make enough funds with no job to really do a magazine? But it was supposed to be a magazine that sponsored artists. It was me, Left Brain and Hodgy. I like keeping shit in-house. I wanted my friends to be the ones taking the pictures of the people I’d interview, which were my friends who were skateboarders. I’d make advertisements to go in there instead of getting ads from some clothing line.
But when did you take it seriously, the idea that you could be a rap star?
I knew it was gonna happen. I been rapping since I was 7—in 1998. I always knew I’d be great. I just didn’t know it would happen this quick. I thought I’d be 26, finally getting a deal. I signed that shit and I was 19 with a history already, so I’m doing pretty good. I was always into music.
What were some of the MCs and artists who influenced you the most?
The Black Eyed Peas’ first album, Eminem, Dr. Dre’s 2001 record. I thought I was Usher at one point—not gon’ front. My Way was a tight album. The video with Tyrese? The fuckin’ “My Way” video where they dancing and shit? I could do that whole muthafuckin’ dance. I liked music, it wasn’t just rap—
music in general. I didn’t know how to play piano ’til [I was] about 13, after I seen Pharrell play during the Clones DVD. I’m a big Neptunes fan, like, die-hard. Name a date—I know when it came out, how many tracks, how long they are. But when I seen him play that piano, I was like, That is the coolest shit ever. I was like, I need to learn how to fuckin’ play piano. My mom never wanted to give me lessons, so I taught myself to play.
But your mother was still supportive, right?
She bought me a keyboard when I was 14. At first I was just playin’ with four fingers, until I learned and taught myself chords. I still can’t read music to this day, still can’t even tell you what chord I’m playing, I just know. It was one summer where I printed [OutKast’s] The Love Below, all the notes, and I tried to learn ’em. I got to “She’s Alive,” number 15 off that album. I learned the first eight bars to that, and I was so happy.
So piano led you to learning how to do full production with drums and creating your own tracks?
I actually started making beats at 12. My mom had a friend, he gave me this [software] called Reason. I produced 80 percent of Bastard on Fruity Loops. I never really went to real studios. I recorded “Yonkers” at a big studio. That was my first experience.
You guys are adamant about how the prominent hip-hop blogs weren’t embracing you. Without their support, how were you guys able to build an audience?
It was word of mouth. But [the blogs] were just not fuckin’ with us. There’s this site called Hypebeast; I’d post on the forums there, and they always showed us a lot of love. I kinda feel like without them, we wouldn’t even be where we’re at now. They were the only ones who took the time out to listen. No one else would fuck with us. They still won’t. I got over it, because out of everyone they post, I’m the most successful of all those little muthafuckas they fucked with. It just made me work harder, made me wanna prove them wrong and show them they’re elitists.
But you must admit your music can be very challenging. Have you always made music with this type of shocking content?
I’ve always been like that, doing what I wanted, being defiant. I was always making music I wanted to hear. So if I want to laugh, I’ll make a song about doo-dooing on a fuckin’ table, and people just happen to like it. That’s basically what it is. I didn’t even think of it like, Oh, I gotta make different shit, ’cause I don’t wanna sound like everyone.
What inspires that?
I don’t know. I wanted to be a video director, so I always see shit as a movie, constantly. That’s why I rap with so much detail, and when I say certain shit, you can actually see it. I shot my first video when I was 15. It’s on MySpace, but it’s private. I made that shit I wanted to make, and it got to where it’s not supposed to be. And that feels cool, because I always wanted to be on the radio, always wanted to fuckin’ be on MTV. So when I seen my shit on MTV, “Tyler, the Creator,” “Yonkers,” “Goblin,” “Director Wolf Haley”…[exhales] I waited for that fuckin’ moment and finally got it. I just turned 20. So I’m doing pretty fuckin’ good.
There’s so much attention around your career right now—and your new album, Goblin. I’ve read a quote of you saying, “I think I could win a Grammy, the sky’s the limit for me.” And then later, you’re like, “I could be over by June, I could be a failure.”
I’m optimistic and think anything is possible, but sometimes it goes through my head that I could be a failure. But that won’t happen. That’s what I’m working for, to never have to go to college. I hate that place. I went for a couple days—that was the worst shit ever.
On your new song, “Radicals,” you warn people not to do anything you say in that song. Are you really concerned that it will influence unlawful behavior?
That song is going to go two ways: It’s going to be one of the songs that could make me an icon, and that also will be a song that will get me in a lot of fuckin’ heat with a lot of parents… If Columbine is reenacted or some shit, that’s gonna be on my fuckin’ head. Yeah, it’ll be my fault, just like it was Em’s and Marilyn’s and fuckin’ Slipknot’s and all them muthafuckas.
Is the music—in a simplistic way—a release of some of your anger?
My music is my therapy, because I never was able to get it. All my albums are me reflecting and talking to myself—the dude in my head, who is the doctor dude you hear on some songs. I use him to ask me those questions, and I answer ’em, just to get shit off my chest. If I didn’t have him, it would just be weird, so I use him to have a reason to say shit.
So that was spontaneous when you jumped on Fallon’s back?
I was just having fun. I was on TV. That shit was really cool. I had never been on a set like that, so I just jumped. I don’t think too much when it comes to shit like that. That’s what people don’t understand. I’m just having fun. People don’t know how to have fun no more. They take life so serious. So when people take me really serious, some of the shit I do and say, it’s like, “Really?” I’m just a fuckin’ kid having fun. It’s fun to listen to. It’s like watching a cool movie.
Yeah, but you often describe women and sex in an unflattering way.
That shit just runs through your head sometimes, and you make a song about it.
Some girl must’ve did you dirty in junior high.
Nah, it was senior year. Fuckin’ bitch. She’s crazy now, though, I hear. I was with her friends, like, two weeks ago, and they told me she was off. She moved to New York randomly. She’s lost.
Is she one of the female’s names we hear on the records?
Danielle, Raquel, Sarah—she was Raquel—I just didn’t have the balls to let her know that song was about her. I got groupies. I get good bitches now, but there’s still shit that you always wanted. Like, I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s still like, Fuck…why couldn’t you just fuckin’ be mine? And it’s chill. I mean, you get over it at a certain point.
What is your favorite put-down?
I’m not homophobic, but if someone calls you a faggot—I don’t care who you are—you’re going to be like, What? That shit hits. Why not use that for anyone who does anything stupid? I’ve been writing a lot recently, and I have that in a fuckin’ rap where I tell you I’m not homophobic. I have gay friends and shit, so I just use that word on anyone because it hits people.
Have any folks ever come up to you and actually said that your music offends them?
The thing I get is the triple-six, I’m-atheist shit. “I don’t fuck with your music because you talking about this shit,” and I’m like, “That’s the reason I do it. Because you’re such an uptight fuckin’ prick that you won’t just put that aside and let me be me and enjoy the fuckin’ music.” It’s the dude whose profile picture is him smoking a bunch of fuckin’ weed with some bitch he just fucked, which, in the Christian community, you shouldn’t really be having sex unless you’re married. I mean, I’m atheist. I don’t fuck with religion or anything in any type of way. But when I do certain shit, it’s just to mock them.
How’s your lifestyle changed at this point?
I’m not gonna front, I got a little money, but I’ve worked hard for that. That’s from little shows and remixes and shit. I mean, you see I don’t have jewelry on. I just bought a fuckin’ watch—my favorite watch in the world is from eighth grade, that they sold at Burger King. I bought it off eBay, for five bucks. Shit like that matters to me. I don’t buy jewelry. The money I do have, it just goes to cereal, shirts with unicorns and kitties on them and food. I’m finally able to eat now. It’s kinda cool to go to the store and buy some fuckin’ cereal and some cookies and go back to the house.
How are you doing with being recognized now? Are you ready to deal with all the attention?
Every time I’m where I’m at, I gotta take pictures. It kinda sucks because I go there to skate and loiter, but someone will come by, “Can I take a picture? I’m a big fan,” telling me their life story and shit. Another side of me secretly likes it. I get to meet a lot of girls. So it’s chill. You’ll be surprised the type of races that I bring together, which is really cool. The races are cool—the people kinda suck, some of their mentalities. “Oh, you bringing hip-hop back. I’m only down with real hip-hop, under-fuckin’-ground. Don’t sell out. Don’t go mainstream.” Shut the fuck up. I hate those dudes.
You want to be successful, but you want to keep your creative vision.
I want to get where I want to be. That’s what I was telling you—I made it on the radio, where you have to make a fuckin’ poppy-ass song, and I did it with the shit I wanted to make. That’s big to me. I only do shit I really, really want to do. A lot of people would ask me to perform at their things—I’ve turned down a lot of shit ’cause I just don’t fuck with it. I mean, sure, that money looks good, but that doesn’t excite me. If it doesn’t really excite me or it’s not on my goal list, I say no. Sometimes I don’t want all this shit on me. Sometimes people only look at me, and I have to remind them that it’s, like, seven other niggas I’m with.
How did Frank Ocean get into the picture?
I talked to Frank on the phone for like two hours once before I even knew him; he was picking my brain because he liked what he was seeing, and he was signed to Def Jam. When we met, he’d come by the studio and watch us work. We just started kicking it. He’s like an older brother. I’d introduce him to shit like skateboarding and us doing mischievous shit like yelling at people and throwing eggs. He introduced me to rich-nigga shit. He was doing the good life, driving a fuckin’ Beemer and doing cool shit I’ve never seen, going to weird-ass restaurants and just changing some of my views. Like now, I want to make a million by 23, shit like that. That’s my deal. I stay in contact with him every day.
I thought your response to B.o.B’s “No Future” was interesting.
I didn’t hear my name or anything about us directly, so it was like, Oh, okay. Whatever. Maybe this song just leaked, and someone called it “No Future.” And then it was like, Oh, shit! If he made a whole song about that one line I said, then I’m in the fuckin’ business! Sure. This is kinda tight. And then I was like, Should I just rip this nigga? Because I know, lyrically, I could. I was there when “Nail in the Coffin” dropped. I was there for “Ether” and “Takeover.” So I was like, Should I just kill this nigga off? Then I was like, Well, I didn’t hear it directly, so, ehhh.
See how it plays out. Whatever. But when I first heard it, I was like, Yo, this nigga spitting. I’ve never actually heard him rap like that. Because you listen to any other song by him, and it’s all this “positive singing but I’m rapping, but a 10-year-old white girl can recite this shit.” And then when I heard that, I was like, Shit—he said the N-word.
Do you have lines on Goblin that you think will offend other rappers?
Yes. Not other rappers, but I have this line where I feel like, Ah, shit this is gonna be awkward. I like Rihanna, I think she’s really beautiful and talented, and I respect her, and I really want to meet her. When I actually do meet her, it’s gonna be really weird, because I’m a fan even though I made fun of her getting beat up a couple times—on my album.
So is your Grammy speech ready, man?
Yeah, it is, I been thinking about it. There’s a lot I could do. And I think Shake from 2DopeBoyz is going to love it.
You don’t want me to put together a beer summit for you and those bloggers?
Fuck them dudes. I’m over it. I’m not gonna sit here and hate on them no more, but that Grammy speech is directly for them. Yet they haven’t said anything, so that might just be for that eskay dude from Nah Right.
You don’t even drink, right?
Never had a drink in my life—at all. Not ’til Grammy night.
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Editor PicksMikel Landa has said that he’s more than likely heading to France this July as part of Team Sky's squad for the Tour de France. Related Articles Giro d'Italia: 'Three one-day races' for Landa
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During the Giro d’Italia last month, Landa said that he would prefer to rest up and then head to his home Grand Tour - the Vuelta a Espana. However Team Sky' desire for an extra climber during the Tour de France means that he will have to make changes to his plans.
“Well, surely the Tour. There hasn’t been an official confirmation but it all points towards there,” he told Radio Marca when asked what his plans were for July. “During the Giro d’Italia, the team said that they would need another climber.”
Landa rode the Giro d’Italia as joint leader with Geraint Thomas. However, both of their general classification plans went off the rails when they were caught up in a crash on stage 9, which was caused by a police motorbike.
While Thomas eventually quit the race due to his injuries, Landa continued and salvaged something for the team with a stage win and victory in the mountains classification. He has not raced since the Giro d'Italia and is not expected to race ahead of the Tour de France which starts in Dusseldorf, Germany on Saturday July 1.
Radio Marca asked Landa if he would retain the Vuelta in his schedule and attempt to ride all three Grand Tours, which Alejandro Valverde did last season. The answer was a resounding no from the Basque rider.
“If I go to the Tour then I won’t be in the Vuelta a Espana,” he said.
Porte is the threat to Froome's fourth victory
Like many have already, Landa picked out former Team Sky rider Richie Porte as the biggest challenger for the team’s near iron-clad grip on the yellow jersey and a fourth victroy for Chris Froome.
Porte has already won the Tour Down Under and the Tour de Romandie. He recently put a down payment on the Criterium du Dauphine general classification with victory in the stage 4 time trial. The Spaniard also picked out his compatriot Valverde as someone who might also cause a few problems.
“Richie Porte will be a tough rival and, I don’t know, but I like Valverde, he is someone [to watch]. I was surprised at Volta a Catalunya, he was going so well,” said Landa.
On Porte, he added: “Here at Sky they know him really well. Last year he had a really good Tour aside from one day. I think that he will be the biggest rival for Froome.”
Landa's future at Team Sky
Talk also turned to Landa’s future during his chat to Radio Marca. Landa has a new agent, who is new to professional cycling. He was present at the Giro d'Italia.
With his contract due up at the end of the season, the Spanish press has been working overtime with reports and rumours that Landa may leave Team Sky.
Thus far there has been speculation about a return to Astana or a switch to Bahrain-Merida. Movistar has also been put forward as a potential destination.
Landa would not be drawn on contract talks, however, saying that he had enjoyed his two seasons at Team Sky and that he was discussing a new contract.
Landa joined the team from Astana for last season after winning two stages and finishing third overall at the 2015 Giro d’Italia.The Pentagon's chief said that the US is living through 'historic, defining times.' This means that the long war will likely become even longer. By David Graham
Sometimes it feels like what’s happening now, at any given moment, is bigger, more important, worse, and more dangerous than before. Luckily, that often turns out to be incorrect: Today’s news is tomorrow’s hazy memory, and what once seemed like an existential threat is now nothing more than an unpleasant recollection.
It sure seems like there are frightening events happening everywhere today—from ISIS to Ebola, Russian imperialism to Chinese saber-rattling, climate change to congressional dysfunction. But is it really worse, or will this, too, pass?
Bad news: It’s really worse, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told James Fallows at the Washington Ideas Festival Wednesday.
“I think we are living through one of these historic, defining times,” Hagel said. “We are seeing a new world order—post-World War II, post-Soviet Union implosion—being built. There are many questions, foremost among the American people: What’s the role of America in this new world that is evolving? Should we have a role? What is appropriate?”
And Hagel didn’t seem especially sanguine that it would end anytime soon. In other words: Get used to endless war.
(Related: Should America Protect Itself Through Bridges or Barricades?)
“What we’re seeing in the Middle East with ISIL is going to require a steady, long-term effort. It’s going to require coalitions of common interest,” Hagel said.
But he noted that cooperation is in short supply, especially in his old stamping grounds on Capitol Hill, where Hagel served two terms in the Senate. ”I hope that changes after next Tuesday; I don’t know,” he said. “Partnership is critical, because its not a matter of ‘We all have to agree.’ We need different opinions, but … both sides get to some conclusion and make a decision on how we go forward.”
He noted in particular the challenge of global warming, which Hagel’s Pentagon has made a priority, declaring it a national-security threat, even as Hagel’s own Republican Party continues to block broader steps.
Even if a new era of comity arrived in Washington, however, Hagel forecast that the U.S. would continue to grapple with overseas threat for the foreseeable future. “Tyranny, terrorism, the challenges and threats to our country … is going to be with us,” he said. “It’s a reality. I see these things continuing to stay out of there.”
Buckle your seatbelts.(Reuters) - Reynolds American Inc’s proposed $25 billion acquisition of smaller rival Lorillard Inc shows how the tobacco company is placing its bets on the market for menthols even as a growing number of smokers opt for e-cigarettes.
Newport cigarettes are stacked on a shelf inside a tobacco store in New York July 11, 2014. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson
With the deal, Reynolds American picks up Newport menthol cigarettes, one of the few U.S. brands that is gaining share in a shrinking market. At the same time, Reynolds is giving up blu - the top-seller in the e-cigarette market seen by many as the tobacco industry’s future - to Britain’s Imperial Tobacco Group.
As part of the deal, Imperial will buy Reynolds’ Salem, Winston and KOOL and Lorillard’s Maverick brands in a move meant to ease potential antitrust concerns. Experts say that still may not satisfy regulators.
Sources familiar with the transaction said gaining the blu brand made the deal more attractive to Imperial. While cigarette sales volume has been falling about 4 percent a year, e-cigarette sales have been booming. Reynolds sells its own e-cigarettes under the Vuse brand but controls less than 5 percent of the market, according to market research firm Euromonitor International.
But Reynolds’ chief executive officer, Susan Cameron, says Vuse has a “superior technology” that will make it a strong contender in the e-cigarette market. The company, which started selling Vuse roughly a year ago in Colorado and Utah, is rolling out the product nationwide this quarter.
Meanwhile, Reynolds’ purchase of Lorillard’s Newport brand gives the company a stronger presence in the market for menthol cigarettes. Menthols now make up 31.4 percent of the total market compared with 26 percent in 2002, according to Morningstar.
“The e-cigarette category is very small today,” said Cameron. “It’s growing and consumers are interested in it, but this transaction is really about adding Newport to our portfolio.”
Menthol is a mint-flavored additive that may reduce the irritation and harshness of smoking when used in cigarettes, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Experts say menthols have disproportionate popularity among young people, lower-income smokers and African-Americans. The FDA last year released a preliminary review that said that a majority of African-American smokers use menthol cigarettes. Menthols were also associated with lower socioeconomic status, according to the FDA review of available studies.
But the deal shows that Reynolds isn’t banking on significant regulation of menthols by the FDA, which regulates the substance in medical products but not in cigarettes. The agency is conducting its own studies on the topic and has said it would consider restricting the use of menthols.
In an interview, Lorillard’s CEO, Murray Kessler, said both companies are confident there is no justification for regulating menthol cigarettes differently than nonmenthols.
Analysts have also said that smoking-related lawsuits are leveling off in the United States, making it a ripe time for consolidation in the industry.
“I think the industry believes the litigation environment is manageable and has certainly improved over the last decade,” said Kessler.
Still, health advocates have raised concerns that the proposed acquisition would bring together two companies they say have a history of marketing to children and minorities.
“A bigger tobacco company is not better for public health,” said Lisa Henrikson, a senior research scientist at Stanford Prevention Research Center, part of the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Lorillard and Reynolds declined to comment.
The companies also downplayed concerns that the deal wouldn’t pass antitrust scrutiny. The planned divestitures could be just a starting point, with more offered if regulators balk at allowing the deal, said Andre Barlow, an antitrust expert with Doyle, Barlow & Mazard Pllc.
“We are very confident we will close this in the first half of 2015,” Cameron said.
Cameron will continue to be president and CEO of Reynolds, the company said. Kessler will join RAI’s board after the closing of the transaction.
DEAL DETAILS
Reynolds, whose brands include Camel and Pall Mall, offered $68.88 per Lorillard share, representing a premium of 2.5 percent to Lorillard’s Monday close.
Lorillard’s shares, which have risen about 37 percent since reports of the deal first surfaced in February, were down 7.5 percent at $62.19 on Tuesday.
Reynolds’ shares were down 4 percent at $60.61. Imperial’s shares were down 3.4 percent at 2,647 pence in London.
Including debt, the deal is valued at $27.4 billion.
Reynolds said it expects to have over $11 billion in revenue and about $5 billion in operating income annually after the deal closes. Reynolds had sales of $8.24 billion in 2013.
British American Tobacco, Reynolds’ largest shareholder, will buy shares to maintain its 42 percent stake in Reynolds through a $4.7 billion investment.
BAT’s shares were down 1.8 percent at 3,532 pence on the London Stock Exchange.
Reynolds’ financial advisers are Lazard and J.P. Morgan Securities, while Lorillard is being advised by Centerview Partners and Barclays Plc.
Legal advisers to Reynolds are Jones Day, while Simpson Thacher & Bartlett is advising Lorillard.
BAT is being advised by Deutsche Bank and UBS. The legal advisers to BAT are Cravath, Swaine & Moore and Herbert Smith Freehills. Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs advised Imperial.
Allen & Overy represents Imperial Tobacco. The team is led by London partner Jeremy Parr and U.S. partner Eric Shube and was supported by Elaine Johnston, David Ernst, Brian Jebb, Shira Selengut, Mark Davis, Sarah Shaw, Mike Maier, Jochem Beurskens, Loren Thomas and Natalie Montano. In-house counsel was Anthony Pickard-Rose.MIT Scientists discover how droplets can levitate on a liquid surface. Have you ever seen droplets skitter across a puddle on a rainy day, or when you pour milk into your coffee? Researchers have just found an explanation for why that happens under some conditions.
According to MIT scientists, to have a droplet float on the surface before combining with the rest of the liquid, temperature differences is the key. And their latest research even shows how we can control this process.
Most of the time, liquid poured or dropped onto the same liquid will combine immediately, but sometimes you get droplets levitating on top. This counterintuitive phenomenon is called ‘noncoalescence’ – and it actually has a lot of uses in science.
In a study published in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics, scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology explain that whether or not a droplet resists another liquid surface or doesn’t all comes down to whether they have a difference in temperature.
Take a look at the video how ‘levitation of droplet takes place on liquid surface‘
In this video showing a temperature difference between a droplet and a bath can help levitate droplets without any direct contact.The Magic: the Gathering video game, Duels of the Planeswalkers, gets its annual refresh this summer, and we've an exclusive deck full of slivers to show you, along with some strategy to get the most out of your sliver swarm.
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Each edition of Duels of the Planeswalkers comes with new decks to play with and unlock. Each deck starts out with 60 cards, and there are 30 more you can unlock by winning games. You can swap your newly unlocked cards in and remove some of the old ones, giving you a decent amount of flexibility when it comes to tuning your deck. The deck I've got for you today is titled, "Ess-Nelek’s 'Sliver Hive' Deck." I have no idea who Ess-Nelek is, but he's apparently got a lot of slivers in his basement.
Base Deck:
2 Battle Sliver
2 Blur Sliver
1 Bonescythe Sliver
3 Groundshaker Sliver
1 Megantic Sliver
3 Predatory Sliver
3 Sliver Construct
2 Sentinal Sliver
3 Striking Sliver
1 Thorncaster Sliver
4 Cultivate
3 Hive Stirrings
2 Path to Exile
3 Rampant Growth
3 Shock
4 Terramorphic Expanse
9 Forest
6 Mountain
5 Plains
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Unlockable Cards:
Megantic Sliver
Indestructibility
Fiery Justice
Battle Sliver
Faith's Fetters
Bonescythe Sliver
Bifurcate
Predatory Sliver
Indestructibility
Shared Animosity
Path to Exile
Armageddon
Lifeline
Blur Sliver
Wild Pair
Thorncaster Sliver
Faith's Fetters
Lifeline
Mirror Entity
Survival of the Fittest
Indestructibility
Armageddon
Bifurcate
Unflinching Courage
Fiery Justice
Faith's Fetters
Lifeline
Savage Beating
Wild Pair
Titanic Ultimatum
Strategy:
Sliver Hive is your basic tribal deck, in which your creatures gain strength when you add more creatures of the same type — in this case, new formula slivers. Because slivers are found in all five colors, to really take advantage of them you need to run as many colors as possible. This is a three-color deck: green, red, and white (a color combination referred to as "Naya" by the magnoscenti).
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Running three colors can be difficult, but this deck enables it in a number of ways. First, most of the spells in it only require a single mana of a given color to play. So once you have a forest in play, you can play almost all of your green cards, for instance. The deck also includes several mana fixing cards like Cultivate and Rampant Growth. Those will allow you to grab exactly the land you need to cast what's in your hand. They also accelerate the deck by letting you play bigger threats earlier than your opponent can.
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The stock deck relies heavily on those mana fixing spells. You'll spend your early turns playing the cheaper slivers, like Striking Sliver and Predatory Sliver, in between playing your Cultivates and Rampant Growths. By turns four and five, you should be playing some of the big slivers, the ones that juice your whole crew, like Megantic Sliver and Thorncaster Sliver. If your opponent can't deal with those threats, you can ride them to victory.
The unlockable cards provide plenty of opportunities to upgrade this deck, and two different paths you can take, depending on your play style. One way sticks with the original plan, ramping up to bigger and better spells. Wild Pair and Mirror Entity will both end games very quickly, while Bifurcate, Faith's Fetters, and Savage Beatdown give you more powerful ways to deal with your opponent. I'd definitely pass over creature enchantments like Indestructibility and Unflinching Courage. Your slivers power each other up, so you don't need to waste cards on enchantments to do it for you. I'd also drop the Groundshaker Slivers. For seven mana, you want a card that will basically win the game for you (like Titanic Ultimatum), and Groundshaker isn't worth the cost.
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There's an entirely different way to build this deck, though, which is suggested by the inclusion of the classic card Armageddon among the unlockables. Armageddon destroys all lands in play, and is best used by aggressive decks filled with low-cost creatures and spells (the setback in mana production hurts your opponent more than it hurts you). You can mold Sliver Hive into a very fast, aggressive build by eliminating any of the expensive creatures and spells and focusing on those that cost three to four mana or less. You may want to cut some of the Cultivates and Rampant Growths as well — not all of them, since you still need to find your three colors, but you're not as dependent on them in this build.
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It's pretty interesting that old cards like Armageddon and the amazingly powerful Survival of the Fittest (which belongs in this deck no matter how you build it), as well as the less powerful Lifeline (which has errata that makes it affect both players, and doesn't really seem to fit in Sliver Hive very well) are unlockable. Duels of the Planeswalkers hasn't really dipped into Magic's classic card pool, generally showcasing the most recent sets. Getting a little glimpse into Magic's history is very cool. Now if only they'd include some decent dual-color lands in these decks, instead of sticking us with Terramorphic Expanse.THE BUZZ: BioWare is holding another free trial weekend for Star Wars: The Old Republic.
The free trial weekend begins April 4 at 10:00 PM PDT and runs until April 9 at 12:01 AM PDT. You can only enter the trial if you haven’t taken part in any of the previous weekends.
During the weekend you can play up until level 15, visit the origin worlds, play a flashpoint, a Warzone and visit the fleet. To explore further you will have to subscribe.
You can sign up for the pass here.
EGM’s TAKE: This free trial offers players the perfect chance to try the game out and see if it’s worth subscribing to. You have a chance to experience more than enough content to make a well rounded opinion on the game. If you’re not happy after the trial then the game probably isn’t for you."Wind Chimes" redirects here. For the Beach Boys song, see Wind Chimes (song)
A metal wind chime
Wind chimes are a type of percussion instrument constructed from suspended tubes, rods, bells or other objects that are often made of metal or wood. The tubes or rods are suspended along with some type of weight or surface which the tubes or rods can strike when they or another wind-catching surface are blown by the natural movement of air outside. They are usually hung outside of a building or residence as a visual and aural garden ornament. Since the percussion instruments are struck according to the random effects of the wind blowing the chimes, wind chimes have been considered an example of chance-based music. The tubes or rods may sound either indistinct pitches, or fairly distinct pitches. Wind chimes that sound fairly distinct pitches can, through the chance movement of air, create simple melodies or broken chords.
History [ edit ]
Ancient Rome [ edit ]
Roman wind chimes, usually made of bronze, were called tintinnabulum and were hung in gardens, courtyards, and porticoes where wind movement caused them to tinkle. Bells were believed to ward off malevolent spirits and were often combined with a phallus, which was also a symbol of good fortune and a charm against the evil eye.[1] The image shows one example with a phallus portrayed with wings and the feet and tail of an animal, perhaps a lion. These additions increased its protective powers.[2]
Eastern and Southern Asia [ edit ]
In India during the second century CE, and later in China, extremely large pagodas became popular with small wind bells hung at each corner; the slightest breeze caused the clapper to swing, producing a melodious tinkling. It is said that these bells were originally intended to frighten away not only birds but also any lurking evil spirits. Wind bells are also hung under the corners of temple, palace and home roofs; they are not limited to pagodas.[3] Japanese glass wind bells known as fūrin (風鈴) have been produced since the Edo period,[4] and those at Mizusawa Station are one of the 100 Soundscapes of Japan. Wind chimes are thought to be good luck in parts of Asia and are used in Feng Shui.
Wind chimes started to become modernized around 1100 B.C. after the Chinese began to cast bells. A bell without a cl |
defied player attempts. The in-game cursor movement feltsluggish enough to make a robot repair mini-game that involved tracing circuitlines more challenging than expected.
Most of the player interaction takes place by focusing acentral target reticule and left-clicking to take action. That works for themost part, aside from a few times when awkward camera angles may force theplayer to back up or move the astronaut around.
The trickiest part of "Moonbase Alpha" comesfrom figuring out just what the game wants players to do in a particular repairsituation. That can become difficult during a first play-through withoutknowing what repair tools are needed for each case, and especially when everysecond counts.
Voiceovers drop a few hints about the movement controlsand what to do next, but many players may encounter some trial-and-error beforethey actually succeed in saving the base within the 25-minute time limit. Thegame does allow players to turn off the time limit, but at the cost of nothaving their score recorded on the game's leader boards.
Virtual moon meets reality
The cancellation of NASA's Constellationprogram that aimed to return astronauts to the moon prompted a debate amongNASA and the game developers about whether or not to shift the focus of"Moonbase Alpha" to Mars. But that would have required changingalmost all the animations at a late stage of development.
Some people also worried that nationallawmakers might view the game as proof that NASA still wants to aim for themoon first. Yet Laughlin pointed out that it's a video game, not a policydocument.
"What I have been told is that the moon is stillNASA's future, just not in the immediate future," Laughlin told SPACE.com.
"Moonbase Alpha" has already begun attractingattention from inside NASA. Laughlin told of receiving calls from NASAscientists and engineers eager for their missions to appear in "Astronaut:Moon, Mars and Beyond."
The tie-in of actual mission data could give futuregamers an extra dose of realism.
"People will come from projects and say hey, I wantmy Martian explorer or hypothetical Europa probe in there," Laughlin said."[The game] will expand as we get more missions signed on."
The game is available at http://store.steampowered.com/app/39000/.TORONTO – The number of Canadians registered to purchase medical marijuana from licensed producers has exploded since the federal commercial-access program was introduced almost four years ago.
The most recent Health Canada figures show that at the end of last year, almost 130,000 Canadians had signed up with the country’s 38 licensed cannabis producers.
WATCH: Is marijuana smoke as bad as cigarette smoke?
That’s a 32 per cent jump from the more than 98,000 registered at the end of September 2016 and up from the 7,900 granted access to medicinal cannabis in mid-2014.
But the surge in demand has many wondering: do all these patients have a legitimate medical need or are some using the system to get recreational pot before it’s legalized, as the Liberal government has promised to do this year?
Related Marijuana legalization will have implications in industries that do drug testing for safety
READ MORE: As legal pot looms, Supreme Court ruling will make stoned driving trials simpler
Toronto family practitioner Dr. John Goodhew, who supports cannabis use for therapeutic applications like pain, says he has seen a definite rise in the number of patients seeking prescriptions for the drug.
Goodhew believes some patients have legitimate medical conditions, while others want high-quality, medical-grade marijuana to “feel good.”
He says he prescribes cannabis only for patients he knows well, but that it can be difficult for physicians to tease out those who want the drug just to get high.I want you to read this story about the families — the American families — who have been separated by US immigration laws. It is heart-wrenching. Most offenses, civil or criminal, have statutes of limitation. Not so for illegal immigration. Most courts offer leniency for offenders who co-operate with law enforcement. Not so for illegal immigration. Most courts have discretion in varying punishment for offenders. Not so for illegal immigration.
Somehow, we see immigrating illegally as beyond the pale — as something that merits the toughest, most inflexible, inhumane punishment possible short of physical harm. The mandatory sentence for people who have been unlawfully present in the US for over 1 year is deportation for 10 years. Those who have crossed the border unlawfully more than once can be barred for life.
To put things in perspective, the median prison term for someone convicted of child sex exploitation in the US is a little over 5 years. The median prison term for molesting a child is half the mandatory deportation term for an “illegal immigrant”! The average sentence for those convicted of “alien smuggling” is a little under 2 years (see the US Sentencing Commission’s 2012 report). In other words, “illegal immigrants” are given a sentence over 5 times longer than the smugglers who aid them!
People blithely say “The law is the law; it must be enforced.” But in what world does it make sense to treat immigrants worse than child rapists? In what world does it make sense to punish people for choosing to be with their families, when the law gives them no lawful option to do so? There are some legal immigrants who have been waiting outside the US for their family reunification visas since 1989 (see the State Department’s latest visa bulletin).
Let’s not play dumb here. Immigrants and their families are no idiots; they know they’re being treated worse than child molesters:
“When they give out these bars, they’re not just giving them to one person. They’re giving them to a family,” Anita said. “It’s actually worse than a prison sentence. People in prison can do a lot less time, and do a whole lot worse things.”
If the law prevents people from being with their families, and then punishes them for following the most fundamental human instinct, it’s not the immigrants who are wrong — it’s the immoral, barbaric legal system which tears families apart. This is not a radical position; this is the official United Nations interpretation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, a treaty signed and ratified by most of the world (dark green states have signed and ratified; light green have signed but not ratified; grey have done neither):
This is not a question of theory; as a question of practice, the UN has ruled that under the Covenant long-time residents of a country, even if they do not hold citizenship, have the right to be treated as such — especially if they have long-standing family ties to that country. In Nystrom v Australia, the UN ruled that Stefan Nystrom — a Swedish citizen who until his deportation had only spent 27 days of his entire life in Sweden — had the right to live in the only country he had called home his entire life, and the country where his entire family lives.
It is unequivocally clear that modern deportation laws in most countries violate international laws and norms on human rights. Nystrom’s case is an unusual one because he is a convicted sex offender and possibly mentally ill — but if he had been born 27 days later as an Australian national, nobody would suggest that Australia ought to deport him instead of jailing him for his crimes. How can one justify deportation laws which tear apart families where no crime has been committed, except the “crime” of illegally crossing a border to be with one’s family? American Senator Marco Rubio once said:
If my kids went to sleep hungry every night and my country didn’t give me an opportunity to feed them, there isn’t a law, no matter how restrictive, that would prevent me from coming here.
If my kids went to sleep without me every night and my country didn’t give me an opportunity to be with them, there isn’t a law, no matter how restrictive, that would prevent me from joining them. Under any reasonable sense of morals or ethics — and under international law — there is no possible way to fault the families of “illegal immigrants” for being “illegal”. The only blame lies with the immoral legal systems of the world that violate every human being’s right to be with their family.Heroes of the Storm's upcoming Machines of War update may look heavily StarCraft themed, but it brings with it more than just the visuals of Blizzard's classic real-time strategy game. We chat to lead battleground designer John DeShazer about how the update brings in elements of traditional StarCraft mechanics, and how Heroes of the Storm has evolved since launch.
GameSpot: How would you describe the Machines of War update to players who have played Heroes of the Storm, but haven't launched the game in a while? How will this update draw those players back in?
DeShazer: The Machines of War update is pretty spectacular because we're introducing the StarCraft universe into Heroes of the Storm. A lot of the artists and designers on the HOTS team started on the StarCraft team, so a lot of us have a lot of love for the StarCraft universe. And you can definitely see that in the art and design of the heroes for this update. You can feel that we have a lot of passion for this update in general.
From the battleground aspect, both Braxis Holdout and Warhead Junction… we definitely have themes to them. For Braxis Holdout we were trying to create the sense of a StarCraft mission. That really creates a unique spin to the way which we approach the design.
We have a lot of Zerg units--Zerglings, Banelings, Hydralisks. We even have Guardians as a homage back to [the original] StarCraft. We tried to make it feel like a StarCraft hold-out mission as a Terran player, because both your buildings and minions are Terran-based.
For the map mechanic, you try and hold and control these different beacons that power up Biolabs that are being used to gain control of different Zerg units. And the Zerg units will then attack both sides once a team has reached full power.
So it sends this huge wave of Zerg, and this kind of recreates those moments in those StarCraft missions where you're starting to get attacked by so many Zerglings that you don't know if you're going to hold, and you make a last-ditch effort to stay alive. That's really our mission statement for [Braxis Holdout].
For Warhead Junction, we took a different approach. This one is a really, really large battleground. It's the largest battleground we've made so far, and we're really excited about that because it challenges the meta in a bunch of different ways. We wanted you to feel like a Ghost in the StarCraft universe. The map mechanic itself is you capturing nuclear warheads and using them on enemy bases and destroying them. It's a bit of play on the fantasy of casting nukes on the enemy base.
That all synergises into making the game feel like StarCraft. So if you're a big StarCraft fan this update will really reach out to you.
The Warhead Junction map is going to be the biggest-sized battleground to date. When you're designing a new map like that, what are the sort of limitations do you have to account for?
Nuclear launch detected.
For this one, we actually designed for it. It's the intent. We wanted to find a way to make a battleground so big that the objectives were hard to always be grouped for, and that team fighting would be more of a rarity. We wanted to emphasise strong 1v1 and 2v2 skirmishes in your lane to be the emphasis of the map, and therefore the meta for this battleground would be different to other battlegrounds. That you'd pick heroes depending on whether they'd be good dueling in your lane. That was one of our design goals for this battleground.
It's also why the map event itself isn't really a team event. A lot of these battlegrounds requires the whole team to synergise. This one is more…individualistic compared to a lot of our other battleground map objectives. Hopefully Warhead Junction will have a pretty heavy impact on the meta. It's such a different experience. We're saying, hey you don't need to necessarily group up for the first 15 minutes of this battleground... maybe different heroes will come to the forefront.
Alarak and Kerrigan have been shown, which makes sense. But why did you choose to include Zarya in this theme?
Zarya fits in because she kind of matches the whole sci-fi theme of the [update] drop. We all know that StarCraft is a very sci-fi themed world, and we knew we were going to find strong sci-fi heroes to add to the event.
"We knew we were going to find strong sci-fi heroes to add to the event."
You've been on the HOTS team since early beta. How has the evolution of the competitive HOTS scene influenced how you design new content or tweak updates for the game?
We had four to five battlegrounds when we first launched, and we were trying to figure out the formula that made battlegrounds fun. The initial mission statement was just to make a diverse player experience for the user, and make sure that every game experience was different.
As we watched the esports scene and the player base interact with the different battlegrounds, we got to see how the meta evolved from a two-lane battleground to a three-lane battleground, how different battleground sizes would impact different hero choices.
As we create new battlegrounds, and feel more comfortable with our formula, we want to come up with ways we can impact the meta. So that they have to think of new hero compositions and how it impacts the draft in esports.
We've also had some interesting user experiences. When we first launched Infernal Shrines, that was kind of a rocky start. We learned pretty quickly that we need to be very careful with the balance numbers when we first launch them. Because the [new battlegrounds] are a little different, we kind of need to ease players into it.
The funny part about Infernal Shrines is the balance of that battleground is now the same as it was at launch. At the start players hated it so we brought it down, and then we slowly tweaked the numbers back up to be equal to the balance at launch. It was an interesting thing, like maybe we should do that at the start to begin with now.
Looking into the future, what are your plans from here? Should we expect HOTS to stick to the StarCraft theme for an extended period, or will this give way to something new soon?
Well I definitely think we have intention to hopefully at some point bring all of the Blizzard universes into the Nexus. That's definitely one of our goals. We want to bring World of Warcraft in, we want to bring Overwatch in at some point. I think this is one of our major StarCraft releases for a while, and we might switch gears after this.An opposition research file about Donald Trump, compiled by the Democratic National Committee last year, has been leaked to the websites the Smoking Gun and Gawker. The file, which was stolen from DNC servers in a hack allegedly connected to Russian intelligence, contained much that will be familiar to those who have closely followed the candidacy of the presumptive Republican nominee.
Donald Trump claims DNC itself, not Russians, masterminded hack Read more
It’s not exactly a shock at this point that Trump wants to build a wall or that he wants Mexico to pay for it. But we scoured the 200-page document so you don’t have to. Here are six of the more interesting details about Trump and the Democratic strategy against him contained in the document.
Democrats think Trump has no core
The beginning of the document includes top narratives for Democrats to use about Trump’s “divisive and offensive campaign”, including that he is “a bad businessman” and has “disastrous and irresponsible policies”. However, the top message is that Trump “has no core”. The argument as laid out is that “one thing is clear about Donald Trump, there is only one person he has ever looked out for and that’s himself. Whether it’s American workers, the Republican Party, or his wives, Trump’s only fidelity has been to himself.” This is what Democratic strategists who compiled the document in December 2015 believed was the top argument against Trump.
Trump’s life ambition was to be a film-maker
The presumptive Republican nominee told Larry King in 1990: “I really wanted to be a film-maker.” As Trump described it: “I applied at one point, I remember, to the USC School of Cinema. But then I decided that the movie business wasn’t as good as the real estate business.”
Trump says he isn’t that good at negotiation
In a 2011 interview with CNN, Trump, who has run on his ability to “make good deals”, played modest about his ability to negotiate. “I don’t bill myself as a top negotiator,” Trump said at the time. “You’re calling me, I don’t call you, you know what I mean? I don’t know if I’m a good negotiator or not, but I never billed myself as a great negotiator. I don’t like to talk that way.” This contrasts with how close Trump aide Michael Cohen described the candidate in August, declaring him the “best negotiator in the history of this world”.
Trump hates the French
In 1999, Trump described France as “the worst partner this country has ever had”. He went on to accuse the French government of contributing to nuclear proliferation, alleging: “They’ll sell a nuclear weapon to anybody giving them 10 cents more than the next guy” and said “they have to be taught respect”.
Trump was opposed to deregulating the airlines
Airline deregulation in the 1970s is considered one of the great success stories of government bureaucracy. The result of a bipartisan efforts to allow for competition among consumers seeking to fly, it has resulted in dramatically lower prices. Trump, however, told Larry King in 1991: “I’m really a believer that they should not have deregulated the airlines.” He continued: “I think the airlines are – You’re going to end up, again, with three airlines and I think you’re going to have some real problems in the future. And then they’re going to be very powerful, by the way.” Trump briefly owned an airline, the Trump Shuttle, which flew passengers from LaGuardia to both Boston and Washington DC.
Coffee actually isn’t for losers
While Trump often brags that he has never consumed alcohol, tobacco or drugs, his abstinence also extends to coffee. The dossier reveals that Trump told Diane Sawyer in 1999: “I’ve never had a cup of coffee in my life.” The real estate developer though does consume caffeine. Trump added, “Well, caffeine is caffeine. Look, I’m not knocking coffee. I’m not putting it into the same breath, but I just have chosen not to.”WASHINGTON — The Obama administration is announcing a proposed federal rule on Friday that senior administration officials say would effectively “ban the box” for many federal agency jobs.
The rule will prohibit federal employers from asking questions about criminal history until later in the employment process for the affected jobs — a move administration officials say is their part to advance the "ban the box" effort. The phrase is a reference to the check box many job application forms include asking about whether a person has any criminal arrest and/or conviction history.
In a call with reporters, Beth Cobert, the acting director of the Office of Personnel Management, said that the proposed rule would bar criminal history questions from being asked "until a conditional offer of employment has been made."
Requirements to report criminal history on job applications often makes securing employment significantly harder, which advocates say becomes a hindrance for reintegrating people with such history into their communities.
The proposed rule, Cobert said, would apply to applicants for jobs in the competitive service, which she said accounts for roughly half of the 200,000 hires made in 2015 by the federal government.
“The rule would affect tens of thousands of individuals,” Cobert said. “As the nation’s largest employer, the federal government should lead the way and serve as a model for all employers, both public and private.”
The excepted service — jobs that primarily relate to the intelligence community, national security, or law enforcement — would not be covered by the new rule, Cobert said, and covered agencies would be able to seek exemptions from the rule on a case-by-case basis.
The move comes at the end of a week the Obama administration has highlighted as Re-Entry Week — focused on efforts to help prepare incarcerated individuals for their life after returning to their communities and to help address barriers to re-entry for those who are or have returned to those communities.
On the call, Obama senior adviser Valerie Jarrett called the proposed rule "a big step" toward supporting re-entry efforts, "one that will truly make a difference."
Cobert noted that the proposed rule — which will be the default for competitive service jobs once it goes into effect — "builds on current practice at many agencies, which already choose to collect information on criminal history at late stages of the hiring process." She said, "The proposed rule takes the important step to formalize, expand, and codify this best practice."
Jarrett also highlighted two other efforts being taken by the administration, announcing that President Obama will sign a presidential memorandum establishing the Federal Interagency Reentry Council, which builds on prior efforts by Attorneys General Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch. Jarrett said the council will "lead the government’s work on the rehabilitation and reintegration of Americans returning to their communities."
She also said that 112 employers and organizations have signed on to the White House's Fair Chance Business Pledge.
Jarrett described the pledge as "a call to action for all employers to improve their communities by eliminating barriers for those with criminal records and creating a pathway for a second chance." Among the provisions in the pledge is an agreement to "ban the box," as well as other human resources efforts to prevent those with a criminal record from unnecessarily not being considered by employment.
Among the 112 companies and organizations to sign the pledge are Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Xerox, Best Buy, Kellogg Company, American Airlines, Starbucks, Koch Industries, Pepsi, Coca Cola, and Staples — as well as the ACLU, Catholic Charities USA, and NAACP.
Asked whether there was consideration of whether to take action to require federal contractors to "ban the box," Jarrett said, "The president has supported federal legislation that would ban the box for federal contractors. He thinks that’s the best approach."
Jarrett also noted, however, that the Department of Labor in 2013 adopted earlier guidance from Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to, in her words, "recommend that contractors refrain from inquiring about convictions on job applications." That Labor Department directive, she added, also warned there are scenarios in which criminal records-based exclusions could violate civil rights protections.
As part of the week's mission to promote the federal efforts and the coordination with private companies on their re-entry support, Attorney General Loretta Lynch will be visiting a federal prison in Talladega, Alabama, as well as attend a Re-Entry Week "Fair Chance" event in Mobile, Alabama, on Friday.MUMBAI: Cautioning the industry against getting "disillusioned so fast", top business leader Ratan Tata today asked it to give'support and opportunity' to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for delivering on his promises.
Stating that the Modi government has not completed even one year in office, Tata said, "All of us should understand that it's a new government, and we need not get disillusioned and dissatisfied with so fast."
The comments come at a time when various business leaders including HDFC Chairman Deepak Parekh, Marico Group's Harsh Mariwala and the new CII President Sumit Mazumder have talked about a need for the new government's reform measures to start reflecting on the ground.
"There's a great deal of hope in the inspirational leadership of Modi. He is still in the early stages of defining what he hopes to deliver a new India. The implementation hasn't really taken form this year. But we still have to give him the opportunity to implement what he has promised," Tata said here.
He was replying to a query on his views about the economy under the new regime during the convocation of the 'Mumbai International School of Business Bocconi'.
Expressing confidence that the Prime Minister will deliver on his promises, Tata said: "We're all hopeful that the country will move forward in the manner that Modi predicted.
"We really need to support it if we need to have a new country and outlook both internationally as well as domestically."
He added: "In short, we're all hopeful that the country will move forward in the manner that Modi predicted."
Mazumder said yesterday at a press conference in the national capital that the Modi government has taken forward reforms in various areas but issues like land acquisition were still coming across as key bottlenecks for implementation of large projects, while the industry has also been experiencing obstacles with regard to the Companies Act.
Mazumder also highlighted that although progress has been made in reforming labour laws, a lot needs to be done, while there are "still certain factors which need to be resolved in the ease of doing business".
The Prime Minister, as also other top government leaders, have asserted that all efforts are being made to improve ease of doing business.
Answering a question from the rector of the Bocconi University Andrea Sironi on what the government needs to do to strengthen the economy, Tata said it has "created a great deal of aspiration among the people as there was a tiredness of the past government, feeling that it had lost its functionalism".
He added: "So there's a great deal of hope in the inspirational leadership of Modi. But he is still in the early stages of defining what he hopes to deliver. He has seen some obstacles, but there are some benefits too -- the positive sentiments of the people, a belief in a new India... So we still have to give him the opportunity of implementing what he has promised.
"I see some similarity to what is going on in Italy -- that the Renzi government would put in place all the reforms within 100 days, but he had slowed down with it, though things are moving ahead now."Usually, LCD displays used in small clock are setup to be shown from the front. Our device needs to have the light source from behind, in transparence. So we need to modify the screen to let the light go through the display. However, the same could be used in reflection but in this case, the luminosity would be lower:
A typical LCD display is composed as seen on the picture.
The glass screen is placed between 2 polarized filters that orientates the light and allows for the time to be display in black on white.
To let the light go through the display, you will first need to remove the reflecting bottom of the screen. To get an inverted display (white on black), you will then need to remove the second polarized filtered and turn it by 90ð clockwork or counter-clockwork, no mater. These two steps are quite difficult since the filter and reflecting surface are strongly stick together and very thin. When removing the filter from the screen, be careful not to damage them.What I found out about myself after paying $200 for strangers to look at my spit.
I felt a familiar buzzing in my pocket and pulled out my phone as surreptitiously as possible. I was at work and we were having the second department-wide meeting in a week, much to my chagrin. Despite this, I decided to take out my phone anyway because I had a feeling the message I just got was one I had been waiting for for six months. I held the phone close to my chest, pressed the lock button, and looked at the message.
There it was.
Quietly excusing myself, I made my way downstairs to my desk, where I punched in my password to my computer. My heart began to beat against my ribs like Formula 1 engine firing up. As the screen loaded, my eyes scanned the contents of the email on my phone. Here it was. The words I had been waiting for since I found out about the service months ago.
“Your results are in.”
After what seemed like another six months, my computer finally loaded up. I typed in the web address, logged in, and clicked on my results.
My adventure to find my grandfather essentially began in December 2015 when I decided to test my genes with “23andMe,” a biotechnology service based out of Mountain View, California. Named for the 23 pair of chromosomes in a typical human cell, 23andMe allows people to discover their ancestry and health background through saliva testing. Its direct-to-consumer model looked pretty handy since they send you everything you need for the tests. This was nice because it would have been a huge pain in the ass trying to find a genetic scientist willing to look at my genes for a hundred bucks. But I digress.
The process of getting your genetic results can be broken down to three easy steps (as per their website). They are...
Step 1: Order the Kit
Visit the website and order their service (duh). People have the option to choose between buying 23andMe’s health + ancestry services ($200) or just their standalone ancestry service ($100). For my first go around, I chose to do the full shebang (health + ancestry) because I’m a shockingly reckless person with my money, and also because I honestly had no idea what I was doing. I figured the health report could come in handy somehow on this journey.
(Spoiler: It doesn’t really, though I did find out that I’m lactose intolerant. This explains many painful nights with stomach cramps after doing gallon challenges with my friends.)
Step 2: Spit in the Vial
My kit ended up arriving within two days, which was surprisingly early since they gave me an estimate of 3-5 days. The box the kit came in was pretty small (roughly the size of a book) and contained a vial for my spit sample, a sterile plastic baggie to hold it in, as well as an instruction manual on how to correctly spit into the vial (apparently there’s a wrong way to spit into a vial).
The instructions contained a bunch of dos and don’ts for providing a sample, and included things like “Do not eat, drink, smoke, chew gum, brush your teeth, or use mouthwash for at least 30 minutes prior to providing your sample,” and instructions on how to correctly close the vial without it bursting into flames or something.
It was all pretty straight forward though: spit in the vial and send it to their laboratory in the same box it came in. The kit had prepaid postage, as well as a handy seal so you can reclose the box without worrying about your $200 falling out as it makes its way to its final destination. After I finished filling the vial, I placed it in the bag, placed the bag in the box, placed the box in the mail, and waited for my results!
Which brings us to the last step...
Step 3: Find Out Your Results
Actually, this step should be titled “Obsessively Check Your Email Every Half Hour To See If Your Results Are In Yet For Three Months Straight,” because that’s what I did. The website said that I should’ve received my results in “approximately 6-8 weeks,” but when I sent my test in, I ended up waiting nearly double that. In my search to discover what the hell was taking so long, I discovered an ancestry forum that said that a shipment got delayed while heading towards the laboratory in North Carolina due to crazy winter storms.
So I waited.
And I waited.
And waited.
Each day, I would check my email as well as my 23andMe account for some sign of an update and each day I was let down. There were some days when I felt hopeful as watched my kit moved along in the process. The site has this handy tracking tool that breaks down your kit’s progress into several steps:
Step 1: Register your kit Step 2: Successfully registered; track your kit to the lab Step 3: Sample received at the lab Step 4: DNA analysis Step 5: Computing Step 6: Results ready
It’s steps within steps. This is stepcetion!
My kit was stuck somewhere between step two and step three for the longest time. When it finally hit step three through, I was about two months in and getting a little bit frustrated.
Now, I realize that I had gone 23 years without knowing my genetic background, so I could have probably waited a few more weeks. But I was getting antsy, god dammit. This was more than just an ordinary genetic test. This was my identity. A piece of my racial make up that had been unknown to me my entire life. With each passing day and with each step in the process, I could see myself getting closer to knowing and shining a light on the darkness.
Finally, one day at work during a meeting, I finally got the email.
I clicked on my results.
After decades of not knowing and after months of waiting, I finally got my answers and they were...
(please click on the drumroll video below)
... this.
The Results
Ta-da!
I am 17 percent Sub-Saharan African as well as 10 percent European (along with the roughly 72 percent East Asian of course).
My reaction could be summed up in two words:
Holy. Shit.
I was giddy. There it was in front of me. The answers to a question I had all my life. I could barely contain my excitement and actually had to pace the floor for a bit before going back to my computer.
The results confirmed a sneaking suspicion I had: that my grandfather was probably black. I always had a feeling this was the case based purely on the way my mother looked, as well as my ba ngaoi’s descriptions of my grandfather’s dark skin and curly hair. However, I never would have guessed that he might also be mixed race as well. The product of both African and European ancestry, my grandfather probably looked as ethnically ambiguous as me.
Honestly, it’s an oddly comforting thought to know that my grandfather knew what it’s like to grow up mixed race as well, and that we might have been cut from the same cloth even though we don’t even know each other’s names.
23andMe provided even more in-depth results than those above too. Digging deeper into my ancestry composition, I discovered a few more surprising things.
When it comes to my African genes, my ancestors mostly came from West Africa. This brings up a metric butt-ton of questions:
What part of Africa are they from? Is it possible I still have family there? Does that mean I’m related to a slave? Where were they taken to? Are these racist questions? Can I be racist to my own race?
Overall though, I’m wondering what the hell this all even means.
I also checked into my European ancestry, which revealed the following.
According to this, my European ancestors mainly came from the British Isles and other parts of Northwestern Europe. I guess this makes sense. After all, I do love a good cup of Earl Grey and am prone to depression.
I wanted to sit at my desk and just explore the results some more. The site also told me that I had hundreds of cousins that I could connect with. Unfortunately though, I had to go back to the meeting. So I closed out of the browser and walked back upstairs, my head swimming with my newfound knowledge.
Takeaways
Question: What’s black, white, and yellow all over?
Answer: Me and my brother, apparently.
From all of this, we can ascertain a few things:
Though frustrating at times, 23andMe offered a really intuitive experience and it was good overall. I would have appreciated being warned about things like natural disasters stopping my kit from arriving, however. Unless there’s something my dad or ba ngoai are hiding, my grandfather was mixed race like me and was roughly half black and half white. Despite being black and white, this situation isn’t as black and white as it may seem (groan). It may be a little hasty to just declare myself as any race other than Asian until I get a lot more information, but until then I really can’t contain my excitement at having these answers, as flimsy as they are.
Up next...
History of the Boat People: A brief overview on the Vietnamese diaspora following the Fall of Saigon and where my family fits in it all.
A brief overview on the Vietnamese diaspora following the Fall of Saigon and where my family fits in it all. Cousin Connections: I talk to a few of my long lost cousins and we talk about our long lostedness.
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Like this: Like Loading...Attractions to experience an adventure with the gang from ONE PIECE
At TOKYO ONE PIECE TOWER, there are plenty of attractions re-enacting scenes from the anime and attractions with the atmosphere of enjoying an adventure with the popular characters. The myriad attractions where you can play around in the world of the characters include LUFFY’S ENDLESS ADVENTURE which you can walk through to find out what Luffy fights for, ZORO’S SOUL OF EDGE which is Zoro’s swordsmanship training ground where each visitor gets a sword to brandish, and NAMI’S CASINO HOUSE where you can go up against Nami herself in the casino shop which she operates. And with USOPP’S ROAD TO SOGEKING, BROOK’S HORROR HOUSE, and CHOPPER’S THOUSAND SUNNY TOURS, there are all sorts of ONE PIECE attractions for die-hard fans and families to enjoy. Also, the exciting live performances are not to be missed. You will be amazed by the fantastic live shows interweaving the cast and the latest projection mapping. With the heart stone in your hand changing color, you can be an even bigger part of the show. Numbered tickets are necessary if you want to see the show, so it’s recommended that you get them early.
Enjoy filling yourself at SANJI'S ORESAMA RESTAURANT
SANJI'S ORESAMA RESTAURANT is a pirate buffet offered by the cooking fan Sanji. Starting with Luffy’s big big meats, there is a packed menu that you can enjoy including small character-themed rolls. This is an all-you-can-eat restaurant where you can enjoy the same dishes that the characters themselves like until you are full. And then at Café Mugiwara which has a menu under a straw hat theme, you can enjoy soft drinks and desserts.As IBM’s research division pursues a multi-year quest to build a universal quantum computer more powerful than any supercomputer in the world, it’s sharing its latest progress with smaller quantum processors on the cloud for the world to join in.
Tucked off a nondescript hallway in IBM’s |
-Fire-Cooking-Made-Human/dp/0465013627
http://civileats.com/2016/02/19/this-new-netflix-documentary-cooked-michael-pollan-will-inspire-you-to-make-dinner/
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/02/22/fbi-director-urges-apple-to-help-unlock-killers-iphone-in-passionate-statement-its-about-the-victims-and-justice/
http://www.apple.com/customer-letter/
http://bgr.com/2016/03/07/apple-fbi-iphone-craig-federighi/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/apple-vp-the-fbi-wants-to-roll-back-safeguards-that-keep-us-a-step-ahead-of-criminals/2016/03/06/cceb0622-e3d1-11e5-a6f3-21ccdbc5f74e_story.html
https://www.lawfareblog.com/we-could-not-look-survivors-eye-if-we-did-not-follow-lead
https://youtu.be/MG0bAaK7p9s of the major driving forces for the evolution of humans from our ancestors. Closing out the show we dove into the murky waters of the Apple-FBI feud over privacy and hacking that will affect us all when it is fully resolved.Segment------00:00 Bernie Sanders Rally / Michigan Vote24:09 International Women's Day47:03 Science Segment: Evolution and Cooking64:03 Apple and San BernardinoEpisode: http://www.spreaker.com/user/cellardoorskeptics/iwd Subscribe: http://www.spreaker.com/user/cellardoorskeptics Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CellarDoorSkeptics RSS Feed: https://www.spreaker.com/user/8326690/episodes/feed iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/cellar-door-skeptics/id1044088575?mt=2&ign-mpt=uo%3D4 Website: http://cellardoorskeptics.com Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/cellar-door-skeptics Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cellardoorskeptics Links------------------------
The excitement is intense this week as we return from a week hiatus into the midst of the Michigan Primaries and International Women's Day! We recently experienced a Bernie Sanders rally in the Grand Rapids Michigan and discussed that along with the primaries first, then Christopher Tanner delivered an in depth look at pledging support for International Women's Day that should open all out eyes. Next Chris Hanna went full science with a segment analyzing the claim that cooking is one(Last Updated On: January 22, 2019)
Introduction
As I previously explained, enterprise caching requires diligence. Because data is duplicated between the database (system of record) and the caching layer, we need to make sure the two separate data sources don’t drift apart.
If the cached data is immutable (neither the database nor the cache is able to modify it), we can safely cache it without worrying about any consistency issues. Read-only data is always a good candidate for application-level caching, improving read performance without having to relax consistency guarantees.
Read-only second-level caching
For testing the read-only second-level cache strategy, we going to use the following domain model:
The Repository is the root entity, being the parent of any Commit entity. Each Commit has a list of Change components (embeddable value types).
All entities are cached as read-only elements:
@org.hibernate.annotations.Cache( usage = CacheConcurrencyStrategy.READ_ONLY )
Persisting entities
In Hibernate 4, the read-only second-level cache uses a read-through caching strategy, entities being cached upon fetching.
doInTransaction(session -> { Repository repository = new Repository("Hibernate-Master-Class"); session.persist(repository); });
When an entity is persisted only the database contains a copy of this entity. The system of record is passed to the caching layer when the entity gets fetched for the first time.
@Test public void testRepositoryEntityLoad() { LOGGER.info("Read-only entities are read-through"); doInTransaction(session -> { Repository repository = (Repository) session.get(Repository.class, 1L); assertNotNull(repository); }); doInTransaction(session -> { LOGGER.info("Load Repository from cache"); session.get(Repository.class, 1L); }); }
This test generates the output:
--Read-only entities are read-through SELECT readonlyca0_.id AS id1_2_0_, readonlyca0_.NAME AS name2_2_0_ FROM repository readonlyca0_ WHERE readonlyca0_.id = 1 --JdbcTransaction - committed JDBC Connection --Load Repository from cache --JdbcTransaction - committed JDBC Connection
Once the entity is loaded into the second-level cache, any subsequent call will be served by the cache, therefore bypassing the database.
In Hibernate 5, READ_ONLY entities are write-through when using a SEQUENCE or a TABLE generator, while they are read-through for IDENTITY generator.
Updating entities
Read-only cache entries are not allowed to be updated. Any such attempt ends up with an exception being thrown:
@Test public void testReadOnlyEntityUpdate() { try { LOGGER.info("Read-only cache entries cannot be updated"); doInTransaction(session -> { Repository repository = (Repository) session.get(Repository.class, 1L); repository.setName( "High-Performance Hibernate" ); }); } catch (Exception e) { LOGGER.error("Expected", e); } }
Running this test generates the following output:
--Read-only cache entries cannot be updated SELECT readonlyca0_.id AS id1_2_0_, readonlyca0_.NAME AS name2_2_0_ FROM repository readonlyca0_ WHERE readonlyca0_.id = 1 UPDATE repository SET NAME = 'High-Performance Hibernate' WHERE id = 1 --JdbcTransaction - rolled JDBC Connection --ERROR Expected --java.lang.UnsupportedOperationException: Can't write to a read-only object
Because read-only cache entities are practically immutable it’s good practice to attribute them the Hibernate specific @Immutable annotation.
Deleting entities
Read-only cache entries are removed when the associated entity is deleted as well:
@Test public void testReadOnlyEntityDelete() { LOGGER.info("Read-only cache entries can be deleted"); doInTransaction(session -> { Repository repository = (Repository) session.get(Repository.class, 1L); assertNotNull(repository); session.delete(repository); }); doInTransaction(session -> { Repository repository = (Repository) session.get(Repository.class, 1L); assertNull(repository); }); }
Generating the following output:
--Read-only cache entries can be deleted SELECT readonlyca0_.id AS id1_2_0_, readonlyca0_.NAME AS name2_2_0_ FROM repository readonlyca0_ WHERE readonlyca0_.id = 1; DELETE FROM repository WHERE id = 1 --JdbcTransaction - committed JDBC Connection SELECT readonlyca0_.id AS id1_2_0_, readonlyca0_.NAME AS name2_2_0_ FROM repository readonlyca0_ WHERE readonlyca0_.id = 1; --JdbcTransaction - committed JDBC Connection
The remove entity state transition is enqueued by PersistenceContext, and at flush time, both the database and the second-level cache will delete the associated entity record.
Collection caching
The Commit entity has a collection of Change components.
@ElementCollection @CollectionTable( name="commit_change", joinColumns=@JoinColumn(name="commit_id") ) private List<Change> changes = new ArrayList<>();
Although the Commit entity is cached as a read-only element, the Change collection is ignored by the second-level cache.
@Test public void testCollectionCache() { LOGGER.info("Collections require separate caching"); doInTransaction(session -> { Repository repository = (Repository) session.get(Repository.class, 1L); Commit commit = new Commit(repository); commit.getChanges().add( new Change("README.txt", "0a1,5...") ); commit.getChanges().add( new Change("web.xml", "17c17...") ); session.persist(commit); }); doInTransaction(session -> { LOGGER.info("Load Commit from database"); Commit commit = (Commit) session.get(Commit.class, 1L); assertEquals(2, commit.getChanges().size()); }); doInTransaction(session -> { LOGGER.info("Load Commit from cache"); Commit commit = (Commit) session.get(Commit.class, 1L); assertEquals(2, commit.getChanges().size()); }); }
Running this test generates the following output:
--Collections require separate caching SELECT readonlyca0_.id AS id1_2_0_, readonlyca0_.NAME AS name2_2_0_ FROM repository readonlyca0_ WHERE readonlyca0_.id = 1; INSERT INTO commit (id, repository_id) VALUES (DEFAULT, 1); INSERT INTO commit_change (commit_id, diff, path) VALUES (1, '0a1,5...', 'README.txt'); INSERT INTO commit_change (commit_id, diff, path) VALUES (1, '17c17...', 'web.xml'); --JdbcTransaction - committed JDBC Connection --Load Commit from database SELECT readonlyca0_.id AS id1_2_0_, readonlyca0_.NAME AS name2_2_0_ FROM repository readonlyca0_ WHERE readonlyca0_.id = 1; SELECT changes0_.commit_id AS commit_i1_0_0_, changes0_.diff AS diff2_1_0_, changes0_.path AS path3_1_0_ FROM commit_change changes0_ WHERE changes0_.commit_id = 1 --JdbcTransaction - committed JDBC Connection --Load Commit from cache SELECT changes0_.commit_id AS commit_i1_0_0_, changes0_.diff AS diff2_1_0_, changes0_.path AS path3_1_0_ FROM commit_change changes0_ WHERE changes0_.commit_id = 1 --JdbcTransaction - committed JDBC Connection
Although the Commit entity is retrieved from the cache, the Change collection is always fetched from the database. Since the Changes are immutable too, we would like to cache them as well, to save unnecessary database round-trips.
Enabling Collection cache support
Collections are not cached by default, and to enable this behavior, we have to annotate them with the cache concurrency strategy:
@ElementCollection @CollectionTable( name="commit_change", joinColumns=@JoinColumn(name="commit_id") ) @org.hibernate.annotations.Cache( usage = CacheConcurrencyStrategy.READ_ONLY ) private List<Change> changes = new ArrayList<>();
Re-running the previous test generate the following output:
--Collections require separate caching SELECT readonlyca0_.id AS id1_2_0_, readonlyca0_.NAME AS name2_2_0_ FROM repository readonlyca0_ WHERE readonlyca0_.id = 1; INSERT INTO commit (id, repository_id) VALUES (DEFAULT, 1); INSERT INTO commit_change (commit_id, diff, path) VALUES (1, '0a1,5...', 'README.txt'); INSERT INTO commit_change (commit_id, diff, path) VALUES (1, '17c17...', 'web.xml'); --JdbcTransaction - committed JDBC Connection --Load Commit from database SELECT readonlyca0_.id AS id1_2_0_, readonlyca0_.NAME AS name2_2_0_ FROM repository readonlyca0_ WHERE readonlyca0_.id = 1; SELECT changes0_.commit_id AS commit_i1_0_0_, changes0_.diff AS diff2_1_0_, changes0_.path AS path3_1_0_ FROM commit_change changes0_ WHERE changes0_.commit_id = 1 --JdbcTransaction - committed JDBC Connection --Load Commit from cache --JdbcTransaction - committed JDBC Connection
Once the collection is cached, we can fetch the Commit entity along with all its Changes without hitting the database.
If you enjoyed this article, I bet you are going to love my Book and Video Courses as well.
Conclusion
Read-only entities are safe for caching and we can load an entire immutable entity graph using the second-level cache only. Because the cache is read-through, entities are cached upon being fetched from the database. The read-only cache is not write-through because persisting an entity only materializes into a new database row, without propagating to the cache as well.
Code available on GitHub.
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Share this: TweetA Canadian high school student has been identified as the most likely suspect behind a phishing site that allegedly ripped off thousands of dollars worth of Bitcoins from unsuspecting users.
The student, according to an ongoing investigation initiated by private individuals, has been in possessions of sold Bitcoin wallets loaded with thousands of dollars worth of the digital currency.
A profile linked to the suspect on public site HackForums claimed to have sold two accounts each containing 40 Bitcoins today alone, worth about $7000 at the time of writing.
It was also selling hacked LiteCoin account.
How the BitCoins were stolen
The phishing site used to launch the attacks, Mt Gox-Chat, hosted a Java exploit which hijacked user machines with what researchers said appeared to be an Autoit script.
The malware was then used to drain the digital currency from victims' Bitcoin wallets in a series of non-reversible transactions.
One victim using the handle BitBully wrote on the Bitcointalk forum they lost 34 Bitcoins to the scammer, worth anywhere between $3500 to $8000 due to the fluctuating value of Bitcoins this week.
The transaction pointed to an account that held 72 Bitcoins, worth around $8000 at the time of writing.
The victim was compromised after they clicked through Java warnings prompted by the MtGox-Chat site.
He told SC he wanted to warn others of the attack and attempt to get the stolen Bitcoins returned.
Online sleuths
Following the victim accounts, a small group of online sleuths began the investigation to identify the perpetrator and invited SC Magazine to bear witness to their collaboration.
Analysis of the malware by a member of the anonymous group of sleuths, who claimed to be a security researcher, pointed to IP addresses which were linked to other accounts used by the suspect.
This information led the group to suspect the scammer was using his Canadian residential address to host a command and control server.
The research also revealed a series of domain information and months of login data, along with website profiles - including the suspects' Facebook account, which provided further evidence of the man's identity.
The party investigating the scam engaged in a Skype chat with their suspect hacker, but he claimed the information gathered was fake and promptly terminated the conversation.
At the time of writing, those investigating the scammer had threatened to reveal the data gathered in the investigation unless the suspect returned the stolen Bitcoins to victims.
SC Magazine recommends that Bitcoin users operate online with a heightened awareness of security. Users should activate two-factor authentication for online accounts where possible, disable Java in web browsers used for BitCoin transactions and be extremely cautious about following links posted in forums and chat rooms.REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS Prepare Contempt of Congress Resolution Against Top Deep State Operatives
FBI Director Chris Wray and Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein
As most Americans now know, former US Senator Jeff Sessions was sworn in as US Attorney General under President Donald Trump on Thursday, February 9th, 2017. Then less than a month later, Sessions recused himself from any investigation into whether the Trump Administration colluded with Russians to swing the US 2016 election.
Next on April 25th, 2017, Rod Rosenstein was confirmed to be deputy attorney general by a vote of 94-6 in the Senate and on April 26th he was sworn in. Then less than a month later, on May 17th, Rosenstein appointed a special counsel and appointed his old friend from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Robert Mueller to investigate President Trump.
It appears that the special investigation created by crooked Rosenstein and his appointed special counsel Robert Mueller is not legal. It is not based on the law. It is a fraud. It was only meant to take down President Trump.
It was Rod Rosenstein and Robert Mueller approved the Uranium One deal allowing the Clintons to pocket MEGA-MILLIONS from the Russians.
Now they are trying to cover their tracks.
For the past several weeks top FBI operatives, including Rod Rosenstein and Director Christopher Wray, have stonewalled in producing material related to the Russia-Trump probe to Congress.
President Trump tweeted about this on Sunday morning.
Wray needs to clean house. Now we know the politicization even worse than McCabe’s ties to McAuliffe/Clinton. It also infected his top investigator PETER STRZOK, who sent texts bashing Trump & praising Hillary during campaign. Strzok led Hillary probe & supervised Trump probe! https://t.co/0y403oeqvX — Paul Sperry (@paulsperry_) December 2, 2017
Lawmakers are preparing contempt of Congress resolution against Deep State operatives for refusing to release material related to their Trump probe to Congress.
Bloomberg reported:
U.S. House Republicans are drafting a contempt of Congress resolution against Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray, claiming stonewalling in producing material related to the Russia-Trump probes and other matters. Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes and other committee Republicans, after considering such action for several weeks, decided to move after media including the New York Times reported Saturday on why a top FBI official assigned to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s probe of Russia-Trump election collusion had been removed from the investigation. Republicans, including the president, pointed to the reports as evidence that the entire probe into Russian meddling has been politically motivated. “Now it all starts to make sense,” Trump said on Twitter Sunday. In his statement Saturday, Nunes pointed to the reports that the official, Peter Strzok, was removed after allegedly having exchanged anti-Trump and pro-Hillary Clinton text messages with his mistress, who was an FBI lawyer working for Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe.Your telemarketing campaign may be adequate right now, but to get the best possible results from your campaigns, you need to have all the factors that comprise a great business to business telemarketing campaign. Securing a good telemarketing script for lead generation and hiring reliable, experienced b2b telemarketers need one more thing to complete the process: a highly targeted telemarketing business list.
You can either generate your own business leads by scouring the internet and phone books, purchase a business list from a lead generation company, or you can outsource to professional lead generation service providers to look for specifically qualified b2b sales leads using your criteria.
An important thing to remember when buying pre-defined business lists from another company is to make sure that the list hasn’t already been sold to a competitor in your industry. This is often the problem with pre-qualified business lists because the buyer (in this case, you) will never know how many competitors in the same market, or even the same micro niche, have already gained access to that list of qualified business leads. Imagine if you were to buy a list that usually costs several hundred dollars; you’d expect your b2b telemarketers to be able to convert or get business appointments with these businesses because they are high quality leads. However, if your competitors have also purchased the same list, then your chances of converting these leads will be drastically reduced no matter how much they fit your criteria. Not only did you waste critical funds, but you’ve also wasted the time and effort of your employees.
The best way to ensure that your telemarketing campaign cold callers only contact qualified leads that you can actually convert and haven’t been purchased by your competitors yet is to outsource your lead generation to a professional b2b lead generation service provider. These leads you get from these companies are freshly sourced. Meaning, you get the first opportunity to offer a solution to their problem. And because the business list was generated specifically for the use of your telemarketers, you can be assured that no other competitor will present another offer to your business leads as you close the deal. All that’s left is for your telemarketers to set the business appointments and your sales representatives to close the deal.
Having an exclusive business list of qualified b2b sales leads, professionally trained and experienced b2b telemarketers, and an engaging telemarketing script are the most important factors to secure if you want to have the best telemarketing lead generation campaign for your business.Ever since the finale of Mad Men aired on Sunday, fans have been debating the meaning of the iconic show’s final scene. In an interview with The New York Times, actor Jon Hamm gives his interpretation of exactly what happened at the very end of the show. Spoilers obviously follow below.
RELATED: Finally: Sopranos creator gives an in-depth breakdown of what happens in the show’s last scene
For those who don’t know, the final scene involves main character Don Draper (played by Hamm) sitting on a beach meditating with a hippie commune in California. During the meditation, Draper gets a big, goofy smile on his face… and all of a sudden we cut to footage of Coca-Cola’s famous “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke” ad from the early ’70s.
While Hamm says there are multiple ways to interpret the ending, he personally thinks it’s meant to imply that Draper went back to the advertising world and launched one of the most successful ad campaigns in history.
“My take is that, the next day, he wakes up in this beautiful place, and has this serene moment of understanding, and realizes who he is,” says Hamm. “And who he is, is an advertising man. And so, this [idea for the Coke ad] comes to him. There’s a way to see it in a completely cynical way, and say, ‘Wow, that’s awful.’ But I think that for Don, it represents some kind of understanding and comfort in this incredibly unquiet, uncomfortable life that he has led.”
Watch the whole scene below and decide for yourself.A Pennsylvania man who sent a shipment of fake OtterBox cellphone cases in 2013 to a reseller in Maine was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Portland to five years of probation on a charge of conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods.
Michael Kurnik, 25, of York, Pennsylvania, was also sentenced by Judge George Singal to pay $25,000 in restitution as part of a plea deal in which a second charge of trafficking in counterfeit goods was dismissed.
Kurnik regularly purchased the imitation OtterBox cases from a supplier in China and then resold them in the United States to dealers like the one in Maine, knowing that the products were counterfeits being distributed in violation of federal patent and trademark laws, according to court records.
The reseller in Maine, described in federal court documents only as “Witness #1,” told Kurnik in late May 2013 that he had been contacted by OtterBox and told that OtterBox was going to sue him for selling counterfeit cases on eBay, a prosecution document states.
“Despite being told of the OtterBox lawsuit by Witness #1, the Defendant continued to purchase cellphone cases from China and resell them in the United States,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Wolff wrote in the prosecution filing.
Kurnik sent another shipment of counterfeit cases in December 2013 to the reseller in Maine, who by that point was working with law enforcement. Authorities executed a search warrant at a warehouse in Manchester, Pennsylvania, used by Kurnik and seized about 6,700 counterfeit OtterBox cases, court records state.
Scott Dolan can be reached at 791-6304 or at:
[email protected]
Twitter: @scottddolan
ShareRecreational drug tourism is travel for the purpose of obtaining or using drugs for recreational use that are unavailable, illegal or very expensive in one's home jurisdiction. A drug tourist may cross a national border to obtain a drug that is not sold in one's home country, or to obtain an illegal drug that is more available in the visited destination. A drug tourist may also cross a sub-national border (from one province/county/state to another) in order to purchase alcohol or tobacco more easily, or at a lower price due to tax laws or other regulations.
Empirical studies show that drug tourism is heterogeneous and might involve either the pursuit of mere pleasure and escapism or a quest for profound and meaningful experiences through the consumption of drugs.
Drug tourism has many legal implications, and persons engaging in it sometimes risk prosecution for drug smuggling or other drug-related charges in their home jurisdictions or in the jurisdictions they are visiting, especially if they bring their purchases home rather than using them abroad. The act of traveling for the purpose of buying or using drugs is itself a criminal offense in some jurisdictions.
By country/region [ edit ]
Asia/Middle East [ edit ]
Malana, India is famous for its production of Indian hashish, attracting foreign tourists. Indian pharmacies also sell many generic drugs at prices far lower than in the US.[1]
Europe [ edit ]
A sign of a cannabis coffee shop in Amsterdam
In Europe, the Netherlands, and especially the Dutch capital, Amsterdam, is a popular destination for drug tourists, due to the liberal attitude of the Dutch toward cannabis use and possession. Drug tourism thrives because legislation controlling the sale, possession, and use of drugs varies dramatically from one jurisdiction to another.
Warning sign in Amsterdam after 3 tourists died after taking white heroin that was sold as cocaine
In May 2011 the Dutch government announced that tourists would to be banned from Dutch coffeeshops, starting in the southern provinces at the end of 2011,[2] and the rest of the country by 2012,[3] though this was never made into law and thus coffeeshops throughout the Netherlands continue remain open to tourists as of May 2016.[4] On 25 November 2014 two British tourists aged 20 and 21 died in a hotel room in Amsterdam, after snorting white heroin that was sold as cocaine by a street dealer.[5] The bodies were found less than a month after another British tourist died in similar circumstances. At least 17 other people have had medical treatment after taking the white heroin.[6]
North America [ edit ]
Drug tourism from the United States occurs in many contexts. Americans between the ages of 18 and 21 may cross the border into Canada or Mexico to purchase alcohol. Conversely, many Canadians travel to the United States to purchase alcohol at lower prices due to high taxes levied on alcohol in Canada. Americans living in dry counties also frequently cross county or state lines to purchase alcohol. Due to the fact that cannabis is now legal in Canada, Americans may cross the border to purchase it legally.
Many Americans cross state lines to purchase cigarettes, crossing from a jurisdiction with very high cigarette taxes to a jurisdiction (such as another state or an Indian nation) with lower cigarette taxes. This occurs particularly in the Northeastern United States, where states levy among the highest tobacco taxes in the nation.
Canada - As of October 2018, Cannabis consumption and possession in limited amounts is legal in Canada.
United States [ edit ]
Since the legalization of Cannabis in Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, Washington state and Washington D.C, many drug tourists from states and countries where cannabis is illegal travel to these states to purchase cannabis and cannabis products.
Mexico [ edit ]
The sale and possession of psilocin and psilocybin are prohibited under the federal health law of 1984. However, this prohibition is mostly unenforced against indigenous users of psilocybin mushrooms. As a result, the towns of Huautla de Jiménez and San José del Pacífico (both in the southern state of Oaxaca) have gained notoriety for their association with magic mushrooms, and constitute a safe haven even for non-indigenous users.
South America [ edit ]
In South America, some tourists are attracted to Amazon basin villages to try a local liquid called ayahuasca which is a mixture of psychedelic plants that is used in traditional ceremonies. Similarly, tourists in Peru try hallucinogenic cactus called San Pedro which originally has been used by local tribes.
Oceania [ edit ]
In Australia, the Australian Capital Territory and South Australia have a more liberal approach to cannabis use, promoting interstate drug tourism, particularly from Victoria and New South Wales. In addition, some areas of northern New South Wales have a liberal recreational drug culture, particularly areas around Nimbin where the annual MardiGrass festival is held. Discrete Local Guides may also be a source of plants
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Belhassen, Y., Santos, C.A., & Uriely, N. (2007). “Cannabis Use in Tourism: A Sociological Perspective.” Leisure Studies, 26(3), 303–19.
, 26(3), 303–19. Bellis, M. A., Hale, G., Bennett, A., Chaudry, M. & Kilfoyle, M. (2000). "Ibiza Uncovered: Changes in Substanceuse and Sexual Behaviour amongst Young People Visiting an International Night-Life Resort." International Journal of Drug Policy, 11(3), 235–44.
, 11(3), 235–44. de Rios, M. (1994). "Drug Tourism in the Amazon: Why Westerners are Desperate to Find the Vanishing Primate." Omni 16, 6–9.
Josiam, M. B, J. S. P. Hobson, U. C. Dietrich, & G. Smeaton (1998). “An Analysis of the Sexual, Alcohol and Drug Related Behavioral Patterns of Students on Spring Break.” Tourism Management, 19 (6), 501–13.
, 19 (6), 501–13. Sellars, A. (1998). “The Influence of Dance Music on the UK Youth Tourism Market.” Tourism Management, 19 (6), 611–15.
, 19 (6), 611–15. Uriely, N. & Belhassen, Y. (2005). “Drugs and Tourists’ Experiences.” Journal of Travel Research, 43(3), 238–46.
, 43(3), 238–46. Uriely, N. & Belhassen, Y. (2006) “Drugs and Risk Taking in Tourism.” Annals of Tourism Research, 33(2), 339–59.
, 33(2), 339–59. Valdez, A., & Sifaneck, S. (1997). "Drug Tourists and Drug Policy on the U.S.-Mexican Border: An Ethnographic Investigation." Journal of Drug Issues, 27, 879–98.
References [ edit ]
https://web.archive.org/web/20111029072110/http://nugmag.com/2011/09/tourist-coffee-shop-ban-not-in-amsterdam/ October 27, 2011 http://drnights.com/ September 20, 2012The latest addition to the University of Winnipeg's sprawling downtown campus is now open.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Richardson College for the Environment and Science Complex was held Monday morning, launching the official opening of the structure at 599 Portage Ave. between Langside and Furby Streets.
The main feature of the $67-million building, one of the most energy efficient labs in North America, is a four-storey atrium that incorporates nine living trees and a 3,000-square-foot wall of reclaimed hard maple from the Winnipeg Roller Rink that previously stood on the site.
The complex houses the university’s departments of biology, chemistry and environmental studies and consists of more than 30 research and teaching labs, including a vivarium — an area for keeping and raising animals or plants for research — and a 1,127 square foot rooftop greenhouse.
Approximately 2,000 students daily will use the building, which also houses a digital media lab that will be open to high school students, those living in the inner city and aboriginal youth.
U of W president Lloyd Axworthy said the lab, set to open in January, will encourage youth to finish high school and pursue further education.
The building is the newest addition to an expansion of the U of W's downtown footprint. In recent years, the university has constructed and opened the Buhler Centre at Portage Avenue and Memorial Boulevard, the Canwest Centre for Theatre and Film, and McFeetors Hall student's residence.
Construction crews are also transforming a 38,000-square-feet space at 491 Portage Avenue — the former Greyhound Bus terminal — into the ANX. It will contain a retail and bookstore space, student pub, food and beverage service, medical and personal services, computer store, classrooms, computer labs and offices.
The former Greyhound loading dock has already become a hub terminal for Winnipeg Transit.Samuelsohn reports: "President Obama touched the sensitive issue of guns here on Wednesday, pivoting off last week's Colorado movie theater shootings to call for a 'consensus around violence reduction' in the country."
President Obama spoke on gun control to the Urban League on Wednesday night. (photo: NBC News)
Obama: AK-47s Belong on Battlefield, Not Streets
By Darren Samuelsohn, Politico
resident Obama touched the sensitive issue of guns here on Wednesday, pivoting off last week’s Colorado movie theater shootings to call for a “consensus around violence reduction" in the country.
With the last public event of a four-day trip that started with a visit to the Aurora, Colo., hospital where almost two dozen victims were brought after the shootings, Obama said he supports measures to conduct background checks to keep guns out of the hands of criminals, fugitives and the mentally ill.
“These steps shouldn’t be controversial, they should be common sense,” he told the National Urban League conference.
Obama's remarks in the Big Easy about guns were the most extensive of his term, going farther than what he said after the 2011 shooting in Tucson, where six people were killed, and former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) and a dozen others survived gunshot wounds. White House aides have acknowledged new gun laws are still politically impossible in the current election-year climate, but Obama's comments suggest he's at least willing to talk about the issue.
“I – like most Americans – believe that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual the right to bear arms,” Obama said. “I think we recognize the traditions of gun ownership passed on from generation to generation, that hunting and shooting are part of a cherished national heritage.
“But I also believe that a lot of gun owners would agree that AK-47s belong in the hands of soldiers and not in the hands of crooks. They belong on the battlefield of war, not on the streets of our cities,” he added.
Obama bemoaned the lack of political will to tackle gun issues, noting how congressional leaders have so far shown little interest in advancing new legislation following the Colorado shooting.
“When there’s an extraordinarily heartbreaking tragedy like the one we saw, there’s always an outcry immediately after for action,” Obama said. “There’s talk of new reforms. There’s talk of legislation. And too often those efforts are defeated by politics and by lobbying and eventually by the pull of our collective attention elsewhere. But what I said in the wake of Tucson is we’re going to stay on this persistently.”
Obama said he'd "continue to work with members of both parties and with religious groups and with civic organizations to arrive at a consensus around violence reduction."
And Obama had a message to Americans that went beyond government.
“As we convene these conversations, let’s be clear even as we debate government’s role, we have to understand that when a child opens fire on another child, there’s a hole in that child’s heart that government alone can’t fill," he said. "It’s got to be up to us as parents, as neighbors and as teachers and as mentors to make sure our young people don’t have that void inside them. It’s up to us to spend time with them. To pay more attention to them. To show them more love and they learn to love each other and they learn to love one another and they grow up knowing what it is to walk a mile in somebody else’s shoes and to view the world in somebody else’s eyes."
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this post misstated a quote from the president about background checks for gun purchases. Obama said, "[W]e should check someone’s criminal record before they can check out a gun seller."A Catholic high school assistant principal was fired Monday over a personal blog post in support of gay marriage.
Following a heated debate with friends over President Obama's comments in his inaugural address about the rights of gay Americans, Mike Moroski from Purcell Marian High School took to his personal blog and explained his position on marriage equality:
Advertisement:
"I unabashedly believe that gay people SHOULD be allowed to marry. Ethically, morally and legally I believe this. I spend a lot of my life trying to live as a Christian example of love for others, and my formation at Catholic grade school, high school, 3 Catholic Universities and employment at 2 Catholic high schools has informed my conscience to believe that gay marriage is NOT something of which to be afraid. To me, it seems our time would be much better spent worrying about the economy, our city’s failing pensions, retaining our big business neighbors and finding creative, efficient, effective ways to fund our excellent Cincinnati Public Schools. Not much time left over to worry about gay people marrying one another."
In a termination letter from the Archdiocese of Cincinnati issued after Moroski refused to take down the post, he was told that his comments showed "poor judgment" and went against the teachings of the Catholic church, according to archdiocese spokesman Dan Andriacco.
In an interview with ABC News, Moroski said he was disappointed, but not surprised, that he was fired over his comments. "I feel like if your love for somebody makes you a better person... then you should be allowed to [express] that," he said. "You certainly, I feel, should be allowed to say you support that."
As a condition of his employment, Moroski was asked to sign a contract every year that required him to "comply with and act consistently in accordance with the stated philosophy and teachings of the Roman Catholic Church." Moroski told the Associated Press that while he knew the post violated the school's social media policy, he didn't feel that he had violated the teachings of the church, adding:During his five seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, Poe recorded 200 tackles 13 sacks and 12 pass defenses.
4. How is the battle at right guard shaking out?
Following Chris Chester’s retirement this spring, the Falcons have an opening in their starting lineup at right guard. Returners Wes Schweitzer and Ben Garland will compete with rookie fourth-round draft pick Sean Harlow for the role.
Garland possesses the versatility Quinn likes in his players -- he’s played on both sides of the line and on special teams. Of the 101 snaps he saw in 2016, 52 were on defense and 49 were on offense.
Schweitzer didn’t see any playing time in his first year in the NFL, but Quinn is encouraged by his development through |
over 1,000 participants dressed as zombies). For Romero fanatics, a visit to the Monroeville Mall is the next best thing to being on set during the film’s production in 1977. Even if they can’t slide down the escalator at JC Penneys.It was only a fortnight ago that scientists at NASA announced Mars’s moon Phobos is in the process of shattering apart due to tidal forces exerted on it by the red planet, and now a new study explains what this dramatic phenomenon could ultimately lead to.
The impending destruction of Phobos that’s set to take place in the next 20 to 40 million years will result in the disintegrated moon forming a ring system around its parent planet, according to scientists at the University of California, Berkeley.
The researchers’ calculations provide an answer to a puzzle scientists have long contemplated regarding the ongoing gravitational attraction between Mars and its larger moon. Phobos, which orbits Mars at a distance of just 6,000 kilometres, is gradually spiralling in towards the red planet, and the tidal forces pulling on Phobos are also responsible for weakening the structural integrity of the moon, which is believed to have a rubble-like core.
But while the gap between Mars and Phobos is closing at an extremely slow rate – narrowing by only a number of centimetres each year – the ultimate question remained: after millions of years, would Phobos inevitably collide with Mars, or would the tidal forces shatter the moon into smaller fragments before such an eventuality could take place?
According to the researchers, who used observational data and a geotechnical model to calculate the integrity of Phobos, the structural failure of the moon will precede any planetary collision.
“We suggest that – with continued inward migration of the moon – the weakest material will disperse tidally in 20 to 40 million years to form a Martian ring,” the researchers write in Nature Geoscience. “We predict that this ring will persist for [1 million to 100 million years] and will initially have a comparable mass density to that of Saturn’s rings.”
The disintegration would be over relatively quickly, likely taking only a matter of days or weeks to complete. “If you were standing on the surface of Mars, you could grab a lawn chair and watch Phobos shearing out and spreading into a big circle,” Benjamin Black, one of the researchers, told Alexandra Witze at Nature.
However, a reduced collision may still be on the cards after the ring formation. “Any large fragment of Phobos that is strong enough to escape tidal breakup will eventually collide with Mars in an oblique, low-velocity impact,” the authors write.
The findings may also explain how the rings surrounding Saturn and other similarly encircled planets came to be – and could mean that Mars won’t be the only planet in our Solar System getting a ring in the future. Neptune’s largest moon, Triton, features similar stress marks to Phobos and is also believed to be moving closer to its parent planet, which may make Triton another candidate for eventual lunar disintegration.National Commission of Audit chair Tony Shepherd joins in the laughter as Finance Minister Mathias Cormann says "I'll be back" while addressing the media at the release of the National Commission of Audit report. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen After his initial visit to Australia, Cormann returned to Belgium intending to make a career in law there. But the pull of Perth was palpable and he returned four months later, this time for a summer Christmas. "The sense I had at the time was that everything was so big. There was so much opportunity. It sounds like a cliché but you could literally feel the likelihood that this place was going to develop quite incredibly strongly. At the time I thought, 'Wow, this is great. I want to be part of it.' " He returned to Belgium yet again but Perth loomed ever larger in his head. In July 1996, Cormann formally migrated to Australia, a country none of his family or circle of Belgian friends had ever visited. A tale in two chapters Cormann's life is a story of two chapters. In the first, he helped his mother raise his sisters while his father struggled with illness and alcoholism. As a second-year law student at the impressionable age of 19, he was politicised by the fall of the Berlin Wall. The second chapter saw him swap Belgium for Australia and law for politics. Running through the entire narrative has been his conservative Christian faith. Sitting in his ministerial office in Parliament House in Canberra, Cormann is matter of fact about his back story. A cautious, disciplined and seemingly unsentimental person, he answers questions in short sentences and emits a slightly forced, staccato laugh when they get too close to the bone. He has got to where he is by stepping lightly, and even close colleagues say that they know little about his pre-Australian life. Yet Cormann is not secretive about his past, responding directly and in detail when asked about his German-Belgian origins. That he is an "unknown" suggests, rather, that it is only dawning on the wider public that a significant new figure has arrived on the national political stage.
Finance Minister Senator Mathias Cormann, during question time in February. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Cormann's relationship with Hockey runs deeper than that of many Treasurers and their finance ministers. Hockey is also from an immigrant background: his father was a Bethlehem-born Armenian-Palestinian. Hockey describes Cormann as a safe pair of hands. "He's incredibly good at getting across the detail of his brief. But he also knows what the policy motives are. I regard him as my wingman in a brutal dogfight." Straight after question time on the days that Federal Parliament sits, Hockey and Cormann slip out of the building to a private courtyard where they chat, each smoking a cigar. They no doubt discuss the budget bottom line, but have more interesting things to talk about, too. Both Hockey and Cormann are proud of their origins. Hockey describes his father as his hero, the man who has most influenced his life. Cormann says he is immensely proud of his father – but for different reasons. Herbert Cormann was working as a turner in a local factory when he developed health problems. "My father was a very hard worker until serious illness struck him down at a time when he and my mum had four kids under 10," Cormann recalls. Describing it as "a very personal matter", he adds that Herbert became an alcoholic. "It is fair to say that the most challenging time for us as a family was during that time, from when I was 10 to when I was 15." His father overcame that addiction and has not drunk since. "That was a great achievement and something we are all very proud of." Mathias formed a close bond with his mother. Speaking after her son's appointment as Finance Minister, Heldegard Cormann told Fairfax Media that her son had "learnt everything necessary to look after the other children and to do the housework... He became, not like a father exactly, but much more grown up. He organised all the family affairs... My son and I always spoke a lot about things. I liked it because he wanted to change things that are not good."
The Cormann household was sustained through these difficult years by a state disability pension and the support of the local church, where Mathias served as an altar boy. He performed altar duties for weddings, and after each one was given a book from the Tintin series by Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi, books he chose. Cormann still has all 23 books. There are Tintin prints in his ministerial office – alongside a framed, autographed West Coast Eagles football jumper. His Belgian childhood hero was an intrepid, truth-seeking, crime-busting boy reporter; his Australian heroes are men who play a code of football he didn't know existed before he migrated. Faith remains a strong force in Cormann's life. He is a regular church-goer and his wife, prominent Perth lawyer Hayley Ross, is also a Catholic. Cormann met Ross nine years after he settled in Australia and they have a one-year-old daughter, Isabelle. The Catholicism with which Cormann grew up reflects the deep conservatism of the German-speaking region of eastern Belgium. Formerly part of Germany, the region was annexed to Belgium under the redrawing of borders that resulted from the Treaty of Versailles. Between the wars, German-speaking nationalists agitated for reunification with Germany. The retaking of Eupen, where Cormann was born, was an important symbol of Adolf Hitler's early military triumphs. Eupen was one of the first towns the Nazis declared to be "free of Jews" after Jewish residents were shipped out to concentration camps. Because of its symbolism, Eupen became a key target for American forces after the D-Day landings in 1944 and the region, including Raeren, was the scene of some of the most ferocious fighting in what became known as the Battle of the Bulge. Inspired by the fall of the Wall Cormann's parents were born after World War II, but Cormann says the war had a serious effect on their families. A grand-uncle on his father's side, who had been the editor of a local newspaper, ended up in a concentration camp for publishing anti-Hitler articles. Cormann is acutely aware of the amount of Australian blood spilt on Belgian soil and of the vast fields of white crosses that mark the places where young men – about the age he was when he came to Australia – ended their journeys.
But it was a subsequent war, the Cold War, that profoundly shaped the philosophy and beliefs of the young Mathias. He was a law student in Belgium during the protests that marked the beginning of the end of communism in Europe. The chance to witness a great, historic event propelled him and some of his university friends to jump in a car and hurtle to Berlin just days after the Wall had been breached by huge, cheering crowds. What Cormann observed in Berlin still sits powerfully with him. Looking from the Wall to the East and then to the West, he says he saw why capitalism had triumphed over communism. "You had two German populations divided by the Wall," he says. "You had millions of people living side by side with the same challenges after the war, the same opportunities, same climate, same geography. All the preconditions were the same. But they were subject to different policy choices and different systems of government. On one side, you could see freedom, reward for effort and encouragement for people to stretch themselves and where that had led. On the other side you could see where lowest-common-denominator policies had led." These impressions were reinforced when Cormann studied in England. "There were students there from East Germany who had started to come to west European universities. I spoke to them and it was very obvious: socialism holds people back; policies based on freedom, free choice and reward for effort ultimately lift everyone." Cormann's mother and father were not interested in politics, he says, but he found himself increasingly drawn to public life. "At some point growing up I developed an interest in current affairs and became more and more conscious of the impact of political systems and decision making on people's quality of life. I developed a sense that I had some capacity to make a positive difference."
Three forces helped stir his political ambition. The first was the decision to study law. The second was the tuition of the Jesuit lecturers at the Catholic University of Namur in Brussels where he took up his legal studies. Cormann says they taught him to question, challenge and argue points of view. The third was joining a political party – the Christian Social Party in Raeren. Catholic and conservative, it was a natural home for Cormann. He secured a seat on the local council and later, a job with Mathieu Grosch, the party MP who held the seat reserved for German-speaking Belgians in the national parliament. Grosch suggests it was as much Cormann's driving ambition as the delights of Perth that saw him start anew in Australia. "He was my first personal assistant in Brussels; it was obvious he was intelligent, driven and charismatic but also blessed with youthful impatience and full of determination," Grosch said in a statement on Cormann's appointment as Finance Minister. "No road was too far for him to travel to reach his goal." Whether or not Cormann calculated that he had better prospects for a political career in Australia than in a tiny German-speaking community in Belgium, it became clear after he arrived in Perth that politics offered him the best chance of a career here. His Belgian law degree was not recognised in Australia, so Cormann fired off hundreds of letters to all sorts of potential Perth employers asking for work. All that came of these efforts was a casual job as a gardener. "What I found was that if you just write letters, people just write back polite replies. I said to myself, 'You have got to be a bit smarter about this.' " Cormann decided to take a direct approach. With two years' experience as a political assistant to Grosch under his belt and some knowledge of international law and treaties, he approached WA Liberal senator Chris Ellison, who was chairman of the treaties committee in Federal Parliament.
"I rang him and asked for a meeting. I suggested to him I might be able to help as a volunteer while I was trying to find a job. We met, had a chat and essentially just started talking politics. Chris said 'Yep, give it a shot.' Within two weeks somebody on his staff got crook and I got put in as a relief staffer. The rest, as they say, is history." Serious, savvy and committed Cormann became a senior adviser to Ellison, who went on to become a minister in the Howard government. Cormann struck Ellison at that first meeting as a serious person of obvious intelligence, with a savvy political brain and a willingness to commit. Ellison was emerging as an increasingly powerful figure in the state Liberal Party. After years of turmoil and ugly factionalism in the WA branch, Howard gave Ellison the task of cleaning out the stables and uniting the party membership. Ellison did well, becoming political godfather to a generation of ambitious Liberals. Eight of his former staff, including Cormann, became state or federal MPs. Bob Fisher, one of the five members of the Abbott government's National Commission of Audit panel, has known Cormann since soon after he arrived in Australia. Fisher was director-general of the WA Department of Family and Children's Services. In 1997 he met up with the newly appointed minister for the portfolio, Rhonda Parker, who had with her "this tall, good-looking young fellow who talked like Arnold Schwarzenegger". Says Fisher: "I couldn't make this bloke out. Who was he? What was a bright young bloke from Belgium doing in Perth working for a state minister?" Fisher says he took Cormann out for coffee after the meeting, during which the young political staffer told Fisher he aspired to move into federal politics. "Then you will want to get into the House of Representatives. That's where the action is," Fisher told Cormann. "He said, 'No, Bob. The Senate. With my accent no one would vote for me if I tried to get a seat [in the House].' I thought, 'Wow. This is a young bloke who knows what he wants.' "
Identifying goals and systematically working to achieve them have been hallmarks of Cormann's professional life. At key points in his career he has overtaken potential rivals by clever back-room networking and astute political judgment. His surprise elevation to the cabinet and finance ministry – over the former shadow finance minister and one-time Liberal Party national director Andrew Robb and his presumptive successor Arthur Sinodinos, the influential senior adviser to former prime minister John Howard – marked Cormann as an inside player par excellence. A key political opponent has been Labor's Senate leader and Cormann's predecessor as finance minister, Penny Wong. Poles apart in policy terms, they have one thing in common. Wong understands Cormann's thinking about the potential political handicap of speaking with a strong German accent. She says she similarly chose the Senate because of her own political handicaps of being Asian, female and a lesbian. She credits Cormann with a seriousness and decency that has seen him rise without appearing thus far to have made many significant enemies. "I assume his views on a whole range of social matters are substantially more conservative than mine. But I think he is disciplined. He's hard working. He's driven." She and Cormann have engaged in ferocious verbal combat, especially in Senate estimates committees where Cormann conducted forensic inquisitions of the former Labor government's carbon and mining taxes. To the outsider, estimates committee hearings can appear mind-numbingly dull and tedious, which they are if committee members have not done the grinding research necessary to know which rabbit warrens to go down in search of important details. Cormann did his homework. Those who appeared before him always knew to expect a hard time from him. He says the long hours spent in estimates committee were the best possible training for the job he now has, "because you end up being across the detail of all the issues, all of the arguments, from each side of the argument." Wong says of those sparring matches: "We have certainly gone toe to toe in many different forums, but I think we are both able to have a chat in a reasonably cordial way outside of the chamber, which is the way I like it. I prefer those political relationships where you can keep some perspective and I've generally found with Mathias that we can have a pretty robust argument but we are still able to have a cordial exchange outside the chamber. Not all senators are like that."
While there were some audible grumbles when Cormann got the finance ministry ahead of Arthur Sinodinos, Abbott's judgment looks to have been vindicated by the entanglement of the assistant treasurer in the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiries. Cormann took on Sindodinos's duties when he stood aside from the frontbench while giving evidence to the commission. One powerful Liberal who might have cause to feel bitter towards Cormann is former Liberal leader and now cabinet colleague Malcolm Turnbull. Cormann was one of three parliamentary secretaries who quit Turnbull's frontbench in November 2009 after they refused to support the Rudd government's carbon pollution reduction scheme, setting in train the internal revolt that led to Abbott replacing Turnbull. Turnbull insists he holds no grudge against Cormann for the role he played in killing off his leadership and ranks him as one of the most important members of the Abbott team, branding him a powerful contributor to the government's pro-market, pro-free enterprise and smaller government economic agenda. Cormann has been a strong voice arguing the economic rationalist line on agenda-defining decisions on the car industry, the SPC Ardmona fruit cannery and Qantas. An 'economic dry' His ministerial colleagues count Cormann as a key "economic dry", a label he is happy to wear. He also proudly calls himself "conservative" rather than "liberal". He has publicly defended Senator Cory Bernardi, the controversial South Australian right winger who has expressed strident views on homosexuality, abortion and other social issues. Asked if he shares Bernardi's views, he says only: "I am a conservative", suggesting his own opinions are not too far removed Cormann is cautious about linking his political ambition to his upbringing. "I always had this sense that you can make a difference through public service, through politics. I thought that if you didn't take an interest then you weren't able to complain about things that didn't evolve in the direction you thought they should."
As to whether there is a contradiction between his strongly pro-market, small government, budget discipline politics and his family's survival story – his parents were able to make ends meet because of state support in the form of his father's permanent disability pension – Cormann says he's not opposed to a social safety net. "I genuinely believe that the best way to provide opportunity for everyone is to pursue policies which are based on freedom, free enterprise and reward for effort, lower taxes and smaller government. But ultimately, for sure, you have got to make sure that in every community there is a safety net to support people who are genuinely in need." Two decades after that first long haul from Brussels to Perth and now with a life deeply entrenched in Australia, Cormann says he still feels strongly connected to his Belgian roots. He drinks Belgian beer: Stella Artois, from Leuven where he went to university. And he still loves mussels and chips, Belgium's national dish. But "Perth is home for me and my family. Travel to visit, yes. Moving back, no." Unlike many immigrants who encourage their Australian-born children to speak the language of their forebears, Cormann does not speak German to his daughter. If she wants to learn it one day that will be her choice, he says. At the end of a long conversation, the question of ambition arises. How far does he want to go and how much sacrifice is he prepared to make in his family's life? This time, the 43-year-old is a bit more enigmatic. He and Ross have discussed the sacrifices involved in being a West Australian in Federal Parliament, with the long distances it constantly puts between them, but at this stage they are jointly committed to his Canberra career. The family recently moved home from Perth's northern suburbs to south of the Swan River, into the federal seat of Tangney, held by fellow WA Liberal Dennis Jensen. This has sparked speculation that Cormann might be angling to move from the Senate to the House of Representatives. He denies any such plan but adds a cryptic metaphor to explain how he sees his career: "You climb the mountain until you get as close as you can to the top of the mountain and then you start going down the other side and you go home." So he doesn't know where the climb might end? "Well, the government as a whole is climbing the mountain for Australia. Hopefully that won't end for a long time to come."
A senior colleague and admirer offers a prediction which cautious Cormann would never go near. "I would not be the least bit surprised if he ends up becoming Australia's first German-speaking prime minister. How could you rule it out, given how far he has come already?" This article first appeared in the Australian Financial Review Magazine online.MOVABLE TYPE: perhaps nowadays few will know the exact meaning of these two words, but until the middle of the twentieth century a letter was a small piece of lead, and to use it for printing you literally had to move it around, by hand. In the 20th century big machines like the Monotype, equipped with keyboard, were used for typesetting; but until 1900 all type was set by typesetters, by hand. This simple object: a piece of lead with a letter on top, formed the central part of Gutenberg’s invention, back in the middle of the 15th century.
To cast letters Gutenberg and all of the printers and type foundries that followed him used matrices. To make matrices you first had to cut punches, and the punch was the instrument where art and business met. The punches were made of steel — a little softer than today’s steel — that was cut with a sharp steel knife or an engraving tool. But still, to cut a letter on top of a very small piece of steel, and to do so with such precision and consistency required extraordinary skill. Remember the magnifying glass had not yet been invented and even eye glasses were very rare. To create the complete sets of more than a hundred different punches with letters, abbreviations, and other typographical signs that were all of the same size, all of the same design, and all equally pleasing to the eye when viewed en masse — it seems hardly conceivable that people were able to do just that. But they did it, and with results that we use up to this very day. The type designs we call roman are the grandchildren of one of the most beautiful romans ever created — a type created in about 1470 by the Frenchman Nicolaus Jenson, who was then working in Venice.
Roman, type 1, used by Jenson in De Proprietate Sermonis. Venice, 1476.
In the 15th century each printer made (or at least owned) his own type designs. At the end of the century specialist punchcutters started to trade in matrices and later also in type. Type design soon became the job of specialists, and if you look at 15th and early 16th century type you can easily see its development from modest albeit interesting beginnings to it becoming a great art. Many of the great type designs were created before 1550. These designs imitated the most elegant writing of their day, following the letters that were written by great humanists for kings. Scholars like Poggio imitated Carolingian handwriting, mistakenly attributing these manuscripts to antiquity, when in fact they were products of the ninth century.
Carolingian minuscule, 9th century.
Initials and ornaments
Until the 18th century and for brief periods in the 19th and early 20th century, books were often decorated with initials and ornaments. The earliest printed books were decorated by hand, like their written ancestors; but soon printers began to use little woodcuts that could be used year after year in thousands of copies.
Initials by the famous 16th century French printer Estienne, and his two Basle colleagues Froben & Oporinus.
Grand Gargantua
These initials form a neglected form of art — an undercurrent of popular culture that has been the subject of very little scholarly research, most of it by book historians, practically none by art historians. The website we are creating is a first effort to change this. Many of these initials and ornaments are abstract, but most are figurative: little pictures that furnish unexpected insights into the thinking of our ancestors. They illustrate every human activity, and it is fun to trace the different pictorial traditions of countries and cities and all the changes they went through during those centuries. You will find musical instruments, beautiful women, defecating little angels, knights, and monsters of every kind. A town like Basel was especially rich in beautiful historiated initials — this was the influence of the famous German painter and engraver Hans Holbein (1497–1543) who designed many of them.Book historians often use these little pieces of wood to identify printers — some of the most famous and subversive books of all ages were printed without the name of the publisher, and the research of this kind of book is a quest without end. But the sheer delight of looking at these beautiful little pieces of art is perhaps the most rewarding aspect.
And so a grand project begins: with John (the editor of this blog), we are building a website to bring these rare treasures to everyone. Grand Gargantua — a history of typography will chart the course of typography from the incunabula. For some time, I have been photographing (in high resolution) books of the Amsterdam Special Collections, and uploading them to Flickr. Grand Gargantua will take this one step further, by organising and tagging these very high-resolution images, in addition to providing some commentary and historical perspective.
Our grand plan for Grand Gargantua is to gather some 50,000 samples in the next five or six years. We hope that you will follow us in our adventures. When we started out we had a small group of specialist book historians in mind as our audience, certainly not designers. But we soon discovered that many designers were interested in our work. For them we are creating an extra collection of examples of early book design. Here we will display pictures of pages and books from the 15th-19th century, sometimes accompanied by commentary. We are touched by this interest in the historical roots of a tradition that today is as alive and vigorous as it was all those centuries ago.
This work is made possible by the Amsterdam Special Collections who generously permit access to the material, The A D & L foundation and the Huizinga Institute who generously supplied the camera, a Canon EOS 5D Mark II.
Paul Dijstelberge (1956) was a restaurant cook for 14 years and an expert bibliographer for 17 years. He completed his PhD on the use of initials and ornaments in the 17th century, and currently works as an Associate Professor to Professor Dr Lisa Kuitert (History of the Book) at the University of Amsterdam; and as a curator at the Special Collections. He publishes in the field of the history of the book and also writes short stories that have been published in several literary magazines. He lives in Leiden with his wife and two daughters.
Photo credit: Bodoni punches (in the header) courtesy of Friends of the Palatina Library and the Bodoni Museum. Flickr.
History of the Book on Flickr.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. 2011 January 17
Night and Day above Almost Planet Sounio
Credit & Copyright: Chris Kotsiopoulos (GreekSky)
Explanation: Has a new planet been discovered? What is pictured above is a remarkable 24 hour mosaic surrounding a spot on Sounio, Greece, right here on planet Earth. Images taken at night compose the top half of the picture, with star trails lasting as long as 11 hours visible. Contrastingly, images taken during the day compose the bottom of the image, with the Sun being captured once every 15 minutes. The image center shows a Little Prince wide angle projection centered on the ground but including gravel, grass, trees, Saint John's church, clouds, crepuscular rays, and even a signature icon of the photographer -- the Temple of Poseidon. Meticulous planning as well as several transition shots and expert digital processing eventually culminated in this image documenting half of the final two days of last year.Follow us here. By the same date — 2015 — that the new 35.5 mpg EPA mandate is due to go into effect, oil companies are also mandated by Congress to double the amount of corn ethanol use (from 2007 levels) to 15 billion gallons. The current mandate of a 10 percent ethanol mix in fuel won’t get us there, so the powerful corn lobby is demanding EPA increase the mandate to a 15 percent ethanol mix.
Trouble is, a gallon of ethanol is 30 percent less efficient than a gallon of gas meaning that the more ethanol you mix in, the worse your gas mileage. Department of Energy studies show steadily decreasing fuel economy as ethanol blends rise from so-called E10 (fuel composed of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gas) up through E15 and E20 — with E20 suffering a 7.7 percent fuel efficiency loss.
Yet DOE’s green-zealot-in-chief Steven Chu still favors an increased mix of ethanol. So while automakers are sweating under the federal gun to make increasingly fuel-efficient engines, the government is mandating they do it with less-efficient fuel.Seeing a mass of drunk and high naked white people celebrating their newfound liberty with police officers standing guard is a slap to the face.
I was born naked and brown.
My ancestors on my father’s side were also born naked and brown. They felt no shame for dressing for the hot temperatures of their tribal soil.
But I was not born in the tribal lands of my Central American ancestors. I was born into the whitest of white places: Portland, Oregon.
Over the years Portland has come to prize itself as one of the most liberal cities in America. You can smoke weed, marry a person of the same gender, have a beer at the movie theater, and pay for a cuddle all in the same day. For most people these liberties have come to define what it means to be ‘weird’ and liberal in Portland.
Once a year, in late June, you can even take off all of your clothes and ride your bicycle butt naked to give a big ‘fuck you’ to the world, or maybe just to declare a newfound security in your nudity.
The World Naked Bike Ride (WNBR) in Portland is not something that I’ve ever participated in, and although it could be conceivable that as some indigenous ancestral throwback I might want to join in, I sure as hell don’t.
Let me explain why.
Oregon has a history of passive racism. Over the course of Oregon’s short statehood there has been legislation which has prohibited people of African descent from entering the state, Chinese and Japanese immigrants from owning land, and an indigenous population that has been erased from the green pastures of the Pacific Northwest.
Most Portland residents don't know that Oregon, and Portland specifically, also served as the western front for the Ku Klux Klan during its most powerful era, with over 14,000 members statewide circa 1922. The culmination of these factors has helped to make Oregon one of the whitest places in the world.
Given its historical limitations, the naked bike ride in Portland has been an overwhelmingly white activity by proxy, not intentionally, but no doubt as a consequence of historical and structural racism.
White people nowadays didn’t have a direct hand in that legislation or history but should consider taking a moment to recognize how and why Portland is so white. White people should also consider how and why the naked bike ride itself turned out to be such an overwhelmingly white activity.
In 2003 WNBR founder Conrad Schmidt picked up on the idea of using nudity to draw attention to an anti-fossil fuel cause to Vancouver BC, and the idea spread throughout the Pacific Northwest. In 2004 Portland activists picked up the naked bike ride protest model to join in the protest of dependence on blood-oil and the US conflict in Iraq. There is no doubt that the visual mass of naked bodies on the roadway was an effective and shocking method for promoting a political message in a normally clothing-conservative United States. Local and national media flocked to the controversy and the protest gained much praise as a radical action.
Unfortunately in Portland and across the US, the political message of the first American naked bike rides has been lost. Despite continued US involvement in conflict zoned, oil rich parts of the Middle East, the shock and social taboo associated with the nudity of the protest has been re-centered as the focus. Many now participate in the naked bike ride as a proclamation against body shaming and ridding naked bodies of a sexualized stigma, which was a common theme amongst earlier Western European nudist movements.
Ironically, in trying to maintain a degree of radicalism by not purchasing city permits or providing a preplanned route, Portland organizers now force a mass idling of motor vehicles which further exacerbates carbon pollution.
Portland’s naked bike ride has also in recent years been treated as more of a celebration than a protest action, leading it to become a throwback to its pan-European roots. Open drug and alcohol consumption are now a standard expectation within the ride, further expanding nudism as a leisurely pursuit rather than an intentional element of a radical, politically motivated protest.
Portland as of 2015 has had the largest number of participants of any city in the US. The City of Portland itself has not yet attempted to shut down the ride, perhaps because the annual event has become an attention grabbing part of local culture. In recent years it has even been informally facilitated by the Portland Police. Cops now stand guard to protect the bicyclists from angry drivers and pedestrians who find they are unable to cross the 10,000 strong mass of nude bodies, who can take over an hour to pass.
Having the cops involved has discredited the radicalism of the ride and prevented access to it from communities of color. Historically, we have plenty of reason to be distrusting of law enforcement. Even the normally conservative Oregonian newspaper has picked up coverage of the WNBR and published narratives written by participants that describe the range of emotions riders experience in openly exposing their nude bodies to the world for the first time.
Photographs of majority white participants are scattered across Portland’s various news sources and could easily be mistaken for photographs taken at Coachella or the Burning Man festival. This celebratory aspect of the ride has also in recent years brought with it trendy festival fads, including the appropriation of indigenous culture in the form of headdresses and quasi-Native American style body paint and garb.
I have personally witnessed this insensitivity and have consciously decided that this is where I draw the line. Wasn’t nudity always cited as an indicator of savagery by Western European colonizers? And wasn’t nudity often one of the primary justifications for both African enslavement and indigenous tribal genocide? Considering my own identity, I cannot help but be bothered by all this.
After a lifetime of experiencing police profiling, seeing a mass of drunk and high naked white people celebrating their newfound liberty with those same police officers standing guard is a slap to the face.
I recognize that participants in the ride may experience a degree of personal growth with regards to body image and their nude bodies’ relation to the world, but like the indigenous tribes of the Pacific Northwest, the radical message of the ride has been lost to a mass of stark naked whiteness.
Perhaps it is not the kind of whiteness that covers the face with a white hood, but the kind of whiteness which doesn’t even realize that a white hood is covering the face at all.The frustration of Longhorn fans after viewing the latest installment of the Leprechaun horror series can probably best be summed up as severe disappointment that this program is still so far away from measuring up to the national programs that Texas has always called peers.
While the outcome wasn’t exactly shocking, being live at the game you couldn’t help but feel the hopelessness as drive after drive failed and suspect that it was all nothing more than a re-enactment of the charge of the light brigade.
Re-watching the game presented a different, clearer picture. Most elements of the game weren’t near as bad as they felt live, with one major exception. There were problems but there are solutions that could very likely keep this team from enduring another losing season.
Defensive problems
These weren’t as bad as you would guess. There aren’t many teams of Notre Dame’s quality on the schedule, or even in the country, but there are definitely some things here that need work.
Problem 1: Role players asked to serve as cornerstones
This game provided a very clear picture of who Dylan Haines and Peter Jinkens are as football players. Protect them and allow them to flow to the football unencumbered by blockers or difficult matchups and they will make plays. Isolate them against good athletes without help and you can’t expect to come out ahead too often.
Haines had a tough night with three plays really standing out in particular. First was the initial Irish touchdown, where he was late to break on the post route by Will Fuller into the end zone. If you ask Haines to handle Fuller in space, and don’t disguise that you’re doing so, that’s the kind of result you should expect.
Next was the touchdown run by Josh Adams. In this instance, Texas was showing cover 6 but then rotated into cover 3 before the snap.
Duke Thomas failed to get outside of the slot receiver and consequently couldn’t force the ball into the alley where pursuit could more easily reach him. Haines had to adjust his angle on the run |
by this time.
Anyway, great sound, cool show, would have loved to have been there! EXCELLENT Attics, and as others have mentioned, though I was never much of a Vince-fan, either, he sounds really nice here. - December 17, 201090's acoustic--nice!
Reviewer: jtaylor365 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - March 28, 2009
Subject: Fantastic!! P and F with Jerry! This is a true gem, and finding it made my day today! This has got to be the only phil and friend's show with Jerry, and it sure is a great performance considering the era. Check out the banter by the guys during the intro, Bob is really funny as he explains how every band sits down when they do their acoustic performances on MTV and that's why they decided to stand up for this acoustic show haha! See the link from the review below for a pic, and yes they are standing up!
Download this now for a great late era acoustic Dead performance (maybe the last acoustic show evr???)! - March 28, 2009Fantastic!! P and F with Jerry!
Reviewer: cb18201 - favorite favorite favorite favorite - March 28, 2009
Subject:.
http://www.maizeguitars.com/basses.htm
this show is great, yeah jerry forgets a few lyrics but so what, the playing alone makes up for it. for late era dead this is a gem and also a rarity. anyone know of any other acoustic shows between 90-95?
this show would be great to see on video, to bad it wasnt filmed, or maybe it was? anyone know a picture from this show and phils basses:this show is great, yeah jerry forgets a few lyrics but so what, the playing alone makes up for it. for late era dead this is a gem and also a rarity. anyone know of any other acoustic shows between 90-95?this show would be great to see on video, to bad it wasnt filmed, or maybe it was? anyone know - March 28, 2009
Reviewer: wunnation - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - December 1, 2008
Subject: : ) Hands Down the show that really got me to give a devoted ear to the Grateful Dead. I am yet to listen to another show that is sung with this sweetness and feeling of nostalgia, and the techie troubles give the show a sense of humor and light-heartedness that I haven't heard from them anywhere else. - December 1, 2008: )
Reviewer: demigodband - favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 7, 2008
Subject: a look back I can recall being a little critical while at this show. But it was acoustic and I was there.Still it's great to go back and pick out the priceless moments.I don't remember going to the show knowing it was going to be basically acoustic Dead. Does anyone? This is a must download for novelty sake. - April 7, 2008a look back
Reviewer: tonedef - favorite favorite favorite favorite - March 24, 2008
Subject: Wow! Jerry gets the last word on the monitor situation: "On the other hand, f**k it." - March 24, 2008Wow!
Reviewer: Dylan M - - January 1, 2008
Subject: HOLY SHIT Billed as a Phil and Friends show. The first actually.
I agree. what is an acoustic set without Jerry telling his crew that the monitors are too high. ;) - January 1, 2008HOLY SHIT
Reviewer: bottleneckbill - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - December 4, 2007
Subject: Great show in a great town! Man I love Berkeley. Anything that happens there is a show. Great mix of people, some who take themselves too seriously, others who To enter the debate on what this show should be called, I would like to ask what the tickets were billed as. Was it "Phil and Friends" or GD or what? I've had this recording for a few years labeled as GD.
By the way, I like all the monitor issues, etc.., cuz it gives the whole gig a down home impromptu ambiance without screwing the whole performance up. I miss you jerry! - December 4, 2007Great show in a great town!
Reviewer: CatherwoodTirebiter - favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 31, 2007
Subject: 09.24.94 I like it and couldn't care less what the "problems" may have been. If the object here is to nit pick every misstep or foible, there were a gazillion of 'em. Keep looking, you'll find all kinds of stuff to gripe about. Do all of the negative critics here actually play an instrument and realize how difficult it is to be "on" night after night after...? Having been an L.D. that worked with very early NRPS, etc., etc., I can tell you, there's no such thing as a perfect show. This recording is a true gem. And, it's FREE! Enjoy Phil et al's gracious uploading policies. Allot of people worked real hard to make this all happen.
Best,
CT - October 31, 200709.24.94
Reviewer: sugarcube - favorite favorite favorite - September 19, 2007
Subject: Pretty good, but... They had serious monitor problems at this show...and Jerry was getting pissed. I was one of the lucky 2,000 people who made it into this show. I swear there were more people outside than inside. One guy was trying to trade his car for a ticket...that's dedication! Jerry was also upset with himself when he messed up Dupree's. I think everyone else was ok with it though. It was a novel show but not as good as people say...not with the sound problems and Jerry's lack of interest. And no encore! - September 19, 2007Pretty good, but...
Reviewer: Sunnydrop - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 17, 2007
Subject: magic This show was magic, I feel so blessed to have been there. I am glad to find a new recording, my old tape is worn out.
Blessings, Sunny - April 17, 2007magic
Reviewer: willowgordon - favorite favorite favorite favorite - December 5, 2006
Subject: Rare acoustic fun Not as tight or near-perfect as the '80 acoustic stuff and not as fun and spontaneous as the '70 acoustic stuff, this is still an absolute keeper. These acoustic shows were so rare and it must have been a real treat to be in the audience; for the lucky ones it's surely one of those proud "I was there!" shows. All is forgiven for the flubs (..."Dupree's'" lyrics for example (but it's "DUPREE'S"!)). It's grate to hear the acoustic Dead (sans drummers) at this late stage. "Lazy River" is beautiful and Vince's work on this whole recording is tasteful and thoroughly listenable. RIP brother. The sound is perfect and you really must dig it. "ATTICS"! - December 5, 2006Rare acoustic fun
Reviewer: Anomalator - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 29, 2006
Subject: Definitely a must have! I can't even begin to express how grateful I am to finally have a SBD recording of this show! A friend and I had fifth row seats for this show, and it was an amazingly beautuful performance. What a rare opportunity it was to see some live acoustic Dead! For years the only recording I've had is an audience source, and it leaves a lot to be desired.
This was indeed the very first "Phil and Friends" show. It was a benefit for the Berkeley Education Foundation's music program, of which Phil was a part of when he was a kid. It was probably billed as Phil and Friends so as to attract less attention then advertising it as the Dead, but that's just a guess on my part. Either way, it sold out fast, and lucky for me tickets went on sale on a Monday, instead of the usual Sunday, so the lines were much shorter.
This is a fantastic recording of a rare performance. A short but sweet show. There may be a few flubs here and there, but this show will always a special place in my heart. Definitely a must have! Enjoy! - June 29, 2006Definitely a must have!
Reviewer: FuzzyOne - favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 28, 2006
Subject: This show has been around for a while now... I too am surprised it is still getting so many hits. Does anyone have and CD artwork for this show???? Or know of a site that does? I am very artistically challenged. FuzzyOne -- June 28, 2006This show has been around for a while now...
Reviewer: jerseydead - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - June 9, 2006
Subject: god i love this show Ive had the before mentioned, very good aud tape for many years and I never get tired of it. What I like about it, it seems to be a very personal type performance. The inflection in Jerrys voice on Lazy River Road is sweet as well as Bobby's on Masterpiece. I just love hearing the boys harmonize so well and during this time they sound so in sync. JUST PLAIN BEAUTIFUL! - June 9, 2006god i love this show
Reviewer: tfl - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 6, 2006
Subject: This Phil Show Is Sweat I'm at home working, and listening to gdradio, when this show came on. WOW - I just jumped over to lama and am downloading it as I listen to it.
Nice Show. - May 6, 2006This Phil Show Is Sweat
Reviewer: Jac from Tucson - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 14, 2006
Subject: I agree with Deadbuck! This is NOT a Dead show...
If ppl keep referring to this as a "semi-official" GD show, the soundboard may disappear. So, DL it now...and remember -- Grateful Dead? naw, this is a Phil Lesh & Friends show.
And, BTW, it's really, really sweet. The Attics, Cassidy > Bird Song > Throwing Stones is just so great. Jerry, we miss ya big-time. And, Phil, thanks for keeping this download accessible. We love ya!
Jac from Tucson, aka
tucsondeadhead@ C'mon, y'all! Considering that Grateful Dead soundboards can only be streamed (a feat I have yet to master as I drive 100 miles daily to and from work across the Arizona desert...), let's just keep this an official Phil Lesh & Friends show, PLEASE.If ppl keep referring to this as a "semi-official" GD show, the soundboard may disappear. So, DL it now...and remember -- Grateful Dead? naw, this is a Phil Lesh & Friends show.And, BTW, it's really, really sweet. The Attics, Cassidy > Bird Song > Throwing Stones is just so great. Jerry, we miss ya big-time. And, Phil, thanks for keeping this download accessible. We love ya!Jac from Tucson, akatucsondeadhead@ yahoo.com - April 14, 2006I agree with Deadbuck! This is NOT a Dead show...
Reviewer: DEADBUCK - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 11, 2006
Subject: a bad idea.... would be to add to this to the dead section...hindsight is 2020 this time...ha! If it were there you wouldnt be able to DL it. Phil should upload all his kindness this way! Thank you Phil again! And now for a review....This shows is hip, solid, heavy and right on! Get it while you can and then read the reviews of how grate it is! - April 11, 2006a bad idea....
Reviewer: RocknRoll Soldier - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - March 30, 2006
Subject: download and be merry I think this is the first real Phil and Friends show. If this isn't 5 stars I don't know what is. Gotta be the best Attics of My Life I ever heard and the Cassidy is awesome if only because of the casual acoustic setting and magic in the air. It seems like they knew it was a send-off in a way. Berkeley Community is where after 30 years of touring the Dead had come full circle to their roots at a classic home venue with this unusual spur of the moment show. Vince stands out here folks. Jerry sounds good but more like Father Time than ever. He always enjoyed acoustic stuff more than the Dead anyway. This board is too clean. Soldier says download and be merry. - March 30, 2006download and be merry
Reviewer: tivo - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - March 16, 2006
Subject: Excellent Thanks, Phil!!
Rock on... - March 16, 2006Excellent
Reviewer: 24inchkick - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - December 28, 2005
Subject: vinny dubya first of all this is a great, crisp SBD of a tasty show. jerry's flubs aside, everyone's playing is at their acoustic best. and for you anti-welnicks out there, check out the bird song and tell me he's not a great player. one of my favorite 90's performances for sure. - December 28, 2005vinny dubya
Reviewer: Dub Irie - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - December 28, 2005
Subject: Epic Gem This rare Berkeley event was near impossible to record from the audience because the crowd was so explosive. You can hear it faintly on this recording, but at the show it was uproarious and thundering applause. I tried to tape and gave up. I am grateful to Phil this SB exists here in such beautiful condition. The event was pure acoustic magic and the last acoustic event with Jerry (I believe).
It is a refined, short show, but very well played. Notable to me is the vocal harmonies in Attics of My Life, and an exotic Cassidy>Birdsong jam.
If you like the acoustic Dead, this is must have. - December 28, 2005Epic Gem
Reviewer: Dub Irie - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - December 28, 2005
Subject: Epic Gem This rare Berkeley event was near impossible to record from the audience because the crowd was so explosive. You can hear it faintly on this recording, but at the show it was uproarious and thundering applause. I tried to tape and gave up. I am grateful to Phil this SB exists here in such beautiful condition. The event was pure acoustic magic and the last acoustic event with Jerry (I believe).
It is a refined, short show, but very well played. Notable to me is the vocal harmonies in Attics of My Life, and an exotic Cassidy>Birdsong jam.
If you like the acoustic Dead, this is must have. - December 28, 2005Epic Gem
Reviewer: Dub Irie - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - December 28, 2005
Subject: Epic Gem This rare Berkeley event was near impossible to record from the audience because the crowd was so explosive. You can hear it faintly on this recording, but at the show it was uproarious and thundering applause. I tried to tape and gave up. I am grateful to Phil this SB exists here in such beautiful condition. The event was pure acoustic magic and the last acoustic event with Jerry (I believe).
It is a refined, short show, but very well played. Notable to me is the vocal harmonies in Attics of My Life, and an exotic Cassidy>Birdsong jam.
If you like the acoustic Dead, this is must have. - December 28, 2005Epic Gem
Reviewer: Dub Irie - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - December 28, 2005
Subject: Epic Gem This rare Berkeley event was near impossible to record from the audience because the crowd was so explosive. You can hear it faintly on this recording, but at the show it was uproarious and thundering applause. I tried to tape and gave up. I am grateful to Phil this SB exists here in such beautiful condition. The event was pure acoustic magic and the last acoustic event with Jerry (I believe).
It is a refined, short show, but very well played. Notable to me is the vocal harmonies in Attics of My Life, and an exotic Cassidy>Birdsong jam.
If you like the acoustic Dead, this is must have. - December 28, 2005Epic Gem
Reviewer: dmilks - favorite favorite favorite favorite - November 7, 2005
Subject: 9-24-94 Well, I forgot all about this one, and since it is listed in the Phil & Friends category, it took me a while to come across it as I am not huge on Phil & Friends post 8-9-95. But, indeed this is technically the first Phil Lesh & Friends show. So, I guess I can't say I don't like ALL the Phil & Friends shows. This is nothing against Phil, I absolutely love the guy, and saw enough Dead concerts to have probably paid for a year of Grahame's college education, I just don't jive with the Phil & Friends thing.
The show itself is a little on the sloppy side on Garcia's and Weir's part. Phil is barely audible in this mix (but he gets slightly louder throughout the set), and even with some EQ magic, he is a little distant. Vinnie, believe it or not in my opinion, gives the most solid performance of the night. Still 4 stars just for the cause which was most worthy, and the fact that it happened. dmilks -- November 7, 20059-24-94
Reviewer: doug01 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 2, 2005
Subject: Very Nice My favorite "Dead" show of 94, and the only acoustic Throwing Stones by the boys ever....Download! doug01 -- October 2, 2005Very Nice
Reviewer: doug01 - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - October 2, 2005
Subject: Very Nice My favorite "Dead" show of 94, and the only acoustic Throwing Stones by the boys ever....Download! doug01 -- October 2, 2005Very Nice
Reviewer: Lynch - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - September 27, 2005
Subject: I echo all the previous reviews One of my favorite things to listen to in this life of mine is acoustic GD. This show is everything a person with such an affinity could ever want. - September 27, 2005I echo all the previous reviews
Reviewer: rollthembones - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 29, 2005
Subject: Great concert The best of the last year. If someone knows of a better Childhood's End, then I'll be damned because this one is fantastic. - August 29, 2005Great concert
Reviewer: Peacefuljon - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - August 15, 2005
Subject: Acostic Dead Great show, lazy river, is acoustic, Jerry sounds great Overall great sound can't lose...a grateful Jem - August 15, 2005Acostic Dead
Reviewer: StrawRider - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 31, 2005
Subject: Background
http://www.philzone.com/philbase/
You can find a review link (RV) in the show detail box on the 1958-1998 page. It's a very honest and informative review by a certain Nicholas Meriwether who, according to my search engine, apparently was born in 1631 and settled in Virginia. Talk about dead. Probably another Nicholas Meriwether went to this benefit I'm thinking. Maybe the one who worked on the This marvelous show, the very first "Phil Lesh and Friends", is this result of Phil Lesh responding to the need of his old school's music program at Berkeley High. Tickets sold out in 20 minutes! For a complete story:You can find a review link (RV) in the show detail box on the 1958-1998 page. It's a very honest and informative review by a certain Nicholas Meriwether who, according to my search engine, apparently was born in 1631 and settled in Virginia. Talk about dead. Probably another Nicholas Meriwether went to this benefit I'm thinking. Maybe the one who worked on the deadlettersmagazine.com a few years ago. Anyway, read the review! - May 31, 2005Background
Reviewer: muchabrats - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 27, 2005
Subject: Sound 6 Stars, Playing 5 Stars IÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂm in the process of downloading the rest of the show right now but my first impression is WOW. Sound quality is worth 6 stars. The introduction is actually quite amusing. Cassidy is excellent, shades of acoustic 1980. GarciaÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs playing sounds superb. I must admit I only saw three Dead shows after Brent died and I was working for the opening band so I didnÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt get to experience the shows like I used to. I was unaware of JerryÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs carpal tunnel. It doesnÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt seem to be an issue here. Dupree's Diamond Blues sounds phenomenal as well. IÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂve never been a fan of Vince but heÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs actually quite good on a piano. Worth the download for certain. - May 27, 2005Sound 6 Stars, Playing 5 Stars
Reviewer: Grapefruit Fred - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - May 27, 2005
Subject: Tasty.........Tasty.........Tasty
ENJOY!!!!!!!! I just stumbled across this one. What a gem. If you like acoustic music, this is definitely for you. Sweet playing AND singing as well. Does anyone know the background of this performance? Was this some kind of benefit show? Regardless, it is a real treat, and a million thanks to Archive.com and all of the selfless people that make it happen for all of us.ENJOY!!!!!!!! - May 27, 2005Tasty.........Tasty.........Tasty
Reviewer: skwimite - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - April 21, 2005
Subject: Sweet Sound To echo other sentiments here, this really does belong in the GD section, but I'm NOT complaining. I've had an audience version that ended halfway through "Attics", a truely painful experience. The sound is great, the performance great, and why are you wasting time reading, when you should be downloading this treasure? Thank you to those responsible. A big 5 stars! - April 21, 2005Sweet Sound
Reviewer: dead trail - favorite favorite favorite favorite favorite - February 4, 2005
Subject: A must have It's a toss-up between this crispy, very fine sound board and the scheops audience recording. The show itself: anyone who loved Jerry Garcia and his incredible musical contribution to humanity
needs to hear this. A late career acoustic performance with longtime mates Bobby and Phil, makes for a very special evening of music. Vince adds some wonderful color and flourishes. Stand out tunes for me are the "Dupree's" and "Attics of my Life" (and kudos to Robert Hunter for penning such a sweet and lonesome soliloquy). Consider doing what Im doing: Download, grab a cold bottle of Brooklyn Lager, put on some good quality headphones and smile, smile, smile. P.S. In agreement with the previous review, adding this show into the Grateful Dead category would not be a bad move at all. - February 4, 2005A must haveGuest opinion by Christopher Monckton of Brenchley
For Totalitarianism Day (formerly Earth Day), over three dozen weather forecasting organizations have issued a joint (or, in their revealing word, “Collective”) “Global Climate Statement”. It has not exactly made headlines: even the Mainstream media are tired of yet another pietistic, self-serving demand that more taxpayers’ money should be sent in the direction of yet another generously-proportioned trough in which the rent-seekers keep their snouts.
Let’s take this drivelling international-socialist agitprop apart, line by line, beginning with the tediously earnest title:
“Climate developments demand enhanced evidence-based action”.
The problem with followers of any Party Line, and, in particular, of a totalitarian-extremist Party Line such as watermelon environmentalism, is that the Party Line is all, and that any mere evidence, however definitive, is automatically and utterly disregarded to the extent that it does not conform to the Party Line – or, as it is now excitingly rebranded, the “Consensus”.
The first paragraph of the Collectivists’ statement says:
“The scientific evidence is now overwhelming: our planet is warming, largely due to emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities.”
Yet it is these very same Collectivists who demand that we seek for “the scientific evidence” in the peer-reviewed learned journals. Four years ago a clutch of Collectivists so wedded to the totalitarian Party Line that their leader has been known to wear an SS-style uniform examined 11,944 reviewed papers published during the 21 years 1991-2011.
They themselves, though they declared and still declare themselves to be supporters of the Party Line to the effect that recent warming was mostly manmade, were only able to record 64 out of the 11,944 papers as explicitly having stated that recent warming was mostly manmade.
Legates et al. (2013), whose co-authors are other-worldly enough not to subscribe to any Party Line on scientific questions, decided to read the 64 papers and found that only 41 of them had actually stated that recent warming was mostly manmade. So the Collectivists’ statement is flat-out inaccurate. The overwhelming evidence from the peer-reviewed journals is to the effect that nearly all scientists do not know and, therefore, do not presume to say whether recent warming was mostly manmade.
Next, the Collectivists say that
“in 2016 a new record for global average temperature was set (approximately 1.1°C above the pre-industrial level)”.
But it is the Collectivists themselves who are always telling us that one cannot take a single year out of context. So let us look at the temperature record since IPCC’s First Assessment Report in 1990 made a prediction (“We predict …”) that there would be 1 C° global warming by 2025, equivalent to 0.75 C° by now. In fact, taking the least-squares linear-regression trend on the mean of the global mean surface or lower-troposphere anomalies from two terrestrial and two satellite datasets, there has been just 0.4 C° warming since 1990, or little more than half IPCC’s central prediction, and below even its least prediction.
Fig. 1 Global warming from 1990-2016 at about half the predicted mid-range rate
The Collectivists continue with their usual tired litany of non-events: sea ice extent allegedly at “record lows” (but we only have 40 years’ proper data, and indications are that there was less sea ice in the 1920s than today, and a lot less in the Middle Ages); sea level “increased to a new record” (but sea level has been rising for 10,000 years, and the “new record” is bare millimeters above the previous year); and that “a wide range of extreme climatic events displaced hundreds of thousands of people across the world” (except that on all measures extreme-weather events show no noticeable increase and many have declined, as even IPCC has been compelled to concede).
Next, the Collectivists tell us
“The Paris Agreement needs to be implemented urgently,”
and that governments, Canute-like, should stretch forth their trembling, liver-spotted hands and command global warming to rise no more than 0.5-1 C° above today’s agreeable global mean surface temperature. However, since the world is warming at only half the originally-predicted rate, there is really no urgency at all. Economically speaking, since the rate of warming is very substantially below prediction, and since the absolute value of global temperature is a lot less than predicted, at any realistic intertemporal discount rate (the U.S. Treasury uses 7% p.a.) there is no case for “climate action” at all. Our wealthier grandsons can well afford to clean up after us, if they are not thanking us for the warmer climate and greener planet that we shall have bequeathed to them.
Then comes the nakedly rent-seeking bit:
“Meteorological and climate services are an essential element of the response to climate change. They provide early-warning information and understanding of present-day climate variability, projections of future changes, and they inform mitigation and adaptation options, …”
…yada, yada.
On the evidence of this Collectivists’ Statement, “meteorological and climate services” are no longer to be trusted to give independent and impartial advice. The correct response of the Trump administration to their latest intervention in politics would be to defund them altogether and make them live by the accuracy of their forecasts. On that basis, IPCC is doomed.
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RedditThey’re numerous, outspoken, and range from secular to orthodox to one group calling itself “True Torah Jews Against Zionism.”
They believe that “traditional” Jews don’t support Zionism, an ideology they call “contrary to Jewish law and beliefs and the teachings of the Holy Torah.” They say Zionism:
— advocates “a political and military end to the Jewish exile;”
— fosters “pseudo-Judaism” based on secular nationalism;
— coercively seeks “armed materialism” in place of “a Divine and Torah centered understanding;”
— endangers all Jews worldwide;
— wants to disassociate Jews and traditional Judaism from ideological Zionism; and
— calls Israel a “Zionist State,” not a Jewish one.
They:
— cite their concern for “peace and safety of all people throughout the world including those living in the Zionist state” and in Occupied Palestine;
— say from ancient times until 100 years ago, Jews and Arabs lived in peace and friendship until Zionism changed the relationship;
— believe Zionists abandoned the Torah and traditional Judaism, demanded political sovereignty over the Holy Land, and aroused anger in the Arab world; and
— Torah Jewry doesn’t recognize or support a Zionist state; nor do they represent world Jews; even the name “Israel” is a “forgery,” they believe, because the Torah forbids violence in the words of the prophet Isaiah who said:
“And they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. No nation will lift its sword against any other, nor will they learn warfare anymore.”
Torah Jewry says that believing Zionism protects Jews is “probably the greatest hoax ever perpetrated on the Jewish People” and accuses Zionists of fostering global anti-Semitism. “Indeed, hatred of Jews and Jewish suffering is the oxygen of the Zionist movement, and from the very beginning has been (used) to deliberately incite hatred to justify the existence of the Zionist state – this is, of course, Machiavellianism raised to the highest order.”
Zionist founder Theodor Herzl (1860-1904) said:
“It is essential that the suffering of Jews… becomes worse… this will assist in (the) realization of our plans… I have an excellent idea… I shall induce anti-semites to liquidate Jewish wealth…. The anti-semites will assist us thereby in that they will strengthen the persecution and oppression of Jews. The anti-semites shall be our best friends.”
In 1920, other Zionists voiced similar ideas, including Nahum Goldmann, later president of the World Zionist Organization and World Jewish Congress head. Israel’s first president, Chaim Weizman, said Germany had too many Jews. In 1921, Jacob Klatzkin called for German Jews to undermine Jewish communities as a way to acquire a future state.
In 1963, Moshe Sharett (Israel’s second prime minister from 1953-1955) told the 38th Scandinavian Youth Federation Annual Congress that Jewish freedom imperiled Zionism. Delegates at the 26th World Zionist Congress were told that easing US anti-Semitism and freedom endangered Jews.
Torah Jewry disagrees in affirming its desire to live in peace with their Arab and Palestinian neighbors and abide by sacred commandments “with a perfect heart and to delight in the radiance of the sanctity of the Land.”
They believe: “Zionists have no right of any sovereignty over even one inch of the Holy Land. They do not represent the Jewish people in any way whatsoever. They have no right to speak in the name of the Jewish people.” Their ideology is “antithetical to Jewish law,” and because they don’t behave like Jews, “they desecrate the sanctity of the land.” They feel that when Israel is recognized as a Zionist, not a Jewish, state, “Jews worldwide will be able to live in peace” and do it alongside Arabs in the Middle East.
The Hidden History of Zionism
In his 1988 book, Ralph Schoenman explained four Zionist myths:
— the notion of “A land without people for a people without a land” to promote the fiction that an empty Palestine was there for the taking by its rightful original inhabitants;
— Israeli democracy, the only “real” one in the Middle East; in fact, Israel is democratic like South Africa was apartheid and much worse; “Civil liberty, due process and the most basic human rights” apply only for Jews;
— “security (is) the motor force of Israeli foreign policy” because it’s surrounded by hostile Arab states; and
— “Zionism (is) the moral legatee of the victims of the Holocaust… the most pervasive and insidious of the” Zionist myths; in fact, Zionists, like future prime minister Yitzhak Shamir, openly colluded with the Nazis for their own purposes – to use persecution as justification for a future Zionist state and more.
It wasn’t just to colonize Palestine. It was also to exploit indigenous people as cheap labor, dispossess and disperse them, replace them with arriving Jews, legitimize ethnic cleansing, and remove Palestinians from their land and history. Historical records were falsified. “Palestinians were re-invented as a semi-savage, nomadic remnant.” Mass elimination methods were justified for a “people too many.”
In 1923, hard line revisionist leader Ze’ev Jabotinsky argued that Arab nationalists opposed a Jewish state and wouldn’t accept one. Thus peaceful coexistence was unattainable, and Jews had to build “an iron wall of (superior) Jewish military force.” The idea was to discourage Arab hopes of destroying Israel followed by a negotiated settlement giving Israel the upper hand to dictate terms.
Terror was to be used the way Joseph Weitz, head of the Jewish Agency’s Colonization Department, wrote in 1940:
Between ourselves, it must be clear that there is no room for both peoples together in this country. We shall not achieve our goal if the Arabs are in this small country. There is no other way than to (get rid of) all of them. Not one village, not one tribe should be left.
The secret Koenig Report, later published in 1976, said: “We must use terror, assassination, intimidation, land confiscation and the cutting of all social services to rid the Galilee of its Arab population.”
Chairman Heilbrun of the Committee for the Re-Election of Tel Aviv mayor Shlomo Lahat (1974-1993) stated: “We have to kill all the Palestinians unless they are resigned to live here as slaves.”
Former IDF Chief of Staff Raphael Eitan (1978-1983) said:
We declare openly that the Arabs have no right to settle on even one centimeter of Eretz Israel…. Force is all they do or ever will understand. We shall use the ultimate force until the Palestinians come crawling to us on all fours.
Other Israeli leaders voiced similar extremism, including David Ben Gurion, Israel’s first prime minister, saying in 1937 that “We must expel the Arabs and take their place and if we have to use force, to guarantee our own right to settle in those places – then we have force at our disposal.”
At inception, Zionists like Herzl were pragmatic, yet devious, in believing imperial power backing was needed to establish a Jewish state. It could have been anywhere, but Palestine was chosen for its symbolic significance as the ancient Jewish homeland. Colonization began after the first Zionist Congress in Basle, Switzerland in 1897. Herzl later wrote:
“At Basel, I founded the Jewish state…. If not in five years, then certainly in fifty everyone will realize it.” It took 51 by dispossessing indigenous Palestinians and replacing them with Jews. Ever since, Zionism’s most effective legitimacy claim is the notion of preventing another “Holocaust.” It’s justified the most outrageous crimes, characterized as “self-defense” by a tiny Jewish minority surrounded by hordes of hostile Arabs. It seized Palestinian land, Judaized it, created a new nation for Jews alone — undemocratic, imperial, militant, violent, exploitative, oppressive, racist, and hostile to core Judaic dogma.
It’s why growing thousands of Jews globally oppose an ideology based on power, conquest, dispossession, and violation of the most |
Moscow and Medellin,” a trio of Uber executives wrote in a blog post today. “One lucky driver was on his first trip: he picked up a passenger on a motorbike in Jakarta, Indonesia. And six riders were taking their first Uber trips, too.”
Each of the drivers involved in these 156 trips will receive $500 from Uber. (For the 2 billionth trip, the drivers got $450, and the riders received $450 in free Uber trips.)
To be sure, Uber’s habit of continually shooting itself in the foot has had an effect on its business. Uber’s US marketshare fell from 84 percent at the beginning of this year to 77 percent at the end of May, according to research firm Second Measure. Meanwhile, Lyft’s bookings were up 135 percent year over year in April, according to PYMNTS.com. Customer satisfaction with Uber is down, too. Nationwide, 10 percent fewer users rank Uber the best ride-hailing app today as compared to September 2016, according to Autolist.com.
But as long as drivers and riders continue to flock to the platform, Uber should be able to weather the storm. It’s a pretty remarkable accomplishment: simultaneously imploding from internal scandals and exploding in popularity.In criminal defense cases, my primary goal is to tear down the prosecutor’s case, piece by piece. That is seldom done in one step. I look for any weakness in the case, whether large or small, and begin jabbing away. Is there evidence that can be excluded? Are there witnesses who can be discredited? No weakness is too small to exploit to the client’s advantage.
I am Timothy Denison, a Louisville criminal defense attorney with more than 25 years of experience. I take a tough approach, because your future is on the line. My record of success speaks for itself. Don’t take my word for it. Read testimonials from past clients.
What Have You Been Accused Of?
Overcoming challenges is what I’m built to do. No matter how intense your case seems, no matter how serious the potential repercussions, you can expect me to go full force in order to protect your future. I defend against all charges in criminal court, including:
I also handle college student criminal defense. When college students are accused of crimes, their futures are on the line. A conviction could cut them off from pursuing the career of their choice, and there are other hidden repercussions, even if the charge is relatively minor. This is why it is critical for college students to be represented by an aggressive and knowledgeable lawyer.
If you have an arrest record or criminal record that you would like erased, you can turn to me for assistance with expungements.
Free Consultation With A Kentucky Criminal Trial Attorney
To schedule a meeting, call me at 502-589-6916, or contact me online.
IF YOU HAVE LEGAL TROUBLE…
Call the attorney the judges call.
Call the attorney the lawyers call.
Call the attorney the people call.
CALL TIM DENISONMeet Ben Jetson! Hunter, his pal! His bud Batesy! Get me off this fucking thing!
No one likes Anders
Don’t drive while ass is poppin’
Raffi Insurance!
The best little whorehouse in Thailand
I’m a travelin’ Ben
That’s amazing!
Countdown to SmackDown
Comedy is not pretty!
Naysayers gonna naysay
Links
Fake Ben
Best of “Workaholics”
“Yacht Rock”
“Inbetweeners”
Bobby Lee (Jay Mohr interview)
Expo ’86
Rick Steves
Heull Howser
The Daniel Tosh scandal
The Adam Carolla scandal
* The YTL crew would like to give a big fat “FUCK YOU” to James Holmes, the Aurora Massacre shooter. This fuck killed 13 of our kind and wounded many more. We hope he gets all that’s coming to him and that the victims and their families find peace. To make a donation to aid the victims visit the Aurora Victim Relief Fund.Image caption Sonny Rees drinking the whisky at the restaurant
A restaurant has apologised after a toddler was served whisky instead of fruit juice at his birthday party.
Sonny Rees drank the whisky at his second birthday in a Frankie and Benny's restaurant in Swansea.
His mother Nina Rees only realised the mistake after he had nearly finished the drink.
Sonny, from Pontarddulais in Swansea, was taken to accident and emergency where he was kept under observation by doctors.
The toddler is now recovering at home. The restaurant is investigating how the incident happened.
Sonny's mother Nina Rees, 34, said: "We went to the restaurant just after midday and I had ordered him lime juice and water, his favourite.
"The drinks arrived and I was encouraging him to take sips because he was eating salty things.
"We had finished our first course when we noticed he was pulling a face as he was drinking.
"I took it from him and took a sip myself.
"It was whisky, I would say a double. As soon as I sipped it I had the slight burny feeling in my throat and warming in my chest.
"Sonny had taken about 10 sips - he was obviously intoxicated.
"I immediately went into a panic and a rage - I was crying my eyes out."
Mrs Rees, who is a teacher, complained to the manager who took a sip herself.
Mrs Rees was disappointed by the staff's reaction and called NHS Direct before taking Sonny to accident and emergency.
Image caption Frankie and Benny's restaurant in Swansea
Sonny was asleep by the time he arrived at Morriston Hospital, Swansea, where staff monitored his vital signs.
He was later given the all-clear and allowed to go home.
The family took photographs of Sonny with his drink before they realised it was whisky.
A Frankie and Benny's spokesman said: "The company is incredibly sorry for what happened. It was a human error and we are putting measures in place to ensure it never happens again."DHAKA, Bangladesh -- The man waving the flag outside the stadium rode his bicycle here from India. Seriously. He rode the bike across rivers, through cities and towns, crossing the border into Bangladesh, pedaling for more than 500 miles. It took him nine days. Now he's here, the day before the first match of the Cricket World Cup. His name is Sudhir Kumar Gautam, and he's something of a superfan. Think Ronnie Woo Woo. He has an enormous Indian flag. His body is painted Indian colors: green, orange and white. His head is painted, too. His bike, a one-speed with skinny tires and a silver bell, rests nearby.
Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, center, succesfully completes a run as Bangladesh wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim, left, awaits the ball during the first match in the Cricket World Cup. Prakash Singh/AFP/Getty Images
The India team bus rumbles down the street, led and followed by cops in riot gear. The crowds press forward, trying to steal a glimpse. Gautam gets in position. He needs to see Sachin Tendulkar, the greatest cricket player in the world, the most famous person whose name you've never heard.
Actually, Gautam needs Sachin to see him.
The Indian Ronnie Woo Woo doesn't have a ticket. He rode a bike from India without a ticket. If Sachin knows he's at a match, though, he'll leave one for him at will call. The bus swings in. Gautam begins waving. Sachin always sits in the front left seat. Everything slows down. The two men -- the superstar and the obsessed fan -- make eye contact. It's stunning. Can you imagine Michael Jordan riding a bus to the NBA Finals, seeing a fan outside the stadium, recognizing him, remembering his name, then telling the team to leave him a pass?
Sachin waves.
Gods do answer letters.
Hungry for the stage
The Cricket World Cup began this past weekend. It merited a brief in your morning paper, but here, it ground the capital city of this subcontinent nation to a halt. In fact, with Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka hosting the cricket world for the next month and a half, it has ground the entire subcontinent to a halt.
The Indian television channels feature wall-to-wall coverage, and not just the sports stations. The papers have designed special logos. Every other commercial is about cricket, every third billboard. Sachin is unavoidable. In one television ad, kids help him into his uniform, like adoring pages fitting a knight into his armor. And, in a news conference with India's team captain on the eve of the opener -- one that was almost canceled before it began because the reporters were yelling at each other -- a Sri Lankan asks for the microphone and informs fellow media members that his country is bonkers, too, lest anyone doubt their madness. Only then can he ask his question. Amazingly, it isn't about pressure. Every time someone says the word, the Indian captain rolls his eyes. Again? It seems like all the questions are about pressure. Everybody feels it. If somebody doesn't bowl a cricket ball soon, the subcontinent is going to explode.
I land in Dhaka the day before the first game. The airport smells like wet paint. The walls glisten with a final coat. Passport control agents double-take at the names crossing their desk; the most famous cricket players in the world are landing in their often forgotten nation. An official's features soften as he asks, quietly, "Are you a cricketer?"
Fans here adore Canadian musician Bryan Adams. Prakash Singh/AFP/Getty Images
Signs posted around the airport read, "Welcome to our Land." They are ready for a close-up. Desperate for it. Bangladesh is a young country, with a history of corruption, political violence, suicide bombers and overcrowding. But that's not the sum of the place. Life happens between the awful headlines. Ethereal calls to prayer from the mosques. Bowls of mutton biryani. The lyricism of Bengali poets and the artistry of sari weavers. There is the inexplicable love for Canadian rocker Bryan Adams, who will sit at the table next to me Saturday morning at the Westin. There are people here who get that these six weeks are their chance to show the world their country. Maybe their only chance. So they fill the neighborhood around the stadium, starting days before the match, looking to see, sure, but mostly, to be seen.
I step into the street outside the main gate of the stadium and am swallowed. It's Friday. There's no game today. The tournament begins tomorrow. That doesn't matter. People try for eye contact, grinning. They snap cell phone photos. A man asks me to pose with his daughters. A soldier asks me to pose, too. A woman rides by in a rickshaw. I wink. She winks back. People speak English. Where are you from? Enjoy! Thank you very much. Enjoy Bangladesh! Thank you! A space opens up in the crowd, and a little kid slides out of the mass of bodies until he's face to face with me. He sets himself. Something's about to happen. His arms shimmy, his limbs on hinges, his head sliding back and forth, a spin. He's standing before the only American on this street, or probably any other street nearby, and he's dancing like Michael Jackson. Welcome.
The street is a sea of green-and-red flags. On poles, on passing cars, on headbands. Families who live in the buildings across the street lean over balconies to look. There's a blur of details. AK-47s with folding stocks on the backs of soldiers. Riot police wading into the crowd with swinging sticks. When the sun goes down later, street performers blowing fire into the air.
"I've never seen anything like this before," says the Indian television reporter.
"It's absolutely crazy," says the man from the BBC.
The shrill blasts of whistles, honking horns, the buzz of vuvuzelas, shouts, cheers, singing, drums, constant chants of "Bangladesh! Bangladesh!" The noises lose their individual properties and become one noise, unified, constant, loud. Every so often, for no apparent reason, it ticks a notch louder, then another, changing gears. This goes on for hours. Workers string blue lights on the side of the stadium, which match the blue lights in the trees and the ones hanging across the road. The celebration outlasts daylight.
Then the mosquitoes appear, millions of them, squadrons, black balls of swarming bugs, and workers fight back with poison dispensers that look like chain saws, spreading clouds of what very well could be DDT. The media center is full of the stuff, the floors slick with it. No cars or taxis can get near the place. People are trapped, and, outside, the party goes on all night.
The streets stay crammed. Not just the one in front of the stadium. We try to walk far enough away to get a car, and the mob goes on for blocks. We reach the end, turn and find another sprawling avenue full of fans. The entire city is in the streets. Bangladesh, my colleagues from espncricinfo tell me, has no winning cricket tradition. The Bangladeshis love the game, love it madly, yet it hurts them again and again. They are expected to lose tomorrow, and here they are, euphoric. A wall of people parts to let us through, forming a tunnel, fans reaching for a high-five, a fist bump or just a touch. They scream "Bangladesh!" directly into our ears. They blow the vuvuzelas inches from our heads. Hear us. That seems to be the point. It's an intimidating mass of people, jostling, moving in and out of shadows, swerving out of the way on speeding motorcycles.
It feels one incident away from a riot, but no spark comes, and the people of Bangladesh take to the boulevards and alleys of their capital, virtually all of them without a ticket to the next day's game, excited not for a sporting event but for a chance to show off their nation. There is something naive, even hopeful, about it, a place that isn't jaded by hype, that is moved enough by it to take to the streets.
The next day, we stand for the Bangladeshi national anthem. It's mournful. I don't know what any of it means, but the players sing, and the crowd sings, from deep in its belly, and in a sterile press box, the combined voices of local journalists whispering the lyrics creates an airy soundtrack. I look down at my arm.
I've got goose bumps.
Finally, the games begin
The crowd pitches and rolls. The sea of green and red has moved inside. A fan keeps up a steady beat of a bass drum, which grows frenzied before each bowl, then slows back down, an undercurrent. Only, the game goes much as the experts imagined, and exactly as the Bangladesh fans had hoped it wouldn't. India bats first and sets a target of 371 runs. The Indians, the favorites to win the World Cup for the first time since 1983, play like it. Several hours later, when India is finished batting, Bangladesh starts off strong. Runs come in flurries, a flicker of belief with them, the crowd jumping up and down, giving the bleachers at Shar-E-Bangla Stadium the look of something alive.
Roqibul Hassan of Bangladesh bats as captain MS Dhoni of India looks on during the opening game of the ICC Cricket World Cup between Bangladesh and India in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images
But cricket, it turns out, is about math. So much is made of the madness, the fans who hang themselves after their team loses, the riots, the wild crowds in the streets and in the stadiums, it's easy to forget that the game comes down to an equation. I never realized that. Bangladesh knows from the beginning the number of runs per over it needs to win; for neophytes like me, an over is a set of six balls. It's sort of like an at-bat in baseball. Bangladesh quickly falls below the target, and, in case anyone forgets, the scoreboard reminds them of the ever-fleeting chances of victory. They need 14.67 runs per over; they are scoring 5.84. They need 15.75; they are scoring 5.83. The stadium begins to empty. Just eight overs are left. In almost all circumstances, there are a maximum of 36 runs possible per over. They need 37.20 runs per over; they're scoring 5.85. Finally, victory, long nearly impossible, is actually impossible.
A loud horn blows. It's a conch shell, deep, full of bass, coming from the upper deck, and it's now the loudest thing in the stadium. A fan steps to the railing with the conch shell and an Indian flag. His face is painted. His head is painted. His entire body is painted.
It's Sudhir Kumar Gautam.
Indian Ronnie Woo Woo got into the game. Gods answer letters, and ticket requests, too.
Indian fans celebrate. Bangladeshi fans hit the exits. Outside the stadium, the atmosphere is completely different. The blue lights over the road are turned off. The energy, building for months, slips away in a long sigh. The stadium quiets. The streets are next. The opening match of the 2011 World Cup belongs to memory now. Dhaka will never forget the past two days, and those of us lucky enough to be here will never forget them, either.
In the next six weeks, the circus will consume India, and Sri Lanka and, yes, Bangladesh, with packed stadiums and scenes as mad as the one in Dhaka. Until the first week of April, the subcontinent will be on fire. That's all coming. Saturday night, as the final few overs play out, Gautam unfolds an expandable metal flag pole. This is why he rode a bike across India. He carefully attaches his enormous Indian flag, putting aside the smaller one. Every action is deliberate. Bangladesh fans crowd around him. At first, it seems as if they're about to jump him. Instead, they pose for pictures. The fans count down the last balls of the match, and Gautam gathers the slack material in his hands.
The last ball, the last swing, and the game ends. Gautam waves his flag, sweeping folds of fabric filling the air once filled by honks, horns and chants.
Wright Thompson is a senior writer for ESPN.com. He can be reached at wrightespn@gmail.com.Life & Death is a computer game published in 1988 by The Software Toolworks. It is one of the few realistic medical computer games ever released. In the role of a resident abdominal surgeon at fictional hospital Toolworks General, the player must diagnose and treat a variety of maladies including kidney stones, arthritis, appendicitis, and aneuritic aorta. The last two require the player to perform surgery.
A sequel, Life & Death II: The Brain, was published in 1990. In this game, the player is a neurosurgeon.[1]
Reception [ edit ]
Life & Death emphasized realism and visual detail even with limited colors. emphasized realism and visual detail even with limited colors.
Compute! complimented Life & Death's graphics and sound, stating that the game effectively used CGA's four colors and the PC speaker, and stated that the game's warning to those queasy of blood was accurate.[2]
Life & Death was nominated for Software Publishers Association (SPA) awards for Best Game, Best Simulation and Best Use of Technology.
One writer in 2012 praised the game for its attention to detail and the way it offers significant depth and challenge despite only the mouse.[3]
References [ edit ]Auburn, NY -- State police filed multiple charges against a Hillside Children's Center employee who they said helped a 17-year-old girl escape from the center in August then allowed to stay at his home with him and his wife for months.
John E. VanDusen, 30, of 3330 Franklin St., was charged with escape in the second degree and custodial interference.
Police said they discovered an illegal marijuana-growing operation at VanDusen's home and also charged him with second-degree criminal possession of marijuana and unlawfully growing cannibis.
VanDusen's wife, Megan VanDusen, 28, was also charged with criminal possession of marijuana in the second degree and unlawfully growing cannibis.
Police said they found more than a pound of processed marijuana in the VanDusens' home.
The teen, who stayed with the VanDusens from August until sometime in December, has been located and returned to the care of social services, police said.
Hillside said John VanDusen was suspended without pay from his job. "We are in full cooperation with the New York State Police and will provide any further information they may need for the investigation," Hillside said in a written statement.
In addition, officials at the facility are investigating the incident, a spokesman said.
Hillside provides services to youth who have social and behaviorial challenges. The Auburn campus includes a residential facility that provides intensive treatment that is unique in the state, the spokesman said.
Both VanDusens were arraigned in Sennett and sent to Cayuga County jail. John VanDusen was jailed in lieu of $5,000 bail. Megan VanDusen's bail was set at $1,000.
Contact Charles McChesney at cmcchesney@syracuse.com.There is a government policy for everything. It is often gobbledygook, for example the Import-Export Policy until 1991-92. Therefore, it was no surprise that the government and the public sector banks claimed that they had a policy on granting education loans. That was true, except that, in actual practice, the loans given by the banks were few; banks invariably insisted on collateral; and the borrowing students generally belonged to well-to-do families that could provide collateral security. The poor were shut out, absolutely and physically.
How Poor Were Shut Out
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In 2005, I began to take a closer look at the so-called policy on education loans. I found that loans were simply not given to the poor. Among the poor, the few who got admission in a college relied on the few scholarships that were available or sold the few assets they had — usually a patch of land or bits of jewellery. Bank managements had stripped the branch managers of the power to grant education loans and insisted that the applications be sent to the regional office or the head office for appraisal and decision.
Bank managers routinely turned away an applicant on the ground that her place of residence or the place of the college did not fall within the service area of the branch. If a persevering applicant was able to cross all the hurdles, the ultimate weapon of denial was to demand collateral. In case the student was able to provide the collateral, citing some obscure rule, only a part of the amount applied for was sanctioned.
We changed that situation by deliberate and forceful intervention. As a result, the number of education loans went up, the average size of the loan went up and the total amount disbursed went up year after year. Banks were required to empower their branches to grant education loans. Banks were forbidden to ask for collateral except in the case of a loan in excess of Rs 7,50,000. The concept of service area was abolished. Slow but steady progress was made. Between 2007-08 and 2013-14 the average growth rate was 20 per cent.
Social, Economic Profile Changed
More than the number or the average size of the loans disbursed, the dramatic change was in the social and economic profile of the students. Thousands of first-generation learners got loans. Banks organised events at which education loans were given to wards of small farmers, agricultural labourers, Class IV government servants, daily wage earners, street vendors (of idlis, for instance) and so on. Many of the borrowers belonged to the Scheduled Castes or Other Backward Classes, many were girls. The case that is imprinted in my memory is of an itinerant, drum-rolling soothsayer (kudu kuduppai karan) who proudly declared that his son had got an education loan to study engineering!
When the UPA demitted office, as on March 31, 2014, the number of education loans that were outstanding was 7,66,314 and the amount outstanding was Rs 58,551 crore. To this must be added the number of education loans that had been disbursed during the 10-year period and returned by the borrowers. The programme had fired the dreams of hundreds of thousands of families.
Alas, that chapter seems to have drawn to a close under the NDA government. Look at the Table. Wherever I go, I hear that education loans have dried up. The average growth rate in the last years is just 5.3 per cent. When a programme winds down, the worst affected will be the poor who do not have any influence or connections. The message seems to have gone out that education loans are not a priority. The ostensible reason is that the NPA level of education loans is high. The powers that be are deaf to the argument that graduates are unable to repay the loans because they cannot find jobs in a period of jobless growth.
Once the banks got the message, they have gone after borrowers like savage moneylenders — sending ‘recovery agents’ (read musclemen), invoking sureties, encashing the collateral, filing suits, etc.
Resolution Only For Rich
It is the ostensible reason that makes me angry. Assume that all the NPA accounts will be loss accounts, the total loss at the end of December 31, 2016, will be Rs 6,336 crore. Compare that number with the amount at stake in the 12 corporate group accounts referred under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code: over Rs 250,000 crore, of which over 60 per cent is NPA! When the 12 cases go through the IBC process, whatever may be the mode of resolution, the banks are expected to take a hit of at least 30-50 per cent of the total amount.
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Twelve promoter groups will cause the banks a humongous loss of Rs 75,000 to Rs 125,000 crore. That will be called ‘financial resolution’, the promoters will lose their equity in the company, but lending will resume to the groups. At its worst, the thousands of families that took education loans will cause the banks a loss of Rs 6,336 crore (or let’s stretch it to Rs 10,000 crore). There is no resolution plan for such loans; it will be called ‘financial catastrophe’ and all education loans will be stopped. Do you see the true face of the development-cum-welfare State?1 2 3 4Next
I am sure that we have all felt like we had “the best time ever” at a festival. We have also most likely participated in some pretty bad party fouls, sometimes simultaneously. It is no secret to my group of friends that I have spent the last few years documenting said party fouls into an amusing encyclopedia of anecdotes which I spout at every possible opportunity. As a service to you, the festival goer old or new, I have spent the last several weeks compiling this illustrated list of Do’s and Don’ts. There is an extremely fine line between winning the rave and playing yourself. This guide will help you walk that line. Please enjoy.
10. Do Bring a Rave Blanket:
Ah, the rave blanket. There is nothing better than catching an amazing sunrise set from the comfort of your luxurious rave blanket with friends. It’s time to take those shoes off, kick back, and relax. The rave blanket is a great addition to the side of a daytime dancefloor, or the shores of a festival beach. You may earn new friends, or creepers that you don’t really want around you. Chances are good that many friends will be around your rave blanket, so it won’t leave room for roving douchebags to hop on a corner. This may be the only acceptable place to exercise dirt napping (see Don’t #5)
Pictured above: Friends jam out on a rave blanket to the chagrin of jealous onlookers with no rave blankets.
9. Do Spend all Weekend Attempting to Coin Hilarious Slogans With Your Friends:
You may come up with a bunch of unfunny stupid stuff, but you also may come up with comic gold. It probably doesn’t sound funny to you, but one weekend a friend kept saying beep beep beep beep boo boo boo boo boo to the tune of Benga and Coki’s track Night and I still laugh about it. When you have to go back to work “Notonin style” it will be hilarious things your friends said that will get you through the mundane 9-5.
Pictured above: A funny quip gone rogue. “Cool Story Bro” has taken on a life of its own
8. Do be a Responsible Parent:
If you are going to make the choice of bringing a child to a festival you should not be consuming everything that just so happens to cross your path. You need to be alert and on point constantly. You need to get those little soundproof earmuffs, and you can’t let said child out of your sight!! It annoys me to even have to write this in, and if this is what’s telling you to care for your kids you should probably have them taken by a foster family because you are an idiot. I have seen A LOT of horrible parenting at festivals, but also a lot of amazing loving moms and dads doing it right.
Pictured above: Mama’s bundle of joy is warm and soundproofed. Hooray!
7. Do Bring Multiple Pairs of Shoes:
One pair of shoes at a festival really doesn’t have a lot of range. I learned this at my very first Shambhala the hard way. Wearing shoes into the river to protect your toes from the rocks then having to sport them all night while they are soaking wet is a great way to earn a bunch of blisters and bad times. As if your feet won’t be tired enough after marathon dance sessions. Also, even though rubber boots might seem like a pain to lug around they are well worth it if the party turns into a mud fest. I carried a pair for about five years before I had to use them, and felt pretty sorry for the folks that didn’t have any. Wet feet are a quick way to the land of defeat.
Pictured above: Clown Shoes are not very versatile.
6. Do Have Pointless Contests:
This is a pretty fun way to spend time at festivals. Some of my favourite festival contests have included “The Dewdney” at Connect Festival in Saskatchewan where all the guys grew disgusting “Dewdney” mustachios and judged them a whole bunch of gross ways including scratch and sniff stickers inside pairs of Hannah Montana underwear pinned up on walls. Another favourite was the “Shirtless Champion” contest, where entries battled it out to see who could go the longest without taking shelter in a tent or any structure, using scarves, or wearing a shirt. We are talking 48 hours of bare torso action, The winner received a sweet belt and a bacon double cheeseburger cooked by the previous year’s Shirtless Champion. “Pick it up Put it on” is another gooder. Everyone roams around finding ground scores and adding them to their ensemble. FYI some girl’s old tutu SHOULD NOT go on your face, even if it makes funny moustaches and sideburns.
Pictured above: Shirtless Champion Belt, facial hair made of a random tutu, Dewdney UnderwearHere’s What Convinced Me to Order a $2,000 Glowforge Laser Cutter
Xconomy Seattle —
I haven’t told my daughters yet that we’re getting this new tool that has captured my imagination and will soon help them make their own toys—and who knows what else. But I just ordered a Glowforge laser cutter and engraver from the eponymous Seattle startup, and I have to say, I’m pretty excited.
Disclosures: Even though I write about technology, I am not typically an early adopter. The truth is, Dan Shapiro, Glowforge’s co-founder and CEO, sold this thing to me over the course of several interviews and e-mail exchanges during the last year as he revealed his company and raised $9 million from venture investors. I can’t endorse it yet, because I’ve only seen demos; never made something on it myself. My unit, like anyone else who orders during Glowforge’s 30-day launch campaign, beginning today, will hopefully arrive sometime next year.
But I’ll try to explain what convinced me to fork over $1,995 (half off the suggested retail price) plus $99 shipping for a consumer-grade laser cutter, which I’ve managed to survive without until now.
For starters, I’ve realized that I am something of a Dan Shapiro acolyte. I wrote about and subsequently bought a couple of copies of Robot Turtles, his board game for teaching kids how to think like computer programmers, which broke Kickstarter records for its category. (It was Shapiro’s experience cutting out the pieces for Robot Turtles that got him engaged in the world of laser cutters.) My 3-year-old and I play together, and it’s fun.
Shapiro’s enthusiasm for building this laser-cutting tool and the possibilities it opens is infectious. I already enjoy building and using tools, so I’m a pretty easy sell.
That said, there’s something deeply appealing to me about the combination of technologies packed into the Glowforge, and the way cloud-based software does so much of the heavy lifting. It seems so versatile and modern, with few limits on what you can do with it.
It does have some limits: The material you’re cutting or engraving can be a maximum size of 12 inches by 20 inches by 1.5 inches high—so you can’t fit a pumpkin inside. (I had visions of epic 2016 jack o’ lanterns.) Shapiro says there’s a workaround: He sliced off the face of a relatively flat pumpkin, laser-engraved it in the Glowforge, then reinserted the cut piece into the gourd.
Also, the Glowforge’s 40-watt CO2 laser can only cut through material up to a quarter-inch thick in a single pass, but by flipping the material over and making a second pass, you can double that—and the computer vision technology baked in handles the alignment to make this easy, Shapiro says.
A “Pro” model, which costs $3,995 during the early-bird promotion and has an MSRP of $8,000, sports a more powerful 45-watt laser—it’s in the FDA’s laser hazard class IV, whereas the base model is hazard class I—and has the capability to continuously feed in material, meaning you can cut or engrave something 20 inches wide and essentially unlimited in length, with software and internal cameras once again handling the alignment.
The array of materials you can cut or engrave with a Glowforge is impressive: “wood, fabric, leather, paper, cardboard, Plexiglas (acrylic), Delrin (acetal), mylar, rubber, fiberglass, cork, sandpaper, gasket material, silicone sheet, Corian, foods, and more” can be cut and engraved, according to the company’s Tech Specs page. The Glowforge can engrave “glass, marble, rubber stamps, stone, ceramic, tile and coated metals such as anodized aluminum, stainless steel, brass, titanium, and more.” The demo video shows people custom-engraving their MacBooks, among many other things.
So how does it work?
In a demonstration via Skype last week, Shapiro made a votive candle holder. First, he placed a thin sheet of walnut and another sheet of acrylic into the laser cutter’s working bed. It’s not necessary to precisely align the material inside the machine. A wide angle and macro cameras, along with an optical thickness measurement device captured a detailed picture of the material. The picture appeared on the tablet Shapiro was using to control the Glowforge (it only has a start button on the device itself).
Shapiro dragged the design for the votive onto the material. It’s like a WYSIWYG graphics editor for objects in the real world.
When everything was set to go, he sent the job to the Glowforge—it’s all done over Wi-Fi—and pressed the start button. Both the walnut and the acrylic were in the cutter at the same time and were cut during the same sub-15 minute run, with the laser adjusting its power as it moved from one material to the other. Shapiro says the laser in production Glowforge units will be faster and more powerful, thanks to a custom-designed, hand-blown glass tube.
During the demonstration, a considerable amount of smoke and even some small flames came up from the walnut inside the machine as the laser did its work. Fans inside help control that. As for the exhaust, there’s two solutions: Place the unit by a window or buy an integrated air filter for an additional $500 (at the early-bird price), which would allow the machine to run in an office or home without external ventilation.
Shapiro slid together the cut pieces of the candle holder in minutes. The design included notches and tabs that fit the pieces together using only friction; no additional fasteners or glue were needed.
That’s part of why the company is marketing these as 3D printers, even though they are technically laser cutters, and their process is … Next Page »Ask any Democratic elected official about the party's chances of winning back the House this November and he/she will tell you that it's possible but not likely. That's true(ish) but requires a decidedly broad definition of the word "possible", according to the latest House election model by John Sides at the Monkey Cage Blog.
Image courtesy of Monkey Cage
Writes Sides: "The prognosis for Democrats isn’t any better: the median estimate is a small seat loss (to 196 seats). The chance of their regaining the House is still very low — about 1%." (Make sure to read Sides' full post for an explanation of what factors go into the model and how it produces the results.)
The most likely outcome, according to Sides, is a five-seat gain for Republicans -- meaning that they would control somewhere in the neighborhood of 239 seats in the 114th Congress. If Republicans did get to 239 seats, it would be the second most seats they have controlled since the 80th Congress, which spanned from 1947 to 1949. (Republicans controlled 242 seats after the 2010 tidal wave election.)
The danger for Democrats' in Sides' model is that donors sometime soon begin to walk away from giving to the House cause to devote all -- or most -- of their cash to trying to keep control of the Senate. (That is less of a |
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next thing she is in the kitchen with mrs. patmore (love her) baking cakes...
because girls have to have skills to get by in the world of war and nursing except for cake baking is a very important skill in the world of cake eating only.
cora is super sad that her youngest is leaving the house..
but away she goes!!
branson, the chauffeur, who is in love with her drops her off at nurse school and tells her so.
**sybil brings out the gay in me.
anyway..
she likes him but needs to be focused on nursing and saving lives
plus he's a chauffeur and she's a lady.
there's that pesky social class issue again.
and finally..
it's concert time!!
everyone is dressed like total sluts...war sluts.
in walks matthew and lavinia..
oops he sees mary.
she sees him..
it's major.
later those same eyes throw acid shade at lavinia..
during the concert some crazy poor bitches show up and give out some kind of white feather dart..
my man, lord G tells them to GTFO.
**i love it when L.G. gets all gruff and stern and then is all...just kidding..sorry i yelled.
so cute.
"ha ha ha ha haaa ha...it's all good."
then everyone goes to do what they do best...
eat a boring ass dinner.
during which is a lot of eye darting.
and dowager farting?
maybe.
i mean you could fart all day under those huge skirts and no one would ever know.
i need one of those yesterday.
anyway..
mainly it's just war talk.
downstairs mr. bates' wife, vera shows up to say, hey guess what..
you are coming with me. bc ha ha i do NOT grant you a divorce.
she wants to be a butthole just for the sake of being a butthole.
so unlike a downton character, where behind every nasty act lies at the very least a good intention.
see she found about about mary's affair with the turk last season and that she is not virtuous.
such a scandal.
so bc bates is a fucking hero he's like i will sacrifice my own happiness so that no scandal falls on this family.
the next morning mary sees matthew off on the train but not before giving him her favorite..
she's like..here..take this it will bring you luck.
and he's like, thanks but i might not come back bc this war is FUCKING TERRIBLE AT BEST!
this is almost too much for mary.
she goes home and immediately starts praying..
it's really sweet.
and then that bitch edith walks in and is like..
no you're dumb!!!
over on the battlefields..
thomas is like, get me the fuck out of here.
i hate war and i hate it's assface.
so after some "remember the old days at downton?" talk with matthew he decides
he'd much rather be there smokin some cigs with o'brien.
so he holds his hand up into the air with a lit flame
and gets a hole blown through it.
he is at once brave and a pussy.
so off to downton he goes.
he sends word to o'brien to lie and scheme (her best job) to get him a job in the hospital.
somehow we jump forward in time by a year.
everything is still going strong between lavinia and matthew.
and at this point mary's boyfriend, richard carlisle aka jack wagner has proposed.
crazy, right?
anyway..
no one likes him.
not even mary.
but especially not the countess.
there are some whispers of carlisle knowing lavinia in some way and i suspect a real soap opera worthy scandal to come out of that at some point.
once again matthew has come home from his war'cation and he is bringing lavinia.
so now everyone's back together and what do they do of course???
eat dinner...
poor mr. carson almost has a heart attack bc there is a valet, mr. lang (who is super shell shocked btw), acting as a footman. A FOOTMAN!!!!
as mr. carson lays almost dead on the floor, it's nice to see the majority of the family rushing to his side, except for that bitch edith who is more concerned that shit was spilled on her dress.
a bit later, in my favorite scene, we see mary visting mr. carson who is lying in bed resting.
it has always been clear that mary is mr. carson's favorite..
he knows what's going on (as all the servants do bc they are like the family's free shrinks) with mary and matthew and he tells her that she needs to tell him how she feels bc if he dies in the war, god forbid, she'll never forgive herself.
she plans on giving him the speech to end all speeches but instead runs into lavinia who is crying and decides she can't.
downstairs..
thomas has arrived at downton and is like, guess what assholes?
i'm not a footman or a valet or whatever i was before..
i am almost a doctor!
he is taking care of an almost blind soldier who we are to assume he is falling in love with..
i think.
the soldier's eyes heal pretty well so..
bc there is no room at the convalescent home for wounded soldiers he is to get the fuck out.
only he's shell shocked and needs some prozac stat.
only there is no prozac and no one has much experience with shell shock so they assume he's going to be ok.
only he's not and he slits his wrists and dies.
thomas cries.
hard to imagine really.
i mean if he loved him, well, that's sad. not to mention the fear that you could be next in the crazy department and want to check out.
so scary.
war sucks ding dong.
sybil, and dr. clarkson all discuss what they are going to do with all of these men who need their attention and help.
they decide to ask lord G and lady V to use downton as a convalescent home.
lady V quickly poo poos it,
while cora is more understanding.
my guess is it's bc she will get to see more of her baby, sybil.
in the end sybil gets her way and downton becomes a convalescent home.
other points of interest..
edith drives a tractor and kisses a married man..
so let's discuss it.
i thought it was cool and a testament to why this show works so well that this war had an angle for every person..for example..
william and lord G wanted to do the honorable thing and fight for their country,
matthew wanted to escape, thomas was hoping to gain some sort of status.
and the women...
sybil wants to help and be useful.
edith pretends she wants that but really she's just bored.
mary doesn't know what she wants.
mary and matthew- well obviously we want them together. they are the focus of the show most of the time.
at the end of the day is it BECAUSE of mary's inability to be honest about how she feels that they aren't together?
or is it the fact that she's TOO honest about her feelings, often putting her foot in her mouth and hurting other people?
in any case, she is misunderstood.
discuss..
this post was powered by many cups of coffee and several trips to the bathroom.President Trump fired off a tweet Friday morning deriding the “ridiculous standard” of measuring a new administration’s accomplishments over its first 100 days in office.
Trump is right: The idea of measuring the progress of a presidency by what happens in its first 100 days is utterly arbitrary and arguably “ridiculous.” But throughout his campaign, Trump himself had set accomplishments in that time frame as his own personal benchmark. He did it both on the stump and in his social media posts and campaign advertising.
Related: Trump Pushes Congress to the Wall to Avoid a Government Shutdown
On October 25, for example, he blasted out a tweet to his millions of followers asking for donations, and illustrated it with a short video clip outlining “Trump’s 100 Day Plan.” It contained a wide-ranging list of things then-candidate Trump promised to accomplish by April 29:
What these all have in common, as Trump’s 100th day in office approaches, is that none of them got done. And that’s just on the legislative side. The tweet included a link to Trump’s website for donations, and following it led to another raft of promises that, again, would happen within the first 100 days. (Among them: BUILD THE WALL, Renegotiate ALL unfair trade deals, CANCEL orders sending US jobs overseas, END our dependence on foreign oil.”
“You are going to be amazed what we will accomplish during those First 100 Days -- I promise you that you will be proud of your President again,” it concluded.
Related: With Iran in His Crosshairs, Trump Has One Risky Chip to Play
Trump at one point during the campaign issued a two-page “Contract with the American Voter” that he described as “my 100-day action plan to Make America Great Again.” In addition to the list of legislative priorities, he added 18 more actions that he would take, using the authority of the president.
On those, he can boast a slightly higher rate of success, though on the whole he has delivered only about half of what he promised.
For example, Trump pledged to “clean up” what he described as a culture of corruption in Washington. But his promise of a proposed Constitutional amendment imposing term limits on members of Congress never materialized. His vow to institute a lifetime ban on White House officials lobbying for foreign governments was undercut by the revelation that his first National Security Advisor was actively representing a foreign government while working on the Trump campaign. A promise to make White House staff forgo lobbying for five years after leaving was undercut almost immediately, as advisers who left the administration in its early days were granted exceptions to become lobbyists.
Trump did follow through on a pledge to require that for every new federal regulation, two existing regulations must be eliminated.
Related: The History Behind the First 100 Days of an American President
He also promised to take a number of actions to “protect American workers.” In that area, Trump has been a little more reliable about keeping his promises. As advertised, he announced the country’s withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal immediately upon taking office and announced his intention to re-consider other treaty obligations such as those under the North American Free Trade Agreement. He approved the construction of the Keystone Pipeline and had taken promised steps to reduce regulation on the energy industry.
However, he notably flip-flopped on his promise to label China a currency manipulator, something he explicitly said that country was not just last week.
Finally, in the area of “restoring national security and the rule of law” Trump has also been a bit of a mixed bag. His appointment of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court kept a campaign promise to choose a judge from a list he made public. He has also taken steps to crack down on illegal immigration and to step up deportations. However, his vow to ban immigration from certain countries is being held up in the courts, and he has so far been only partly successful in cutting off federal funds to “sanctuary cities.”
In all, as his 100th day in office approaches, Trump’s presidency is not without accomplishments, but few of them are of the lasting kind enshrined in federal law. In fact, Trump’s only real “accomplishments” on the legislative front have been largely negative in nature, signing bills passed under the Congressional Review Act that rescinds regulations and, in some cases, prevent agencies from re-issuing them.
Related: Trump Family, Inc: 3 Conflicts of Interest That Could Pave the Way to Impeachment
The president’s one major legislative effort -- the attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it with the American Health Care Act -- appears to have ended in failure, though there is a movement under way to try to revive it.
His accomplishments with the pen have been more notable, immediately putting his stamp on some elements of the federal government — particularly immigration, trade, and energy policy — that he campaigned heavily on changing.
In the end, while Trump may not have had the most impressive first 100 days in office, he hasn’t been completely inconsequential, either. And amid the expected hiccups of any first term president, he could very credibly argue that judging him by his first 100 days is a silly, media-driven convention.
That is, if he hadn’t set the benchmark for himself.HALIFAX—William Sandeson arranged a drug deal to kill a fellow university student and steal nine kilograms of marijuana, a Nova Scotia Supreme Court judge said Tuesday before sentencing the former medical student and track athlete to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years. Sandeson was charged two years ago with first-degree murder in the death of 22-year-old Halifax resident Taylor Samson, a physics student at Dalhousie University whose body has yet to be found.
“Where’s Taylor, Will?” Samson’s mother Linda Boutilier shouted to Sandeson as he was escorted out of the courtroom. The sentence and parole eligibility period are automatic for a conviction of first-degree murder, though Sandeson was given credit for 693 days in custody. Read more: Dalhousie medical student found guilty of first-degree murder of Taylor Samson
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When asked by Justice Josh Arnold if he would like to address the court, the 24-year-old shook his head, and in a hushed tone replied, “No, my Lord.” Samson’s brother, 22-year-old Connor Samson, told the court the crime has left him feeling lost and scared. “I’m afraid to lose someone who’s really close to me,” he said in a victim impact statement. His voice broke as he spoke about his older brother, saying he now fears for the family’s safety. Sandeson, sporting a buzz-cut and a closely cropped beard, appeared emotionless and stared in the direction of Connor Samson as he read the statement during the sentencing hearing.
William Sandeson, shown here in a February 2016 file photo, was charged two years ago with first-degree murder in the death of 22-year-old Halifax resident Taylor Samson, a physics student at Dalhousie University whose body has yet to be found. ( Andrew Vaughan / THE CANADIAN PRESS file photo )
Arnold said it was on Aug. 15, 2015 that Taylor Samson went to Sandeson’s downtown Halifax apartment to sell nine kilograms of marijuana for $40,000 as part of a pre-arranged deal. Samson was last seen alive on a video recording captured by Sandeson’s surveillance system that night. There were no images of Samson walking out when police reviewed the recordings, court heard.
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The judge said Sandeson shot Taylor Samson while he was sitting at a kitchen table. Arnold then described the moment a pair Sandeson’s track teammates, who were visiting next door, looked inside Sandeson’s apartment after hearing what they believed was a single gunshot. “Mr. Samson was slumped over in a chair, dead, with blood running out of his head. Money and drugs were on and around the kitchen table covered in Mr. Samson’s blood,” Arnold told the court. “Mr. Sandeson was running around his apartment, not seeking to help Mr. Samson, but instead telling (his friends) that he had to clean up. He was picking up bloody money.” Arnold said DNA matching Samson’s genetic profile was recovered from a handgun, black duffel bag and other items seized from Sandeson’s Henry Street apartment and his family’s farm in Truro, which is north of Halifax. He said Sandeson had a $200,000 line of credit that was co-signed by his mother to pay for medical school, but in August 2015 — before he even started classes at Dalhousie University — more than $70,000 of that money had been spent. Crown lawyers had argued Sandeson, motivated by greed, devised a scheme to kill Samson and steal the marijuana to pay off his debts. Arnold said there was no evidence Sandeson had $40,000 cash to pay for the drugs. In his closing arguments, defence lawyer Eugene Tan conceded there was a “violent incident” at the apartment that night, but he said his client had always maintained there was someone else in the apartment. Tan has reportedly filed a notice of appeal of his client’s conviction. In the courtroom, Samson’s childhood friend Ryan Wilson stared at Sandeson as he read a victim impact statement Tuesday. He said Samson had a great sense of humour and would laugh so loud “your ears would ring.” “(He) hugged so hard, your ribs would hurt,” said Wilson, who has a TS1 tattooed on his wrist — Samson’s initials and his team number in baseball. “I never get to feel that loving friendship again.” Wilson’s was one of 18 victim impact statements filed with the court. Several were read aloud Tuesday. At the time of his arrest, Sandeson had already completed one year of medical school in the Caribbean, was a track and field athlete, worked two jobs and had a girlfriend. He was due to start medical school at Dalhousie University within a week of the slaying. During questioning by police, Sandeson offered three different explanations for what happened the Taylor Samson, including one version that described unidentified assailants entering the apartment in body suits and whisking Samson away. After an eight-week trial, a jury deliberated for 22 hours before delivering a guilty verdict on June 18.
Read more about:Pastor Mark Burns, a vociferous Trump supporter stepped in it while discussing the Roy Moore allegations of sexual misconduct after he cautioned MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle that she could be accused of sexual assault next.
She was not impressed.
Pastor Burns who has had a tough time defending his own biography joined Ruhle to discuss the new sexual accusations and his predilections for very young girls against Roy Moore.
Ruhle asked the pastor if he believed Roy Moore over the nine female accusers.
He wondered if this was a "political assassination" of Moore and said we were on "a very dangerous slippery slope."
The MSNBC host told him Trump's daughter already spoke out against Moore.
Ruhle asked, "What number is it for you that you would start to change your view and say there's truth here? Is it 12? Is it 15?"
When he refused to answer she pressed on.
"Sir, I just want you to answer the question for me -- so what do you need to hear?"
Then it got weird.
Pastor Burns said, "Today is Judge Moore -- today is Judge Moore, tomorrow it could be you. Men or women -- "
Ruhle shocked said, "No, you know what --
He talked over her, "Being accused of sexual harassment."
Ruhle said, "It can't be me tomorrow -- "
He kept talking and she stopped him.
"Excuse me, sir."
"Sir, sir -- It can't be me tomorrow because when I was in my 30s, I didn't get banned from a mall. I wasn't calling girls in high school out of Trigonometry class and I wasn't dating girls under the age of 18, so no, sir, it is not possible for it to ever be me."
This moronic man of suspicious faith was thrilled Moore broke the law over gay marriage and his Ten Commandment statues.
He then called Beverly Young Nelson, one of Moore's accusers, a liar because Moore's lawyer said she said she had no contact with Moore, when he was actually the judge on her divorce in 1999.
↓ Story continues below ↓
Think Progress obtained the documents and refuted that claim completely.
What is troubling again from a man on Trump's spiritual committee or whatever the hell it is - is a man who makes his money touting his religious faith and then defends the indefensible. All in the name of Jesus.The new Trump administration will “discuss” and “have a conversation” with Israel regarding recently approved construction in the West Bank settlements, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said in a briefing on Tuesday.
The tone of the comments marks a departure from the blanket condemnation of all construction in the settlements typical of all spokespeople from the previous administration.
According to Spicer, new US President Donald Trump “wants to grow closer with Israel and make sure that it gets the full respect that it deserves in the Middle East.”
“Israel,” Spicer said, responding to a question about the approval on Sunday of permits for hundreds of new homes and the advancement of construction programs in various planning stages to about 2,500 housing units, “continues to be a huge ally of the United States. … We’re going to have a meeting with [Israeli] Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu and we will continue to discuss that.”
“We’ll have a conversation with the prime minister,” Spicer said when pressed further on the issue, according to the Algemeiner.
The White House invited Netanyahu to meet with President Trump in Washington DC next month.
Earlier in the briefing, Spicer refused to comment on the Obama administration’s last-minute move to transfer $221 million to the Palestinian Authority and the PA’s use of American taxpayers’ money to pay salaries to terrorists and their families.
Trump was “very concerned about how taxpayer money is spent, whether it’s sent overseas and what we get for it in terms of the relationship or our support for a democracy or aid to another country for their defenses,” Spicer was quoted by the Algemeiner as saying. “But he’s going to be examining all aspects of the budget. … He’s going to make sure that every deal, every dollar that is spent by the government is done in a way that respects the American taxpayer.”How do you fight botnets? With rationalism, or with radicalism?
South Korea's recently proposed Zombie PC Prevention Bill, aims to fight them with common sense - by making security software mandatory on users' PCs. What's particularly interesting about the bill, is the backdoor left open, empowering the government to “examine the details of the business, records, documents and others” of users and companies who do not comply.
More details on the bill:
to impose a statutory duty on every citizen to install and to use security software pursuant to the Presidential Decree to be issued under the Act
to confer on the government department (Korea Communications Commission; KCC) the power to ban or to allow the business of those security solution providers which KCC chooses to ban or to allow according to certain criteria
to make the security solution providers to focus on winning the favor of government officials (through lobbying) rather than winning the consumers in the market through competition and innovation of product quality
to empower the KCC agents, without a warrant, to “examine the details of the business, records, documents and others” of anyone upon mere suspicion that the person (individual or company) has violated the duty to use security software
In the past there have been numerous cases of enforced best practices, or how the lack of such may lead to unpleasant results:
What the MPs seem to have forgotten is the fact that antivirus software only mitigates a certain percentage of the risk, and is only part of a well developed defense in depth strategy. Multiple independent reports and tests show that despite that users are running antivirus software, they still get infected with malware.
What do you think is the best way to fight botnets? Rationalism or radicalism. Is running security software a duty, or has the time come for ISPs to take care of their own backyards.
TalkBack.Over the years, my favorites changed, as did the things I saw in them. Flight 714, a story I loved when I was younger, possibly because of the UFOs, hasn’t aged well for exactly that reason; Castafiore Emerald, dull when I was a boy, is now among my favorites, precisely because it’s about nothing. The serialized books—Red Rackham's Treasure and Secret of the Unicorn, Seven Crystal Balls and Prisoners of the Sun, and Destination Moon and Explorers on the Moon—are still appealing, more now for how different they are than for their narratives. But what continues to appeal to me most about Tintin is what attracted me to the series in the first place, the common thread that runs through all the albums: friendship, loyalty, adventure, and, to use a word seldom used anymore, honor. With age, I could add one more thing: familiarity.
Still, idols rarely age well. As I grew older, I learned more about Hergé, Tintin’s creator whose name adorned the top of every album (the name is a play on the inverted initials of his name, Georges Remi). His work on a wartime newspaper allied with the Nazis is well documented, as is the fact that some of his earliest Tintin books disseminated far-right ideas to children. The first two comics are the most controversial: Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, first serialized in 1929, is so transparent in its anti-communist propaganda that Hergé himself tried to suppress its publication in later years. In 1930’s Tintin in the Congo, the Belgian hero’s adventure takes him to his country’s former colony where he “civilizes” the natives (who are portrayed with a combination of paternalistic racism and inferiority), and slaughters animals as a big-game hunter.
Neither comic was available in English until decades later, and it was then that I read them with a mixture of horror, amusement, and embarrassment. In one frame in Congo, an African tribe worships Tintin. In another, he resolves a dispute over a straw hat, leading a member of the tribe to say: “White master very fair. Him give half hat to each one. Him very good white.”
There’s certainly irony in a child of the former colonies idolizing a character who might be dismissed by casual critics as a proxy for the white-man’s burden (and by more serious ones as a racist). But I couldn’t entirely disavow the series. What those comics taught me was that heroes, even boyish, never-aging ones like Tintin, are deeply flawed, and if you ruminate on something long enough, even a cherished childhood memory, you will inevitably see those flaws clearly. There were things that I loved about Tintin that made it easier to reject those things I did not—without ignoring them altogether.
Rereading Tintin also provides a much more complicated image of Hergé. Tintin, after all, works against Imperial Japan and European dictatorships, befriends Chang, fights slavers, and defends the Roma. In short: He comforts the afflicted, and embodies the values of honor and loyalty to friends.Being a fan in an away ballpark isn’t easy. The nerves of hoping your team won’t falter in front of thousands of enemy fans who want nothing more than to laugh them back to New York is enough to drive one crazy. But, additionally, cheering for one’s team on the road can be stressful based on the home team fans reaction to your very presence.
As Mets fans prepare to invade PNC Park this weekend, this fan (who will also be there for the entire series!) wants to share some tips on PNC and proper etiquette for entering enemy territory to make your experience more enjoyable.
About PNC Park
I’ve been lucky enough to take in about 15 games at PNC, so I know that stadium probably as well as I know Citi and knew Shea and have some experience with the local fans.
Get to the Ballpark Early and Explore
While this goes for all ballparks, it applies double to PNC. PNC Park is a fantastic place to watch a ballgame. Most seats look out on the beautiful architecture of Downtown and the bridges that give the “City of Bridges” its name, making PNC a great reflection of the city’s character, as all ballparks should. PNC is Pittsburgh to the core.
The stadium is surrounded in Pirates history, too. Statues of the great Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, Bill Mazeroski and Honus Wagner surround the stadium. Unfortunately there is no Ralph Kiner statue within or outside PNC Park. However, PNC does have a bronze casting of the legendary Pirates outfielder and beloved Mets announcer’s hands below the pedestrian rotunda in left field — roughly below where 1,090 Mets fans will be siting with the 7-Line on Saturday afternoon. Pittsburgh has also retired Kiner’s #4 and the placard hangs underneath the press booths.
Fans would also do well to get down to the North Shore early because the atmosphere is fantastic. People start milling around outside the stadium three to four hours before the game. The streets surrounding the park are blocked to car traffic and Federal St. and Gen. Robinson Blvd. become essentially a tailgate party. Food and drinks (beer, too!) are available right on the street and there are plenty of surrounding bars if you are looking for a sit down meal, too. In short, there is a lot of fun to be had and baseball history to be seen without even entering the ballpark.
Sample the Local Flavor
This should be standard practice at any ballpark, too. While Shake Shack or a lobster roll is not an option, PNC does have some good food. Pittsburgh is most well-known for the legendary Primanti’s Bros. sandwiches. For those of yinz (Pittsburghese for yous, you all, y’all, etc.) not familiar with these sandwiches, it’s a basic deli sandwich but loaded with fries, coleslaw, tomatoes and vinegar. It might sound daunting but it’s awesome – you can’t go wrong with a Primanti’s sandwich. PNC Park has two locations: one near section 110 and another in the “Smorgasburgh” area, with a variety of other good restaurant-type food. There is also a Chickie & Peet’s stand with the wonderful Crab fries in Pop’s Plaza Food Court behind section 129.
Those looking for a Pittsburgh libation should bypass the IC Light (and that goes double for the Mango version!) and head for a Beers of the Burgh stand. This stand focuses on craft beer and always has some local breweries on tap. My recommendation would be anything from Church Brew Works but specifically their Celestial Gold; Penn Brewery is good too. There are 12 rotating beers on tap and always some fan favorites like Magic Hat #9, Sam Adams and Blue Moon. It’ll run you $9.25. For those opposed to a malted brew, wine and liquor are available at select stalls on the lower level and now the 300 Level Concourse Bar.
Domestic beers are all throughout the stadium; you can get a 24 oz can of most domestics for $10, a pretty decent deal in terms of ballpark beer. Beers outside the stadium are reasonably priced; domestics will run you about $4 and crafts/imports will be between $5 and $8. Dominic’s is right outside the stadium and has a great selection.
Where to Sit
I’ve sat all over PNC Park. Formerly being a broke college student, I would go Upper Deck right behind home plate. Back in 2009, before the resurgence of the Buccos, these tickets would run you about $11 – a great deal – or in the outfield in fair territory for $8. Nowadays, Upper Deck behind the plate will run you about $23, but field level seats are available and reasonable. Field level seats can be had for about $50 to $60 depending on how far down the line you sit. Mets dugout is along the first base line. On Sunday, my girlfriend and I always splurge and sit down low; we are in Section 113, row D. We will be there nice and early to see batting practice. If you’re there early, stop by and say hello! There really isn’t a bad seat in the ballpark, though; it is a fairly intimate setting.
Note: Don’t count out the scalpers. I’ve scalped tickets to many a game at PNC, day of. You can usually get tickets a few bucks cheaper than the box office; field level seats almost certainly will be lower. My dad and I sat 15 rows off the field a few years back for $20 a ticket. You will have to buy in even numbers, though, or you might get charged a little extra.
Score the Game
Pro-tip: scoring the game is awesome. The Pirates print free scorecards in each game program, which you can get as you enter the stadium. However, at any memorabilia stand, fans can purchase a large scorecard for $2. Pencils are free, but they don’t have erasers so wait until the lineup is announced to fill it in. A few years back, I filled out my scorecard lineup from what was announced on Twitter; Marlon Byrd was then scratched with illness. Nothing screams frustration more than having to scratch something out even before the first pitch was even thrown. Scoring the game is a lost art and I think more people should learn to score the game.
On being a good traveling fan
There are some general principles and ballpark etiquette that will make your experience in enemy territory more enjoyable. Pittsburgh fans are generally pretty great, but if you’re a traveling Mets fan, you may encounter some hostility in cities like Philadelphia or Washington, D.C. Any time you venture into an opposing team’s ballpark, be sure to not leave any home fans with the impression that Mets fans are anything but awesome, passionate and respectful fans. That being said, here are six general rules to maximize your enjoyment of a Mets game on the road.
Cheer the Mets, but Don’t Boo the Home Team
Think of the worst visiting fan you’ve encountered at a Mets home game. They’re loud, obnoxious and throwing shade at your team. It’s irritating, especially when your team isn’t playing well. For Mets fans invading Pittsburgh this weekend, let’s strive to make all our comments positive. A Mets fan (albeit a very drunk one) took the cheering a bit too far three years ago and got in an altercation with two Pirates fans (also intoxicated). That is the worst case scenario. Let’s be loud, let’s be passionate, and let’s be good Mets ambassadors at the same time.
Meet the Fans Around You
I can’t say it enough: Pirates fans and Pittsburgh in general is great. It’s always fun for me to hear what fans of other teams think about the Mets. Most of the time, it’s only what they hear on ESPN. Interacting with the fans around just makes a game more enjoyable. It’s also a good way to get some goodwill going from the get go.
Don’t Leave Your Seat During an Inning
Don’t be that guy who needs to go get a refill on his beer with a full count and the bases loaded. That is just the worst. It is also a sure-fire way to draw some negative attention to yourself. And this is not just a tip for an away game; always wait until the end of the inning to leave your seat. Of course, things happen, and if you have to leave your seat, make sure you do not linger.
Don’t Come Late; Don’t Leave Early
Again, this should go without saying for any ballgame. Make sure you are there for first pitch and don’t leave until it’s over. Given the games we have just experienced, it is not out of the realm of possibilities that the Mets could lose a game by a dozen or more. If that happens, grab a beer, grab a hot dog and embrace the suck. Additionally, if you are going to the Sunday day game, the Mets will leave the stadium about 75 to 90 minutes after the game ends. The team buses park behind the stadium (walk toward Heinz Field and hang a right). They have barricades up but if the team is not flying immediately, they’ll stop and say hello for a second. David Wright took some time to say thank you to the Mets fans that lined the gate two years ago despite needing to get immediately back to Citi for the All-Star Game.
Don’t Throw Back a Home Run Ball
I hate the throwing back a home run ball if an opposing team hits a dinger. I would love to catch a ball at a game and throwing it back just seems like a waste. If you don’t want it, I bet there is a child near you whose day you could make by passing that ball off. You might just help kindle a love affair with baseball. Plus, the good karma from an act like that can’t be denied.
If Possible, Go to the Game with 1,000+ of Your Closest Friends
I’m lucky enough to be going to The 7 Line Army Pittsburgh Invasion and that should just be an absolute blast. Everyone enjoy the games, whether you are at the stadium or watching at home. And as always, Let’s Go Mets!The other day, I pointed out that Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, was following in the footsteps of the former chair of the committee, likely the quackiest, most antivaccine Congressman who ever served in the House of Representatives. Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN). I guess that since Burton retired at the end of the last Congress, someone has to step up to the plate when it comes to pushing the antivaccine agenda. Issa is doing that by holding a hearing a year ago on "autism" that was in reality a thinly disguised excuse to castigate scientists from the CDC about the vaccine schedule and why the question of whether vaccines cause autism isn't a priority for the government.
This year, he's doing it again in a hearing that was bought and paid for by the antivaccine movement in the form of the Canary Party to the tune of $40,000. Only this time, the Canary Party wants Issa to go to go after the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, a no-fault program instituted in 1986 to streamline the compensation of legitimate vaccine injuries through the creation of a special court, known as the Vaccine Court, presided over by judges known as Special Masters, that makes it easier for parents by automatically compensating certain specific "table injuries" and reimbursing parents for legal expenses and expert witnesses, win or lose. Overall it's a good deal compared to regular court, with far fewer hoops to jump through and a greater ease of finding attorneys because they know that, win or lose, they'll get paid. The reason it was necessary was because a flood of lawsuits in the 1980s was endangering the U.S. vaccination program, as more and more companies threatened to stop making vaccines because of liability concerns. Ironically, the woman who is now the grande dame of the antivaccine movement, Barbara Loe Fisher, was heavily involved in the drafting of the original legislation that created the Vaccine Court but turned against the system she lobbied for and helped create when it became clear that spurious, non-science-based claims, such as claims that vaccines cause autism, weren't being compensated. Indeed, antivaccinationists were shocked that the Vaccine Court actually tries |
which pancreatic juices and bile back up behind the obstruction under pressure, and is potentially life-threatening. The more common and chronic form is what can produce nutritional deficiencies over time. Usually, approximately 10-20 minutes to an hour after a meal, the patient will experience abdominal fullness and pain as the liver and pancreas pump bile and pancreatic juice into the partially obstructed afferent limb. These symptoms usually last from several minutes to an hour, although they occasionally last as long as several days. Pressure will build up and the obstruction will resolve by then, sometimes with vomiting. Prolonged ALS with stasis of digestive juices in the afferent limb can result in bacterial overgrowth of the digestive juices sitting there, fatty stools, diarrhea, and vitamin B-12 deficiency. The treatment is surgical, and if Jobs had ALS then his undergoing additional surgery made perfect sense.
Unfortunately, my speculation was wrong, as I found out a year later.
Pushing the limits of science-based medicine
The real bombshell regarding Steve Jobs’ health came in 2009. It’s a useful story to discuss because it demonstrates the limits of SBM and how sometimes they can be pushed in the cases of rare diseases for which there is little data. In early January, Jobs reported that he had been experiencing a “hormone imbalance” that needed treatment. In retrospect, even with all the secrecy, it should have been blazingly obvious that his insulinoma had recurred. All the signs were there, even through the veil of Apple secrecy, but somehow it was kept mostly out of the news until June, when the Wall Street Journal reported that Jobs had undergone a liver transplant:
In early January, Mr. Jobs said he had a hormone imbalance that was “relatively simple and straightforward” to treat. But about a week later, he announced that the issue was more complex than he had thought, and in a letter to employees he said he would be taking a leave and Mr. Cook would take over temporarily. William Hawkins, a doctor specializing in pancreatic and gastrointestinal surgery at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., said that the type of slow-growing pancreatic tumor Mr. Jobs had will commonly metastasize in another organ during a patient’s lifetime, and that the organ is usually the liver. “All total, 75% of patients are going to have the disease spread over the course of their life,” said Dr. Hawkins, who has not treated Mr. Jobs. Getting a liver transplant to treat a metastasized neuroendocrine tumor is controversial because livers are scarce and the surgery’s efficacy as a cure hasn’t been proved, Dr. Hawkins added. He said that patients whose tumors have metastasized can live for as many as 10 years without any treatment so it is hard to determine how successful a transplant has been in curing the disease.
At the time, I looked into the issue, given that it had been a long time since I had finished my surgical oncology fellowship and I no longer took care of patients with neuroendocrine tumors, having specialized in breast cancer. In general, for neuroendocrine tumors metastastic to the liver, the first options to be considered are ablative options. These can include surgery, if the tumors are resectable, or ablation by various methods, such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA, or, as we like to say, “cooking the tumors”) or cryoablation (cryo, a.k.a. freezing the tumors). Surgery can be curative if the lesions are confined to a volume of liver that can be completely resected, and RFA is generally reserved when there are lesions in multiple lobes not amenable to surgical resection. For the consideration of a liver transplant, a patient must have multiple lesions in multiple lobes of the liver that are too numerous even to be cooked by RFA or frozen by cryo. Moreover, there can be no evidence of tumor anywhere other than in the liver. In addition, another indication is that symptoms must be such that they can’t be controlled by medical therapy. For an insulinoma, controlling the symptoms due to hypoglycemia can actually be quite difficult; so the type of tumor Jobs produced symptoms that are more difficult to palliate than the average neuroendocrine tumor.
So what are the results of liver transplant for neuroendocrine tumors? Because these tumors are so uncommon, there’s never going to be a randomized clinical trial. All that can be found in the literature consists of small case series or retrospective analyses.The kindest and most generous characterization that can be made is that that the evidence for treating neuroendocrine tumors metastatic to the liver with liver transplantation is mixed at best. A recent retrospective analysis of the UNOS database produced this survival curve (click to embiggen):
A picture’s worth a thousand words, and based on this curve alone Jobs had a little better a 50-50 chance of living as long as he did (almost two and a half years). Unfortunately, he fell out on the wrong side of those odds. Jobs’ case aside, the authors conclude:
Although surgical resection still should be considered the treatment of choice in patients with liver metastases from NETs, transplantation for unresectable disease is indicated in patients with stable disease without disseminated metastases. A national database should be developed to better understand predictors of outcomes in this patient population and to help produce and standardize selection criteria to obtain better outcomes. We believe it is time to carefully revise this indication.
Who could argue with more research? Jobs’ case is, however, an excellent example of the difficulties in deciding on a course of action when the evidence available is sparse. For instance, if he had progressive disease (and in retrospect it sounds as though he probably did), he probably should not have undergone transplantation, given that immunosuppression would probably facilitate the growth of microscopic tumor deposits and also given that it is possible to provide prolonged palliation by other means. Yet, to Jobs and his doctors at the time, the picture was probably anything but clear, other than that things were getting worse.
The war to claim Steve Jobs’ narrative
Since the death of Steve Jobs, there has been a struggle to claim his narrative as “evidence” to support a world view. On the one side, there are quacks using and abusing Jobs’ memory, as they’ve used and abused those of so many other dead celebrities to “prove” that “conventional medicine killed them.” Predictably, first out of the box is the despicable crank known as Mike Adams. Adams has made a not-so-savory name for himself for ghoulishly (and gleefully) taking advantage of the death of celebrities in order to blame “conventional” medicine for having killed them. It’s a depressing and predictable pattern that continued with Steve Jobs. Indeed, Adams produced an article on Steve Jobs’ death so quickly (within hours of the announcement of Jobs’ passing) that I have to wonder if he had already had it written and teed up, just waiting for Jobs to die. Whatever the case, Adams entitled his article, again predictably enough given his past history, Steve Jobs dead at 56, his life ended prematurely by chemotherapy and radiotherapy for cancer, which begins with a typical charge (from Adams) that Jobs’ gaunt appearance was due to chemotherapy, not the progression of his cancer, blaming his death on the “cancer industry” and claiming that it was “toxins” that caused his cancer and that “natural” treatments could have cured him.
Just yesterday, Joe Mercola chimed in, apparently managing to interview Nicholas Gonzalez right after Jobs’ death to produce this video:
Gonzalez, you may recall, is the originator of the “Gonzalez therapy” for pancreatic cancer, a therapy involving various juices, dietary manipulations, coffee enemas, and many, many supplements, as many as 150 pills per day. Also recall that his therapy, besides having no biological plausibility, has been convincingly demonstrated not to work.
The truly ironic thing, of course, is that Jobs lived a lifestyle very similar to the one that Adams touts as an all-purpose cancer preventative. As I mentioned before, Jobs was widely reported to be a vegan but was a was in fact a pescatarian. Jobs did not eat meat and the animal rights group PETA has paid homage to him after his death for being a vegetarian and sympathetic to animal rights causes. The point, of course, is that Steve Jobs ate a diet and lived a lifestyle far more similar to the kind that Adams touts as a cure-all or prevent-all for cancer than the “typical” fat- and meat-laden American diet that Adams lambastes. Upon his initial diagnosis, as we have seen, he eschewed surgery for nine months, trying to treat his cancer with a “special diet.” It’s not clear just what, exactly, this “special diet” was. Oddly enough, Gonzalez hints that he knows something:
He wanted to see an alternative. In fact when he was first diagnosed, he got some dietary program — again, he was very secretive of that — So I don’t exactly know what he did at that point. But through his acupuncturist, there was communication. He was getting acupuncture, and he was doing some alternative things as far as I know. This acupuncturist actually talked to me, discussing the situation. She was really anxious for him to come and see me. But he chose not to do that. You know, I always respect the patients’ right to choose the therapy they want to choose, so I would never dispute that. The patients have to make the decisions based on what they want to do. But she was very adamant; in fact, she knew about all my works in the alternative world. He had seen alternative-type practitioners. She really wanted for him to come and see me. He chose not to do that. From my perspective, it was unfortunate, because he was such a gift to the world in terms of his inventions and genius in the past 30 years.
Yes, that’s Gonzalez claiming that he could have saved Jobs if only Jobs had listened to an acupuncturist.
For as much as the quacks are trying to claim that they could have cured Jobs if only they had given them the chance, there is, however, the chance of taking the opposite argument, namely that Jobs might have died because of his embrace of non-science-based treatments, too far in the other direction. Unfortunately, there is a skeptic who should really know better who did just that, using Steve Jobs’ death as evidence of the harm that alternative medicine can do. Now, given my reputation as someone who relentlessly applies the cudgel of reason, science, and critical thinking squarely to the back of the head of woo on a regular basis, you just might think that I would heartily approve of this line of argument. You’d be wrong, and not because I have any qualms whatsoever about appropriately blaming alternative medicine when someone pursues alternative medicine and ultimately dies. (I have, after all, done it myself on several occasions.) The key word is “appropriately,” and the reason that I’m not so hot on using Jobs’ death as a “negative anecdote” against “alternative” medicine is because I’m not so sure how appropriate doing so is in Jobs’ case. While Jobs certainly didn’t do himself any favors by waiting nine months to undergo definitive surgical therapy of his tumor, it’s very easy to overstate the potential harm that he did to himself by not immediately letting surgeons resect his tumor shortly after it was diagnosed eight years ago. Unfortunately, Brian Dunning does exactly that in his post A Lesson in Treating Illness (also posted over at Skepticblog):
I’m sad that today I’m adding a slide to one of my live presentations, adding Steve Jobs to the list of famous people who died treating terminal diseases with woo rather than with medicine.
Except that Jobs didn’t; at least, he didn’t for the most part. Aside from the initial nine months, Jobs, as far as we know, relied on exclusively on conventional therapy to treat his disease. In fact, he underwent the most invasive, cancer aggressive operation (the Whipple pancreaticoduodenectomy), which is one of the biggest, if not the biggest operation, that surgical oncologists do. Then, after his tumor recurred in his liver, he underwent the biggest, mot technically complex type transplant operation there is, a liver transplant. When his cancer recurred a second time earlier this year, Jobs was seen going to the Stanford Cancer Center in Palo Alto, California, looking frail and thin.
Moreover, the other “alternative” therapy reportedly pursued by Jobs in Switzerland was a therapy based on radiation therapy, you know, the kind of therapy known to the likes of Adams as “burning” the cancer. In any case, Jobs apparently traveled to the University Hospital of Basel in Switzerland to receive a form of “hormone-delivered radiotherapy.” For some reason this is being portrayed in the press as somehow “alternative.” In reality, from what I can tell, it’s science-based, but experimental. Basically, in this therapy, radioisotopes are linked to a peptide hormone, receptors for which are found on the tumor being treated. The hormone then binds to the receptors, bringing the radioisotope close enough to the tumor cells to deliver a high dose of radiation. This therapy is not “alternative”; although it’s not standard of care, it’s definitely science-based.
All of this leaves the sole remaining question regarding the issue of “alternative” medicine and cancer in the case of Steve Jobs as: Did Jobs significantly decrease his chance of surviving his cancer by waiting nine months to undergo surgery? It seems like a no-brainer, but it turns out that that’s actually a very tough question to answer. Certainly, it’s nowhere near as certain as Dunning tries to make it seem when he writes things like:
Eventually it became clear to all involved that his alternative therapy wasn’t working, and from then on, by all accounts, Steve aggressively threw money at the best that medical science could offer. But it was too late. He had a Whipple procedure. He had a liver transplant. And then he died, all too young.
One has to be very, very careful about making this sort of argument. For one thing, it could not have been apparent that it was “too late” back in 2004, when it became clear that Jobs’ dietary manipulations weren’t working. For another thing, we don’t know how large the tumor was, whether it progressed or simply failed to shrink over those nine months, and by how much it increased in size, if increase in size it did. Again, I hope that information will be revealed in the Jobs’ biography; such data would go a long way in clarifying just how much, if at all, Jobs might have compromised his chance for cure by delaying. Right now, we just don’t know enough to make even a good guesstimate. Based on what we do know now, the thing that has to be remembered is that neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas tend for the most part to be fairly indolent, slow-growing tumors It’s very much overstating the case to write, as Dunning does:
As he dieted for nine months, the tumor progressed, and took him from the high end to the low end of the survival rate.
We don’t know that this was the case, and we certainly can’t say that for sure — or even with a great deal of certainty. Dunning is massively overstating the case in his eagerness to attack alternative medicine. This is a mistake. Again, I would certainly agree that Jobs did himself no favors by waiting. If I were his physician or the surgeon to whom he was referred, I would have done my best to talk him out of such a course of action, but I would do so more out of the uncertainty of not knowing how fast his tumor would progress. So, is it possible, even likely, that Jobs compromised his chances of survival? Yes. Is it definite that he did? No, it’s not, at least it’s not anywhere as definite as Dunning makes it sound. In fact, based on statistics alone, it’s unlikely that a mere nine months took Jobs “from the high end to the low end of the survival rate,” as Dunning puts it. That’s just not how insulinomas usually behave from a biological standpoint. They’re too indolent, and that’s not even taking into account issues of lead time bias and other confounding factors that would make comparisons of operating early versus operating later not as straightforward as one might think. Remember, Jobs’ tumor was probably what we call an “incidentaloma”; i.e., a finding picked up incidentally on a diagnostic test done for another reason. Consequently, it might not have caused symptoms for a long time. Or it might have already been causing symptoms, just symptoms that normally don’t warrant a CT scan. We don’t know; there isn’t enough information. Be that at it may, I have no doubt that Jobs might well have compromised his chances of survival by delaying, but it’s just not scientifically supportable to leap to the conclusion, as Dunning does, that he compromised his chances so much that “alternative medicine killed him.” What is known about Jobs’s case and insulinomas do not support such a conclusion; at worst they support a conclusion that Jobs might have decreased his chances somewhat.
If there’s one thing we’re learning increasingly about cancer, it’s that biology is king and queen, and that our ability to fight biology is depressingly limited. In retrospect, we can now tell that Jobs clearly had a tumor that was unusually aggressive for an insulinoma. Such tumors are usually pretty indolent and progress only slowly. Indeed, I’ve seen patients and known a friend of a friend who survived many years with metastatic neuroendocrine tumors with reasonable quality of life. Jobs was unfortunate in that he appears to have had an unusually aggressive form of the disease that might well have ultimately killed him no matter what. That’s not to say that we shouldn’t take into account his delay in treatment and wonder if it contributed to his ultimate demise. It very well might have, the key word being “might.” We don’t know that it did, which is one reason why we have to be very, very careful not to overstate the case and attribute his death as being definitely due to the delay in therapy due to his wanting to “go alternative.” Finally, Jobs’ case illustrates the difficulties with applying SBM to rare diseases. When a disease is as uncommon as insulinomas are, it’s very difficult for practitioners to know what the best course of action is, and that uncertainty can make for decisions that are seemingly bizarre or inexplicable but that, if you have all the information, are supportable based on what we currently know.Sep 1, 2016 Ξ Comments are off
By Louis Chan
AsAmNews National Correspondent
The Center for Asian American Media is announcing the TV debuts of five documentaries by Asian Americans airing on national television in the coming months.
The documentaries will air on PBS’ POV or the World Channel’s new showcase, Doc World.
The Birth of Sake by Japanese American Erik Shirai kicks it all off this coming Monday on POV. The Birth of Sake takes viewers behind the scenes in a rare look at sake making. The documentary features stunning videography and gives us a glimpse at the toll sake making can have on those workers who take part in the age-old process. The Birth of Sake won the Special Jury Mention for Best Documentary Director at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival.
The World Channel presents Arthur Dong’s The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S Ngor on September 18.
Ngor’s won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Dith Pran in The Killing Fields. He would later be gunned down outside his Los Angeles Chinatown home by members of the Oriental Lazy Boyz street gang. Some have speculated his murder was politically motivated due to Ngor’s public opposition to the Khmer Rouge.
On October 16, the World Channel will air Among the Believers, the story of the radical Islamic school Red Mosque in Pakistan. The school has trained children to devote their lives to jihad, or holy war. The film is both shocking and timely.
Nanfu Wang’s Hooligan Sparrow is set to air on POV on October 17.
Hooligan Sparrow is the story of Ye Haiyan, an activist who ventures into southern China to seek the truth of six elementary school girls allegedly abused by their principal. The search for justice puts everyone in danger, including the filmmaker.
Finally, Tashi’s Turbine by Amitabh Joshi can be seen on the World Channel.
Namdok is a remote village in the Himalayas of Nepal. The small town has been without power for years. Tashim Bista’s dream is to bring light to a community that has seen so much darkness.
Check local listings for exact times and air dates for all films.
AsAmNews is an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff and interns. You can show your support by liking our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/asamnews, following us on Twitter, sharing our stories, interning or joining our staff.In recent months, I’ve met at least three people who have been the victim of hackers who’ve taken over their Gmail accounts and sent out e-mails to everyone in the address book.
The e-mails, which appear legitimate, claim that the person has been robbed while traveling and begs that money be wired so that the person can get home. What makes the scam even more effective is that it tends to happen to people who are actually traveling abroad—making it more likely that friends and families will be duped.
Although it’s widely believed that a strong password is one of the best defenses against online fraud, hackers increasingly employ highly effective ways for compromising accounts that do not require guessing passwords.
This means that it is more important than ever to practice “defensive computing”—and to have a plan in place for what to do if your account is compromised.
Malware. Sometimes called the “advanced persistent threat,” a broad range of software that was programmed with evil intent is running on tens of millions of computers throughout the world.
These programs can capture usernames and passwords as you type them, send the data to remote websites, and even open up a “proxy” so that attackers can type commands into a Web browser running on your very computer. This makes today’s state-of-the-art security measures—like strong passwords and key fobs—more or less useless, since the bad guys type their commands on your computer after you’ve authenticated.
Today, the primary defense against malware is antivirus software, but increasingly, the best malware doesn’t get caught for days, weeks, or even months after it’s been released into the wild. Because antivirus software is failing, many organizations now recommend antediluvian security precautions, such as not clicking on links and not opening files you receive by e-mail unless you know that the mail is legitimate. Unfortunately, there is no tool for assessing legitimacy.
Windows XP. According to the website w3schools, roughly 33 percent of the computers browsing the Internet are running Windows XP. That’s a problem, because unlike Windows 7, XP is uniquely susceptible to many of today’s most pernicious malware threats. Windows 7, and especially Windows 7 running on 64-bit computers, has security features built in to the operating system such as address space randomization and a non-executable data area. These protections will never be added to Windows XP. Thus, as a general rule, you should not use Windows XP on a computer that’s connected to the Internet. Tell that to the 33 percent.
Kiosk computers. You should avoid using public computers at hotels, airports, libraries, and “business centers” to access webmail accounts, because there is simply no way to tell if these computers are infected with malware or not. And many of them are running Windows XP. So avoid them.
Open Wi-Fi. Wireless access points that don’t require an encryption key to access don’t protect your data as it transits through the air. This means that your username and password can be “sniffed” by anyone else using the access point as well. I haven’t been able to find any reports of malware-infected laptops running sniffers at coffee shops, but it’s really just a matter of time. The only way to protect yourself is to be sure that the websites and e-mail servers you use employ SSL (“https:”) for everything, not just logging in.
Man-in-the-middle attacks. Those same open Wi-Fi access points can sniff your password using a variety of so-called man-in-the-middle attacks, in which your computer sends information to the wrong website, which, in turn, passes it to the correct one—so that the communication channel seems fine.
Man-in-the-middle attacks are especially easy over Wi-Fi, but they can take place anywhere on the Internet. Man-in-the-middle attacks can also be implemented through malware. Here even SSL is not enough—you need to be sure that the certificate of the SSL-enabled website is legitimate (a forged certificate will tell your browser that it’s connecting to the right site using SSL). Most people also ignore certificate mismatch errors.
Phishing scams. Surprisingly, a fair number of users still fall for phishing scams, in which they voluntarily hand over their username and password to a malicious website. Typically users end up at these sites when clicking on a link they receive by e-mail.
Different website, same password. Finally, many websites (including major newspapers and magazines) require that you set up an account with an e-mail address and a password in order to access their content. Don’t use the same password that you use to access your e-mail—otherwise the website owners (and anyone who hacks that website) will be able to take over your other accounts, including your e-mail.
What happens if you follow all of these precautions and your e-mail account still gets compromised?
Here are some ideas:
Be an authentication pioneer. Google, E*Trade, and other firms have deployed systems that allow you to augment passwords with your cell phone or a handheld security token. Although these systems can be defeated with malware, they are still more secure than passwords alone. Currently you need to opt in to these systems. If you care about your security, you should be a pioneer and give them a try.
Be prepared. Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon, and others allow you to take proactive security measures to protect your account in the event that the password is compromised. This includes registering alternative e-mail addresses, registering cell phone numbers for backup authentication, and providing answers to “secret questions.” Unfortunately, you have to do this before your account gets hacked, not after.
Be alert. Facebook allows you to provide a cell phone number that gets an SMS message whenever someone logs in using a different browser. This is a simple, effective way to monitor when someone other than you accesses your account. If your account is accessed, you’ll be in a race to change your password before the attackers do.
Maintain multiple accounts. Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket! Have accounts at multiple e-mail providers—and accounts at multiple financial institutions for your money, as well. That way, when you get hacked, at least you’ll have a backup.
Keep offline copies. Finally, don’t keep the sole copy of your precious data at some cloud provider—download your data to your home computer, then burn it to disc or copy it to a disconnected hard drive. That way, even if you lose your online access, at least you’ll have a copy.
Simson L. Garfinkel is an author and researcher in Arlington, Virginia, who focuses on such topics as computer forensics and privacy. He is a contributing editor at Technology Review.The only way to carry your dice.
Alpharion here again with another battle report. This time turning the clock back 10,000 years to wage war in the greatest civil war ever fought, The Horus Heresy. The game was against my buddy Jason, who owns the beautifully painted Blood Angels army. As this was my first time playing 30k, or any Space Marine army for that matter, and as such I expected this game to take more than a few hours. To my surprise we were able to finish in about an hour and a half. There were a few instances where we were not sure on a rule, and instead of digging for an answer we just came to an agreement and moved on.
Alpharion: Alpha Legion 1500 points
HQ :
Armillus Dynat – Warlord (Thunder hammer, Power sword, Coils of the Hydra)
I find it a bit odd that an HQ choice would have no ranged weaponry, but his other rules definitely make up for his lack of a ranged attack. If taken as the Warlord he is automatically given the “Hammerstrike Assault” rule. This lets you choose one unit and give them the “Deep Strike” special rule. It can even be given to Dynat himself, allowing him to Deep Strike with a unit that already has the rule. Team this up with his other special rule, “The Harrowing,” and you can potentially ruin someones day. I used the Chaplain model from the Betrayal at Calth box to represent Dynat in this game.
Legion Praetor (Standard loadout, nothing special here)
Troops:
3 Legion Tactical Squads (9 Marines with Bolters, 1 Sergeant with Bolter and Chainsword, Legion vexilla)
Nothing too special here, however “Fury of the Legion” can be brutal. It allows you to fire any Bolter twice during that shooting phase. There are some downsides though. Should a player elect to use this rule the selected unit will not be able to fire overwatch during the opponents next phase, or shoot during the next controlling players phase. It is risky, but the rewards can be great. The Alpha Legion have a special rule that can make Fury of the Legion even more dangerous,”Banestrike.” Banestrike functions in much the same way that “Bladestorm” does for the Eldar in 40k. Each to wound roll of 6 by a weapon with Banestrike grants that round AP3, negating Space Marine Power Armor.
Elites:
Contemptor Dreadnought Talon (Multi-Melta)
Lernaen Terminators, Land Raider Proteus (1 with Heavy Flamer, 4 with Volkite Charger and Power Axes)
These terminators have the “Implacable Advance” rule which allows them to count as a scoring unit. Couple this with Dynat’s special rule and you have a very tough objective securing unit.
Jason: Blood Angels 1,500 points
HQ:
Legion Praetor (Master of the legion, orbital assault)
Troops:
2 Legion Tactical Squads, Drop Pod (9 Marines with Bolters, 1 Sergeant)
Legion Tactical Squad, Drop Pod (4 Marines with Meltas, 1 Sergeant)
Fast Attack:
Legion outrider squad (10 Melta bombs)
Heavy support:
Deredeo Pattern Dreadnought (Aiolos missle launcher)
Mission:
Shatter Strike
Primary objective – Each player gains 2VP for each scoring unit in the enemy’s deployment zone at the end of the game.
Secondary Objective – Slay the Warlord, First Blood
Deployment:
Clash the Line
I won the roll and elected to deploy and go first.
Turn 1
Alpharion
Jason was bringing a Drop Pod heavy list and as such I should have castled up until his units came in, or alternatively, just let him go first. This would have allowed me to; 1) deny him land in which to place his units in my backfield and 2) provide covering fire. But I incorrectly interpreted The Harrowing to mean that Dynat had to also be in the backfield to pass out the benefits of that rule, and as such I started moving him up the battlefield towards Jason’s deployment zone. I moved one tactical squad into ruins. The remaining tactical squad snuck behind some cover, ready to pounce on whatever the Blood Angels brought down. Looking back I definitely should have passed initiative to Jason and made him go first and bring his Drop Pods in as he was running a Deep Strike heavy army.
Jason
Jason brings in two Drop Pods near the unit in the ruins. After disembarking they unload everything they have into my unit of Tactical Marines by using Fury of the Legion. Which after rereading the rules, was an illegal move. It states that Fury of the Legion cannot be used if a unit moved, arrived via Deep Strike, or disembarked a vehicle. But seeing as we are both new to playing 30k we didn’t catch that part of the rule. Even with 40 shots total from both units he was only able to secure five unsaved wounds, unfortunately the Sergeant (even with his 2+ Artificer armor) was included in those wounds. Luckily the squad made their leadership test and hung around a bit longer. His Dreadnought was more effective in targeting Dynat’s squad. Facing seven wounds from his dreadnought I was able to save all but three of them.
Alpharion 0 – Jason 0
Turn 2
Alpharion
Dynat’s special rule came into play here. I granted the terminators Deep Strike and had them deployed inside the Land Raider. We were unsure if the rule would then grant the ability to Deep Strike to the Land Raider as well, but we decided to say that it did and continued on with the game. After looking this up afterwards, the Land Raider most certainly does not get to Deep Strike in this situation. Had I been able to grant the transport Deep Strike then this would have been possible. But as the rule reads Dynat passes out Deep Strike to an infantry unit. Unfortunately a Land Raider is not an infantry unit. The Land Raider carrying the Lernean Terminators made their roll and came in. I attempted to drop them at the point of his deployment zone to harass the Deredeo and his bikes, unfortunately I did not stick the landing causing the unit to suffer a Deep Strike mishap. Another poor roll of the dice allowed Jason the opportunity to place the unit where he wanted. He placed the Land Raider behind some line of sight blocking terrain, effectively making the terminators inside useless for another turn. Two terminators were able to get shots off at the unit of bikes in Jason’s backfield, however they were unable to wound them. The unit of Marines taking cover in ruins returned fire by using Fury of the Legion, and were able to take out four Marines in return (Banestrike Bolter rounds responsible for 2 of those casualties) with only 1/4 the amount of shots Jason used to remove five of my Alpha Legion Marines. Not a bad trade off, but they were still hopelessly outnumbered with no hope for reinforcements. The dreadnought moved forward and attempted to unleash the pain with his Melta gun at the weakened Blood Angels unit. But I once again became acquainted with those dreaded one’s! The remaining Tactical squad moved up and targeted the same Blood Angels unit but failed to cause any wounds, even with the Fury of the Legion in effect. Another mistake was made, as previously mentioned the rule states that Fury of the Legion cannot be used after a unit has moved. Dynat’s squad moved up to gain some cover from terrain and to embark on the Land Raider next turn.
Jason
The remaining Drop Pod makes its reserve roll and subsequently sticks its landing. The four Melta-gun-toting Space Marines disembark and light up my dreadnought. Luck was on my side though as his dice turned against him and only granted him one hull point in damage. However he did score a penetrating hit and immobilized the dreadnought. Since Jason had used Fury of the Legion in his previous turn, both of the regular Tactical Marine squads were unable to shoot this round. His full strength Tactical Squad charged through terrain and made it into combat with my half strength squad. The downside to Fury of the Legion is that you can not fire overwatch until your next turn. Facing steep odds the Alpha Legion fought bravely, taking out three of the enemy before falling and granting Jason a VP for First Blood. Jason’s remaining tactical squad moved across the board to assist in the take down of the dreadnought. The Deredeo unleashed its salvo against the Land Raider, stripping one HP. The bike squad moves to intercept the terminators and fires all of their weapons at them causing six wounds, but the terminators dig in and suffer no casualties. Those 2+ saves really are something special.
Alpharion 0 – Jason 1
Turn 3
Alpharion
Dynat’s Squad embarks into the Land Raider which then moves forward onto terrain. The terminators, now unable to reach the enemy dreadnought, turn their sights onto the bikes. This time they are within range to fire every weapon, Heavy Flamer included. One bike was caught in the inferno from the heavy flamer and promptly turned into a scorched ruin. The rest use their Volkite Chargers to limited efficiency and remove two more bikes. Facing an 8″ charge into the bike, the heavily armored terminators roar into combat, shrugging off the futile overwatch attempts to smash into the Blood Angel bikers and slaughter them outright. Power axes are brutal. Their consolidation move draws them closer to their original target, the Deredeo. The last remaining unit of Tactical Marines moved in and charged Jason’s unit of Melta’s, only suffering one wound in overwatch. Once in combat they were able to dispatch three Melta Marines while only suffering one wound in return. The dreadnought again was unable to wound anything (Darn those one’s!) and was only able to sit tight and hope his brothers could carry the day.
Jason
The Deredeo directed his vengeance, for the slaughter of his brothers at the hands of the Lernean Terminators, on the Land Raider carrying Dynat and his squad. The dice gods were on Jason’s side this turn as he scored 3 penetrating hits and rolled to cause a catastrophic explosion. The resulting blast destroyed the entire unit inside, granting Jason Slay the Warlord for taking out Dynat. His half strength Tactical Marine squad moved to assist their brothers in melee combat, however neither side was able to cause any damage.
Alpharion 0 – Jason 2
Turn 4
Alpharion
With the dreadnought immobilized and the last unit of Tactical Marines locked in combat, my only hope for gaining a few VP’s was by keeping my Lernean Terminators alive and in the enemy’s deployment zone. The terminators moved up and assaulted the Deredeo as their weapons would be useless against his armor. The Deredeo, with its impressive weaponry, was able to remove one model from the terminator squad with its overwatch. And that appeared to be all it needed to do to stall out the terminators as an additional 1.5″ were added to the charge range which started at 6″ but now became 8″. They of course failed the charge, and to add insult to injury I rolled a six. The melee raged on with Jason losing a single Melta Marine, while my Marines suffered no losses. Jason passed his moral test and the unit stayed locked in combat.
Jason
The Deredeo took the opportunity of one extra round of shooting and unloaded its entire payload against the terminators and was able to cause four wounds, two which went uns |
aspirations. We have learned and are continuing to learn resilience and bravery from the Soviet people, who are an example to us in our struggle for freedom, a model of loyalty to internationalist duty. In Soviet Russia, genuine power of the people has been transformed from dreams into reality. The land of the Soviets is the genuine friend and ally of all peoples fighting against the dark forces of world reaction.
With our boxes of matches and our necklaces we shall liberate this country.
Has Mandela since changed his tune in any way?
In September, 2002, Mandela gave an interview to "Newsweek" and the following summary gives his views on the situation with regard to the Iraq crisis:
You will come to the conclusion that the attitude of the United States of America is a threat to world peace…. It (war against Iraq) is clearly a decision that is motivated by George W. Bush’s desire to please the arms and oil industries in the United States of America…When there were white (UN) secretary generals you didn’t find this question of the United States and Britain going out of the United Nations. But now that you’ve had black secretary generals like Boutros Boutros Ghali, like Kofi Annan, they do not respect the United Nations. They have contempt for it… It is the men around him (Cheney and Rumsfeld) who are dinosaurs, who do not want him (President Bush) to belong to the modern age… The only man, the only person who wants to help Bush move to the modern era is Gen. Colin Powell.
"if there is a country that has committed unspeakable atrocities in the world, it is the United States of America...Iraq produces 64 percent of the oil in the world. What Bush wants is to get hold of that oil."
...the people of Asia and Africa have seen through the slanderous campaign conducted by the U.S.A. against the Socialist countries. They know that their independence is threatened not by any of the countries in the Socialist camp but by the U.S.A., who has surrounded their continent with military bases. The Communist bogey is an American stunt to distract the attention of the people of Africa from the real issue facing them, namely, American imperialism. (pp 76)
• One count under the South African Suppression of Communism Act No. 44 of 1950, charging that the accused committed acts calculated to further the achievement of the objective of communism;
• One count of contravening the South African Criminal Law Act (1953), which prohibits any person from soliciting or receiving any money or articles for the purpose of achieving organized defiance of laws and country; and
• Two counts of sabotage, committing or aiding or procuring the commission of the following acts:
1) The further recruitment of persons for instruction and training, both within and outside the Republic of South Africa, in: (a) the preparation, manufacture and use of explosives—for the purpose of committing acts of violence and destruction in the aforesaid Republic, (the preparation and manufacture of explo- sives, according to evidence submitted, included 210,000 hand grenades, 48,000 anti-personnel mines, 1,500 time devices, 144 tons of ammonium nitrate, 21.6 tons of aluminum powder and a ton of black powder); (b) the art of warfare, including guerrilla warfare, and military training generally for the purpose in the aforesaid Republic; (ii) Further acts of violence and destruction, (this includes 193 counts of terrorism committed between 1961 and 1963);
(iii) Acts of guerrilla warfare in the aforesaid Republic;
(iv) Acts of assistance to military units of foreign countries when involving the aforesaid Republic;
(v) Acts of participation in a violent revolution in the aforesaid Republic, whereby the accused, injured, damaged, destroyed, rendered useless or unserviceable, put out of action, obstructed, with or endangered:
(a) the health or safety of the public;
(b) the maintenance of law and order;
(c) the supply and distribution of light, power or fuel;
(d) postal, telephone or telegraph installations;
(e) the free movement of traffic on land; and
(f) the property, movable or immovable, of other persons or of the state.
Source: The State v. Nelson Mandela et al, Supreme Court of South Africa, Transvaal Provincial Division, 1963-1964, Indictment.
Text of the handwritten Manuscript:
HOW TO BE A GOOD COMMUNIST by Nelson Mandela
INTRODUCTION
A Communist is a member of the Communist Party who understands and accepts the theory and practice of Marxism-Leninism as explained by Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin, and who subjects himself to the discipline of the Party. (See notes 1, 2, 3 & 4)
The goal of Communism is a classless society based on the principle: from each according to his ability and to each according to his needs. The aim is to change the present world into a Communist world where there will be no exploiters and no exploited, no oppressor and oppressed, no rich and no poor. Communists fight for a world where there will be no unemployment, no poverty and starvation, disease and ignorance. In such a world there will be no capitalists, no imperialists, no fascists. There will be neither colonies nor wars.
In our own country, the struggles of the oppressed people are guided by the South African Communist Party and inspired by its policies. The aim of the S.A.C.P. is to defeat the Nationalist government and to free the people of South Africa from the evils of racial discrimination and exploitation and to build a classless or socialist society in which the land, the mines, the mills, our....... (unreadable)
Under a Communist Party Government South Africa will become a land of milk and honey. Political, economic and social rights will cease to be enjoyed by Whites only. They will be shared equally by Whites and Non-Whites. There will be enough land and houses for all. There will be no unemployment, starvation and disease.
Workers will earn decent wages; transport will be cheap and education free. There will be no pass laws, no influx control, no Police raids for passes and poll tax, and Africans, Europeans, Coloureds and Indians will live in racial peace and perfect equality.
The victory of Socialism in the U.S.S.R., in the Peoples Republic of China, in Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland and Rumania, where the living conditions of the people were in many respects similar and even worse than ours, proves that we too can achieve this important goal.
Communists everywhere fight to destroy capitalist society and to replace it with Socialism, where the masses of the common people, irrespective of race or colour, will live in complete equality, freedom and happiness. They seek to revolutionise society and are thus called revolutionaries. Those who support capitalism with its class divisions and other evils and who oppose our just struggles to end oppression are called counter revolutionaries.
we Communist Party members are the most advanced revolutionaries in modern history and are the contemporary fighting and driving force in changing society and the world. Revolutionaries exist because counter-revolutionaries still exist. Therefore, to conduct a ceaseless struggle against the counter-revolutionaries constitutes an essential condition for the existence and development of revolutionaries. If they fail to carry on such a struggle, they cannot be called revolutionaries and still less can they advance and develop. It is in the course of this … [that]... members change society, change the world and at the same time change themselves.
THE PROCESS OF SELF-CULTIVATION
The process of self-cultivation involves two elements:
(a) One’s steeling in the practical struggle of the oppressed people, and
(b) the cultivation of one’s ideas.
(a) ONE’S STEELING IN THE PRACTICAL STRUGGLES OF THE OPPRESSED PEOPLE.
To become the most advanced communist revolutionary, it is not enough to understand and accept the theory of Marxism-Leninism. In addition, one must take part in the practical struggles of the people against oppression and exploitation. A person who is isolated from the people’s struggles, an arm-chair politician however deep his knowledge of Marxist theory might be, is not a communist revolutionary.
It is only in the course of such practical struggles that one’s advancement and development is stimulated, that one acquires the necessary experience to guide the masses of the people in their political battles and the art and skill of being a driving force in changing society and the world. It is precisely for this reason that SACP requires its members to participate fully and without reservations in such issues as the Anti-Pass Campaigns, the struggle against Bantu Authorities, against job reservation, the Group Areas Act and in all other mass campaigns.
By consistently taking part in such struggles, Party members who may ……… whatsoever, gain valuable knowledge and get hardened for the stern mass struggles that are part and parcel of the life of every Communist revolutionary.
(b) THE CULTIVATION OF ONE’S IDEAS
Participation (in) practical mass struggles does (not) in itself enable a Party member to raise his revolutionary qualities, nor does it help him to understand the (aims) of the development of society and the laws of the revolution. Progress in one’s revolutionary qualities and knowledge of the laws of social development and the laws of the revolution will be achieved by a thorough understanding of the meaning of Marxism.
It is thus absolutely imperative for all Party members to have to make a serious study of Marxist philosophy and to master it completely. Only in this way will Party members become the most advanced revolutionaries. Only in this way will they advance and develop.
The aim of studying Marxist philosophy is to enable us to direct more effectively revolutionary mass struggles. To put it in a nutshell, Marxism is a guide to action.
Communist Party members must undertake self-cultivation whether they are new members in the Party or old ones, whether they are workers, peasants, businessmen, professional men or intellectuals, and whether they are conducting difficult or easy revolutionary mass campaigns; in victory or defeat.
Finally, self-cultivation must be imaginative and practical, and must be used to eliminate from one’s outlook and conduct unhealthy tendencies which local conditions may give rise to.
South Africa is a country where the Whites dominate politically, economically and socially and where Africans, Coloureds and Indians are treated as inferiors. It is a country torn asunder by racial strife and where black and white chauvinism finds fertile soil in which it thrives and where efforts and appeals for working-class solidarity very often fall on deaf ears.
The pamphlet compiled by the S.A.C.P. to mark the fortieth anniversary of the Communist Party of South Africa which preceded the S.A.C.P. and which was declared illegal in 1950 correctly points out that, in spite of all the formidable difficulties that face it, the C.P.S.A. had in its existence brought about profound changes in the thinking and political outlook of the oppressed people of South Africa. These achievements are being expanded and further developed by the S.A.C.P.; the worthy successor of the C.P.S.A. In spite of these advances, however, there is still the danger that the historical problems and prejudices produced by capitalist society in our country may infiltrate into our Party and influence the political outlook of our Party members.
In cultivating their outlook, our members must consciously strive to remove these particular weaknesses and shortcomings as well.
This is what we mean when we say Party members must undertake self-cultivation
2. HOW TO BECOME THE BEST PUPILS OF MARX, ENGELS, LENIN AND STALIN.
At the beginning of these lectures, we defined a communist as a member of the Communist Party who understands and accepts the theory and practice of Marxism, Leninism as explained by Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin.
Any person may become a member of the Communist Party if he accepts the Programme and Constitution of the Party, pays Party membership fees and undertakes tasks given to him in one of the Party’s organisations. These are called the minimum qualifications that every Party member must possess, but every one of our members should not be content to be a member of minimum qualifications He must strive to become a member of maximum qualifications. Every Party member should raise his revolutionary qualities in every respect to the same level as those of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin.
Some say that it is impossible to acquire the great qualities of revolutionary geniuses like Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin and that it is impossible to raise our own qualities to the same level as theirs. But as long as Party members work hard and earnestly, never allow themselves to be isolated for one single moment from the day to day struggle of the people, and make serious efforts to study Marxist literature, learn from the experiences of other comrades and the masses of the people, and constantly strive to steel and cultivate themselves, they will be perfectly able to raise their qualities to the same level as that of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin.
There are two ways of studying Marxism. One is to learn it by heart and be able to repeat mechanically the information learnt without being able to use this information for the purpose of solving problems. The second is to try to master the essence, spirit and methods of Marxism. In this second category belongs those comrades who read over and over again Marxist literature, who pay special attention to the concrete conditions existing in the country where they live and draw their own conclusions, their …… activities, their attitude towards other comrades and the masses of the people, and the whole of their lives are guided by the principles of Marxism-Leninism and aimed at one thing - national liberation, the victory of the working class, the liberation of mankind, the success of Communism and nothing else.
To reach this goal calls for a supreme effort and an iron will. It means complete dedication to the struggle for the removal of oppression and exploitation and for lifelong dedication to the study of Marxism.
3. THE ASPECTS AND METHODS OF CULTIVATION
Cultivation must be carried out in all aspects in the course of the long and strenuous struggle to free the working class and the masses of the people from capitalist exploitation. Cultivation is needed in studying Marxism and in applying it to answer questions and to solve practical problems, in sharpening one’s class outlook and political thinking, in shaping one’s moral character and behaviour; in hard work and ability to withstand hardship, in preserving the unity of the Party and conducting inner party struggle; in loyalty to the Party and complete dedication to the cause of the Communist Revolution.
The life of a Communist revolutionary is no bed of roses. It consists of serious studies in Marxist literature, of hard work and of constant participation in numerous and endless mass struggles. He has no time for worldly pleasures and his whole life is devoted to one thing, and one thing only, the destruction of capitalist society, the removal of all forms of exploitation and the liberation of mankind.
A Communist revolutionary always combines thought with practice. He studies for the sole purpose of putting into practice what he has learnt. He regards Marxism, as ….. action and takes part fully and without reservation in mass struggles directed by the party or by other political organisation outside of the Party.
In South Africa, a Communist Party member must take part in mass struggles initiated by the S.A.C.P., the Congress movement or by other political bodies within the liberation movement.
4. RELATION BETWEEN THE STUDY OF MARXIST-LENINIST THEORY AND THE IDEOLOGICAL CULTIVATION OF PARTY MEMBERS.
It is commonly thought that one’s intelligence, ability and the study of Marxist text-books are in themselves enough to enable one to master the theory and method of Marxism-Leninism. Nothing could be further from the truth. Dealing with this point, Liu Shao Chu says: -
“Marxism-Leninism is the science of the proletarian revolution. It can be thoroughly understood and mastered only by those who fully take the proletarian standpoint and who adopt the ideals of the proletariat as their own. It is impossible for anyone to thoroughly understand and master the Marxist science of the proletariat only by means of his intellect and strenuous study if he lacks the firm standpoint and …. ideals of the proletariat. This is also an obvious truth. Therefore, in studying the theory and method of Marxism-Leninism today, it is necessary that our study proceeds simultaneously with our ideological cultivation and steeling because without the theory and method of Marxism-Leninism, we should have nothing to guide our thoughts and actions and our ideological cultivation would also be impossible. These two are closely related to each other, and are inseparable.”
We do need Communist Party members who are highly intelligent and who have ability and who make it their business to have a thorough understanding of Marxist theory. But a working class revolution will be carried out successfully by those Party members who, in addition to the characteristics mentioned above, adopt without reservation, the standpoint and ideals of the working class.
Although they may be unable to recite quotations from Marxist textbooks, experience shows that Party members of working class origin have a keener interest and deeper understanding of Marxism-Leninism than those Party members of student origin provided it is explained to them in words they understand. In loyalty to the Party, in discipline and in the handling of practical problems, they often prove more correct and more in conformity with the Principles of Marxism-Leninism than others.
This is so because Party members of working class origin have a firm and pure Communist standpoint and ideals, an objective attitude towards things, and in their minds they have no preconceived ideas whatsoever, and no worries about personal problems or about impure matters.
Party members who lack a firm working class outlook, who have the habits and ….. of other classes and who have personal interests and selfish ideas are not true Communists. As a matter of fact they very often find that Marxist-Leninism principles will clash with their interests, and they invariably try to distort these principles to suit their own personal interests and prejudices.
Every Communist revolutionary must therefore, firmly adopt the standpoint and ideology of the working class. Unless he does this, it is not possible for him to understand the universal truth of Marxism-Leninism.
5. THE CAUSE OF COMMUNISM IS THE GREATEST AND MOST ARDUOUS CAUSE IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND.
On Page One of this section we found out that our aim is to change the present world into a Communist world where there will be no exploiters and exploited, no oppressor and oppressed, no rich and poor. We also make the point that the victory of Socialism in the U.S.S.R., in China and other States in Asia and Eastern Europe proves that a Communist world is capable of attainment. Moreover, since the victory of Socialism in the U.S.S.R. in 1917, the Socialist camp has grown to become a world force with a population of more than 1,000 million and occupying a third of the globe.
But in spite of this victorious advance, the Communist movement still faces powerful enemies which must be crushed and wiped out from the face of the earth before a Communist world can be realised. Without a hard and bitter and long struggle against capitalism and exploitation, there can be no Communist world.
The cause of Communism is the greatest cause in the history of mankind, because it seeks to remove from society all forms of oppression and exploitation to liberate mankind, and to ensure peace and prosperity to all.
A Communist revolution is different from all other revolutions in history. Whereas in other revolutions the seizure of State Power is an end in itself, in a Communist revolution the seizure of State Power by the working class is a means to an end, that end being the total removal of all forms of exploitation, the liberation of mankind by building up a classless society.
Every Communist Party member must possess the greatest courage and revolutionary determination and must be prepared to play his part and carry out all political tasks without fear or hesitation.
In the struggle to transform the present world into a Communist world, we must strive consistently to combine theory with practice.
Finally, WE must live and develop in reality in fighting to change the world, we must start from the very people in close contact with us. We must thoroughly study our own situation and problems, understand them completely and work out appropriate solutions.
6. THE UNCONDITIONAL SUBORDINATION OF THE PERSONAL INTERESTS OF A PARTY MEMBER TO THE INTERESTS OF THE PARTY.
A Communist Party member must subordinate his personal interests to those of the Party. The Communist Party has no interests of its own apart from those of the working class. Therefore, the subordination of a Party member’s personal interests to the Party’s interests means subordination to the interests of the working class.
We test a Communist Party member’s loyalty to the Party, to the revolution and the Communist cause by the manner in which he absolutely and unconditionally subordinates his interests to those of the Party under all circumstances. To sacrifice one’s personal interests and even one’s life without hesitation for the cause of the Party is the highest manifestation of Communist ethics.
In the Party our members should not have personal aims independent of the Party’s interests. The desire for personal power and positions, individual heroism, conflict with the interests of the Party and the working class.
A true communist should possess the following characteristics: (i) He must posses very good Communist ethics.
He can show love and loyalty to all his Comrades, revolutionaries and working people, help them unconditionally, treat them with equality and never harm any one of them.
He always tries to do more revolutionary work than others and to fight harder. In times of adversity he will stand out courageously and unflinchingly and, in the face of difficulties he will demonstrate the greatest sense of responsibility. He is able to resist corruption by riches or honours, to resist tendencies to vacillate in spite of poverty and lowly states and to refuse to yield in spite of threats of force. (ii) He possess(es) the greatest courage. He can see his mistakes and shortcomings and has sufficient willpower to correct them. At all times and under all circumstances he speaks the truth and nothing but the truth. He courageously fights for it even when it is temporarily to his disadvantage to do so. (iii) He has a thorough understanding of the theory and method of Marxism-Leninism. He has an objective attitude. (iv) He is the most sincere, most candid and happiest of men. Apart from the interests of the Party and of the revolution he has no personal losses or gains or other things to worry about. He takes care not to do wrong things when he works independently and without supervision and when there is ample opportunity for him to do all kinds of wrong things.
He does not fear criticism from others and he can courageously and sincerely criticise others. (v) He possesses the highest self-respect and self-esteem. For the interest of the party and of the revolution, he can also be the most lenient, most tolerant and most ready to compromise and he will even endure if necessary, various forms of humiliation and injustice without feeling hurt or bearing grudges.
The Communist Party represents not only the interests of individual Party members but also the long-range interests of the entire body of workers and the emancipation of mankind; the Communist Party has no other interests and aims. The Party must not be regarded as a narrow small group like a guild which seeks only the personal interests of its members. Whoever holds such a view is not a Communist.
A member of our Party is no longer just an ordinary person. He is a conscious vanguard fighter of the working class. He should prove himself a conscious living representative of the interests and ideology of the working class. He should thoroughly merge his personal interests and aims in the general interests and aims of the Party and the working class.
A communist revolutionary has his personal interests and the Party should neither eliminate his personality nor prevent personal development, as long as these do not conflict with the interests of the Party.
This is what is meant by the unconditional subordination of the personal interest of a Party member to the interests of the Party.
7. EXAMPLES AND ORIGIN OF THE VARIOUS KINDS OF ERRONEOUS IDEOLOGIES IN THE PARTY. (i) People who join the Communist Party come from different classes of society and bring with them various habits which often clash with the basic tenets of Marxism-Leninism. Because these people do not have a firm and clear cut Communist outlook they very often waver and even desert the Party when they are faced with danger or difficulties.
The Party must pay particular attention to the education, steeling and self-cultivation of such comrades since without them, they cannot develop to be true Communists. No Communist Party anywhere in the world limits its membership only to those who have a thorough understanding of Communism. The Party will admit any person who accepts the programme of the Party and its Constitution. By serious study and hard work such comrades can develop into excellent Communists ready to give their lives for the Party and the Communist cause …. individualism and self interests in their work. In their attitude and work they place their personal interests above the Party’s interests, they worry about personal gains, they use the Party for their own personal interests.
They always want special treatment, less work and more pay. They avoid hard work and hardship; and will disappear at the first signs of danger, and yet they will want to share the honours won by their comrades for the Party through sacrifice and hard work.
Individualism frequently expresses itself in unprincipled discussions and disputes, factional struggles and in sectarian tendencies and in undermining Party discipline. A closely related mistake is that of departmentalism, in which a comrade sees only partial interests, sees only his part of the work instead of seeing the situation as a whole and of the work of others. It often leads to obstruction and must be avoided. (iii) Others show conceit, individual heroism and like to show off. Liu Shao Chi says of these people: -
The first consideration of people with such ideas is their position in the Party. They like to show off, and want others to flatter them and admire them. They have a personal ambition to become leaders. They take advantage of their abilities and like to claim credit; to show off themselves; to keep everything in their hands and they are intolerant. They are full of vanity, do not want to keep their heads in hard work and are unwilling to do technical work. They are haughty. When they have made some small achievements they become very arrogant and domineering as if there were no one else like them in the world. They seek to overshadow others and cannot treat others on equal terms, modestly and politely. They are self conceited and like to lecture others, to instruct and boss others. They are always trying to climb above others, and do not accept directions from others, do not learn modestly from others and …….. from the masses, nor do they accept criticism from others. They like to be “promoted” but cannot stand being “demoted”.
“They can only work in fair weather but not in foul. They cannot bear attacks on injustices and are unable to adapt themselves to circumstances. They are no great men capable of asserting themselves when necessary or of keeping in the background when required. They have not yet got rid of their deep-rooted “desire for fame” and they try to build themselves up into “great men” and “heroes” in the Communist cause, and even have no scruples in employing any means for the gratification of such desires. However, when their aims cannot be achieved, when they …….. treatment from comrades in the Party, there is a possible danger of their wavering. In the minds of such persons there exists remnants of the ideology of the exploiting classes. They do not understand the greatness of Communism, nor do they have the broad vision of a Communist.
A Communist should have none of these shortcomings. Whoever possesses such weaknesses does not understand Communism and cannot rise to become as great as Lenin. In the Communist Party leaders achieve success through mass support. Mass support is earned by those Party members who have no personal interests as against those of the working class and the Party who are completely loyal to the Party, who have a high degree of Communist ethics and revolutionary qualities, who strive to master the theory and methods of Marxism-Leninism, who have considerable practical ability, who can actually direct Party work, who are not afraid of serious study and love work, and who become heroes and leaders in the Communist revolution because of the confidence and support they enjoy from the masses of the people.
The struggle to change the …….. world into a Communist world cannot be carried out by one person however able he may be and however hard he works. It can be carried out successfully only by the planned and combined efforts of millions of people.
Some Party members are contemptuous of technical work within the Party. Such an attitude is incorrect because technical work forms an important part of Party work and because a Party member should be ready and willing to do any work which is important to the Party whether or no(t) he likes to do such work. (iv) Other comrades within the Party reflect the ideology of the exploiting classes. In their Party work and in their relations with other Party members they behave like landlords, capitalists, and fascists.
These persons seek to develop themselves by holding down others. They are jealous of those who are more capable. They are not prepared to work under other comrades or to take instructions. They secretly rejoice when other comrades fail in their political tasks and in their moral standards and conduct. They indulge in gossip and spread false information about their comrades. These are the characteristics of exploiting classes and are …….. the working class and the Party. They should be fought and exposed wherever they are found.
The working class is entirely different from the exploiting class. It does not exploit others nor does its interests conflict with those of the Party and other workers of exploited masses.
The outlook and thinking of the working class are altogether different from those of the exploiting classes. In dealing with the enemies of the people they are merciless and uncompromising, but in dealing with their comrades they are always inspired by love and the desire to assist. They are strict with themselves but lenient towards other comrades. They are strict and firm on matters of principle and always adopt a frank and serious attitude. This is the outlook of the working class and should be learnt and developed by every Party member. (v) Some comrades still have bureaucratic tendencies. They like to run the Party by issuing edicts and directives without …….. without taking into account the views of other comrades. They resent criticism and are very harsh in dealing with other comrades. Such weaknesses are unmarxist and every communist should strive to overcome them completely.
Furthermore a Party member should be broad minded and concern himself always with the overall situation when dealing with problems. He should avoid pettiness and unprincipled discussion. He should have …….. standpoint and not a fence sitter.
Although the Communist Party is the most progressive of all political parties, and although it fights for a society which guarantees happiness and prosperity to millions of people, not everything in it is perfect. In spite of the fact that its members are the world’s most conscious and progressive revolutionaries with the highest sense of morality and righteousness, there are still defects in the Party and some of its members do not measure up to the qualifications of a Communist revolutionary. The explanation for this state of affairs lies in the fact that every Communist Party member emerges out of the very society whose evils it seeks to remove. Its members come from the various classes of that society and some of them bring into the Party the habits, prejudices and outlook on life of the class from which they came. It is precisely for this reason that Communist Party members must undertake self-cultivation.
In addition to waging struggles against counter-revolutionary forces, the Party must carry on inner-Party struggles against those comrades who are still influenced by the outlook and prejudices of the exploiting classes.
The working class is commonly referred to as the proletariat. The working class can be divided into three groups: (i) The first group is composed of those who completely severed their ties with the capitalist class years ago. This is the core of the working class and are the most loyal and reliable. (ii) The second group consists of those who only recently came from the non-working class, who came from the …….. the middle class and the …….. They are usually anarchistic and ultra-left. (iii) The third group is composed of the working class aristocracy, those working class members who are best provided for, who earn high wages and whose economic position is comparatively high. They compromise easily with the enemies of the people, with the capitalist class.
Every Party member should aim to be the most loyal and reliable to the cause of Communism and to have a firm and clear-cut working class outlook. 8. THE ATTITUDE TOWARDS VARIOUS ERRONEOUS IDEOLOGIES IN THE PARTY AND INNER PARTY STRUGGLE.
Some Party members have a pessimistic view on things and they see errors, defects and a future beset with formidable difficulties and dangers. The growing strength of the socialist camp, the power influence exerted by our Party in our own country and the certainty of the final victory of Communism over Capitalism inspire them with no hope in the future.
Others see only victory and progress, and fail altogether to notice defects and errors in the Party. They become dizzy with success, become blindly optimistic and become less vigilant.
Both views are un-marxist. A Communist Party member knows that the Communist Party is the most progressive and most revolutionary Party in the world. He has complete confidence in the future and he dedicates his entire career to the cause of Communism. In spite of this knowledge he realises most clearly that in our Party there are still various kinds of errors, defects and undesirable things. A Party member clearly understands the origin of these errors and the method to be used in removing them. The following are the various kinds of attitudes towards undesirable things in the Party: (i) To enjoy seeing errors and defects in the Party and to magnify them to undermine the Party. This is the attitude of spies and similar elements within the Party. (ii) Some people consider that the existence of errors and defects in the Party is to their advantage and they deliberately help to spread them and to make use of them. This is the attitude adopted by opportunists and similar elements within the Party. (iii) To leave these errors and defects undisturbed instead of fighting against them. This is the course followed by those members who have but a weak sense of duty towards the Party and who have bureaucratic tendencies. (iv) To harbour violent hatred towards errors and defects and towards Party members whose political outlook is incorrect. They believe in bitter struggles among Party members and expel their comrades at the slightest pretext. This is the method used by Party comrades who do not correctly understand the methods of correcting mistakes and weakness amongst comrades.
All these attitudes are incorrect and dangerous and should be scrupulously avoided by Communists. Our own attitude is as follows: - (i) We first analyse the situation most thoroughly and decide which views are correct and which of them are incorrect and dangerous to the Party. Once we are convinced of the correct opinion we firmly uphold it to the bitter end and no matter how strong the opposition and how influential the individuals who hold the opposite point of view. (ii) Having carefully analysed the situation and having decided which is the correct opinion, we then devote our attention to the promotion and development of the correct viewpoint. We never allow ourselves to be influenced by an incorrect point of view. (iii) Communists are men of action. In promoting and developing the correct viewpoint we also fight actively against all the undesirable things in life. A Party member who is afraid of action and hard struggle, however brilliant he might be, can never be a Communist revolutionary. A Communist must always and under all circumstances, be ready and willing to conduct an active struggle against all forms of reaction. (iv) Although a Communist never compromises on questions of principle, he never adopts an inflexible and mechanical attitude in his methods of struggle. The aim is always to reform and educate those comrades who still possess non-Communist tendencies. (v) The elimination of undesirable tendencies in the Party and the building up of revolutionary qualities in our members enhances the discipline and prestige of the Party. Those Party members who fail to respond to the most patient persuasion and to efforts to educate and reform them, should be expelled from the Party.
As indicated at the very beginning of this series, a Communist is a member of the Communist Party who understands and accepts the theory and practice of Marxism-Leninism as expounded by Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin, and who subjects himself to the discipline of the Party. A good Communist is therefore one who: (i) Is a member of the Communist Party who is absolutely faithful and loyal to the Party, who obeys without question all Party rules and regulations and who carries out all instructions issued by the Party. (ii) Has thoroughly studied the works of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin, who understands them clearly and who knows how to carry out their teachings in the struggles of the people to defeat capitalism and all forms of exploitation. (iii) Devotes all his time to one thing, and one thing only, the struggle against Capitalism and for a Communist world. (iv) In their relations with Party comrades are always inspired by love and sincere friendship and the desire to be helpful. (v) Are honest and upright and who are prepared to defend the truth at all times and under all circumstances.
Such is a good Communist. DIALECTICAL MATERIALISM Dialectical Materialism is the revolutionary philosophy of the Communist Party and the working class.
Dialectical Materialism was founded by Marx and Engels and is discussed and explained in the works of Lenin and other prominent leaders of the Communist Movement.
It is a dialectical philosophy because it studies things concretely and objectively and because its approach on all things in nature is always based on data established through scientific investigation and experience.
It is materialistic because it holds the view that the world is by its very nature material and that the numerous things and processes we see in the world constitute different forms of matter in motion.
In ancient times dialectics was the art of arriving at the truth by disclosing the contradictions in the argument of an opponent and solving these contradictions. This dialectical method of establishing truth was later extended to the study of nature. Using the dialectical method of study and investigation, mankind discovered that all things in nature are always in motion and always changing, and that nature develops as the result of contradictions in nature itself.
DIALECTICAL METHOD The dialectical method has four main features: (1) The dialectical method considers that nothing can be understood taken by itself in isolation from other things or from its surrounding circumstances. A thing must always be studied and understood in relation to its environment or circumstances. (2) The dialectical method considers everything as in a state of continuous movement and change, of renewal and development, where something is always arising and developing and something always falls into pieces or is dying away. (3) The dialectical method holds that the process of development should be understood as an onward and upward movement, as a transition from an old qualitative state to a new qualitative state, as a development from the simple to the complex, from the lower to the higher. (4) The dialectical method holds that internal contradictions are inherent in all things in nature. Everything has its positive and negative side, a past and future. In nature there is always something dying away and something developing. The struggle between the opposites, between the positive and the negative, between the past and the future, between the old |
’s about backing up one standout game with another, not a standout game followed by a 7/10 performance. It needs to be 9/10.”
Lancaster also emphasised he had not picked Myler as his third fly-half behind Owen Farrell and George Ford on a whim. “Game management is one of the key things we look for in our fly-halves. An accurate kicking game, goal-kicking … Stephen Myler probably tops those stats. The message Danny and Freddie have both received is that everything is important. Consistency of skill execution, taking the ball to the line, goal-kicking, finding touch.
“Everything becomes part of your picture as a coach. Our players have to be very good at everything.”
Lancaster hinted that Brad Barritt and Kyle Eastmond would be England’s starting centres against New Zealand at Twickenham on 8 November.
Chris Robshaw has been reappointed as England’s captain for the QBE autumn series, with Lancaster suggesting the former Harlequins captain would be suitably motivated by people questioning his place in the team. “He is tough, he is resilient and he always responds to a challenge. That brings the best out of him, I think.”
The head coach warned England supporters not to underestimate Australia, who have confirmed Michael Cheika as their new coach on a three-year contract.
“He’ll bring an intensity to the team that will make them formidable opponents in November,” Lancaster said. “We don’t see them as being weakened … they are going to be very difficult to beat.”
• This article was amended on 24 October 2014. An earlier version referred to Chris Robshaw as “the Harlequins captain”.It is said that if you reach for the Moon and miss, you will at least end up among the stars.
And for people hoping to shed the pounds next year, setting out with unrealistic expectations could be the key to losing weight.
A study of 24,000 obese people, who were on a 12 month slimming programme found those who set themselves an ambitious ‘dream weight’ target dropped an average of three stones - around 19 per cent of their body weight.
In contrast, slimmers who set themselves ‘achievable’ goals lost far less.
The study, carried out by the University of Nottingham on behalf of Slimming World, challenges NHS advice that overweight and obese people should aim to lose 5 to 10 per cent of their body weight.
Instead, authors say slimmers planning a New Year purge should ‘shoot for the Moon’ to gain the best results, and are calling for a review of the current guidance.RUSH: Okay, folks, let’s just get straight to it. For people watching this debate last night through the usual prism, through the standard inside-the-Beltway, insider establishment elite circles, if you watched the debate with that as your life experience, with that defining your expectations and that defining your analysis and commentary, Hillary Clinton won this debate in a knockout. If that’s how you watch these things.
And that’s how the Drive-Bys see it. That’s how party officials see it. That’s how elected officials see it. That is how people inside the Beltway in the business of politics saw the debate last night overall. At the end of the night, most people don’t want to say it, but Hillary Clinton won in a knockout. The Drive-Bys all think so, and so do many others. Why? Well, because, Hillary was a perfect insider Washington politician.
She spoke in robotic devotion to the meaningless political prattling, going on and on about her plan for this and her plan for that, and this plan over here. And all of the experts who’ve looked at her plan and say it’s the best plan, and all the experts that have looked at his plan and say it’s the worst plan. And then we got the obligatory takedown of trickle-down economics for about the gazillionth time in 30 years. We got the obligatory takedown of the rich aren’t paying their fair share for I don’t know how many umpteenth million times Democrat politicians have been preaching that in the last 30 years.
It was boring. It was robotic. It was almost, especially the first 20 minutes, Hillary Clinton was blindsided, she didn’t know what had hit her, maybe the first 30 minutes. She looked out of it. She looked rattled. She looked like she wasn’t prepared for the way Trump was behaving and what Trump had to say. She was totally programmed. She was programmed to wait for openings either provided by Trump or provided by Lester Holt. She was waiting for memorized zingers to be implemented and used.
She was exactly what people are fed up with. In terms of the insider nature of Washington politics, the professional politician aspect of Washington politics, insincere, say it because it sounds good. Don’t say who you really are, by all means, don’t announce what you’re really for, never get into any specifics. All you do is try to character assassinate your opponent using the assistance of the moderator. We knew all of this going in. The question is, is that how people, voters, saw this last night?
I’ll take you back to the Republican primaries. Donald Trump in the Republican primary debates was just like he was last night. And after every Republican primary debate all of these people in the establishment, the elites, the ruling class inside Washington politics, the professional politicians, you name them, after every debate people were shocked and embarrassed and angry and thought Trump had just finally destroyed himself. And after each debate everybody was shocked to learn that Trump had not done that. That Trump was continuing to build his momentum, he was continuing to attract new voters, in defiance of everything the insiders considered to be common sense.
And last night Trump was who he was. There are many Trump supporters — I don’t know many — some Trump supporters — angry that he didn’t seem to take it more seriously and to end up being more prepared. I’ll get into pitch-by-pitch analysis of this in just a second. I mean, he swung and missed at a bunch of hanging curveballs last night. And it was frustrating to all kinds of people, particularly on his side, who really wanted him to take her out last night and just be done with this.
There were people hoping that she wouldn’t be able to remain vertical for 90 minutes. The fact that they pulled that off disappointed people. I even had somebody say, “Man, they made her look like Margaret Thatcher! Can you believe it? They hate Margaret Thatcher, and look how they had her hair and her makeup!” The way people watch these things is fascinating to me. I was peppered, as you can imagine. I had the world emailing me with their thoughts.
And I can’t described for you the overwhelming pessimism that I was greeted with last night by Trump supporters who thought, “Oh, my…” They were so hepped up, they were so jazzed, they were so ready, and then they said they ended up being so disappointed. And I think people are continuing to make what apparently is an unavoidable mistake. You cannot look at this debate as you would look at Romney versus Obama, or Bush versus Kerry, or Bush versus Gore, or Hillary versus Bernie, or Hillary versus Obama. Trump changes all of that.
Here you have 30 years in public life.
By the way, I was very honored last night that Trump used my point a couple of times, that she’s been in public life 30 years, and what is there to show for it? She has been complaining and whining about the same things for 30 years. The rich are not paying their fair share, trickle-down economics doesn’t work, you name it. This woman’s been complaining about it for 30 years and promising to fix it for 30 years, and here we are 30 years later and it’s like just like it is her first day in public life before she’s announcing what she’s gonna do.
What has she accomplished in these 30 years? Literally diddly-squat, other than goofing up and messing up for the most part what she touches. There were ample opportunities for that to be pointed out last night. Trump got some of them, and he missed others. If I had to offer a singular criticism of Trump — and, by the way, let me say at the outset, I don’t think that this changed anything last night in terms of stopping Trump’s momentum.
He did not commit the giant gaffe or faux pas that would make his supporters rethink it. Nothing like that happened. He might have left them wanting more, but he didn’t disappoint them. So there was no great shift in momentum last night, nothing of such magnitude that would cause anybody to rethink on Trump’s side what he’s doing. And, in fact, to prove my point that people see this and are looking at this in totally different ways than the political professionals and even average Americans who pay attention to politics…
You can’t avoid the way the Drive-Bys look at this. That’s what the news is every day, and so it’s easy to get caught up in this. But people don’t see Trump the way they see insider politicians and they’re not judging Trump that way. They’re not judging Trump on debate points. They’re not judging Trump on knowledge here, knowledge there. They’re not judging Trump on the standard ways we measure traditional Washington politicians.
“How much have they got done? How much do they say they’re gonna do? How much are their promises worth?” He’s not judged that way. He represents something entirely different, especially in the eyes of his supporters. Do you realize how much shock there is…? By the way, this is almost a replica of Republican Party primaries. You can find stories all over this country where large and small news organizations assemble focus groups of anywhere from 12 to 42 people.
In the vast majority of them, Trump was judged to be the winner and even some Hillary voters said, “I can’t vote for her after this.” Trump — in a lot of places in this country, in a lot of focus groups sponsored by Drive-By Media outlets — actually appears to have gained support. Nobody watching that debate last night will possibly understand that. Nobody will be able to make sense of it because they don’t know. They still haven’t, after almost… Well, it’s over a year now. They still haven’t learned to analyze and judge Trump’s support base, who they are and why they support him.
They continue to make the mistake of not studying it, not analyzing it, not figuring it out — and, as such, plugging Trump into the system they are accustomed to and comfortable with and proclaiming him to be a failure in it. Well, he’s not a 30-year career politician. He doesn’t have a 30-year career political record. He doesn’t have a 30-year experience of running for office and being in debates or any of that. And yet he’s being judged the same way they would judge Hillary Clinton or anybody else who’s been in that business for 30 years.
And they’re making a very grave tactical error doing so because that’s how they conclude that Trump got snookered. They conclude that Trump was embarrassingly defeated last night and it may have been the beginning of the end. And they couldn’t be more wrong. And they’re gonna be shocked and stunned more than likely when they find out the next series of polls come out that this did not hurt Trump and, in fact, did not stop his momentum.
They’re gonna be scratching their heads like they have been scratching their heads about Trump since he got into the race. It’s amazing how some of this is beginning to play out exactly as did it during the Republican primaries. Now, it was a given going in — a lot of people’s given going in — that Hillary was gonna win in traditional debate points. And here’s why it was a given. She’s done it before. That’s how she studies and prepares, and winning in debate points, in the business of politics, is a must. And that’s how you study and prepare, and that’s how you want to be judged when it’s over.
Well, there’s no question she was going to be judged the winner by people on her side in the Drive-By Media and from the moderator. They were going to proclaim her everything they want her to be — more experienced, more knowledgeable, all of that — which doesn’t matter a hill of beans to a sizable portion of people in this country. The question is, we don’t know how many, and it will be defined and determined for us on November 8th, on Election Day.
But I maintain to you a majority of people watching last night were not watching to see who won in traditional debate ways. The people interested in this presidential election are not judging what they saw last night the way media spinmeisters are going to judge this and spin it. I’ll give you an example. One of the early themes of the post-debate analysis last night no matter where you went… Fox News, CNN, PMSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC, wherever you went, one of the early narratives was, “Oh, my God, I can’t believe how much Trump was on the defensive.
“Oh, my God, did you see what happened? That’s the last thing any of us ever expected. It’s very tough to recover, Karl! It’s very tough to recover, Brian.” This is them talking to each other. “Being on the defensive, it was so easy. Hillary put him on defense the whole debate. After the first 20 minutes, she owned it. She was inside his head and had him twisting and reeling, and he was doing nothing but defending himself.”
That’s not what happened. Well, it may be what happened; it’s not how it was seen. I don’t expect to be listened to on this. But what the Drive-Bys and the people that create these narratives don’t understand is Trump… When they see Trump on defense, when they see Trump in a defensive posture, his supporters see Trump attacking. His supporters see Trump defending in ways the Republican Party hasn’t in a long time. They see Trump standing up for them. They see Trump standing up for himself.
They see Trump standing up against Hillary and throwing it right back at her. It may look like he’s defensive to these inside-the-politics Beltway pros, but to Trump supporters he’s on the attack. The first 20, 30 minutes of this debate last night she literally looked blindsided. First 20, 30 minutes, it’s key. The whole debate matters, too, but the first 20, 30 minutes are key. She was blindsided. She looked totally deer-in-the-headlight eyes frequently.
She looked unprepared. She was speaking in robotic ways. Trump was criticizing her and attacking her in ways the Republican Party hasn’t gone after a Democrat, particularly the Clintons, ever. And the reason there is frustration aimed at Trump today is because people wished he would have continued doing so throughout the entire debate. As I say, two or three hanging curveballs. Trump sent out a tweet the end of the debate complaining…
“Complaining.” He was noticing no questions on Benghazi, on the Clinton Foundation, on speeches to the banks. That’s right, Donald. You’re supposed to bring that up yourself. You don’t wait for the topic. You don’t wait for the question to be asked. You bring it up. Benghazi? It was a hanging curveball. The Clinton Crime Family Foundation? A hanging curveball. Earning $20 million in two years doing speeches to banks at 250 grand a pop? It was hanging curveball. It was right there whether Lester Holt mentioned or not.
I also don’t have a lot of patience for people complaining about Lester Holt ’cause they told you going in this was gonna happen. Everybody knew it. Lester was under pressure from the Drive-Bys to “fact check.” That just means put his opinion in there. We had no doubt about it that
Lester Holt was gonna opinionate. We had no doubt. He was a Drive-By Media anchor. He’s a Democrat Party hack in disguise as a journalist. They all are. Everybody from Trump to his team to everybody should have known that Lester Holt was gonna make it tougher on Trump than he was gonna do on Hillary.
There weren’t any surprises last night. Nobody should have been blindsided by what happened at all. Get mad at it. Get frustrated. You shouldn’t be surprised. The Drive-By Media is who they are. Lester Holt’s who he is. Debate moderators do what they do in these circumstances. And there’s two more. There are two more of these. Trump’s only gonna get better at it. Mark my words. And Hillary still has to get through two more of these. Anyway, I have to take a break here, folks. That somewhat sets the table covering my original thoughts on this.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: After practically every primary debate, after every Republican primary debate, there was an election. And Trump won after supposedly embarrassing himself, after supposedly demonstrating that he’s not seriously studying issues, after demonstrating supposedly that he’s phoning it in. After showing that he’s uncouth and all this, he ends up winning practically every primary following those debates. Well, there isn’t an election after these debates until November.
So the Drive-Bys are not going to have evidence other than their precious polling data, and they can gin that however they wish to in the way they ask the questions — and, as we’ve learned, how they analyze the data. The one thing that stood out for me last night… As I was watching this, I was trying to watch this thing not falling into the trap of watching it within the confines and through the prism of how we usually watch these.
Trump changes all of this. Every day of the campaign, Trump changes this. And you can say whatever you want about Trump missing golden opportunities, whiffing at hanging curveballs, letting Hillary off the hook, the rigged nature of the moderator and so forth. But one thing came through crystal clear last night: Donald Trump showed everybody and reminded many that he is not of the system.
He is not a Washington insider, and he is not responsible for any of the mess or messes that exist today. On the other hand, Hillary Clinton showed that that is exactly who she is. Hillary Clinton demonstrated she is the quintessential politician for life, in it for herself. The question is what it’s always been: Are people tired of the system and want an outsider or do they want to stick with the system? And we are not gonna know until November.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: No, it’s not complicated. What I’m trying to tell you is that Donald Trump’s supporters are not gonna abandon him because he didn’t mention Benghazi. They’re not gonna abandon him because he didn’t mention the email server. They’re not gonna abandon Trump because they’re disappointed that he didn’t mention the Clinton Foundation. That’s not how this works.
But yet I watch every Drive-By Media analyst talking about this, “Yeah, you know, Trump, he had that low-hanging fruit, and he didn’t mention it.” So what? You really think Trump supporters are gonna abandon him and go vote for her because of that? That’s not how people watch these things, and particularly ardent supporters. Trump’s ardent supporters are disappointed because they wanted him to take her out last night, and she survives to do another debate.
He had ample opportunity to just wipe the floor with her and didn’t do it. But it doesn’t mean they’re gonna abandon him. That’s not why they support him first place. The traditional way these debates are analyzed and judged and scored has always baffled me. I don’t care where it happens, they all do it because they can’t help it. It’s their business. They analyze this the same way sports commentators analyze a single play in football or a game and try to project the meaning of one game onto whether or not a team is gonna win the Super Bowl.
You just can’t do it that way. And you can’t also say that because Victor Cruz didn’t have an eight reception 100-yard day that the people want the Giants to get rid of him. It just doesn’t work that way. But yet you to listen these analysts go down every potential way that Trump blew it. Okay, maybe he did blow it from your perspective, but what does it mean? People are not at home watching this the way you people do.
And, look, I don’t even really mean this to be a criticism. It’s just the way the Drive-Bys and professional newspeople do things. It’s their business to keep viewers interested. It’s their business to make viewers think they know what they’re talking about. It’s their business to make viewers think that they know more than the viewers do. So they’ll take this debate last night and they’ll play sound bites and they’ll say, “You see what Trump should have said, and he didn’t say this.”
So, what does it mean? Absent a major gaffe — and what would it take for Trump to make a major gaffe at this stage? I’ll tell you what it would have to be something like. Trump would have to do or say something that would convince a large number of his supporters that he’d been lying to them from the get-go on this. It’s that kind of gaffe that he’s gonna have to commit. But a gaffe of omission or not even a gaffe, a refusal to make a point — but here’s another thing, folks, that I’ve always wondered about, too.
I’m gonna use Mr. Snerdley as an example, just to tell the story. I’m the being critical of Mr. Snerdley. Everybody does this. He came in here, he’s talking about it. He starts listing off specific things that Trump should have said here and should have said there. And I said, “Well, it seems you already know it. Why did Trump have to say it?” Everybody demanding that Trump say something, they already know it anyway. So what difference would it have made? Well, the difference it would have really revved up his supporters if he’d gone after Hillary a little bit more, if he would have not missed those hanging curveballs.
But it doesn’t mean that his supporters think he’s an idiot. It doesn’t mean that his supporters think he’s not qualified. It doesn’t mean that his supporters are gonna throw him overboard because he failed to do a couple things they were really wishing he would do. Now, if they really thought Trump didn’t know that she’s got a foundation problem, and if they thought Trump didn’t know that she’s got an email scandal brewing around her and that that’s why he didn’t mention it, well, that’s a different thing. But Trump knows all of this. We all do. We all know every reason in the world not to elect this woman. Trump knows it, you know it, I know it, and half of Hillary’s supporters know it.
I’ll give you another example. I’m watching CNN today. This is classic. This is a classic illustration of the type of inside-the-Beltway analysis these people give that’s totally missing the point in relating to people that watched the debate last night. I don’t know who it was, doesn’t matter who it was, it could have happened on any network. I know it was CNN but it could have happened anywhere. They were discussing how Trump blew it when Lester Holt went to the topic of race.
So I guess to myself, “Well, what are they gonna say as evidence that Trump blew it?” And here it was. Somebody on CNN said, “When the first question, when you are asked the first question about race problems in America, the last thing you say,” as though this is the stupidest thing Trump did all night, “the last thing you say is ‘law and order.’ And then to the compound that mistake by talking about stop-and-frisk,” and then they went on to talk about how out of touch Trump is and that that is the evidence of it. And that he’s a bonehead idiot, over-his-head, unqualified, has no idea what he’s doing, is a total embarrassment to people, ’cause the last thing you should ever say when you are asked about race relations is law and order? Why, doesn’t Trump know how insulting that is?
And that, to me, is as good an example I could find of the disconnect that exists in Washington, inside the Beltway and the rest of the country. From Charlotte to Baltimore to Ferguson to Dallas to Tulsa to Fort Hood, wherever you want to go where there is civil unrest, if you don’t think the people in these towns are fed up and want a little law and order and want somebody talking instead of coddling the bad guys, instead of making excuses for the bad, instead of politically correct telling us that we must stop our criticism and we must understand the rage.
People are fed up with it. Law and order doesn’t seem to be a focus for the Democrat Party. The Democrat Party seems to be focused and aiming at law. The Democrat Party seems to be on the side of disorder. The Democrat Party seems to be compassionate, understanding, and tolerant of the people who are provoking law and order.
So for Trump to see all of these race riots and these protests as a law-and-order issue just happens to be bull’s-eye for I don’t know how many millions of Americans. But what they meant at CNN, anybody else who said this, the last thing you’re supposed to when the subject race comes up is talking about law and order.
What they think Trump should have done is taken the opportunity to convey to people that he realizes police departments are out of control, and he should have made the effort to do whatever it took to pander to African-Americans because he’s gonna need some of them to win. He’s gonna need to take some of them away from Hillary, so instead of actually honestly answering this and dealing with it as he sees it as an issue, he should have pandered like everybody else inside the establishment does every day.
He should have pandered to the civil rights coalition. He should have pandered to people like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. He should have pandered to Black Lives Matter. He should have done whatever it takes not to make them mad, because he’s going to need the African-American vote. And everybody of course knows the African-American vote is monolithic, and it is going to always side with rioters and protesters and so forth.
I think there might be other examples which are as good, but this is as front and center in my memory as anything from last night is. Because on the other side you have a got Hillary saying we’re all racists, we’re all deplorable. She said it. Last night, we all, this country, we all are racists from one day to the next, one time or another, we all have this racial problem.
And for Trump to see it as a law-and-order problem, what they mean by that is that Trump has no sensitivity to the complaints of African-Americans or minorities. Trump doesn’t even know what they’re upset about, and he doesn’t care and he’s so bullheaded and he’s so obtuse and he’s so out of it that he doesn’t realize what a gigantic faux pas it was to talk about law and order when he was asked about race relations.
What they don’t understand is that for all of our lives, I don’t care how old you are, for all of our lives we have been getting the Democrat Party recipe for dealing with racial problems and all that’s happening is they are getting worse. Hillary Clinton hasn’t been able to do anything about it, Barack Obama has not been able to do anything about it, the Democrat Party has not improved race relations whatsoever, and yet we are all supposed to kowtow and behave the way they do and the way they want us to. And if we don’t, then we’re racists and bigots and whatever else.
Law and order is a fundamentally, crucially important issue to gazillions of people in this country because there doesn’t seem to be enough of it. But inside the Beltway or inside the establishment, however you want to quantify, qualify these people, whatever club they’re in, they don’t see that at all. It’s an example of the huge, huge disconnect. The people in the system running the country have no idea what’s really on the minds of American voters.
And to this day I’m convinced they don’t really understand why Trump has the support he has. They’ve got their theories, and they chalk most of it up to bigotry. They chalk most of it up to racism. They chalk most of it up to, “Well, his supporters are a bunch of idiots or they’re Nazis or they’re skinheads or they’re what have you.” It’s condescending, it is insulting, it is arrogant, and it’s so far from being accurate that they are, I think, at great peril.
They think they won big last night. They think Hillary just smoked Trump. They think it’s a grand-slam home run. I’m already seeing stories, “Can Trump Recover?” Well, let’s see if last night even stops his momentum. They’ve gotta do that first, and I don’t know that anything that happened last night’s gonna derail his momentum.
They all think Hillary did great ’cause she mentioned this fact checker business. Has anything ever been more telegraphed than this whole fact checker thing was? All day yesterday and all day Sunday and all day Monday, all we heard about was, “Lester better fact check. He better fact check.” So all the Drive-Bys announce they’re gonna be fact-checking, and what does Hillary do? Every time Trump says something, Hillary says, “Ha-ha, the fact-checkers are gonna have the fun with that.”
The fix was in. They were all alike. Don’t think people don’t notice this and see it. They’re sitting there thinking, “This election’s over again, folks.” Some of them are. Some of them are thinking Hillary dispatched Trump. Hillary didn’t dispatch anybody. Trump missed a couple of great, great opportunities, two or three of ’em. And because of that they’re concluding that Trump’s out of his league and doesn’t know what he’s doing.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: I’ll tell you something else. You talk about Trump missing low-hanging fruit. So did Hillary last night. Now, the Drive-Bys cannot possibly conceive of this. But what has been Hillary’s number one thing, issue, subject of her ads that she’s been running for a hundred million dollars? I don’t know how many millions, but it’s just been substantial. Her ads are attacking Trump on what basis, what premise? That he’s unsuitable, right?
He’s not fit for office. This guy doesn’t have the temperament, doesn’t have the qualifications. He’s an embarrassment. He’s dangerous. “We can’t let this guy get near the nuke button. This guy is so off the wall, he has no business being in this business,” is basically her point. “This guy is so gauche, this guy is so uncouth, this guy is so yuck, he has no business being in our business! He has no business being president; he has no business running for president. He’s unfit. He’s ill-tempered.”
Right? Well, I’m sure Hillary thought she had ample opportunity to make that point last night, but she didn’t, did she? And here’s why that’s important, because her primary point or emphasis, her theme is Trump’s unfitness for office, his lack of qualifications, his boorish behavior, his ill-tempered manner. She had to demonstrate last night, if you ask me, that Trump isn’t qualified. She had to demonstrate last night that Donald Trump doesn’t deserve to be on that stage last night.
She had to demonstrate that Donald Trump doesn’t deserve to be the Republican nominee. She had to demonstrate that Donald Trump has not earned and doesn’t deserve to even be going toe-to-toe with her on that stage, and she doesn’t do that. There’s not a single person when this was over that said Trump didn’t belong. There’s not a single person, not even in the Drive-Bys. Look, read or listen to all of them. There may be some outlier saying it, but I’m telling you: She didn’t, and the Democrats are not making a big deal of it.
They are not saying Trump demonstrated that he had no business in this business. Because he went toe-to-toe with her. He owned the first 30 minutes of the debate. He had the best of her for the first 30 minutes and he held his own throughout the rest of it. He demonstrated to every one of his supporters and even detractors that he had every bit the business being on that stage that she does. Her primary attack item blew up in her face last night, and the Drive-Bys are not gonna see this. They’re not capable of seeing it. She is St. Hillary.
She is Queen Hillary on the way to being coronated. The continual smug, self-satisfied smirk that she had on her face for the last 45 minutes? That’s when she thought, “This guy’s making a fool of himself. I’m winning this.” Major blunder. The two main things that I think ordinary people saw, are Trump demonstrated his earned position as a major party nominee; he had every business, every right being up there. And a lot of people were applauding what he was saying up there last night. And Hillary? She came off exactly as many people see her: A witch with a capital B.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: You remember the incident or the episode in the debate last night, Hillary making a point about Trump not paying his taxes, and she was speculating why he didn’t? “Maybe he’s not as rich as he says. Maybe he hasn’t paid his taxes. Maybe he hasn’t made all the charitable donations.” You know what I was so hoping to hear? Something along the lines of, “You know, Hillary, if you keep making those speeches to the banks — 250 grand for 20 minutes and $20 million every two years — you might end up having a tax return that looks like mine. Keep at it.”
But alas, we didn’t get it.There might be as many as 10 million species of complex life on this planet today – a huge number. But add up all of the complex species that ever lived and some biologists think the grand total would be about five billion.
The estimate leads to an astonishing conclusion: a staggering 99% of species are not around any more. They have been driven to extinction.
More species are joining the ranks of the extinct every year. Many scientists believe we are living through an episode of remarkably rapid extinction, on a scale that has been seen only five times in the last half a billion years.
They call this current episode the sixth mass extinction – a large, global decline in a wide variety of species over a relatively short period of time. And they tend to agree that humans are the main cause.
Overhunting, overfishing, and human-driven habitat loss are pushing many species to the brink. In fact, we have changed the planet so much that some geologists are now suggesting that we have entered a new phase in Earth's history; an epoch they call the "Anthropocene". By 2100, it is expected that humans will have caused the extinction of up to half of the world's current species.
Because we are living through this extinction, it is relatively easy for us to study the driving forces behind it. But how do we determine what caused other mass die-offs that happened long ago? To do so we have to look at what archaeologists, palaeontologists, geologists and other scientists have concluded from the evidence they have gathered.
The trouble is, those scientists do not always agree with one another – even about the most recent extinction event.
As well as the five – or six – mass extinctions, there have also been many smaller extinctions.
One of these mini extinction events happened towards the end of the Pleistocene, a few tens of thousands of years ago. It is sometimes called the "megafaunal" extinction because many of the species it claimed were particularly large animals, weighing more than 97lb (44kg). However, its cause remains a bone of contention amongst scientists – pun intended.
Global temperatures are thought to have soared by about 6C
The problem in trying to untangle the cause of the Pleistocene megafaunal extinction is that the evidence is scanty, so there has been a protracted debate amongst scientists about how best to interpret it.
To complicate things further, the Pleistocene extinctions that happened in some areas of the world seemed to have occurred at a much slower rate than those in other areas, and the environmental conditions and human activity levels also differed.
One popular argument to explain the extinctions is that they were due to climate change. Our planet was beginning to emerge from the last ice age as the extinctions began. Global temperatures are thought to have soared by about 6C – a change that would have affected larger animals more as they cannot lose heat as fast as smaller animals.
On top of this, the climate is thought to have been more changeable at the time, with swings from very wet to very dry conditions. This could have exacerbated megafaunal extinctions. Because mammals from the ice age would have likely had thick fur coats, they would have found it difficult to adapt to the changing climate.
Overhunting could have been the culprit for the American and Australian megafaunal extinctions
The other main school of thought blames humans for the demise of the ice age megafauna. This is the hunting hypothesis, which first emerged way back in the 1870s after it was discovered that humans had lived alongside mammoths.
However, later evidence showed that the extinctions in Eurasia took place over too long a time for overhunting to be the main cause. At that point, the disagreement over the cause of the extinction began to emerge.
To muddy the waters further, the possible causes for the extinctions do not stop at climate change and overhunting. Others think contagious and deadly diseases – carried by migrating humans or their animals – may have been the main culprit. So who is correct?
Today, there are some researchers who believe that overhunting could have been the culprit for the American and Australian megafaunal extinctions. This "overkill" theory rose to fame in the late 1960s through the work of the late Paul S. Martin, a geoscientist from the University of Arizona.
It is far from clear that the overhunting argument can explain the megafaunal extinctions
It is generally accepted that overhunting was the main cause of extinctions in Australia and New Zealand. The climate in this region at the time of the extinctions was roughly the same as it is now and the species living at that time were arid-adapted.
Evidence shows that, as humans migrated into the area, they hunted the native fauna with ease. The |
back with the album ‘Just Right.’ All of you seem to have lost some weight. Which member changed the most whether physically or psychologically?
Junior: Almost all of us are changed. It’s not the kind of change like ‘What’s wrong with him?’, but it’s about we became more like real men and doing our work much harder. Yugyeom became more outgoing.
BamBam: He became like a real man. (To Yugyeom) Now you are no more a ‘baby’.
JB: I don’t think you deserve saying that. (Laughter)
Q. BamBam and Yugyeom are both born in 1997. Aren’t they on the same age?
BamBam: That’s right, but I actually feel Yugyeom is older than me.
Junior: Although Yugyeom is big and tall, he was like an innocent child in the past. But it seems like he grew a lot after finishing ‘Stop stop it’ and preparing for this album.
BamBam: (Disappointed) I thought he was younger than me before…
JB: Well, we thought BamBam was younger than him.
BamBam: JB, you didn’t say like that before. You said “BamBam is cool. He is like a real man.”
JB: These days, Yugyeom is courageous enough to challenge something. It feels like he is lighting up the dark cave.
BamBam: Wow, what a nice expression.
Jackson: Then it’s like him saying “Hey, I came back” with confidence.
Everybody: (Big laughter)
Q. Haha. Views for music video ‘Just Right’ hit over 11 million (August 27th, 2015-about 16 million) only 3 weeks after it was released. It’s amazing.
Mark: It was one million only after 10 hours.
Youngjae: I knew it hit 10 million, but is it already over 11 million?
JB: We were also kind of surprised at first. Such huge number of views in short time would mean that our fans must have waited for us long. We liked our music video from when it was first edited roughly. And then we made some corrections in the final stage and we thought we made really good music video this time.
Youngjae: We really appreciate it.
Q. I remember ‘Stop stop it’ hit about 14 million and what about ‘A’?
BamBam: ‘A’ was like about 20 million.
Q. Yes. 22 million. But it has been over a year since the release of ‘A’.
Youngjae: Wow, that’s still a huge number. But how do you (BamBam) know so well about it?
BamBam: I check it every day. ‘Girls Girls Girls’ was about 17 million, I guess.
Junior: Are you a fan of GOT7? Haha.
Jackson: BamBam not only checks our music video, but also the number of views for his videos. He checks every number of views for the videos that comes up when you type ‘BamBam’ on YouTube.
BamBam: There is a video that I played the piano in ‘Simsimtapa’. The number of views was very high so I wondered why people would watch me playing the piano. I posted a thank message on the twitter.
Q. Are there other members who check like BamBam?
Youngjae: No, I don’t think so. Haha.
Junior: I think it’s his skill to communicate with fans and see what other people think about him.
BamBam: I also look at the comments, both the good and bad ones.
Jackson: I don’t look at them..
Yugyeom: Jackson is sensitive.
BamBam: At first, I also got hurt by the ‘malicious comments’. But good comments are much more out there than the ‘malicious comments’. So, it’s ok.
Q. I saw Jackson had an interview about his rap that comes out at the intro part of ‘Just Right’. He said he’s not satisfied with it.
Jackson: No I’m not. But I don’t regret it because it was cute.
Junior: If we are not satisfied this time, we can do better for the next time.
Jackson: It’s difficult to do rap in Korean but I think I could not fit what PD Park Jin-Young wanted me to do.
Youngjae: It is just because it was not our style that we used to do.
Q. I cannot help talking about dance. When you do ‘bumper car dance’, you had various expressions. What do you think when you dance?
Youngjae: I imagine that I fly in the sky.
Junior: By the way, we did not name the dance as ‘bumper car dance’.
JB: Actually, it does not have a name.
Junior: It should have been named like ‘above the clouds dance’..
Yugyeom: Clouds dance!
Youngjae: Heaven dance! Heaven dance! Hahaha.
Q. All of you look so confident on the stage.
Junior: Yes, we are so confident. (Laughter) ‘Just Right’ was just right concept for our age. Our age is not that young and not that old, so we are in the middle of it that we can fit in to it. It would have seemed that we were just right for this concept, because we came up with what we can do best.
JB: ‘A’ was actually more like teasing rather than cute. And I thought that ‘Just Right’ was not just a cute song. It has been one year and a half since our debut as GOT7. We don’t have much experience compared to senior groups, but we kind of are used to the stage so we could perform better. We tried to enjoy on the stage.
BamBam: It was just like when we played together!
Q. Recently, I saw the dance battle at ‘Kcon’ and it was really different from the dance of ‘Just Right.’ What 3 of you danced was impressive too.
Youngjae: Yugyeom, Jin-Young(Junior’s real name), BamBam first danced.
BamBam: That’s what we feel most confident and can do best. When we were preparing for the debut, we practiced such style. But that’s what we can do later. Concept like ‘Just Right’ is what we can only do at our age, so we need to do this first.
Yugyeom: It would be really cool when all 7 of us dance in such style later.
Junior: We made the dance style.
BamBam: It took 2 hours!
Yugyeom: It did not take much time when we made the style for ourselves. It is because we know what we can do well.
Youngjae: We know well what can make each member’s strong points stand out.
JB: I think we change by our mood. We look confident because it’s the concept of ‘Just Right’ and we fit into it.
Yugyeom: It’s best if we can do well on everything.
Q. Like JB said, it has been a little over one and a half year after your debut. I saw at SBS MTV ‘The Show Behind’ that BamBam and Youngjae saying “We appreciate that we can have this big waiting room although we are newbie.”
BamBam: Oh! It was the first time we had such a big waiting room.
Youngjae: It was really big. Actually we were used to share the room with other groups so that was what we expected, but they gave us too big room, so I thought ‘Can we use this room? We are just newbie yet..’
Q. That must be what you felt as one of the changes.
JB: But it was only for that day. Haha.
Youngjae: Anyway, I appreciated it. I was happy. Hahaha.
BamBam: What I felt is that we got more fans. In the past, the max number of fans who came to the music show was 180.
Q. BamBam, you are really good at math.
BamBam: Yes, haha.
Youngjae: You counted that too? Hahaha.
BamBam: This time it was 360. I thought that we really have more fans now.
Yugyeom: We really appreciated it.
Q. Yes. I saw the music show and the cheers from the fans were really loud.
Youngjae: In the past, they were only at the standing corner.
BamBam: These days, they fill up the back seats too.
Youngjae: We were really happy. We love you, ‘Agasae’! [Agasae is the name of the GOT7 official fan club (it was named after the short term for GOT7)]
JB: Even when there are only a few fans, they do their best in cheering us up. We know where those sounds come from even when we are on the stage. Even when we see that there are not that many fans, we really appreciate when the fans cheer us up loudly. We thought that’s already a ‘game over’.
Yugyeom: We can feel their energy telling us ‘Cheer up!’ It makes us feel good.
Q. Then it would also change how you dance.
Youngjae: (in a small voice) ‘Makes My Body Move’ Haha.
BamBam: Sometimes we are tired because we record performances from early in the morning. But cheering up from the fans wakes us up. All of the members become cheerful. We get so much energy from the fans.
Q. I saw how you drew your brain structures. Nobody left out ‘Agasae.’ That would mean that ‘Agasae’ is very precious to all of you.
Youngjae: (speaking fast) I have something to say! I saw from the fan site that the fans misunderstood my intention. I wrote ‘Agasae and Big Hit’ but fans think that I wrote ‘Big Hit’ first and I almost forgot to write ‘Agasae’ and wrote it later. But that was not the case. I just wrote ‘Agasae and Big Hit’. It was just like that I wrote ‘Big Hit’ bigger.. Hahaha.
Q. I will not forget what you just said. (laughter) In ‘The Show Behind’, BamBam said “We are not newbie any more.”
Youngjae: Actually, I’m not sure about what it is to be a newbie or not. Haha.
Yugyeom: It’s not a newbie after 3 years in our company.
JB: We are in our 2nd year…
Yugyeom: So it means that we are still newbie.
Mark: I am not sure about what it is like in other companies.
Q. Haha. I asked because I was not sure too.
Younhjae: We are not sure too.
Junior: I think it is about how we think.
Youngjae: We are becoming more and more serious.. Hahahaha.
Junior: I just want to be like a newbie forever.
Jackson: We will be like newbie to the end! Skills and everything!
Junior: Skills too?
BamBam: No, except skills, hahaha.
Q. I think it’s time to think about ranking the first place.
BamBam: It would be a lie if we say we don’t.
Junior: We don’t start like ‘we will rank the 2nd’.
Yugyeom: I think there’s time for it. (First Junior and all the other members give applaud for this comment.) We should always be ready because there could be opportunity for sure. When Jackson went out for TV shows, it became an issue and I think he deserved to receive the newbie awards because he was ready for it. We don’t know when we can show it and when we would rank the first place, but we need to be ready for it.
Jackson: (making quotation mark) ‘Quote’ these words please.
Junior: “Only the one who are ready can get opportunity” by Yugyeom. Like this? Haha.
Q. Junior and BamBam are the MCs of Mnet ‘MCountdown.’ Jackson is the MC of SBS ‘Inkigayo.’
Yugyeom: (amazed) Yeah, I feel so proud when our members do MCs on the show. It makes me smile when I watch them.
Q. (Laughter) Junior’s acting at JTBC ‘I Love You, Eundong’ was really impressive too. I thought that each of the members is consolidating on what they want to do, whether it is doing MC or acting.
Yugyeom: We also talk about what direction we should take and what position and role we should take charge of. Team is the most priority, but each member’s color is also important.
Junior: In order to improve the team, each of us needs to improve first.
Q. Could you tell me what each of the member wants to do in the future?
Mark: I would say GOT7 for now..
Youngjae: Each of us is doing best for GOT7. We also do other things too. I asked the PD to use the song that I composed as the song for GOT7. But after he discusses about my song, he says “You should work harder, I think it’s not time for it.” So, I keep challenging on it. I am showing my will to make the song for our team. Haha. If I do well, maybe my song can be the song for GOT7, right?
BamBam: GOT7 is my first priority. But thanks to ‘MCountdown’ I became more famous. So I want to be like Leeteuk in the future. He is doing MC in many shows. I like to talk so I enjoy doing MC. It would be fun doing MC not only in ‘MCountdown’ but also in other programs. These days, I don’t want to stay at home. I feel empty when I am at home. I want to do something new every day. (coughing) I have cold now but still I don’t want to stay at home. I can do everything. (On this day, BamBam was coughing because he had a cold. But he was enthusiastic at the interview and taking pictures as usual.)
Q. What about other members? I think Junior would more like to go on acting.
Junior: It’s not only about acting, but I want to try everything. I want to do many things when people look for me.
JB: I want to do art. I want to try drawing pictures, taking photos, acting, and so on. But for now, it’s music. I am all interested in composing, singing, editing, and playing instruments. I want to do music until I can say that I know something about it. I will work on music for now.
Jackson: First, GOT7 is my priority. And I want to continue doing MC.
Yugyeom: Jackson really cares about our team. We do care too, but he really works hard to promote our team.
Q. Yugyeom makes me think of ‘Real GOT7 3’ when Jackson said that he could get out of slump because of the members. I think you guys mean a lot to each other.
Jackson: Yes, it’s just like what you said.
Junior: Jackson talks straightforwardly..
Jackson: It’s not like business partners but ‘somebody’ of my life. Well, there’s something like that… in life, a friend who are next to me when I am 80 years old, saying “Hey, what’s up? What are you going to eat today”, like this kind of friend.
Q. I think each of you should have had slump for some time. When was it?
Jackson: It was when I prepared for the debut. And it is always here.
Junior: I have one time in a week. Haha.
BamBam: I feel like in slump when I have nothing to do after I had time busy doing many things. It’s like when I think ‘what am I doing, I should be doing something, why am I doing nothing.’
Q. By the way, Mark did not talk much today..
Yugyeom: I think he talked quite a lot. Haha.
Q. What does Coco-name of a puppy mean for Mark?
Yugyeom: A daughter.
Mark: ‘Baby.’
Q. It seems like Mark and Youngjae especially like Coco.
Yugyeom: It’s because those two brought her.
Mark: I’m her father. I scorn Coco every day.
Youngjae: When she gets scorned by you, she keeps following me every day. Hahaha.
Mark: (like if telling a secret) Was it the day before yesterday? When I was watching TV holding Coco, Jin-Young was next to me. And he suddenly asked, “Can I hold Coco for a while? I want to hold her”. So I gave her to him. Actually Jin-Young hated Coco. He never let her to come to his room.
Junior: I like animals very much..
Youngjae: I don’t think that you like them.
Junior: I cannot even control myself so I cannot care of animals. It’s difficult to care somebody. But these days, Coco is really cute. She even licks my unwashed foot.
Youngjae: Hahahahahahaha.
Junior: When I came home and lied on the sofa with my socks taken off, Coco suddenly came and licked my toes.
BamBam: (joking) That’s why Coco is sick.
Youngjae: Coco was sick a few days ago.. Hahaha.
Q. Hahaha. It’s kind of awkward, but please say “I like you ‘just right’ because you are blah-blah” to each other.
(everyone sighing and laughing)
Junior: To each of the members?
Q. No, just to the person next to you.
Jackson: Then, I will start first.
Mark: Can we just select the person we want?
JB: No, Jackson will start and we will go like clockwise.
Q. Jackson to Youngjae, Youngjae to JB, like this. (the order they are sitting during the interview: clockwise, Jackson-Youngjae-JB-BamBam-Mark-Yugyeom-Junior)
Jackson: Youngjae, I like you because you always shout on my left side. I like your loud and cool voice. When I feel down, I get energy from your laughter and shouting.
Mark: Can I say something to Yugyeom now?
JB: Go by the order.
Youngjae: I like Jaebum because he is the leader of our team. At least he balances our team.
JB: (joking) Oh, ‘at least’?
Youngjae: Hahahaha. No, no. I did not mean that. I meant that you balance our team well.
Jackson: You chose the wrong words.
Youngjae: Oh, I was wrong. Hahaha.
JB: Haha. Then I.. (laughing) like BamBam because he is a ‘legend’. (During an interview, to a question “How would you want to be called?”, BamBam answered, “I want to be called as a ‘legend’.) He is very interested in fashion, does his part very well, got the most compliments from the PD while preparing for ‘Just Right’, so he is a real legend. Haha. Actually, I like him just right because he is BamBam.
BamBam: Maybe he doesn’t have anything to compliment me. That can happen.
JB: BamBam, I was joking. (laughter)
BamBam: Mark, it’s really awkward. Haha.
Mark: (not waiting for his turn) Yugyeom is anyway just right because he became outgoing these days.
BamBam: I will do it again. Mark, I will finish short.
Youngjae: Oh, you want him to be quiet?
BamBam: No, no. He does not talk about unnecessary things like us. He only talks about what’s really in need. I think that’s ‘Just Right’. It’s straightforward and cool. It’s how he balances our team. The leader balances our team because we are talkative and unorganized. But Mark finishes up the job.
Jackson: So Mark eventually balances out team, right?
BamBam: Yes.. Hahahaha.
JB: ‘At least’ I balance the team. Hahaha.
Jackson: To me, Jaebum is the best leader!!!
Yugyeom: Me too!!!
BamBam: Hey, it’s same for me too!
Youngjae: Hahahahahahaha.
Q. Hahaha. Now it’s turn for Yugyeom to Junior.
Yugyeom: I like Jin-Young because he is straightforward. Sometimes, I get hurt by him but I like him because he is honest and does not lie.
Mark: (suddenly looking at Yugyeom’s open shirt) I like Yugyeom ‘Just Right’ because he became a real man.
Yugyeom: Haha. It’s now time for Jin-Young to Jackson. They are close friends.
Q. We can finish up with Junior.
Jackson: (with charismatic eyes and kind voice) Do not be stressed out.
Junior: I like Jackson because he does not deviate from what he is doing. He concentrates just on what he is doing. When he is in the team, he cares about the team. When he does his work, he does his best. If he has something he likes, he only concentrates on it.
Yugyeom: Hahahaha. Look at Jackson.
JB: He expected more than this.
Junior: If I say more, it would be exaggerating.
Jackson: No, I like his words ‘just right’. Actually I expected less than that.
JB: I think there would be no less than that for Jackson.
Everyone: Oh!
Jackson: This is why I like Jaebum.
Junior: (hurried) Jackson! Jackson! I just talked about you.
After this talk, Jackson stood up and gave Junior a hug as reconciliation (?).
Everyone: (big laughter)
[youtube id=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrdk3IGcau8″ width=”600″ height=”350″ autoplay=”no” api_params=”” class=””]Risk Management Theatre: On Show At An Organization Near You
Published 05 August 2013
Translations: 한국말
One of the concepts that will feature in the new book I am working on is “risk management theatre”. This is the name I coined for the commonly-encountered control apparatus, imposed in a top-down way, which makes life painful for the innocent but can be circumvented by the guilty (the name comes by analogy with security theatre.) Risk management theatre is the outcome of optimizing processes for the case that somebody will do something stupid or bad, because (to quote Bjarte Bogsnes talking about management), “there might be someone who who cannot be trusted. The strategy seems to be preventative control on everybody instead of damage control on those few.”
Unfortunately risk management theatre is everywhere in large organizations, and reflects the continuing dominance of the Theory X management paradigm. The alternative to the top-down control approach is what I have called adaptive risk management, informed by human-centred management theories (for example the work of Ohno, Deming, Drucker, Denning and Dweck) and the study of how complex systems behave, particularly when they drift into failure. Adaptive risk management is based on systems thinking, transparency, experimentation, and fast feedback loops.
Here are some examples of the differences between the two approaches.
Adaptive risk management (people work to detect problems through improving transparency and feedback, and solve them through improvisation and experimentation) Risk management theatre (management imposes controls and processes which make life painful for the innocent but can be circumvented by the guilty) Continuous code review in which engineers ask a colleague to look over their changes before check-in, technical leads review all check-ins made by their team, and code review tools allow people to comment on each others’ work once it is in trunk. Mandatory code review enforced by check-in gates where a tool requires changes to be signed off by somebody else before they can be merged into trunk. This is inefficient and delays feedback on non-trivial regressions (including performance regressions). Fast, automated unit and acceptance tests which inform engineers within minutes (for unit tests) or tens of minutes (for acceptance tests) if they have introduced a known regression into trunk, and which can be run on workstations before commit. Manual testing as a precondition for integration, especially when performed by a different team or in a different location. Like mandatory code review, this delays feedback on the effect of the change on the system as a whole. A deployment pipeline which provides complete traceability of all changes from check-in to release, and which detects and rejects risky changes automatically through a combination of automated tests and manual validations. A comprehensive documentation trail so that in the event of a failure we can discover the human error that is the root cause of failures in the mechanistic, Cartesian paradigm that applies in the domain of systems that are not complex. Situational awareness created through tools which make it easy to monitor, analyze and correlate relevant data. This includes process, business and systems level metrics as well as the discussion threads around events. Segregation of duties which acts as a barrier to knowledge sharing, feedback and collaboration, and reduces the situational awareness which is essential to an effective response in the event of an incident.
It’s important to emphasize that there are circumstances in which the countermeasures on the right are appropriate. If your delivery and operational processes are chaotic and undisciplined, imposing controls can be an effective way to improve - so long as we understand they are a temporary countermeasure rather than an end in themselves, and provided they are applied with the consent of the people who must work within them.
Here are some differences between the two approaches in the field of IT:
Adaptive risk management (people work to detect problems through improving transparency and feedback, and solve them through improvisation and experimentation) Risk management theatre (management imposes controls and processes which make life painful for the innocent but can be circumvented by the guilty) Principle-based and dynamic: principles can be applied to situations that were not envisaged when the principles were created. Rule-based and static: when we encounter new technologies and processes (for example, cloud computing) we need to rewrite the rules. Uses transparency to prevent accidents and bad behaviour. When it’s easy for anybody to see what anybody else is doing, people are more careful. As Louis Brandeis said, “Publicity is justly commended as a remedy for social and industrial diseases. Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants; electric light the most efficient policeman.” Uses controls to prevent accidents and bad behaviour. This approach is the default for legislators as a way to prove they have taken action in response to a disaster. But controls limit our ability to adapt quickly to unexpected problems. This introduces a new class of risks, for example over-reliance on emergency change processes because the standard change process is too slow and bureaucratic. Accepts that systems drift into failure. Our systems and the environment are constantly changing, and there will never be sufficient information to make globally rational decisions. Humans solve our problems and we must rely on them to make judgement calls. Assumes humans are the problem. If people always follow the processes correctly, nothing bad can happen. Controls are put in place to manage “bad apples”. Ignores the fact that process specifications always require interpretation and adaptation in reality. Rewards people for collaboration, experimentation, and system-level improvements. People collaborate to improve system-level metrics such as lead time and time to restore service. No rewards for “productivity” on individual or function level. Accepts that locally rational decisions can lead to system level failures. Rewards people based on personal “productivity” and local optimization. For example operations people optimizing for stability at the expense of throughput, or developers optimizing for velocity at the expense of quality (even though these are false dichotomies.) Creates a culture of continuous learning and experimentation: People openly discuss mistakes to learn from them and conduct blameless post-mortems after outages or customer service problems with the goal of improving the system. People are encouraged to try things out and experiment (with the expectations that many hypotheses will be invalidated) in order to get better. Creates a culture of fear and mistrust. Encourages finger pointing and lack of ownership for errors, omissions and failure to get things done. As in: If I don't do anything unless someone tells me to, I won't be held responsible for any resulting failure. Failures are a learning opportunity. They occur in controlled circumstances, their effects are appropriately mitigated, and they are encouraged as an opportunity to learn how to improve. Failures are caused by human error (usually a failure to follow some process correctly), and the primary response is to find the person responsible and punish them, and then use further controls and processes as the main strategy to prevent future problems.
Risk management theatre is not just painful and a barrier to the adoption of continuous delivery (and indeed to continuous improvement in general). It is actually dangerous, primarily because it creates a culture of fear and mistrust. As Bogsnes says, “if the entire management model reeks of mistrust and control mechanisms against unwanted behavior, the result might actually be more, not less, of what we try to prevent. The more people are treated as criminals, the more we risk that they will behave as such.”
This kind of organizational culture is a major factor whenever we see people who are scared of losing their jobs, or engage in activities designed to protect themselves in the case that something goes wrong, or attempt to make themselves indispensable through hoarding information.
I’m certainly not suggesting that controls, IT governance frameworks, and oversight are bad in and of themselves. Indeed, applied correctly, they are essential for effective risk management. ITIL for example allows for a lightweight change management process that is completely compatible with an adaptive approach to risk management. What’s decisive is how these framework are implemented. The way such frameworks are used and applied is determined by—and perpetuates—organizational culture.Japanese scientists have unveiled a creepy humanoid robot that has complete control over its limb movements and facial expressions.
The robot, 'Alter', is embedded with electronic sensors that mimic the neural network of the human brain.
Alter's arms, head and facial expressions are controlled by these sensors, giving the robot a random pattern of movement eerily similar to a human's.
Alter can even sing, converting the random movements of its fingers into a haunting synth melody.
Scroll down for video
Alter is a humanoid robot designed by scientists in Japan. It has complete control over its arms and facial expressions
Alter was designed by engineers at Osaka University and the University of Tokyo.
Osaka University Professor Kouhei Ogawa said the amazing thing about Alter was its ability to predetermine its own movements.
He told RT News: 'Alter doesn't look like a human. It doesn't really move like human. However, it certainly has a presence.'
Alter has been embedded with a series of electronic sensors that act like the neurons in the brain
These electronic sensors mimic the activity of the human brain and allow Alter to move and even sing
Professor Ogawa said designing Alter was a remarkable scientific achievement.
He told engagdet: 'Until now making androids talk or interact for 10 minutes was an incredible amount of hard work – simply to program something to react for so long.
'Alter, moving for itself, can do so easily.'
Alter will be on display at the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Tokyo until August 6.
Alter's movements have been described as 'eerie'. 'It certainly has a presence,' said one of the researchers involved in projectGet the biggest Liverpool FC stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
Brendan Rodgers admits Daniel Sturridge is devastated after his latest injury setback.
And the Liverpool boss has called on the likes of Rickie Lambert and Mario Balotelli to step up to the plate in the striker's absence.
Sturridge broke down with another thigh strain in training earlier this week, and is now set to be sidelined until the New Year.
The 24-year-old has not played since August due to a number of problems, and Rodgers says that while Liverpool will conduct a full investigation into Sturridge's ongoing injury troubles, the player himself is struggling to take in this latest blow.
Rodgers said: “He's a player that doesn't want to be out for this length of time. The last time he played was August, and with his ability and qualities, he wants to be playing football.
“I think probably now is the time for him to go away and for us as a football club to see what we can do to get him onto the pitch more consistently.
“He is world class talent, but he will only fulfil that if he is playing games. But there is nobody who wants that more than Daniel. He wants to be working and he wants to be playing.
“I spoke to him again this morning at length, and he's as down as I've ever seen anyone in terms of not being able to help the team.
“He will go away, into the New Year, with the medics and everyone at the club, to hopefully find the answers that will allow him to perform over a consistent period of time.
Rodgers added: “The England injury was one of a number of injuries. This is over a period of time, this isn't just over the last six or seven months. As I said, I think he's had nine on the same thigh over the years.
“We will look across his time as a player, to see where we can find ways to get him out playing.
“He's a joy to work with, a brilliant young man and there is no-one more frustrated than him at this moment in time.”
With Sturridge now likely to miss at least another dozen Reds games, Rodgers will be forced to place his attacking faith in a trio of Balotelli, Lambert and Fabio Borini, none of whom have managed a Premier League goal between them this season.
Balotelli's hamstring injury will be assessed before Sunday's trip to Crystal Palace, but Rodgers is ready to place his faith in the likes of the Italian and the much-maligned Lambert.
He said: “I've got great trust with the players that I work with. I'd be a lot more worried if I didn't see them every day, or if I saw them moping around.
“We haven't had a great season thus far, but we are still in competitions, and I believe as the season goes on that we will get better.
“And these players are still adapting, but I've seen their growth and their development, and I have got every faith.
“A lot of the focus this season has been on the players that are injured, and a player that is no longer here. I need to ensure my time is devoted to the players that are fit and available, to make sure that we get the results.
“The likes of Rickie, he will get an opportunity. We've got a really exciting period of games coming up, and he will feature in those heavily. “
Rodgers, meanwhile, publicly played down suggestions Liverpool could bring forward Divock Origi's move to Anfield from Lille.
“I don't think there's any (chance),” he said. “The young player we signed in the summer, it was always on the understanding that he had to stay at Lille.
“I've seen reports of him maybe coming back early, but that was never the case. One of the reasons we were actually able to sign the player was that he would have to stay at Lille for this season.
“The deal was in place quite clearly and simply, that we would get him for next season, and as far as I am concerned that is still the case.”Steven Davies (right) has scored eight goals in 45 league appearances for Blackpool
Sheffield United have signed Blackpool striker Steven Davies on loan until the end of the season.
The 27-year-old has scored five goals in 18 appearances for the Seasiders this season.
Davies, who joined Blackpool from Bristol City in June 2013, previously played under Blades boss Nigel Clough at Derby County.
The move effectively ends his Blackpool career, with Davies out of contract at the end of the season.
Seasiders manager Lee Clark said he allowed the former Tranmere Rovers trainee to leave Bloomfield Road after a "heart-to-heart" conversation with the player on Tuesday.
"He said he was a bit unhappy with certain things and would like the possibility of moving on," Clark told BBC Radio Lancashire.
"When a player is like that, you have to take it into considering because it is pointless having a player who is so unhappy around the club."
Davies could make his debut for the League One Blades in Saturday's home match against Fleetwood Town.Robot Asks Volunteers to Touch Its Buttocks in Stanford Study
A Stanford study has found that touching a robot can arouse human beings. This study did not involve an attractive human-like android but a small Nao robot that is two feet tall when standing. The Nao robot asked volunteers to touch different parts of its body including its buttocks.
Image: Stanford/YouTube
The robot told study participants: "Sometimes I'll ask you to touch my body and sometimes I'll ask you just to point to my body. When I ask you to touch me please touch me with your dominant hand." When asking participants to touch a body part it would says something like "please touch my ear" or "please touch my buttocks."While touching the robot's body part with their dominant hand as requested the volunteers placed their other hand on a sensor that measured skin conductance. The researchers say this data can indicate physiological arousal. The study found that humans were more aroused when touching the robot's buttocks - and the region where its private parts would be if it had them - then they were when touching its hands, feet or other body parts. The researchers say they found "physiological arousal was inversely related to body accessibility." There was no arousal response from simply pointing.Jamy Li, a mechanical engineer at Stanford University in California and leader of the study, tells The Guardian, "Our work shows that robots are a new form of media that is particularly powerful. It shows that people respond to robots in a primitive, social way. Social conventions regarding touching someone else's private parts apply to a robot's body parts as well. The research has implications for both robot design and the theory of artificial systems."Here is a video showing a robot and human interacting in the study:This article is from the archive of our partner.
On Sunday, Boston's St. Patrick's Day parade went on without the presence of Marty Walsh, the city's new mayor. On Monday, in New York |
to shadow it in opinion but they were pretty forceful, pretty racist," Sheldon Poitras, a friend of the family and a member of the band council for the Star Blanket First Nation, told CBC News. "The family was concerned about Tenelle's safety."
On advice from RCMP, the family decided to deactivate Starr's Facebook account. An officer from the File Hills detachment of the RCMP confirmed that an investigation had begun.
Facebook commenter identified
CBC News tracked down the woman who was responsible for numerous comments critical of Starr that were posted to the girl's Facebook page.
She is Michele Tittler, 52, of Vancouver, the co-founder of a non-profit political organization called End Race-Based Laws.
"I was immensely offended," Tittler told CBC Thursday, regarding the message of the shirt. "And I was going to do everything within my power to have that shirt banned from that school."
Tittler said she had written to the Balcarres school and also sent notes to Facebook, complaining about the content on Starr's page.
Canadians are really getting sick of the double-standard. - Michele Tittler
She is also planning to lodge a formal complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission, although it's not clear on what grounds. Tittler is, however, convinced that the message of the shirt is racist.
"This is racism," she said. "Canadians are really getting sick of the double-standard. No white kid could walk into a school with a shirt that says that in reverse."
Tittler also emphasized that her comments were directed at adults and not Starr and she never meant to frighten the teen.
She said End Race-Based Laws, or ERBL Inc., was created a year ago as a reaction to the Idle No More movement.
Political activist Michele Tittler said she found the message of the 'Got Land? Thank an Indian' offensive. (CBC)
Tittler said she is passionate about the plight of Aboriginal people and wants a unified future for Canada, without race-based laws.
Starblanket's Poitras said despite the sometimes intense criticism, Starr remains convinced her actions in wearing the shirt were right.
"She's okay, you know," he said. "She is sticking to her guns. It hardens her resolve to the whole thing. She isn't backing down by any means."
Starr's family added they contacted the RCMP about some of the postings, to ensure her safety.
"Remember that this first and foremost is a 13 year old girl," her uncle, Joseph Gordon, said. "And it does not matter the colour of her skin. So before you throw a hateful comment at her, remember that this is somebody's child and her safety comes first above all things."More than a half-million entries were submitted for the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs Bracket Challenge. Heading into the trio of Game 7s on Wednesday, only one participant has a chance to claim they correctly predicted each of the teams that would advance in the first round and in how many games.
A student and hockey player at Father Ryan High School in Nashville, Colin Fitts stands alone. And if the New York Rangers, Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings all win Wednesday, he'll have successfully filled out a perfect bracket for the opening round of the playoffs.
PERFECT PLAYOFF BRACKET View Fitts' Stanley Cup Playoffs bracket
Fitts, 16, is an aspiring journalist who covers the Nashville Predators for the HockeyWriters.com. But he didn't exactly draw on his experience covering his favorite team when it came time to file his bracket.
"This took about five minutes for me. I did it right before school, it was a last-minute thing on the day the playoffs started," Fitts said. "Look where I am now."
The native of Antioch, Tenn., admits he set aside his bracket when the Kings went down 3-0 to the San Jose Sharks in their Western Conference First Round series. But as L.A. mounted a comeback to force Game 7, a friend suddenly noticed that Fitts had made a succession of perfect picks.
"He mentioned 'You have a perfect bracket and you're only in 12th place on the leader board,'" Fitts said. "I went to check and there it was. I had a feeling Tampa Bay would be swept and a feeling with a few other series, but it was all a surprise."
He may still be a high school student, but Fitts' perfect bracket isn't a fluke. When he's not covering the Predators or playing high school hockey, he dedicates what little time he has left to watching NHL games on television. And with a slate of three Game 7s scheduled for Wednesday, he had his evening's plans all mapped out.
"We're about to hit the inline rink and when we get home we'll watch the Game 7s," Fitts said. "My time is pretty much consumed [by hockey]. Sleep is not a priority."Surfer Carolina Gutiérrez can be spotted around town on her red motoconcho, surf board body bag slung over her shoulder, as she makes her daily commute to Playa Bonita in Las Terrenas, where her eponymous surf school has its headquarters. A flat brim hat with her school’s logo makes her look more like the junior elites who she coaches than business woman, but one gets the sense that she prefers it that way.
“Sometimes my friends ask, ‘Where are you? I haven’t seen you in weeks.’ And I say, ‘If you haven’t been to the beach, maybe you won’t see me,’” says Gutiérrez. “I’m either at my house or the beach. It is my backyard.”
Growing up in the internationally famous kite surfing town of Cabarete in the Dominican Republic, Gutiérrez has excelled in many water sports, but surfing was always her real passion. Scoring her first sponsorship at age sixteen, the twenty-seven-year old has an array of accomplishments under her belt, including being named Athlete of the Year in 2004 for the Dominican Republic. Although she continues to train and makes a yearly pilgrimage to Costa Rica to work on her moves, Gutiérrez is now semi-retired from the sport, focusing on growing her business and inspiring the next generation of Dominican surfers.
“I don't like to take surfing like this anymore because I love surfing. It is my passion,” says Gutiérrez. Recently placing second in the strenuous Master of the Ocean watersport competition in Cabarete, Gutiérrez plans on entering contests only “when it feels right." She now prefers to work more “behind the scenes," organizing surf competitions for the younger set, like the CNU Triple Corona Competition held at Playa Coson in February.
“I have already all these accomplishments, I know what it is, the feeling of winning,” says Gutiérrez. “Now I want to do it for someone else.”
“Carolina is really supportive of us,” says Alice Gibin, a sixteen-year-old who is on the official Carolina Surf School team along with her thirteen-year-old brother David Gibin. The pair competes all over the Dominican Republic, placing in the elite rankings of their respective divisions.
“I train the surf school team for all the contests,” says Gutiérrez. “They are doing very, very well now in the rankings.”
However, her path from pro surfer to mentor was not always so clear-cut. In 2010, her then-employer Pura Vida closed their surf school in Las Terrenas and Gutiérrez was left without a job.
“I thought, why don’t I start my own surf school?,” says Gutiérrez. After its humble beginning with a few boards in the parking lot of Hotel Acaya, the Carolina Surf School is now a fixture in Las Terrenas.
“Every year I try to grow the business, try to do things a little different,” says Gutiérrez. “It is not easy, I am by myself.”
An oasis of surfer-cool, the school now takes up the whole yard in front of Hotel Acaya, boasting bongo boards and a tight rope to practice balance, large plastic boards laid out on the lawn for beginners to work on form, hammocks set out between palm trees for those who want to relax. There is always music playing from the office, a range from the Dominican bachata to reggae to hip-hop.
“I go slowly, little by little,” says Gutiérrez. “But I think this year, if I work hard, I can grow the business to where I want it to be.”
In addition to expanding her school, Gutiérrez hopes to receive a grant from the Dominican Republic’s Olympic Stadium of Sports, for her foundation, Wave for a Smile. Founded in 2013, Wave for a Smile aims to take kids from poorer neighborhoods in Las Terrenas and introduce them to the beach. Gutiérrez also collects clothing and hopes the foundation can eventually provide grants for school tuition.
“I want to focus on having the kids come to the beach and surf. When you are out on the road, you learn many bad things,” says Gutiérrez. “I want the kids to get out of this world, to bring them to the beach. On the beach, you don’t think about that anymore.”
“It’s called Wave for a Smile, because these kids have a big smile. They are surfing, having a great day at the beach, having fun,” says Gutiérrez. “They never can have this, where they live.”
Alexandra Talty is traveling the world on a freelance journalist's paycheck. You can follow her articles on Forbes by clicking the blue "Follow" box under her name. She is also on Twitter and has a personal blog, The Middle Of Time.Credit: DC Comics
Credit: DC Comics
DC Comics have informed retailers that the miniseries Suicide Squad: Black Files has been "cancelled" - one week before the book's planned August 2 release.
No reason was given for the cancellation, however the publisher says that "these issues will be solicited at a later date."
Black Files was the latest in a string of split Suicide Squad miniseries featuring two serialized solo adventures by members of the team.
Here is the original solicitations for the first three issues:
SUICIDE SQUAD BLACK FILES #1
Written by MIKE W. BARR and JAI NITZ • Art by PHILIPPE BRIONES and SCOT EATON • Cover by FRAZER IRVING
Two members of Task Force X are back in these all-new adventures! First up: “REVENGE OF KOBRA” by writer Mike W. Barr and artist Philippe Briones. To oppose the terrorist Kobra is to earn his undying hatred, and that’s what the samurai Katana did when she killed his beloved Eve. Now, Kobra stalks Katana beyond the bounds of the Earth itself, to a supernatural world where he will steal from her everything that she has—including her very soul! And in “SUICIDE SQUAD BLACK,” by writer Jai Nitz and artist Scot Eaton, Sebastian Faust, the U.S. government’s top arcane operative, has gone rogue! To track down America’s most dangerous magician, Amanda Waller assembles a special ops team unlike any other: an expendable coven of dark arts experts including El Diablo, Enchantress and Gentleman Ghost. They are Suicide Squad Black, and they will take you to places where even the dead can die!
On sale AUGUST 2 • 48 pg, FC, 1 of 6, $4.99 US • RATED T+
SUICIDE SQUAD: BLACK FILES #2
Written by MIKE W. BARR and JAI NITZ
Art by PHILIPPE BRIONES and SCOT EATON
Cover by FRAZER IRVING
Trapped inside her Soultaker sword, the soul of Katana is torn between staying with her murdered husband or rejoining the world of the living. Meanwhile, Kobra’s Queen, Eve, makes nefarious use of Katana’s body as she infiltrates the Suicide Squad.
Also in this issue, Suicide Squad Black tries to leave its deadly first mission in the past and get one step ahead of the apocalypse warlock, Sebastian Faust. To beat the sorcerer, this magically fueled task force needs something he covets. But like all things Suicide Squad, their next mission is no ordinary smash-and-grab, but rather a jewel heist on Gemworld!
On sale SEPTEMBER 6 • 32 pg, 2 of 6, FC, $4.99 US • RATED T+
SUICIDE SQUAD: BLACK FILES #3
Written by MIKE W. BARR and JAI NITZ
Art by SCOT EATON, WAYNE FAUCHER and PHILIPPE BRIONES
Cover by FRAZER IRVING
“KATANA: REVENGE OF KOBRA” part three! Trapped in the mystic dimension within the Soultaker sword, Katana and her husband, Maseo, fight the forces of the mad swordsmith Muramasa, who has amassed an army to invade the world outside—our world!
“SUICIDE SQUAD BLACK” part three! Suicide Squad Black comes face to face with Sebastian Faust, who naturally makes Amanda Waller’s supernatural enforcers an offer they can’t refuse. Will the Suicide Squad make (another) deal with the devil?
On sale OCTOBER 4 • 48 pg, FC, 3 of 6, $4.99 • RATED T+Haas team principal Guenther Steiner says new teams should be given extra testing opportunities.
There were just eight days of pre-season testing before the first race of 2016. Haas completed 2,206km with their new car which was less than any team bar Sauber, whose 2016 did not appear until the final test.
“As a new team, I would want an opportunity to test a few more days than the other teams,” said Steiner. “Give the new teams a freebie with three or more days of testing to get to know the car better, to get the team working better together so you can avoid the small mistakes you make early on that sometimes have big consequences.”
“It’s wishful thinking, but knowing what I know now would have helped avoid the problems we had in China.”
Haas experienced problems with the new front wing they ran for the first time in China.
“We just couldn’t get the car to do what we wanted it to do,” Steiner admitted. “We had a problem with Esteban [Gutierrez’s] car, so he went out very little on Friday, which was part of our overall problem. We cannot make mistakes like that over the entire weekend.”
The team reverted to its original front wing at Romain Grosjean’s urging.
“When Romain noted something was not right, we went back to our original wing – our proven wing,” said Steiner. “Romain knew it wasn’t right and he knew we didn’t have enough time to experiment with it, so we needed to go back to something we knew.”
2016 F1 seasonThere’s a crisis on the farms of America: Young people don’t want to work there.
The organization known as the FFA, or Future Farmers of America, is well aware of this. The FFA was founded in 1928 to get students more engaged in agriculture and works with the US departments of Education and Agriculture. One solution the FFA is trying: Get more minority high school students, often immigrants, interested in running the farm. That includes kids who have no family background in agriculture and live in urban areas like Buena Park, California.
Buena Park is a sea of concrete. The closest thing to a farm here is Knott’s Berry Farm, a popular amusement park where a farm once stood many decades ago. Venture to the back of Buena Park High School’s campus though, and you’ll find pigs, chickens and steers, as well as students like sophomore Moses Nathan Talavera driving a tractor.
Talavera was born in California. His parents are from Mexico City. He had no experience with farming when a friend told him about the agriculture program at Buena Park High.
“I really like animals, so I decided to get a pig, and I fell in love with pigs,” says Talavera. “I’ve had three pigs so far.”
Talavera raised the pigs then sold them at the Orange County Fair. Students can earn $50 to $500 raising and selling animals.
Senior Urfia Abdul started with rabbits, feeding them and cleaning their cages, then moved on to goats. Abdul was born in Southern California, but moved to India when she was 1. A few years ago, her parents sent her back to Orange County to live with her uncle.
"The first semester, I almost cried every single day because I was so homesick,” she says.
Urfia Abdul (left) and Jessica Solorzano, two of the roughly 500 students enrolled in the agriculture program at Buena Park High. Credit: Jason Margolis
“Cleaning poop doesn’t sound that amazing or fun,” says Abdul with a chuckle. “But when you’re there cleaning the poop of the animals, there are five other friends that are doing the same thing. You talk to them and build more friendships, more memories.”
This is not The Real Orange County from MTV.
At Buena Park High, 26 languages are spoken on campus, but most of the students are Latino. Those students know the model on most American farms: White farmers own the land, while Latinos do the hard, manual labor. According to the US Census, Hispanics are the ‘principal operators’ of less than three percent of the nation’s farms.
Many of the students at Buena Park have relatives who do the low-wage, difficult farm work like picking fruits and vegetables. Jessica Fernandes, who heads the agriculture department at Buena Park High, wants her students to take pride in the people harvesting the crops, but also know there are other jobs on the farm too.
“There are so many steps from planting that seed to getting it all the way to the grocery store and what happens to convince you or I to buy that product,” says Fernandes “There are hundreds of jobs surrounding the agriculture industry.”
Besides learning to drive a tractor, students at Buena Park High study the business of farming (agriculture economics) and ag sciences.
The student Nathan Talavera, who drove the tractor and raised pigs, wants to be a veterinarian. Urfia Abdul is considering a career in accounting, within agriculture.
In addition to teaching, Fernandes works with the FFA. Under her guidance, the ag program at Buena Park High has expanded from 60 students to nearly 500 in nine years.
But that still leaves three-quarters of the student body uninterested in agriculture. And Buena Park is a major success story for the FFA — at most other urban high schools, many students have probably never even heard of the FFA. That worries America’s farm industry.
“I would say crisis might be the right word because we are in desperate needs of young farmers to carry on the tradition,” says Steve Brown, chairman of the board of directors for the National FFA.
His organization is piloting its “Enhancing Diversity” program in Atlanta and San Antonio to reach black and Latino students. Brown says their pitch to lower-income minorities is pretty straightforward: There are jobs for them on the farm.
“They’re very employable. There is a strong need and that need will continue as the baby boomers retire. There is a huge demand as well as a huge opportunity,” Brown says.
Ag teacher Jessica Fernandes says her students also see farming as a way to get to college.
“If you are in agriculture classes, and you become a program completer, which means staying for the four years and being actively involved, you have access to a $2 million pot of scholarships that no other kid on campus has access to,” says Fernandes.
Add it all up — the scholarships, the jobs, the cash from raising animals — and the pig pen at Buena Park High has become a popular hangout.The headline makes it seem like “mondo bizarre” but one case the Supreme Court of the United States will be considering will be whether everyday Americans have the right to resell their property.
This is all coming about because of a ruling handed down by the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last year that stated anything manufactured overseas is not subject to the “first sale” principle…a doctrine that the Supreme Court has recognized since 1908, which allows you to resell your stuff without worry because the copyright holder only had control over the first sale.
However, that can all change and it's all because of the above stated lower court ruling having to do with this case.
The case stems from Supap Kirtsaeng’s college experience. A native of Thailand, Kirtsaeng came to the U.S. in 1997 to study at Cornell University. When he discovered that his textbooks, produced by Wiley, were substantially cheaper to buy in Thailand than they were in Ithaca, N.Y., he rallied his Thai relatives to buy the books and ship them to him in the U.S.
He then sold them on eBay, making upwards of $1.2 million, according to court documents.
Wiley, which admitted that it charged less for books sold abroad than it did in the U.S., sued him for copyright infringement. Kirtsaeng countered with the first-sale doctrine.
In August 2011, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld a lower court’s ruling that anything that was manufactured overseas is not subject to the first-sale principle. Only American-made products or “copies manufactured domestically” were.
“It means that it’s harder for consumers to buy used products and harder for them to sell them,” said Jonathan Bland, an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center, who filed a friend-of-the-court brief on behalf of the American Library Association, the Association of College and Research Libraries and the Association for Research Libraries. “This has huge consumer impact on all consumer groups.”
“It would be absurd to say anything manufactured abroad can’t be bought or sold here,” said Marvin Ammori, a First Amendment lawyer and Schwartz Fellow at the New American Foundation who specializes in technology issues.
Both Ammori and Bland worry that a decision in favor of the lower court would lead to some strange, even absurd consequences.
For example, it could become an incentive for manufacturers to have everything produced overseas because they would be able to control every resale.
It could also become a weighty issue for auto trade-ins and resales, considering about 40% of most U.S.-made cars carry technology and parts that were made overseas.
So now the iPad that you may want to sell….hell, just about anything that has technology developed abroad would require you to get permission of the copyright holder before you’re given the right to sell your stuff.
If the Supreme Court upholds the lower court decision, imagine the number of businesses this would imperil…not to mention the fact that the weekend yard sale could become a thing of the past!
Like I said, “mondo bizarre”….no?
Your thoughts.PC shipments in Western Europe declined by 20.5 percent during the first quarter: The only vendors to see shipments grow were Lenovo and Apple, which returned to the top five.
Shipments during the quarter dropped to 12.3 million, compared to 15.5 million units in the first quarter of 2012, according to market research company Gartner. That is the worst quarterly decline the company has seen since it started tracking PC shipments in the region.
The wide availability of Windows 8-based PCs was again unable to boost consumer PC purchases. Users still wonder about its suitability for traditional PCs, according to Gartner analyst Meike Escherich.
All market segments were affected by the first quarter drop: Mobile and desktop shipments fell by 24.6 percent and 13.8 percent respectively. Shipments in the professional PC market declined by 17.2 percent, while those to consumers decreased by 23.7 percent.
The two biggest vendors, Hewlett-Packard and Acer, both saw volumes decline by over 30 percent. Despite shipping only half as many notebooks to consumers as it did a year earlier, HP remained the market leader by approximately 1 million PCs. It shipped 2.4 million units while Acer totalled 1.4 million.
Lenovo, on the other hand, grew shipments by 7.2 percent, and was only 6,000 units behind Acer, according to Gartner's data. The vendor continued to expand in the consumer PC sector by winning share from both Acer and HP, and competed closely with HP and Dell in the professional PC market, Gartner said.
Dell retained its fourth spot in Western Europe, as questions about its future ownership loom large. The company's shipments dropped by 14.7 percent to 1.2 million PCs.
Apple returned to the top five for the first time since 2011. It increased shipments by 0.8 percent, to 972,000 laptops and desktops
One vendor missing from the top five was Asus, which was the third-biggest vendor during the first quarter of 2012. The company was hit by the death of the mini-notebook market, and didn't have any significant professional customer base to fall back on.
Microsoft will update Windows 8 later this year in a bid to improve usability. It hasn't yet detailed what the free Windows 8.1 upgrade will add, but an executive has conceded that restoring the start menu might be useful.When I went off to college, I was followed by a long series of emails from my parents, warning me of the dangers the world possessed. They were the same urban-legend emails that all the other girls in my dorm were getting from their parents. We had to look out for men who would lie down under our cars, use a knife to slice our Achilles’ tendon, and then steal the vehicle as we bled to death in the parking lot. There were men who would pretend to have a flat tire so we’d stop to help, and then he would rape us. There were men in alleys, men in the backseats of our cars, men under our beds. All of them ready to mutilate, rape, abduct, and murder us.
When I dropped out of college and started to travel on my own, the emails increased in intensity. But now instead of urban legends, approximately as scary and convincing as old campfire tales about the guy with a hook for a hand, I was getting news reports from reputable sources. American girls just like me were disappearing all over the world, and here was a New York Times story to prove it.
When an American woman’s body was found in Istanbul, I was in Athens, Greece. Emails came in with a clenched jaw: “Stay Safe!!!”
The year the media lost its collective mind about Natalee Holloway’s disappearance in Aruba, I traveled on my own to Buenos Aires for a month. The year a Danish tourist was gang-raped in India, I was traveling alone in Serbia. When an American woman’s body was found in Istanbul, I was in Athens, Greece. Emails came in with a clenched jaw: “Stay Safe!!!” written across the top.
I felt terrible for the women who had encountered violence while they were out traveling in the world. And yet I felt manipulated by media coverage, which felt very selective and purposeful. It was Missing White Woman Syndrome, but tinged with something a little more sinister. The media had an agenda, it seemed. They wanted very badly to convince (Western) women that the world was not a safe place for them.
When a male friend of a friend disappeared in Mexico, there were no hysterical responses. His bright shining face was not plastered all over cable news the way Natalee Holloway’s had been. He was just some white dude gone missing; it barely made the news at all. And when his body was found—he had suffered a mishap while hiking in the mountains and was unable to make it out—there was no tut-tutting by commentators about how dangerous it was for men to travel alone. His disappearance did not fit into their agenda.
I would never argue that the world is a safe place for women. But how we choose to write about that violence matters.
I would never argue that the world is a safe place for women. Women face a disproportionate amount of physical, sexual, and political violence throughout the world. But how we choose to write about that violence matters. By sensationalizing the stories of Holloway and others, we create a narrative that distracts from the more everyday dangers that women face–and from the women who are most vulnerable to violence.
Realistically, if a woman is going to be beaten, raped, or murdered, it’s probably not going to be a strange man in Istanbul who does it. It will be someone she knows. More likely it will be her husband or boyfriend. According to the US Centers for Disease Control, a third of American women will be the victim of rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime. Approximately 25% will suffer serious physical violence at the hand of an intimate partner. At the same time, women of color are at a higher risk of going missing, to say nothing of domestic abuse. And yet the women who are made a fuss over in the media are almost exclusively white women. Tellingly, when the story is about a woman missing or dead overseas, the stories always seem to be bigger when the location is inhabited by people of color: the islands, Southeast Asia, Turkey.
Growing up, I lived in a small town in Kansas where people made a big deal about not having to lock their doors at night. Everyone still locked their doors. They just liked the idea that they didn’t have to. We were safe from the big, bad world.
I lived in a small town where people made a big deal about not having to lock their doors. Yet, the town wasn’t necessarily safe for women.
And yet, the town wasn’t necessarily safe for women. There were cases of domestic violence, of girls who were beaten by their fathers or who witnessed their mothers getting hit, girls my age who were sexually assaulted by members of their families. Most people didn’t talk about it much, beyond what was whispered in hair salons or on the walk home after school. But we all knew the stories. We saw black eyes hidden with sunglasses and make-up. I knew why my friend wasn’t in class that day.
It never seemed to me that the big, bad world was the source of the problem. This was an internal issue—strangers had nothing to do with it. And yet when my sister married her college sweetheart, I don’t remember anyone forwarding her emails about the statistical probability that she could die at his hands. No one sent her news stories of the latest woman murdered by her husband.
When the report of the Danish woman who was raped in India made the news, I remember a lot of people, particularly women in the comments section, blaming the victim for going to India at all. “What did she expect?” I read over and over. It’s convenient for Westerners to think of India as a place where rape happens. It helps us dehumanize men of color, and it helps protect our unquestioned xenophobia. It also allows us not to think about our own countries’ problems with violence against women.
There’s still a large part of our culture that believes women should stay at home where they will be ”safe.” The road, the world–those are the danger zones. We hear this so often that we start to believe it, and we behave accordingly. When I head off on another solo trip, it’s often my married friends who clutch my wrist and tell me with a slightly anxious edge, “Stay safe!” I often want to say to them, “Yeah. You too.”
This article is part of Quartz Ideas, our home for bold arguments and big thinkers.Story highlights 37 people are killed throughout Syria on Sunday, an opposition group says
Syrian president: "Even monsters do not do what we saw" in Houla
Opposition: Five people are killed as shelling fell on cities during al-Assad's speech
Kofi Annan: The specter of all-out civil war with a sectarian dimension grows every day
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad denied Sunday that government forces were behind the "outrageous" massacre of more than 100 civilians, including dozens of small children, in the town of Houla.
"Truthfully, even monsters do not do what we saw, especially in the Houla massacre," he told lawmakers. "The criminal or criminals who committed this crime and others are not criminals for an hour or criminals for a day, they are constant criminals and are surely planning other crimes."
Speaking before the newly-elected People's Assembly on Sunday, al-Assad decried what he called the "terrorists" and "conspiracy" against Syria.
"At this time, we are facing a war from abroad," al-Assad said in his first public speech since January. "Dealing with it is different from dealing with people from inside."
His speech came a week after the U.N. Security Council condemned the Houla massacre, with members casting blame on government forces for the deaths.
Photos: Photos: Massacre in Syria Photos: Photos: Massacre in Syria Hide Caption 1 of 7 Photos: Photos: Massacre in Syria Massacre in Syria – Syrians surround a U.N observer vehicle after placing the bodies of a girl and man on the car in Houla on Saturday, May 26, 2012. The photo is from the opposition Shaam News Network. Forty-nine children were among the 108 slaughtered in Houla on Friday, May 25, U.N. monitors say. The massacre in Houla, a suburb of the anti-government bastion of Homs, has reignited international fury against Bashar al-Assad's regime. Hide Caption 2 of 7 Photos: Photos: Massacre in Syria Massacre in Syria – The body of a slain Syrian child lies next to other shrouded bodies at a hospital mortuary in Houla on Saturday in another photo from the opposition Shaam News Network. Al-Assad's regime insists it is not behind the massacre and blames terrorist groups. Syria has attributed violence on "armed terrorist groups" throughout the 14-month-old uprising. Hide Caption 3 of 7 Photos: Photos: Massacre in Syria Massacre in Syria – Bodies of children lie in a Houla hospital morgue before their burial Saturday in another photo from Shaam News Network. Images from the town show a room crammed with mangled and bloody bodies of children -- some with their skulls torn open. Hide Caption 4 of 7 Photos: Photos: Massacre in Syria Massacre in Syria – U.N. observers visit a hospital morgue in Houla on Saturday before the burial of massacre victims. Opposition activists and residents blame al-Assad's regime for the bloodbath. Hide Caption 5 of 7 Photos: Photos: Massacre in Syria Massacre in Syria – A Houla resident shows a body to a U.N. observer at a mosque in the central Syrian town. Some U.N. Security Council members condemned the attacks "that involved a series of government artillery and tank shellings on a residential neighborhood" as well as killings of civilians by close-range gunshots. Hide Caption 6 of 7 Photos: Photos: Massacre in Syria Massacre in Syria – Syrians gather at a mass burial Saturday in Houla. "Those responsible for these brutal crimes must be held accountable," Kofi Annan, the U.N.-Arab League special envoy, said in a statement. Hide Caption 7 of 7
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Al-Assad's remarks stand in stark contrast to what the opposition and many world leaders have said for more than a year -- that al-Assad's forces, not "terrorists," are behind a sustained slaughter stemming from the regime's crackdown on dissidents.
As the president spoke, heavy shelling rained on the anti-government bastion of Homs, the opposition Local Coordination Committees of Syria said. Thirty-seven people were killed throughout Syria on Sunday, including five children, the group said.
Opposition activists also reported seeing a large military convoy of about 45 trucks carrying tanks, armored personnel carriers and soldiers heading toward Deir Ezzor during al-Assad's speech.
Al-Assad insisted "the battle is forced upon us," but promised amnesty for those who stop fighting immediately.
"I encourage all of those who are hesitant to drop their weapons at once, and the government will not seek revenge now or later," he said in his 70-minute speech. "We forgave others who stood against us in the past."
The president also touted what he called political reforms and denounced those he said were conspiring against Syria.
"Standing up against the conspiracy is not easy, but we will overcome the obstacles," al-Assad said.
The president's address came a day after U.N. special envoy Kofi Annan said Syria is "at a turning point" and that "the specter of all-out civil war, with a worrying sectarian dimension, grows by the day."
Saudi Foreign Minister Saud Al Faisal said the Syrian regime is pushing for a sectarian crisis.
"The Syrian opposition lacks the means to defend itself, and the regime is getting weapons from everywhere. For a while now, we noticed that the regime has been trying to turn the crisis into a sectarian conflict," Al Faisal said Sunday.
He added that while Syria had agreed to Annan's peace plan, the regime has not implemented it. "The regime just wants to buy time," Al Faisal said.
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JUST WATCHED Syria: Military not behind Houla attack Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Syria: Military not behind Houla attack 03:33
JUST WATCHED Syrian diplomat leaves U.S. Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Syrian diplomat leaves U.S. 00:46
JUST WATCHED Diplomacy fails to stem Syria violence Replay More Videos... MUST WATCH Diplomacy fails to stem Syria violence 02:51
Catherine Ashton, the EU foreign policy chief, said no efforts should be spared to stop the violence.
"We need to avoid a catastrophe. Violence and repression cannot be the solution. Any further militarization of the conflict will bring enormous suffering to Syria and risks having a dramatic impact on the region," she said.
As Annan's U.N.-backed peace plan continued to founder in Syria, Arab leaders signaled the need for more robust measures to end the violence there.
At a meeting in Doha, Qatar, more than a week after the Houla massacre sparked global outrage, Arab League Secretary-General Nabil el-Araby said " more audacious steps are needed " in Syria.
"We should have a timeline for the peace plan -- this is a must," el-Ar |
abandoned property on the Eastern Shore. (Queen Anne's County Sheriff's Office)
Maryland police found more than 700 marijuana plants, each more than six feet tall, growing at an abandoned home — and almost two months later, they still don’t know who was growing the copious amount of weed.
The Queen Anne’s County Sheriff’s Office announced Tuesday that it had seized the marijuana in a covert operation in August, and is still in the process of investigating the growers. The street value of the plants would be about $1.45 million, the office said.
The seizure happened in Chesterville, on the Eastern Shore, the sheriff’s office said. Maryland State Police troopers were the first to suspect that an abandoned home, boarded up with plywood and sitting on a rarely visited 15-acre property, might be a marijuana farm.
Investigators from Kent and Queen Anne’s counties scoped out the property for days and saw no one coming or going, the Queen Anne’s County sheriff’s office said. On Aug. 20, a team of police officers from numerous state and local agencies knocked on the door of the abandoned home, then forced their way in when no one answered.
The investigators found a set-up in the basement of the house for starting marijuana plants, then a field outdoors where the seedlings were planted to grow bigger. All 714 plants were six- to 10-feet tall, the sheriff’s office said.
The marijuana farm that police found on the Eastern Shore (Queen Anne's County Sheriff's Office)
Police had to borrow a backhoe from a neighbor to explore all the marijuana plots. The plants seemed healthy, the sheriff’s office said, thanks to a homemade irrigation and fertilizer system.
The growers had left behind a pit bull to guard their fields. The sheriff’s office said the dog went to an animal shelter and has already been adopted.
Though investigators have “several strong leads,” they have not made any arrests, sheriff’s office spokesman Dale Patrick said.
Dana Hedgpeth contributed to this report.NATO showing'restraint' in Afghanistan: Rasmussen 29 February, 2012
WASHINGTON: NATO troops are displaying "great restraint" in Afghanistan in the face of a wave of violent unrest that left four US troops dead and others wounded, the alliance's secretary general said on Tuesday. NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen insisted trust had not broken down between alliance-led troops and Afghan security forces, despite incidents in which Afghans turned their weapons on their American partners. The assaults did "not represent the full picture of the daily cooperation" between the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and Afghan troops, he told reporters during a visit to Washington. "I deplore the violence we have seen during the last week. But across the country ISAF troops are showing great restraint and professionalism. And Afghan security forces have shown considerable courage in their effort to minimise the violence," he said. Two US military advisers were gunned down in the interior ministry in Kabul on Saturday, days after two American troops were killed by an Afghan soldier in the east. On Sunday, seven US soldiers were wounded in a grenade attack during an anti-US demonstration in northern Kunduz province. NATO promptly pulled its military advisers out of Afghan government ministries following the shooting over the weekend. Popular outrage erupted after Afghans learned that copies of the holy Quran were brought to an incinerator at the US-run Bagram airbase. Top US and NATO officers have apologised and insisted the incident was a grave error but not intentional. Rasmussen accused terrorists of attempting to exploit anger over the holy Quran desecration and said he hoped that NATO military advisers would soon return to their posts at Afghan government ministries. "The enemies of Afghanistan will not succeed in dividing us from our partners. We want to resume with the close cooperation as soon as possible," he said. "But of course we also have to take the necessary measures to ensure our people can do their work in a secure environment." Echoing comments by US officials on Monday, Rasmussen said the turmoil would not trigger any change in the alliance's timeline for a gradual troop withdrawal and handover to Afghan forces by the end of 2014. NATO has a 1,30,000-strong US-led military force fighting the Taliban, which has led an insurgency against the Western-backed Kabul government since being toppled from power in 2001. End.In this episode of the Locked On Nuggets podcast, I recap the Denver Nuggets’ big win over the Los Angeles Lakes in the preseason. I start off by talking about how this game, more so than the first two preseason games, looked like Denver Nuggets basketball on the offensive end. The ball was popping! The team was working together and the style was most similar to the style the Nuggets honed last season behind Nikola Jokic.
Only this time, it wasn’t Jokic quarterbacking the offense, it was Mason Plumlee. Plumlee has been great in the preseason and this was his best game yet. I talk about how his role has become more defined and how he seems to be settling in quite nicely.
I also talk about Jamal Murray and Malik Beasley and where they are in their development. Thanks for listening. If you haven’t already, please do me a HUGE favor and leave a rating and review on iTunes. It helps the show grow and reach new Nuggets fans.Cycling is currently the new golf. In my world golf is still not a sport I consider myself old enough for – I simply have too much energy for that. But like golf, and almost every other sport, change is being driven by TV rights and commercial opportunities.
SBS and me – things are a little different
For many years, and like many others, I have worked for SBS on-call and unpaid by providing expert commentary and opinion. I have been on site at the Tour de France for many years and commented on finishes for SBS.
Whether I am good or bad – a voice worth listening to or a mug that can be tolerated on the screen – this is no longer an option for me due to a rights issue.
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Now Cycling Australia has acquired the official rights to run tours to the Tour de France, and SBS have the rights to the coverage of the Tour de France.
Because I run a tourism business, I am no longer able to comment on any such official channel as it would appear I am a threat to the rights holders.
Despite this, I still watch the coverage and shows. I am a cycling fan after all.
The broadcasting of the Tour Down Under
Most of us are aware that SBS do not have the rights to the coverage of the TDU, as Events SA have sold the rights to a commercial network to the howls of dismay from the cycling fraternity.
Race director Mike Turtur does not have much to do with rights acquisitions, though he may have had a say. Overall, Mike runs a colourful but tight ship at the TDU.
But a recent story from SBS’s Cycling Central alleged that as race director and Oceania’s UCI representative during the 2003 Tour Down Under, Turtur did not disclose to the public that a rider was currently under investigation.
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Realistically, I am not sure he could have or should have revealed details of current investigations; however SBS felt they had the right to criticise Mike’s decisions about processes.
In fact, they made a bit of a deal about it. SBS may have gone in a bit too hard.
Perhaps, having lost the rights, they felt entitled to offer more powerful commentary but I am not sure that Mike should have or could have made disclosures until due process had prevailed.
The tragedy is that now Turtur is suing SBS.
More controversy in the season lead-up
Although cycling and its media is doing reasonably well in Australia, the last thing we need is a big stoush just before the start of the 2014 season.
You know Mike, let it go. SBS have lost a bit of dignity with this one too – it’s sour grapes.
To be quite frank the current line-up of experts who feel they have the right to criticise riders’ performances need to pull their heads in, get on a bike and have a crack at the races themselves if they think they can do a better job.
This is a great sport, and there are troubles still. Commercial rights are a problem for us all – honesty, disclosure and integrity count for little.
AdvertisementKenyan writer and former political prisoner Ngugi wa Thiong’o at Howard University in Washington in 2006. (Nikki Khan/The Washington Post)
Rajeev Balasubramanyam is an award-winning novelist with a PhD in black and Asian British literature. His latest book is called “Starstruck.” He is on Twitter at @Rajeevbalasu.
Every year I root for Ngugi wa Thiong’o to win the Nobel Prize for literature.
The Kenyan writer has been a favorite to win for years. This year, according to gambling site Ladbrokes, the odds were 4-to-1 in Ngugi’s favor, with Haruki Murakami second at 7-to-1, and Don DeLillo at 12-to-1. Had Murakami or DeLillo won, I would have been disappointed. Ngugi’s novel “Wizard of the Crow” was a 700-page masterpiece that seemed to invent a genre of its own, in between satire and magical realism, yet it had far fewer readers outside of Africa than “The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle“ or “Underworld,” though it is a work of equivalent stature.
When I first heard about Bob Dylan’s selection for the 2016 literature prize instead of Ngugi, I wasn’t concerned that the award had gone to a musician; I was disturbed that the committee had demonstrated an apparent obliviousness to the times we are living in. Alfred Nobel directed that the prize be awarded “in the field of literature [to] the most outstanding work in an ideal direction.” “Outstanding work” refers to literary merit, and “ideal direction” to values, indicating a role for the prize in shaping humanity’s outlook in each given year.
In October 2016, the United States is saddled with a presidential candidate who peddles in misogyny and appeals to white supremacists. In many other countries, neo-liberals are vying with the far right for power, and the left is at its weakest. In light of all of this, the Nobel committee’s decision felt infuriatingly myopic. This was the year we needed a writer like Ngugi.
The last time the Nobel was given to anyone outside the field of literature as conventionally understood was in 1953,when the recipient was Winston Churchill, a decision the committee justified by referring not only to his “mastery of historical and biographical description” but also to his “brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values.” This was, presumably, a reference to his wartime rhetoric, though one wonders whether he would still have won had knowledge of his crimes against Britain’s former colonial subjects been more widespread.
This is the importance of Ngugi. Born in 1938, the son of a tenant farmer in rural, British-occupied Kenya, Ngugi grew up working the pyrethrum farms that were once the property of his ancestors. He came of age during the Mau Mau rebellion, followed by the Churchill government’s violent response, which included the detention of 150,000 Gikuyu people in concentration camps where they were electrocuted, whipped and mutilated. He vividly describes this period in his novels “Weep Not, Child,” the first East African novel published in English, “A Grain of Wheat” and “Petals of Blood.”
Later, when he turned his attention to the betrayal of the Kenyan people by the new ruling elite, he was jailed without trial and wrote the first modern novel in Gikuyu, “Devil on the Cross,” on prison-issued toilet paper. He followed this with “Decolonising the Mind,” in which he argued that Africans should write in their native languages as part of the drive for liberation from the mental shackles of colonialism.
Ngugi’s decision to move away from English was a brave one for a writer hailing from Africa, a continent frequently treated as irrelevant by the rest of the world. It could, in fact, have led to his disappearance from the global stage, but instead it solidified his reputation as a writer of supreme political commitment, though few of his contemporaries or juniors took up the call to write in their native languages. Ngugi’s attitude toward this, however, is markedly self-aware and flexible.
“We of the elder generation,” he told the New African three years ago, “are so bound up by our anti-colonial nationalism, which is important for us but the younger generation ― they are free. You find they don’t confine their characters necessarily to Africa. They are quite happy to bring in characters from other races, and so on … that’s good because they are growing up in a multicultural world.”
It is this ability to free himself from fixed positions that has enabled Ngugi to remain politically relevant. “Wizard of the Crow” is set in the fictional Free Republic of Aburĩria and features a megalomaniacal dictator known only as the Ruler. It is a critique not only of existing figures but also of political power itself, at the core of which he places patriarchal oppression. The novel is written with a radiant, comic hand, compassionate toward ordinary folk, satirical toward the Ruler and his henchmen, and, as Maya Jaggi stated in her review for the Guardian, “remarkably free from bitterness” — vital if a writer is to remain contemporary, and impressive for one exiled from his homeland for 22 years.
Such a rich body of work is of potentially tremendous importance to our understanding of how the world came to be as it is. Ngugi captures the progression from the raw plunder and violence of colonialism to the corruption of national Third World elites by the predatory forces of global capitalism, which he cheekily represented in “Wizard of the Crow” by the fictional global bank.”
Since the publication of “Wizard of the Crow” in 2006, Ngugi has written three volumes of memoir, returning to the periods he covered in his novels. The first, “Dreams in a Time of War,” begins with his grandparents during the time of the Berlin Conference of 1885 when the European countries divided Africa up between them, then tells of his own childhood as a landless laborer. The second, “In the House of the Interpreter,” tells of his years at a British-run boarding school near Nairobi when, during the Mau Mau rebellion, his family home was razed to the ground and his brother imprisoned in a British concentration camp. The third volume, “Birth of a Dream,” recounts his four years at Makerere University in Uganda as Kenya approached independence and Ngugi began to write his first works of literature.
It would have been a progressive decision to have given Dylan the prize 40 years ago (and from his non-responsiveness to the award announcement, one suspects Dylan might even agree with this), but in 2016 the world is at a critical juncture in terms of our awareness of fascism, neo-imperialism and white male supremacy, and the Nobel committee ought to have recognized this. Though no novelist can possibly reach as many people as a musician of Dylan’s fame, we still need to honor literature’s role in shifting our awareness and mobilizing our actions, and of all the contenders for the Nobel this year, Ngugi’s voice is the most urgent. As he himself wrote in 2005: “Written words can also sing.”This article is over 3 years old
Doctors say study of more than 30,000 workers shows that health problems are a pressing issue for governments if they want to boost productivity
The average Australian worker: unfit, overweight, stressed and at risk
The average Australian worker is stressed, overweight, unfit and has a cholesterol or blood pressure problem, new findings show.
They highlight the urgent need for preventative actions in the workplace, says Dr John Lang, CEO of the Workplace Health Association of Australia (WHAA).
“This is an alarming insight into the poor levels of health experienced by most Australian workers,” he said as the WHAA/University of Wollongong report was released on Friday.
The Health Profile of Australian Employees report analysed the health characteristics of almost 30,000 workers gleaned from workplace health assessments over the past decade.
Physical inactivity and stress were found to be the leading preventable health risks for workers.
The report found that 65% reported moderate to high stress levels, while 41% had psychological distress levels considered to be at-risk.
Half were found to be physically inactive, with 40% being overweight and another 20% obese.
Nearly a quarter had high cholesterol and 12% had high blood pressure, while 11% drank excessively and the same percentage smoked daily.
“Your average working Australian is overweight, unfit, has a cholesterol or blood pressure problem and is stressed – that is a bad average,” said Dr Lang.
“The impact of employee health on the performance and productivity of the Australian labour force dwarfs many of the productivity issues currently being tackled by state and federal governments.
“With national health care expenditure rising at more than double the inflation rate, prevention has to be a top priority.”
A separate study released on Friday found that Australians are watching television for an average of three hours at home each day.
While this number has dropped by a few minutes a day since the first quarter of 2014, Australians are still tuning in for an average of 89 and a half hours of broadcast TV every month.
Australians spend just over 100 hours a month watching broadcast TV on a combination of TVs, laptops, smartphones and tablets.
A third of people have two devices operating alongside their TV, according to the Australian Multi-Screen Report co-authored by Regional Tam, OzTam and Neilsen.Part design tool, part motivational tool the Tiny Game Designer Tool is built out of love and passion for games and game design. We sincerely hope this will be useful for someone!
Tiny Game Design Tool is a small, portable booklet created in order to help game designers to come up with cool ideas and get started with a project in a very short time. It was built out of the great Pocket Mod, a tool that allows you to make small booklets to organize your work.
It's free, it's fun, it's awesome. Do you need more? (Actually, don't go and sell it back, please. We made it with ♥)
The road to awesomeness. Or: how you will learn to stop worrying and use this tool.
One. Emotion, mechanic and theme So, in order to start you should decide what kind of emotion you want to evoke in your player. Then you shall decide which core mechanic, according to you, will empower that emotion in the best way. What is a core mechanic? Think of it as a verb describing the main action the player will do in your game: maybe collect? Or run? Or chase? Or escape? Just add the object to the verb (for example: "collect fruit" or "run from sheeps") and there you are. This will be your core mechanic, so stick to it! The whole game should revolve around that one core idea. Games are not just mechanics, though. Choose a theme which supports the emotion you picked. The theme could be an environment (for example: a space facility on mars) or an abstract setting or a mood (a gloomy space with colored waves). Now, you have just set the general mood for your game!
Two. Main character Here comes the hero of our game. Draw a picture, choose a name and describe it in a nice and concise way. Then choose one or more powers. These powers should have something to do with the chosen core mechanic. For example, if your game revolves around jumping, maybe the main character should be able to wall-jump or to double jump. Maybe this would be a collecting game, so an inventory ability should be great for you. What if your character could have the ability to make other character jealous of each other? Powers can get really silly. Experiment! Remember, this is just a first draft. Keep some possibilities open while shaping a certain personality for your character. Oh, and don't force yourself to think about humans or other living creatures. What if your character is a stone? Or maybe a star shape? Try to think outside the box!a debt security not registered to any specific investor
A nineteenth-century bearer bond
A bearer bond is a bond or debt security issued by a business entity such as a corporation, or a government. As a bearer instrument, it differs from the more common types of investment securities in that it is unregistered—no records are kept of the owner, or the transactions involving ownership. Whoever physically holds the paper on which the bond is issued owns the instrument. This is useful for investors who wish to retain anonymity. Recovery of the value of a bearer bond in the event of its loss, theft, or destruction is usually impossible. Some relief is possible in the case of United States public debt.[1]
History [ edit ]
Bearer bonds have historically been the financial instrument of choice for money laundering, tax evasion, and concealed business transactions in general. In response, new issuances of bearer bonds have been severely curtailed in the United States since 1982.[2]
In the United States all the bearer bonds issued by the US Treasury have matured. They no longer pay interest to the holders. As of May 2009, the approximate amount outstanding is $100 million.[3]
In June 2009, Italian financial police and custom guards seized documents purporting to be US bearer bonds, totaling $134.5 billion. The bonds were in $500 million and $1 billion denominations, although the highest denomination ever issued by the US Treasury was $10,000. It was unclear what the purpose of the fake bonds was; the two men carrying them were not detained after the bonds were seized.[4]
United States policy and practice [ edit ]
In the United States, the Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 1982 substantially curtailed the issue of debt in bearer form. The act disallowed a tax-deduction of interest paid on any such bonds issued after 1982 by the issuer in the case of corporate bonds, and removed the tax-exemption of the interest to the holder in the case of municipal bonds. In contrast, registered bonds retained the tax-exempt treatment.[5] A challenge to this tax treatment by the US state of South Carolina was heard by the US Supreme Court in the case of South Carolina v. Baker (1988), which upheld the law and brought to an end the further issue of virtually all US municipal bearer bonds.
See also [ edit ]Download Press Kit
Nowadays, everyone has a smartphone or an action camera in their pocket. We have high resolution cameras and state of the art camera technology at our fingertips. But what do we have to show? Nothing but shaky videos. LUUV has created the solution: solidLUUV!
Create smooth, shake-free videos every-time with solidLUUV! solidLUUV is the world's first all-in-one camera stabilizer and works with all action cams, smartphones and compact digital cameras.
solidLUUV is the 3-axis mechanical stabilizer for everybody. It is robust, versatile, super easy to use and has an everlasting design!
Thanks to its modular setup you can even attach our electronic module, turning solidLUUV into ultraLUUV - the world's first 2x3-axis stabilizer!
The solidLUUV stabilizer is a fully fledged steadycam, functions one-handed, and can be used with all smartphones, action cams and compact cameras. It won't matter if the new GoPro is 20 % lighter or if Samsung announces a new smartphone generation. solidLUUV is adaptable to all of your cameras.
Our promise: Every device weighting up to 500gr is compatible with solidLUUV!
Thanks to its 3-axis gimbal and the flexible grip, solidLUUV absorbs your body’s movements and vibrations, so you can produce steady, clean footage anywhere you go, and for whatever purpose.
No extra tools are needed, simply adapt the weights inside solidLUUV for your specific camera, attach the camera with our simple Plug & Play action, and go!
To make the balancing process as easy and as fast as possible, we will provide you with recommended weight setups for all established camera models.
All-in-one 3-axis mechanical stabilizer:
Professional mechanical stabilization
Waterproof, robust, Plug & Play
Easy to set up and balance
Easy to use - no technical knowledge needed
Ideal for capturing all your special occasions, everyday activities, or sports and action moments
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Now, that we covered solidLUUV, prepare for something even more exciting: Simply add our electronic stabilization module to solidLUUV and get ultraLUUV, the world's first 2x3-axis stabilizer. ultraLUUV is the best it can get!
Combination of 3-axis mechanical and 3-axis electronic stabilization:
Next level stabilization
Easy to use - no technical knowledge required
Get the perfect shot, first time, first take! Capture high-speed adventures and extreme action shots, like jumps, perfectly smooth every time
Versatile: Detach the electronic module from solidLUUV and simply attach it to your helmet, bike handle or pole
We took the best mechanical stabilizer, solidLUUV, and combined it with the best electronic gimbal. We are proud to say, that we have partnered up with Feiyu Tech, high-quality manufacturer for hand-held gimbals. The outcome is ultraLUUV and a partnership that will revolutionize the way you film.
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See the difference! Left screen filmed without ultraLUUV and the right screen filmed with ultraLUUV:
ultraLUUV combines all the advantages of mechanical and electronic stabilization! No compromises - it's the best it can get!
Size: Height: 25cm / Width: 9cm
Weight: solidLUUV with GoPro Hero4: 680gr
Weight range: Compatible with all cameras between 0-500gr
Material: V2A stainless steel; PC/ABS; TPU
Size: ultraLUUV - Height: 33cm / Width: 9cm
Weight: ultraLUUV with GoPro Hero4: 800gr
For the electronics, we partnered up with Feiyu Tech, high-quality manufacturer for hand-held gimbals. Together we are developing the most advanced and versatile electronic stabilization module, including:
3-axis 360 degree coverage (panning/ tilting/ rolling)
Quick release for all GoPro-sized cameras with or without LCD BacPac (Height: 33-46mm)
Powered by 2x 900mah 3.7v rechargeable Li-ion batteries; Battery life: 2-4 hours, depending on your usage (Battery charger included)
Single-button control for fast operating and mode changing
Weatherproof protection of the electronics
Universal adapter to attach the module to your favourite GoPro accessory
Quick release for all smartphones and phablets (up to 80mm in width), e.g. iPhone 6 Plus
Powered by 2x 900mah 3.7v rechargeable Li-ion batteries; Battery life: 2-4 hours, depending on your usage (Battery charger included)
Single-button control for fast operating and mode changing
Universal adapter to attach the module to your favourite GoPro accessory
We added some FAQs to our campaign page and answered your most urgent questions. You’ll find them at the bottom of the page.
LUUV started 2012 when we were unhappy with the shaky videos we were getting on a snowboarding trip. We wanted a stabilizer that not only looked good and was easy to use, but functioned better than anything that was currently on the market. It needed to accommodate any user, with any camera, and deliver flawless results… and so solidLUUV was born.
After a first crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, we were able to finalize the development of solidLUUV thanks to the valuable feedback of our previous supporters. Now that we have perfected our camera stabilizer and set up the supply chain, we are ready to move into phase two - production. Therefore, we partnered up with some of the best german high-tech manufacturers.
In order to kick-off the production process, we need your support! Let's put an end to shaky and unstable videos! LUUV is changing the way you produce videos by bringing professional, shake-free footage to any camera user. Whether for marketing purposes, or just showing off some epic skills (or fails), we can’t get enough of all things video. A video stabilizer was once a professional term that most people wouldn’t understand or see any relevance in. Now that videos are steam-rolling into our lives, the importance of standing out with quality video is more important than ever.
Update 13.10.2015: In addition to our existing perks we would like to offer two new rewards.
Second battery pack: The second battery pack increases the fun with ultraLUUV up to 4-8 hours, depending on the usage. You can add the second battery pack to your order by selecting “manage my pledge” on our Kickstarter page, then manually increasing the amount pledged by €20.
Outdoor case: The waterproof and robust LUUV outdoor case (made by B&W, new type 4000) offers space for your solidLUUV, your electronic module as well as all your accessories. You can add the outdoor case to your order by selecting “manage my pledge” on our Kickstarter page, then manually increasing the amount pledged by €85.
Update 27.10.2015: Thank you! We reached 300 % funding!!! This means that if you have ordered an ultraLUUV or solidLUUV on Kickstarter, you will also receive the hand strap and the exclusive LUUV bag, for free!
Check out the amazing videos you can shoot with solidLUUV and ultraLUUV!
LUUV Best of 2014, filmed with solidLUUV:
Wonderful Krisztina Tóth and her hula hoops, filmed with ultraLUUV:
Last, but not least - check out the ultraLUUV review by ValueTechTV:
Heutzutage hat jeder ein Smartphone oder eine Action-Kamera in der Hosentasche. Wir tragen den aktuellsten Stand der Technik, absolut hochauflösende Kameras, mit uns herum. Und was haben wir davon? Nichts, außer komplett verwackelter Videos! LUUV hat die Lösung: solidLUUV!
Wackelfreie, fließende Aufnahmen - jederzeit! solidLUUV ist das weltweit erste all-in-one Schwebestativ für all Deine Action-Kameras, Smartphones und digitale Kompaktkameras.
solidLUUV ist das mechanische 3-Achs Schwebestativ für jedermann! Es ist robust, vielseitig, super einfach zu bedienen und hat ein aerodynamisches Design!
Dank seines modularen Konzepts, kannst Du es sogar mit unserem elektronischen Stabilisierungsmodul kombinieren. solidLUUV wird so zu ultraLUUV, dem weltweit ersten 2x3-Achs Schwebestativ!
solidLUUV ist eine vollwertige Steadycam, lässt sich komplett mit einer Hand bedienen und ist mit allen Smartphones, Action-Kameras und Kompaktkameras kompatibel. Egal, ob die neue GoPro mal wieder 20 % leichter ist oder Samsung eine neue Smartphone-Generation ankündigt. solidLUUV funktioniert auch in Zukunft mit all Deinen Kameras!
Unser Versprechen: Jede Kamera bis zu einem Gewicht von 500 Gramm ist kompatibel mit solidLUUV!
Dank seines 3-Achs Gimbals und dem erschütterungsdämpfenden Grip, trennt solidLUUV die Bewegungen und Vibrationen Deines Körpers von der Kamera. So kannst Du zu jeder Zeit und überall wackelfreie und fließende Aufnahmen machen.
Du brauchst keine extra Werkzeuge. Stell einfach das Gewichtssetup im Innern von solidLUUV für Deine Kamera ein, klicke Deine Kamera dank Plug & Play oben auf das Stativ und los geht’s!
Um den Justageprozess so einfach und schnell wie möglich zu gestalten, werden wir Dir Empfehlungen für die Anordnung der Gewichte für alle gängigen Kameramodelle mit auf den Weg geben.
Mechanisches 3-Achs Schwebestativ:
Professionelle mechanische Stabilisierung
Wasserfest, robust, Plug & Play
Einfach zu justieren und auszubalancieren
Einfach zu bedienen - kein Fachwissen erforderlich
Ideal, um besondere Anlässe, tägliche Aktivitäten sowie Sport- und actionreiche Momente festzuhalten
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Deutsch
Jetzt, da Du solidLUUV kennst, mach Dich auf etwas sogar noch Aufregenderes gefasst: Verbinde einfach unser elektronisches Stabilisierungsmodul mit solidLUUV und erhalte ultraLUUV, das weltweit erste 2x3-Achs Schwebestativ. Besser als ultraLUUV geht es nicht!
Kombination von mechanischer 3-Achs und elektronischer 3-Achs Stabilisierung:
Stabilisierung einer neuen Generation
Sofort gekonnt zu bedienen - keine Eingewöhnung erforderlich
Mach die perfekte Aufnahme gleich bei der ersten Benutzung und fange Aktivitäten in hoher Geschwindigkeit und schneller Bewegung wie z. B. Sprünge perfekt wackelfrei ein
Höchste Flexibilität: Nimm das elektronische Modul ab und befestige es an Deinem Helm, Fahrradlenker oder Deiner Pole
Wir kombinieren das beste mechanische Schwebestativ, solidLUUV, mit dem besten elektronischen Gimbal. Wir sind stolz, unsere Partnerschaft mit Feiyu Tech zu verkünden, einem der weltweit führenden Hersteller für elektronische Stabilisierungsmodule. LUUV und Feiyu Tech - eine Partnerschaft, die die Art wie Du filmst, revolutionieren wird.
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Sieh den Unterschied! Linke Bildschirmhälfte ohne ultraLUUV, rechte Bildschirmhälfte mit ultraLUUV:
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Mexico law, no one under age 14 in the state can face adult sanctions.
Two of the battery counts against Campbell stem from the wounding of two children in the attack, while the third is for an adult staff member who was slightly wounded and declined medical aid, police said.
An 11-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl were seriously wounded and airlifted to the University Medical Center in Lubbock, Texas, where the boy was in critical condition and the girl was listed as satisfactory on Wednesday.
A hospital spokesman on Thursday said the facility would not be releasing any more information on their conditions until further notice.
PSYCHIATRIC DETENTION
The shooting incident lasted just 10 seconds before a teacher, identified as John Masterson, stepped forward and persuaded Campbell to put down his gun, officials said.
Campbell could face a potential maximum sentence of confinement in a juvenile detention facility until age 21, Roswell-based District Attorney Janetta Hicks of the Fifth District said in an email.
Campbell was being held at a child psychiatric hospital in Albuquerque about 170 miles northwest of Roswell, the charging documents said.
A judge on Tuesday ordered the boy to undergo mental health evaluation and treatment, Hicks said. No hearings are currently scheduled in the case, she said.
"We are horribly sad over this tragedy on so many levels," they wrote in the statement, which was also signed by the boy's grandparents.
The shooting was the second at a U.S. middle school in the last three months and comes in the midst of a contentious national debate on gun control that intensified after a young gunman killed 26 people at an elementary school in Connecticut.
In October, a 12-year-old boy in Sparks, Nevada, opened fire at his school, killing a teacher and wounding two students before killing himself.
The Connecticut shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown in December 2012 prompted President Barack Obama to call for sweeping new gun control measures.
Most of Obama's proposals were defeated in Congress, but his administration this month sought new regulations aimed at clarifying restrictions on gun ownership for the mentally ill and bolstering a database used for firearms background checks.
(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis in Los Angeles and Karen Brooks in Austin, Texas; editing by Gunna Dickson)Shape Created with Sketch. In pictures: Squatters clash with police over demolition of their homes in Quezon City Show all 15 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. In pictures: Squatters clash with police over demolition of their homes in Quezon City 1/15 Philippines Filipino resident Brix Mercado (C) is being shielded by his family to prevent the local police from arresting him during a demolition of shanties at Sitio San Roque in Quezon City 2/15 Philippines A squatter carries his children as they leave their shanty house during the demolition of a squatter colony in Quezon City 3/15 Philippines A squatter throws a bottle at riot police during clashes in Quezon City 4/15 Philippines Police detain a squatter (C) caught throwing rocks at them during clashes in Quezon City 5/15 Philippines Dozens were hurt during clashes triggered by the demolition of a squatter settlement for business developments in suburban Quezon City 6/15 Philippines Throwing rocks, pillboxes, and even human waste, illegal settlers barricaded the demolition team in Baranggay Bagong Pag-asa. Four residents were arrested and twelve were reported injured in the clashes with riot police 7/15 Philippines A woman cries at the entrance of her shanty house during the demolition of a squatter colony in Quezon City 8/15 Philippines Plainclothes police arrest a resident who allegedly threw rocks at them as they enforce the demolition of their shanties at the sprawling community of informal settlers at suburban Quezon City 9/15 Philippines A girl covers the mouth of a boy after being hit with tear gas during a demolition of shanties that turned violent 10/15 Philippines A Filipino half naked woman tries to help her colleague from being arrested by plainclothes policemen during a demolition of shanties at Sitio San Roque in Quezon City 11/15 Philippines A SWAT member of the Philippine National Police searches for residents who allegedly threw rocks at them as they enforce the demolition of their shanties at the sprawling community of informal settlers at suburban Quezon City 12/15 Philippines Children cry as SWAT members of the Philippine National Police scour the area for resisting residents who threw rocks at them during protests 13/15 Philippines Demolition crew start tearing down the shanties of informal settlers after riot police paved the way its demolition at the sprawling community at suburban Quezon City 14/15 Philippines Riot police throws back rocks at residents as they enforce the demolition of their shanties at the sprawling community of informal settlers at suburban Quezon City 15/15 Philippines Riot police chase squatters during clashes in Quezon City 1/15 Philippines Filipino resident Brix Mercado (C) is being shielded by his family to prevent the local police from arresting him during a demolition of shanties at Sitio San Roque in Quezon City 2/15 Philippines A squatter carries his children as they leave their shanty house during the demolition of a squatter colony in Quezon City 3/15 Philippines A squatter throws a bottle at riot police during clashes in Quezon City 4/15 Philippines Police detain a squatter (C) caught throwing rocks at them during clashes in Quezon City 5/15 Philippines Dozens were hurt during clashes triggered by the demolition of a squatter settlement for business developments in suburban Quezon City 6/15 Philippines Throwing rocks, pillboxes, and even human waste, illegal settlers barricaded the demolition team in Baranggay Bagong Pag-asa. Four residents were arrested and twelve were reported injured in the clashes with riot police 7/15 Philippines A woman cries at the entrance of her shanty house during the demolition of a squatter colony in Quezon City 8/15 Philippines Plainclothes police arrest a resident who allegedly threw rocks at them as they enforce the demolition of their shanties at the sprawling community of informal settlers at suburban Quezon City 9/15 Philippines A girl covers the mouth of a boy after being hit with tear gas during a demolition of shanties that turned violent 10/15 Philippines A Filipino half naked woman tries to help her colleague from being arrested by plainclothes policemen during a demolition of shanties at Sitio San Roque in Quezon City 11/15 Philippines A SWAT member of the Philippine National Police searches for residents who allegedly threw rocks at them as they enforce the demolition of their shanties at the sprawling community of informal settlers at suburban Quezon City 12/15 Philippines Children cry as SWAT members of the Philippine National Police scour the area for resisting residents who threw rocks at them during protests 13/15 Philippines Demolition crew start tearing down the shanties of informal settlers after riot police paved the way its demolition at the sprawling community at suburban Quezon City 14/15 Philippines Riot police throws back rocks at residents as they enforce the demolition of their shanties at the sprawling community of informal settlers at suburban Quezon City 15/15 Philippines Riot police chase squatters during clashes in Quezon City
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Subscribe nowNormally when I need to add a drop shadow to an element I will use CSS box-shadow. There’s another way that I can handle this though. I can use CSS filters. They allow me to do many different things like apply gray-scale, apply sepia, blur, adjust brightness, adjust contrast, adjust hue, invert colors, saturate colors, and alter opacity.
The easiest way to think about CSS filters is to compare them to Adobe PhotoShop filters. The two apply themselves similarly. There’s a lot to CSS filters, so much so that they are deserving of their own post. In this article I’m going to focus on drop-shadow and explain the difference between CSS box-shadow and filter: drop-shadow();.
Let’s Start With box-shadow
The box-shadow property will work fine for a lot of things. For example, If you are applying a box-shadow to a square, rectangle, or even a circle using border radius, it will suit your needs just fine. But if you are doing something else like using a CSS triangle or png image with transparency, your’re going to run into problems.
.demoTriangle { border-left: solid 120px transparent; border-right: solid 120px transparent; border-top: solid 120px #fff; box-shadow: 4px 4px 5px rgba(50, 50, 50, 0.75); height: 0; width: 0; } 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8.demoTriangle { border-left : solid 120px transparent ; border-right : solid 120px transparent ; border-top : solid 120px #fff ; box-shadow : 4px 4px 5px rgba ( 50, 50, 50, 0.75 ) ; height : 0 ; width : 0 ; }
Problem Solved, Use filter: drop-shadow();
We can solve this issue by using the new CSS filter: drop-shadow(); property.
.demoTriangle { -webkit-filter: drop-shadow(4px 4px 5px rgba(50, 50, 50, 0.75)); filter: drop-shadow(4px 4px 5px rgba(50, 50, 50, 0.75)); } 1 2 3 4.demoTriangle { -webkit-filter : drop-shadow ( 4px 4px 5px rgba ( 50, 50, 50, 0.75 ) ) ; filter : drop-shadow ( 4px 4px 5px rgba ( 50, 50, 50, 0.75 ) ) ; }
How Does it Work?
The CSS drop-shadow filter accepts the same values as the CSS box-shadow property.
x-offset — this value is required – it sets the distance, in a value of %, px, or em, that the shadow will be offset along the x-axis
— this value is required – it sets the distance, in a value of %, px, or em, that the shadow will be offset along the x-axis x-offset — this value is required – it sets the distance, in a value of %, px, or em, that the shadow will be offset along the y-axis
— this value is required – it sets the distance, in a value of %, px, or em, that the shadow will be offset along the y-axis blur-radius — this value is optional – it controls the sharpness of the drop-shadow’s edge, larger values will make the shadow more blurred
— this value is optional – it controls the sharpness of the drop-shadow’s edge, larger values will make the shadow more blurred spread-radius — this value is optional – it controls how the drop-shadow grows and shrinks, positive values cause it to grow and negative values cause it to shrink
— this value is optional – it controls how the drop-shadow grows and shrinks, positive values cause it to grow and negative values cause it to shrink color — this value is optional – it sets the color of the shadow
Pros
Works the same as box-shadow so there’s not much to learn
Solves problems like the ones noted above
Cons
Lack of browser support
Spec is still in the working draft phase so things may change
Browser Support
Browser support is not great. CSS filters are still considered experimental because the spec is still in the working draft phase. There is currently no support in Firefox and ie, nope not even ie11.
SourcesSomething strange is going on with Mass Effect: Andromeda. It’s a huge game from one of the most beloved franchises ever, it comes out in about two and a half months, and…I feel like I still practically know nothing about it.
There’s been footage, sure. There was the cinematic teaser trailer. The PS4 Pro walk-around-and-press buttons-in-4K footage. The trailer with all the combat and a tiny bit of story. And now a new trailer showing menus and a bit more fighting.
And yet, despite this, I still don’t really feel like I have a sense of what this game is. Other Mass Effect games followed the saga of Shepard assembling a crew and trying to save the galaxy. But this game, featuring the same universe, but a different galaxy, feels much more nebulous, despite presumably being larger in size than any of the past installments. It’s about exploration and survival, sort of? But there’s still a story? You have a crew and a ship and a Mako, but is it the same format as old Mass Effect games? That remains pretty unclear.
I think Mass Effect: Andromeda is doing something pretty interesting here. I don’t think this is bad marketing, rather it feels like a conscious choice to keep most of its cards close to its chest. It’s showing certain systems and segments but holding back on larger details in a way that’s relatively unprecedented for a AAA blockbuster like this. Bioware seems to be purposefully avoiding hype, letting the brand speak for itself, but holding back quite a bit of the game itself.
My theory? A lot of this is because of No Man’s Sky.
No Man’s Sky was a game that practically drowned in an ocean of its own, endless hype. Many games, big and small, have probably learned from this example, believing that it’s probably better to say little or nothing at all than to go all out promising the best X genre game ever and listing off feature after feature in excruciating detail.
But with Mass Effect: Andromeda, there’s a much closer connection to No Man’s Sky, because this is also a game about exploring and surviving on various planets in a sprawling galaxy. Yes, it’s much, much more involved with its combat systems and stories, but I’m willing to bet that a long time ago, Bioware saw people going crazy for the concept of No Man’s Sky, and it became a not-insignificant influence on their development, at least to some extent.
The problem? I think Bioware is now worried about people associating Mass Effect with No Man’s Sky, which ended up being one of the biggest let-downs for most players, and is now held up as an example of what not to do when developing and releasing an ambitious game.
Between the example of No Man’s Sky and other hype cycles that have backfired on big games (Watch Dogs, the original Titanfall, etc), I think many potential blockbusters might be treading more carefully than they used to. The biggest example of this we’ve seen recently was Bethesda’s very fast ramp-up and release of Fallout 4, which did get a full marketing campaign eventually, it did not have years and years of build-up like we’ve come to expect from the industry.
Mass Effect: Andromeda feels like it’s taking things one step beyond this even. The biggest news stories about Andromeda over the last few years have just about its endless series of delays, and now that it finally has a (hopefully) fixed released date, we pull back and realize that wow, we really know barely anything about this enormous game.
Ultimately, I think this is the right call. My personal affection for No Man’s Sky aside, it’s probably the right call for Mass Effect to avoid those comparisons. And Mass Effect can get away with hiding an enormous amount of its gameplay and content because the name is going to sell the product no matter what. And given that this is such a story-heavy series, and this installment in particular is all about fresh exploration of new places, I understand why they would want to keep so much of it under wraps.
In my mind, I think it’s probably a good thing we’re moving away from these tremendous hype-cycles of developers showing off loads of early footage that ends up looking worse eventually, or promising features that never actually come. Some series still go the full nine yards for this (I felt like I barely even needed to play Battlefield 1 and Infinite Warfare at launch due to all the info/early tests there were), but others are shying away. Mass Effect is doing it, and we’ve also seen this to some extent from Zelda: Breath of the Wild this year, where there’s only been essentially one or two areas in the whole massive game shown off in early gameplay.
And yet, hype remains. Natural hype, fueled by curiosity in these storied series, not artificial hype manufactured by ad campaigns. And I think that’s just fine. Yes, part of me worries that with so little shown that maybe Mass Effect won’t be as substantive as I’d like, but honestly, I think it will all work out, and this is just a different promotion tactic rather than some elaborate smokescreen to keep players from finding out about a lack of content. We’ll find out soon enough.
Follow me on Twitter and on Facebook. Pick up my sci-fi novels, The Last Exodus, The Exiled Earthborn and The Sons of Sora, which are now in print, online and on audiobook.Rangers First! I’ve always liked that short slogan because it sums up so much in only two words and is almost a challenge. The key is that it’s not really moralising. There are no wagging fingers telling you how bad you are - it merely asks you not to be selfish. If you’re a supporter at the match then whatever you believe outside of it with regard to religion, politics or nationality is your business, just don’t do anything that will harm the club.
And it largely worked, or at least the concept it was trying to put forward worked. Most Rangers fans do put the club first and realise that whatever they may believe, they represent Rangers in a stadium and therefore need to put ‘Rangers first’. There is also the obvious fact that few really believe in the most offensive slogans anyway. Even most of those who continue to shout ‘fuck the Pope’ couldn’t care less about Catholics either way.
This is not just anecdotal since recent figures from the 'Religiously Aggravated Offending in Scotland 2011-12' report back that up. It points out that ‘for the majority of charges it is unlikely the accused knew the religious affiliation/belief of the victim at the time of incident and that the religious abuse was more arbitrary in nature'. Abusing police officers, workers and singing in the street are the majority of charges, and in all of the cases combined, just 4% of the 876 charges were assault. 58% of it was against Catholicism and 40% against Protestantism. (Note the -isms since the vast majority of those charged hadn’t a clue what religion of the person they were abusing. They were just morons.) In that same period there were 5,389 racist incidents with 1,295 against white British, presumably most of them English, yet you won’t hear many discussing a racist or anti-English 'Scottish shame', secret or otherwise.
As the excellent ‘Sectarianism in Scotland’ book points out: “[Sectarianism statistics are] not the visible tip of a huge iceberg of sectarianism, the bulk of which is concealed beneath the water. It is all the iceberg there is.” In truth we don’t live in a sectarian society. Outside football songs and the occasional idiot, it is nowhere to be found in politics, the media, justice system, welfare, housing or any other major part of society. This does not mean sectarianism does not exist, nor is it an excuse for those who are bigots, but it helps to get a bit of perspective before we move onto the appalling Rangers songbook at Berwick on Saturday the 23rd, which was probably the worst that has been heard for years.
‘No Pope of Rome’, ‘The Billy Boys’, ‘Fuck the Pope’ chants and numerous references to the UVF were heard. So why do it? It can only be that the guys doing this believe that this is what a ‘real’ Rangers supporter is supposed to do to help the club. The only other alternative is that they know it damages Rangers and just don’t care.
This is where Rangers FC have a major problem. Either way it means plea's to morality or civility won’t work because whatever their motives, they live in an impenetrable bubble of dodgy history, religion and slogans or are just out for their own amusement. They either love the thrill of sticking it to authority - even Rangers FC - in a selfish game of immature rebellion or believe they are fighting some cultural battle.
The more you ask for Rangers first, the more you come across as weak. You are a handwringer or apologist or appeaser. For what you might ask? Well who knows, even they don’t know or at least they will say they know: it’s all about tradition. Tradition to obsess about a man in Rome, not sing in praise of Alan Morton. Tradition to obsess over RC’s, not remember RC Hamilton. ‘The tradition of our forefathers must be upheld’ they say. Fine, which one? Playing our homes games in the east end of Glasgow or in a hooped strip? Playing people of any religion or having friendly matches in Dublin as part of the contract to sign a Dubliner? These are all traditions of Rangers so which is it?
Such is the confusion that even the one you think they want - not playing Catholics - is the last thing on their mind. They love Nacho Novo and Jorg Albertz. They genuinely don’t care about the religion of Lorenzo Amoruso or Neil McCann. (Even those who despise the club admit that!) When Maurice Johnston signed for Rangers he needed bodyguards, but they were to protect from Celtic fans, not Rangers.
This is the real tragedy of the situation. Most of those that shame the club aren’t out to hurt anyone or discriminate. Like the Celtic fans who sing IRA songs or call people ‘Orange Bastards’ they don’t really want to fight with Protestants or represent terrorists. It’s all the pathetic remnants of a culture war that is mostly finished. They are holding on tighter because the sure-footed foundations of ‘them’ and ‘us’ have crumbled and they know it.
But the greatest irony is that those who hate Rangers and want to see the club destroyed love to hear these songs. They desire it more than anything because it gives them the ammunition to bring the club down and make it small, defensive and hated. It helps them exaggerate and push the notion that all these people - including you and me - can be demonised. ‘They are all like that’, they will say. The headlines will boom and the politicians will grasp their opportunity to gain publicity for taking on Scotland’s holy war against sectarianism.
It pushes the day closer for more sanctions against Rangers. Sooner rather than later the SFA will follow UEFA in handing out fines and banning away fans or closing Ibrox - and the others will still love it. Celtic will tell the world they are inclusive and for what Rangers lose, they will gain, since it’s a zero-sum game already. And out of all this the same group of Rangers fans will be outraged. They will become more insular and defiant, and the songs and chants will continue. No surrender.
This is why Rangers and the majority of fans need to stop this once and for all. They all need to condemn sectarian singing and point out that those who participate in it are not doing what is best for Rangers. They are not the pinnacle of what it means to be 'a Rangers man’ and if anything it is the very opposite. If they don’t then sooner or later the club will be forced, or finally waken up depending on your point of view, into draconian measures. Eventually away fans will be told that if they keep up certain songs then there will be no tickets for the next game, either in total, or for particular groups or supporters clubs. Whole sections at Ibrox will be refused entry and as usual the majority will pay.
And remember, this is not the same as stopping valid forms of identity. If you want to wrap yourself in the Union Flag while singing God Save the Queen then fine. Tradition isn’t a moment in the past, it's alive. It’s a remembrance of what was best and what should be cherished now because it is life-affirming. Only those who understand that can keep growing, while those who don’t always fall away into irrelevance.
It also doesn’t mean the club can’t defend itself or point out the numerous double-standards in the media or at other clubs with their own issues. If anything it will do the opposite since it gives the Light Blues the strength to be pro-active and grow, rather than always being reactive and on the back-foot. Every Rangers fan has to be asked: will you put Rangers first while in a football stadium or will you give those who want to kill the club the very thing they crave? No moralising, no ivory tower, just a simple choice. Rangers first or Rangers last?Striker Britt Assombalonga scored his 10th goal of the season for Nottingham Forest against Norwich
Britt Assombalonga scored his 10th goal of the season as Nottingham Forest came from behind with two late goals to seal victory over Norwich City.
Canaries midfielder Jonny Howson put the visitors ahead at the City Ground with his first goal of the season.
But Assombalonga, who joined Forest from Peterborough for £5.5m in August, equalised five minutes from time before Michail Antonio's injury-time winner.
The result gave Forest their first victory in 10 matches.
Despite victory, Stuart Pearce's side remain 11th in the table while Norwich are one place ahead in 10th.
The home team had begun the contest brightly, with Tom Ince, on his third appearance since his loan move from Hull, going agonisingly close to giving them the lead with a shot which went just over the crossbar.
However, Forest could not make their early dominance count and were punished when Howson opened the scoring in the 16th minute.
Media playback is not supported on this device Stuart Pearce: Forest boss on win over Norwich
The 26-year-old broke into the penalty area and beat two Forest players before he picked out the corner of the net.
Forest carved a handful of opportunities to level before the break, with Antonio failing to properly connect with a Jack Hunt cross at the far post and Assombalonga sending a dipping 30-yard free-kick just over the bar.
Pearce responded with the introduction of Jamie Paterson in place of Ince during the interval.
Forest finally began to find some attacking momentum a shot from Assombalonga, following good build-up around the penalty area, was easily charged down and a spectacular effort from Antonio flew a few feet over the bar.
Forest end wait for win over Canaries This win was Nottingham Forest's first victory over Norwich since their 3-2 success at Carrow Road in December 2008
The hosts finally made the breakthrough as Matty Fryatt picked out Assombalonga eight yards out, and the striker prodded the ball home.
Assombalonga then turned provider deep into stoppage time, when he he sent Antonio into the box, and the winger dispatched the decisive goal into the bottom corner of the net.
Nottingham Forest boss Stuart Pearce:
"I have to take my hat off to the fans, because they have been absolutely sensational. They drove us to this victory. They drove us on. Their backing was incredible.
"It was a cool finish and an exciting finish to the game. It felt like a cup final at Wembley. This is a fantastic victory and something we had to build on.
"The one thing I do know is that this team has a lot of character. I said that when we were doing well, winning a lot of games and I have said it again lately."
Norwich boss Neil Adams:
Media playback is not supported on this device Neil Adams: Norwich manager on defeat by Nottingham Forest
"It was not good enough, it goes without saying. To be caught from our own corner kick, with a couple of minutes of stoppage time left, was a sickening feeling. We have thrown the game away in the last five minutes.
"It is not a case of people getting back, we are looking at the set-up we had. We want to win games, but we cannot leave ourselves open in the manner that we did.
"It should not happen in that manner, we should not concede a goal from our own corner kick. We should have left here with a point as a minimum. But we let them get out of jail and steal all three points."It’s been my experience that people who love communal living still want to maintain a level of independence in their household. My wife Brynn is one of them. Eight years ago, before we were married, I rented a two-bedroom house by the beach with seven friends. We built queen-size bunk beds in the garage and our friend Mac lived in the driveway in an RV. When Brynn moved in with us she lasted six strong months before needing a less populated and more controllable space. We now live in a flat in San Francisco with Mac, and I often think about living again with more people and how I could balance that with Brynn’s desire for privacy.
I own and operate a real estate investment business. Because I’ve spent most of my life happily living in group environments, I can’t help but keep one eye open for buildings and land that would provide housing for people who want communal living while maintaining ownership of their space. Two years ago, Brynn and I started working with a type of real estate that could provide a solution to the lack of community housing in this country: mobile home parks.
Key Ingredients
Mobile home and RV parks have similar physical structure to cohousing communities. In each, residents own their own homes, share common ground, and have plenty of opportunities for daily interaction. People live closely together while each maintaining their own space in their own home.
I don’t love the formality of the term Intentional Community, but in this case it fits as there is a glaring difference between most mobile home parks and cohousing projects. The lack of intention can be seen when you enter a mobile home park where the land is neglected, the homes are in disrepair, and a welcoming community is nowhere to be seen.
My hope, and a hypothesis that we’re testing now in Dayton, Ohio, is that if we give the land attention, fix up the homes, and help create a vision for the community, we can transform a distressed mobile home park into a vibrant mobile home neighborhood that is physically similar to a cohousing community and 10 times more affordable.
Last year a prominent cohousing developer told me that a typical cohousing community takes about seven years to create, from idea conception to moving in. The seven years of struggle, frustration, and ultimate elation creates strong group bonds that help form the foundation of the community.
With parks, the land is already zoned and approved for multiple dwellings, the infrastructure is already in place, and the homes are pre-fabricated. A community formed within a mobile home or RV park could be ready for habitation within a few months. While mobile home parks offer a quicker and more affordable option, the group may miss the bonding that happens during the longer formation process of a cohousing community. Personally, I’d rather bond over a sunset BBQ or planting a garden than a date with the city planner!
Jumping Financial Hurdles
Buying an entire mobile home park may seem impossible to somebody who doesn’t have mountains of cash. Here is a secret: it is possible. Mobile home parks are famously difficult to finance through a bank. Sellers know that many buyers don’t have enough cash to buy the park without financing, and that many banks refuse to loan on parks. Enter Seller Financing.
Seller financing (also called owner financing or seller carry) is common in the mobile home park industry. It works like this:
Buyer talks to Seller.
Seller thinks that Buyer is an honest person with a good business plan.
Seller accepts a down payment on the park and lets the buyer pay the rest of the purchase price over the next number of years in monthly payments with interest.
People can buy parks from Sellers with as little as 10 percent down, sometimes less. Pick your location, find some smaller or poorly run parks, and call the owners. You’ll be surprised how many are willing to sell their park to you and carry the financing. Small parks and poorly run parks often don’t make money, and sometimes the owner is paying each month to keep the park afloat. These Sellers are highly motivated. Find them.
Banks will finance parks too, but it is a dreary process. If you can find seller financing, that’s the preferred way to go.
Do I Have to Buy the Cow?
There are two types of residents in mobile home parks: lot renters and house renters. Lot renters own their own homes and pay the park owner to keep their home in the park and hook up to utilities. House renters rent mobile homes. Both of these options are less expensive than apartments and offer the benefits of having a yard, no shared walls, and a house you can drive up to. For friends who are craving community, but don’t have the time or money to purchase a park, buying or renting mobile homes on adjacent lots would be one of the cheapest and fastest ways I can think of to begin a community.
Those with more money could buy a small park and move in all their friends. That’s what the billionaire founder/CEO of Zappos, Tony Hsieh, did in Las Vegas. He was lonely in his penthouse apartment so he purchased an RV park and invited his friends to move in. Here are the two options that I see:
● Rental: Find the closest RV or mobile home park to where you and your friends want to live. Each person rents a space. Put out picnic tables, potted trees, and a good vibe. Seed the feelings of community within the park as you live right next to your best friends.
● Purchase: Buy a small park. Use the existing homes at the park or bring in the caliber of homes you desire, from $5,000 fixer-uppers to $120,000 triple-wide ranch homes. Alter the landscape how you see fit.
Community Creation
My wife and I currently own and manage mobile home parks in three states. I don’t think the way that we’re building community in our parks is necessarily the best or most effective. We buy existing parks, host BBQs, fix up vacant homes, and try to create the best neighborhood with the ingredients that we’re given. That is a top-down approach, where the change happens from the property owner.
The ground-up transition happens as the old residents move out and new residents move in. We look for people who will be good neighbors, with clean records, good communication skills, and the ability to afford living in the park. Because we aren’t starting with a group of like-minded individuals, it usually takes two years for us to turn a neglected park back into a full and vibrant community.
Buying or renting a nearly empty park with an existing group of friends, you could make this transition in months instead of years. Compare that to the seven years is takes to form a group, buy land, and plan, permit, and build new homes and infrastructure in a traditional cohousing community. Not only is the time reduced, the costs are cut dramatically compared to building a community on raw land.
Identifying Your Future Community
There are two types of mobile home park communities:
Lifestyle Communities: These parks are clean and expensive and have nice amenities, like pools and clubhouses. Think of the perfect place to retire with your friends where you ride golf carts around have short white picket fences. That is a lifestyle community.
Affordable Housing: Most parks fall into this category. The price to live here is about the same as a Class B or C apartment building. People live in these parks because they don’t have to share walls with neighbors, they can drive right up to their house, and they have a yard.
Lifestyle communities don’t need your help. The social scene is good and people are happy to live there. If you want to create a strong and positive community where one doesn’t already exist, let’s assume that you’re going to buy an affordable housing park.
To find an affordable RV or mobile home park you can either work with an agent or DIY. For those who have never bought property before, the real estate agent is almost always paid for by the person who sells the property, not the buyer. Even if you’re planning on doing all of the hunting yourself it won’t hurt to have an agent look for you as well. A good agent will use her network to uncover properties that you might not find on your own.
Ready to start looking? Go to www.mobilehomeparkstore.com and start to get yourself acquainted with the parks in your area. This will give you an idea of the parks that are for sale in your state, near your town, and in the price range you’re looking for.
Whether you decide to use an agent or look for yourself, you need to know what you’re looking for. Most of these principles apply to houses, apartment buildings, and other forms of real estate. Grab a glass of water, we’re about to get into the gritty details.
Utilities
With parks, there is much more land and more infrastructure than single homes or apartment buildings and you should be aware of how everything in your park works. Here is a very brief introduction to park utilities.
Water: If the water is provided by the city it will either be billed directly to the park residents or there will be one large bill to the whole park. If the water is directly billed then each lot will have a separate bill from the city and the city is responsible for maintaining the water lines. If there is just one meter for the whole park, or if you have a well, you are responsible for maintaining your own lines and fixing leaks. Direct billed is preferable from a maintenance standpoint, but it means that your park will be somewhat urban. If you prefer to have a remote park, you will be on a well. Be sure to talk to everybody you can about the well, from the EPA to the park maintenance man. Wells are great and cheap, until they aren’t. Know the age and condition of your well and water lines.
Sewage: Everyone’s favorite topic! City sewer is preferred. If the water is direct billed and city sewer is included in the bill then you will not be responsible for maintaining the sewer lines either. Whew! Septic tanks are the second best option for sewage, and the best option for rural parks. Almost everyone who lives in the country has septic tanks and many people know how to maintain them. Much less desirable are Lagoons and Wastewater Treatment Plants. |
. It existed before socialism. Leaving aside the armed forces (the earliest state enterprises) King Charles II nationalised the mails, Stanley Baldwin nationalised the BBC, Neville Chamberlain nationalised electricity distribution, Dwight Eisenhower nationalised America’s highway system.
The question of whether, say, the railways, are state-owned or not is a practical one, not an ideological one. Long before Harold Wilson came to lead the Labour Party, nationalisation was dead as a real left-right issue in this country.
Roy Jenkins’s 1959 book ‘The Labour Case’ and Anthony Crosland’s ‘Future of Socialism’ correctly identified the left with moral and cultural revolution, and with dogmatic social egalitarianism. The lasting achievements (like them or not) of the 1964-70 Labour government were not economic or in the field of state ownership. They were : comprehensive schooling, an egalitarian political project of huge power, adopted (despite its utter educational failure) by the Tory Party as well. This issue is the true litmus test of modern politics, and is not merely Labour’s real Clause Four, but has become David Cameron’s Clause Four as well; the array of legal changes summed up (by a resentful Jim Callaghan) as ‘ the permissive society’ - simple, swift unilateral divorce, the de facto decriminalisation of cannabis (actually enacted, using a Labour template, by the Tories in 1971), the removal of the principle of punishment from the criminal justice system, the keystone of this being the abolition of capital punishment for heinous murder; the introduction of what rapidly became abortion on demand. This last would be followed by the prescription of contraceptive pills first to the unmarried and then to those under the legal age of sexual consent without the knowledge of their parents.
These vast changes, described and explained in my books ‘The Abolition of Britain’ (1999), ‘A Brief History of Crime’ (2003) and ‘The War We Never Fought’ (2014) utterly transformed private life and the nature of British society, and have been continued and reinforced, never reversed or moderated, by subsequent governments of all parties. One major result has been the transformation of the police force from a locally run, conservative consensual enforcer of the public will into a highly-politicised (and nationalised) exercise in social engineering, with a hilariously slight interest in actual crime or disorder.
They were accompanied by an increasing willingness to permit large-scale immigration, and a decreasing willingness to insist on the integration of the new arrivals. This aided the process of diluting and replacing the former conservative, Christian culture of the country, which came to be seen as ill-mannered towards the new citizens. Thence came multiculturalism, and the insistence on‘Diversity; and ‘Equality’ eventually enshrined in the Equality Act put through Parliament by Harriet Harman with the qualified but definite assistance of Theresa May.
The surrender of law-making powers to the European Union (whose original directive the Equality Act, among many similar, transforms into British law) made all this much easier, and assisted in the general denaturing of what had formerly been a very particular and unchanging society.
The name ‘Equality Act’ concealed the fact that its aim wasn’t so much equality, but the de-privileging of various institutions and ideas which had previously been considered supreme. The married state became one of many equally respected positions, thus losing its privileges. Protestant Christianity, likewise, became one among many competing beliefs, none to be regarded as more favoured than any other. Whether you like this or don’t like it, it is impossible to pretend that it is not a profound change.
Abroad, the USA (especially after the Clinton Presidency) became the arsenal of political correctness – both in its own domestic affairs and its policies overseas - and liberal globalism. Meanwhile Russia, having thrown off Communism became the most socially conservative major country on the planet. Eurocommunism, the original basis of Blairism, grasped that political and social radicalism could readily exist alongside economic liberalism. It also saw that regulation was easier to achieve - and in many ways easier to exercise - than nationalisation, and that the old models of Moscow socialism were utterly outmoded. It is beyond comical that anyone imagines that Vladimir Putin’s Russia has anything in common with the USSR. On the contrary, it’s a violent reaction against it. You just need to look, to see. But people don’t look.
It’s hardly surprising that children of the Cold War have found all this hard to grasp. Right is left and left is right. It is full of paradoxes and of things and people trading under aliases.
Yet they should have tried harder. More credit should be given to my late brother, Christopher, for correctly identifying the modern USA as the most revolutionary power on the planet, opposed to crabby conservative concepts such as national sovereignty, sweeping away the tedious restraints of migration controls and protective tariffs. It’s this economic liberalism - allied with the personal liberalism of ‘Nobody can tell me what to do with my own body’ which has somehow become identified with the British Conservative Party and the American Republicans, even though it’s not in the least bit conservative.
This is why Owen Jones’s reference to Alan Milburn’s private enterprise activities in his article http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/sep/09/peter-hitchens-tory-trotskyite-left-right#comment-59164209 misses the point so totally. The left no longer has the slightest difficulty with business or wealth. It’s utterly relaxed. Peter Mandelson and Deng Xiaoping, both educated in Marxism, both concluded that to get rich is glorious. Did they cease to be revolutionaries?
I don't think so.
Hasn’t New Labour revolutionised Britain? Isn’t China revolutionising the world, far more than it did before Deng let rip with the capitalism? Did Mr Milburn?
What Owen Jones should be more interested by is Mr Milburn’s incessant ( and well-publicised and well-received, not least by the Blairite Tories) calls for greater egalitarianism in our society
See http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/2015/06/are-posh-employers-really-discriminating-against-the-poor.html and
http://hitchensblog.mailonsunday.co.uk/2015/06/posh-tests-wont-rob-your-child-of-a-job-socialist-snobs-did-that-years-ago.html
and
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1202147/PETER-HITCHENS-Comrade-Alan-Milburn-army-Useful-Idiots.html
Right wing? I do not think so.
Neoconservatism’s Trotskyist origins aren’t accidental. It’s a revolutionary project, cunningly adapted for our times, by people who never ceased to be revolutionaries but learned that the old methods would never work. The teenage leftists of the 1970s have not become conservatives. They have become radical, revolutionary liberals a thousand times more effective than they can ever have hoped to be. If Owen really doesn’t like the ‘political consensus that combines free-market economics with social liberalism’, then he has a very tough epiphany ahead of him.
Or he can do what almost all my generation did, and sink comfortably into the liberal consensus, where every slogan of their college days is now conventional wisdom, and men in their 60s still struggle into their jeans and attend Rolling Stones concerts, marvelling at how funky they still are.Eva Walton and Kathryn Kendrick (Photo: Submitted )
Caught between the Episcopal Church's official policy and the protests of alumni, faculty and students, Sewanee: The University of the South has struck a compromise that could set a precedent for religious universities' approach to same-sex ceremonies across the country.
A same-sex couple will be allowed a ceremony that proclaims lifelong commitment this fall in All Saints' Chapel, the nearly cathedral-sized church on Sewanee's campus — despite the fact they are already married.
The university originally turned down the request of Kathryn Kendrick and Eva Walton, who were wed May 31 in Washington, D.C., because the couple would be married before the covenant ceremony was to take place.
Related:Two churches tackle same-sex marriage
"We [thought], 'This puts the university out ahead of the church,'" said Sewanee's vice chancellor, Dr. John McCardell, noting that neither Tennessee nor the Episcopal Church — whose 28 southeastern dioceses own Sewanee — formally recognizes same-sex marriage.
Sewanee has allowed commitment ceremonies for unmarried same-sex couples since 2012, though none has yet taken place. However, university officials felt uneasy about providing the ceremony to an already married same-sex couple, a scenario they hadn't anticipated two years ago when only a half dozen states and the District of Columbia allowed gay marriage. Since then, 13 more states have joined the list.
Kendrick, a Sewanee alumna, said she was "shocked and extremely disappointed" by the denial. She and Walton, who live in Atlanta, had already received the required support of Atlanta's Episcopal bishop for the ceremony.
Walton shared the news of the rejection on Facebook in mid-May. Almost immediately, Kendrick's former college roommate Hayley Robb and her fiancé, Tyler Brantley — Nashville residents who plan to marry at All Saints' this summer — helped launch a Facebook group and letter-writing campaign titled "Rethink This, Sewanee." Brantley and Robb encouraged writers to send donations to the school and its Gay-Straight Alliance chapter along with their letters in support of overturning the decision. They planned a June 8 event in support of Kendrick and Walton on Sewanee's campus.
"It just felt so wrong," Robb said.
In two weeks, the group swelled to more than 2,500 members. By comparison, Sewanee's combined undergraduate and seminary enrollment hovers around 1,500 students.
"We didn't quite realize how much support was out there for this. The group grew by at least six or seven hundred people for four or five days in a row," Brantley said.
On May 30, the night before Kendrick and Walton's marriage, they received an email from Sewanee's chancellor, the Rt. Rev. Samuel Johnson Howard, saying Sewanee had reversed its stance. The liturgy of the ceremony will be slightly revised to further differentiate it from marriage.
The couple and their supporters say they're happy with the outcome, and so is Sewanee's McCardell.
"This, I think, will turn out to be a very good solution," said McCardell, for future married same-sex couples who want a religious ceremony as well. "Since more and more states are permitting gay marriage, the likelihood that this situation will occur again has increased."
Read or Share this story: https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/religion/2014/06/10/sewanee-reverses-sex-ceremony-ruling/10283905/Yanis Varoufakis once bought me a gin and tonic. His wife once gave me a cup of tea. While dodging my questions, as finance ministers are obliged to, he never once told me an outright lie. And I’ve hosted him at two all-ticketed events. I list these transactions because of what I am about to say: that Varoufakis has written one of the greatest political memoirs of all time. It stands alongside Alan Clark’s for frankness, Denis Healey’s for attacks on former allies, and – as a manual for exploring the perils of statecraft – will probably gain the same stature as Robert Caro’s biography of Lyndon B Johnson.
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Yet Varoufakis’s account of the crisis that has scarred Greece between 2010 and today also stands in a category of its own: it is the inside story of high politics told by an outsider. Varoufakis began on the outside – both of elite politics and the Greek far left – swerved to the inside, and then abruptly abandoned it, after he was sacked by his former ally, Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras, in July 2015. He dramatises his intent throughout the crisis with a telling anecdote. He’s in Washington for a meeting with Larry Summers, the former US treasury secretary and Obama confidant. Summers asks him point blank: do you want to be on the inside or the outside? “Outsiders prioritise their freedom to speak their version of the truth. The price is that they are ignored by the insiders, who make the important decisions,” Summers warns.
Elected politicians have little power; Wall Street and a network of hedge funds, billionaires and media owners have the real power, and the art of being in politics is to recognise this as a fact of life and achieve what you can without disrupting the system. That was the offer. Varoufakis not only rejected it – by describing it in frank detail now, he is arming us against the stupidity of the left’s occasional fantasies that the system built by neoliberalism can somehow bend or compromise to our desire for social justice.
In this book, then, Varoufakis gives one of the most accurate and detailed descriptions of modern power ever written – an achievement that outweighs his desire for self-justification during the Greek crisis. He explains, with a weariness born of nights in soulless hotels and harsh-lit briefing rooms, how the modern power network is built. Aris gets a loan from Zorba’s bank; Zorba writes off the loan but Zorba’s construction company gets a contract from Aris’s ministry. Aris’s son gets a job at Zorba’s TV station, which for some reason is always bankrupt and so can never pay tax – and so on.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Varoufakis with Christine Lagarde of the IMF during a meeting of Eurozone finance ministers in June 2015. Photograph: Virginia Mayo/AP
“The key to such power networks is exclusion and opacity,” Varoufakis writes. As sensitive information is bartered, “two-person alliances forge links with other such alliances … involving conspirators who conspire de facto without being conscious conspirators”. In the process of telling this story, Varoufakis not only spills the beans but beans of the kind the Greeks call gigantes – fat ones, full of juice.
The first revelation is that not only was Greece bankrupt in 2010 when the EU bailed it out, and that the bailout was designed to save the French and German banks, but that Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy knew this; and they knew it would be a disaster.
This charge is not new – it was levelled at the financial elite at the time by leftwing activists and rightwing economists. But Varoufakis substantiates it with quotes – some gleaned from the tapes of conversations and phone calls he was, unbeknown to the participants, making at the time.
Even now, two years after the last Greek election, this is of more than academic interest. Greece remains burdened by billions of euros of debt it cannot pay. Because of the actions taken in 2010-11 – saving private banks by saddling north European states with massive debts – it is French and German taxpayers who will pay the price when the Greek debt is inevitably written off.
The second revelation is that close members of Varoufakis’s family were threatened with violence when, with the masses in control of the streets and squares, he began to line up with those denouncing the initial bailout as unworkable. It was in response to these threats – delivered via an anonymous phone call with oligarchic calm – that Varoufakis says he left Greece for the US.
As a result, on his return, as he swung towards active support of the radical left party Syriza, Varoufakis experienced the unfolding crisis as an outsider in a different sense. When asked to speak to the crowd occupying Syntagma Square in May-June 2011, he recalls: “The last time I addressed a demonstration was in Nottinghamshire, at a picket line during the 1984 miners’ strike.”
He was about to join a cadre of leftwing political operatives – headed by Tsipras, flanked by his Glasgow-educated chief of staff Nikos Pappas – in a fight to the finish with neoliberalism. But he had scant experience of the organised Greek left and was viewed by many among them as a neoliberal himself.
Varoufakis’s academic achievements had been in the application of game theory to economics. So when he designed Syriza’s confrontation strategy, he was explicit: the enemy had to believe Syriza was prepared to default, or cut loose from the euro system – enough to persuade the EU powers to roll over loans that were coming due, and to deter them from triggering the collapse of the Greek banking system.
This worked – although at the price of a big rhetorical climbdown and retreat on Syriza’s domestic programme in February 2015. It failed in July because, having fought and won an emotional referendum campaign, Tsipras chose compromise over the prospect of a rerun of the Greek civil war.
I interviewed Varoufakis on the night of that referendum victory. He seemed stunned by its size (he admits in the book he expected to lose) and certain that it would hand Tsipras the ammunition to face down the so-called troika of lenders. It is now clear, however, that both men miscalculated. Varoufakis understood – on the authority of the German finance minister, Wolfgang Schäuble – that Germany would not try to force Greece out of the euro. By the time it did exactly this, two weeks of closed banks and collapsing growth had made the stakes of the game all or nothing.
Varoufakis gives one of the most accurate and detailed descriptions of modern power ever written
Getting sacked left Varoufakis with a clean skin – although the price has been self-imposed exile once again from active politics in Greece. If, as is possible, the situation spirals towards economic doom, his voice – together with those of veteran anti-euro communists who split from Syriza – may be all that remains to rally the left for a last-ditch fight against fascism and dictatorship.
But I continue to believe Tsipras was right to climb down in the face of the EU’s ultimatum, and that Varoufakis was at fault for the way he designed the “game” strategy. For Tsipras – and for the older generation of former detainees and torture victims who rebuilt the Greek left after 1974 – staying in power as a dented shield against austerity was preferable to handing power back to a bunch of political mafiosi backed by a mob of baying rich-kid fashionistas.
In the end, Tsipras’s government proved a not very effective shield for the Greek working class, but an effective protection for the million-plus Syrian migrants who landed on Greek shores in the weeks following the economic surrender. The Greek armed forces, judiciary and riot police are replete with people who would have gladly seen the rubber dinghies sunk, their surviving occupants rounded up, interned on landing and deported en masse.
Though Syriza’s handling of the mass migration has been at times inept, at the crucial moment – from July to December 2015 – left-led Greece provided a conduit and a haven for people fleeing terror and destruction. A right-conservative government would have given a very different and much nastier welcome to the Syrians.
In this context, Varoufakis’s version of the Tsipras story needs to be challenged. Varoufakis alleges that Tsipras is prone to frivolity, melancholy and indecision, and that he is determined to prove he is “no shooting star”. But unlike Varoufakis, Tsipras built a party capable of crushing the elite politicians who have drained Greece of wealth and credibility for a generation, and of governing. Tsipras – together with his aide Pappas, whom Varoufakis describes correctly as a major influence on events – built something that he calculated could survive defeat.
Varoufakis built a reputation, but not a party. Indeed the world of parties – of activists huddled against the rainy windows of suburban cafes, of leaflet drops, of strikes and anti-fascist demos – is absent from this memoir.
If the global left – which was on a roll during 2011-2013 – is to regain momentum, it needs leaders like Tsipras to find thinkers and doers like Varoufakis, and to nurture them. But above all it needs to talk to the mass of people in language born out of the years of toil it takes to build a party and a movement.
Adults in the Room: My Battle with Europe’s Deep Establishment is published by Bodley Head. To order a copy for £15 (RRP £20) go to bookshop.theguardian.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min p&p of £1.99.“None the less, from Hannibal Lecter to Morgan, Dexter: etcetera… nada… formalis.” JR
Psychopath/Buddha
1. Abundant glib superficial charm/Love for all things.
2. Poverty of emotions, flat affect/Let it go, all is as it should be.
3. Unable to form strong emotional bonds/ ‘Spiritual detachment’.
4. Impulsive/Live for this moment.
5. Less fear, guilt, remorse/ ‘At peace’
6. Manipulative, change story to fit situation/ ‘Zen’.
7. Usually men/ Buddhas’ can only be men. Bodhisattva and higher ranks for females are a late edition. Oh yeah. Put that in your spiritual pipe.
8. Grandiose, arrogant, narcissistic/ ‘Enlightenment’, svakkhatdo (excellent beginning, middle and end; ‘Higher’ mind, wisdom and virtue ect).
9. Use others to feel powerful/ ‘Holy’. (also temples, progressive rank hierarchy ect)
10. Behaviourally prone to violate social norms/ Orange robes with sandals, a shaved head and extensive wooden beads: yeah that’ll about do it at most clubs. Especially after 6pm.
11. Parasitic lifestyle/ ‘Monk’.
12. Lacks realistic long term goals/ ‘Monk’.
13. Failure to accept responsibilities/ ‘Monk’.
14. Decreased startle response/ Meditation.
15. Shallow or flat affect/ Balance, centred.
16. Lacks true empathy, self serving/ reincarnation and Karma.
Introduction
CONSIDER if you will the power of stillness. The gift that mastery of the detached self can bring over the waking mind. Ceaseless tides quelled. Over reaction reined in. All spiritual masters talk of this. Even in spiritual teachings it is called ‘detachment’. But do you know where emotional detachment is frowned upon?
That’s right. The law courts. And in the consultation clinic of the prison psychologist or psychiatrist.
Buddha was a psychopath. And Buddhism is nothing but an ancient path to breed sociopathy.
Section1 Teachings of the Dharma and Psychopathogenesis
I was raised next to a Buddhist temple with a prominent spiritualist for a mother. Add to this a bit of a background in psychology and you are left with someone in a unique place to comment on this very topic.
The author thinks in pictures. Just some trivia there. But was this born or bred? Is it not possibly so that early exposure to intense meditation training is akin to producing Hares’ absence of “inner speech”: a missing requirement crucial for the development of conscience?
If any language or instrumental education holds more lifelong gravity when begun before age 7, is the power of non-speach not then equally likely to carry such power? Well, one could argue. And one does.
Section 2 From Hervey to Hare: the Psychopathy checklist
Hervey Cleckley, unbeknownst to most, was one of the first to coin the term ‘psychopath’ in a diagnostic sense. Taken from his now out of print 1940’s book ‘Mask of Sanity’, ‘psychopath’ was the resurrection of the old German word for people who B. Rush suggested b-rush emotion aside by natural tendency.
It was to be replaced by the term ‘sociopath’ in the 1930’s by Partridge. All are adapted from Pinels’ manie sans delire (insane without insanity) and both terms sociopath and psychopath are unequivocal historically; despite the abundance of those all too happy to muddy the waters, from academia to the Hollywood walk, they are in fact identical in meaning. Point of fact; psychopath was chosen to be less stigmatising. Interesting huh?
In any case, the more contemporarily famous Hare merely provided the checklist revision to move away from the analytic flavour which was no longer in favour; with DSM (diagnostic/statistical manual for mental disorder) leading the way on this point. That being said: I know of nowhere where psychopathy is considered a formal diagnosis per se. At all. Anywhere. Ever.
Yes, despite the volumes of supposed research which extend from your boss when he is driven but you don’t like him to the partialpath, the path-next-door, the threefourthspath with a cherry on top: (with Anti Social Personality Disorder a distinct condition) nowhere is being a ‘psychopath’ an illness in any recognised manual. Sorry.
The funding is real enough. Thanks to Law and Order, CSI and the like. The 1-3% of the population claims, the nonviolent, the violent, the in-between, the only on Thursday-path, the once a monthopath, the postnatalpath, the not-now-not-during-glee-its-my-show-and-you-know-that-you-freakin-know-that-its-my-show-yes-you-do-yes-you-do-I-told-you-can’t-this-wait-till-the-adds-what-is-it-no-I’m-not-snapping-at-you-but-you-know-this-is-my-show-I-told-you-this-is-my-show-yes-I-did-um-excuse-me-yes-I-did-a-path… well, I don’t have to tell you. Not twice. Certainly not 3 times. Certainly not again.
None the less, from Hannibal Lecter to Morgan, Dexter: etcetera… nada… formalis.
Is it as strong a case as any other disorder actually in the DSM? Probably. Though one could argue that really isn’t saying a great deal. Wait till next May when DSM 5 with its ‘Probably insane later’ pre praecox diagnosis (further investigation suggestion) which rates a mention, pending temporary suspension, hits the press. Yet, still no psychopathy. It’s just not there. Subsumed in ASPD? Kinda, sorta. Not really. In 5 to have its own APSD subtype? Maybe, probably, what does it matter? Point is up until (and including) right now: it’s just not there. Doesn’t exist.
None the less, from amongst all aforementioned the most modern convention conception can be derived. And before I add one more, let us review the Hare low-tech list side by side JR-B-Path-list with a forward-slash betwixt lists function, for comparison in turn:
Psychopath/Buddha
1. Abundant glib superficial charm/Love for all things.
2. Poverty of emotions, flat affect/Let it go, all is as it should be.
3. Unable to form strong emotional bonds/ ‘Spiritual detachment’.
4. Impulsive/Live for this moment.
5. Less fear, guilt, remorse/ ‘At peace’
6. Manipulative, change story to fit situation/ ‘Zen’.
7. Usually men/ Buddhas’ can only be men. Bodhisattva and higher ranks for females are a late edition. Oh yeah. Put that in your spiritual pipe.
8. Grandiose, arrogant, narcissistic/ ‘Enlightenment’, svakkhatdo (excellent beginning, middle and end; ‘Higher’ mind, wisdom and virtue ect).
9. Use others to feel powerful/ ‘Holy’. (also temples, progressive rank hierarchy ect)
10. Behaviourally prone to violate social norms/ Orange robes with sandals, a shaved head and extensive wooden beads: yeah that’ll about do it at most clubs. Especially after 6pm.
11. Parasitic lifestyle/ ‘Monk’.
12. Lacks realistic long term goals/ ‘Monk’.
13. Failure to accept responsibilities/ ‘Monk’.
14. Decreased startle response/ Meditation.
15. Shallow or flat affect/ Balance, centered.
16. Lacks true empathy, self serving/ reincarnation and Karma.
Section 3 What does it all mean?
Buddhists are all psychopaths, that’s what it means.
And Buddhists, like all psychopaths, learn to justify their position as well as mirror the behaviour of those around. All in just the right mix to fit the current social climate. There are examples of this throughout history. It is this that also saves it in some respects from being classified pathological across the board.
This gratitude is more chiefly owed to the weak minded however (ie if practiced properly with true commitment it would not be so flexible and as such persons truly ‘Buddhapathic ’, to use my term, would be more readily discovered).
Thank goodness it has become more of a cultural norm in the west, as a religion I mean, because that means you stop being crazy with exactly the same symptoms. That’s science.
Conclusion
Now I am not commenting on whether this is good or bad. It’s probably good. OK I am commenting. It is good, it’s right. It’s a better way to live. But then I would say that, wouldn’t I? And do I mean it? Do I FEEL it?
How would I know. I just know it’s reasonable on paper and beyond that: you can’t tell the difference anyway. Whoever you are. So who cares (except me, deeply. For all you know).
At best this paper highlights the importance of framing in theory of mind presumption. At worst: you don’t want to fight an army of Buddhists (and of course there have been many such blessed armies through history like any other religion. Look it up.)
Arguably, the only intelligent conclusion one can reach is that if ones’ feelings remain in tact after years of Buddhist or similar meditative training, especially from a young age, then one must not have been doing it with commitment.
Feign compassion for all, for next life self interest, yes, sure, absolutely. Hope for a world with your own personal version of what peace should look like but feel no hypocrisy in doing this: definitely.
Lie to yourself if you like, or find a variant more personally applicable to success in your current situation. Whatever that may be.
But the crux of it is if you genuinely ‘feel’ anything beyond this and think that position to be legitimate: well my friend you just ain’t been doing it right. You are not a Buddhist. You are a poser.
But worry not. There are plenty of other pseudo-pious religious institutions to choose from and each one as full of pretense, narcissistic self involvement posing as charity and righteous power over others, as the last.
But always follow trends and go for what is vastly popular but pretends to be underground or edge. This is by far the best base position for access to across the board mass manipulation to transcend both culture and sub-culture.
For example, maybe you could try atheism next.
JR
Philosophy/BioPsychology/Forensics1 of 3
Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press
The fanbase is likely to go nuts when Martin leaves town, given his stellar performance over the past two seasons. Martin’s worth to the team cannot be measured simply in offensive statistics, despite the fact he’s hitting.290 this season and currently finds himself batting third in the lineup in McCutchen’s absence.
Likewise, his worth cannot be measured by the fact that he tossed out 40 percent of baserunners last season who attempted to steal, a number that sits at 39 percent this year.
Rather, the Gold Glove-winning Martin brings immeasurable reliability to the team’s pitching staff. He is consistently regarded as one of the league’s best pitch-framing catchers and has a great rapport with every pitcher on the staff.
It’s not a stretch to say Martin has been a big part of the baseball resurrection in Pittsburgh over the last two seasons, which is why it’s going to be so hard to say goodbye.
As Bleacher Report’s Dan Mennella reported in the offseason, Martin is by far the best of the bunch in terms of catchers who will be free agents in 2015. Names like Geovany Soto, Ryan Doumit and A.J. Pierzynski likely won’t command high salaries or bidding wars from teams.
Martin signed a two-year, $17 million deal to come to Pittsburgh in 2013. He will be heading into his age-32 season, which means Martin likely will be looking for a contract that will take him into retirement.
According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Bob Smizik, the Pirates can expect to have to pay Martin more than $10 million a season to keep his services here long term, something that’s just not going to happen.
But, face it, the chances of the Pirates signing Martin are legitimately somewhere between slim and none. And this is not about the Pirates being cheap. Martin will be the best catcher available in free agency and eligible to sign with any team.
The front office probably views Tony Sanchez as the catcher-in-waiting despite serious concerns about his defense. It might just be that 2015 will finally be his year, as Martin is likely to jump to whatever team offers him the most money to close out his career.Kathryn Watson
“Innocent until proven guilty” is the hallmark of the American justice system, but a growing chorus of critics of speed cameras say the automated traffic enforcement technology turns that principle on its head.
“You see, you almost have to move a mountain, you almost have to have mountain-moving faith,” said John Townsend, AAA Mid-Atlantic manager of public and government affairs. “That’s the most damning thing, that once you get a ticket, it’s almost impossible to prove you didn’t do it. The camera and the camera operator outweighs you.”
Will Foreman, owner of Eastover Auto Parts in Oxon Hill, Maryland, experienced what he calls a “nightmare” first hand, when cameras in Forest Heights, Maryland, ticketed his drivers at least 60 times in 2010. He was able to discredit many of the tickets by using a little math, showing the cameras were wrongly ticketing his drivers.
“The most valuable lesson I had from the whole thing is I had a better understanding what it’s like to be poor or a minority in the judicial system, because you’re guilty from the moment you walk in,” Foreman said.
Speed camera programs police 138 localities in the United States, a number that has grown in recent years as the number of red-light camera programs in the country declined. The technology, which advocates insist promotes highway safety, generated hundreds of millions of dollars for those cities, counties and states in 2014.
But automated speed cameras destroy due process, skeptics say. A driver ticketed by a police officer can question that officer in court. The same isn’t true with an inanimate camera.
“You do have a due process right to cross-examine your accuser, and in this case your accuser is a machine,” said Jim Harper, a senior fellow with the libertarian Cato Institute. “The courts should figure out a way to allow people to ensure that the machine is functioning properly.”
That’s part of the problem with the legal process, critics say — automated cameras often don’t function properly, and it’s virtually impossible to check them retroactively.
Judges in the District of Columbia dismissed 35 percent of photo-enforced tickets taken to court in 2013 due to uncertainty over camera accuracy, according to data from the D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles.
The D.C. Office of Inspector General issued a 135-page report on ticketing practices last year, and found the city sometimes issued photo-enforced tickets when officers couldn’t conclusively identify the speeding vehicle in the photo.
Sometimes, images didn’t match registration information linked to the license plate. Sometimes, photos showed two or more vehicles in an image, making it difficult to tell which driver may have broken speeding laws.
“Unlike red light-violation detection equipment, which has sensors embedded in the pavement at the enforcement site, the district’s speed camera technology does not indicate the lane in which the violating vehicle was traveling,” the IG said.
Speed cameras also can’t identify the driver. The ticket goes directly to the vehicle’s registered owner, whether he was driving or not.
Speed cameras, like any technology, can also malfunction — especially in bad weather, Townsend said.
“What happens in the District of Columbia where they have to change the battery for a speed camera every three days,” Townsend said. “And what happens if the battery is weak? Those are the kinds of questions we should be asking.”
A New Jersey court threw out 17,000 photo-enforced speeding tickets last year because a malfunctioning camera system never notified drivers of their infractions.
Nassau County, New York, had to dismiss $2.4 million in speed camera tickets issued last summer for enforcing school zone speed limits when school wasn’t in session.
Baltimore’s speed camera contractors admitted in 2012 that some of that city’s cameras had a 5 percent error rate. The city suspended its photo-enforced speed camera program in 2013.
Cameras can’t replace the human element of police officers, experts say.
“It shouldn’t be the only tool and there’s nothing that takes the place of strong law enforcement and community-based law enforcement,” said Kara Macek, director of communications for the Governors Highway Safety Association, a group that supports speed camera use.
Police officers — not cameras — can tug a person’s conscience, Cato’s Harper said.
“Getting a ticket from a camera doesn’t have a sort of moral consequence for people. It’s like ‘well I got caught, but I don’t care,’” Harper said. “There’s something about having to talk to a person that makes it impactful, meaningful and makes you a part of the society.”
YESTERDAY:
Follow Kathryn on Twitter.Over the weekend, a rendering surfaced showing a hotel proposed for the site of the circa-1909 Burk Mansion, owned by Temple University and on the Philadelphia Register of Historic Places since 1971. As we learned yesterday, that proved to be a false alarm. But indeed, the alarm sounded largely on account of Temple’s recent run of demolitions, to which William Penn High School was added this week.
Temple purchased the high school, which opened in 1970 with a design from Mitchell/Giurgola (the origins of MGA Partners), last year. The university plans to begin demolition soon, but has not revealed what it will build in its place. That’s not unlike two other |
students, Josh Le.
Mr Le had bought the jeans in 2009 and worn them at least five days of each week for 15 months and one week without washing them.
When it came time to give them a spin, Mr Le and Prof McQueen decided to test the jeans for bacteria growth as well.
The jeans were tested once before being washed and then again after being washed and worn for two weeks.
The results of the two tests were "virtually the same", the university said.
Prof McQueen said the experiment indicated people could go longer between washing clothes with minimal risk, though she didn't recommend delaying it for a year.
"Most bacterial organisms transferred into jeans come from the person wearing them, and providing there are no cuts or abrasions to the skin, the bacteria should not harm the wearer," she said.
During Mr Le's 15-month stint in the jeans, he aired them out three times per week to avoid odours. He has now given up wearing them every day.
"I've appointed them my weekend jeans," he said.
Magic Dirt – Dirty Jeans
Magic Dirt | Myspace Music VideosThe European Commission (EC) has this week formalized its antitrust investigation into Google's Android operating system in a set of objections sent to the Mountain View company. At issue is Google's dominance of the European smartphone market and the ways that the company is exploiting that position to promote its services and apps.
This opens up a second major front of contention between Google and the EC, which is already investigating the US company's prioritization of shopping search results.
What is the European Commission objecting to?
The vast majority of Android smartphones sold in the EU ship out with Google's own web search preinstalled, making it the default and often only option. Most also feature a folder of Google apps prominently displayed on the home screen that users first see after setting up a device. Google Maps, YouTube, the Chrome browser, and a variety of other Google services greet almost every European Android neophyte. This is a precondition of the Mobile Application Distribution Agreement (MADA) that Google signs with Android phone manufacturers. It essentially means that those who want to sell a device with access to the Google Play mobile app store and a selection of Google's own apps must do so by prioritizing those apps. The EC deems this an unfair abuse of market power.
But Android is open-source software and phone makers are free to use it even without Google apps, right?
Yes, Android is available for all to do with it as they please. However the things that make Android devices most attractive are not. Google's Play Services and first-party applications like YouTube are integral to Android's appeal, and so is access to the vast library of third-party apps that reside inside Google's Play Store. Only Google holds the golden key to the Play Store, and the company wields it to add another condition to the licensing of its proprietary software. Android manufacturers have to abide by an Anti-Fragmentation Agreement (AFA) — meaning they're not allowed to create their own Android "forks," such as Amazon's Fire Phone — if they ever want to put the Play Store on their devices.
Licensing Google's software is formally voluntary, but practically compulsory
As a practical matter, it is now basically impossible to sell an Android smartphone in Europe without Google Play access — mobile carriers wouldn't bother subsidizing it and phone stores wouldn't care to stock it. With roughly 80 percent of the European smartphone market commanded by Android (and the rest being mostly iPhones), Google has functional, if not explicit, control over the apps preloaded on the majority of new handsets sold across the continent. Participating in Google's licensing program and signing those MADAs and AFAs is formally voluntary, but in practice compulsory.
Sounds like Google is becoming a victim of its own success.
To a great extent, that's exactly what is happening. Back in 2007, Google entered a highly competitive mobile software market, led by established big names like Symbian, BlackBerry OS, and Windows Mobile, and systematically defeated them all by offering better services and greater functionality. From the device manufacturer's perspective, Android offered a free, self-sustaining, modern OS that trimmed their development costs. Google has acted like any responsible profit-maximizing company would be expected to: it has won users on the strength of the quality of its services, and it has endeavored to forge synergies between them to enhance its position. Google promotes Google search on Android because running ads alongside those searches is still its primary source of revenue.
Didn't Microsoft do that by bundling Internet Explorer with Windows?
Indeed it did! The parallels between Microsoft's antitrust issues with European regulators and Google's current situation are readily apparent. Android has become the Windows of the mobile world, serving as the ubiquitous operating system of choice, and Google's software licensing terms are leading device manufacturers to bundle and promote its apps ahead of others. Another commonality is that Google was one of the behind-the-scenes agitators during Microsoft's IE tribulations, and Microsoft returned the favor in 2013 when it petitioned the EC to look into Android app bundling.
Unlike Internet Explorer in Windows, people actually like Google's apps on Android
The big difference between the Internet Explorer bundling in Windows and Google's Android search and app integration is one of quality. Microsoft was evidently suppressing better alternatives by pushing the horrors of IE6 on people who would have been better served by Firefox or Chrome as their web browser. The same situation is less pressing in the Android ecosystem. For most people, the best email client, mapping application, and video service on Android all come from Google, so preloading them on phones helps users rather than hindering them.
Moreover, Google's Play Store is in itself a promotional vehicle for Google's competitors, offering users a way to search for and download alternatives like Here Maps, Vimeo, or Firefox for Android.
Could Google be subjected to the same enforced choice of apps that Microsoft had to provide with browsers in Windows?
It's possible, though unlikely. After many years of investigation, the EC decided in 2009 that Microsoft must provide a browser choice ballot for users setting up new Windows machines, which was deemed to provide effective competition for the bundled IE. The same could theoretically happen with Google and its apps on Android, though such a situation is still a long way away given the early stage of the present inquiry. Google's method for ensuring its apps and search are bundled by Android partners is a lot more complex and nuanced, and the matter is complicated further by the lack of clear competitive alternatives. The EC's ideal outcome would probably be a negotiated agreement with Google that sees the Mountain View company relaxing its licensing rules to allow device manufacturers to also bundle competing software and search services.
If Google already has the best Android apps, what's the problem?
This is one of the big communication challenges for the EC. Most people will interpret its actions as interfering with a system that already works. But what worries the continent's antitrust regulators isn't the current quality of Google's services, it's the opportunity for outsiders to step in and offer something potentially better (or at least competitive). Amazon and Yandex both have Android app stores as well, with the latter also offering a web search engine like Microsoft's Bing. None of those are superior to Google's software today, which makes their absence from most Android phones unproblematic today. The EC is objecting to the anti-competitive practices that Google engages in to ensure that any threat posed by Yandex or Bing is averted before an Android smartphone is even purchased, forestalling any chance of competition in the future.
Google's financial incentives aren't a problem, but the attached conditions are
The EC doesn't dispute the fairness of Google's victories up to this point, or that the company has merited its present leading position. While identifying "significant financial incentives" provided by Google to mobile manufacturers and carriers, the EC also doesn't take issue with these incentives per se. The regulators' quarrel is with the conditions that Google attaches to the financial benefits it offers to its contracting partners. Europe's concern is about the competition-stifling effects of Google being Android's final app arbiter — the whole issue hinges on the Play Store and Google's control of who gets to access it.
Why is Google being investigated about this and not Apple?
There's a question of fairness to be asked when considering Google's nearest mobile competitor. Apple has erected a much more stringent, overtly exclusionary walled garden around its iPhone and iOS software. It too commands a vast and vastly profitable app store, and it too can be said to exercise much of its power to restrict rather than expand the choice of its users.
The whole issue hinges on control of the Play Store
The difference, ultimately, is one of scale. Apple is only dominant over iPhones, and even though the company makes it hard to switch away from iOS and its related services and ecosystem tie-ins, the Android alternative is always there (and getting better all the time). On the other hand, the EC's objections specifically point out that "Android is used on virtually all smartphones and tablets in the lower price range, which are bought by the majority of customers."
If Apple were to sell a truly cheap iPhone, or if all the abortive Android rivals from the likes of Jolla, Firefox OS, or Ubuntu could actually register some meaningful sales, the EC's Android objections would probably dissipate over time. But as things stand, Google is the giant elephant in the mobile ecosystem, suffocating all other competitors.
What happens next?
The European Commission's objections have been directed to both Google and its parent company Alphabet Inc. It's now up to Google to provide a formal response, which is likely to be followed by a fresh round of negotiations and cajoling as both parties try to avoid the necessity for fines. Those could stretch into the billions of dollars, up to 10 percent of Google's annual revenues, but the European authorities tend to prefer using the threat of sanctions over actual impositions.
"We are thankful for Android’s success and we understand that with success comes scrutiny."
Speaking on Google's behalf, Android chief Hiroshi Lockheimer has said, "We are thankful for Android’s success and we understand that with success comes scrutiny. We look forward to discussing these issues in more detail with the European Commission over the months ahead." The likely outcome is that we will indeed see many more months, probably years, of back and forth before a compromise is worked out.
In spite of the typically slow pace of the EC's antitrust investigations, their influence should not be underestimated. Google's European practices are also its global ones, so any concessions made on this continent will have a bearing on how Google conducts its Android business around the world.0 SHARES Facebook Twitter Google Whatsapp Pinterest Print Mail Flipboard
Lindsey Graham, John McCain, and the talking heads over at FOX News may think the president is weak, but the American people disagree. GOP politicians have been sabre-rattling and accusing the president of presiding over a feckless foreign policy. However, if they were hoping to score political points with the American public, they are failing miserably in their efforts. A newly released CNN/ORC International survey finds a 48-43 percent plurality of Americans in favor of Barack Obama’s handling of the Ukraine crisis. While the president’s overall approval numbers are still underwater, the American people are supportive of his measured approach to dealing with the situation in Ukraine.
While Lindsey Graham and John McCain would like to see a more aggressive U.S. response, the American people are much more sober in their thoughts. Graham and McCain have never met a war they did not like. However, despite all the chest thumping and beating of the war drums, they have not made their case to the American people. The U.S. public is not receptive to the idea of an American military response in Ukraine. Only 12 percent of Americans polled favor sending U.S. ground troops to the conflict. Just 17 percent would support American air strikes. Even military aid to Ukraine was unpopular, mustering support from a mere 23 percent of those surveyed.
Republicans attempting to make a political issue of the Ukraine crisis should realize that their pleas for aggression are falling on deaf ears. The American people are war weary. Having been hoodwinked into waging a war in Iraq, the public is not particularly interested in engaging in another overseas conflict. Americans prefer diplomacy and economic sanctions to launching a military attack. While many Republican politicians and pundits are trying to paint Barack Obama as a weak political leader in the face of an international crisis, the American people know better. The weak leadership is within the Republican Party where creative responses to international events are all but impossible.
The party that brought us George W. Bush and Dick Cheney still believes the proper way to handle a foreign crisis is to send troops and drop bombs. The American people disagree. They support diplomacy. So does the president. Since President Obama has kept a cool head under pressure, he has the support of the American people.
If you’re ready to read more from the unbossed and unbought Politicus team, sign up for our newsletter here! Email address: Leave this field empty if you're human:Following the success of Tenderfoot TV’s Up and Vanished, the team behind the true crime podcast is joining forces with veteran podcasting company HowStuffWorks for a new series that will explore a nearly 40-year-old murder case.
Atlanta Monster will take a closer look at the Atlanta Child Murders, a horrifying moment in history when a series of killings claimed the lives of 28 young victims, mostly male and all African American, from 1979 to 1981. Following a massive manhunt, investigators arrested a local 23-year-old man named Wayne Williams, who was subsequently convicted of two adult murders and sentenced to two consecutive life terms. Williams has not been tried or convicted for a number of child murders that police have attributed to him, and he maintains his innocence to those cases.
The podcast, set to premiere later this year, will re-interview a number of witnesses, and feature conversations with experts and victims’ families. Below, hear a snippet of Williams from a previous interview in this exclusive teaser of the upcoming podcast.
“That event in Atlanta history is a reflection on the undercurrent of the nation’s racial tension in the early 1980s” said Jason Hoch, HowStuffWorks Head of New Initiatives. “We see a lot of those same tensions coming to bear in the present day so this is a great time to pull back the curtain and take a closer look at this significant story.”
The series will be hosted by Atlanta filmmaker Payne Lindsey, who helmed Up and Vanished, and jointly produced by Tenderfoot TV and HowStuffWorks. While this is the third true crime podcast under the Tenderfoot brand, Atlanta Monster markes HowStuffWorks’ first foray into the popular genre.
The story of the Atlanta Child Murders will garner even more attention this fall, as it’s the focus of an upcoming FX series titled No Place Safe. Produced by American Crime star Regina King, the developing drama will be based on Kim Reid’s 2007 memoir of the same name.Raikkonen, who has not stood on the rostrum since rejoining Ferrari ahead of the 2014 season, had shadowed Vettel over the first half of the Grand Prix after moving up from sixth on the grid to fourth behind the German on the opening lap. He then began closing steadily in the final stages, when he was also able to make use of tyres that were four laps fresher.
By lap 53 he had trimmed the gap to just 1.4s - down from around three seconds five laps prior - only for the safety car to neutralise the race for the final three laps.
"Towards the end of the race I was catching up, I knew I had the speed and I thought I still had good tyres," said Raikkonen, whose last F1 podium came when he finished second for Lotus in Korea in October 2013.
"I could still have had a chance to try and fight for podium but the safety car came in and we know we cannot change that. We got close to the podium - from the next race on we have to have a better weekend, doing everything right in qualifying, and we'll do our best."
Asked whether qualifying or traffic had proved the biggest hindrance to his pursuit of Vettel - Raikkonen instructed Ferrari to ensure lapped cars weren't holding him up several times during the race - the Finn added:" Obviously we were not in an ideal place to start after yesterday's mistake.
"But you know, we did the maximum and as a team I think we got the maximum. Not ideal - obviously we want to be first and second - but that's what it is."Former astronaut Mark Kelly discusses the steps he and wife Gabrielle Giffords are touting for gun control reform, including the passage of a universal background check law.
An Arizona gun store owner says he will not sell Mark Kelly the AR-15 rifle that the vocal advocate for tighter gun control bought earlier this month.
The manager of the Tucson, Ariz., store where Kelly, husband of former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, bought the firearm has said that he will not complete the March 5 transaction, according to a statement posted on Facebook.
“While I support and respect Mark Kelly’s 2nd Amendment rights to purchase, possess, and use firearms in a safe and responsible manner, his recent statements to the media made it clear that his intent in purchasing the Sig Sauer M400 5.56mm rifle from us was for reasons other then [sic] for his personal use,” Douglas MacKinlay, owner of Diamondback Police Supply, said in the post.
The store was required to hold the rifle purchased by Kelly for 20 days, MacKinlay told the Associated Press after Kelly purchased the firearm.
“He is a U.S. citizen, an Arizona citizen expressing his Second Amendment rights to purchase and own a firearm,” MacKinlay told the AP at the time.
The gun store owner said in his statement posted on Monday that he had reconsidered the sale. MacKinlay did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday morning.
“In light of this fact, I determined that it was in my company’s best interest to terminate this transaction prior to his returning to my store to complete the Federal Form 4473 and NICS [National Instant Criminal Background Check System] background check required of Mr. Kelly before he could take possession of this firearm,” MacKinlay said in the statement.
The store sent Kelly a refund last Thursday, according to the statement. Kelly, an astronaut, has promoted tighter gun control since his wife, Giffords, was shot in the head at point-blank range by Jared Loughner in 2011.
The couple launched a new national campaign in January to combat gun violence. Americans for Responsible Solutions was launched “to encourage elected officials to stand up for solutions to prevent gun violence and protect responsible gun ownership.”
Kelly, who is a gun owner, has said his purchase was meant to demonstrate how easy it is to buy a semi-automatic rifle.
Related:There are some series by some authors that seem destined to never be adapted as movies or TV series. Now, of course, sometimes this is a very good thing. Some series were simply better off not being made. And we’ve had some pretty narrow escapes; like the CW’s recently aborted Wonder Woman series. But such comfort rings hollow when good projects get pulled or passed over, while Kristen Kreuk’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’ lurches onward for another season. Or yet another spinoff of CSI. Or any unscripted piece of garbage you may see. (Don’t get me started.)
But there’s a different kind of frustration when it comes to some properties that don’t get made. What kind, I hear you asking? Well, ask the folks who’ve been impatiently awaiting the adaptation of Arthur C. Clark’s ‘Rendezvous With Rama’ if they feel excited about the latest Transformers movie. Ask any person whose hopes were just dashed of getting Neil Gaiman’s ‘American Gods’ on HBO if they’re jazzed about the new Dominion series about angels on Sci-Fi. What you’ll see is a species of cynical frustration that one fandom is all too familiar with. We are of course talking about fans of The Dragonriders of Pern. And why? Come with me...
“I don’t know what that is. What’s Dragonriders of Pern? Why should I give a damn?”
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It’s a fair question. One that might get disdainful looks from a lot of ‘I’m more well read than you.’ types of literary sci-fi fan. The better type will immediately frogmarch you to their shelf and fill up a grocery bag full of books for you to read. They’ll look deeply into your eyes and say, “You go home and read ‘Dragonflight’ right now. We can talk about it when you’re done if you’re not sucked immediately into the next one.” You can see this behaviour in any one of the Sullied. (AKA: People who’ve actually read Game of Thrones.) But... to answer your question.
The Dragonriders of Pern is a series of science fiction novels, masquerading as fantasy novels. Considered by some to be the Grand Dame of Science Fiction, Anne McCaffrey was very rightfully made the first woman to win both the Hugo and Nebula award back in 1968 and 1969 for her story, ‘Weyr Search’ which the Pern series grew out of. She is also the first woman to break into the New York Times Bestseller list.
Beyond this bit... there may be spoilers. If you like your fantasy and sci fi with dragons in, go and read them. If you don’t mind hearing a bit about what these books may be about, proceed.
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THE STORY SO FAR...
The story follows the story of the descendants of interstellar colonists from earth. These people set out into space to colonize a planet called Pern circling about earth’s distance from a star called Rukbat. The system had even snagged a rogue planetoid that spun it close to Pern at erratic intervals. They got there. They settled the place along with some uplifted Dolphins that came with them. They even started some work uplifting some of the really smart and adorable little dragon-like lizards they found there. If you’re a fan of Kitty Pryde and Lockheed, you may see here what may have inspired the little purple guy.
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However... and there’s always a however, disaster struck. When the small red planetoid came in close for a near pass by Pern, our colonists were horrified to find that voracious spore-like ejecta from the ‘Red Star’ crossed the distances between the two bodies. Worse, these spores when they hit Pern’s atmosphere spooled out into filiment like clumps of ‘Thread’. Even worse still, this thread when it hit any place lush and green immediately burrowed into the ground, consuming anything organic that it touched, and spread like wildfire.
One scientist noticed that the little lizards they’d been working with voraciously attacked, ate, and even chewed a form of stone that enabled them to breathe fire and destroy the thread. And a plan was hatched. Literally. The humans uplifted and worked over the lizards’ genetics. Growing them. Breeding them. Getting them bigger and bigger to aid the humans’ fight to survive their new home. They even bred telepathy into the things so they could be communicated with by humans. And the plan worked. But at a cost.
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Over successive generations of survival, the dragons did indeed get bred bigger and bigger. Thousands of years pass, with humanity surviving more and more passes of the red star in tandem with their ‘dragons’. But with each pass, mankind loses more and more knowledge of their past in the ensuing destruction. Romana in Doctor Who once quoted the effect. “A society that evolves backwards must be subject to some even more powerful force restraining it.” And in this case, semi-regular extinction events certainly qualify as a force to be reckoned with. In fact, by the advanced time of our first novel, mankind is in a pretty precarious position.
Like with Winter in ‘Game of Thrones’, the semi-regular calamity that decimates the life on Pern hasn’t come for 400 years now. It’s been a crapload of time since thread fell from the skies. Society, by the time of what should be the 9th pass of the red star, has regressed back to the technology of the middle ages. Mankind is eking out something of an agrarian existence. Much of the high technology that brought mankind to Pern has passed into legend and has been lost. And while people aren’t dumb enough to think the red star and thread weren’t real, they’ve certainly fooled themselves into thinking that it may never happen again. Which... makes them turn something of a leery eye at the Dragonriders.
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If you’re thinking that the Dragonriders here may turn out to be like the Night’s Watch from Game of Thrones or the Gray Wardens from Dragon Age, you’re absolutely right. They may have been the prototype for which such stalwart defenders of humanity from semi-reglular catastrophes like these sprung in the early 70's. The Dragonriders are exactly that. People who ride the titular Dragons of Pern. In this day and age, the beasts were as large as mid to full sized passenger jets.
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And like the Night’s Watch and Grey Wardens, Dragonriders were traditionally supported by all the kingdoms or ‘Holds’ on Pern. The fortresses or ‘Weyrs’ of the Dragonriders were allowed to recruit as they pleased back in the day. They were tithed to and fed by the Holders. But now that the red star doesn’t look like it’s coming back, the Holder folk are resentful.
Again, much like the Night’s Watch, society has allowed the Weyrs to dwindle to only one working Weyr. And in that Weyr, there was only one breeding queen. And in her latest clutch, only one queen egg. The riders are now seen as paraiahs. Antiquated moochers who are merely supported for the sake of tradition and antiquity. The defenders of the planet are now hanging on by a very slender chance. Like one other lady said, “The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little and it will fail to the ruin of all.”
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And now... the red star is once again seen in the sky by one young woman... biding her time with her own machinations... and it’s all about to hit the fan again. Winter The Red Star is coming... And with the sorry state of the Weyrs... this may be the time when humanity falls for good unless someone does something awfully damn quick.
You find all this stuff out later as the books progress. This is just where we START from. What follows, through at least 10 more novels, (list to follow) is a gargantuan story about how mankind pulls itself up by its bootstraps and saves itself from a planetary extinction event, all the while courageously throwing off the shackles of its ignorance and reclaiming its technology and birthright again. It is a tale of courage, discovery, rediscovery, action, adventure, politics and intrigue, fantastic themes with a solid science fiction base, a fantastic world with no magic underlying it, there’s even some sexual themes that might make it a little problematic for network television if you’re looking for the occasional bit of nudity and Game of Thrones-ish sexytimes. It’s followed by even more books that show some of the pivotal points in Pern’s past. Like the great dragonlady, Moreta and her legendary ride to save the planet. Or ‘Dragonsdawn’, which chronicles the story of Pern’s settlement by the spacefaring colonists from Earth That Was.
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This series is a worldwide bestseller with a solid history and fandom that dates back 45 years. Its books have sold in the millions. You will find them in every library and bookstore you go to. Likely without exception. You’ll find whole tracks devoted to this series at most reputably large science fiction and fantasy conventions. And while the late great Anne McCaffrey is no longer with us (RIP 2012), her son Todd McCaffrey is still writing more of these novels.
So... why hasn’t this been turned into a TV series or Movie yet?
THE LITANY OF FAIL.
Other media have surely been tried with the Dragonriders series. Hell, back in 1983, EPYX entertainment even did a videogame for us burgeoning computer nerds that had Commodore 64's and Atari 400/800's. The rights were optioned several times, but the series never seemed to reach that critical poiling point. The closest it came before 1995 was an animated series that eventually got ‘redeveloped’ into ‘Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders’.
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Dodged a bullet there, I think.
Then, in 1996, the McCaffrey sold the rights to a company who got together with Alliance Atlantis with the intention of doing a TV series. They were going to use some rather state of the art non-polygonal CGI to animate the Dragons by putting a virtual skin over ovoids they called ‘nurbs’ to simulate musculature, chasing the whole Jurassic Park mojo of Stan Winston. They weren’t getting too far with the idea til they got up with Ronald D. Moore, fresh off his time with Star Trek: The Next Generation and Roswell. He was going to make it and present it to the folks at ‘The WB’ as it was called back when it was still running Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
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He was already a fan of the series, and apparently wanted to do it up right. Some things would have to change to bring it to broadcast TV, but he wanted it to very recognizably be the world and the story that fans of the last 33 years expected to see:
Well, I read the books in college and they stuck with me through the years. I just sort of always enjoyed them, and they were in the back of my mind. As I approached the end of my tenure at Star Trek, I thought about what I wanted to develop on my own and what could be potential science fiction franchises, and Anne McCaffrey’s books came to mind.
And it seemed we were poised to get just what we needed as far as the series went. A producer willing to do what was necessary to get it done right. Hell, I remember his going on about working with Mrs. McCaffrey to make sure all the little fiddly bits were done the way they were supposed to. But there was a problem. A big one. How do they say it? No script survives the first encounter with the studio intact?
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In 2002, things were swimming right along. All the sets were built. The crew was hired. The dragons were rendering away in their workstations. The roles had been cast. They were just a few days away from filming... when Warner Brothers stepped in. Having sent the script to the WB, they came back at him with absurd changes to the material. They wanted to ‘Buffy’ it up for their Dawson’s Creek and Neo-Whedonite demographic. They figured this was a teen series. Why would adults watch something as fanciful as this? Moore was appalled, and described this moment while he was on a museum panel in Beverly Hills:
The second encounter occurred years many years later after I had become an established writer and had been invited to participate on a panel at the Museum of Television and Radio in Beverly Hills along with several much bigger names, including J. Michael Straczynski and… Harlan Ellison. It was the first time I’d met the man and in all honesty, I was too embarrassed to say very much, to him lest I start to gush, so satisfied myself with a simple “Hello, I love your work” and then we went into the panel. Now, this panel occurred at a very particular moment in my career. I was working on “Roswell” as an executive producer, but I was deep into preproduction on the ill-fated pilot I’d written for a series based on Anne McCaffrey’s “Dragonriders of Pern” books. It had been a difficult and unhappy development process, but we were only five days away from the first day of principal photography. A major problem had arisen, however. The network had commissioned another writer to rewrite my draft over my objections and in my opinion, had eviscerated everything that I loved about the project. I didn’t want to shoot that draft and they did. As I drove into the parking lot of the Museum I learned via a cell phone call from my agent that a critical conference call with the network was scheduled to take place the next morning which would determine the fate of the entire project, and when I took my seat on the panel I was frankly distracted by the thought that my very first pilot, my very fist shot at running my own series was in serious jeopardy of coming to ruin right before my very eyes unless I “played ball” as they like to say. The panel discussion was fun and interesting and after a while I forget my Pern problems and simply enjoyed being on the same stage with some legendary figures of the genre. At the end, the final question was put to all of us was “Do you have any advice for young writers starting out?” It’s a familiar question, and to be honest, I have a stock response, (which I will someday bore readers of this blog with when I really need material) and I gave it in my usual inimitable fashion, congratulating myself on having held my own throughout the night. But when the question came around to Harlan, he leaned forward into the microphone, and with all the passion and ferocity I remembered so well from that convention stage in Stony Brook he said:”Don’t be a whore!” The world quite literally spun around me under the hot lights and it felt as though the Universe was conveying a message directly to me. It was so simple. “Don’t be a whore!” Don’t write crap because they pay you well. Don’t put your name on something that you know will suck. Don’t sacrifice whatever integrity you have as a writer for a check. The next day, during the infamous conference call, there came the point my agent had warned me would come, when I either played ball and went with the script I knew in my heart was terrible or my beloved pilot was going to die, and when that moment came, Harlan’s words rang in my ears like the church bells above Quasimodo’s head.”Don’t be a whore!” I wasn’t. The project died. And I have been grateful to Harlan Ellison ever since.
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So within days of filming, WB unceremoniously pulled the plug on the production. It was shopped around, but no-one else bit. The option on the rights expired and went back to the McCaffreys. On the cancellation, at the time Mr. Moore said,
“It was a different show... I had tried... to keep the spirit of the books alive... and make it a classy, interesting show. And... what was evident in the draft they commissioned, they wanted a different show. It was more Buffy-esque and Xena-esque. It was something they felt more comfortable with on The WB.... There wasn’t a way to split the difference. Ultimately, they decided we should just let the project go. It was their decision. It was very disappointing for everybody.... A lot of people put a lot of hard work into it.”
Since then, the fellow has been coy about the whole thing. But understandably so. I imagine it was rather painful for the guy to not be able to make a thing he was that passionate about. And for better of for worse, when Brian Singer flaked out and decided to do X-Men 2 with David Hayter, Ronald Moore got the job of doing the Re-imagined Battlestar Galactica for the Sci-Fi channel. And ever since that happened, he’s been asked about Pern at all the conventions he goes to. And he’ll hint that it’s still a property that’s near and dear to his heart.
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Apparently 12 years isn’t enough time and distance though. He’s still off doing other things. And Pern... is laying fallow.
BUT WAIT... THERE’S MORE! (BUT NOT MOORE)
In 2006, in a somewhat strange degree of seperation from Moore, the rights were optioned again. This time by Steve Hoban’s, Copperheart Entertainment. (The company that gave us ‘Splice’.) They’d even managed to get screenwriter David Hayter (X-2, The Usual Suspects, Watchmen, etc...) to write the script for a movie adaptation of the first of Anne’s novels, “Dragonflight”. They’d managed to finagle Don Murphy to produce. (Natural Born Killers, From Hell, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Transformers.) They’d even had the idea they were going to start filming in early 2012. Said Anne McCaffrey...
“The fans and I have been waiting, not so patiently, for a long time to see Pern and her characters on the big screen. I couldn’t be more thrilled that a writer with David’s tremendous creativity and track record of translating beloved source material into fantastic movies has decided to make this his next epic adventure.”
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However, checking the IMDB, there’s no mention of Hayter or Hoban’s company at work on it. No one’s been cast. No scripts turned in. There’s no information at all aside from the project being categorized as being ‘in development’ Which to me sounds like it’s fallen back into development hell, which if so, is probably one of the sadder Hollywood losses to limbo in recent years. Coupled with the loss of Moore’s series, it’s probably right up there with Alejandro Jodorowsky’s DUNE never getting made. (The one that HR Giger did all that work for.)
SO WHY IS THE TIME RIPE FOR THIS NOW?
Cos reasons! But if you like, I can read off a list of em.
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1. PEOPLE LIKE DRAGONS!
Back in the late 90's and the early naughties, the geek revolution was really just starting to get underway. There’d been rumblings of it for years. But by 1998 and 1999, I’d just read how New Line Cinemas was about to get started adapting the Lord of the Rings. That guy Peter Jackson... that guy that did The Frighteners and Bad Taste was going to do it! But still!! Since then... the geeks have truly inherited the earth. We are the zeitgeist. And soooo many dragon movies have graced our screens and shelves since then. All with varying degrees of success. Hell, as you can see from the example above, we’re even about to have a release of the SEQUEL to a major motion picture in which our main character becomes.... wait for it.... a Dragonrider!
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2. PEOPLE LIKE FANTASY!
It had been a while since someone thought fantasy based TV could really go places. We had young teen horror like the Buffyverse series. And |
Shakti Mills case opted for the death penalty instead of life imprisonment.
Section 376E and other amendments to the IPC relating to the offence of rape were introduced after the public outrage that followed the December 16 gangrape in Delhi. While the public reaction to the brutality of the crime is understandable, the subsequent changes to rape laws were disproportionate and bizarre. In no country is there a provision like Section 376E, which inflicts the extreme penalty of death on a rapist simply because he has been previously convicted of rape. In the Shakti Mills case, the three boys were convicted of two offences of rape on the same day, which makes the applicability of Section 376E itself doubtful.
The death penalty is widely denounced as inhumane and cruel. More than 118 countries have abolished the death penalty; India is among the 50-odd countries that retain it. The Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights mandates the abolition of the death penalty. Unfortunately, India has not even signed this covenant. Recently, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen and other intellectuals in India signed a statement opposing the death penalty as cruel and barbaric, with no deterrent value. In 2004, the European Union expressed dismay at the execution of the rapist and murderer Dhananjoy Chatterjee, and urged Indian authorities not to use the death penalty any further.
In India, we reconcile ourselves to the cruelty of the death penalty by adopting the Supreme Court formula put forward in the Bachan Singh case of 1982, where it was held that the death penalty would be imposed only in “the rarest of rare case”. But this subjects the accused to the personal opinion of the judge, there being no objective standard for imposing the death penalty. The vagaries of this formula have been illustrated many times. In a memorable case, Justice P.N. Bhagwati pointed out how subjective and unpredictable it was, when one Supreme Court bench sentenced the convict in a murder case to death while a different bench did not impose the death penalty on another convict in the same case. The Bachan Singh case will have to be reviewed by the Supreme Court some day, in the interests of keeping up with the evolving norms on capital punishment in the rest of the world.
Those who want to retain the death penalty do not realise the pain inflicted by hanging. Execution by hanging often fails at the first attempt and has to be repeated. The cruelty is not merely towards the convict but also his near and dear ones.
This writer believes Section 376E is unconstitutional as it imposes the death penalty on a rapist merely because he has previously been convicted of the same offence. It clearly violates the fundamental right enshrined in Article 21 of the Constitution, which guards against the deprivation of human life by an unreasonable law. Indian constitutional jurisprudence, which prides itself on extrapolating a liberal meaning of the fundamental right to life, cannot hold Section 376E to be legal. Mulayam Singh Yadav was not wrong to condemn the death sentences awarded to the three young boys in the Shakti Mills case, and in saying that this provision of the IPC should be repealed at the earliest.
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The writer is a senior advocate of the Supreme Court, former solicitor general of India and advocate-general of Maharashtra
express@expressindia.comEffective January 2016: If you are a drone owner, you must register your drone. You can do so at the FAA registration page.
Note: As commercial and consumer rules change, so will this article. We will be regularly updating and maintaining this to reflect current policy.
Drones are everywhere, whether you want to admit it or not. They’re popping up in the news, popping up in the sky, and soon, they may be popping up at your door. With drones, or small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) as the FAA refers to them, what are the rules and regulations? And how is the FAA going about enforcing these rules and regulations? These are questions hobbyists and businesses are attempting to answer and what we’re going to address here. Let’s start by explaining the difference between consumer and commercial drones.
Consumer vs. Commercial Drone Use
Consumer drones are for recreational use and follow different rules than commercial drones. Currently the FAA does not allow commercial use of drones except under special occasions, but more on that later.
What exactly is the difference then?
If you’re using a drone for personal interest or enjoyment, it falls under consumer use. If you take photographs and use them on your own website or store them on your computer the FAA says that’s fine. The line gets a bit grey with sharing your cinematography elsewhere though. According to Motherboard: “If you fly a drone and post footage on YouTube, you could end up with a letter from the Federal Aviation Administration.”
Wait what?
Recently Jayson Hanes was sent a cease and desist letter for posting videos online. Here’s the video he recently posted to YouTube that was reported to the FAA and they eventually acted on:
I think everyone was a little surprised by the FAA’s response to this (seen below). Is it really such a crime to post a video on YouTube? Hanes even says he never got paid. The FAA is saying that because the video has ads on it, it’s been commercialized – but if we consider photography and film ‘art’ then isn’t this breaking the first amendment by telling someone they can’t put it up on the internet? It seems like the FAA is a little over their head with all this drone policy mumbo-jumbo, and we’re just along for the ride.
Here’s a snippet of the letter they sent Jayson Hanes
So, there is a line, it’s just a grey one. But the line seems a little clearer when the FAA was overruled by the courts in FAA v. Raphael Pirker. Raphael Pirker was initially fined $10,000 for using his drone commercially as a journalist. What the opposition forgot to consider was the First Amendment.
Here’s a little language from the brief
The federal government has deprived its citizens and a free and independent news media of the opportunity to participate in the rulemaking process required under U.S. law when the government seeks to regulate, restrict, or curtail otherwise proper lawful activity. The federal government, through the FAA and with the NTSB’s encouragement, should move forward with the development of polices that protect, rather than hinder, freedom of speech and of the press.
So, the plot thickens. It again seems that the FAA is in over their head. Let’s look at some specific examples and use what we know so far to assess whether or not these would fall under commercial or consumer businesses.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
What about Dronestagram?
This one is a bit trickier. Dronestagram is a platform for pilots to post their drone photos/videos to “build a map of our Earth with a bird’s eye view.” The site itself is impressive – take some time to peruse it yourself. Above is a snapshot of where pilots have captured videos around San Diego and Tijuana.
Interesting or not, how does the FAA view this website? The website itself is monetized, meaning they’re making money off other people’s videos. So who’s at fault – the cinematographers sharing their videos or Dronestagram? Using Mr. Hanes’ case as reference, I’d put the fault on the photographers – but aren’t they just sharing their work to create an artistic bird’s eye view of the world? Definitely not easy to make a decision on this one and I’ll be reaching out to the FAA to try and find an answer.
Key points in determining commercial vs. consumer use
Is anyone (not just you) making money off of it? This is, in the truest sense, the most necessary question when understanding commercial drone use. Looking at Jayson Hanes tells us that even if someone else is making money and you aren’t, you could still get hit for using your drone commercially.
As of right now, you’re only safe if you’ve been cleared by the FAA. Even after the court struck down the FAA’s appeal in FAA v. Raphael Pirker, news corporations must still gain clearance from the FAA.
ABC News reports that since September more than 200 commercial cases have been approved by the FAA in industries including, but not excluding, movies, real estate, and infrastructure.
So it seems that commercial drone use has a larger umbrella than most thought….
Consumer Drone Use
You bought a drone, you’re not posting your videos anywhere and you’re just looking to have a great day of flying ahead of you. Nothing to worry about, right?
Well, not so much. You still have to consider that you’re flying a machine that could interfere with other air traffic, disturb wildlife, or anger your neighbors. There are rules and there’s etiquette – and we’ll try to touch on both.
Start by following community-based guidelines, like the ones found here from the Academy of Model Aeronautics. These aren’t laws, but they are guidelines and should be followed to be respectful, responsible, and reasonable with your drone.
Where can I fly my drone?
If you’re asking yourself this question, have no fear, the FAA is working diligently to make sure every pilot understands where it’s okay to fly, and where it’s not. FAA aeronautical maps are awesome for experienced pilots, but without a background in aviation, they’re almost impossible to understand.
The FAA knows this and started a campaign last year culminating in their no-fly zone map. Here are the three big no-no’s:
Major Airports
U.S. Military Bases
U.S. National Parks
They haven’t stopped there though. The FAA is also spending $43,000 to develop an app, known as B4UFly; it will initially be released on iOS and later on Android. It’s scheduled for beta this summer and full release in the fall of 2015.
The app will notify pilots if they’re flying in a restricted zone, allow drone enthusiasts to plan future flights, and connect users with nearby airports to ensure they’re far enough away. Below is the preliminary design.
Another great resource out there is Air Map. The web app allows you to layer flight zones across the United States.
More quick tips from the FAA for responsible flying
Keep your drone under 400 feet and fly under obstacles, not over them.
Contact the airport before flying within five miles of an airport. You don’t want to be the guy the FAA is hunting down for flying too close to the JFK airport.
Don’t let your drone stray out of your eyesight. This is especially important for models with automated GPS flight capabilities.
Don’t fly drunk or on drugs.
Respect other people’s privacy. We’re not going to feel bad for you if someone shoots your drone down for flying it over houses and recording people in their backyards.
Stay clear of water treatment facilities, power stations, prisons, etc.
Don’t fly in national parks. As tempting as it may seem because of the opportunity for epic footage, it’s disruptive to other campers and the wildlife.
Overall, use common sense
If you think that your flight could negatively impact someone else, the environment, or other aircraft, you’re probably not in the best area for flight.
Be careful in adverse conditions, wind can knock you out of the sky and into the ground faster than you think. You might lose your drone, or worse, you could crash it into something you didn’t mean to. Hopefully everyone learned from the inebriated government employee who crashed his DJI Phantom on the White House lawn. It caused such a ruckus that DJI rolled out a mandatory update for its Phantom 2 drones that blocks any flight within a 15 mile radius of Washington D.C. Wouldn’t want to be that guy, right?
Update: The FAA and NASA are working together to create an sUAS air traffic system from cell-phone towers. The system will be a substantial stride for the industry and allow the FAA to finalize consumer and commercial policy within a year.
Don’t expect anything too soon, there’s a lot of work to do. You can read more about it here.
Commercial Drone Use
So we know what commercial use is defined as (kind of). We also know that the FAA currently authorizes the use of drones on a case-by-case basis and has approved over 600 businesses since last year.
Here’s what constitutes commercial drone use according to the FAA
Selling any photos or videos taken by a drone, i.e. wedding or concert photography It should also be noted that monetizing on any videos or photos uploaded to the internet is considered commercial use of those photos or videos
Using drones to carry out services, like inspections, farming services, etc. Examples: mapping land or filming a scene for a movie
Using drones for other professional services, like security or deliveries
On February 23, 2015 the FAA finally released a long-awaited proposal for sUAS policy. Most noteworthy within this document are a few important points:
Businesses must use drones under 55 lbs.
The operator must be within visual line-of-sight of the unmanned aircraft.
All unmanned aircraft must be flown during daylight hours.
UPDATE: The FAA will make their official commercial use policy announcement by summer 2016.
We suggest checking out the summary found here for all the major points from the PDF. If you’re up for some lengthy (and boring) reading you can leisurely peruse the 48-page full proposal here.
Immediately this sparked controversy, especially from major companies like Amazon seeking to break into drone delivery.
Most people condemned the service, saying it wouldn’t work. Even the Amazon vice president Paul Misener said the FAA’s new propositions “wouldn’t allow Prime Air to operate in the United State” (source: USA Today).
We already believed that Amazon delivery was doomed for a number of reasons:
Weather How can a drone navigate through a hurricane or even high winds?
Inefficiency Drones can only carry a few packages at a time. Trucks can carry hundreds to thousands. How can they possibly make drones as efficient as other methods of delivery?
Technical Difficulties The technology is just not quite there yet for long, automated flights. Amazon would have to invest a ton just to get the technology to ensure drones don’t crash on the way to their delivery.
Target Practice See below.
Now there’s reason to believe even Paul Misener was wrong. On April 12th, 2015 Amazon was granted permission to test their drone delivery service within the United States. Again, Misener speaks out on this:
We’re pleased the FAA has granted our petition for this stage of R&D experimentation, and we look forward to working with the agency for permission to deliver Prime Air service to customers in the United States safely and soon.
Source: PBS
UPDATE October 19th, 2015:
The UAS task force announces new proposed policies for consumers and for businesses:
We are going to require all operators of drones to register their aircraft – just like commercial drone operators do currently. Think of it this way. It may be okay to operate an off-road vehicle without registering it if you are using it on your own property. But if you intend to take it onto local streets or the highway, you are expected to register it and operate it safely to protect the public. The details of this new registration system will be developed by a task force consisting of government and a diverse group of stakeholders who will be working on a tight deadline to get this done.
It will be interesting to see how consumers respond to this.
Too Long; Didn’t ReadIs it as atrocious as its big sisters?
Over the course of the last couple of months, I've been exploring the world of Rinkuskiai brewing, which appears to exist exclusively as a high-gravity hell on the cheap for snobs that just can't be seen holding a can of delicious Steel Reserve. At the high end, we had a 16% behemoth by the name of Fuggin' Awesome, which tasted as good as getting punched in the asshole feels. Since then, we've come down the ladder (the 15% monstrosity known as Crazy Brewski, which deactivated several of my taste buds, and 14 percentage points of pure hell in Hell on High, which is sewer water that also makes you sad). Rinkuskiai wisely skipped 13, as it is unlucky, and went to 12% with Before-After.Is it as atrocious as its big sisters?
Pour- n/a
Mouthfeel- n/a
Taste- n/a
Finish- n/a
That's right-- Before-After had zero everything. It was like drinking a glass of orange water that had me buzzed up after a while. And as such, I feel it is my duty to crown it as the all-time best bum craft beer in the WORLD. For eight bucks American you can have two of these and be stumbling around your yard like a one-legged ostrich, naked as the day you were born. If the neighbors have anything to say about it, simply flip a couch cushion, scrounge up another four bucks in quarters and dimes, and get them tore down as well!
There is no scenario in life that can't be improved with the presence of Before-After. Radiator overheating? Pour 16.9oz of the orange cure-all in there and you actually gain 50 horsepower! Job got you stressing out? Keep one of these in your thermos and see how many emails you give a flying shit about by 10am! Even your sex life will improve, because there's no way you're gonna be able to feel anything with this rotgut in your system. You can bone forever!!
Highly recommended. I'm currently planning a trip to Lithuania to personally shake the hand of Ernest T. Rinkuskiai for his juice of heaven. The value of this beverage for the frugal problem drinker cannot be overstated.Highly recommended.
Chris RedarStaff Writer- Last RitesFollow me on Twitter: @chris_redarIt’s not just the planet that benefits from reductions in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that intensify global warming, says new study
By Tim Radford
Going green by switching to renewable sources of electricity could be good business for the US, according to new research.
A report by researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California says that cutting greenhouse gas emissions meant that the US as a whole was $2.2 billion better off in 2013.
And as a result of reductions in other forms of air pollution associated with burning coal, diesel and oil, in accordance with legislation known as state renewable portfolio standards (RPS), the US was perhaps $5.2 billion the richer.
The RPS are state impositions on utility companies, requiring them to generate a proportion of their electricity from sources that do not burn fossil fuels and thus stoke global warming by emitting the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide.
Different requirements
The requirements differ from state to state, and only 29 US states and Washington DC right now have such standards. Some states are contemplating revising or extending their standards.
Some US researchers have repeatedly argued that wind and solar sources could power the entire US. But in a nation in which only 44% of people accept the evidence of climate change, there is no rush to put such arguments to the test.
But the differences such legislation makes are measurable − sometimes with surprising precision. Because fossil fuel-burning power plants use water to turn into steam to drive turbines, and as coolant, the standards save water. In 2013, utilities reduced their withdrawals by 830 billion gallons and cut consumption by 27 billion gallons.
The greatest share of jobs generated by renewable energy industries was in California, which in 2013 invested heavily in photovoltaic generation
The report’s authors call their findings “impacts”, rather than benefits, because what might benefit one part of the economy imposes a cost somewhere else.
And their study is careful to embrace all the uncertainties of calculations that involve not just industrial book-keeping but social economics such as health costs and environmental benefits.
So the benefits from greenhouse gas reduction overall – a drop of 59 million tonnes – could be as high as $6.3 billion, or as low as $0.7bn, depending on how you do the accounting. Reductions in air pollution could deliver health benefits valued at $2.6bn or $9.9bn, depending on how you calculate, and then put a value upon, reductions in premature mortality.
The authors found that RPS policies supported 200,000 jobs in renewable energy-related businesses, and saved consumers $1.2bn in reduced electricity prices and somewhere between $1.3bn and $3.7bn in reduced natural gas prices, because renewable sources displaced natural gas generation.
Vulnerable states
Although the accounting was conducted on a national basis, the report recognises that some states may have experienced more impact than others. The people who felt most keenly the reduction in sulphur dioxide emissions – down by 77,400 tonnes – from coal-fired plant were mostly in the Great Lakes, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Texas regions.
The people who benefited most from reductions in water withdrawal were in California and Texas − both states that are vulnerable to drought.
And the greatest share of jobs generated by renewable energy industries was in California, which in 2013 invested heavily in photovoltaic generation.
Altogether, the 29 states produced 98 terawatt-hours in 2013 (98 million megawatt-hours) of “new” renewable energy – that is, from plant built after the RPS standards were made into legislation. One megawatt-hour is roughly equal to the total amount of electrical energy used by about 330 US homes during one hour.
Although the new energy is just 2.4% of nationwide electricity generation, it represents a 3.6% drop in total fossil fuel generation.
This article was produced by the Climate News NetworkReagan Conservatism Dominated Iowa
RUSH: The establishment’s out there going nuts, folks, thinking that they have made a giant recovery here.
But at the end of the day, what do we have? We have Rubio. We have Ted Cruz. And I’m gonna throw Ben Carson in because this is a crucial point. We have two genuine disciples of Ronald Reagan in the top three places in Iowa. We have a very strong outsider in Donald Trump, who is showing the way in illustrating how to oppose the establishment and what not to be afraid of. And then we’ve got Ben Carson. And I would have to say Ben Carson is a disciple of Ronald Reagan. When I listen to Ben Carson talk, I hear Reaganisms.
I know I hear them when I listen to Cruz, and Cruz openly admits he’s a Reaganite. Ditto with Marco Rubio. So three of the top four finishers last night are Reagan disciples with a party that is urging — its establishment is urging — that we get rid of “the Reagan fetish,” that we finally realize “the era of Reagan is over.” It isn’t. It’s the salvation! We have tried it the establishment’s way I don’t know how many years starting back in Bill Clinton’s era. We have tried it with the Northeasterner moderates. I mean, we even nominated a nice guy, Mitt Romney.
We nominated a guy who was the architect of Obamacare on the premise that we’re gonna repeal Obamacare. It was… This is one of those things Saturday Night Live makes jokes about. Sixty percent of the Republican vote in Iowa last night went for two Hispanics and an African-American, and 100% of the Democrat vote went for a couple of tired, old, decrepit white people.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: I got a couple of Cruz sound bites I want to get into here and another point that I want to emphasize. These sound bites will help me transition to it. This is Cruz in New Hampshire talking about Ronald Reagan. I think this is huge. I think the outcome last night in Iowa and who won and how and what it all means is really important to note. First of two sound bites from Ted Cruz, already back in New Hampshire on the campaign trail for the primary there one week from today.
CRUZ: When was the last time we broke the Washington cartel? 1980. Thirty-six years ago. And, I’ll tell you, the Granite State played a critical role in making that happen. You know, back in 1980, all the media said, “This guy, Reagan, he’s a crazy right-wing kook. He’s too extreme. And, by the way, he’s really down in the polls.” That’s what the media said over and over again.
RUSH: And they did. For people that experienced Reagan, he was a two landslide victory president and the memories of Reagan are of a dominant and adored, respected president, but in the campaign of 1976 and the campaign of 1980, it was down and dirty. And the Republican establishment was anti-Reagan at every turn, and the media was, and Reagan was every bit as despised by the media as George W. Bush has been despised by the media, albeit for the different reasons.
The point is, it wasn’t a cakewalk. Even though Reagan captivated a majority of the American people, he was loved and adored, supported, landslide wins, it did not convert the media. It did not change the way the media reported. In fact, it angered them even more that they had has been rebuffed by the voters. They were brutal times, just like the period with George W. Bush as well. Here’s more from Cruz.
CRUZ: But, you know what?
RUSH: What?
CRUZ: Live Free or Die State took a look at Reagan and said, that guy believes what he’s saying. He’s not reading from talking points. He doesn’t have a consultant who said, “Okay, go pretend you’re for this.” He’s speaking from the heart. He means what he says. He tells the truth, and he’s gonna do exactly what he says. And the Granite State shocked this country by giving Reagan the victory, and literally the men and women of New Hampshire changed the course of history of America and of the world.
RUSH: And clearly Cruz is attempting to claim the mantle of Reagan in New Hampshire. Now, here’s the thing about it, if you look at what happened in Iowa, there was new voter registration in Iowa, there was a record Republican turnout in Iowa, and it was of the Republican base. It was conservatives who made up the new turnout. It was conservatives who created that record voter turnout and voter registration in New Hampshire. It’s the Republican base that is growing.
Nobody is gonna talk to you about that today. Nobody is going to acknowledge that today. They’re gonna diminish Cruz’s win as at the hands of a bunch of crazy Christians. And it’s no surprise it’s Iowa. I mean, look at who Iowa selected the last time, Santorum, and before him, Reverend Huckabee, or what have you. So they’re gonna do their best to diminish what Cruz did ’cause it was the pro-lifers. But that’s Iowa, and now New Hampshire. We’re moving on into Libertarian territory, they’ll say, and that’s a one-off. But it’s not.
Again, three of the top four finishers genuinely said to be descendants of Ronaldus Magnus: Cruz, Rubio, and I’m gonna throw Dr. Carson in there. Dr. Carson exemplifies the conservatism of Reagan, and while the Republican Party is doing its best still to convince everybody to get rid of this Reagan fetish, is the latest terminology, having replaced “the era of Reagan is over.” But the Republican base is growing, it is a conservative base, it is growing because the establishment insider elites of the Republican Party are not doing their job, that’s why this growth is taking place.
For all of the sighs of relief that there no doubt were in the sanctity of the sectors of the establishment last night, there were as many gulps because Ted Cruz was the winner.SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region – Striking teachers in Sulaimani province are turning to Baghdad to answer their demands, as they rallied on Saturday and vowed to hold a demonstration daily until achieving their goals.Protesting teachers submitted their demands of the government in Baghdad to the Iraqi parliament office in Sulaimani and declared they will hold a daily rally in front of the education directorate, Rudaw’s correspondent in the city, Jamal Ahmed Jamil, reported on Saturday.The teachers said they will no longer wait for the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Ministry of Education, but will seek talks with Baghdad.Aram Sheikh Mohammed, deputy Iraqi parliament speaker, received the teachers in front of the parliament office and said “We will do our best to pass the demands of protesters to Iraqi authorities.”“The salaries of Kurdistan Region employees should be given to them. If the oil crisis is not solved between the Kurdistan Region and the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Region does not commit to that deal, then the Iraqi government should deal with governorates independently,” he added.Teachers took to the street in protest over reduced salaries and delayed payments at the start of the school year in September. Since then, they have held occasional rallies but classes have not been held.Some students support the teachers, but they also believe they have right to ask teachers to break their boycott and resume classes.“Teachers have the right to demand for their rights, as we also have the right to ask to open schools and we ask teachers to return and resume the education process,” a student told Rudaw.“I am not happy because two months have passed. We are damaged a lot. We are so late, therefore I think it is better to not open schools,” a student from Sheerin High School in Sulaimani told Rudaw, bemoaning the potential loss of the full school year.On Wednesday, Azad Hama Amin, head of the Sulaimani provincial council, held a press conference alongside education directorate officials. “On Saturday in Sulaimani, Garmiyan, Raparin and Halabja, the schools will be open,” he said.Despite his call, teachers across the province resumed their protests and did not go back to school, insisting they will their continue strike until the authorities hear their demands.Only some schools opened across the province with a small number of teachers returning to work, Rudaw correspondents reported.A large number of teachers went into the streets on Saturday, venting their frustration under the slogans “enough is enough” and “oil for individuals but crisis for all.”Earlier, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Ministry of Education warned that, “If after two months from the start of the school year, boycotts continue, then the school year won’t be counted.” The first day of school was October 1.Teachers believe they are not responsible for the delay in the school year but that it is the authority’s responsibility as they could not provide full salaries for teachers on time.In Erbil and Dohuk provinces, schools opened on October 1. In Sulaimani, all public schools remain closed though Arabic and private schools started classes on time.For other people named Roger Bacon, see Roger Bacon (disambiguation)
"Doctor Mirabilis" redirects here. For the 1964 historical novel by James Blish, see Doctor Mirabilis (novel)
Roger Bacon OFM (;[6] Latin: Rogerus or Rogerius Baconus, Baconis, also Frater Rogerus; c. 1219/20 – c. 1292), also known by the scholastic accolade Doctor Mirabilis, was a medieval English philosopher and Franciscan friar who placed considerable emphasis on the study of nature through empiricism. In the early modern era, he was regarded as a wizard and particularly famed for the story of his mechanical or necromantic brazen head. He is sometimes credited (mainly since the 19th century) as one of the earliest European advocates of the modern scientific method inspired by Aristotle and by the Arab scientist Alhazen.
His linguistic work has been heralded for its early exposition of a universal grammar. However, more recent re-evaluations emphasise that Bacon was essentially a medieval thinker, with much of his "experimental" knowledge obtained from books in the scholastic tradition. He was, however, partially responsible for a revision of the medieval university curriculum, which saw the addition of optics to the traditional quadrivium. A survey of how Bacon's work was received over the centuries found that it often reflected the concerns and controversies that were central to his readers.
Bacon's major work, the Opus Majus, was sent to Pope Clement IV in Rome in 1267 upon the pope's request. Although gunpowder was first invented and described in China, Bacon was the first in Europe to record its formula.
Life [ edit ]
The memorial to Roger Bacon at St Mary Major, Ilchester
Roger Bacon was born in Ilchester in Somerset, England, in the early 13th century, although his date of birth is sometimes narrowed down to c. 1210, "1213 or 1214", or "1215". However, modern scholars tend to argue for the date of c. 1220, but there are disagreements on this. The only source for his birth date is a statement from his 1267 Opus Tertium that "forty years have passed since I first learned the Alphabetum". The latest dates assume this referred to the alphabet itself, but elsewhere in the Opus Tertium it is clear that Bacon uses the term to refer to rudimentary studies, the trivium or quadrivium that formed the medieval curriculum. His family appears to have been well off.
Bacon studied at Oxford.[n 2] While Robert Grosseteste had probably left shortly before Bacon's arrival, his work and legacy almost certainly influenced the young scholar and it is possible Bacon subsequently visited him and William of Sherwood in Lincoln. Bacon became a master at Oxford, lecturing on Aristotle. There is no evidence he was ever awarded a doctorate. (The title Doctor Mirabilis was posthumous and figurative.) A caustic cleric named Roger Bacon is recorded speaking before the king at Oxford in 1233.[19]
A diorama of Bacon presenting one of his works to the chancellors of Paris University
In 1237 or at some point in the following decade, he accepted an invitation to teach at the University of Paris. While there, he lectured on Latin grammar, Aristotelian logic, arithmetic, geometry, and the mathematical aspects of astronomy and music. His faculty colleagues included Robert Kilwardby, Albertus Magnus and Peter of Spain, the future Pope John XXI. The Cornishman Richard Rufus was a scholarly opponent. In 1247 or soon after, he left his position in Paris.
A 19th-century engraving of Bacon observing the stars at Oxford
As a private scholar, his whereabouts for the next decade are uncertain but he was likely in Oxford c. 1248–1251, where he met Adam Marsh, and in Paris in 1251. He seems to have studied most of the known Greek and Arabic works on optics (then known as "perspective", perspectiva). A passage in the Opus Tertium states that at some point he took a two-year break from his studies.
By the late 1250s, resentment against the king's preferential treatment of his émigré Poitevin relatives led to a coup and the imposition of the Provisions of Oxford and Westminster, instituting a baronial council and more frequent parliaments. Pope Urban IV absolved the king of his oath in 1261 and, after initial abortive resistance, Simon de Montfort led a force, enlarged due to recent crop failures, that prosecuted the Second Barons' War. Bacon's own family were considered royal partisans: De Montfort's men seized their property[n 3] and drove several members into exile.
Ernest Board's portrayal of Bacon in his observatory at Merton College
In 1256 or 1257, he became a friar in the Franciscan Order in either Paris or Oxford, following the example of scholarly English Franciscans such as Grosseteste and Marsh. After 1260, Bacon's activities were restricted by a statute prohibiting the friars of his order from publishing books or pamphlets without prior approval. He was likely kept at constant menial tasks to limit his time for contemplation and came to view his treatment as an enforced absence from scholarly life.
By the mid-1260s, he was undertaking a search for patrons who could secure permission and funding for his return to Oxford. For a time, Bacon was finally able to get around his superiors' interference through his acquaintance with Guy de Foulques, bishop of Narbonne, cardinal of Sabina, and the papal legate who negotiated between England's royal and baronial factions.
In 1263 or 1264, a message garbled by Bacon's messenger, Raymond of Laon, led Guy to believe that Bacon had already completed a summary of the sciences. In fact, he had no money to research, let alone copy, such a work and attempts to secure financing from his family were thwarted by the Second Barons' War. However, in 1265, Guy was summoned to a conclave at Perugia that elected him Pope Clement IV. William Benecor, who had previously been the courier between Henry III and the pope, now carried the correspondence between Bacon and Clement. Clement's reply of 22 June 1266 commissioned "writings and remedies for current conditions", instructing Bacon not to violate any standing "prohibitions" of his order but to carry out his task in utmost secrecy.
While faculties of the time were largely limited to addressing disputes on the known texts of Aristotle, Clement's patronage permitted Bacon to engage in a wide-ranging consideration of the state of knowledge in his era. In 1267 or '68, Bacon sent the Pope his Opus Majus, which presented his views on how to incorporate Aristotelian logic and science into a new theology, supporting Grosseteste's text-based approach against the "sentence method" then fashionable.
Bacon also sent his Opus Minus, De Multiplicatione Specierum, De Speculis Comburentibus, an optical lens, and possibly other works on alchemy and astrology.[n 4] The entire process has been called "one of the most remarkable single efforts of literary productivity", with Bacon composing referenced works of around a million words in about a year.
Pope Clement died in 1268 and Bacon lost his protector. The Condemnations of 1277 banned the teaching of certain philosophical doctrines, including deterministic astrology. Some time within the next two years, Bacon was apparently imprisoned or placed under house arrest. This was traditionally ascribed to Franciscan Minister General Jerome of Ascoli, probably acting on behalf of the many clergy, monks, and educators attacked by Bacon's 1271 Compendium Studii Philosophiae.
Modern scholarship, however, notes that the first reference to Bacon's "imprisonment" dates from eighty years after his death on the charge of unspecified "suspected novelties"[31] and finds it less than credible. Contemporary scholars who do accept Bacon's imprisonment typically associate it with Bacon's "attraction to contemporary prophesies", his sympathies for "the radical 'poverty' wing of the Franc |
: Using TrueCrypt is not secure as it may contain unfixed security issues. The development of TrueCrypt was ended in 5/2014 after Microsoft terminated support of Windows XP. Windows 8/7/Vista and later offer integrated support for encrypted disks and virtual disk images. Such integrated support is also available on other platforms (click here for more information). You should migrate any data encrypted by TrueCrypt to encrypted disks or virtual disk images supported on your platform.
The page goes on to specifically recommend Microsoft's BitLocker as an alternative for Windows users.
Just who tore up the TrueCrypt site, and why, is still unknown (click to enlarge)
Even more worrying, The Reg has confirmed that a binary TrueCrypt 7.2 installer for Windows, downloaded from the TrueCrypt SourceForge site, contained the same text found on the rewritten homepage – confirming the download has also been fiddled with amid today's website switcheroo.
Don't run that binary! Someone has built versions of TrueCrypt from vandalised source code (click to enlarge)
We ran the executable in a virtual machine so that you don't have to, and on Windows 8.1 it was blocked by the SmartScreen feature, suggesting it may contain malware. Launching it on an older system immediately displayed the "warning" message before installation proceeded, and the dropped executables contained the above quoted text.
If http://t.co/HKPiPSPY8h is compromised, it's likely been compromised a good while. I wouldn't trust any recent downloads of the software. — Jonathan Zdziarski (@JZdziarski) May 28, 2014
An eyebrow-raising list of changes between the source code of version 7.2 and the previous release, 7.1a, can be found here; there is, at this stage, nothing concrete to suggest the suspicious 7.2 binaries were built from the v7.2 source code available from the TrueCrypt SourceForge site.
Judging by the source, the new software not only pops up a warning to not rely on TrueCrypt, it refuses to encrypt data – thus encouraging users to migrate to alternative disk and file encryption utilities.
The binaries are cryptographically signed by the TrueCrypt developers, but there's an argument over whether or not a new and untrusted key was used.
Also on Wednesday, a Wikipedia user going under the handle "Truecrypt-end" tried repeatedly to update the TrueCrypt page with similar text, but these changes were swiftly reverted by moderators.
The motivation for the abrupt U-turn is unclear. Version 7.1a was released in 2012, and the wording of today's warning – "TrueCrypt... may contain unfixed security issues" – suggests the programmers are unable to update the software, or have been ordered to end development, and have killed it off Lavabit-style.
Or the team was thoroughly hacked by miscreants.
On Wednesday afternoon, San Francisco-time, Kenn White of the crowd-funded TrueCrypt code-auditing project tweeted that he had no explanation for the apparent defacement. Early rounds of the audit have found some vulnerabilities in TrueCrypt, but nothing serious.
No one on the TC audit project has anything to do w/ its development or the TC site. We will share any credible updates w/ the community. — Kenn White (@kennwhite) May 28, 2014
Earlier in the day, the audit project claimed: "We hope to have some *big* announcements this week, so stay tuned." These announcements remain a mystery.
Naturally, Reg readers are cautioned to stay as far away from all the knackered TrueCrypt binaries as possible. We'll keep you updated as further details about the situation emerge. ®Harry Perkins, steel worker and trade unionist from Sheffield, becomes Prime Minister of the UK by a landslide, partly because of corruption and public disillusionment with the Conservative Party and financial institutions of the City of London. The IMF, the military and their secret service "comrades" start to plot against of the elected PM. They are unhappy with the non-nuclear and neutral aspirations of his party (during the Cold War) and are supported in their fears by nationalistic media moguls. Quietly, the protagonist Harry is driven by an underlying desire to compensate for the corporate manslaughter of his granddad, "who were killed at work" when he was "splashed by molten steel". Harry inherited his shaving mug, nothing more, and was originally determined to see workers participate in decision making for safety on the job. As his national-political consciousness grew he formed a wider agenda for a reinvestment in health and education as well as public ownership of public... Written by Shaunrey@yahoo.comFor weeks we've been hearing the same refrain from most of the press -- "Nothing to see here....Move along, move along..." -- when it came to questions about Hillary Clinton's health.
Perhaps the most vociferous critic of the Clinton ill-health pundits was the Washington Post's Chris Cillizza, who penned a column last week chastising anyone who questioned the candidate's physical fitness for office.
This is a totally ridiculous issue — for lots of reasons — and one that if Trump or his Republican surrogates continue to focus on is a surefire loser in the fall. Let's start here: Clinton has released a detailed letter from her personal physicianattesting to her overall good health — and making specific reference to her 2012 fall. Here's the key passage: So, to believe that something is seriously wrong with Clinton, you have to a) assume her doctor lied and b) that her coughing, which often happens when someone catches a cold or spends a lot of time speaking publicly, is a symptom of her deeper, hidden illness. That seems, um, unlikely to me?
What about now, Chris?
Whether Clinton likes it or not, her "overheating" episode comes at a very bad time for her campaign. Thanks to the likes of Rudy Giuliani and a small but vocal element of the Republican base, talk of her health had been bubbling over the past week —triggered by a coughing episode she experienced during a Labor Day rally. That talk was largely confined to Republicans convinced that Clinton has long been hiding some sort of serious illness. I wrote dismissively of that conspiracy theory in this space last week, noting that Clinton had been given an entirely clean bill of health by her doctors after an episode in which she fainted, suffered a concussion and then was found to have a blood clot in late 2012 and early 2013. Coughing, I wrote, is simply not evidence enough of any sort of major illness that Clinton is assumed to be hiding. Neither, of course, is feeling "overheated." But those two things happening within six days of each other to a candidate who is 68 years old makes talk of Clinton's health no longer just the stuff of conspiracy theorists.
Note that Cillizza is still downplaying the notion that anything may be wrong by swallowing the notion that she was "overheated" on a day with the temperature in the mid-to-upper 70s and low humidity.
Anyway, Allahpundit pegged the aftermath pretty well:
There were only two ways this episode could end. One: Bill and Chelsea emerge from the apartment building with Hillary propped between them, “Weekend at Bernie’s” style, insisting she’s fine. Two: Hillary walks out under her own power ASAP and does the big “see how much better I am already?” wave to the media. The result:
Clinton leaves Chelsea's apartment after "overheating."
"I'm feeling great, it's a beautiful day in New York." pic.twitter.com/uKUDhDMfBo — David Mack (@davidmackau) September 11, 2016
How much do you want to bet this story -- along with questions about Clinton's health -- has disappears within 72 hours?In a development that could shed new light on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, a Hollywood movie producer is shopping new, long-hidden footage of JFK’s Dallas motorcade which the producer believes may support the theory that Lee Harvey Oswald didn’t act alone, TheWrap has learned.
Stephen Bowen is a successful Texas-based real estate developer who is a principal at Waterstone Entertainment, represented by the Gersh Agency. Bowen acquired the footage from a local Houston television news producer who has held it for more than 40 years, according to an individual involved in the deal. Bowen decided the 50th anniversary of JFK’s death was a good time to bring it to market.
See photos: 14 Conspiracy Movies That Came After the Assassination of JFK
TheWrap has not seen the footage. However, two individuals who have described portions of the tape that could challenge the lone-gunman theory ultimately supported by the Warren Commission. “You can see a guy in the bushes with a gun,” said one of those individuals. “It looks like real footage, though I am not an expert.”
Two sources have told TheWrap that Gersh’s Jay Cohen has agreed to broker the deal. The producers have arranged private screenings of the footage for news networks and other interested parties next week in Los Angeles, including CNN, Fox News and Reuters. While it’s unclear exactly what the footage will depict, those familiar with Gersh’s sales pitch say that Bowen believes it may help prove John Kerry and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.‘s recent comments doubting that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the assassination.
Also read: JFK Author Picks 7 Essential Assassination Books and Movies
The majority of the American public’s exposure to the JFK assassination stems from the tape made by private citizen Abraham Zapruder, which Time Inc. purchased, though several frames were subsequently damaged. (Time later sold the film back to the Zapruder family.) Bowen’s footage is believed to be an amalgamation of footage assembled from that fateful day in Dallas, including undamaged, missing frames from the Zapruder tape.
Also read: How the JFK Assassination Kicked Off the Rise of Paranoid Thrillers
Waterstone is an independent film and television production company that Bowen founded with Jeff Kalligheri, a producer on the 1999 horror-comedy “Lake Placid” and the 2012 James Franco-Winona Ryder thriller “The Letter,” which never saw wide theatrical release. Waterstone has several film projects in the works including the Chris Pine comedy “Mantivities,” and has a partnership with Innovation Films in Qatar.
Here’s the Zapruder film:(Photo courtesy of Sure Lock and Key)
First, let’s get something straight— for the most part, what’s inside your doorknob isn’t going to keep thieves at bay.
Kevin Grubb, the owner of Sure Lock and Key in St. Louis, has been in the lock business for some 30 years. Picking a lock requires two tools, he says: a wrench and a pick, plus the dexterity and practice to use them.
Someone that good probably isn’t looking to hit up a house, says Grubb, but looking for the places with far more valuable goods.
Most homes are instead broken into by thieves who kick down a door, breaking the door or the frame or both. And don’t think that more locks equal more protection — each extra lock is another set of holes in a door, which can weaken its structural integrity and make it easier to kick in.
If you want a safe house, focus on the lock installation and invest in a solid deadbolt, he says. The bolts come with a plate that affixes to the door jamb, and you’ll want to make sure the hardware secures the metal plate to the door frame well.
“You want a heavy-duty reinforced deadlock with a reinforced plate that goes on the doorjamb,” he says. “There’s really no security in a doorknob,” he adds. Want proof? Grubb doesn’t even have doorknob locks on his home.
The crew at Sure Lock and Key in St. Louis. (Photo courtesy of Sure Lock and Key)
If do you have doorknob locks and get locked out, skip the paperclip approach. You’re likely to get the clip caught in the lock, and break the lock.
But some basic techniques can pay off. In fact, I once mastered the technique of popping the locks with a credit card in a former apartment building, rescuing locked-out neighbors — including a new neighbor who later became my husband. Thank you, lock-picking credit card!
Grubb says if that technique works, that’s a sign the lock wasn’t properly installed in the first place. The plate wasn’t placed right, or a button on the end of the latch meant to prevent just such entries wasn’t triggered.
If there’s one trend that disturbs him, it’s the ubiquity of lock-picking kits and tools thanks to the Internet.
“Thirty years ago when I started doing this, those tools were not available to the general public,” he says. Now they’re available to nearly everyone.The early token sale for DataBroker DAO is ongoing and a number of our new community members have asked on various channels whether DataBroker DAO is taking on IOTA?
This post is intended to address this question and to clarify how network operators, such as IOTA, and DataBroker DAO should be seen in a broader ecosystem of IoT sensor connectivity and data monetisation.
To be short, the simple answer to this question is no.
Why does DataBroker DAO exist?
The sole reason for the existence of DataBroker DAO is to connect IoT sensor owners that produce data with data buyers looking to access hard to get and previously unavailable data.
DataBroker DAO provides current sensor owners and manufacturers with a direct path to monetisation of their sensor data on the one hand and on the other provides entrepreneurs, researchers, smart cities and other data consumers with access to data that remains locked away in organisational silos today. To unlock the silos, DataBroker DAO integrates with the current networks that act as the information transmission highways for the existing and massive IoT sensor market.
What don’t we do at DataBroker DAO that IOTA does?
DataBroker DAO does not try to rewrite or recreate the protocol used for device communications nor does it invent its own encryption algorithms. We work with leading, existing technologies and protocols like Ethereum and proven encryption methods. We recognise that the market exists already, just that a suitable marketplace does not.
We also don’t call our project open source then plant landmines for others to unwittingly obliterate themselves. I hope that you appreciate that doing so is no different than creating a centralised system and that doing so, discredits the very trust that blockchain technologies and distributed systems aim to implant in our world.
Riding the wave of blockchain enthusiasm and creating such an “open source” protocol that is actually in no way “open source” or a “blockchain” is also akin to putting lipstick on a centralised pig, then throwing that pig on a surf board to get invited to blockchain events to ride the waves of enthusiasm that distributed technologies create. A protocol that can only be valorised by one party, the creator who knows how to avoid the planted landmines, is the pig.
If not competitors, how do DataBroker DAO and IOTA fit in the broader picture?
In the DataBroker DAO white paper, we map out the IoT sensor market and the stakeholders involved in this ecosystem. We define one of the stakeholders as “network operators”. This is the role that IOTA potentially plays at some point in the future. They have defined a protocol that enables devices to transmit data to communicate and transact directly. This is for DataBroker DAO, another network operator, similar to a telecommunications company operating a network for device connectivity.
The IOTA protocol sits next to any another protocol used for device connectivity to transmit information and/or transactions such as GSM, GPRS, LORA or Sigfox. It has its unique attributes as do the others.
DataBroker DAO is network agnostic so our scope includes various wireless networks like GSM, GPRS, LORA and Sigfox as a few examples. For those less familiar with the IoT landscape, these are existing and mature networks that are already battle-tested and fully in production. They are enabling the 9 billion sensors that are already connected today.
Will the data from sensors connected to the IOTA network be available to data buyers on DataBroker DAO?Sounds fantastical? Maybe, but Blockstream swears it isn’t as crazy as it sounds.
Today, the bitcoin infrastructure company is launching Blockstream Satellite, an ambitious attempt to use leased satellites to beam bitcoin nearly anywhere in the world. Now in beta, bitcoin users in Africa, Europe, South America and North America can already use the satellites to download a working bitcoin node capable of storing the network’s entire transaction history.
But while complex conceptually, the company believes its end result can solve a real issue facing the $66 billion network – without internet, you can’t access bitcoin.
And this poses a problem for bitcoin proponents who believe the cryptocurrency could be especially beneficial to people without internet, who also generally live in areas with economic instability.
So, Blockstream decided to set its sights on a solution, and found it in space.
According to Blockstream CEO Adam Back, the project is all about putting bitcoin into the hands of those who “desperately need” it.
He told CoinDesk:
“There is some coincidence between countries with poor internet infrastructure and unstable currencies. The people who are in direct need of bitcoin are those who currently have unstable access to bitcoin. This project will address that problem, and, we hope, will allow many more people to use bitcoin.”
The vision
While running a full node is a cumbersome process, it’s nonetheless the most secure and trustless way of using the digital currency, and for individuals dealing with political and economic instability, this process could prove crucial.
But because full nodes require an Internet connection and 160 GB of free space, they are a rarity in some regions of the world. There’s allegedly only one man running a full node in all of West Africa, for example.
While Blockstream is now taking care of a way to download a full node, there are a few other choice technologies those that want to take advantage of the satellite will need.
Users will need a small satellite dish – if they already have a TV satellite, they could use that – and a USB to connect the satellite to a personal computer or a piece of dedicated computer hardware such as a Raspberry Pi. The rest can be accessed through free, open-source software, such as GNU Radio for establishing a radio connection.
“The cost to entry is extremely low,” said Blockstream’s head of satellite, Chris Cook. According to him, the package of equipment costs “a little under $100.”
Then, once users have those tools, they can pull bitcoin blocks from the satellite, building a bitcoin full node.
Cheaper technology
But while they’ll now be running a full node, it still takes some sort of Internet connection to make transactions over the network.
While many users in the areas Blockstream is targeting won’t be able to afford mobile data connection plans to initiate transactions, Back argued cheaper communications technologies, such as SMS or bi-directional satellite, could be used instead.
Transactions, he said, take up about 250 bytes, which wouldn’t cost more than one penny to transfer using such technologies.
In this way, Back’s vision of the satellite as bringing bitcoin even to people completely off-the-grid is theoretically possible. He offered the example of a small hut on the side of the road in the Sahara Desert in Africa, adding:
“With a perpetual generator out back with a satellite dish, a Raspberry Pi by the generator, a local wi-fi hot spot, and the necessary software set up, you could be transacting globally with bitcoin.”
Sounds like a lot, but Back argued that it would be pretty cheap, especially if costs are pooled between multiple people, like if an entire village shared the costs of setting up the infrastructure that they could then all use.
Monetizing space bitcoin
While it’s ambitious as is, Blockstream is taking that mission even further, adding more satellites as the year goes on, with the hope the most people on earth will be able to access a bitcoin satellite by the end of the year.
“The only people that won’t be covered are those in Antarctica,” Back said.
While the project is technically feasible, though, is it financially so?
Bitcoin is admittedly a different beast, but other Internet space projects don’t have a great track record so far. Although, Blockstream does have plans to monetize the satellite.
According to Back, Blockstream will eventually release an API for developers and companies to send data over the satellite connection for a small bitcoin fee.
He concluded:
“That might allow a smartphone wallet that sends messages to send it via satellite or some application to send messages via satellite. That’s a way to monetize the infrastructure and to expand to more services on it.”
Disclosure: CoinDesk is a subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which has an ownership stake in Blockstream.
Satellite image via BlockstreamRelated News
SHOCKS OF EXCRUCIATING PAIN RADIATE ACROSS THE SIDE OF THE FACE LIKE A FIERCE ELECTRIC SHOCK. IT FEELS LIKE A BURNING HOT METAL ROD OR HOT COAL IS BEING PRESSED TO THE FACE WHILE THAT SAME FACE IS BEING GOUGED WITH A SPIKY OBJECT AND A RAZOR-BLADE GRAZING DOWN IT LEAVING IT AGONIZING AND BLEEDING… WHEN THE SHARP, STABBING AND SHOCK-LIKE PAIN STARTS, THERE IS NO RELIEF FOR DAYS, MONTHS OR EVEN YEARS!–
That is the painful experience that people who suffer from the dreadful and paralyzing condition of trigeminal neuralgia (TN) have to endure on a constant or regular basis.
TN is a very uncommon disorder which causes facial pain that is associated with the trigeminal nerve that carries sensation from the brain to the face. When there is a blood vessel pressing on the trigeminal nerve as it exits the brainstem, it causes a compression with the potential to wear away the protective coating around the nerve. TN symptoms can also occur in people with multiple sclerosis or may be caused by damage as a result of compression from a brain tumor. In many cases, a cause cannot be identified.
The pain is one of the most excruciating agonies a person may experience. The disorder has been described as one of the most painful conditions seen in medicine and is generally referred to as the suicide disease because the pain experienced is so spasmodic, paralyzing and intense that it has been known to have driven some people to suicide in some societies.
When the condition strikes, even the slightest touch to the face, whether it’s a breeze, hair falling onto the temple, simply brushing the teeth, head movements, talking, eating or even a loud noise may trigger flashes of pain. There is no relief from the pain. The pain suffered as a result of TN is the type of pain that no one believes unless they have experienced it themselves. It is relentless and takes over a life to the extent where it is difficult to find any joy in life.
The triggers are so many, and it is impossible to avoid them during the course of everyday living. Considering that the episodes of the attack are precipitated by even the mildest sensory stimulus, when a person is suffering an attack it becomes impossible for them to communicate effectively. Their life becomes an existence riddled with excruciating pain or the anticipation of pain at every moment. Even when the condition goes into remission, that period of relief usually lasts a short time — if the sufferer is lucky enough to have one at all.
Because TN is so uncommon, most physicians have very little experience with it and many fail to identify it on first diagnosis. This makes it very difficult for patients that have to endure living with the pain without having access to proper treatment. There have been several incidents where people suffering from TN have been referred to dentists by physicians who presume that the pain to the face is caused by a toothache. And in a large percentage of those cases, patients have had their teeth removed by dentists in order to ease that pain that is perceived to be caused by an abnormality in dentition, making the pain of TN presumably worse.
Part of the challenge faced by both sufferers of TN and the medical practitioners is the fact that there is no single test to diagnose TN. Diagnosis is generally based on the patient’s medical history, description of symptoms and a physical and thorough neurological examination by a physician. And because of overlapping symptoms and the large number of conditions that can cause facial pain, obtaining a correct diagnosis is difficult, but finding the cause of the pain is important as the treatments for different types of pain may differ. However, whilst the trigeminal nerve might be involved, it does not automatically establish the diagnosis of TN.
There is no cure for TN; at least not a permanent one. Even though there are several options a sufferer can have access to in order to manage the condition and there is the possibility of the condition going into remission for a period of time, people who live with TN generally have to manage it for the full duration of their lives.
Currently it may be managed by a combination of medications, ranging from anti-convulsions, anti-depressants, strong opiates, muscle relaxants or anti-inflammatories. These medications often have awful side effects such as confusion, dizziness, memory loss, chronic fatigue, drowsiness, weight gain, to name but a few, and, in many cases, they do not even completely control the pain. However, in cases where medication fails to relieve the pain of TN or produces intolerable side-effects, there is the option of surgical treatment.
The neurosurgical procedures available to help with TN depend on the individual’s preference, physical well-being, previous surgeries and the area of trigeminal nerve involved. The most common surgical procedure suggested to sufferers of the condition is known as microvascular decompression. However, although this brain surgery results in the longest period of pain relief, it is the most invasive and can have very serious consequences.
Another option is to have a rhizotomy. And although the rhizotomy is not as invasive as the microvascular decompression, it includes a method where the nerve fibers are destroyed to block pain. This causes some degree of permanent sensory loss and facial numbness sometimes causing the side-effect of hearing loss, balance problems, infection, and stroke. But the most discouraging aspect of any of the procedures and treatment of TN is that, no matter what procedure is adopted, often the condition will at some point still return.
There are also assortments of drug treatment available to quell the pain of the disorder, of which Carbamazepine is the most effective. But this drug has a lot of side-effects such as vertigo, drowsiness, ataxia and double vision; so elderly patients may not be able to tolerate this drug.
Given the seriousness of TN and given the fact that it is universally considered to be the most excruciatingly painful condition known to medical practice, it is shocking that it remains relatively unknown. Sufferers of TN have until now been silent but have begun a push to be pro-active by trying to raise awareness and understanding of the condition that has destroyed lives. They did so by marking October 7, 2013, as the first International Trigeminal Neuralgia Awareness Day. So, this Monday, dozens of buildings and structures across the world lit up teal for the day and it was used as a starting point for TN suffers to get recognition. An online petition was also submitted to the World Health Organization asking for TN to be added to their “Health Topics List”. Globally, this will raise awareness, give access to resources, create opportunities for funding and research, would increase understanding and give individuals access to information.
It is important for facts about TN to be shared in public and stories of sufferers to be told so that people who may have family or friends that suffer from the condition may learn and become more aware of how difficult it is for sufferers to communicate during an attack and support sufferers of this dilapidating and horrendous condition. It is important to create awareness of conditions such as TN so that others can be able to identify a sufferer and be more understanding of what a sufferer might be going through.
Living with a debilitating, life-changing and paralyzing condition, for which simple things that most people take for granted like brushing teeth, eating, talking, or even moving the head is impossible, is like living with an enemy within oneself. For those who struggle to survive the pain and the harsh medications that accompany it, they can only pray that a cure is, one day, found for the world’s most excruciating pain; because nothing can be worse than living a lifetime of unimaginable pain where one is driven to their knees. Unfortunately, that is the painful reality of those who live with TN… that dreadful and excruciating enemy within.
Follow me on Twitter- @hanneymusawaPORT AU PRINCE, Haiti (CMC):
Members of the Dominican Republic security forces have detained more than 100 undocumented Haitians, including pregnant women and children during several exercises over a 72 hour period.
The authorities said that the 10th Battalion of the Dominican Army had apprehended on Dominican territory, 108 undocumented Haitians, including 16 minors and 15 pregnant women,.
They said that in the community of Palo Blanco de Dajabón, adjacent to Haiti, the largest number of pregnant women and minors accompanied by their parents were arrested.
Some of the women were reported as saying that they had intended to give birth in hospitals in the Dominican Republic, because in Haiti in addition to the limitations of access to health care, they have to pay for maternity services.
The military authorities said that since the children and adolescents were accompanied by their parents or other relatives, they will be returned together to Haiti.
They said members of the army accompanied by a representative of the Public Prosecutor’s office and immigration agents, detained 38 undocumented Haitians who were found hiding on a private property near the Hospital Matías Ramón Mella in Dajabón.
They said the illegal migrants, who had intended to travel to Santiago, Valverde and Puerto Plata, had paid between 4,000 and 5,000 pesos (One pesos=US$0. 02 cents) to smugglers to drive them to their destination.
They also admitted to paying other smugglers in Haiti the equivalent of 5,000 to 7,000 pesos to transport them and illegally cross the border.
The military said that all the Haitians who were arrested have now been handed over to the Immigration Service that will be responsible after identification for their deportation.The BCB recently reduced Shakib Al Hasan's ban by three-and-a-half months © BCB Media
Allrounder Shakib Al Hasan and fast bowler Rubel Hossain have been included in Bangladesh's 15-member men's team for the Asian Games, which will be held in Incheon, South Korea, between September 19 and October 4. The two players have been named as replacements for offspinner Sohag Gazi and fast bowler Al-Amin Hossain, who were reported for suspect actions recently.
According to ICC regulations, both Gazi and Al-Amin are expected to undergo tests to have their actions examined. While Gazi was reported during the ODI series in West Indies, Al-Amin was reported after the first Test in St Vincent.
The selection in the Asian Games squad can be considered an important step for Shakib, who has faced a turbulent time in the past few months. In July, the Bangladesh Cricket Board suspended the allrounder for six months for what it considered "serious misbehaviour" with Bangladesh's new coach, Chandika Hathurusingha, and for his altercation with a spectator during an ODI against India. However, in August, the board reduced his suspension by three-and-a-half months, making him eligible for selection from September 15.
Rubel had picked up an injury during the World T20 and only recently made his return to the national side on the West Indies tour, playing a T20 and the first Test. He was not part of the squad for the three-match ODI series against India in June.
Bangladesh, led by Mashrafe Mortaza, will participate in the Asian Games alongside teams from Sri Lanka, Nepal, Afghanistan, China, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Malaysia, Maldives and hosts South Korea.
Bangladesh men's squad for Asian Games: Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), Tamim Iqbal, Anamul Haque, Imrul Kayes, Mohammad Mithun, Shamsur Rahman, Shakib Al Hasan, Shuvagata Hom, Sabbir Rahman, Mahmudullah, Nasir Hossain, Arafat Sunny, Muktar Ali, Rubel Hossain, Taskin Ahmed
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.Student Ben Canton who studies outside house where he rents a room near where he attends university. Picture: David Geraghty
IF you think your rent is too high, hang on to your hat, because it is likely to get a lot worse, unless you live on the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, Whitsundays, or plan to live in Darwin for six months.
Everywhere else, in regional areas and cities, it is harder to find rental accommodation, affordable or otherwise.
"No joy for tenants," says Andrew Wilson, chief economist at property research house Australian Property Monitors.
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"There are too many people and not enough houses. It's a big headache."
Vacancy rates tell a grim tale for renters. Traditionally, a vacancy rate at about 3 per cent indicates a balanced market that discourages rent increases. Below 3 per cent, demand outstrips supply, and rents rise.
When vacancy rates hit 2 per cent, things get tough. And right now, vacancy rates are hovering around 1 per cent, and, in Canberra, at a dire 0.6 per cent.
Don't move there.
How steep is the demand?
According to rental agent RUN Property, it is drastic.
"A tiny 55sq m one-bedroom unit at $460 a week in Bondi attracted more than 100 internet hits within 24 hours and 42 groups to the inspection on a Monday afternoon," RUN chief executive Rob Farmer says.
"Eleven people applied to rent it."
He says any investor with property in blue-ribbon beachside or inner suburbs who had not had a rent increase in the past year should contact their property manager and ask why not.
Harley Dale, chief economist at industry body the Housing Industry Association, agrees.
"We expect to see even more upward pressure on rents over the next few years in regional areas like Newcastle, Geelong and Townsville, as well as all eight capital cities," Dale says.
Equally, Louis Christopher, managing director at research house SQM, expects Sydney to have record rental growth over the next three years.
LJ Hooker chief executive Janusz Hooker sees no easing at all for renters.
"We have compressing yields, extremely low vacancy rates, a strengthening economy, almost zero unemployment and housing affordability a problem," Hooker says.
"We're seeing more interest in renting than in buying the underlying asset. It's a good excuse for landlords to increase the rents, so I wouldn't be surprised to see rents up by 5 per cent or more over the next 12 months."
Australia's expensive house values and the exit of first-home buyers have pushed more people into rentals, lifting rents further.
Can this upward pressure stop?
An anomaly in the market might help: an absence of investors hungry for a slice of those rents.
Usually, when rents go up, returns rise, bringing in buyers, but that is not happening.
Wilson says returns for houses and units have been unimpressive, falling in every capital except for units in Perth and Adelaide. And only units in Darwin and Canberra offer above 5 per cent.
You can get more on a fixed deposit (and avoid taxes and fees) and many investors are doing just that.
Wilson says since the global financial crisis, capital growth has been poor, interest rates strong and yields constrained, all repelling buyers and perpetuating the no-growth situation.
According to Cameron Kusher, a senior analyst at property researcher RP Data, people have been accustomed to strong capital growth, and they're not going to get that for a few years, so they can only look to yields. And at between 4.2 per cent and 4.8 per cent, "it's not that attractive".
But, Hooker sees it differently.
He believes as more people are forced to rent, prices will rise and, for the first time in years, yields will rise faster than capital growth.
Hooker believes also the strengthening economy will bring pay rises that will make housing more affordable, and bring fire back into buying, capital growth and yields.
Brian White, chairman of real estate chain Ray White, is also sanguine.
"The deepening strength of the rental market is much stronger than we anticipated and we believe it will lead to a revision by many investors of the appeal of residential property," he says.
Byron Rose, principal at Rose and Jones buyers' agency and national president of the Real Estate Buyers Agents Association of Australia, says it's "fantastic" for buyers that vacancy rates have fallen below 1 per cent.
"Once the capacity to pay the asking rents drops, they'll go back to buying," he says.
And the capacity to pay is certainly being tested.
Farmer says Melbourne rents rose last year by an average of 7.5 per cent for new leases compared with 2009, with the biggest rise (12.4 per cent) at Moonee Ponds, followed by 11.9 per cent at Fairfield and Flemington and 11.6 per cent at Chadstone.
"It's so tight, some tenants volunteered for rent increases within the term of their lease to win the property," he says. "Properties have been flying out the door."
But developers have piled into the strong Melbourne market and more stock is being built all the time.
Chris Waterman, REBAA SA spokesman and principal of Waterman and Waterman, says Adelaide is a much tighter market than it was a year ago with vacancy rates just below 1 per cent and severe shortages, particularly within 10km of the city.
Peter Kiritsis, principal of Ray White, Woodville, says in suburbs west of Adelaide's CBD rents have risen 10 per cent in the past few months.
"Entry-level home buyers are heading for the outer northern and southern suburbs which are more affordable," Kiritsis says. "But many of them don't want to commute, so they rent out their homes to tenants, and rent for themselves here."
In Tasmania, vacancy rates remain very low with Hobart about 1.1 per cent and Launceston 1.8 per cent, says Rob Zubin, REBAA state spokesman and principal agent at My Property Hunter.
But he sees a return of buyers.
"Investors are feeding on excellent buying opportunities with strong returns." The situation is a bit different in Western Australia and Queensland, but not better.
Queensland's rents are powering, but there is very little investor interest, with the tourism market battered by the weather and the high Aussie dollar.
In Western Australia, where prices and rents were overcooked and are sliding, Larry Gallagher, principal at Raine and Horne, North Perth, says yields are minimal, so people aren't buying.
"If they don't buy, they rent, so that has put a bit of activity into rental prices," he says. So, buy now |
have “learned lessons” from her client’s case, and that Mr Cleary would be dealt with in the UK.
Anil Rajani, an extradition law expert at IBB Solicitors, said Mr Cleary, would have a strong case for fighting extradition on human rights grounds.
“There would appear to be medical grounds for an appeal against any attempt to extradite him.
“His age and his human rights under the European Convention would also be part of the argument.”
Mr Cleary was arrested at his family home on Monday in a joint operation by Scotland Yard and the FBI.
He will appear before Westminster Magistrates Court later.A former reader emails today to pass along a firsthand account of the shooting at Fort Hood on Thursday. It’s unedited except for paragraph breaks:
I was walking into the medical SRP building when he started firing (he never made it to the main SRP building….the media accounts are understandably pretty off right now). He was calmly and methodically shooting everyone. Like every non-deployed military post, no one was armed. For the first time in my life I really wish I had a weapon. I don’t know how to explain what it feels like to have someone shoot at you while you’re unarmed. He missed me but didn’t miss a lot of others. Just pure random luck. It’s a very compressed area, thus the numbers.
I saw a lot of heroism. So many more would have died if this wasn’t an Army post. We’re almost all CLS trained and it made a huge difference. Cause the EMTs didn’t get there for almost an hour (they thought there was a second shooter). I just can’t believe one of our own shot us. When I saw his ID card I couldn’t believe it. After he shot the female police officer he was fumbling his reload and I saw the other police officer around the corner and yelled at him to come shoot the shooter. He did. Then I used my belt as a tourniquet on the female officer.
I hate to tell you this but in the course of the day it became clear that it was another Akbar incident.1 (Once they convinced them the blood drenching my clothes wasn’t mine I spent the day being interviewed by the alphabet.) Akbar again. God help us. He was very planned. I counted three full mags around him (I secured his weapon for a while). Found out later that his car was filled with more ammo.
This was premeditated. This wasn’t VBC again. That guy snapped, not this one. He was so damn calm when he was shooting. Methodical. And he was moving tactically. The Army really is diverse and we really do love all our own. We signed up to be shot at but not at home. Not unarmed. No one should ever see what the inside of that medical SRP building looked like. I suppose that’s what VA Tech looked like. Except they didn’t have soldiers coming from everywhere to tourniquet and compress and talk to the wounded while rounds are still coming out.
No one touched him…the shooter that is…other than to treat him. Though I told the medic (and I’m not proud of this) that was giving him plasma that there better not be anyone else who needed it because he should be the last one to be treated. But I had just finished holding a soldier who was critical (I counted three entry wounds) and talking to him about his children…. If the shooter had a grievance he should have taken it out on those responsible; he wasn’t shooting people he knew (media reports to the contrary). He was just shooting anybody who happened to be present for SRP medical processing, mainly lower enlisted.
But please, no one use this politically! The Army is not “broken”, PTSD doesn’t turn people into killers, most Muslims aren’t evil, and whether we should stay or go in Afghanistan has nothing to do with this. I’m babbling…sorry.Familial dysautonomia Facial features of a patient with familial dysautonomia over time. Note flattening of upper lip. By age 10 years prominence of lower jaw is apparent and by age 19 years there is mild erosion of right nostril due to inadvertent self-mutilation. Specialty Neurology
Familial dysautonomia (FD), sometimes called Riley–Day syndrome[1] and hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type III (HSAN-III), is a disorder of the autonomic nervous system which affects the development and survival of sensory, sympathetic and some parasympathetic neurons in the autonomic and sensory nervous system resulting in variable symptoms, including insensitivity to pain, inability to produce tears, poor growth and labile blood pressure (episodic hypertension and postural hypotension). People with FD have frequent vomiting crises, pneumonia, problems with speech and movement, difficulty swallowing, inappropriate perception of heat, pain and taste as well as unstable blood pressure and gastrointestinal dysmotility. FD does not affect intelligence.
Originally reported by Drs. Conrad Milton Riley (1913–2005) and Richard Lawrence Day (1905–1989) in 1949,[2] FD is one example of a group of disorders known as hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathies (HSAN).[3] All HSAN are characterized by widespread sensory dysfunction and variable autonomic dysfunction caused by incomplete development of sensory and autonomic neurons. The disorders are believed to be genetically distinct from each other.
Signs and symptoms [ edit ]
The most distinctive clinical feature is the absence of overflow tears with emotional crying after age 7 months. This symptom can manifest less dramatically as persistent bilateral eye irritation. There is also a high prevalence of breech presentation. Other symptoms include weak or absent suck and poor tone, poor suck and misdirected swallowing, and red blotching of skin.
Symptoms in an older child with familial dysautonomia might include:
Delayed speech and walking Unsteady gait Spinal curvature Corneal abrasion Less perception in pain or temperature with nervous system. Poor growth Erratic or unstable blood pressure. Red puffy hands Dysautonomia crisis: a constellation of symptoms in response to physical and emotional stress; usually accompanied by vomiting, increased heart rate, increase in blood pressure, sweating, drooling, blotching of the skin and a negative change in personality.
Cause [ edit ]
Familial dysautonomia is the result of mutations in IKBKAP gene on chromosome 9, which encodes for the IKAP protein (IkB kinase complex-associated protein). There have been three mutations in IKBKAP identified in individuals with FD. The most common FD-causing mutation occurs in intron 20 of the donor gene. Conversion of T→C in intron 20 of the donor gene resulted in shift splicing that generates an IKAP transcript lacking exon 20. Translation of this mRNA results in a truncated protein lacking all of the amino acids encoded by exons 20–37. Another less common mutation is a G→C conversion resulting in one amino acid mutation in 696, where Proline substitutes normal Arginine. The decreased amount of functional IKAP protein in cells causes familial dysautonomia.
Diagnosis [ edit ]
Clinical diagnosis [ edit ]
A clinical diagnosis of FD is supported by a constellation of criteria:
No fungiform papillae on the tongue
Decreased deep tendon reflexes
Lack of an axon flare following intradermal histamine
No overflow tears with emotional crying
Genetic testing [ edit ]
Genetic testing is performed on a small sample of blood from the tested individual. The DNA is examined with a designed probe specific to the known mutations. The accuracy of the test is above 99%. Dr. Anat Blumenfeld of the Hadasah Medical center in Jerusalem identified chromosome number 9 as the responsible chromosome.
Prenatal testing [ edit ]
Familial dysautonomia is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, which means 2 copies of the gene in each cell are altered. If both parents are shown to be carriers by genetic testing, there is a 25% chance that the child will have FD. For pregnancies at increased risk for FD, preimplantation genetic diagnosis or prenatal diagnosis by amniocentesis (at 15–17 weeks) or chorionic villus sampling (at 10–14 weeks) is possible.
Treatment [ edit ]
There is currently no cure for FD and death occurs in 50% of the affected individuals by age 30. There are only two treatment centers, one at New York University Hospital[4] and one at the Sheba Medical Center in Israel.[5] One is being planned for the San Francisco area.[6]
The survival rate and quality of life have increased since the mid-1980s mostly due to a greater understanding of the most dangerous symptoms. At present, FD patients can be expected to function independently if treatment is begun early and major disabilities avoided.
A major issue has been aspiration pneumonia, where food or regurgitated stomach content would be aspirated into the lungs causing infections. Fundoplications (by preventing regurgitation) and gastrostomy tubes (to provide nonoral nutrition) have reduced the frequency of hospitalization.
Other issues which can be treated include FD crises, scoliosis, and various eye conditions due to limited or no tears.
An FD crisis is the body's loss of control of various autonomic nervous system functions including blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature. Both short-term and chronic periodic high or low blood pressure have consequences and medication is used to stabilize blood pressure.
Treatment of manifestations [ edit ]
Kyphoscoliosis in a 10-year-old girl with HSANIII
Although the FD-causing gene has been identified and it seems to have tissue specific expression, there is no definitive treatment at present. Treatment of FD remains preventative, symptomatic and supportive. FD does not express itself in a consistent manner. The type and severity of symptoms displayed vary among patients and even at different ages on the same patients. So patients should have specialized individual treatment plans. Medications are used to control vomiting, eye dryness, and blood pressure. There are some commonly needed treatments including:
Artificial tears: using eye drops containing artificial tear solutions (methylcellulose) Feeding: Maintenance of adequate nutrition, avoidance of aspiration; thickened formula and different shaped nipples are used for baby. Daily chest physiotherapy (nebulization, bronchodilators, and postural drainage): for Chronic lung disease from recurrent aspiration pneumonia Special drug management of autonomic manifestations such as vomiting: intravenous or rectal diazepam (0.2 mg/kg q3h) and rectal chloral hydrate (30 mg/kg q6h) Protecting the child from injury (coping with decreased taste, temperature and pain perception) Combating orthostatic hypotension: hydration, leg exercise, frequent small meals, a high-salt diet, and drugs such as fludrocortisone. Treatment of orthopedic problems (tibial torsion and spinal curvature) Compensating for labile blood pressures
There is no cure for Familial Dysautonomia.
Prognosis [ edit ]
The outlook for patients with FD depends on the particular diagnostic category. Patients with chronic, progressive, generalized dysautonomia in the setting of central nervous system degeneration have a generally poor long-term prognosis. Death can occur from pneumonia, acute respiratory failure, or sudden cardiopulmonary arrest in such patients.
Parents and patients should generally be educated regarding daily eye care and early warning signs of corneal problems as well as the use of punctal cautery. This education has resulted in decreased corneal scarring and need for more aggressive surgical measures such as tarsorrhaphy, conjunctival flaps, and corneal transplants.
Epidemiology [ edit ]
Familial dysautonomia is seen almost exclusively in Ashkenazi Jews and is inherited in an autosomal recessive fashion. Both parents must be carriers in order for a child to be affected. The carrier frequency in Jewish individuals of Eastern European (Ashkenazi) ancestry is about 1/30, while the carrier frequency in non-Jewish individuals is unknown. If both parents are carriers, there is a one in four, or 25%, chance with each pregnancy for an affected child. Genetic counseling and genetic testing is recommended for families who may be carriers of familial dysautonomia.[citation needed]
Worldwide, there have been approximately 600 diagnoses recorded since discovery of the disease, with approximately 350 of them still living.[7]
Research [ edit ]
In January 2001, researchers at Fordham University and Massachusetts General Hospital simultaneously reported finding the genetic mutation that causes FD, a discovery that opens the door to many diagnostic and treatment possibilities.[8][9]
Despite that it probably would not happen in the near future, some expect that stem-cell therapy will result. Eventually, treatment could be given in utero.[citation needed]
While that may be years ahead, genetic screening became available around April 2001, enabling Ashkenazi Jews to find out if they are carriers. Screening organization Dor Yeshorim offers to test as part of its panel, which also includes Tay–Sachs disease and cystic fibrosis.
In the meantime, more research into treatments is being funded by the foundations that exist. These foundations are organized and run by parents of those with FD. There is no governmental support beyond recognizing those diagnosed with FD as eligible for certain programs.[10]
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]“We’re living through the greatest jobs theft in the history of the world,” Donald Trump told thousands of Michigan voters on Monday.
During his two Monday rallies in the traditionally blue state of Michigan, Trump detailed the devastation its residents have experienced as a result of Hillary Clinton-backed trade deals.
“Hillary got rich selling your jobs – the same special interests who pushed the jobs out of America are the people who’ve given countless millions to the Clintons. Hillary gets rich making America poor,” Trump told supporters in Warren, Michigan. He added:
Just look at the devastation. Delphi, your area, laid off 3,627 workers right here in Michigan. Most of those jobs went to Mexico. Benteler automotive laid off 233 Americans and sent those jobs to Mexico. Steelcase laid off 870 workers; those jobs went to Mexico and Malaysia. Autodie, once the biggest tool and die maker in the world, laid off 300 workers, getting smaller all the time. … Ford laid off 2,155 workers. Those jobs went to various countries, but they’re going to be going to moving to Mexico more and more and more. Now, Ford is moving all if its small car production. That’s a big deal–to Mexico. And that’s on top of the [$2.5 billion] plant. … A Trump administration will stop the jobs from leaving America and will stop the jobs from leaving Michigan.
During his rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Trump noted that in addition to those jobs:
GM laid off 314 workers at the Lake Orion Assembly Plant in 2013 because of imports from the South Korean trade deal pushed through by Hillary Clinton. Lear Corporation laid off another 50 people in Rochester Hills and moved their jobs to South Korea. FTE Automotive laid off 166 people in Auburn Hills. Their jobs went to Mexico. Chrysler laid off over 5,300 workers. Those jobs went to Mexico, China, India, and other countries.
Trump explained that the devastation has been a result of Hillary Clinton-supported policies.
Michigan has lost more than one in four manufacturing jobs since Bill Clinton signed NAFTA … a deal strongly supported by crooked Clinton. Before NAFTA went into effect, there were 280,000 auto workers in Michigan. Today, that number is down to less than 160,000 workers and it’s going down fast. Under NAFTA, we eliminated our tariffs on Mexico, but Mexico raised their VAT on us. … So when we send products to Mexico, we pay a 17 percent tax. … Our trade deficit with China grew almost 40 percent during Hillary’s tenure as secretary of state. Her trade deal with South Korea— her baby— killed another 100,000 American jobs.
Trump argued the Hillary Clinton-backed NAFTA was “defective” because it has benefitted Mexico at the expense of American workers—describing it as a “one-way highway right into their pockets”:
It’s a one-way highway. They get the jobs. They get the money. They get the factories. We get the drugs. We get the unemployment. We get the losses. … That’s not too good. America is running an early $800 billion annual trade deficit. … We’re living through the greatest jobs theft in the history of the world.
Trump pledged that a Trump administration would pursue an “America first” trade policy and would stop the bleeding of American jobs to other countries: “At the core of my contract [with the American voter] is my plan to bring back your jobs,” Trump said, adding:
From now on, it’s going to be America first. If Ford or another company announces they want to move their jobs to Mexico or another country, then I will pick up the phone— even though it’s not very presidential for me to be calling the head of a company, but it’s so easy. I will call the executives … [and] tell them that if they want to do that … we will charge a 35 percent tax when they try to ship their products back across what will be a very strong border.
“It used to be the cars made in Flint, and you couldn’t drink the water in Mexico. Now the cars are made in Mexico, and you can’t drink the water in Flint. But we’re going to turn it all around,” Trump said. He continued:
Look at the City of Detroit. It used to be the manufacturing hub of the world. Now, nearly half of Detroit residents do not work. It has the second-highest violent crime rate in the country, and the children are trapped in failing government schools. Yet, as the people of Detroit suffer, Hillary wants to spend trillions of dollars on government benefits for illegal immigrants and refugees. We are going to rebuild Detroit, and we are going to rebuild Michigan. We’re going to bring your jobs back.
Trump suggested that it is time for the nation to “close the chapter on the Clintons” and begin focusing on the needs and interests of the American people.
“Hillary Clinton put the office of secretary of state up for sale, and if she ever got the chance, she’d put the oval office up for sale, too,” Trump warned. He added:Andrea Janus, CTVNews.ca
Nearly three-quarters of Canadians say the three senators at the centre of an ongoing expenses scandal should be suspended “without pay,” which is what the federal government is attempting to do this week.
The Ipsos Reid poll conducted for CTV News found that 73 per cent of respondents believe Senators Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallin and Patrick Brazeau should be “immediately suspended from the Senate without pay.”
One-quarter of respondents believe the three senators should be “allowed to collect their pay and sit as senators until the RCMP completes its investigation.”
The poll found that in nearly every province, a “solid majority” of Canadians believe the senators should be immediately suspended and lose their pay.
The slimmest majority is in Alberta, where 54 per cent of respondents believe the senators should be suspended, while 46 per cent said such a move should wait until the RCMP investigations are complete.
John Wright, senior vice president of Ipsos Reid, said Canadians’ lack of sympathy for the senators is likely due to their perception that they have only recently spoken up to defend themselves, after months of negative media headlines.
“The issue of due process is something that in the court of public opinion you could argue, but you should be arguing it at the outset. Most people believe that there’s been a violation of public trust here and that these senators should be gone,” Wright said.
“The fact of the matter is for about the last seven months, Canadians have heard an awful lot about this case, the senators haven’t responded until the last minute.”
The poll found that the scandal has captured the attention of Canadians, with nearly 60 per cent saying they are “closely” following the developments of the Senate expenses scandal, while about 41 per cent said they aren’t paying close attention.
Senators are currently debating motions to suspend Duffy, Wallin and Brazeau without pay for the remainder of the current Parliamentary term, which ends in 2015. They would also not receive benefits or have access to Senate resources.
If a motion to invoke closure on the debate is passed, senators are expected to vote on the suspension motions themselves on Wednesday or Thursday.
The motions allege “gross negligence” over the senators’ expenses, which outside audits found included some ineligible claims. The three were ordered to repay thousands of dollars and their audits have been referred to the RCMP.
The scandal has heated up in recent days after Duffy alleged that Prime Minister Stephen Harper ordered Duffy to repay the $90,000 he was found to have inappropriately claimed. Harper confirmed that he ordered Duffy to repay the money, but says he was unaware that his then-chief of staff, Nigel Wright, had given him the money.
The poll results show that one-in-three Canadians “agrees” that they “believe Prime Minister Harper when he says he did not know about his former Chief of Staff, Nigel Wright, writing a personal cheque for $90,000 to pay back Senator Duffy’s inappropriate expenses.”
Two-thirds of Canadians, or 65 per cent, “disagree” that they believe the prime minister. Albertans are most likely to believe the prime minister (52 per cent), while Atlantic Canadians are the least likely to believe the prime minister (28 per cent).
An overwhelming majority of respondents, 81 per cent, said they “agree” that the “government should have a public inquiry” into the Nigel Wright-Mike Duffy deal, while just 19 per cent “disagree.”
The poll also found that 33 per cent of Canadians “approve” of how Harper “has performed in managing the Senate issue,” a figure that is actually up 3 points since last July. About 67 per cent of Canadians “disapprove” of the prime minister’s handling of the scandal.
Senate review + reform
Respondents were also asked whether senators themselves should be left to review the issues raised by the scandal. Nearly two-thirds, or 62 per cent, of respondents said they “disagree” with the statement that “the Senate itself can conduct a thorough and trustworthy review of issues related to the expenses of Senators.” About four in 10, or 38 per cent, said they “agree” with that statement.
When broken down by provinces, Quebecers are most likely to agree that the Senate can deal with the expenses scandal itself. Forty-seven per cent of respondents in Quebec said they agree with the statement that the Senate can sort the issue out itself.
Across the country, respondents who believed the Senate can handle the issue included:
38 per cent of Ontarians;
35 per cent of Albertans;
33 per cent of British Columbians;
32 per cent in Atlantic Canada;
31 per cent in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Meanwhile, more Canadians believe the Senate should be reformed or abolished in the wake of the scandal.
In the latest poll, 49 per cent of respondents said the Senate should be “reformed to make it, for example, an elected body,” which is up seven points from early this year.
About 43 per cent of respondents said the Senate “should be done away with completely,” which is also up seven points from earlier this year. About eight per cent said the Senate “should be kept as is,” down 14 points from earlier in the year.
Residents of B.C. (53 per cent), Ontario (53 per cent), Alberta (51 per cent) and Saskatchewan and Manitoba (51 per cent) are most likely to favour reforming the Senate, while the most likely to favour abolition are Quebecers and Atlantic Canadians (both 54 per cent).
The poll was conducted between Oct. 25 and Oct. 28, 2013, and sampled 1,102 Canadians from Ipsos’ Canadian online panel. The findings are considered accurate to within +/- 3.4 percentage points.Coordinates:
Bachelor's Grove Cemetery
Bachelor's Grove Cemetery is a cemetery in Bremen Township, Cook County, Illinois, in Chicago's southwest suburbs, known for its alleged ghost sightings. The cemetery has also been called Bachelor Grove, Batchelor Grove, Batchelder's Grove, and Everden (or Everdon).
Location [ edit ]
Bachelors Grove Cemetery is just northwest of Midlothian and Oak Forest, near the Rubio Woods Forest Preserve on the Midlothian Turnpike (near its intersection with Central Avenue), in the southwest Chicago suburbs.[1][2]
Background [ edit ]
The land surrounding Bachelors Grove Cemetery was originally settled by English homesteaders who relocated to the area from New England, including Stephen Rexford, arguably the most well known of the first wave of Anglo settlers, around 1833.[3] Ursula Bielski, author of "Chicago Haunts," asserts the actual cemetery was originally named the Everdon Cemetery after the original holder of the property title, Samuel Everdon. The site saw its first official burials around 1840 and contains 82 plots, many of which were never sold or used.[4] Burials, however, possibly go back as far as 1834, when German immigrant workers killed while working on the Illinois and Michigan Canal were reportedly laid to rest at the site.[5] The site is often reported to have been a dumping ground for victims of Chicago's organized crime families of the 1920s and 1930s (including Al Capone), but no evidence of this has been proven.[5]
Reported phenomena [ edit ]
The most common of the reported phenomena at the site typically involves floating orbs of light over tombstones and near collisions with a phantom vehicle.[5][6]
Specific manifestations reported [ edit ]
Besides orbs and phantom vehicles, there have been additional reports of supernatural events at the cemetery, including:[5]
The white lady (or "white madonna")– she walks the grounds carrying an infant during the full moon. [5]
Phantom farmhouse– a ghostly farmhouse which is purported to shimmer, float, and then vanish; [5] [7] this was most often reported during the 1950s. There are also reports by witnesses of the house shrinking as they approach it, then disappearing altogether. [6]
this was most often reported during the 1950s. There are also reports by witnesses of the house shrinking as they approach it, then disappearing altogether. A farmer and his plow-horse– both victims of a plowing accident, dragged to their deaths into the nearby slough.
A two-headed ghost– near the same slough.
Religious monks– as late as 1984, witnesses reported seeing numerous figures dressed in monk's robes throughout the cemetery. [5] [6]
A black dog– witnesses in the 1990s reported seeing this manifestation at the cemetery's entrance; it would disappear when they approached it. [6]
The "woman sitting on the grave"– a notable photograph which ran in the Chicago Sun-Times, purportedly showing a transparent woman sitting on a tombstone; the apparition was not visible when the photograph was taken. [5]
Phantom cars- Many visitors have reported hearing & seeing ghost cars on a nearby road
Paranormal investigations [ edit ]
Claims of hauntings peaked in the 1970s and 1980s.[6]
Paranormal researchers James Houran, Timothy Harte, Michael Hollinshead and Ursula Bielski conducted a series of experiments at Bachelors Grove Cemetery in the 1980s and 1990s. One of these, a photography experiment, was published in the Journal of Perceptual and Motor Skills (1997) and found that, while no anomalous images were obtained from Bachelors Grove Cemetery, approximately half of the frames on both infrared and black and white films were unexposed. The results are discussed in terms of ambiguous events being interpreted as meaningful due to paranormal contexts.[8]
The Ghost Research Society has conducted numerous investigations into the reported phenomenon, and their results have included images which contain light resembling ectoplasm as well as orbs.[6][9]
One photograph, taken by Judy Huff Felz in 1991, includes a "supposed" full image of a ghostly figure.[6][10] Researchers have reported electronic voice phenomena in the area.[6]
In 2012, the cemetery was featured on an episode of Ghost Adventures.
Gallery [ edit ]
Pathway entrance
Fallen tree
Cemetery pond
bachelors grove in infrared (IR)
Bachelor's Grove Cemetery
Bachelor's Grove Cemetery
Bachelor's Grove CemeteryRABAT (Reuters) - A leading Moroccan activist was arrested on Monday alongside other protesters caught up in a wave of rallies against official abuses and corruption in the north, state media said.
FILE PHOTO: Moroccan activist and the leader of "Hirak" Nasser Zefzafi gives a speech during a demonstration against injustice and corruption in the northern town of Al-Hoceima, Morocco, May 18, 2017. REUTERS/Youssef Boudlal
Nasser Zefzafi, who has helped organize months of protests, would be investigated on charges of “threatening national security” and other crimes, state news agency MAP said, citing the general prosecutor.
Protests are rare in the North African kingdom. But tensions have been simmering in Zefzafi’s home city of Al-Hoceima since October when a fishmonger died after being crushed inside a garbage truck while trying to save his fish confiscated by police.
The Al-Hoceima protests have been some of the most intense since the 2011 “Arab Spring”-style unrest that prompted the King to devolve some of his powers to an elected parliament, though the palace still holds ultimate authority.
Authorities first tried to arrest Zefzafi after he interrupted a sermon during Friday prayers in Al-Hoceima, a government official said. But supporters poured onto the streets and clashed with police as he left the city.
He was detained on Monday and transferred with other arrested protesters to the judicial police bureau in Casablanca, MAP said.
Authorities say they have arrested 20 people since Friday. Activists say 28 have been detained. Charges against them include receiving “foreign funding and logistical support to undermine the Kingdom’s integrity”.
Protests in solidarity with Zefzafi’s “Hirak” movement were held across the country on Sunday night, including in Rabat and Casablanca, and other urban areas.
On Saturday, health officials said three policemen were critically injured following the clashes on Friday. Activists say several protesters have also been hospitalized.
The public anger over the fishmonger’s death echoes Tunisia’s 2011 uprising when a young street vendor set himself on fire after police confiscated his fruit and vegetables. That uprising swept Tunisian President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali from power and triggered “Arab Spring” revolts across the region.
But protests in Morocco are calling for greater freedoms and reform of the system and not directly against the king. Morocco has a deeply rooted monarchy - the Muslim world’s longest-serving dynasty.
The unrest comes at a sensitive time, nevertheless, as the kingdom presents itself as a model of economic stability and gradual change and a safe haven for investment in a region torn by violence, Islamist militancy and upheaval.Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis missed the dinner hosted by President Pranab Mukherjee for US President Barack Obama on January 25 because senior state officials in New Delhi decided to send the Rashtrapati Bhawan invite by speed post to the chief minister’s office and failed to inform the CM’s staff.
HT had on Wednesday reported about how Fadnavis, who was one of three chief ministers invited for the dinner at Rashtrapati Bhawan, missed the exclusive event as the information reached him too late. The CM was on his way back to Mumbai from Davos.
“Our preliminary inquiry revealed the outgoing resident commissioner [Bipin Mullick] was aware of the invitation received by the Maharashtra Sadan (state government’s office in Delhi) on January 17 and he had given the responsibility to an officer who chose to send it by speed post, resulting in its late delivery at our office in Mumbai. Prima facie, the Delhi office failed to handle it with enough seriousness. Had it reached me in time, I would have taken a direct flight to Delhi, instead of Mumbai, while coming back from Davos,” Fadnavis said on Wednesday.
The CM has ordered a high-level probe into the goof-up at the office of the resident commissioner in New Delhi. According to sources, action is expected against two officers who did not send the invite on time, and chose to send it by speed post like other documents are sent to Mumbai.
Resident commissioner Abha Shukla, who took over from Mullick recently, has been asked to inquire and submit the report. The two officers at the resident commissioner’s office have been given a memo and action is expected to be taken once the report is submitted to the government.
Some officials in Mantralaya said the goof-up could have taken place at the chief minister’s office in Mumbai. The letter sent by speed post reached the chief minister’s office on January 23, but nobody thought about intimating Fadnavis or the secretaries accompanying him.
Questions have also been raised about whether the state’s officer in charge of protocol in New Delhi, who is an IAS officer, failed his duty of personally coordinating with the chief minister’s office.
Fadnavis, however, made it for a high tea organised by the Prime Minister’s Office on Monday evening. He said he was the only chief minister to be invited for both functions. According to him, three CMs were invited for the dinner and only two for the high tea.
First Published: Jan 28, 2015 21:51 ISTAbove: Haiti President Michel Martelly
By the Caribbean Journal staff
Haiti’s long-delayed elections are still far off, but the country took a step toward holding them Tuesday with the publication of the new Provisional Electoral Council.
The new council is a renaming and reorganization of the former transitional college of the Permanent Electoral Council, which had been appointed over a year ago.
The list of members was officially published Tuesday by Haiti President Michel Martelly, who was set to address the nation on Tuesday evening.
The council was part of the recently-signed El Rancho accord between the country’s branches of government. It is tasked with overseeing the vote.
The council includes nine members, with three from each of the branches of government.
For the legislative branch, the members are Marie Cluny Dumay Miracles, Pierre Simon Georges and Nehemy Joseph.
For the judicial branch, the members are Applys Felix, Carole Floreal Duclervil and Leopold Berlanger.
For the executive branch, the members are Margareth Saint-Louis, Chantale Raymond and Frizto Canton, according to the statement released Tuesday by the National Palace.
The United Nations and much of the international community has been urging Haiti to hold its long-delayed legislative and municipal elections, which had been slated to take place at the end of 2011.Eric Zuesse
“It’ll be at a time of our choosing,” says U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, on NBC’’s “Meet the Press,” to be aired on Sunday, October 16th.
Interviewer Chuck Todd had asked him, “Why would he [Obama] send a message out to Putin?” Biden pursed his lips, paused, and said, with a grim look on his face, “We sent him the message.” Of course that didn’t answer Todd’s question, which was “Why?” Biden and Todd both remained silent for another tense moment. Then, Biden picked up again: “We have the capacity to do it, and, uh,” and Todd interrupted him there with “He’ll know it?” Biden replied: “He’ll know it, and it’ll be at a time of our choosing, and under circumstances that have the greatest impact. Uh, the capacity to do, to fundamentally alter the election, is not what people think; and, uh, I tell you what: to the extent that they do [‘do’ presumably meaning: fundamentally alter the election], we will be proportionate in what we do. And, uh,” Todd again interrupted his interviewee, and said, “So, a message is going to be sent. Will the public know?” Biden replied, “Hope not.”
Of course, that “Hope not” could mean many things. It might mean: A blitz nuclear attack in line with our government’s belief that we now enjoy Nuclear Primacy (an idea that was first published by the Council on Foreign Relations in 2006, and which has never yet been renounced by the U.S. government, during the decade since). That would be very much a public response, which Biden would “hope not” to be ’necessary’. In other words: Biden might have meant, there: “I hope it won’t have to be that.” But, clearly, Biden isn’t wanting the public to understand anything, other than that President Obama has threatened President Putin, with something, and that it will be “proportionate,” and the excuse for it will be — if it will happen — that Putin had done something which Obama thinks caused Hillary Clinton to lose the election to Donald Trump.
Standing behind what Biden is saying there, is the belief that Putin does have in his possession some option that might “fundamentally alter the election.” This is clearly a threat that’s meant to deter Putin from doing something that Putin hasn’t yet done. Obama is telling Putin that either the winner will be the person he wants to be his successor, or else — or else what?
In other words: what Biden is saying, is that, if Trump wins this election, then there is going to be some sudden, unannounced, U.S. government response against Putin, and that only after it is over, will the U.S. government explain to the public why it did what it did.
But, of course, that assumes Americans will still be alive, even if Russians are not; and, so, if the “proportionate” response turns out to be a blitz nuclear attack against Russia, then anyone who is still alive will be wondering: what was it ‘proportionate’ to?
The United States is no longer — at least not in Syria — actually fighting the thing that Trump calls “extremist Islamic terrorism”: we are instead arming Al Qaeda in Syria to overthrow and replace Putin’s ally, Bashar al-Assad, there. All of the U.S. government’s talk against “ISIL” (the Sauds’ preferred acronym for “ISIS”) is mere distraction from the tens of thousands of other jihadist fighters from other jihadist groups that have also been imported by the U.S. and Saudi governments into Syria as Obama’s and the Sauds’ “boots on the ground” to overthrow Assad there. The leadership now for all of those jihadist groups (except for ISIS itself) is, in fact, Al Qaeda in Syria, which has gone under the name “al-Nusra.” Nusra is supplying the leadership now to all the jihadist factions that have been sent into |
appearance on an episode of The Golden Girls. He described the appearance in a 1994 interview with Playboy:
Well, it was kind of a high point because it was one of the few times that I actually got hired for a job. I was one of 12 Elvis impersonators, really just a glorified extra. For some reason they had us sing Don Ho’s Hawaiian Love Chant. All the other Elvis impersonators wore Vegas-style jumpsuits. But I wore my own clothes,because I was, like, the Sun Records Elvis. I was the hillbilly cat Elvis. I was the real Elvis; everyone else was Elvis after he sold out.
Tarantino appears in the back row, dead center.
via Miramax
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625 Free Movies Online: Great Classics, Indies, Noir, Westerns, etc."Border crossing" redirects here. For other uses, see Border Crossing
The border gate between Phuentsholing, Bhutan and Jaigaon, India seen from Bhutan. The border as seen from the Indian side.
Border controls are measures taken by a country or a bloc of countries to monitor its borders[1] in order to regulate the movement of people, animals and goods.
History [ edit ]
Example of a passport, the travel document most commonly required to clear border controls.
States and rulers have always regarded the ability to determine who enters or remains in their territories as a key test of their sovereignty, but prior to World War I, border controls were only sporadically implemented.[2] In medieval Europe, for example, the boundaries between rival countries and centres of power were largely symbolic or consisted of amorphous borderlands, ‘marches’ and ‘debatable lands’ of indeterminate or contested status and the real ‘borders’ consisted of the fortified walls that surrounded towns and cities, where the authorities could exclude undesirable or incompatible people at the gates, from vagrants, beggars and the ‘wandering poor’, to ‘masterless women’, lepers, Gypsies or Jews.[3]
The concept of a travel document such as a passport needed to clear border controls in the modern sense has been traced back to the reign of Henry V of England, as a means of helping his subjects prove who they were in foreign lands. The earliest reference to these documents is found in a 1414 Act of Parliament.[4][5] In 1540, granting travel documents in England became a role of the Privy Council of England, and it was around this time that the term "passport" was used. In 1794, issuing British passports became the job of the Office of the Secretary of State.[4] The 1548 Imperial Diet of Augsburg required the public to hold imperial documents for travel, at the risk of permanent exile.[6] During World War I, European governments introduced border passport requirements for security reasons, and to control the emigration of people with useful skills. These controls remained in place after the war, becoming a standard, though controversial, procedure. British tourists of the 1920s complained, especially about attached photographs and physical descriptions, which they considered led to a "nasty dehumanisation".[7]
One of the earliest systematic attempts of a modern nation state to implement border controls to restrict entry of particular groups was the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 (Chinese: 1882年美国排华法案) in America. This act aimed to implement discriminatory immigration controls on East Asians. The strict and racist border control policies had a negative impact not only on the Chinese alone but also on whites and other races as well which lasted for about thirty years.[8] The American economy suffered a great loss as a result of this Act.[9] The Act was a sign of injustice and unfair treatment to the Chinese workers because the jobs they engaged in were mostly menial jobs.[10]
A similarly discriminatory approach to border control was taken in Canada through the Chinese Immigration Act of 1885 (Chinese: 1885年華人移民法案), imposing what came to be called the Chinese head tax (Chinese: 人頭稅).
Cover of a biometric British National (Overseas) passport. Note the absence of the words “European Union” above the country name, indicating that people of this status do not have right of abode in the United Kingdom.
Decolonisation during the twentieth century saw the emergence of mass emigration from nations in the Global South, thus leading former colonial occupiers to introduce stricter border controls.[11] In the United Kingdom this process took place in stages, with British nationality law eventually shifting from recognising all Commonwealth citizens as British subjects to today’s complex British nationality law which distinguishes between British citizens, modern British Subjects, British Overseas Citizens, and overseas nationals, with each non-standard category created as a result of attempts to balance border control and the need to mitigate statelessness. This aspect of the rise of border control in the 20th century has proven controversial. The British Nationality Law 1981 has been criticised by experts,[a] as well as by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination of the United Nations,[b] on the grounds that the different classes of British nationality it created are, in fact, closely related to the ethnic origins of their holders.
The creation of British Nationality (Overseas) (Chinese: 英國國民（海外）) status, for instance, (with fewer privileges than British citizen status) was met with criticism from many Hong Kong residents who felt that British citizenship would have been more appropriate in light of the "moral debt" owed to them by the UK.[c][d] Some British politicians[e] and magazines[f] also criticised the creation of BN(O) status.
Ethnic tensions created during colonial occupation also resulted in discriminatory policies being adopted in newly independent African nations, such as Uganda under Idi Amin which banned Asians from Uganda, thus creating a mass exodus of the (largely Gujarati[17][18]) Asian community of Uganda. Such ethnically driven border control policies took forms ranging from anti-Asian sentiment in East Africa to Apartheid policies in South Africa and Namibia (then known as Southwest Africa under South African rule) which creates bantustans[g] and pass laws[h] to segregate and impose border controls against non-whites, and encouraged immigration of whites at the expense of Blacks as well as Indians and other Asians. Whilst border control in Europe and east of the Pacific have tightened over time,[11] they have largely been liberalised in Africa, from Yoweri Museveni’s reversal of Idi Amin’s anti-Asian border controls[i] to the fall of Apartheid (and thus racialised border controls) in South Africa.
The development of border control policies over the course of the 20th century also saw the standardisation of refugee travel documents under the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees of 1951[j] and the 1954 Convention travel document[25] for stateless people under the similar 1954 statelessness convention.
Aspects [ edit ]
There are multiple aspects of border control.
Quarantine [ edit ]
Quarantine operations deployed by mainland Chinese border control.
Quarantine policies exist to control the spread of disease. When applied as a component of border control, such policies focus primarily on mitigating the entry of infected individuals, plants, or animals into a country.[26]
Customs [ edit ]
Each country has its own laws and regulations for the import and export of goods into and out of a country, which its customs authority enforces. The import or export of some goods may be restricted or forbidden, in which case customs controls enforce such policies.[27] Customs enforcement at borders can also entail collecting excise tax and preventing the smuggling of dangerous or illegal goods. A customs duty is a tariff or tax on the importation (usually) or exportation (unusually) of goods.
In many countries, border controls for arriving passengers at many international airports and some road crossings are separated into red and green channels in order to prioritise customs enforcement.[28][29] Within the European Union’s common customs area, airports may operate additional blue channels for passengers arriving from within that area. For such passengers, border control may focus specifically on prohibited items and other goods that are not covered by the common policy. Luggage tags for checked luggage travelling within the EU are green-edged so they may be identified.[30][31] In most EU member states, travellers coming from other EU countries within the Schengen Area (German: Schengen-Raum; French: l'Espace Schengen) can use the green lane, although airports outside the Schengen Area or with frequent flights arriving from jurisdictions within Schengen but outside the European Union may use blue channels for convenience and efficiency.
Customs area [ edit ]
A customs area is an area designated for storage of commercial goods that have not cleared border controls for customs purposes. It is surrounded by a customs border. Commercial goods not yet cleared through customs are often stored in a type of customs area known as a bonded warehouse, until processed or re-exported.[32][33] Ports authorised to handle international cargo generally include recognised bonded warehouses.
For the purpose of customs duties, goods within the customs area are treated as being outside the country. This allows easy transshipment to a third country without customs authorities being involved.[32] For this reason, customs areas are usually carefully controlled and fenced to prevent smuggling. However, the area is still territorially part of the country, so the goods within the area are subject to other local laws (for example drug laws and biosecurity regulations), and thus may be searched, impounded or turned back.
The term is also sometimes used to define an area (usually composed of several countries) which form a customs union, a customs territory, or to describe the area at airports and ports where travellers are checked through customs.
Duty-free shops [ edit ]
Common at international airports and occasionally at seaports or land crossings, duty-free shops sell products tax-free to customers who have cleared exit border controls prior to boarding an international flight and, in some airports, to passengers arriving from overseas. Most countries impose limits on how much of each type of duty-free goods, may be purchased by each passenger. The airport with the most duty-free sales is Seoul Incheon Airport (Korean: 인천국제공항), with US$1.85 billion in 2016.[34] Dubai International Airport (Arabic: مطار دبي الدولي; Hindi: दुबई अन्तर्राष्ट्रीय विमानक्षेत्र) is second, recording transactions worth $1.82 billion in 2016.[35]
Border security [ edit ]
Border security measures are border control policies adopted by a country or group of countries to fight against unauthorised travel or trade across its borders, tlimit illegal immigration, combat transnational crime, and prevent wanted criminals from travelling.[36]
As a border security measure, some jurisdictions in the west (such as Germany and Israel) have historically stamped denied entries on passports. This stamp was issued by Israeli authorities at the Taba Border Crossing (and misspells the English word "entry").
The border fence built by India, as seen from near the Hili border station on the Bangladeshi side.
In India, border security focuses primarily on the Bangladeshi and Pakistani borders. In order to deter unlawful immigration and drug trafficking[37] from Bangladesh, India is constructing the India-Bangladesh barrier. On the Pakistani border, the Border Security Force aims to prevent the infiltration of Indian territory by terrorists from Pakistan and other countries in the west (Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, etc.).
American border security focuses primarily on the Mexican-American border (Spanish: La frontera entre los Estados Unidos de América y los Estados Unidos Mexicanos). Security along this border is composed of many distinct elements, including physical barriers, patrol routes, lighting, and the deployment of border patrol personnel. President Donald Trump's proposal to build a wall along the border was a major feature of his campaign, and he has since attempted to have Congress pay US$18 billion for its cost in the short term. Many citizens, including Democrats, and members of the Republican Party who do not support President Trump, argue the necessity of border escalation, asserting that other measures would be more effective at reducing illegal immigration than building a wall, including tackling the economic issues that lead to immigration being a relevant issue altogether, border surveillance or an increase in the number of customs agents.[38]
Similar to India's barrier with Bangladesh and the proposed wall between America and Mexico, Iran has constructed a wall on its frontier with Pakistan. The wall aims to reduce unauthorised border crossings[39] and stem the flow of drugs,[40] and is also a response to terrorist attacks, notably the one in the Iranian border town of Zahedan (Persian: زاهدان, Balochi: زاهدان) on 17 February 2007, which killed thirteen people, including nine Iranian Revolutionary Guard (Persian: سپاه پاسداران انقلاب اسلامی, translit. Sepâh-e Pâsdârân-e Enghelâb-e Eslâmi) officials.[41]
Hungarian border barrier with Serbia
Border security has, over the first two decades of the century, also become a major concern in the Schengen Area (German: Schengen-Raum; French: l'Espace Schengen), specifically as a result of the European migrant crisis. The walls at Melilla and at Ceuta (Spanish: Los Muros de Melilla y Ceuta; French: Les Barrières de Melilla et de Ceuta) on Spain’s border with Morocco are a part of the trend towards increasing border security in response to an unprecedented rise in both refugees and economic migrants from countries in Sub Saharan Africa. Similar, though less drastic, measures have been taken on the Schengen area’s borders with Turkey in response to the refugee crisis created in Syria by terrorist organisations such as Daesh (Arabic: داعش) and the Syrian Free Army (Arabic: الجيش السوري الحر, translit. al-Jaysh as-Sūrī al-Ḥurr). The creation of European Union’s collective border security organisation, Frontex, is another aspect of the bloc’s growing focus on border security. Within the Schengen Area, border security has become an especially prominent priority for the Hungarian government under right-wing strongman[42][43] Viktor Orbán. Hungary completed the construction of a 175 kilometre wall between with Serbia in September 2015 and on the border with Croatia in October 2015 to stop unauthorised border crossings.[44] In April 2016, Hungarian government announced construction of reinforcements of the barrier, which it described as "temporary".[45] In July 2016, nearly 1,300 migrants were "stuck" on the Serbian side of the border.[46] In August 2016, Orbán announced that Hungary will build another larger barrier on its southern border.[47] On April 28, 2017, the Hungarian government announced it had completed a second fence, 155 kilometres long with Serbia.[48][49] On September 24, 2015, Hungary began building fence on its border with Slovenia, in the area around Tornyiszentmiklós–Pince border crossing.[50] The razor wire obstacle was removed two days later.[51] As of March 2016, everything is in place if Hungary decides to build a border barrier on the Hungarian–Romanian border – the military is "only waiting for the command from the government".[52]
Another example of border security in Europe is the Israeli anti-tunnel barrier along its border with the Gaza Strip (Arabic: قطاع غزة), a part of the State of Palestine under the control of Hamas (a militant group backed by the Muslim Brotherhood, a Qatari-sponsored fundamentalist organisation). In order to curtail Hamas’s ability to build tunnels into Israeli-controlled territory, Israel have built a slurry wall. Similarly, Saudi Arabia has begun construction of a border barrier or fence between its territory and Yemen to prevent the unauthorized movement of people and goods. The difference between the countries' economic situations means that many Yemenis head to Saudi Arabia to find work. Saudi Arabia does not have a barrier with its other neighbors in the Gulf Cooperation Council, whose economies are more similar. In 2006 Saudi Arabia proposed constructing a security fence along the entire length of its 900 kilometre long desert border with Iraq in a multimillion-dollar project to secure the Kingdom's borders in order to improve internal security, control illegal immigration, and bolster its defences against external threats.[53] As of July 2009 it was reported that Saudis will pay $3.5 billion for security fence.[54] The combined wall and ditch will be 600 miles long and include five layers of fencing, watch towers, night-vision cameras, and radar cameras and manned by 30,000 troops.[55] Elsewhere in Europe, the Republic of Macedonia began erecting a fence on its border with Greece in November 2015.[56] On the land border between Palestine and the portion of the Sinai peninsula adminitered by the African nation of Egypt, the latter began construction of a border barrier in 2009 prompted by concern that militant organisations were making use of the Gaza Strip smuggling tunnels to move weapons and personnel between Gaza and Egypt.[57]
In 2003, Botswana began building a 480 kilometre long electric fence along its border with Zimbabwe. The official reason for the fence is to stop the spread of foot-and-mouth disease among livestock. Zimbabweans argue that the height of the fence is clearly intended to keep out people. Botswana has responded that the fence is designed to keep out cattle, and to ensure that entrants have their shoes disinfected at legal border crossings. Botswana also argued that the government continues to encourage legal movement into the country. Zimbabwe was unconvinced, and the barrier remains a source of tension.[58]
Border zones [ edit ]
Border zone marked on a tree on the Finland–Russia border : no entry.
Border zones are areas near borders that have special restrictions on movement. Governments may forbid unauthorised entry to or exit from border zones and restrict property ownership in the area. The zones function as buffer zones specifically monitored by border patrols in order to prevent illegal entry or exit. Restricting entry aids in pinpointing illegal intruders, since by nulla poena sine lege ("no penalty without a law"), any person could be present in the area near the border, and illegal intruders, such as illegal immigrants, smugglers or spies could blend in. However, if all unauthorised presence is forbidden, their mere presence of intruders allows the authorities to arrest them. Border zones between hostile states can be heavily militarised, with minefields, barbed wire and watchtowers. Some border zones are designed to prevent illegal immigration or emigration, and do not have many restrictions but may operate checkpoints to check immigration status. In most places, a border vista is usually included and/or required. In some nations, movement inside a border zone without a licence is an offence and will result in arrest. No probable cause is required as mere presence inside the zone is an offence, if it is intentional.[59] Even with a licence to enter, photography, making fires, and carrying of firearms and hunting are prohibited.
Examples of international border zones are the Border Security Zone of Russia and the Finnish border zone on the Finnish–Russian border. There are also intra-country zones such as the Cactus Curtain surrounding the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba, the Korean Demilitarised Zone along the North Korea-South Korea demarcation line and the Frontier Closed Area in Hong Kong. Important historical examples are the Wire of Death (Dutch: Dodendraad; German: Grenzhochspannungshindernis) set up by the German Empire to control the Belgium–Netherlands border and the Iron Curtain (Russian: Железный занавес), a set of border zones maintained by the Soviet Union and its satellite states along their borders with Western states. One of the most militarised parts was the restricted zone of the inner German border. While initially and officially the zone was for border security, eventually it was engineered to prevent escape from the Soviet sphere into the West. Ultimately, the Soviet Bloc (Russian: Восточный блок) governments resorted to using lethal countermeasures against those trying to cross the border, such as mined fences and orders to shoot anyone trying to cross into the West. The restrictions on building and habitation made the area a "green corridor", today established as the European Green Belt (German: Das Grüne Band Europa; French: La Ceinture verte de l’Europe).
In the area stretching inwards from its internal border with the mainland, Hong Kong maintains a Frontier Closed Area (Chinese: 邊境禁區) out of bounds to those without special authorisation. The area was established in the 1950s when Hong Kong under British occupation as a consequence of the Treaty of Nanjing (Chinese: 南京條約) during the Opium Wars, prior to its Transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong to China in 1997. The purposes of the area were to prevent illegal immigration and smuggling; smuggling had become prevalent as a consequence of the Korean war. Today, under the one country, two systems policy, the area continues to be used to curtail unauthorised migration to Hong Kong and the smuggling of goods in either direction.
Korean Demilitarised Zone as seen from the North
As a result of the partition of the Korean peninsula by America and the Soviet Union after World War II, and exacerbated by the subsequent Korean war, there is a Demilitarised Zone (Korean Chosŏn'gŭl/Hangul: 한반도 비무장 지대; Hanja: 韓半島非武裝地帶) spanning the de facto border between North and South Korea. The Demilitarised Zone follows the effective boundaries as of the end of the Korean War in 1953. Similarly to the Frontier Closed Area in Hong Kong, this zone and the defence apparatus that exists on both sides of the border serve to curtail unauthorised passage between the two sides. In South Korea, there is an additional fenced-off area between the Civilian Control Line and the start of the Demilitarised Zone, further strengthening border security
Immigration policy [ edit ]
Immigration policy is the aspect of border control concerning the transit of people into a country, especially those that intend to stay and work in the country. Often, racial or religious bias is tied to immigration policy. Taxation, tariff and trade rules set out what goods immigrants may bring with them, and what services they may perform while temporarily in the country. Investment policy sometimes permits wealthy immigrants to invest in businesses in exchange for favourable treatment and eventual naturalisation. Agricultural policy may make exemptions for migrant farm workers, who typically enter a country only for the harvest season and then return home to a country or region in the Global South (such as Mexico or Jamaica from where America and Canada, respectively, often import temporary agricultural labour).[60] An important aspect of immigration policy is the treatment of refugees, more or less helpless or stateless people who throw themselves on the mercy of the state they try to enter, seeking refuge from actual or purported poor treatment in their country of origin. Asylum is sometimes granted to those who face persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion.
Special areas in Europe [ edit ]
Immigration policies in special areas in Europe can range from severely limiting migration, as in Greece's Mount Athos (Greek: Άθως), to allowing most types of migration, such as the free migration[k] policy in force in Svalbard. Similar policies are in force for Iran's Kish (Persian: کیش) and Qeshm (Persian: قشم, Persian pronunciation: [ɢeʃm]) islands, and for Iraqi Kurdistan (Kurdish: ههرێمی کوردستان, translit. Herêmî Kurdistan).
Diaspora communities [ edit ]
An OCI booklet exempting its bearer from usual immigration controls in India.
Karta Polaka – specimen document – specimen document
Certain countries adopt immigration policies designed to be favourable towards members of diaspora communities with a connection to the country. For example, the Indian government confers Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) status on foreign citizen of Indian origin to live and work indefinitely in India. OCI status was introduced in response to demands for dual citizenship by the Indian diaspora, particularly in countries with large populations of Indian origin. It was introduced by The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2005 in August 2005.[62] In the ASEAN region, a large portion of the Singaporean, Malaysian, and Bruneian population hold OCI status. Large OCI communities also exist in North America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, as well as in many African nations (particularly South Africa, Madagascar, and members of the East African Community). OCI status exempts holders from immigration controls generally imposed upon others of the same nationality.
Similarly, Poland issues the Karta Polaka to citizens of certain north-east European countries with Polish ancestry.
A British Ancestry visa is a document issued by the United Kingdom to Commonwealth citizens with a grandparent born in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands or Isle of Man who wish to work in the United Kingdom. Similar to OCI status, it exempts members of the country’s diaspora from usual immigration controls. It is used mainly by young Australians, New Zealanders, Canadians and South Africans of British descent coming to UK to work and as a base to explore Europe.[63]
Some nations recognise a right of return for people with ancestry in that country. A notable example of this is the right of Sephardi Jews to acquire Spanish nationality by virtue of their community’s Spanish origins. Similar exemptions to immigration controls exist for people of Armenian origin seeking to acquire Armenian citizenship. Ghana, similarly, grants an indefinite right to stay in Ghana to members of the African diaspora regardless of citizenship.[64]
International zones [ edit ]
An international zone is a type of extraterritorial area not fully subject to any country’s border control policies. The term most commonly refer to the areas of international airports after exit border controls or before entry border controls. These areas often contain duty-free shopping, but they are not fully extraterritorial. In areas of conflict there may be international zones called green zones that form protective enclaves to keep diplomats safe. Countries in conflict may also have international zones separating each other.
Examples [ edit ]
Flags of United Nations member states flying outside the United Nations Headquarters complex in New York City.
The four sectors of occupation in Vienna between 1945-1955.
United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, showing the Palestinian capital of Jerusalem as an international zone
Map of Trieste, showing its two administrative zones, one of which was later absorbed by each of its two neighbours (Slovenia and Croatia were both part of Yugoslavia at the time).
Specific requirements [ edit ]
The degree of strictness of border controls varies across countries and borders. In some countries, controls may be targeted at the traveller's religion, ethnicity, nationality, or other countries that have been visited. Others may need to be certain the traveller has paid the appropriate fees for their visas and has future travel planned out of the country. Yet others may concentrate on the contents of the traveler's baggage, and imported goods to ensure nothing is being carried that might bring a biosecurity risk into the country.
Border vistas [ edit ]
A border vista or boundary vista is a defined cleared space between two areas of foliage located at an international border intended to provide a clear demarcation line between the two areas. Border vistas are most commonly found along undefended international boundary lines, where border security is not as much of a necessity and a built barrier is undesired, and are a treaty requirement for certain borders.
The best-known border vista is a six-metre cleared space around unguarded portions of the Canada–United States border (French: Frontière canado-américaine; Spanish: Frontera entre Canadá y Estados Unidos).[107]
Similar clearings along the border line are provided for by many international treaties. For example, the 2006 border management treaty between Russia and China provides for a 15-metre wide cleared strip along the two nations' border. [108]
Travel documents [ edit ]
Different countries impose varying travel document regulations and requirements as part of their border control policies and these may vary based on the traveller's mode of transport. For instance, whilst America does not subject passengers departing by land or most boats to any border control, it does require that passengers departing by air hold a valid passport (or certain specific passport-replacing documents). Even though travellers might not require a passport to enter a certain country, they will require a valid passport booklet (booklet only, U.S. Passport Card not accepted) to depart the United States in order to satisfy the U.S. immigration authorities.[109] Exemptions to this requirement to hold a valid passport include:
U.S. Permanent Resident/Resident Alien Card (Form I-551);
U.S. Military ID Cards when traveling on official orders;
U.S. Merchant Mariner Card;
NEXUS Card;
U.S. Travel Document: Refugee Travel Document (Form I-571); or Permit to Re-Enter (Form I-327)
Emergency Travel Document (e.g. Consular Letter) issued by a Foreign Embassy or Consulate specifically for the purpose of travel to the bearer's home country.
Nationals of Mexico holding one of the following documents: (expired) "Matricula Consular"; or Birth Certificate with consular registration; or Certificate of Nationality issued by a Mexican consulate abroad; or Certificate of Military Duty ( Cartilla Militar ); or Voter's Certificate ( Credencial IFE or Credencial para Votar ).
Canada requires any Canadian Permanent Residents entering the country by air to use their Permanent Resident Card (French: Carte de résident permanent) or a special document authorising their return.[110] No such requirement is imposed on a permanent resident entering by land or sea. Canadian citizens are prohibited from using a foreign passport to enter the country.[111]
Facilitated Rail Transit Document issued in Saint Petersburg for travel to Kaliningrad
Other countries, including most countries in Western Europe and China, permit (or in China's case require) citizens to utilise national identity cards to clear immigration when travelling between adjacent jurisdictions. As a consequence of awkward border situations created by the fall of the Soviet Union, certain former members of the USSR and their neighbours require few or no travel documents for travellers transiting across international boundaries between two points in a single country. For instance, Russia permits vehicles to transit across the Saatse Boot (Estonian: Saatse saabas; Russian: Саатсеский сапог) between the Estonian villages of Lutepää and Sesniki without any border control provided that they do not stop. Similar provisions are made for the issuance of Facilitated Rail Transit Documents by Schengen Area members (German: Schengen-Staaten; French: Les États Schengen) for travel between Kaliningrad and the Russian mainland.
Indian Identity Certificate [ edit ]
The Indian government issues Identity Certificates to members of the large Tibetan exile community. Identity Certificates are generally issued upon request of the Dalai Lama’s Tibetan government in exile based in Dharamsala in northern India. This document is accepted as per most countries border control policies in lieu of a passport, although it is not a machine readable document. When issued to a Tibetan residing in India, it is invariably endorsed as being valid for return to India and therefore exempts the holder from requiring a visa to clear Indian border controls upon re-entry.
Non-citizen residents [ edit ]
The American re-entry permit is a travel document for permanent residents issued on request.
American Green Card issued to all permanent residents.
Japan re-entry permit issued to Japanese North Koreans and other stateless permanent residents of Japan
Some countries issue travel documents to permanent residents (i.e. foreign citizens permitted to reside there indefinitely) or other non-citizens, usually for re-entry but also occasionally valid for international travel.
The American re-entry permit is an example of such a document. Valid for international travel, it is issued to lawful permanent residents temporarily expatriating overseas. Unlike the ”Green Card” (Spanish: Tarjeta verde) issued to all permanent residents, this document is not mandatory. The American “Green Card”, on its own or in conjunction with a passport, is valid for international travel albeit not to the same extent as the re-entry permit. Both documents can be utilised to clear American border controls regardless of the bearers nationality, thus resulting in America not requiring permanent residents to hold a passport from their home country in order to remain lawfully present or to lawfully enter.
Singapore issues national identity cards to permanent residents in the same manner as it does to citizens, but additionally requires any permanent resident travelling abroad to hold a paper re-entry permit and a passport or other travel document from their home country. Singapore permanent residents who are stateless are issued booklet-form Certificates of Identity instead of re-entry permits, and may use these in lieu of a passport.
Indonesia issues the Paspor Orang Asing to its stateless permanent residents, and this document functions similarly to a Singaporean Certificate of Identity.
Non-citizens in Latvia and in Estonia are individuals, primarily of Russian or Ukrainian ethnicity, who are not citizens of Latvia or Estonia but whose families have resided in the area since the Soviet era, and thus have the right to a non-citizen passport issued by the Latvian government as well as other specific rights. Approximately two thirds of them are ethnic Russians, followed by ethnic Belarussians, ethnic Ukrainians, ethnic Poles and ethnic Lithuanians.[112][113] Non-citizens in the two countries are issued special non-citizen passports[114][115][116] as opposed to regular passports issued by the Estonian and Latvian authorities to citizens. This form of legal discrimination is often labelled as xenophobic.[117]
Hong Kong and Macau issue permanent resident cards to all permanent residents including those without Chinese citizenship. They also issue the Hong Kong Document of Identity for Visa Purposes (Chinese: 香港特別行政區簽證身份書) and Macau Travel Permit(Portuguese: Título de Viagem da Região Administrativa Especial de Macau; Chinese: 澳門特別行政區旅行證), respectively, to stateless permanent residents and to Chinese citizens temporarily residing in the region holding neither permanent residence of Hong Kong or Macau nor residence status in the mainland.
Similarly, Japanese North Koreans (Japanese: 朝鮮籍, translit. chōsen-seki) are issued a Japan Re-entry Permit (Japanese: 再入国許可書) for international travel.
National identity cards and birth certificates [ edit ]
Certain jurisdictions permit the use of national identity cards to clear border controls. For instance, when travelling between India and Nepal or Bhutan, Indian citizens may utilise national voter ID cards, ration cards, or national identity cards. Indian citizens may also obtain identity slips at the Indian consulate in Phuentsholing if they intend to proceed beyond city limits as Phuentsholing, the financial capital of Bhutan, is de facto within India’s visa and customs area. When travelling to India, citizens of Nepal and Bhutan can utilise similar documents. Children may use birth certificates as proof of identity.
In North America, American citizens may travel using passport cards, a form of voluntary identity card issued to American citizens. Children holding American or Canadian citizenship may travel to and from Canada using birth certificates under certain circumstances. In South America, many Mercosur countries reciprocally permit travel using identity cards.
In western Europe, travel using identity cards is relatively common for citizens of the European Economic Area and adjacent territories. This includes travel to and from Turkey for certain citizens of other countries in western Europe. Within the Schengen Area, there are limited border controls in place and national identity cards may be used to clear them.
Chinese Travel Document [ edit ]
Chinese Travel Document
The Chinese Government requires certain people to enter the mainland using a Chinese Travel Document (Chinese: 中华旅行证). Some cases include:
The Travel Document is issued to Chinese nationals in situations when it is "inconvenient", "unnecessary", or not permitted to issue a People's Republic of China passport. [118]
Chinese nationals residing in Mainland China who lost their passport while traveling abroad may apply for this document as an emergency passport for returning to China.
Chinese nationals who are permanent residents of Hong Kong and Macau intending to enter Mainland China directly from other countries without a Home Return Permit (Chinese: 港澳居民来往内地通行证 ).
). Residents of the Taiwan area [l] intending to enter Mainland China or Hong Kong directly from other countries, who are Chinese Nationals according to Chinese law. Travelling to Hong Kong, however, requires a separate application for a visa-like entry permit.
intending to enter Mainland China or Hong Kong directly from other countries, who are Chinese Nationals according to Chinese law. Travelling to Hong Kong, however, requires a separate application for a visa-like entry permit. Chinese nationals born abroad who acquire Chinese nationality at birth in accordance with the Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China through jus sanguinis. The Chinese Travel Document is issued as a Chinese identification and travel document.
. The Chinese Travel Document is issued as a Chinese identification and travel document. Chinese nationals born in China who do not have a Hukou in China and who have exited China using an exit permit. This could include a person who holds a non Chinese passport.
Enhanced Driving Licence [ edit ]
An Enhanced Driving Licence is a document issued by provincial and state authorities in Canada and America that enables its bearer to clear border controls along the border between the two countries. It is not valid for air travel and does not permit its holder to clear border controls at airports. It also serves as a valid driving licence. Certain provinces and states may issue similar enhanced versions of regional identity cards issued to individuals who do not drive.
Quilantan entry [ edit ]
A ‘Quilantan’ or ‘Wave Through’ Entry is a phenomenon in American border control law authorising a form of non-standard but legal entry without any inspection of travel documents. It occurs when the border security personnel present at a border crossing choose to summarily admit some number of persons without performing a standard interview or document examination.[119]
Typically this can occur when an official border crossing is busy and an immigration officer waves a car through without first checking all passengers for their travel documents. If an individual can prove that they were waved into the United States in this manner, then they are considered to have entered with inspection despite not having answered any questions or received a passport entry stamp.[120]
This definition of legal entry does not apply to situations where foreigners entered the United States but have not crossed at a legal, manned border station. Thus it does not provide a path to legal residency for those who have entered into the United State by crossing accidental gaps |
stated that New Orleans "will be a majority African-American city. It's the way God wants it to be."[4] As most New Orleanians knew the city had been majority African American for decades before Katrina, Ned Sublette of The Nation found the implication of Nagin claiming to know God's will more troubling than the suggested return of pre-Katrina demographics.[5]
In the same speech, Nagin further stirred controversy by claiming that "God is mad at America. He sent us hurricane after hurricane after hurricane, and it's destroyed and put stress on this country....Surely he doesn't approve of us being in Iraq under false pretenses. But surely he is upset at black America also. We're not taking care of ourselves." Nagin then went on to relate an imagined conversation with the deceased Rev. Martin Luther King regarding both the response to Katrina and the modern problems of black America which he believes offended God.[6]
Reaction [ edit ]
The speech generated an intense reaction, much of it negative. The "Chocolate City" metaphor was seized on and parodied by commentators, and cartoons depicting Nagin as Willy Wonka appeared in print and on the internet. A Times-Picayune commentator suggested that Nagin had just ruined his own chances at re-election.[7]
Political commentators point out that while this may just have been another example of Nagin speaking off the cuff, it will likely hurt his standing among white voters.[8]
Many people believed the word uptown to be a coded reference to wealthy whites, such as those who live in the old mansions on St. Charles Avenue or around Audubon Park. However, Uptown New Orleans actually is one of the most ethnically and economically diverse sections of the Metro area. Many of Nagin's original supporters live Uptown.[9] As Uptown contains the largest section of unflooded high ground in the city's East Bank, at the time of the speech Uptown had the city's largest concentration of locals back in their homes, businesses back open, and displaced New Orleanians from other more severely damaged parts of town living there. Locals protested the Mayor's comment which some felt suggested he did not care about an important section of his city.
Nagin later attempted to explain away his remarks by offering a more racially inclusive metaphor, saying "How do you make chocolate? You take dark chocolate, you mix it with white milk and it becomes a delicious drink. That's the chocolate I'm talking about."[4]
Nagin said that his remarks were meant to be a call for African Americans to once again return to New Orleans despite the supposed belief that many of the people Uptown did not want them back.[10]
The Mayor apologized for the suggestion that people Uptown (a mixed neighborhood) were racist, noting the importance of that section of town in the city's recovery. He particularly stated regret for the statements about God. "I don't know what happened there," he said. "I don't know how that got jumbled up. That whole God thing, I don't know how that got mixed up in there." Nagin concluded "I need to be more aware and sensitive of what I'm saying... Anyone I've offended, I hope you forgive me."[11]
In his speech at the 2006 White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, comedian Stephen Colbert mocked Nagin by calling Washington D.C. the "chocolate city with a marshmallow center and a Graham cracker crust of corruption."
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]ADVERTISEMENT
The landslide defeat of former DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe in the Democratic primary for governor of Virginia was a debacle. But his loss to state Sen. R. Creigh Deeds offers important lessons about campaigns in general and about the status of the Clinton brand in particular.
First, campaigns. The lessons do not include the simplistic half-truth, happily proclaimed by reformers and the press, that McAuliffe's defeat proves that the influence of money in elections is on the wane. (It's not.) McAuliffe's cash advantage would have mattered more if he had had something to say that connected with voters. But McAuliffe, who started out ahead in the three-man field, was rich in money and poor in message.
His persistent call for wind power may have tested well in a poll, but it seemed beside the point in the gale force winds of the current economic environment. Likewise, his drumbeat of advertising and speeches proclaiming that he had created jobs for thirty—sometimes he said forty—years also fell flat. Given his age, 52, forty years was quite a stretch, forcing him to explain at one point that as a 14-year-old he had started a driveway maintenance business in his hometown of Syracuse. As it turned out, most of the jobs he "created" weren't in Virginia, where McAuliffe has lived for the past 17 years. In any event, the electorate viewed economic recovery as primarily a national responsibility, the task of the Obama Administration—not of their governor.
McAuliffe was a ubiquitous presence on television, appearing in nearly every one of his ads. Voters understandably concluded that his most memorable message was himself. As one observer remarked, his appeal seemed to come down to: "Why don't you like me as much as I like myself?" His relentless barrage of advertising only reinforced the criticism that McAuliffe was trying to buy the election.
His omnipresence reflected a deeper problem: Despite his years living in the state, McAuliffe failed to convey a sense that he was rooted in Virginia and identified with its values. His friend Hillary Clinton had faced a similar challenge in her 2000 Senate race in New York; she responded by all but moving to its upstate region and making sure that voters constantly saw her on television not just talking at them but listening to them.
McAuliffe lost despite the aid of some of the best consultants in the political business, including Obama's pollster and one of Washington's leading ad makers. They just missed the mark. (As a former political consultant, I know exactly what that feels like.)
Someone else who missed the mark was Bill Clinton, who was once presumed to be McAuliffe's ace in the hole. The former president was an indefatigable campaigner for his longtime friend and fundraiser. Clinton was featured at five rallies, and he recorded radio ads and robo-calls that reached homes across the state. He was virtually McAuliffe's running mate.
Most telling was the former president's failure in his most important assignment: delivering the black vote. McAuliffe carried the one congressional district in the state that has a heavily African-American population. But even there he barely defeated Deeds—by a paper-thin margin of 39 percent to 36 percent. The results suggest that last year's contest for the presidential nomination, especially Clinton's attacks on Obama during the South Carolina primary, have permanently undermined his standing with African-Americans.
Bill Clinton can still raise big money and big crowds—and nothing will keep him off the campaign trail. But he now looks like a fading influence in American—and even Democratic—politics. The one other candidate he campaigned for, a former Clinton aide running for a seat in Virginia's state Assembly, finished third in his primary.
Despite such results, we are not entering a post-Clinton era—just a post-Bill era. Hillary Clinton is getting high marks for her leadership at the State Department. Traveling the world, she's become a powerful force in shaping a new American diplomacy. At home, she's moved to extend same-sex domestic partner benefits to Foreign Service personnel, even before the Obama administration acts on a government-wide basis. It's the right thing to do, but it's also smart politically. It plays to a Democratic constituency that could prove crucial in 2016.
Hillary will be 69-years-old then—probably a young 69. That campaign may be a long way off, but there's no one on the horizon with her visibility or breadth of appeal. What's more, it may be hard for anyone else to emerge from Barack Obama's considerable shadow. She's positioning herself to run by doing her job as Obama's partner, not his rival. She may lean forward on an issue like gay rights, but within the ambit of her present authority. She's amassing unquestionable national security credentials and by 2016 will be an even more formidable candidate than she was in 2008.
Does she think about this? Probably. After all, it's only natural. She's handled herself with consummate skill. The irony is that, for now, the campaign circuit is left to her husband, whose political capital has fallen, while she stays above the fray, with her political capital rising.
So in the ongoing Tale of Two Clintons, it's the worst of times and the best of times. He'll still be out there on the hustings, searching for affirmation. If Hillary Clinton does run again, she'll have to decide how he can contribute. It could be a tough challenge to rein him in where he hurts, and let him loose only where he is likely to help. After Virginia and last year's primaries, Bill Clinton is no longer the Democrats' campaigner-in-chief. But this tale is not over. The conclusion may yet see Hillary Clinton as commander-in-chief.Mike Blanchfield, The Canadian Press
OTTAWA -- Call it the art of the non-deal.
As the fourth round of talks in the North American Free Trade Agreement renegotiation begins this week near Washington, a consensus is growing that a series of untenable U.S. bargaining positions is part of simple plan by U.S. President Donald Trump to lay the groundwork so he can walk away from the continental trade pact to please his domestic base.
Some cite a Buy American proposal that would limit Canadian and Mexican access to U.S. procurement projects presented in the third round of talks in Ottawa two weeks ago.
But more clangers could drop in this upcoming round when the U.S. might wade into another area contentious area: its desire for more access to Canada's protected and supply managed dairy industry.
"I'm becoming more and more of the view that the proposals we're seeing are poison pills," said Dan Ujczo, an Ohio-based international trade lawyer with the firm Dickinson Wright.
"These are proposals that neither Canada nor Mexico can accept."
Ujczo and others say the Buy American proposal was prime example. Simply put, the U.S. wanted to limit the Mexican and Canadian ability to bid on U.S. procurement contracts, while seeking greater access for Americans firms to Mexican and Canadian government projects.
That sticking point comes with other hard issues still on the horizon, including dairy, auto parts, the dispute resolution system and the U.S. push for a review of NAFTA every five years.
"It's going nowhere fast. It's clear. The U.S. has some ridiculous proposals on the table," said Jerry Dias, the head of the Canadian union Unifor.
"You only put those types of proposals on the table if you're not looking really to find a deal."
Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland addressed the Buy American issue in Ottawa on the last day of talks two weeks ago, saying the recently-completed Canada-EU free trade deal, which opened up local procurement to both sides, was Canada's preferred option.
"We would like to encourage our immediate neighbours to meet the levels of ambition we have been able to achieve with our partners across the Atlantic."
Peter Clark, an Ottawa-based international trade strategist who was involved in the original NAFTA and Canada-U.S. free trade negotiations, said the American behaviour is a vivid and unprecedented example of how not to negotiate. He called it a tactic designed to ensure failure.
"Negotiators try to deal in the art of the possible," said Clark.
"Trump doesn't believe he can get what he really wants without tearing it up, or terminating it, or giving us notice of termination. That's that way he operates."
Clark predicted Canada can expect plenty more of the same when Round 4 gets underway.
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told a trade discussion in Washington last week that the U.S. would likely make a specific request to Canada for more access to its dairy and poultry markets.
The dairy sector was excluded from NAFTA in 1994, but the supply management system, which limits the amount of dairy that can be imported into Canada without high tariffs, has been an ongoing irritant.
Trump cried foul over a subsequent deal outside of NAFTA that allows Canadian dairy producers to sell milk proteins to domestic processors at a discount to protect the industry from imports of cheap U.S. milk ingredients.
The Liberal government has repeatedly vowed to protect supply management and its agriculture sector.
Canada's dairy industry said it has no idea whether U.S. negotiators will actually come to the next round with firm proposals.
There's a "serious risk" of losing NAFTA because of Trump's approach, said Robert Zoellick, the former World Bank president and ex-U.S. Trade Representative under George W. Bush.
Speaking to a NAFTA event in Washington this past week, Zoellick said Canada can't back down on another key demand by Trump to abolish the panels that settle disputes. Zoellick recalled how hard Canada fought for the inclusion of that chapter in the original Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, NAFTA's precursor.
"The Canadians spilled blood on this to get this done," he said. "It is a very big stretch in my mind to believe that any Canadian government can walk away without a Chapter 19 provision."A recent A recent Whitehouse.gov petition urging President Trump’s administration to label the so-called “Antifa” a “terrorist organization” has gained nearly 300,000 signatures.
The petition debuted on Aug. 17 and has since grabbed 297,424 signers, nearly three times the 100,000 people needed to receive an “official response” before a Sept. 16 deadline.
“Terrorism is defined as ‘the use of violence and intimidation in pursuit of political aims,’” the petition says.
“This definition is the same definition used to declare ISIS and other groups, as terrorist organizations,” it continues, referencing the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
“AntiFa has earned this title due to its violent actions in multiple cities and their influence in the killings of multiple police officers throughout the United States.”
Some Twitter users on Friday urged Trump to take action against Antifa, which is a loosely-organized movement of left-leaning anti-fascists.
How about a tweet on Antifa? When are you going to respond to WH petition and declare them a domestic terrorist organization? — Adorable Deplorable (@OliMauritania) August 25, 2017
petition to label antifa a'terror group' more than 290,000 petition to label antifa a'terror group' more than 290,000 https://t.co/j07vkQfpAy These people are criminals and should be in jail! August 25, 2017
Former President Barack Obama’s administration launched the Whitehouse.gov petition feature in 2011.
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The platform set a 100,000 signature benchmark within 30 days for prompting an official White House response to a single petition.
reported Thursday that Trump’s administration has not yet addressed ten other petitions that crossed the threshold before the Antifa one. Yahoo reported Thursday that Trump’s administration has not yet addressed ten other petitions that crossed the threshold before the Antifa one.
Trump referenced Antifa during his campaign-style rally in Phoenix last Tuesday, mentioning the group as armed and masked.
“You know, they show up in the helmets and the black masks and they’ve got clubs and they’ve got everything,” he said. “Antifa!”
Antifa has gotten fresh national attention following unrest in Charlottesville, Virginia earlier this month involving the movement. White nationalists descended upon Charlottesville to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee there. The situation ultimately turned violent the next day when a car drove into a group of counter-protesters opposing them.
Americans have since fiercely debated the views of far-right and far-left groups in the wake of the tragedy.SAN JOSE, Calif. – The San Jose Earthquakes announced today that due to continuing complications at the club’s new stadium construction site, the venue will now open for the 2015 Major League Soccer season. All 2014 regular season games are currently scheduled for Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara.
“We are continuing to work hard to deliver the best stadium possible for our fans,” said Earthquakes President Dave Kaval. “However, due to significant complications at the stadium site, we do not feel certain that we could open the stadium for the 2014 season. Without the certainty that we can open next year, we felt that the best decision would be to move the opening to the start of 2015. We are obviously disappointed, but we are more committed than ever to build a first-class venue that we know our fans deserve.”
Current season ticket holders have received information from the Earthquakes’ Front Office detailing all their options for the 2014 season and the new stadium. For more information about season tickets, please contact the Earthquakes’ Front Office at 408-556-7700.
The full scope of the site-related work could only be determined when the work was fully underway, and the site-related work has continued to take longer than expected. Beyond the complications announced in July, there have been additional complexities in connecting the stadium to the city sewer system, and the high water table has slowed the site utility phase.
“Projects of this size and scope often encounter delays, especially with the amount of demolition and site preparation we had to do. What is most important is that we build a great stadium that will stand the test of time for our fans and this community,” Kaval elaborated.
Despite the complications at the site, progress has been made on the project. Demolition and grading are now complete and the site utilities have been installed. Additionally, the footings are currently being placed. The next steps in the process will be the pouring of the foundations for both the stadium and team building, followed by the steel erection. The steel has been ordered through Schuff Steel and is currently being fabricated in Stockton. The team office building is scheduled to be erected in November, followed by the stadium bowl in late December.
The Earthquakes’ new 18,000-seat stadium will be located on Coleman Ave next to San Jose International Airport. The stadium was designed by renowned stadium architecture firm 360 Architecture - designers of Safeco Field and MetLife Stadium. The stadium will feature a European-style roof design that was inspired by many stadia in Europe, including Craven Cottage (Home of Fulham Football Club) and Loftus Road (Home of Queens Park Rangers).
World-class amenities at the stadium include:
· Double sided video display, along with full LED Fascia around the entire seating bowl.
· Twelve field-side luxury suites.
· On field patio clubs with 576 seats, built in bars and couch seating with great views of the field.
· The largest outdoor bar in North America.
· A three-acre Fan Zone area.
· Two party decks in the upper corners of the stadium.
· The first all-standing supporters terrace in the United States.
Fans can visit sjearthquakes.com to watch daily progress on the stadium web cam or check out the stadium with the new stadium 3D seat viewer.Hide Transcript Show Transcript
WEBVTT DEPLOYPATROL OFFICERS AND DETECTIVESTO 12 HOUR SHIFTS.>> WE'RE JUST AS ANGRY ANDFRUSTRATED AND TICKED OFF ABOUTIT IS ANYONE ELSE --6823 KEVINWATCHING THIS.I EXPECT TO BE UPSET.JAYNE: THAT WAS COMMISSIONERKEVIN DAVIS.BY THAT TIME, TEAMS OFDETECTIVES WERE CANVASSINGSEVERAL AREAS IN BALTIMORE FORLEADS IN FATAL SHOOTINGS.ON BOSTON STREET AT 2:45 THISMORNING, A 27-YEAR-OLD MAN WASSHOT AND KILLED, HIS BODY LEFTON THE ROAD.MOTIVE UNKNOWN.45 MINUTES LATER FOUR PEOPLEWERE SHOT, TWO FATALLY INNORTHEAST BALTIMORE.DRUGS AND GANG CONNECTIONSPOLICE SAY WERE INVOLVED.AND LAST EVENING A MAN WAS, FATALLY SHOT IN SOUTWESTBALTIMORE ON SOUTH BENTALOUSTREET.A DURUD DISPUTE IS SUSPECTED.>> OUR SIX VICTIMS IN OUR 5-- FIVE INCIDENT ARE ALL KNOWNTO LAW ENFORCEMENT.JAYNE: THIS AFTERNOON, FOURPEOPLE WERE SHOT AND WOUNDED OFFLIBERTY HEIGHTS AVENUE.THE COMMISSUIONER CALLED THEAMOUNT OF VIOLENCEUNCONSCIONABLE, FUELED, HE SAIDWHY BY USING GUNS TO SETTLEPETTY DISPUTES.HE TOOK AIM AT JUDGES, FORLETTING GUN OFFENDERS OFF TOOEASY.>> QUITE FRANKLY THEY EVEN FEAR, A GUILITY VERDICT BECAUSE THEGUILITY VERDICTS IN THIS CITYARE SUSPENDED ALL OR MOST OF THETIME.60% OF THE TIME.JAYNE: THAT STATISTIC THECOMMISSIONER SAID COMES FROM THE
Advertisement Six dead, six injured in Baltimore violence Police investigate 2 quadruple shootings in one day Share Shares Copy Link Copy
Six people were killed and six others were injured in several shootings in Baltimore since Monday night, city police said.A man was shot at about 8:20 p.m. Monday in the 1100 block of Mount Holly Street in southwest Baltimore, police said. When officers arrived at the scene, they found a man suffering from gunshot wounds to the chest. He was taken to Shock Trauma, where he died, police said.A 37-year-old woman was fatally shot Monday night in southwest Baltimore. Police said Charmane Wilson was shot at about 10:35 p.m. in the 1700 block of Gertrude Street. Wilson was taken to a hospital, where she died, police said.A 28-year-old man was fatally shot at 10:35 p.m. Monday in southwest Baltimore. Police said Rodney Wheatley was shot in his back and arm in the 200 block of South Bentalou Street. Wheatley was taken to Shock Trauma, where he died. Detectives learned that Wheatley had been arguing with the gunman prior to being shot. A person of interest has been identified, police said.A man was shot and killed at 2:45 a.m. Tuesday in Canton, police said. Police said the victim was discovered bleeding from the forehead in the 2500 block of Boston Street. The victim was taken to a hospital, where he died.Two died and two others were injured Tuesday morning in a quadruple shooting in northeast Baltimore, police said. The shooting happened around 3 a.m. in the 1200 block of Bonaparte Avenue, police said.Police said all the victims were taken to an area hospital, where a 26-year-old man and a woman died. A 24-year-old man is listed in stable condition and another man was treated and released, police said.Police said drug and gang connections are involved.Police Commissioner Kevin Davis was clearly frustrated at a noon as he appeared with his whole command staff to address the violence."Quite frankly, it pisses off this community. It angers us. It frustrates us," Davis said. "We are just as angry, frustrated and ticked off about it as anyone else watching this, and I expect people to be upset. I expect people to want a better Baltimore."Soon after, another shooting occurred off Liberty Heights Avenue in northwest Baltimore. Around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, four men were shot in the 3500 block of Ayrdale Avenue. The victims are 19, 20, 23 and 55. They were taken to hospitals for treatment.Police said that as of Tuesday morning, there have been 159 homicides so far this year in Baltimore City, compared to 124 this time last year. Baltimore police commanders have put patrol officers and detectives on 12-hour shifts. The increased police deployment will last through at least the weekend. The cost -- overtime is expensive -- is a factor."They will be out there. They will be visible, and they will be accessible to the community," Baltimore police Patrol Division Chief Osborne Robinson said.The commissioner called the amount of violence unconscionable, saying it's fueled by people using guns to settle petty disputes. He took aim at judges for letting gun offenders off too easy."Quite frankly, they don't even fear of getting a guilty verdict because the guilty verdicts in this city are suspended all or most of the time -- 60 percent of the time," Davis said. "Our six victims in our five incidents are all known to law enforcement."Anyone with information on the shootings is asked to call police at 410-396-2100, text a tip to 443-902-4824 or call Metro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7LOCKUP.WBAL-TV 11 News reporter Kai Reed contributed to this story.The U.S. Army said its latest defense technology — a vehicle-mounted laser — has passed a recent test with flying colors, successfully shooting a drone from the sky and intercepting and destroying several mortar rounds.
The laser, dubbed the High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator, or HEL MD, and placed atop a military vehicle, hit more than 90 mortar bombs, as well as several drones, during a six-week test period conducted in New Mexico at the White Sands Missile Range, Agency France-Presse reported.
The technology probably won’t be completely operational and ready for mission until 2022, because developers are going to be working on increasing the power and range of the lasers. And the Army still has decide whether or not to buy the system, officials said to AFP.
But the technology is proving top-notch and could go far in helping to protect troops from mortar, artillery or rocket fire, said one Boeing official.
“The system is capable of rapidly acquiring with the radar these very small targets and point a laser beam about the size of a quarter and destroy the targets while they’re flying,” said Mike Rim, a program manager at Boeing, in the AFP report.
Improvements to the system will enable it to take down objects that are moving at faster speeds than mortar rounds — like cruise missiles, the military officials told AFP.
Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.“If we don’t believe in freedom of expression for people we despise, we don’t believe in it at all.” — Noam Chomsky
In A Nutshell
In 2011, the Chinese government passed guidelines that would largely prohibit any time travel plot devices in television and movies. According to the State Administration of Radio Film and Television, time travel represents “ambiguous values” and “lack of active ideological significance.”
The Whole Bushel
In March 2011, the Chinese government’s State Administration of Radio Film and Television issued a new set of guidelines, which strongly disapproved of “fantasy, time-travel, random compilations of mythical stories, bizarre plots, absurd techniques, even propagating feudal superstitions, fatalism and reincarnation, ambiguous moral lessons, and a lack of positive thinking.”
The romance of traveling back in time has resonated with Chinese audiences, with such shows as Palace, about a woman who goes back to the Forbidden City during the Qing Dynasty and falls in love with a succession of royalty. While it is difficult to imagine how shows like Palace might threaten any societal discord, China has a great deal of recent history that it would much rather its citizens forget, rather than dream of altering. The Great Leap Forward for example, which occurred between 1958 and 1962, and cost the lives of an estimated 45 million citizens, mostly by starvation.
One of the most oppressive governments in the world, China releases only a small handful of Western films each year. However, given their enormous population and emerging middle class, it is to every filmmaker’s financial advantage to play ball. In 2012, the American Bruce Willis film Looper went on to massive success in China despite relying heavily on time travel. Unlike most films, Looper features characters from the future traveling to the present, and features no affects or criticisms of Chinese culture, which may have been why it was approved for release in that country. However, a seemingly innocent film like Back to the Future, which featured a trip into the past (and the main character consorting with his mother), would likely be frowned upon as it alters destiny.
Show Me The Proof
Making TV Safer: Chinese Censors Crack Down on Time Travel
Did China’s ban on time travel make Looper a bigger hit there?New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) makes no secret of the fact that when it comes to football, he doesn’t root for the teams that actually play in his home state – he loves the Dallas Cowboys. In fact, Christie loves his team so much he traveled to Dallas over the weekend to see their playoff game in person, from the comfy confines of the Cowboys’ owner’s luxury box.
When Dallas scored a late go-ahead touchdown, cameras caught the governor celebrating, awkwardly trying to embrace team owner Jerry Jones. One New Jersey reporter called it the hug “seen ‘round the world.”
One of the questions that initially dogged Christie, aside from his taste in teams, had to do with costs – did the governor ask taxpayers to finance his football excursion? Apparently, the answer is no. Late yesterday, the matter was put to rest when the governor’s office issued a statement saying Christie “attended the game last night as a guest of Jerry Jones, who provided both the ticket and transportation at no expense to New Jersey taxpayers.”
So, that settles that? Well, sort of. The question of whether Christie forced his constituents to pick the tab has been answered, but the Wall Street Journal reported this morning on a separate matter.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie accepted a plane ride to Dallas and a seat at a Cowboys playoff football game in a luxury suite from team owner Jerry Jones, who has a business relationship with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, officials said. […] The Cowboys, along with the New York Yankees and Checketts Partners Investment Fund, are owners of Legends Hospitality, the operator of a soon-to-be-opened observatory of the 104-story One World Trade Center – operated by the Port Authority, which Mr. Christie jointly controls with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Financial terms of the deal haven’t been publicly disclosed.
The Port Authority, you’ll recall, played a central role in Christie’s bridge scandal – it was the governor’s top aides at the Port Authority who helped impose crippling traffic on a New Jersey community for political reasons Christie and his team have not yet fully explained.
The WSJ talked to a board member of Legends who said it’s “silly” to connect Jones’ business interests to Jones’ generosity towards Christie. That may very well be true – this is probably a coincidence.
But the same article quoted Princeton’s Jameson Doig, who wrote a book about the Port Authority, and who said Christie’s relationship with, and gifts from, Jones “sends the wrong signal if Christie or any of his top aides appear to have a conflict of interest in their relationship to the Port Authority.”
For context, it’s worth noting that state lawmakers in New Jersey and New York overwhelmingly approved a major reform package for the Port Authority, drawing the support from both parties in both states. Christie and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) vetoed the reforms last week, to the disappointment of the New York Times’ editorial board.Each year, trick-or-treaters fill their bags with chocolate. But climate change could put this Halloween treat in jeopardy.
Rabinovitch: “As temperatures rise and rainfall patterns change, some of the current cocoa-producing regions may become less suitable for producing cocoa.”
That’s Kevin Rabinovitch for Mars, Incorporated. He says cocoa only grows well in the tropics, near the equator.
More than two thirds of the world’s supply is grown in West Africa, where drought is already a problem.
To help address climate change, Mars plans to slash carbon pollution from its products by 67 percent by mid-century. That includes reducing emissions from land use changes and agriculture. The company is also helping cocoa farmers increase yields.
Rabinovitch: “Increasing yields reduces the demand for land, which is one of the big pressures behind deforestation, and deforestation is of course a significant driver of climate change.”
Higher yields also make farmers and chocolate makers more resilient to climate impacts.
And one day, so might new cocoa varieties. Mars and others are encouraging research to develop drought resistant plants. After all …
Rabinovitch: “There’s no chocolate without cocoa, and none of us want to contemplate a world without chocolate.”
Reporting credit: Rosie Simon/ChavoBart Digital Media.Fury over sex education for 8-year-olds in Tower Hamlets schools
Mike Brooke Wednesday, June 29, 2011
7.01 AM
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The school at Bromley-by-Bow
They already withdraw their youngsters from ‘sex and relationship’ lessons on cultural and religious grounds.
But protesters in East London claim at least two Tower Hamlets schools are using the same education material in science lessons instead, as part of the National Curriculum which is compulsory.
They hold a public meeting at the East London Mosque in Whitechapel tonight over claims that their rights as parents are being sidelined.
This follows a petition signed by hundreds of parents at Clara Grant Primary in Bromley-by-Bow, objecting to sex education in the classroom.
Clara Grant Primary School
Father-of-three Mohammed Gomi, who organised it, has now written to his local MP.
“My children are being taught about sex in an inappropriate way,” he told the East London Advertiser.
“I am being denied the right to withdraw my children from lessons which are unacceptable to me.”
The row is over a Channel 4 ‘Living and Growing’ teaching resource DVD containing graphic illustrations of human reproduction—used for non-compulsory ‘sex and relationship’ education—being included in science biology instead.
Explicit material includes an animation of human sexual intercourse in different positions, the parents point out.
“Showing this kind of explicit material to young children amounts to sexual abuse,” Mr Gomi added. “This situation is totally unacceptable.”
Mr Gomi, 47, drew up the petition after first writing to head teacher Susan Ward, the chair of governors and Tower Hamlets Children’s Services director, but claimed they brushed aside his argument.
The school referred the Advertiser’s inquiries to the Town Hall, which said no-one was available for interview, issuing a statement instead.
“Schools have a statutory obligation to teach the National Curriculum and parents have no right to withdraw their child from nationally-approved science lessons,” said the council statement.
“But where a school is using non-statutory ‘sex and relationship’ materials in a science lesson, the parental right to withdraw their child remains.”
The parents have won backing from the ‘Safe at School’ national campaign which has been boosted by a Government U-turn earlier this year on attempts to make sex education compulsory in primary schools.
The organisation has joined forces with SRE Islamic to stage tonight’s 7pm public meeting at the East London mosque.
Its coordinator Antonia Tully, a mum-of-six who is addressing the meeting, said: “Sex education is deliberately being transferred to other parts of the curriculum to sideline parents who are objecting.
“It is priming young children for sex, breaking down the natural protective reservation towards a very adult issue.
“Explicit sex education is not a subject for young children—it facilitates sex and abortion as a ‘safety’ net.”
The 1996 Education Act, she points out, says formal sex education is not mandatory in primary schools.
The Minister for Schools, Nick Gibb, responded to a Parliamentary Question last week that guidelines were to protect pupils from inappropriate material, having regard to the age and religious and cultural background of those pupils concerned.Here's another entry in our series of the best from the Toronto Star's photographers in 2009. This time we look at the wild side.
Richard Thomson of Toronto feeds birds near the pond in front of Nathan Phillips Square on November 13, 2009. Thomson has been feeding the birds at the square two to three days per week for the last five years. (Toronto Star/Steve Russell)
The CF-18 Century Hornet, painted to celebrate the 2009 Centennial of Powered flight in Canada, does a tight turn while a Swan flies along the waterfront on September 7, 2009. (David Cooper/Toronto Star)
Inukshuk swims in the new polar bear exhibit in the new Tundra Trek region at the Toronto Metro Zoo in Toronto in July 31, 2009. The polar bears, a male Inukshuk and two females return after a two year renovation to polar bear exhibit that increased its size five-fold. (Steve Russell/Toronto Star)
Currie, a 9-year-old Havanese, waits miserably to get back inside its owner's home in the Riverdale are, Toronto, December 9, 2009. (Bernard Weil/Toronto Star)
A bird bathes in a fountain outside St. James Cathedral in Toronto on August 10, 2009. (Colin McConnell/Toronto Star)
A dog is decked out in the latest Presidential pouch outerware at Obama's inauguration in Washington on January 20, 2009. (Rick Madonik/Toronto Star)
Peppo waits for some toweling off during the first annual dirty dog wash to benifit the Etobicoke Humane Society on July 1,2009. (Rick Madonik/Toronto Star)
This former battery hen has been rescued at the time of slaughter and relocated to Cobble Hills Farm Sanctuary, near Stratford, where at-risk kids are given the chance to be directly involved in healing the hens. Owner Christen Shepherd says the hens arrive nearly bald, thin, weak and unable to walk.
(Randy Risling/Toronto Star)
Swim suit equipped Tactix launches off the dock to a 23 foot leap into the pool during the Big Air Dog Jump, where dogs' jumping distance is measured at the Purina All Star Dog Show on March 22, 2009. (Steve Russell/Toronto Star)President Donald Trump touted his progress on gun rights at an National Rifle Association conference in Atlanta Friday, but not before reliving his Election Night victory and warning the crowd that "Pocahontas" — referring to Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren — may threaten gun rights in 2020.
Mr. Trump spent several minutes recounting Election Night results, state by state, then intimated the crowd already has a pro-gun candidate in 2020 — him. But he also took the opportunity to warn attendees that "Pocahontas" might run, adding that she isn't pro-gun. Mr. Trump referred to Warren as "Pocahontas" multiple times during his campaign.
"It may be Pocahontas," Mr. Trump said of his potential 2020 challenger.
No guns allowed at Trump NRA speech
Mr. Trump eventually launched into his record of protecting gun access so far in his presidency, including successfully landing the "very special" and pro- |
in Philadelphia, PA. The club gained recent publicity due to Eric Semborski, a former Temple goaltender, suiting up as the emergency backup goalie for both the Philadelphia Flyers and Chicago Blackhawks in the 2016-17 NHL season.
Dylan was the President of GNGHockey from its beginnings to January 2018. http://DylanRCoyle.comWe have to state this first so that we don't break your heart: these Harry Potter eye shadow palettes don't exist (yet). But if one creative Reddit r/makeupaddiction user has her way, the world won't have to be deprived of magical makeup collections much longer.
After sharing her gorgeous Photoshopped mock-ups of four shadow palettes, each inspired by a different Hogwarts house and featuring two feather quill makeup brushes, the Redditor remarked that she was considering making them for real. We hope she plans to share them with the world, or our hearts will be broken!
From fiery Gryffindor shadows to elegant Ravenclaw blues, these palettes look like enchanting makeup picks for Yule Balls, magical weddings, and Hogsmeade weekend dates. Which one (or more) would you empty your Gringotts vault to buy in real life? Let us know in the comments!Last night’s main debate included more attention to foreign policy than I expected. While they spent less than twenty minutes of their two hours on these issues, there were a number of important and revealing exchanges.
Rubio showed off his reflexive interventionist side much more last night than he has in previous debates, and resorted to using the dishonest, misleading label of “isolationist” when he asserted that Paul was a “committed isolationist.” Besides being untrue, it confirmed how shallow his arguments against realist and non-interventionist Republicans have always been. As he usually does, he framed other states’ actions in terms of U.S. “weakness,” because he apparently can’t grasp that other states have interests unrelated to our action or inaction and will pursue them for their own reasons. He mentioned that ISIS has a foothold in Libya, but neglected to mention that he was a supporter of the war for regime change that helped make that happen. Rubio liked to rattle off a litany of problems abroad and attribute them to Obama’s supposed record of “doing nothing,” but in most of these cases Obama’s mistake has been to take sides in conflicts where the U.S. had nothing at stake. He was channeling George W. Bush at some points when he insisted that jihadists “hate us for our values” and did a decent Lindsey Graham impression when he made the alarmist claim that ISIS will be “coming to us” next. Regrettably, the audience at the debate responded well to a lot of his rhetoric, but he makes it very easy for people to see him as a neoconservative factional candidate and nothing more. In general, Rubio turned in a decent performance, but it was one in which he increasingly relied on canned and prepared scripts to respond to almost every question, and that act is beginning of wear a bit thin.
Overall, this was Paul’s best debate by far, and he was finally playing the role that many people thought he could play in these debates by opposing some of the more ludicrous and reckless foreign policy statements from the other candidates. He pushed back on the hawks’ endorsement of a “no-fly zone” in Syria (though he erred a bit in later statements by saying Iraq when he meant to say Syria), and corrected Trump on the TPP. He had a crowd-pleasing line about that we shouldn’t “arm our enemies,” but if you didn’t already know that U.S. arms sent into Syria and provided to the Iraqi government have ended up in the hands of ISIS and the Nusra front it might not have made much sense. There was still not enough scrutiny of the hawkish candidates’ statements on their support for “no-fly” and safe zones in Syria, and none of them was pressed to answer who would be defending these safe zones on the ground. They were permitted to propose much more aggressive policies without being called out on it with the exception of Paul’s criticisms.
Bush repeated his line that the U.S. won’t be the “world’s policeman,” but that it will be the “world’s leader,” which for all practical purposes amounts to the same thing. He assumes that the U.S. has to respond to every crisis and conflict, and that if it doesn’t it creates an unacceptable “vacuum.” Fiorina advocated once again for her program of needless provocation of Russia. Her position on a “no-fly zone” in Syria implied that she thought the airspace of all countries in the world rightly belongs to the U.S.: “We must have a no fly zone in Syria because Russia cannot tell the United States of America where and when to fly our planes.” Towards the end of one answer, she just started tossing out the names of almost every nationality in the Near East as if she were trying to prove that she knew them. Kasich manically listed all of his bad and questionable foreign policy views at one point that included endorsing a Syria “no-fly zone,” embracing the Sisi dictatorship in Egypt, and praising the Saudis as “fundamentally our friends.” The first position is obviously dangerous, the second is misguided, and the third is delusional. Kasich also predictably said that the U.S. has “no better ally” in the world than Israel, which will come as news to all of the actual treaty allies that the U.S. has around the world.
The most surprising thing last night was what didn’t happen. Rubio once again avoided coming under attack for his immigration position, and Cruz and Trump quarreled instead with Bush and Kasich on this subject. This is Rubio’s biggest vulnerability, so it’s puzzling that his rivals aren’t using the debates to expose it to a much wider audience, but he continues to be lucky in having opponents that aren’t taking full advantage of this.Virginia Tech threatens school paper over web comments
A Virginia Tech committee has threatened to recommend that the university cut funding to all student media on campus if the student-led newspaper, the Collegiate Times, continues to allow anonymous comments on its Web site, according to documents released by the newspaper's parent company Friday morning.
At a meeting of the University Commission on Student Affairs last week, representatives decided to recommend the university stop its annual $70,000 contribution to Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech Inc., an independent entity that oversees campus media, including the newspaper, radio station, television station, yearbook and literary magazine. The commission is made up of students, faculty, staff members and administrators, according to its Web site.
The story was first reported by The Roanoke Times.
"The consensus of the Commission has been that the commenting system is irresponsible and inappropriate because it lacks accountability resulting in, among other things, countering the Principles of Community," Michelle McLeese, the commission chair, wrote in a letter to the media company on Monday. While the issue has been discussed at length, she wrote that nothing has changed and "individuals and groups are continuing to be victimized verbally by individuals enabled by the commenting system."
The commission is also considering a recommendation that the university ban student organizations from using university funds to purchase advertisements in the newspaper, which could put the Collegiate Times out of business.
Both actions are "clear violations of established First Amendment case law" and the media company will take "aggressive legal action to defend the free speech rights of students," said Kelly Wolff, general manager of the media company, in a letter to the commission on Thursday. Wolff added that while the media company receives funding from the university, the student newspaper does not receive any of the university money, although it does receive free office space in the student union.
"As attempted punishment for content decisions made by the editors of the student newspaper, [the commission] has threatened to harm the financial and institutional support resources for the diverse co-curricular student media activities that hundreds of students choose to join each year," Wolff wrote.
Like nearly all student and professional newspaper Web sites in the country, the Collegiate Times allows readers to post comments at the end of stories. Often these comments contain racist, profane, inappropriate or offensive language or ideas. The paper uses a filter that screens profanity, pornography and spam. Readers can also flag objectionable comments for editors to review.
The university review began two years ago after some incidences of violence on campus led to racist posts on the student paper's web site, Wolff said.
The commission is scheduled to meet again on Feb. 18 to discuss a possible advertising ban.
Follow Campus Overload all day, every day at http://washingtonpost.com/campus-overload.
Check out our new Higher Education page, follow me on Twitter and fan Campus Overload on Facebook.A LEARN charter school (right) rents space across the street from the now vacant Calhoun North school (left). Chicago Public Schools paid $67,151 in utilities for Calhoun North from Sept. 2013 to July 2014, according to data obtained through a Freedom of Information Act Request. At the same time, CPS pays LEARN $750 per student to offset rent and other facility costs. (WBEZ/Becky Vevea)
There are 40 school buildings still sitting vacant across Chicago since the mass closings of 2013. Just two have been sold and the rest cost Chicagoans $2 million annually to maintain.
These schools are slow to sell for a number of reasons. Many aren’t in thriving neighborhoods. The buildings are old. There aren’t a lot of obvious alternate uses.
But one big reason the empty schools continue to collect dust and fall into disrepair is this: CPS chief Barbara Byrd-Bennett, who is currently on leave, made a promise that eliminated a whole group of potential buyers.
“We currently cannot sell any of the properties to a charter school,” said Mike Nardini, the district’s real estate agent. “Does it limit our buyers? Only to the extent that it can’t be a charter any more than it could be a nightclub.”
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The promise made sense at the time considering one of the main arguments for shutting down 50 schools was to downsize the district. CPS officials argued the school system was operating inefficiently with too many schools and not enough students enrolled.
But the Chicago Board of Education continues to authorize new charter schools. In the past, charters often moved into closed school buildings, but that upset many community people, who saw the publicly financed, privately operated charters as replacing traditional neighborhood schools.
CPS spokesman Bill McCaffrey said Wednesday the Board could be convinced to change its mind.
“If a community were to determine that they do want a charter school in that closed site, then that is something that we would consider,” he said.
McCaffrey was very careful to say officials would break the promise only if the community supports it, not because it might save money.
“Our first consideration isn’t the financial implication,” he added.
But saving money is the biggest problem CPS has right now, and the ‘no-charter’ promise complicates things. Charter schools that are in private buildings currently get $750 per student from CPS to offset rent and other maintenance costs. This is commonly known as a “facilities reimbursement.” And while these real estate deals can be complicated, the bottom line is that Chicago taxpayers end up paying extra to charter schools who are forced to rent on the private market. And those same taxpayers also are paying to maintain buildings the city already owns, but isn’t using.
“These are assets that we have in our city that are paid for typically and what we don’t need are more vacant buildings,” said Andrew Broy, executive director of the Illinois Network of Charter Schools.
In many cases, the charters and the vacant buildings are just blocks away from one another. In Garfield Park, a LEARN charter school rents space across the street from the now vacant Calhoun North school. In Woodlawn, a University of Chicago Charter School is planning to build a brand new school on a plot of land right next to a CPS-owned building where it currently operates.
It all speaks to a very basic and fundamental question that no one—CPS, the mayor, city aldermen—has grappled with: Exactly how many public schools does Chicago need? And where should they be?
When asked after Wednesday’s City Council meeting, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said that’s not his job.
“That’s something CPS will do based on the student population, patterns of growth,” Emanuel said. “That’s a fair question, but not the only question. Are the schools that are open achieving educational excellence?”
CPS is holding public hearings Thursday night on new requests by charter schools to move to different locations. Most have plans to move into private buildings, but at least one, The Chicago Tribune reports, wants to move into the closed Peabody Elementary school on the West Side. Peabody was sold last fall.
Becky Vevea is an education reporter for WBEZ. You can follow her @WBEZeducation.U.S. transportation officials today released early guidelines for the development of self-driving cars, including recommendations for lawmakers who are writing laws governing the technology.
Even though Google's self-driving car has been spotted roaming the streets of Silicon Valley, and Audi and Toyota showed off some autonomous vehicle tech at this year's CES, the technology is still in its infancy and solid rules for how it should be handled are still a few years out, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said today.
Still, the agency has some broad recommendations for things that state legislators should consider when crafting bills that cover self-driving cars. States like Nevada, California, and Florida have already passed legislation governing the tech, but NHTSA said today that "some states are anxious for guidance on how to proceed."
The recommendations cover licensing, testing, and operation of self-driving vehicles. But NHTSA "does not recommend at this time that states permit operation of self-driving vehicles for purposes other than testing," so lawmakers should really focus on licensing and testing right now.
On licensing, NHTSA recommends that drivers understand how to operate a self-driving vehicle, which means they'll either need a regular state-issued driver's license or a separate one for self-driving cars. So, visions of putting your dog in a car and having your self-driving car shuttle him off to the vet (or junior to pre-school) without you will have to wait - for now. A training course, meanwhile, should cover "how to resume control of [a self-driving] vehicle in the event that it cannot continue to operate automatically," the NHTSA said.
For those testing autonomous vehicles, the NHTSA said the cars should easily transition between self-driving mode and driver mode, be able to inform a driver if self-driving mode has failed, make sure that federally required safety requirements are followed, and record all data about crashes or malfunctions.
NHTSA, meanwhile, also developed a five-point system that categorizes levels of automation, with one being no automation and five being totally independent. Right now, the agency is working on level one technology (function-specific automation like adaptive cruise control) and are planning for research on levels two through four.
"One of the main end products of this initial research program would be recommendations for what requirements are needed for the driver-vehicle interface to allow safe operation and transition between automated and non-automated vehicle operation," the report said. "We plan to complete the first phase of this research in the next two years."
For more, check out Will Google Make Money Off the Self-Driving Car?Happy Halloween! At Leap Motion, we’ve seen our fair share of impressive motion-controlled robots that will one day bring about the robocalypse. (We’re looking at you, hexapod!) But the robot revolution is just getting started.
This month, two different robot arms featuring Leap Motion control have vastly overshot their Kickstarter funding targets, promising to bring miniaturized adaptive robotics to your desktop in new and exciting ways. On another level, a high school student’s robotics project is combining the Oculus Rift and motion control to create an experience that takes you wherever the robot goes.
Babbage: The VR Telepresence Rover
Last month, Alex Kerner kicked off the first of a series of videos exploring how he built Babbage, a versatile telepresence robot, from soldering to software. We caught up with Alex earlier this week to ask about his vision for the project.
“What really got me into robotics is that it’s an emerging technology,” he said, “so there’s a lot of room to be innovative without having to make something incredibly sophisticated. I love the idea of building something from scratch on my own, which is why Iron Man is my favorite superhero. Robots in particular are fascinating to me, because of the mechanical sophistication and innovation required to make them function.”
As for the augmented reality side of the equation, Alex sees it as a way to make robotic controls more seamless and intuitive. “Instead of having to learn the controls, or program an AI to interpret commands, it’s as easy as reaching through the screen and doing it myself. It opens up a lot of opportunities for complex systems that would be frustrating to control conventionally, such as the movement of the head.”
Named after computer science pioneer Charles Babbage, Alex’s robot is controlled through a spiderweb of different languages, which he plans to integrate in the months ahead:
The motors are controlled with Node.js using the Johnny-five library.
The sensors are read by the Arduinos, which in turn run the Firmata sketch to relay commands from the Beaglebones.
A third Arduino board runs custom C++ and communicates via I2C, as Johnny-five has no library to support multiple sonars.
Python is used to capture the web video from the cameras and directly overlay the graphics.
The Oculus Rift’s accelerometer is read with a custom C++ app (with plans to rewrite this into the Python app instead).
The Nokia runs C# code for voice recognition (which is still a work in progress).
Unlike most VR projects, Babbage doesn’t involve a 3D engine.
What’s it like being inside Babbage as he explores the world? “As of right now, the video feed is a little jerky, but it feels immersive,” said Alex “The idea of a telepresence robot is to make the operator more like a driver than a commander, and that’s exactly what it feels like.” At this stage, he says, bringing the latency down will be an important step in reducing sim sickness.
Where VR and robotics collide, Alex believes that telepresence will be a major step forward in how humans interact with the world. “It’s a technology that could potentially make mundane transportation obsolete. Anything that a human can do with a vehicle, a remote operated drone, or even on foot could be done using a telepresence robot. Rovers like Babbage will probably see a lot of use in places where it’s too dangerous to go on foot, like rescue or military operations, or even as an opportunity to live an active life for someone who is disabled or homebound.”
Future videos will demonstrate the laser system, sonar, visual system and face recognition, and the Leap Motion input – including a future “snapshot” gesture. We can’t wait to see how Babbage’s journey progresses.
Dobot: A Robotic Arm for Everyone
Dobot is intended to take the industrial robotic arm beyond the maker community and into everyday life. With a 4-axis parallel-mechanism arm connected to an Arduino, the Dobot has seven distinct control methods, including wireless, voice, and Leap Motion controls.
According to one of the creators behind the project, “as industrial robot engineers, we wanted to find a highly functional and agile, desktop robot arm, but were unsatisfied by low cost, low precision and poor functionality desktop robotic arms on the market. The consumer-level robot arms at the time were mostly servo-based. When users bought the robots, they found that the precision wasn’t high enough to replicate the applications shown in Kickstarter demos, like writing, grabbing things, not along helping them with more complicated tasks.”
From there, the group quit their jobs to develop a high precision robot based on stepper motors. The Leap Motion Controller was a natural input choice for its popularity among makers and developers. “With Leap Motion, we can achieve a nature way to manipulate the robot arm, and an easy approach to understanding how it works. In this case, Dobot is not only a professional tool to work with, but a great desktop platform for everyone to enjoy.”
7Bot: An Arm that Can See, Think, and Learn
Another Kickstarter campaign that recently blew past its funding goal, 7Bot is a 6-axis robot arm designed to be a miniature version of the popular IRB 2400 industrial robot. You can teach it how to move by holding its arm and guiding its movements, control it over the web, or through your hand movements:
For us, one of the most exciting things about this video was the extremely low latency on display. We caught up with the 7Bot team to ask about their process. According to Eric, one of the developers on the team, “Leap Motion is an essential control method for 7Bot. It allows everyone, including one of our grandfathers, to control 7Bot at ease.”
“Leap Motion can detect the hand gestures very accurately. But sometimes there are jitters, which are highly undesirable in controlling the robot. We applied a median filter to eliminate jitters, and some simple mapping relations were also used to make this application more intuitive to users. The high capture rate of the Leap Motion Controller and high processing rate of the median filter achieve such a low latency, which is only 0.1 to 0.2 seconds in theory.”
What’s next for 7Bot’s Leap Motion integration? The team plans to add more end-effectors to 7Bot, including one with 5 fingers, like those used in prosthetics. This means that a future version could effectively mirror your real life hand and finger movements.
The world is yours to hack – what will you build? The 2015 3D Jam is running right now with over 25 types of approved hardware, including Arduino, the Parrot AR drone, Lego Mindstorms, Mini Pan-Tilt Kit, OWI Robotic Arm Edge, and more! Bring your hardware dreams to life and register now.Schools in London and Moscow will forge links to share their astronomical findings thanks to a new initiative launched by Russia’s richest woman.
Yelena Baturina, a billionaire who made her fortune in the construction industry, has launched a programme to establish partnerships between schools in the capital cities in a bid to boost interest in astronomy.
The project, called Discovery Within a Week, will bring PhD students from University College London’s physics and astronomy department to mentor secondary pupils in schools in disadvantaged areas of the city.
The astronomers will teach young people about the technology used in astronomy, and each week the students will share their research via Skype with their counterparts in Moscow.
Any stars discovered by participating students will be recorded in the International Variable Star Index, while the coordinates of the asteroids detected will be sent to the Minor Planet Center at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory at Harvard University.
A number of schools have already signed up to a pilot of the project, and it is hoped more schools will join the programme at the start of the academic year.
The project comes in the year that British astronaut Tim Peake inspired a generation of children with his six month stay on the International Space Station.
Cutting-edge science in the classroom
The initiative is being funded by Ms Baturina’s philanthropic foundation Noosphere in partnership with the Mayor’s Fund for London.
Matthew Patten, chief executive of the Mayor’s Fund for London, said: "This is a fantastic new collaboration between East and West, bringing cutting-edge science and astronomy into London classrooms and broadening children's perceptions of the world they live in. We want more schools in London to join this journey of discovery."
It is hoped the partnerships with the schools will create a wide network of young stargazers and researchers.
Ms Baturina said the aim of her foundation was to encourage younger generations to think globally and with an informed, open and universal perspective.
"That, I am sure, will keep our society from sliding into the chaos of differences and conflicts. We should show both children and adults the universal aesthetic and scientific principles that unite people from all parts of the world," she added.
Want to keep up with the latest education news and opinion? Follow TES on Twitter and like TES on Facebook- A Fulton County homeowner shot and killed an intruder early Friday morning.
Investigators said around 2 a.m. Friday three men tried to enter a home in the 2100 block of Rochelle Way in unincorporated College Park. Police said the intruders didn't know the homeowner was awake and armed.
The home owner exchanged gunfire with the suspects, killing one of them. That suspect, described as an adult male, died in the front yard. His name hasn't been released.
The other two suspect escaped. Police don't have a good description on them, but think it is possible they are still in the area. Those suspects are considered armed and dangerous.
Investigators continued to work the scene, collecting evidence and interviewing the home owner. They said it's too early to know if he'll face any charges.The 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show delighted car fans and the automotive industry alike with some huge new car launches, exciting announcements, world record attempts and the latest technology to push the car industry forward.
As Frankfurt battles to become the biggest motor show in the world, manufacturers lined up to out do one another to take the headlines.
German manufacturers were out in force to outdo one another and to dominate the show. However the Brits put up a good fight, debuting some exciting new models as well - and of course the rest of the world wanted a look in, too.
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Jaguar broke the world record with the world’s largest loop the loop as they unveiled their new all-terrain Jaguar F-Pace SUV. Although we’re not sure that was the terrain originally foreseen at concept stage. Bentley joined the SUV market with its sector creating super-luxury Bentley Bentayga.
Supercar headlines went to Lamborghini and Ferrari for their new Lamborghini Huracan Spider and 488 Spider. Us mere mortals can look forward to a new Vauxhall Astra, Alfa Romeo Giulia and Renault Megane.
There was much, much more too, with the Mercedes IAA and Porsche Mission E concepts lifting the curtain on the future design and tech thinking for their respective brands. On top of that, we saw a string of launches from Audi, BMW, SEAT, Nissan, Mazda and others.
Scroll down the page for a full round-up of all the news, pictures and video from the Frankfurt Motor Show...
The star cars of the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show
• Alfa Romeo Giulia - The Giulia is a crucial car in Alfa's bid to re-establish itself as a premium player
The Giulia is a crucial car in Alfa's bid to re-establish itself as a premium player • Renault Megane - Renault's Focus rival made its debut promising design flair and practicality
Renault's Focus rival made its debut promising design flair and practicality • Bentley Bentayga - After months of spy shots and teaser pics the Bentayga finally arrived
After months of spy shots and teaser pics the Bentayga finally arrived • Jaguar F-Pace - Another new SUV arrival from Jaguar, will the British marque have a hit on its hands?
Another new SUV arrival from Jaguar, will the British marque have a hit on its hands? • Vauxhall Astra - The new Astra will be a big seller and Vauxhall hopes this one will eclipse the Ford Focus.
The new Astra will be a big seller and Vauxhall hopes this one will eclipse the Ford Focus. • Mercedes IAA Concept - Mercedes shocked the show with its 'Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile'
- Mercedes shocked the show with its 'Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile' • Rolls-Royce Dawn - Craftsmanship and cachet come at a price but the Rolls-Royce Dawn looked well worth it
- Craftsmanship and cachet come at a price but the Rolls-Royce Dawn looked well worth it • Porsche Mission E - Porsche looks to challenge the Tesla Model S with an electric performance car of its own
Frankfurt Motor Show: features
• Best cars at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show
• Nine things we learned at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show
Frankfurt Motor Show 2015: picture gallery
The best pics from our snappers on the Frankfurt show floor...
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Frankfurt Motor Show: top news stories
The Frankfurt show isn't just an opportunity to drool over the latest new cars and concepts. Our reporters trawled the halls, seeking out the top car industry execs on the hunt for the big news stories...
All-new Nissan Juke due in 2018 - Nissan will replace the Juke crossover in 2018 with a possible hybrid model planned.
Bosch batteries to help kick start electric car revolution by 2020 - Bosch is confident it can double the density of its electric car batteries by 2020.
All Audis to be offered with plug-in technology - Audi has underlined the importance of electric cars in its future model line-up.
Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV to launch late in 2018 - New Rolls-Royce SUV is likely to retain Cullinan codename.
Ford Focus RS prices and performance details revealed - The new Ford Focus RS is on sale from under £30k, ands does 0-62mph in 4.7 seconds.
2016 World Car of the Year awards nominations revealed - The runners and riders announced for the World Car of the Year 2016 award.
Jaguar C-X75 & Range Rover Sport SVR are latest Bond cars - Jaguar and Land Rover models shown at the Frankfurt show will appear in new Bond film.
Mazda bosses keen on new SUV based on Koeru Frankfurt star - A production car based on the Mazda Koeru SUV concept is a real possibility.
Next Porsche Boxster and Cayman to get 4cyl turbos - most of the next Porsche Boxster/Cayman range will use 4cyl turbo engines.
Frankfurt Motor Show 2015 - A to Z of new models
Alfa Romeo
• Alfa Romeo Giulia
Alfa caused a big stir with the unveiling of its exciting new BMW 3 Series rival. The dramatic, rear-wheel drive Giulia has been shown again in Frankfurt ahead of its mid-2016 release, and we we've got more details on the performance of the flagship 503bhp Quadrifoglio model.
The one issue that concerned some was that Alfa still isn't showing'regular' versions of the Giulia that most customers will buy, but we do expect there to be a range of four cylinder petrol and diesel engines available at launch.
Audi
• Audi A4
• Audi S4
• Audi e-tron Quattro
• All Audis to be offered with plug-in technology
The fifth-generation Audi A4 was unveiled at Frankfurt. While its design is similar to the outgoing version, the new A4 uses the VW Group’s MQB platform - with more interior space and a range of more efficient engines, as well as a raft of new tech. Audi also revealed the S4 performance variant which uses a 349bhp turbocharged V6.
We also saw a new electric SUV concept from Audi, the e-tron Quattro. It'll go up against cars like the Tesla Model X, but won't be going into production before 2018 and is expected to be badged as the Q6.
Bentley
• Bentley Bentayga
Bentley’s first production SUV was unveiled at the show. It propels the luxury brand into a new marketplace – the super-luxury 4x4 sector. Bentley describes the Bentayga as “the fastest, most luxurious and most exclusive SUV in the world” and with a mighty all-new 12-cylinder W12 engine under its huge bonnet that first claim is certainly true. With 600bhp and 900NM of torque, the Bentayga will get from 0-60mph in 4.0 seconds and go on to 187mph.
BMW
• BMW 7 Series
• BMW X1
• BMW 330e
• BMW 225xe
BMW debuted the new X1. The second-generation of its small SUV is larger and more rugged than its predecessor, with new petrol engines, increased interior space and the latest safety tech. We also saw the facelifted BMW 3 Series, which gets new, more efficient engines, an updated interior and tiny tweaks to the exterior.
There was a public debut for BMW's flagship too. The evolutionary design of the new BMW 7 Series is similar to the outgoing car, but key new tech such as the new touchscreen infotainment system, gesture control and a world first ‘Parking Assistant’ features. The new model is 14cm longer, as well as being a notable 130kg lighter than the old model.
In addition BMW highlighted two new models adding to its range of hybrids. The 330e is a dedicated rear-drive, four-door saloon and aims to offer hybrid advantages without alienating the current 3 Series customer base. It combines a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine with an electric motor, which is capable of powering the car for up to 25 miles on the batteries alone.
The 225xe uses a less conventional platform, which will underpin the next-generation X1. It uses the powertrain layout from the BMW i8, with that car's 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine driving the front wheels and an electric motor driving the rear wheels.
Borgward
• Borgward SUV
Revived German brand Borgward is hoping to come back with a bang with a new seven-seat SUV. Expected to compete with the Kia Sorento, it will come with petrol and hybrid powertrains and four-wheel drive, but won't arrive in Europe until 2017.
Bugatti
• Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo concept
Bugatti revealed the Vision Gran Turismo concept. Designed as a virtual racer in the Gran Turismo video game. The 1,600bhp Vision Gran Turismo includes lots of nods to Bugatti's racing past and includes design features we'll see on the Chiron - the successor to the Veyron.
Citroen
• Citroen Cactus M Concept
The Citroen C4 Cactus has been reimagined into a successor for the iconic Mehari. The Cactus M Concept is a convertible beach buggy with a waterproof interior, inflatable roof and tough plastic panels. The concept is closer to a real car than most - the designers took a standard Cactus straight from the production line in order to create this fun drop-top.
DS
• DS 4
• DS 4 Crossback
The curious DS 4 was at Frankfurt, but the new car has also received a rugged makeover with a raised ride height and some additional body cladding - and this version is called the DS 4 Crossback. Like many'soft-roaders' it won't be available with four-wheel-drive, and will be sold in conjunction with the facelifted standard DS 4.
Ferrari
• Ferrari 488 Spider
Ferrari wowed the crowds with the roofless version of its storming 488 GTB at Frankfurt. With a 660 bhp 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8, the new 488 Spider is good for 0-62 mph in 3.0 seconds, and will hit 203mph despite the folding hard-top. But thanks to the controversial forced induction it's also capable of 24.7 mpg and CO2 emissions of 260 g/km.
Ford
• Ford Edge
• Ford Ranger
• Ford Focus RS prices and performance details revealed
• Ford's upmarket Vignale brand "very important" for company's future
Ford revealed its new Edge SUV in European spec ahead of its release in 2016. It sits above the Kuga as the firm's flagship SUV in the range, claiming to offer interior space to rival the VW Touareg and yet be priced below £30,000.
It's been on sale in the US for a year, however. Alongside the Edge is the firm's all-new Ranger pick-up. It gets a butch new look, more efficient engines and Ford's latest active safety and comfort tech.
Honda
• Honda Project 2&4
• Honda Civic Tourer Active Life Concept
Honda took the wraps off its radical Project 2&4 concept ahead of the Frankfurt Motor Show. The single-seater is a collaboration between the brand’s motorcycle and automobile design studios, and is intended to combine the open-riding sensations of a motorbike with the manoeuvrability of a car. The firm is also showing the Civic Tourer Active Life, a bike-friendly Civic estate.
Hyundai
• Hyundai i20 Active
• Hyundai N division
Hyundai caused a stir at Frankfurt with the launch of the 'N' performance sub-division and two new concept cars. The company claims to have carried out intensive testing and product development to come up with Hyundai ‘N’, a sub-brand aimed at providing a cut-price alternative to the likes of BMW M and Mercedes-AMG.
Hyundai’s prototype WRC car, based on the new i20 Coupe, appeared on stage at the event giving us a good idea on what’s to come, which according to Hyundai will be a full “performance-orientated and race-track-capable” line-up.
The i20 Active was also seen for the first time at the show, an attempt by Hyundai to cash in on the booming supermini-sized crossover market.
Infiniti
• Infiniti Q30
Infiniti’s new Q30 small premium hatchback is aiming straight at the Mercedes A-Class, and even shares some of its powertrains and chassis. It'll be produced at Nissan’s Sunderland plant alongside the Nissan Qashqai and the Nissan Leaf.
Jaguar
• Jaguar F-Pace
We finally saw Jaguar's new F-Pace 'performance crossover' in production form at Frankfurt. With premium rivals such as the Porsche Macan and the Audi Q5 in its sights, Jaguar has high hopes it can crack the mid-sized premium SUV class. Jaguar revealed the car by setting a world record for the biggest loop-the-loop, and you can watch the amazing feat on our video below...
Kia
• Kia Sportage
• Kia set to bring hot Sportage and Optima GT models to Europe
• New Kia Soul will become ‘fun-to-drive MINI rival’
The all-new Kia Sportage crossover hit the decks at Frankfurt, it clearly takes inspiration from the KX3 Concept that was revealed late last year. A complete engine range overhaul is expected, along with the possible inclusion of new turbocharged three-cylinder units.
With subtly updated styling, a new 1.0-litre ‘ecoTurbo |
middle of TRAY is RA. BRAHMAPUTRA. What the flying fuck is that, Crossword? Fuck me sideways, we’re only up to B.
C Sugar producer accepts money (mark) in charge of certain irrigation (7; 7) | Cayenne; Colonic |Sugar comes from CANE, and if it takes in the money YEN we get CAYENNE. Are these all a series of peppers? Nearly there. Where it gets trickier is that the mark in brackets ain’t the German money kind, it’s this one : so if it’s In Charge we get COLONIC, a certain type of irrigation. A gross type.
D Bad dream about times frighten Dutch relative (8; 5) | Demerara; Daunt |A bad DREAM isn’t a nightmare it seems, just DEMRA. Put that around times or an ERA and you get DEMERARA, which I thought was a kind of sugar. Maybe they’re all just condiments and seasonings? Is ALLIER spicy, I wonder…BRAHMAPUTRA sounds like it’d be in a curry. Anyway the next word means frighten, so a relative is AUNT and Dutch it seems is a new code for the letter D. I can think of something much more apt that stands for, Crossword.
E Cross in sort of triangle, outside hut Parsee rebuilt (8; 9) | External; Euphrates |I am taking this inanimate piece of paper called Crossword into a science lab and getting all Dr Frankenstein on it, stitching limbs onto it and giving it a brain and a mouth and bringing it to life just so it can suck my dick. Seriously, you fuck?! A sort of triangle?! Eat me. It’s not any of the kinds of triangles we all learnt about at school, like equilateral, isosceles or scalene, and it’s not even the Bermuda triangle. It’s an ETERNAL triangle, which is some love bullshit. Great. Put a cross in and you get EXTERNAL meaning outside. Well shit. At least HUT PARSEE was an anagram so transparent it gave the whole game away for me. The EUPHRATES is a river, like the ALLIER, the BRAHMAPUTRA, the CAYENNE, and the DEMERARA. WE’RE LOOKING FOR RIVERS, PEOPLE! 26 RIVERS FROM EVERY LETTER OF THE ALPHABET! STAY ALERT MOTHERFUCKERS!
F German eleven upset about boy heading off, seen with Fred – oddly, makes on invisible! (5; 4-4) | Foyle; Fern-seed |Never mind, you won’t have heard of half of these rivers, so get Googling. Eleven in German is ELF, which couldn’t POSSIBLY have been clued any other way gee what else does that word mean YOU FUCK and put that about a BOY with its head of you get FOYLE, the river. Oh and remember how FERN-SEED is famously meant to make you invisible? Yeah me neither. Well it does. So you know. Anagram, SEEN with FRED.
G Cast an eye around sort of suit on shelf for group of workers and card-playing opponents (6; 6) | Gledge; Ganges |GLEDGE? Git te fuck, Crossword. GLEDGE? Doesn’t even sound real. A sort of suit must be a G, because a shelf is a LEDGE, giving us this horseshit word meaning look around, but which could mean whatever the fuck because it’s fucking made the fuck up by Crossfuckingword. The themed clue eases up a bit here, a river starting with G comes from a GANG of workers and the East and South bridge playing opponents giving ES for the GANGES. Still…fuck off, Crossword.
H Could be the Ural leader, high in Germany, crashing mini – on heroin (7; 2,3,4) | Herault; Ho Chi Minh |This gave me the dicking around of a lifetime. That fucking comma. Could be the Ural – that’s the river clue. HERAULT, it seems. The leader is the definition of the latter half of the clue. High in German is HOCH, again with this famous love of all things German. Crash MINI for IMIN, and add heroin or H on the end for the leader HO CHI MINH. Balltickler.
I Rather than mix of fine oats with date, males tucked into most of the rice dish (7,2; 7) | Instead Of; Ilmenau |’Rather than’ is an excellently worded literal definition for a clue, especially one coming in two distinct parts with two separate clauses to it, and ESPECIALLY coming from Crossword who is a massive cunt. A mix of FINE OATS with D for date gives INSTEAD OF. Searching for a river beginning with I, we get the rice dish PILAU, or most of it at least for ILAU, and throw males or MEN in for the ILMENAU, which is a fine river, a fine river indeed. Which is, of course, as far as rivers go, which is I don’t give a shit about rivers go fuck yourcrosswordself.
J Katie Price or basketball star from Jamaica I left with fliers for prisoners (6; 9) | Jordan; Jailbirds |Two clues for the undefined bit? Someone’s feeling generous. Or maybe just isolated and desperate. Yeah let’s go with that. The ‘model’ Katie Price is better known as JORDAN, which is the surname of Michael of basketball fame. Also a massive river. Leaving us with a regular cryptic clue, Jamaica becoming JA, I remaining as I, left becoming L, and fliers being BIRDS BECAUSE THEY FLY HAHAHAHAHA and JAILBIRDS are prisoners. Not even halfway. Fuck.
K Branagh cut translation of Kelt Rose for author and political refugee (6; 8) | Kennet; Koestler | Oh even YOU’RE getting sick of it, Crossword! Let’s go through all the Branaghs we know, okay KENNETH and we’re done. Cut it for KENNET, which Google will tell you is a river somewhere. Then ask a friend if they’ve heard of an author or political refugee whose name has the letters KELT ROSE in it and they will hopefully have heard of KOESTLER because I sure as shit hadn’t but then again I’m a vulgar ignoramus so what do I know.
L Plates broken in a meal during Angelo’s siesta (7; 6) | Laminae; Lossie |Reverse the first half for the answer; IN A MEAL broken means plates or LAMINAE. And the river is found during Angelo’s siesta, so start at the L in angeLO and keep going with the SIESta until there’s no more room and LOSSIE is the river.
M Reminders – notes – notes about half of the Russian capital on fashion magazine (9; 7) | Mementoes; Moselle |Yes, notes meaning ME and ME like Do Re Me and then NOTES about meaning NTOES is very clever, but a MEME is a thing now and could have also been a good reference but you are old and out of touch and the clue is bad and you should feel bad. MEMENTOES are reminders, by the by. So we take half of the Russian capital MOSCOW for MOS, and add the fashion magazine ELLE on for the river MOSELLE. Oh boy I bet that’s got water and banks and flows into a larger body of water just like the rest of them WOOOHOOOOO RIVERS
NB That there were no answers JOAN or PHOENIX in this theme is a fucking crime and a wasted opportunity for some excellent wordplay, which let’s face, is the whole fucking point of the game. Slitslapper.
N Back again with artist – no way drink is the cure (7; 7) | Niagara; Nostrum | Hey, AGAIN backwards is NIAGA! And RA is an artist, giving us the river. No means NO, and not just when it comes to sexual assault! Okay that’s the worst thing I’ve ever written here, moving on. A way is a ST and a drink is RUM, combined for the cure NOSTRUM, which I thought was just a latin word meaning ours but there ya go.
O Not impeding progress to a few youth arranged books, getting thanks starting to walk away (3,2,3,3; 6) | Out Of The Way; Ottawa | Anagram of TO A FEW YOUTH for OUT OF THE WAY meaning not impeding. Great, now for the river. Books are the Old Testament because Crossword needs to remind everyone of his views. Live and let live, I thought they said? Ah whatever. So OT gets thanks or TA and the starts to Walk Away join for the OTTAWA river.
P Part of pitch where a player gets tangled with a net – Scotsman after snapshot not having a second (7,4; 7) | Penalty Area; Potomac | I stared at the letters of A PLAYER A NET for ages and only in the closing moments of entering the other clues did I get PENALTY AREA because eat a dick Crossword. Part of pitch? Sure thing, dickhead, whatever. POTOMAC though, leapt off the page! River starting with P? What else? Also a Scotsman is MAC to the racist English which Crossword definitely is, and a snapshot is a PHOTO, not having a second for POTO. Racist!
Q Witty remark to a Republican standing in line at gardens’ annexe, we’re told (6; 7) | Quipar; Queuing |Not even a fucking river I don’t think. Google sure searched far and wide and all it found was a misspelt Spanish settlement. But there’s a river there so fuck it. A witty remark is a QUIP and a Republican is A R, just like Dutch is now just D. Shithouse. Second bit’s not bad though, a gardens’ annexe, we’re told? KEW WING. Or QUEUING, meaning standing in line. ¡Me gusta! Entonces.
R Awfully virile Nationalist will talk and talk, country walk having started (7; 6,2) | Rivelin; Ramble On |What is with the initialling of whatever the fuck? Nationalist just becomes N, making RIVILE N awful for the RIVELIN, which is about as good an anagram as Jeremy’s Iron. But to talk and talk is to RAMBLE ON, a country walk being a RAMBLE and having started meaning to be ON. Just like Crossword always is, aintcha pal?! *slaps back, Crossword spills drink on self*
S Apostle’s Oxbridge college badly gilds the one window next to door (2,5; 9) | St John’s; Sidelight | Well, it’s either gonna be St Mark’s, St Luke’s, or as a quick search through Oxbridge college names will tell you, ST JOHN’S. Then anagram GILDS THE I for SIDELIGHT, which is not the thing Crossword said it is but will have to do. Maybe it’s an English thing that never made it to the internet because you know how the British mind their own business and keep to themselves and never venture off their island or impose their stuff onto others ever.
T Redhead in temporary shelter making auction bid for a couple of baseball fields (5; 3,8) | Trent; Two Diamonds | I’m not even checking that the TRENT is a river, Redhead is R and a temporary shelter is surely a TENT. Okay moving on, this auction bid is not for a house, but for a hand of cards. A couple of baseball fields are TWO DIAMONDS, a solid bid in bridge. NEEEEEERRRRRRD *gives wedgie*
U Upper-class loo with cloth cover is brought back, not measured, remounted incorrectly with bits of gold missing (8; 7) | Ullapool; Unmeted | Hey Crossword, now is a better time than ever for you to get fucked. From here on, you’re clutching at straws. Not even straws, you’re clutching at the straw-shaped cloud of smoke left behind from when the straws at which you were once clutching were rapidly torn from within your grasp. What I’m saying is for each of the letters U to Z, you can get fucked, so that’s twice for six remaining letters, so that’s you getting fucked a dozen times before we’re finished. And then I’ll have more to say.
Oh incidentally in case you’re wondering, Not measured is the literal, which is made from REMOUNTED incorrectly without bits of gold, meaning OR here for Spanish reasons I think. And ULLAPOOL is a river starting with U, and loo is in it backwards plus some other shit.
V Word picture that’s on a banknote and volume from Gaul – not half! (8; 5) | Vignette; Volga | VIGNETTE must be something on a British banknote. Who cares. Take half of the words VOLUME and GAUL away and you get VOLGA, which is…wait for it…yeah that’s right, a fucking river.
W Rainbound Grand National fence with fancy gold awning (5,4; 8) | Water Jump; Wanganui | Actually forget what I said, you can get fucked twice for each of these, for a total of fourteen times. Rainbound, which usually means nothing at all, here means the words WATER and JUMP, which is a type of fence you’ll find in the Grand National horse racing event. Steeplechase or some shit. Seriously twice the sodomy for you for that one. And WANGANUI officially has an H in it, but this must have been such a clusterfuck to construct that you thought it would be fine to make some shitty half arsed anagrams to solve, right? Because it’ll be EASIER and MORE OBVIOUS if you don’t use the official spelling, right? Cuntwit. AU for gold and fancy AU AWNING for the answer.
X Ten popular leading extracts from Guardian copies about sex and love with king (5; 7) | Xingu; Xeroxes | Reeeeally scraping the barrel here, Crossword. Ten is X because what else was it going to be when the answers both start with X. Popular is IN and the leading extracts from Guardian are just GU. Great, XINGU is a river. And SEX and love or O and king or REX is SEX-O-REX, which sounds like some fucked up dog mating service, but backwards it’s just XEROXES for copies. Oh.
Y Go back into nomads’ tents for desserts during holiday on Nevis (7; 5) | Yogurts; Yonne | Nomads tents are YURTS, so there’s that to find out first. Then put GO backwards into it for YOGURTS, which is apparently how the English are spelling YOGHURT now. First they say it wrong, then they SPELL it wrong, and now they’re telling me it’s a dessert food?! You have it on muesli for breakfast you fucking idiot. Go have some chips and warm beer. Now for the next bit find the letter Y and then take the four letters following it from holidaY ON NEvis for YONNE. One left.
Z Once, after a bit of sleep, by Yorkshire dale, Zulu eats out, composing letters (5; 5) | Zaire; Zetas | Two possibilities for this one’s reasoning: once is A, a bit of sleep is Z, and the ‘dale’ from YorkshIRE is the final third of it…OR, and which I suspect is more likely, once means ERE, and maybe people from Yorkshire would say it to make it sound like ZAIRE. Either way, it’s a river. Zulu just means Z, like Dutch means D and Nationalist means N and Crossword and Cunt are both C words. EATS out afterwards makes ZETAS, which are letters. Holy mother of shitballs, we actually did it. PS Lolz eats out rofl.
Okay…those are the answers. At first I thought you had to solve them all before fitting them into the grid, but the lengths of the clues are a help. There’s only two clues in each grid that are 11 letters long. Even just having one of them should tell you which way it goes. I got OUT OF THE WAY first, and running it across meant that the second down clue would end in a U, which is less likely than an 8-letter across clue starting with a U, which we know is the case. Same deal for the second grid with TWO DIAMONDS, which is more likely to go down so there’s an across clue of 8 letters starting with a W. Once you have a handful in, you can work out the starting letter of certain clues from the lengths, and with a few cross letters everything starts to fall into place. For the final placements, see below. I’m going on holiday.May 9, 2016 Ξ Comments are off
By Louis Chan
AsAmNews National Correspondent
James Hahn is beating the odds and living a dream.
The Korean American hasn’t even made the cut on the PGA tour in eight consecutive tournaments.
The UC Berkeley graduate has only one one other tournament since turning pro in 2003.
With his sudden death victory in the Wells Fargo Championship in North Carolina, he won his second tournament in as many years.
His first victory came in the Northern Trust Open which he also won in sudden death.
Reporters wanted to know how he managed to bounce back from so many consecutive missed cuts.
“Once you start going five, six, and seven, you start thinking about doing other things,” Hahn admitted. “It’s tough. It really is. The mind is a powerful thing. It was going bad for a while. Just didn’t have the confidence. Didn’t believe in myself.”
A talk with his caddie turned his whole outlook around.
Hey, look. You just have to believe in yourself because its not always going to be like this. That was a week ago and now I’m here.”
Believe, Hanh, believe.
(AsAmNews is an all-volunteer effort of dedicated staff and interns. You can show your support by liking our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/asamnews, following us on Twitter and sharing our stories).If terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah are for Obama, as Republicans like to allege, but a new terrorist attack on American soil would tip the scales toward McCain, as his advisor Charles Black maintains, then logically there will be no terrorist attack against U.S. targets before the November election. Why would terrorists do anything to harm Obama's candidacy and help McCain's?
Ridiculous logic? Maybe. But frankly, this whole discussion of which candidate would be tougher on terrorists is an exercise for shedding IQ points. After all, how does one quantify toughness on terrorists, much less measure abstract feelings of safeness from foreign threats?
The issue comes down to: Is the war on terror winnable using traditional law-enforcement tools, or does it require manlier military means? Presumably this is not a debate over whether to fight al-Qaeda with either Tasers or tanks but rather: Can our courts and criminal justice system handle high-value detainees (i.e. the perpetrators of the first World Trade Center bombings), or should these unsavory folks be shipped to Guantanamo Bay or perhaps tortured in a CIA-run prison somewhere in Transylvania?
Republicans say: Well, there has been no terrorist attack on U.S. soil since 9/11 so we must be doing something right, so there. Things like DHS's color-coded threat level might not make sense but they work. Might we add that Democrats propose weakening the war on terror and well, that makes us look like sissies abroad (Right-wingers' favorite date in history to lob at their opponents and stoke fear in the American heartland -- September 10, 2001)?
Democrats answer: Yes, but our tough-guy tactics have only produced more terrorists, angered Muslims, damaged our reputation abroad, and distracted ourselves from the real war against Bin Laden along the Afghan-Pakistani border. To that end, Obama proposes to invade this region to pursue terrorists -- something McCain's camp would never consider as it might wreck U.S.-Pakistani relations (which, let's be honest, are not that good to begin with).Video screenshot by Bonnie Burton/CNET
When was the first time you rolled d20 dice or took an elf into battle? For some celebrities, like Felicia Day and Wil Wheaton, playing the beloved RPG Dungeons & Dragons was not only a rite of passage but how they have fun with friends right now. Just watch an episode of Wheaton's hit webseries "Tabletop" for proof.
To celebrate the game's 40-year legacy, famous fans of D&D have narrated a short story collection -- "The Legend of Drizzt: The Collected Stories." It's available for free now, for a limited time, from audiobook site Audible in the US, UK and Australia.
Drizzt Do'Urden, a dark-elf ranger, is a revered character from D&D's hugely popular Forgotten Realms campaign. Created by best-selling author R.A. Salvatore, Drizzt is a key character in his Icewind Dale trilogy.
The 10 other celebs lending their voices to the 12 audio stories are: Sean Astin (Sam in "Lord of the Rings"), Weird Al Yankovic, David Duchovny (Mulder in "The X-Files"), Melissa Rauch (Bernadette in "The Big Bang Theory"), Dan Harmon (creator of "Community"), Danny Pudi (Abed in "Community") Greg Grunberg (Parkman in "Heroes"), Tom Felton (Draco in "Harry Potter"), Michael Chiklis (Ben Grimm in the "Fantastic Four" movies), and rapper and actor Ice-T.
While Day, Wheaton and Grunberg are experienced D&D players, some of the other celebs on the audiobook are just now discovering the lure of the game.
"This is my first delve into Dungeons & Dragons," Ice-T revealed in Audible's behind the scenes video, which is embedded below. "And actually reading Dungeons & Dragons is harder than playing Dungeons & Dragons. This is very intimidating to me. For those people who don't know, there's some interesting words so you have to learn the correct pronunciation. This guy's got a talking sword. It's interesting. Definitely far from where I grew up."
Sean Astin also took his narrator responsibilities seriously, and says he has always admired D&D players.
"People think of D&D players as these geeks," Astin says in the video. "To me they were kind of these untouchable, creative people. This space of thieves and assassins, I wanted to have a legitimate part of it, so now that I've read an audio book for Dungeons & Dragons I can feel a little bit tougher."
The audiobook is free for a limited time only, with no subscription required. It's playable on Audible's website or its apps for iPhone, iPad, Android and Windows Phone, and you can sign in with an Amazon account.Getty Images Mitt Romney has taken a lot of heat, even from fellow Republicans, for his swift attacks on President Obama's handling of last week's first embassy protests in Egypt.
One group, however, enthusiastically rallied to his side: Neoconservatives — the foreign-policy hawks who support using military might to spread democracy and defend U.S. interests abroad — argue that Romney was right to accuse Obama of projecting weakness.
Of course, such support can be a mixed blessing for the GOP presidential candidate. Neocons like William Kristol and Liz Cheney, whose ideology defined George W. Bush's foreign policy, bring a lot of baggage with them, thanks largely to the problematic way the Iraq war unfolded.
So Romney is left facing a delicate balancing act: He won't want to distance himself from a key GOP constituency, but likely wants to avoid the unpopular "neocon" label. So: Is Romney essentially a neocon, or isn't he?Yes. Neocons have Romney in their clutches and are making him one of their own: After 9/11, neocons "captured one Republican president who was naïve about the world," says Maureen Dowd in The New York Times. They're at it again. Romney and his running mate, Paul Ryan, have no experience abroad, but their "disdain for weakness and diplomacy" and enthusiasm for bombing Israel's neighbors (look out, Iran) sound "ominously familiar." Why? When their lips move, you're hearing the voice of their neocon puppet masters. "Neocons slither back"No. Romney has a mind of his own: The suggestion that Romney is doing the bidding of some neocon puppeteer is offensive, says Ira Stoll at Future of Capitalism. The caricature of a Jewish adviser (hawkish Romney foreign-policy strategist Dan Senor is Jewish) manipulating things behind the scenes is classic anti-Semitic imagery. More to the point, suggesting that Romney has "no volition or judgment" of his own and is just putty in the hands of neocons "is just preposterous." Where's the proof? Oh, right. There is none. "Maureen Dowd on neocons"Romney likes the ideas... but not the name: To win over voters, Romney needs to "make President Obama look like a big fat weenie on foreign policy without sounding like George W. Bush," says Elspeth Reeve at The Atlantic Wire. To pull it off, he's hiring "people who believe in the neoconservatism of the Bush years," but Romney is having them repeat the slogan — "peace through strength" — of Ronald Reagan, a "much more popular Republican president." That way, he gets the neocons' help without being saddled with their toxic reputation. "First rule of a Neocon Club is don't say the word neocon"A person snatched a beloved neighborhood cat named Cindy from D&M Towing in Mott Haven earlier this month, video shows. View Full Caption D&M Towing
MOTT HAVEN — Police are investigating the case of a beloved neighborhood cat who was snatched from the South Bronx auto shop she called home earlier this month — in an apparent cat-napping that was caught on video.
Maria Orozco, co-owner of D&M Towing at 205 E. 138th St. in Mott Haven, said Cindy the black- and brown cat had been in their care for about four years, since she was a kitten, before she went missing earlier this month.
Although the family said Cindy tends to wander around the block that the auto shop is on, when they checked surveillance footage from the night of Friday, April 1, they realized she had been cat-napped by a strange man.
The video, shared with DNAinfo New York, shows a man with dark hair in a blue striped shirt and dark pants waiting near the front passenger side of a silver car at approximately 10 p.m. on April 1.
The man crouches down to pet Cindy and pick her up. He shows the cat to the driver, who never gets out of the vehicle, and briefly walks back towards the shop, then gets back into the passenger seat with Cindy, shuts the door, and his companion drives away.
Orozco and her family say they don't recognize the man in the video and have no idea why he would want to take the cat.
The family reported Cindy's disappearance to the police, and detectives from the 40th Precinct have opened a petit larceny investigation into it, according to the NYPD.
Although the family has looked for her around the neighborhood, they have not been able to find her yet, they said.
Orozco described Cindy as a light brown cat with black stripes and one particularly distinctive characteristic: she has six toes in each of her paws.
Cindy was extremely popular throughout the neighborhood, and many people would stop by the auto shop to say hi to her, Orozco said.
She had gone missing once before but returned on the eve of Hurricane Sandy with an added surprise for the family, according to Orozco's son Rudy Fajardo, who also works at the auto shop.
"We thought we lost her, somebody took her or something," he said, "but then she came back pregnant."
The family tried keeping Cindy at their home, but she did not seem to like it there very much, so they started keeping her at the auto shop, a habitat she seemed much more content with, according to Orozco's 12-year-old son Danny Orozco.
Danny Orozco described Cindy as part of the family and agreed with his mother that she was extremely popular throughout the neighborhood as well.
"There’s this one lady, she comes here, and she always pets the cat," he said. After Cindy was stolen, he said the woman asked, "'Where’s the cat?' And then we said we lost her, someone took her, and then she started crying," he continued. "That’s how much they loved her."
Cindy would typically come to greet Orozco and her husband when they came to the auto shop.
"I miss her," Orozco said.MANILA- The Supreme Court, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), has ordered the constitution of a panel of three hearing commissioners under its control and supervision "to aid the tribunal in the just and expeditious disposition" of former Sen. Bongbong Marcos' poll protest and Vice President Leni Robredo's counter-protest.
The resolution, dated June 6 and released to the media Friday, appointed as commissioners retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Jose Vitug, chairperson; and lawyers Angelito Imperio and Irene Ragodon-Guevarra, members.
"The commissioners shall decide unanimously to every extent possible, provided that in the event of failure to reach a unanimous decision, the majority decision shall prevail," the resolution read.
The chairperson will receive P15,000 per day of hearing and/or service while the members will receive P10,000 per day of hearing and/or service.
Marcos is questioning Robredo's victory in the May 2016 national polls, alleging election fraud. He lost to the former Camarines Sur representative by 200,000 votes.
Robredo, in response, also lodged a counter-protest against Marcos on allegations of irregularities in some precincts in parts of the country.Gov. John Kasich said he's "getting closer" to introducing a "loser pays" legal system for lawsuits in Ohio – a feeling he said stems from his frustration over Democratic, liberal lawmakers and activists' legal challenges to JobsOhio.
Gov. John Kasich said this morning that those suing him over JobsOhio �are going to have to answer to a much higher power than me� for their legal challenges against his privatized development agency.
Kasich blasted the liberal policy group and two Democratic lawmakers who originally sued over JobsOhio in April, 2011 and are still seeking answers from the courts, calling them �nihilists� whose lawsuit �is about wrecking Ohio�s economy and destroying people�s jobs.�
But Kasich, an openly religious man who often cites his faith as a reason for pursuing such initiatives as funding for the poor and job creation, said of his JobsOhio detractors: �These are people who are going to have to answer to a much higher power than me about why they have appealed and appealed and appealed.�
Brian Rothenberg, executive director for ProgressOhio, one of the plaintiffs in the JobsOhio suit, said: �As far as invoking God, I don�t believe that the good Lord is taking sides in John Kasich�s attempt to spend $1.5 billion.
�I�m just as religious as he is, and I believe the good Lord is neutral as to who is right in this instance,� Rothenberg said.
Kasich�s JobsOhio rant dominated his 40-minute question-and-answer session with reporters from around Ohio hosted by the Associated Press. JobsOhio went to the bond market this week to fund a $1.5 billion lease of the state�s wholesale liquor profits – a complicated transaction expected to generate about $100 million annually for JobsOhio – even though the Supreme Court recently ruled it would hear an appeal filed by Rothenberg and his co-plaintiffs.
The appeal is of a decision in lower courts ruling that Rothenberg, state Sen. Michael Skindell of Lakewood and former Rep. Dennis Murray of Sandusky did not have the proper standing to sue. If the Supreme Court should rule in their favor, the plaintiffs original suit challenging the constitutionality of JobsOhio would finally get a hearing, and an ultimate ruling on that suit against Kasich would likely jeopardize JobsOhio�s liquor profits lease and bond sales.
�There�s no legitimacy to this,� Kasich said. �Constitutional issue? Come on, that�s a political issue designed to wreck the progress that we�re having in Ohio.�
Kasich said the lawsuit was a tool for Democrats to �somehow... get back in power and do more damage than they�ve already done.� He said he was �getting closer� to introducing proposed changes to Ohio�s legal system so losers in a lawsuit would be required by law to cover the defendant�s court costs unless excused by a judge.
Rothenberg�s original lawsuit has since been joined by Maurice Thompson of the conservative, 1851 Center for Constitutional Law, who doesn�t share Rothenberg�s ideological views. Rothenberg said Kasich �becoming bully on the bus and saying the loser must pay really sounds like the governor himself doesn�t respect dissent and needs to be a bully if people don�t agree with him.�
As for invoking Kasich�s invoking of God as a referee in the ongoing JobsOhio dispute, Mark Caleb Smith, director for the Cedarville University�s Center for Political Studies, said �I am sure it�s true that if Gov. Kasich had to say it over again, he would phrase it very differently, I would hope.
�This is probably an off-the-cuff comment,� Smith said. �I hope what he means here is we all have a conscience we�ll have to address at some point. For those of us who are theists, we have to deal with how God works in our lives, but it�s a difficult phrase to use in a political argument.�
jvardon@dispatch.com
@joevardonA fire broke out in Telstra's exchange in the Sydney suburb of Chatswood on Thursday afternoon, downing mobile and fixed services for customers nationwide and causing text messages to be sent to the wrong recipients.
At around 1:40pm on Thursday afternoon Telstra advised that power equipment at the Chatswood facility had been damaged by the fire.
It said it was working to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
Both mobile and fixed-line services were impacted nationwide.
The exchange issues delayed flights, shut down train lines in NSW, shuttered government and education services, and brought businesses across the country to a standstill.
The 10-storey exchange located at 1 Thomas Street, Chatswood is understood to be one of the most integral to Telstra's network, housing core routing and switching infrastructure.
"If damage is caused to a main route, this will impact the whole network," Telstra said on Twitter.
"Our technicians are currently completing a full assessment of the impact. We will provide more information as soon as it is available," its advised on its status page.
It is unclear at this stage what caused the fire, which has since been put out.
At around 3:30pm Telstra said it was starting to see call services come back online, but a related issue with SMS messaging meant customers may have received text messages not meant for them.
It stopped processing SMS services while it worked to fix the problem.
Voice services were restored at around 4:15pm, it advised.
Telstra CEO Andy Penn apologised for the service issues.
"The fire brigade had to isolate the power and we had to redirect the traffic away from the exchange,” Penn said.
“I’m pleased to say more than 70 percent of the traffic continued to operate as normal.
“The good news is no-one was hurt in the incident and those services were all restored within a couple of hours."
It's the second fire to occur at a Telstra exchange within a year, following the June 2016 electrical fire at its Brunswick facility in Melbourne.
Prior to that the last exchange fire the telco suffered was at Warrnambool in the notorious 2012 incident, which took $10 million to fix after damaging 60 percent of the facility and knocking out services to up to 60,000 users.
Late last year Telstra pledged to spend $3 billion over the next three years to improve its networks and customer experience after a series of damaging outages earlier in 2016.A former South Yorkshire teacher asked pupils to undress at his home and measured their genitals for what he claimed was a 'development study'.
Denis Hays was working at Greasbrough Primary School in Rotherham between 1975 and 1977 when he asked youngsters who were leaving the school to attend his home for what he said was a 'child development study', a disciplinary hearing was told.
The 72-year-old admitted asking three pupils, then aged between 11 and 14, to undress before measuring their penises.
He claimed the measurements were taken for a private study which he hoped would increase his chances of promotion, but this study was not linked to any school or other organisation and he did not tell his school or the secondary school the boys were attending about what he was doing.
A professional conduct panel of the National College for Teaching and Leadership found his motivation was at least in part sexual and he had been trying to keep the details of the study from others in the knowledge it was inappropriate.
The panel found his behaviour had amounted to both unacceptable professional conduct and conduct that may bring the profession into disrepute. It recommended he be banned from teaching indefinitely, a sanction which was approved by education secretary Justine Greening.
Mr Hays never completed the study or published any findings, claiming he had abandoned it after his personal cicumstances changed. The details only came to light in 2015 when one of the pupils reported the matter to police.
The panel said the former teacher, who described his actions as 'naïve' and said he should have had another adult present to protect himself and the children, had failed to grasp the seriousness of his conduct.
In a written decision, it stated: "(The panel) considers that his actions had the potential to harm the pupils involved in the study. The panel also felt from Pupil A’s live evidence, that Mr Hays |
Hospital for the wonderful care he received during his illness.
'He was a much loved and adored father, grandfather and great-grandfather and will be sadly missed by his extended family.'
Details of Dr FitzGerald's funeral have been announced this evening. He will lie in repose at the Mansion House on Saturday from 11am to 7pm.
The public will be able to file past the coffin and sign a book of condolence.
The coffin will then be moved to the Sacred Heart Church in Donnybrook and will be on public view from 8pm to 10.30pm.
Dr FitzGerald's funeral mass will take place in the same church on Sunday at 2.30pm before burial at Shanganagh Cemetery in Shankill.
Born in 1926, both of Dr FitzGerald's parents had been involved in Sinn Féin during the War of Independence.
His father, Desmond, later served as Minister for External Affairs in the State's first government.
In later life, Dr FitzGerald often spoke of his desire to bring together the southern Catholic tradition of his father with the northern Protestant tradition of his mother, Mabel.
He met his wife Joan at UCD. They were to have a famously close relationship. The couple had three children.
Dr FitzGerald worked for Aer Lingus for some years before becoming an economic consultant and academic, and then a politician.
He was elected to the Seanad in 1965 and the Dáil in 1969, where he quickly made his mark, particularly in the debates on the arms crisis.
A supporter of the liberal wing of the party, known as The Just Society, he campaigned strongly in favour of Ireland joining the EEC in the 1972 Referendum.
When Fine Gael entered Government in 1973, he became Minister for Foreign Affairs, playing a leading role during Ireland's first Presidency of the EEC.
He was also a key figure in negotiating the Sunningdale Agreement, which set up a short-lived power-sharing executive in Northern Ireland.
He succeeded Liam Cosgrave as Fine Gael leader after the 1977 election defeat, encouraging the party in a more liberal direction while rebuilding the organisation from the ground up.
In 1981, he formed a minority coalition government with Labour's Michael O'Leary as Tánaiste, and announced his desire for a constitutional crusade to create a more pluralist Irish society.
But the coalition fell the following February when Budget proposals to extend VAT to children's clothing and footwear were defeated.
Dr FitzGerald's great rival, Charles Haughey, returned to power at the head of a short-lived minority government before, in November 1982, Fine Gael achieved its best result in over half a century by coming within five seats of Fianna Fáil.
A difficult economic situation led to tough and unpopular medicine, while in 1983 the electorate voted against Dr FitzGerald's advice to amend the Constitution to protect the life of the unborn, and three years later rejected the introduction of divorce.
On Northern Ireland, the New Ireland Forum aimed to unite constitutional nationalists but its recommendations were rejected by British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Despite the setback, Dr FitzGerald kept working, signing the Anglo-Irish Agreement in 1985, which gave the Irish Government a role in Northern Ireland and marked the high point of his political career.
But the economic situation remained dire and at the beginning of 1987 the Labour ministers walked out of government.
Mr Haughey returned to office, with Dr FitzGerald offering conditional support in the Dáil, foreshadowing Fine Gael's Tallaght Strategy.
The next day, Dr FitzGerald resigned from the Fine Gael leadership.
Although he retired from the Dáil in 1992, he still took part in some political campaigns, particularly in the referenda on the Nice and Lisbon Treaties.
He also served as Chancellor of the National University of Ireland for 12 years, from 1997 to 2009, during which time he presided over the NUI's Centenary in 2008.
He wrote books and newspaper articles, lectured and travelled widely, and appeared on many radio and television programmes, including election coverage, most recently last February.
The political career of former Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Garret FitzGerald in picturesI apologize in advance, but I need to rant for a moment here. The Ottawa Sun has posted the following as the front page for this mornings edition of their newspaper:
You’ll notice the large, in-colour picture of Lars Eller, injured, bleeding profusely and about to be carried off the Bell Centre ice on a stretcher. Eller reportedly suffered facial fractures, a broken nose, a concussion, and broken teeth. He was clearly lying unconscious on the ice for several seconds before Habs staff rushed onto the ice.
The injury occurred on a hit by Eric Gryba. Already the debate as to whether the hit was clean or not has started, and look, I don’t care here. Whatever my feelings are on the hit, they are irrelevant to the issue at hand, and that is the Ottawa Sun celebrating an injury to Lars Eller, and one that sounds like its pretty serious. I don’t know about anyone else, but I hear the word “Concussion”, which is really just another word for Brain Injury, and I take that injury pretty seriously. I see a player hauled off the ice on a stretcher, rushed to the hospital, and held overnight for observation and I know there is some degree of seriousness.
Yes, Ottawa Sun, your team won game 1. You want to celebrate that victory in the morning paper, go right ahead. But celebrating a victory is one thing. This is a disgusting act and seems to be celebrating the injury of a player. We’re all human beings, and this is a poor display, and a sickening choice made by the editorial department at the Sun. Hockey does not transcend human dignity.
Again, this has nothing to do with the outcome of the game. If the Sun wanted to show a celebrating Senator after a goal, and come up with some other clever headline about winning game 1, there would be no issue. However the graphic nature of the photo and the glee with which the headline reads, are just too much and cross a line that compassionate human beings just shouldn’t even approach. You don’t celebrate another person’s injury, pain, and suffering; its barbaric and it’s not what sports should be about.
Sun Media…. you’ve crossed the line, and I’m calling you out. I believe that the Ottawa Sun should retract the cover and issue an apology to Lars Eller. And that’s the Last Word.
Thanks for reading, as always feel free to leave comments below and follow me on twitter @lastwordBKerr. Give the rest of the hockey department a follow while you’re at it – @BigMick99, @IswearGAA, and @LastWordOnNHL, and follow the site @lastwordonsport.
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photo credit: bridgetds via photopin ccAbout Nichijou Blu-ray/DVD
Nichijou - My Ordinary Life - Complete Collection contains episodes 1-26.
Follow the adventures of three ordinary girls as they make life's awkward moments a thousand times worse. Along with a colorful bunch of classmates, they learn their most important lessons the hard way. Like whether goats are an appropriate form of transportation, who would win in a wrestling match between the principal and a deer, and most notably, if the three-second rule applies to weenies that fly through mohawks.
Meanwhile down the street, a pocket-sized professor makes life difficult for a robot who just wants to be normal. But normal is the last thing you can expect in a town where salmon fall from the sky. In fact, the only thing you can count on is your friends, but even they are totally weird.
From the creators of K-On! and Lucky Star comes a slice-of-life series packed with absurd antics and hilarious high school predicaments.Image caption The Mavi Marmara and other vessels were intercepted last May by Israeli navy commandos
An Israeli inquiry has found the country's navy acted legally in a deadly raid on a flotilla of aid ships trying to reach Gaza last May.
The raid, in which nine Turkish activists were killed, attracted widespread international condemnation.
Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the inquiry had neither value, nor credibility.
A separate UN inquiry last year said the navy had shown an "unacceptable level of brutality".
The military operation severely strained relations with Ankara - a long-time ally of Israel's.
The 300-page Turkel Committee report found the actions of the Israeli navy in the raid and Israel's naval blockade of Gaza were both legal under international law.
The panel of inquiry - headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Jacob Turkel, with five Israeli members and two international observers - was set up in June.
One of the inquiry's members died aged 93 during its hearings, and correspondents say the report will be dismissed by Israel's critics as biased.
'Banditry and piracy'
The Free Gaza Flotilla, which had more than 600 pro-Palestinian activists on board, was trying to break Israel's blockade of the territory when it was intercepted by Israeli navy commandos on 31 May.
Israel says its commandos used live fire only after being attacked with clubs, knives and guns.
Analysis This report has been seven months in the making and it runs to some 300 pages. The raid was a disaster for Israel's public relations and the government was hoping this inquiry would do something to amend that. The problem Israel is going to face is that many of its critics will see it as a whitewash. This was an Israeli government-commissioned inquiry and people will say it simply wasn't balanced. The findings of this report were in stark contrast to the views of 600 pro-Palestinian activists aboard those ships. They also contrast with the findings of a UN report which said Israel's commandos had shown an unacceptable level of brutality. This is not the last we will hear on the flotilla raid. In the coming months the Turkel Committee will look into what intelligence Israel had in the lead-up to this operation. And there is another UN investigation, ordered by the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, which is expected to release its findings later in the year.
But activists on board the Turkish-owned Mavi Marmara say the commandos started shooting as soon as they boarded the vessel.
The Turkel Committee report said Israel's actions had "the regrettable consequences of the loss of human life and physical injuries".
"Nonetheless... the actions taken were found to be legal pursuant to the rules of international law."
The report did offer some criticism of the planning of the operation, saying "the soldiers were placed in a situation they were not completely prepared for and had not anticipated".
The inquiry heard testimony from high-ranking Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Ehud Barak and army chief General Gabi Ashkenazi, as well as several Israeli-Arab lawmakers who were travelling with the flotilla.
None of the military personnel directly involved in the raid was authorised to provide testimony.
In August, Mr Netanyahu told the inquiry that Israel "acted under international law" when it intercepted the flotilla.
He said the Gaza blockade was legal and that Israeli troops only used force when their lives were in danger.
After its own inquiry, Turkey described the attack - which took place in international waters, about 130km (80 miles) from the Israeli coast - as a violation of international law, "tantamount to banditry and piracy", and described the killings as "state-sponsored terrorism".
Results of Turkish post-mortem examinations have suggested that a total of 30 bullets were found in the bodies of the nine dead activists, including one who had been shot four times in the head.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has asked for reports from both the Israeli and Turkish inquiries to be submitted as part of a wider UN inquiry to be held later this year.
Blockade eased
After criticism from its allies over the flotilla incident, Israel considerably eased its blockade of Gaza - allowing in more food and humanitarian goods.
Image caption Results of post-mortem examinations suggested one activist was shot four times in the head
Israel and Egypt imposed the blockade on the coastal territory when the Islamist militant group Hamas seized control of it in 2007.
Israel said it was intended to stop militants in Gaza from obtaining rockets to fire at Israel.
The restrictions were widely described as collective punishment of the population of Gaza, resulting in a humanitarian crisis.
But in the report released on Sunday, the Turkel Committee said: "The imposition and enforcement of the naval blockade of the Gaza Strip does not constitute 'collective punishment' of the population of the Gaza Strip."Syrian Army Offensive Sparks New Refugee Exodus to Lebanon
A Syrian army offensive in the Qalamun mountains between Damascus and the Lebanese border has sparked an exodus of more than 2,700 refugees, the U.N. refugee agency said on Friday.
The new exodus adds to nearly one million Syrians who have already sought refuge in Lebanon from the three-year conflict in their homeland, according to U.N. figures.
"The new arrivals are coming from the towns of Sahel, Jreijeer, Flita and Yabrud in Qalamun region, where military operations are reported to have escalated in the last two days," the UNHCR tweeted.
Troops backed by Hizbullah fighters launched an offensive on Wednesday aimed at retaking Qalamun's largest town Yabrud from rebels, who have been joined by jihadist fighters in recent days.
The assault has been accompanied by more than two dozen air strikes on Yabrud and its surroundings, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
On Friday morning alone, an activist who gave his name only as Amer said five air strikes had hit the Yabrud area.
Amateur video distributed by activists showed fleeing families riding on the back of pick-up trucks winding through mountain roads, presumably towards Lebanon.
The Qalamun region commands the main highway between Damascus and Syria's battleground third city Homs, as well as supply routes across the border.
According to activists, Yabrud was home to some 30,000 people before the uprising erupted in March 2011, but its population has more than trebled to 100,000 as people have sought refuge from fighting in other areas.[NOTE: This video was produced for BoilingFrogsPost.com on October 31, 2012. It is being made available in its entirety here for the first time.]
by James Corbett
BoilingFrogsPost.com
October 31, 2012
The old adage that “Knowledge is power” has been apparent to warriors and would-be rulers throughout history.
A well-known illustration from the annals of history revolves around Nathan Rothschild, the British representative of Meyer Amschel’s infamous Rothschild banking dynasty. At the Battle of Waterloo, Rothschild’s riders and messengers were able to get news of Napoleon’s defeat home to Nathan a full day in advance of the government’s own news carriers. As the story goes, Nathan was able to convince the public that he had in fact received news of Wellington’s defeat by selling heavily on the English stock market. When panic selling ensued, Rothschild had his agents buying up the stocks at pennies on the pound. By the time the news of Napoleon’s defeat actually reached Britain’s shores, Rothschild had already secured his position as one of the richest men in Britain, a fortune that was only further leveraged in the ensuing years lending post-war stabilization funds to Europe’s monarchy
Regardless of the story’s historical veracity, it serves to illustrate the fundamental precept: knowledge is indeed power. It also suggests a corollary: misinformation is a way of leveraging one’s power over an enemy. This, too, is an ancient idea that has been used throughout the centuries as a tool of psychological warfare to confer one’s army an advantage over its enemies.
Military deception is an ancient and time-honoured art. Throughout recorded history, military commanders have attempted to spread false news and seed false information as part of psychological warfare operations to deceive, confuse, and demoralize the enemy.
During the Crusades in 1271, Sultan Baibars successfully took the Crusaders’ Krak des Chevaliers in Syria by conveying a letter to the knights garrisoned there telling them to surrender. The letter, supposedly from the head of their order in Jerusalem, was in fact a crude forgery, but the gambit worked. The knights capitulated and the Sultan took the castle.
However it wasn’t until the invention and widespread use of technologies like the printing press and then the radio and the television, that the modern conception of “news” was formulated. The broadsheet, the magazine and the newspaper started to give people a sense of a regularly published digest of “news” stories. These technologies also enabled the possibility of mechanizing “false” news to spread propaganda to the enemy.
Some of the most dramatic examples of this came in the 20th century, with the use of airplanes to spread propaganda leaflets, and the use of radio to direct transmissions across enemy lines in a hope to sway public opinion.
This was by no means limited to psyops against the enemy, though. The very same techniques have been used throughout history to fool one’s own troops in an effort to raise morale.
In the Civil War, false “news” was routinely distributed to Confederate soldiers to boost their sprits before a battle, from false reports of Union General Ulysses S. Grant’s death to rumours that a world war was about to break out with England and France siding with the Confederates.
In WWII, false news of reinforcements for the beleaguered American-Filipino garrison resisting the Japanese invasion of the Philippines kept them fighting long past the point of their impending defeat.
One of the most extreme examples of “false information” spread to confuse, panic or disarm a nation, however, are news stories that are completely made up from whole cloth and broadcast as if they are real. These stories, too, although more rare, can be devastatingly effective in confusing and demoralizing enemies or panicking the public.
The pedigree of fake news stories goes back some time, but perhaps the most famous was the Halloween 1938 edition of the weekly radio drama, Mercury Theatre on the Air. This adaptation of H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds was presented as a fake news broadcast of an alien invasion. Famously, many of the people listening did not realize that the transmission was fake, and assumed the nation was actually being invaded. Some believed aliens had actually landed, others assumed it was a Nazi ploy, as tensions swelled in the run-up to WWII.
Although commonly dismissed as a sensationalistic media hoax, the phenomenon provoked by the broadcast became the subject of intense academic research. One of the bodies that took special interest in the broadcast was the Princeton Radio Project, a Rockefeller Foundation-funded body researching the effect of radio in influencing public opinion. Closely connected to organs of the US psychological warfare program, the group, which included Nelson Rockefeller’s Dartmouth College roommate, Hadley Cantril, eventually published a study on the public reaction to War of the Worlds.
Since that time, fake news broadcasts have been aired on otherwise “mainstream” networks from time to time, often with little or no notice that the “news” story being aired is completely fictitious.
Sometimes the fake news is deliberately seeded into the public consciousness by way of a carefully coordinated public relations campaign.
Other times the fake news consists of staged or manipulated interviews, designed to give a false impression that the on-the-ground reality is different than it really is.
Yet another method of implanting fake news is to merely make large-scale accusations that can later be exposed as being completely baseless. The widespread coverage of the original allegation and the almost non-existent coverage of the retraction is enough to assure the effectiveness of this particular psyop tactic.
All of these methods of psychological warfare, however, are only as effective as they are believable. To a jaded public, or even just one that has learned not to trust the news from a given source that is known to have a bias for or against given entities, the effectiveness of such propaganda is severely limited. This is where a new and altogether more insidious form of misinformation comes into play, however: the video news release.
The VNR, or video news release is a short video production that is made to look like a news report. Often employing actors or PR specialists to represent the “reporter” and even the interviewees, the VNR has been used as a way for companies to work their products and services into the nightly news in the guise of a “news” broadcast.
More disturbing by far than the widespread use of this PR trick by companies like Microsoft and Phillip Morris is the use of VNRs by the federal government
Some will dismiss the fears about VNRs out of hand. After all, they will argue, psychological warfare is by definition something that is used against one’s enemies, not one’s own people. This is in fact a mistaken assumption, and one that we will address in next week’s edition of this series.
For now, it will suffice to not our original premise: knowledge is indeed power. This implies another corollary, as well: ignorance is weakness. In this case, it is the public who time again perish for lack of knowledge, and the entities that seek to control their minds, be they governments foreign or domestic, or non-governmental actors altogether such as corporations and media entities, who can win the battle for the hearts and minds of the public by feeding them a steady stream of misinformation.
If the public is to have any hope at all in this bleak landscape, it can only come from a commitment to verifying and sourcing all of the information they receive. The psychological warriors can only have their way with a public who refuses to question their own sources of information and demand proof for the claims that are being made by their supposedly neutral sources of news.
Filed in: VideosCOLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — United Launch Alliance plans to eliminate more than 400 jobs in 2017 in addition to the 375 it plans to cut this year, the head of the Denver-based launch services provider said April 13.
ULA, the Boeing-Lockheed Martin joint venture that builds and operates the Atlas 5 and Delta 4 rockets, currently employs roughly 3,400 people throughout the United States. On April 8, ULA told The Denver Post it planned to eliminate about 375 jobs in 2016 largely through voluntary separation
In an April 13 interview at the 32nd Space Symposium here April 13, Tory Bruno, ULA’s president and CEO, said a second round of job cuts is planned for 2017.
“We’re going to do one more next year — about the same size, a little bit bigger — and then we’re going to be done,” he told SpaceNews. “This year is 375. Next year’s is a little bit larger— 400-and-something, but less than 500 — and then we’re finished. And then I intend to be done-done, hit my competitive price points, and if anything I expect to grow after that.”
Bruno said the job cuts would hit ULA’s Denver-area headquarters as well as manufacturing sites in Alabama and Texas and launch sites in Florida and California.
“It’s about all the things we’re doing to be more efficient, more competitive and to cut costs,” he said. “Ultimately, we’re going to be doing the same work because we’re more efficient with less people. That’s what’s driving that.”
ULA is facing tough competition from SpaceX for national security and civil launches. At the same time, many of the Defense Department’s major satellite programs are nearing full on-orbit deployment, which could mean fewer launch opportunities to go around. ULA is counting on the next-generation Vulcan rocket it is developing with a mix of Air Force and corporate money to achieve a $100 million-per-launch price point.Product Description
In a nutshell:
One of the most highly rated games of E3, Gears of War is looking likely to be the Xbox 360s Christmas blockbuster with the best graphics yet seen on the system and a tactical twist on the usual shoot em-up gameplay.The lowdown:
With Halo still at least a year out this is currently the Xbox 360s premier exclusive shoot em-up. Using a third person, over the shoulder, view rather than the usual first person viewpoint the game emphasis the importance of cover and tactics rather than just running and gunning. The question of cover becomes particularly important given the impressively destructible environments you fight in, which create a constantly shifting battlefield for you to navigate. As youd expect the game also contains an extensive suite of multiplayer and co-op modes for play over Xbox Live.Most exciting moment:
The graphics are stunning, nearly photorealistic, but the greatest guilty pleasure in the game so far is the "chainsaw bayonet" and the OTT spurt of gore it extracts from bad guys.Since you ask:
Gears of War developers Epic Games are also responsible for the Unreal Engine 3 graphics engine which is used in many other games from Assassins Creed to Lost Odyssey.The bottom line:
Who needs Halo when the Gears of War are turning as smartly as this?
Harrison DentIt wasn’t supposed to be like this. Twenty days ago, when Google revealed its 2017 Pixel phones, the talk was all about the “panda” Pixel 2 XL, the one with a white aluminum back and black glass window at the top. The larger of Google’s new Android flagships was shaping up to be an instantly iconic device with its own nickname and cult following. The “Pixel 2 XL” moniker would quickly be forgotten and we’d all talk, in beatifying tones, about the great Pixel Panda. All the pieces were falling into place for Google to own the October hype cycle with its new smartphones, which should have been the best that the Android world could offer.
— Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) October 6, 2017
And then the actual Pixel 2 XLs came out and people discovered that their displays have a laundry list of problems. The halcyon time when Android fans should have been gloating about their awesome new flagship with thin bezels, excellent speakers, and a superb camera has turned into a dark nightmare of canceling preorders and questioning one’s loyalty to the Google camp. How could Google get something so basic so thoroughly wrong?
The analysis of what went wrong and where will have to wait for another time. We still don’t know the full extent of the Pixel 2 XL’s screen troubles, which Google is “actively investigating” — though we do know enough to withdraw The Verge’s recommendation to buy the 2 XL, and to revise our review of it. If you have to buy a phone today, we’d encourage you to look elsewhere, with the smaller Pixel 2 being a very good candidate that suffers from none of its larger sibling’s screen irregularities.
Google wants to be taken seriously as a hardware company
While we wait for Google to complete its investigation, the interesting question to ponder is what exactly Google is hoping to achieve with its Pixel phones. If you ask the company itself, mobile hardware is no longer a hobby, and if you ask devoted fans of the Pixel camera like myself, you’d hear similarly high praise for the Pixel lineup. Over a long enough timeline, the Pixel is Google’s answer to the iPhone. But in the nearer term, and on a more realistic scale, Google’s only really seeking to have a buffer against Samsung’s dominance within the Android ecosystem. In both cases, Google’s first goal is the same: Google wants to be taken seriously as a hardware company.
This is why the Pixel 2 XL screen issues are such a devastating problem for Google’s Pixel lineup and trajectory. Google isn’t trying to push vast quantities of units out there like, say, Huawei, a company that recently claimed it had surpassed Apple to become the second-biggest smartphone vendor in terms of units sold. Google isn’t trying to generate an immediate return on its Pixel sales, either, even with the distinctly premium pricing of the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. For Google’s bottom line, hardware revenues are an imperceptible teardrop in a monsoon of advertising income.
Google’s hardware business right now is in the reputation-building stage of development. We all know the Google name and the rainbow-colored logo, but we’re not used to seeing that branding on an actual piece of hardware. So this is the time when many of us will be forming opinions about how much we can trust Google with physical devices. It’s a lot like encountering the Nike logo on watches or the Adidas brand on bottles of aftershave: a familiar name in an unusual context.
The entire Pixel brand is being tarnished by one ill-judged component choice
My biggest worry about the Pixel 2 XL display drama is how it will filter out to the wider public. Interested Android fans will read up on the subject and they’ll know the exact issues of a blue tint when viewed off-axis, muted colors, and potential screen burn-in, and they can then make a reasonably informed decision about whether they can live with them. (My position is that hell no, you shouldn’t accept such flaws on an $850 device.) But these things will seep out into the mainstream consciousness as well, whether through decontextualized tweets or some impassioned complaining to friends over a pumpkin spice latte.
Some of the fallout is already apparent in the conversations I’ve been hearing around the Pixel 2 XL. People are conflating the 2 XL’s display issues with the Pixel 2, assuming both devices have problems. That’s a logical way to think, because in almost all cases of a phone having a regular and an XL (or Plus) version, the screen tech remains the same. But in the case of Google’s 2017 Pixels, the smaller one has an OLED screen from Samsung, while the larger one has an OLED panel from LG — sort of the same tech, but entirely different leagues in terms of quality.
Another problem that’s being reported by users of both Pixel 2 models is a high-pitched noise produced by the phone. We haven’t experienced this issue across four review devices from the Pixel 2 line, but that’s the pile-on effect of a major flaw like the Pixel 2 XL’s screen: other, smaller, less universal issues get amplified by the big one.
The great irony of this situation is that Google started making Pixel phones so as to be less reliant on its hardware partners. Now it’s Google’s hardware partner that is sinking the Pixel 2 XL and punching holes in the hull of the entire Pixel operation. All Google really wants is to be able to have an alternative to Samsung at the super premium end of the market. But building good hardware is not a trivial matter, and Google is learning that as it goes.
It’s not like Google’s competitors haven’t faced similar issues to the current Pixel 2 XL screen crisis. Just last year, Samsung had the Galaxy Note 7 battery fiasco, and who can forget the classic Apple Antennagate situation around the iPhone 4 launch? The difference, and the thing that makes Google’s problem more existential, is that both the iPhone in 2010 and the Galaxy Note line in 2016 were well-established brands with plenty of customer loyalty. Apple and Samsung’s mature phone businesses could weather a hardware fault. But can the same be said of Google’s still budding Pixels?
For Google, the 2016 launch of the Pixel smartphone line was a renewal and a reboot. It signaled the company was moving on from its uneven Nexus efforts, which were themselves plagued by fundamental issues around Bluetooth connectivity, camera wonkiness, and basic reliability. Nexuses were generally cheap, so some of that stuff was forgivable — but the Pixels should be the fresh start of uncompromising, top-tier devices. If Google keeps failing on the basics — another example being the Google Home Mini problem that recently had the smart speaker record everything and send it all to Google — its hardware division could develop a bad reputation that it might not be able to escape.AMMAN (Reuters) - Damascus has announced measures to halt the fall of Syria’s currency, but traders expressed doubt it would work after the unraveling of a ceasefire and the collapse of peace talks brought one of the fastest falls of the five year civil war.
A cashier hands Syrian pounds to a customer inside a sweets shop in Damascus, Syria May 11, 2016. REUTERS/Omar Sanadiki
The pound has lost more than 90 percent of its value over the course of five years of fighting, and the fall accelerated in recent weeks since peace talks broke up in Geneva and fighting resumed in Aleppo between rebels and government forces.
The currency, worth 47 to the dollar on the eve of the civil war, now trades at around 635 to the dollar in Damascus and even higher rates in other cities, having fallen by 20 percent in less than a month, according to dealers reached by telephone.
Many Syrians have all but given up on the pound and use dollars for day to day transactions, hoarding hard currency to protect their savings.
Central Bank Governor Adeeb Mayaleh said on Wednesday he would do what it takes to halt the fall. The bank had injected $10 million into the market so far this week, he said.
“The rise in the dollar’s exchange rate is not at all justified in light of the Central Bank’s knowledge of the demand for foreign exchange and supply and the extent of liquidity in Syrian pounds,” Mayaleh told state media.
“The dollar’s exchange rate will see a big drop as the measures take effect and speculators will suffer big losses,” he said on Wednesday. He also met with currency traders to discuss the plans.
One senior financier in Damascus said the $10 million injection announced by Mayaleh so far was far too little to have an impact on exchange rates.
“If these measures are not accompanied by other broader steps to restore confidence we will see the pound hit the 700 benchmark against the dollar before June,” the financier told Reuters.
Two financial sources in the Syrian capital, who are not officials but are familiar with government policy, said they understood the bank was planning to spend $100 million supporting the currency in coming days.
The bank aims to put the additional hard currency into circulation by ordering each licensed currency exchange firm to sell up to $1 million in dollars to the public at a rate of 620 pounds to the dollar. That would move the official rate closer to the black market rate in a bid to drive black marketeers out of business.
FEAR ABOUT FUTURE
As fighting worsens in Aleppo and no signs of a political settlement emerge, Syrians are less hopeful the economy will improve. The crumbling of the currency has driven up inflation and aggravated wartime hardship as Syrians struggle to afford basics such as food and power. Government budget spending in pounds has more than doubled, but in dollar terms has crashed.
“There is now fear about the future of the pound due to lack of trust in government measures along with a shrinking economy,” said one financial investor familiar with central bank moves who requested anonymity.
The last rapid fall was when Russia announced it was reducing military support for President Bashar al Assad in March. At the time the pound traded at around 475 to the dollar.
Despite widespread devastation caused by the conflict and Western sanctions imposed on Syria, the currency has so far escaped a complete free fall. Assad’s ally Iran is believed to have deposited hundreds of millions of dollars into the country’s depleted reserves, which stood at $17 billion before the crisis.
Slideshow (4 Images)
A government crackdown on the currency black market had met some success in the past in reining it in, but the effect was wearing off now, one banker said.
Many people are reluctant to buy dollars through official channels, even when available at a better rate than on the black market, for fear they might be required to identify the source of their funds, bankers and businessmen contacted by Reuters said.
“Unfortunately no one believes in buying from licensed firms and most still ask for the dollars from the black market even if it might be more expensive,” said a currency dealer in the licensed Hanifeh exchange in war-torn Aleppo city, who gave his first name as Ahmad.Get the Mach newsletter.
Jan. 18, 2017, 6:00 PM GMT / Updated Jan. 18, 2017, 6:00 PM GMT By Christina Couch
Humans worldwide produce between 35 and 40 billion metric tons of carbon air emissions each year, a big chunk of which comes from fossil fuel-burning power plants. Efforts to reduce emissions only go so far and getting rid of smokestacks is nearly impossible, but there is an alternative on the horizon. Let’s transform some of that pollution into valuable, revenue-generating products.
That’s the challenge put forth by the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE, a global competition dedicated to accelerating the development and economic viability of technologies that can convert CO2 emissions into usable things, like biofuels, building materials, or fertilizers.
Related: This 20-Cent Paper Centrifuge Could Save Lives
With $20 million in prizes on the line, teams from across the world are racing to design technologies for coal and natural gas power plants that can convert the most CO2 into the highest-value products, creating a path and financial incentive for the entire energy sector to clean up its act in the process.
"The specific challenge that the XPRIZE identified was not just that CO2 emissions exist and we need to reduce them, but maybe there was a fundamentally new way to go about doing that," says Marcius Extavour, the competition’s director of Technical Operations. If competitors can prove that companies can make money off something they’re currently throwing away without subsidies or financial incentives from the government, "that really changes the ball game."
Teams are each taking their own approaches to CO2 conversion, and in some cases developing products and conversion methods that haven’t been explored on the industrial scale before, Extavour adds.
Change in Progress
Carbicrete, a startup based in Montreal, Canada, is trying to help the construction industry get a little greener. While pursuing his Ph.D. at McGill University, Mehrdad Mahoutian started experimenting with ways to make concrete without cement, a binding ingredient in concrete that requires large amounts of heat (generally from burning fossil fuels) to produce.
Mahoutian knew that slag, a waste residue generated during steel production, had some of the same chemical components found in cement, but when it just didn’t work when mixed in concrete. In 2012, he began investigating whether carbon dioxide could strengthen the mixture. When CO2 is injected into wet concrete made with slag, the gas binds with calcium silicate within the slag and traps the CO2 inside. The result is a cement-free building material the Carbicrete team says is stronger and less expensive than traditional concrete with a substantially smaller environmental footprint.
The Carbicrete team aims to create blocks that are stronger, less expensive, and more environmentally friendly than traditional building materials. Carbicrete
"We're taking industrial waste that's not being used, and we're replacing something that's pretty nasty — cement — and on top of all of it, we’re sequestering carbon dioxide," says Carbicrete CEO and co-founder Chris Stern. "It’s a triple home |
Miami, white voters in rural areas—by the way, there are a lot of African-Americans in rural areas—feel alienated by their government or don’t think their government or their country is helping them. And so it is much easier to connect and to engender trust with those voters when you are not part of the entity that they distrust. And our candidate, who I supported fiercely and thought would be a terrific president, was part of that. And their candidate wasn’t. And I think fundamentally, the reason you saw a lot of Obama-Trump voters is because Romney did engender that establishment thing in a way that Trump didn’t.
Now, there was a cliff, and there was a fall off of the cliff, but this dynamic has been happening certainly over the last 10 years, when you look at the performance of our party in many of these places. I believe our focus in terms of how you build a modern Democratic Party is not to walk away from our commitment to combating racism, not to walk away from homophobia and not to walk away from our commitment to immigration reform. It is, however, to rebuild trust with people who don’t trust the government and don’t trust the country to speak up for them.
Thrush: In the primary, the great pivot that Hillary Clinton made where she put Bernie Sanders away was in South Carolina and New York, where she racialized the argument. There was a great moment where Bernie was asked in one of the debates about the legacy of slavery and racial inequality. And he attempted to broaden it out, and Hillary Clinton said, “No, I want to talk about the specific ills of racial injustice.” So in order to win the primary, one of the things that she did was to narrow that argument down from the larger umbrella that Bernie was doing.
Cecil: I don’t view it as an either/or. I believe Bernie used it as an either/or.
Thrush: Bernie did?
Cecil: Yes. I don’t want to speak for Bernie, who I have worked with in the Senate, and I have a lot of respect for what he did in the primary. It is possible to have a compelling message that connects to working-class voters, regardless of whether you are white or black. That doesn’t negate the fact that African-Americans face a different set of circumstances or that women do. Sixty-seven percent of tipped workers in this country are women. That is an economic issue, but it is impossible to divorce the economics of tipped wages from the fact that 67 percent of women are the tipped wage earners. So my point is these are all interconnected. It is not simple enough to say it can be either/or, and to me, we should not dumb ourselves down with an endless set of polling data to come up with the 17 policy positions. We should speak from a position of moral strength and figure out a way to communicate with working-class voters, period.
Thrush: What Guy is talking about, that is where the cultural stuff comes into play. We know that the term “political correctness” is a freighted term in a lot of ways. It’s about white people in some instances not being able to say the things that they want to say, right? The NRA is a religion in parts of this country. So the question is: If you want to build what Guy is talking about—a larger message that encompasses white working-class folks, white upper-income folks, African-Americans, rebuilding this coalition, but pushing it towards the center of the country—how can you do it when you have these cultural impediments?
Frank: A lot of the really hard-core culture warriors—you’re not going to be able to win over. But a lot of the lesser committed people are just looking for a party. For the people who live in those areas and vote for Republicans, the culture wars are all they know of about politics because that’s what they hear on the radio all of the time, and that’s what the newspapers talk about all the time. There’s a lot of these people that could easily be won back to the Democratic Party and, by the way, not by the Democratic Party denying the theory of evolution or siding with the NRA or something like that, but offering them a competing message that has to do with economics, appealing to them on their class interests.
And this is what the Democratic Party obviously used to do. This is not even hard to look up. This is very recent. You look at a place like Missouri. I grew up in Kansas City. And when I was a kid, Missouri was a very Democratic state. Harry Truman is from Missouri. Dick Gephardt is from Missouri. But you look at the map now, and Trump took every county except for St. Louis, Kansas City and the college town, Columbia. And it is a wipeout for Democrats out there. You go to these small towns, and there is no Democratic presence in these places.
Thrush: I want to know what the issues are. Because it has always struck me that in the absence of a really charismatic …
Frank: Oh, can I give you an idea?
Thrush: Yeah.
Frank: Small towns, all over America, boarded up, the businesses are all gone, the kids leave as soon as they can, the family farms are dying. OK, what do you do about that? Well, one thing that’s really easy is antitrust. You know, you start going after the agricultural monopolies. Every farmer I’ve ever met knows about these companies, and is furious about them. And those people—I mean, this is a very Republican cohort now—but, you know, you start talking about their one obsessive concern, and you might be able to win some of them over. You start going after Wal-Mart, which has destroyed the businesses in every small town in America. Do you remember when Barack Obama won Iowa over Hillary Clinton in 2008? It was a big surprise, a big shocker. And the way he did it was by promising to use the antitrust laws against agricultural monopolies, or that was one of the things that he said.
Thrush: I think there were a couple of other things, too.
Frank: Yeah, of course, but this was very important to rural voters. And he never did anything on that. And, by the way, this gets us to a larger problem. Hillary Clinton actually, as I said earlier, looked pretty good on paper on economic issues. But there was not a lot of credibility there, and one of the reasons is because you have this man in the White House who, while Hillary is out there saying, “I’m against the TPP,” and here is her president pushing it.
Thrush: I was in Iowa. You know that Barack Obama played footsie with rolling back NAFTA, too.
Frank: That’s right. Go back and look at the debate with Obama and Hillary in ’08 in Cleveland. NAFTA was the No. 1 issue. Both candidates promised to renegotiate NAFTA, and they pointed out in the debate that they didn’t need Congress to do it; the president could do it unilaterally.
Thrush: If we’re talking about an up-and-coming element of the working class in this country, we are talking about Latinos. Matt, given this sort of cultural war that is taking place and some of the incredibly intemperate things that this president-elect has said about Hispanics, how do you kind of integrate the Hispanic working class in with the white working class in a way that is politically powerful?
Barreto: Well, I think, in the communities where both are of a sufficient size to work together, you do see those coalitions. In places where you have that symbiotic relationship, where Latino and white working-class individuals are working together—whether it’s in factory industry or wherever—you do have that. Because they recognize that they have the same issues at stake, that they care about the same things—good opportunities and making a better life for their families—and that there aren’t that many differences.
Where you have the challenges are in places where the Latino population is rather small, in fact, but it’s growing. And if you look at the map and the areas where Trump did well, it’s in those pockets where there aren’t a lot of Latinos yet, but there may be some immigrants or the immigrant population may have doubled from 1 percent to 2 percent, and so it’s becoming visible. So we need to find opportunities for that integration, for people to get to know each other, to tear down those barriers between people and whatever fear and anxiety might be there in the communities, including some communities in Central Iowa.
It was very disappointing this year to see Trump attempt to play up the differences and to say that these immigrant or Latino communities or Muslim or Arab communities were not part of his core vision of America. And for many people in those rural and exurban communities in America who perhaps did not have a lot of immigrants or Muslims around them, they bought into that argument. But I’m quite hopeful when I look at a lot of these communities throughout the Southwest or even in pockets in the Southeast where the Latino population is growing, and outside of Atlanta, outside of Charlotte and other places. Where it is large enough and where it is integrated, you’re starting to see those relationships forged. I think that we need to work together to create those messages of similarity and reject any messages that attempt to divide us.
There does need to be more energy and effort, and that is done in recruiting new faces to the party.
Thrush: There are two matters of pragmatic importance for the Democratic Party, as I see it, in terms of the problem here. One is on the local political level, which the Republicans have dominated in terms of the statehouses and subsequently redistricting. The Democratic dominance of local political organizations is in the past right now. What do you think, Matt, from your experience can be done to rebuild the Democratic Party at the grass-roots level? Do you see any possibility, given the fragmentation of society, that that’s really a realistic possibility?
Barreto: There does need to be more energy and effort, and that is done in recruiting new faces to the party. And that starts at the state and local level—recruiting new candidates to be running for the state legislature, even city councils and county party structure, to get those new faces in. If you go to parts of the country, you still have an incredible mismatch between the elected representatives and what they look like and what their background is and what their experience is, and the average everyday worker and the average everyday voter. And that’s something that came up in this election, of course. Not that Trump necessarily embodied any of that; he didn’t. But he was somehow able to make that stick. We definitely need to win back these state legislatures in the next few cycles to have a say in the redistricting process. So I’d like to see more energy put into bringing in new voices, new faces, and to make the party more diverse at that local level.
Thrush: Guy, you raised close to $200 million in this cycle through Priorities USA [the main super PAC supporting Clinton]. If I’m not mistaken, the red-state redistricting project that Ed Gillespie did raised $50 million. And you could argue that it was the best $50 million that’s been spent in American politics in a very long time. What do you think needs to be done by the Democratic Party and donors in order to compete at the local level?
Cecil: Well, I think we actually have two very different states that have been very successful at doing this: Nevada and New Hampshire. Nevada elected the first Latina ever to serve in the United States Senate. They elected two new Democratic members of Congress. They’re looking at a state legislature that is Democratic. They represent two of the things that we’ve been talking about here, which is a growing Hispanic population, but also, remember, Nevada was one of the hardest hit by the ’08 crisis. They have a larger-than-national-average percentage of non-college whites, which is what everyone talks about. Yet Hillary won the state. They elected Democrats up and down the ballot in large part because they built an infrastructure there. Granted, they had Harry Reid. It helps when you have the Senate majority leader and then the minority leader fully committed to raising the money, to investing in real talent. Then, you take a state like New Hampshire, which is not an ethnically diverse state, which Hillary won, which defeated a popular incumbent Republican woman senator, and now the whole federal congressional delegation, I believe, is women.
So in some ways, you know, the purpose of the Democratic National Committee should be to decentralize our efforts and to empower local parties and local activists and state parties with the tools that they need to build robust digital operations, to give people the tools they need to organize their own areas, to speak in their own voices. Part of the way you address these challenges in a place like Ohio is not only by poll-testing a bunch of language to place on top of Ohio to run a race, but rather to empower activists to develop their own organizations to do some of that important work and to invest in the resources locally. And so none of this is magic. It’s all hard work. And we’ve allowed the fact that we’ve had a Democratic president—and, for a good portion of it, a Democratic majority in the Senate—to paper over the fact that we have not been investing on the ground in these places. We have not been investing in state parties.
Thrush: But how do you get Democratic donors to commit to building something as mundane and unsexy as party infrastructure?
Cecil: I think that there are donors that are willing to invest in this type of work, willing to invest locally. In some ways, not having the White House is going to bring many of these issues to the forefront in a way that they been allowed to be papered over, over the course of the last eight years.
You know, in 2010, I worked for Michael Bennet [the Democratic Senate candidate who won in Colorado]. We defied the odds. And then in 2014, the Democrats got swamped in the Senate. In both of those cases, the single largest funder of field activities in the Democratic Party was the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee; it wasn’t the DNC. It wasn’t outside infrastructure. Somehow we have to figure out a system through which we can empower local infrastructures with the resources to make good decisions, how to pool our resources together digitally to share best practices, go back to a system where we were supporting the active recruitment and training of candidates locally.
And, by the way, you see new types of candidates emerging in some of these states. I mean, Illinois has a Republican governor, prime opportunity for a pickup in 2018. New Mexico has an empty seat, but held by a Republican governor. Florida will have an empty seat held by a Republican governor. There are going to be some enormous opportunities for us to invest on the ground locally to rethink how we’re organizing. And we must rethink how we’re approaching Donald Trump. If we’re just going to do the same stuff that we’ve done with former presidents, we’ll lose.
Thrush: Trump has hijacked a lot of the issues that you, Tom, have identified as being traditional Democratic Party issues. Let’s dovetail that with this notion of rebuilding local party.
Frank: Well, he pretends to appeal on these issues. We’ll talk about that some other time. But for me the answer to all of these questions is just incredibly simple: get people to join unions again. Think about it. Unions turn people into Democrats. People get in touch with their economic interests. It’s a way of pushing back against the culture wars. It’s the exact demographic that we’re talking about. It not only turns people into Democrats when they join a union, but the more union members you have, it obviously changes the nature of the Democratic Party itself, as they have a greater voice. It’s going to change the way the party works. And they also do something about inequality. And they don’t do it from the top down. It’s not, you know, “Let’s redistribute things with taxation.” They do it via civil society, by negotiation between management and workers.
Thrush: But correct me if I’m wrong. In Ohio, for instance, you had an even split or even Hillary was underwater with trade union households as opposed to public union households.
Frank: No, that’s right. This was a very bad election. But traditionally, I mean, the union leadership are almost all still aligned with the Democratic Party. But it’s very hard to organize a union in America today, very hard. And Trump is going to come down on them like a ton of bricks.
Cecil: Look, for the last two decades the Democratic Party has been looking to unions to help build the Democratic Party. In many ways, the Democratic Party should be thinking about ways they can help rebuild unions. And then the whole paradigm needs to change.
Frank: The thing is that we had it in front of us. And the Democrats dropped the ball.
Cecil: There’s one other real-time example that’s not a Midwestern state. Despite the fact that Hillary lost and the Senate candidate lost in North Carolina, the Democrats won the governor’s race in North Carolina—by the way, in the midst of a maelstrom around a social issue that turned out—
Frank: The bathroom thing?
Cecil: Yes. And I think one of the other things besides unions, which I totally agree with, besides the infrastructure of the Democratic Party, is you look at what Reverend William Barber did down there with his Moral Monday movement. He is a civil rights leader from North Carolina who understands the connection between economics and race and identity. He has been traveling all around the country over the last six months. But, really, when he saw what was happening in the North Carolina state legislature, long before HB2 [the state bill requiring people to use bathrooms based on their biological gender at birth]—when they were gutting funding for college public education, when they were gutting funding for the state university system, when they were refusing federal dollars for expansion of different projects, when they were really moving away from sort of the moderate approach that North Carolina had become known for compared to the rest of the South—he built a coalition of people that every Monday showed up. Sometimes it might be 100 people; sometimes there might be 50 people; sometimes there might be 1,000 people who consistently brought attention to these issues and organized across identity, organized across interest group. He didn’t do it alone. It wasn’t the sole reason. Yes, we need unions; yes, we need party establishment people, but we need local people; we need progressive religious leaders; we need others who are standing up and doing this type of work in all of these states and, frankly, doing the work here in D.C.
Thrush: Matt, one of the things that struck me as one of the few really great Democratic organizing tools was OFA—used to be Obama for America, now Organizing for America. It did not turn out to be the great game changer that it was billed to necessarily be. But one area where it was tremendously effective was Affordable Care Act registration in a lot of Latino communities and African-American communities. And a lot of those organizers went on to become effective political organizers, or they perhaps were to begin with. To what extent is that kind of organizing around ACA and around immigration issues in the Latino community a potential seed for effective political organizing?
Barreto: Oh, certainly. I think over the last 10 years, really since the 2006 immigration rallies and marches in the spring of ’06, you’ve seen a rebirth of mobilization and grass-roots organizing in the Latino community. And out of that have come the Dreamers, have come many other advocates, not only for immigration but for health care and many other issues in the Latino community.
Now, what we need to do is to get them integrated into the Democratic Party, into the political system. They have an important role as organizers, as grass-roots activists in protest and demonstration. And that needs to continue, certainly, over the next four years. But we also want to see those groups brought into campaigns, into elected officials' offices. And I think you’re going to see that. There certainly are more and more people. The party has been talking about increasing the diversity of its staff and vendors and everything down the line. And now is the time to hold them accountable and to see if that happens.
If you look at places in the campaign that were the most diverse—Nevada and Colorado had the most diverse staffs from top to bottom on the Clinton campaign. Both states had Latino political directors who were not in charge of Latino outreach; they were in charge of the entire state of Colorado and the entire state of Nevada. And they hired very diverse staffs. And they relied on a lot of these local talent, people who had been organizing. And those were bright spots for the Democratic Party. So I think the more that we can integrate these folks, these movements, they can help bring along other people like them; they can help reach out to new voices, those new people they signed up for health care or people who they helped register for naturalization. And we can turn those people into voters.
Thrush: Who do you want to see as DNC chair, and what do you want to see the DNC be over the next couple of years?
Frank: Come on. That’s not what I write about. I’m a historian. (Laughter.) It should be Keith Ellison, and I don’t know what they should do. They have an enormous, enormous task in front of them. Enormous. I mean, they’re wiped out as a party across the country. They have to start over.
Cecil: I have no preference in terms of chairs. I think there could be other candidates that get in the race. The thing that is encouraging is that all three candidates, Jaime Harrison, Ray Buckley and Keith Ellison, are all talking about rebuilding from the ground up, are all talking about revitalizing things like recruitment and training, empowering state parties, helping rebuild infrastructure, and have done so. The role of the party chair is fundamentally different when you have the president of the same party versus the president of the opposing party. And so it’s going to be an incredibly important job.
Barreto: Of the folks I’ve seen out there, I think Jaime Harrison represents a lot of the future. You’ve got a young person here who has good state experience, wonderful endorsements from Congressman James Clyburn and could get at the diversity in a changing America. So I’d like to see someone like that. I think Harrison would be a very strong pick to lead the party and, you know, to get a new vision and some new blood, so to speak.DUBAI/LONDON (Reuters) - More than two months after international nuclear sanctions on Iran were supposed to have ended, frustration is deepening that few trade deals are going through as foreign banks shy away from processing transactions with the country.
A money changer poses for the camera with a U.S dollar (R) and the amount being given when converting it into Iranian rials (L), at a currency exchange shop in Tehran's business district, Iran, in this January 20, 2016 file photo. REUTERS/Raheb Homavandi/TIMA/Files
Iranian hopes of rapidly ending the country’s economic isolation are fading as particularly European banks - some of which have already been hit by hit huge U.S. fines for sanctions busting - fear falling foul of the many other restrictions imposed by Washington that remain in force.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has accused the United States of foot-dragging following the official implementation in January of a nuclear deal with major powers.
“The Americans have not acted on their promises and (only) removed the sanctions on paper,” he said in a televised address on Sunday, complaining that international financial transactions faced problems because banks “fear the Americans”.
Many nuclear-related sanctions did end when the 2015 nuclear deal was implemented on Jan. 17, including measures imposed by the European Union and rules allowing U.S. authorities to go after foreign companies and individuals dealing with Iran.
Agreements on a number of major contracts have been announced with great fanfare, with Tehran hoping relief from the crippling sanctions will lead to billions of dollars in trade and investment, reviving the economy and raising Iranians’ living standards. However, significant sums have yet to start flowing.
U.S. banks are still forbidden to do business with Iran and while lenders based elsewhere are not covered by this ban, major problems remain. Chief among these are rules prohibiting transactions in dollars - the world’s main business currency - from being processed through the U.S. financial system.
The Iranian business community believes the United States has failed to spell out exactly what is permitted and what is not, leading to the uncertainty that makes international banks reluctant to process Iranian-linked transactions.
“We have to try to put pressure on America to make this issue clear. Otherwise, removing the sanctions does not mean anything,” said Ferial Mostofi, chairwoman of privately-owned Iranian project management firm KDD Group.
KDD Group, which is active in sectors including iron, steel and mining, has noticed greater business interest from abroad, she said, but so far no deals have been concluded.
“If the banking situation stays as today, definitely we shall be facing problems for the payments,” said Mostofi, who also chairs the Investment Commission at the Iran Chamber of Commerce.
The U.S. Treasury, which is responsible for enforcing sanctions on Iran, gave no immediate response to a Reuters request for comment.
Iranians based in Dubai, historically one of Iran’s main trading partners, complain they cannot get letters of credit to finance deals with their home country, while others have even had their company bank accounts closed in recent weeks.
The problems are also complicating Iran’s plans to sell more oil, as well as recover up to $100 billion in assets that had been frozen by the sanctions in foreign bank accounts.
AGREEMENTS, FEW DEALS
Since January, Iran has struck agreements worth an estimated $50 billion with countries including Italy, Japan, South Korea, Russia, Germany and others involving trade, project finance and other investment.
Agreements include a contract to buy 118 Airbus jets worth $27 billion. However, the funding needed to turn agreements into firm deals is another matter.
One Airbus executive told a conference in Paris last month that “we only see the back of banks at the moment”, telling them: “Don’t be afraid!”
Banks remain deterred by a $9 billion U.S. fine on BNP Paribas in 2014 for violating U.S. financial sanctions and other penalties, and the head of the French banking federation told the conference that lenders had yet to be assured of “complete legal security and clarity”.
That will be tough as long as Washington keeps the ban on processing dollar transactions for Iran in the U.S. system.
“Until U.S. sanctions are lifted European banks with major operations in the States, of which there are many, will still be exposed to onerous trade restrictions unless they can prove complete separation of European and U.S. divisions of their business,” said George Booth, a partner at law firm Pinsent Masons.
“That’s easier said than done. It should not be underestimated the level of internal restructuring required to satisfy this criteria,” said Booth, who advises firms hoping to do business with Iran.
Seyed Arash Shahr Aeini, deputy chief executive of the Export Guarantee Fund of Iran, an Iranian government agency, said so far only smaller banks were willing to become involved, and transactions were limited to around $50 million.
“Some small amounts have gone through but the huge amounts will require the involvement of big foreign banks which were active in Iran projects before the sanctions were imposed. They are still reluctant to start doing business with Iran.”
In recent weeks SWIFT, the global payments network, has reconnected several Iranian banks to its system, allowing them to resume cross-border transactions with foreign banks four years after they were cut off.
While an important step towards re-integrating Iran into the global financial system, the outcome has appeared patchy so far.
Two banking sources said most international banks were still refusing to accept cheques from holders of accounts at one major Iranian commercial bank that has been reconnected.
Ali Sanginian, chief executive of Amin Investment Bank, Iran’s largest investment bank, blamed the delay in reintegrating Iranian lenders on the remaining sanctions, the banks’ anxieties and outdated technology used in Iran.
An international banker in the region said his bank’s aversion to Iranian transactions had not changed. “Around 85 percent of trade is in U.S. dollars and if you’re dealing in dollars you cannot risk that by involvement with Iran,” the banker said.
An Iranian national flag flutters in Tehran April 15, 2011. REUTERS/Morteza Nikoubazl
Of the transactions that are happening, some are in euros and other currencies, permitted under the current arrangement.
“Notwithstanding the relaxation of the position, it is still unclear as to whether if you are moving U.S. dollars around they may get held up in the banking system,” said James Kidwell, chief executive of shipping group Braemar. “Some people are probably choosing to transact in euros to avoid that problem.”
Iran has managed to sell oil to India and other buyers in euros. It told trading partners which owe it billions of dollars that it wants to be paid in euros, Reuters reported last month, citing a source at state-owned National Iranian Oil Co.I can practically feel the communal eye roll of my entire generation of fellow females, but just hear me out! Yes, I support the feminist causes. Of course, I believe women should be able to get paid the same amount as a man for equal work, there isn’t a doubt in my mind that a a woman should also have control over her own body, and don’t even get me started on the fact that women who need a man in their lives to feel complete are only doing themselves a disservice. I am strong, empowered, and extremely capable with or without a man by my side. I can spend whole afternoons holding my own in intellectual battles and it is no secret that my favorite past time from August till February is NFL footballs. I’m climbing the ladder in my career and I’m plan on traveling solo for the first time overseas next summer. All of these things are acceptable and expected from women in this day and age and I stand by them, fully.
Yet on the other side of that is the fact that I never wear pants in the office. I believe in a-line skirts and cardigans or Michelle Obama style dresses with flats or heels only. I enjoy buying sexy Victoria Secret panties, and have a standing appointment at European Wax for a year round smooth bikini line, but I also don’t believe in being overly promiscuous and tend to be pretty tight lipped about my sexual adventures with the few partners I have had. I can’t wait to take my future husbands last name, and, yes, just to be a Mrs. in general. Additionally I like to cook, I like to clean, I like being taken out for dinner without needing my wallet, and I know no title will feel anywhere near as important as the title of “mom” one day.
The sad part is, I’m extremely ashamed to admit any of that. Does it make me less of a feminist to say those things? Has our generation lost touch with the things that use to be the feminine norm? Can I blend both together and be accepted? How did we get to a point where saying you want to have kids someday is met with this pity and embarrassment for everyone involved? I am young, smart and talented and yet when I left Washington DC for the desert life in Arizona my mentor at the time told me “it’s such a shame because you had so much potential.” As if giving up the career only path makes you less of a woman.
But I don’t think it does! I like a man who is strong, I like it when he occasionally orders for me and treats me like we’re in a classy 1940’s wartime movie. The kind of guy who’s not afraid to grab my hand, pull me into him and kiss me without asking permission. I like a man who knows what he wants, and doesn’t apologize for it. Someone who know’s even though I make my own money will provide for me one day, out of want, not obligation. We are equals, but he still kisses me on the forehead when he wants me to be quiet and will ask my Mom and Dad for my hand in marriage before proposing. He can be honest in telling me when I need to calm down without the risk of me getting more upset. He owns a nice watch and plays pick up games with his friends on week nights, and prefers that he drive and I sit shot gun (because he’s a better driver and I’m a better navigator).
He is all these things and yet I can imagine him one day down the road, dawning a tiara and sipping tea with a little girl dressed in the pinkest of tutu’s because he’s that secure in his masculinity.
If he can be secure enough for that, then I can be secure enough in my own femininity to decree that I am an extremely feminine feminist (also not shaving or wearing a bra is for hippies cut it out) and there isn’t anything wrong with that.The remains of David Kelly, the Iraq weapons inspector, have been exhumed by his family after a sign was placed next to his grave by conspiracy theorists.
It is understood that the body has now been cremated after campaigners threatened to exhume his remains themselves amid speculation that he did not commit suicide.
The Welsh scientist had been employed by the British Ministry of Defence and had formerly been a weapons inspector for the United Nations in Iraq.
He died days after he was exposed as the source of a BBC report in 2003 which referred the government's dossier on weapons of mass destruction as'sexed up'.
The remains of David Kelly (pictured), the Iraq weapons inspector, have been exhumed by his family after a sign was placed next to his grave by conspiracy theorists
The grave and headstone, in Longworth, Oxfordshire, (pictured today) was dug up in the middle of the night
Protesters outside the High Court in central London demand an inquest into the death of weapons inspector David Kelly
The Justice for Kelly group, which reject the Hutton inquiry's findings that the scientist killed himself, placed a sign next to his grave calling for an inquest.
A family source told The Sunday Times: 'They did the placard; they used to leave notes on the grave and they would have vigils.
'Janice [Kelly's widow] hated it, she felt it was a desecration, and asked the police to get them to stop.'
A member of Justice for Kelly told the newspaper that the grave and headstone, in Longworth, Oxfordshire, was dug up in the middle of the night.
David Kelly died days after he was exposed as the source of a BBC report by Andrew Gilligan (left). An inquiry into his death was ordered by then-serving Prime Minister Tony Blair (right)
Fresh turf has been laid over the former location of the grave, which was regularly visited by conspiracy theorists
The grave of David Kelly is pictured shortly after he was buried in 2003 following his suspicious death
Dr Kelly came to public prominence after he was revealed as the source of an off-the-record chat with BBC reporter Andrew Gilligan.
The Hutton Report later found that Dr Kelly, a member of a UN inspection team sent to Iraq to unearth weapons of mass destruction, had committed suicide.
However, many still believe the 59-year-old scientist may have been murdered by the security services.
Successive governments have refused to hold a full coroner’s inquest, making him the only person in modern English legal history to be denied a proper inquest.
Lord Hutton’s 2004 report, commissioned by Prime Minister Tony Blair, concluded that Dr Kelly killed himself by cutting his wrist with a blunt gardening knife.
However conspiracy theorists argue that the conclusion that Dr Kelly killed himself by severing the ulnar artery in his left wrist after taking an overdose of prescription painkillers is untenable because the artery is small and difficult to access, and severing it could not have caused death.In the fall of 1990 and into the early weeks of 1991 millions of people around the world protested the anticipated US-led war against Iraq. From Washington, DC to London; Berlin to Tokyo; Bangladesh to Gaza, massive protests were held in the months leading up to the January 16, 1991 attack. I myself attended one of the most emotionally powerful antiwar protests I had ever attended the day before the war began. It was in Olympia, WA. Over 3000 people (in a county with a population of around 100,000) attended a rally and then marched to the Washington State Capitol. We entered the building and took over the chambers for several hours. Some protesters spent the night and only left when they were removed by Washington State Police.
A similar scenario developed in the fall of 2002 and the early part of 2003. While the Bush White House issued ultimatums to the Iraqi government and called them negotiations, Secretary of State Colin Powell presented a tableau of lies to the United Nations in a vain attempt to get its approval for the upcoming US invasion of Iraq. Meanwhile, Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and the generals who worked with them ferried hundreds of thousands of US military men, women and machines to Kuwait and other nations in the region. The Navy continued to move its ships into position. On February 15, 2003, over ten million people around the world protested, demanding and pleading that Washington and London back off from their invasion plans. As Brian Becker of ANSWER wrote me in an email: “The Iraq anti-war movement succeeded in doing something that was without precedent. We created a mass movement that brought millions of people into the streets – in the U.S. and around the world — prior rather than after the outbreak of a military conflict.” Like the protests in 1990 and 1991, these protests were also ignored. Becker continued, “Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld raced to invade Iraq because they knew that the only way to change the political calculus which had left them entirely isolated, in the political sense, was to change the facts on the ground in Iraq, so to speak.”
A month later the second massive US attack on Iraq began. That attack too was met with worldwide protest. Unfortunately, as the first days of the war became weeks, the protest diminished while the war forces monopolized the media and the battlefield. By May 1, 2003, George Bush was confident enough in his victory that he strode onto the USS Lincoln and told the world the military mission had been accomplished. Little did he and his advisors know that the war was actually in its infancy. Certain elements of the antiwar movement began to take notice, although most of its members and organizers had reluctantly surrendered their determination, acknowledging another victory for the US war machine.
Then, that machine got too big for its britches. It began the task of occupying the nation of Iraq, taking over the administration of its towns, villages and cities. A subservient regime of Iraqi technocrats and politicians, many of them recent exiles, joined with various clerics |
GOTV calling, inaccurate data about a potential supporter could result in a caller unintentionally providing a polling station address that is different to the location where that supporter is supposed to vote.”
Some of the ridings where complaints were reported were not close races, but others appear to show a pattern of voter-suppression calls in tight races. In Saanich-Gulf Islands, where Green Party Leader Elizabeth May was in a close race with Conservative cabinet minister Gary Lunn, five voters complained to Elections Canada that they received calls telling them their polling stations had moved, and five voters complained of poll-moving calls in Winnipeg South Centre, where Conservative Joyce Bateman beat Liberal Anita Neville.
smaher@postmedia.com
gmcgregor@ottawacitizen.comForget your lines. Forget what Texas Monthly says. Forget your pit tours and your pitmasters and your brisket that you smoked at a temperature so low it took a week, a whole week, to cook.
When Arnold Schwarzenegger comes to Austin there’s only one pitmaster he answers to. And that’s Rudy.
READ: The only barbecue joint in the state Texas Monthly says is better than Franklin Barbecue
Where does the man made of meat stop for meat when he visits Central Texas? Rudy’s Bar-B-Q, where the line is fast-moving if there is one, the white bread comes in a bag and the corn is really, really creamed.
Good to see @Schwarzenegger hanging out at @rudysbbq Westlake. Enjoy the protein! #GetToTheBrisket #GoChaps pic.twitter.com/mBPhZDe5Zw
— WestlakeNation (@Westlake_Nation) July 12, 2017]]A few posts ago I looked at Erlang and how it solves concurrency using the actor model. I truly enjoyed playing with this strategy and found the concept intriguing.
That's why i decided to look into how concurrency using actors is solved in other languages as well. In this post I'll take a quick look at Scala and how we can work with actors using the Akka library.
It's worth mentioning that Scala originally had it’s own Actor library. However, in version 2.10 Akka became the default Actor library and in 2.11 the Scala Actor library got deprecated.
So what are we creating?
I’m going to keep it to the absolute basic and recreate the example I made in the Erlang post.
We created a small chatroom where we had two types of actors, server actors and client actors. Clients will then be able to connect to the server in order to participate in the chatroom.
Communication between the actors
In Akka, actors are very lightweight concurrent entities that communicate asynchronously by sending messages between each other. As with Erlang, Scala uses pattern matching to figure out what kind of a messages it receives.
To create the different types of messages, we just define a few case classes.
abstract class Msg case class Send(msg: String) extends Msg case class NewMsg(from: String, msg: String) extends Msg case class Info(msg: String) extends Msg case class Connect(username: String) extends Msg case class Broadcast(msg: String) extends Msg case object Disconnect extends Msg
We'll see how the different case classes are used when we're studying the actor implementations. So let's get to it!
Time to look at the server actor
class Server extends Actor { var clients = List[(String, ActorRef)](); def receive = { case Connect(username) => { broadcast(Info(f"$username%s joined the chat")) clients = (username,sender) :: clients context.watch(sender) } case Broadcast(msg) => { val username = getUsername(sender) broadcast(NewMsg(username, msg)) } case Terminated(client) => { val username = getUsername(client) clients = clients.filter(sender!= _._2) broadcast(Info(f"$username%s left the chat")) } } def broadcast(msg: Msg) { clients.foreach(x => x._2! msg) } def getUsername(actor: ActorRef): String = { clients.filter(actor == _._2).head._1 } }
To define an actor, we need to create a class that extends the Actor trait. This trait contains several methods that we can override to add functionality. However, for this post we're going to focus on the receive method.
receive is the only abstract method that we need to override to create a valid actor. This method will fetch messages from the mailbox and run it through our pattern matching to figure out what to do.
Let's go through the different patterns
In the server actor we've defined three patterns. Let's take a look at what they do.
Connect(username) - Cool, someone is trying to connect to our chat!
The first thing we do is to notify all the other clients that a new client has connected.
As with Erlang, we use the exclamation point to send messages to other actors.
Next we add the new client to our client list. sender is defined in the Actor trait and contains the ActorRef of the message sender.
The last thing we do is to make the server start monitoring the client actor by calling watch. Doing this, the server actor will receive a Terminated message if the client actor is terminated. Pretty cool right?
Broadcast(msg) - A new message for the chatroom!
This case doesn't contain anything special. It just finds the username of the sender based on the ActorRef and then sends a NewMsg to all the clients connected to the server.
Terminated(client) - Aww, someone disconnected...
Since we registered for Terminated messages from clients when they connected, we need to handle them. In this case the server simply notifies the other clients that a client disconnected, then removes the client from the client list.
Next up, the client actor
class Client(val username: String, server: ActorRef) extends Actor { server! Connect(username) def receive = { case NewMsg(from, msg) => { println(f"[$username%s's client] - $from%s: $msg%s") } case Send(msg) => server! Broadcast(msg) case Info(msg) => { println(f"[$username%s's client] - $msg%s") } case Disconnect => { self! PoisonPill } } }
There isn't much actor related to tell that hasn't been told in the server part. However, there are a few things worth mentioning.
On creation, the client sends a Connect message to the server.
On Disconnect, the client sends a PoisonPill message to itself to trigger the termination. A Terminated message will then be published to DeathWatch, which will then notify our server actor.
Let the chatting begin!
To keep the chat a bit more natural, I’m using sbt console to interact with the actors.
First, let's startup the console and get in a few dependencies.
$ sbt console > import scamsg._ > import akka.actor._
Now, let's create our ActorSystem.
> val system = ActorSystem("System")
This is the entry point for creating our actors. Actors created under the same ActorSystem share several configurations and form a hierarchical group.
Creating an ActorSystem is quite expensive, so you shouldn't create them without having a good reason.
Next, let's create our server actor.
> val server = system.actorOf(Props[Server])
To create the actor, we use ActorSystem.actorOf which creates a child under this context. Props is an ActorRef config object for creating new actors.
Ok, time to add a client!
> val c1 = system.actorOf(Props(new Client("Sam", server))) > c1! Send("Hi, anyone here?") [Sam's client] - Sam: Hi, anyone here?
Let's bring in someone for Sam to talk to.
> val c2 = system.actorOf(Props(new Client("Mia", server))) [Sam's client] - Mia joined the chat > val c3 = system.actorOf(Props(new Client("Luke", server))) [Mia's client] - Luke joined the chat [Sam's client] - Luke joined the chat > c2! Send("Hello") [Mia's client] - Mia: Hello [Sam's client] - Mia: Hello [Luke's client] - Mia: Hello
Great, let's now try to terminate Luke's client to see that the server actor will get notified.
> c3! Disconnect [Mia's client] - Luke left the chat [Sam's client] - Luke left the chat
That's it for now
That's it for this quick introduction on creating actors using Scala and Akka. I truly enjoy working with Akka, so I'll probably get back to the topic, covering more features like supervision strategies and distribution.
You can find the source code of the example on GitHub.Kicking Up A Garagepunk Duststorm…..Meet, Pow Wows
It’s been awhile since I’ve had the time to discover some new music, glad to say I’m starting to find a little more free time to go hunting for some killer bands, so let’s start off this by saying these guys are some serious rock n rollers, their latest release is out on Get Hip Recordings out of Pittsburgh and for all you garage rockers that’s The Cynics Label. For me anytime Get Hip signs a band they get my attention. Very cool jamming and vocals going on here, great garagepunk vibes, reminds me of The Doors mashing up with The Fleshtones, enough from me, Meet the Band, listen to the cool ass tunes and buy their records and be sure to see them live if your lucky enough to get the opportunity…..
Hi our name is…. Pow Wows
And our sound might be best described as…. Fuzzy, verby, thunderous, dark but sometimes funny… Or garage punk rocknroll works too.
We are….. Jon, Chris and Ryan
We are originally from….. Small towns of Ontario, Canada
The first time we met was….. In the back of a car
We knew we were going to be a Band when……… When we first plugged in together and made a racket we thought hey, this is a good way to avoid working a “real job” so let’s do this. Still doing it too!
Before starting the band we were employed as……. Record store clerks, music shop employees, musicians in other bands, and various other activities moral and otherwise…
Our craziest gig ever was…. Hmmm there have been a few haha, could be the house party in Austin, Texas that the police shut down in the middle of our set… or a show we played at The Cake Shop in Manhattan where we had a run in with NYC cops outside the venue… always a good time at a Pow Wows show.
The first song we wrote was….. With this line-up our first tune together was Killing Me, our first 7″. It existed in a real rudimentary form until Chris joined and then the song was truly born.
It’s about…… Drug trips, the edge of time, nuclear disaster, and there is a dark side to the song as well.
What we are currently listening to…. Nox Boys debut LP, the new Natural Child LP, Steve Adamyk Band – Monterrey 7″, Jimmy Ohio and the Ultimate Lovers live at Volume on youtube.
A few albums we could never part with….. Flamin’ Groovies – Shake Some Action LP, any LP by Reigning Sound, PIL – Metal Box LP, MC5 – High Time LP, Gun Club – Fire of Love LP, Wilson Pickett – Midnight Mover LP
For fun we like to….. Listen to records, play guitars, drink beers, and hang out in record shops while doing these things.
The one thing we want you to remember while your listening to us…… Life is precious, spend it with us
Expect from us in 2014…. We are dropping our second full length LP and we are very excited to do so. There were countless litres of blood and sweat that went into making this record, so much in fact that you might need to clean your hi-fi after each play. We will also be touring this LP all over the place so keep your eyes wide for us because here we come…
Bent Out Of Shape by Pow Wows
Shock Corridor by Pow Wows
We Are Pow Wows.com
We Are Pow Wows FacebookRaaj Kapur Brar runs a small but successful empire of online fashion magazines from his base just outside Toronto. Some of his titles are huge online brands, such as Fashion & Style Magazine, which has 1.6 million Facebook fans.
That's more fans than Elle magazine has.
Even his niche brands, such as South Asian Fashion, are huge - it has 1.7 million fans. A typical Fashion & Style post will get 2,000 likes.
His umbrella company, Fetopolis, is exactly the kind of marketer-publisher that Facebook has encouraged to take advantage of its 1.2 billion-strong audience. Fetopolis' titles post a constant stream of new pictures and fashion ideas, his followers love them, and he gets money from clothing labels to push content.
Recently, however, Brar has fallen out of love with Facebook. He discovered - as Business Insider reported recently - that his Facebook fanbase was becoming polluted with thousands of fake likes from bogus accounts. He can no longer tell the difference between his real fans and the fake ones. Many appear fake because the users have so few friends, are based in developing countries, or have generic profile pictures.
At one point, he had a budget of more than $600,000 for Facebook ad campaigns, he tells us. Now he believes those ads were a waste of time.
Facebook declined multiple requests for comment on this story.
Brar's take is a cautionary one because Facebook has 25 million small businesses using its platform for one marketing purpose or another. Many of them are not sophisticated advertisers - they are simply plugging a credit card number into the system and hoping for the best. This is what can happen if you don't pay careful attention to contract language, or the live, real-time results your campaigns on Facebook are having.
An unpaid bill of $379,000.
A review of emails from Facebook, ad campaign dashboard screengrabs, and billing records show a confusing, acrimonious dispute in which both sides believe the other acted badly. It's not even entirely clear what Brar's total spending was: Campaign budget data seen by Business Insider appear to show that Brar ran at least $489,000 in ads on Facebook. One email from Facebook demands payment of an unpaid bill for $370,000. Brar himself believes he ran up to $640,000 in ads. To be fair to Facebook, this is the advertising business - the company can guarantee exposure but not results. Advertise the wrong thing in the wrong way, and you'll lose your money. Clearly, the vast majority of businesses that use Facebook for marketing are pleased with the experience. Facebook's growing revenues, up 63% last quarter, indicate it is only getting more successful at advertising, not less.
And, of course, Brar is a disgruntled former customer with a bone to pick. There is a fair amount of he-said, she-said in the retelling of what happened between Brar and Facebook. Obviously, both sides dispute what the other is saying.
Here's how Brar believes it went down: He became interested in advertising on Facebook in 2012, and he took it seriously. He went to Facebook's local Toronto office where he was trained to use the advertising interface. They set up the campaign, and ran a small "beta" test. Then, in late October Brar pulled the trigger on a massive push through Facebook's Ads Manager. He used Bitly and Google Analytics to measure the number of clicks his campaign was generating.
The results were disastrous, Brar says.
$100,000 a day on Facebook ads.
Facebook's analytics said the campaign sent him five times the number of clicks he was seeing arrive on his sites, which Brar was monitoring with Bitly, Google Analytics, and his own web site's Wordpress dashboard. There was a reasonable discrepancy between the Bitly and Google numbers, Brar says, but not the five-fold margin between Google's and Facebook's click counts.
At one point, data from Facebook indicated his ads had delivered 606,000 clicks, but the site itself registered only 160,000 incoming clicks from Facebook, according to data supplied by Brar. (160,000 clicks is a not insignificant return. After all, these are not clicks on a mere Facebook page, these are users who clicked through to an off-Facebook site.)
Worse, after just a few days of running the campaign - at a spend rate of up to $100,000 a day, the kind of budget that Macy's or Walmart might devote - it became clear that the revenue being generated by the campaign would never pay for the ads. Brar was hoping that the small sum he was paying for Facebook ads would be profitably eclipsed by the much more expensive Google ads he was running on his websites. He was arbitraging the traffic, essentially - which is a routine practice in online marketing.
Brar's tests had suggested that the return on his investment in ads might by two or three times their cost. But when the full flight of ads ran, it was a tiny fraction of that.
Then the fake clicks arrived.
"I don't know what to say, right? This is a huge loss. This ran for four days, then we just stopped the campaign," Brar says.
Then, things got worse. Even though Fetopolis wasn't advertising, the likes and new followers kept on piling up. Normally, an advertiser would be pleased at such a result, but every time Brar checked a sample of the new fans he found people with dubious names; a picture of a flower as a profile shot; and fewer than 10 friends - classic signs of a fake profile.
Facebook advertising has a little-discussed problem: When you run an ad, people operating fake profiles will click on the ad and like your page simply to make their own fake profile look more genuine, as if it is being operated by a real person. These fake clicks come from click farms, which are an entirely separate illegitimate underworld within social media marketing. Often based in Asia, click farms exist to defraud legitimate advertisers by delivering vast numbers of cheap clicks that would otherwise not occur. Genuine advertisers attract fake clicks in two ways: Directly, through fraudulent clicks on their ads; and indirectly, when click farms try to camoflage their fake user profiles by clicking randomly on whatever ads are targeted at them.
Facebook works hard to get rid of fake accounts. In its annual report, the company said that only about 0.4% - 1.2% of all active users are abusive accounts that create fake likes.
Nonetheless, a badly targeted campaign can generate huge numbers of fake fans and bogus likes. This appears to be what happened to Brar.
"We spent over $600,000-plus to get these fans. And we haven't run any campaigns for over two years, but still our pages are growing at 100,000-plus new likes every week. And I bet that most of them are fake likes with fake profiles," Brar says. "How many did we pay for that are fake?"
Facebook does not allow audits.
Naturally, Brar began disputing his bill with Facebook. He wanted his clicks audited by a third party, to see how many were genuine. Then he discovered that Facebook's terms of service forbid third-party verification of its clicks. That's something all advertisers should be aware of before they spend a penny on Facebook: Facebook has operated this way for a long time, and has a page for advertisers explaining in more depth why third-party click reporting may not match Facebook's click counts. Essentially, Facebook suggests, if clicks are not measured in exactly the same way over the same time intervals then there will always be discrepancies.
Facebook is different from the rest of the online ad industry, which follows a standard of allowing click audits by third parties like the IAB, the Media Ratings Council or Ernst & Young.
"I asked Facebook, can you provide any third-party evidence besides your own server analytics? Because we're losing money here right now. They said no, we've checked our systems and no one else reported any issues."
"I have to take your word for it?" Brar said. "It was 'thank you for your money, no we're not wrong, all the other third parties are wrong.'"
Brar declined to pay the bill. He told Business Insider that his magazine titles did not generate enough revenue to cover $600,000. His credit with Facebook was ruined. He offered to pay cash in advance for future campaigns but Facebook demurred. Facebook did not sue Brar or pursue him further for the money, however.
In the year or more since the campaign, Brar says. He has tried to figure out what portion of his fanbase is fake. "But Facebook doesn't have a tool for that," he says.(CNN) -- When Google's not-the-Facebook social network, Google Plus, launched earlier this summer, one thing stood out for many tech pundits: privacy settings.
On Facebook, users had to navigate confusing lists on settings pages in order to control seemingly simple and important things, like who could see their photos or status updates or which books they like.
Google Plus made such decisions easier since it let users decide who would receive a given post or photo right when they created and then posted it.
Facebook seems to have taken notice of this subtle but significant difference. The world's largest social network on Tuesday announced changes to its privacy settings that allow users to choose who will see a photo or status update right when they post it -- much like was already the case on Google Plus.
"You have told us that 'who can see this?' could be clearer across Facebook, so we have made changes to make this more visual and straightforward," Facebook's Chris Cox writes in a blog post on the topic.
"The main change is moving most of your controls from a settings page to being inline, right next to the posts, photos and tags they affect. Plus there are several other updates here that will make it easier to understand who can see your stuff (or your friends') in any context."
An example will help make sense of all this social-media-speak.
Say you want to post a photo from a friend's recent birthday party -- and you only want your good friends to be able to see it.
Before, you would need to go to Facebook's "Edit Friends" page. Then you'd need to set up a list of your Facebook friends who you consider to be "good friends." That can take a while. Then you assign certain properties to that group, allowing them to see photos or status updates or wall posts made by other friends etc. Instead of deciding which pieces of content these people will see, you choose the category.
Confusing much?
After the change, Facebook users decide who gets to see a photo right as they post it. Right next to the "post" button on Facebook, which users click to post something new to the site, there's a little lock icon. Click on that and you can choose where to send that post. Click "customize" to get the most control.
Google Plus is similar, but it uses friend "circles" instead of "lists."
In comments on Facebook's blog post about the privacy change, some users said they were impressed: "Well done, slowly getting better," one wrote.
Many, however, referenced Google's new-ish social network.
"Glad to see that competition is finally forcing Facebook to improve," one person wrote.
"Looks like, FB is transforming to G+..." wrote another.
And there were more than a few jokes in the comments, too: "hahahaha... if you want this functionality, and want it to actually work, just use Google+!"
Tech pundit Robert Scoble chimed in, too:
"It effectively will keep people from moving to Google+ because it takes away many of the advantages of Google+ Circles."
There were some other Facebook privacy changes, too. Among them:
-- Users now can approve photo tags before they go onto their News Feeds, where friends would see them. Before, friends could identify you in a photo without your knowledge and post that on the network.
-- A button called "view profile as..." now appears in the top right corner of Facebook profiles. Click it and then enter a name of a friend or co-worker to see what your profile looks like when they view it.
-- Users can change the visibility of a post after it's up.
-- Facebook now says "public" instead of "everyone" in its privacy-setting lingo. Both terms mean everyone on the public Internet -- not just friends or other Facebook users -- can see that piece of content.
What do you think of these changes? Let us know in the comments.Editor's note: Julian E. Zelizer is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. He is the author of "Jimmy Carter" published by Times Books and editor of a book assessing former President George W. Bush's administration published by Princeton University Press.
Princeton, New Jersey (CNN) -- A new restored version of "Modern Times," one of the greatest films in the Hollywood canon, has recently been released.
The film, which came out in 1936, vividly captured the anxieties that gripped industrial workers at the height of the Great Depression. Unfortunately, the comedy works as well today as it did over seventy years ago, another sign that all is not well with our economy.
In the opening scene, viewers see the Little Tramp, played by Charlie Chaplin, working on an assembly line. Many generations of viewers have laughed as they watched Chaplin try to keep up with the mind-numbing repetition of bolts that must be tightened as they make their way to him on the conveyer belt.
Whenever he or his co-workers stop, for even a second, they must frantically scramble to catch up. Chaplin suffers a nervous breakdown and is placed in a hospital.
His misfortune continues. When the Little Tramp leaves the hospital, he steps right into the front lines of a communist march. He is mistaken as one of the leaders of the protest. He is arrested and thrown into jail. The Little Tramp eventually escapes during a jail break.
Much of the rest of the film follows the Little Tramp and his girlfriend, the Gamine, as they imagine a life of middle-class luxuries. The two break into a department store one night, experiencing what it would be like to enjoy all the new goods that were being offered in the emerging world of mass consumption.
In one scene, the Tramp and the Gamine rest by a tree outside a nice neighborhood, watching a couple say goodbye.
"Can you imagine us in a little home like that?" the caption reads. They think about what it must be like before a policeman tells them to move along. Later, they have a chance to live their dreams, but they must do so in a broken-down shanty where the walls fall over and a wood plank keeps crashing down on Chaplin's head from the ceiling. This is their reality.
"Modern Times" seems all too familiar for many Americans who are living through an economic nightmare in 2010. Although working conditions for many Americans have vastly improved since the 1930s and citizens can count on certain basic provisions upon their retirement, current economic conditions have created the same kind of despair captured by Chaplin in this film.
Other than the upper-income Americans who are enjoying the fruits of a rebounding stock market, most are struggling to survive with an unemployment rate hovering at 9.5 percent (and an underemployment rate, which includes the unemployed and those working part-time seeking full-time work, that is over 19 percent).
They are fearful about keeping their jobs if they have one, obtaining jobs if they don't, being able to pay for their family's needs, saving for retirement, and facing local and state governments cutbacks in essential services such as school programs.
Yet politicians are not dealing with this crisis and the private sector has not offered solutions.
The problem is much deeper than the recession. The stagnant unemployment rates have been produced by a number of forces that have long been brewing in the economy. For decades, businesses have been shifting their plants overseas. They have been setting up shop in places where labor is cheap and unions are nonexistent. While much of this shift began with factory jobs, a growing number of white-collar jobs have left as well.
The U.S. has fallen behind in many sectors of the economy such as clean energy and is even starting to feel competition in once-dominant sectors such as science.
Public policy, as many scholars have shown, has combined with globalization to undercut the security that many Americans had enjoyed in the post-World War II era, at the same time that income inequality has vastly increased. Rising medical and educational costs have squeezed the financial resources of families as they face these challenges.
There will continue to be a debate about which are the most important factors behind the current crisis, but the outcome is indisputable. American workers are struggling.
Velma Hart is a poignant example.
Hart was the woman who confronted President Obama when she asked, "I've been told that I voted for a man who said he's going to change things in a meaningful way for the middle class... I'm waiting... Is this my new reality?"
Unfortunately, Hart found out her answer when she was laid off by a nonprofit organization in Maryland. According to the national director of the organization where she worked, "It's not anything she did. She got bit by the same snake that has bit a lot of people. It was a move to cut our bottom line. Most not-for-profits are seeing their money pinched."
Too many of the nation's workers are finding themselves right back where Chaplin's character was in 1936. Ultimately, many Americans did experience better lives when the New Deal stabilized conditions and increased government spending in World War II helped stimulate the economy.
Innovation and public-private partnerships resulted in a vibrant period for the American economy during the 1950s and 1960s, one that the historian James Patterson has characterized as an era of "Grand Expectations."
Today the political system seems paralyzed in its efforts to find ways to regenerate the economy. As a new generation of Americans are exposed to the film for the first time, they might find themselves laughing a bit too hard and seeing a little of themselves in Chaplin's shoes.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Julian E. Zelizer.1994 called, and it had a few things to teach us about fighting games. While there has always been an interest in older titles — and 1994’s Super Street Fighter II Turbo has been the biggest mainstay in the group — the year 1994 had more to give the scene, and it has taken many years for this game to step out of the shadows. Perhaps its obscurity has been a hindrance for it; having only been released in Japan on the Super Famicom does not make it readily accessible for the Western market. But its appeal is ever apparent: when played in a side tournament at Canada Cup 2017 during finals day, the game in question received 22 players — some of whom had never played the game before. When they were subsequently eliminated from the tournament, many stuck around, loading the game ROM into Bizhawk to continue playing casuals while the tournament’s lone Super Famicom handled tournament matches.
I’m of course talking about the Angel-developed title Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon S: Jougai Rantou?! Shuyaku Soudatsusen! (Which roughly translates into “Outdoor Brawl?! Heroine Duel!”) This game has been catching on like crazy. While New York City has had a scene for a time, their most recent tournament netted 17 entrants. Toronto’s Stun City Wednesday event now features a weekly tournament for the game, and is becoming a Toronto staple relatively quickly.
What exactly is making this game catch on suddenly? The answer goes beyond the players that have been bringing it out to events, and stems more from the fact that the game itself is designed to be a solid fighter worthy of trying out at least once.
The Game’s Design
At first glance Sailor Moon S appears to be a very simplistic fighter. Despite some of the inputs coming straight from SNK titles, the input leniency of the game makes special moves relatively easy to pull off, for its time.
Sailor Moon S — much like SNK titles — has only four buttons: light punch, heavy punch, light kick, and heavy kick. It’s full of the hallmarks of fighting games in the era of Street Fighter derivatives: health bars, chip damage, special moves, and one button throws are all here. It also features one of the earliest instances of dashes, with each of the nine-character cast being capable of back dashing. There are two instances of characters being able to forward dash, in Sailor Moon and Sailor Uranus, which we’ll discuss later.
But this is where the difference between other fighters of the time end, and the hidden complexities start to shine. While Street Fighter limited players in what they could cancel special moves into, Sailor Moon S only has one such limitation: you cannot cancel a special into another special. This means that literally any normal move can cancel into a special move. To further this, any normal move can also cancel into any sort of dash your character is capable of. This comes in handy, as you can make your high recovery normals — such as Sailor Uranus’ crouching heavy kick — safe by simply canceling into backdash if it hits a block. To further the offensive options, the three characters with aerial specials — Sailor Moon, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Chibi Moon — are able to cancel their aerial specials out of backdash, since the backdash sends them airborne.
If it was this relentless pressure alone that propelled the game, it wouldn’t be as interesting. Fortunately, there are defensive measures that rival the offensive options at hand. If you are under pressure, you have access to a guard cancel, accessed by backdashing or performing any grounded special move. This generates another level of mind games on both offense and defense, where you have to think about whether to create block pressure or backdash out on offense, and whether to guard cancel or not out of fear that they will backdash and punish your movement.
There are a couple of downsides to the game’s engine. First, the developers did not put an input buffer into the start of rounds, so you are not able to buffer charge moves to perform at the very beginning of a match. Second, there are a few crazy hitboxes that make no sense—another relic of the time. Also, outside of hard reads and combos, heavy specials are not very useful as their recovery times make most of them very easy to punish.
There’s yet one more thing: desperation moves. They act as super moves do now, and are only available if you have less than 20% health left or 10 seconds left on the game timer. These can also be guard cancelled into, and counter hit damage does exist. This allows for upwards of 70% damage if you’re not careful and allow these heavily situational attacks tag you.
Beyond the game’s mechanics, there are little extra bells and whistles that make Sailor Moon S one of the most complete fighters of its generation. It features a two-player training mode which is accessible by simply plugging a second controller in during training. This is something that wasn’t done for quite some time in fighting games and was something we would later find to be a necessity. It also features a button check before every single game, and allows you to press buttons to map your controls. As Kenny “Unessential” Ng told me, “It was like they had a crystal ball. They knew what kind of things we’d want and need now, and added it in.”
There’s also a hidden stage that is accessed by holding L, R, and X and going into versus menu, then holding those buttons until you reach button select. You then highlight stage select and press left once for an office level featuring the design team. As another interesting little gift, the story mode features a story that claims that the heroes are fighting each other over who should be leader, and should you defeat the game using anyone other than Sailor Moon, the title screen will feature their silhouette and name in Japanese. All of this is hidden in a game people would claim to be a cash grab on Street Fighter II’s success, which makes it look far more than simply that.
From Top to Bottom
Now that you know the basics, it’s time for the inevitable tier list. The list compiled currently has been presented by NYC player DaiAndOh, and roughly mirrors that of Japan’s tier list. I will explain why these tiers are the way they are, and give you a breakdown of each character so that you can make an educated decision on whom you want to play.
Top Tier:
Sailor Jupiter: While the order of the list in each level can be debated, no one questions Sailor Jupiter’s place at the top of the heap. If there was a way to describe her, Zangief after eating bath salts is a great analogy. She has all of the grappling and close-range abilities of the Red Cyclone, but also has amazing zoning tools that make her difficult to play against no matter what range she’s in.
She has a command throw and a lariat-like move, the latter of which can be used in a crossup combo to deal 50% damage if done properly. Much like Zangief’s lariat, she also has lower body invincibility with the move.
Where Jupiter differs from Zangief is that she has a ground fireball that is performed like a Sonic Boom. She also has an air fireball that only connects when it hits the ground, creating a lightning pillar that knocks down on hit and does massive amount chip damage on block. When used on knockdown up close with her canceled backdash, this can create a corner lockdown that does insane amount of inescapable chip damage.
The only real downside to using her is her desperation move, which is a rush punch with high start-up and low invincibility. If anyone reads you for doing it or sees it coming, it’s lights out. This one negative does not even come close to outweighing all the positives, though.
Despite her not really having bad match-ups, there is no match-up that’s unwinnable against her, which makes most of her matches 6-4 at worst. You still have to work to win with her, but her abilities more than make her the cream of the crop.
High Tier:
Sailor Neptune: The stereotypical shoto character of the game, Ryu and Ken mains will feel comfortable trying her out. While she lacks the hurricane kick of the Street Fighter mainstays, her fireball and DP pressure is unrivaled. Much like Ryu in the earlier Street Fighter II games, Neptune can corner you and keep you there with not only her fireball, but her light dragon punch, which has amazingly fast recovery. She also takes full advantage of every normal move cancelling into special by cancelling her light DP out of an overhead kick in the corner, making her high low mix-up game incredible.
The problem is getting her in these ranges where she can terrorize. She does well against most of the cast, but struggles with Jupiter and Mars at the highest level, both of whom can make it difficult for her to get in to her sweet spot. She does have |
was a document produced by climate activists in the UK.
I had chosen to bring a document to the meeting because in my recent work on climate politics it had become increasingly apparent that much of the politics of climate change mitigation in cities in the UK is being enacted through the circulation of documents and reports. I had been fascinated to come across a report produced in the mode of direct action, that was intended to intervene directly in the documentary practices of policymakers by disrupting and exposing the shortcomings of a prior report into carbon reduction that the local authority in Manchester had commissioned from an environmental consultancy based in London. The activist document performed a critique of the bureaucratic language of the original report, enacting a mimicry of the original whilst transforming it through the deployment of more overtly politicised, alarmist and revolutionary language.
Although a climate change report and a Mexican doll might seem but distant relatives, the success of the Disobedient Objects exhibition lay precisely in the way in which it revealed a kinship between such materially and culturally distinct objects. The freshness and liveliness that this exhibition managed to inject into the conventionally conservative space of the Victoria and Albert Museum, was largely achieved through the juxtaposition of an uncanny collection of objects that it brought into the same space. Whilst a catalogue of these items might on the face of it read somewhat like a Borgesian Chinese Encyclopaedia: mobile mausoleum, iPad app, drone, water bottle, indigestion tablet, robot, puppet, post-it note, banner – the openness of the curators to including such a range of objects is testament to their commitment to capturing the creativity, drive and ingenuity of activism through its manifold material practices. The display of activism through its objects allowed for the logic of activism rather than just the ideologies of particular political struggle, to come to the fore.
Returning to the doll and the climate change activists document then, the exhibition has helped me see past their instrumental purpose or historical form to discern something of an activist logic that they both share. Like the document, the Subcomandante Marcos doll enacted a subtle twist on a recognised cultural form. Moreover, in light of the exhibition it struck me that the figure that the doll was depicting was also in many ways an activist object. Subcomandante Marcos himself was a nomme de guerre, a symbolic figurehead for the EZLN whose performative enactment of revolutionary leadership was meant to translate the struggles of a peasant community into a political register that would be recognised by their adversaries. By drawing attention to the role of objects of any kind – be they papier-mâché puppets or media images, rubber stamps or bicycle locks, dolls or figureheads of revolutionary movements – Disobedient Objects offers a unique perspective on the question of just what activism is, and how it brings about its political effects.
The Disobedient Objects exhibition is on at the Victoria and Albert Museum until the 1st February 2015. www.vam.ac.uk/content/exhibitions/disobedient-objects/
Like this: Like Loading...With Tales of Zestiria, Bandai Namco concocted a workable new recipe to build the future of the Tales franchise upon, and while it didn’t manifest without a few problems, it still managed to create one of the better and more memorable games in the long-running series.
Having tried so many new systems and methods of progression all in one title, it wasn’t surprising that Bamco left a few lumps in the cake batter, so to speak. The large quasi-openworld layout, the magic point-less combat, the convoluted weapon upgrade mechanic…it all worked once you finally got used to it, but it really need more time in the oven.
Tales of Berseria
Publisher: Bandai Namco
Developer: Bandai Namco
Platform: PlayStation 4 (Reviewed), PC
Release Date: January 24th, 2017
Players: 1
Price: $59.99 (Review Copy Provided)
Which brings us to Tales of Berseria, a prequel to Zestiria that, other than creating a badass female lead, was meant to build upon and improve the changes set forth in its predecessor. Initially – even as a fan – I was highly skeptical that much would change, especially for the better. I loved the first Tales of Xillia, but like its own quickly pumped-out sequel, it lacked the original’s impact.
Systems were unnecessarily dragged out, the new character roleplayed a coma victim through over half the game, and 90% of the world was just copy-pasted from the previous title. Call me pessimistic if you wish, but I was confident the same fate would befall Tales of Berseria. Thankfully, I’m starting to get used to being wrong about a lot of things.
Before I get into the most impressive changes in Berseria, let’s talk about its most shocking: The story.
A lot of anger was thrown at Bandai Namco’s way when it was revealed they would censor the scene where a certain character is killed during the game’s introductory level. While I agree it was a very poor decision, it didn’t mute the overall tone of the title, which is still remarkably dark for a JRPG. After all, when your party is made up of two demons, a pirate, a fallen priestess, a witch, and a young combat slave freed from the church that tried to get him to suicide bomb you, it’s hard to fathom a cheery tale of sunshine and rainbows being crafted from such a mess.
Berseria knows this and seems to revel in the roguish nature of its “heroes”, often having them default to murder or theft as the resolution to their problems without even considering non-criminal alternatives. The only time they don’t, amusingly enough, is when they are confronted with other demons…whom they proceed to let into the merry band of NPCs that make up the comic relief of the party. Imagine having a lizard demon who you were tasked with killing instead get drafted to be your ship’s helmsman, and a headless (and hate-filled) samurai coerced into being your blacksmith. It all makes sense when the stated goal of your outfit is to assassinate the Shepherd and remove the land’s new religion from their seat of power.
The lead character, Velvet, is easily the darkest character in the entire series, even out-throat-slicing Vesperia’s chaotic good hero Yuri, who at least had the common decency to dispose of his targets away from the rest of the group. Velvet extends no such niceties, since the rage she has towards the “Shepherd” is so unparalleled and impossible to contain that she even willingly endangers other party member’s lives to accomplish her deed.
The most interesting aspect of the story is that there comes a time near the end when their assassination plot is somewhat validated and to “save the world”, someone has to willingly plunge it into darkness…which makes Velvet’s murdering ne’er-do-wells seem to be the heroes. The game then balances the idea of granting man free will at the price of producing chaos or maintaining a status quo that grants peace but takes away all freedom.
Though this isn’t exactly heavy story-telling when placed next to a western RPG, it’s a might bit thicker than the usual “evil empire” fare we get from JRPGs. In fact, it’s my favorite storyline in a Tales game by far and the best I’ve experienced in any JRPG since the glory days of the PS2 and Digital Devil Saga. Clearly, doing the “angsty” route was a good choice.
This isn’t to say that everybody is covering their left eye with their bangs, painting their nails black, or listening to My Chemical Romance. In fact, there are many skits in which the characters engage in silly banter…only in this game that silliness is delivered with a clever sense of trolling, all thanks to the party’s resident witch, Magilou.
Oh Magilou…if ever there was a more important comic relief character in an RPG, I’ve yet to find one. Sure, she looks silly and starts off seeming like a completely useless addition to the party, but it doesn’t take long to realize she is the glue that holds the group together.
Unfathomably intelligent, deviously sinister, and a master show(wo)man, Magilou is a supremely skilled professional troll that delights in making the rest of the party look like utter buffoons. This works perfectly with the darker tone of the game by bringing things down to earth and lightening the mood when Velvet and her friends get a bit too grimdark. It also makes for some of the best skits of the Tales of series.
Whether it’s Magilou convincing the party she can commune with canines and getting them to fawn over her as she delivers clever insults to them in her assessments of the dog’s speech, or her fooling a guardsman by convincing him they are simple bards while also embarrassing the hell out of Velvet by forcing her to imitate a pigeon, Magilou is the ultimate shitlord and the only person in the entire game that seems to be “in on the joke”. A dark age Andy Kaufman that makes everyone but themselves the punchline and no one can seem to realize they are the butt of the joke. It’s a shame she doesn’t have a twitter.
One final aspect I feel needs to be mentioned is the voice work. While the dubbing is on point –as usual for a Tales game – the acting done here by Velvet’s voice actor Cristina Vee is off the charts spectacular. Vee has always been my one of my favorite VAs (Right up there with Lisa Ortiz and Jim Cummings), but she seems to have dug deep to deliver a truly bad-ass and frighteningly nasty performance as Berseria’s demonic main hero. Her gravelly voice, low guttural grunting, and the way she seems to capture the strained anger of a woman hell-bent on revenge who also has to somehow hold it back long enough to prevent from going completely insane is a delight to witness. Easily the best role she’s played, if not the best voice job anyone has done for a JRPG, ever.
The other characters may not reach the same peaks as Vee’s interpretation of Velvet or Erica “Orange Heart” Lindbeck’s Magilou, but they all manage to impress in their own way. There’s Eizen, a brooding pirate who wants to kill those responsible for capturing his captain Aifread, Rokurou the man who became a demon in order to slay his brother, the “fallen Paladin” Eleanor who act as the party’s moral compass, and “Boy learning to become a man” Laphicet. They all play off each other wonderfully in the skits and make some memorable moments that fans are already losing their mind over in YouTube recordings this very minute. The chemistry really is that good.
Glowing endorsements of the story and character work aside, the real meat of any JRPG is the combat…and if you read my review of Zestiria, that was the one thing that needed the most work.
I’ve agonized quite a bit over this part of the review because depending on my mood, I could gush excitedly about the combat, or tell you how hideously broken it is and that it destroys the balance of the game. The reason for this dichotomy of views in regard to the battle system is because as unbalanced and easy to exploit as it is, it’s this very same imbalance that makes the game exciting.
Not to bring a totally different RPG into the discussion, but I feel this method of creating an addictive combat system is the same thing that drove the “Souls” series and the first two Gothic games to success. In those RPGs, the combat – at least initially – appears to be difficult to control. Though that changes dramatically after you learn “the trick” and you turn what is universally accepted as a “Hard game” into one that is so laughably easy that you could literally beat it blindfolded.
The “trick” with Tales of Berseria is wrapped up in how they’ve supplanted magic points. Like Zestiria, your ability to perform special moves in combat is governed not by “mana”, but instead by “souls”. These souls, which are gained by afflicting enemies with status effects (or harvesting them on the battlefield) are basically an ever-expanding gauge that determines how many attacks you can chain in a combo. As you gain more souls you get longer chains, which in turn makes it easier to inflict status effects, which means you get into this dangerous (for the enemies, anyway) loop where you essentially become invincible because nothing can mathematically withstand your ever-growing ability to gain “souls” through status-afflicting.
The upside to this is that even on insane difficulty, the hardest of bosses can be wiped out in mere seconds with little effort. The downside, well, that’s *also* the downside.
Battles are decided in the initial five or so seconds of a fight, since whoever nails a status effect first is going to get into that aforementioned loop and getting the combatant out of that cycle is annoyingly difficult. If that combatant is you (and even an arthritic 40+ gamer like me was this fortunate about 95% of the time) then you’ll be screeching with delight over how easily you handle even the dangerous wandering monsters the game claims are outrageously difficult.
However, if the enemy is the fortunate status-inflicter, then you better dig out those gels and hope you can outlast it long enough to turn things around, since even the most mundane of monster mobs can send you to a game over if they drain you of your souls.
Unbalances aside, I love the simplicity of the combat system. Unlike other Tales games, all attacks are mapped to the four main controller buttons rather than being mapped to one button and a joypad direction. What this does is make combat much faster than any other Tales game and combos far easier to pull off, chain, and set up beforehand. Though meant to bring new players into the series, it actually does veterans a favor as well by making combat more about rhythm and planning rather than quick reflexes and move spamming.
All one has to do is find a chain of attacks that have a high chance to cause a status effect and then open up with it during a fight. If it hits and the status effect fires off, you can “stun lock” the enemies into a constant loss of souls that gives you an almost unstoppable advantage. After that, you can turn on Velvet’s “Demon Mode” and get guaranteed hits with an even more profound chance to cause status effects that end in a mystic arte.
See how outrageously unbalanced it can be?
Like I stated earlier, it depends upon how you feel about such a system. I happened to enjoy the unbalanced nature since I could play on the higher difficulties and farm grade/items/experience very easily in a short amount of time. However, I could still easily see people being upset about the exploitative nature of the combat system.
One system I felt they completely nailed this time, when compared to Zestiria, is the equipment upgrade mechanic. No longer tied to a silly graph that requires you to match colored symbols to activate bonuses, Berseria has gone the same route Final Fantasy IX did and tether skills to your gear and have an AP system that permanently teaches you the ability after you wear it long enough. What this does is eliminate the need to carry 50 or so variants of each piece of equipment around and instead lets you pick and choose your equipment according to how you want to build each party member.
Thanks to this system, I built a Magilou who was a frontline tank and damage dealer who had the option to cast powerful AOE attacks and healing spells, making her the most used and valuable character on my team. The same techniques can be applied to other characters as well, giving players the opportunity to mix and match styles according to their need. It’s not out of the realm of possibility to turn everyone into tanks or casters, given enough time and equipment accrual, which is a welcome change of pace in a JRPG series that’s never been known for allowing for much build creation.
Weapons can also be upgraded to +1 and above, given you farm the right components. Most of these smithing materials are dropped by enemies, but you may also obtain them by breaking down unneeded weapons and armor…a method I found to be the quickest and easiest way to get what I wanted.
On the visual side of things, Berseria runs at a crisp 60fps, something Zestiria seemed to have more than a bit of trouble of doing even on the PS4. Perhaps more stunning than the framerate would be the fact that, unlike that other Tales sequel game (Xillia 2), it doesn’t reuse old maps from the previous title to pad out its content. Though you do revisit some familiar locales, the designers took into account that you’re playing in a world that predates the previous game’s land by more than a thousand years…so things are quite different than before. You’ll notice this when discovering the swampy verdant overworld “dungeon” you’ve been walking around in is actually the desert canyon area from Zestiria. A nice little touch that shows someone at Bandai cares about continuity.
As for the music, it’s more of the same brilliance from Sakuraba, only this time many of the tracks feel more “metal” than j-pop. One of my favorites was near the start of the game when Velvet tore up her prison and started feasting on the prisoners. I stood there for a good five minutes simply listening to the music. Later in the game I was required to return there and whenever I did, that same gothic-horror style music grabbed me again, causing me to stop. The soundtrack, overall, is one of his best works and probably the best in the Tales series since Symphonia…at least in this reviewer’s biased opinion.
Every Tales game has a special place in my heart, even the horrible ones, but Tales of Berseria won me over in a way that few have. Though many accuse its dark and gloomy story as being more “edgelord” than darklord, I still consider it to be the most engrossing Tales game since Vesperia. Take from that comment whatever you will.
With such an outstanding story, great characters, a blistering fast (And addictively fun to exploit) combat system, a “less messy” weapon upgrade mechanic and the best visuals in the entire series, I feel comfortable calling this my new favorite “Tales of” game…or at the very least, tied with Graces f.
What’s great about Berseria is that unlike most Tales of games, it acts as a wonderful jumping-in point for new players. Combine this with its ease-of-use and flashy combat designed to accommodate more tactical, veteran players and you have one of the most complete JRPGs you’re likely to find on the current generation’s systems. Tales of Berseria is a must play for any and all JRPG fans.
Tales of Berseria was reviewed on PlayStation 4 using a review copy provided by Bandai Namco. You can find additional information about Niche Gamer’s review/ethics policy here.
The Verdict 9.5
The Good
Great visuals/framerate (even on console)
Easy to learn systems & combat
Engrossing story & characters
Lots of new environments, very little copied over from Zestiria
Feels like a true “next-gen” Tales game
Battles are highly exploitable if you know what you’re doing
The BadTrump Assassination Play STILL Scheduled to Play Tonight After Scalise Shooting
The Shakespeare in the Park rendition of Julius Caesar is still scheduled to play tonight in Central Park after the shooting this morning of GOP Rep. Scalise by a devout Bernie Sanders supporter.
This year’s play “Julius Caesar” depicts President Donald Trump’s assassination.
According to the Shakespeare in the Park website the play is still on for tonight.
The New York Times and CNN’s parent company Time Warner are standing by their sponsorship of a play that depicts the brutal assassination of President Donald Trump, raising the question of whether the news reporting outlets should retain their credentials to cover and have access to President Trump. Delta Airlines and Bank of America have reportedly dropped their support for the play in the wake of public outrage over the play’s depiction of Trump’s assassination.
The play is still scheduled to play this evening.Defence White Paper: Andrew Nikolic reverses position on Rudd's 'unscientific' 12 submarines plan
Updated
The new chair of Federal Parliament's intelligence committee has reversed his position on whether the Government needs 12 new submarines, and now supports it.
Key points: Andrew Nikolic in 2009 said the Rudd government's figure of 12 submarines was "unscientific"
Now says he supports the move
Described Mark Dreyfus' "extreme right wing" comments as inappropriate
In 2009 Andrew Nikolic said the figure of 12 submarines was an "unscientific invention" of the Rudd government's 2009 Defence White Paper.
But on Thursday the Coalition confirmed its commitment to 12 subs in its white paper.
Mr Nikolic said he now supported the commitment because it had been properly assessed.
"The way Kevin Rudd went about it was very disaggregated, we might say," he said.
"It's a bit like the back of the envelope calculations for the NBN. The difference here is that we've done an appropriate strategic assessment."
The issue has been a hot political topic in South Australia, with voters wanting 12 submarines to be built to secure jobs.
Mr Nikolic said the Government's commitment was not about winning votes in the state.
The Tasmanian Liberal MP was appointed as the Joint Intelligence Committee's chair yesterday, replacing new Veterans Services Minister Dan Tehan.
Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus earlier said Mr Nikolic had "extreme" right wing views and his elevation would risk bipartisanship.
Mr Nikolic said it was an inappropriate attack.
"I know it's an election year but I think Mr Dreyfus should know better than to politicise the work of our committee," he said.
"I've been part of a group over the past two years that has produced five bipartisan reports that has improved Government legislation."
Topics: defence-and-national-security, defence-industry, federal-parliament, federal-government, australia, sa
First postedEintracht Frankfurt: The German club have added Olivier Occean to their squad
Eintracht Frankfurt have signed Olivier Occean from fellow promoted Bundesliga outfit Greuther Furth on a three-year contract for a reported fee of €1.2million.
The announcement was made on Tuesday with Occean penning a contract until June 2015.
The 30-year-old was a key player in Furth's campaign in the German second division last season, helping them gain promotion to the Bundesliga.
Eintracht coach Armin Veh is pleased to have the Canada international in his team and is confident that he will prove to be a success.
"I am happy to welcome Olivier Occean to Eintracht Frankfurt," he told Kicker-Sportmagazin.
"He is a goalscoring striker who is also able to hold up the ball in the front line.
"We have been on the lookout for exactly that kind of a striker.
"I did not really think that this transfer would go through.
"Olivier Occean will be a massive strengthening of Eintracht Frankfurt."Lemme see it
St4k
What is this?
This is my attempt to pack as much Stack Overflow as possible into a single 4096 byte file. (The file is gzipped).
The single file includes…
All the HTML used
All the CSS used
All the Javascript used
Embedded SVG for the Stack Overflow logo
It doesn't use any libraries (no jQuery, underscore, etc) … and it'll probably only work on recent versions of Chrome and Firefox.
Why 4096 bytes?
In a previous personal challenge, I'd tried to fit as much Trello as possible into 4096 bytes and that turned out pretty well, so I figured I'd give myself the same limitation this time around.
Features of St4k
This is mostly a "Stack Overflow viewer"… I'd initially included voting as a feature, but realized that people would probably be hesitant to give my application write access to their account.
(I decided to add a site switcher instead of the write features, so you can use St4k to view any site in the Stack Exchange network)
What can it do?
Why?
I had a lot of fun last time I did this, and this seemed like a fun way to try out the Stack Exchange API
Wait, I don't believe you!
Uh… you can take a look at your browser's network inspector, or view the web page source. You can see that there isn't a lot there.
$ curl -s http://danlec.com/st4k | wc -c 4096
What did it take to do this?
Lots and lots of micro-optimization. I pretty much traded everything (readability, maintainability, compatibility, stability, and sanity) for size.
I wrote a tool that randomly rearranged all my CSS rules, attempting to find the ordering that resulted in the smallest final file size. This actually saved me a surprising about of space, something like 100+ bytes.
I learned SVG, so I could make a cute little stackoverflow logo
I tried lots of different ways of writing the same code, attempting to find the one the compressed the most
I threw DRY out the window, and instead went with RYRYRY. Turns out just saying the same things over and over compresses better than making reusable functions
I made sure to use as few unique built-in functions as possible, e.g. instead of using /foo/.test(bar), I'd use /foo/.exec(bar) … because I already used.exec elsewhere.
, I'd use … because I already used elsewhere. I tried to use as few unique CSS attributes as possible. border-bottom: 4px is much cleaner than border:0 0 4px, but it turns out that a few extra zeros compresses better than -bottom
is much cleaner than, but it turns out that a few extra zeros compresses better than I was careful to order my tag attributes in ways that resulted in the longest possible strings of repeated bytes.
I replaced all the CSS class names with single character names, unless there was a case where a two character name would compress bettter. (e.g..px ends up being smalled than.J )
The stackoverflow logo is embedded?
Yeah, it looks something like this:
<svg viewBox="0 0 50 64"class="b"> <path stroke="#888"d="M8 53h25M2 38v24h38v-24"></path> <path stroke="#a86"d="M8 44l25 2"></path> <path stroke="#b95"d="M10 32l24 7"></path> <path stroke="#c83"d="M15 20l22 13"></path> <path stroke="#f80"d="M27 7l14 21"></path> <path stroke="#f71"d="M43 1l4 25"></path> </svg>
(There's also a bit of CSS to control the stroke-width and fill )
It's basically drawing 7 lines; fortunately Stack Overflow has a pretty simple logo.
It's a bit smaller than the ones available on stackapps.com…
The favicon is embedded?
Yeah, just for kicks…
c=f.createElement("canvas");c.height=c.width=16; c.getContext("2d").fillText("St",0,8); c.getContext("2d").fillText("4K",0,16); f.querySelector(".iv").href=c.toDataURL()CLOSE Gov. Terry Branstad signed a comprehensive rewrite that touches nearly every aspect of Iowa's firearms laws Wochit
Buy Photo The Old Capitol is seen on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015. (Photo: David Scrivner / Iowa City Press-Citizen)Buy Photo
A state law passed earlier this year allows persons with proper permits to carry concealed handguns in previously off-limit public places — including the Iowa Capitol in Des Moines.
The campuses of Iowa's three public universities, however, remain areas in which weapons of any kind are heavily regulated and prohibited for nearly everyone except law enforcement officers. Similar polices are in place at Kirkwood and Des Moines Area Community College campuses.
The situation has raised questions among students of the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa — especially in areas of Iowa City, Ames or Cedar Falls where university-controlled property extends beyond the main campus area.
“I think there is a little bit of confusion about gun laws in general,” said Cody West, student government president at ISU. “You hear about our state law being changed, and you hear about changes in other states, and it’s make us all a little confused about what policy is in place on campus.”
Two states, Arkansas and Georgia, passed legislation this year to allow students to carry guns on college campuses, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Other states with similar laws include Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin.
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The Iowa Board of Regents, which over sees the public universities, does not have any policy prohibiting weapons on the campuses. The board, however, does allow the universities to implement such bans on their own.
Legislation was introduced earlier this year in the Iowa Legislature this year that would prohibit the the board from allowing UI, ISU and UNI to be gun-free. Proponents argued that allowing guns on campus would allow students and employees to defend themselves.
The provision, which was opposed by the regents and the student governments, eventually was stripped from the omnibus gun bill later passed.
“Student government has been consistent in supporting not changing the policy,” said Jacob Simpson, president of UI Student Government. “We want to leave any control of weapons to trained professionals, like our Department of Public Safety and the Iowa City police.”
That support remains, Simpson said, even after shots fired early Sunday morning on the city's pedestrian mall killed one man and wounded two others. Although the ped mall is city plaza in which permit holders are allowed to carry guns, it abuts multiple UI-owned or -operated spaces.
Notifying students
None of the three public universities post permanent "no weapons allowed" signs on their buildings. Yet officials for each school said they, instead, use multiple other ways to inform new students, faculty and staff about the weapons ban.
"Iowa State University policy prohibits weapons on campus unless authorized through the firearms and other weapons application process," Kate Gregory, ISU senior vice president for university services, said via email. "The ISU policy is posted online, explained to new students and faculty at various venues, and discussed throughout the year at student forums."
UI's Code of Student Life expands the definition of "weapon" to mean "serviceable firearms, ammunition, explosives, fireworks, or other dangerous articles, paintball markers and other devices that fire projectiles, and devices that resemble serviceable weapons such as a pellet gun or toy gun that a reasonable observer would believe to be a gun."
The university also explains that possessing a concealed weapons permit does not give the right to carry a weapon on the UI campus.
"(Permit holders) could be sanctioned by the university even if they had not committed a crime under state law," according to the website for UI Student Legal Services.
Weapons violation on campus
All three universities reported an uptick last year in the number of weapons law violations and related arrests on campus, according to the regent's latest Campus Safety and Security Report.
UI reported four violations and two arrests in 2016, up from two violations and one arrest in 2015. UNI reported two violations and one arrest in 2016, up from one violation and arrest in 2015.
UI reports having two incidents with one arrest this year, and UNI has not had any violations so far in 2017.
ISU saw the largest increase last year, with 11 violations and nine arrests, up from six violations and four arrests in 2015. The university reports three violations so far this calendar year.
"We are not certain why there has been an increase," Gregory said of the 11 violations in 2016.
Questions about ISU's weapons policy also were raised last year as part of an investigation into former President Steve Leath's use of the university's Flight Service. Leath, a licensed pilot and avid hunter, had transported firearms on university aircraft and stored firearms in the president's mansion.
Auditors for the Iowa Board of Regents, which oversees the universities, could not find documentation that Leath had applied for and received waivers required to bring guns on school property. Leath said he had received verbal approval to store weapons following a campus police inspection.
Discussions of weapons on campus at UI also bring up memories of the 1991 mass shooting on campus that paralyzed Miya Rodolfo-Sioson and killed T. Anne Cleary, Christoph Goertz, Shan Linhua, Dwight Nicholson and Robert Smith. The gunman, a disgruntled recent Ph.D. graduate, killed himself after law enforcement officers arrived.
In the quarter century since, university police officers at the universities have been granted permission to carry firearms in the line of duty. Threat assessment teams also work to intervene with university faculty, staff and students before potentially hostile situations begin.
Reach Jeff Charis-Carlson at jcharisc@press-citizen.com or 319-887-5435. Follow him on Twitter: @JeffCharis.
Read or Share this story: http://icp-c.com/2evmLgDEpicureanism is a ubiquitous term, and yet I include myself in the presumable majority with little to no prior understanding of what it actually stands for. So it was interesting to find a book about epicureanism as an ancient set of ideas on how to live that can be applied to contemporary life and that actually gives insight into why we should approach our lives in a certain way. The book gives a good history of the movement, and provides the basic tenants of the belief system (although in a bit long-winded and wordy way).
The history tells of the man who gave the movement its name, Epicurus of Samos, and how various generations of thinkers and spiritual seekers have benefitted from his ideas throughout the centuries (with Julius Cesar and Thomas Jefferson to name the two most famous). I am particularly struck by the term garden to describe the set aside gathering place for epicureans.
“The fact that pleasure can be either selfish or can serve as the lubricant that binds friends, lovers, a mother to her child, etc. It can be both selfish and altruistic at once: we are often pleased to please our friends and loved ones” (p.21).
The basic ideas of epicureanism:
Do not fear the gods/fates
Do not worry about death
What is good is easy to get (food/drink, protection/shelter, solitude/boundaries, association with others)
What is terrible is easy to endure (physical pain/mentual anguish exist and difficulties will crop up in life).
What emerges in Hiram Crespo’s book is that, in terms of our approach to pleasure, we should seek to be reflective and to balance ourselves to avoid too much or too little pleasure, both of which can be harmful. Also, it makes sense that it is up to each individual to determine what that balance should be for ourselves.
Epicureanism as a contextual framework for self-improvement is a very thoughtful idea. Indeed, the section of the book most applicable to most of us, V. Epicurean therapy, details ways to use the principles and teachings to heal ourselves from moral, psychological and physical distresses. The prescriptions it offers may not be that revolutionary in themselves (mediation, healthy foods, journaling, therapy, etc.) but in giving reasons for why they are helpful within the context of epicurean balance, the reader has a new way to look at why we should adopt healthy habits into our lives, and how those healthy habits can coexist alongside the more traditionally pleasurable things we long for. The discussion of using and treating anger in our lives seems particularly needed in our time, where we have become so afraid of anger that we tend to let it grow within ourselves unchecked until it does a great deal of harm. All in all, I think this book deserves a look from anyone, of any background or prior belief system, that would like to find greater balance in his or her life.
Crespo, Hiram (2014). Tending the Epicurean Garden. Washington, DC: Humanist Press. ISBN:978-0-931779-53-4 Paperback: $14.99 Ebook: $9.99Maybe the AR-15 is a useful tool after all.
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LAGO DEL DESESPERACIÓN, FLORIDA — Back in April of this year, 28 year old nurse and Florida resident Jane Sampson was raped while walking home after working a late shift at St. Mary’s Hospital. To her utter shock and dismay, when Jane missed her period in May, she took a pregnancy test and found out she was carrying her rapist’s child. Without any hesitation, she headed to the Planned Parenthood in her city, only to be told that in Florida she had to wait 24-hours to have the pregnancy — the pregnancy only brought about by her rape — terminated.
“I was so angry and sad,” Sampson told our reporter via Skype, “because I had already been horribly violated and traumatized. Then, a month after I was raped I find out I’m pregnant with that scumbag’s seed? I wanted it out of me right then and there. And in America an abortion is my constitutional right; it has been for decades. But not in red-ass Florida.”
So, Sampson says, she did some quick research online and found that not even traveling to one of Florida’s closest neighboring states would let her, as a rape victim, immediately terminate the rape pregnancy. That’s when Sampson says she stumbled upon a fact that she said “completely changed everything.” In Florida, while rape victims have to wait a full day to get an abortion, anyone can buy an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle with absolutely no waiting period whatsoever.
“Once I found out that I had more rights to a firearm than I did to control my own biological bodily functions,” Ms. Sampson told us, “I knew exactly what I had to do. So I went down to Liberty Gun and Ammo and bought myself a Bushmaster AR-15. I was going to end this pregnancy one way or another.”
Given that the AR-15 is a high-powered rifle, Sampson knew it would take some modification to use in her own abortion. Luckily for Jane, Bushmaster has a special line of U-Abort It™ rifle accessories that can be added to the AR-15, allowing it to be used with surgical precision.
James' newest satirical compilation is out now and available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and soon at WalMart.com.
“It turns out, my state isn’t the only one that sees zero irony in making weapons of wanton death and destruction easy to get while making a safe and legal, constitutionally protected medical service |
enguins across their entire distribution and over millennial timescales are currently unknown (Ainley et al., 2010 ).
Genetic data from both modern and subfossil samples, paleoecological niche modeling, and fossil evidence have become vital tools for reconstructing demographic histories (e.g., woolly mammoths ( Mammuthus primigenius ) (Nogués‐Bravo et al., 2008 ) and lions ( Panthera leo ) (Barnett et al., 2014 )). Indeed, such studies have shown that species' patterns of genetic diversity and distribution have varied dramatically under different climatic regimes (Carstens & Richards, 2007 ). Climatic shifts have been one of the major drivers of species' range shifts, fluctuations in abundance, species extinctions, and also in the formation of genetically distinct populations (Hewitt, 1996 ). As climate change and habitat degradation potentially take us into the 6th mass extinction (Barnosky et al., 2011 ), it is critical that we understand how species have coped with change in the past to be able to assess their likely responses and resilience to future climate change (Hoelzel, 2010 ).
Bayesian phylogenetic analyses and demographic reconstructions were performed using beast v1.8 (Drummond et al., 2012 ). The dataset was partitioned into HVR and CytB, with a nucleotide substitution model of HKY (Hasegawa et al., 1985 ) with four gamma categories for HVR and TN93 (Tamura & Nei, 1993 ) for CytB, with ambiguous states permitted. We used the coalescent extended Bayesian skyline plot tree prior (Heled & Drummond, 2008 ) with a strict molecular clock. For molecular clock calibration, the HVR substitution rate prior was specified as a normal distribution around a mean value of 0.55 substitutions/site/Myr (SD = 0.15), to reflect the substitution rate of the HVR in Adélie penguins ( Pygoscelis adeliae ) (Millar et al., 2008 ). In the absence of a published substitution rate for CytB in penguins, we used a uniform prior of 5 × 10 −4 to 5 × 10 −1 substitutions/site/Myr with a starting value of 2 × 10 −2 (Weir & Schluter, 2008 ). The corrected radiocarbon ages of the Club Lake samples were input as tip dates for additional calibration of the molecular clock. Based on these initial priors, substitution rates for our dataset were estimated during the analysis. The posterior distributions of substitution rates, phylogenetic trees, and effective population size through time were generated using the Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling procedure, implemented in beast, which was run for 120 million generations with samples drawn every 6000 steps and the first 10% discarded as burn‐in. tracer v.1.5 was used to check effective sample size (ESS) values to confirm convergence with all values >200. Three independent beast analyses were performed to ensure reproducibility of the posterior distribution. The population size parameter of the demographic model ( N e * tau ) was converted to N ef by dividing the parameter by 14 years, which is the estimated generation length of emperor penguins (Jenouvrier et al., 2005 ; Forcada & Trathan, 2009 ). Phylogenetic trees were visualized using figtree v1.4.
arlequin v3.5 (Excoffier & Lischer, 2010 ) was used to calculate summary statistics for HVR, CytB, and concatenated HVR and CytB. jModeltest (Posada & Buckley, 2004 ) was used to estimate the best substitution model for each dataset, and then the following corrections for calculating genetic distances were implemented in Arlequin: HVR – Tamura correction with a gamma distribution for rate heterogeneity with α = 0.016; CytB – Tamura correction; concatenated – Tamura correction with a gamma distribution for rate heterogeneity with α = 0.109 (Tamura, 1992 ). Arlequin was also used to calculate pairwise genetic distances ( θ ST ) between colonies and perform analyses of molecular variation (amova) on the concatenated sequences with the Tamura & Nei correction. network v4.612 (Fluxus Technology Ltd., Suffolk, UK) was used to draw haplotype networks.
Genomic DNA (gDNA) was extracted from modern samples with the QIAGEN DNeasy blood and tissue kit. The manufacturer's protocols for blood and tissue samples were followed with the following modifications to the digestion step: for blood samples, 30 μ L of proteinase K was used and the digestion time was 3 h; for tissue samples, 40 μ L of proteinase K and an additional 10 μ L of 1 m dithiothreitol (skin samples only) was used with an incubation time of 32 h. All samples were treated with either 1 μ L RNase A (QIAGEN Venlo, Limburg, the Netherlands) or 1 μ L Riboshredder (Epicentre) according to the manufacturers' instructions. DNA was eluted in 100 μ L of elution buffer following an incubation of 5–20 min. For subfossil samples, ~50 mg of bone was decalcified in 0.5 m EDTA/0.001% Triton X100 at 56 °C for 48 h and then extracted using a standard phenol–chloroform protocol with ethanol precipitation and a final elution volume of 30 μ L. The subfossil samples were extracted in a physically isolated laboratory which had not been used previously for avian samples to minimize the risk of contamination. The mitochondrial hypervariable region (HVR) and cytochrome B (CytB) were sequenced in all modern and ancient DNA samples. HVR is a rapidly evolving region of the mitochondrial genome and so is suitable for investigations of recent demographic history, while CytB is a conserved gene and can hence give information about longer‐term demographic history (Baker & Marshall, 1997 ). HVR was amplified in all modern samples using primers F‐0225 and R‐INR (all primer sequences can be found in Table S1). The reaction mix consisted of 7.5 μ L of PCR Master Mix (QIAGEN), 0.2 μ m of each primer, and 5–10 ng gDNA, made up to 15 μ L with ddH 2 O. Thermocycling conditions were as follows: 94 °C for 3 min, 35 cycles of 94 °C for 30 s, 59.5 °C for 45 s, 72 °C for 1 min, followed by an extension period of 72 °C for 10 min. Occasionally, double bands were apparent when the PCR product was visualized by electrophoresis. For these individuals, the shorter 755‐bp band was extracted from the gel and purified using QIAGEN or Promega gel extraction kits following the manufacturer's instructions. For Fold Island, Amanda Bay, Auster, and Pointe Géologie colonies, CytB was amplified using primers B1 (Kocher et al., 1989 ; Baker et al., 2006 ) and B6 (Baker et al., 2006 ) with a reaction mix consisting of 7.5 μ L of GoTaq Green Master Mix (Promega, Madison, WI, USA), 0.2 μ m of each primer, and 5–10 ng gDNA, made up to 15 μ L with ddH 2 O. Thermocycling conditions were as follows: 95 °C for 1 min, 35 cycles of 95 °C for 20 s, 52 °C for 40 s, 72 °C for 50 s, then 72 °C for 5 min. For the Cape Washington, Cape Crozier, Gould Bay, and Halley Bay samples, primers CytB‐F1 and CytB‐R1 were used with a reaction mix consisting of 7.5 μ L of PCR Master Mix (QIAGEN), 0.2 μ m of each primer, and 5–10 ng gDNA, made up to 15 μ L with ddH 2 O. Thermocycling conditions were as follows: 94 °C for 3 min, 35 cycles of 94 °C for 45 s, 60 °C for 45 s, 72 °C for 1 min, then 72 °C for 10 min. For the subfossil samples, we designed novel, species‐specific primers (Table S1) to amplify short (<150 bp) overlapping fragments to improve the success rate of amplification from degraded DNA. The reaction mix consisted of 7.5 μ L of AmpliTaq Gold 360 Master Mix (Life Technologies), 0.2 μ m of each primer, and 25–50 ng gDNA, made up to 15 μ L with ddH 2 O. Thermocycling conditions were as follows: 95 °C for 10 min, 42 cycles of 95 °C for 20 s, T m (primer) for 20 s, 72 °C for 20 s, 72 °C for 5 min. PCR products for Fold Island, Amanda Bay, Auster, Pointe Géologie and the subfossil samples were bidirectionally sequenced by the Australian Genome Research Facility (AGRF) via the Sanger sequencing method using the PCR primer pairs. PCR products for Gould Bay, Halley Bay, Cape Washington, and Cape Crozier were sequenced using the Sanger method by Macrogen Europe. The reverse primer for the HVR and the forward primer for CytB were used to sequence each product twice, as these were found to work best in the sequencing reaction. geneious v5.5.9 was used for alignment. A high number of heteroplasmic sites were found in the HVR, and these were rescored manually according to IUPAC ambiguity codes. No heteroplasmic sites were recorded in the CytB sequences.
Where blood samples were taken, one handler seized the upper body with both hands and restrained the flippers, with the bird's head placed under the arm of the handler to prevent biting and minimize stress (Le Maho et al., 1992 ). The second handler took blood from the brachial vein using a 25‐G needle and 1‐mL syringe. Total restraint time was generally two to three, but occasionally four, minutes. The bird was then released at the edge of the colony. Sampling was conducted under permits from the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the US National Science Foundation, and the Australian Antarctic Division. Each of these permits was issued following independent ethical review of the sampling. All sampling was carried out in accordance with UK Home Office guidelines and also received ethical approval from the University of Oxford, British Antarctic Survey, and Australian Antarctic Division. The radiocarbon ages, expressed here as years BP (i.e., before 1950), of the Club Lake remains were determined using accelerated mass spectrometry by GNS Science Rafter Radiocarbon National Isotope Centre, New Zealand. The apparent ages were corrected for the marine‐carbon reservoir effect (Gordon & Harkness, 1992 ) using the calibration program calib 7.0 (St Ui & Reimer, 1993 ).
Skin tissue of dead emperor penguins was collected from Halley Bay (see Fig. 1 for all sample locations) in November 2012 and transported frozen to the United Kingdom, where it was transferred to 90% ethanol and stored at −20 °C. Blood samples were collected from Gould Bay in December 2013 and transported to the United Kingdom at ambient temperature in RNAlater (Life Technologies, Carlsbad, CA, USA) and then stored at −20 °C. Shed feathers were collected from the Ross Sea between 2010 and 2012 and were transported and stored at −20 °C. Shed feathers were collected at least 10 m apart to minimize sampling the same bird. Pectoral muscle biopsies were collected from dead chicks at Fold Island in September 2010, from Pointe Géologie in December 2010 and from Amanda Bay in December 2012 and 2013. Biopsies were immediately placed in 90% ethanol and stored at −20 °C. Whole dead chicks were collected from Auster in September and October in 1993 and 1994 and transported and stored at −20 °C. Bones from the subfossil remains of three penguins were collected at Club Lake in January 2013 and stored at −80 °C. Club Lake is an ice‐free area in the Vestfold Hills which is currently unoccupied by penguins. The nearest extant colony is Amanda Bay, 95 km away.
Extended Bayesian skyline plots showing the change in effective female population size (). Solid lines show the median estimate; dotted lines show the 95% highest posterior density interval. (a) EAWS colonies; (b) Ross Sea colonies; and (c) the Antarctic temperature anomaly (the difference from the average of the last 1000 years) as estimated from the EPICA Dome C ice core (Jouzel.,), with the ice core location indicated in red.
There is evidence of past population expansion in emperor penguins across Antarctica as indicated by our extended Bayesian skyline plots (EBSPs) (Fig. 2 ). An almost ninefold increase in abundance of the EAWS population commenced approximately 12 kya. The Ross Sea population expanded threefold from approximately 9.5 kya. Superimposing expansion signals over the estimated temperature derived from ice cores (Fig. 2 c), it is clear that population expansion followed the end of the LGM. Tajima's D and Fu's F S statistics provide further support for an expansion of both populations (Table 1 ).
Our results show a high level of gene flow among all the EAWS colonies (East Antarctica including Adélie Land, and the Weddell Sea) and between the two Ross Sea colonies (Table 2 ), but little exchange between the EAWS and Ross Sea colonies (pairwise θ ST values range from 0.213 to 0.617, Table 2 ). When colonies are grouped into two populations (Ross Sea and EAWS), a high proportion (17.7%) of the genetic variation is explained by the difference between the groups, and there is strong and significant genetic differentiation between them (amova, F ST = 0.196, P < 0.001). This pattern is also evident from haplotype networks (Figs S1 and S2), which show that Ross Sea individuals tend to be closely related, while sequences from EAWS colonies tend to cluster independently from the Ross Sea haplotypes. However, some Ross Sea sequences are found across the network and vice versa. This could indicate low‐level gene flow between the Ross Sea and EAWS.
We sequenced 226 individuals from eight colonies (Fig. 1 ) plus three subfossil birds whose ages ranged from 643 to 881 bp (after correction for marine reservoir effect). We sequenced 629 bp of the mitochondrial hypervariable region (HVR) and 867 bp of cytochrome b (CytB) from each individual (GenBank accession numbers KP644787 ‐ KP645015 and KP640645 ‐ KP640873, respectively). Genetic diversity was extremely high for the HVR, with 220 haplotypes recorded out of the 229 individuals sequenced; the mean number of pairwise differences between haplotypes was 20.62 ± 9.14 (Table 1 ). Genetic diversity was much lower for CytB, with just 59 unique haplotypes recorded.
Discussion
This first analysis of emperor penguin population structure shows colonies within the Ross Sea are genetically distinct from other Antarctic colonies, whereas those from the rest of the continent and spanning up to 8000 km of coastline are panmictic (Table 2). The admixture of the EAWS emperor penguins supports our hypothesis of limited population structure and indicates a very large dispersal range for the species. Given our genetic evidence of extensive mixing across Antarctica, the unique structure in the Ross Sea emperor penguins is surprising, and interestingly, the same pattern was reported for the sympatric Adélie penguin (Ritchie et al., 2004), providing further evidence that the Ross Sea has a unique evolutionary history.
The existence of distinct penguin populations in the Ross Sea is puzzling. There are neither geographic nor oceanographic barriers isolating the Ross Sea from the rest of Antarctica. Furthermore, the relative distance between the Ross Sea and other colonies does not adequately explain its isolation as, for example, the Pointe Géologie colony is approximately 5600 km closer to the Ross Sea colonies than to those in the Weddell Sea (Fig. 1). Emperor penguins are known for their extraordinary migrations; satellite tracking showed that juveniles can travel >7000 km in eight months (Thiebot et al., 2013). These observations support our genetic results for the EAWS region and indicate juvenile emperor penguins could comfortably traverse the 1800 km between Pointe Géologie and the Ross Sea colonies. There are also no clear habitat, environmental, or foraging differences between the Ross Sea colonies and those located elsewhere (Budd, 1961; Smith et al., 2012), except that Ross Sea colonies are located closer to the ice edge, and are therefore potentially more resilient to increases in sea ice. We suggest that the divergence of emperor penguins into two populations is historical in origin.
There are three ancestral lineages within modern emperor penguins, providing evidence that populations were isolated in the past (Fig. 3) and diverged through microevolutionary processes, such as selection or genetic drift, which occur more rapidly in small, isolated populations (Hewitt, 2000). One of these lineages is mostly limited to the Ross Sea, indicating that the isolation of this region has persisted through time. Indeed, emperor penguins occupying the Ross Sea may have become so differentiated that interbreeding with the EAWS penguins occurs at very low rates, perhaps because of genetic, behavioral (Templeton, 1981), or cultural incompatibilities, such as the timing of breeding or the development of regional dialects (Macdougall‐Shackleton & Macdougall‐Shackleton, 2001; Jouventin & Aubin, 2002; de Dinechin et al., 2012).
Emperor penguins use complex display calls to recognize their mates and offspring (Robisson et al., 1993). Vocalization is known to be an important part of the courtship process for most penguins (Richdale, 1944; Waas et al., 2000). Interestingly, royal penguins (Eudyptes schlegeli) respond more strongly to calls from their own colony members than to calls originating from different colonies, suggesting differences in dialect (Waas et al., 2000). Differences in vocalizations have also been found among gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) populations (de Dinechin et al., 2012). If dialects become too different, then courtship may be inhibited, thereby limiting interbreeding. This has been observed in passerine birds, in which genetically distinct groups have unique mating songs (Macdougall‐Shackleton & Macdougall‐Shackleton, 2001). Emperor penguin vocalization patterns have only been recorded at Pointe Géologie (Robisson et al., 1993), but our hypothesis could be explored in the future by comparing vocalizations of emperor penguins from the Ross Sea with those of other colonies.
Although the isolation and differentiation of the Ross Sea emperor penguins have persisted, the other two historical lineages show no geographic bias and have now hybridized to form one EAWS population. Incomplete mixing of ancestral lineages is typical of species that have survived the Pleistocene ice ages in multiple refugia (Hewitt, 1996). Our EBSPs indicate that both the EAWS and Ross Sea populations had reduced effective population sizes during the LGM (Fig. 2). Thus, contrary to a hypothesis that emperor penguins would benefit from glaciation as a result of reduced competition with other predators (Thatje et al., 2008), it seems that they, like other Antarctic and sub‐Antarctic penguin species (Ritchie et al., 2004; Clucas et al., 2014; Trucchi et al., 2014), were adversely affected by the LGM.
We propose that both the reduced abundance and divergence into three lineages were linked to breeding and foraging habitat availability. Today emperor penguins have a circumpolar distribution with suitable habitat spanning the entire continent (Fretwell & Trathan, 2009). However, Antarctica during the LGM looked very different than the continent we know today (Fig. 4). Most of the continental shelf was covered by ice as a result of both the extension of ice sheets and thick, perennial sea ice, which reduced productivity south of the modern‐day polar front drastically (Anderson et al., 2002, 2009; Domack et al., 1998; Gersonde et al., 2005; Kohfeld et al., 2005; S. Jaccard, personal communications). We suggest that the increased sea ice extent would have severely restricted the foraging habitat available for emperor penguins and, coupled with lower primary production, could have resulted in a scarcity of prey resources. Additionally, air temperatures were approximately 13 °C colder than the present day (Jouzel et al., 2007), which may have been near the penguins' lower limit of temperature tolerance (Le Maho et al., 1976), potentially impacting both breeding success and adult survival.
Figure 4 Open in figure viewerPowerPoint et al., 2005 Schematic of contemporary population structure and reconstruction of historical conditions. Sampled colonies are indicated by dots, as in Fig. 1. The magenta and green shading indicates population structure as estimated from this study. Lines represent the sea ice edge, as in Gersonde.,. M‐SSI = modern summer sea ice edge; LGM‐SSI = LGM summer sea ice edge; M‐WSI = modern winter sea ice edge; LGM‐WSI = LGM winter sea ice edge;? = insufficient data to reconstruct the sea ice edge. Penguins represent hypothesized locations of polynya refugia. Emperor penguin picture: © Samuel Blanc/ www.sblanc.com
The extent and duration of sea ice are important factors in the breeding success of emperor penguins (Massom et al., 2009). Emperor penguins require stable fast ice to breed, but they have to traverse the sea ice to establish colonies in autumn and to forage in winter and spring. The distances between the colonies and potential foraging areas can influence breeding success where the fast ice extent is variable (Massom et al., 2009), but not in locations where the extent is relatively stable (Robertson et al., 2013). We therefore expect that if the winter sea ice extent was substantially greater in the LGM, or if the timing of sea ice retreat was altered, that this would have made some of the extant colony locations energetically untenable during the LGM.
During the LGM, the summer sea ice extent was similar to what we observe today, whereas the winter extent was roughly doubled (Gersonde et al., 2005). Colonies may have been located close to the continent so that the ice remained stable throughout the breeding season, but this would have required adults to walk immense distances to reach foraging areas during winter and spring while provisioning the chick. In that case, the chicks would receive fewer meals and be less likely to survive. The present distribution of colonies close to land (Fretwell & Trathan, 2009) suggests that fast ice proximate to land provides a more stable platform than near the fast ice edge. Also, stable ice close to the coast occurs in predictable locations that might be important for colony establishment and cohesion. Colonies further away from the coast may therefore be difficult to maintain. Our discovery of three distinct lineages provides evidence against a straightforward, latitudinal range shift in line with the sea ice edge and suggests that emperor penguins may have survived the LGM in three suitably situated, geographically isolated refugia.
Emperor penguin refugia during the LGM may have been linked to the presence of polynyas. Several extant emperor penguin colonies are located near polynyas, which may be utilized for foraging during the winter (Croxall et al., 2002). Polynyas acted as ‘hot spots’ of primary productivity during the LGM, supporting marine life and flying seabirds (Thatje et al., 2008). Sediment cores in the northwestern Ross Sea indicate open water polynya conditions throughout the LGM (Brambati et al., 2002; Thatje et al., 2008) and this polynya could have sustained a refuge population until the Ross Sea began to clear of ice (Fig. 4). By 9.6 kya, most of the northern Ross Sea was open water (Licht & Andrews, 2002). The retreating sea ice and increased upwelling during deglaciation increased productivity in the Ross Sea (Anderson et al., 2009) and likely increased the foraging habitat and prey available to emperor penguins; therefore, we hypothesize that these factors drove the threefold expansion of emperor penguins in this region around this time (Fig. 2). The LGM polynya may have also supported Adélie penguins, accounting for the existence of a distinct Ross Sea clade as previously observed for this species (Ritchie et al., 2004).
Another polynya was located in the southeastern Weddell Sea off Dronning Maud Land (DML) (Mackensen et al., 1994; Thatje et al., 2008) (Fig. 4). Colonies of snow petrels (Pagodroma nivea) were present in DML throughout the LGM, associated with this polynya (Wand & Hermichen, 2005), and it may have also provided a refuge for emperor penguins. There is evidence from sediment cores for a third LGM polynya, located in the northwestern Weddell Sea (Smith et al., 2010) (Fig. 4); this would be consistent with our third emperor penguin refuge, given that the refuge is likely to be more proximate to DML than the Ross Sea, as the two refugial lineages hybridized postglacially, while the Ross Sea lineage remained distinct.
We propose that two refuge populations that were isolated in the Weddell Sea expanded their range into Prydz Bay and Adélie Land and merged during the retreat of the East Antarctic ice sheet 14–7 kya (Mackintosh et al., 2011). At this time, the onset of more favorable environmental conditions could have resulted in the dramatic, ninefold increase in abundance shown here (Fig. 2). A seasonal sea ice cycle was established in Prydz Bay approximately 10.4 kya (Barbara et al., 2010), opening up foraging habitat and coinciding with high levels of primary productivity (e.g., Anderson et al., 2009; Sedwick et al., 2001). In Adélie Land, primary productivity and the duration of the ice‐free season increased from 9 kya (Denis et al., 2009a,b). This new habitat could have facilitated the range expansion of the EAWS lineages.
It should be noted that the timing of the abundance increase of emperor penguins does not coincide exactly with the end of the LGM (Fig. 2). We hypothesize that it is not the temperature change itself, but rather the subsequent change in sea ice conditions and primary productivity that are most likely to affect emperor penguins. Indeed, it has been proposed that there is an optimal level of sea ice at the large temporal/spatial scale for emperor penguins, which roughly corresponds to current conditions (Ainley et al., 2010). Therefore, the greater sea ice extent of the LGM was most likely suboptimal for emperor penguin populations. The end of the LGM is measured when temperatures began to increase (19–16 kya). However, deglaciation, during which ice sheets and sea ice retreated and primary productivity increased, occurred slowly over an extended time period (ca. 17–11 kya) (Anderson et al., 2009). These events occurred later in the Ross Sea than in East Antarctica, and our results support the hypothesis that ice sheet and sea ice retreat and increasing primary productivity were the main factors controlling emperor penguin abundance, as the Ross Sea emperor penguin population expanded later than the EAWS population (Fig. 2). Furthermore, emperor penguins produce only one chick per year and take approximately 5 years to reach sexual maturity (Jenouvrier et al., 2005), so any abundance increase would be initially slow.
Our hypothesis of three refugial populations of emperor penguins during the LGM could be tested using a higher density of genetic markers. This would allow for the investigation of clinal variation in genetic diversity arising from founder effects as new areas were colonized following the expansion from refugia after the LGM (Hewitt, 1996). It should be noted that our present study is based on mitochondrial DNA and therefore represents dispersal patterns of females only, but nonetheless supports a plausible explanation for past and present microevolutionary processes in emperor penguins. The next step should be to verify these findings using nuclear markers to account for male‐mediated gene flow.
In this continent‐wide study of microevolution in an Antarctic penguin, we suggest that past climatic changes have greatly impacted emperor penguin populations. As conditions became more favorable after the LGM, their global population expanded and the populations from the Weddell Sea and East Antarctica intermixed to form one large, panmictic population. Interestingly, the isolation of the Ross Sea emperor penguins has persisted until today. The reasons for this isolation remain unknown, but we suggest that separate management plans are required for the Ross Sea and EAWS populations. By conserving the full spectrum of genetic variation and, in particular, all phylogeographic lineages, the evolutionary potential of the species can be maximized (D'Amen et al., 2013).
Our study suggests that emperor penguins have shown important historical responses to past climate shifts and their population increase post‐LGM was remarkable. However, the projected rate of temperature increase over the next century is an order of magnitude greater than that following the LGM (Shakun et al., 2012; Collins et al., 2013; Masson‐Delmotte et al., 2013). At present, emperor penguins become heat stressed around 0 °C, so may exist near the upper limits of their physiological tolerance (B. Wienecke, personal observations). Whether the resilience demonstrated in the past of this highly cold‐adapted species will enable it to adapt to projected climate change remains to be seen, as rising temperatures will alter its breeding grounds and foraging space more rapidly than in the past.Find out which titles came out on top of the annual poll
The readers (that’s you!) have spoken, and the votes have been tallied. Just below these very words are the winners of the PlayStation Blog Game of the Year 2016 awards.
This year’s awards pulled in a staggering number of votes — over a half-million in total! — across categories including Best PS4 Game, Best PS VR Game, Most Innovative, the ever-popular Most Anticipated, and Studio of the Year. There are a few surprises in there, but one title in particular stood out and took multiple Platinum Trophies home… read on to see for yourself!
Best PS4 Game
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
A stupendous year for high-quality games, with strong poll showings from The Last Guardian and Doom. But in the end, it was Naughty Dog’s send-off for Nathan Drake that claimed the Platinum, scoring more than 40% of total submitted votes.
Final Fantasy XV Battlefield 1 Overwatch
Editors’ Choice
Overwatch. Blizzard’s meticulously designed, ultra-polished and highly accessible team shooter represents the biggest leap for the competitive FPS genre in nearly a decade. Its impact will be felt for years to come. Dishonored 2. Incredibly well done and full of little touches that can have you meandering for hours. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve just sat there, spinning a globe or turning on a tap, just because I could (usually after some brutal assassination in a blood stained room, mind you). The Witness. The Witness” minimal aesthetic let Thekla’s brain-squeezing puzzles take centre stage, and I couldn’t bring myself to give up on them. Thank goodness for that, because finally completing “The Challenge” is one of the most rewarding moments of any game in recent memory. Dark Souls 3. It’s been a great year for games, no? Uncharted 4, Titanfall 2 and Dishonored 2 ran it close, but my pick for GOTY goes to Hidetaka Miyazaki’s latest dark masterpiece. The ‘shock of the new’ might be gone, but Dark Souls 3’s level and boss design is as good as any in the series.
Best PS Vita Game
World of Final Fantasy
Fan favourites Steins;Gate 0 and Odin Sphere Leigthrasir fared well as write-ins, but ultimately Square Enix’s love letter to Final Fantasy landed the PS Vita Platinum award.
Lara Croft Go Dragon Quest Builders Darkest Dungeon
Editors’ Choice
Severed. While it’s better known for pugilistic, platforming luchadors, this year’s touchscreen masterpiece Severed demonstrated that Drinkbox Studios is anything but a one trick pony. Combining its signature aesthetic with dark new underworld tones and a particular fixation on dismemberment the studio delivered the PS Vita one of its most unique and interesting titles. Darkest Dungeon. Red Hook’s unforgiving roguelike RPG practically feeds on the dread and misery it generates in the player. On the bright side, that only makes the thrill of victory all the more intoxicating. Easily one of the best games of 2016, no matter the platform. Downwell. A great mobile game which becomes an even better PS Vita game thanks to snappy physical controls. Addictive, intense and incredible fun. Arcade shooting given a roguelike spin, and at its very finest. Day of the Tentacle Remastered. As a long-time fan of the LucasArts stable, this was the one I was desperate to get the Double Fine remaster treatment, and it’s everything I remembered. Hilarious, fiendish and satisfying, it’s also available to download on PS Plus this month, conveniently. So go and get it!
Best Independent Game
Firewatch
Though Firewatch was the decisive overall winner, voting trends in this category showed a broad spread. Alone With You, Severed, and Darkest Dungeon all left a strong mark on the polls, though not enough to place.
Inside The Witness Stardew Valley
Editors’ Choice
Invisible Inc. This stealthy turn-based-tactics offering from Klei Entertainment managed to produce some of my most memorable — and stressful — gaming moments this year. Steamworld Heist. Image & Form’s delightful follow-up to quirky 2013 side-scroller Steamworld Dig successfully transposed the action into an entirely new genre (turn-based strategy) while retaining the charm of the original. Flab-free and heaps of fun. Darkest Dungeon. I’m determined to plug this game in every available venue! There are plenty of great turn-based RPGs, but few emphasise the fragility of your heroes will push you to the brink of sanity. It’s a truly refreshing experience, but it might push you to the brink of sanity. Overcooked. The surprise hit of the year for many, and appeals to the old school gamer in me (not to mention my OCD) with fast-paced and compelling gameplay. I tried this at E3 and it quickly became one of the games of the show. It’s that good.
Best Use of PS4 Pro
Battlefield 1
A decisive win from Battlefield 1, which impressively elevated its graphical presentation on the powerful PS4 Pro hardware. Titanfall 2 and Ratchet & Clank also earned noteworthy support from the PlayStation community.
Final Fantasy XV Rise of the Tomb Raider Watch Dogs 2
Editors’ Choice
Call of Duty Infinite Warfare. Infinity Ward’s latest is a tremendous technical achievement, but you haven’t seen its full potential until you’ve played it on PS4 Pro. The action setpieces look spectacular, but it was the UNSA Retribution’s hyper-detailed flight deck that blew me away. Rise of the Tomb Raider. By offering a trio of settings to fit a range of different visual mode configurations, Crystal Dynamics gives players a clear and easy choice to experience the action-adventure the way they want to. I’d love to see similar practice adopted as a standard in future. Final Fantasy XV. Square Enix has been known to embrace new technologies and generate some of the most impressive visuals of any given console generation, and Final Fantasy XV is a perfect showcase of PS4 Pro’s capabilities. Players can choose to experience super-smooth gameplay or render at a massive resolution — either way, FFXV’s spot-on art direction really shines on the new hardware. Rise of the Tomb Raider. A great example of a developer really going all out to take advantage of PS4 Pro. With an array of options that balance stunning enhanced visuals with a slicker frame rate, Crystal Dynamics took what was already a technical achievement and dialed it up to 11.
Best PlayStation VR Game
Batman Arkham VR
The votes were fairly split here, but Rocksteady’s atmospheric mystery ultimately took the top slot. Rez Infinite, RIGS, and PlayStation VR Worlds each saw lots of support in the polls, though not quite enough to place.
Star Wars Battlefront Rogue One X-wing VR Mission Job Simulator Eve Valkyrie
Editors’ Choice
Battlezone. Great aesthetics, tight gunplay and hugely chaotic environment make Battlezone an easy pick. The addictive rogue-like cycle keeps the challenge fresh and is well-suited to short bursts of intense play. The best argument for VR I’ve yet to encounter. Superhypercube. While many games go to great lengths to prove how convincing an escape VR can be, Kokoromi’s psychedelic |
Huskies have continued their remarkable resurgence by tearing the cover off the ball at a conference-best.292 clip. Their 17 home runs and team.404 slugging percentage also leads the Pac-12. Washington's even distribution of power may be the most impressive aspect of this team: No player has hit more than four home runs individually. This balance has the Huskies sitting atop the Pac-12 standings at 14-4.Over the next month, we’re celebrating technology and innovation in a new series called Bright Sparks. As part of the series, we’re bringing back some of our favourite articles about the people and ideas that are changing the world with technology.
We’ve all been there: standing in an interminable queue in a stark government building, staring into space, waiting for what seems like endless hours to fill out reams of forms at the tax office or department of motor vehicles.
How do you kill time during such a boring wait, only to do more boring tasks in a boring place? Most likely, it means scrolling through your phone, checking email, Instagramming, even tweeting about how you’re bored.
So why can’t we just fill out all those forms (or run similarly bureaucratic errands) on that same smartphone? Why, in 2017, the year of cashless payments and fingerprint-locked gadgets and handheld video-chatting, can we not do all of our government-related tasks online, in one place and in one fell swoop?
In a certain Baltic country, you can: Estonia, the small nation of 1.3m nestled in the nooks of northeastern Europe.
The same country that gave birth to Skype has been pursuing a 100% digitised society with laser focus since the ‘90s. Experts far and away agree that the country’s online government initiative – an effort called e-Estonia – is the world paragon for how a government can successfully and conveniently move the bulk of its services to a single online platform.
The e-Estonia website says the programme is “the evolution of the e-state”. Launched in 1997, it’s let citizens file taxes online since 2000 (95% of Estonians file taxes online), and allows Estonians to obtain medical prescriptions and test results, sign documents, even vote and allow foreigners to become e-residents, all online.
“Today, the information is stored inside the country,” says Anna Piperal, a spokesperson for e-Estonia. “But we are working on a governmental cloud that will be backed up in Estonian embassies around the world.”
e-Estonia pumps out technical roles to support the system
And they’re not alone. Finland, Japan and Cyprus have all taken cues from Estonia, either working with Estonian companies to build e-tax platforms in their own countries, for example, or borrowing the Estonian ID card system, which assigns each citizen a catch-all ID that can be used for purposes ranging from social security to voting to disaster response.
“The country has made more progress than any other,” says Darrell West, vice president and director of governance studies at the Brookings Institute think tank in Washington DC.
An e-government programme packs a double punch in that it functions as a creator for tech jobs. Piperal says that e-Estonia pumps out technical roles to support the system, “just like any new industry.
“We need more engineers, more designers, more testers, more programmers, and architects. More copywriters, more social media experts and more web developers.”
A number of experts on governance and the internet have shining things to say about e-Estonia, and credited the programme with being a trailblazer of its kind.
“It’s a very interesting example – a very early example,” says Helen Margetts, professor of society and the internet at the University of Oxford and the director of Oxford Internet Institute.
Margetts says that “after the Soviet era, [Estonia] ditched legacy systems and started from scratch – they decided to be paperless. They just went for a neat solution which comes nearer than any other government.” (Estonia regained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.)
But we live in a world of constant headlines of data breaches, hacked Facebook profiles, stolen credit card numbers, swiped passwords, lifted savings accounts. Why should people trust all of their info being housed in a single, centralised (and potentially hackable, critics say) online platform?
Grand Ideas The 21st Century is continually throwing us new challenges and expecting us to adapt – but for every Earth-shattering megatrend, there are dozens of genius solutions. Follow them all in BBC Future's special series, Grand Ideas.
In 2014, researchers at the University of Michigan conducted a study that identified “major risks in the security of Estonia’s internet voting system” and recommended “its immediate withdrawal”. But e-Estonia says that the voting system has security in place to safeguard the integrity of votes, such as those state-issued ID cards assigned to each citizen that allows them to use the online services like online banking or electronic voting. And it says its blockchain technology strives to ensure “that no-one – not hackers, not system administrators, and not even government itself – can manipulate the data and get away with that.”
"Cybersecurity is a real risk when you have everything on a single platform" - Darrell West
“Cybersecurity is a real risk when you have everything on a single platform,” says West. He points to 2007, an infamous crisis in which Russia waged what’s considered the first cyberwar on Estonia. Banks had their servers knocked out and cash machines were rendered unusable. As Estonian newspapers struggled to keep up with the chaos, “journalists were suddenly unable to upload articles to be printed in time”, reported the BBC’s Damien McGuinness earlier this year.
West called the 2007 Russian cyberattack “the equivalent of bombing physical infrastructure and making it inaccessible to people”.
West also says that most governments have not embraced online voting due to cybersecurity concerns – despite increasing concern that Russia may have influenced elections in a number of countries.
Still, e-Estonia’s Piperal points out that Estonia’s voting system has never been hacked or compromised, and that in an age of machine-based elections being hacked (such as recently in the US), it may be better to have one piece of software rather than millions of machines that were hacked in the end. Besides, you can cripple a government’s elections in a lot of different ways, West points out: fake news, disinformation campaigns, deceptive advertising, social media attacks.
But even if the benefits of an e-government outweigh the risks, could Estonia’s model even be replicated elsewhere, necessarily? How has Estonia been able to do it?
Experts say that it’s simply been a priority there – Estonia viewed an e-government as an important goal and they got it done. But it’s a concept that doesn’t always scale. Estonia’s a relatively small country with a population of just over 1.3m and a size that matches that of Belgium or West Virginia. (Still, Margetts points out: “Facebook has two billion users, and they seem to manage.”)
Could Estonia’s model even be replicated elsewhere?
Plus, comparing Estonia to larger Western countries like the UK or the US is an apples-to-oranges exercise. The British and American governments, for instance, are much more complex and byzantine compared to Estonia’s, with myriad departments and laws that may change depending on where in the country you are.
Never mind the fact that, the bigger the country, the tougher it is to erect a one-stop-shop digital society like Estonia’s. In a big country, you might have lots of people speaking lots of languages, which complicates things – it’s easier to streamline services when you have a place that’s small and homogenous.
Think of the IRS in the US or HMRC in the UK. “These are really huge organisations and they don’t want a small unit in the centre telling them what to do. That’s a problem in a very big government when you’ve got lots of legacy systems lying around,” Margetts says.
But if it can be pulled off, an e-government beats spending hours in a windowless government office and being barked at by an overworked desk employee. There’s a huge convenience factor for citizens.
And even amid an increasingly complex world filled with cyber wars and international espionage, the unrelenting digitisation of our day-to-day lives doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.
It’s the future, and experts say that there’s no reason to think that running a government won’t inevitably be yet another task that fully ends up on the internet, too. That’s why it could be one of the biggest ideas of the 21st Century.
“Amazon is just a website, right? When you think of Amazon, you don’t think of buildings. Do you think of buildings when you think of government? You probably don’t,” says Margetts. “Government is just a website, really, going forward.”CLEVELAND — A Cleveland Clinic doctor who wrote a column laced with anti-vaccine rhetoric appeared to retract his commentary Sunday, but will face disciplinary action for publishing it without authorization, the health system said.
Dr. Daniel Neides, whose column spouted a widely discredited theory that vaccines are linked to autism — and whose comments sparked an online uproar — issued a brief statement through a Cleveland Clinic spokeswoman.
“I apologize and regret publishing a blog that has caused so much concern and confusion for the public and medical community,” the statement said. “I fully support vaccinations and my concern was meant to be positive around the safety of them.”
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In an accompanying statement, Cleveland Clinic spokeswoman Eileen Sheil said “appropriate disciplinary action will be taken” against Neides. The statement noted that Neides’s column was published without authorization, but did not specify what discipline he might face.
The column was published Friday on a blog on the news site cleveland.com. By Sunday afternoon, it had been removed. The clinic said it had requested the post be taken down on Neides’s behalf.
The clinic has declined to make Neides available for an interview.
In his commentary, Neides, a family doctor and the director and chief operating officer of the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute, said that preservatives and other ingredients in vaccines are dangerous and are likely behind the increase in diagnosed cases of neurological diseases such as autism — a claim that has long been discredited by researchers.
“Does the vaccine burden — as has been debated for years — cause autism? I don’t know and will not debate that here. What I will stand up and scream is that newborns without intact immune systems and detoxification systems are being over-burdened with PRESERVATIVES AND ADJUVANTS IN THE VACCINES,” he wrote. Adjuvants are added to vaccines to prompt a stronger immune response.
His comments triggered a firestorm on social media, with doctors sharply criticizing Neides for his apparent endorsement of debunked notions that have fueled an anti-vaccination movement based on conspiracy theories and unproven opinions. Some have called on the clinic to act quickly and harshly against Neides, while others have asserted that his comments undermine the clinic’s mission to provide sound, evidence-based medical care to its patient.
The @ClevelandClinic must specifically disavow Dr. Neides in a high-profile manner. But the damage has already been done. — Kevin Pho, M.D. (@kevinmd) January 8, 2017
In its statement Sunday, the clinic sought to further distance itself from Neides’s comments. “Cleveland Clinic is fully committed to evidence-based medicine,” the statement said. “Harmful myths and untruths about vaccinations have been scientifically debunked in rigorous ways. We completely support vaccinations to protect people, especially children who are particularly vulnerable.”
Neides’s Wellness Institute provides “world-class medical care and quality wellness programs to change unhealthy behaviors and to make healthy life choices,” according to its website. But to the wider medical community, the claims that Neides espoused did not promote “healthy life choices.” Instead, they said, these statements were downright dangerous.
Dr. Benjamin Mazer, a resident physician in pathology at Yale-New Haven Hospital who tweeted that the article was “one of the most vile, false things I have ever read by a doctor,” said in an interview that it wasn’t an isolated event.
“This is really part of a larger movement that distrusts mainstream medicine, distrusts mainstream public health, and really trades in conspiracy theories,” he told STAT. “This article is a really prime example of that. It’s just a shame that it’s a physician spreading these conspiracy theories because people naturally trust physicians.”Hundreds of child refugees in Serbia face freezing to death as temperatures plummet to -16C, Save the Children has warned.
Many of the children, some as young as eight years old, have no gloves or proper shoes, and several refugees have already suffered frostbite in the perishing conditions, the charity said.
Up to 2,000 refugees living in makeshift shelters in the Serbian capital of Belgrade are at risk, with some lighting indoor fires to keep warm, resulting in migrants suffering respiratory problems from the toxic smoke.
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“Conditions are truly gruesome, these buildings don't have heating, windows, toilets, they don't have water,” Tatjana Ristic, spokesperson for Save the Children Serbia, told The Independent.
“The numbers sleeping rough in Belgrade and squatting in buildings behind the train station started to grow in 2015 and at the moment, this could be the biggest unofficial refugee camp in Europe.”
Ms Ristic said up to 300 children were facing perishing conditions in the camps, many being unaccompanied minors who have already faced unimaginable hardship leaving their home countries.
“Some of these children are very young - nine years old. One boy I met travelled with his uncle who is 15 years old from Afghanistan. They were sleeping in a tent with two friends - one 10-year-old and one 11-year-old,” she said.
According to the charity, up to 100 migrants arrive in Serbia each day, with children accounting for up to 40% of new arrivals.
The migrants are arriving on the Balkans Route, which was officially closed in March 2015 but remains in active use by those hoping to make it to Europe.
More than 61 people – including several refugees and migrants - have reportedly died across the continent as a result of the Arctic weather, with children and babies being particularly vulnerable to hypothermia without proper access to heat and shelter.
“The EU’s continued failure on the refugee crisis is leaving thousands of people, including lone children, literally out in the cold," Kirsty McNeill, Save the Children's campaigns director, said.
"The lack of political will to offer asylum or reunify separated children and families, means these human beings, who have survived years of war, violence and deadly journeys to safety - are now freezing to death on Europe’s doorstep.”
It came as MPs called on the British government to do more to help child refugees in other parts of Europe, as winter temperatures dropped to treacherous lows.
We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view.
At The Independent, no one tells us what to write. That’s why, in an era of political lies and Brexit bias, more readers are turning to an independent source. Subscribe from just 15p a day for extra exclusives, events and ebooks – all with no ads.
Subscribe nowI ran across the Wikipedia article on this subject today. While I found it fascinating and enthralling, it also took me about half an hour to properly decode the notation being used, so here I have interpreted it for the layman.
What is a formal grammar?
Symbols
Begin with symbols. A symbol can be anything. One common example is an upper- or lower-case letter of the Roman alphabet.
"a"
"b"
"W"
etc.
If we allow other special characters to be symbols, then we could also have:
"_"
"'"
";"
etc.
But our symbols could also be English words. If this were the case, then our symbols would be things like:
"spectacular"
"adventure"
"heroes"
A symbol in isolation does not need to mean anything.
Alphabets
A set of symbols is called an alphabet. An alphabet must be finite.
Strings
A string is a finite series of symbols. All the symbols must be chosen from the same alphabet. If we use Roman letters as our alphabet, then some example strings would be:
"cat"
"misanthropy"
"sfdggkklsl"
If our alphabet contained special characters, then some more example strings might be:
"__^(sdfsd_+_$%"
"dd'dddddd"
";kfllfddf7777lskl¬¬"
If, instead, our alphabet consisted of English words, then a string (or sentence) would simply be a series of words, such as
"bucket July embarrass whatsoever isn't a the"
Although every string must be finite, notice how there are infinitely many possible finite strings.
"bucket"
"bucket bucket"
"bucket bucket bucket"
"bucket bucket bucket bucket"
etc.
For every alphabet, there is also a single empty string:
""
Notice, again, how strings have no meaning ascribed to them.
Languages
Given an alphabet, a formal language L is any set of finite strings over that alphabet.
A formal language may contain a finite number of strings. The smallest possible language is the empty language, containing no strings at all (this is not to be confused with the language containing only the empty string).
Or, a language may contain infinitely many strings. The largest possible language is the one containing every possible finite string.
Strings which are in L can be considered "correct". Strings which are not in L can be considered "incorrect". For example, if our alphabet was the set of all English words, then our language could be the set of all grammatically correct English sentences:
"The cat sat on the mat"
"No"
"Colourless green ideas sleep furiously"
etc.
For a language L to be well-defined, we only need one thing: a process which generates all of the strings in L.
Grammars
A formal grammar is a finite set of rules for generating "grammatically correct" sentences.
A formal grammar works by always starting with the same single "unfinished sentence" or "root". Then, different rules are applied in turn, modifying the sentence each time, until the sentence is deemed to be "finished" and the process terminates.
(By definition,) the set of sentences which can be generated by following the rules of a formal grammar comprise a formal language. The sentences which cannot be generated in this way do not fall in the formal language.
Once again, note that a grammar ascribes no meaning to the language it generates.
Formal definition
A formal grammar has four components.
First we have a finite set Σ of terminal symbols. This is our alphabet. The final sentence must consist only of terminal symbols. For our example we'll take: Σ = { "a", "the", "dog", "cat", "barked", "napped"}
Next we have a finite set N of nonterminal symbols. Non-terminal symbols are special. I think of them as wildcards. If a sentence still contains non-terminal symbols then it is not finished yet. To help keep this intuitive, my non-terminal symbols will all have <angle brackets>. N = { "<sentence>", "<noun>", "<verb>", "<article>" } Note that there can be no symbols shared between Σ and N.
One of the non-terminal symbols, S, must be nominated as a start symbol from which all sentences must be built. S = "<sentence>"
Finally, we have a finite set P of production rules, which is things we are allowed to do to construct sentences. Every rule must contain at least one non-terminating symbol on the left. P = { "<sentence>" → "<article><noun><verb>" "<article>" → "a" "<article>" → "the" "<noun>" → "dog" "<noun>" → "cat" "<verb>" → "barked" "<verb>" → "napped" }
A grammar G is thus expressed as
G = { N, Σ, P, S }
How do we apply the rules?
Obviously, we can theoretically concatenate any combination of symbols, to make example strings like
"<verb> <verb> <verb> a dog a dog <sentence>"
"cat napped a"
"a a a a a a a a a a a <noun>"
However, starting from S and following the rules P, only some of these can be constructed.
A sentence y can be derived in one step from another sentence x if there is a rule which can be applied to connect the two. For example: x = "cat cat cat <noun> <verb> the" Using rule 4, "<noun>" → "dog", we could generate: y = "cat cat cat dog <verb> the" Or, using rule 7, "<verb>" → "napped", we could generate: y = "cat cat cat <noun> napped the"
A sentential form is any sentence which can be derived in a finite number of steps, starting from S. Examples are: "<sentence>" (0 steps) "<article> <noun> <verb>" (1 step) "<article> <noun> barked" (2 steps) "a <noun> barked" (3 steps) "a cat barked" (4 steps)
A finished sentential form is any sentential form which contains no non-terminating symbols. Only the last of the previous five examples, "a cat barked", counts. All the others have "wildcards" in.
Finally, the formal language L ( G ) is the set of all finished sentences: L ( G ) = { "a dog barked"
"a dog napped"
"a cat barked"
"a cat napped"
"the dog barked"
"the dog napped"
"the cat barked"
"the cat napped"
}
A more complicated example
These rules are a little more complex.
G = { N = { S, B } Σ = { a, b, c } S = S, obviously P = { S → a B S c S → a b c B a → a B B b → b b } }
Here are some productions which follow this grammar. Check to see which rule is being followed for each step.
S
a b c
S
a B S c
a B a b c c
a a B b c c
a a b b c c
S
a B S c
a B a B S c c
a B a B a b c c c
a B a a B b c c c
a B a a b b c c c
a a B a b b c c c
a a a B b b c c c
a a a b b b c c c
The finished sentences are the last ones in each block: a b c, a a b b c c and a a a b b b c c c. All the others contain S s or B s. So, notice how the language described by this example grammar is:
L ( G ) = { a b c
a a b b c c
a a a b b b c c c
...
}
Note that while N, Σ and P must always be finite (though they may be very large), L is infinite in this case.
So what?
The concept of a formal grammar is not a mathematical curio but of critical importance in the modern world.
Linguistics
Using the concept of a formal grammar to try to approach actual human languages like English and Chinese is possible, though extremely difficult and of dubious usefulness.
Mathematics
Formal grammars are used in mathematics to define what does or does not constitute a syntactically correct mathematical statement or equation. We can create a language of mathematics.
Bad:
488023 a ++ 5353 ==== / 5 / 5 /
π * 2.3.34534532.!
993333339 X 999999
Good:
a 2 + b 2 = c 2 + 17.3
X ⇒ ( ( X ⇒ Y ) ⇒ Y )
2 + 2 = 87
Note again that a grammar ascribes no formal meaning to the language it describes. The fact that the sentence is syntactically correct does not imply that it is factually correct. It doesn't even imply that the finished sentence is a statement of fact at all! Grammatical correctness draws a line between gibberish and nonsense, but not between nonsense and sense.
Very simple formal grammars are used as the basis for the statements of propositional logic, which itself is the basis for much more valuable mathematics.
Computing
Formal grammars are also used to define syntactical correctness in machine languages: that is, programming languages (such as C, Java, Python, and almost any other language you can think of), markup languages (most notably HTML, which is used to describe web pages), data languages (XML, JSON and CSV) and querying languages (SQL and its many brethren).
If you know HTML, a great example can be found by checking out the Document Type Definition of the web page that you're currently looking at: http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd. A DTD defines what constitutes valid HTML in the document to follow, and it explains which attributes each HTML element may have, and which elements may nest inside that element. Although the syntax is a little different from the one above, you can probably work out how to read the DTD and spot the wildcards. Notice how the syntax of the DTD is itself very strict and rigorous; it, too, is subject to the constraints of a formal grammar.
Validation and parsing
Validation is the process of determining whether a sentence is "correct"; that is, whether it is contained within the formal language generated by a grammar.
Parsing is the process of determining the grammatical structure of a sentence with respect to a formal grammar. Specifically, it means determining the sequence of production steps by which the sentence was constructed.
The only way to validate a sentence is to demonstrate that it can be successfully parsed. Likewise, an invalid sentence, by definition, cannot be parsed. Therefore, in the general case, parsing and validation are almost exactly the same thing. Each entails and implies the other. The only distinction is that parsing involves collecting more information.
For an arbitrary sentence and an arbitrary formal grammar, parsing is very difficult. It requires a fully-functional Turing machine and can be very computationally intensive.
In the worst case scenario, you just have to generate every single possible grammatically correct sentence, waiting for your chosen sentence to show up. If it shows up, the sentence is valid; if not, you just have to keep waiting, forever, because it still might!
So, how can we make our machine languages more practical to parse?
We do this by putting restrictions on the types of rules and symbols we use in our formal grammar. By adding further restrictions we can classify all of the formal grammars into a hierarchy. Grammars higher in the hierarchy are very powerful, but also very difficult to validate. Grammars lower in the hierarchy are more constrained and have less expressive power, but they are also easier to validate.
Context-free grammars
The most important of the various types of restricted grammar is a context-free grammar. This is about halfway up the hierarchy, striking a good balance between simplicity of validation and expressive power.
In a context-free grammar, all of the production rules must start with a single non-terminating character. The rule
"<verb>" → "barked"
is non-contextual.
The rules
B a → a B B b → b b "<noun> <verb>" → "dog barked" "<noun> <noun>" → "dog" "dog <verb>" → "dog barked"
are contextual. They provide restrictions on when the sentence may be transformed - in the last example, we are dependent on the existence of the word "dog" immediately before the "<verb>", to provide context. If we had the sentence "cat <verb>" then this rule could not be used, because of the incorrect context.
In a context-free grammar, these rules would not be permitted. The position and context of the single non-terminating character would not affect the operations which could be performed upon it.
(Note how the first example grammar in this writeup is context-free as originally presented, while the second is not.)
Sentences in context-free languages can easily be broken down into their original components and production steps, and the automaton required need not be as complex as a full Turing machine - you can get away with a simpler machine called a pushdown automaton. Validating sentences in context-free grammars is computationally simpler, more mathematically tractable and has in fact been the subject of a great deal of valuable study. Taking an existing contextual grammar and formulating it to become context-free (by changing its rules, without altering the resulting formal language) is a very useful endeavour.Thanks to last week’s Generation 2 update, Pokemon Go is once again the highest grossing game on iTunes in the United States.
While number one on the App Store, Pokemon Go came in third on Google Play behind Mobile Strike and Game of War – Fire Age, respectively.
Pokemon Go hasn’t been number one on the App Store since its New Years event on January 4.
If you head over to mobile tracking site App Annie, using the drop down menu, you’ll find the game is still faring well in other regions of the world.
Last week’s update did more than just add over 80 new Pokemon, the update also increased rewards when catching evolved Pokemon, a new night mode map, gender-specific variations of select Pokemon, two new berries and Evolution items. We cover all of this and more in our updated Pokemon Go guide.
If you click the links above, you will also find the general notes for the update.The administrators running Rangers have said they do not know the whereabouts of £24m which was lent to the club.
The money was lent to the club by Ticketus, a firm which hoped to profit from future season ticket sales.
David Whitehouse of Duff and Phelps said they did not have "visibility" of where the money had gone.
Meanwhile, former Rangers chairman Alastair Johnston has asked the Crown Office to investigate Craig Whyte's acquisition of the club.
He said: "I have today written to the Crown office asking for an investigation into the background surrounding the acquisition of Rangers Football Club by Craig Whyte, and in particular whether there is evidence of fraud."
A Strathclyde Police spokesman said: 'We can confirm that we have been passed information regarding the ongoing situation at Rangers Football Club. This is currently being examined. It would be inappropriate to comment further."
Speaking about the "invisible" £24m, administrator Mr Whitehouse said he believed the funds went through a parent company account rather than the account of the company now in administration.
He added that the administrators were checking with Rangers' former lawyers.
He said the Ticketus debt was not secured against the assets of the football club.
We do not think that liquidation and the closure of the club is a likely outcome at all Paul Clark, Rangers' administrators
It means the ticket firm is unlikely to be repaid in full should Rangers exit the administration process.
Instead, Ticketus and other creditors would be asked to agree to a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) to receive a percentage of what they are due.
Rangers FC Group, a separate entity from the club itself, remains solvent.
Ticketus loaned Rangers the money in return for flows of future season ticket sale revenue, a primary source of the Ibrox club's income.
David Whitehouse, from administrators Duff and Phelps told a press conference: "Our understanding is that the funds from Ticketus didn't come through the company's account, they went through a parent company account so we haven't got visibility on that.
"Ticketus don't have security on the assets of the club."
Ticketus have refused to comment on the Rangers season ticket deal, citing client confidentiality.
The Ibrox club entered administration on Tuesday after HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) pursued legal action at the Court of Session in Edinburgh over alleged unpaid VAT and PAYE totalling about £9m.
Rangers are also awaiting the outcome of a tax tribunal over a disputed bill, plus penalties, totalling £49m.
Club chairman Craig Whyte, who assumed control of the club from Sir David Murray in May of last year, was reported on Monday as saying this potential liability to HMRC could reach up to £75m if the club lost the tribunal.
In a statement, Duff and Phelps' Paul Clark said the administrators "are hopeful that a CVA can be achieved and these are measures that are put in place and deal with all of the club's liabilities".
However, Mr Whitehouse said a CVA was not imminent, adding: "We don't know the quantum of HMRC debt yet because clearly the larger tax case hasn't been decided yet."
Mr Clark reiterated the administrators' belief that Rangers "will continue as a football club".
And he said: "We do not think that liquidation and the closure of the club is a likely outcome at all.
"We need to stabilise the financial position and ensure from now on income exceeds expenditure.
"We fully understand the 140 years history of Rangers football club and are taking steps to ensure this history will endure."
Earlier, the Rangers manager Ally McCoist and his players were told that an immediate review of staffing was under way.
Job losses seem almost certain but there will be no detail until next week at the earliest.
The administrators also confirmed that they were considering several expressions of interest in the club.Donald Trump is set to arrive in South Korea on November 7. The country is naturally abuzz with anticipation, in a show of how important the military alliance with the US is, especially at a time of tense standoff with North Korea.
The foreign minister and the South Korean ambassador to Washington will reportedly be at the airport to greet Trump and his wife. South Korean President Moon Jae-in will then have a one-on-one with his US counterpart before an extravagant dinner party with K-pop performances and traditional music. Trump will also address the National Assembly and visit US military base, Camp Humphreys.
All that brouhaha over Trump's visit belies the difficult predicament the South Korean government is in. Since taking office, Trump has made clear that he cares only about US interests. To continue kowtowing to Washington would be dangerous, even if Seoul cannot quite quit the pretence of honouring its longtime ally, at least not yet.
The Trump presidency, less than a year old, has been a headache for President Moon, who won the elections in May promising greater engagement and an end to hostility between the two Koreas. He took power exactly as Trump engaged in a verbal escalation with Pyongyang, threatening "fire and fury" and unilateral military action against North Korea.
It has become apparent that the US president doesn't particularly care about the safety and security of Korean people. According to Republican senator Lindsey Graham, Trump said, "If thousands die, they're going to die over there."
During the visit, Trump is also bound to bring up, at least privately, the free-trade agreement (FTA) between South Korea and the US, having insisted that it is "horrible" and "job-killing" for Americans. At Washington's demand, the two sides agreed early October to renegotiate the deal. While Moon opposed the FTA when he was in opposition six years ago, he is hardly in a position to give it up now, considering that South Korean businesses benefit greatly from the arrangement.
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Despite disagreements, Moon has tried to sound in sync with the US leadership. He has been adamant to show support for stronger measures against North Korea and has repeatedly invoked the word "pressure," which he says is necessary to bring North Korea back to the negotiation table.
The government announced on Friday that it was about to release a list of its own sanctions against Pyongyang, at the request of the Americans. And Moon has tried to downplay the looming FTA renegotiation, saying in August that it is not "some immediate, major crisis".
Like Moon, South Koreans are not really enamoured with Trump, though they do value relations with the US. Most South Koreans - 78 percent, to be precise - have no confidence in Trump, according to a Pew Research Center survey released in June, but a similar number - 75 percent - express favourable opinions toward the US even at a time when the US's likeability is declining around the world.
In a separate poll, conducted last November by Asan Institute, a domestic think tank, the percentage of respondents who said that US-South Korean relations would worsen jumped more than four times from 2015 (14.1 percent) to 2016 (64 percent). From 2014 to 2016, the percentage of South Koreans who thought US military presence in South Korea to be the most important issue for the two allies nearly doubled from 17.6 to 30.
In other words, more South Koreans than not view Trump's intentions toward the Korean Peninsula with scepticism, and there is growing attention to whether the US should continue to guarantee South Korea's security.
An ostensibly liberal politician that rose to power as part of a movement to oust a corrupt conservative government, Moon is trapped between an uncaring ally and an electorate that is psychologically dependent on it, and he knows it. His discontent surfaces in the media only through more talkative members of his circle, like special advisor Moon Chung-in, who caused a firestorm late September by saying that even if the US-South Korea alliance falls apart, war must be stopped.
It was actually a good point: Why should South Korea beg for American protection when the US doesn't seem committed to peace in the Korean Peninsula?
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Knowing that there are fundamental differences between Moon and Trump, South Korean conservatives have sought to exploit the visit as an occasion to fan the public's anxiety and undermine the president's popularity. Opposition lawmakers and conservative media are hounding the presidential office over why Trump is spending only one night in South Korea when he is spending two nights in Japan and China. They insist that the government is slighting the US president or hasn't done enough to win Washington's favour.
Competing rallies, for and against Trump's visit, took place this weekend, and it's obvious that Washington has left Seoul with no choice but to lessen its dependence on the US.
That's why the administration rightly - but carefully - has begun working to improve relations with China. On October 30, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-hwa announced that there would be no additional deployment of THAAD, a US-made missile defence system which was set up to protect South Korea from North Korean missiles but which has angered Beijing to no end. She also said that South Korea is working on establishing its own defence system. This has brought almost immediate relief for South Korean businesses that have been suffering from a form of unofficial sanctions imposed by the Chinese government over the THAAD deployment last year.
On November 3, Moon gave an interview to Singapore's Channel News Asia in which he defined his policy as "balanced diplomacy".
But, no |
’t have access to a regular doctor, it is a huge problem.
The reason why it’s bad is that your unique medical records are scattered all over and getting that information from one healthcare provider to another takes days or even weeks, which only lengthens the time you wait to receive patient care.
Studies and research have shown that inefficiencies experienced in healthcare processes are highly affected by patient records that can’t be shared across clinics because of outdated processes and systems.
In many ways, the healthcare system is incredibly inefficient with the situation above being a glaring example of it—and it’s time for a change.
Introducing MediBloc
MediBloc is a decentralized healthcare data management platform built on the blockchain.
The platform’s main goal is to empower patients with options they deserve (and should have had) in the healthcare industry.
With MediBloc, patients can hold and have full control over their medical records while at the same time, controlling access to providers as well as updating information with the appropriate amount of patient consent.
By enabling these features, MediBloc helps to reduce inherent problems in the healthcare industry like process redundancies, inefficient administrative tasks, delays in giving or receiving treatment, data forgery that results in insurance frauds—all of this will be eliminated and improved in a secure and transparent medical platform.
Because the healthcare industry is such a sensitive industry, MediBloc’s team ensures that the platform is fully compliant with the HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) so that patients can use MediBloc’s services without any worries of going against the law.
Why was MediBloc built on the blockchain in the first place?
Thanks to the properties of the blockchain, MediBloc can provide a 100% trustless platform with the ability to validate and verify identities, hence removing the need for intermediaries that don’t add value to the patient-clinic relationship.
All in all, users of the MediBloc platform enjoy greater transparency, more effective services, as well as being rewarded fairly for their involvement.
At the same time, patient records that struggled in the old healthcare database system can now be securely stored on the blockchain and are fully decentralized. Through MediBloc, every patient can control his/her own data instead of a third-party without the concern of insecurity and mistrust when carrying and exchanging health data.
One of the team’s visions for MediBloc includes building an open platform where all parties can collaborate harmoniously to build useful applications for the future.
By harnessing the patient data and history stored in the MediBloc blockchain, the platform is planning to build revolutionary features such as automated insurance claims, personalized health reports as well as the possibility of AI-powered medical chatbots that can answer common questions and patient queries automatically.
The MediBloc team is extremely competent with both co-founders being professional doctors with backgrounds in the computer science industry.
Dr. Allen Wookyun Kho is a dental surgeon and was previously a respected software engineer at Samsung Electronics while his partner, Dr. Eunsol Lee is a well-known radiologist and data scientist with experiences in medical Big Data.
MediBloc already has a working alpha version of the platform with an official version in development and expected to be released next year.
How does MediBloc work?
As explained in the above paragraphs, MediBloc is a decentralized healthcare information platform and personal data ecosystem for patients, healthcare providers, and researchers.
Described by the official website itself, MediBloc’s main mission is to:
Streamline medicine for patients, providers, and researchers by redistributing value behind personal healthcare data ownership.
Essentially, MediBloc allows users to hold, store, and update their medical records in one place—working exactly like a digital healthcare wallet.
A use case contained in the MediBloc whitepaper explains how MediBloc will work practically: as a patient, imagine getting yourself to a clinic and your provider then requests for your information on MediBloc off the bat.
As soon as you grant access to the clinic, they can view all of your medical histories from previous appointments you’ve had even if they’re in a different clinic, a different doctor, or in different countries—everything will be recorded.
As you might’ve imagined, MediBloc allows patients to save time and money by avoiding redundant tests. This would also greatly improve the speed and efficiency of your treatments and the healthcare providers can carry out their responsibilities more efficiently, making it a win-win situation for all parties involved.
Healthcare data has always been available to researchers but because of security and compliance reasons, access to data has always been restricted which hinders the advancement of medical technologies.
Thanks to the transparent nature of MediBloc, researchers have access to a much larger data pool of patient records and healthcare data for their projects.
Now, why would a patient voluntarily share his or her medical data other than contributing to the growth of the medical industry?
Here’s why; MediBloc wants to promote a healthy patient ecosystem by incentivizing patients to trade over their records, therefore creating a medical data economy that benefits everyone.
Patients have the freedom of choice to sell portions of their private data to researchers, medical professionals and institutions for Medi Tokens (MED), the platform’s utility token.
The MediBloc token sale
The Medi Token (MED) will be the official cryptocurrency and utility token used in the MediBloc platform.
MED tokens are used to compensate practitioners when they input new medical data for patients; the tokens are also used by researchers to purchase data from patients selling it.
MED is also used to acquire products and services on the platform as well as being able to be traded on exchanges for other cryptocurrencies or fiat.
Here are the details of the upcoming MED token sale:
Token name: MED
Token base: QTUM
Token supply/Token offering: 10,000,000,000 / 5,000,000,000
Token sale duration: 27th November, 2017 – 15th December, 2017
Token sale target: 2,500,000 QTUM
Token exchange rate: 1 QTUM = 2,000 MED (BTC and ETH also accepted | BTC/QTUM, ETH/QTUM conversion rate updated daily)
MediBloc’s Website
MediBloc’s Whitepaperhttp://gty.im/72723758
While Many Fans Complain, The Detroit Lions May Go Tight End Early In The Draft.
Since 2009, the Lions have taken two tight ends in the first round: Brandon Pettigrew 20th overall in 2009, and Eric Ebron 10th overall in 2014. During that time, only one other team has done that. The Bengals drafted Jermaine Gresham 21st overall in 2010, and they drafted Tyler Eifert, also at 21st overall, in 2013.
In that eight-year span, the other thirty teams in the league combined haven’t spent a single first round pick on a tight end. According to a modernized rendition of Jimmie Johnson’s draft value chart, the selections of Ebron and Pettigrew amounts to an investment of 2150 points of draft capital at the position. In fact, the Lions’ total of 2158 points is tops in the league during that time.
That investment dwarfs that of the runner-up Bengals (1963.6) by nearly 200 points and is more than the third and fourth teams’ – the Colts (857.6) and the Ravens (814.8) – respective investments combined. Of course, this is all just a complicated, mathematical way of saying Detroit has spent a lot of resources on the position, which is something fans already knew. Hence, many are hesitant about the prospect of adding a tight end early. Especially since many of that contingency are misguidedly angry at Eric Ebron. But I’m here to tell you, ladies and gentleman, that drafting a tight end early this year is a good idea.
Ebron, while wildly talented, is ultimately not a tight end. His position is an ambiguous one in a constantly evolving NFL, where modern offenses are focused more on versatility and creating mismatches than they are presupposed notions of what a position is supposed to be.
Remember Jimmy Graham’s battle with the Saints over whether he’d be paid like a receiver or a tight end? This evolution started long before that. Although he’s now a dinosaur by league standards, Vernon Davis is the oldest active player that was part of the new guard. Davis measured in at 6’3″, 253 lbs at the combine and ran a 4.38 40, and it was a big part of why he got drafted sixth overall in the 2006 NFL Draft. But, Davis wasn’t even the first of his kind.
Guys like Jeremy Shockey, Antonio Gates, and Kellen Winslow, Jr. were running 4.6 40’s and beginning to redefine the position in the early 2000s, a time when it wasn’t uncommon for a TE to run a 4.9 40 (Good luck getting drafted at that speed nowadays). These types of players are sometimes referred to as ‘move tight ends.’ And Eric Ebron is a move tight end, for lack of a better term.
Ebron’s abilities are maximized when he lines up in different spots in various formations. He’s a matchup problem, but he isn’t a great blocker. Yet, because of the Lions’ lack of depth behind him, he often finds himself playing a suboptimal role within the offense.
This hurts the team in two ways: 1) it forces a player who isn’t very good at something to do a mediocre or inconsistent job, and 2) it deprives a player who is good at something the opportunity to shine. If the Lions draft a tight end early – say, OJ Howard at 21 – then they improve the team in two ways: 1) gives a player a chance to make an optimally impactful contribution by utilizing them in a role which they’re best suited for, 2) minimizes the chance a player negatively impacts the team when assigned a role that doesn’t fit their skillset. Some people call it, “Killing two birds with one stone.”
http://gty.im/658230152
Due to the departure of Anquan Boldin, they now have a need for a third receiver, considering most NFL teams are in 11 personnel a majority of the time. Ebron would be able to thrive in a similar role, but it would leave a huge vacancy at the TE position.
If you draft a TE, one who’s as capable a blocker as they are a pass catcher, you can improve two positions at once. But, it goes deeper than that. If Ebron is lined up in the slot or split out wide, it opens up the playbook for the offense.
How? Calling plays out of 12 personnel (one running back, two tight ends, and two receivers) when you have two legitimate receiving threats at the tight end creates mismatches. If a defense stays in a base package to defend the run, then they’re susceptible to being exploited in coverage. If a defense opts for a sub look, they could be opening up running lanes.
The 2011 New England Patriots are a good case study. With Gronk, the late Aaron Hernandez, and a stable of versatile running backs, the Pats were able to run a variety of looks from the same personnel grouping while maintaining offensive balance and unpredictability (A 2013 Chris Brown article for Grantland briefly details their success with the grouping).
It also allowed the Patriots to run a lot of no-huddle, which is something Matthew Stafford and Jim Bob Cooter have professed a desire to do. Stafford also really likes having two TEs. Speaking of case studies, the 2011 Lions aren’t a bad one either. In Stafford’s best statistical season (5000+ yards, 41 TDs), Tony Scheffler and Brandon Pettigrew combined for 109 catches and 11 TDs, as popular #OnePride Twitter user Deacon Blues noted. There’s plenty of room on the boat for another TE, as long as they do the right things.
http://gty.im/178304244
Adding a second tight end also improves the run game, and if you improve the run game, your offense consequently becomes more balanced and improves in all phases. Many fans covet a mid-round running back in a historically deep class, but the Lions’ characteristically poor rushing attack isn’t due to a bad group of backs. It’s been due to a typically poor offensive line, which Bob Quinn has invested heavily in the past two offseasons, and in part, the loss of Brandon Pettigrew.
It can’t be understated how much a tight end proficient in blocking can improve a run game. In 2013, Pettigrew started 14 games, and the Lions ranked 17th in the league in rushing that year with 112 YPG. They also ranked sixth in total offense with 392.1 yards per game. In 2014 and 2015, he started a combined 17 games. The Lions ranked 28th (88.9 YPG) and 30th (83.4 YPG) in rushing, and 19th (340.8 YPG) and 20th (346.7) in total offense those years.
There are a lot of factors involved – namely one Joe Lombardi – but when it was just Ebron and a bunch of schmoes under JBC, it wasn’t much better. The Lions ranked 30th in rushing (79.9) and 21st in total offense (338.8). Again — there are several variables at play, but the Lions’ offense ultimately performed better when they had a good blocking tight end.
Ebron was never meant to be the man at tight end. That is to say – that he wasn’t supposed to ever assume regular inline duties. Mayhew envisioned him being paired with Pettigrew and being used almost exclusively as a move tight end. At the time he was drafted, Mayhew had this to say about his shiny, new toy:
“He’s that kind of player that we can play a lot more 12-person with two tight end packages. [Brandon] Pettigrew will be on the line wide and this guy will be split out the way [Jimmy] Graham was used. He can really be like a third receiver for us.”
But those plans were thrown to the wind when Pettigrew’s career was derailed by injuries. All things considered, I don’t think it was very wise of Mayhew to trade Michael Williams away, given Pettigrew’s injury history, but that’s another matter entirely. The fact is the Lions have basically been playing Ebron out of position for almost two years now. Despite that and the fact he was used minimally his rookie season, he’s posted yardage totals through three years comparable to the production of several Pro Bowl tight ends through their first three seasons. Imagine what he’s capable of if used properly. But he can’t be used properly until the Lions find a guy to make a difference inline and in the passing game.
Not to mention, it’s simply smart management to stockpile depth at the position now, in a year where the talent is as deep as it’s ever been. Pending Ebron’s option, the Lions have zero tight ends under contract for 2018. Adding a quality TE not only improves the team immediately, but it also has positive long-term implications because it gives the organization a contingency plan if Ebron leaves. Planning for the future is something the previous administration often failed to do, and it resulted in them taking Ebron over Aaron Donald when it would have helped to prepare for a post-Suh, something Lions fans often bemoan.
So even fans that dislike Ebron and don’t see him as part of the team’s future should be able to get behind drafting a TE early, even if it’s anticipation of being rid of him. But once they see the magic happen, they’ll be glad they have both.Sen. Mark R. Warner distanced himself from President Obama on Tuesday in rural Southside Virginia, a region where he is hoping that deep distrust of the Democratic White House won’t preclude voters from hearing him out.
In a town hall meeting with employees of a third-generation family oil company, Warner, who is seeking his second term, said he opposes the ban on offshore drilling, embraced the Simpson-Bowles deficit-reduction plan and, earlier this summer, warned Obama of an impending immigration crisis.
“There’s a lot of places I disagree with the president,” Warner (D) told an audience of Parker Oil workers and residents gathered in a wood-paneled room with flowered curtains.
The strategy could go a long way toward helping Warner win reelection even as Republicans close in on some of his colleagues in an effort to win a majority in the Senate.
Warner’s GOP challenger, Ed Gillespie, has tried to tie Warner to Obama, whose popularity has declined in Virginia. Gillespie regularly uses the refrain that Warner has voted with the president 97 percent of the time.
Despite the strong anti-Obama sentiment here, many voters seemed charmed by Warner’s bipartisan, pro-business message, while Gillespie faces an uphill battle to introduce himself to voters. Many Virginians have not heard of the longtime strategist and former lobbyist, who has been a player in Washington for decades.
“If you start in the middle and build out, that’s a better way to get stuff done,” Warner said of his penchant for working with like-minded Republicans.
He went on to call for a tax-code simplification modeled on recommendations of the Simpson-Bowles Commission, which the Obama administration has not embraced.
Asked about offshore drilling, Warner said he has supported exploration off the coast of Virginia since 2008, as long as the commonwealth retains some of the revenue. He added that he did not support the administration’s drilling ban.
In April, Warner joined 10 other Democrats in signing a letter urging Obama to approve the Keystone XL pipeline extension, which would carry heavy crude oil from Alberta’s oil sands to Gulf Coast refineries. The president has not taken action.
“The world needs a strong America — economically, militarily and morally,” Warner said.
Warner noted that in a June letter, he warned Obama that the country could face an influx of undocumented immigrants. He said the Republican-majority House of Representatives has yet to come up with an answer on immigration other than “No.”
Gillespie spokesman Paul Logan said Warner’s rhetoric doesn’t match his voting record.
“Mark Warner hasn’t been the senator he said he would be,” he said. “His press releases sound bipartisan, but his votes have been very partisan. As Ed said in the [July 26] debate, reaching across the aisle isn’t an end in and of itself. You have to get things done.”
James Bohannon, 65, a town council member in nearby Chase City, decried the overall dysfunction of Washington but said he thinks Warner is on the right track. He blamed “the whole group” of Washington politicians for allowing jobs to go overseas, lamenting the nearby closings of two garment factories, two grocery stores and a shoe factory within 10 years.
“We struggle. We’ve lost industry. Jobs have disappeared,” said Bohannon, the plant manager at Parker Oil. “We’d just like to see some stuff come back. We don’t ask for everything back, just a small percentage just to get the workforce back and salaries back into the community.”
Although Bonnie Greene, a Republican, said she wasn’t yet paying attention to the Senate race, she said she is opposed to the Affordable Care Act. She said that Obama hasn’t delivered on his promise that health-insurance rebates would fall by $2,500 after his first term. In fact, she said, hers went up.
“Where’s my check?” said Greene, 59. “It’s come on the backs of taxpayers, and that’s me.”
One of Greene’s co-workers at Parker, Thelma Baird, a Republican, said she, too, was leery of the president and worried that his immigration policy has had unintended consequences.
“I just don’t think it’s right, because we have children here that we need to help,” said Baird, 58. “Obama — he agreed to them coming over here, I truly believe that.”
Once dependent on tobacco farming and textile manufacturing, Southside Virginia has transformed from a Democratic stronghold into a solidly Republican area over the past several years.
“Back then, you almost had to be a Democrat,” Baird said. “As I grew older, working, paying taxes, seeing the reality of life, I became more of a Republican.”
Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken Cuccinelli II carried Mecklenburg County by 16 percentage points over Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) last year in an election in which Democrats successfully branded the Republican as too conservative for the rapidly changing, vote-rich Northern Virginia.
Parker Oil, which sits along a strip of warehouses about 14 miles from the North Carolina border, hosted Warner’s town hall Tuesday, but company officials stressed that it wasn’t endorsing a candidate in the race.While Abbott's proposal is more generous than the government's safety net plan of 18 weeks at minimum pay, both schemes are fatally flawed. Discussed, designed and sold in the language of ''mums'', they flagrantly disregard the role men should - and many want to - play in the lives of their children. By failing to talk about childcare and paid leave as something of critical importance to children, men and women, both political parties doom us to more of the same work/life crunch. More oppressed women, more dissatisfied men, more children with exhausted mums and absent dads.
Did you know that Australian men - 68 per cent in one poll - want more involvement in their children's lives, but are impeded by work demands? Did you know that children whose fathers contribute meaningfully to their care have improved social skills, higher self-esteem and better results at school?
Do you know that children tell researchers they want to spend more time with their fathers, and no amount of additional mother-time quells that ache? Did you know that women doing most of the second-shift of childcare and housework report feeling guilty and exhausted? Those who work part-time or stay at home reduce their lifetime earnings by at least $160,000 per child, end up on the ''mummy track'' when they return to work and wind up with 50 per cent less superannuation than men on similar wages.
The most obvious solution to this problem continues to be overlooked - namely, that fathers and mothers share fairly the joys and burdens of paid employment and caring for their children - speaks volumes about the capacity of vested interests and entrenched social attitudes to stifle progress.
That this is the case seems particularly clear given the ease with which a gender-equity paradigm could be given effect in policy. All we need to do is this: we need to say ''parental leave'' and mean it. We need to follow the lead of comparable OECD countries by allocating paid parental leave entitlements to families in a way that allows them to share it, and with a use-it-or-lose-it component for dads.Apple has agreed to pay $24.9 million to a "patent troll" to end a lawsuit over its Siri voice system, according to documents filed yesterday with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Publicly traded Marathon Patent Group, whose business is focused on patent licensing and lawsuits, will split the settlement cash with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), the New York technical university that provided the patents.
It's a big payment. Patent trolls, also called non-practicing entities or patent assertion entities, have lost power in recent years due to changes in case-law and new ways to challenge patents at the US Patent and Trademark Office. This recent settlement is a reminder that the era of the patent troll is far from over. And it's a reminder that the lure of big money from patent lawsuits continues to be a tempting draw for universities.
The two asserted claims of US Patent No. 7,177,798 describe a "method for processing natural language input," and was invented by Drs. Cheng Hsu and Veera Boonjing. At the time of invention, in 2000, Hsu was a professor of decision sciences and engineering at RPI, while Boonjing was a doctoral candidate at the institution. The patent's first claim describes processing language queries by using databases filled with "case information, keywords, information models, and database values." The inventors assigned it to the university, which is common, since many universities have rules requiring that faculty assign patents and dictate splits of any licensing revenues.
The lawsuit (PDF) claims that Apple's personal assistant feature, Siri, infringes the '798 patent because it "processes natural language" in a way described in the patent.
"Apple encourages consumers to use Siri as claimed in the ’798 Patent and, in fact, has entire webpages devoted to teaching consumers the benefits of using Siri to process natural language inputs, how to use Siri to process natural language inputs, and encouraging them to buy Apple products so they can use Siri to process natural language inputs," the complaint states.
Turning to a licensing pro
RPI's tech transfer office decided to monetize the '798 patent, and it turned to one of the most successful, and controversial, names in the patent-trolling industry—Erich Spangenberg. Together with his wife Audrey, the couple controlled Dynamic Advances, a shell company they set up in Tyler, Texas. Dynamic sued Apple in 2012 in federal court, in the Northern District of New York. So far, Apple has been Dynamic's only target.
At some point, Dynamic Advances became part of Marathon Patent Group. Throughout 2013 and 2014, Spangenberg sold various patent-holding companies to Marathon, according to Marathon's 10-K filed in 2014. The deals entitled Spangenberg to cash as well as a cut of settlement proceeds. In 2014, the Spangenbergs owned 17.7 percent of Marathon's common stock.
Apple didn't respond to a request for comment about the settlement. For its payment, Apple will get a license to the '798 patent and a three-year covenant not to sue from Dynamic Advances.
Marathon's SEC filing says that about 50 percent of the settlement monies will go to RPI, the lawyers who prosecuted the case, and an unidentified earlier exclusive licensee, which could be another patent-assertion company like Marathon.
The notice also suggests there's continuing tension over the case between the university and the patent-assertion company it hired over the settlement. "Dynamic Advances believes RPI has unreasonably withheld its consent to the reasonable royalty rate set forth in the settlement agreement between Dynamic Advances and Apple, and that issue may have to be resolved in arbitration," the company states.
That could mean that the university wanted to hold out for more money, while the professional trolling company was perfectly happy with the $25 million.
The SEC statement also makes clear that Dynamic Advances is going to find other targets, as the company states that it "believes that other voice recognition products infringe the ‘798 patent."Facing a prospective tab of more than $1 billion to finance a general-election run for the White House, Donald Trump reversed course Wednesday and said he would actively raise money to ensure his campaign has the resources to compete with Hillary Clinton’s fundraising juggernaut.
His campaign also is beginning to work with the Republican National Committee to set up a joint fundraising committee after his last two rivals—Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Ohio Gov. John Kasich—dropped out in the wake of Trump’s resounding Indiana win on Tuesday.
“I’ll be putting up money, but won’t be completely self-funding,” the presumptive Republican nominee said in an interview Wednesday. Trump, who had largely self-financed his successful primary run, added that he would create a “world-class finance organization.” The campaign will tap his expansive personal Rolodex and a new base of supporters who aren’t on party rolls, two Trump advisers said.
The new plan represents a shift for Trump, who has for months portrayed his Republican opponents as “puppets” for relying on super PACs and taking contributions from wealthy donors that he said came with strings attached.
Mr. Trump’s creation of a joint fundraising committee comes eight months behind that of his likely general-election foe, Clinton. She and the Democratic National Committee reached an agreement last August to create the Hillary Victory Fund, which raised more than $60 million through the end of March. Of that, about $13 million has been transferred to Mrs. Clinton’s campaign, while nearly $6 million has gone to the DNC.
The former secretary of state raised more than $213 million for her campaign through the end of April, on top of more than $67 million raised by her allied super PACs.
Click for more from The Wall Street Journal.The former director of the US Central Intelligence Agency warns the ISIL terrorist group is likely to be in a position to execute 9/11-style attacks on American soil that could result in mass casualties.
The former director of the US Central Intelligence Agency warns the ISIL terrorist group is likely to be in a position to execute 9/11-style attacks on American soil that could result in mass casualties.
"If we don't get ISIS under control, we're going to see that kind of attack," Michael Morell told, referring to the attacks of September 11, 2001.
US efforts haven't been effective so far in countering ISIL’s success in recruiting hundreds of American citizens, Morell said. "And we're not effective at it because it's very hard to do."
Morell retired from the CIA in June, 2013 after serving 33 years at the spy agency, including as deputy director and as acting director twice in 2011 and from 2012 to 2013.
"They today have the ability to bring down an airliner in the United States," Morell says. "If that happened tomorrow, I would not be surprised."
He argued that the so-called US war on terror is likely to stretch for "for as far as I can see."
Elsewhere in his remarks, Morell also claimed that ISIL inspired two Americans to carry out the deadly attack on an anti-Islam exhibit depicting the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) near Dallas, Texas, last week.
A security guard was shot in the lower leg during the shooting. The two gunmen were then shot and killed by police.
Republican Senator Ron Johnson, the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, told CNN on Sunday that the United States is "certainly vulnerable" to attacks by militants linked to ISIL.
US officials have previously warned the public and law enforcement agencies across the country about young Americans wanting to join the ISIL terrorist group in Iraq and Syria.
The ISIL terrorists, many of whom were initially trained by the CIA in Jordan in 2012 to destabilize the Syrian government, now control parts of Iraq and neighboring Syria. They have engaged in crimes against humanity in areas under their control.
Morell said he thinks the NSA's mass collection of metadata on telephone calls in the United States, which was revealed by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, has been "a very important tool" against terrorism, although he acknowledged it is hard to point to a particular plot it has disrupted.
A federal appeals court last week concluded the NSA spying program was illegal, and Congress is now debating whether to revise the way it works before it expires on June 1.
/257Spain has lost its first international court case regarding cuts to renewable energy payments.
The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) has given a ruling partially in favor of Eiser Infrastructure Ltd., Solar Energy Luxembourg, which invested in thee CSP plants, and ordered the Spanish state to pay €128 million plus interest, according to a press release by the Minister of Energy.
After this ruling was made known, the Spanish National Association of Solar Energy Producers (ANPIER) complained regarding compensation for Spanish PV investors. Neither Spain’s Supreme Court nor its Constitutional court awarded compensation for renewable energy producers after cuts were introduced with regulatory changes during the last few years in Spain. Only international investors have been awarded in rulings regarding the cuts.
Currently there are 26 cases brought by international investors regarding cuts to payment for renewable energy projects, including PV projects, pending before ICSID. The Spanish government denies any possibility that this ruling, the first known ruling against the Spanish state on the matter of renewable energy payments, can be extrapolated “nor construes a binding precedent for other pending arbitration”.
Additionally, the Spanish government notes that the two previous renewable energy arbitrations were decided in favor of Spain, however those two cases were not brought before ICSID.
This ruling by ICSID is centered on the consequences of Spain’s electricity reform in 2013 and 2014. With this reform, the feed-in tariff program previously in force in Spain was retroactively cancelled for renewable energy installations and replaced with a complex payment program.
The Spanish government argues in a press release that the ruling “does not question the electricity reform brought before the government in 2013 and 2014”, and partially grants the claims of investors, who had asked for more than €300 million. The government also stated that this ruling established compensation for the damage considered “excessive” with the electricity reform.
Translated by/traducido por Christian Roselund. Para leer el original en Español, por favor visite el sitio pv magazine Latinoamérica.Jane Wiedlin couldn't handle it. Couldn't swallow the pain of losing her idol, David Bowie, last January.
"I had no idea how bad it would be for me," said the Go-Go's guitarist. "It was literally the worst death ever. And that's weird, because I don't know him. He was just so important in my life, and still is important in my life, that I just freaked out. I was a mess for a week."
A week became two. Two became a month. And a month became all of 2016.
"I've never done this before, but I'm doing a year of mourning," she said. "Instead of wearing black, because I don't wear black, I'm only listening to David Bowie for a year."
Yeah, it it's been that kind of a year.
2016 was the year death came for our heroes, the year we all lost at least one gleaming star in our orbit. Dozens of artists and icons, inventors and statesmen, writers and revolutionaries, lives lived to the fullest and some cut painfully short. Muhammad Ali. Elie Wiesel. Merle Haggard. Carrie Fisher. Her mother Debbie Reynolds a day later.
Harper Lee. Gene Wilder. Arnold Palmer. Pat Summitt. Garry Shandling. John Glenn. Even Christmas couldn't pass without taking George Michael. It was a march of global mourning that never let up, an unrelenting bummer of a loop around the sun.
Twelve months after David Bowie left us, the dumpster fire we all called 2016 is coming to a close. Sweeping away the ashes and embers, however, won't be easy.
Author deaths in 2016: Harper Lee sadly sour, Jim Harrison sweetly right
• • •
Only one other celebrity death resonated like Bowie's in 2016, and that was the even more shocking death of Prince three months later.
Both artists hit creative highs in 2016 — Bowie's magnificent album Blackstar arrived just days before his death, and Prince's first-ever solo tour had received rave reviews around the world. In the months since they died, the public's fascination with both has not subsided, from star-studded tribute concerts to public memorials and art exhibitions to legal battles over memorabilia and unreleased music. The outpouring hasn't stopped because Bowie and Prince weren't done shaping lives. They were present. They were vital. Their deaths still feel fresh.
"To have lost the two people who seemed the most ageless and the most immortal, it's just shocking," pop culture writer and TV personality Dave Holmes said. The year 2016 "is a bummer of a year for a ton of reasons, but that's a big one."
Artists dealt with the deaths of Bowie and Prince as best they could. When Melissa Etheridge heard the news about Prince, she broke down in tears on the freeway. Chris Cornell immediately recorded and released a cover of Nothing Compares 2 U. Duran Duran's John Taylor, a friend of Bowie's, suddenly turned introspective.
"It was a very powerful experience," he said. "When we lose somebody (like Bowie), you end up looking at your life in ways that, frankly, I'd rather not do most of the time."
Duran Duran covered Space Oddity on their spring tour, one of many live Bowie and Prince tributes throughout the year — Billy Joel covering Rebel Rebel, Coldplay tackling Heroes, Darius Rucker singing Purple Rain, the Dixie Chicks performing Nothing Compares 2 U. Even Beyoncé left the stage of her Formation Tour so the audience could sing Purple Rain, all 8 ½ minutes, in its entirety. Each concert tribute became a moment of mass catharsis, a chance for fans to hug and sway and sing along with songs that still pack a punch.
Bowie and Prince. Prince and Bowie. For months, the music world wouldn't let go, couldn't shake its collective state of grief. And so each time another beloved artist died — Glenn Frey, Juan Gabriel, Ralph Stanley, Pauline Oliveros, Sharon Jones, Phife Dawg, Buckwheat Zydeco, Leon Russell, the list could stretch for pages — those feelings of grief built up instead of ebbing, with the twinge of each new death compounding the effects of the last. Another one? And another one? And now another one, too?
Mourning celebrities became the meme of the year, "Can 2016 be over yet?" its dominant cultural mantra. As if flipping a page on a calendar would solve anything.
10 Tampa Bay artists who died in 2016
• • •
One reason why it felt like so many famous people died in 2016: There are more famous people, period.
Celebrity has changed a lot in the past five decades. Superstars today are beamed into our living rooms in full color and high definition. They tour our theaters and hockey arenas, fill our social media feeds with snapshots from their daily lives. They are everywhere, always, online and on cable, their accomplishments embedded in the code of modern culture.
We've crossed a mark on the great cosmic timeline, the point where more and more luminaries from the creative boom of the '60s, '70s and '80s will die off with greater and greater frequency. Musicians like Leonard Cohen and Maurice White, sitcom stars like Alan Thicke and Florence Henderson, thespians like Alan Rickman and George Kennedy, journalists like Gwen Ifill and Morley Safer, scene-stealers like Bill "Radio Raheem" Nunn or Kenny "R2-D2" Baker — this wave isn't going to stop. Remember all the tributes and hosannas that tumbled out when Bob Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in October? Imagine the outpouring on the day he eventually knocks on heaven's door.
The challenge in 2017 and beyond will be adapting to this sped-up grief cycle, remembering to take inspiration from the lives of our heroes instead of moaning that they're gone. That's the lesson Bowie's and Prince's biggest fans took to heart.
"Grief is weird; you can't bathe in it for too |
, and he’s always amazing — he was really getting into doing that scene — and then we did a take where it literally dawned on him. That’s the take we ended up using in the final version. You see it happening right on film. You see Anson Mount underneath Cullen Bohannon realizing what it’s all about and channeling that through his performance. It’s really a pretty exquisite moment. I was really happy to be a part of witnessing that. For us, as writers, we thought it would be wonderful to bring him full circle back to where the story started, back to that very confessional where the story started, seeing the bullet hole in the confessional which represented the first man killed on this journey which became five seasons of a television show.
See the scene from the pilot:
John, how long have the writers known Cullen’s fate and what would be the final shot of the series?
Wirth: There was a lot of discussion over the three seasons that I was on the show about what would happen to Cullen Bohannon in the end. We were never quite sure. Stories would unfold, and the story would go in directions that we hadn’t anticipated or we didn’t see coming for various reasons. The closer we got to the end, the more intense those conversations became in terms of what would happen to him.
While we were breaking this final episode, Jami O'Brien, who co-wrote this episode with Tom Brady, came in and she said, “I was thinking about it last night: I’ve decided Cullen Bohannon must die.” It kind of stopped us all. It was not a new idea; we’ve talked about it quite a bit. I actually had a concept very early on for how he should die, and why he should die, and the Swede was involved in it, which I’ll tell you about in a second if you want to hear it. But [what Jami said] sort of stopped us, because we were going down a different road. We really took it seriously, and we really talked through his death and what it would mean for a couple of days. It really got down to what it would mean to the series. I think finally somebody said, “If we kill him in the final episode, what’s it all about? Doesn’t it make the entire series a pointless exercise for the audience who’s hung in there following this guy’s trials and tribulations for five years and then we just kill him?”
We made the decision not to. I felt very strongly that Cullen was our guiding light, our compass, and if we killed our compass, we would be kind of lost as viewers.
On the boat, at the moment he steps on that ship and sets sail for China, the show is no longer a Western. The end of the railroad, the end of the Western — it all happens in one episode.
And what was your idea early on involving the Swede?
Wirth: You know, the Swede is kind of a shapeshifter and he’s obsessed with Cullen Bohannon. My idea was at the end of the series, Cullen Bohannon would be hired on to build the Southern Pacific Railroad. I guess that job would start first with the rail line from Denver to Cheyenne and then south. The Swede and Cullen get into it. The Swede kills Cullen. Then, when Cullen shows up to take that job in Denver, it is the Swede as Cullen Bohannon. He’s dressed like Cullen. He is in every way Cullen. He finally merges his soul with Cullen’s and he becomes Cullen Bohannon. That was my notion. We actually talked about it. We considered it pretty seriously for sometime. Then as I say, the story moved in a different direction.
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Colm Meaney as Thomas Durant (Michelle Faye/AMC)
Let’s talk about the conversation Cullen and Durant (Colm Meaney) had sitting in the chairs outside the ballroom in Washington. It’s the last conversation those two characters have. What did you want to accomplish with that scene?
Wirth: Another thing that this show has always been has been a father-son story. There have been many approaches to this, but this was the moment when the son had been anointed by the president to supersede his father. Durant was about to be deposed by Congress for his shenanigans regarding the building of the railroad. Cullen was brought to Washington to testify against him and then was offered this great job by the president. It was the moment between the father and the son where the father was realizing what this had cost him and where the son was letting the father know what he had been asked to do, and sort of setting the stage for how Cullen would handle it when he was deposed before Congress.
Why was it important for you to have Cullen say only those words: “The Transcontinental Railroad could not have been built without Thomas Durant”?
Wirth: First of all, it was true. Durant was not the first guy to dream the dream that there could be a transcontinental railroad, but he certainly was one of the first guys to really latch onto it and then do what needed to be done in order to make it happen. All of his enthusiasm for the project, his bullying of members of Congress, his bribing of members of Congress, his powers of persuasion to get people to commit money to the enterprise when it seemed like the craziest thing in the world — without somebody like that, nothing gets done. I think, for us, Durant was kind of a scalawag; he was in history, and he certainly was in our show as Colm Meaney portrayed him. We wanted to just honor the guy that had the dream, the guy who kept it going. It was obvious to someone like Cullen, who was there every step of the way, and maybe less obvious to the guys in Washington, who were not aware of how it happened or the degree to which Durant’s dream made it happen.
Another moment I think people will remember is Cullen looking at the painting of Lincoln when he’s waiting to talk to Grant. He looks almost startled by it.
Wirth: Being at the White House, about to go in and meet with the president, having fought in the war on the losing side against President Lincoln, everything that Lincoln represents… what Cullen Bohannon had done had been an essential part of unifying the nation which was so torn apart during that war, which cost him so much personally. I think there was deep, deep irony for him as he was sitting there looking at that portrait. Not to mention the fact that his own life was yet again at a crossroads: Was he going to dedicate the rest of his life to the service of Abraham Lincoln’s country now being run by General Grant, or was he going to pursue his heart?
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(AMC)
Of course, other characters had decisions to make, too. Eva (Robin McLeavy) decided she wouldn’t even whore her story, which they wanted her to write with Louise (Jennifer Ferrin) as a book. I love that she got to ride off into the sunset, literally. Did you consider any other option for her?
Wirth: Personally, Robin McLeavy scares me. [Laughs] She’s a very powerful woman and she had been telling me for three years that Eva’s going to ride a horse. First, she wanted to have a gun, so I couldn’t stop that from happening because she just pressed down too hard on it. Then, she said, “I’m going to ride a horse.” She’s another character that her survival is really incredible when you think about the true story of prostitutes working on the railroad there. Life expectancy was two years, because it was such a brutal place for women doing that job. The fact that she survived that is a miracle.
We started thinking about her and the character she was based on, Olive Oatman, and just the incredible human spirit that she is in order to go through everything she went through — the slaughter of her family, her captivity by Indian tribes, getting sold to the army, having to work as a prostitute because she was marked, her isolation from regular normal society. All of those things were incredibly moving in terms of what she had accomplished in her life. We thought she’s the spirit of the West. She’s that person who will survive when she shouldn’t and when you think other people would be better equipped to survive and come out on top. They don’t, but she does. What happens to a person like that? They ride off to greener pastures. I have no doubt she had a pretty interesting life after that.
And Louise?
Wirth: I think Louise gets a job with a Chicago newspaper. When she came West, she was sort of running from a personal peccadillo with a young woman in New York City. I think she outlived the shame of that as it were because of her reporting on the railroad she became the most sought after journalist of her time and staring working for a Chicago newspaper. We didn’t really lean to heavily into the fact that she was a lesbian, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Louise Ellison got married in Chicago and continued her career and possibly continued to have relations with women on the side. That would be one possibility. The other possibility, and knowing the actress, is she sticks to her guns and she is who she is and she never marries because that’s not who Louise is. She continues to make her way through what was arguably and remains so for many years after a man’s world, the world of journalistic reporting and did every bit as well as a man could do in that world, but got paid a hell of a lot less. That’s probably what happened to her.
What did you envision for Psalms (Dohn Norwood)?
Wirth: Psalms is a railroad man. I think he continued to be a reliable, hard-working railroad man on the Southern Transcontinental Railroad, which came to be several years after the first transcontinental railroad.
And Mickey (Phil Burke)?
Wirth: What I’m thinking about now, as you’re asking me about the decisions we made in terms of ending the stories for each of these characters, is it all started with going back to the beginning. Who were they? Where did they come from in the beginning? Mickey was an immigrant. He came with his brother. They had big dreams about America, but they were unrealistic, as a lot of our dreams are. We sort of evolved him from this guy who was making his living with a magic lantern show, to a saloon owner, to a provider of labor. His connections with the gangs back East allowed him to provide Irish immigrant labor to the railroad. Then he became a stockholder in the railroad. We envisioned that Mickey would become a labor leader as he went through the next several years of his life. This was sort of the beginning of Industrial America. He goes to San Francisco. There was a lot of industry in San Francisco. We think he went there to become a labor leader and then sort of a mover and a shaker in San Francisco politics.
The big brawl Mickey and Cullen started in the finale was great. It felt like something that the actors may have been dying to do — they were having so much fun.
Wirth: Everybody who does a Western wants to do the barroom brawl. You’ve got to do it, right, because it’s iconic. We have done smaller versions of it in the past, but we have never done a full on, all out barroom brawl. It’s a legacy from the movie that we watched at the beginning of the season, when we began to break out the last 14 episodes. I had everybody watch [1970′s] Monte Walsh with Jack Palance and Lee Marvin. I talked about this before, but that’s a movie about the end of the cowboy era, so thematically, it related to what we’re doing here this season on the end of the railroad.
There’s a wonderful scene in that movie where the manager of the ranch comes into the bunkhouse and he tells all these guys that there’s going to be layoffs, and they’re going to layoff the last guys on and the younger guys who have a chance to get work first, and there’s nothing he can do about it because the Eastern corporations have taken over the ranches. People get laid off and everybody’s kind of hanging around the bunkhouse. Before you know it, there’s a big barroom brawl in the bunkhouse. This was kind of, I hate to say it, a direct rip from that movie — at the end, nobody really knows what they were fighting about. They were just letting off steam.
I thought that this was a really appropriate way to tell the story of what the workers were going through. You can really only understand that scene if you understand the scene that it’s cut against, which is all of the fat cats who came out for the ceremonial pounding of the golden spike who had considerably less to do with the building of the railroad than the men who actually pounded those spikes into the ground, the guys who actually did the work who were not invited to the ceremony. Our guys had a hell of a lot of fun doing it.
Was it all perfectly choreographed beforehand or was there any kind of improvisation happening on set?
Wirth: It was pretty well choreographed, but there was some improv. David Von Ancken, who directed the episode, and Brent Woolsey, our stunt coordinator, figured out pretty precisely what it was they wanted. At one point, I thought it would be funny if you had a guy who was being buffeted around the fight, who really had nothing to do with it, who hadn’t thrown a punch, so they grabbed onto that idea and they put a guy in the middle of it. Of course, my first cuts of this episode I had a lot more of this guy. He’s in sort of a rust-colored jacket and he was just sort of being ping-ponged back and forth between the various guys who were fighting and nobody ever laid a punch on him because he was drunk and sort of careening around. I ended up cutting that way back. It’s been a while since I’ve seen it, but I think he’s still in there. That was a thing that just sort of came up in the moment.
Did you take anything from set?
Wirth: It’s interesting. I got offered a lot of things. I was trying to think what would be really meaningful to me, and the only thing I took was a railroad police badge.
Why did you choose that?
Wirth: Both Cullen and Elam wore it. And one of my nicknames in the writers’ room was Sheriff. I came on the show at the third season, and it was sort of, “There’s a new sheriff in town” thought. It was small, and I could put it in my home office and my wife wouldn’t threaten to get rid of it. She’s in the, “We’ve got to thin stuff out around here” [frame of mind]. She keeps all of her crap, but gets rid of all of my crap. It has a little pin in the back, so I just pinned it up on my bulletin board above my desk. And that’s where it is.
Anything you’d like to add in conclusion?
Wirth: I got really irritated this [week] reading something online about why the show was canceled, and the writer was suggesting that the ratings had slipped to the point where AMC felt the show was no longer viable — which, in fact, is not the case. [Since Season 3], the ratings have actually gone up, and particularly in our key demographics. The move to Saturday night was a genius move on behalf of the network, because it really allowed us to live without being under the pressure of being a Sunday night television show. Really, it had nothing to do with the ratings in my opinion. We are canceled because we’re at the end of the series, and being on for five years is a good, long run for any television show.
Watch our June 8 Facebook Live chat with Anson Mount:To the Editor:
Your Feb. 21 editorial “To Save Greece, Save Its Economy” was on target in criticizing proposals by European officials that require Greece to sustain a primary surplus of 3.5 percent of gross domestic product, a sure recipe for continuing the depression that has afflicted Greece since 2010.
Closer to home, though, the board appointed to oversee Puerto Rico’s debt restructuring is demanding something even worse: It actually predicted that its proposals would turn the island’s recession into a depression, of a magnitude seldom seen around the world — a decline of 16.2 percent of gross national product in the next fiscal year, comparable to the experience of countries in civil wars, and Venezuela in economic crisis in 2016. Unemployment, already at 12.4 percent, would soar.
The plan, which puts the creditors’ interests above those of the island’s economy and people, will create a debt spiral. As in Greece, the debt/gross domestic product ratio will rise, and with it the likelihood of ever-deeper debt write-downs. American taxpayers will lose, too, as they will pay for the costs of increased migration to the mainland.
One of the untold costs of the Trump era is that vital issues such as this are getting no attention.AB 750, California’s bill to study the feasibility of establishing a state-owned bank that would receive deposits of state funds, has passed both houses of the legislature and is now on the desk of Governor Jerry Brown awaiting his signature.
It could be the governor’s chance to restore the state to its former glory. As noted in TIME Magazine:
[I]n the 1950s and ‘60s, California was a liberal showcase. Governors Earl Warren and Pat Brown responded to the population growth of the postwar boom with a massive program of public infrastructure—the nation’s finest public college system, the freeway system and the state aqueduct that carries water from the well-watered north to the parched south.
But that was before Proposition 13, a California constitutional amendment enacted by voter initiative in 1978. Prop 13 limited real property taxes to one percent of the full cash value of the property and required a two-thirds majority in both legislative houses for future increases of any state tax rates.
Prop 13 radically reduced the tax base, and as economist Michael Hudson observes, it is too late to raise property taxes now. The tax savings simply drove property prices up, getting capitalized into additional debt service to the banks. Today, he says, “so much urban property is sinking into negative equity territory that a rise in property taxes will lead to even more foreclosures and abandonments, and hence even lower fiscal returns.”
Meanwhile, the state is struggling to meet its budget with a vastly shrunken tax base. What it needs is a new source of revenue, something that won’t squeeze consumers, homeowners, or local business.
The BND is not a business competitor of the local banks but partners with them, helping with capital and liquidity requirements.
A state-owned bank can provide that opportunity. North Dakota, the one state that currently has its own bank, is the only state to be in continuous budget surplus since the banking crisis began. North Dakota’s balance sheet is so strong that it recently reduced individual income taxes and property taxes by a combined $400 million and is debating further cuts. It also has the lowest unemployment rate, lowest foreclosure rate and lowest credit card default rate in the country, and it hasn’t had a bank failure in at least the last decade.
Revenues from the Bank of North Dakota (BND) have been a major boost to the state budget. The bank has contributed over $300 million in revenues over the last decade to state coffers, a substantial sum for a state with a population less than one-tenth the size of Los Angeles County. North Dakota is an oil state, but according to a study by the Center for State Innovation, from 2007 to 2009 the BND added nearly as much money to the state’s general fund as oil and gas tax revenues did. Over a 15-year period, according to other data, the BND has contributed more to the state budget than oil taxes have.
North Dakota is a conservative red state, not the sort you would expect to be engaging in government enterprise. But the conservative justification for a state-owned bank is that it preserves state sovereignty, allowing the state to be independent of Wall Street and the Feds. The BND is not a business competitor of the local banks but partners with them, helping with capital and liquidity requirements. It participates in loans, provides guarantees, and acts as a sort of mini-Fed for the state.
According to the annual BND report for 2010:
Financially, 2010 was our strongest year ever. Profits increased by nearly $4 million to $61.9 million during our seventh consecutive year of record profits.... We ended the year with the highest capital level in our history at just over $325 million. The Bank returned a healthy 19 percent ROE, which represents the state’s return on its investment.
A 19 percent return on equity beats the 170 billion dollars LOST by CalPERS and CalSTRS, California’s two public pension funds, by the time the stock market hit bottom in March 2009. The BND was making record profits all through that period.
The BND augments state revenues in other ways besides just returning its profits to the general fund. It helps build the tax base by providing the funding needed by local businesses, and by financing the infrastructure that attracts them. Among other resources, it has a loan program called Flex PACE that allows a local community to provide assistance to borrowers in areas of jobs retention, technology creation, retail, small business, and essential community services.
North Dakota: Banking on the Locals
The BND also furnishes a credit line to the state itself, one that is effectively interest-free, since the state owns the bank. Credit lines are extended in times of emergency or whenever state departments or municipalities face unforeseen circumstances, such as the recent flooding in the state. Having a credit line to the state’s own bank allows state and local governments to avoid extortionate interest rates from Wall Street and pressure to privatize and reduce services in order to avoid downgrades from rating agencies.
Timothy Canova is Professor of International Economic Law at Chapman University School of Law in Orange, California. In a June 2011 paper called “The Public Option: The Case for Parallel Public Banking Institutions,” he compared North Dakota’s comfortable financial situation to California’s:
... California is the largest state economy in the nation, yet without a state-owned bank, is unable to steer hundreds of billions of dollars in state revenues into productive investment within the state. Instead, California deposits its many billions in tax revenues in large private banks which often lend the funds out-of-state, invest them in speculative trading strategies (including derivative bets against the state’s own bonds), and do not remit any of their earnings back to the state treasury. Meanwhile, California suffers from constrained private credit conditions, high unemployment levels well above the national average, and the stagnation of state and local tax receipts.
California was once the nation’s leader in technology, industry, entertainment and public education. Under Governor Pat Brown, tuition at UC campuses was free, making higher education available to all. Today tuition is about $13,000 a year, and the state has an unemployment rate hovering at 12%.
California, like North Dakota, is resource-rich. A state-owned bank will allow it to capitalize on its resources to full advantage by providing the credit needed to realize its potential. As the bank was described by Assembly Member Ben Hueso of San Diego, who authored AB 750, "It's not the fad of the moment, a pair of tight fitting jeans; it's a pair of construction boots."
Interested?Kevin Smith Ripped Apart The Ghostbusters Trailer
Whoever cut this trailer needs to be sat down, and I'm not going to call for their job to be taken away from them but they need to be scolded. It could've been all men with the same jokes, and it still would have sucked. The trailer's not strong, and that doesn't mean the movie's gonna blow, like again the fucking pedigree of this movie is undeniable. There's no way all these people involved don't make a fucking funny, at least watchable fun movie.
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The upcoming Ghostbusters reboot has been nothing if not controversial. Between swapping the gender of the titular team, to accusations of racism against Leslie Jones’ character Patty Tolan, to the simple fact that people don’t want the classic comedy to receive an update, the film has rubbed numerous people the wrong way. The recent trailer did it no favors either, as much of the comedy fell flat and it received widespread panning from the online community. However, according to filmmaker Kevin Smith, that fault lies with the trailer, and not necessarily with the movie itself.Kevin Smith recently issued a statement on his Hollywood Babble-On podcast condemning the quality of the Ghostbusters trailer, but holding out hope for the movie itself:We have to give Kevin Smith a fair degree of credit for the way in which he phrased that statement. Unlike many people – who have pretty much panned the trailer as well as the movie – he acknowledges that the trailer’s quality might not necessarily be indicative of the film’s overall quality. It’s a film packed to the brim with some of the most reliably funny actors and filmmakers working today, and as such we hold out hope that the film will actually blow us away when we see it.What some people also need to remember is that filmmakers often do not cut their own trailers. Hollywood is full of companies that specialize in trailer editing, and as such the process is often outsourced to these specialists. Sometimes that works in a films favor, and often times it does not. Paul Feig and all of the women starring in Ghostbusters may very will bring their A-game and deliver an absolutely hilarious movie, but the trailer may not have sold that.Listen to the entire clip from Kevin Smith’s podcast below to get a better understanding of his feelings regarding the upcoming reboot:What did you think of the recent Ghostbusters trailer? Were you a fan or did you hate it? Let us know what you think in the comments and keep the conversation going. As always, we will keep you up to date on all of the latest and greatest Ghostbusters news as it becomes available to us; the movie will hit theaters on July 15, 2016.Chuddinater Profile Joined July 2013 Korea (South) 164 Posts Last Edited: 2013-08-07 06:01:45 #1 Hello, I hope everyone enjoyed the Proleague finals! For all those fans that stayed up late to watch, your passion is what makes E-Sports such an amazing and rewarding field. I'm working at KeSPA right now and with Proleague now over they are looking for ways to improve the experience for the NA/EU viewers.
Now before everyone starts posting about SNM, as you know he has decided to finish school and will not be returning next season. So let us know by commenting below what we can do to create a better experience for you.
Edit: Thank you for all your feedback! I've written down all your suggestions and will work towards improving your experience while watching Proleague.
NarutO Profile Blog Joined December 2006 Germany 18777 Posts #2 I honestly feel like proleague does a supreme job. I pretty much follow every match (from work) on my phone, so it might be I missed it, but some trivia stuff would be fun I feel. Its always great to learn about the players, their past and surroundings.
While I am one of the guys that does follow the Korean scene, there is still much to learn and especially others that are not much into it would get a bit closer to the players and possibly wouldn't refer to Koreans are "robots" etc. Other than that, I feel like proleague is doing amazingly well, liking statistics etc.
Commercial breaks are pretty long, but that doesn't concern me too much. Commentator Polt | MMA | Jjakji | BoxeR | NaDa | MVP | MKP... truly inspiring.
Philozovic Profile Joined August 2012 France 1613 Posts #3 Stop showing faces in the middle of action?
Stop showing girls faces they ALWAYS cover it and it's so awkward?
Less break time?
I mean it seems like pretty obvious stuff at least to me! INnoVation is the absolute best | I wept for i knew his words to be true
NarutO Profile Blog Joined December 2006 Germany 18777 Posts #4 On August 05 2013 16:36 Philozovic wrote:
Stop showing faces in the middle of action?
Stop showing girls faces they ALWAYS cover it and it's so awkward?
Less break time?
I mean it seems like pretty obvious stuff at least to me!
I like emotion shots, they are sometimes just a bit unlucky timed. If we could get emotion shots splitscreen or screen in screen it would be great. I really like to see emotion from the players like in WCS for example when forGG lost his medivacs, was amazing. I like emotion shots, they are sometimes just a bit unlucky timed. If we could get emotion shots splitscreen or screen in screen it would be great. I really like to see emotion from the players like in WCS for example when forGG lost his medivacs, was amazing. Commentator Polt | MMA | Jjakji | BoxeR | NaDa | MVP | MKP... truly inspiring.
MasterOfPuppets Profile Blog Joined March 2011 Romania 6941 Posts Last Edited: 2013-08-05 07:40:12 #5 On August 05 2013 16:36 Philozovic wrote:
Stop showing faces in the middle of action?
Stop showing girls faces they ALWAYS cover it and it's so awkward?
Lol you must be new here.... there's no other way. XD
But yeah what NarutO said. Lol you must be new here.... there's no other way. XDBut yeah what NarutO said. "my shaft scares me too" - strenx 2014
Taefox Profile Joined March 2010 1497 Posts #6 showing faces is amazing stuff, no idea why people hate it ( in real sports on TV, they always show it up ) @taefoxy
NovemberstOrm Profile Blog Joined September 2011 Canada 15958 Posts Last Edited: 2013-08-05 07:40:54 #7 On August 05 2013 16:36 Philozovic wrote:
Stop showing faces in the middle of action?
Stop showing girls faces they ALWAYS cover it and it's so awkward?
Less break time?
I mean it seems like pretty obvious stuff at least to me!
This is a proleague trademark I like it but I think it could be on a split view and doesn't need to take up the whole screen.
another trademark, no comment by me.
The breaks are due to them broadcasting on TV. This is a proleague trademark I like it but I think it could be on a split view and doesn't need to take up the whole screen.another trademark, no comment by me.The breaks are due to them broadcasting on TV. Moderator lickypiddy
Amaril Profile Joined August 2013 Germany 105 Posts #8 Production was always the problem with ProLeague. Most of the times ProLeague does not even had a english overlay.
bo1b Profile Blog Joined August 2012 Australia 12615 Posts #9 The occasional first person view could be really cool, I haven't seen that in a while.
Chuddinater Profile Joined July 2013 Korea (South) 164 Posts #10 On August 05 2013 16:36 Philozovic wrote:
Stop showing faces in the middle of action?
Stop showing girls faces they ALWAYS cover it and it's so awkward?
Less break time?
I mean it seems like pretty obvious stuff at least to me!
The break time can't be helped because after each match they need to switch out the computers that have been set up earlier by the players for their ideal settings. Unfortunately I don't think they will change the camera work on girls, it has been going on now for a long long time. The break time can't be helped because after each match they need to switch out the computers that have been set up earlier by the players for their ideal settings. Unfortunately I don't think they will change the camera work on girls, it has been going on now for a long long time.
TheRabidDeer Profile Blog Joined May 2003 United States 3654 Posts #11 On August 05 2013 16:30 Chuddinater wrote:
Hello, I hope everyone enjoyed the Proleague finals! For all those fans that stayed up late to watch, your passion is what makes E-Sports such an amazing and rewarding field. I'm working at KeSPA right now and with Proleague now over they are looking for ways to improve the experience for the NA/EU viewers.
Now before everyone starts posting about SNM, as you know he has decided to finish school and will not be returning next season. So let us know by commenting below what we can do to create a better experience for you.
Hype more. Somehow I missed that the PL finals even happened! Hype more. Somehow I missed that the PL finals even happened!
BigFan Profile Blog Joined December 2010 TLADT 23531 Posts #12 On August 05 2013 16:41 bo1b wrote:
The occasional first person view could be really cool, I haven't seen that in a while.
this. Would love to see first person view from both players at different times in the game(mostly mid to late though) otherwise everything is good this. Would love to see first person view from both players at different times in the game(mostly mid to late though) otherwise everything is good BW Editor-In-Chief "Watch Bakemonogatari or I will kill you." -Toad, April 18th, 2017
Dodgin Profile Blog Joined July 2011 Canada 38849 Posts #13 On August 05 2013 16:42 TheRabidDeer wrote:
Show nested quote +
On August 05 2013 16:30 Chuddinater wrote:
Hello, I hope everyone enjoyed the Proleague finals! For all those fans that stayed up late to watch, your passion is what makes E-Sports such an amazing and rewarding field. I'm working at KeSPA right now and with Proleague now over they are looking for ways to improve the experience for the NA/EU viewers.
Now before everyone starts posting about SNM, as you know he has decided to finish school and will not be returning next season. So let us know by commenting below what we can do to create a better experience for you.
Hype more. Somehow I missed that the PL finals even happened! Hype more. Somehow I missed that the PL finals even happened!
If you don't visit the website for a week that's your own fault, that's the only way you could have missed both the TL preview and the LR thread. If you don't visit the website for a week that's your own fault, that's the only way you could have missed both the TL preview and the LR thread.
lichter Profile Blog Joined September 2010 1001 YEARS KESPAJAIL 22174 Posts #14 Since I watch all of Proleague and also LR OP a lot of them I think I should have a fair opinion:
1. More English content: I know this is tough to do, but I know a lot of people don't watch Proleague because they don't have an emotional connection with the players. Having more English content like interviews and such helps out a lot. The interviews you did have last season were memorable and people loved them. More of that would help make PL more popular.
2. Show Korean only segments instead of commercials/blank screen. During the first few rounds, we only got Mind Time over and over again instead of the game highlights and interviews. Viewers won't mind the lack of English as it's better than a blank screen and a long wait.
3. Less make up on Whiplash, he looks like a vampire on most days.
4. More player stats, info, background, memorable games, etc.
5. Throw in some nice BW content like greatest game moments, memorable players who are retired now, BW trivia, and other interesting stuff that will make foreigners more aware of the BW scene and also act as a history of a lot of the players. Not a lot since I'm sure there are those who aren't interested, but there are also comments about wanting to know more about the games or players SNM and Whiplash sometimes mention.
6. Casters in the venue. Having them in front of a green screen feels so... fake.
7. Custom observer UI. At this point I feel like it should be mandatory for major tournaments to use one. Administrator YOU MUST HEED MY INSTRUCTIONS TAKE OFF YOUR THIIIINGS
Comogury Profile Blog Joined April 2011 United States 349 Posts #15 The stream itself can be hard to follow for newcomers that haven't been watching.
Not everyone is hardcore enough to memorize the player's names and would rather have their handles displayed on stream instead. It's also inconvenient for people who watch in the middle of a match to have Korean names displayed on the English stream. It puts a little bit too much burden on the viewer to look these kinds of things up or wait for the casters to bring it up. Neither of these are good for the viewer experience. This is troublesome for people who are new to the whole KeSPA scene, and it can be frustrating.
The intermissions in the middle of the season needed more helpful information on it and more relevant filler content instead of the mind cat thing. Someone who had no idea what was going on would probably just leave right away because they don't know what's going on and there is no indication as to when the broadcast will continue. Even running commercials during that time would a better indication of it being an intermission. Since PL is actually a structured event with (I hope) planned intermissions, it would be nice to have some kind of countdown.
Other than that, I don't really have anything to harp on. I enjoyed watching throughout the season. Keep up the good work!
Big J Profile Joined March 2011 Austria 16157 Posts #16 The breaks are much too long. I often tune in and tune out again, because I'm getting bored.
Also it's usually pretty early in the morning for middle Europe, so half of the time I can only check the results anyways.
schaf Profile Blog Joined August 2010 Germany 1153 Posts #17 On August 05 2013 16:40 Amaril wrote:
Production was always the problem with ProLeague. Most of the times ProLeague does not even had a english |
streets and other public areas, at all hours of the day and night.
The groups appear to be searching for something, many holding cell phones in their air, while others appear to be in a zombie-like state, eyes glued to their phones, as they walk down the street or ride their bikes and skateboards.
Our initial investigation shows they are in pursuit of brightly coloured creatures that don’t appear to be from our world. They head to “gyms” and “Pokéstops,” where they are often seen congregating, in search of the elusive “Pokémon.”
Parents are being asked to remind their kids of some real world basic safety tips – which apply to game-players of all ages — while on the hunt for Pokémon:
Look up – be aware of your surroundings. Are you about to step into traffic? Are you going to crash into someone or something? You could end more than just your game. It is very easy for any stranger to know your gathering spots. Make sure you go with a group, and that younger kids tell parents or another adult where they’re going. Say no to distracted game playing – don’t play while riding your bike, skateboard, scooter, or while driving. Vancouver has lots of public space. Don’t go on or in private property.
The Pokémon Go invasion in Vancouver has begun. Stay safe and have fun catching Pokémon!Woodbridge, VA---On Saturday, September 3rd, P-Nats fans of legal voting age (18 and older) will have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to vote in a mock 2016 Presidential Election at G. Richard Pfitzner Stadium, Home of the Potomac Nationals, while the Red, White, & Blue take on the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (Chicago Cubs) at 6:35pm EST.
Gates to Pfitzner Stadium will open for 2016 Presidential Election polling at 5:00pm.
The Official 2016 Pfitzner Stadium Presidential Election Ballot will feature both major party United States Presidential Candidates, Democratic Presidential Nominee, Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton, and Republican Presidential Nominee, Donald John Trump, in addition to an "Other Candidate" option.
Votes cast by P-Nats fans during the Pfitzner Stadium Election will help the public predict who will be elected the 45th President of the United States of America.
"We're expecting all eligible fans to vote, but what may be even more important is that the voters of Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C. and its suburbs will have an opportunity to be part of a polling event that may be the most meaningful indicator of what the results will be in the 2016 Presidential Election," said Potomac Nationals Chairman/CEO, Art Silber.
"This is a wonderful opportunity to vote now before the actual Presidential Election for who you want to be our country's next President. Our Prince William County fans will vote in the same booths and with the same ballot that will be used in November."
"The first 2,000 fans to cast their Presidential vote will have their choice of either a Clinton or Trump bobblehead and the opportunity to win a Stephen Strasburg signed Nationals jersey, and of course, terrific baseball with the future stars of the Washington Nationals on the field," said Silber.
An unlimited number of fans will be able to cast their Presidential Vote at an Official Voting Booth located on the ballpark concourse through the end of the 5th inning at Pfitzner Stadium on 9/3/16 and all voters will receive an "I Voted" sticker after they submit their ballot. Each fan of legal voting age may vote only once during the mock 2016 Presidential Election at Pfitzner Stadium.
All eligible voters (18+ with proof of identification) who cast their vote at an Official Voting Booth at Pfitzner Stadium will receive a commemorative Proof of Vote Voucher. This voucher will not only serve as a keepsake from the 2016 Presidential Election at Pfitzner Stadium, but may also be redeemed by the first 2,000 voters who show their Proof of Vote Voucher to a P-Nats representative inside the ballpark at Red, White, & Blue themed tables to receive either a one-of-a-kind Voter's Choice Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump 2016 Presidential Election Collectable Bobblehead (one [1] total bobblehead per fan per Proof of Vote Voucher for the first 2,000 voters to redeem their commemorative Proof of Vote Voucher).
Both the Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump Bobbleheads feature "real hair" to create a special Presidential Election Bobble likeness P-Nats fans have never seen before!
Regardless of a fans' Presidential Election vote in the P-Nats' Poll, they may choose the 2016 Presidential Nominee Tribute Bobblehead of their choice; however only a limited count of 1,000 Hillary Clinton bobbleheads and 1,000 Donald Trump bobbleheads will be available while bobbleheads last.
No absentee votes submitted for the 2016 Presidential Election at Pfitzner Stadium will be counted. Fans must be present (in-person) and cast their Presidential Vote to receive either a Voter's Choice Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump commemorative 2016 Presidential Election Bobblehead.
The Potomac Nationals will have on hand official voting booths, official ballot boxes, and authentic ballots for this special Election Year event at The Pfitz.
The Prince William County Office of Elections will be on site at the event with information about what is on the ballot in November. The PWC Office of Elections reminds voters that if you commute on Election Day you are eligible to vote absentee. Voters may visit www.pwcvotes.com or head to their table for absentee information. Voters can also sign up for important voting information and reminders by texting PWCVOTES to 94253.
"Being strategically located about 25 minutes outside of our nation's capital, the Potomac Nationals believe this historic Presidential Election Poll at Pfitzner Stadium is a perfect way to punctuate the home stretch of the 2016 Red, White, and Blue regular season. This is truly one of the most unique promotions in the history of the Potomac Baseball franchise," said Bryan Holland, Potomac Nationals General Manager of Sales.
Every fan in attendance at Pfitzner Stadium who casts a Presidential Election vote will receive a courtesy raffle ticket that will enter each voter into a post-game drawing for an Authentic Washington Nationals #37 Home White Camouflage Jersey autographed by Nats ace, Right-Handed Starting Pitcher, Stephen Strasburg. Fans must be present at Pfitzner Stadium (in-person) after the game for the drawing to be eligible to win the Stephen Strasburg autographed Washington Nationals camo jersey.
The first 1,000 fans in attendance for the '16 Presidential Election at The Pfitz will also receive a Potomac Nationals 2017 Magnet Schedule, while the first 2,000 fans through the gates at the home of the Red, White, & Blue will take home a custom P-Nats Rally Towel sponsored by My Plumber.
Ceremonial first pitches will be made from box seats prior to the P-Nats' game against Myrtle Beach by local Prince William County government officials as homage to when sitting United States Presidents would throw out the first pitch at Griffith Stadium, former Home of the Washington Senators.
Additional pre-game activities will include a presentation from a local Color Guard, the unfurling of the Big American Flag in centerfield, and a special rendition of our country's National Anthem on the diamond at The Pfitz.
During the game, fans will be updated on the Presidential Election vote counts to the backdrop of patriotic music and bunting around Pfitzner Stadium while fans' voices on the 2016 Presidential Election will be heard on the public address system and seen on the outfield jumbo-tron video board. Fans will be able to take part in Presidential Trivia in the Picnic Patio with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners taking home courtesy P-Nats' prize packs. Potomac Nationals' Official Mascot, Uncle Slam, will be available for posed photos with fans, while special Red, White, & Blue concessions items will be available throughout the evening. There will also be a memorable rendition of God Bless America performed during the 7th inning stretch.
The official results of the 2016 Presidential Election at Pfitzner Stadium will be made public by Silber on the field at the conclusion of Potomac's matchup with Myrtle Beach.
The Stephen Strasburg signed Nats jersey will be raffled off from field level to one lucky fan after the P-Nats Presidential Election results are disseminated.
The most patriotic team in Minor League Baseball will also host the best Labor Day Weekend fireworks show in all of Northern Virginia after the game sponsored by Lindsay Automotive.
Post-game, kids can run the bases on the diamond courtesy of Kids N Motion.
"This Election Year promotion at Pfitzner Stadium is unprecedented and our staff is very much looking forward to facilitating this Presidential Poll which we trust will serve as a gauge to determine who will win the upcoming Presidential Election in November," said Aaron Johnson, Potomac Nationals General Manager of Operations.
In all, the 2016 Presidential Election at The Pfitz will be fun for the entire family!
P-Nats fans and political pundits don't want to miss Decision 2016 at The Pfitz to make sure their vote is heard in the Potomac Nationals' Presidential Election Poll in September before the actual U.S. Presidential Election in November!
The Potomac Nationals of the Carolina League play at Pfitzner Stadium in Woodbridge, Virginia, and are the Class-A Advanced affiliate of the Washington Nationals. The Potomac Nationals have claimed five Carolina League Championship titles (1982, 1989, 2008, 2010, and 2014) and nine CL Northern Division Championships. Potomac Nationals 2016 season tickets, mini plans, and single game tickets are now on sale. Sponsorship opportunities for the 2016 season and beyond are available. Corporate outing reservations for the 2016 season to watch the future stars of the Washington Nationals at The Pfitz may be placed now as the P-Nats offer discounted group ticket rates and all-inclusive picnics. Visit the P-Nats online at www.potomacnationals.com or call the Potomac Nationals Ticket Office at 703-590-2311 for more information!
-- Potomac Nationals --Final response to ocelote
Gonna be my final response regarding all the drama that has been going on, the skype transcription that was released doesn't disprove anything I said in my previous statement and does not contradict it in any way. Bottom line, Carlos was never entitled to receive any money from Renegades, nor me. The invalidity of the contract allowed me to leave peacefully without purchasing myself out to join Renegades. I simply reached out to Ocelote and wanted to offer compensation to cease the rivalry, and even though he accepted it at the time 2 months ago, I guess he was lying since he has decided to take things further. I repeatedly asked Ocelote for the contract that we were given, to see whether or not it was valid, as I was promised it months ago. I only saw it right before the game for a short time and since I didn’t want to be kicked out I signed it. I asked my former manager about the whereabouts of the contract, little to discover they were deleted from the G2 website database without anyone ever telling me or anyone else on the team. Unsurprisingly, I still havent received it even to this day. The things Chris said months ago about g2 and how they run their organization wasnt my saying. It was merely how Chris Badawi interpreted the situation that I told him about, he was just judging by the lack of an actual contract AND the fact that we werent obligated to anything and received zero payment from the org. The skype logs are no evidence of anything, and I am sad to inform that you are no "Mother theresa" either. All I did was reach out to Chris and tell him about my experience and he came to his own conclusions. I don’t blame him. I played for you for a whole split, I didn’t get any salary, and I gave you what was left of my money from Riot. I worked for you for free for months, you know it, I know it. If you were really as great as you always say you are, why would I lie about how much of a piece of shit you are?
Reply · Report PostThe father of the Orlando shooter said early Monday that his son shouldn't have killed patrons at the gay nightclub Pulse because God will punish them, The Washington Post reported.
"God himself will punish those involved in homosexuality,” Seddique Mateen said in Dari, speaking in a video posted to Facebook early Monday, per the Post's translation. “This, is not for the servants” [of God].
The elder Mateen said that he was “saddened” by the shooting, which left 50 dead and dozens injured, the Post noted. While he told media outlets earlier that his son, Omar Mateen, was enraged by seeing two men kissing recently and was not motivated by religion, he said in the video that he did not know what pushed his son into committing mass murder.
Seddique Mateen, aka Mir Mateen, has also raised eyebrows for previous videos. The Guardian reported that in one recent Facebook video, he appears to act the part of Afghanistan's president, telling the “revolutionaries of Afghanistan” to overthrow their current government. On a Facebook page titled "Provisional Government of Afghanistan," he wears military fatigues and, speaking in Dari, orders the arrest of several political figures, including Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.
According to Reuters, the elder Mateen previously bought air time to host a satellite television show he recorded in Canoga Park, California. The wire service characterized him as "a fringe political commentator who rails against Pakistan and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, expressing largely anti-Pakistan views."Guest Post by Neil Clack
No doubt all this Sakho business will end up in the High Court, where a combination of random has-been 1980s coaches like Peter Shreeves and Graham Taylor, accompanied by Henry Winter of the Daily Telegraph, will convince some geriatric judge with a rugby-background that Senegal would have won the African Nations Cup hands down if Sakho had played in it. We’ll have to pay £30 million to Senegal in compensation, as well as the £20 million to Bristol City who would have gone on to win the FA Cup had Sakho not come on and scored against them.
Well, after sitting through last week’s annual non-event at Anfield, things have certainly been a lot more interesting off the pitch than on it over the last seven days. It all began to look a bit ominous when the team was announced at Liverpool. Many fans around me, in the Essex pub I frequent to watch the away games live, asked the obvious question,“If we’ve got such a cast-iron case, as Sam had claimed in the papers the day before, why isn’t Sakho on the team-sheet?”
Another thing I don’t really get either is that, considering how many West Ham fans all over the forums knew the FIFA rules, even before the match at Bristol City, how come the club didn’t?
Or did West Ham know the rules, but just decided to chance their luck? ’We’re West Ham and we do what we want, so up-yours FIFA!’.
Now the Bristol City forums are baying for blood. And cash. “What about the money from the replay at Upton Park that would have happened had Sakho not come on and scored?”,they rage. And if they’d won the replay, “what about the money from the 5th round match at West Brom”. The Bristol City board probably feels obliged to react to fan sentiment and this could escalate, ending up with Henry Winter, Bobby Gould and Ron Atkinson explaining to Judge know-nothing about football how Bristol City would have gone on to win back to back promotions to the Premier League if only Sakho had not come on.
The disappointment experienced by 13.5m Senegalese nationals will need to be compensated too.
It does take an almost inconceivable level of institutional incompetence to do this three times, and with a different spin on each. Omoyimni was cup tied, Tevez was owned by a third party and Sakho was barred due to international rules.
And what’s this bit all about? From the Guardian, “The club, who omitted the forward for Saturday’s 2-0 Premier League defeat at Liverpool having been made aware of the Fifa investigation, had been so unnerved by the controversy that they had attempted to placate Senegal via an intermediary”.
It’s at times like this that we have to look on the lighter side of West Ham, and the good news for all Carlton Cole fans like me is that he’s still here; his move to WBA having broken down at the last moment. For one horrible hour or so on Monday night, even I really did start to consider that an era may be coming to an end, but I should have known better – it was just another one of those ruses from Carlton that he likes to tease us with every now and then. Finally, as always, he stayed, this time due to Tottenham Chairman David Levy putting a block on Adebayour’s loan deal (Levy can’t seriously see us rival top 4 challengers, surely? – it looked more like spitefulness over the Olympic Stadium if you ask me?).
Whatever, Carlton’s here to stay. And we can now tick off the name of Mauro Zarate on that long list of strikers that he’s seen off in the last 9 years. (see here for the definitive list – 4th paragraph down)
If Andy Carroll’s previous injury history is anything to go, his reckless Gazza-type lunge that only served to injure himself at Liverpool, will probably keep him out for the rest of the season now, and with Sakho’s life-time ban from all football imminent, and Valencia’s lack of interest now that his head’s been turned by Chelsea, it all leads to one thing – Carlton rising once again to become our number 1 striker.
So once again, I urge you to get behind our cult-hero, the man who is destined to wear the West Ham shirt forever and ever. Let’s hear it sung with gusto on Sunday, ‘Cole – always believe in your soul’.English translation
Arise, children of the Fatherland, The day of glory has arrived! Against us tyranny Raises its bloody banner Do you hear, in the countryside, The roar of those ferocious soldiers? They're coming right into your arms To cut the throats of your sons and women!
To arms, citizens, Form your battalions, Let's march, let's march! Let the impure blood Water our furrows!
What does this horde of slaves, Of traitors and conjured kings want? For whom are these vile chains, These long-prepared irons? Frenchmen, for us, ah! What outrage! What fury must it arouse! It is us they dare plan To return to the old slavery!
To arms, citizens, Form your battalions, Let's march, let's march! Let the impure blood Water our furrows!
What! Foreign cohorts Would make the law in our homes! What! These mercenary phalanxes Would strike down our proud warriors! Great God! By chained hands Our brows would yield under the yoke Vile despots would have themselves The masters of our destinies!
To arms, citizens, Form your battalions, Let's march, let's march! Let the impure blood Water our furrows!
Tremble, tyrants and you traitors The shame of all parties, Tremble! Your parricidal schemes Will finally receive their reward! Everyone is a soldier to fight you If they fall, our young heroes, The earth will produce new ones, Ready to fight against you!
To arms, citizens, Form your battalions, Let's march, let's march! Let the impure blood Water our furrows!
Frenchmen, as magnanimous warriors, Bear or hold back your blows! You spare those sorry victims, Who arm against us with regret. But not these bloodthirsty despots, These accomplices of Bouillé, All these tigers who, mercilessly, Rip their mother's breast!
To arms, citizens, Form your battalions, Let's march, let's march! Let the impure blood Water our furrows!
Sacred love of the Fatherland, Lead, support our avenging arms Liberty, cherished Liberty, Fight with your defenders! Under our flags, shall victory Hurry to thy manly accents, That your expiring enemies, See your triumph and our glory!
To arms, citizens, Form your battalions, Let's march, let's march! Let the impure blood Water our furrows!
We shall enter the (military) career When our elders are no longer there, There we shall find their dust And the trace of their virtues Much less keen to survive them Than to share their coffins, We shall have the sublime pride Of avenging or following them
Children, let Honour and Fatherland be the object of all our wishes! Let us always have souls nourished With fires that might inspire both Let us be united! Anything is possible; Our vile enemies will fall, Then the French will cease To sing this fierce refrain:LATROBE -- James Harrison is ready to contest the NFL on its investigation of his alleged performance enhancing drug (PED) use as hard as Tom Brady fought the league on what became known as Deflategate.
Brady's appeal of the league's four-game suspension for his alleged role in deflating footballs before the Jan. 3, 2015 AFC Championship game was denied by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last month
The Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker - along with Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers and Mike Neal - is reportedly facing an indefinite suspension if he does not schedule a meeting with the NFL before Aug. 25.
In a June 28 letter, Harrison, 38, and the NFL Players Association demanded "credible evidence" from the league to justify a sitdown. NFL executive Adolpho Birch had sent Harrison a letter on June 24 scheduling an interview with Harrison on July 28. Harrison told PennLive.com on July 30 that he did not meet with the league and had no plans to do so.
The NFL first contacted Harrison for an interview in January following the release of an Al Jazeera documentary in which Austin, Texas-based pharmacist Charlie Sly alleges that Harrison used a steroid-like hormone supplement, Delta-2.
The NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances details what is considered "sufficient credible evidence" of a violation warranting an investigation. There is no mention of media reports.
Sly, the central source in the documentary, has since recanted what he said in the report. Sly was secretly filmed. Harrison denied the allegation, calling it "bulls***."
More of Harrison's initial reaction
On Tuesday morning, Harrison said that he wants to play football, but hasn't sat down with the league yet on principle.
"Somebody could come out and say 'James Harrison is a pedophile,'" he said. "Are they going to suspend me, put me under investigation for being a pedophile just because somebody said it? I mean I'm not going to answer questions for every little thing that some Tom, Dick and Harry comes up with."
Harrison repeated his invitation to have the league interview him at his home and to bring NFL commissioner Roger Goodell along.
If the Steelers - the only team to vote against the expansion of the NFL's disciplinary power in the last collective bargaining agreement - were to urge him to cooperate with the league's investigation he said it might encourage him to do so, but that he doesn't know if he would.
Head coach Mike Tomlin said he won't advise Harrison on the matter.
"That has nothing to do with us," Tomlin said. "That's between him and the PA and the league. I assume that he is going to do what he needs to do."
Steelers sign LB Jermauria RascoNewspaper Page Text
7
THE WEATHER REPORT
FORECAST Oklahoma: Friday or
eaaional ranis; Snturihiy i.ur. cultler
we uortiun.
i i i.s.. Jan, 10 Tha isniptra-ttit'-'
Maximum -' wisintum 81,
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iFirn5P."TP.TP-. A
j PROSPERITY TALK
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Vol.. XI. MO, 1 it 8
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THOMAS' RUSH:','..
ACT DEFEATED
BY THE SENATE
FI6HTIN6 HID
Rumor in Nmy T HE j!
V C a E h U W III 1 S a Ora
TEUTONIC LINES
NEGRO WOULD LIE
IF HE WAS TOLD 1
Lawton Senator Attempts
td Pul Over' Anti-
rambling Hill.
ALL BILLS MUST BE
PRINTED, VOTE SHOWS
'Evfl'n Leading Democrats
feplil Witb ilic Admin
istration Forces,
Spec
'ITY, J.I II
portend a
20.
lest
administration
and those not
chief i xe.cutlve
ihi.s afternoon
ta Thi World.
OKLAHOMA
Whal might
strength between
forces in the senate
quite so friendly to tin
came to the surface
and several of the members adduced
a stand for what they ti! i u as I
right.
The iiinisi had sent down the antt
gambling bill, which hail been passed
by thai body earlier in the day. Ben
aior Mcintosh, who cornea from the
w ernor's home, presented a report
from his committee on another antl
gambling bill he had Introduced sev
eral days ago, Senator Thomas of
Lawton wanted to suspend the rules
relative to having the i i printed and
take it up at onoe and consider it.
This was Inndcenl enough, and ins
purpose for doing so, he i aplnlned,
was to save time, Senator Austin
jumped up and objected p the pro
ceedure. He let it out thtn thai he
understood a meeting had been held
by friends f thp administration sev
eral days ago and that he understood
the program was to pul hills through
without having them printed. He did
nol aaj th.- administration had ad
vanced this movement, but the im
pression left was that the friends of
the administration were trying to rush
through legislation without due no
il e, "We want to gel these things
bpfnrp the people," said Senator Aus
tin, and with a defensive attitude de
clared, "we might.is well gel down
to business now."
Several Senator- Object.
Senator Keller also was on his feet
and said:
"It is too early in the game to be
gin this rush. I am not a young
mockingbird to swallow everything
that i.- put Into my mouth, what's
the rush about?" Senators Davidson
of Tulsa, O'Neill, Ryan and Wilson
of Canadian wanted the hills printed,
so they could bo read by all the
members before they voted on them,
Davidson said he had an amendment
to inp'.io to the gambling bill, Sen
ator Ryan said he was opposed to the
row 01 "sign right here boys, it's all
right," and said he wanted an op
portunity tO read What he was to vote
on. Senotor Wat roue also said that
he was not willing to vote on any hill
he had not seen, and wanted all of
thrni printed.
Si nator Thomas explained that his
purpose In making the motion was to
live time. Me was mel with the reply
that there was plenty Of lime,
ii became apparent thai members
were thinking of where some lmagin-
Russians Occupy Trenches
of ( (ermans After San
guinary Battle.
MONTENEGRINS AGAIN
TAKE UP THEIR ARMS
( 'olonel 1 louse ( loiug
Paris; House to Dis
cuss Blockade.
PROVIDENCE, 11 i.1,n 0,
Ii orgs W. i loulia, t he young negro
i ha uffeur w ho has i urned si ite's
,, vldence In the trial of Mrs, KM in
heth F Mohr and two ni groi a, Hem
n Spellman and Cecil Ii lor Brown,
for the murder of the woman's bus.
hand, Dr. C. Franklin Mohr, adhered!
steadfastly In cross-examination lo,
day to ins stor ili.ii.Mrs Mohr!
hired him and the two ni i i de-!
fendanta for It, 000 to slav fiortoi
Mohr and.Miss Rmil) Q. Hurger, 11.
doctor's companion,
11 calls was questioned for ni irlj
four hours in cross-examination and j
was still undergoing the ordeal ivhoti
courl adjourned for the da) To
many iiuestlons the witneaa replied, 1 I i
don't remember," and once, aftei saj
Ing that he would nol tell n lie to
I eei out of murder, he admitted, In I
response t further questions, thai ho
would tell,-i He if someone asked him
BE READY 10 FIGHT
AND AT ANY TIME
mmM REAL ZZZiVJther 'ALL PRESIDENT
Than Pay FineMK WRITF
u w M w J WW a v. a Aal
MENACE TO U. S.
DECLARES T. R.
yphcuated Citizen Is Poo
in This lountry, lc
dares Uoosevclt,
WASHLNOXON,. Jan. 2Q. Kumors
tliul Rear Admiral Crank Frldaj
I let, her, commanding the Atlantl'
fleet, is to :uii his post because ol
dii t'oreiiee, v. ith the naval war college
are current here. Admiral Fletcher,
ll is said, has declared his intention of
tinning his command over lo Rear
Admiral Henry T. Mayo next May or
earlier.
Friction between Admiral Fletcher
and Hear Admiral A. M. Knight, head
ol the var college, has been an open
secret for.some tune it came to i
head, according to report, when
charges were sent by the war college j
to Socretury of the Navy Daniels that!
fundamental principles of strategy j
n-ora v lolalee hv Admiral I 'leteh, r I
during the war games iast May and
last October.
To this, uccording to tl
Admlra I I 'letcher n ulied
reports
that th
w ii r
r.lnna,,i atrntearv Droourcd ii t In
rnllpirp were merelv academic and
ignored the ex.ie.n.c(es p pracljct
(Continued on rage Two.)
BRITISH JUSTIFIES
CONTRABAND COTTON
SYFERT AND HUNT
ARE UNDER ARREST
General Vu tot Mllltarj Puritose-s
At'guirM'UI Advanced hj Rriluin
I!mba y.
WASHINWTON, Jan. 20. m antici
pation ol th, expected attack by the
L'nited stales on the legality ol the
action of the allied governments In
placing cotton on contraband list, the
British embassy here Issued a state
Dient today on behalf of the British
military authorities designed to snow
tin extensive use of cotton tor miii
tfl i y pui poheg.
The statement points out that in the
term of nun cotton a quarter of a
pound of the staple is required to
produce one poiinu ol oalUfuue, COl"
ctile requires four-tenths of a pound
ni cotton lor a piuni. and the nltro
(.rlluloae powders in military use con-
Hlsl practically entire ly of gun cotton.
wilier mililaiy usi s ol potion men-
one, I are in the making of clothing,
shei lini!. tents, ammunition hags an I
j inininu explosives, in conclusion it la
declared that even if subsfltutea for
cotton were possible, the fact that it
t can be used for military nurposei
justifies its classification as contraband.
" -m From semi-official German sources
u i.. I heci nllv has. nine the report that col
or if I
i ii
ii:
toll no lol'ia i is us,, hv : tie I eiil.,nie
powers in the manufacture of ex
plosives, a cheaper and more desirable
substitute having been dovelope-1
from w ood pni).
HAM NO HYOROOfcSi DETECTOR.
iw Department Unable In Develop
N'eccsnarj Imrtrumcnt.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 20. Navy de
partment officials said today (hat so
far thty had hcen unable ti develop
or purc hase a ditcetor of hydrogi n
gns, such us was requested by Lieut
Charles Cooke, commander ol the
submarini E-2, before the recent px
idosion n the vttrsel, Exhaustive ex
porlnMnta are being made by naval
eli-mists, however, and it is hoped
that the appurulus soon will hi- dl
vised.
J. ( 'Olistantin Also Served
With Warrant ; Wanted
;is Witness.
BRIBERY IS CHARGED
City Commissioner Alleged
to Have Taken $25
Unlawfully.
WW 8YFBRT, undersherlff in
the office Of Sheriil.lames
I 'at ion, w as arersted yesterday by
Carl Lewis, undersherlff for Bherlff
.lames Wooiiey, on a charge of larceny
preferred by ity Finance Commis
sioner Carl liregg. J, Constant! n of
thp Palace stationers company was
arrested on the same liarge. and City
Commissioner. D, Hunt was served
with a warrant charging him with re
ceiving a bribe. The trio were rc
hased on I" mis of $1,000 each and
their preliminary hearings set for
i i Ida. Janoarj 18.
(Continued on I'ago Two.)
r -
I
k -
IOTHRR II V;s
HILDBEN, l lll
1
HER TM
N HER8KL
LONDON, Jan, -o. (9:3:: p. m.)
, violent attacks by the Russians
With strongly reinforced armies are
being launched agulnBt the Austro
Hungarlana along the Bessarabian
frontier. Thai the renewal of the of
fensive here is uf a sanguinary char
acter is Indicated by the Austrian of
ficial report which says that between
ToporoUtS and Hoyan the Kusalana at
several places succeeded in entering
the trenches of the Teutons ami en
gaged the defenders in hand to hand
encounters,
To the northeast of Cxernowits the
Russians claim to have captured an
Austrian sector and to have repulsed
flvi desperate counter-attacks.
Tin- Russian official communica
tion tells of a raid on the Iliad; sea
by Russian torpedo boats, n3 sail
ing vessels being destroyed along the
Anatolian (oast.
Ill the Caucasus the Turks, accord
ing to Petrograd, were thrown from
their positions In the center of the
long front, suffering heavy hisses.
In addition to the usnul artillery and
mining operations on the western line
in Prance ami Belgium, the British
have essayed an infantry attack
agalnsl the Germans north of Prelrng
hlen, Berlin reports that the attack
was put down.
Montenegrins I 'igbtlng.
Announcement is made in the Brit
ish house of Commons thai the llrit
ish column coining up the Tigris val
ley to the relief of Kut-El-Ama'ra is
in close touch with the Turks at
Kssen. seven miles from Kut-El-Amara,
This region doubtless soon
will ix- the scene of a lug battle be
tween the relief column and the iirii
lah hemmed in al Kut-El-Amara and
Ihe Ottoman forces,
Although ii has been officially an
nounced that fighting had been re
sumed between the Austrians and
.Montenegrins no news concerning the
details of the new operations has come
through, King Nicholas is declared
to be at Podgoritaa with his troops.
The military serv ice dill has passed
through the committee of the house
of 'Commons after having lieen so
amended to meet With The approval
of some of those originally opposed
to It.
Emperor William has returned to
Germany after,-, visit to the Balkans,
House to Paris.
Col. E. M. House. President Wil
son's personal representative, after
having confer, id with ISriiish offi
cials, presumabl) on Great Britain's
action with respeel to American n |
declaring universal coverage as a goal. Two of the shared proposals: purchasing health insurance across state lines and changing the tax code to allow both employers and individuals to claim deductions for purchasing health insurance. (Currently, only individuals with employer-sponsored coverage can claim tax deductions.)
Other NFIB proposals include portable health insurance (so people don't lose coverage when they switch jobs); more transparency on health insurance costs; and policy pooling to spread risk and reduce premiums.
Their differences notwithstanding, both sides of the aisle seem to agree that expanding access to affordable health care is of dire importance.
To wit: Back in 1993, the NFIB played a key role in quashing the Clintons' health care plan. This time around, though, both the NFIB and the more moderate National Small Business Association (60,000 members) say they're willing to put the task of fixing a broken U.S. health care system ahead of partisan politics.
"A number of groups--particularly biz groups that historically have not been strongly in favor of universal coverage--seem to be going that direction," says Larry Levitt, vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based health care research group. "There's a much greater inclination to look at broader reforms than in previous debates."
For its part, the NFIB has shown its willingness to make concessions to push health care legislation forward. Last November, it joined a coalition called Divided We Fail that includes two unlikely allies: the AARP; the Service Employees Union, the nation's largest union, with 1.8 million members; and the Business Roundtable, a big-business lobbying group.
Says Stottlemyer: "If you can fix health care for small businesses, you can fix it for America."The first 72 hours of the NBA playoffs have been wild compared with last season’s early chalk-fest. We’ve had nine competitive games out of 10, crazy finishes, a GM giving an ECW-style promo, massive scoring totals, and lots of other fun stuff.
Here’s an early look at the winners and losers from three days of bleary-eyed hoop-watching.
Winner: Tony Allen
I will never forget chatting with Tony Allen two seasons ago about how he squirmed around pin-down screens designed to free Kevin Durant for jumpers. He didn’t accept the fundamental basis of the question — that it was a hard thing to do. “You just do it,” he would say. I would counter: “OK, so, there is one large man running at you with the singular goal of blocking your path, and a slithery 7-foot scorer directing you into that large man’s chest. What is the best strategy for avoiding that large man?” And he would respond, again and again: “You just do it. You don’t get screened.”
The Thunder ran a version of that play for Kevin Durant in the waning seconds of overtime Monday, when they trailed by two points. They used Serge Ibaka as the screener, a larger man than they normally use. And Allen, true to his word, just would not get screened:
I mean, look at this. Allen bends over low, shrinking himself and burying his head in Durant’s belly, almost as if he’s a sprinter crouching for the start. And Ibaka, even while setting a moving pick, just flat misses him. It’s uncanny. Durant had no choice but to pass, and Ibaka traveled.
Durant shot 36% while guarded by Allen, and 57% against everyone else, per ESPN’s internal tracking. Allen missed 27 games recovering from a wrist issue this season, and he has a reputation as a guy who likes his body to feel just so before he comes back from injury. The Grizz probably wanted him back earlier, but he looks fresher and faster than everyone else right now. He’s a better option than Tayshaun Prince; the Thunder don’t guard either of them, cramping the Grizzlies’ already cramped spacing, but Allen has defended better and done more damage cutting away from the ball. It will be interesting to see if Dave Joerger starts him, and going forward, there’s no reason for Allen to be on the floor when Durant is resting; he picked up a foul early in the second quarter while Durant sat.
All hail the Grindfather.
TBD: Scott Brooks
The good: Brooks has learned from past series against Memphis, and he is going small, with Durant at power forward, almost the second Joerger removes either Marc Gasol or Zach Randolph. He has used a relatively quick hook on the Thunder’s sometimes unwatchable starting lineup, swapping Nick Collison and Caron Butler in together for Kendrick Perkins and Thabo Sefolosha — a move that forces Mike Conley to guard Russell Westbrook.
Going small also forces Memphis into a juicy choice: Match Oklahoma City by downsizing, or stay big and pound the crap out of them. Butler is slow now, meaning Randolph should be able to guard him fine in big-versus-small matchups. Joerger has balanced these dueling impulses well. The Grizz extended their lead in the first half of the fourth quarter using a Beno Udrih–captained small group, and closed the game with their bigger lineup — a move that forced Oklahoma City to put Perkins back on the floor.
The Thunder’s defense has been cleaner, though Westbrook has been a mess, jumping himself out of position, losing Conley on backdoor cuts, and finally forcing Brooks to move Sefolosha onto Conley. That’s nice in theory, but it forces Brooks to, you know, play Sefolosha over Reggie Jackson, and the Grizzlies don’t guard Sefolosha at all. (Presumably, no one is forcing Brooks to play Derek Fisher over Jackson.) Westbrook’s insanity pays off in steals and scary rebounds that fuel Oklahoma City’s transition attack, but on balance, he has hurt Oklahoma City’s defense.
Regardless: The outside-in help has been crisp and targeted, without the over-helping in the paint that resulted in a deluge of open 3s in February and March.
The bad: Oklahoma City’s starting lineup is still prone to droughts it can’t afford against elite competition. The group is minus-15 over two games, and doing poorly on both ends, per NBA.com. Brooks may need a quicker hook, and to consider staggering minutes just a bit more, so that one of Westbrook and Durant is on the floor at all times — and Durant can get more small-ball time early in the second and fourth quarters, when the Grizz have a backup big in the game.
The Thunder’s offense remains predictable, without any continuity or natural second and third options. They are running plays, but the Grizzlies know what’s coming, and if Allen or some other player can kill the clock with artful ball denial, the Thunder are always up against it without a plan. The Grizz have a shot against the dreaded Westbrook-Durant pick-and-roll as long as Courtney Lee is guarding Westbrook, and Gasol has been magnificent shifting around the back line.
Still: Let’s see more of that play, and more, more, more of Durant running high pick-and-rolls involving Randolph:
Winner: Craig Sager
It might seem a little odd to call someone with leukemia a winner. But what an outpouring of affection for one of those weird figures adored by a certain subset of the populace, but largely unknown outside that world. The Sager–Gregg Popovich montage is always a hit, and I loved that Pop insisted Craig Sager Jr. do the in-game interview with him. Get well, Sages.
Winner: Beno Udrih
Udrih wasted away with the miserable Knicks and barely played for Memphis, but with Nick Calathes suspended, he suddenly finds himself running the Grizz second unit and hitting his typical pull-up jumpers. One suggestion: Maybe he shouldn’t play without Gasol also around as a facilitator; the minutes Udrih played with Gasol sitting in Game 2 were terrifying.
Winner: Mila Kunis
So, this Mila Kunis Jim Beam ad campaign … I mean … it’s pretty good … right? Am I the only one sweating?
Mount Rushmore references jumped the shark this season, but here’s my Mount Rushmore of drinking buddies:
• Jon Hamm: Cool guy, likes sports, drank beer with Simmons on the B.S. Report.
• Paul Rudd: Obviously delightful, big Knicks fan.
• Ryan Gosling: Seems very chill during promotional appearances, and as a younger guy, he’s our ticket into hip places — even though he seems like he’d probably just prefer a dive.
• Kunis: We need a woman, and she won me over with this, especially her revulsion at the thought of Jäger bombs. Did anyone not fall for her in Forgetting Sarah Marshall?
Winners: Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge
The playoffs bring in a national audience that ignores the regular season, and it’s nice when two of the league’s stars, including perhaps its most polarizing one, set fire to dumb screaming narratives as that new audience watches.
Griffin has been unguardable against Golden State when foul trouble hasn’t erased him. He’s destroying everyone in the post, bending entire defenses his way for hockey assists, running the break for a Clippers team that would prefer avoiding Golden State’s set defense, and dishing smart passes. The “he can only dunk!” morons have been very quiet.
He was also pretty good defensively in Game 2, when the Clippers contained the Stephen Curry pick-and-rolls that ate them up in Game 1. And they didn’t really do anything all that differently. They still trapped Curry, though perhaps a hair less aggressively, with the Clips’ bigs mostly coming to the level of the pick instead of chasing Curry toward half court. They switched more pick-and-rolls involving Curry and a wing player, and avoided playing Paul, Darren Collison, and Jamal Crawford together in a super-small lineup when Game 2 was actually in play.
Paul was better chasing Curry over those screens, staying on his hip. The rotations behind the play were tighter as the Clippers scrambled in 3-on-4 situations. The two Clippers bigs switched assignments seamlessly, with instant communication, and the wing defenders shifted in and out on a string. And note how in the last clip here, the Clips manage to force Curry toward the sideline — a smart thing they’ve rarely pulled off:
Sometimes the adjustment is simple: Be better at what you’re doing. The Warriors helped by abandoning some of the stuff they did in Game 1, including those pick-and-rolls in which they cleared one side of the floor for Curry and his screener — a very tough set to defend.
Aldridge played the game of the postseason so far, and the game of his life, in Portland’s incredible Game 1 win in Houston. He is clearly healthy, and his game reflected that renewed vigor. He pushed for deep post-ups and jump hooks instead of settling for long jumpers, and when he saw Houston (kind of) giving him pick-and-pop jumpers, he mixed things up with drives to the rim and hard rolls.
That kind of diversity is crucial, especially when Dwight Howard is guarding him and jumping out far on pick-and-roll plays. Aldridge was solid on defense, though he’ll have trouble managing Howard when Robin Lopez rests.
Loser: James Harden’s Extra Defensive Gear
My favorite sequence of the first 72 hours might be this: Harden juking Wesley Matthews for a second-quarter driving score, talking all kinds of crap in Matthews’s face, and then immediately falling asleep on the next possession as Matthews cut behind him for an easy layup. News flash: That layup counts the same as a highlight drive.
Harden is a spectacular offensive player. One of my favorite little NBA things is when Harden handles the ball up top, sees a help defender out of the corner of his eye leaning an extra half-step into the paint, and rifles a no-look pass to that defender’s man.
If Houston wants to be a serious playoff team, Harden needs to take defense seriously. He didn’t in Game 1. And while Matthews was one of the league’s best post-up players all season, right now it’s a problem.
Harden struggled on offense, especially late, and that’s the downside of Houston running a system that is mostly based on improvisation. To play that way, you must keep the ball moving, so that the improv set can breathe and shift the defense. When the ball stops, no one knows what to do next, and the rest of Houston’s players looked tentative when the rock found them in crunch time. They did have success with the Jeremy Lin–James Harden pick-and-roll, though.
Winner: Damian Lillard’s Clutch Play
Lillard has struggled on defense, which was predictable, but holy hell, this guy has been remarkable all season in the clutch. Bonus points for Terry Stotts, who designed smart plays, understood the two-for-one implications, subbed offense/defense at the right times, and played Hack-a-Howard as well as it has ever been played.
Mark Jackson should take note: If you believe in the intentional fouling strategy, you don’t abandon it if the victim goes 2-for-2 on the first try, as Howard did in Game 1. Jackson has gone this route twice on DeAndre Jordan, a worse foul shooter than Howard, and ditched it both times after an initial 2-of-2 from Jordan. That’s just bad math, and results-over-process thinking.
The Blazers had a more dire need to use the strategy, since they were behind and running out of time, but Jackson should be more confident in the process. He nailed fouling Paul when the Dubs were up three with less than 15 seconds left in Game 1, and Jackson prepped a great offensive strategy — even if Hilton Armstrong, of all people, helped.
Winner: Masai Ujiri
Everyone in the T-Dot should pitch in and help the Raps pay the $25,000 fine the league levied for Ujiri’s F-bomb — the best part of which was Ujiri pausing, smiling, and obviously thinking about whether this was a smart thing to do. Was anyone offended by this? If you say you’d have been embarrassed if your team’s GM made such a comment, I don’t believe you.
Winner: The Funky Nets
The Nets’ weird small/big lineups threw Toronto for a loop, especially when Paul Pierce was on the floor doing his old-man power forward thing; the Nets scored nearly 108 points per 100 possessions when Pierce played, and fell apart when he sat, per NBA.com.
He hurt the Raps as the screener on pick-and-pops, and Amir Johnson, a big-man helper at heart, lost track of Pierce on the perimeter. Toronto also got a bit scrambled tracking matchups in transition, leading to several open Brooklyn looks. Speaking of Johnson …
Loser: Amir Johnson
Johnson logged just 21 minutes in Game 1, and if his ankle remains an issue going forward, Toronto is in trouble. He’s their best defender, and they probably don’t have the goods to play full-time small ball against Brooklyn.
Back to the Nets: Joe Johnson feasted on post-ups, and the Raptors had no coherent answer for a little pick-and-roll play the Nets use with Johnson as the ball handler. Sometimes Toronto dropped back, allowing Johnson to get into the paint, with Pierce’s gravity influencing things from the corner:
Sometimes the Raps hedged hard, opening up 3-point shots:
Toronto may want to simplify. The Nets’ ability to switch almost anything, including plays involving Amir Johnson as the screener, also gives Toronto fits; Brooklyn blew up an Amir Johnson–DeRozan handoff play the Raps love by simply switching Pierce onto DeRozan.
Loser: DeMar DeRozan
DeRozan will be fine, but he pooped the bed in his first playoff game, and Toronto has an interesting dilemma now: Get DeRozan going by force-feeding him for midrange shots, as the Raptors did in the second half, or redirect more of the offense into pick-and-rolls? Any pick-and-roll involving Jonas Valanciunas will bring Brooklyn’s lone big man away from the hoop, potentially opening up a flood of offensive rebounds for Toronto against the glass-challenged Nets:
Loser: The NBA
The league cannot win. If it releases nothing about officiating, fans accuse it of hiding the truth. When it admits a mistake, fans ask why the league does not send out such releases about such-and-such other play that made them very angry. There are fans in Toronto, host of the 2016 All-Star Game, who actually think the league is conspiring against their team — that Adam Silver is sitting in his office, thinking of ways for Toronto to lose.
Look, studies have found evidence of star calls, especially in loose-ball situations in which a star collides with a nonstar. But there is contact on every single NBA possession. There were lots of instances in Game 1 of Toronto players making contact that went uncalled — on both ends. Ditto for Brooklyn. The calls ended up tilting a bit Brooklyn’s way, but that’s not evidence of a grand conspiracy. It’s evidence of how hard it is to referee an NBA game, especially when things get more physical, and the impossibility of legislating out some of the game-to-game and quarter-to-quarter randomness of what constitutes a foul amid constant jostling.
Get over it.
Loser: The Pacers’ Broken Offense
These are old issues — bad spacing, a lack of motion, poor screening, and possessions like the one Steve McPherson highlighted here, where literally nothing of consequence happens. And that was not an isolated incident in Game 1.
My personal test for the Pacers’ health: Are they making the extra pass when it is obviously available? Here the Hawks put the extra pass on a platter for Indiana by overreacting to David West’s midrange jump shot, sending an extra defender at him, and the Pacers often just shrugged and chucked:
Paul George and others drove into crowds and ignored spot-up shooters. This team has the tools to be better; we’ve seen them be better. They start three good long-range shooters, and they know how to make the extra pass. They did so several times in Game 1. Both Lance Stephenson and George can bully Atlanta’s wing guys on the block, opening up pet plays like this:
George and C.J. Watson ran some pick-and-rolls together, and we even saw a rare George-Stephenson pick-and-roll. Those plays can confuse defenses; they hold promise for a desperate team. The Pacers must be diligent about at least running something, and running more of the right things.
Winner: Playoff Teague!
The Hawks are now 3-0 against Indy when Pero Antic is available, and their starting lineup is a monstrous plus-41 in 54 minutes against the Pacers this season, per NBA.com. Atlanta has shooting at every position, and that has proved too much for the Pacers so far. The Teague–Paul Millsap pick-and-roll was especially damaging. The Pacers prefer to drop their big men back on such plays, but when you do that against Millsap, this happens:
Indy is almost caught in between a switch here, and we might see them switch a bit more often on this play as the series moves on — hopefully in more coordinated fashion. We even saw the Pacers abandon their usual strategy and have Ian Mahinmi, more mobile than Roy Hibbert, jump out hard on Teague:
It would be shocking if Frank Vogel started Mahinmi and used Hibbert off the bench against Elton Brand, who stays closer to Hibbert’s territory at the rim. But nothing really worked in Game 1, and Teague tore them apart regardless of which style Indiana used. Luis Scola can’t guard anything, and Millsap will take him to the block the second Scola enters the game. We may well see George take some of the Teague assignment, especially since Vogel has used George Hill to chase Kyle Korver in past games. The Pacers are in trouble.
Winner: The World, When Antic and West Didn’t Fight
I was scared watching on TV. If these two fought, they’d somehow come out unscathed, and every other person in the arena would get injured.
Winner: James Jones
Umm … is Shane Battier dead? Are they saving him for a more competitive series? Did anyone see this coming?
It was surprising that Erik Spoelstra waited until late in the second quarter to go small, since the Bobcats have only one post-up threat in Al Jefferson. But when Spoelstra called Jones’s number, Miami’s moribund offense took off; the Heat outscored Charlotte by 18 points during Jones’s 14 minutes, while Charlotte won the remainder of the game by seven points.
The Heat remain unguardable with LeBron at power forward and Chris Bosh at center. Dwyane Wade is a shaky outside shooter, and so the Heat become almost a normal team when they play with Wade, Bosh, and another big man who can’t shoot beyond 18 feet. Small ball should be deadly against Charlotte, since it forces Jefferson to either guard Bosh — who can blow by him off the bounce — or hide on a shooter. We might see Charlotte adjust and go small itself, with more minutes among the quintet of Gerald Henderson, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Anthony Tolliver, Gary Neal, Chris Douglas, and Roberts.
Winner: Wade’s Post Game
When Wade is healthy, this is a weapon. When he’s not, it dies. Wade was 2-of-4 on post-ups in Game 1, per Synergy Sports, and he looked overpowering against Henderson — a stout defender.
Loser: Upset Potential Against Juggernauts
Charlotte hasn’t beaten Miami since “The Decision,” and if Professor Al’s plantar fascia injury limits his mobility, the Bobcats just won’t be able to score. Entering the ball to Big Al is a chore, since the Heat are fronting him and rotating aggressively off Charlotte’s wings — especially poor MKG — behind the play.
The Bobcats tried everything to free Professor Al, including vicious cross screens under the rim and the kind of side-to-side pick-and-roll action Indiana uses to beat Miami’s fronts:
The task will get even harder if Jefferson can’t make quick cuts. A tough break for a great guy.
The Mavs, meanwhile, absolutely had to steal Game 1 after opening up a shocking 10-point lead in San Antonio. They had the Spurs a little out of sorts by starting Shawn Marion on Tony Parker and switching almost everything; got a monster game from Devin Harris; and used smart play designs to spring Monta Ellis and Jose Calderon for open jumpers.
But they fell apart down the stretch, and the Mavs have been mediocre in close games all season — a major departure for what has been perhaps the league’s best crunch-time team over the last half decade. They got good looks, too — two jumpers from Dirk, a contested Vince Carter layup, and an open midranger from Ellis.
The Mavs will shoot better, especially Nowitzki and Calderon, but they are unlikely to coax such an inefficient game from San Antonio again. The Spurs have torn apart Dallas for years, and San Antonio gradually discovered little cracks in the Mavs’ switching scheme. They’ll shoot better than 3-of-17 from deep, Kawhi Leonard will knock in more of those post-ups against Ellis, and Popovich can blow away the Marion-on-Parker thing by inserting Manu Ginobili early for Danny Green — removing Calderon’s hiding spot.
Winners: Randy Wittman and Nene
The Bulls allegedly had a massive coaching edge in this series, and they still do. But Wittman and his staff designed some nifty stuff to get tastier things out of the pick-and-roll than the midrange shots Chicago wants to force. Nene’s presence increases Wittman’s niftiness quotient, since the big fella can do just about everything well on offense — pass, shoot, cut, and screen.
The Wiz didn’t just run simple high pick-and-rolls the Bulls could anticipate and snuff out. They started with some cagey misdirection, dribble handoffs, and other goodies designed to get Chicago’s defense off balance and — this is crucial — allow their own guards to actually go around picks. Chicago’s entire goal in life is to force opposing ball handlers away from screens by getting in their way.
But if you can just get around the actual pick, it forces more dramatic help and opens up passing lanes to rolling big men:
Nene and Marcin Gortat are also good at one little very Spursian trick: changing the direction of their pick, or “flipping the screen” in hoops talk. You need precise timing to do this, and it’s a good way to confuse defenses and give your point guard a head of steam — even if he’s ultimately going toward the sideline, where the defense wants him.
Washington in all piled up 112.8 points per 100 possessions against Chicago, a mark that would have led the league. John Wall didn’t shoot well, but he draws a ton of attention, and he showed he could manipulate Chicago’s defense with his speed. Wall overwhelmed D.J. Augustin, Professor Andre Miller, PhD, held office hours until he nearly vomited, and the Wiz got away with some defensive blips from Wall and Bradley Beal on the perimeter.
This series isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing hoops art, but it’s suddenly very intriguing — especially with Indiana farting around atop the bracket.
Three more games tonight. Let the madness continue!Last night’s Gloria Awards and Gala, hosted by the Ms. Foundation for Women at Cipriani 42nd Street, doubled as a public 80th birthday party for the great Gloria Steinem, meaning that things got extra festive. In addition to the awards (given to Marissa Nuncio, director of the Garment Worker Center in Los Angeles, and Cathy Raphael, the outgoing chair of the Ms. Foundation board), there were speeches from Chelsea Handler, Amy Schumer, and Gabourey Sidibe, among others. (Also: a cake.) Sidibe’s long, wonderful speech — about baking cookies, confidence, and feminism — is transcribed in full below. It is worth your time! (And be sure to check out Amy Schumer’s great speech from the same event when you’re done.)
I’m so excited to be here. Really, really excited. Okay, I’ll get to it. Hi. One of the first things people usually ask me is, “Gabourey, how are you so confident?” I hate that. I always wonder if that’s the first thing they ask Rihanna when they meet her. “RiRi! How are you so confident?” Nope. No. No. But me? They ask me with that same incredulous disbelief every single time. “You seem so confident! How is that?”
When I was ten years, in the fifth grade, my teacher, Miss Lowe had announced that my class would be having a holiday party right before the Christmas break. She asked if we all could all bring snacks or soda or juice to the class party. She also said we had the option of cooking something, if we like. I was so excited. I immediately decided that I would make gingerbread cookies, and that everyone would love them. I told my mom my plan, and I asked her for money to go buy the ingredients. She thought I should just buy store-bought cookies, but I told her, “Those cookies didn’t have enough love in them!” I had to make the cookies. So I bought the mix, and I bought cookie cutters in the shape of Christmas trees and bells, and I made a practice batch of cookies that went horribly wrong. Good thing they were a practice batch. They were awful. And then the night before the party, I made another batch of cookies. And they were also awful, but they looked a lot better. I carefully put the cookies in a Ziplock bag, so I could take them to school the next day. When I got to school that morning, I could not wait until that party. And I was so proud of those cookies, and all the effort I put into making them, I started to think that maybe I wouldn’t just be the first woman black President — maybe I would also be a celebrity chef! I mean, why limit myself?
The party was set to take place during the last hour of school, and I waited excitedly for it all day long. Finally, it was party time. My teacher asked what everyone brought, and I proudly announced that I had baked cookies for the class. I think I felt prouder knowing that everyone else just bought stuff. I was the only one who made anything, because clearly, I’m a little more clever than anyone else. So as the party starts up, I walk around the class, proudly offering cookies to everyone. No one took a cookie. No one. No one except Nicholas, who was the first person I offered one to. But after a few of our other classmates set him straight, he actually caught up with me as I walked around the class, and gave the cookie back. I walked around the class trying to hand out cookies to my class, until I ended up back at my desk with the same amount of cookies that I started with. I sat at my desk alone, eating those gross gingerbread cookies that took hours to make, all by myself. I put chocolate chips in them, that’s why they were gross. I wasn’t surprised. I just forgot for a moment that my entire class hated me. I had zero friends from the fourth grade to the sixth grade. Who the hell was I baking cookies for? I really got so excited to bake that I had forgotten that everyone hated my guts. Why didn’t they like me? I was fat, yes. I had darker skin and weird hair, yes. But the truth is, this isn’t a story about bulling, or color, or weight. They hated me because… I was an asshole!
Yep. I was a bossy, bossy asshole. See, remember when I said that I thought I was more clever than everyone else? Well, I did! And I told them that — every single day! Those kids couldn’t get a word in edgewise, without me cutting them off to remind them that I was smarter, funnier, and all around wittier than them. I was always sarcastic — I called it my birth defect. And let’s face it, kids don’t get sarcasm. They don’t appreciate it. They never knew what I was talking about. And when they would say, “Wait… huh?” I would say, “My God, Alicia, read a book!” I know. I spoke differently than them, I just did. I sounded more like a Valley Girl than a Brooklyn girl. My classmates always asked me if I was adopted by white people. I’d say, “No. Both my parents went to college.” I know that was rude, but I’m still really proud of that. To be fair, in my neighborhood, not everyone’s parents had the opportunity to go to college. Most of my classmates’ parents were teens when they had them. My parents had me at age 30. My father was born in Senegal. His father was the mayor of the capital city, Dakar, and my dad often took my brother and I back home with him to visit Africa, while most of my classmates had never stepped out of the Lower East Side. My mother was a teacher in high school, that’s why I went there, but my mom also had a voice, so when I was nine, she quit her teaching job to go sing in the subway. She actually made more money as a singer for tips than she made as a teacher! I know! And she was quickly becoming the underground version of Whitney Houston. She was the strongest, smartest, and most talented person I had ever known. Even today, I don’t want to grow up to be anyone as much as I want to grow up to be her. I know!
The point is, I was a snob. I thought I was better than the kids in my class, and I let them know it. That’s why they didn’t like me. I think the reason I thought so highly of myself all the time was because no one else ever did. I figured out I was smart because my mother would yell at my older brother. She’d say, “Your little sister is going to pass you in school. You’re going to get left behind and she’s going to graduate before you.” But she never said to me, “You are smart.” What she did say was, “You are too fat.” I got the message that I wasn’t pretty, and I probably wasn’t normal, but I was smart! Why wouldn’t they just say that? “You’re smart.” It’s actually not that hard. My dad would yell at my brother, “Gabourey does her homework by herself! Why can’t you?” But he never said to me, “Good job.” What he did say was, “You need to lose weight so I can be proud of you.” I know. So I got made fun of at school, I got made fun of at home too, my older brother hated me, my dad just didn’t understand me, and my mom, who had been a fat girl at my age herself, understood me perfectly … but she berated me because she was so afraid of what she knew was to come for me. So I never felt safe when I was at home. And my response was always to eat more, because nothing says, “You hurt my feelings. Fuck you!” like eating a delicious cookie. Cookies never hurt me.
“Gabourey, how are you so confident?” It’s not easy. It’s hard to get dressed up for award shows and red carpets when I know I will be made fun of because of my weight. There’s always a big chance if I wear purple, I will be compared to Barney. If I wear white, a frozen turkey. And if I wear red, that pitcher of Kool-Aid that says, “Oh, yeah!” Twitter will blow up with nasty comments about how the recent earthquake was caused by me running to a hot dog cart or something. And “Diet or Die?” [She gives the finger to that] This is what I deal with every time I put on a dress. This is what I deal with every time someone takes a picture of me. Sometimes when I’m being interviewed by a fashion reporter, I can see it in her eyes, “How is she getting away with this? Why is she so confident? How does she deal with that body? Oh my God, I’m going to catch fat!”
What I would say, is my mom moved my brother and I to my aunt’s house. Her name is Dorothy Pitman Hughes, she is a feminist, an activist, and a lifelong friend of Gloria Steinem. Every day, I had to get up and go to school where everyone made fun of me, and I had to go home to where everyone made fun of me. Every day was hard to get going, no matter which direction I went. And on my way out of the house, I found strength. In the morning on the way out to the world, I passed by a portrait of my aunt and Gloria together. Side by side they stood, one with long beautiful hair and one with the most beautiful, round, Afro hair I had ever seen, both with their fists held high in the air. Powerful. Confident. And every day as I would leave the house… I would give that photo a fist right back. And I’d march off into battle. [She starts crying] I didn’t know that I was being inspired then. On my way home, I’d walk back up those stairs, I’d give that photo the fist again, and continue my march back in for more battle. [She pulls a tissue from her cleavage and dabs her eyes] That’s what boobs are for! I didn’t know I was being inspired then, but I was. If they could feel like that, maybe I could! I just wanted to look that cool. But it made me feel that strong.
So, okay, we’re back in fifth grade, and I just had been rejected by 28 kids in a row. And I was sitting alone at my desk, with an empty Ziplock bag, crumbs in my lap, and I was at this great party that I had waited for all week. I waited all week for this party that I wasn’t invited to. And for some reason I got up, I sat on my desk, and I partied my ass off. I laughed loudly when something funny happened. And when Miss Lowe put on music, I was one of the first ones to get up and dance. I joined the limbo, and ate chips, and drank soda, and I enjoyed myself, even though no one wanted me there. You know why? I told you — I was an asshole! I wanted that party! And what I want trumps what 28 people want me to do, especially when what they want me to do is leave. I had a great time. I did. And if I somehow ruined my classmates’ good time, then that’s on them. “How are you so confident?” “I’m an asshole!” Okay? It’s my good time, and my good life, despite what you think of me. I live my life, because I dare. I dare to show up when everyone else might hide their faces and hide their bodies in shame. I show up because I’m an asshole, and I want to have a good time. And my mother and my father love me. They wanted the best life for me, and they didn’t know how to verbalize it. And I get it. I really do. They were better parents to me than they had themselves. I’m grateful to them, and to my fifth grade class, because if they hadn’t made me cry, I wouldn’t be able to cry on cue now. [Dabs tears] If I hadn’t been told I was garbage, I wouldn’t have learned how to show people I’m talented. And if everyone had always laughed at my jokes, I wouldn’t have figured out how to be so funny. If they hadn’t told me I was ugly, I never would have searched for my beauty. And if they hadn’t tried to break me down, I wouldn’t know that I’m unbreakable. [Dabs tears] So when you ask me how I’m so confident, I know what you’re really asking me: how could someone like me be confident? Go ask Rihanna, asshole!Browsers have inherited the "Backspace" shortcut to go back from antiquity, in the days when the web was far more static, before tabs, before webapps, before things like Google Docs and Chrome OS meant that browsers are used to create documents, sometimes documents that take hours to compose. Take an informal survey of your friends, and average the number of hours of work that each of them has lost due to hitting the "backspace" button trying |
arcane, incomprehensible steps, you will be led to the mythical “right answer.” No other steps are allowed, and heaven help you if you don’t happen to remember the right steps for a particular problem. In that case there is nothing to be done but despair.
And, of course, they believe that all math has been handed down to them from on high, as wisdom from the ancients. It is imperturbable, impenetrable, impeccable.
But that is not what math is.
So, what is math?
Calculation is a useful tool, but it is definitely not what math is.
Math is a quest for understanding. And like any good epic fantasy series, it seems to never quite be finished.
And the understanding we mathematicians seek is an odd sort of understanding. The goal of science is to understand what is, to describe and understand the universe around them.
Mathematicians, on the other hand, seek to understand what must be.
After all, the questions a mathematician asks are not generally about things that could even exist. Have you ever seen a perfectly straight, infinitely thin line? Or an angle of precisely 90 degrees? But, if I have a perfectly flat triangle with a 90 degree angle, I know the side lengths have a certain relationship,.
And sure, we can count 37 cows, but do the cows care that there are a prime number of them? But 37 is prime, and so the 37 cows cannot be evenly split between more than one person.
I sometimes like to describe this by saying that I, as a mathematician, try to figure out what even God cannot do. Even an all-powerful God cannot create a perfect flat triangle with a 90 degree angle, whose side lengths do not obey the Pythagorean relationship. Neither could He evenly divide 37 cows between more than one person.
The basis for deciding what must be are the definitions and axioms of mathematics.
Definitions and axioms are different, but very closely related.
Definitions describe the things we talk about. For instance, a straight line (versus a curved one) might be defined as “a line which lies evenly with the points on itself,” as in Euclid.
Axioms describe what we can do with the things we’ve defined. These tend to be very basic, “obvious” things. For example, the axiom of symmetry says that “If, then.” In this example, you could see the axiom as something you can do (“You can switch the sides of an equation.”) or you could see the axiom as defining what two things being equal really means.
On top of this foundation, mathematics is built with logic. Given the definitions and axioms, certain conclusions follow as inescapable consequences. These conclusions we call theorems or lemmas or propositions.
Because mathematics is taught in such an authoritative way, it can appear that the definitions and axioms of mathematics are in someway intrinsic, that they have existence outside of the creation of man. It can feel like the axioms and definitions are part of the “what must be” that mathematicians are searching for.
To some extent that may be true, but I don’t think this is completely true, and it’s certainly not how math is done.
When you read a textbook, the most recent thinking of the definitions and axioms that are thought to be important are presented. But that hides to some extent the fact that it took hundreds, or even thousands, or years to decide that those axioms should be the ones to form the foundation of the rest of mathematics.
Math evolves. Math changes. The definitions and axioms we use today are not the same ones that were used by Newton.
Referencing Newton actually brings up a good example of how math changes.
Newton (and Leibniz) invented calculus around 1670. It immediately proved its use in solving any number of important questions in physics and mathematics.
But Newton’s calculus was not built on what we would today consider a rigorous foundation.
In order to explain their ideas, both Newton and Leibniz used some idea of “infinitesimals,” quantities that were infinitely small.
Infinitesimals can be very useful in an intuitive explanation of calculus. (I often use them informally when I teach calculus myself.) And so Newton and Leibniz’s proofs of their results were accepted, even though some were uncomfortable with the idea of an infinitely small quantity.
But as mathematicians delved deeper into the ideas of calculus, it became clear that the infinitesimal arguments weren’t quite complete. There were important theorems that could not be carefully proven because the foundations of calculus were not proven with sufficient rigor.
Thus, one of the major mathematical projects of the 1800’s was to prove the “soundness” of calculus, and make sure the foundations were correct.
This involved inventing new definitions. For instance, one of the key ideas of calculus is the limit. Informally, the limit asks, “As the inputs get close to a number, what do the outputs get close to?”
The intuition for limits is not difficult; you plug in numbers closer and closer to the one you want, and see if the outputs get close to some other number. But the careful definition for limit that we use today, the (epsilon-delta) definition, was not introduced till the 1820’s by Augustin-Louis Cauchy.
Mathematics is not static, and the axioms and definitions we use are not necessarily natural, sitting there for us to find. As we seek deeper understanding, we often come to a point where we realize our earlier understanding was incomplete, or even incorrect, and we seek to fix the foundations. This has occurred over and over and over again to get to our “fixed” modern ideas of mathematics.
To summarize, mathematics is a quest for understanding what must be. But the very concepts we try to understand are not set in stone. The objects of mathematics are defined by people, and as we understand them better, the definitions and axioms we base our understanding on change.
In the next post I want to talk more in depth about why these definitions change, and how and why mathematicians come up with new definitions.
This post was mostly about the philosophy of math, which is quite a bit different than my normal post. But as we’ll see in a few weeks, Gödel’s incompleteness theorem is so weird that it is impossible to talk about it without discussing the philosophy of math. Gödel’s theorem puts a fundamental limit on mathematicians’ quest for understanding.
–> Next Post: I’m looking at you, George R. R. Martin… ↩ Well, at least without taking the King Solomon approach and cutting the 37th cow in half! ↩ Usually “theorems” are bigger, more important conclusions, while “lemmas” are littler conclusions that are needed along the way to show the theorems are true. Propositions can go either way. On the other hand, sometimes lemmas end up being more important than the theorems. ↩ More recently, mathematicians have come up with rigorous methods to talk about infinitesimals, for instance the hyperreal numbers. However, infinitesimal methods are no longer considered standard. ↩ Even the work on calculus done in the early 1800’s was not final. The “Riemann” integral, which was the formalization of the integral by Riemann, is what is taught in high schools and early college math. But at the graduate level, we use the “Lebesgue” (Luh-bayg) integral instead, which was introduced in the early 1900’s. Both are rigorous approaches to the integral, but the Lebesgue integral makes a few key lemmas and theorems much easier to prove. The basis of the Lebesgue integral is less intuitive at first, but easier and more powerful in the end. ↩ Can You Hear the Shape of a Drum? (Part 2) –> Next Post: Where do axioms come from?
AdvertisementsI want to pick up upon something Chris Brown discussed in our interview, which is the concept of combining two plays together. This is currently one of the most innovative concepts in offensive football today, whereby offenses are giving their quarterback more options by combining concepts, such as a pass and run, into one play.
Brown has done a great job discussing this, but I willl break it down into smaller pieces and then discuss how Urban Meyer and Ohio State may utilize this concept this year.
Today I want to discuss the theory. The basic concept is the same as option football--rather than having to guess correctly pre-snap, the offense can ideally make the defense wrong every time. Playcalling is often a guessing game, whereby a coordinator is attempting to make an educated guess based upon in-week preparation, but it is only that--a guess. This task used to be easier, as defenses would be known as a cover 3 or cover 2 team. Teams still have tendencies, of course, but defenses tend to now be multi-faceted and put an emphasis on confusing offenses.
One technique offenses have long used has been to call several plays in the huddle and have a "check with me" call at the line of scrimmage, where the quarterback, after surveying the defense, would select what they believe is the appropriate play. But of course, the quarterback's pre-snap read may be incorrect as defenses often hide their intention pre-snap. And a team that wants to go no-huddle is often slowed down by such checks.
Increasingly then, teams are turning towards packaging concepts such as a quick pass and run play together on the same play. The idea, as noted, is to take the guessing game out of it and, by giving the quarterback options post-snap, allows the offense to react to what the defense is actually doing. The devil is in the details, of course, and like option football, this type of intricate reading that must be done in seconds takes repeated practice time. In addition, the two concepts must themselves fit together in terms of timing and progression, limiting the potential concepts available. I will focus on basic concepts that are used together in future posts.Hi there,
maybe u all know it. Ones I made a Skat deck with MLP. So my friends and me play a lot "Mau Mau" and for example on GalaCon it was a good Time cheat between running panels
and less visitors on the floor. So the old one was oookkkay. But I think I can make a better one. We made special Rules with new cards so like the "changeling Card". With this card you can look into your opponents deck and pic one of his card and change it with one of yours.
Here it is, the new changeling card, the backside I will design when all other cards are finish. It will be a pain in the ass to make. But damn Im on fire and my target is to make a great skat deck with a tarot look alike and playable by dim light like in a pub or something. So there less effects over the card. But enough details to look great.
Hope you like this, I will put the artwork on redbubble too, cause it's a great shirt design I think. Ma Girlfriend mean I should bring it to welovefine.. but I dunno I asked them 2 times with older designs and never get a answer back. So hmm.. we will see…
Your RarieDashRegion gets $35 million in federal aid for freight rail
WASHINGTON -- As debate raged in the nation's capital over the stimulus bill on its first birthday, federal officials announced that it will provide $35 million for freight rail projects in Western Pennsylvania.
The money is part of a $1.5 billion package of transportation projects revealed Wednesday by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, including a freight corridor run by CSX that is known as the National Gateway Project. Overall, the project received $98 million for the line that is to connect ports with major inland destinations.
The money will go toward raising bridge and tunnel clearances to allow CSX to "double stack" cargo on trains traveling through Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. The federal government and CSX said increasing the loads on rail cars would allow freight to be moved more efficiently and reduce the need for long-haul trucking -- easing congestion on highways and cutting gasoline consumption.
The Pennsylvania state government will match the $35 million to boost the National Gateway's plans for 17 clearance projects in Western Pennsylvania, including seven in Allegheny County, that are scheduled to be finished by the end of 2012. In addition, CSX is planning to build a rail-to-truck terminal in Pittsburgh but has not chosen a site yet.
The other bridge and tunnel construction projects are in Somerset and Bedford counties, along a rail line that follows the Interstate 70-76 corridor from Maryland to Ohio.
Mr. LaHood made the funding announcement from Kansas City, Mo., part of a nationwide blitz by Obama administration Cabinet secretaries promoting the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a measure estimated to cost a total of $862 billion.
Today, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke is scheduled to visit Carnegie Mellon University to announce an initiative to increase broadband Internet access.
The overall effectiveness of the stimulus has been hotly debated since President Barack Obama signed the measure Feb. 17, 2009, but the rhetoric heightened for its anniversary.
"We had a responsibility to do what was right for the U.S. economy and for the American people," Mr. Obama said Wednesday at an event to mark the occasion. "One year later, it is largely thanks to the Recovery Act that a second depression is no longer a possibility. It's one of the main reasons the economy has gone from shrinking by 6 percent to growing at about 6 percent."
Democrats drove the bill through with no Republicans in the House and only three in the Senate -- one of whom, Pennsylvania's Arlen Specter, later flipped to the Democratic Party.
Republicans maintained their opposition to the bill a year later, noting that although the economy has not collapsed, unemployment has risen to about 10 percent -- well above White House projections when the bill was passed. Republicans also seized on news media reports of wasted and unaccounted-for funds, while decrying many projects as silly porkbarrel.
"Struggling small-business owners, families and young workers see trillions in debt, on their tab, and still no job creation," House Minority Whip Eric Cantor, R-Va., said in a statement.
So far, the public is siding with the Republicans. A CBS/New York Times poll last week found that 6 percent of respondents believe that the stimulus "has created jobs." Republicans gleefully compared the result to a 2002 poll in which 7 percent of respondents believed that Elvis was still alive.
In a conference call Wednesday with reporters, Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., said he was "very concerned" about such polling data and insisted that the stimulus has been an effective tool to create jobs. According to a White House study, 1.7 million to 2 million jobs were created or saved by the bill in 2009.
The public dissatisfaction, Mr. Casey said, comes in part from a poor selling job by stimulus backers. "Any message from Washington about positive news is hard to get through in a recession when you have 15 million people out of work in this country and 560,000 in Pennsylvania," Mr. Casey said. "[But] elected officials in Washington have probably not spent enough time telling people about the progress of this."
When the Senate returns next week, it is scheduled to vote on another jobs bill, a $15 billion proposal of business tax cuts and infrastructure spending put together by Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., as part of a piecemeal approach to a second stimulus -- though Democrats now are reluctant to even say the word "stimulus," given the poisonous politics surrounding it.
Mr. Casey quibbles with some details of the bill, but is hoping that a series of smaller measures can gain bipartisan support to attack the economic woes that remain in spite of a year of stimulus.
"We've kept our economy from going over a cliff," Mr. Casey said. "We're still in a ditch, but we're climbing out of it, and we have to make sure that when we climb out of it, we have to put in the reinvestment to make sure we stay out of it."
Daniel Malloy: dmalloy@post-gazette.com or 202-445-9980. Follow him on Twitter at PG_in_DC.
First published on February 18, 2010 at 12:00 amPhoto: Maya Robinson
Last year, the Man Booker Prize — the most prestigious book award in Britain and probably the world — announced it would, for the first time, consider any book written in English and published in the U.K. On Tuesday, its judges made good on their threat; on their final “short list” of six books are two Americans: Karen Jay Fowler (for We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves) and Joshua Ferris. To Rise Again at a Decent Hour, Ferris’s third novel, is the often hilarious, often depressing existential howl of a New York dentist embroiled in a pseudo-ancient religion. We called Ferris up yesterday to talk about his new accolade.
Congratulations on making the short list. How are you?
Well, thanks. I should be good for the rest of the week.
And then what if you win?
Oh, yeah, that could last a month. But it was a surprise just to be long-listed. And then you start trying to figure out your odds with some inscrutable algorithm.
People do, famously, set odds for the Booker Prize.
I’m now something that’s wagered on, which is usually the domain of horses and dogs. But I think it’s totally cool. Though I think my odds are pretty bad. Well, I guess it depends on where you go. Some place I squeaked in at 5-to-1, at another it’s 12-to-1.
What did you think when you heard the Booker would be accepting Americans?
I didn’t know that it was such a good idea. We’ve got a tremendous slate of prizes here in the U.S. already. But once I was long-listed, I thought, Well, now I get it! I think [expanding the prize’s scope] will only make the Man Booker even more mammoth of a prize, and inevitably smaller regional prizes will come in to fill any gap that the Booker will create. These things have a way of working out.
Why do you think the jury chose To Rise Again?
I don’t know, it’s a strange book. To be honest, I did not have a lot of confidence that too many people would go, Ah, the book I’ve been waiting for! It’s about a dentist who’s having a crisis, a Red Sox fan who hates Twitter. It just doesn’t scream best-seller. I wasn’t sure that it would strike anyone as compelling. I think the thing that it had going for it is it’s funny and it’s about a very contemporary moment with respect to technology.
Paul — the dentist — rails against the distractions of the internet, something lots of writers would understand.
There’s a primal addiction that technology taps into that the human being is helpless before. It’s a kind of frenzy, and the eyes are just absolutely besotted with that lit screen, and it takes a willful and very conscious, very present effort to turn away from it.
There’s also Paul’s longing for cultural identity; he envies Jews for their minority status.
He’s a particularly lonely character. There’s no legacy in his family, there’s no ritual, there’s no custom, no richness of inheritance. But I suppose that is to some extent, what do I want to say, the white man’s burden? He needn’t ever worry about his material comfort or the disadvantages of having anything other than shiny white skin. But these advantages also happen to impoverish him in many ways. He’s looking for something that makes life more colorful.
But I already have that. I consider among my friends Gary Shteyngart and Karen Russell and Rachel Kushner and Zachary Lazar. It’s a strong community of lots of people that have the same pathology.
What’s the pathology?
Writing. My dentist doesn’t have that. He’s inundated day in and day out with mouths. That’s his community, and rotting mouths as a community only leads you to despair and death.
You have struggled, though, with expectations. Some critics who loved your debut, Then We Came to the End, were disappointed by your second novel, The Unnamed, and the reviews for this one were mixed. A New Republic review was initially headlined “Joshua Ferris’s New Novel Ought to Destroy His Reputation.” Did you read that?
I didn’t read it because I don’t read reviews, but I did hear about it through various friends. And frenemies — it’s surprising how many of them there are. I suppose that to the world, the Man Booker Prize panel is going to be far more significant than a journalist who just doesn’t like my book. Is it going to change anybody’s visceral reaction to the book? No. I’ve read many award-winning books that I thought were crap. But it does the nice thing of counterbalancing — one might even say crushing — what was as I understand it a fairly limited and unfair review. These are people’s opinions, and if a group of people gets together and they’ve been well vetted by the institution of the Man Booker Prize, I tend to take their opinion more seriously.
When did you stop reading reviews?
That was new for this book. Ultimately, it came to seem to me a form of ego that I preferred to live without. I would consume the good reviews like fast food, and they would become a crack high for a little while. Then it would fade quickly, and the bad reviews would just linger like a bad fart. So why go up and down when I can be on an even keel and actually get some work done.
Are awards different?
As long as I’m not sitting around refreshing my page when the Pulitzer is announced, I’m not wasting any time.
And what will you do with the $80,000 if you win the big award in London next month?
Fly back first class.On February 24, at a press conference for MBC Every1’s variety program “Cross Country,” former Wonder Girls member Yeeun expressed her thoughts on the group’s disbandment.
The singer said, “Although they are calling it a disbandment, it’s actually more like a period of time during which we are each focusing on individual activities.”
She continued, “We’re like a family so we’re always supportive and encouraging of each other. I think we’re each taking time to make personal improvements. I hope our fans will continue to love and support us. I feel very apologetic towards our fans and am always very thankful for them. I will work hard to constantly improve.”
Yeeun also talked about the show and said, “Although this [press conference] is my first official activity since the disbandment, filming for the show began in November of 2016. Since I like both vacations and music, I decided to film with an open heart and mind. I met many good friends and colleagues through this program so it was a meaningful experience for me.”
“Cross Country” will air every Saturday at 11 p.m. KST starting February 25.
Source (1)A Kettering Catholic school teacher fired in December 2011 because of her unwed pregnancy was not discriminated against but was terminated because she violated a contract saying that she would comply with church teachings, according to a response to the former teacher’s lawsuit filed in federal court Monday.
The filing by attorneys for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati denies any discrimination and says former teacher Kathleen Quinlan’s court claims are barred by the First Amendment’s freedom of religion protections.
“The Archdiocese of Cincinnati for many years has had what is commonly called a morality clause in its contract,” church spokesman Dan Andriacco told the Dayton Daily News on Monday. “We expect our employees who sign those contracts to live up to that clause and when they do not we enforce it.”
Quinlan’s attorney, Micah Siegal, said “that contract cannot be enforced against her in a way that violated federal law.”
Quinlan lost her job and health coverage from Ascension Catholic Church on Woodman Drive on Dec. 29, 2011, hours after telling school officials she had become pregnant in the fall with twin girls. Her court filing says she notified school officials because her pregnancy was becoming outwardly apparent and wanted to keep her job and benefits and take maternity leave.
Quinlan sued in federal court in December 2012 saying her firing was discriminatory, in part because male employees are not fired for engaging in premarital sex because they don’t get pregnant so nobody knows about it. The suit seeks back pay and punitive damages.
Quinlan’s filing says the first-grade teacher “was not ordained as a minister by the Catholic Church. She neither led her students in prayer nor otherwise served as a religious leader or agent on behalf of the (church).”
The church’s filing denies this claim and says she falls under the law’s “ministerial exception.”
This is an important distinction, because the U.S. Supreme Court has confirmed in recent years that religious groups are not beholden to workplace discrimination laws in hiring and firing church leaders, or “ministerial employees.”The whirlwind ended at a hotel in lower Manhattan.
For Shabazz Napier, NBA life lately has been one never-ending road trip.
As with the rest of his Miami Heat teammates, it started with the five-city itinerary of Milwaukee, Memphis, Phoenix, Denver and Salt Lake City.
But it was during last week's trip to Utah that he learned prior to Friday night's game against the Jazz that he would be sent to the Heat's NBA Development League affiliate, the Sioux Falls (S.D.) Skyforce, for seasoning. More exactly, he would be joining the Skyforce for a Saturday game in Iowa.
"I still can't wrap my head around what happened," Napier said Tuesday, after he was immediately recalled to the Heat in the wake of the illnesses and injuries that have ravaged the roster.
First, though, was a bus trip back from Dubuque to Sioux Falls before the flight that put him in New York in Monday, in advance of Tuesday's game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center.
"Salt Lake to Iowa then we bused to South Dakota and then flew back," he said, the bus trip a reminder of when he would bus from UConn to games in New York.
Of having to step down to the D-League along with since-recalled Heat center Hassan Whiteside, Napier said, "Like Luol [Deng] was telling me, 'Don't get too high or too low. It's a long season, continue to push forward.' "
iwinderman@tribpub.com. Follow him at twitter.com/iraheatbeat or facebook.com/ira.winderman.Outside of its growing reputation for poverty wages, worker intimidation and an overall culture of employee repression, a new report released Wednesday reveals that retail giant Walmart is also throwing its weight behind a massive consumer tracking effort with particular implications for people of color.
Authored by a coalition of consumer rights and social justice groups, the report, Consumers, Big Data and Online Tracking in the Retail Industry: A Case Study of Walmart (pdf), examines many of the ways in which large retailers—with a particular focus on Walmart—collect consumer data through mobile devices and online activity and use that information to "tease out meaningful patterns,” as noted by a November 2011 Walmart blog post.
The report notes that people of color and other marginalized and low-income communities are being disproportionately affected by such data collection since studies have shown they are less likely than wealthier consumers to protect their data or avoid the marketing ploys which target them.
“Walmart is collecting information on millions of Americans who are disproportionately low-income Black folks and other communities of color," said Rashad Robinson, Executive Director of ColorOfChange who, along with Sum of Us and the Center for Media Justice, authored the report.
According to the report:
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Essentially, as companies like Walmart increasingly use data, both real and predicted, to put people into categories, the risk grows that some groups will fall disproportionately into categories which receive less favorable treatment. Professor Joseph Jerome of the Northwestern University explains: Most of the biggest concerns we have about big data—discrimination, profiling, tracking, exclusion—threaten the self-determination and personal autonomy of the poor more than any other class. Even assuming they can be informed about the value of their privacy, the poor are not in a position to pay for their privacy or to value it over a pricing discount, even if this places them into an ill-favored category. [...] As the arena of big data and predictive privacy harms evolves, we believe consumers in general and communities of color in particular, have reason to be concerned. This is particularly true in the case of companies like Walmart—which has made clear its massive big data ambitions, has clearly spelled out its intent to market heavily to communities of color, and has, thus far, provided little transparency to allow advocates and the public to understand how their information is being used, or abused.
Among other findings, they report reveals that Walmart
Shares consumer data with more than 50 third parties when consumers use its apps and websites.
Is compiling information on tens of millions of Americans. We estimate that the company has collected data on at least 145 million Americans – more than 60% of U.S. adults. The company refers to having “petabytes” of data on consumers. One Walmart partner who receives consumer information from Walmart boasts about having data associated with 80% of U.S. email addresses.
Collects the real-time location of consumers using mobile devices.
Gives consumers no avenue to have their information held by the company deleted.
Does not permit consumers to completely erase app data from their phones, even when the app is uninstalled.
Has no real mechanism to prevent data collection from children. (The company’s privacy policy says that if parents request, Walmart “will work to delete it.”)
Collects the same kinds of data that retailers have used to charge higher prices to customers from areas with less competition, such as poor communities and rural areas.
Compiles information, together with its many third party partners, on millions of Americans that could be shared with the National Security Agency with no oversight or checks and balances, as other companies have done.
According to research cited in the report, individual consumer data analysis conducted by the retailer can be used to predict "a range of highly sensitive personal attributes" including sexual orientation, ethnicity, religious and political views, health conditions, food habits, personality traits, pregnancy status, leisure and recreational pursuits, parental separation, age, and gender.
The report comes ahead of the historic shopping day Black Friday, when Walmart employees across the country plan to strike at over 1,500 locations in a mass call for living wages, opportunities for full time employment and an end to employer retaliation.
_____________________I’m only going to publish the links to these, and the author. All of this is something that really is being fully exposed right now, and although there is a significant amount of blowback from MSM, YouTube, Google, etc., etc., there is no way this will go away. It is the underlying “key veil thread” that, once fully pulled out, will allow the whole demonic, satanic, human trafficking grid to unravel.
Dr. Phil 3-21-17, Interviews Sex-Trafficking Survivor: Vid1, Vid2, Vid3, Vid4, Vid5, Vid6, Vid7, Vid8
David Seaman 3-22-17, NWO Kingpin Dead: Vid1
Victurus Libertas VL 3-22-17, NYPD has had Enough with James Comey: Vid1
David Seaman 3-24-17, Alex Jones apologizes for P-gate: Vid1
via more on the baby eaters, satanic blood drinkers, ritual murderers — NESARA- REPUBLIC NOW – GALACTIC NEWSDonald Trump is leading the field for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination by a wide margin. Of his policy positions, nothing has distinguished his campaign more than his ultra hard-line immigration proposals. These two facts are mostly undisputed, but so far commentators have focused on how both a Trump presidency and the imposition of such strict border controls are unfeasible. It’s a good way to avoid reckoning with their substance and consequences. When we’re talking about millions of lives at risk, however, it pays to be mentally prepared.
In order to “make America great again,” Trump wants first to better define it. Candidate Trump, if elected, plans to build a wall around the country. He also wants Mexico to pay for the construction costs. It’s a ridiculous, albeit somewhat popular, project, but the wall deflects attention from the rest of his dead-serious immigration plan.
Trump has accumulated a lot of support from the GOP nativist base in large part because they trust him to enforce immigration laws. The first sentence in his plan is “When politicians talk about ‘immigration reform’ they mean: amnesty, cheap labor and open borders,” and he’s right. Few national politicians and fewer business leaders are serious about deporting 11 million people. Undocumented immigrants are a necessary part of the national economy; American enforcement practices are designed to manage, not eliminate, violations of border laws.
A strain of American resentment can’t deal with this contradiction: If some people are allowed to violate the law, they must be doing so at the expense of lawful citizens. It’s not true; undocumented immigrants (not to mention over 50 million Latino Americans nativists are really talking about) contribute to the national economy, tax base, culture and social fabric in innumerable ways. But racism and xenophobia make inspiring campaign themes. “Enforce the law,” they say. But “enforce the law” would mean splitting the country in ways that are so horrific, they are difficult to contemplate.
First of all, there’s the scale. Deporting 11 million people would be a population transfer so large it only has a couple historical precedents, and one of them is Adolf Hitler's. To extract that many people from their communities would require a much larger and more determined effort that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is capable of at present. To this end, Trump proposes tripling the number of ICE officers, specifically geared to increase deportations. In a country with volunteer border patrols and lasting unemployment, I don’t think President Trump would have a problem recruiting.
Sending an amped-up ICE on a mass-deportation mission wouldn’t just be an assault on undocumented people and their families, it would be an attack on American cities, where more than 90 percent of them live. For large municipalities, rigorously enforcing immigration law is unfeasible but also politically unpopular. So-called “sanctuary cities” have declared their ongoing intention to drag their feet when it comes to cooperating with the Feds. For example, law enforcement in many cities (including New York) selectively complies with ICE requests to hold people in custody on suspicion of being undocumented. ICE can’t do their job without local cooperation and the use of these legally questionable detention orders has decreased by more than 70 percent in the last four years.If you've ever looked into creating your first Django project targeted at mobile devices, you were probably quick to realize that there is no be all, end all solution. Mobile development decisions have to be made with regards to handheld device detection, redirects, how to deal with desktop vs. mobile content, and so on. Your own requirements will have to dictate how you approach these decisions.
Hopefully, by explaining the mobile development goals we established at Imaginary Landscape and the steps taken to meet them, you can use this information as a foundation for your own mobile website built with Django. We'd love to hear any comments and suggestions as well.
Mobile Development: Server Setup
The first thing we considered was in which layer to handle mobile device detection. We decided we would be using an m. subdomain and wanted the redirect to occur automatically for a mobile user upon first visiting the site. Because of this, it made sense to put both the detection and redirects in the server configuration. In our case it was Nginx but using the same principles, it's simple in Apache as well. In some ways it's simpler. If you are using Apache, you can check out something like the Apache Mobile Filter which utilizes WURFL (Wireless Universal Resource File), eliminating the need to spell out the mobile user agents within your server configuration.
Linking Between the Mobile Site and Full Site
On our mobile site, we would have a link back to the full site that would simply contain a query string, allowing the server to rewrite back to the same page on the desktop version. The detection of this query string would set a cookie to avoid redirection back to mobile site for the duration of the session.
<a href="?full">Full Site</a>
Conversely, the full site would use the same method to link back to the mobile version.
<a href="?mobile">Mobile Site</a>
Nginx Configuration
You'll see below that we're using FastCGI but that's not important. I just left that in to show that we're using the same Django server as well as IP address for both the mobile and full sites. Also note that Nginx doesn't allow you to combine conditionals so we've used a variable called $mobile that we flag to determine whether to redirect.
Finally, here is the Nginx configuration stripped to the essentials.
http { server { listen 1.2.3.4:80; server_name www.domain.com; # Mobile User Agent Check if ($http_user_agent ~* '(blackberry|blazer|danger|ericsson| Google\s+Wireless\s+Transcoder|htc|iemobile|ipaq|iphone|ipod|lg|mobile| mot|moto|motorola|nec\-|netfront|netfront|nokia|opera\s+mini|palm| palmsource|panasonic|philips|pocketpc|samsung|sanyo|sec|sharp|sie\-| smartphone|sony|symbian|t\-mobile|untrusted|up\.browser|up\.link| vodafone\/|wap1\.|wap2\.|webOS|windows\s+ce)') { set $mobile on; } location / { fastcgi_pass unix:/path/to/the/django-server.socket; #... if ($query_string ~ "full") { add_header Set-Cookie "mobile=off;path=/"; set $mobile off; } if ($http_cookie ~ "mobile=off") { set $mobile off; } if ($query_string ~ "mobile") { set $mobile on; } if ($mobile = on) { rewrite ^(.*)$ http://m.domain.com$ break; } } } server { listen 1.2.3.4:80; server_name m.domain.com; location / { fastcgi_pass unix:/path |
remain vigilant at their borders. They only seek to extend their wisdom through means that are less physical in nature.
In your own world, perhaps, you can see this expressed in those who are the wisest, the most gifted, who do not seek personal advantage through commercial avenues and who are not given to conquest and manipulation. Your own world tells you so much. Your own history tells you so much and illustrates, though on a smaller scale, everything that we are presenting to you here.
Thus, it is our intention not only to warn you of the gravity of your situation but to provide you, if we can, a greater perception and understanding of life, which you will need. And we trust that there will be enough who can hear these words and respond to the greatness of Knowledge. We hope there will be those who can recognize that our messages are not here to evoke fear and panic but to engender responsibility and a commitment to the preservation of freedom and good within your world.
If humanity should fail in opposing the Intervention, we can paint a picture of what this would mean. We have seen it elsewhere, for each one of us came very close, within our own worlds. Being part of a collective, the planet Earth will be mined for its resources, its people will be corralled to work and its rebels and heretics will be either alienated or destroyed. The world will be preserved for its agriculture and its mining interests. Human societies will exist, but only in subordination to powers from beyond your world. And should the world exhaust its usefulness, should its resources be completely taken, then you will be left, bereft. The supportive life upon your world will have been taken from you; the very means of survival will have been stolen. This has happened before in many other places.
In the case of this world, the collectives may choose to preserve the world for ongoing use as a strategic post and as a biological storehouse. Yet human population would suffer terribly under such oppressive rule. The population of humanity would be reduced. The management of humanity would be given to those who are bred to lead the human race within a new order. Human freedom as you know it would no longer exist, and you would suffer under the weight of foreign rule, a rule that would be harsh and exacting.
There are many collectives in the Greater Community. Some of them are large; some of them are small. Some of them are more ethical in their tactics; many are not. To the extent that they compete with one another for opportunities, such as the rule of your world, dangerous activities can be perpetrated. We must give this illustration so that you will have no doubt as to what we are saying. The choices before you are very limited, but very fundamental.
Therefore, understand that from your visitors’ perspective, you are all tribes that need to be managed and controlled in order to serve the visitors’ interests. For this, your religions and a certain degree of your social reality will be preserved. But you will lose much. And much will be lost before you realize what has been taken from you. Therefore, we can only advocate a vigilance, a responsibility and a commitment to learn—to learn about life in the Greater Community, to learn how to preserve your own culture and your own reality within a greater environment and to learn how to see who is here to serve you and distinguish them from those who are not. This greater discernment is so needed in the world, even for the resolution of your own difficulties. But regarding your survival and well-being in the Greater Community, it is absolutely fundamental.
Therefore, we encourage you to take heart. We have more to share with you.
Previous Briefing – A Great Warning about the Visitors
Next Briefing – Threshold: A New Promise for Humanity in light of the Alien PresenceTEXAS
Gunman, customer die in auto shop shooting
A man came into a Houston auto detail shop and began shooting, killing a man known to be a customer and putting a neighborhood on lockdown Sunday before being killed by a SWAT officer, police said.
Several people were shot and injured, including a man authorities initially described as another suspect because he was present and armed. Police said later Sunday they were investigating further whether he played any role.
Three others — two of them male and one female — were hospitalized with injuries that police said were not believed to be life-threatening. Two officers who were shot were released from the hospital later Sunday.
Police, who said they have no indication yet of a motive, said they got their first call about the shootings about 10:15 a.m. The customer, described as a man in his 50s, had just driven in to the auto shop. Within a minute or two, authorities said, the gunman came in and started shooting. Others in the shop ran out to take cover nearby and call for help.
Neighbors described hearing many gunshots, and some of the victims taken to the hospital were shot while driving their vehicles. Police say they believe a fire at a gas station next door began when gunfire hit a pump. At least three police vehicles were damaged by gunfire, one of them struck 21 times, and a police helicopter was shot at with a “high-powered” weapon and was hit five times, authorities said.
— Associated Press
New york
Exploding package injures prison guard
A suspicious package left near a prison guard’s mailbox in Floyd, N.Y., exploded and seriously burned him when he opened it, authorities said Sunday as they worked to determine who sent it and why.
The 52-year-old officer was severely injured, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said, in an explosion that stunned the small town. Cuomo called the blast “horrific,” and local, state and federal agencies are trying to determine whether it is related to the victim’s work.
The corrections officer picked up the package around 8 a.m. near his mailbox, Oneida County Sheriff Robert Maciol said, adding that he couldn’t give specifics about the explosive.
Authorities aren’t releasing the man’s name. He’s hospitalized in stable condition with burns on his hands and arms, Maciol said.
— Associated Press
Arizona
Leukemia survivor shakes off school snub
Overwhelming public support is outweighing any lingering bitterness for a high school student in suburban Phoenix who kept up with classes through cancer treatments but wasn’t allowed to walk at graduation.
“Having people tell me that I’m being a voice for them is so much more powerful than these people denying me my request,” Stephen Dwyer said.
The 18-year-old on Sunday, just a few days after having to watch his Mesa high school’s graduation ceremony from afar, said he never imagined his Facebook post about it would draw national attention. He said he has heard from strangers from all over the world through social media. Many of them are people who are dealing with illness.
Dwyer withdrew from Dobson High School during his junior year to receive a life-saving bone marrow transplant for leukemia. He took online courses until he was able to return in fall 2015. He took on an extra early-morning class, rejoined the swim team and was elected student body president. He is 2½ credits short of graduating and will finish in December. He argued that students who are on track to graduate shouldn’t be excluded from events such as the graduation ceremony.
Although graduation is over, he and his parents still hope to get the school district to change its policy.
— Associated Press
Toddler shot in Detroit dies: A
2-year-old girl who was shot in the head in Detroit during a dispute between two groups has died. St. John Hospital spokesman Brian Taylor said Makanzee Oldham died Sunday. She was shot Wednesday while in a car with her father after a fight erupted and someone poured juice on a woman getting ready for prom. Cleveland Smelley, 30, Deonta Bennett, 21, and Antoine Smelley, 32, were arraigned Saturday on eight counts each of assault with intent to murder and other crimes. Bond was denied. Their next court date is June 9.
Teen killed in rodeo accident: A 19-year-old rider died after he fell off his horse and got trampled at a New Jersey rodeo, according to the teenager’s university and media reports. Coy Lutz was competing at the season opener of the Cowtown Rodeo in Pilesgrove, N.J., on Saturday evening when the accident happened, the University of Tennessee at Martin said in a statement. Lutz, of Howard, Pa., was majoring in criminal justice at the university and was also on the school’s rodeo team, the school said. Rodeo owner Grant Harris told local news website NJ.com that Lutz was competing in the bareback bronc event when the horse, named H3, bucked him off. After he hit the ground, the horse trampled him.
Possible shark attack closes beach: Lifeguards have closed a Southern California beach after a woman was pulled injured from the water with bite marks in a possible shark attack. Newport Beach lifeguards cleared the water at Corona Del Mar after the medical call came in shortly after 4 p.m. Sunday. Newport Beach spokeswoman Tara Finnigan told KNBC-TV that the woman had large bite marks on her upper torso and shoulder. Finnigan said the woman was conscious when she was taken the hospital. Lifeguard Capt. John Moora said a two-mile stretch of beach would be closed for at least 24 hours.
— From news servicesCAMPBELL Co., Va. (WSET) - One local convenience store clerk's decision to buy a lottery ticket after her shift has paid off in a big way.
Nancy Pettry, of Gladys, says she bought the ticket at A Market in Altavista on one of her days off.
Pettry won the top prize of $170,000 in the Lucky Loot Tripler Scratcher. According to the lottery's website, Pettry held on to the ticket for a few weeks to make some financial plans.
“I was shocked,” she said. “I couldn’t believe it!”
According to the lottery's website, Pettry is one of two to ever win the top prize for the ticket. This means there's still a winning ticket is still unclaimed.
The lottery says the odds of winning the top prize in this game are 1 in 1,060,800. The odds of winning any prize in Lucky Loot Tripler are 1 in 4.26.
The Virginia Lottery reportedly generates more than $1.6 million per day for K-12 public schools. During the 2016 fiscal year, the lottery raised $588 million.
For more information,“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is a box office juggernaut with few equals, but the space opera is getting some stiff competition this weekend when Ice Cube and Kevin Hart re-team for “Ride Along 2.”
The buddy cop comedy is expected to bring in $40 million over the four-day Martin Luther King weekend, according to pre-release tracking. Universal, the studio behind the film, is being more conservative and pegging the opening closer to $30 million. It’s the same holiday period that hosted the first “Ride Along” in 2014; it was a hospitable reception as the film became the second-biggest Martin Luther King weekend opening in history with a $48.6 million haul. Most box office prognosticators believe that will be enough to dethrone “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” The fantasy adventure has held first place at the box office for four consecutive weekends. It should do $20 million worth of business over the holiday.
Domestically, “The Force Awakens” is already the highest-grossing film in history with $819.6 million in receipts. Globally, it may not be able to overtake “Avatar” to become the top film ever. It has racked up $1.8 billion, but still has almost a billion dollars to go before it breaks records and no major foreign territories left to open.
Related Tim Story: How the Billion-Dollar Director Scored Big With ‘Ride Along’
“Ride Along 2” bows in approximately 3,175 theaters in North America on Friday. Universal spent $40 million making the movie, which finds the cops played by Cube and Hart trying to unravel a Miami drug ring.
Then there’s Paramount’s “13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi,” a look at a team of ex-military operators who took on the terrorists who attacked a U.S. diplomatic compound on Sept. 11, 2012. The $50 million production is directed by “Transformers” ringmaster Michael Bay and should do well in “red states.” Though the film has nothing to do with Congress’ investigation into the Obama administration’s handling of security at the embassy, it’s not clear how it will play in Democratic enclaves where Benghazi is closely associated with Hillary Clinton’s epic grilling. A four-day opening of $20 million seems likely. The film will kick off across approximately 2,400 locations.
With “Ride Along 2” and “13 Hours” appealing to older crowds, Lionsgate will try to position the animated comedy “Norm of the North” as the family-friendly alternative. The film centers on a polar bear who flees to New York City after a developer threatens to build condos in his Arctic homeland. The look at the dangers of gentrification cost approximately $18 million to make and was financed by Splash Entertainment, the maker of “Chloe’s Closet” and “Dive Olly Dive.” It debuts across roughly 2,350 locations and should generate $5 million over the holiday weekend.
“The Force Awakens” won’t be the only holdover looking to do some healthy business. “The Revenant” nearly snatched away the crown last weekend when it made $39.8 million in its wide release debut. It should draw crowds through the holiday weekend, propelled by its best picture in a drama win at last weekend’s Golden Globes and the bevy of Oscar nominations it is expected to receive on Thursday morning. The adventure film, which finds Leonardo DiCaprio exacting bloody vengeance on Tom Hardy, could pass “The Force Awakens” and do more than $20 million, as well.
The movie business is off to a strong start thanks to the continued success of “The Force Awakens” and the popularity of “The Revenant.” Domestic ticket sales are up 27% year-over-year and a healthy reception for “Ride Along 2” could help keep that lead. That said, this year’s holiday won’t be able to match the box office bonanza that was “American Sniper.” The Clint Eastwood drama atomized records for a January debut when it opened in wide release to $107.2 million.My Apple Watch and my dog, the two great loves of my life. Mark Joseph Stern
Shortly after I put on my Apple Watch for the first time, I lay down on my bed to read Doris Kearns Goodwin’s excellent No Ordinary Time. As always, I placed my iPhone next to me. Just when I got to the bit about Eleanor Roosevelt’s speech to the 1940 Democratic National Convention, I felt a buzz. Instinctively, I reached out and grabbed the phone. No notification—a phantom vibration! Five minutes later, I felt another buzz—a phantom, again! I went back to my book, distracted and irritated.
And then, just a moment later, I felt yet another buzz—this time, on my wrist. I glanced down, and my watch revealed a text from The Doctor, aka my mom. (Long story.) “U busy?” it read. “Can I call?”
Suddenly, a profound sense of serenity swept over me—the kind of relaxation somewhat akin to relief. I realized that, for the first time since I bought a smartphone, I could just sit back and read. If somebody needed me, really needed me, I’d know it: The (ridiculously named) Taptic Engine would tell me, with a few brief but unmistakable vibrations on my wrist.
I dictated a quick message to my mom—“busy sorry”—and added a ghost emoji for good measure. Then I went back to Eleanor’s speech. I nestled into the pillows and plugged into the book. And for the next hour, I didn’t feel a single phantom vibration from my phone. For a while, I even forgot it was there. My deep reading brain was activated.
Some Apple Watch naysayers have predicted that users could become dangerously addicted to their new gadget. Over the last week, I discovered the exact opposite: My watch has helped me unplug from technology more frequently and more meaningfully. Lunching with an old friend, I found myself pitying his frequent, nervous glances at his iPhone, which sat, face up, on the table. Mine remained in my backpack. I glanced at my watch twice. Even taking my dog on her midday walk is more pleasurable. B.W. (before watch), I anxiously updated my email and Slack, worried some news within my beat would break. A.W., I know my watch will tell me, and I can spend some quality time perambulating with the pooch. I am not the only Apple Watch user to discover that the device unchains you from your phone. This perk, in fact, seems to be one of the watch’s biggest draws.
I have to disagree with pretty much every criticism my colleague Seth Stevenson lobbed against the gadget. The Apple Watch does not make you stupid or boring or brusque. It makes you present and mindful, better able to enjoy the beautiful things and wonderful people in your life without distraction. Every other Apple device gives you fun, exciting complications. The Apple Watch simply gives you freedom.Mozilla launches a stable version of Firefox 64-bit for the Microsoft Windows operating system this month in silent fashion. While it is available for download, it is not yet listed on the organization's official download site.
Firefox users can download the 64-bit version from Mozilla's Download Archive though. Since it is the first official stable release, it is likely that Mozilla wanted to monitor bugs and other issues for a release cycle.
One core difference between the 32-bit and 64-bit version of Firefox for Windows lies in plugin support.
Firefox 32-bit users can install plugins like Java, Silverlight or Adobe Flash and they will get picked up by Firefox automatically.
64-bit versions of Firefox on the other hand accept only Adobe Flash and no other plugins even if 64-bit versions of plugins are available.
This is going to change soon however as Mozilla plans to add Microsoft Silverlight to the browser's whitelist.
The reason given is that streaming services such as Amazon or Netflix, as well as several local streaming providers such as Eurosport, Videoload, Sky Go or Magine TV use Silverlight exclusively or optionally.
Mozilla plans to integrate support for Silverlight in 64-bit versions of Firefox in Firefox 43 or 44. It is not clear right now if the organization manages to add support of Silverlight in Firefox 43, to be released on December 15, 2015, or Firefox 44, which will be released on January 26, 2016.
No 64-bit version of Firefox for Windows picks up the plugin currently.
Support for Microsoft Silverlight will be temporary only, as Mozilla announced some time ago that it will retire NPAPI support in Firefox at the end of 2016.
This ends support for Silverlight and other browser plugins that depend on NPAPI in all versions of the Firefox web browser.
It is interesting to note that Firefox is one of the few mainstream browsers left that supports Silverlight. Neither Google with its Chrome browser nor Microsoft's new browser Edge support Silverlight anymore.
This leaves users with two options. First, they can block updates of the browser to retain plugin functionality, or keep an older copy around for that purpose, or they may use a browser that won't discontinue support. Pale Moon for instance won't follow Mozilla, Google and Microsoft according to a post on the official forum.
Closing Words
I think that browser developers should leave it up to the user to install and use plugins, provided that they don't cause instabilities or have known security vulnerabilities.
That does not mean that they cannot protect their users by default, for instance by setting plugin contents to "click to play" instead of running them right away. (via Sören Hentzschel)
Now You: Do you use Silverlight?
Summary Article Name Firefox 64-bit to support Microsoft Silverlight after all Description Mozilla will add support for Microsoft Silverlight to 64-bit versions of the Firefox browser on Windows in Firefox 43 or 44. Author Martin Brinkmann
AdvertisementIt’s a busy time of year for video games, and all the hot new releases are surely weighing on your wallet. If you’re planning to pick up at least two games next week, you might want to head to Target for its buy two, get one free deal.
The promotion is valid from Sunday, Oct. 30, through Saturday, Nov. 5, according to the weekly ad posted by The Couponing Couple (via Cheap Ass Gamer). That week will include the Nov. 4 release of Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, which is sure to be one of the biggest games of 2016. Other titles launching next week include the Nintendo 3DS game Mario Party Star Rush, which also debuts Nov. 4. Of course, by then, plenty of big games will have already arrived this fall, including Battlefield 1 last week and Titanfall 2 tomorrow.
Target’s offer will work with any three games, as long as they’re in stock; as always, the cheapest one of the three will get the 100 percent discount. The retailer is running the same deal on board games, although it’s unclear from the ad if customers can mix and match tabletop titles and video games.Scott Olson/Getty
As thousands fled, a few paused to capture the moment for social media. Their videos show vehicles lining the road, while flames and smoke billow overhead. Behind lie their neighbourhoods, many now destroyed by the Fort McMurray wildfire.
More than 80,000 Canadians have been forced to leave their homes this week, in the largest evacuation of its kind in the country’s history. So far, the fire has burned through an area covering at least 850 square kilometres and shows no signs of stopping. Alberta is in a state of emergency and even the infamous tar sand oilfields have had to curb output.
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“While it is too soon to comprehend the full extent of the damage, we know that it is far-reaching and utterly devastating,” said prime minister Justin Trudeau in a statement to the House of Commons yesterday.
The effects may extend far beyond Canada and Alaska, because of the frozen organic matter under the forest permafrost. Wildfires can strip away the protective vegetative blanket and release all that stockpiled carbon into the atmosphere, says Merritt Turetsky, an ecosystem ecologist at the University of Guelph in Ontario. The thawing soil could also trigger microbial activity, releasing more carbon dioxide and methane.
In other words, more wildfires can mean more greenhouse gases, accelerating the very climate change that may have helped kick off the fires in the first place — not to mention changing the equation for rest of the globe.
“This is carbon that the ecosystem has not seen for thousands of years and now it’s being released into the atmosphere,” says Turetsky. “We need to start thinking about permafrost and we need to start thinking about deep carbon and everything we can do to inhibit the progression of climate change.”
Landscape shaped by fire
Serious wildfires aren’t unusual for northern America. Pick a spot in Canada’s boreal forests — a subarctic swathe of hardy coniferous trees with deciduous mixed in — and chances are that it’s been on fire at least once in the past century. For thousands of years, wildfires have shaped this forest landscape.
But recently, they have become more severe. Last year, the military was called in to help fight aggressive fires in Saskatchewan, while Alaska experienced its second-worst wildfire year in recorded history.
The year before, 34,000 square kilometres of land burned in the Northwest Territories, in what some described as the worst fires the region had seen in decades. The events at Fort McMurray may signal the start of yet another brutal wildfire season.
“It’s unusual to see an early season fire get this severe,” says Turetsky. “It really does feel like the new normal is [that] some part of Canada is going to be experiencing tremendous fire pressure at any point in time.”
Recent hot and dry weather probably kicked off the Fort McMurray wildfire. It has been unseasonably warm: hitting 32 °C on Tuesday, the city set an all-time temperature record for 3 May. It has also had lower than average rainfall this year.
More broadly, climate change seems to have had an effect, too. A report released in March by the US National Academy of Sciences concluded that climate warming has led to longer fire seasons. An earlier study of interior Alaska found that boreal forests have been burning in the last few decades at a rate unprecedented in the previous 10,000 years, driven by the warming climate.
Jerome Garot @jeromegarot
But — unlike with hurricanes or heatwaves — climate change’s role in specific wildfires is tough to assess. It’s difficult to model the short-term weather patterns associated with wildfires, or pin down a relationship between climate change and the lightning strikes that often start fires.
“It’s still a story that needs to be figured out,” says Scott Rupp, a forest ecologist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. “You could point to this particular fire as just one more data point on some of the trends that have been going on over the past two decades.”
What will that trend mean for the future? More frequent and severe fires will strain the limited government resources available to fight and recover from them. Over the long term, more wildfires may favour deciduous over coniferous trees, shifting the characteristics of the ecosystem itself.
Read more: Ignition impossible: When wildfires set the air alightPlease enable Javascript to watch this video
INDIANAPOLIS (Nov. 18, 2015) -- A Syrian refugee family bound for Indiana had to be quickly diverted this week after Gov. Mike Pence banned refugees from entering the state.
Officials believe it is the first true test nationwide of a policy dozens of governors have implemented since Friday's terror attacks in Paris.
The Indianapolis-based group Exodus Refugee Immigration received a letter Tuesday from the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, saying that the arrival of the family expected Thursday must be suspended.
Read the letter here: FSSA letter to Exodus Refugee
“We would ask that you notify your national resettlement agency that the scheduled placement for the Syrian family scheduled to arrive this Thursday, November 19, and all subsequent Syrian arrivals be suspended or redirected to another state that is willing to accept Syrian placements until assurances that proper security measures are in place,” FSSA director Adrienne Shields said.
Exodus Refugee Immigration’s executive director Carleen Miller said she made the decision to find a new state for the family to arrive in.
"It was the most difficult thing I've ever had to do since I've been here for eight years," she told FOX59 in an interview Wednesday. "I think we wanted to push back and say this is not OK, but it was too quick of a time period, and we did not want this family caught in the middle of this."
The family of three, Miller said, fled Syria in 2011 and have been working to resettle in the United States since 2012.
"For three years, they've been in the U.S. process being vetted through a variety of security screenings," she said.
Miller said the New Haven-based Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services has agreed to take in the family who landed in the U.S. Wednesday.
Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy held a press conference after meeting with the family Wednesday. He said the family had a 5-year-old son.
"I had the honor to meet a young refugee family, who otherwise was going to report to Indiana," said Gov. Malloy.
Gov. Malloy spoke about the process refugees family endured in order to come to the U.S., calling the process "exhaustive" and saying it could take anywhere from 12 to 18 months. The governor said he told the family the U.S. was a good place made up of good people and that not every American was the same.
"They know they were diverted. They know they were unwelcome in another state," said Malloy.
Gov. Malloy discussed Gov. Pence's decision to band Syrian refugees following last week's attack in Paris.
"We're bigger than that. We're better than that," Malloy said in reference to other Republican governors banning refugee entry.
When asked if Gov. Pence had standing to make such a decision, Malloy referenced RFRA, stating "No, this is the same guy who signed a homophobic bill this spring."
On Monday, Pence told FOX59 in an interview the order was to ensure the safety of Hoosiers.
“Without the absolute assurance that Syrian refugees do not represent a threat to the state of Indiana, I think it’s appropriate for the state of Indiana to have suspended this program,” Pence said.
More than two dozen governors have made the move, although many question the authority of states to dictate a federal program.
On Thursday, the House is expected to vote on a measure that would increase background checks for Syrian and Iraqi refugees.
“I would also call on the administration in Washington to freeze this program,” Pence said.
On Tuesday, Obama administration officials held a conference call with governors, including Pence, explain refugees undergo rigorous screening and security.
A spokesperson for Pence said Wednesday the call did not change the policy, citing recent testimony from the FBI director say there are gaps in intelligence on the Syrian refugee program.
"Look the bottom line – we don’t know who these people are," Pence said Monday. "Without the absolute assurance that Syrian refugees do not represent a threat to the state of Indiana, I think it’s appropriate for the state of Indiana to have suspended this program."
Watch Gov. Malloy's press conference in its entirety below:Véronique de Bure - Belfond
Ça a commencé comme une farce. J’en avais tellement marre, j’étais crevée, la vie à la maison était devenue un enfer, je n’avais plus le temps de m’occuper de moi, j’avais des cernes jusqu’au menton, le cheveu gras et filasse. Sous la boule de colère, couvait la déprime.
Ce mercredi, je déjeunais avec François, un ami éditeur, directeur de collection, et je lui racontais mon quotidien, cette vie de dingue que je menais, que nous menions, depuis la rentrée scolaire de mon fils cadet. Il riait, vraiment il semblait trouver ça très drôle. Poursuivant le récit exaspéré de mes mésaventures, je lui lance, comme une boutade :
« C’est vraiment n’importe quoi! Je vais finir par écrire un bouquin que j’appellerai “J’ai mis mon fils chez les cathos”! »
Il éclate de rire : « Chiche! »
Banco.
Les brimades, l’hypocrisie : je balance tout
Alors je l’ai fait. J’ai raconté. Tout, ou presque.
Making of Véronique de Bure est éditrice et écrivaine. Elle raconte la déferlante de haine qui a accompagné la sortie de son nouveau livre, « J'ai mis mon fils chez les cathos » (éd. Belfond). Rue89
Les brimades (aspergées d’eau bénite), les humiliations (il faut souffrir pour gagner son paradis), l’étroitesse d’esprit, les tonnes de devoirs, l’intolérance (sous le masque de la bonté chrétienne), l’hypocrisie, la messe obligatoire (non, on ne m’avait pas prévenue), le pèlerinage à Vézelay – un car pour les filles, un car pour les garçons –, les colles à tire-larigot pour un oui, pour un non, les mères d’élèves qui, tout en tirant sur leurs jupes pour cacher leurs genoux, s’extasient face aux petits miracles que l’Esprit saint accomplit sur leurs rejetons qui se préparent à être « confirmés ».
Pas besoin d’effort, ça vient tout seul, devant mon MacBook je m’éclate, je me moque (oh, la vilaine), de la messe, des pèlerinages, de la pastorale, et j’essuie une larme (vilaine mais sensible) quand j’évoque quelques gamins fracassés, broyés.
Je fais relire mes pages par un ancien du collège, qui me donne son blanc seing : tout est exact, je n’ai rien exagéré.
J’envoie le tout à François, qui, convaincu, le fait lire à son patron. Lequel se montre moins enthousiaste : ça ne marchera pas, ce que je dénonce est précisément ce que veulent les gens aujourd’hui : un retour à la discipline d’antan, le fouet et le martinet, les bonnes vieilles valeurs d’une certaine France. Soit.
Aucun éditeur ne veut de mon livre
Jean-Louis Fournier qui, bien avant de recevoir le prix Femina pour « Où on va papa? », avait raconté ses souvenirs de l’école catholique dans « J’irai pas en enfer » (Stock, 2001), lit le texte, approuve. Certains passages le font « hurler de rire », il insiste : « Il faut absolument faire tes cathos! » Encouragée, je le propose à quelques éditeurs que j’ai la chance de connaître. Aucun ne le retient :
pour l’un, ça ne rentre pas dans le cadre de ses publications ;
pour l’autre, il faudrait plutôt en faire un roman ;
le troisième me demande d’élargir le propos, de mener une enquête de terrain ;
le quatrième de laisser tomber le témoignage personnel au profit d’un grand document à charge contre l’enseignement catholique en général.
J’ai remisé le manuscrit et suis passée à autre chose.
Le problème est que je déteste l’inachevé, l’inabouti. Et qu’avoir écrit un texte pour le laisser croupir au fond d’un tiroir, ça a comme un goût d’inachevé. Alors j’ai repris mon bâton de pèlerin. Un vendredi, je l’ai envoyé à trois maisons d’édition où je ne connaissais personne. Le lundi, j’avais deux éditeurs intéressés.
Le livre est sorti le 4 septembre, en même temps que celui d’une ancienne Première dame blessée. Ça commençait mal. Je ne sais pas combien d’exemplaires ont été imprimés ni combien ont été mis en place, et je m’en fiche. Le livre existe, d’une certaine manière j’ai rendu justice à mon fils en racontant notre histoire, son histoire. Je n’ai pas cité l’établissement, je n’ai pas non plus donné le prénom de mon fils. Et j’ai bien fait.
Dans les médias : on ne parle pas de ça!
L’objet du délit - Belfond
Du côté des médias, je comprends très tôt qu’il ne se passera rien. Le titre, que je pensais souriant, fait peur. Le « J’ai mis mon fils », qui, pour moi, insistait sur le fait qu’il s’agissait d’une expérience et non d’une généralisation, déplaît. Quant à « cathos », j’apprends à mes dépens que c’est un gros mot.
« Oh là, non, on ne peut pas parler de ça, la religion, tu sais… »
Quelques-uns tout de même, après lecture, proposent un papier à leur rédaction, aussitôt retoqués. ON NE PARLE PAS DE ÇA.
Courageusement, L’Express, sous la plume acérée de Libie Cousteau, fait un papier plutôt élogieux au titre éloquent, « En apnée dans un collège catho », et se concluant par « Edifiant ». Il sera aussitôt contré par un article sur le site de La Vie, caricatural et à l’humour calembourdingue (deux exemples, juste pour rire un bon coup : « quant à l’équipe professorale, c’est vraiment pas de bol (de riz) », « un troisième tient des propos sans appel (à tarte) ». Rigolo, non?). Mais c’est de bonne guerre, c’est La Vie, ce n’est pas Libé. Non, ça, ce n’est rien.
Une avalanche d’insultes
Rien du tout par rapport à l’avalanche d’insultes qui vont très vite venir inonder ma messagerie Facebook, polluer le « mur » de ma maison d’édition, dézinguer le livre sur Amazon et m’assassiner sur d’autres sites, plus ou moins chrétiens, plus ou moins fachos.
Je découvre ainsi l’existence d’un Salon beige (un beige tirant sur le bleu, mais alors foncé, très foncé), d’une espèce d’observatoire de la christianophobie (où me voici désormais recensée, horrible mécréante que je suis), des Veilleurs (même s’ils affichent leur grande ouverture, pas sûr que je sois la bienvenue dans leurs sittings à bougies) et autres blogs plus ou moins nauséabonds ou gentillets, c’est selon.
A peine son article en ligne, la journaliste de L’Express se voit qualifiée, entre autres amabilités, de « socialo-bobo-athée » à la solde des « judéo-maçonniques ». Les « lecteurs » profitent de l’aubaine pour cogner sur l’éducation selon l’enseignement public.
« Mets-les dans une école musulmane! »
Lu sur le Salon beige, « le site des laïques catholiques » :
« On ne peut pas tenter de savoir si on est fille ou garçon pendant dix ans et en même temps apprendre à écrire, lire et compter, il faut choisir! » « Dès le plus jeune âge, à l’école publique internationale |
’s easy to boo, but it is harder to look your kids in the face who would be living under a Donald Trump presidency,” he said.
Clinton campaign press secretary Brian Fallon offered a more optimistic outlook in remarks to the Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont delegations at a breakfast Tuesday morning.
“We’re going to go through and count every state,” Fallon said. “I think that will be a very good moment for the party and of course in the end I think it’ll be a historic moment because it’ll mean we’re making it official that we have the first female nominee in the history of this country.”
Gabriel Debenedetti and Darren Samuelsohn contributed to this story.My wife, Jan Schakowsky, and I are friends with a wonderful woman named Bea. Bea is now 95 years old. Bea was born in 1917.
She was born in a country where women couldn't vote. In some areas of the country, just fifty years before, slavery had been legal. Collective bargaining was not recognized under the law. Poverty was rampant -- especially among the country's oldest citizens.
Bea was born in a country where there was an unimaginable gulf between a few fabulously wealthy oligarchs, and the masses of ordinary people. It was a country where only a tiny fraction of the population ever went to college -- or even graduated from high school -- a country were hardly anyone was considered "middle class." It was a country where there were few regulations to protect health and safety on the job, no national child labor laws, no federal minimum wage, and very little to prevent corporations from recklessly destroying the environment.
Bea was born in a country where people of color were considered second-class citizens and discrimination against them was enshrined into law -- a country where gays and homosexuals could be prosecuted for their sexual orientation.
Bea was born in the United States of America.
Over her lifetime, Bea has been involved in many of the great social movements of our time -- movements that helped transform our country into the envy of the world.
She was active building the labor unions that build the middle class. won a living wage, weekends and a 40-hour work week, pensions for retirement, and the passage of Social Security and Medicare that ensured a retirement free of poverty.
She marched with the civil rights movement that gave people of color an equal status in American society.
Bea became a public school teacher and helped educate an ever-expanding number of ordinary Americans -- watching more and more of them go on to college to fulfill their dreams.
She was part of the women's movement that demanded equal status and equal pay for women -- as well as the right for women to control their own decisions about contraception and abortion.
This year, Bea -- at 95 years old -- is working on a phone bank to turn out voters for Barack Obama. She says that if Mitt Romney and the Republican Right win the election on Tuesday, they have made clear that they absolutely intend to destroy all of the things for which she has struggled her entire life. She's right.
Mitt Romney has demonstrated over the years that he has only one real core value: his own success.
Throughout his career, Mitt has demonstrated that he will do whatever is necessary to benefit himself -- and his investors. At Bain Capital he didn't flinch when it came to destroying other people's jobs and lives if it would make him and his investors money.
Now his "investors" are the oligarchs of the Republican Right -- people like the Koch brothers and Sheldon Adelson -- who, between them, have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to get him elected. Many are the same people who funded the Tea Party movement. Others are the Wall Street hedge fund barons whose recklessness collapsed the economy and came very close to recreating a Great Depression.
These people -- and their Tea Party allies in Congress -- have shown the country that they have no intention of compromise. They are intent upon rolling back all of the things Bea has fought for -- on sending us back to the Gilded Age. They truly believe that America would be a better place without labor unions. They want to eliminate Medicare and replace it with vouchers of ever-shrinking value that pay private insurance companies.
They want to be free to despoil the environment, do away with public education, eliminate jobs, cut wages, and continue to appropriate every dime of economic growth that is generated by our increasingly productive labor force.
As President Obama said in the second presidential debate, they want send us back to the foreign policy of the 1980's, a social policy of the 1950's and an economic policy of the 1920's. They believe in a society where the law of the jungle reigns supreme -- where you look out for yourself above all else -- where, if you believe you are your brother and sisters' keeper, that we shouldn't leave anyone behind, that we should have each other's back -- you're simply a chump.
If Mitt Romney becomes president, Republicans keep control of the House and win the few seats necessary to control the Senate, there will be nothing to restrain them from making their vision of society a reality in America -- from taking America backward to a time most of us cannot imagine.
What are some of the things a President Romney has promised to do?
Eliminate Medicare and convert it into a voucher for private insurance -- ending the most popular and successful health care program in American history and raising out of pocket costs for seniors by6,500 a year.
Privatize and cut Social Security - handing over the Social Security Trust fund to Wall Street and eliminating guaranteed benefits.
Appoint -- most likely two -- Supreme Court justices who would vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, outlawing abortion rights -- and most likely make the Court a firm ally of unrestrained corporate and Wall Street power for generations.
Repeal Wall Street Reform. Return us to the pre-crash law that would allow Wall Street to once again run wild, gamble with more and more exotic financial instruments, make a fortune for itself -- and once again wreck the economy.
Repeal ObamaCare. That by itself would end the promise that no one will ever again be bankrupt by a sudden illness. It will return us to a very recent time when someone who has a pre-existing condition can be denied insurance coverage - and that insurance companies can call the shots when it comes to your health care.
Pass the Ryan Budget. That would mean slashing critical federal expenditures that benefit the middle class and those who aspire to the middle class, like cutting Medicaid that pays for health care for the poor, children and those in need of nursing homes or home care -- and slashing funds for education and college grants.
Increase military spending by two trillion dollars above the amount requested by the military leadership. That might benefit big defense contractors, but it would make it practically impossible to reduce the giant federal deficit.
Give the wealthy an additional 5 trillion dollar tax cut and pay for it by increasing the effective tax rate paid by the middle class.
Stop funding for Planned Parenthood and any other family planning programs that we fund around the world that use their own funds to pay for abortions.
Try to pass the "Personhood" Amendment that would effectively outlaw all abortions and many forms of hormonal contraception.
Allow many of the same Neo-Con foreign policy advisers who got us into the Iraq War to once again take control of American foreign policy.
Veto the Dream Act that would allow young people who were brought to America as children to apply for citizenship.
Eliminate the Presidential Directive that prevents the deportation of Dream Act-eligible young people.
Empower people like Kris Kobach, the Kansas Secretary of State who wrote the Arizona "papers please" law and now serves as Romney's chief adviser on immigration.
Slash environmental regulations and investment in clean energy development.
The list goes on and on.
But worse than the individual initiatives that Romney and Ryan have made clear they would undertake, is the attitude they would bring to decision-making.
Romney's true views were laid bare in the now famous "47 percent video" where he explained how he could not convince 47% of Americans to take responsibility for their lives -- people like retirees who worked all of their lives for their Social Security and Medicare -- people like veterans who risked their lives for the country -- people like the disabled -- in fact, pretty much anyone who doesn't agree with his "we're all in this alone" view of American society.
If Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan are elected on Tuesday, they will turn back the clock on progress in America. If they are allowed to do so by a Republican House and Senate, they would return us to a time we could scarcely imagine.
For those who believe in a society where we're all in this together, Tuesday's election is the mother of all battles.
But if we all vote, we will win -- it's that simple. If you care about the future society we leave to our children; if you believe that we can once again have an expanding, robust middle class; if you believe that the American Dream is not dead and that our children should be able to look forward to more opportunity than was available to their moms and dads -- there is no excuse not to vote.
We simply cannot allow the millions of right wing special interest money to buy America's democracy.
Where you can, vote early. Regardless, get to the polls. If you need to stand in line, stay there until you vote. Everyone who is in line will have a chance to vote, even if the lines are long.
However it turns out, Tuesday will mark a decisive, historic turning point in American history. Together, if we all vote, we have the power to continue America's progressive tradition. We have the power to move America forward, not back. We have the power to assure that at this decisive moment we once again bend the arc of history toward justice.by
Is Facebook flirting with fascism? The question might prove difficult to answer with a resounding “yes or no,” but, to those who have been keeping track of its recent censorship practices, the answer appears to lean heavily toward the affirmative.
Yesterday, on 9 January 2014, after over five years of operation, popular Facebook page Anarchist Memes was permanently taken down by Facebook. With approximately 90,000 likes and hundreds of comments each day, Anarchist Memes established itself as one of the radical left’s most prominent Facebook pages. It posted feminist, anti-racist, pro-LGBT*QA, and anti-capitalist content numerous times a day. For years, the page and its administrators experienced endless harassment and trolling, yet it demonstrated an outstanding, resolute commitment to establishing a safe, non-oppressive digital environment. Racism, misogyny, cisheterosexism, ableism, classism, anti-Islamic prejudice, and other forms of bigotry were never tolerated. The page’s many administrators have, true to the cooperative anarchist tradition, created a democratic system of accountability to determine how to delete particular oppressive comments, as to prevent needless censorship while simultaneously creating a genuinely nonthreatening, non-hierarchical space for readers—a true rarity on the internet today.
Facebook, nonetheless, demonstrated on numerous occasions that such a feminist, anti-racist, anti-cisheteronormative environment would not be tolerated. The page was flagged numerous times for content that “violated” Facebook’s Community Standards and “Statement of Rights and Responsibilities,” rather ambiguously-delineated guidelines that suggest a commitment to liberal principles without dabbling in the difficulties that come with concretely articulating the specific moral values on which those principles are based. Facebook claims to be opposed to expression that supports “Violence and Threats,” “Bullying and Harassment,” “Hate Speech,” “Graphic Content,” and “Nudity and Pornography.” In actual practice, however, it is clear that the company is only opposed to particular kinds of violence, harassment, hate speech, and more.
Just a few months ago, Facebook generated much controversy for its intransigent refusal to remove photos glorifying rape and violence against women. Soraya Chemaly wrote of “Facebook’s big misogyny problem,” noting Facebook takes no issue in hosting pages like “I kill b**ches like you” and “Domestic Violence: Don’t Make Me Tell You Twice,” featuring scores of photos of beaten women. These individual pages were taken down as a result of the controversy the article generated, yet, today, many similar misogynist pages still exist. Spreading even more egg on its face, Facebook proceeded to lash out against those critiquing its censorship practices, blocking administrators of feminist pages who uploaded pictures protesting the site’s misogyny.
A page titled “Rapebook” was formed to protest Facebook’s misogynist practices. It explained that Facebook had no problem with “collections of pictures of naked children or very graphical [sic] pictures of victims of all sorts of violence and incidents.” After a bit of press coverage was generated around this issue, Facebook quickly deleted the child porn, but allowed pages “lathered with sexually explicit comments” to continue posting, unhindered. Rapebook began to report content that “promote[d] hate speech towards minorities” or took “enjoyment in crimes like rape and murder,” but Facebook refused to remove the material, calling it “controversial humor.”
At the same moment, Facebook had no problem targeting what was obviously feminist activism. In the words of Rapebook administrators, it will “leave a picture of a woman who lies, obviously physically hurt, at the bottom of stairs, captioned ‘next time don’t get pregnant’. At the same time Facebook will delete a picture, taken from a news item, of a woman who displayed her breasts at a political protest and temporarily ban all the administrators of a page that displayed it.” Administrators of pages that regularly promoted violence and threats, bullying and harassment, hate speech, and graphic content subsequently sicced their fans on the administrators of Rapebook. The latter began to regularly receive death threats, harassment, and more explicit content on their page, but Facebook insisted that such comments did not entail violations of its hallowed “Community Standards.”
Rapebook declared itself no longer active on 5 April 2013, writing it had “achieved what it was set up to do. It has shown that Facebook’s terms and conditions are null and void. We will leave the rest of the work for Facebook to do – or not.” Much to the chagrin of any seeker of justice, it appears as though Facebook has chosen the “or not” option.
Anarchist Memes has been one among Facebook’s many political targets. The company’s attack on the page stands as a salient example of how Facebook’s Community Double Standards work in actual practice. In the past several years, Facebook has removed harmless material and banned administrators many a time. In the past months, this censorship has been particularly vehement, with several instances of the company removing Anarchist Memes’ content. In each incident, Facebook’s reasoning was needlessly severe at best, flagrantly reactionary at worst.
In the first incident, Anarchist Memes posted a picture of a Klansman who had accidentally set himself, instead of a large wooden cross, on fire, accompanied by the words “IRONY, it strikes at the best of times.” Facebook took the picture down, claiming it violates its community standards.
In the second incident, Facebook took down a picture featuring a portrait of famous Ukrainian anarchist communist Nestor Mahkno with the text “You may be anti-racist… but are you shoot anti-Semites on sight anti-racist?” Again, Facebook took the picture down and banned several of the page’s administrators.
Some might argue that removing these two instances could be justified according to Facebook’s “Violence and Threats” guideline. Neither of the two constitutes a threat, by any stretch of the imagination, but the two might be considered violent, if one were loose enough with the definition. The problem, of course, arises in that Facebook has no problem conveniently applying a much more specific definition of the term when it comes to allowing sadistic images of, say, rapist men beating their partners, but it takes issue with harming racists. Strange? Of course, but this is how the corporation’s Community Double Standards work.
While these first two pictures might be contested vis–à–vis Facebook’s “terms and conditions,” the third and fourth instances of Facebook censoring Anarchist Memes in these past months are so resoundingly draconian as to verge on the absurd.
In the third, Anarchist Memes posted a picture simply reading “Some women have penises. Get over it!” No violence, no graphic image (no image at all), no nudity, no pornography, simply text that happens to say the word “penis.” Facebook, however, took the photo down and banned some of the page’s administrators. Transphobic much? Facebook apologists would argue in the negative; those who have been keeping track of Facebook’s well-documented transphobic and homophobic tendencies in the past few years, on the other hand, would know that the site has an ugly history of allowing anti-LGBT*QA hate speech.
In the fourth incident, Anarchist Memes posted an Eat That Toast! cartoon depicting how strange stalkers who consider themselves “nice guys” really look to others. So-called “men’s rights ‘activists'” went berserk. While Facebook might have puerilely objected to the use of the word “penis” in the third instance—an instance of censorship that can hardly be justified in light of its allowance of sexually violent comments on countless bigoted pages—in this fourth case, the censorship absolutely, positively cannot be justified.
In response to this ridiculous censorship, only several weeks ago, Anarchist Memes declared a “Feminist Week,” devoting itself to posting more feminist material than usual. It changed the header of its site to feature eminent anarchist Emma Goldman, and changed its characteristic logo from the red and black that traditionally signify anarcho-syndicalism and anarcho-communism to the purple and black that signify anarcha-feminism.
This brings us to yesterday. 9 January 2014 was the last straw. Facebook took Anarchist Memes down for good.
Anarchist Memes has since appealed Facebook’s decision, in last efforts to get the site back up, but the chances do not look good. In the meantime, the page’s administrators have not given up. They revived an old version of the page that had been created as a backup (because of similar problems in the past with harsh Facebook censorship) but had been inactive for months. In just one day, this new Anarchist Memes page garnered over 2000 new likes—a telltale sign that Anarchist Memes has developed a community of committed activists around the world devoted to fighting oppression in all of its forms.
An Anarchist Memes administrator provided a statement on the affair.
White supremacist groups have their Facebook pages allowed up and are able to get away with whatever racist material they want to post, but anti-capitalist, feminist, and anti-racist pages are constantly harassed by MRAs [so-called “men’s rights ‘activists'”], ancaps [so called “‘anarcho’-capitalists”], white nationalists, and fascists and Facebook will take down those pages without batting an eye. I have reported several posts from pages that were overtly bigoted and had Facebook tell me that it doesn’t violate their standards and that I need to read their rules and stop abusing the reporting process.
The moral of the story: You can post pictures of men beating women; but you can’t mention the mere existence of a particular sexual organ on a transgender individual. You can post racist, white supremacist content until the cows come home, but, if you criticize creepy male stalkers, you will be banned. This is Facebook. It uses its ambiguous “terms and conditions” to its advantage. It can cry “Graphic content!” or “Nudity!” when it opposes particular content, and it can allow graphic content and nudity go unaddressed when it is not opposed to it.
If this were any other website, perhaps the issue would not be as big of a deal. After all, the mainstream corporate media publishes racist, misogynist, cisheterosexist, ableist, classist, and anti-Islamic material quite regularly. Facebook, however, is an interesting beast because it is such an important website, culturally, socially, and economically.
It is common for individuals, especially those influenced by the right-”libertarian” movement in the U.S., to say “Well, if you don’t like Facebook, just stop using it.” These are the same people who say, “If you don’t like your job, boss, and/or work environment, then just quit and start your own small business”—as though anyone can simply drop everything and find the capital to start a small business—the very same ones who insist, “If you are racially and/or sexually harassed at that store, then just stop going there and shop somewhere else”—as though that is always a tenable economic opportunity. For those of us in the real world, however, we see that life is never, under any circumstance, this simple. Utilization of Facebook is not a matter merely of “use it if you want; don’t use it if you don’t.”
Facebook is a not just a private corporation; Facebook is a crucial component of contemporary popular culture. Facebook is a place and an activity that large portions of the world use today. According to a 2013 Pew study on the social networking practices of Americans, as of September 2013, 71% of online adults use Facebook (the numbers for young adults are even higher). For many people, Facebook is essentially a required social activity. For those who do not wish to become social pariahs, it has become an obligatory ritual, an inextricable part of the contemporary global sociocultural fabric. For organizations, clubs, artists, musicians, bands, writers, photographers, fans of all sorts, and more, it is an invaluable, nonpareil way to spread the word, to connect like-minded individuals around the globe.
When such a critical part of global human culture, when the world’s de facto social media platform, is privatized, monetized, owned by a private company whose primary concern is not creating a safe, non-oppressive environment in which individuals can share their experiences, interests, and ideas with one another without fear of harassment or attack, but rather extracting profit from every possible social interaction, there is great reason to be concerned. Facebook’s attack on Anarchist Memes has demonstrated that Facebook’s bigotry extends beyond misogyny, beyond an unwillingness to take down pages that are blatantly white supremacist, racist, fascist, cisheterosexist, and more. Facebook’s censorship practices are political.
In making this point, I am not suggesting that Facebook has chosen to harshly target Anarchist Memes strictly because the page is explicitly anarchist; I would, however, posit that discounting such a point entirely would prove a fool’s errand. In mainstream Western public consciousness, the term anarchy still carries absurd connotations of chaos and violence; the term is often employed as a synonym for “disorder.” Actual anarchism, on the other hand, has a long and noble history of devotion to human justice, equality, and liberation, boasting some of human history’s most important political thinkers, figures, and organizations, including Peter Kroptokin, Noam Chomsky, Goldman, Makhno, the IWW, Revolutionary Catalonia, the Free Territory, the autonomous Shinmin region, the Zapatistas, Abahlali baseMjondolo, and much, much more.
Historically speaking, the anarchist movement adopted an intersectional approach to oppression decades before other radical left movements, indefatigably criticizing cisheteronormativity, misogyny, and racism at a time when some well-established Marxist-Leninist parties were overtly discriminating against members for being Jewish, or for refusing to conform to a heterosexual, cisgender binary, considering homosexuality (and feminism) “bourgeois decadence.” Fortunately, today, the vast majority of the radical left (including most Marxist-Leninists) has adopted the intersectional approach to oppression pioneered by many anarchist organizations, and has too incorporated anarchism’s invaluable ideals of direct-democratic organization, horizontalism, direct action, and more. Ignorant of this history, many might, without any research, side with Facebook in its reactionary criticism of Anarchist Memes, justifying knee-jerk partisanism with tired, historically baseless myths. Anarchist Memes, nevertheless, was guilty of nothing save for doing its best to fight back digitally against the racism, patriarchy, and cisheteronormativity that dominate mainstream discourse and culture.
All of this established, it is important that I herein offer one final, yet very significant comment. Although Facebook’s censorship practices are certainly political, they do not evince some kind of right-wing conspiracy to silence all leftist dissent. It is important that we do not adopt this kind of conspiratorial conception of the site. The problem is not that Facebook hires a bunch of racist, misogynist, cisheterosexist moderators to ban content they deem problematic. Nay, Facebook is a corporation. Like all economic institutions operating within a capitalist system, its only commitment is ultimately to its shareholders. It may (and does) make political decisions in that process, but its exclusive goal is to increase its profit. Any political decisions necessarily contribute to this exclu$ive goal.
Accordingly, Facebook has outsourced as much of its labor as possible. The Telegraph ran a story in March of 2012 titled “The Dark Side of Facebook,” explaining that actual human beings are the ones doing Facebook moderation, not bots, not algorithms, and that these people are located in the so-called Third World. They are underpaid, overworked, exploited workers who merely follow the rules they are told to follow. An ex-worker described his work day as one in which he sits for hours flagging pictures of “Paedophilia, necrophilia, beheadings, suicides, etc.”, admitting “I left [because] I value my sanity.” Another worker, a 21-year-old Moroccan, explained “It’s humiliating. They are just exploiting the third world.” These moderators—located in Morocco, Turkey, the Philippines, Mexico, and India—have three options when confronted with flagged content: “delete it; ignore it; or escalate it, which refers it back to a Facebook employee in California (who will, if necessary, report it to the authorities).”
The problem is not with these moderators. This isn’t some right-wing contingent, bent on silencing all of the world’s activists; they, like most of us in the global capitalist economy, are exploited workers, seeking simply to put bread on the table. We should not blame them for following the orders of their superiors, nor should we blame them for “missing” racist, misogynist, and cisheterosexist content.
Facebook might try to defer responsibility, to blame its employees—a common practice among powerful corporations enduring public scrutiny—but the problem isn’t with its employees, mere individuals working within a corporate institution. The problem is with the structure. The problem is with Facebook’s Community Double Standards. The problem is with Facebook itself.
Ben Norton is an artist and activist. His website can be found at http://bennorton.com/.This is a custom board for the Settlers of Catan board game. It includes a frame, a set of hexagonal tiles, a set of pips, and a set of ports. Click on any picture for a larger version
The board is made of birch.Designed to fit the Mayfair 4th edition tiles (red box).The board is sanded and clear-coat varnished for durability and protection from moisture.The angle of the light, the angle of the viewer, and the angle of the wood grain determine how shiny it looks.The board also comes with a set of "ports" that fit into recesses along th perimeter of the frame.Custom designed, precision-cut and etched by lasers, the frame is backed by thick leather.Measurements: 53cm x 48cm (21in x 19in), 6mm deep
Please see my blog, Boardcrafting for more backstory and information on how to buy one for yourself.Introduction
To say there are great expectations of the freshly announced HTC One (M8) would be a massive understatement. This is, after all, one of the flagships to shape the entire season. But a predecessor that failed to turn warm reception into good sales is adding more weight on its shoulders. The Taiwanese manufacturer's confidence may've been shaken but the new one cannot afford to show it.
HTC One (M8) official photos
At a quick glance, the HTC One (M8) appears to be a solid upgrade to what was already a highly-acclaimed smartphone. Perfecting the instantly recognizable, gorgeous design of the first generation, HTC has improved the latest flagship in several key areas.
The good looks of the HTC One (M8) are backed by the most powerful hardware available on the market today, while the screen has grown at the expense of the capacitive keys thus keeping the body size in check. The software has received a boost too - the new HTC One runs the latest Android version, dressed in a brand new edition of Sense UI.
Key features
Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support; 42Mbps HSPA+; LTE connectivity
5" 1080p capacitive touchscreen with 441pi pixel density; Corning Gorilla Glass 3
2.3GHz quad-core Krait 400 CPU; 2GB of RAM; Adreno 330 GPU; Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset
Android 4.4.2 KitKat with HTC Sense 6
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 & 5 GHz); DLNA
Dual 4MP AF "UltraPixel" (2µm pixel size) camera with 1/3" sensor; 28mm f/2.0 lens; dual-LED flash; HTC ImageChip 2
1080p video capture with HDR
HTC Zoe
5MP front-facing camera with BSI sensor; wide-angle f/2.0 lens; HDR; 1080p video recording
16/32GB of built-in memory
microSD card slot; 50GB of free Google Drive storage for 2 years
GPS with A-GPS; GLONASS
MHL-enabled microUSB 2.0 port
Bluetooth 4.0; NFC
IR remote control
Accelerometer; gyro and proximity sensor; ambient light sensor; barometer
Best audio output on the market
Fitbit fitness tracker app
Active noise cancellation with a dedicated microphone
Front-facing stereo speakers with BoomSound and built-in amplifiers
Gorgeous metal unibody with superb finish and tactile feel
2,600mAh battery; Extreme Power Saving Mode
Main disadvantages
4MP camera can't match higher-resolution rivals
No 4K video recording or OIS
Non user-replaceable battery
The second generation HTC One addresses most of his predecessor's major shortcomings. The chipset upgrade is hardly a surprise, but the fact that HTC has shown enough flexibility to include a microSD card slot is great news and the improved ergonomics come as a welcome bonus.
Much like with the original, the biggest question mark in the new HTC One (M8) is hanging over the camera. HTC insists on the 4MP sensor and has chosen to teach it cool new tricks rather than up the pixel count - that's the same questionable move that got it into trouble with the last generation.
This time, there is a second camera unit to collect distance data, which enables some really nice effects in post processing. However, we are yet to see if that will be enough at a time when the competition is moving to larger sensors and 5 times the resolution of the One (M8).
HTC One (M8) live photos
We will not waste any more time introducing the HTC One (M8) and we'll get down to testing instead. As always, we will begin our in-depth review with an unboxing, followed by a design and build quality inspection.Kurdish Yazidis, who fled their homes when Islamic State militants attacked the town of Shingal. AP file Photo.
KIRKUK, Kirkuk province - Scores of Kurdish Yazidis have arrived in southern Kirkuk province after being released from capture by the Islamic State, according to a Rudaw reporter on the scene.
“Eighty Kurdish Yazidis, the majority of them elderly or children, have arrived in Humayria village,” Hunar Ahmed said on Wednesday, adding that another 136 more refugees are expected to join them soon.
This is at least the second group of Kurdish Yazidis freed by the Islamic State since January. The extremists have allowed at least 200 Yazidis to depart regions under their control.
“The people are from Shingal. They had been relocated to Tal Afar and later to Mosul until finally released on Wednesday. The refugees are generally in good health and doctors are on the scene to help," Ahmed said.
ISIS attacked Kurdish Yezidi villages in northern Iraq in July, forcing many residents to take refuge in the Kurdistan region and neighboring Turkey.
Those left behind have described horrific scenes of Yezidi Kurds mercilessly lined up and murdered, then buried in the mass graves. The extent of the suffering is still unknown.Being Christmas week this post has a Christmas theme and provides a brief overview of the relics of the nativity venerated by medieval pilgrims.
The Holy Land
The Holy Land was the ultimate destination for medieval pilgrims, it was here that Jesus Christ was born, lived, died and was resurrected. So you could say, the pilgrims who came here were spoilt for choice, having access to wide range of sites associated with the New and Old Testament and the life of Christ.
Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, was a must see for medieval pilgrims and many would have timed there visit to coincide with Christmas.
Within the town of Bethlehem, the traditional site of the birth of Christ was marked by the Church of the Nativity.
The church was built over a cave that was believed to be the manger where Christ was born.
Pilgrims were flocking to Bethlehem from the 2nd century AD. The Church of the Nativity was commissioned in 327 AD by the Emperor Constantine and his mother St Helena. This first church was not completed until 339 AD and it was later destroyed during the Samaritan revolts in the 6th century. The current church was built on top of the aforementioned one in 565 AD by the Emperor Justinian. This link will take you to a 3D virtual tour to the current Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
Today the church is a UNESCO Heritage Site.
Since early medieval times the Church has been increasingly incorporated into a complex of other ecclesiastical buildings, mainly monastic. As a result, today it is embedded in an extraordinary architectural ensemble, overseen by members of the Greek Orthodox Church, the Custody of the Holy Land and the Armenian Church, under the provisions of the Status Quo of the Holy Places established by the Treaty of Berlin (1878). (UNESCO Website)
In modern times Christmas services for Roman Catholics and Protestants are celebrated on Christmas eve and Christmas day, the 25th of December. The orthodox Churches ( Coptic, Greek, etc) celebrate on the 6th of January and the Armenian Orthodox on the 19th of January.
One of the early pilgrims to Bethlehem was St Jerome who visited here while on a pilgrimage around the Holy Land, before taking up permanent residence in 386 AD. While living in Bethlehem he set up a monastery and pilgrim hostel to help provide hospitality to the pilgrims who were visiting here.
Bethlehem was a small quiet place and was described circa 1231 AD as having only one street. This must have provided pilgrims with a nice change from the hustle and bustle of Jerusalem. The pilgrims who travelled here often came on donkeys as did the English pilgrim Margery Kempe in 1413 AD ( Chareyron 2005, 102). In the late medieval period pilgrims entered the church in a processional order signing hymns and carrying a lighted candle (ibid). The pilgrim Jean Thenaud arrived here bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh and was greeted outside the shrine by candle-sellers. He describes his visit as follows
Pilgrims entered “a small room with a vault of fine marble and mosaic”. There beneath the rock, was the place where the Lord was laid, the crib for the ox and the ass, and the rock itself the place for the nails that held the rings for tethering the animals and the hole through which the star that guided the Magi was said to have disappeared and the place where they worshipped Him (Chareyron 2005, 103).
Irish evidence for pilgrimage to Bethlehem
Time does not allow for a full discussion of Irish pilgrimage to the Holy Land and I do intend to come back to the topic in another post. So very briefly it is hard to gage how many Irish pilgrims visited the Holy Land. The Irish annals record 6 pilgrimages to Jerusalem between the years 1060 to 1231 AD and the Chartularies of St Mary’s Abbey in Dublin record the pilgrimage of Richard and Helen de Trum (Trim in Co Meath) in the year 1230 AD. The most detailed account of an Irish pilgrimage to the Holy Land is that of the Irish Friar Symon Semeonis who set forth from Clonmel in 1323 AD with his companion Hugh the Illuminator and who on his return he complied an account of his travels. These records represent only a fraction of Irish pilgrimages to the Holy Land and tell us little about how the Irish pilgrims experienced the Holy Land.
Nativity Relics in Europe
Pilgrims did not have to travel as far as the Holy Land to venerate the birth of Christ, as relics of the nativity, ranging from hay from the manger to the shift the Blessed Virgin gave birth in, were to be found at shrines across European. The following is a snapshot of some of these relics.
The Relics of the Magi at Cologne
The cathedral church of Cologne in Germany held the relics of the Three Magi and was a major centre of pilgrimage in the late medieval period. Located on a number of important trade route including the River Rhine the city attracted vast numbers of pilgrims each year.
According to the Gospel of Mathew the ‘Magi’ were three Kings from the east who journeyed to Bethlehem following as star to pay homage to the ‘one who has been born king of the Jews’. The Magi were also the first Christian pilgrims.
So how did the Three Magi end up in Germany? According to legend the corporeal relics of the Magi were discovered by St Helena (mentioned above), the relics were translated to the church of Saint Sophia at Constantinople and at a later date were brought to Milan. In 1160 AD following the sack of Milan, Frederick Barbarossa brought the relics from the Basilica de Sant’ Eustorigo to Cologne. Later an elaborate reliquary of gold silver and enamels and precious stone was constructed to hold the holy relics. The reliquary was commissioned by Philip von Heinarch Archbishop of Cologne (1167-1191) and made by Nicholas of Verdun. Pope Innocent IV granted a plenary indul |
ulsion
Strategy
Make sure to track all of the Mark of the Necromancer debuffs (Mark of the Necromancer, Mark of the Necromancer, Mark of the Necromancer, Mark of the Necromancer, Mark of the Necromancer). Focus heal players with yellow and red versions of the debuff. Consider dispelling players with the red version of the debuff if Reap is not happening soon. If Reap is happening soon, do not dispel the debuff. Use Tranquility and Incarnation during Mirror Image phases. Wailing Horror phases on their own (without mirror images) do less damage than mirror images on their own, and usually do not warrant a major cooldown use. Save Heart of the Wild for healing during the final Dia burn when most of the raid has Mark of the Necromancer and Wicked Strikes are hitting hard. Use Ironbark and single target healing on targets with Fel Rage fixate. Soothe is helpful for keeping Fel Rage targets alive.
Kilrogg Deadeye
Talents
Soul of the Forest and Heart of the Wild
Trinkets
Demonic Phylactery and Unstable Felshadow Emulsion
Strategy
Use Tranquility during Death Throes casts. To avoid the swirls generated by Death Throes, move into melee when you are assigned to use Tranquility, this will prevent swirls from spawning on you (assuming the rest of the RDPS/Healers stay at ranged). Save Heart of the Wild for a late Death Throes cast, as its damage increases throughout the fight. If you are assigned for Vision of Death, keep all three players alive until you reach 20 stacks of the Undying Salvation debuff. Genesis has some use here to heal through the burst damage. Once you leave the Vision of Death, use your Cleansing Aura to clear Fel Corruption from players (primarily the tanks and melee). Finally, use Displacer Beast when you have Heart Seeker to spawn the Globule as far back from the boss as possible. While Incarnation can be useful as a cooldown for Death Throes, the fairly regularly occurring raid damage on this fight makes Soul of the Forest very useful.
Gorefiend
Talents
Incarnation and Heart of the Wild
Glyphs
Glyph of Blooming
Trinkets
Demonic Phylactery and Unstable Felshadow Emulsion
Strategy
While outside, remain spread and use Displacer Beast to move Touch of Doom out of the raid. Additionally, Displacer Beast can be used to move to players afflicted with Shared Fate (if you are chained with them). Use Incarnation/Heart of the Wild/Tranquility on the first Feast of Souls, Incarnation and Tranquility on the second Feast of Souls, and Incarnation/Heart of the Wild/Tranquility on the third Feast of Souls. If your raid only gets two Feast of Souls, use Heart of the Wild on either one and Incarnation/Tranquility on both.
Restoration Druids are generally seen as weak inside the stomach healing Essences. While we do not offer great burst healing, we can provide pretty solid healing to all of the essences. Put Lifebloom, and both Rejuvenations on all essences. Use Nature’s Swiftness and Swiftmend off CD to heal essences. This will provide high healing to all essences by the time they reach the center, so long as you swap to new essences as soon as they spawn and apply all HoTs. Remember to keep applying lifebloom to new essences – usually by the time the third essence spawns, the first has reached the center.
Shadow-Lord Iskar
Talents
Soul of the Forest and Heart of the Wild
Trinkets
Demonic Phylactery and Unstable Felshadow Emulsion
Strategy
Use Tranquility and Heart of the Wild during transition phases (when the boss flies away) and try to line it up with Focused Blast. Additionally, dispel Fel Bomb quickly if you have the Eye of Anzu. Use a Soul of the Forest buffed Wild Growth during each Fel Chakram combo. Additionally, make sure to heal up players with Phantasmal Wounds quickly to remove the debuff. Finally, use Stampeding Roar during Phantasmal Winds to assist raid members. Incarnation is useful if your raid is having problems healing the transition phases, however this is usually not an issue. If you do not have issues healing transition phases, Soul of the Forest’s sustained throughput is generally better. Most mythic strategies involve killing the Phantasmal Resonance before it casts Chains of Despair. If your raid is struggling with this, use Heart of the Wild to DPS the add.
Socrethar the Eternal
Talents
Soul of the Forest and Heart of the Wild
Trinkets
Demonic Phylactery and Unstable Felshadow Emulsion
Strategy
During the Construct phase, use Displacer Beast to quickly move Felblaze Charge out of the group. Additionally, run forward into Volatile Fel Orbs that are fixated on you before they reach the group. If you have a player kiting the Voracious Soulstalker add, be sure to put lifebloom and rejuvenation them before they leave range.
During the main boss phase, use Tranquility during Apocalypse. If your raid is struggling with killing Dominators quickly, you can use Heart of the Wild to assist in DPS. Otherwise, use Heart of the Wild for Apocalypse. There is very low tank damage during this main phase of the encounter. Due to this, have both lifeblooms on two of the Gift of the Man’ari targets. Put rejuvenation on all Gift of the Man’ari targets. Typhoon and Ursol’s Vortex are useful for controlling free Haunting Souls.
Fel Lord Zakuun
Talents
Incarnation and Heart of the Wild
Trinkets
Demonic Phylactery and Unstable Felshadow Emulsion
Strategy
Make sure to track all of the Befouled debuffs (Befouled, Befouled, Befouled). Apply both Rejuvenations and a Lifebloom to targets with Befouled to quickly heal off the debuff. Additionally, if you have Befouled, make sure to move away from other players as you explode when the debuff is removed. Use Heart of the Wild/Tranquility/Incarnation during the final phase, as he will be dealing significantly higher damage during this phase. Finally, use Displacer Beast to quickly move to your assigned Seed location.
Xhul’horac
Talents
Incarnation and Heart of the Wild
Trinkets
Demonic Phylactery and Unstable Felshadow Emulsion
Strategy
Make sure to save Heart of the Wild for the final phase, as his damage is drastically increased during this time. Use Wild Growth when Fel/Void Surges go out. Tank damage can be very high on this encounter and losing a tank is almost assuredly a wipe. Due to this, keep double rejuvenation and lifebloom on the tanks at all times. Make sure all your cooldowns are up for the final 20% as his damage is very high during this phase.
Tyrant Velhari
Talents
Incarnation and Heart of the Wild
Trinkets
Demonic Phylactery and Unstable Felshadow Emulsion
Strategy
Make sure to track Touch of Harm. Use both Rejuvenations and Lifebloom to heal off the Touch of Harm as quickly as possible during the first phase and the first half of the second phase. Once the raid’s maximum HP is pretty low, you want to keep both lifeblooms on the tanks at all times. Also, feel free to dispel the Touch of Harm if the player afflicted with it drops low in health or is targeted with Annihilating Strike or Edict. Displacer Beast can be very useful in phase one, as the blink movement does not count as normal movement, and thus you do not take any damage from Aura of Oppression. Use Tranquility during edict in phase 2. In the final phase use Tranquility following a Gavel of the Tyrant.
While Soul of the Forest showcases very high throughput on this encounter, due to the nature of “overhealing” in phase 2 and 3 (even though it is shown as effective healing on meters/logs), Incarnation is generally more useful for keeping the raid alive.
Mannoroth
Talents
Incarnation and Heart of the Wild
Trinkets
Demonic Phylactery and Unstable Felshadow Emulsion
Strategy
Use Tranquility/Incarnation during periods of high damage. Depending on your raid’s strategy, this is likely during Fel Hellstorm, Imp spawns, Shadowforce, and/or Gaze. Your cooldowns will likely be assigned for you. Ironbark is very useful for dispelling the Curse of the Legion. Since we are one of the few healers who can dispel curses, we can solo this mechanic. Simply Ironbark then dispel all Curse of the Legion targets. To be extra safe you can wait a second or two for your Disc Priest to shield them. Depending on your raid’s DPS you can either get one or two uses of Heart of the Wild in. If you can get only one, save it for the final phase. If you can use it twice, use it at the start of the fight and at the end of the fight. Your first Heart of the Wild is likely more useful to help quickly DPS priority targets than healing due to the very low raid damage in phase one/two.
Archimonde
Talents
Incarnation and Heart of the Wild
Trinkets
Demonic Phylactery and Unstable Felshadow Emulsion
Strategy
Heart of the Wild is very valuable on this encounter because you can easily get two uses from it. While on progression, using Heart of the Wild for DPS on the pull to help push the boss to 70% as quickly as possible is recommended. You will get a second use of Heart of the Wild during the last phase of the encounter. Displacer Beast and Savage Roar are useful for moving away from Shackled Torment and Seething Corruption. Remember to put Rejuvenation on targets soaking Doomfire before they move out of range.
Addons & Macros
Raid Frames
The primary addon for any healer should be their raid frames. There are several good raid frame addons available. The differences come down to personal preference. I recommend one of the following:
Grid
Grid2
VuhDo
Healbot Continued
WeakAuras 2
Easily one of the best addons in the game. Allows you to do almost anything, ranging from alerting you of a debuff to tracking raid wide cooldowns. Most guilds require this addons so players can import custom made strings for particular bosses.
Download from Curse!
WeakAura 2 Strings
Harmony Tracker – Appears when Mastery: Harmony has fallen off.
Lifebloom Tracker
Wild Mushroom Tracker
Stampeding Roar Tracker
Druid CD Bar (Originally created by Affinity)
Macros
Basic Mouseover Macro
Allows you to cast a spell on an ally by hovering over their raid frame and hitting the associated keybind. Replace SPELL with a spell name.
#showtooltip SPELL
/cast [@mouseover,help,nodead] SPELL
Nature’s Swiftness and Regrowth
You almost always consume your Nature’s Swiftness buff with Regrowths. Use this mouseover macro to cast an instant Regrowth.
#showtooltip Regrowth
/cast Nature's Swiftness
/cast [@mouseover,help,nodead] Regrowth
More Information
For more advanced information regarding restoration druid healing, please check out our various other articles!
Tips and Tricks
In our tips and tricks series of articles we provide unique and interesting tips and tricks for healers on specific encounters. Which talent should you take on a particular fight? How do you deal with a certain mechanic given your toolkit? All of these are explained in the tips and tricks series!
Encounter Guides
Our encounter guides are different from other standard “factory-produced” guides because they focus primarily on the healer perspective. How is this different from the tips and tricks articles mentioned above? Tips and tricks focuses on advice for a specific class or specialization on an encounter. However, the encounter guides are more board and are aimed to help raid/healing leads understand all the healing details of a fight.
Best in Slot Lists
Self-explanatory! Our best in slot lists are constantly updated following hotfixes, patches, or anything else that alters what gear we are going after. Don’t worry about doing all the tricky math, we’ll do it for you.
General Theorycraft
Almost everything else can be found on our theorycraft page! Many of our readers found us through our various spreadsheet work (example 1 & 2), and we plan to continue to provide the community with great tools to evaluate their healers.
Conclusion
Thank you for taking the time to read my restoration druid guide! I hope that it was helpful and insightful for you. If you have any questions at all please feel free to put a comment below or tweet us @Healcraft and I will attempt to answer them as soon as possible. As always, if you believe anything to be inaccurate or out of date, please let us know! Finally, there is only so much you can include in one healing guide, so be sure to check out all of our advanced healing resources. Again, thanks for reading and happy healing!
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Large Veins uses a JSON configuration file allowing users or modpack developers to modify the minimum/maximum Y coordinate the large vein can spawn at, the size of the large vein, and the chance the large vein has to spawn (higher number is more rare), and even add their own large veins. More information about the configuration file format can be found on the wiki.
The default configuration file for Vanilla only can be found here and the configuration file with Vanilla and all the included mod support (Actually Additions and Substratum) can be found here.
Default Spawn Rate for Vanilla Vein Types:
Coal: 1/1000 chunks (0.1% chance per chunk)
Iron: 1/2000 chunks (0.05% chance per chunk)
Gold: 1/17000 chunks (0.005% chance per chunk)
Redstone: 1/5000 chunks (0.02% chance per chunk)
Diamond: 1/47000 chunks (0.002% chance per chunk)
Lapis: 1/47000 chunks (0.002% chance per chunk)
Quartz: 1/1000 chunks (0.1% chance per chunk)
Coal Ore Large Vein:
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Requires:Unfortunately for him, his record isn't quite as squeaky clean as his speeches. And if you wanted to be mean, you could say he is barely 5 foot tall and looks like a cross between a gay Grinch and Mr. Bean, but that wouldn't be fair.
Consider these allegations:
Quotes
"I often went to school fearful of a black eye or a bloody nose. There were plenty of thugs at my school that would love to pound me." -- Bauer
"I don't see why Christians should censor themselves out of any forum in which our perspectives can be heard. I disagree with the theology of many groups that I address; Jews, for example, who do not accept Jesus, or atheists." -- Bauer
Click here for sources
Affair with a 26 year old Staffer
Jarvis says that he and others in the campaign warned Bauer several times "in the clearest possible terms" that he was creating "the appearance of impropriety" by spending "hours and hours and hours behind closed doors with a young single woman." Neither Jarvis nor McDonald has directly claimed that sex occurred, though.
An unnamed source in the Bauer campaign said that Bauer has been traveling alone with this hot 26-year old blond (deputy campaign manager Melissa McClard) on a daily basis and the two have been so inseparable that it was like a "husband-wife relationship." This source said that rumors of an affair have circulated inside the campaign for months, and that several people told the candidate of their concern. "Bauer told them basically to buzz off -- that it was his personal business," the source said. Other staff members who quit include media consultant Tom Edwards and Betty Barrett, who was Bauer's secretary for 15 years. They declined comment.
Bauer called a press conference to deny having an affair and called the rumors "devastating." Concerning his time spent with the young woman, he responded that he meets privately with every member of his campaign staff behind closed doors, and that the questions are unfair. Bauer even denied that any campaign staffers had raised questions about the relationship with him. When pressed, though, he conceded that some of his staffers may "have left because they just didn't want to deal anymore with the rumor."
Bauer argued that he should not be held to the higher standard adopted by most evangelical and Christian right leaders, such as Billy Graham and congressman Steve Largent, who avoid meeting women (other than their wives) alone. But the boards of two religious groups long connected with Bauer, the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family, have warned him to not travel alone with her or meet behind closed doors for extended periods.
Click here for sources
Taking Big Money From the Moonies
Bauer had no trouble sitting through Moon's amazing speech, which including gems such as:
"God wants a love partner. Thus, centering on the place where husband and wife become one through their sexual organs, God wants to appear and meet us."
"When you were young, did you ever taste the dried mucus from your nose? Does it taste sweet or salty? It's salty, right?"
You can read the entire text of Moon's speech on the Moonie's web site by clicking here.
Bauer's group, the Family Research Council, takes out full page ads in the Washington Times, a conservative newspaper owned by Moon. Those are paid for with his non-profit's money from donations, but the speaking fees go directly into Bauer's pockets. Besides the Washington Times, Moon has courted various conservative political leaders by donating money to Ralph Reed, Jerry Fallwell and his financially troubled Liberty University among others.
Moon, who served a prison term for tax evasion, is controversial because of his fruitcake beliefs, his cult's widely publicized mass marriages of up to 10,000 people, and alleged brainwashing of members. He claims that Jesus failed as Messiah because he did not wed and have children, and that Moon and his fourth wife Hak Ja Han Moon are the "true parents of all humanity."
Click here for sources
Avoided the Vietnam War
"I was in college and law school during the Vietnam War and had a student deferment. Later, I was drafted, but disqualified because of a physical problem that gave me a rating of 1Y -- meaning I could not be inducted unless there was more of a military emergency. I feel very strongly about the decline of our military over the past 10 years."
Click here for sources
Sources
Quote sources:
Adultery -- " When Is Adultery No Longer A Fun Campaign Theme? When the Shoe Is On The Other Foot...That's When", by Gary Bauer, NH Family Watch, December 1996
Getting beat up -- "Religious Conservative Bauer Keeps Faith and Runs", by John Harwood, The Wall Street Journal, December 7, 1999 pA28
Disagree with Jews -- see Moonie Sources.
Affair sources:
Transcript of Gary Bauer's Press Conference on Adultery Rumors, on ABC News web site, September 29, 1999
Bauer Denies Affair Rumors, By Douglas Kiker (AP), Washington Post, Sept. 29, 1999
"Bauer Again Denies Affair With Staffer", by Carolyn Lochhead, San Francisco Chronicle, September 30, 1999 pA5
"Bauer Says He Did Not Have Affair: 2 Ex-Aides Make Public Allegation" By Thomas B. Edsall and Hanna Rosin, Washington Post, September 30, 1999; Page A14
"Bauer: I am not a slut!", by Jake Tapper with Susan Crabtree, Salon Magazine, September 29, 1999
"Daily Dish: Itemizing" (towards the end of the column), by Rush and Molloy, New York Daily News, Sept. 27, 1999
"GOP Race Getting Nasty", by Carla Marinucci, San Francisco Chronicle, Sept. 28, 1999 pA3
"GOP Big Defects to Forbes Camp", by Helen Kennedy, NY Daily News, Sept. 16, 1999
" When Is Adultery No Longer A Fun Campaign Theme? When the Shoe Is On The Other Foot...That's When", by Gary Bauer, NH Family Watch, December 1996
Moonie sources:
"What In The World!", (a news summary from Bob Jones University), v. 20, Number 7, citing Christian Century Magazine 9/11/96.
"Moon-Related Funds Filter to Evangelicals", by John W. Kennedy, Christianity Today, February 9, 1998 vol. 42, no. 2, p.82
Moon's Speech of August 1, 1996
Draft sources:
"Gary Bauer: A Chat With a Presidential Candidate", CNN.com Allpolitics, May 13, 1999 p7
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<< Return To Skeleton Closet Main PageThere was a little bit of something for everybody this week! TNGS fans got an update from Gaige Hallman, FPS fans got a new letter from the Chairman about Star Marine, and did we mention the Starliner is here?! It’s been quite a week, hope you’ve been keeping up! If not, check out all of our communications from this past week in the list below. Let us know what was your favorite!
Monday, June 22nd
10 For The Producers – Episode 08
Tuesday, June 23rd
Meet the Devs – Gaige Hallman
Advocacy Archive – Lost and Found
Behind the Scenes – ArcCorp and the Persistent Universe
Wednesday, June 24th
WIP – ArcCorp
Thursday, June 25th
Around The Verse – Episode 50
WIP – The Hull Series
Friday, June 26th
Introducing the Genesis Starliner
Design – Civilian Passenger Transport
Letter From the Chairman – Star Marine Update
Galactic Guide – Covalex Shipping
Saturday, June 27th
Reverse The Verse Recap – Episode 53Some open-data activists refer to it as “dark data” — and they are not talking about classified information or data the government might release only if compelled by a Freedom of Information Act request.
“It’s like dark matter; we know it must be there but we don’t know where to find it to verify,” said Maxwell Ogden, the director of Code for Science and Society, a nonprofit that began a government-data archiving project in collaboration with the research libraries in the University of California system.
“If they’re going to delete something, how will we even know it’s deleted if we didn’t know it was there?” he asked.
The obstacles have spurred debate among open-data activists over how to build an archiving system for the government’s science data that ensures that the public does not lose access to it, regardless of who is in power.
“No one would advocate for a system where the government stores all scientific data and we just trust them to give it to us,” said Laurie Allen, a digital librarian at the University of Pennsylvania who helped found Data Refuge. “We didn’t used to have that system, yet that is the system we have landed with.”
At the moment, the closest thing to a central repository is Data.gov, which, under a 2013 Obama administration directive, is supposed to link to all of the public databases within the government. But it relies on agencies to self-report, and the total size of all the data linked to by the directory, Mr. Ogden recently found, comes to just 40 terabytes — about as much as would fit on $1,000 worth of hard drives.
Image The transition to digital distribution that made government documents more accessible, librarians say, has also left them more at risk. Credit Sam Hodgson for The New York Times
NASA alone provides access to more than 17.5 petabytes of archived data, according to its website (a petabyte is 1,000 times bigger than a terabyte), over dozens of different data portal systems.BY BTL STAFF
The Women’s March announced Oct. 12 that U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) will be a featured speaker at the Women’s Convention, which will take place in Detroit from Friday, Oct. 27-29. Sen. Sanders will speak during a Friday evening plenary session on how the progressive movement can move forward and achieve its priorities.
“I’m honored to join the women at the front lines of our struggle for economic, social, racial and environmental justice. In January, millions of women came out in an extraordinary and unprecedented display of power and resistance. Now more than ever, we must support the leadership of women across the country and fight together to advance our progressive agenda,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Piper Perabo (actress and activist), Sally Kohn (Political Commentator and Community Organizer) and Lilianna Angel Reyes (Activist), Nomiki Konst (Investigative Reporter, The Young Turks), Leah Greenberg (Co-Executive Director, The Indivisible Project) also join the growing roster of speakers.
“Senator Sanders has been a fierce champion of women’s rights and bolstering female voices throughout his career of public service,” said Tamika Mallory, Women’s March Co-President. “We are honored that he will be joining us at the Convention to lend his voice in support of women leaders from across the country who will be converging in Detroit. We look forward to hearing from him on how he plans progressive policies that will empower and protect the most marginalized among us.”
The convention aims to have participants leave inspired and motivated, with new connections, skills and strategies for working towards collective liberation for women of all races, ethnicities, ages, abilities, sexual identities, gender expressions, immigration statuses, religious faiths, and economic statuses.
Additional speakers include: Angela Rye, Amber Tamblyn, Symone Sanders, Stacey Abrams, Nina Turner, US Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA), Stephanie Schriock, Ai-jen Poo, Aida Hurtado, Lenore Anderson, US Representative Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), Stephanie Chang, Raquel Castaneda Lopez, Melissa Mark-Viverito, Sarah Eagle Heart, Rashida Tlaib, Brittney Packnett, Nomiki Konst, Winnie Wong, Stosh Cotler, Leah Greenberg, and the Women’s March co-chairs Bob Bland, Carmen Perez, Linda Sarsour and Tamika Mallory.
With the official theme of “Reclaiming Our Time,” the Women’s Convention is just the beginning of a political groundswell, showing that the rise of the woman IS the rise of the nation.* Three New Jersey mayors arrested in corruption case
* Several rabbis, local politicians also among 44 arrested
* Case found bribery, money laundering, human kidney sales
(Adds court appearances, bail)
By Edith Honan
NEWARK, July 23 (Reuters) - Dozens of New Jersey politicians, officials and prominent rabbis were arrested on Thursday in a sweeping federal probe that uncovered political corruption, human organ sales and money laundering from New York to Israel, officials said.
The 10-year investigation, dubbed “Operation Bid Rig,” exposed influence-peddling and bribe-taking among a network of public officials and a separate multimillion dollar money-laundering ring that funneled funds through charities operated by local rabbis, said the U.S. Attorney’s office in Newark, New Jersey.
The cast of the 44 arrested featured Hoboken, New Jersey, Mayor Peter Cammarano, who took office three weeks ago in the industrial city visible across the Hudson River from New York.
Others accused were mayors of nearby Secaucus and Ridgefield, state Assemblymen, a deputy mayor, city council members, housing, planning and zoning officials, building inspectors and political candidates.
“New Jersey’s corruption problem is one of the worst, if not the worst, in the nation,” said Ed Kahrer, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI’s white collar crime and public corruption program in New Jersey, who has worked on the investigation since it began in July 1999.
“It has become ingrained in New Jersey’s political culture,” he said, calling corruption “a cancer.”
Central to the investigation was an informant who was charged with bank fraud in 2006 and posed undercover as a real estate developer and owner of a tile business who paid off officials to win project approval and public contracts in northern New Jersey, according to documents in the case.
The public officials stand accused of taking bribes for pledging their help getting permits and projects prioritized and approved or steering contracts to the witness.
“CULTURE OF CORRUPTION”
In scenes that could have been lifted from the hit TV series “The Sopranos,” about New Jersey organized crime, they met in diners, parking lots, even bathrooms, officials said.
“The politicians willingly put themselves up for sale,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Ralph Marra. “The victims are the average citizens and the honest business people in this state. They don’t have a chance in this culture of corruption.”
The public corruption uncovered by the informant led him to the separate money-laundering network by rabbis who operated between Brooklyn, Deal, New Jersey, and Israel, authorities said. They laundered some $3 million for the undercover witness between June 2007 and July 2009, authorities said.
“These complaints paint a disgraceful picture of religious leaders heading money laundering crews acting as crime bosses,” Marra said. “They used purported charities, entities supposed set up to do good works as vehicles for laundering millions of dollars in illicit funds.”
HUMAN KIDNEY SALES
Rabbis accused of money-laundering were Saul Kassin, chief rabbi of a large Syrian Jewish synagogue in Brooklyn; Eliahu Ben Haim, principal rabbi of a synagogue in Deal; Edmund Nahum, principal rabbi of another synagogue in Deal; and Mordchai Fish, a rabbi at a synagogue in Brooklyn.
The probe also uncovered Levy Izhak Rosenbaum of Brooklyn, who is accused of conspiring to broker the sale of a human kidney for a transplant. According to the complaint, Rosenbaum said he had been brokering sale of kidneys for 10 years.
“His business was to entice vulnerable people to give up a kidney for $10,000 which he would turn around and sell for $160,000,” said Marra.
Several of the public officials were accused of taking bribes of just $10,000, authorities said. Cammarano, at 31 the youngest ever mayor of Hoboken, was charged with taking $25,000 in bribes, including $10,000 last Thursday.
Most of those accused were arrested in a sweep across New Jersey by more than 300 federal agents early on Thursday and were slated to appear in court in Newark throughout the day.
The first 12 of the defendants, including Cammarano, appeared shackled before U.S. Magistrate Judge Madeline Cox Arleo. Cammarano rocked back and forth in his chair but betrayed no emotion.
They were granted bail ranging from $100,000 to $500,000. (Additional reporting by Michelle Nichols and Ellen Wulfhorst; Writing by Ellen Wulfhorst; Editing by Doina Chiacu)The mascot or symbol of the Democrat Party, or more accurately the Democratic Party, in the US is the donkey. The symbol was not initially meant to be flattering. Though many credit political cartoonist Thomas Nast with its creation in the 1870s, actually, the Democratic Party had used the donkey before. During the 1828 presidential election, the opponents of Andrew Jackson had insultingly called him a jackass, and Jackson decided to take up the mantle of this insult and use it to his gain. Jackson used the symbol is his campaign materials, agreeing at least in part with his opponents that he was “stubborn.”
Before getting into the answer to this question, we should first address an terminology issue — the difference between the "Democrat Party" and the "Democratic Party." The proper name of the left of center political party in the United States is the Democratic Party. Some people, however, call the party the Democrat Party out of simple confusion. Others call it the Democrat Party for rhetorical reasons.
The Republicans continued to use the symbol as a quasi-insult for several decades, perhaps influencing Thomas Nast’s famous cartoon of 1870, which was published in the American magazine Harper’s Weekly. The popularity of the symbol stuck, and later, Nast used depictions of both the elephant and the donkey together, to represent various arguments between the Democratic and Republican parties. The Republican Party have adopted the elephant as their official mascot, but the Democrats, though they use the donkey on a lot of material, have never made the donkey the official symbol of the Democratic Party.
There are several ways in which the mascot or symbol of the Democratic Party can be interpreted. Donkeys seem to lack the strength, intelligence and reserve of the elephant. Yet as the Democrats became a more populist-oriented party, the simplicity of the donkey, and its workhorse origins make some sense. Its humble nature contrasts with how it was often interpreted by Republicans — as loud, stubborn, foolish and unintelligent. On the other hand, the wise and strong elephant, is often viewed by Democrats as too large, potentially foolish, and bloated.
You’ll see plenty of representations of donkeys and elephants as symbols of their respective parties. These mascots are still used widely by cartoonists, to depict many different conflicts between the parties. The rendering of the donkey as depicted by the Democratic Party is very simple, with the colors of red, white and blue, and three stars across the donkey’s body. It is slightly more detailed than the classic rendering of the Republican elephant.
Often noted as an interesting point, is the notion that both parties chose mascots that weren’t flattering. Of additional interest is that the popularity of the symbol of the Democratic Party, as well as that of the Republican Party, can be directly tied to the political drawings of Thomas Nast. While his work criticized the parties, both parties were able to use that negative criticism in a positive way — a valuable skill in politics, to be sure.WOODSTOCK, Ontario -- A Canadian former nurse convicted of killing eight elderly people in her care was sentenced Monday to life imprisonment without possibility of parole for 25 years.
Elizabeth Wettlaufer pleaded guilty last month to eight counts of first-degree murder, four counts of attempted murder and two counts of aggravated assault in the notorious serial killings. The 50-year-old told the court on Monday that she is truly sorry and hopes her victims' families can find peace and healing.
"I caused tremendous pain and suffering and death. Sorry is much too small a word. I am extremely sorry," she said in court, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
Authorities have said the 14 assaults on patients took place over the last decade in three Ontario long-term care facilities where Wettlaufer worked as a registered nurse, and at a private home. Wettlaufer admitted to using insulin in all of the cases from 2007-2016.
"It is a complete betrayal of trust when a caregiver does not prolong life, but terminates it," Justice Bruce Thomas said. "She was the shadow of death that passed over them on the night shift where she supervised."
Susan Horvath, a daughter of victim Arpad Horvath, said she did not read her victim impact statement because she couldn't trust herself being too physically close to Wettlaufer in the courtroom.
"I am too angry," she said. "I didn't trust myself up there."
Convicted nurse accused of killing up to 60 babies
Laura Jackson, the friend of one of the victims, said Wettlaufer "should spend the rest of her life in a small box contemplating what she's done. It wasn't rash. It was thought out. It was calculated."
Shannon Emmerton, the granddaughter of another victim, said other nurses could potentially commit the same crime. The Ontario government launched a public inquiry soon after the sentence was announced.
"We want to assure the public that Ontario's 78,000 long-term care residents are safe in their homes," Ontario's attorney general said in a statement. "It is our hope that through the inquiry process, we will get the answers we need to help ensure that a tragedy such as this does not happen again."Even among the few, odd, nerdy children who want to be speechwriters when they grow up (I was one), none dream of writing a State of the Union address. These tend to be long and shapeless affairs, lumpy with random policy, carried along by strained applause lines, dated before they are transcribed.
There are a few exceptions: Lyndon Johnson announcing a War on Poverty; Bill Clinton, as a scandal unfolded, undismayed in the lion’s den. And then there were these sentences in the 2003 address 10 years ago: “Tonight I propose the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief,” said President George W. Bush, “a work of mercy beyond all current international efforts to help the people of Africa. This comprehensive plan will prevent 7 million new AIDS infections, treat at least 2 million people with life-extending drugs and provide humane care for millions of people suffering from AIDS and for children orphaned by AIDS.”
In retrospect, the words were not particularly memorable. But the moment was remarkable. An initiative of this scale and ambition — the largest effort to fight a single disease in history — was utterly unexpected. Bush’s strongest political supporters had not demanded it. His strongest critics, at least for a time, remained suspicious. The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) existed entirely because of a willing leader, a creative policy team, a smattering of activists and a vast, bleeding need.
I remember my first visits to sub-Saharan Africa as a policy adviser to President Bush soon after the announcement. Of about 30 million people with HIV, perhaps 50,000 were receiving treatment. The pandemic had already produced 14 million orphans. Child-headed households were common; child-headed villages were not unknown. Walking through South African shantytowns, you mainly met grandparents and their grandchildren. The intervening generation had been nearly erased. Millions were dying at the same time and yet in total isolation |
(char* data, Type* type) { // Using the description of the type, iterate over all fields in // the object for (Field* field in type->fields) { // Each field knows its offset so add that to the base address of the // object being saved to get at the individual field data char* field_data = data + field->offset; // If the field type is a known built-in type then we're at leaf nodes of // our object field hierarchies. These can be saved with explicit save // functions that know their type. If not, then we need to further // recurse until we reach a leaf node. Type* field_type = field->type; if (field_type is builtin) SaveBuiltin(field_data, field_type); else SaveObject(field_data, field_type); } } void SaveBuiltin(char* data, Type* type) { switch (type) { case (char): WriteChar(data); case (short): WriteShort(data); case (int): WriteInt(data); case (float): WriteFloat(data); //... etc... } }
Whether your file format is text XML or binary, the algorithm is the same. The difference is in how you write your known built-in types and how you annotate your output data along the way (e.g. text tags for XML). A nice side-effect of writing your serialisation this way is that for a given file format, your serialisation code is written in one place and can handle any object that can be described by your reflection API - you just have different files for each format implementation.
Containers
Game objects are more complicated than those specified above and will have containers. This is an umbrella term for any of these:
C-style Arrays
Vectors
Linked Lists
Sets
Key/Value Maps and Hash Maps
For the moment if we assume that our primary goal is to make these serialisable, a simple means of doing so is to extend SaveObject :
void SaveObject(char* data, Type* type) { //... start of function... if (field_type is builtin) SaveBuiltin(field_data, field_type); else if (field_type is container) SaveContainer(field_data, field_type); else SaveObject(field_data, field_type); //... rest of function... } void SaveContainer(char* data, Type* type) { switch (type) { case (vector): WriteVector(data, type); case (list): WriteList(data, type); //... etc... } } void SaveVector(char* data, Type* type) { // Cast the data to your vector type vector& vec = data cast as vector; Type* stored_type = type->container_value_type; for (int i in vec.count) { char* value_data = data + i * stored_type->size; SaveObject(value_data, stored_type); } }
The first problem we come up against is that, taking SaveVector as an example, the type of the vector changes based on the data it stores. So, std::vector<int> is a different type to std::vector<short> and can't be cast at runtime. There are two ways of dealing with this that will be covered in more detail later in the use-case studies. They are:
The reflection API is entirely runtime-based and when you register a field that is a container, code gets generated using templates that will be used to serialise when needed. This has the benefit that any container becomes easily serialisable without you having to know the memory layout of the container type itself. It has the drawback that it can generate quite a substantial amount of code that can have a negative impact on your memory budget.
If you can rely on knowing the memory layout of your container independent of its type, you can use that to iterate over all elements using the type information stored in the reflection database, as above. This has the benefit that there is only one section of your code that is used to serialise all containers of that type. It has the drawback that you may not want to rely on knowing the internal layout of your container because it's not part of an API that you own/control, e.g. STL.
The second problem you encounter is that if you have N file formats and M types of container, you're going to have to write M*N functions that handle all your serialisation possibilities. Later discussion covers how to use the reflection database for other purposes, such as walking a pointer graph, and in such cases you'd also have to write specific implementations for each container type.
Obviously that won't do and you can add a layer of indirection to get around this. The way I deal with this is by introducing the container interface to report basic information about a container, such as its entry count, and read/write iterator interfaces for reading and modifying the containers:
interface IContainer { Type* GetKeyType() const; Type* GetValueType() const; ReadIterator GetReadIterator(); WriteIterator GetWriteIterator(); }; interface IReadIterator { char* GetKey() const; char* GetValue() const; int GetCount() const; void MoveNext(); bool IsValid(); }; interface IWriteIterator { void SetKey(char* data); void SetValue(char* data); void MoveNext(); bool IsValid(); };
If you want to skip ahead, Reflectabit contains a very good example of this.
All container types you support implement these interfaces. Notice that they account for both the key and value of an item in a container, which can be safely ignored for those containers that don't conceptually have keys. Use is then a simple case of:
void SaveContainer(char* data, Type* type) { ContainerInterface* container = type->GetContainerInterface(data); Type* key_type = container->GetKeyType(); Type* value_type = container->GetValueType(); Serialise iterator->GetCount(); WriteIterator* iterator = container->GetWriteIterator(); while (iterator->IsValid()) { if (key_type) SaveObject(iterator->GetKey(), key_type); SaveObject(iterator->GetValue(), value_type); iterator->Next(); } }
Like the serialisation code that we started with, this algorithm is independent of file format and only differs in how the data is finally written. This also requires you to write only one container save per file format, cleanly solving the implementation explosion.
Pointers and the Object Database
Serialising pointers can be a tricky subject and any grizzled console programmer will tell you that a good way to handle the problem is to not serialise them at all! If you can get away with using indices and handles you may find them more comfortable than pointers. With a reflection API and object database, however, serialising pointers is remarkably easy. Not only that, it opens up a whole host of possibilities for future use.
To start you need some means of creating objects from a central source and assigning them a unique ID, so let's redefine Object and introduce the object database:
struct Name { u32 id; const char* text; }; struct Object { Name name; Type* type; }; class ObjectDatabase { Object* CreateObject(const char* type_name); };
Here, the Name type represents the full name of your object, assigned offline by your tools/editor or generated at runtime. It contains a pointer to the text of the name that can be used for debugging and a unique ID that maps to that name - usually a hash of the name. The text can be removed in your release builds or preferrably, not stored at all: it's pretty simple to create a Visual Studio debugger plugin that can map the ID to a locally stored text database or write network logging tools that only require the ID to print the name. The important point is that your means of generating the ID from the name must be consistent and there must be no collisions.
Given such properties, serialising pointers is a straight-forward case of serialising their ID in place of their pointer:
if (field_type is pointer) { Object* object = (Object*)field_data; Serialise object->hash as u32 } else if (field_type is builtin)...
Generally you will need a top-level collection of all objects in a level, package or whatever abstraction you choose. The classic example of this is the Unreal Package. When loading these IDs, you generally won't create them on-demand, but assume they exist and look them up/point to them. For this reason you need to be careful about loading order.
Several solutions I've used in the past are:
If the referenced object doesn't exist, create an uninitialised proxy object for it.
Use scoped tree-referencing where pointers can only go in one direction.
The package being loaded contains a list of packages it depends upon that need to be loaded first.
Custom loading functions
Game objects can be even more complicated than this - sometimes you have fields which can't directly be serialised to disk. A good example of this is a D3D vertex buffer, which is represented as a D3D resource interface pointer. Other times there are types which may not be reflection-registered due to their complexity that you still want to save - std::string is a nice example of this.
With each type or field you can associate a means of loading and saving data of that type via a function pointer. The serialisation code first checks to see if the field type has an associated set of load/save functions before trying to serialise another way. It can be a little more complicated than that if you're worried about performance and support for multiple file formats; take the simplest example of this:
// Serialisation code for the XML file format if (SaveFunc f = field_type->save_funcs.find(FORMAT_XML)) { f(field_data, field_type); }
Before you get to checking what other properties the field may have, you're doing some form of map lookup.
The simplest/fastest way of doing this I've found is by assigning your file format types indexed enums and having an array of function pointers inside your type/field:
enum Format { FORMAT_BINARY, FORMAT_TEXT_XML, FORMAT_BINARY_XML, FORMAT_COUNT }; struct Type { SaveFunc save_funcs[FORMAT_COUNT]; LoadFunc load_funcs[FORMAT_COUNT]; };
Serialisation becomes quick and simple but there is a loose-coupling of concepts between reflection API and serialisation code which you may not like. A happy medium of the two is storing a sorted, dynamic array in the type that can be binary searched - the general case would be an empty array that is quickly skipped.
The serialisation code with custom save array lookup now looks like this:
void SaveObject(char* data, Type* type) { // Using the description of the type, iterate over all fields in // the object for (Field* field in type->fields) { // Each field knows its offset so add that to the base address of the // object being saved to get at the individual field data char* field_data = data + field->offset; // Branch on field type Type* field_type = field->type; if (field_type is pointer) Serialise ((Object*)field_data)->hash as u32 else if (SaveFunc f = field_type->save_funcs[FORMAT_XML]) f(field_data, field_type); else if (field_type is builtin) SaveBuiltin(field_data, field_type); else if (field_type is container) SaveContainer(field_data, field_type); else SaveObject(field_data, field_type); } }
It's worth mentioning that another means of achieving this is to have a single Load/Save function per object that handles the serialisation of all fields that are too complicated to reflect in one place. Unreal Engine (UE) is a good example of this and it's one of the main reasons I prefer the above solution. There are no marked boundaries between serialised fields so it's very easy to damage an entire object by messing up one field - you can't temporarily skip it and keep everybody working while you solve the problem at hand. It gets more unwieldy when you get into versioning, which is covered below.
Versioned file formats
So far we haven't taken a look at any loading code. Some pseudo-code for loading anything saved with the features we've covered above could look like this:
void LoadObject(char* data, const Type* type) { for (Field* field in type->fields) { char* field_data = data + field->offset; Type* field_type = field->type; if (field_type is pointer) // Load u32 hash, lookup in Object Database, point to it (or create, or proxy object, impl defined...) else if (LoadFunc f = field_type->load_funcs[FORMAT_XML]) f(data, field_type); else if (field_type is container) LoadContainer(field_data, field_type); else if (field_type is builtin) LoadBuiltin(field_data, field_type); else LoadObject(field_data, field_type); } }
This code expects the data to be saved in the order the fields are specified in the type. If you add or remove fields or change the implementation of your custom loading function then catastrophe awaits. A versionable file format is one which can adapt to these changes gracefully.
Versionable file formats can be an incredibly important tool for development files in game asset pipelines. A good example here would be a mesh file format, as loaded by your game:
Edit the mesh in your DCC.
Export the mesh to an intermediate file format - this is custom or 3rd party (e.g. COLLADA, FBX or XSI).
A custom tool "compiles" the mesh to its game-loadable file (per platform).
Editor loads the output to use as level edit placement.
Game loads the output.
Discussion of the merits of different build and development strategies goes far beyond the scope of this post, considering the variety of approaches developers take. However, if you're using a build system that caches the compiled mesh contents so that other developers don't have to build them locally to run the game, you'll need to have a system in place to handle changes to the formats of those cached files.
A common approach taken in many studios, including some I've worked at is to store a version number at the start of each mesh file and refuse to load the file (or assert) if there's a version mismatch. When a programmer wants to change the file format, they do the following:
Make the change locally on their machine and iterate on a small subset of the assets.
Kick off a process that recompiles every mesh in the game. This can be overnight on your machine or offloaded to an worker machine and distributed in some way.
Submit new compilation tools, game and compiled assets.
Content creators sync to new tools and new assets - potentially gigabytes of data.
On one project it was not unknown for a complete rebuild of all textures to take up to a week. This put the programmer offline for a considerable amount of time, requiring multiple client-specs to maintain productivity. It completely killed any enthusiasm to change the file formats. Your mileage may vary but I've found that the ease at which I can optimise a game is greatly influenced by the ease at which I can modify the format of the files it loads.
If your file format is amenable to change, you can do the following:
Make the change locally and iterate on a small subset of the assets.
You can integrate these assets into larger levels with older assets during testing.
Submit new compilation tools and game.
Content creators get latest and can still play/edit the game.
Any assets created or modified use the latest file format.
Programmer schedules an offline build process to gradually go through all cached meshes and convert them to the new format.
Content creators slowly sync over time to the updated assets.
This forms the backbone of UE-based development and scales gracefully to 150-200 man teams with outsourced developers added on top. It's also how we built the Splinter Cell: Conviction engine, allowing us to rewrite the renderer on the main branch while around 50-80 content creators continued to work with daily tool/game updates.
I'm straying a little too far from the point of this post but this is a worthy discussion to have. The reality is, each developer views the issue differently and it's possible to take any of the above solutions and create an environment in which it works wonderfully well or is a constant production risk.
So, back to the point! If your output format is XML, you can simply change your loading code to:
void LoadObject(char* data, const Type* type) { for (string tag in xml_nodes) { // Skip any fields that have been removed Field* field = type->find_field(tag); if (field == 0) continue; // Normal loading char* field_data = data + field->offset; Type* field_type = field->type; if (field_type is pointer) // Load u32 hash, lookup in Object Database, point to/create it else if (LoadFunc f = field_type->load_funcs[FORMAT_XML]) f(data, field_type); else if (field_type is builtin) LoadBuiltin(field_data, field_type); else if (field_type is container) LoadContainer(field_data, field_type); else LoadObject(field_data, field_type); } // Any added fields in the type won't be present in the data so are // naturally handled if you provide them with a default value }
If your output format is binary you can use a solution similar to IFF files: each field is prefixed with a chunk descriptor that specifies a tag ID and chunk size. In our case, the tag ID can be the hash of the field name:
void LoadObject(char* data, const Type* type) { int nb_fields = read from file; for (i in nb_fields) { // Read the chunk header u32 field_hash = read from file; u32 data_size = read from file; // Skip any fields that have been removed Field* field = type->find_field(field_hash); if (field == 0) { // seek from current position over the data_size continue; } // Normal loading char* field_data = data + field->offset; Type* field_type = field->type; //... // You can insert an extra check here to verify that the loading code has // consumed the number of bytes equal to data_size. Very useful for tracking // errors in custom loading functions. } }
This has two issues you need to solve:
If somebody loads a new file version with an older version of your editor, it will discard data when resaving. One way of solving this is to store the data of any skipped fields in a dictionary assigned to that object that gets saved later. A simpler way is to force everybody to update to any new tools versions!
If data for a newly added field is not present in the file, a nice default value needs to come from somewhere. An easy solution is to initialise your default value in the object constructor. The downside to this is that the default value is not visible to external tools and you need to recompile source each time you change a default value. Another approach would be to specify the default value as some reflection attribute that gets saved offline. You would need to change the code above to then manually assign these defaults to any missing fields.
Custom load/save functions need special attention with respect to versioning. As mentioned above, UE has a custom Serialize function per object, within which multiple version checks are made to see what needs to be serialised. This can get very complicated to manage and is easy to break.
When you have the ability to associate custom load/save functions per type or per field, this becomes easier to manage. If you serialise version numbers with each function then the job of deciding what's valid and skipping invalid chunks is handled automatically for you, leading to more maintainable and fault tolerant code.
Both methods can suffer from lack of old version pruning. When we started Splinter Cell: Conviction, there was still loading code for the mesh format in the original Splinter Cell. Nobody knew whether this worked as it hadn't been tested in years. Updating the code was fraught with problems and a reboot was required.
Enumerations
Enumerations can quite easily be serialised as integers but this is quite brittle. If a programmer changes the order of enumerations, changes their value or adds/removes any, all existing data that uses that enum type will likely be invalidated. I have worked on projects that would require rebuilding the entire asset database if you were ever bold enough to try such a move!
A very simple way to avoid this problem is to serialise enumerations as the hash of their name:
void SaveEnum(char* data, Type* type) { // Cast the type to an enum and retrieve the value Enum* enum_type = type->AsEnum(); int enum_value = *(int*)data; // Lookup the constant and save its hash EnumConstant* constant = enum_type->find_constant(enum_value); WriteU32(constant->name.hash); } void LoadEnum(char* data, Type* type) { // Cast the type to an enum and read the constant hash Enum* enum_type = type->AsEnum(); int hash = ReadU32(); // Lookup the constant and assign the value EnumConstant* constant = enum_type->find_constant(hash); *(int*)data = constant->value; }
You will also have to account for data that stores old enum values, typically handled by leaving the destination untouched and initialised at its default value.
Performance: Baked serialisation functions & PODs
This may all seem a little slow but the reality is you are likely to be I/O bound; even on hard-drives none of this code factors negatively in the performance.
However, it can be given a little speed boost with a technique that you may find easier to read/maintain: give each field a custom serialisation function. Instead of the inner loop of SaveObject branching, ahead of time you can figure out what the result will be and record it for that field:
void BakeSerialisationFunctions(Field* field, Format format) { // Don't bake anything for transient fields if ("transient" in field->attributes) return; // Bake the save function based on the type if (field_type is pointer) field->save_funcs[FORMAT_XML] = SavePointer; else if (field_type->save_funcs[FORMAT_XML]) field->save_funcs[FORMAT_XML] = field_type->save_funcs[FORMAT_XML]; else if (field_type is builtin) field->save_funcs[FORMAT_XML] = SaveBuiltin; else if (field_type is enum) field->save_funcs[FORMAT_XML] = SaveEnum else if (field_type is container) field->save_funcs[FORMAT_XML] = SaveContainer; else field->save_funcs[FORMAT_XML] = SaveObject; } void SaveObject(char* data, Type* type) { // Call the save for each field for (Field* field in type->fields) { char* field_data = data + field->offset; Type* field_type = field->type; field->save_funcs[FORMAT_XML](field_data, field_type); } }
Furthermore, if your reflection API deems that an object is of a POD type, you don't have to recurse into the children and can instead write a binary blob for the entire object (un-versioned, binary only).
Field offsets and inheritance
The basic implementation of a Class type will store only the fields that were declared within the class. Field layout is ABI-specific and you will need a database per compiler/platform when using field offsets. Access to fields of its base class requires following the base class pointer in Class :
void SaveObject(char* data, Type* type) { //... end of the function... // Recurse into base types if (type is class && type->base_class) SaveObject(data, type); }
This has some subtle side-effects. If your class contains virtual methods then it's up to the compiler where it stores the virtual function table pointer. Typically this has no effect on the validity of recording field offsets that are used at runtime but there are some simple cases where it breaks. Take this piece of code:
struct PodBase { int x; }; struct NonPodDerived : public PodBase { virtual void f(); }; NonPodDerived obj; NonPodDerived* a = &obj; PodBase* b = a;
The addresses of a and b will be different because NonPodDerived needs to store an extra virtual function table pointer. This means that the address of PodBase::x will be different to NonPodDerived::x!
If you want to use multiple inheritance, things get a little trickier:
struct B0 { int x; }; struct B1 { int y; }; struct C : public B0, public B1 { int z; };
The field offsets for both x & y in their class descriptions will be 0. When serialising B0 and B1 on their own this will be fine, but when serialising C, both x & y can't live at offset 0! The compiler may layout C like this:
x: 0 y: 4 z: 8
Serialising this kind of object using the class descriptions of C, B0 and B1 will not work. This simple case can be solved by calculating the offsets of x & y when contained in C and storing them in the class description of C itself. No longer will your serialisation code walk up the inheritance hierarchy finding members, and given that reflection databases are usually quite small, you may actually find this kind of setup preferrable. It will also fix the first issue.
But what if B0 and B1 themselves inherit from the same base class? This is the dastardly diamond inheritance issue:
struct A { int w; } struct B0 : public A { int x; }; struct B1 : public A { int y; }; struct C : public B0, public B1 { int z; }
In this case C will contain two copies of A, each with different offsets for their own w. There's really no clean solution to this in a reflection API unless you add more complexity. One way to force the compiler to only embed one copy of A in C is to use virtual inheritance:
struct A { int w; } struct B0 : virtual public A { int x; }; struct B1 : virtual public A { int y; }; struct C: public B0, public B1 { int z; };
We're into highly implementation specific territory here but the compiler might offset like this:
vptr B0: 0 x: 4 vptr B1: 8 y: 12 z: 16 w: 20
Notice that w is right at the end and there's only one copy. There's also a couple of virtual table pointers in C that help the compiler cast between the various classes at runtime. At first sight, it appears that using the initial multiple inheritance solution might work here, however the representation of a member offset for non-POD types is implementation defined and not guaranteed to work on any compiler. Indeed, the following code crashes at runtime in MSVC2005:
struct VirtualBase { }; struct Derived : virtual public VirtualBase { int x; }; int offset = offsetof(Derived, x);
You will hit this issue if you decide to allow multiple inheritance of root serialisation types as they all need to inherit from Object.
There are a few ways of recording the offset of a field, including:
With runtime, templated registration, you can create "visitor functions" that wrap access to the field. This is by far the most portable/standards-compliant way of doing this but you're adding complexity to your API & runtime, increasing compile times and generated code size.
At runtime you can use the C++ offsetof macro. This is standards-compliant for POD types. It's practically compliant for a variety of non-POD configurations for the platforms game developers use but will break down with pure virtual inheritance.
macro. This is standards-compliant for POD types. It's practically compliant for a variety of non-POD configurations for the platforms game developers use but will break down with pure virtual inheritance. Offline, you can use a layout generator that knows the target ABI and can calculate the field offsets for you. A good example of this is the one that ships as part of clang: RecordLayoutBuilder.cpp.
Get your compiler to report field offsets after a compile step.
In later posts I'll explain how offsetof works and how you can work-around its limitations with pure virtual inheritance. However, it's hairy territory and I'd advise avoiding the problem altogether - personal experience has shown that the added complexity required to deal with such cases does not justify the limited use it sees.
It's worth reading Memory Layout for Multiple and Virtual Inheritance to get more background information on this problem.
Attributes
Attributes are a means of annotating your primitives, adding extra data that can be used to control how your program performs at runtime. C++11 attributes are not what I'm referring to here as they don't allow you to define your own attributes/values. C# attributes are closer but a little too powerful/complicated.
A simpler attribute system would allow:
Flags: Named flags that represent a boolean state. A classic example is transient, which allows you to mark fields which you don't want to serialise.
, which allows you to mark fields which you don't want to serialise. Values: These are name/value pairs, such as min_value, max_value, default_value, that can be used to drive user interface widgets. Integer or floating point value types can be used.
,,, that can be used to drive user interface widgets. Integer or floating point value types can be used. Strings: These are name/value pairs, such as description and group, that allow you to attach descriptive/grouping data to a primitive for user interfaces.
and, that allow you to attach descriptive/grouping data to a primitive for user interfaces. Functions: Name/function name pairs that allow you to more conveniently specify custom load/save functions (e.g. load=FunctionName ).
Later posts will describe ways in which you can annotate primitives and retrieve them at runtime. There are, as you would guess, many tradeoffs with each approach.
Network Serialisation and Visualisation of Game State
It's probably obvious by now how this can be achieved: use serialisation to a byte buffer that is optionally compressed and send that to your endpoint - most likely binary and versionable. With the addition of an attribute that describes network transient fields, this allows you to make some very powerful editing tools.
The main class of tool is an editor that connects to a live game, edits an intermediate data representation and broadcasts changes to a live game. There are many benefits to this approach:
You get live updates of any changes on PC or console.
Design is multi-threaded due to the nature of network communication, making for some graceful UI tools.
You can iterate on your tool code without bringing the live game down. If the tool crashes, it doesn't bring down the game.
If your game gets into a state that is deemed incorrect, you can connect and visually see the state of all your objects.
If you want to write your tool code in C# or embrace the era of the Internets and write in a combination of Javascript, HTML, CSS, etc. you only need to write the equivalent of the above serialisation code in that language to allow editing and communication. Each C++ container type you support will need to map to an equivalent in the tool language.
This is how a stand-alone material editor, realtime PIX debugging tool and post-process editor were developed for Splinter Cell: Conviction, to be discussed in a later post.
This is more than likely not good enough for communicating real-time network updates for game code as you'll want to do things like:
Use context-specific knowledge to compress data (e.g. movement updates).
Use smaller situation-specific packet structures to communicate small changes to objects.
Compress the ID representation of any objects that are referenced by packets.
You can use a reflection API to describe your packet structures and binary serialise them or generate C++ code from the offline representation. If your packet structures end up being PODs then you can write code which performs a memcpy, exchanging any pointers for the unique hash of the object pointed to. However you choose to do it, the basic description of types and their layout that a reflection API can provide you with can give you a good head start.
Walking the Object Graph and the UI
With the tools developed above you can visit all data members within an object and perform arbitrary operations, such as printing their value to a console, displaying them in a widget in-game or recording them using some form of programmable logging system.
If you're generating a UI for your tools, you might be best off using an offline description of your types stored in some easily loadable format (e.g. JSON or XML). If none exists then you need to somehow send the runtime database to your tool (something I've achieved in the past by sending the entire database over the network on tool connect). With this you can:
Use attributes to specify default values, descriptions, field grouping and ranges.
Use the type of a field to determine what kind of widget to use, inspecting optional attributes to refine the choice.
Restrict the assignment of object references based on type.
Automatically populate enumeration list boxes.
When you can walk the object graph you can also record any pointers an object contains: what other objects does it reference? We used this technique in Splinter Cell: Conviction to accelerate deletes in UE. UE used to serialise all objects in a level, discarding everything but pointers when it needed to check for dependencies. This was incredibly slow in levels which contained 10s of thousands of actors - I believe we got delete operations from minutes down to a couple of seconds. More recent versions of UE have made significant performance improvements in this area, however.
On systems where the GPU can only use physical addressing to reference data, runtime defragmentation of specific memory heaps for vertices and textures becomes a very useful technique. Of course, you need a system that informs any referencing assets where the memory has moved to. The ability to inspect pointers and relocate them makes this quite trivial. You can also solve this issue with handles or an extra level of indirection - you may or may not be willing to accept the runtime performance this costs you based on your overall engine design.
Generalising the issue, you can also do controlled Garbage Collection by following the pointer graph and highlighting orphaned objects. UE achieves the same goal by serialising all objects, checking for references in a mark and sweep operation.
Calling Functions, Script Binding and RPC
You can build a reflection API for your game without needing to worry about adding function call support. By this I mean the ability to do something similar to the following:
// Retrieve the function by name Function* function = db.GetFunction("FunctionName"); // Build a set of parameters to pass to the function ParameterStack params; params.Add(1); params.Add("string"); // Call the function and inspect any return value function->Call(params); int ret = params.GetReturnValue();
This is an incredibly useful tool to have at your disposal for binding to scripting languages. A very simple way to bind to a scripting language is to use its API directly and manually register each function you want to expose:
void NativeFunctionExample(BindLanguageContext* ctx) { // Pop some parameters off the script language stack int param0 = ctx->PopInt(); string param1 = ctx->PopString(); //...do some work with the parameters... // Push a return value result of the work done ctx->PushInt(1); } void RegisterFunctions(BindLanguageContext* ctx) { ctx->RegisterFunction("NativeFunctionExample", NativeFunctionExample); }
This of course means your function can only be called from script. If you want to call it from C++ code as well the classic solution is to instead create wrapper functions and register them:
int NativeFunctionExample(int param0, string param1) { //...do some work with the parameters... } void NativeFunctionExample_Wrapper(BindLanguageContext* ctx) { int param0 = ctx->PopInt(); string param1 = ctx->PopString(); int ret = NativeFunctionExample(param0, param1); ctx->PushInt(ret); }
Now you can call NativeFunctionExample from C++ and register NativeFunctionExample_Wrapper with the script environment. Of course this is highly error-prone and downright tedious. It also gets worse when you try to bind to multiple languages, which is why many solutions have been developed to address these shortcomings.
Examples of automated binding approaches include:
SWIG: This scans your C/C++ header files and automatically generates wrapper code for anything you want to bind to other languages.
Boost.Python: Uses template meta-programming to generate the required wrappers at compile-time.
LuaBind: Uses template meta-programming for binding C++ to Lua.
Gem (FuBi): Uses knowledge of the platform ABI and a description of parameters to populate the native stack.
Template meta-programming approaches suffer from increased compile-times and along with code generation, result in larger than necessary executables. However, the approaches are cross-platform. On the other hand, if you have knowledge of the platform ABI you can write one function that takes a function signature and places parameters on the native stack before calling it. This requires highly platform-specific code but is remarkably concise and has a tiny footprint.
In each of these binding libraries, however, you'll find very similar function registration, parameter description and code generation techniques. This typically takes up a large majority of the implementation and can be quite complicated - the amount of code that deals with the specifics of the script language is not that great. If instead you took one of the above techniques and used it to populate an intermediate stack representation, you can write very simple code for each language variant you need to use:
void MakeParameterStack(ParameterStack& params, BindLanguageContext* ctx) { // Iterate over every value pushed onto the script stack for (int i = 0; i < ctx->ParametersOnStack(); i++) { BindLanguageVal* val = ctx->GetStackRef(); switch (val->type) { // If required, convert the script value to a native equivalent // In the case of ints, floats, etc, nothing may need to be done // In the case of object references, you need a means of preserving // the reference in the target language } // Add to the intermediate stack params.Add(val); } } void CallFunctionFromScript(BindLanguageContext* ctx, string function_name) { // Retrieve the function from the reflecton database Function* function = db.GetFunction(function_name); // Build the parameter stack ParameterStack params; MakeParameterStack(params, ctx); // Call the native function function->Call(params); }
The complicated part of the problem is now holed up in the Call function and whatever techniques you use to generate the reflection description of your functions. It's comparitively easy to add new languages with this.
If you're uncomfortable with the overhead this introduces then an offline reflection database can be used to generate C++ wrappers for each function you want to call from script. Naturally, this increases the size of your executable but that may be a trade-off you can handle.
I'll be discussing techniques I've used to bind to Lua, C#, Python and my own custom game language in future posts. This will also include coverage of how container binding was handled.
The final piece of the puzzle, RPC, should now be evident. All you need to do is serialise the parameter stack to a byte buffer and send that over the network. Any return values are serialised and returned. The details of how you wait/poll/interrupt on results are all you need to worry about.
Live C++ code editing
Edit-and-continue is OK when it works, but what if you had the ability to edit large sections of your C++ code without having to shutdown the game, reload the compiled executable, load your levels, navigate to your testing location and resume what you were doing? What if you could come to work, |
ath Albee, you should focus on roles and responsibilities as well as company objectives, orientation, and obstacles. She also suggests looking at the way companies use (or doesn’t use) social media. Is it effective? If not, why?
If you’re just starting out, gathering detailed analytics about your audience will be challenging. But this Beginner’s Guide is a great resource for building basic information about your audience and organizing it into working personas.
Research and insight are paramount to creating effective personas. Seventy-seven percent of effective personas are based on new external insight and big data tools. To help kick-start your research, you’ll want to look outside your organization for answers and conduct interviews with former, current, and potential clients. Here’s a helpful list of 15 questions to add to your interview. Or, check out this graphic article on different personality types.
Once you’ve done all your research, according to Albee, the next step involves switching places with your persona, and asking the questions that inevitably arise as you do the research. This dynamic between question and answer is what opens the dialogue between the company and the consumer. Ablee concludes the interview by saying, “…all the answers that you are going to come up with to these questions, are going to become the premise or premises for your content development.”
Remember, adaptive buyer personas by definition are constantly changing. Don’t carve yourself into a corner. Be flexible, open, and responsive to changes that SHOULD occur if your entire audience suddenly decides to buy your product. As your company grows and changes because of improved sales, so too should your audience and its respective needs.
Quick tip on developing a buyer persona in less than an hour…
generational data (taken with a grain of salt) and how age of the worker drives motivation. You can use a Doing all the work to develop a proper persona can take days, and sometimes weeks for each persona. While this is the right way to do it, you can’t always do everything the right way—you sometimes just have a starting point. To get a persona done—that will actually help you develop a positioning statement and other aspects of your B2B content marketing strategy, start with job postings on sites like Monster and LinkedIn. By looking at the requirements pulled together by senior leadership, HR and peers, you can get a sense of the professional responsibilities and demands of a position. Couple this quick research (can be done in as quick as 15 minutes), with easy to access general(taken with a grain of salt) and how age of the worker drives motivation. You can use a buyer persona template like this to get started.
3. Competitive Analysis and Industry Trends
Looking at the competition is a great way to learn more about what is and what isn’t working in your market. Competitive analysis is just a fancy way of spying on the competition, and learning what you can from their successes, as well as their shortcomings.
Competitive analysis can be as comprehensive or as simple as you think it should be. For example, a highly saturated market may require more reconnaissance to ensure your content can be heard over the crowd. On the other hand, a new technology promoted within an untapped market may require very little competitive analysis. Either way, it’s an important step to building a successful B2B content marketing strategy, and there are lots of great tools to help you do it.
For keyword analysis, which is extremely important for content marketers working in collaboration with an SEO team, SpyFu is an easy way to learn what keywords and organic search keywords competitors are targeting.
To gain intelligence about your competitors and learn how you stack up, check out Owler, a free tool that provides instant insights on your competitors’ leadership, revenue, press mentions, web and social statistics, and more. Use it to guide how, where, and when you deliver content.
Maybe you’ve already got the content ball rolling, but you’re not getting the kind of traffic you want. QuickSprout is a tool that gives you insight into the competition’s content—estimated traffic score, SEO score, and social share. Once you know what the competition is doing, you’ll be able to counter with improved tactics.
Alexa is an extremely powerful analytical tool designed for digital marketers and content strategists to gauge performance against the competition. In fact, Alexa is great for helping to develop buyer personas because it provides useful feedback about your market, including demographic information, user behavior data, trends, and more.
Other helpful tools include Google Trends and Google Alerts, which will help you stay ahead of the competition and monitor industry news, after your initial competitive analysis.
What you do with your research depends on what you discover along the way. The more you analyze and extract detail, insight, and perspective, the more capable you’ll be at driving your content in the right direction. What’s more, regularly monitoring the competition and industry trends will give you the foresight you need to beat the competition to new areas of opportunity as they become available through innovation, legislation, or shifting social norms.
Quick tip on how to conduct your competitive analysis in under an hour…
Conducting comprehensive competitive research can be a time consuming process that could take weeks, and even months depending on your market — don’t fret, it is possible to identify and analyze your competition in just under an hour with the help of some online tools to automate the process. Our favorite competitor analysis tools are QuickSprout and Owler. Both provide instant intelligence that you can leverage in your analysis report including: top competitors, company profile, web traffic, social media and keyword data.
4. Developing a Positioning Statement
Unlike a mission statement, positioning statements are used internally to guide product and marketing decisions. Positioning statements require time and resources to be effective; the more focused and specific your statement, the easier it will be to make decisions regarding strategy and tactics. But that’s not all.
How is your product unique? Effective positioning statements are focused on describing your target market, differentiating your brand and product from the competition, and effectively communicating benefits to consumers and delivering on those results. Positioning statements can also look to the future; for example, sometimes it might be necessary to describe the evolutionary process of a product or service, in terms consumers will understand and get excited about.
There aren’t many hard or fast rules to writing a positioning statement; suffice it to say, they should include a few important points of information. Identify your target market and your brand name; describe how you are different or better than the competition; and give the audience a reference point, as well as a credible reason why consumers should buy your product.
Here’s a helpful template to get your started. Your positioning statement should look something like this:
For [insert Target Market], the [insert Brand] is the [insert Point of Differentiation] among all [insert Frame of Reference] because [insert Reason to Believe].
—eCornell
So, how do you fill in all these blanks? If you’ve got your buyer personas, the target audience can be expounded from one, or a few of those — the more specific the better.
Point of differentiation is the crux of your statement; it’s the reason people should buy your product instead of the competition’s. Avoid ambiguous language like best, biggest, fastest, always, and never. Theses superlatives are vague and don’t offer a credible reason for consumers to take action. Focus on benefits, not features, in this section. How does your product solve a particular problem? How does it solve it better than the competition?
A reference point just means describing the broad category in which your product or service competes. Don’t overthink this. From your point of view, your product might not relate to anything on the market, but consumers won’t feel that way. If you’re selling a hot new mobile game, call it an app. If you’re selling luxury denims, call them jeans.
Finally, why should consumers buy this product? Why should they believe in you and not the other guy? Again, reference your buyer personas for clues. What specific problems do your personas have? What keeps them up at night? What would drive them to action if given the opportunity to solve this problem? If you can articulate an understanding of this problem, consumers are more likely to listen to you. Conversely, you will also be better equipped to solve the problem.
We recommend working with other key players from within your organization to determine how to differentiate your product from the competition. Your sales team will keep your marketers grounded in the consumer’s reality, whereas someone from product development might be best able to describe the product’s benefits. When creating your B2B content marketing strategy collaboration is key, and will be of great benefit to this process.
Unique Selling Proposition and Insight
There are few cases of a product or service being so different that it doesn’t need a unique selling proposition (USP). Most of the time, products are competing in a market because they’re so similar to one another; they have to rely on marketing strategies and tactics to distinguish their value. The more compelling your USP, the more likely that consumers will gravitate to your offer. You’ve got to dig deep, put your psychoanalytical hat on, and get creative.
Target audience and competition greatly influence your unique selling proposition. The former is important because, while your product might fit into several markets, your specific target market will interact and benefit from the product uniquely. The more you know about your target market, the easier it will be to create a USP for that particular audience.
By analyzing the competition, you might be able to fill a gap not currently being filled. In order to do this, analyze the advertising, marketing, and social media of your competitors, and analyze what unique offer they’re making.
Just because someone’s already secured a position in one market doesn’t mean he or she will always be able to hold it. If your company can solve a buyer’s problem better, that’s a good reason to pursue a USP in that market.
Here’s a great template to help you determine your product’s unique selling point. Be sure to leverage this information when you create your positioning statement.
Quick tip on how to create your positioning statement in under an hour…
If you’ve already completed the Buyer Persona, Competitive Analysis and Industry Trends (which you should have already done), then putting together your positioning statement is a snap. Take your target market, the problem you solve for them, and how you solve it uniquely. The keys are target, solve, and unique. Then hop over to eCornell’s Positioning Statement Generator …and plug in your information. They say you can do it in as little as 30 seconds.
5. Map Your Buyer’s Journey
In addition to understanding how workflow and channel distribution affect the content you create, your buyer’s journey will also influence the kind of content created, as well as when and where it’s distributed.
Depending on the business, a buyer’s journey can be as simple or as complex as it needs to be to hit three specific points along the way: awareness, consideration, and purchase. These points are fairly straightforward.
During awareness, your customer is just getting started; maybe they read some of your content on social media, or click on a paid advertisement. Typically, the buyer is not ready to make a purchase, and instead will profit from learning more about your offerings, usually by discovering other relevant content about your brand.
Consideration is any amount of time between a new buyer learning about your product or service, and that buyer actually making a purchase. This is the longest part of the journey; for some B2B endeavors, it can take as long as 18 months for a buyer to move through this phase.
This is the time when you should be lead nurturing, or building rapport with your buyers through communications on channels you’ve outlined in your channel plan. To do this, you’ve got to be able to get a little information from your buyer, typically an email address. Your goal is to establish and maintain contact with the buyer during the consideration phase, and provide him with content that ultimately pushes him forward to the point of purchase.
The best way to do this is to review your buyer personas. Which persona is the most valuable? Which one do you want to push along the fastest in the buyer’s journey? This is a good place to start. As you develop your content, it should appeal to this persona.
Another consideration as you decide on your content is the source of the lead. Different stages of the buyer’s journey can be predicted depending on how they first come into contact with your brand. For example, someone doing a direct search on Google is probably more motivated to buy than someone who casually encounters your content on social media. If you can segment the in-bound traffic from these different points of entry, you’ll stand a better chance of delivering the content needed to move quickly through the buyer’s journey.
Once you know who (persona) and where (channel), your next goal is to understand what motivates that buyer to act. What triggers push them to make the purchase? Some examples might include sudden growth in the company, industry news, or failed security.
Reference your channel plan to determine where to distribute this content for the specific persona — the places this group would mostly likely see your trigger-influenced content. Create content for multiple channels; the content should be similar but uniquely tailored to work best on each specific channel.
For more information about the buyer’s journey, check out this video by Hubspot.
Content Mapping
Content mapping works in collaboration with your buyer’s journey; content mapping attempts to deliver the right content, at the right time, to the right people.
For instance, once you’ve defined your buyer’s journey, content mapping will help you distribute the right content at the different stages (awareness, consideration, decision/purchase) and on channels most effective for specific buyer personas. But what kind of content works best during awareness, and what works best during consideration? This is what content mapping is all about.
We noted in the last section that awareness buyers are typically not ready to make a purchase—they’re browsing, likely on social media, and they don’t know enough about you or your product to make a decision. This is the top of your sales funnel, it’s the biggest, it’s the broadest, and it’s designed to cast a wide net. What kind of content makes sense for these buyers? What do they need at this point to move forward?
If you said information, then you’re on the right track. This is a great place to introduce useful tools and resources to a buyer: things like how-to videos, comparative reports, fun facts, FAQs, and infographics to name but a few. How can you educate potential buyers at this point to move them further down the funnel? Examples include differentiating your brand from the competition, offering a list of clear benefits, or providing a special offer.
Once a buyer becomes aware of your brand, you can start building rapport with him or her during the consideration stage, or the middle point in your sales funnel. Now you can be a little more direct, a little bolder, and more creative with your content. Backing up content ideas with data is always a good idea. Check out this multichannel content marketing planner template that helps you do just this. This would be the best place to personalize your content if you’re able to track information about the buyer.
Content examples during consideration might include email marketing, newsletters, product demos, webinars, ROI calculators, data sheets, case studies, and testimonials from previous buyers.
Finally, at the bottom of your sales funnel, during the purchase point of your buyer’s journey, content should aim to overcome any final obstacle or apprehension the buyer might have about making a purchase. Remember, B2B buyers have more at stake when they make a purchase, compared to the daily purchases made by most consumers. This is a good place to dig deep into your buyer persona and ask the tough questions they need to have answered to feel confident about buying your product.
At this point, content might include a free trial, free consultation, coupons and special offers, gated content, or money-back guarantees. Your job is to eliminate any doubt the buyer has, and replace that with a sense of urgency.
For a visual representation of what a content map should look like, check out this template from the American Marketing Association, or this Content Planning Template from Hubspot.
Longtail Keywords for SEO
In the past, Google would match exact words and phrases to a query — that’s how marketers learned to title their content, filling it up with relevant keywords to a point of annoying excess. But that’s not how Google works anymore. Google has learned to read your content.
For starters, content relevancy, or the topic of your content, has high value in search results. The subtext of your content can be just as valuable, if not more so, in a Google search than the keywords themselves. In fact, synonyms of keywords may influence up to 70 percent of search results. Today’s Google search is less about matching keywords, and more about what those keywords mean in the context of the content.
The other difference: Google is now looking at user behavior to deliver personalized search results. Your content needs to address this personalization. To do this, you’ve got to get specific — use your buyer personas to determine how that particular persona may search for content. What words or phrases would they search for?
Longtail keywords are more important than ever. They make up 70 percent of the searches on the Web, in hundreds of millions of unique searches performed every single day. While it’s going to be almost impossible to rank for single keywords like “software”, “fertilizer,” or “dog food”, longtail keywords afford more opportunity because they drive more specific results.
For example, someone searching for “Windows 7 home computer security software” offers more diversity in research results because it’s more specific than “security software.” Your content should attempt to be just as specific, keeping longtail keywords in mind.
Knowing which longtail keyword to focus on is the foundation of your SEO strategy. There are several free tools available to help you analyze the competition of specific longtail keywords, like KWFinder and Übersuggest, as well as tracking tools like Google AdWords Keyword Planner Tool and Wordtracker’s Free Basic Keyword Demand.
Quick tip on how to map your buyer’s journey in under an hour…
If you’ve gone through the process of defining your buyer persona’s challenges, needs, motivations, and content preferences you are now ready to map your content types to each of the buying stages — awareness, consideration, decision. You can achieve this in 30 minutes or less by leveraging a buyer’s journey template that maps User Behavior (blog, keywords), Content Offer (how-to-guide, infographic), and Action Keywords to your persona’s buying stage.
6. Content Marketing Workflow
Now it’s time to look at how you create content (workflow), and how you distribute it (channel planning), to achieve the best results for your effort.
Whether you’re new to content marketing, or you’ve been in the business for many years, chances are good that the amount of time and resources it takes to go from concept to publishing are more taxing than you’d like. That’s because content gets circulated through dozens of hands before it gets the green light. Understanding how to streamline your workflow will save you hours in the long game, and likely improve the attitudes of those involved in the process.
To start, document the process involved for content to go from concept to distribution. Use bullet points or a flowchart. Now it’s time to audit that process. Where can you cut the fat? Where is most of the congestion, and how can you alleviate the pressure?
Some solutions to your problems might include using project management software like Basecamp, where team members can communicate, share files and more, documenting progress every step of the way. Switching to a cloud-based system like Dropbox or Google Drive might help you keep track of content as it moves between various editors. The same goes for your editorial calendar (here’s a helpful template), which can be very useful for other team members to see what’s going on in other departments and channels.
Speaking of channels, creating a content marketing channel plan is a great way to organize distribution. Once you have the content, how do you know where to publish it? That’s essentially what a channel plan attempts to answer.
To do this, you should first audit current distribution channels, and determine what you have that’s working and what you need to change or acquire to improve. At this point, consider things like human resources and budget to prioritize your channels.
Next, outline channel objectives. This is where you break down what it is exactly that each channel does. Be as specific as possible. Examples might include, driving traffic to the website, increasing social shares, and converting sales.
Use your buyer personas to help tighten your channels even further. Which buyer is interacting with which channel? How might this affect the content you share on this channel?
Once channel objectives are established, it’s time to draft for each channel. Now that you know what you want to accomplish, the plan should define how you are going to do it. What tactics you are going to use? This is where you might employ paid advertising, email marketing, social media contests, how-to videos, and so on.
You will need to set up some analytical tracking tools so you can determine the performance of each of the channels and track how well your objectives perform within each, respectively.
By trimming the fat from your content marketing workflow, and outlining a channel plan, you’ll be working smarter, not harder, as you get closer to distribution.
Once your channel plan is ready, the rest of the distribution is really about timing — publishing your content to maximize the potential reach. There’s a multitude of data available to help with this consideration. For example, Facebook posts distributed on Thursday and Friday between 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. are best to improve engagement. And if you think about it, that makes sense; people are happy to see the weekend, and more likely to respond positively to your content.
There are too many channels to cover every unique time slot in which you should be distributing your content; just know that the information is available with a quick Google search. Use that data to your advantage when it makes sense.
Finally, be open to new channels. Buyers and decision-makers don’t ascribe to a single selection of social media channels (think beyond Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn), and that means thinking outside the box and getting into channels you might not be familiar with, but your market is. A channel-neutral approach means reaching out across multiple channels to maximize your content’s reach. And this works best when you’re open to new channels as they become relevant to your market.
Quick tip on how to define your content marketing workflow in under an hour…
Once you have done your audience and competitor research creating the content marketing workflow should be a pretty quick and painless process. First, take 10 minutes and document your task-based content marketing workflow by identifying team members and assigning each their specific task in the content marketing process — strategist, researcher, writer, editor, designer, QCer, promoter. Then, use an editorial template like this to help in the content workflow and creation process to show who’s responsible for content, on what date, and for which channel.
7. Content Distribution
Distribution will be easy for you to accomplish once you have a detailed channel plan and a content mapping strategy. However, there are a few tricks to distribution worth noting here that will help extend the life of your content, as well as improve its reach with a little extra effort.
First, you’ve got to get organized. Each channel you distribute content on will likely have its own set of guidelines and special features that must be met in order for the content to be successful. It would be hard to remember all of this in your head, so use a template to organize this information so you don’t have to.
Make the most of your content by practicing a few repurposing and recycling rules to stretch its life. For example, if you’ve developed a fantastic how-to video for YouTube, you could dictate that video and post it as an article on the company’s blog. Share you blog post on Facebook and Twitter.
Once content is written or produced, you can modify the angle to meet the needs of the persona on the channel these individuals are likely to visit.
Other distribution options might include paid content distribution, guest posting, and reposting the same content multiple times to the same channel — if it’s good content, why not?
Distribution is truly an exercise in creativity. Once you’ve nailed down your personas and channel plan, distribution will flow pretty naturally. Be creative, but be sure your distribution plan aligns with the buyer’s journey and your content map.
Inbound PPC Keyword Strategy (PPC)
In the last section, we mentioned paid content distribution; now let’s take a look at another area in which you might find yourself spending money: pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. Whether you’ve run an AdWords campaign or not, you’re more familiar with how it works than you realize.
When someone searches on Google, a list of results appears; the tops spots have a yellow square next to the URL, identifying them as advertisements, also known as PPC. When you build a PPC campaign, you’re going to focus on the keywords (longtail included) that you researched in your comparative analysis and your SEO strategy. Keywords are what drive your PPC campaign. The more successful you are at picking the keywords, the more successful your campaign will be.
But first, you’ve got to be able to define the goals of your campaign, using key performance indicators (KPI) that matter most to your business. Some examples might include hitting a target cost-per-acquisition or specific value added to your pipeline. Micro conversions are also important — things like getting your content viewed or adding subscribers to a newsletter. Whatever it is, it must be measurable for your campaign to succeed.
You will evaluate the success of your campaign primarily based on conversions, or the actions people take once they engage with your advertisement. You will use conversions to make decisions about how you allocate your money, and how to improve the reach of working keywords and underperforming keywords alike.
A Pipeline to Spend Ratio is another way to guide your decision-making process for all PPC advertising. That equation looks something like this:
Pipeline to Spend Ratio = Opportunity Pipeline / Investment in PPC
—Marketo
Sometimes it’s helpful to work this equation backwards. Figure out what you aim to achieve in your opportunity pipeline first, and that will give you an idea of how much PPC investment you’re going to need to achieve this goal.
One of the KPIs you’ll want to master first is Quality Score (QS) — a tool AdWords uses to measure your success as an advertiser. It’s important that your keywords all have a good score.
PPC is a channel that affords measurement opportunities and requires constant optimization and analysis. Just like your personas, the effectiveness of PPC will change over time. Use tools that align with your company’s KPI to measure how they perform and make adjustments accordingly. Check out this customizable analytics template that can help you track key metrics.
Quick tip on how to plan your channel distribution in under an hour…
If you’ve completed your buyer’s journey and content marketing workflow then planning your channel distribution is a snap. Within about 30 minutes you can create an actionable plan that defines what mix of content to publish, on what channel to publish to, hashtags and links to use, and the best time to share.
8. Roles and Responsibilities
Now that you know how to create your content, and where and when to distribute it, you might be wondering who is responsible for each step of the process. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question; the size and scope of your company’s resources will greatly affect the roles and responsibilities of content creation, to one degree or another. However, moving forward, it’s good to at least understand the flow of these roles and responsibilities, so that as things change and hopefully grow, you’re prepared to distribute the work appropriately.
Visualize a pyramid. At the very top of the pyramid is the content strategist: the person responsible for asking the big-picture questions like, “Who are we trying to reach, where can we reach them, and what do we want to say to them?” This may very well be you, or it may be you sometime in the near future. This person lays the groundwork for the entire B2B content marketing strategy and ensures continuity among participating departments.
Next, editorial directors are the like-minded enforcers of the content strategist’s master plan. They manage, hire and/or outsource content marketing creation to the writers and producers who produce the work. They also perform a lot of the organizational functions we discussed like managing a content map, channel plan, and editorial calendar.
Executing on the content strategy are the content creators. These are the writers, designers, artists, animators (and sometimes—gasp—even developers), who create and make the content come to life. Leveraging the strategy (personas, platforms, processes and technology), the creators are responsible for making the content plan a reality.
Content syndicators help distribute your content across various channels, understand the intricacies of each, and know how to use analytical tools associated with each channel to improve effectiveness. Similarly, a content analytics expert is exactly what it sounds like: a person who specializes in interpreting data to adjust tactics to meet content objectives.
Your content team doesn’t work in a vacuum; getting other departments involved in your work, and listening to their suggestions and input, is an invaluable resource in your content marketing endeavors.
Quick tip on how to define roles and responsibilities in under an hour…
Having the roles and responsibilities of your team defined is key to the success of your content marketing. First, begin with identifying each contributor, which might include Tim from IT, Suzy from Sales, your marketing department, or eager to write content CEO. Next, map responsibilities to each team member (researcher, interviewer, writer, designer, editor, publisher, analyzer…), followed by how often they contribute (could be daily, weekly, or monthly), and the channel(s) they own. Your first pass at creating roles and responsibilities can be done in 45 minutes or less.
No doubt you are thinking that creating a B2B content marketing strategy is a lot of work. And it is! But with the tools, software, and processes we outlined in our quick tips as well as commitment on your end, you should be able to hammer out a useable documented B2B content marketing strategy in as little as 8 hours. This strategic document can be the basis of a more comprehensive strategy that can be developed over time.
We challenge you to try the 8 hour process and share your ideas, challenges and results with our community here!For President Trump, choosing targets and launching cruise missiles to punish the Syrian regime for using chemical weapons this week may have been a relatively clear-cut decision. The big problem is what comes next.
The military had been preparing options for a strike against President Bashar al-Assad since well before 2013, when the Syrian dictator killed more than 1,000 of his own people in a devastating nerve gas attack.
A chemical attack Tuesday blamed on the Assad regime killed scores of civilians and triggered a response from the Pentagon, which launched approximately 50 cruise missiles at a Syrian military airfield late on Thursday.
[Why these missiles are the most likely option for a strike in Syria]
“The basic questions haven’t changed,” said Phil Gordon, a senior official in the Obama White House who took part in many earlier debates about how to punish Assad. “Is there a set of military strikes that you can use to degrade the Syrians’ ability to deliver chemical weapons and, if you do that, what do they do in response?”
(The Washington Post)
The biggest difference between 2013, when President Barack Obama last threatened airstrikes against Assad, and today is that the risks of widening the conflict are much greater.
The initial American war plans to punish Assad in 2013 were aimed largely at his chemical weapons capability, said former U.S. officials involved in those deliberations. A direct strike on the Assad regime’s chemical weapons storage facilities was seen as too risky to civilians, because it would have produced a plume of noxious gas.
[Which chemical weapon was used in Syria? Here’s what investigators know.]
Instead military planners drew up a target list that included Assad’s chemical weapons units and the aircraft and artillery that the regime would need to deliver the ordnance. “The intent was to strike the various chemical weapons units,” said a former U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss military planning. “We had postured our intelligence units to give us bomb damage assessments — and if we didn’t get the effect we were looking for, we would have hit them again.”
The biggest difference that Trump and his commanders confront now is the presence of Russian troops on the battlefield and Russian air defense systems that are capable of shooting down U.S. planes. Today, Russian troops are intermingled with Syrian forces, and any strike on a Syrian military target could also produce Russian military casualties.
Retired Gen. John Allen, who coordinated the campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria during the Obama administration, said that the military strikes could have had a “decisive” impact on the war had they been launched in 2013. He described Obama’s decision not to strike as devastating.
“It is much harder now,” Allen said. “The United States has to ask itself a question: How angry do we want to be on this issue? Are we enraged enough morally that we are ready to take action even with the possibility of dead Russians?”
1 of 14 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × The scene in Syria after a chemical attack killed dozens View Photos At least 72 are reported dead after a chemical attack on a town in northern Syria. Caption The White House said it had evidence of preparations for another chemical attack in Syria and warned the Syrian regime against it. Earlier this year, dozens died after a chemical attack in a northern town. April 4, 2017 A man is helped by Syrian Civil Defense workers following a toxic gas attack in Khan Sheikhoun, a rebel-held town in the northwestern Idlib province. Mohamed Al-Bakour/AFP via Getty Images Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue.
[Trump and his ‘America First’ philosophy face first moral quandary in Syria]
The other big worries are the Syrian and Russian air defense systems that have not targeted U.S. planes because the American aircraft are largely focused on fighting the Islamic State, a common enemy of the United States and the Syrian regime.
“Both the Syrians and Russians can act as a spoiler,” said Andrew Exum, a former senior defense official in the Obama administration. “American and coalition aircraft have flown around and through their air defense systems for the last two years. If you launched a strike against the regime, it would have every excuse to start lighting up coalition planes with antiaircraft systems.”
At a minimum, such a move by the Syrians and Russians could spook some U.S. coalition partners and cause them to pull out of the fight, Exum said.
If U.S. aircraft were shot down or forced to fire back at the Syrian and Russian radar, the United States could get pulled into the middle of Syria’s messy civil war. Such an outcome would not only put American lives at further risk, it would make the U.S. war against the Islamic State, which Trump has declared his top foreign policy priority, far more difficult.
Trump could mitigate some of those risks by assuring the Russians that the strikes are designed solely to punish Assad for using chemical weapons and not to tip the balance in the broader civil war. It is also possible that the strikes could give the United States added leverage to broker a compromise with the Russians that would end the civil war, some analysts said.
“The political message a strike would send is that you are using an approach that is completely different than the previous administration,” said Andrew Tabler, a Syria expert at the Washington Institute. Such a move would probably induce anxiety inside the Syrian regime that the United States could use to its advantage.
“Creating uncertainty and being unpredictable might get you a lot more than what the Obama administration was willing to do, which was nothing,” Tabler said.
Even as they acknowledged the big risks of a strike and their concerns about Trump’s erratic nature, some Obama administration officials urged action.
“If you don’t act, you are effectively telling Assad and the regime’s backers that you can use as much sarin as you want,” said Gordon, who served as a senior director for the Middle East in the Obama White House. “Assad tested Obama. Now there is an early test for Trump.”
Read more:
Deadly nerve agent sarin used in Syria attack, Turkish Health Ministry says
Trump condemns Syria chemical attack and suggests he will act
Trump loves a conspiracy theory. Now his allies in the fringe media say he’s falling for one in Syria.Editor's note: Fareed Zakaria recently delivered the commencement address at Harvard. While the audience was graduates, the message could apply to a great many of us, so we've reprinted a modified version below.
By Fareed Zakaria
The best commencement speech I ever read was by the humorist Art Buchwald. He was brief, saying simply, “Remember, we are leaving you a perfect world. Don’t screw it up.”
You are not going to hear that message much these days. Instead, you’re likely to hear that we are living through grim economic times, that the graduates are entering the slowest recovery since the Great Depression. The worries are not just economic. Ever since 9/11, we have lived in an age of terror, and our lives remain altered by the fears of future attacks and a future of new threats and dangers. Then there are larger concerns that you hear about: The Earth is warming; we’re running out of water and other vital resources; we have a billion people on the globe trapped in terrible poverty.
So, I want to sketch out for you, perhaps with a little bit of historical context, the world as I see it.
The world we live in is, first of all, at peace — profoundly at peace. The richest countries of the world are not in geopolitical competition with one another, fighting wars, proxy wars, or even engaging in arms races or “cold wars.”
This is a historical rarity. You would have to go back hundreds of years to find a similar period of great power peace. I know that you watch a bomb going off in Afghanistan or hear of a terror plot in this country and think we live in dangerous times. But here is the data. The number of people who have died as a result of war, civil war, and, yes, terrorism, is down 50 percent this decade from the 1990s. It is down 75 percent from the preceding five decades, the decades of the Cold War, and it is, of course, down 99 percent from the decade before that, which is World War II. Harvard professor Steven Pinker says that we are living in the most peaceful times in human history.
The political stability we have experienced has allowed the creation of a single global economic system, in which countries around the world are participating and flourishing. In 1980, the number of countries that were growing at 4 percent a year — robust growth — was around 60. By 2007, it had doubled. Even now, after the financial crisis, that number is more than 80. Even in the current period of slow growth, keep in mind that the global economy as a whole will grow 10 to 20 percent faster this decade than it did a decade ago, 60 percent faster than it did two decades ago, and five times as fast as it did three decades ago.
The result: The United |
and musical notes on her neck, Robin Neal, looking unwell, was interviewed by a triage nurse. Checking her blood sugar, the nurse saw a reading of 529 and immediately raised an arm for attention.
“You need to go to the E.R.,” she told Ms. Neal. Emergency medical technicians arrived to take her to a MASH-style hospital tent for emergency care.
Meanwhile, Angel Neal was suffering abdominal pain and nausea. Cindy Straub, a nurse practitioner who examined her, called them “pancreatic symptoms” and said she, too, needed to go to the emergency tent. An aide walked her over. She was placed on a bed next to her spouse.
Dr. Joseph A. Aloi, an endocrinologist from Wake Forest School of Medicine, examined both women. Standing outside the tent later, he said: “Insulin is coming up on its 100-year anniversary. People know how to take care of their diabetes. They can’t afford the insulin. They run out, they spiral out of control and end up in the hospital.”
After an hour in the tent hooked up to intravenous drips, the women were discharged. They walked the central artery of the fairground, passing medical personnel inviting them to presentations about breast cancer and opioid abuse. The Neals skipped these come-ons. They headed to a big, crowded pavilion offering eye tests. Robin Neal, whose vision was tested at 20/100, desperately needed a pair of the free eyeglasses RAM offered. She joined another long line on the sweltering day.The National Wildlife Federation continues to track dolphin deaths along the Gulf Coast. Today we’re learning some alarming new numbers about dead dolphins washing ashore in the heart of the area impacted by the Gulf oil disaster:
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says the number of dead dolphins found since Jan. 1 in the area affected by last year’s oil spill is now 67, with 35 of them premature or newborn calves. [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration] regional spokeswoman Kim Amendola says five dead calves were reported Friday in Mississippi or Alabama.
Federal officials are taking action in response to the wave of dolphin deaths:
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration declared the alarming cluster of recent dolphin deaths “an unusual mortality event,” agency spokeswoman Blair Mase told Reuters. “Because of this declaration, many resources are expected to be allocated to investigating this phenomenon,” she said. Although none of the carcasses bore outward signs of oil contamination, all were being examined as possible casualties of petrochemicals that fouled the Gulf of Mexico after a BP drilling platform exploded in April 2010, rupturing a wellhead on the sea floor, officials said.
Dr. Doug Inkley, senior scientist with the National Wildlife Federation, said today:
While any dolphin deaths are disturbing, there’s no way to know what killed these dolphins before necropsies are performed, and even those may not provide concrete answers. A number of factors could be in play, from disease to food shortages. Considering we know both living and dead dolphins were found with oil on them during the early months of the oil disaster, it’s fair to ask if toxic oil or dispersants could have played a role here. There could also be sickening-but-not-deadly oil effects on adult dolphins that have inhibited successful reproduction. While we do not yet know if these dolphin deaths were associated with the Gulf oil gusher, we do know that the environmental health of the Gulf of Mexico has been in serious decline for a long time, a decline made even worse by the oil disaster. These dolphin deaths and the struggles of other wildlife in the region remind us that all wildlife need healthy places to live and raise their young, and the Gulf is in need of a large-scale restoration investment to provide these habitats.
Dr. Inkley and other National Wildlife Federation staffers have exhaustively cataloged the wildlife deaths documented in the disaster zone last spring and summer, including thousands of birds, hundreds of endangered sea turtles, and dozens of dolphins.
Watch Dr. Inkley discuss the dolphin deaths on CNN’s American Morning:Israeli police are officially permitted to use deadly force against stone-throwing Palestinian teenagers, according to updated regulations made public on Tuesday by an Israel-based human rights organization.
The new open-fire regulations, revealed by Adalah, a rights organization and legal center that defends Palestinians living in Israel as well as the occupied territories, state that "an officer is permitted to open fire [with live ammunition] directly on an individual who clearly appears to be throwing or is about to throw a firebomb, or who is shooting or is about to shoot fireworks, in order to prevent endangerment."
Vetted and authorized by Israeli Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, the official regulations specify that "stone throwing using a slingshot"—a common tactic among Palestinian youths living under Israeli occupation—is an example of a situation that would justify fatal recourse. Previously, lethal force had been reserved as a final option when confronting such behavior.
Commenting on the newly-revealed regulations, journalist and Electronic Intifada associate editor Rania Khalek wrote online, "Israel essentially authorized extra-judicial execution of Palestinian children for acts not yet committed."
Just last month, Israeli troops shot dead a 15-year-old Palestinian boy because they "mistakenly" associated him with a group that was throwing stones.
"The new regulations allow officers to act in an unchecked and criminal manner," said Adalah attorney Mohammad Bassam. "The chances that actions such as stone throwing or shooting of fireworks would present a life-threatening danger are extremely slim and there is no doubt that it is possible to handle such situations using non-lethal means.
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"Nevertheless," Bassam continued, "the new regulations relate to such actions as if they were acts of war and grant legitimacy to light-trigger fingers [among officers], thus posing a fatal danger to the lives of young Palestinians.
"In addition," he said, "it is clear that the regulations do not refer to just any stone throwers but that they were written specifically regarding Palestinian youths."
The new measures were first approved by Israel's security cabinet in September 2015, according to Al Jazeera, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared "war" against those who throw stones.
As Al Jazeera's Nigel Wilson notes, "The move brought the Israeli police force's rules of engagement into line with the Israeli military operating in the occupied West Bank," where the forces "have faced criticism for the way they interpret the 'threat to life' and their subsequent use of lethal force against Palestinians."
The updated regulations were only revealed in part as Israel police continued to censor significant portions which, according to Adalah, are likely regulate the use of the Ruger rifle—a U.S.-made sniper rifle commonly used by Israeli forces against demonstrators and stone-throwers—or concern the handling of "security-related" offenses.You may have seen this morning's media frenzy about General Motors' "lie" about the Volt's ability to directly drive the wheels with its range-extending gasoline engine. What you may not know is that the publications screaming "lie!" are doing little more than running self-serving, tabloid-worthy headlines.
I'm not typically a fan of electric cars, at least in their current states of being. A car that can't go from one town to another across the desert Southwest, or which sees drastically reduced performance depending on the weather isn't really a car, in my book. It's a toy, a status symbol, a raised nose at the "gas guzzlers" that drive by on their way to some distant destination. But the 2011 Chevy Volt doesn't fall into that trap.
What the Volt isn't
In addition to driving 40 miles on nothing but electric power, it carries its own generator on board, making the non-existent national charging network irrelevant. And, as we learned today (though we had off-the-record hints several months ago from some of the Volt's top team members) it can also use the onboard engine to add some direct power to the wheels once the battery is depleted.
For a person that likes cars, appreciates efficiency, and couldn't care less about the definitional semantics the rest of the press is engaged in, that's fantastic. Is it a pure EV? Yes, for the first 40 miles. After that, no, it was never intended to be. Is it a hybrid? Not really, as it can run at highway speeds on nothing but electricity for its stated range of 40 miles, and falls back on mechanical drive power only under certain conditions, which is sort of the inverse of a typical mild hybrid. A plug-in hybrid? Sort of, if you don't mind blurring a few lines.
The question you might be asking now is, "What, then, IS the Volt?" There's an answer for that, but first we need some background.
The "lie"
Sampling the buff book testing, since they got their hands on it early and started the "GM lied" hysterics, the Volt is a family sedan that's capable of real-world mileage in the 30-40 mpg range over a week's period without any recharging. In other words, the first 40 miles aside, the range-extending system delivers performance about on par with real-world results from the Toyota Prius, Honda Insight, Ford Fusion, and other comparable hybrids.
The problem the buff books (and a few online outlets parroting their stance) have with the newly-announced ability of the Volt to supplement power with mechanical energy directly from the on-board 1.4-liter four-cylinder, is that it's no longer purely electric power driving the wheels.
This is a distinction without a difference. You can burn gasoline to spin a generator to charge the batteries to power the electric motors, or you can partially skip the middle man and send some of that gas-generated power straight to the wheels. Either way, gas is burned to turn the wheels.
We've tried to contact the Volt team to clarify whether sending enough power from the range extender to the batteries to enable pure electric highway cruising would have necessitated more expensive circuitry, more elaborate cooling, or other elements that would put the car out of its target cost range, but they're understandably swamped at the moment. We think it's a reasonable assertion, but we'll update you with the official word from GM as soon as we can.
Let's take a look at some of GM's statements that are ostensibly the source of the "lie." Inside Line cites lines like "The Chevrolet Volt is not a hybrid. It is a one-of-akind, all-electrically driven vehicle designed and engineered to operate in all climates." This statement, in light of the ability of the Volt to add direct drive from the onboard engine, isn't strictly speaking, true. But is it a lie? The Volt is all-electric at any speed for the first 40 or so miles. It's all-electric in charge-sustaining mode at speeds below 70 mph. In only one circumstance (speed-limit or higher highway driving) does it augment electric drive with mechanical. And even when the mechancial engine is kicking in some power the wheels are simultaneously being driven by the electric motors. If it's a lie, it's not one of omission, but of addition.
Jalopnik goes on to construct a quotation from Volt chief engineer Andrew Farah with a strictness that would set even Antonin Scalia's teeth on edge. Quoting Farah saying, "you're correct that the electric motor is always powering the wheels, whereas in a typical hybrid vehicle the electric motor and the gasoline engine can power the wheels. The greatest advantage of an extended-range electric vehicle like the Volt is the increased all electric range and the significant total vehicle range combined," Jalopnik responded with "This meant that the gasoline engine was nothing more than a 'range extender' designed to charge the batteries which would allow the electric drivetrain to continue to move the car — and allow GM to claim that the Volt was something different, something new and something worthy of taxpayer dollars. It turns out that's not correct."
Actually, that is still correct. It just does something in addition to Farah's remarks.
What the Volt really is
So what is the Volt? For the first 40 miles (and every 40 miles after that, if you're in the target market sweet spot) it's a pure EV. If you want to treat it as such, it's simply a battery EV with a 40 mile range and a lot of extraneous hardware. Unlike the LEAF or any other number of battery EVs, it won't leave you stranded if you get out too far without an outlet nearby. And unlike any mass-market hybrid, you can simply charge it each night and go about your 40-miles-or-less daily business without ever dipping into the world's diminishing supply of dinosaur juice.
Instead of either the battery-only EVs or the standard/plug-in hybrids, the Volt takes a scene from the heavily-sponsored Transformers movies and becomes an EV that generates its own charge from an on-board generator. Drive it around town, it's still powered purely by the electric motors. It's still an EV, just drawing its power from its own portable grid. Remember--the grid the LEAF and all other EVs pull their power from burns a considerable bit of coal to produce that electricity, too, but you can't put a coal-fired powerplant in the back of a LEAF. Sure, the gasoline engine isn't as efficient or as clean as a powerplant, but now we're talking differences of degree, not of kind.
But imagine now that your Volt has run out of its battery power, and your return trip necessitates some highway driving. Instead of saying "no sir, charge isn't high enough for highway speeds," the system dutifully kicks in and adds a little boost from the combustion engine, allowing you to flow with traffic rather than being an eco-friendly rolling road block. Convenient, confidence-inspiring, and, by the way, something none of those other EVs can do.
Why wait until now to tell us?
So if the Volt's ability to partially drive the wheels through its on-board engine is actually a very useful feature, why did GM hide that fact? The answer lies in patent applications and corporate competitiveness. If GM had laid all its cards on the table at the outset, you can bet Toyota, Honda, Ford, and others would have been hard at work getting a similar concept built before GM could patent the design. The patent acquisition took time--understandable to anyone who knows anything about the patent process. The result? A (relatively) late-in-the-game announcement of the enhanced drive capability.
But GM almost certainly wasn't expecting this sort of negative reaction, particularly from the ostensible enthusiasts at the buff books. In fact, in my interview with Rob Peterson back in June, we touched on this very subject as rumors of a direct-drive solution for the Volt's European cousin, the Ampera, had emerged. He stated only that the Volt would operate purely in electric mode for the first 40 miles, driving at any speed without aid from the combustion engine. As for the possibility of direct drive under other circumstances, Peterson played coy due to the ongoing patent application, but stated clearly that the Volt's powertrain is a "very innovative solution," and that there is "no rush on our part to tip our hand to our competitors." He even said we could expect a good surprise or two as the Volt neared production. We think this is one of them.
Semantic sand castles
Does that mean it's not an all-electric car the rest of the time? No. It just means that in addition to being an all-electric car, it has some hybrid-like capabilities. So Chevy delivers an EV with 340 miles range and adds in a power boost to maintain highway speeds even when the battery is discharged...and the media complains about it? This does not compute.
Put another way, if you drive your LEAF toward the end of its battery range, even if you have a charger waiting at the other end of the road, it'll stick you in a speed-limited "limp home" mode. The Volt's "limp home mode" lets you drive on the freeway at the cost of a little electrical purity. The arbiters of Green Morality may cringe, but at least you'll make it home in time to get the kids to soccer practice.
The "GM lied" fanatics can build their semantic sand castles and kick down GM's own all day long, but at the end of the day, this "lie" means the Volt is more capable than any other vehicle in its class. Is a flashy headline really worth dragging what may be the best EV/hybrid/futuremobile/whatever through the mud over a case of dubitable nomenclature? Apparently, to some, it is.“I don’t know anyone who lives in a tiny house in New York City,” said Tim Tedesco, one of the organizers of the NYC Tiny House Enthusiasts group on Meetup.com, which gathers at the Whole Foods cafe in Gowanus.
Of the group’s 270 members, only about 10 have tiny houses.
One lives in a century-old cottage on Staten Island that predates the 400-square-foot minimum, which was enacted in 1987; others have tiny houses outside the city and visit, or commute. Mr. Tedesco recently sold his 190-square-foot tiny house in Stony Brook, N.Y. — to go on the road with a 35-square-foot microhouse.
Ms. Mercer decided to build a tiny house in Brooklyn not to challenge the status quo, she said, but because she does not drive. “It was easier to build it here, because my life is here,” she added.
The daughter of a Japanese artist and an American who worked in hotels, she grew up in New Orleans, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, Japan and Singapore and moved to New York to go to New York University. She worked at restaurants through college and into her 20s, after her day job.
As she approached 30, and began moving up at Birchbox, where she now runs the skin care division, she wanted to buy. But she found she could not afford anything in the city, although her income had climbed into the low six figures and she had virtually no debt.
Image Inside the home. When it is complete, Ms. Mercer plans to tow it out of the city, possibly upstate. Credit Karsten Moran for The New York Times
Last year, the average price of an apartment reached a new high of $1.7 million in Manhattan, surpassing its last peak, in 2008, before the housing market collapse. “In New York, if you want to buy, you have to couple off, unless you have an inheritance,” Ms. Mercer said. “This is a conceivable way to do it with a single income.”
She estimates her tiny house will cost around $30,000.
The project began in early 2015. Ms. Mercer ordered a trailer bed, for $2,650, and leased the warehouse space.John Terry wants Frank Lampard to stay at Chelsea © Getty Images Enlarge
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Chelsea captain John Terry has piled the pressure on Stamford Bridge chiefs to hand team-mate Frank Lampard a new contract after admitting the prospect of his long-term fellow Blues legend playing for another club next season is too much to bear.
Lampard moved to within three goals of breaking the all-time Chelsea scoring record by firing home his 199th goal for the Blues in Sunday's FA Cup win against Brentford and Terry has suggested his veteran colleague still 'has so much more to offer' as the midfielder plays out the final few weeks of his latest contract.
In comments that are bound to resonate with the Chelsea hierarchy, the influential Terry has claimed 34-year-old Lampard remains the hardest working member of Rafael Benitez's squad.
"He has got so much more to give and he is an inspiration to everyone at the club," Terry said, in comments appearing across a host of British newspapers. "Still, at his age, he is the best trainer by a million miles. He works so hard.
"Kids can look at his goals and think 'he is just in the right position' but believe me, it is a lot of hard work before and after training. You can see he has always been very fit naturally, and that's despite the hard work he puts in before and after training.
"We all hope he's here (next season) but if not, he has certainly got years ahead of him. Although I don't even want to think about that (Lampard playing for another club). I am not even going to entertain that idea."
Meanwhile, Terry has claimed the Chelsea supporters have every right to pass a judgement on interim manager Benitez, even if the negative response he gets from the Stamford Bridge faithful is not helping the atmosphere for home matches.
"They pay their money, so they are entitled to echo their thoughts," added Terry. "All we can do is concentrate on our jobs and that is winning games. If we can do that, it completely takes that pressure away.
"If you are losing games, the pressure is on the manager. He has to take responsibility because he picks the team. So if we are not getting results, naturally it falls on his head unfortunately.
"Let's concentrate on the positive side. We are in the hat for the next round of the FA Cup and when we do play well, we deserve to have credit and respect. When we get knocked out of competitions, we will take it on the chin like men. When we are winning, just ease off a little bit.
"We want to finish as high as possible. Top two would be great and we are in the FA Cup and Europa League to win them. Every year at this football club, we need trophies. Champions League qualification is also a must."
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.But Mr. Trump has stirred concerns throughout the 2016 race, on the left and right, with a political approach and a set of policy prescriptions that plainly defy the norms of American politics. He has campaigned on pledges to bar Muslims from entering the United States and to torture people suspected of terrorism. (Mr. Trump has recently suggested barring people from the United States based on their country of origin, though he has not ruled out a religious test.)
In Philadelphia on Thursday night, Khizr Khan, whose son, a Muslim and a United States Army captain, was killed fighting in Iraq, stirred the convention crowd as he denounced Mr. Trump’s proposal, calling it an offense against the Constitution. “Donald Trump, you’re asking Americans to trust you with their future,” Mr. Khan said. “Let me ask you, have you even read the United States Constitution?”
Mr. Trump has routinely praised autocratic foreign leaders for what he characterizes as their steely leadership abilities. He has hailed Saddam Hussein, the executed Iraqi leader, for his skill at maintaining power, and said of Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, “You have to give him credit” for consolidating authority. This week, amid reports that Russian-backed hackers had breached the Democratic National Committee, Mr. Trump said he considered Mr. Putin a superior leader to Mr. Obama.
Mr. Trump also said on Wednesday that he hoped Russia would hack and release emails that Mrs. Clinton deleted from her time as secretary of state. He said later that the remark was intended as sarcasm.
Mr. Manafort, the Trump campaign chairman, indicated that Mr. Trump would not back away from presenting himself as a rescuer for a nation in peril. “The reason Donald Trump’s speech at the convention worked was because he was saying what people are feeling and thinking,” Mr. Manafort said in an email.A super easy, quick and healthy dinner! Cooking doesn’t have to be complicated.
I took four chicken breast and covers them with black pepper, granulated garlic, and a little bit of salt. Grilled for about 6-7 minutes each side.
For the vegetables, I just sliced them up big enough so they wouldn’t fall through the grill grate and cooked them until they were tender.
I steamed the broccoli in a pot until tender.
Then I drained and rinsed a can of black beans and cooked in a pot until warm.
You can put whatever seasonings you want on these vegetables but I find the grill gives them a nice smokey flavor.
Ingredients:
4 chicken breast
1 can of black beans
1 red pepper
1 yellow squash
2.5 cups of fresh broccoli
Nutrients: (2 servings)
Calories: 450
Fats: 12 g
Carbs: 25 g
Proteins: 64 g
$5 Meal PlanFrench spy agent Jean-Luc Kister has broken his silence over the 1985 bombing of Greenpeace boat Rainbow Warrior, telling France's Mediapart and TVNZ's Sunday programme that now is the right time to speak up about the death of photographer Fernando Pereira.
The French agent who planted the bombs that sank the Rainbow Warrior has apologised for his actions.
More than 30 years after the attack on the Greenpeace vessel, which killed photographer Fernando Pereira and shocked the nation, the man who lead the combat dive team, Colonel Jean-Luc Kister, has broken his silence.
He told TVNZ's Sunday programme that the operation was a "a big, big failure" and it has weighed on his conscience ever since.
GREENPEACE The Rainbow Warrior lies half-submerged in Auckland Harbour after a bombing by French secret service agents in this 1985 photograph.
"For us it was just like using boxing gloves in order to crush a mosquito. It was a disproportionate operation, but we had to obey the order, we were soldiers," he said.
"Many times I think about these things because, for me, I have an innocent death on my hands."
Kister, who lives in Metz in northern France, said he wanted to apologise to the family of Pereira, to Greenpeace and to the people of New Zealand for what he did.
TVNZ Colonel Jean-Luc Kister says he is sorry for his part in the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior.
He was working for France's spy agency, the DGSE, when he placed two bombs on the Rainbow Warrior while it was docked in Auckland on its way to protest against French nuclear testing at Mururoa Atoll, near Tahiti, in 1985.
The attack was carried out just before midnight on July 10. The time was chosen because it was thought no one would be in the engine room, Kister said.
"We are not cold-blooded killers. We did everything to preserve the lives of the people on board the Rainbow Warrior."
GREENPEACE Photographer Fernando Pereira who was killed during the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior.
The two bombs were timed to go off about four minutes apart. The French agents believed the first explosion would scare any crew members off the ship while the second would sink it.
But the first bomb blew a 2m by 2m hole in the Rainbow Warrior's hull, near the engine room, sinking it much faster than the French expected, Kister said.
The second bomb, on the ship's keel, ended up killing Pereira.
Kister said he was surprised when asked to carry out an attack on the Rainbow Warrior, but the justification given was that Greenpeace had been infiltrated by Russian KGB spies.
He denied any suggestion that it was a terrorist attack. "For us, it was a sabotage operation and nothing more."
Two of the 13 agents who took part - Alain Mafart and Dominique Prieur - were arrested by New Zealand police two days after the bombing.
They were charged with murder and eventually received 10-year jail terms after pleading guilty to manslaughter, but they were freed within months.
Charles Hernu, the French Minister of Defence at the time, initially denied his country's involvement. But he was forced to resign months later after French newspaper Le Monde revealed a third team of French combat divers had been involved.THE former boss of Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant, who stayed at his post to try to tame runaway reactors after the 2011 tsunami, has died of cancer, the operator says.
Masao Yoshida, 58, was at the power station on March 11, 2011, when towering waves swamped cooling systems and sparked meltdowns that released plumes of radiation.
Yoshida led the subsequent effort to get the crippled complex under control, as workers battled frequent aftershocks to try to prevent the disaster worsening.
Government contingency plans revealed after the event showed how scientists feared a chain reaction if Fukushima spiralled out of control, a scenario that could have seen other nuclear plants engulfed and would have meant evacuating Tokyo.
His selfless work is contrasted in the public mind with the attitude of his employers, who seemed willing to abandon the complex and are popularly believed to have shirked their responsibility.
"He died of oesophagal cancer at 11.32am today at a Tokyo hospital," said a spokesman for plant operator Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) on Tuesday.
Yoshida left the plant soon after being suddenly hospitalised in late November 2011.
TEPCO has said his cancer was unlikely to be linked to radiation exposure in the months after the disaster.
The company has said it would take at least five years and normally 10 years to develop this particular condition if radiation exposure were to blame.
Soon after he underwent surgery for cancer, Yoshida was felled by a brain haemorrhage and underwent another operation in July 2012, TEPCO said.
He was still employed by the company at the time of his death.
The disaster saw three reactors go into meltdown, spewing radiation into the air, sea and food chain in the worst nuclear accident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
No deaths have been directly attributed to the radiation released by the accident, but it has displaced tens of thousands of people and left large areas of land uninhabitable, possibly for decades.
The plant itself remains fragile, with TEPCO struggling to deal with the tonnes of radioactive water left over from efforts to cool molten reactor cores.
TEPCO said on Tuesday toxic radioactive substances in groundwater have rocketed over the past three days and engineers did not know where the leak was coming from.
Samples taken on Monday showed levels of possibly cancer-causing caesium-134 were more than 90 times higher than on Friday, at 9000 becquerels per litre, TEPCO revealed.
Levels of caesium-137 stood at 18,000 becquerels per litre, 86 times higher than at the end of last week, the utility said.
Scientists say fully decommissioning the plant will take 30 to 40 years.An important and highly relevant question has emerged in the financial industry: How does blockchain technology help institutions easily connect to the increasingly diverse types of payment networks?
In our view, the ideal global payments network works just like the internet does — by using a common language to connect disparate systems.
In the nascent stages of the web, there were different standards for networking or connecting computers. It wasn’t shrewd to get rid of each standard — there was a purpose for each one. Instead, it was better to preserve and connect them with a common protocol.
All ledgers should work the same way and use a simple, common language so that money can move around the world real-time, much like information does today — enabling the Internet of value.
Interledger Protocol is driving interoperability
There is a global technical standard that provides this level of interoperability: The Interledger Protocol (ILP). ILP can connect any network or payment system, without fundamentally changing how they work.
All banks and payment providers — from the smallest bank to the largest institution — can use the open protocol to power payments across networks globally.
In fact, The Bank of England recently completed a proof of concept that explored the synchronized settlement of payments using ILP.
Additionally, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation used ILP to power new open-source software — Mojaloop.
ILP helps Mojaloop connect to various payment platforms and help unbanked people around the world access digital financial services.
Stefan Thomas, the co-creator of ILP and CTO of Ripple, expounds on the need for common standards in blockchain in his latest Medium post, “Blockchain Advocates Must Learn the Law of Standards.Produced by Skruf Snus AB, Southern Storm is part of the relatively new Nord 66 line of snus. After having tried several Nord 66 flavors and enjoying them, I decided to give Southern Storm a try. Billed as “a strong and exciting snus, with a hot touch of chili.” Each can of Southern Storm has 22 grams of regular portion snus.
After opening up my can, I initially noticed a spicy aroma which was quite complex with hints of chili, peppers, and a little bit of hot sauce. The aroma was quite unique and I haven’t had a snus like it before. After placing a portion in my mouth, I soon began to notice a spicy chili flavor which was complimented by a nice tobacco taste. The chili flavor wasn’t overly strong and I found that the tobacco taste worked to compliment it well. I found that this spicy flavor lasty for about twenty minutes before transitioning to a mild tobacco flavor which became increasingly salty as time went on. On average I was able to leave portions in for about fifty minutes before they began to get too salty for my tastes.
The portion material was fairly comfortable, but nothing special. As a regular portion snus, the portions came pre-moistned and had a good moisture content. As a result, I began to feel a good nicotine buzz kick in within only a few minutes and it was quite strong. I was able to leave portions in for about fourty minutes before experiencing quite a bit of drip.
Overall, I enjoyed Nord 66 Southern Storm quite a bit. I’ve never had a chili flavored snus before, and I feel that the flavor was well executed. The nicotine hit was also strong and pleasant, lasting a long time. I recommend Southern Storm to those who are looking to mix things up with their daily rotation, as well as those who enjoy strong snuses. My favorite drink to pair with Southern Storm is some cinnamon flavored whiskey on the rocks!
Related PostsOut with the old, in with the new.
The College Football Playoff has replaced the BCS as the FBS’s path to a national championship, and the process of selecting the title contenders has transitioned from an unforgiving formula to a selectively chosen playoff field.
The CFP selection committee released its sixth top 25 rankings Tuesday night on ESPN, and there are plenty of differences between that set of rankings and a recent BCS simulation (done courtesy of BCSKnowHow.com).
Take a look at how the top 16 teams from the newest CFP Poll stacks up against the top 16 teams from the BCS simulation:
Ranking CFP Rankings BCS Simulation 1 Alabama Alabama 2 Oregon Florida State 3 TCU Oregon 4 Florida State TCU 5 Ohio State Ohio State 6 Baylor Baylor 7 Arizona Mississippi State 8 Michigan State Michigan State 9 Kansas State Arizona 10 Mississippi State Kansas State 11 Georgia Tech Ole Miss 12 Ole Miss Wisconsin 13 Wisconsin Missouri 14 Georgia Georgia Tech 15 UCLA Georgia 16 Missouri UCLA
Let’s take a look at the top of both sets of rankings, specifically the top 4 teams. Amid all the buzz surrounding the shift from the BCS to the CFP, it should be noted that if the BCS formula was tasked with selecting this year’s four-team playoff field it would have chosen the same four teams. The only difference would be the order of those teams.
The greatest difference in the ranking of the top 4 lies in the placement of Florida State. The selection committee has been unimpressed with the Seminoles’ 12-0 run for much of the season, slowly dropping them all the way down to No. 4 behind three one-loss teams.
However, the BCS does not have as much room to interpret how FSU got to 12-0; it simply sees the last remaining unblemished record. Thus, Florida State remains as high as No. 2 in the BCS simulation just behind Alabama, which sits atop both sets of rankings.
As a result, Oregon and TCU, the other teams rounding out the top 4, each moved down one spot in the BCS rankings to allow Florida State to jump them to No. 2.
Both rankings have Ohio State No. 5 and Baylor No. 6, which helps validate the CFP selection committee’s collective opinion regarding the TCU-Baylor debate. Both have the same record from the same conference and Baylor won the head-to-head meeting between the two, but the committee has given TCU the edge from the start thanks to a superior body of work in the non-conference portion of the schedule.
The BCS formula gave TCU the same edge, also prioritizing strength of schedule and body of work ahead of a head-to-head showdown. The selection committee has said it will only use head-to-head as a tiebreaker if the two teams in question are even in every other way. The BCS slotting TCU multiple spots ahead of Baylor shows the two teams are not even in every way, at least not by the variables that make up the BCS formula.
It will be interesting to see if the committee or the formula show Baylor any love if it wins against No. 9 Kansas State this weekend to close the season. Would that win do enough to consider the two teams even after this weekend? We’ll see on Sunday afternoon.
It will also be interesting to see the differences in how the committee and the BCS handle Ohio State and its third-string quarterback Cardale Jones. The committee will be able to use its human element to interpret Ohio State’s worth following Jones’ first start on Saturday, and if OSU wins it will be able to decide for itself whether the team as a whole is worthy of a spot in the top 4.
The BCS, on the other hand, will not be able to interpret anything more than the score and the opponent. This could help Ohio State if Jones plays terribly in a victory, or it could hurt the Buckeyes if Jones play tremendous but TCU and Baylor win more convincingly. Again, we will have to see how it all shakes out this weekend.
Considering four of the six teams atop the CFP rankings will play in conference title games this weekend, there’s a serious possibility one or more of those teams will lose, giving a two-loss team an outside shot at cracking the top 4 if chaos ensues (and college football is prone to chaotic events). So let’s also take a look at the highest-ranked two loss teams in both sets of rankings and see which rankings gave certain teams an edge.
The CFP has Arizona as its best two-loss team, while the BCS continues to show the SEC love by slotting Mississippi State as its highest-ranked two-loss team. Both of the Bulldogs’ losses came on the road to teams ranked in the top 12, while Arizona’s two losses both came to teams ranked No. 15 or worse. It appears the BCS is more impressed with the quality of Mississippi State’s losses, while the selection committee continues to reward the Wildcats for quality wins over Oregon, Utah and Arizona State.
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airport on Tuesday. The White House confirmed Fowle was released.
“While this is a positive decision by the DPRK, we remain focused on the continued detention of Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller and again call on the DPRK to immediately release them,” the State Department said in a statement.
“As a condition of his release, the DPRK authorities asked the United States government to transport Mr Fowle out of the country. The Department of Defense was able to provide transportation for Mr Fowle in the time frame specified by the DPRK.”
Fowle’s wife, Tatyana, “screamed when I told her,” said family attorney Timothy Tepe, who received a call from the State Department with word of the release. Tepe said Fowle himself called his wife soon afterwards.
“She is ecstatic, excited, use whatever word you want,” Tepe said.
Harf said Fowle was seen by doctors and appeared to be in good medical health. She declined to give more details about his release except to thank the government of Sweden, which has an embassy in Pyongyang, for its “tireless efforts.”
She would not say whether any American officials had intervened directly with the North Koreans.
Fowle had been held in North Korea for nearly six months, accused of leaving a Bible at a nightclub in May.
Miller, Fowle and Bae were allowed to speak briefly with the Associated Press last month in Pyongyang. All said they believe the only solution to their situation is for a US representative to come to North Korea to make a direct appeal.
That has often been North Korea’s bargaining chip in the past, when senior statesmen including former President Clinton made trips to Pyongyang to secure the release of detainees.MILAN (Reuters) - Italian watchdog Consob may fine the world’s biggest money manager BlackRock Inc (BLK.N) for not informing the regulator soon enough that it had increased its stake in Italy’s Telecom Italia (TLIT.MI), Consob’s chairman told an Italian daily.
A BlackRock building is seen in New York June 12, 2009. REUTERS/Eric Thayer
At the end of November BlackRock lifted its holding to 10.1 percent from the 5.1 percent it held in October, giving it a potentially pivotal role in a December 20 shareholder vote on whether to oust the board of the telecoms firm.
BlackRock informed the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission about its investment at the beginning of December but it did not tell Consob within a five-day deadline.
The regulator has asked the U.S. group to make a stock exchange statement on what its stake in the Italian company is and whether it intends to be present at the next shareholders meeting on Friday, Consob’s Giuseppe Vegas told daily Il Sole 24 Ore on Sunday.
BlackRock is required to answer before trading starts on Monday.
“Our immediate reaction is the sanction procedure, we can impose a fine of maximum 500,000 euros ($700,000),” Vegas was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
Consob could also temporarily suspend BlackRock’s voting rights on the stake not declared, Vegas said.
An official for BlackRock declined to comment.
With its November investment, BlackRock became the second-largest shareholder in Telecom Italia.
According to Vegas, BlackRock continued to buy shares in December. It is unclear by how much the U.S. investor had increased its stake from 10.1 percent, he said.
Telecom Italia was also required to make a statement to the exchange on when it was informed by BlackRock about its investment by before the market opens on Monday, Vegas said.
(This story adds dropped word in the third paragraph to show BlackRock did not inform Consob)Aiming to provide a counterbalance to the sweeping rise of conservative forces in Japan’s political arena, a former Democratic Party lawmaker announced Monday he will establish a new liberal-minded party to maximize the chances of dethroning Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Yukio Edano, an eight-term lawmaker, said he will head the new party, which will be named Rikken Minshu To. This roughly translates as Party of Constitutionalism and Democracy.
“I’ve decided to found this new party to protect the livelihood of Japanese people, constitutionalism, democracy and their free society,” Edano, 53, told a packed news conference. “I hope the public will support our bid to put a stop to the Abe administration, which is spiraling out of control.”
The formation of the party could change the dynamics of what was shaping up to be a two-way race in the Oct. 22 election, in which Abe’s ruling bloc and Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike’s upstart Kibo no To (Party of Hope) — both conservative — were expected to vie for power.
His move also comes as the DP, long mired in abysmally low approval ratings of less than 10 percent, was on the verge of disintegrating.
Last week, DP head Seiji Maehara and Koike agreed that DP members — assuming they hold the same position as Koike on constitutional revision and beefing up national security — would be allowed to merge with her fledgling party and run on its general election ticket.
The arrangement will involve the DP refraining from fielding candidates in the race, effectively leading to the nation’s largest opposition party disbanding its Lower House caucus.
Edano’s move also comes as left-leaning members of the DP find their presence increasingly dwarfed by the populist Koike as she wages what could be described as an anti-liberal crusade by pointedly rejecting their migration into her party.
When asked last week whether she was planning to “massacre” the DP’s liberal lawmakers by not granting them Kibo no To membership, a smiling Koike made no secret of her intention to screen them out, nonchalantly saying she will “get rid of” them.
Koike’s plan to filter out those considered too left-leaning is expected to result in 60 to 70 DP candidates ending up adrift, forcing them to run as independents or seek fresh backing from Edano’s new party. In a worst-case scenario, they may have to give up on running altogether.
On Monday, Koike’s party was scheduled to reveal the lineup of its first batch of candidates, but that announcement was delayed until Tuesday.
Edano, for his part, said that while Koike shares with him the goal of booting Abe from power, he finds her party fundamentally incompatible in terms of policy and ideology.
The two emerging forces, he said, are on the same page in demanding that the planned 2019 consumption tax hike be shelved and Japan’s dependence on nuclear power be slashed to zero. But he said his new party will consider the security laws steamrolled through the Diet by the Abe-led ruling bloc in 2015 “unconstitutional,” while Kibo no To upholds the legislation.
Edano, however, said he is not mulling a tie-up with other opposition parties, including the Japanese Communist Party or the Liberal Party, but sounded a hopeful note that he may seek cooperation from citizens’ groups similarly dismayed by Abe’s rise.
Edano declined to reveal which lawmakers may be joining his party, saying details have yet to be fleshed out.
Meanwhile, several DP heavyweights announced they will throw their hats into the ring as independents this time around.
These include former Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and former Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, who had also served as president of the DP and its predecessor, the Democratic Party of Japan.
Speaking to reporters Monday, Okada said he doesn’t intend to join Koike’s new party because he thinks a Japan ruled by two conservative parties does not provide voters with a real alternative to Abe’s LDP. At the same time, however, Okada also said Edano’s new liberal-minded party is not 100 percent in keeping with his political ideology, either.When one thinks of the word ’agenda’ a few obvious meanings may come to mind – a list of things to do, a plan for a meeting, a goal to achieve or perhaps even an ideology. In the context of international development aid an agenda often means something altogether very different – a plan or goal that guides someone’s behaviour and is often not explicitly stated. Development aid agendas do not always reflect the needs and desires of the people they propose to serve. More often than not development agendas serve those who institute and organise them. Be it international development donors or governments who receive billions in aid subsidies, development aid and assistance is hardly ever free from condition or expectation on either the donor or receiver side.
The world of international aid is a multi-trillion dollar exercise with transactions affecting every country on earth. Some give, some receive, some give and receive, but all are involved in aid flows that are ultimately held up as virtuous considerations of man to fellow man. The world has long been used to the cycles of dependency and desperation that these aid flows illustrate. Ethiopia, for example, with its frequent food insecurity issues and prominence as a major receiver of international aid is perhaps the most perfect example of aid desperation and dependency. In 2011 alone Ethiopia received $3.6 billion in Overseas Development Aid (ODA)[1]. This enormous figure represents over half of the Ethiopian regime’s annual revenue. With the international community’s growing concerns for security and economic interests in the Horn of Africa it is not difficult to imagine how this ODA necessitates a certain amount of condition or expectation for the Ethiopian regime. It is, after all, somewhat unrealistic to expect international donors to hand over vast amounts of money to a regime that neither fits the neat description of sympathetic governance nor reflects the tenets of democracy.
A pragmatic view of the complexities of handing over millions of Dollars, Euros, Pounds or Renminbi might even posit that development aid should never be without condition. Perhaps it shouldn’t. For example, if a country like Uganda continues to give oxygen to a ferocious anti-homosexual lobby then its ability to receive development aid may be seriously compromised by its donor partners. The diplomatic and international donor furore that erupted in response to the Ugandan ‘anti-gay’ bill[2] which was first proposed to the parliament in 2009 (the bill proposes the death penalty for some same-sex acts and criminalises others) and is still before parliament has highlighted the moral leverage that ODA can play in promoting human rights. Threats and petitions to reduce or withdraw aid from Uganda have largely been credited with halting Uganda’s fervour in passing the bill thus far (the United Kingdom and the United States have both threatened to cut aid to Uganda if it passed the bill). These threats and petitions from major donors have largely been met in Uganda with the rancorous response that the West is trying to impose a “gay agenda” on Africa.
If by ‘agenda’ Uganda means a position that promotes the human rights of people who are homosexual then it is very difficult to argue that the international donor community is not justified in using its financial prowess to resist such human rights abuses. However, despite its use of such leverage, the question arises as to why the West fails miserably at propagating its ‘gay agenda’ in countries such as Russia and Saudi Arabia where similar human rights abuses are codified in law. A similar question can be posed as to why Western governments and donor agencies would supply a country such as Ethiopia, with its record of human rights abuses[3], with enough money to continue functioning – business as usual? Evidently agendas are not uniform, but instead are situation and country specific. Everybody has an agenda but what matters is the power-outcome dynamic that governs the particular agenda.
With regards to ODA in Ethiopia, to even begin to understand the agendas in play one has to look at the Ethiopian regime’s most ostensible economic development raison d’être – utilising the country’s vast agricultural potential to become a middle income country by 2025. Under the so-called Agricultural Development Led Industrialisation (ADLI) programme[4] the regime purports to elevate the vast amount of the country’s population out of grinding poverty in just over a decade. A potential feat that has everyone from the EU Commission to USAID dancing in the bleachers. Never mind that Ethiopia suffers catastrophically from a cycle of food insecurity, famine and dependency and is consistently languishes in the lower echelons of the UNDP’s Human Development Index[5] (currently 173rd out of 187 countries and territories around the world), the World Bank[6] approved ADLI is supposedly saving the day. When everything appears to be going to plan a blind eye is easily turned to the realities that stifle the lives of millions. It is far easier for a non-critical West to accept and fund the ostensible agenda of lifting millions out of poverty rather than the less palatable one of maintaining an unjust regime’s vice-like grip on power and control as long as its security and economic interests are upheld.
The interplay between development agendas, the regime and its tightening stranglehold on Ethiopian society permeates most areas of life in Ethiopia. Higher education development is one example of how the development agenda is being used to stead fasten the regime’s hold over the country. In the last 15 years the country has gone from having 2 federal universities to 31, serving more than 90,000 new enrollments annually.
While this number is still small for a country of its size (it represents only 3% of the relevant cohort as opposed to 6% in the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa) the rapid expansion of universities across the country has left many questioning the motivation behind a sudden investment (40% of the total education budget goes on higher education) in higher education development. On the one hand the regime has touted higher education as a means to serve the growing need for qualified and competent workers who can facilitate its desire to reach the status of a middle income country. A satisfying explanation for those who green light the billions that are transferred to the regime annually. On the other hand the Ethiopian higher education system is frequently admonished by critics of the regime as aiding and abetting its stranglehold on Ethiopian society by creating a new layer of loyal party elites, locking education attainment into regime membership and using the lecture hall as a podium for its own propaganda. This is one agenda that doesn’t fit well with the Western cooperation and development narrative used to justify huge transfers of funds into the regime’s coffers.
Another agenda that doesn’t fit so well with development narratives, but one that is no less easy to countenance, is that of the international agri-biotech industry and its influence on development aid. The nexus between the huge financial interests of companies such as Monsanto and development aid has seen greater emphasis on agri-biotech solutions for Ethiopia’s chronic food insecurity issues being placed on agriculture development initiatives in recent years. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, for example, provides millions towards ‘improving’ Ethiopia’s agricultural industry, most notably through its cooperation with the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)[7].
Agra is a partnership organisation whose members include DFID, The Rockefeller Foundation, The International Development Research Centre, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research, the African Union’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development, the Association for European Parliamentarians for Africa and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. It receives funding from governments and organisations around the world, including USAID, DFID, SIDA, and DANIDA to name a few[8].
AGRA aims ‘to achieve a food secure and prosperous Africa through the promotion of rapid, sustainable agricultural growth based on smallholder farmer’. While such an agenda is commendable the organisation’s connection with Monsanto, a company that has a long history of locking farmers into commercial relations which require them to buy their patented seeds and use their chemicals in order to grow their crops, is less commendable. In 2010 the Gates Foundation purchased $23 million worth of shares in Monsanto. The Gates foundation, in what many would suspect as a cynical public relations exercise to try to separate itself from the murky reputation of Monsanto, has tried to distance itself by saying that its philanthropic and business arms don’t influence each other. One has to wonder though as to what extent this unholy alliance does not influence each other’s agendas and how much of this is about profit making rather than philanthropy.
Taking into account the prominence of the agri-biotech industry in global agriculture and its closeness to policy makers (as evidenced in confidential cables leaked by Wikileaks[9]which showed that the United States was vehemently against the Ethiopian Biosaftey Proclamation[10] and lobbied to scrap it) it is clear that the connection between the agri-biotech industry and development goes further than a non-influential relationship. Increasingly higher education is the vehicle used to facilitate this relationship. Western agri-biotechs and ODA agencies are heavily involved in funding academic endeavours at Ethiopian universities which aim to improve food security and achieve the ADLI agenda of middle income status. On the more benevolent side ODA agencies such as SIDA and Irish Aid fund sustainable bio-resource programmes at various Ethiopian universities (SIDA funds the Bio-resources Innovations Network for Eastern Africa Development programmewhich is partnered with Addis Ababa University and Hawassa University and Irish Aid Funds the Potato Centre of Excellence partnered with Arba Minch University). On the other side organisations such as AGRA, with its connection to Monsanto through one of its main funders is heavily involved with agricultural projects at Haramaya University and the Ethiopian Institute for Agricultural Research[11]. Considering what is available openly on these organisations websites it doesn’t take your inner conspiracy theorist to connect the massive agri-biotech industry’s agenda to Ethiopia’s ADLI programme.
The development narrative may not sit so easily with the commercial agendas of big business but it is there for anyone to see. Governments and development agencies may be reluctant to admit the full extent of their development agendas for fear that their commercial and security interests may be compromised. Should this even matter when at the end of the day ordinary peoples’ lives are improving? Morality aside, it probably shouldn’t if indeed this is so. In Ethiopia’s case the evidence for this improvement is marginal. It is true that fewer people are dying from preventable famine, just as it is true that Ethiopia has the dubious honour of having the fastest growing rate of dollar millionaires per capita in Africa[12].
In excess of 35 million Ethiopians still live in abject poverty subsisting on less that $2 a day while a tiny fraction of the country’s 85 million people has become excessively rich. As more and more ODA is pumped into the country Ethiopia’s HDI rank hasn’t improved (in fact it has gone from 169th in the world to 173rd in the last decade), journalists, academics and opposition figures are still jailed for speaking out against the regime, ethnic minorities such as the Oromo are discriminated against and forced off their lands, corruption and human rights abuses are still rife. Less people may be dying but are ordinary peoples’ lives improving at a rate that warrants the West to turn a blind eye to the crimes of those in power? It may suit certain agendas to do so but it does a massive disservice to ordinary Ethiopians.
Paul O’Keeffe is a doctoral research fellow at Sapienza University of Rome
Notes
[1] OECD DAC Statistics Ethiopia 2011 http://www.oecd.org/dac/stats/ETH.gif
[2] Human Rights Watch Uganda Country Report 2013 http://www.hrw.org/world-report/2013/country-chapters/uganda?page=3
[3] Human Rights Watch Ethiopia World Report 2013 http://www.hrw.org/world-report/2013/country-chapters/ethiopia
[4] Ethiopian Government Portal ADLI http://www.ethiopia.gov.et/policies-and-strategies1?p_p_id=77&p_p_lifecycle=0&p_p_state=maximized&p_p_mode=view&_77_struts_action=%2Fjournal_content_search%2Fsearch
[5] UNDP’s Human Development Index http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/hdi/ [6] World Bank Ethiopia Cooperation http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2012/08/16702735/ethiopia-country-partnership-strategy
[7] AGRA in Ethiopia – http://www.agra.org/where-we-work/ethiopia/
[8] List of Donors to AGRA http://www.agra.org/AGRA/en/who-we-are/donors/
[9] Wikileaks Cables on Biosaftey Proclamation http://danielberhane.com/2011/09/28/wikileaks-us-opposed-to-biosafety-in-ethiopia-4-cables-full-text/
[10] Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority’s Biosafety Proclamation http://www.unep.org/biosafety/files/ETNBFrep.pdf
[12]Ethiopia hailed as ‘African lion’ with fastest creation of millionaires.John (Jack) Simpson Kirkpatrick (6 July 1892 – 19 May 1915), who served under the name John Simpson, was a stretcher bearer with the 1st Australian Division during the Gallipoli Campaign in World War I. After landing at Anzac Cove on 25 April 1915, Simpson began to use donkeys to provide first aid and carry wounded soldiers to the beach, for evacuation. Simpson and the donkeys continued this work for three and a half weeks, often under fire, until he was killed, during the Third attack on Anzac Cove. "Simpson and his Donkey" are a part of the "Anzac legend".
Early life [ edit ]
Simpson was born on 6 July 1892 in Eldon Street, Tyne Dock, South Shields,[2] County Durham, England, to Scottish parents: Sarah Kirkpatrick (née Simpson) and Robert Kirkpatrick.[3][4][5] He was one of eight children, and worked with donkeys as a youth, during summer holidays.[3] He attended Barnes Road Junior School and later Mortimer Road Senior School.[6]
At 16 he volunteered to train as a gunner in the Territorial Force, as British Army reserve units were collectively known at the time,[7] and in early 1909 he joined the British merchant navy.[8]
In May 1910, Simpson deserted his ship at Newcastle, New South Wales, and then travelled widely in Australia, taking on various jobs, such as cane-cutting in Queensland and coal mining in the Illawarra district of New South Wales. In the three or so years leading up to the outbreak of World War I, he worked as a steward, stoker and greaser on Australian coastal ships.[9]
Simpson held, or developed, left wing political views while he worked in Australia and wrote, in a letter to his mother: "I often wonder when the working men of England will wake up and see things as other people see them. What they want in England is a good revolution and that will clear some of these Millionaires and lords and Dukes out of it and then with a Labour Government they will almost be able to make their own conditions."[10] According to former union leader Alf Rankin, there is anecdotal evidence that Simpson belonged to the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW or "Wobblies"), a radical international labour union, although this has never been confirmed by historical documents or other sources.[11]
Military service [ edit ]
Simpson enlisted in the Australian Army after the outbreak of war, apparently as a means of returning to England,[4] He enlisted as "John Simpson", and may have dropped his real surname to avoid being identified as a ship deserter.[3] Simpson enlisted as a field ambulance stretcher bearer, a role only given to physically strong men, on 23 August 1914 at Swan Barracks, Francis Street, in Perth,[3] and undertook training at Blackboy Hill Training Camp.[12] He was assigned to the 3rd Australian Field Ambulance and the regimental number 202.[13]
Simpson landed on the Gallipoli Peninsula on 25 April 1915 with the 3rd Field Ambulance as part of the 1st Australian Division.[3] In the early hours of the following day, as he was bearing a wounded comrade on his shoulders, he spotted a donkey and quickly began making use of it to carry his fellow soldiers.[3] Simpson would sing and whistle, seeming to ignore the bullets flying through the air, while he tended to his comrades.[3]
He used at least five different donkeys, known as "Duffy No. 1", "Duffy No. 2", "Murphy", "Queen Elizabeth" and "Abdul" at Gallipoli; some of the donkeys were killed and/or wounded in action.[1][9][14][15] He and the donkeys soon became a familiar sight to the Anzacs, many of whom knew Simpson by the nicknames such as "Scotty" (in reference to his ancestry) and "Simmy". Simpson himself was also sometimes referred to as "Murphy".[14] Other Anzac stretcher bearers began to emulate Simpson's use of the donkeys.[1]
Colonel (later General) John Monash wrote: "Private Simpson and his little beast earned the admiration of everyone at the upper end of the valley. They worked all day and night throughout the whole period since the landing, and the help rendered to the wounded was invaluable. Simpson knew no fear and moved unconcernedly amid shrapnel and rifle fire, steadily carrying out his self-imposed task day by day, and he frequently earned the applause of the personnel for his many fearless rescues of wounded men from areas subject to rifle and shrapnel fire."[3]
Other contemporary accounts of Simpson at Gallipoli speak of his bravery and invaluable service in bringing wounded down from the heights above Anzac Cove through Shrapnel and Monash gullies.[16] However, his donkey service spared him the even more dangerous and arduous work of hauling seriously wounded men back from the front lines on a stretcher.[17]
On 19 May 1915, during the Third attack on Anzac Cove, Simpson was killed by machine gun fire.[3] He was survived by his mother and sister, who were still living in South Shields.[5] He was buried at the Beach Cemetery.[18]
Commemoration, depiction and myth [ edit ]
Conflation with Dick Henderson [ edit ]
Soon after his death, Simpson was being conflated with at least one other stretcher bearer using a donkey around Anzac Cove, Dick Henderson, of the New Zealand Medical Corps (NZMC).[14][15] Henderson said later that he had taken over one of Simpson's donkeys, known as "Murphy".[14][15]
One of the paintings by Horace Moore depicting a man and a donkey, formerly thought to be a portrait of Simpson, now known to portray Henderson.
An iconic image (right) of Dick Henderson, a stretcher bearer in the New Zealand Medical Corps (NZMC) with a donkey at Gallipoli,[14][19] has often been wrongly assumed to portray John Simpson Kirkpatrick. The image originated in a photograph taken by Sergeant James G. Jackson of the NZMC on 12 May 1915 (a week before Simpson's death).[20] The image became famous after Horace Moore-Jones, a New Zealand artist, who had been a member of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force at Gallipoli,[21] painted at least six versions of it.[20] Following the death of Simpson, Henderson continued to rescue wounded soldiers from the battlefield and was later awarded the Military Medal.[22][23] Moore-Jones' paintings have usually been referred to by titles such as Private Simpson, D.C.M., & his donkey at Anzac and/or The Man with the Donkey. Many derivatives of the image, including sculptures, have appeared and a variation of it was included on three postage stamps issued in Australia in 1965 to mark the 50th anniversary of Gallipoli – on the five penny, eight penny and two shillngs and three pence stamps.[24]
A commemorative statue of Simpson and Duffy.
Growth of legend [ edit ]
The legend surrounding Simpson, sometimes under the misnomer "Murphy" grew largely from an account of his actions published in a 1916 book, Glorious Deeds of Australasians in the Great War. This was a wartime propaganda effort, and many of its stories of Simpson, supposedly rescuing 300 men and making dashes into no man's land to carry wounded out on his back, are demonstrably untrue. In fact, transporting that many men down to the beach in the three weeks that he was at Gallipoli would have been a physical impossibility, given the time the journey took.[25] However, the stories presented in the book were widely and uncritically accepted by many people, including the authors of some subsequent books on Simpson.[citation needed]
Popular culture [ edit ]
A silent film based on Simpson's exploits, Murphy of Anzac, was released in 1916.[13]
In 1965, in the lead up to the fiftieth anniversary of Gallipoli, there were calls for a commemorative medal for veterans of the Gallipoli campaign and/or the award of a late Victoria Cross to Simpson. Both proposals were rejected by the Australian Federal Government in 1965. In January 1966, Robert Menzies who had been Prime Minister of Australia since 1949 retired and was replaced by Harold Holt. The new government soon announced that Australia would present to Australian Army and Royal Australian Navy veterans of the Gallipoli campaign in 1915, an Anzac Commemorative Medal. Both living veterans and next of kin of deceased veterans could apply for the medallion but only living veterans would received a lapel badge. The first medallions were issued to Gallipoli veterans shortly before Anzac Day 1967.[26] The medallion and lapel badge featured Simpson and his donkey.[27] They were also portrayed on a series of Anzac postage stamps issued on April 14, 1965.[28]
In 1977, a donkey "joined" the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps, under the name "Jeremy Jeremiah Simpson", with the rank of Private and the regimental number MA 0090. In 1986, this particular donkey was permanently adopted as the official mascot of the corps.[29]
Simpson featured in an episode of the television show Michael Willessee's Australians in the late 1980s.[30] At least two songs have been written about him: "John Simpson Kirkpatrick" by Issy and David Emeney with Kate Riaz, on the album Legends and Lovers,[31] and "Jackie and Murphy" by Martin Simpson on the album Vagrant Stanzas.[32]
The Australian RSPCA, in May 1997 posthumously awarded its Purple Cross to the donkey Murphy for performing outstanding acts of bravery towards humans.[33]
In 2011, a play by Valerie Laws entitled 'The Man and the Donkey' premiered at the Customs House in South Shields.[34] The part of John Simpson Kirkpatrick was played by local actor Jamie Brown.[35]
A statue of Kirkpatrick in South Shields, on which a scarf in the national colours of Australia has been draped
On 19 May 2015, the Australian High Commissioner, the Hon. Alexander Downer A.C., visited South Shields as part of special celebrations marking 100 years to the day that John Simpson Kirkpatrick was killed in action.[36]
Campaign to award Simpson the Victoria Cross [ edit ]
There have been several petitions over the decades to have Simpson awarded a Victoria Cross (VC) or a Victoria Cross for Australia.[37] There is a persistent myth that he was recommended for a VC, but that this was either refused or mishandled by the military bureaucracy. However, there is no documentary evidence that such a recommendation was ever made.[38] The case for Simpson being awarded a VC is based on diary entries by his commanding officer that express the hope he would receive either a Distinguished Conduct Medal or VC. However, the officer in question never made a formal recommendation for either of these medals.[13] Simpson's Mention in Despatches was consistent with the recognition given to other men who performed the same role at Gallipoli.[39]
In April 2011, the Australian Government announced that Simpson would be one of thirteen servicemen examined in an inquiry into "Unresolved Recognition for Past Acts of Naval and Military Gallantry and Valour".[40] The tribunal for this inquiry was directed to make recommendations on the awarding of decorations, including the Victoria Cross. Concluding its investigations in February 2013, the tribunal recommended that no further award be made to Simpson, since his "initiative and bravery were representative of all other stretcher-bearers of 3rd Field Ambulance, and that bravery was appropriately recognised as such by the award of an MID."[39][41]
See also [ edit ]
Notes [ edit ]
References [ edit ]The representatives appointed by Hillary Clinton to the Democratic Party's platform drafting committee voted against a $15 minimum wage amendment on Friday.
The five representatives who were appointed by Clinton's presidential opponent, Bernie Sanders, supported the amendment.
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The proposal was defeated eight-to-six. The only person on the committee aside from Sanders' surrogates who supported the amendment was California Rep. Barbara Lee.
The Democratic National Committee held a hearing for its platform drafting committee in St. Louis, Missouri on June 24. Video of the hearing is embedded below. (The discussion of the minimum wage measures begins at 59:40 in the video.)
On numerous proposed amendments in the hearing, Clinton's appointees voted together in opposition to Sanders' appointees, in what looked like a kind of proxy political battle.
Clinton's representatives argued the platform already expresses support for a $15 minimum wage, although the language is weak and offers no mechanism for getting there. Sanders' supporters called for the explicit demand of an indexed $15 federal minimum wage.
Rep. Keith Ellison, who was appointed to the committee by Sanders, proposed an amendment to the DNC's platform that would make support for a $15 per hour federal minimum wage absolutely unambiguous.
The platform originally simply stated that the Democratic Party hopes to "raise and index the minimum wage," with an earlier implication that this could be $15. Ellison proposed that the language be made clearer and stronger, changed from mere support to a demand to "raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and index it."
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The audience attending the public hearing applauded in response to Rep. Ellison's amendment.
"It's important to recognize that $15 an hour really is actually not even what the minimum wage would be if we indexed it from 1968. It would probably be upwards of $22," Ellison stressed.
"We are going through one of the worst periods of wage stagnation in our nation's history," he continued. Americans who are working on the federal minimum wage now, which is $7.25 per hour, are eligible for food stamps, section 8 housing and Medicaid, Ellison pointed out.
He also emphasized that it is important to index the minimum wage for inflation, "so that we don't have to come back every Congress to raise it again."
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"One of the problems in our economy, and the reason we've had slow growth, is because the average working American doesn't have any money," Ellison said. "You can't spend money that you don't have."
Even small business owners are hurt by the low minimum wage, he stressed, "because their customer base is broke."
Deborah Parker, another committee member appointed by Sanders, backed Ellison's proposed amendment. She called the present federal minimum wage a "starvation wage," and emphasized that single parents cannot afford to work on the minimum wage and provide for their children.
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Warren Gunnels, the policy director for Sanders, who sits as an ex-officio, non-voting member of the committee, likewise expressed support for the amendment. (In his introduction at the beginning of the hearing, Gunnels declared, "The political revolution continues," to applause from the audience.)
He praised fast-food workers fighting in the Fight for 15 grassroots campaign. Since 1968, the minimum wage has lost more than 30 percent of its purchasing power, he noted. "Millions of Americans are working longer hours for lower wages."
The Clinton surrogates in the room, however, opposed Ellison's amendment.
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Paul Booth, an official in the AFSCME labor union who was appointed by Clinton, insisted "the language that we already have is exactly what we need."
Booth, who was wearing a Hillary Clinton pin in the hearing, claimed that vague language written in the platform just before Ellison's proposed amendment was already sufficient.
Ellison, however, wanted clearer language that explicitly states that the Democratic Party supports a $15 minimum wage.
While bringing up the specter of Donald Trump, Booth acknowledged the Fight for 15 movement and applauded the "gutsy" workers fighting for an increase in the minimum wage and the right to organize the union. Yet he still opposed Ellison's amendment.
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Booth claimed the language suggests that the Democratic Party supports moving toward a $15 minimum wage, but added, "we affirm and support different ways of getting there in different states."
This comment appears to reflect the position of Clinton, who has said different states should establish unique minimum wages, some of which may be less than $15, depending on the standard of living, while Sanders has called for a $15 federal minimum wage that can be increased in more expensive states.
Ellison countered arguing that, if his proposed amendment truly were redundant, and didn't help clarify the party's exact position on the wage, "then there's really no reason to oppose it."
The five members of the committee appointed by Sanders — Ellison, Parker, James Zogby, Bill McKibben and Cornel West — joined Rep. Barbara Lee in voting in support of the amendment.
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The six members of the committee appointed by Clinton — Center for American Progress President Neera Tanden, Illinois Rep. Luis Gutiérrez, former EPA administrator Carol Browner, former Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, Ohio State Rep. Alicia Reece and Paul Booth — joined former California Rep. Howard Berman and Claire's CEO Bonnie Schaefer in voting against the $15 minimum wage amendment.
There are 15 members total on the committee. DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz chose Rep. Elijah Cummings as the committee chair. She also appointed Lee, Berman and Schaefer.
Federal contractor amendment
While still deliberating minimum wage policy in the DNC platform, Ellison subsequently proposed another amendment that would have called on the federal government to support a $15 minimum wage for federal contractors.
Clinton and Sanders surrogates butted heads even more aggressively on the language in this amendment.
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Ellison called for supporting "a model employer executive order to ensure that federal dollars support employers who provide their workers with a living wage of $15 an hour, good benefits and the opportunity to form a union."
The U.S. federal government spends $1 trillion on contracts, loans and grants, Ellison noted. It spends more money than any institution in the world.
"That purchasing power allows the federal government to really shape what our economy looks like, in many ways |
be clear, I’m not blaming Brown for her bankruptcy or for her lack of health insurance. Far from it! According to the Journal story, Brown and her husband used to have health insurance -- and dropped it because the cost, more than $1,100 a month, was prohibitive.
That is all too typical of the insurance market today. Small business owners frequently struggle to find decent health benefits, particularly as they get older, because the market for both individuals buying on their own and small businesses is extremely dysfunctional. Insurers jump in and out of the market, broker fees drive up premiums, and plans tend to have spotty benefits. Most important of all, carriers are practice aggressive forms of “risk selection” – that is, altering coverage, raising premiums, or simply denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions and other signs of medical risk.
Brown told the Journal that the costs of health care are one reason she opposes the law; if the Affordable Care Act takes effect, she said, more businesses will "close because they can't afford health care, and more people will be out of work." But I think the predicament of small business is more an argument for the Affordable Care Act than against it.
The first time I ever heard about Brown was more than a year ago, when Harris Meyer, the veteran health care reporter, wrote about her decision to file suit. As Meyer explained then, a small business owner like Brown likely would be eligible for substantial subsidies.
Depending on Brown's specific financial circumstances, those subsidies could allow her to obtain insurance not only for herself but also for her employees, to whom, according to Meyer’s story, she had not been able to provide coverage. Better still, starting in 2014 Brown could buy insurance through one of the new exchanges – where all plans must include an essential benefits package and where insurers cannot discriminate against people based on medical condition.
I am guessing Brown would disagree. Almost a year ago I had a similar discussion about these issues with Steven Hyder, a small business owner in southeast Michigan who was a named plaintiff in another suit against the Affordable Care Act. He told me, politely but quite firmly, that he believed the mandate was an imposition on his liberty. "It’s a complete intrusion into my business and into my private life," he said.
He's entitled to his opinion, as is Brown and everybody else who doesn't like the Affordable Care Act. And if they wanted to make the case against some substantive provisions of the law, I'd probably agree. (For example, I wish those subsidies were more generous.) But the reality of their lives –specifically, the fact that they will almost certainly get sick and run up medical expenses, as virtually every single person does – suggest that their health insurance status will eventually impact everybody. And that's the issue on which the court decision may turn.
*According to the Journal story, it was a call to the plaintiff attorneys by Journal reporters that prompted the attorneys to notify the Solicitor General’s office of Brown’s bankruptcy status.
Update: I tweaked the wording in a few places – among other things, to make even clearer how much about this case I still don't know. I also wanted to emphasize that the Browns had dropped health insurance because it had gotten so expensive – and that her opposition to the law reflects, in part, her belief that it will make things harder on small business rather than easier.I had a party at my house a few weeks ago, and I’ve always hated the idea of excluding anybody, so I kind of cast a wide net in terms of invites. It was too wide, I know it, I hate having to do stuff like this, but it’s either invite everybody or don’t have a party at all. Because the last thing I want is for someone’s status update or shared photo to ruin it for someone else, that, sorry, I had a party and I didn’t invite you.
And am I really being cool about it? Looking back, I don’t think I’ve ever been cool about it at all. I kind of spread the word in advance to the people that I would have invited had I allowed myself a more exclusive get-together, and then like two or three days before, I put out a general announcement to everybody at work, friends on Facebook.
All I’m really doing is reaching for the bottom, right, like who else is not only not going to have any plans on such short notice? I feel like a jerk even laying it out like that, but that’s exactly what it is, all right, people with nothing else to do, just waiting for a last minute sympathy invite.
The party was on a Saturday, I sent out my mass invite on a Thursday. Friday morning this guy Phil at work sends me an email, “Hey Rob, what should I bring?” And what do you mean what should you bring? You ever been to a party before? Just bring some beer, a bottle of wine, I don’t know, a bag of chips. This isn’t high tea here.
But what do I say? “Don’t bring anything.” Because what are you really supposed to say? You tell people not to bring something. You kind of hope that they bring a little extra booze or some snacks. Not Jell-O. OK, that’s just weird. That’s what Phil brought. He brought some weird molded Jell-O thing, like something straight out of a sixties cookbook, a big, green ring with stuff floating around in it.
“Hey man, I made some dessert,” and he was smiling, like I was trying to get a read on him. Was this some sort of a joke, like a gag gift? But I swear, I couldn’t tell, and while a part of me really wanted to laugh and be like, “Ha, that’s hilarious,” I just really wasn’t that convinced that this Jell-O thing wasn’t anything less than a hundred percent sincere.
I was right in the middle of laying out all of the snacks, pouring this giant bag of tortilla chips that I had bought at Costco into a big plastic bowl. I had all of this party stuff spread out around me. And it wasn’t because I wasn’t ready yet, OK, it was because Phil showed up exactly at eight o’clock.
Like was he walking around the block? Just waiting for the clock to strike eight so he could knock on my door? Nobody else was here yet, and I was clearly still setting up, but he has this thing in my face, it wasn’t even wrapped, like I don’t understand how he got it all the way from his place to my place, was he just sitting on the subway with the Jell-O on his lap, breathing on it? It’s too much.
And I get it, OK, like I can be socially awkward sometimes, I have that same tendency to overthink everything. And yeah, when I get invited to a party, I’m totally stressed out about what time I’m supposed to show up, right, but I’m not the guy walking around the block wasting time so I can show up at just the right second, OK, I’m the guy walking around the block waiting for just the right time to make an entrance that looks natural, like I’m not obsessing about how many people have arrived before me, or if I’m too late.
OK, so I understand. But this guy is like me but with absolutely no inhibitions. Just, it’s eight o’clock, ding-dong, here’s your Jell-O. Maybe it was a joke. “Ha, that’s funny,” I did say it, hoping he’d laugh back, because come on dude, I’ve never seen a dessert like that in real life, and maybe it’s really tasty and everything, but nobody’s going to eat that. And tell me you had it wrapped up, please, tell me you ditched the wrapping outside, something, because I can’t get over the exposed jiggly surface, like somebody two seats down from you on the subway sneezes, it just seems like a giant germ magnet.
“What’s so funny?” and what do I say to that? “Nothing,” I said, “Just something I was thinking about from earlier, something funny happened.” And he was like, “What happened?” and I wanted to be like, Phil, come on dude, just help me out a little here, OK, just stop with the follow up questions, just put down the Jell-O man, come on dude, just let me finish setting up here.
“Where do you want me to put this Jell-O?”
“I don’t know man, anywhere’s fine. Just grab yourself a drink, OK, just hang out while I finish getting ready.”
And I’m telling you, that fucking Jell-O was like the hit of the party, I don’t even know where that cake slicer thing came from, because I definitely don’t have a cake slicer, like Phil must have brought it, OK, he must have had that thing in his back pocket. But everybody had like cake slices of Jell-O, I wanted to give out a warning, like, “Jesus, Chris, don’t eat that Jell-O,” and Chris was like, “Why? This Jell-O is awesome. Classic Phil.”
What was I not getting? “You’ve had this before?”
“Yeah man, Phil brings it to all the parties, that’s like his thing.”
And I was just thinking, how come I’ve never been to any parties with Phil before? Like I don’t care, OK, it’s not like I have to be invited to everything, OK, I know that not everybody does the whole blanket invite thing like I do. But not once? How many parties are people having that Phil’s invited to and I’m not? Because I would have noticed that, OK, I’m telling you I would have noticed a green fucking Jell-O ring cake with pieces of canned pineapple floating around in it.As misunderstandings go, it's a whopper.
National Australia Bank has admitted they got it wrong when they called the cops and told them father-of-two Adrian Everett was threatening to shoot his 18-month-old baby.
Mr Everett had done nothing of the sort - he had just been a bit snarky when NAB's collection agents rang on Tuesday night.
But he had done nothing that required three armed police to come to his house on Tuesday night, waking up his two young boys and scaring them "s***less".
A NAB operator had just misheard something he said, thought a child was in danger, and called in the cops.
NAB spokesman George Svigos said the bank apologised to Mr Everett after reviewing audio of the phone conversation and determining "that at no time did the customer make a threat against the safety of his children".
"NAB apologises to Mr Everett over this incident," he said.
"We have reviewed this specific matter and have determined that our operator misinterpreted a comment made by the customer to be a threat to the safety of one of his children.
"We are sorry for what has occurred and have attempted to discuss our review of this matter with Mr Everett on a few occasions over the past 24 hours."
Mr Everett yesterday told news.com.au that the police turned up on his doorstop, told him there'd been a report, and demanded to check on his children.
"I am really concerned that the image of police coming into my young children's room may stick with them for a long time and could have lasting effects on them," Mr Everett said.
Mr Svigos said they had given a copy of the audio recording to police, and would do the same for Mr Everett; he added that they would review their processes, and emphasised that NAB take the safety of children seriously.
"These are often highly complex judgements," he said.
News.com.au has contacted Mr Everett to ask whether he is satisfied with the apology.School That Forced Students To Write "There Is No God But Allah" to Shut Down Tomorrow, Citing "Tone" of Reaction to Their Strange Curriculum--
Shutting Down The Whole District They specifically say there is "no specific threat" to the school or students. But they're closing the school anyway. But they're closing the school anyway. Actually, they're shutting down the whole district. Actually, they're shutting down the whole district. Which I take as an attempt to shift attention from their bad behavior to fantasized bad behavior on the part of their critics. Like so: Like so: Us: You shouldn't make kids write "Allah is god," the same as I assume you would never make them write "Jesus is Lord." Us: You shouldn't make kids write "Allah is god," the same as I assume you would never make them write "Jesus is Lord." Them: But this was in Arabic. They didn't know what they were writing. Them: But this was in Arabic. They didn't know what they were writing. Us: They found out pretty quick. Would you make Muslim kids write "Jesus is Lord"-- Us: They found out pretty quick. Would you make Muslim kids write "Jesus is Lord"-- Them: But we didn't tell them what they were writing! Them: But we didn't tell them what they were writing! Us: You didn't let me finish: Would you make Muslim kids write "Jesus is Lord" in Latin? "Dominum Iesum?" How's that hit you? Does that touch you someplace special? Us: You didn't let me finish: Would you make Muslim kids write "Jesus is Lord" in?" How's that hit you? Does that touch you someplace special? Them:... Them:... Us: Or how about in Ancient Greek? Or in Aramaic? Or even -- God forbid -- Hebrew? Us: Or how about in Ancient Greek? Or in Aramaic? Or even -- God forbid -- Them: That's different. Them: That's different. Us: In what way? Us: In what way? Them:... Them:... Us: The real difference is that you feel that you may and should pummel Christian kids into being "open minded" about faiths not their own, but you'd be very protective of Muslim kids' religions autonomy wouldn't you? Us: The real difference is that you feel that you may andpummel Christian kids into being "open minded" about faiths not their own, but you'd be very protective of Muslim kids' religions autonomy wouldn't you? Them: --- Them: --- Us: Are you going to answer? Us: Are you going to answer? Them: We're shutting down the school. The Tone of this discussion just proves how important it is to be open to learning about Islam. Them: We're shutting down the school. Theof this discussion just proves how important it is to be open to learning about Islam. Us: This sure seems like an attempt to claim victim status when you're the one crossing lines. Us: This sure seems like an attempt to claim victim status when you're the one crossing lines. Them: Help! Help! I'm being microaggressed!
Them: Help! Help! I'm being microaggressed! Posted by: Ace at 07:56 PM
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SMITHWICK — A man in his 40s suffered a gunshot wound to his hand after a property owner allegedly shot at him when the man was apparently leaving the property.
Now, Burnet County deputies are trying to piece together what happened and why the gunshot victim was on the property.
Burnet County Chief Deputy Joey Canady said the alleged trespasser apparently did not have a reason to be on the property in the 200 block of Hickory Creek Road about 10 p.m. Sept. 22, but investigators aren’t elaborating on why he might have been there.
Deputies responded to a report to a suspicious person on the property. But before they arrived, the landowner had fired two warning shots in the individual’s direction, Canady said.
The individual was in his car and driving away, Canady said, when the property owner, a man in his 50s, fired one more shot from a handgun. The bullet went through the vehicle and struck the driver in the hand, the chief deputy said.
The shooting victim drove himself to the CVS drug store in Lago Vista, where he then called 9-1-1. He was transported to St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center, where he was treated and released.
Canady said no charges have been filed against either person at this time. He added that when the investigation is completed, deputies will turn it over to the Burnet County district attorney’s office.
editor@thepicayune.comAce stock investor Anil Kumar Goel loves his early morning cuppa – with a dash of mint, some ginger and a spoon of honey to sweeten the brew. Goel does not like sugar, but the quest for higher portfolio returns has led him closer to sugar manufacturers.“Investors always get caught in fancy expensive counters during bull runs. They fail to see quality stocks that have not kept pace with broader markets,” explains Goel. He sees a lot of value in sugar companies – “especially Uttar Pradesh-based sugar manufacturers. Printing and writing paper companies also look good,” says Goel, whose stock portfolio could be worth several hundred crores.The Chennai-based investor had predicted in 2014 that “the mother of all bull runs” would start in 2016-17. Now, he is a bit worried about his prophecy coming true. Goel had based his prediction on the premise that corporate earning would grow in the years that followed. Little did he realise that it would be robust investment inflows, and not earnings, that would spur stocks to dizzying heights. Indian shares have netted the highest ever inflows in the first half of any year since 2010. Foreign portfolio investors (FPI) and domestic mutual funds (MF) have pumped over Rs 95,000 crore into Indian shares since January this year.If one takes into account investments from insurance companies, net equity inflows could easily cross Rs 1.30 lakh crore in six straight months, market experts opine. “The rally we’re seeing now is more liquidity driven. Companies are trading at expensive valuations despite tepid earnings,” says Goel. “I wouldn’t be surprised if market corrects in the coming days. But minor dips would be supported by heavy buying.”The Sensex has gained over 17% in the last six months, and tipped an intraday all-time-high of 31,757 points on Monday. The 50-share Nifty has also breached the psychological barrier of 9,700 and is now hovering at 9,771 levels. At current levels, several sectoral frontliners are trading at PE multiples (trailing price-to-earnings) in the range of 20 to 50 times.That apart, over 93% of BSE-500 companies (469 out of 500 stocks) are trading above their 200-day moving average (200-DMA), a technical indicator used to analyse price trends. High 200-DMA readings reflect investor optimism; extremely high readings are also seen as a warning the market may soon reverse to the downside.“Valuations are stretched… Nifty is trading closer to 19 times forward earnings. There are pockets of excessive valuations in the mid caps,” admits Abhay Laijawala, head of India research at Deutsche Equities. “A correction in valuations cannot be ruled out, if there’s some unexpected development. But we’re positive about India’s longer-term prospects.”A liquidity-driven stock market is not India’s sweet problem alone. World over stock indices are riding high on excess liquidity. Emerging markets such as Brazil, Indonesia, Chile, Korea and Taiwan have returned in excess of 20% since last year, beating India fair and square in the race to provide best returns to investors. A few developed markets - such as UK, US, France and Germany - have also posted 20-25% gains over the past 12 months. “Indian shares have not done anything exceptional here… they have just moved in tandem with their global peers. Such (stock) buoyancy can only be attributed to higher investment inflows,” believes A.K. Sridhar, director & CIO, IndiaFirst Life Insurance.“We’re only seeing 4-5% upside from current market levels. Markets may correct in the interim or stay in a tight range in the short term.” The tidal f low of money into equities market has benumbed several “pain points” that could otherwise have triggered a correction. Dalal Street has been unmindful of “negatives” such as lacklustre corporate earnings, bank non-performing assets, growth concerns of IT companies and the short-to medium-term effect of GST on India Inc. Indian shares weakened a wee bit in November and December last year (the demonetisation effect), but recouped most of the losses in the first few months of this year. A positive monsoon forecast, lower interest rates, a stronger rupee and stable crude prices are outweighing most negatives, reckon brokers and fund managers.Even price-conscious FPIs have not restrained themselves from buying expensive counters. India-focused overseas funds, ETFs, long-term money pools, nimble footed hedge funds and sovereign moneybags, among others, have pumped in close to Rs 56,000 crore in Indian equities since January. While most foreign investors have beefed up their portfolios buying additional shares, they have also booked profits in (or discarded) some counters.Market experts, however, do not expect “the FPI-sponsored party” on D-Street to continue long. The intent of US Federal Reserve to shrink balance sheet would significantly reduce money sloshing around in world markets, experts predict. “Global liquidity will come down in the coming months. US Fed has already decided to reduce its balance sheet by curtailing their bond-buying programme,” explains Sridhar of IndiaFirst Life. “This will jack up interest rates in the US… We may see some flight of foreign capital from emerging markets then,” he adds.One peculiar trait of this rally is that it is not entirely dependent on FPI inflows, or at least that is what savvy investors believe. Their bets are on domestic mutual funds, which have contributed significantly to appreciable gain in stock prices. Strong fund inflows, thanks to a stupendous rise in SIPs (systematic investment plans), prompted domestic MFs to pump in Rs 40,000 crore — the highest in the first six months of any year starting 2010. Average monthly inflow into equity MFs stands at around Rs8,500 crore currently.“Domestic inflows have been the main driver of market the last few months,” says PVK Mohan, head, equities, Principal Mutual Fund. “And this may not abate anytime soon, unless there’s some major catastrophe like a global meltdown or an interest rate shock back home. But both these factors do not even come in our worst-case scenarios at this point in time,” Mohan assures.Asset managers, on their part, are finding it difficult to accommodate such large sums of fund inflows. They are forced to buy stocks at outrageous valuations, as holding cash (and not buying stocks) would shrink fund NAVs in a rising market scenario. Despite that several funds are holding 12-15% cash (above their hedging requirements), in anticipation of a price correction.Mutual funds are buying auto companies, banks, consumer durables, cement manufacturers, non-ferrous metal companies and NBFCs currently. A few large funds have also reduced their exposure to software and pharmaceutical companies.“Excess liquidity has made Indian shares pricier; but then it has not helped companies with poor governance or operational matrices. Only quality companies have gone up this time,” says Nilesh Shah, MD of Kotak Mutual Fund.Most investors and market intermediaries whom ET consulted picked lacklustre corporate earnings as their main worry. Indian companies have not been able to keep pace with rising markets. Conservative investors would thus call this a “hollow market rally” or simply a “bubble.”“We’ve had three years of negligible corporate growth, but still we have an outperforming market. Now that’s a bit odd, in the sense that it has not happened before for such a long period of time,” says Mohan of Principal Mutual. “The re-rating of stocks (to higher levels) has only happened because of favourable macroeconomic conditions. Investors are now waiting for earnings to catch up. But this may only start towards FY18-19,” he adds.Steel manufacturers, power generators, banks, construction companies and telecom service providers have registered singledigit sales growth rates (1 to 8% CAGR) the last three years. None of these sectors have logged any profit (in combined terms) during the considered period. Individual businesses within these sectors are staring at a massive debt-pile, which compounds woes even further. Banks that have loaned money to these companies will have to take a payback haircut exceeding 50%. It may take a long time before these companies (and their lenders) start delivering, experts opine. “Earnings growth has been weak and may remain so in the coming quarters,” says Laijawala of Deutsche Equities. “For the current quarter, we expect Nifty earnings growth of just 4%. There is also a downside risk to broader earnings growth expectations,” he adds.At broad market level, equity-watchers are expecting a price correction or time correction in the near-term. If it is a price correction, one may not see markets dropping below 5 to 8% from current levels. A time correction could be longer - and more painful - as market would move in a tight range with stiff resistance at the top. “If market manages to cross the 9.700 hurdle, it may scale 10,000 (Nifty) over the next few months,”says Puneet Kinra, AVP -quant research at Bonanza Portfolios.Jyotivardhan Jaipuria of Veda Investment Managers has a different take on the market’s trajectory. According to him, there is a pattern emerging, wherein stock markets have performed poorly in the second half. “This has been happening for five – six years now,” Jaipuria says. “But even if you discount the pattern, now is not the right time for short-term investors to buy. People who have slightly longer investor horizon — one to two years — would make money if they invest now.”Factors such as short-term GST impact, fiscal slippages due to farm loan waivers and risks to short term earnings may apply brakes on the current rally. Analysts may also be watchful of upside risks to inflation arising out of farm loan waivers and seventh pay commission pay-outs.But conservative investors like Anil Goel do not give up their hunt for value – even in overheated markets.“You’ll still find good companies - at the right price - if you search hard. This market has ignored commodities completely. I wouldn’t be surprised if you find value there,” hints Goel.In other words, you may find a multi-bagger if you don’t follow the money. According to Shah, two investment themes should do well in the coming months: the first being ‘financial savings theme’, which could augur well for banks, broking, insurance and microfinance companies. The second theme is ‘government expenditure; so road pavers, railway suppliers, defence-related companies should perform well. Movement in IT, pharma and FMCG stocks would be more event-based, Shah opines.Apart from mutual funds, savvy high networth individuals (HNIs) have also increased allocations to equities. Prateek Pant, co-founder & head of products at Sanctum Wealth Management, affirms the trend thus: “There’s a risk-on attitude among high net worth individuals now… They’re buying mid- and small-cap stock at every given opportunity,” Pant says. “People are exiting gold and real estate investments. More money is being allocated to equities now,” says Vikas Khemani, president & CEO of Edelweiss Securities.“That apart, a lot of money has moved into banks post demonetisation. This savings pool is slowly moving to equities market now,” Khemani added.Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan and Prime Minister Karen Karapetyan reached a consensus on the upcoming personnel rescheduling related to the expiration of Sargsyan’s second presidential term in April 2018.
According to the sources, after returning from Geneva, where he met with the Azerbaijani president, Sargsyan met with the Prime Minister and presented him the state of affairs at the talks on the settlement of the Karabakh conflict.
Serzh Sargsyan told Karapetyan that he will not be able to bear the burden of the negotiation process due to political “uneasiness”. The point is that after the full transition of Armenia to the parliamentary form of government from April 2018, the negotiations on Karabakh should be conducted by the prime minister.
In this regard, according to the sources, Sargsyan suggested to Karapetyan to hold the post of vice-premier after April 2018, which makes him literally in-charge of the entire cabinet of ministers, financial and economic and social blocks. Sargsyan will assume the post of prime minister and will oversee the political sphere and the sphere of security.
Read MorePeople hoping to catch a glimpse of the tall ships this weekend in Halifax will have an easier time getting there thanks to a decision to postpone work on the Macdonald Bridge.
The bridge will now remain open from Friday to Sunday evening as crowds gather downtown for the Rendez-Vous 2017 Tall Ships Regatta, which takes place from July 29 to Aug. 1.
Alison MacDonald, communications manager with Halifax Harbour Bridges, said the contractors involved in the multi-year Big Lift were willing to reschedule installing the second of four expansion joints to later in August.
"This does mean that we will be delayed by a week getting all the expansion joints in and we wish that we could stay away from all weekends in the summer but we have to get these in," said MacDonald.
Bridge will be closed for most of August
The bridge has been closed most weekends since the Big Lift project began nearly two years ago.
MacDonald said the bridge is scheduled to close or partially close most weekends in August, although it will be open for most of the Natal Day weekend. There are Natal Day events on Aug. 6 and 7 that will close the bridge for part of the day.
The Macdonald Bridge was closed to vehicles last weekend during the Halifax Pride parade because Halifax Harbour Bridges "didn't find out that Justin Trudeau was coming to town in time to change any plans," said MacDonald.
Traffic'manageable' during Pride
The municipality put extra buses on the road, but there were no additional ferry crossings to accommodate the thousands of people trying to get to and from the parade.
Still, Macdonald said the decision to keep the bridge open this weekend doesn't have to do with traffic challenges during the parade.
"It was busy. It was steady, but from our perspective it was manageable," she said.
The Macdonald Bridge's Big Lift project is still expected to be completed by late fall, said MacDonald.You want a quick indicator of urban decline in any city you visit? Ask a local what’s great about the place. If the top three answers include “a world-class symphony orchestra,” you’re smack dab in the middle of a current or future ghost town.
This orchestra axiom is something I divined while working on Reason Saves Cleveland With Drew Carey, an hour-long documentary you can see at reason.tv/cleveland. Time and again, I’d ask Clevelanders—a proud breed beaten down by decades of lake-effect snow, economic degradation, population decline, and gridiron disasters worthy of T.S. Eliot’s The Wasteland (“I had not thought death had undone so many”)—to tell me what was still top-notch about their hometown. It didn’t matter if I was talking to a CEO or a homeless man, a bar owner or a barfly. The inevitable reply: “We’ve got a world-class symphony orchestra,” typically embellished with some transparently phony claim about how it compares to those in other cities (“It’s in the top 15 or 20 in the world!”), as if orchestras are regularly ranked like NCAA basketball teams.
Such are the thin straws at which residents in drowning cities grasp. Such is the psychic depravity that failed polities inflict on their residents, the mental tics and habits of mind that both compensate for and reinforce the steadily diminishing material conditions that drive down the quality of life. The job losses, the economic stagnation, the grim depopulation of downtowns and residential neighborhoods have a psychological dimension that is every bit as punishing and effective in keeping terminally ill cities in their sick beds as high taxes, stifling regulations, and municipal corruption. Talk to the people left in cities on the skids, and you’ll quickly hear some variant on one or more of the following: If only heavy industry hadn’t gone south, if only Standard Oil or Boeing or Consolidated Fuzz or the Browns hadn’t moved, if only the weather were different, if only the blacks or the Puerto Ricans or the Italians or the bohunks or the unions or the Jews or the Bilderbergers or air conditioning hadn’t ruined it all.
It isn’t hard to understand why certain burghs go bust: Crime goes up, schools go down, taxes go up, services go down, the hassles and costs outweigh the opportunities and benefits until the population leaves in a steady trickle or mass migration. But it is far more difficult to figure out how to shock a pulse back into a place that once thrived.
No Hope, and No Plan
Part of the solution is changing the mind-set of the residents, replacing the alternating feelings of inadequacy, hopelessness, passivity, and defensiveness with more productive emotions and cogitations. The prerequisite for change, the economist Ludwig von Mises once said, is a felt need for change. That’s only part of the answer. Fatalism must give way not to delusional optimism and boosterism but to a sense of longing for something better—and, equally important, a belief that it can be achieved.
That sensibility is almost completely absent in Cleveland and many other cities today. Since its population hit a high point in 1950, Cleveland has lost more than half of its residents and essentially all of its economic and cultural capital. The Rapture happened here, but instead of going to the bosom of God in heaven, the elect ended up in Houston, Charlotte, Los Angeles, New York, and, most galling of all because of its proximity and broad-shouldered similarity, Chicago. There was a time, at the turn of the 20th century, when Cleveland and Chicago were real rivals, but that competition long ago devolved into a sort of lopsided Clippers vs. Lakers fiasco in which the clear winner need not even acknowledge that a competition ever existed.
As Chicago was becoming the hog butcher for the world and tool maker and stacker of wheat, Cleveland peaked as the seventh-largest city in America, with nearly 1 million residents, before beginning a long, slow, steady decline underscored by race riots, the Cuyahoga River bursting into flames, and a 1978 default on its municipal bonds. This year Cleveland earned the dubious honor of being named “the most miserable city” in the U.S. by Forbes. “Cleveland nabbed the top spot as a result of poor ratings across the board,” wrote Kurt Badenhausen. “It was the only city that fell in the bottom half of the rankings in all nine categories.” Consistently one of the country’s poorest urban areas, Cleveland had double-digit unemployment long before it was commonplace in the rest of the country. Some two dozen Cuyahoga County officials are under federal investigation for corruption. Is it any wonder that in the last five years more than 70,000 people have vamoosed not just from the city proper but from the larger metropolitan area?
As befits a city built for twice as many people, Cleveland has a surplus of desperation, quiet and otherwise, but shockingly little sense that policies need a fundamental overhaul. At one point, I talked to City Councilman Joe Cimperman about the business climate. Cimperman’s no villain; he’s a good guy who clearly loves his hometown. Many local entrepreneurs, I said, felt the city was anti-business. “Who said that?” he asked defensively. “What were their names?” Cleveland does have a pro-business attitude, he insisted.
Cimperman went on to explain that the city council’s role was to help business owners and residents “thread the needle” of endless regulations and mandates and edicts. (Cleveland has more than 20 zoning designations alone.) He boasted of helping a linen company—the last one of its kind within city limits—that had been trying for the better part of a decade to get variances allowing it to expand. With Cimperman’s help, the company managed to navigate the paperwork in a mere 18 months. When I talked with him about Houston’s less restrictive land use policies and wide-open approach to new businesses, he scoffed: “Houston is a joke.” If that’s true, the painful punch line is that during the last 50 years, Houston became the country’s fourth-largest city while Cleveland was sliding down to 41st.
When leaders are not defensive, they are poignantly bereft of ideas. When I asked another council member, Kevin Kelley, what was the single best change that could be made to improve Cleveland’s public schools, he shook his head and said, “I don’t have a good answer to that.” This defeatist response, conditioned by decades of failures large and small, is a form of learned helplessness that creates a vicious circle of economic and psychological despair and dependency.
Facing Up to Present Problems
From 1990 to 1993, I lived in Buffalo, a city eerily similar to Cleveland, differing chiefly in scale. (It’s about half the size.) As I packed up to leave Buffalo for Los Angeles, there was a mayoral debate in which a Republican candidate, a Democratic candidate, and an independent candidate outlined their plans for revitalization. The first respondent (I forget which, but it hardly matters) said he would go to the state capital and fight for the city’s fair share of tax money. The second one said he would go to Albany and also Washington, D.C., and fight for the city’s fair share of tax money. The third candidate, the eventual winner, upped the ante by saying he’d go to Albany and Washington and fight for more than the city’s fair share of tax money. Is it any wonder that during the 1990s, a decade in which many cities turned around years of population declines, Buffalo was one of only two entire major metropolitan areas that lost people? (The other was Pittsburgh, a long-slumping town inaccurately but repeatedly praised for a comeback that is suspiciously devoid of economic or population growth.)
When down-on-the-heels cities are not simply holding their hands out, they tend to work the same frayed ropes over and over again: building convention centers that will never make money, betting the farm on light-rail systems that always under |
a method which allows users to find documents based on keywords. LSI works with the assumption that there is an underlying structure to language that is hidden because there are so many words to choose from. I’m going to highlight the main steps then go through each of them in detail.
Organize your data into a matrix for word counts per document using Term Frequency Inverse Document Frequency Reduce the dimensionality of the matrix using Singular Value Decomposition. Compare words by taking the cosine similarity between two vectors to find how similar they are.
Organize your data
The first thing to getting started on using LSI is to transform your documents into a usable form. Most commonly used is Term Frequency Inverse Document Frequency (TFIDF). First off we need to create a list of all the words that appear in the document. After getting all the words we need to remove the words that don’t give us much meaning to the sentece such as “of”, or “because”. These words are considered stop words. We can even cut down this list even more by removing words that only appear in one document.
Tfidf
This form creates an n-dimensional matrix with terms that appear in any of the documents by the different documents in the corpus. The intersection of the two is how many times a particular term appears in the document.
Reduce Dimensionality
Since our tfidf matrix is a very large and sparse it may be straining on memory, and cpu intensive to search through this entire thing everytime we have a query. A solution to this problem is to use Singular Value Decomposition. What SVD does is takes our tfidf matrix and reduces the dimensionality of it to something manageable. There is some debate around what dimensionality is ideal. Anywhere within the 50–1000 dimensions work are effective.
SVD comes from linear algebra where a rectangular matrix A can be broken down int the product of three different matrices. The theorem is usually written as:
A is the matrix that is broken into an orthogonal matrix U, a diagonal matrix S and the transpose of an orthogonal matrix V. “Where UTU = I,VTV = I; the columns of U are orthonormal eigenvectors of AAT, the columns of V are orthonormal eigenvectors of AT A, and S is a diagonal matrix containing the square roots of eigenvalues from U or V in descending order.” (Kirk Baker)
The idea behind this is that we take our tfidf and break it down into independent components. Then take these independent components and multiply them all together to get A. These components are an abstraction from the noisy correlations in the original data. This gives us the best approximation of the underlying structure of the documents. SVD makes the documents that are similar appear more similar and the documents that were dissimilar appear to be more dissimilar as well. Our goal is not to actually reconstruct the original matrix but to use the reduced dimensionality representation to get similar words and documents.
Compute the similarity
You can query your model to find the documents relevent to search keywords. To find what matches the query in the reduced term-document space, the query must be transformed into a psuedo-document. The terms are represented in a m x 1 vector. The appropriate local and global weighting functions for the document collection are ran on the terms vector. This vector is compared to all the existing term and document vectors using cosine similarity. The documents closer to one are more similar to the query and the documents closer to zero are less similar to the query. A ranked list is returned with all of the cosine similarities.
Conclusion
Latent Semantic Indexing is a helpful technique to wade through massive amounts of documents to find the ones that are useful. This algorithm has been proven to work effectively as a means to index documents and allow for more documents to be added and indexed. With this in mind it can be seen why using this algorithm can be used in a search engine. Each document is a website and the search query can find the website that is most relevant to the query.
Here are some cool implementations of LSI:
tm — Text Mining in R: https://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/tm/index.html
Gensim — Amazing package for LSI in python: https://radimrehurek.com/gensim/tut2.htmlUpdate: Boynton Brown has since apologized.
“I apologize for my comments and I in no way meant to demean voters in Florida,” she said in a prepared statement. “Issues are the backbone of our democracy and the Democratic Party.”
Original post:
Continue Reading
There is truly no defeat the Florida Democratic Party will avoid snatching from the hands of victory. Donald Trump has turned the Republican Party radioactive. His polling numbers are plummeting right alongside the GOP as a whole. And the nation is seeing a groundswell of progressive activism at levels not witnessed since the 1960s.
So how does the new, incoming brass running the Florida Democratic Party respond? By telling constituents that "issues" don't matter and that it's not the party's job to focus on policies that will actually help anyone, like single-payer health care.
Last night, the party's new second-in-command, Sally Boynton Brown, spoke in front of the Democratic Progressive Caucus of Broward County. And throughout the exchange, she steadfastly refused to commit to changing the party's economic or health-care messaging in any concrete way.
"This is not going to be popular, but this is my belief of the time and place we're in now: I believe that we're in a place where it's very hard to get voters excited about 'issues,' the type of voters that are not voting," Brown said.
Brown, the former executive director of the Idaho Democratic Party, was hired last month to take over for the outgoing executive director, Scott Arceneaux. Last night was her first encounter with local progressives, who are already disgruntled after Stephen Bittel — a billionaire real-estate developer, gas station franchiser, environmental dredging company executive, and major political donor — was elected to serve as party chair earlier this year. Many progressives accused him of buying his way into the job via campaign donations.
And Brown's speech perfectly illustrates why the Florida Democratic Party (and the party in general) can't seem to get out of its own way and actually win elections.
How important is it for candidates to concentrate on "issues" like health care or economic equality, one audience member asked. Her answer? Not very. She said candidates moving forward should focus on "identity messages" instead, which she didn't actually define.
In a follow-up question, she also warned party members not to get too excited about turning districts from Republican to Democrat and said the best we ought to hope for is that Florida becomes more "purple." (She also said she was proud about not supporting either candidate in the 2016 Democratic primary, which is an odd sort of thing to boast about as a Democratic Party leader.)
Later in the meeting, she then said that people who are struggling to make ends meet — and often decline to vote because they say it doesn't matter — do not vote based on "issues" they care about and instead vote because they are "emotional beings." She added that people apparently skip voting because they've somehow forgotten about the "power of democracy," whatever that means.
She also said that taking money from large corporations such as Florida Power & Light could somehow be a good thing — and that the "relationship" created when gigantic corporations give thousands of dollars to political candidates can somehow make it easier for politicians to push back against corporations when they are "raping our country."
"It's not so much about the money controlling the conversation; it's about the people controlling the conversation," she said. "And right now, unfortunately, we live in a system where you have to have money to work the system."
(That system seems to be working pretty well in Florida as it is.)
Brown then attempted to explain what she believes the party's strategy ought to be instead. She contradicted herself multiple times and wasted a lot of air deflecting the fact that she wouldn't commit to forcing candidates to pushing for progressive changes that could help people — and perhaps excite them to get to the polls. Here's her nonsensical answer in full:
"At the end of the day, what really matters, is what our candidates decide to do. So, two things to that. One, I believe that the FDP needs to have an overarching 'identity message' that we are making sure that we are driving out to everybody. And, in that identity message, we identify key issues, health care definitely being one of them, and then we educate our candidates to be able to go talk about those with the best of their ability. So, I believe that the way that we have those conversations needs to be drastically different than the way it has been. As Democrats, I think we continue to try and connect with voters' heads around 'issues,' and 'facts,' and 'truth,' when we are now in an era of emotional politics, where people are scared, and we have to figure out how to connect with their hearts. And I think we have a lot of experimentation to do on how that happens. And I am not prepared to try and say 'issues' don't do that. Because I know there's a lot of people who think differently. What I would like to do is test different'scripts' that really talk about that, and what I know is that health care and having accessible health care for all is one of the number-one issues that we have."
Brown was right, in that her viewpoint didn't get anyone excited. After she finished her answer, the man who asked the question literally walked right out of the room as she was answering the next question.
The answer was so confusing that at roughly 35 minutes into the clip, an elderly black woman asked Brown to clarify her point. She brought up the fact that poor people of color don't get motivated to vote for Democrats because both major parties haven't done much to help those communities prosper in decades.
"You're not touching their issues," she said to Brown. "The platform has to come from issues. Can you explain that to me so I can get unstuck?"
Brown then explained that, as a person in charge of party "staffing," she's not in charge of what policies her candidates push. And then she contradicted herself a split-second later by admitting it's her job to "elect Democrats."
"My job is to elect the Democrats who go do the governance and then go figure out the policies and issues," she responded.
And then yet another audience member chided her for her answer.
"You sort of hinted when you first answered that you felt that what got people out to vote wasn't really issue-oriented," the man said. "The evidence is that that's not really true at all. Voter participation tends to crash, but when somebody tends to bring out issues, that's when [people] come out. We saw that with Bernie Sanders. And so I think you have a contradiction there."
At this point, Brown argued that poor people are simultaneously struggling to make ends meet but also don't vote based on what policies will benefit them.
"I believe that what we saw with Bernie was a phenomenon that did not just have to do with issues he was talking about. I believe it was much more than that. Trump had a similar phenomenon. And frankly from Justin Trudeau all the way to the future around the globe, we have seen similar phenomenons. The issues have not been the same everywhere. So, I believe that people are emotionally reacting to the emotion. I believe, and again I don't have the data to back this up, but is that Bernie found a core group of people who were excited about 'issues,' and their passion, and enthusiasm, and energy created an emotion that more people reacted to. That's what I saw from an outside perspective."
She added that "they are emotional beings who are struggling to make a living, and they need to know that somebody's going to be on their side and be able to help them."
"They're struggling to make a living over issues," the audience member responded. "Those are economics."
"I'm not going to get into the hard-head debate," she said. "I'm just sharing my perspective and that we absolutely will do data testing to see which scripts work best [and then share that with our candidates]." (So now Brown's job does include deciding policy? What?)
It's worth noting that Hillary Clinton's campaign relied on data testing to an almost extreme degree in 2016 and lost catastrophically after much of that data turned out to be wrong.
Let's pause for a second: Who is not an "issues person"? Politics is entirely about issues. The basic reason you vote for anyone is because you want that person to accomplish things that make your life better. Who are these "emotional beings" that get excited about candidates but don't care about policy?
The rest of the meeting didn't inspire much more confidence. Brown was also asked about the party's plan to convert formerly red states or counties to blue ones — and her response was that she had spent the past six years working to instead turn Idaho "purple," and that's the best we ought to hope for in Florida (which voted twice for Obama).
"I think that it's unrealistic to think that you convert red counties to blue," she said. "I think you have to ask red counties to come up with a long-term strategic plan on how they're going to move the needle forward, and the FDP is committed to working with them, and making sure that they have resources to accomplish that plan."
(Genuine question: Does the party not realize it needs to win Republican-held seats to win a majority at the state or federal level?)
"I'm lost someplace," one woman eventually said. "I understand what you're saying, but I don't fully agree with it. We have lost the governorships. We have lost most of the races. But I hear the people in Washington saying, 'Change? We don't need to change.' Democrats have not won on the basis of saying, 'We are not as bad as the other guy.' If you don't run with candidates on decent issues, people are still not going to vote."
Another woman then jumped in and called the current party a "dirty church."
Brown's actual response: "I am starting to get tired."
In perhaps the most tone-deaf statement of the night, she said voters can be persuaded to go to the polls by reminding them they can "change their lives" through the "power of democracy."
So poor people have just forgotten about the power of voting rather than resigned themselves to the fact that no matter what party they vote for, their lives never seem to get better. That explains it!This week our Community Commentary takes a look at a thread named "Loot 2.0, discovering its true potential," posted by MrMonstrosity on diablofans.com.
In this thread, MrMonstrosity discusses what he would like to see from future itemization updates, covering such topics as drop rates, high-end crafting, how to generate more excitement when a Legendary drops, collection rewards, and more. He also provides some wonderful mock-ups to assist with conveying these ideas, engaging readers not only on a theoretical level, but on a visual one as well.
Image Credit: MrMonstrosity
This particular post has inspired conversations across several different sites, so you can decide if you'd like to chat about it in the original thread, our official Diablo III forums, Diablo IncGamers, or /r/Diablo. (If you'd like to learn more about the motivation behind this thread, you may also want to check out overneathe's interview with MrMonstrosity, available here.)
We're interested in hearing your feedback on this subject, so please be sure to leave a comment in this blog or hop into one of the threads linked above!Damascus, SANA_ President Bashar al-Assad received on Monday a Russian official and economic delegation headed by Russian Deputy Prime Minister, Dmitry Rogozin.
President al-Assad said that the continuous victories achieved in the fight against terrorism in Syria provide the necessary conditions for accelerating and strengthening the process of reconstructing what has been destroyed by terrorism in many Syrian regions, which should open wide economic prospects and further opportunities for cooperation between Syria and Russia.
He added that in view of the historical relations between the two friendly countries and peoples and the honorable positions adopted by Russia towards Syria and its people, which have been consolidated in the framework of confronting the terrorist war against Syria, it is natural for Russia to be an important partner in the process of reconstruction in various sectors.
For his part, Rogozin underlined the significant progress in Syrian-Russian economic cooperation and the efforts exerted by the Syrian-Russian Joint Committee for expanding this cooperation further to benefit the peoples of the two countries.
He stressed that Russian government and companies are always ready to provide all support and expertise available to contribute effectively to the process of rebuilding Syria and supporting the Syrian people to achieve their aspirations of progress and prosperity.
The Russian delegation includes Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defense, Economic Development, Energy, Transport, Industry, and Trade, in addition to the Russian Ambassador in Damascus and directors of prominent Russian companies.
The meeting was attended by Syrian Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign and Expatriates Minister Walid al-Moallem, along with the Ministers of Finance, Petroleum, Electricity, and Transport, in addition to the Secretary of the Prime Ministry, the Assistant Foreign and Expatriates Minister, and Deputy Chairman of the Planning and International Cooperation Commission.
Ghossoun / Hazem SabbaghLong after knocking the Toronto Raptors out in the Eastern Conference finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers continued to impose their will on their conference rivals during the offseason.
Raptors wing Terrence Ross was working out with teammate Bruno Caboclo and some coaches this summer at UCLA for about a week, before they were told they couldn't use the practice gym anymore.
When Ross asked why, he was informed LeBron James and the Cavs rented out the entire gym for the week.
"I'm parking my car one day, I see this Maybach and a couple of other cars pull up, (and I thought) 'That's probably LeBron and them,'" the four-year pro recalled recently on the "Cabbie Presents" podcast.
"When I get done working out, I see him and Tristan (Thompson) and a couple other guys working out."
While the reigning NBA champs used the Bruins' facility, Ross and company were relegated to the run-down court used by more, er, casual hoopers.
"They get the practice gym, we went to like the students recreational side," he said. "We had to put the curtain down to keep the students from getting into our workout. And on top of that, the basket on the other side of the court was like tilted all the way. You can't even use it. The thing was falling off.
"I was like 'Man. How much money (James) got? I was like (grunt). It must be nice to be a world champion.'"
To add insult to injury, Ross was literally insulted by a random elderly man during his workout. The 25-year-old former dunk champion was finishing up a 3-point shooting drill when a "super old" man, who he said "might've been like 75," started talking smack to him.
Ross said he missed 2-3 straight shots when the senior chimed in, "Oh so when I walk in, you start missing? When you're ready, the big dogs are playing on the next court."
Clad in Raptors gear with his coaches, the former lottery pick declined the invite, joking on the podcast, "I don't want to dunk on this guy and kill him."
Ross averaged 9.9 points on 43 percent shooting from the field and 38.6 percent from long range, to go along with 2.5 rebounds off the bench in 2015-16.
He mentioned his coaches have been pushing him to handle the ball more, so expect to see more of that this upcoming season in Toronto.Denies involvement: Former brothel-owner Eddie Hayson. Credit:Kate Geraghty It is not suggested that Rothfield was aware of these threats or has had any involvement in the activities which have seen Mr Hayson investigated by police over the last decade. In 2014, Mr Hayson lost control of Sydney's most notorious brothel, Stiletto, and declared himself insolvent with debts of $52 million. He currently owes millions of dollars to a raft of characters including drug dealers, footballers, jockeys, boxers, family, friends and a convicted murderer. The veteran journalist said he had never done any favours for Mr Hayson or allowed their dealings to influence his reporting. "I can't protect Eddie and I wouldn't," he said. However, Rothfield has written numerous favourable accounts of the exploits of Mr Hayson, who has a string of underworld contacts and questionable dealings – while at the same time accepting betting winnings from him.
When Mr Hayson received a six-month ban from racetracks over his role in the 2013 More Joyous affair, Rothfield came to his defence, claiming Mr Hayson had done nothing "but getting a tip that More Joyous was crook before a Group 1 race". A stewards' inquiry heard that Mr Hayson's mate, former football great Andrew Johns, tipped off Mr Hayson that John Singleton's mare More Joyous was "off". Johns told Mr Hayson the information came from Tom Waterhouse, the son of the horse's trainer, Gai. All were cleared of wrongdoing except for Mr Hayson, who was banned from racetracks for six months. In June, when allegations surfaced that Mr Hayson was embroiled in a NSW police investigation into allegations of match-fixing over a 2015 match between South Sydney Rabbitohs and Manly Sea Eagles, Rothfield published an "exclusive" quoting Mr Hayson saying the match-fixing allegations were "the figment of someone's imagination". Mr Hayson said in the article he couldn't remember what he had done on that occasion as "I have a lot of bets on sport every weekend".
But Rothfield did not reveal to his readers or editors the extent of his own betting forays with Mr Hayson. Rothfield told Fairfax Media there was nothing untoward about the pair's dealings. "I've known him for 10 years and we are mates, and mates always have a punt together." He gave Mr Hayson tips and Mr Hayson would bet for or with him, sometimes covering the bet, Rothfield said. Asked how much he had received from Mr Hayson, Rothfield said: "I honestly don't know how much it is. I'd be stunned if it was more than two or two and a half grand." Fairfax Media can reveal that Mr Hayson's most recent payment into Rothfield's betting account occurred in December last year and involved a cash deposit of $2000.
According to TAB regulations, only the named account holder can operate their TAB account. When questioned as to why he allowed Mr Hayson to make cash payments into his betting account, Rothfield replied: "It's just like a bank account. There is no money laundering." The journalist also revealed that Mr Hayson had been a great contact who had given him some of his best stories over the years and that he had given the underworld figure tickets to the NRL "three or four times." "I get tickets for all my contacts," Rothfield said. The journalist later claimed that he had paid for the tickets to events such as the NRL grand final and that Mr Hayson had reimbursed him. The Daily Telegraph reporter, who has been a journalist for more than 40 years, claimed there was no reason to disclose his financial dealings with Mr Hayson to his editors.
"Mates punt together and get tickets for each other," he said. According to News Corp's code of ethics: "Failure to notify the editor and managing editor of any real or potential conflict of interest may result in dismissal." The code of ethics also states the "rewards or compensation" for information "must not be given without the group editorial director's approval." A spokesman for the media group said: "News Corp is making a full inquiry into the matters you raise." Hayson's sources of income are of great interest to law enforcement authorities. Despite his parlous financial position, NSW racing sources and figures close to Mr Hayson said he regularly deposits funds or places bets in the gambling accounts of his associates, including prominent NRL and racing identities.
Former race caller Mark Shean is another to have received cash payments in his TAB account from Mr Hayson. "Eddie text [sic] me for some tips and a few won and he said I will put some money in your tab account I honestly didn't think anything of it at that time," he said in a text message to Fairfax Media. It is understood Mr Hayson's payments into the TAB accounts of associates occurred prior to February this year when he was banned from using TAB facilities, having previously been banned for life from Sydney's Star Casino. According to internal TAB documents sent to betting outlets in February, TAB staff were instructed to "no longer serve Edward (Eddie) Hayson... due to suspicious money laundering activity". The document advised staff to contact head office if Mr Hayson "attempts to take part in any TAB transactions in your venue". The NSW organised crime squad is examining betting data in an attempt to confirm unproven allegations, denied by Mr Hayson, that he has used improperly obtained inside information, or engaged in match or race fixing, to increase his betting odds.
Some of Mr Hayson's most successful betting plunges were derived from inside information. In 2006, Mr Hayson's friendship with Newcastle Knights star Andrew Johns brought a storm of publicity about Mr Hayson using inside information on Johns' injury to win an estimated $2 million on a betting plunge that the Newcastle Knights would lose their match against the lowly-placed Warriors. Police and gaming authorities are also examining why Mr Hayson frequently uses online and telephone gambling accounts belonging to other people to make payments or bet. The practice makes it difficult for authorities to trace the origin of funds and who is behind a particular bet. Comment was sought from Mr Hayson.Housing Secretary Ben Carson says Detroit will help start a new federal program designed to help those receiving housing assistance.
Carson visited Detroit this week to announce the launch of EnVision Centers, an initiative designed to help HUD-assisted households achieve self-sufficiency. Ten pilot centers are planned nationwide, including one in his native Detroit.
Carson discussed the program Wednesday night at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan's Great Futures Gala.
EnVision Centers will be located on or near public housing developments to help boost character and leadership, educational advancement, economic empowerment and health and wellness. A mobile app is planned.
The effort is based on part on partnerships with federal agencies, state and local governments, nonprofits, faith-based organizations, corporations, public housing authorities and housing finance agencies.Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif confers with his top political and legal aides to review the post-verdict situation
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz might have heaved a sigh of relief – for now. But the storm is not over yet, though the ruling party euphoric over the Supreme Court verdict in the Panamagate case.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif conferred with his top political and legal aides to review the post-verdict situation. “Beyond joy and jubilation, there is much more than meets the eye,” said a source with firsthand knowledge of developments in the ruling party’s circles.
SC reserves judgment in Panamagate case
According to the source, Sharif first decided to address the nation over the apex court verdict at 7pm on Thursday. But then he changed his mind on the advice of his legal wizards, who after skimming through the 549-page judgment discovered that “all is not well”.
Sources said the ruling party was deeply concerned that none of the five judges on the apex court bench has given Premier Sharif or his family a clean chit. Two judges recommended Sharif’s disqualification, while the rest called for a further probe by a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) while sharing strong observations against the Sharifs.
The PML-N believes the JIT formation would allow the opposition parties – the PTI and the PPP in particular – to exploit the situation by resorting to street agitation in pursuit of their demand for Premier Sharif to step down.
Panamagate judgement leaves Ishaq Dar in tight spot
Moreover, the ruling party is also worried that the JIT would also comprise representatives from the security agencies which cannot be influenced, it is learnt.
Speaking to The Express Tribune, Sharif’s Adviser Ameer Muqam, however, struck a happy note. “Truth has triumphed today,” he said. “Our prayers have been granted.”
Asked about the bench’s strong observations regarding the Sharif family, he said: “I haven’t gone through the detailed judgment. Once I do, I’ll get back to you.”
Read full storyThe Better Approach To Mobile Adhoc Networking (B.A.T.M.A.N.) is a routing protocol for multi-hop mobile ad hoc networks which is under development by the German "Freifunk" community and intended to replace the link state routing protocol - OLSR.
B.A.T.M.A.N.'s crucial point is the decentralization of the knowledge about the best route through the network — no single node has all the data. This technique eliminates the need to spread information concerning network changes to every node in the network. The individual node only saves information about the "direction" it received data from and sends its data accordingly. The data gets passed on from node to node and packets get individual, dynamically created routes. A network of collective intelligence is created.
In early 2007, the B.A.T.M.A.N. developers started experimenting with the idea of routing on layer 2 (Ethernet layer) instead of layer 3. To differentiate from the layer 3 routing daemon, the suffix "adv" (for: advanced) was chosen. Instead of sending UDP packets and manipulating routing tables, it provides a virtual network interface and transparently transports packets on its own. The batman-adv kernel module has been part of the official Linux kernel since 2.6.38.[2]
Operation [ edit ]
B.A.T.M.A.N. does have elements of classical routing protocols: It detects other B.A.T.M.A.N. nodes and finds the best way (route) to these. It also keeps track of new nodes and informs its neighbors about their existence.
In static networks, network administrators or technicians decide which computer is reached via which way or cable. As radio networks undergo constant changes and low participation-thresholds are a vital part of the "Freifunk"-networks' foundation, this task has to be automated as much as possible.
On a regular basis, every node sends out a broadcast, thereby informing all its neighbors about its existence. The neighbors then relay this message to their neighbors, and so on. This carries the information to every node in the network. In order to find the best way to a certain node, B.A.T.M.A.N. counts the originator-messages received and logs which neighbor the message came in through.
Like distance-vector protocols, B.A.T.M.A.N. does not try to determine the entire route, but, by using the originator-messages, only the packet's first step in the right direction. The data is handed over to the next neighbor in that direction, which in turn uses the same mechanism. This process is repeated until the data reaches its destination.
In addition to radio networks, B.A.T.M.A.N. can also be used with common wired cable connections, such as Ethernet.
History [ edit ]
The task was to create a protocol which was to be as easy, as small and as fast as possible. It seemed therefore sensible to split the development in several phases and implement complex functions using an iterative process:
Version one [ edit ]
In the first phase, the routing algorithm was implemented and tested for its practicality and suitability for the task at hand. For the sending and receiving of originator-messages (information about existence), the UDP port 1966 was chosen.
Version two [ edit ]
The version one algorithm made a significant assumption: As soon as a node receives existence data from another node, it assumes it can also send data back. In radio networks however, it may very well be that only one-way communication is possible, i.e., asymmetric links.[3] A mechanism was incorporated into the protocol to allow for this and to solve the arising problems. The mechanism enables the node to determine whether a neighbouring node provides bidirectional communication. Only bidirectional nodes are being considered part of the network, and one-way nodes are no longer fully included.
Version three [ edit ]
The greatest innovation in this version is B.A.T.M.A.N.'s support of multiple network devices. A computer or router running B.A.T.M.A.N. can be deployed in a central location, like a church or another high building, and have several wired or wireless network interfaces attached to it. When so deployed, B.A.T.M.A.N. can relay network data in more than one direction without any retransmission delay.
Certain unusual phenomena and special circumstances could appear during the determination of the best route through the network. These have been tackled and counteracted to prevent circular routing (which can prevent data reaching its destination) from occurring.
A node can inform the network that it provides access to the Internet. Other nodes use this information to evaluate whether there is a connection to the Internet close to them and how much bandwidth is available. They can either use a specific gateway or allow B.A.T.M.A.N. to determine which gateway to use, based on criteria such as connection speed.
Announcing devices not running B.A.T.M.A.N. themselves was also included in this version. Usually, this method is used to connect home networks to mesh-networks. An antenna installation on the roof will connect to the wireless network through B.A.T.M.A.N. and the rest of the building will simply be announced, thus also be reachable.
This version of B.A.T.M.A.N. has been shown to exhibit high levels of stability but slightly slow convergence times in real-world conditions;[4] this is confirmed by theoretical analysis.[5]
BMX6 [ edit ]
BatMan-eXperimental (BMX) aims to approximate the real exponent by also sending OGMs multiple times in independent broadcast datagrams.[6]
IV [ edit ]
[7]
V [ edit ]
[7]
Public persona [ edit ]
In 2017 B.A.T.M.A.N. was written on a whiteboard in the HBO series Silicon Valley (Season 4 Episode 2) where the show's lead character Richard Hendricks appears to include B.A.T.M.A.N. as a component of his "new Internet" concept (the text is visible on the top-right of the whiteboard).[8]
See also [ edit ]When I was 18, my mom sat me down and said, “If there ever comes a time where you feel like a dark cloud is following you, you can get help. You can talk to me, talk to a therapist, talk to doctor. I want you to know that there are options.”
I’m so thankful for her openness on this predominantly silent subject because later, when I was in college, that time did come. I felt plagued with a negative attitude and a sense that I was permanently in the shade. I’m normally such a bubbly, positive person, and all of a sudden I stopped feeling like myself.
There was no logical reason for me to feel this way. I was at New York University, I was paying my bills on time, I had friends and ambition—but for some reason, there was something intangible dragging me down. Luckily, thanks to my mom, I knew that help was out there—and to seek it without shame.
When you try to keep things hidden, they fester and ultimately end up revealing themselves in a far more destructive way than if you approach them with honesty. I didn’t speak publicly about my struggles with mental health for the first 15 years of my career. But now I’m at a point where I don’t believe anything should be taboo. So here I am, talking to you about what I’ve experienced.
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Here’s the thing: For me, depression is not sadness. It’s not having a bad day and needing a hug. It gave me a complete and utter sense of isolation and loneliness. Its debilitation was all-consuming, and it shut down my mental circuit board. I felt worthless, like I had nothing to offer, like I was a failure. Now, after seeking help, I can see that those thoughts, of course, couldn’t have been more wrong. It’s important for me to be candid about this so people in a similar situation can realize that they are not worthless and that they do have something to offer. We all do.
Living Newsletter Get the latest career, relationship and wellness advice to enrich your life. View Sample Sign Up Now
There is such an extreme stigma about mental health issues, and I can’t make heads or tails of why it exists. Anxiety and depression are impervious to accolades or achievements. Anyone can be affected, despite their level of success or their place on the food chain. In fact, there is a good chance you know someone who is struggling with it since nearly 20% of American adults face some form of mental illness in their lifetime. So why aren’t we talking about it?
Mental health check-ins should be as routine as going to the doctor or the dentist. After all, I’ll see the doctor if I have the sniffles. If you tell a friend that you are sick, his first response is likely, “You should get that checked out by a doctor.” Yet if you tell a friend you’re feeling depressed, he will be scared or reluctant to give you that same advice. You know what? I’m over it.
Read more: John Green on Mental Illness: There is Hope
It’s a knee-jerk reaction to judge people when they’re vulnerable. But there’s nothing weak about struggling with mental illness. You’re just having a harder time living in your brain than other people. And I don’t want you to feel alone. You know what happens when I visit my doctor regarding my mental health? He listens. He doesn’t downplay my feelings or immediately hand me a pill or tell me what to do. He talks to me about my options. Because when it comes to your brain, there are a lot of different ways to help yourself.
We’re all on team human here, and let’s be honest—it’s not an easy team to be on. It’s stressful and taxing and worrisome, but it’s also fulfilling and beautiful and bright. In order for all of us to experience the full breadth of team human, we have to communicate. Talking about how you’re feeling is the first step to helping yourself. Depression is a problem that actually has so many solutions. Let’s work together to find those solutions for each other and cast some light on a dark situation.
Kristen Bell is an actress best known for Frozen, House of Lies and Veronica Mars. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and two daughters.
Contact us at editors@time.com.The Supreme Court of Canada will allow the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation the chance to appeal a plan by Enbridge Pipelines |
or serious injury when he was killed.
'Given his severe disability, which must have been clearly visible to those who shot him, his killing is incomprehensible - a truly shocking and wanton act.'
Gaza's Health Ministry today confirmed a further two Palestinian protesters were killed during renewed clashes.
Violence continues as the U.N. General Assembly yesterday voted overwhelmingly to condemn Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
The disabled protester is rolled along by fellow demonstrators before on the Israeli border, in Gaza City. Violence continues as the U.N. General Assembly yesterday voted overwhelmingly to condemn Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel
Palestinian protesters carry away an injured demonstrator during a demonstration on Thursday at the Israeli border in Gaza City
Palestinians have been clashing with Israeli troops since Trump's Jerusalem announcement over two weeks ago
Ibrahim Abu Thurayeh, 29, was taken to al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City after being shot by troops but was later pronounced dead on December 15
One of those killed was Zakariya Al-Kafarneh, 24, who was shot in the chest with live ammunition, the ministry said. The second victim has not yet been identified.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged France and Europe to play a stronger role in peace efforts amid the continued fallout.
The Israeli military said thousands of Palestinians participated in 'violent riots' along the Gaza border and across the West Bank 'hurling firebombs and rocks and rolling burning tires' at Israeli forces.
One legless protester was pictured on Thursday hurling projectiles at Israeli forces at the border in Shuja'iyya neighborhood of Gaza City.
Mr Abbas said he would no longer accept any U.S. plans for Mideast peace because of the US president's position on Jerusalem.
Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Kidra said a 24-year-old and a 29-year-old were killed by live fire in clashes along the border with Israel.
A further 45 Palestinians were wounded, he said.
It said troops responded with tear gas and deployed live fire'selectively toward main instigators.'
Palestinians have been clashing with Israeli troops since Trump's Jerusalem announcement over two weeks ago.
Ten Palestinians have been killed and dozens more wounded so far.
The nonbinding resolution declaring U.S. action on Jerusalem 'null and void' was approved 128-9 - a victory for the Palestinians, but was not as big as they predicted.
Amid Washington's threats, 35 of the 193 U.N. member nations abstained and 21 were absent.
Ten Palestinians have been killed during fierce clashes and dozens wounded so far
Another wounded protester is carried away by demonstrators during clashes on the Israeli border two days ago
On Thursday, the U.N. General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to denounce Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital
The Trump administration made it clear the vote would have no effect on its plan to move the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
The United States and Israel had waged an intensive lobbying campaign against the U.N. measure.
U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley sending letters to over 180 countries warning that Washington would be taking names of those who voted against the U.S.
Mr Trump went further, threatening a funding cutoff and posting to TwitterL 'Let them vote against us. We'll save a lot. We don't care.'
Mr Abbas said he would no longer accept any U.S. plans for Mideast peace because of the US president's position on Jerusalem. Pictured: A man waves a Palestinian flag at the Israeli border in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood of Gaza City today
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview with CNN that Trump's Jerusalem declaration recognizes 'a historical truth.'
'Jerusalem has been the capital of Israel for 3,000 years from the time of King David.
'It has been the capital of the state of Israel for 70 years, and it's about time that the United States said, and I'm glad they said it, "This is the capital and we recognize it" and I think that's going to be followed by other countries,' Netanyahu said.
He would not name the countries he referred to but said that they are'seriously considering' following the U.S.'s lead and moving their embassies to Jerusalem.
Speaking in Paris, Abbas said the United States is 'no longer an honest mediator in the peace process'.
Abbas also denounced the U.S threat to cut financial aid for countries who voted to back the U.N. resolution.
In a Christmas message, sent by his office as he met with French President Emmanuel Macron, Abbas said the US president's move disqualified the the States from continuing in its traditional role as mediator in peace talks.
'The U.S. chose to be biased. Their future plan for Palestine will not be based on the two-state solution on the 1967 border, nor will it be based on International Law or UN resolutions,' President Abbas said in the written message.
Trump's announcement departed from decades of U.S. policy that the fate of Jerusalem should be decided through negotiations.
Palestinian protestors carry a wounded protester during a demonstration against U.S. President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital
East Jerusalem is home to Jerusalem's Old City with its key Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites, and its status is an emotionally charged issue.
A sensitive hilltop compound there, sacred to both Jews and Muslims, is at the heart of the conflict.
Jews revere it as the Temple Mount, site of the two Jewish biblical temples. It is the holiest site in Judaism and the nearby Western Wall, a remnant of the temple complex, is the holiest place where Jews can pray.
The walled compound is home to both the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, Islam's third-holiest site after Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.
Some 45,000 worshippers attended prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday, said the Waqf, Jordan's religious body that administers the site.
Hundreds of Palestinians marched after prayers there chanting 'Jerusalem is Arab.'
The Palestinians seek east Jerusalem, captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war from Jordan, as the capital of their hoped-for state. Israel says the entire city, including east Jerusalem, is its eternal capital.
Trump said his decision merely recognizes the fact that Jerusalem already serves as Israel's capital and is not meant to prejudge the final borders of the city.A group of octopuses have baffled locals and scientists as they were seen coming ashore nightly along a coast in Wales.
Dozens of curled octopuses were seen three nights in a row on the shore at New Quay beach in Ceredigion, west Wales.
Video of the cephalopods, which only grow to about 50 cm long, was posted to the SeaMor dolphin-watching tour group’s Facebook page on Friday night.
“We went down the beach yesterday to watch the octopus that are coming ashore at night. We collected the ones that were totally out of the water, and plopped them back in at the end of the pier, hopefully saving them from getting stranded,” the post reads.
That wasn’t enough to save all of them though. Photos of the next morning show bodies of the animals on the beach.
Brett Stones, who runs the tour group, told the BBC he first saw the octopuses as he was coming back from a day at sea.
“It was a bit like an End of Days scenario,” he told the BBC.
“There were probably about 20 or 25 on the beach. I have never seen them out of the water like that.”
A group of octopuses is unusual in and of itself, since they are solitary animals. But what makes the mystery even odder is that curled octopuses usually stay in dens below the water.
READ MORE: Mystery sea creature that washed ashore during Hurricane Harvey identified by Twitter
British National Marine Museum curator James Wright said their behaviour “suggests there is something wrong with them.”
He told the Telegraph newspaper that the area they were seen had recently been hit by two low-pressure systems and storms, suggesting that might have something to do with the behaviour.
“It could simply be injuries sustained by the rough weather itself or there could be a sensitivity to a change in atmospheric pressure,” he told the newspaper.
WATCH: Coverage of sea creatures on Globalnews.caScreenshot/BBC LONDON — Senior EU figures are telling Britain to forget about negotiating a trade deal with the US or any other state as long as it remains a member of the 28-nation bloc.
Prime Minister Theresa may is set to visit Washington this week where she will reportedly meet with President Donald Trump to discuss the early stages of a new trade deal between the two countries.
A Downing Street spokesperson said over the weekend that the pair would "discuss how we can deepen our already huge economic and commercial relationship to the benefit of both of our countries, including our shared ambition to sign a UK-US trade deal once the UK has left the EU."
The government also confirmed that before meeting the new President, May will meet with senior Republican congressmen whose backing will be crucial if Britain is to strike a deal with the US during the "America first" administration of Trump, the Times reports.
However, the UK government's eagerness to build new trade relations with Trump's US is irritating leading figures in Brussels, who are keen to remind May of her obligations as a leader of an EU member state.
Under current EU treaties, Britain can neither strike nor even begin to negotiate any trade agreement with countries outside of the Union until it has formally terminated its membership, which is expected to occur in March 2019.
This was made clear by the EU's foreign affairs commissioner Federica Mogherini, who used a meeting with UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and his European counterparts to issue a stern reminder to Britain.
"It's absolutely clear on the EU side that as long as a country is a member state of the EU, which is something the UK is at the moment, there are no negotiations bilaterally on any trade agreement with third parties. This is in the treaties and this is valid for all member states as long as they remain member states, until the very last day.
"This is in the treaties and this is valid for all member states as long as they remain member states, until the very last day," Mogherini told media after the meeting.
This is an obligation that EU leaders have made clear to the UK on numerous occasions in the past, but warnings issued from Brussels don't appear to be deterring May's government as it prepares for life as a non-EU member.
May will become the first foreign leader to hold talks with the Republican President since his inauguration last week.
The two sides are keen to explore a trade deal based on slashing export tariffs and making it less difficult for US citizens to work in the UK and vice-versa, according to multiple reports.
The thinking in Downing Street is that this sort of deal would allow Trump to stick to his "America first" promise while agreeing to a trade arrangement that benefits both sides. Sources inside the civil service say the current aim is to agree on "zero tariffs" for certain items exchanged between the UK and the US.
Speaking to Andrew Marr on Sunday, May said: "There will be many issues for us to talk about, because obviously the special relationship between the UK and the US has been strong for many years.
"We'll have an opportunity to talk about our possible future trading relationship, but also some of the world's challenges that we will face, issues like defeating terrorism, the conflict in Syria."Nobody wants to be stuck in a wheelchair, but the Action Trackchair isn’t exactly a wheelchair. This go-anywhere beast is the Humvee of personal mobility solutions. With treads instead of wheels, the Trackchair opens up fields and forests for off-roading, slogging through swamps and even fording small streams. How many people can say they took their wheelchair mudding on the weekend? And yes, that’s right, it comes in camo.
You’re not going to chase down any gazelles at the Trackchair’s top speed of 5 mph – that’s the pace of a brisk walk – but available gun racks and mounts make it easier to get out hunting when you’d otherwise be stuck watching OLN. With a base price of around $9,000 (plus accessories), the Trackchair is pricier than many ATVs, but nobody said being a badass was free.
http://youtu.be/BbNnWhq3TwE
Interested in Gadget Lab's Month of Badass Gadgets? Check out our previous pick, the Southern Grind GrandDaddy machete."The White House is circulating a draft immigration bill that would create a new visa for illegal immigrants living in the United States and allow them to become legal permanent residents within eight years, according to a report published online Saturday by USA Today."
We learned this morning that President Obama is impatient with Congress and immigration reform. He is now threatening to do it his way ("decree") and go around Congress :
What's wrong with this?
"Impatient" with Congress? Why didn't he do something about it when he had 60 votes in the US Senate and large majorities in the US House?
First, we don't live in Cuba or Venezuela. We have a constitution that specifically calls for Congress to write laws.
Are we going to teach these "new citizens" that in the US the president can govern by decree when he can't persuade Congress, especially one body of Congress controlled by his own party? What kind of "a civics lesson" is that?
Second, we are learning again that Democrats love immigration reform but do not like to vote "yes or no." They love the speeches or going on Jorge Ramos' show and talking about immigration reform. They just don't like having to put their name on a piece of legislation.
This is specially true of all of those Democrats running for reelection in places like Arkansas, Virginia, North Carolina, Louisiana, et al.
This is also true of Midwestern Democrats who have strong relationships with Big Labor. (Don't you remember how then Senator Obama opposed the work visas in the Kennedy-McCain bill from 2007?)
This is also true of the Black Caucus. They are hearing from their districts that President Obama is spending too much time talking about "illegals" rather than doing something about their very high unemployment rate.
Third, President Obama wants a quick path to legalization so that he can pander to the Mexican American vote. This is the worst of Obama, a demagogue who only cares about himself rather than the presidential oath that he took a few weeks ago.
The presidential oath does not say: "I will pander and pander to "hispanos" even if it means going around the US Constitution." Instead, it calls on the president to "protect and defend the Constitution of the US."
As a naturalized citizen, who actually supports a path to legalization for many of these people who want to work here, I am appalled that President Obama is so disrespectful of our constitution.
We need to do it the right way. We need hearings and an "up and down" vote in Congress. We need to force Democrats to vote "yes or no" on immigration reform.
Again, I am convinced that President Obama and the Democrats do not want a vote on immigration reform. They want the issue. They want to tell "hispanos" that those "racista Republicanos" are against a reform.
In fact, it is the Democrats who are against reform. They are hoping that "hispanos" don't catch up to their very cynical game.Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
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Lady Gaga is the latest star with plans to travel to space – but the “Applause” diva will perform while she’s there.
Gaga will blast off early in 2015 in one of Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic ships, and she’ll then perform a song from space that will be beamed down to the Zero G Colony tech festival in New Mexico, US Weekly reports.
“She has to do a month of vocal training because of the atmosphere,” a source told the magazine. The report adds that Gaga’s “glam squad will join her in the shuttle.”
The Zero G Colony jamboree is a high-tech festival that will go down at Spaceport America – home to carriers including Virgin Galactic, Elon Musk’s SpaceX, UP Aerospace, and Armadillo Aerospace. And for maximum dramatic effect, Gaga’s galactic performance will reportedly happen on the festival’s third day, “at dawn.”
Branson will have begun Vigin Galactic commercial flights six months prior to the event.
Just in case of any glitches, “Gaga has taken out a ridiculous life insurance policy!” for the far-out trip, a source told US.
Other stars who’ve signed up to travel to space via Virgin include Leonardo DiCaprio, Justin Bieber and his manager Scooter Braun, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Ashton Kutcher.I received an email from Piriform, makers of CCleaner, asking me to remove a feature from BleachBit that allows individual BleachBit users to use winapp2.ini files created by the community of users. I don't see how the terms of use apply, but I am checking into it.
Update (February 6): The winapp2.ini importer issue has been resolved.
From: Louise Kinane <XXXXXXXX@piriform.com>
Date: Tue, 29 Jan 2013 11:06:55 +0000
Subject: bleachbit.sourceforge.net Hi Andrew, It has come to our attention that your software BleachBit includes a
feature which enables users to import CCleaner data into your program:
http://www.ghacks.net/2012/03/18/how-to-integrate-ccleaners-winapp2-ini-... As this is against our terms of use, we kindly request that you remove
this feature. Please confirm receipt of this email. --
Regards
Louise Kinane Customer Experience Manager | Head of UK Operations | Piriform
T: +44.203.574.XXXX | W: www.piriform.com
Here is what others are saying:Story highlights U.S. military official says there is a plan to retake Mosul from ISIS
Mosul would be attacked by Iraqi and Pershmerga forces, officials said
U.S. would only provide air support, no ground troops are planned, official said
ISIS issues new propaganda video showing peaceful scenes in Mosul
A military plan to retake the northern Iraqi city of Mosul from ISIS could begin as soon as January using Iraqi and Kurdish Peshmerga forces, a U.S. official confirmed to CNN.
The current plan is to assemble about 1,000 troops, with Iraqi forces approaching Mosul from the south and Peshmerga forces from the west, said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. But everything in the plan is "conditions based," and the exact timing and size of the force to be used remains to be determined, the official said.
It's unclear how long such an operation would take to be successful.
The idea is for groups to enter Mosul and attempt to establish initial footholds. They would then seek to expand their areas of military control, pushing out the militant terror group that also refers to itself as Islamic State, according to the official.
U.S. and coalition aircraft would provide support from the air.
It is not expected that any U.S. troops would be on the ground to locate targets for aircraft to strike, but Iraqi and Peshmerga commanders could communicate targets to the coalition, the officials said.
The U.S. military is planning to train 12 Iraqi and Peshmerga brigades and plans to start arming members of the Sunni Anbari tribe, according to a military officials.
All of this will be a series of judgment calls and agreements with Iraqis as to how many troops are involved and when they're ready to go, the U. S. official said, and should not be thought of as set in stone.
ISIS released a new video Friday titled "A visit to Mosul", which shows peaceful scenes in the city and claims that Christians and Yazidis there have now "entered Islam." The video is in stark contrast to the violence usually shown in ISIS propaganda.Hi All,Living in Japan, I have noticed that a lot of my friends and their children have a small array of scars on their arm from vaccination. This is because in Japan, Tuberculosis is a threat and the BCG vaccine is used to keep it in check. The BCG vaccine has a very high safety record, but the one drawback is that the scars on the arm can sometimes be permanent. This is due to the fact that there is a nine point needle used for injecting the vaccine:Given that the risk assessment points me to the fact that having this nine point scar is much better than the alternative of risking my babies getting TB, I will be taking them to get the vaccine on schedule. As a parent of two beautiful twin boys however, the though of permanent scars on their arms is a bit of a bummer...Does anyone know of any TB vaccine that doesn't leave such scars that isn't in the experimental stage? I haven't been able to find one.I know it is a relatively minor thing, but I thought I would ask just in case their was one.ThanksIt’s been a funny old year, but through it all we’ve kept on doing our thing and loved every minute of it: bringing you daily reports on the latest psychology research. Contributing writer Alex Fradera and I have covered the entire field, everything from the way infant memory works to research on the psychophysiology of post-sex pillow talk. We told you about failed replication attempts, including smiling apparently not having an effect on mood, and provided feature-length research roundups on topics like eye contact and psychology myths. We released four episodes of our PsychCrunch podcast, including an Olympic special on how to use psychology to be a stronger competitor. Roughly twice per month we also published brilliant guest contributions from psychologists and science writers, including posts on why so many people dislike the word moist and how teens are more likely to reject junk food when it’s framed as rebellion.
I like to think that our stories might have helped you make sense of topical events, nurtured your love of psychology, offered you hope, maybe even made you smile. It’s been a privilege to write for you and I hope you’ll join us again in 2017. Until then, here’s a list of the 10 research stories that – based on number of clicks – seemed to intrigue you the most this year. Happy Holidays! —Christian Jarrett, editor
Men who can tell a good story are seen as more attractive and higher status
By age 3, kids know when you owe them one
Why do so many people believe in psychic powers?
The police believe a lot of psychology myths related to their work
Students of today are more afraid of growing up than in previous generations
This is what eight weeks of mindfulness training does to your brain
Experienced meditators have brains that are physically 7 years younger than non-meditators
You hear a voice in your head when you’re reading, right?
Why is it so hard to persuade people with facts?
A daily cold shower seems to have some psychological benefitsNot Just For War: Drones Patrol Canadian Border
Predator drones have been in the headlines lately. These high-tech, unmanned aircraft are most often used for surveillance and missile attacks. The U.S. military has increased their use in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The debate focuses on whether their effectiveness in killing enemy combatants comes at the expense of too many lost civilian lives.
Aerial drones aren't used only in war, and they aren't used only overseas. Weaponless Predators also patrol American skies. The Department of Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection division has five of them to patrol the U.S. border with Canada.
Host Liane Hansen speaks with Michael Kostelnik, assistant commissioner for air and marine operations at U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, about unmanned drone surveillance along the Canadian border.It's well known that women live longer than men do, but this wasn't always the case: A new study finds that differences between men and women's life expectancies began to emerge in the late 1800s.
For the study, researchers analyzed information from people born between 1800 and 1935 in 13 developed countries.
They found that over this time period, death rates decreased among both men and women. But starting in 1880, death rates decreased much faster among women, leading to differences in mortality rates between the sexes.
The findings show that, although a greater life expectancy for women is seen as normal today, it is actually "a relatively new demographic phenomenon that emerged among people born in the late 19th century," the researchers concluded.
For example, among people born before 1840, death rates were about the same for men and women of a given age. But for people born between 1880 and 1899, death rates for men ages 50 to 70 were 1.5 times greater than those for women of the same age.
Among people born after 1900, the death rate of 50- to 70-year-old men was double that of women of the same age, according to the study. [8 Tips for Healthy Aging]
Cardiovascular disease was the main cause of the higher death rates among men, the researchers said. Heart disease and stroke accounted for more than 40 percent of the increase in male mortality rates versus female mortality rates between 1880 and 1919, the researchers noted.
Biologically, men may be more vulnerable to cardiovascular disease, but this susceptibility was seen only after deaths from other causes, such as infections, started to decline, the researchers said.
Body fat (also called adiposity) tends to be distributed differently over men's bodies compared with women's, and "their differing patterns of adiposity could make men more vulnerable to the increasing weight that resulted from changes in diet and activity," the researchers said in their study, published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Future studies could investigate other differences between the sexes, including genetic dissimilarities, that may play a role in the increased risk of death from heart disease in men, the researchers said.
Follow Rachael Rettner @RachaelRettner. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.Found this gem in one of the forums, so followed the link back to the Vimeo site here: Skylines and Skyscrapers on Vimeo. You can order the DVD here: Skylines and Skyscrapers DVD. I just started watching it and already I'm hooked! Heres what the uploader had to say about the video:
" Street Racing in Tokyo. This is a little film I made with a friend called Mr Brooks, a big Japanese sports car fan and owner. He had imported a few cars from Tokyo and got talking with the exporter about making a film. We went over to Tokyo for 5 days and 4 nights with our box of tricks, (Car mounts, Sony PD150 and some Super 8 kit - Beaulieu 4008ZM4 and Nizo 156, loads of lenses, Glidecam and some lipstick cameras) to make the film. We filmed street racing on the C1, Drifting in the Hakone Mountains, visited a top Tuning shop in Tokyo (Top Secret), went to the car auctions and met plenty of young Japanese car owners. Basically we worked like dogs 24/7 and had a great time filming and driving some great cars in and around Tokyo.
Quite a lot of Super 8 material in this, Some shots using my old Glidecam 4000 Pro.He’s back: Gary Sinise is returning to the world of CBS crime dramas.
The former CSI: NY star will lead the cast of the network’s upcoming Criminal Minds spinoff. The new show “focuses on a division of the FBI that helps American citizens who find themselves in trouble abroad.” According to Deadline, Sinise will play the team’s boss, Jack Garrett, “a twenty-year veteran of the Bureau, who is currently in charge of the FBI’s top team for handling cases involving Americans abroad.”
The pilot will be shot next month and will air as an embedded Minds episode later this season. The episode will be written by Minds showrunner Erica Messer.
This marks CBS’ second attempt to spinoff Minds and it might bolster the project’s odds of success by tapping an actor who was on the network for nine seasons on CSI: NY.
“Well, the first lesson is do it better,” CBS entertainment chairman Nina Tassler told critics earlier this week when asked about trying another Minds spinoff. “One of the things I will say is Erica Messer, who is doing this incarnation of the spin-off, Erica has been a part of Criminal Minds since day one, from when the show first launched. She has been key in the show continuing to blossom and grow and evolve in these past couple of years … So I think having Erica behind it, she’s an extraordinary writer, one of the best showrunners in our business. So I think that is one of the key differences from the previous spin-off to what we’re doing now.”From cartoons to casual racism, here’s how the Agency urged employees to think about security
In 1973, still coming down from the harshed mellow of Watergate, a Central Intelligence Agency officer came up with what they felt would be the perfect solution to lagging morale and lackluster operation security: a motivational poster contest.
The results, apparently produced in-house, were exceedingly a product of a their time and environment …
right down to the cringe-worthy casual racism.
For the most part, however, the submissions were pretty adorably dorky, and we’ve cleaned them up a bit in case you were in the market for a new desktop background.
It’s unclear which poster ended up winning, but my personal choice, included in a separate release, has to be this gem.
Move over Dogs of OpSec. That is delightful. The full collection, hashmarks and all, is embedded below.The DNC just posted its worst October of fundraising in at least 15 years. Nine months into professor and part-time DNC Chair Tom Perez’s tenure, and it’s gone from bad to worse to… “How is this even possible?”
2017: $3,906,337
2016: $24,824,077
2015: $4,456,789
2014: $6,169,737
2013: $7,256,273
2012: $13,817,927
2011: $7,955,302
2010: $11,086,712
2009: $11,559,745
2008: $14,518,771
2007: $5,558,910
2006: $10,191,643
2005: $5,224,453
2004: $33,873,239
2003*: $4,666,275
*Prior to 2003, party committees did not file monthly.
Some quick stats to keep in mind…
The RNC has raised more than $113M – the first time we have raised that much, that fast, in a non-presidential year.
– the first time we have raised that much, that fast, in a non-presidential year. Nearly 60% of what the RNC has raised in direct contributions has come from small donations (under $200.)
Democrats say their candidates are outpacing ours in fundraising, but if you run the numbers…
Source: Politico’s Scott Bland
*Jon Ossoff represents $31M of this figure
Source: Federal Election Commission
FLASHBACK VIDEO 1: Five months ago, Brown University Professor and part-time DNC Chair Tom Perez’s excuse for his weak fundraising: “Well, I got there on March 1st.”
FLASHBACK VIDEO 2: Three months ago, DNC Deputy Chair Keith Ellison promised the DNC would have “some really good reports to share in the weeks to come…our team is in place now.”
GOP
Fundraising and FEC Filing6PM: City officials ask for lawsuit to be dismissed, call 2012 flood an 'act of God'
SANTA CLARA — Calling it an "act of God," the city of Santa Clara has asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit from homeowners seeking compensation for damages caused by a 2012 dam failure.
In all, the flooding event on Sept. 11, 2012, damaged 61 homes and 16 businesses. While the city received funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to rebuild the earthen dam at the Laub Retention Pond, homeowners did not receive any federal or local government assistance.
"In order to receive what they call public assistance to the individual homeowners, there has to be at least 100 homes damaged by the disaster," said Santa Clara Mayor Rick Rosenberg. "We only had 61 damaged."
The city reports that the rainstorm that filled the detention basis was a once-in-1,000-year event and that the nearly 100-year-old dam was not designed to withstand the unprecedented volume of water.
"It was beyond the design of the dam," Rosenberg said.
Attorneys for the city asked a 5th District Court Judge this week to remove the case, saying the city is protected by governmental immunity laws. Mayor Rosenberg agrees, saying the historic rainfall was something the city could not have prepared for.
"It was very large and very rare," Rosenberg said of the storm. "Typically those events are classified as an 'act of God.'"
The homeowners' attorneys argue that it wasn't the volume of water, but rather burrowing gophers that caused the dam to fail and that city officials knew about the ongoing problem. They cite a June, 2012, report from state dam inspectors
"At that time they informed Santa Clara that there were rodent burrows on the dam," Attorney Jeff Peatross said. "The rodent encroachment into the earth of the dam appeared to be a problem and they told them to remediate it."
Photo: KSL-TV
Peatross says the characterization that the dam was overtopped with water is false. Instead, he says evidence points to the center of the dam collapsing after water started flowing through rodent holes.
"It wasn't overwhelmed; the flood did not exceed its design capacity or how it should have performed," Peatross said. "It's most likely and probable that the dam broke because the city didn't maintain it."
While both sides wait for a ruling on the city's request for a summary judgement, the mayor reminds that the majority of the homeowners did not join the lawsuit and that the city allocated as many resources as it could to help clean up the flood damage.
"We feel for all the homeowners," Rosenberg said.
×
Photos
Related StoriesCLOSE An effort to help Randy Kong bounce back financially from medical issues was led by a local man who spread the word on social media. Here he plays a song he wrote. Mike Kilen and Bryon Houlgrave/The Register
Buy Photo Des Moines musician Randy Kong performs in the skywalk on Friday near Capital Square in Des Moines. A social media-fed surprise gathering to support recent medical problems filled his guitar case with money. (Photo: Bryon Houlgrave/The Register)Buy Photo
Randy Kong is the Des Moines skywalk musician with the booming voice, rattling the glass windows with cover tunes such as the Monkee’s “Daydream Believer.” He has long black hair and wide-set eyes. Many assume he’s a homeless Native American. He’s not.
“At first, you pass off judgments — ‘Who is this bum?’ But what struck me was how happy he is,” said Kasey McCurdy, 35, of Des Moines. “Damn, he’s happier than 90 percent of the people that walk past and judge him.”
On Friday, nobody was judging Kong. Instead, they filled the skywalk bridge by Capital Square and loudly applauded. The crowd came to support him after nearly dying. It was a surprise gathering organized on social media.
“It’s an opportunity to show him we care,” said Kristen Taylor, who works downtown.
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Kong is a 61-year-old bachelor who got some songs and a tattoo out of broken engagements and instead spent his years working by day and playing rock music at night. The half Chinese, half Hispanic guitar player just loved playing music.
“He used to be in these crazy shock metal bands, and clubs wouldn’t let him play because it was too vulgar. Now, he’s in the skywalk doing John Denver covers,” said McCurdy, who finally came to know him a year ago.
McCurdy passed Kong many times until one day the software engineer stopped and asked if he could film him with his new camera equipment. The two became friends through the months. He found a new side of Kong, following him to the home of a terminally ill person who he played for once a week. He saw the man day after day, interrupting his own songs to loudly holler, “Thank you very much!” whenever a passerby dropped a dollar in his guitar case.
Even though he often only sees the backs of people as they quickly pass him, Kong says he sees humanity at its best.
Buy Photo A crowd showed their appreciation for the years of music by Des Moines street musician Randy Kong on Friday in the Des Moines skywalk. (Photo: Bryon Houlgrave/The Register)
“I’ve learned so many lessons about life from him. Being kind to people. Being content,” McCurdy said. “My entire life, so many people around me are chasing a career path, and they get there and are no happier. Here’s Randy. Is he world famous? No. He just wants to play music.”
Then, Kong disappeared.
He has no telephone or car. He lives frugally downtown and survives on the tips in his guitar case.
McCurdy found him days later at a Des Moines hospital.
“I was bleeding internally, passed out in the bathroom and broke my arm,” Kong said. “The doctor told me I should have died that night.”
An abdominal aneurism, congestive heart failure and other health problems left him out of commission and not able to play in the skywalk or on the street for three months.
Kong reeled off all the big events he missed, including the Iowa State Fair, when he can make enough to survive on. But it’s not all about the money.
“I usually keep my expectations low. If I can make a dollar for a soda, I’m OK. My theory is: Sustain a positive attitude through negative expectations.”
Then McCurdy decided to step in. He had been putting together all his footage of Kong with the hope of making a documentary him. But he felt like now he needed to do something for him. He posted an event on Facebook to support Kong on Friday over the lunch hour.
“Just people being there will give him a shot in the arm,” McCurdy said.
Slowly, a crowd began to gather. Randy ripped off a song called “Waterfall,” and told a story of falling down and how he has to remind himself to not fight the waterfall. Just go with it.
|
— 51 percent call themselves satisfied while 44 percent say they want a third-party option.
Some leading Republican and grass-roots activists have been exploring the possibilities of finding a third-party candidate to stand as an alternative.
The Post-ABC poll tested a hypothetical three-way race that included Trump, Clinton and Mitt Romney, the GOP’s 2012 nominee and one of the most outspoken critics of the New York businessman. Among registered voters, Clinton gets 37 percent, Trump 35 percent and Romney 22 percent. Underscoring the divisions within the GOP ranks, Romney gets a third of Republicans in a three-way race.
Among registered voters, Clinton runs away from Trump on such attributes as having the right experience to be president, having the personality and temperament to serve in the Oval Office and having realistic policy proposals. Trump’s strongest calling card is as a change agent. The two are judged more or less evenly on honesty and trustworthiness, on strength of leadership and on keeping the country safe.
On issues, registered voters clearly prefer Trump on taxes and by a narrower margin on international trade. Clinton has a wide lead on issues of importance to women and rates ahead of Trump on dealing with an international crisis and handling international relations, and holds a slight edge on handling immigration.
The question of whether voters are looking for a candidate with political experience or someone who comes from outside the political establishment remains a fault line of potential significance. At present, 52 percent of Americans say they favor experience while 43 percent say they want an outsider.
In the winter and early spring of this year, experience was significantly more in favor — preferred by nearly 30 points over being an outsider. Fluctuations in that choice likely will affect the fortunes of the two candidates, as Clinton is the embodiment of political experience and Trump is a symbol of the outsider promising big change.
The poll suggests that Trump has more vulnerabilities than Clinton, but that opposition to the former secretary of state can lead some voters with a mixed to unfavorable view of Trump to support him nonetheless.
Among all adults, 58 percent rate Trump as not qualified to be president. In contrast, 63 percent say Clinton is qualified. But among those who say Trump is not qualified, 3 in 4 say they support Clinton for president. An additional 14 percent are backing Trump, and the remainder say they would pick neither candidate or might stay home in November.
Another indicator came when Americans were asked whether Trump shows enough respect to people with whom he disagrees. More than 3 in 4 said he does not, including 55 percent who say it is a major problem. But he still enjoys the support of 30 percent of that overall group, most of them people who do not regard his treatment of people who disagree with him as a major problem.
The coalitions behind Trump and Clinton hew to the same contours seen earlier this year. He holds a huge lead among men while she has a substantial, though smaller, lead among women. Clinton also meets some resistance among Democratic men.
Trump is winning 57 percent of white voters, while Clinton gets just 33 percent. For purposes of comparison, Obama in 2012 lost the white vote, 39 percent to 59 percent. Among nonwhites, Clinton is at 69 percent while Trump is at 21 percent. Four years ago, Romney got 19 percent of the nonwhite vote.
Trump is getting 85 percent of Republicans, and losing 8 percent to Clinton. She wins 86 percent of Democrats but loses 11 percent to Trump. Clinton, of course, is in a contest with Sanders that continues to split Democrats. Trump’s narrow overall lead among registered voters comes mainly from his current strength among independents, who prefer him to Clinton by 13 points.
Trump has consistently scored best with voters lacking college degrees, and that is again the case in the Post-ABC poll. He wins voters without a college degree by double digits; Clinton wins those with college degrees by a similar margin. Among whites, Trump does even better. He breaks even among white voters with college degrees and trounces her among those without degrees.
Some of these subgroups are subject to some change as the campaign progresses, assuming further consolidation within each party.
When people were asked who would do more to advance the economic interests of working-class people or middle-class people, the results showed that Clinton enjoyed a statistically insignificant advantage over Trump among registered voters but a statistically significant advantage among all adults.
Meanwhile, despite his populist message and support among working-class whites, Trump is overwhelmingly seen as a candidate whose economic policies would help the wealthy, by roughly 40 points.
Trump’s message that international trade hurts the country has majority support among all adults, with 53 percent saying those trade deals have done more to take away jobs than create jobs. But his support for deporting the roughly 11 million undocumented immigrants, as well as his call for a temporary ban on Muslims, is opposed by 50 percent, slightly more than those who back the proposals.
Trump has refused to release his tax returns, in contradiction of the practice of presidential candidates dating back decades. More than 6 in 10 Americans say he should conform to that custom and release them, including most independents but fewer than half of Republicans.
The Post-ABC poll was conducted May 16-19 among a random national sample of 1,005 adults, including interviews on conventional and cellular phones. The margin of sampling error for overall results and among the sample of 829 registered voters is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
scott.clement@washpost.com
Emily Guskin contributed to this report.Madison Ruppert, Contributor
Activist Post
Glasgow, Scotland is slated to become the first “smart city” in the United Kingdom after receiving a £24 million grant from the UK’s Technology Strategy Board (TSB) which will result in wonderful benefits like facial recognition for the city’s network of surveillance cameras.
Some of the initiatives sound a bit like other “smart city” programs, like the plans for the pilot program in San Francisco, especially in the quite troubling surveillance aspect. That being said, the surveillance in San Francisco goes far beyond the plans for the “smart” streetlight program even into the realm of so-called pre-crime.
Glasgow beat out 30 other cities in the UK to win the host what the TSB calls the “Future Cities Demonstrator.”
According to a TSB press release, “The Glasgow Future Cities Demonstrator aims to address some of the city’s most pressing energy and health needs. For example, developing systems to help tackle fuel poverty and to look at long-standing health issues such as low life expectancy.”
However, it is clear that one of the major focuses is “improved crime prevention [and] a reduction in anti-social behavior.”
Indeed, as a recent BBC article notes, “Better use of CCTV camera technology will feed back to control centers, with the aim of preventing and reducing anti-social behavior.”
The BBC also notes that the city’s CCTV cameras will be linked to the traffic management unit in order to identify traffic incidents more quickly.
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“It will use analytical software and security cameras to help identify and prevent crime in the city,” the BBC adds.
The system will be capable of “[i]mproved crime prevention and detection of crime as well as helping to reduce anti-social behavior incidents through the improved use of camera technology and the integration of data” according to the Glasgow City Council website.
The interesting aspect of that is the fact that analytical software will be used along with cameras to help prevent crime. One can only assume that some kind of technology similar to the pre-crime systems – formally known as “behavior recognition” or “behavioral suspect detection” – deployed in America will be used.
Additionally, according to Councilor Gordon Matheson, the leader of Glasgow City Council, it will also be used for tax collection.
“By linking everything from foot and vehicle traffic to council tax collection and hospital waiting lists we can ensure we are being as innovative and smart to meet the continued challenges of a modern and future city life,” Matheson said.
According to the BBC, other cities in the UK including Birmingham, Sunderland and London will be deploying similar technology in the near future.
Survival Solar Battery Charger - Free Today! Did I forget anything or miss any errors? Would you like to make me aware of a story or subject to cover? Or perhaps you want to bring your writing to a wider audience? Feel free to contact me at [email protected] with your concerns, tips, questions, original writings, insults or just about anything that may strike your fancy. Please support our work and help us start to pay contributors by doing your shopping through our Amazon link or check out some must-have products at our store. This article first appeared at End the Lie. Madison Ruppert is the Editor and Owner-Operator of the alternative news and analysis database End The Lie and has no affiliation with any NGO, political party, economic school, or other organization/cause. He is available for podcast and radio interviews. Madison also now has his own radio show on UCYTV Monday nights 7 PM – 9 PM PT/10 PM – 12 AM ET. Show page link here: http://UCY.TV/EndtheLie. If you have questions, comments, or corrections feel free to contact him at [email protected] var linkwithin_site_id = 557381; linkwithin_text=’Related Articles:’Warning: This contains a spoiler from Sunday’s Game of Thrones.
They’re two of the most iconic characters on television, let alone on Game of Thrones: Tyrion Lannister and Daenerys Targaryen, two rebel outcasts from dynastic families who have never met before … until now. In a season full of unexpected character pairings, Sunday’s Thrones concluded with the most mind-blowing and eagerly anticipated partnering of them all when the fugitive Lannister revealed himself to the Breaker of Chains as she toured a fighting pit.
Showrunner David Benioff said pairing these two characters—played by Emmy winner Peter Dinklage and Emmy nominee Emilia Clarke—was one of the twists the producers most eagerly anticipated this season. “We’re really excited to see these two characters we love so much finally set eyes on each other,” Benioff said. “Creatively it made sense to us, because we wanted it to happen. They’re two of the best characters of the show. To have them come so close together this season then have them not meet felt incredibly frustrating. Also, we’re on a relatively fast pace. We don’t want to do a 10-year adaptation of the books, we don’t want to do a nine-year adaptation. We’re not going to spend four seasons in Meereen. It’s time for these two to get together. It’s hard to come up with a more eloquent explanation, but this just felt right. [Varys] puts Tyrion’s mission out there [in the season premiere] and the mission ends in Meereen.”
Tyrion and Daenerys have not yet met in George R.R. Martin’s novels upon which the series is based. But as is increasingly the case on the show, the producers opted to progress the story beyond the characters’ stopping point in Martin’s most recent book, A Dance with Dragons, in order to maintain an intense TV-friendly pace. Benioff and his fellow showrunner Dan Weiss have previously pointed out they prefer to cap the series around seven seasons.
“There will always be some fans who will think it’s blasphemy,” Benioff noted. “But we can’t not do something because we’re afraid of the reaction. I like to think we’ve always done what’s in the best interest of the show and we hope most people agree.”
Next week, Tyrion and Dany will have their first real conversation, and you can expect it to rank among the best scenes of the season. While some fans were upset by the death of Ser Barristan earlier this year, his demise means that Dany lost an experienced senior adviser with strong knowledge of Westeros at a time when her regime is under attack from insurgents. So Dany now has a real need for Tyrion’s help. But whether she can bring herself to trust the son of Tywin Lannister is a big question.
More coverage of this week’s episode: George R.R. Martin reveals which real-life religion inspired the Faith Militant, while our deep-dive recap is in progress.Author's Note: This story was inspired by both Hannibal's relationship with Will in Hannibal and Francis Dollarhyde's relationship with Reba in Red Dragon and its various adaptations. So, thank you Thomas Harris and Bryan Fuller. This will likely only be a one shot. I don't own the rights to Elsa or Anna, any other characters are my own creation.
"When did you decide to kill her?" Dr. Marella asks me as she scribbles in her notepad. I cringe at the sound of her pen scratching. All these years not leaving a trace of evidence and there I am in a file. I was done. People knew. They didn't know everything, but they knew enough that I would certainly never be able to kill again. All because of this girl – all because I let myself feel for my prey. Anna had been my undoing.
"It was when I saw her eyes," I respond finally. I've never been one for being open, particularly with a psychologist, my family had made sure of that. The honesty was difficult.
"Before you'd even met, then?" She verifies, writing another line in her notes.
"She was perfect. Her eyes shone with this innocence that seemed so at odds with her beauty. It was like she was a completely untainted soul," I explain, each word requiring more effort to dredge from within as I further damn myself.
"And you wanted to taint her?"
I stare at her, horrified. "Taint Anna?" The thought is disgusting. "No, I wanted to preserve her. I wanted her to be pure forever. I wanted to keep her."
"So you decided to kill her?" She asks, confused. I thought she was supposed to be an expert.
"How else do you keep someone from changing?"
She takes more notes. "Tell me how you first met. What happened? Why didn't you kill her then?"
I hesitate a moment. It's too late to back out now. Just tell her.
I sat in a dingy bar, a hundred miles away from home, pretending to enjoy a drink. It was only a tonic water, but everyone trusts a drunk girl. I was on the hunt. I was jonesing for a kill. I needed to find a new target. Everyone just looked so dull. Every single person in the bar looked so incredibly unfulfilled that I would have only been doing them a favor. I couldn't bring myself to add any of these lowlifes to my collection, they would corrupt the very nature of it. To satisfy myself with one of them would be to lower myself to the level of an animal. I had more self control than that, I wouldn't leap on the first prey I could find simply because I was so ravenous. I wouldn't rush it.
I decided it was time to leave. The kill could wait, I could resist the craving. Then I saw her. At first all I saw was red hair, pulled back in a pony tail. She was wearing a green knee-length dress with Uggs. She was almost pulling it off. She looked like a college girl out with her sorority, or perhaps someone a few years past that reliving their glory days. She seemed utterly uninteresting. Then she looked away from the bartender and her face turned towards me. My vision alighted on unspoiled teal. There was something in those eyes that called to me. It was more than just that innocence, it was like her very soul was beckoning me. I wanted to sink my blade into her more than I had ever wanted any other kill I could ever imagine. I could already smell her blood and see the light fade from those beautiful orbs of light. I could taste her death and it filled my every thought. I abandoned tact, and it was my undoing.
I approached her. Before I had even had time to process my thoughts, I was standing before her. This was unlike me. I study, I wait, I hunt. I don't leap without looking, and I certainly don't buy my prey a drink.
She thanked me and gave me a smile that melted my heart. I didn't think I could even feel anything there anymore, let alone that warmth. "I'm Anna," she said. I had only told the bartender to give her another of what she was drinking. I hadn't yet said a word to her. It wasn't too late to turn around, she wouldn't remember me. I was wearing a hoodie and jeans, with a brown wig hiding my platinum hair. I was just another face in the crowd.
"I'm Elsa," I responded with a smile. My body was acting without my permission. I was under her spell. I had just given my real name. I had to gain control over myself before I said anything more. This was absurd.
"Elsa," she mused. "That's a really pretty name." Her smile lit up her eyes again. I felt myself drowning in that blue-green sea.
"Elsa Anderson," I added, finally managing a lie. If I hadn't forced myself to establish some level of alias before I sunk any deeper into her I knew I would have drowned. I had to force distance. She was my prey, I couldn't allow another mistake like that. "I'm new around here. It's nice meeting you."
"Well why don't you stick around?" she asked, swishing her hips as she grew so close I could smell her. Even the scent of her called to me – somewhere between flowers and a fine wine. I savored it. "It's not every day a cute girl buys me a drink."
I hesitated. I wasn't used to people flirting with me. In my line of work people leave you alone. I was content like that, I didn't need anyone else. For only a moment, she made me doubt that. I'll never forgive her for that. All I should have needed was my kill and she made me want more. It made me want to kill her all the more. "I find that hard to believe, a girl like you," I responded. I may have been flirting, it wasn't something I'd ever done before, so it was difficult to be sure.
She blushed. I would have rather seen the color drain from her, but watching her cheeks redden had an effect on me. My own face warmed in response as I stared at her. "Come sit with us, I'll introduce you to my friends," she invited me.
The heat vanished from my face as my eyes widened. That was far too many witnesses. Even with my disguise, it wasn't impossible that someone would be able to identify me later, and they would all know my first name. I couldn't take that risk. "I'd rather get you alone," I responded honestly, choosing to double down rather than run away. I didn't expect it to work.
Her blush intensified and she stammered. "I hadn't planned. I mean I," she gulped. "I wasn't expecting that." She looked back towards her friends. I was certain she was going to refuse and I could catch her, drunk and vulnerable, when they went their separate ways. Instead, she turned back and replied, "I'll go tell them I'm heading out." She chugged her drink and walked away from me. I stared after her in shock.
This was so easy. I had already picked out a perfect spot to take her. No one would hear her scream, and I wouldn't leave a scrap of evidence. Everything was perfect. I would take her to my car, saying that I was still good to drive, and by the time she realized anything was amiss, it would be too late.
Then she kissed me. Her lips were soft and warm and foreign. This wasn't what I had wanted, and yet it felt so right. She took my hand and led me to the door. I started to wonder if I'd been wrong. Maybe she was there for the same reason I was. Why else would it be so easy? I began to grow certain that she was also trying to get me alone, that she had a knife or a piano wire waiting in her purse for my throat. I started to develop a certain respect for the girl. She would never expect that I would be the one ensnaring her instead.
I was beginning to plan out how I would respond if she made the first move when I noticed her look up at me, staring into my eyes as we left the building. She immediately tripped, not noticing that the ground was a good half foot below the door frame. I caught her. "Tipsy, more like tripsy," she laughed. I resisted dropping her as I groaned at the pun. "You're pretty strong," she remarked. I was still holding her. I'll admit, part of me didn't want to right her, holding her was rather nice, if not quite as nice as holding her heart would have been.
"I work out," I replied lamely, as I helped her to her feet. Her smile only grew.
"Wanna call a cab? We can go back to my place," she offered, staring into my eyes.
I recoiled slightly at the invasion. I was not used to being noticed. I had devoted my life to staying under the radar, and being instead under the microscope felt wrong. I felt naked. "I'm all right to drive," I explained.
"Really?" She asked incredulously. She wasn't used to anyone coming back from the bar able to stand, let alone drive. "Well I suppose I shall place my life in your hands, yet again," she agreed playfully.
I smirked, knowing precisely how true that was, and giddy at the idea of taking that life. She misread the smile as being over something far more lewd and blushed. I escorted her to my car, still convinced that she had the same ulterior motive that I did. It seemed unlikely that she was faking the intoxication, however, based on how strongly it smelled on her breath. Splashing some bourbon on your collar is a good way to imitate that, but the scent alternated whenever she opened or closed her mouth, and I could taste it on her when she kissed me. There was no way to fake it that completely. I knew that I would have the advantage if she attempted an attack.
"You really thought she was trying to kill you?" Dr. Marella asks, taking more notes. "Just because she was willing to leave with you? Surely it wasn't your first time."
I stare at her. I hate these questions. "No, it wasn't my first time, and I've never had any issue with convincing people to be alone with me. The trouble was I didn't have to convince her. I didn't pull any tricks, she was too eager. There was no reason she should have been acting like she was. Her wanting to kill me was the only logical explanation."
"Of course, you know better now," she retorts.
"Are you gonna let me tell the story or not?" I ask, annoyed. Of course, I know better now.
Before long we arrived at her apartment. It wasn't where I meant to drive her. I had my kill site picked out. Everything was ready, and taking her there would have been so easy. Why didn't I? It didn't make any sense. There was no reason for me to be at her apartment. I would be leaving evidence. My fingerprints would be everywhere, some hair follicles could escape from under the wig, skin cells, maybe even bodily fluids if things continued as they seemed to be. There was absolutely no justification for my being there, and yet there I was.
She kissed me again, and I tensed, waiting for her to draw a weapon. If she was planning on killing me, I had walked right into her web. No one knew where I was and I had no reason to be in this town. She could dispose of my body and my car and no one would ever be the wiser. Had I just taken her to my intended destination this wouldn't have been an issue. I even had chloroform in my car so I could have knocked her out if she started to freak out when I wasn't following her directions.
She started to pull away, feeling my tension, but I kissed back, pulling her to me, bathing in her warmth. I wanted to feel her against me, to see her under me, to look into those eyes and call her mine. It was a strange feeling. I was much more comfortable with wanting to see the light leave those eyes. I still wanted that, but this new desire was overwhelming me. Perhaps I really had drowned.
I felt her flesh against mine. Both of our shirts were gone. I didn't even recall taking off my jacket, let alone the shirt. I wondered if she drugged me. I clearly wasn't myself. I was always a paradigm of control. The loss of that control was terrifying, exhilarating, and freeing. She looked down at me. She was on top of me in her bed. I was clearly not paying enough attention to some very interesting events.
She leaned down and I expected another kiss, but instead, her lips found my neck. She didn't bite, she didn't rip out my throat, she instead left a trail of wet kisses down to my collarbone. It felt so intimate. In that moment, I felt closer to her than I ever had anyone else. I was lost in her.
"Why do you think you didn't kill her that night?" Dr. Marella asks, interrupting my story yet again.
"I don't know."
"You don't have any idea?" Her pen scratches across the notepad. I hate that sound so much.
"Are you going to insist it's because I was in love with her?" I ask, rolling my eyes.
"Were you?"
"We had just met. I didn't know a thing about her."
"You knew enough to want to kill her. Why should loving her take so much more?"
I stare at the psychologist. If I had my way I would just storm out of here and never talk to this bitch again, but here I am, trapped, forced to bare my soul to some overbearing doctor who thinks she understands people. "I don't know! Okay? I have no idea what made her special and it scares the hell out of me. She scares the hell out of me. I should not have dated the woman I was going to kill. It throws out all deniability. It guarantees evidence. It ruins everything, and it did, it's what put me here. I should have just put a knife in her that night, and instead I destroyed the life I'd spent years building for myself. She destroyed me."
"So you do feel," the woman mocks me. Tears cloud my eyes. "Such strong emotions would suggest that you don't have ASPD. It's unusual to say the least."
"When did I ever suggest that I don't feel?" I ask, confusion clear on my face. "I'm not a monster."
This seems to elicit a shudder from the psychologist. She's as disgusted with me as I am, though for very different reasons. How unprofessional of her. "Then how could you kill someone?" She's clearly shaken, her neutral facade is fading.
"Well, if I were to have ever killed someone, it would have been for the pleasure, certainly. Hard to enjoy that if you're just an unfeeling shell." I'm retreating into myself again. Anna would be disappointed in me. I'm not willing to confess, I won't give any more evidence than I absolutely have to. I have betrayed my nature enough without doing so.
She glares at me. For an expert in psychopaths, she sure doesn't seem to like me much. "Why do you allegedly kill people?" She asked, emphasizing the word.
"Well if it were true, like I said, it would be because it's fun."
"I don't believe that. There's something deeper there. Did something happen in your childhood?"
"Oh so now is when you ask me about my mother? I'd been waiting for that. Oh, she was so terrible she locked me under the stairs."
"You weren't Harry Potter."
"No. I wasn't. My parents were perfect. I just allegedly like killing people. Do you want more to the story, or is now when you ask if I tortured small animals as a child?" I'm not even bothering to hide my annoyance anymore.
"Did you?" She asks, sounding almost bored.
"No. Why would I want to hurt an animal?"
She jots that down. She can feel that she's losing me. "Skip ahead to your next date, I don't need all the sordid details of your first night together."
I was wearing my brown wig, a low-cut blue top, and black slacks with flats. I'm not big on clothes that I couldn't reasonably fight in. This was still attracting too much attention for my comfort though. I hate emphasizing my curves, but I couldn't exactly try to make myself uglier for a date.
I sat at a corner table in the Italian restaurant waiting for her. Just as I was starting to realize how insane this idea was, and that I should just chalk the whole thing up to a loss and pick a new target, she arrived. She took my breath away. Her hair was down and cascaded over her shoulders, curling slightly, just barely touching the straps of a ruffled, floor-length, brown dress which exposed a large portion of her modest chest. All thoughts of retreat ironically fled from my head.
I stood up and pulled out a chair for her. She giggled as she thanked me and sat down. "It's good to see you again," I admitted. It had been an entire week. We'd had breakfast together the morning after we first met and exchanged numbers, but I claimed I was busy with work. She actually lived two hours away, so going after work was unrealistic. I, fortunately, had the following weekend off, and we made plans.
"It's good to see you too," she agreed. "I was starting to worry you were avoiding me."
"Sorry, I've just been really busy with work. It's the first chance I've had to see you."
"I suppose I'll forgive you," she decided, mercifully. "What do you do? You never said."
"I'm an accountant," I lied. It was such a boring response that no one ever asked for more information.
"Really? That must be interesting. What's your day normally like? Have you been managing some famous person's money all week? Is that why you've been so busy? Was it an audit?" She asked, her eyes alight with interest. Those damn eyes would be the death of me.
I started. I had done enough research that I was pretty sure I could lie my way through this convincingly, but no one had ever asked before. "Oh, nothing so interesting as that. It's tax season and that means that we have a lot more to deal with than usual, which means more people calling out sick, which means more work for me."
"Oh, I'm sorry. That has to be annoying. I had originally planned on being an accountant, I figured it was a good reliable job, you know? It's not something that's ever gonna just stop being needed. I actually have my degree in it, but I was hired by a local bank straight out of college, and never technically applied my trade, so I wondered what it was like." She was staring at me in utter fascination. "How'd you end up in the field?"
I returned her stare. No one wants to be an accountant, why the hell would she? It had been a reliable cover every other time anyone had ever asked my career. What the hell could I even say? She actually was one.
"You're not missing much, it's not fun," I allowed. "I thought about the same as you did, it's a good steady job that's always hiring. It's pretty much just mindlessly entering numbers from one form into another. I'm sure your job is better."
"It probably is," she agreed, "I just feel bad that I never managed to find out. My job pays me pretty well, I have great benefits, and I've already earned a few promotions. I'm definitely not complaining, it's just so cool that you're actually an accountant!"
"How did she respond when she found out you were lying?" Dr. Marella inquires. I thought psychologists were supposed to just listen and take notes, why is she always interrupting?
"What makes you think she ever did?" I ask.
"Something had to change or you wouldn't be here. I know you didn't kill her then, so clearly you two continued dating for a while. Eventually, something had to slip, I assume that's why I'm talking to you now."
"Suffice to say she didn't take it well," I sigh.
"No, I need actual details, this is important." She stared emphatically at me across the room from her desk chair.
"You sure you don't want to just hear more about my childhood? Figure out where it all went wrong? I'm sure there's some juicy stuff there," I suggest.
"Your avoidance only makes it more obvious that this is where we need to go. How did she find out?"
We'd been dating for a little over a month, but we'd only seen each other five times. I'm still not sure why I hadn't killed her yet, there had to be evidence of me all over her apartment by that point. I needed to end it. I needed to pick someone else. I needed to do anything other than what I did – keep dating her.
We were in bed together, watching television, when it finally happened. A strand of hair had escaped from the bobby pins and the wig cap. One single strand of pale blonde hair fell across my cheek, standing out in stark contrast to the tawny locks that fell to the middle of my back. Anna noticed it immediately and stared at it quizzically. "Is that a gray hair?" she asked, grabbing it. As she lifted it up to investigate, she saw how it slightly pulled the wig up with it. "Elsa, you wear a wig?"
I started to panic. I knew this was nothing, but it was still a seam coming lose. As she pulled on it, I was certain everything would unravel. I felt words coming up through my throat. Words that I should not say, words that made no sense for anyone to say. If I said them then I would have to go ahead and kill her anyway, and I was finally starting to think that I might not actually want to do that. "Yes," I began, waiting for the rest of the words to tumble out.
"Why?" She asked, still staring at the strand of hair in her hand. "Your real hair is beautiful."
In response, I removed the wig, wincing as the bobby pins pulled my hair. I let the platinum blonde hair fall loose and shook my head once to toss it out of my eyes. She stared at me transfixed, her eyes filled with love. I couldn't lie to her anymore. The dam broke. "I wear it so that people can't recognize me."
"Why, are you famous?"
That would certainly be a good lie, albeit an easily disproved one. I reached desperately for any lie I could find, only for the truth to continue spilling forth unbidden. "No, I'm not famous. I just sometimes do things that I'd rather not be traced back to me." I was so close to saying it, to owning up to something that would destroy her.
She edged away from me slightly, pushing herself against the wall, cornering her, confusion replacing the love in her eyes. "Like what?"
"Like hunting down strangers and killing them," I found myself saying. My eyes went wide. I couldn't believe I had really said that. The widening of her eyes in response was the only reason I believed that I truly had. "My names not even Anderson, it's Nepja. A lot less forgettable, isn't it? My name really is Elsa though, I'd never admitted to that part before."
Her back was completely against the wall and she looked like she wanted to go further and pass through it. She was crying. "What are you talking about? This isn't funny."
"I'm not joking," I said sadly. There were only two explanations for this behavior: either I had actually fallen for this girl or I had a brain tumor. Both seemed about equally unlikely. "I wish I was."
"Elsa, you could never hurt anyone, I know you. You're so sweet and caring. Elsa, I love you!" It was the first time she'd ever said it. I wished she hadn't. Not like that.
"I love you too," I admitted, tears falling from my eyes to match hers. "It's why I'm not willing to lie anymore."
"Then you shouldn't have lied in the first place!" she screamed. I expected her to jump from the bed, to grab her cell phone or a weapon, to do anything, but she only sat there, staring at me in shock, as tears obscured her vision.
"I know." I hesitated. I couldn't explain why I was even considering saying it, that was going way too far. I had already gone too far, I wasn't even sure where telling her I had planned on killing her would fall on the map.
"But if you didn't lie then people would have known who you were after you killed me. They could track you down," she said in a dull monotone, her voice sounding almost mechanical as the pieces fell together.
"That's right," I acknowledged without moving, my tears falling on the sheets.
"Why haven't you then? Have you just been toying with me? Has our entire relationship been some sick game?!" she cried, emotion returning to her voice.
I don't know why that hurt so much. It was almost the truth, I shouldn't have felt so betrayed that she could think that of me. "Because I fell in love with you," I sobbed. "I meant to do it that first night, I had the spot picked out, but for some reason I took you home instead. I couldn't figure out why I did it, but instead of killing you I spent the night with you. Then another and another. I don't know if I already loved you that first night, but I couldn't manage to bring myself to kill you."
Anna only stared at me in response. Words seemed to have escaped her for the moment, her thoughts an unformed mess. We stared at each other in silence for what felt like hours. "Are you going to kill me?" she finally asked, breaking the silence. She didn't sound scared, only waiting for her fate.
"No," I responded. I was surprised, I'd been readying myself to follow through |
that date.
As this is not happening anymore, Spinnin’ Records as well as MAS will lose lawful income. No hard feelings, but we do want to be compensated – nothing more, nothing less.
That is part of a decent and professional settlement of what was a successful relationship.
Read More
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Categories: NewsSuccess doesn’t always bring happiness: A Peking University professor said that 40.4 percent of first-year students at the prestigious university feel life is meaningless, and 30.4 percent hate studying, news portal Sina reported on Monday.
Professor Xu Kaiwen, the deputy head of the mental health education and counseling center at Peking University — China’s highest-ranked university — made the remarks at an education summit in Beijing earlier this month, and referred to the phenomenon as “Empty Heart Disease,” or “kongxin bing” in Chinese.
Xu described the symptoms of “Empty Heart Disease” as: feelings of depression, loneliness, and indifference; a sense of not knowing what life is for, despite outstanding achievements; maintaining good relationships but feeling that they are based on social obligation; and even suicidal thoughts.
The news and transcript of Xu’s speech quickly spread through the media and through students’ online social networks.
On bdwm.net, the most popular online discussion forum for Peking University students, it’s easy to find students’ posts discussing their mental health struggles, and responding to Xu’s comments. In one post titled “Empty Heart Disease,” an anonymous student wrote, “I’m a member of the 30 percent, and possibly even more severe […] in fact, I’ve thought about ending my life more than once.”
But other students caution that a little existential uncertainty isn’t necessarily a sign of depression. Qu Tienan, a 19-year-old freshman studying philosophy at Peking University, told Sixth Tone that he felt he had encountered “Empty Heart Disease” as an ordinary part of the human experience.
“I would question the meaning of life, and the purpose of what we have done, but I don’t think it’s such a serious thing because everyone has doubt in their lives,” Qu said. “It’s natural.”
Others say that the pressure cooker of China’s education system can exacerbate psychological stress. Intensive preparation for the gaokao, the notorious national college entrance examinations, can start as early as middle school, and competition to get into top schools like Peking University is fierce. For some students, that can mean they run out of steam once they get there. Forced to take stock, they realize the momentum that pushed them forward is missing.
“Lots of students have this hallowed dream of studying at Peking University, so they put a lot of time and hard work into getting here. But after they pass the exam and come here, they lose interest in continuing to study,” said Ji Runyidan, a 22-year-old postgraduate law student at Peking. “They were studying with the goal of getting into Peking University rather than wanting to come to Peking University to study.”
Xu’s comments aren’t the first to put the discontent of students at China’s top universities into the spotlight. Earlier this month, an article by a Fudan University student attracted more than 100,000 views for its frank perspective. The student, writing under a pen name, said she had spent her whole adolescence studying, only to realize at university that without strong relationships, emotional intelligence, and knowledge extending beyond academic curricula, her high gaokao score meant nothing on its own.
Ji, too, says that many assume students at prestigious institutions should be pleased with their achievements, while in fact the pressure only intensifies at university.
Where many Peking University students were the best and brightest at their high schools, at college they’re surrounded by intimidating peers. Some are saddled with loans, and others feel like imposters in the elite environment.
But Ji and other students have also questioned the way that Peking University collects research on the mental health of its new students. Ji mentioned that some questions in a survey for freshmen were biased towards negative choices. One asked students to describe their current mood, but the only available choices were “so-so,” “unhappy,” “very unhappy,” and “extremely unhappy.”
“There was no choice of ‘very happy,’” Ji recalled.
Professor Xu did not respond to Sixth Tone’s interview request. Staff at Peking University’s mental health education and counseling center declined to comment.
(Header image: A students enjoys the snowy scenery at Peking University in Beijing, Feb. 8, 2014. IC)No More Holiday Panic!
The Holiday season is almost here, and if you are a low-carber or a ketoer like me you are probably dreading every social even you will have to take part in.
It’s going to be like crossing a mine field, right? It’s the ultimate test of willpower…..and we do not always win.
Do you feel like it’s not fair?! I do!
You are working so hard, trying to be healthy, trying to do the right thing….and then there is a bunch of people who do not care and stuff their faces with pie in front of you!
3 tips to survive of the holiday season and keto on!
1) Throw a low-carb party! So you are the one in charge and can give the guidelines for what to bring! It could be a fun potluck!
2) Bring a side dish, or a keto dessert so you can always eat turkey or ham, your side dish and/or dessert!
3) Be prepared with lots of delicious recipes that would please the whole family and fit your keto / low carb parameters!! (I will help with that!!)
Let’s get started with the yum stuff!
This recipe is worth making for the bread alone….probably the best keto bread I ever made!!
As you might know I am very VERY insulin resistant, so I can only have a little of it….but to have that piece of oven warm bread with a good dollop of butter on it….oh it was pure heaven!!
Then, just because we are keto / low carbers does that mean we are not gourmande?? HECK NO!
So move over Epicurious, make room Gourmet Mag, here is a world class recipe for your KETO thanksgiving that you will be proud of.
PS
To learn more about flour substitutions please watch this video and read this post!
5.0 from 1 reviews Gourmet Keto Thanksgiving Stuffing and Holiday Survival Tips Author: Vivica Menegaz Nutrition Information Serves: 9 portions Serving size: 1 portion
Calories: 336 Fat: 25 gr
Carbohydrates: 4.1 gr NET
Fiber: 9gr
Protein: 15 gr Recipe type: Thanksgiving Side dish. Save Print Are you gluten intolerant, keto,low-carb? With this stuffing recipe you will never have to miss out on thanksgiving again! Ingredients BREAD
4 tbs chia seeds ground into flour
4 tbs psyllium powder (this one works great!)
2 cups almond meal, finely ground
½ cup whey protein
1 level tbs aluminum free baking powder
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
¼ tsp dried garlic flakes
¼ tsp dried parsley flakes
1 tbs celtic sea salt
2 cups warm water
STUFFING
3 oz (84 gr) smoked guanciale or pancetta, diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
10 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
few sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves separated
3 cups of mushrooms, sliced
½ cup macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped (buy bulk to save!)
3 oz (3 to 4 slices) prosciutto
1 cup bone broth (better homemade!)
1 teaspoon celtic sea salt Instructions BREAD Mix all dry ingredients together well. Add the 2 cups of water and mix (preferably with a mixer) until well blended. Let the dough sit to rest for 10 minutes. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Oil a baking dish (about 6" by 10") with fat of choice ( I used MCt oil) Coop the dough in to the dish with a spatula, it should be soft and pliable but not too wet. Smooth the dough down with moistened spatula or fingertips. Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Remove form the oven and let cool. STUFFING In a large frying pan, brown the guanciale with the sage and garlic on a medium flame, until the guanciale is browned. Now add the mushrooms and let cook on a high flame for 10 minutes stirring often. In the meantime cut the cooled bread into small cubes. Place bread cubes on a oiled cookie sheet and put under the broiler on high or 5 to 10 minutes, until brown and crispy on all sides. Now remove the mushrooms form the pan and place in a a large bowl. In the same skillet place the prosciutto cut in thin strips, and cook until crispy. Remove bread cubes form the oven, and place in the bowl with the mushroom mix. Add the prosciutto and the macadamias coarsely chopped. Add the broth. Mix well. Place in a buttered oven dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, until top is slightly crisp. 3.2.2807
If you enjoyed the recipes in this post, you might want to get the one week Meal Plan! It’s the best way to get started with a WELL FORMULATED Ketogenic diet! The meal plan contains a full week of unpublished recipes, (all Paleo too!!), a shopping guide, and a list of good and bad foods!
Everything you will need to get started with Keto in the best / healthiest possible way!In a city as diverse as Tampa, visitors can try confections from many countries, including Italy, Cuba and Greece. Some bakeries produce hearty breads that will get you through the day. Others make tasty bites for a great mid-afternoon treat. We stopped by some of the city's best.
Italian
Tampa icon Alessi Bakery celebrates its 100th anniversary in September. Its bakers produce delicious Italian pastries everyday, ranging from Italian wedding cookies covered in powdered sugar to tiny, sweet cannolis that disappear with a few bites.
Nicolo Alessi opened the Alessi Bakery in 1912. He came to Tampa from Italy and delivered Cuban and Italian bread by horse and wagon. The bakery became known for its elaborately decorated cakes. Today, customers visiting Alessi, at 2209 W Cypress St., can watch decorators put the final touches on wedding cakes.
The Italian bakery also is known for its black-and-white cookies (more cake-like than cookie) and their scachatta, a room-temperature pizza cut into small squares.
Scachatta means "smashed bread" in Italian. In Sicily, this dish was traditionally made from leftover dough and ingredients from the day's pizza. It's made daily and doesn't stay on the shelves long, said Alessi general manager Wes Wilson.
In St. Petersburg, Mazzaro's Italian Market deserves a visit. At its quirky shop at 2902 22nd Ave. N, Mazzaro's set aside a room dedicated to about 300 cheeses, many of them hard to find elsewhere. In a back corner, homemade marinara boils on the stove next to fresh ravioli.
But nothing draws the eye like a case filled with desserts. Mazzaro's offers more than 30 varieties of Italian cookies, including homemade biscotti. And Mazzaro's bakers make two different types of éclairs: the traditional version with dense cream filling and the "Mazzaro's éclair," a sandwich filled with a lighter, whipped cream.
Cuban
You can get Cuban bread from most Tampa Bay grocers. But nothing compares to the crunchy crust and warm, soft center of a loaf that comes straight from the source.
La Segunda Central Bakery claims the honor of being the city's oldest Cuban bread company. Juan More officially opened La Segunda in 1915, though many believe it pre-dates that year. More, a Spaniard by way of Cuba, sold this hearty bread daily to some of Ybor City's earliest cigar factory workers. Today, La Segunda, located at 2512 N 15th St., produces about 12,000 loaves daily and sells them from Minnesota to Texas.
Each day, bakers work methodically, kneading the dough and pulling it into long shapes. Each one gets a thin strip of palmetto frond placed on top, which helps split the bread down the top.
Demand keeps increasing. So a couple years ago, current owners Copeland More and his father Tony More purchased a machine that would automate part of the process. Turns out, humans worked more consistently than the machine. The machine failed to take into account factors like weather and flour changes. So La Segunda went back to the old, handmade way.
And though they're known for their bread, La Segunda's flaky guava pastries filled with a not-too-sweet, tangy guava paste are as delicious as they are messy.
If you'd rather sit down and have your Cuban bread served to you, it's hard to beat La Tropicana Café at 1822 E Seventh Ave. Situated in the heart of Ybor, it serves the buttery, toasted version with a heavy-on-the-milk café con leche. Go early enough and you can sit with the loyal locals who've been coming for years.
Greek
Visit Tarpon Springs' main tourist drag any weekend and you'll see hungry visitors pining over the goodies behind the long pastry case at Hellas Bakery. The pastry case provides a beautiful sight that makes picking just one item nearly impossible.
Located at 785 Dodecanese Blvd., Hellas has been a staple since 1970. Stop by the restaurant for a Greek salad. Then head to the giant trays of gooey baklava under the lighted case - that is, if you can pass by the tall personal chocolate cakes or mini tarts with colorful fruit.
Deli and Bakery
Wright's Gourmet House opened in 1963, launched by a widow and widower looking for a new venture. It evolved over the years into a popular lunchtime spot and busy catering company. Their cakes, though simple and unchanging, rank among the best in the Tampa Bay area.
Each year, Wright's - located at 1200 S Dale Mabry Highway - produces between 25,000 and 30,000 cakes in eight flavors. The most popular? Chocolate cake with chocolate icing. During the winter holiday season, Wright's cake-makers work almost around-the-clock, says business manager Rob Hosmanek. In November and December alone, Wright's goes through about six tons of sugar.Blood pressure concerns aside, thank heaven for Lewis Black. If one person has the ability to embody the collective frustration Americans feel with lie upon little-white-campaign lie, it would be him.
Black appeared on Tuesday's edition of "The Daily Show" for his popular "Back In Black" segment, and boy did he have a bone to pick. And not a moment too soon. If campaign ads are bending the truth this much in July, they may be disrupting the space-time continuum by October.
While "The Daily Show," and Jon Stewart in particular, are occasionally accused by the left of making false equivalencies, Black's criticism of both sides was as fair as it was ferocious. And he underlined something that we've been trying to put our finger on since this election was just a glint in Karl Rove's eye:
"Campaigns have finally arrived in the 21st century; they can produce bullsh*t at the same rate as actual bulls."
Prove him wrong, people. Prove him wrong.You’ve got problems, I’ve got advice. This advice isn’t sugar-coated—in fact, it’s sugar-free, and may even be a little bitter. Welcome to Tough Love.
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This week we have a son who doesn’t know how to deal with his father’s often-racist email chains.
Keep in mind, I’m not a therapist or any other kind of health professional—just a guy who’s willing to tell it like it is. I simply want to give you the tools you need to enrich your damn lives. If for whatever reason you don’t like my advice, feel free to file a formal complaint here. Now then, let’s get on with it.
With the exception of my brother, all of my family is of the “brainwashed by Fox News” ilk. I am a giant bleeding heart liberal. I also have a relationship with all of them that could best be described as “cordial” and I’ve long since given up hoping to improve that. We’re just very different people and I’ve made my peace with that. I keep my interaction with them on social media to a minimum in the name of keeping the peace. Several years ago I went through a round of eye roll-inducing chain mail forwards from my uncle who is my dad’s older brother, which I began responding to with links from Snopes or other sources disproving whatever idiocy was forwarded to him. My uncle is a bully and didn’t like when I did this and whined endlessly about it, but it eventually had the desired effect of getting me removed from his email forwards. Unfortunately, My uncle is also a pretty significant influence on my dad. Dad’s always been relatively conservative but in the last few years he’s tacked hard to the right in a pretty disappointing and disgusting fashion. Right now I largely ignore the emails, though I do occasionally respond with a link debunking whatever was in it depending on how egregiously stupid it was. My question is, should I continue this current behavior or should I become more aggressive in trying to deter him from sending them to me? Staying silent feels shitty but I’m under no illusions of dad having an epiphany and realizing “HEY BEING A RACIST PIECE OF SHIT ISN’T FOR ME!” And while my relationship with my parents is lukewarm at best, I don’t particularly want it to deteriorate. It feels like little potential upside with a lot of potential downside of confronting him about it, but it’s still tempting to try. Thanks, Not So Fortunate Son
Hey Not So Fortunate Son:
Silence isn’t the answer here, but you’re right, you shouldn’t be under any illusion that you can change your dad’s mind. I’m sure he’s the “set in his ways” type. You’re a grown man with your own opinions of the world, and it seems like your political discussions are creating a rift that will only continue to grow as time goes on. You’re a little disappointed in your conservative, racist father. He’s a little disappointed in his bleeding heart liberal son. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still maintain a cordial—as you put it—relationship with him. Who knows? You might even be able to mend things a bit too. Might.
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How? First, stop firing back. Don’t take the bait. Your responses are just feeding the fire, Not so Fortunate Son. Then, if you can’t stand watching those forwards show up in your inbox, tell him to please stop sending you those emails! You do not owe your father any email fealty. Don’t just shoot off an angry email in response, though. Give your request in person, or at least on the phone. He needs to know you’re serious about it and not just being a whiny snowflake. It’s time to be brave and stand up for yourself, kid.
When he asks why or gives you shit about it—and this is vital—be very serious and tell him it’s because you’re family and you love him, but you feel like this behavior is creating a gap in your relationship and you don’t want it to get any wider than you feel it already is. He needs to know. He might be on the other end of the spectrum, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be somewhat understanding when it comes to his own kin. Tell him you’d be happy to receive an email, call, or text from him as long as it’s not about politics. Tell him you’d rather talk about the good ol’ days (if there were any), sports, hunting, cars, movies, anything else. Or plan a father-son activity to reconnect and give both of you a chance to understand each other a bit better. You must escape the political news tug of war! Focus on what you like about your father, if anything, and go from there. Email chains are never a good way to really communicate or understand someone, so don’t let that become the focus of your relationship.
If that doesn’t work, and he doesn’t stop, block his emails—then tell him you did. You gotta’ do what’s right for you and your happiness, but he still needs to know. And this process should’t be one final attack, a coup de grâce—no, you’re bowing out. You’re different people—you’ve made your peace with that—so let him think he’s won and move on. Don’t poke the bear, let him eat, and move on to greener pastures. Hopefully one where you and your dad can have a catch and focus on finding some less-racist middle ground.
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That’s it for this week, but I still have plenty of blunt, honest advice bottled up inside. Tell me, what’s troubling you? Is work getting you down? Are you having problems with a friend or a coworker? Is your love life going through a rough patch? Do you just feel lost in life, like you have no direction? Tell me, and maybe I can help. I probably won’t make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but sometimes what you need is some tough love. Ask away in the comments below, or email me at the address you see at the bottom of the page (please include “ADVICE” in the subject line). Or tweet at me with #ToughLove! Also, DO NOT EMAIL ME IF YOU DON’T WANT YOUR REQUEST FEATURED. I do not have time to respond to everyone just for funsies. ‘Til next time, figure things out for yourself.Heading into Indiana’s primary, Hillary Clinton has managed to amass 1,663 delegates, while Bernie Sanders has 1,367. Despite receiving 56,332 more votes than Clinton, Sanders left New Hampshire with two less delegates than Clinton. Since then, Clinton has won a similarly disproportionate share of delegates in several narrow primary victories.
For Democrats, such an obvious disregard for the electorate must be jarring. In contrast to the GOP, the Democrats use superdelegates in their election process, who make up approximately 40 percent of the 2,382 delegates needed to secure the Democratic nomination for president. The vote of a single superdelegate is the equivalent of thousands of citizen votes.
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) describes superdelegates simply as distinguished party leaders—a category that includes Democratic governors and members of Congress, former presidents Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, former vice president Al Gore, retired congressional leaders, and all DNC members.
A deeper inquiry reveals the unpleasant presence of a number of lobbyists, fundraisers, and lawyers. I wonder how the people of New Hampshire, whose communities are overwhelmed by severe heroin epidemic, would feel upon discovering that a vote cast by Bill Shaheen, a former co-chair on Hillary Clinton’s 2008 campaign and the founder of a law firm that lobbies for one of the largest opioid distributors in the state, has the equivalence of 10,000 citizen votes.
While both Democrat and Republican seniors offer endorsements, the Democratic superdelegates give actual votes that count toward the nomination. A common and very reasonable criticism is that superdelegates have the power to swing the results to nominate a candidate who did not receive the majority of votes during the primaries. We are seeing this play out in this year’s primary season.
The Superdelegate History
The superdelegate story really begins in 1972. Much like the GOP of today, the 1972 field of Democratic presidential candidates was crowded, with each candidate appealing to a very specific base of voters. The Democratic primary season was long and grueling. The candidates attacked one another ruthlessly. With a narrow victory in the winner-take-all state of New York on June 20, George McGovern emerged as the frontrunner but had been severely weakened by Hubert Humphrey’s character attacks. McGovern had become synonymous with “amnesty, abortion, and acid.”
Clearly the leading Democrats at the time were tired of seeing their chosen, established candidates lose to insurgents and outsiders.
During his campaign McGovern ignored the conventional method of targeting traditional party power centers by focusing instead on grassroots organization, drawing huge support from students, anti-war activists, and reform liberals. The Democratic Party establishment wasn’t buying what McGovern was selling, so they formed an “Anybody But McGovern” coalition led by southern Democrats and labor unions.
After a highly contested and divided convention, McGovern secured the nomination but failed to gain the support of party leaders. His primary choice for a running mate turned him down, as did several others. A few months later, he lost the general election to Richard Nixon in the second largest landslide in American history.
Four years later, a little-known candidate, former Georgia governor Jimmy Carter, won his party’s nomination by steadily accumulating delegates during a long and crowded primary season. Carter’s political centrism coupled with his image as a Washington outsider gave him a sufficient lead over his better-known establishment opponents. With Carter closing in on the nomination, a movement called “ABC” (Anyone But Carter) arose. California Gov. Jerry Brown and Idaho Sen. Frank Church entered the race and defeated Carter in the remaining primaries, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Carter from winning the necessary delegates.
During the Democratic National Convention of 1980, Sen. Ted Kennedy and many other party leaders challenged Carter again, then the sitting president. Their objection served only to divide the party further, but clearly the leading Democrats at the time were tired of seeing their chosen, established candidates lose to insurgents and outsiders.
Moving Power from People to Party
After Carter’s historic defeat in his bid for re-election in 1980, Jim Hunt, then governor of North Carolina, chaired the Commission on Presidential Nominations—later called the Hunt Commission—with the express intention of transferring the ultimate decision-making power from the general population back to the organized party.
In the minds of Democratic Party leaders, they had created a more stable and predictable nominating process that favored mainstream candidates and policies.
There were two essential motives in giving party elders a louder voice in the nomination process: One was preventing ideologically extreme candidates—like Carter, who was viewed as too conservative. The other was to avoid another grassroots phenomenon where a lesser-known individual with little establishment support is allowed to win the nomination. This transfer of power effectively clipped grassroots influence by creating superdelegates.
In the minds of Democratic Party leaders, they had created a more stable and predictable nominating process that favored mainstream candidates and policies. To the broader electorate, they had silenced their dissent. After the new rules were adopted, The New York Times wrote that the creation of superdelegates “seemed infused with a desire to deny future nominations to political reincarnations of the Jimmy Carter of 1976.”
So when the news broke that Hillary Clinton would be leaving New Hampshire with the most delegates despite her remarkable defeat, many new voters and Sanders supporters were justifiably puzzled and dismayed. Clearly, they had assumed that a vote was a vote. It is bewildering to hear DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz say, when questioned about these superdelegates, that although the Democratic Party “wants to give every opportunity to grassroots activists to participate” in its nomination process, superdelegates “exist to make sure that party leaders and elected officials don’t have to be in a position where they are running against grassroots activists.”
That says it all.This article is about "hillbilly" as a slang term. For the historical subculture, see Poor White. For different connotations, see Country (identity)
The Hatfield clan in 1897
"Hillbilly" is a term (often derogatory) for people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas in the United States, primarily in Appalachia and the Ozarks. The first known instances of "hillbilly" in print were in The Railroad Trainmen's Journal (vol. ix, July 1892),[1] an 1899 photograph of men and women in West Virginia labeled "Camp Hillbilly",[2] and a 1900 New York Journal article containing the definition: "a Hill-Billie is a free and untrammeled white citizen of Tennessee, who lives in the hills, has no means to speak of, dresses as he can, talks as he pleases, drinks whiskey when he gets it, and fires off his revolver as the fancy takes him".[3] The stereotype is twofold in that it incorporates both positive and negative traits: "Hillbillies" are often considered independent and self-reliant individuals who resist the modernization of society, but at the same time they are also defined as backward and violent. Scholars argue this duality is reflective of the split ethnic identities in white America.[2]
Etymology and history [ edit ]
The Appalachian Mountains were settled in the 18th century by settlers primarily from the Province of Ulster in Ireland. The settlers from Ulster were mainly Protestants who migrated to Ireland, during the Plantation of Ulster in the 17th century, from Scotland and Northern England. Many further migrated to the American colonies beginning in the 1730s, and in America became known as the Scots-Irish.[4]
Scholars argue that the term "hillbilly" originated from Scottish dialect. The term "hill-folk" referred to people who preferred isolation from the greater society, and "billy" meant "comrade" or "companion". It is suggested that "hill-folk" and "billie" were combined when the Cameronians fled to the Scottish Highlands.[5] There is also the belief that most of the settlers from Scotland and northern Ireland were followers of king William of Orange. The nick name for William is Billy. For the people who settle in America in the hills and who were Williamites, the term hillbilly connects both people who live in the hills and who are supporters of king William of Orange's ideologies.
In 17th century Ireland, during the Williamite War, when Protestant supporters of King William III ("King Billy") were often referred to as "Billy's Boys".[6] However, some scholars disagree with this theory. Michael Montgomery's From Ulster to America: The Scotch-Irish Heritage of American English states, "In Ulster in recent years it has sometimes been supposed that it was coined to refer to followers of King William III and brought to America by early Ulster emigrants, but this derivation is almost certainly incorrect.... In America hillbilly was first attested only in 1898, which suggests a later, independent development."[4]
The term "hillbilly" spread in the years following the American Civil War. At this time, the country was developing both technologically and socially, but the Appalachian region was falling behind. Before the war, Appalachia was not distinctively different from other rural areas of the country. Post-war, although the frontier pushed farther west, the region maintained frontier characteristics. Appalachians themselves were perceived as backward, quick to violence and inbred in their isolation. Fueled by news stories of mountain feuds such as that in the 1880s between the Hatfields and McCoys, the hillbilly stereotype developed in the late 19th to early 20th century.[2]
The "classic" hillbilly stereotype reached its current characterization during the years of the Great Depression, when many mountaineers left their homes to find work in other areas of the country. The period of Appalachian out-migration, roughly from the 1930s through the 1950s, saw many mountain residents moving North to the Midwestern industrial cities of Chicago, Cleveland, Akron, and Detroit.
This movement North, which became known as the "Hillbilly Highway", brought these previously isolated communities into mainstream United States culture. In response, poor white mountaineers became central characters in newspapers, pamphlets, and eventually, motion pictures. Authors at the time were inspired by historical figures such as Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone. The mountaineer image transferred over to the 20th century where the "hillbilly" stereotype emerged.[2]
In popular culture [ edit ]
Pop culture has perpetuated the "hillbilly" stereotype. Scholarly works suggest that the media has exploited both the Appalachian region and people by classifying them as "hillbillies". These generalizations do not match the cultural experiences of Appalachians. Appalachians, like many other groups, do not subscribe to a single identity.[7] One of the issues associated with stereotyping is that it is profitable. When "hillbilly" became a widely used term, entrepreneurs saw a window for potential revenue. They "recycled" the image and brought it to life through various forms of media.[8]
Television and film have portrayed "hillbillies" in both derogatory and sympathetic terms. Films such as Sergeant York or the Ma and Pa Kettle series portrayed the "hillbilly" as wild but good-natured. Television programs of the 1960s such as The Real McCoys, The Andy Griffith Show, and especially The Beverly Hillbillies, portrayed the "hillbilly" as backwards but with enough wisdom to outwit more sophisticated city folk. Gunsmoke's Festus Haggen was portrayed as intelligent and quick-witted (but lacking "education"). The popular 1970s television variety show Hee Haw regularly lampooned the stereotypical "hillbilly" lifestyle. A darker image of the hillbilly is found in the film Deliverance (1972), based on a novel by James Dickey which depicted some "hillbillies" as genetically deficient, inbred, and murderous, while depicting others as helpful, friendly, and smart.
"Hillbillies" were at the center of reality television in the 21st century. Network television shows such as New Beverly Hillbillies, High Life, and The Simple Life displayed the "hillbilly" lifestyle for viewers in the United States. This sparked protests across the country with rural-minded individuals gathering to fight the stereotype. The Center for Rural Strategies started a nationwide campaign stating the stereotype was "politically incorrect". The Kentucky-based organization engaged political figures in the movement such as Robert Byrd and Mike Huckabee. Both protestors argued that the discrimination of any other group in United States would not be tolerated, so neither should the discrimination against rural U.S. citizens. A 2003 piece published by The Cincinnati Enquirer read, "In this day of hypersensitivity to diversity and political correctness, Appalachians have been a group that it is still socially acceptable to demean and joke about.... But rural folks have spoken up and said 'enough' to the Hollywood mockers."[9]
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis (2016) is a memoir by J. D. Vance about the Appalachian values of his upbringing and their relationship to the social problems of his hometown, Middletown, Ohio. The book topped The New York Times Best Seller list in August 2016.[10]
A family of "Hill People", who are employed as migrant workers on a farm in 1952 Arkansas, have a major role in John Grisham's book A Painted House, with Grisham trying to avoid stereotypes.
Music [ edit ]
Migrant family from Arkansas playing hill-billy songs, 1939
Hillbilly music was at one time considered an acceptable label for what is now known as country music. The label, coined in 1925 by country pianist Al Hopkins,[11] persisted until the 1950s.
The "hillbilly music" categorization covers a wide variety of musical genres including bluegrass, country, western, and gospel. Appalachian folk song existed long before the "hillbilly" label. When the commercial industry was combined with "traditional Appalachian folksong", "hillbilly music" was formed. Some argue this is a "High Culture" issue where sophisticated individuals may see something considered "unsophisticated" as "trash".[5]
In the early-20th century, artists began to utilize the "hillbilly" label. The term gained momentum due to Ralph Peer, the recording director of OKeh Records, who heard it being used among Southerners when he went down to Virginia to record the music and labeled all Southern country music as so from then on.[12] The York Brothers entitled one of their songs "Hillbilly Rose" and the Delmore Brothers followed with their song "Hillbilly Boogie". In 1927, the Gennett studios in Richmond, Indiana, made a recording of black fiddler Jim Booker. The recordings were labeled "made for Hillbilly" in the Gennett files and were marketed to a white audience. Columbia Records had much success with the "Hill Billies" featuring Al Hopkins and Fiddlin' Charlie Bowman.
By the late-1940s, radio stations started to use the "hillbilly music" label. Originally, "hillbilly" was used to describe fiddlers and string bands, but now it was used to describe traditional Appalachian music. Appalachians had never used this term to describe their own music. Popular songs whose style bore characteristics of both hillbilly and African American music were referred to as hillbilly boogie and rockabilly. Elvis Presley was a prominent player of rockabilly and was known early in his career as the "Hillbilly Cat".
When the Country Music Association was founded in 1958, the term hillbilly music gradually fell out of use. The music industry merged hillbilly music, Western swing, and Cowboy music, to form the current category C&W, Country and Western.
Some artists (notably Hank Williams) and fans were offended by the "hillbilly music" label. While the term is not used as frequently today, it is still used on occasion to refer to old-time music or bluegrass. For example, WHRB broadcasts a popular weekly radio show entitled "Hillbilly at Harvard". The show is devoted to playing a mix of old-time music, bluegrass, and traditional country and western.[13]
Cultural implications [ edit ]
The hillbilly stereotype is considered to have had a traumatizing effect on some in the Appalachian region. Feelings of shame, self-hatred, and detachment are cited as a result of "culturally transmitted traumatic stress syndrome". Appalachian scholars say that the large-scale stereotyping has rewritten Appalachian history, making Appalachians feel particularly vulnerable. "Hillbilly" has now become part of Appalachian identity and some Appalachians feel they are constantly defending themselves against this image.[ |
Senate. House has got to do it, too." [America's Newsroom, 9/16/09]
Kelly let Rove call ACORN "a remarkable criminal enterprise." Fox News contributor Karl Rove told Kelly, "[Y]ou know, the Democrat Party, House Democrats in particular, are dependent upon the voter registration efforts of ACORN and the political muscle of this group, and so we'll see how many -- we did have seven Democrats, including a member of the leadership, Dick Durbin of Illinois, vote against defunding ACORN, denying them access to Housing and Urban Development funds. We'll see. It's a remarkable criminal enterprise, isn't it?" [America's Newsroom, 9/16/09]
Kelly ignored reports that Philadelphia ACORN worker contacted police. On the September 11 edition of CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight, correspondent Bill Tucker reported that "ACORN gave CNN a copy of the police complaint filed against the filmmakers In Philadelphia." On September 17, Media Matters for America posted an image of the police report. Katherine Conway Russell, director of ACORN Housing Corp.'s Philadelphia office, said she told the filmmakers, "[T]here was nothing we could do to help them, that I didn't know anything about what they were asking about." Russell has also said that after she contacted another ACORN official and it became clear that O'Keefe "lied to get his appointment," they contacted the police.
Transcript
From the September 22 edition of Fox News' America's Newsroom:Photos by: Joshua Mellin (@extinctionblues) –
Acclaimed Toronto-based rapper Drake, who released his fourth album, If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late, on February 13th, 2015 via Cash Money, performed at the United Center in Chicago on May 29th as part of his ongoing “Jungle Tour”.
Drake performing at United Center in Chicago, IL on May 29, 2015 as part of the “Jungle Tour”. (Photo: Josh Mellin/Aesthetic Magazine) Drake performing at United Center in Chicago, IL on May 29, 2015 as part of the “Jungle Tour”. (Photo: Josh Mellin/Aesthetic Magazine) Drake performing at United Center in Chicago, IL on May 29, 2015 as part of the “Jungle Tour”. (Photo: Josh Mellin/Aesthetic Magazine) Drake performing at United Center in Chicago, IL on May 29, 2015 as part of the “Jungle Tour”. (Photo: Josh Mellin/Aesthetic Magazine) Drake performing at United Center in Chicago, IL on May 29, 2015 as part of the “Jungle Tour”. (Photo: Josh Mellin/Aesthetic Magazine) Drake performing at United Center in Chicago, IL on May 29, 2015 as part of the “Jungle Tour”. (Photo: Josh Mellin/Aesthetic Magazine)ISLAMABAD: Russia has offered Pakistan to invest in energy sector and export 5000 MW electricity through Kyrgyzstan-Afghanistan route.
A Russian delegation led by deputy minister for energy, comprised representatives of major energy companies here on Thursday called on Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms, Ahsan Iqbal and discussed cooperation in energy sector.
The delegation extended its cooperation in energy sector including import of electricity, LNG, natural gas, coal power production and oil and gas exploration.
Russian investors offered 100 per cent technical and financial solutions for the Jamshoro and Muzaffargarh power plants and also showed interest to invest in Gaddani Power Park.
Russia is building hydro-power plants in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan including 3900MW project in Kyrgyz Republic and looking for new markets to export cheap electricity.
Russian delegation made an initial offer of 1000MW which would subsequently be increased to 5000MW and this electricity will be available throughout the year.
Russian Companies also showed interest in export of LNG and oil exploration in Pakistan.
Speaking on the occasion, the Russian minister said that he was encouraged with policies of the government and Russian investors are eager to invest in energy sector of Pakistan.
He stressed the need for constituting a working group to tap the potential of energy cooperation between the two countries and offered cooperation in modernising existing thermal plants and shifting them into coal-fired technology.
Ahsan Iqbal informed that there was a great potential between both the countries for cooperation. “We welcome Russian investment in our energy sector. We are in the center of three major engines of growth which puts us at strategically important position,” he added.
South Asia, China and Central Asia represent a market of three billion people, he added.
The minister urged Russian investors for taking advantage of this opportunity as Pakistan possesses rich resources and offers best incentive for foreign investors.
Ahsan Iqbal said that government believes in transparency and zero tolerance against corruption for socio-economic uplift of the country.THIS is the astonishing moment an Aussie cop stopped an interview to arrest a drunk man who was heckling him on live TV.
Detective Inspector Winston Woodward was holding a press conference when a scruffy-looking man holding a bottle of beer yelled out “bulls***” at him.
5 An Aussie cop interrupted an interview to arrest a drunk man who was heckling him on live TV
He immediately walked away from the cameras and ordered the man to “put the glass bottle down”.
The top cop then grabbed the man’s T-shirt and marched him straight inside Albury police station, south west of Canberra, in New South Wales on Monday morning.
5 Detective Inspector Winston Woodward was interrupted during a press conference
5 The drunk man yelled out "bulls***" during the press conference
5 The scruffy-looking man was told to put his beer bottle down
Video footage shows the man continuing to yell out as he struggled against the cop.
Journalists were left stunned after the bizarre incident outside the police station.
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Nine News reported that the man was issued with a criminal infringement notice for offensive language.
He was also fined £300 or AU$500.Amount is nearly double what was paid 10 years ago according to National Housing Federation study
Taxpayers handed over £9.3bn in housing benefit to Britain’s private landlords last year, nearly double the amount paid 10 years ago, according to a new report.
The number of households receiving housing benefit to pay rent to private landlords has risen 42% since 2008, the National Housing Federation, which represents the non-profit housing sector, has found.
The NHF calculated that if all those housed in the private rented sector lived in affordable housing, taxpayers would save £1.5bn a year. David Orr, the federation’s chief executive, said: “It is madness to spend £9bn of taxpayers’ money lining the pockets of private landlords, rather than investing in affordable homes.
“Housing associations want to build the homes the nation needs. By loosening restrictions on existing funding, the government can free up housing associations to build more affordable housing at better value to the taxpayer and directly address the housing crisis.”
The number of housing benefit recipients in the private rented sector has risen from just over a million in 2008 to almost 1.5 million in February this year.
Housing benefit is paid to households that cannot afford to meet their rental costs and have enough left over for essentials such as food, clothes, heating and lighting. Almost half the households in the private rented sector that receive housing benefit are in work, but not earning enough to cover the rent and living expenses.
In a sign of how pay has failed to keep pace with the cost of living, in 2008 only a quarter of the private renters in receipt of housing benefit were in work.
According to the NHF’s research, housing benefit claims in the private rented sector are much higher than in the non-profit housing sector, with on average about £1,000 extra being spent to keep roofs over the heads of private renters – rising to £3,300 a year in London.
Since the beginning of the financial crisis in 2008, the proportion of housing benefit recipients paying private rents has risen from one in four, to almost one in three.
The NHF also noted a rise in the proportion of middle-income households forced to turn to the benefits system. “Specifically, the strongest increase in housing benefit claimants has been among households with net incomes between £20,000 and £28,000 per year, rising from 11% in 2008/09 to 19% in 2014/15,” the report stated.
A government spokesman said it had taken action to reduce the private rental sector housing benefit bill. “The reality is we have taken action to bring the housing benefit bill under control, and since 2012 the amount going to private sector landlords has actually been falling – something which the National Housing Federation fails to recognise,” he said.
“We are also committed to building the homes this country needs and investing £8bn to build 400,000 more affordable homes.”
Teresa Pearce MP, Labour’s shadow minister for housing and planning, said: “The government has made a number of attempts to reduce the housing benefit bill but they have been targeted at capping and penalising the claimants rather than spending on the root cause, which is a chronic lack of social housing.
“The private rented sector has become the only option for the ever growing number of families with nowhere to call home, but it’s expensive and insecure. This is not just a problem with the housing benefit system but with the whole of this government’s housing policy which only wants to help those who can afford to buy.”Dark Horse has it up on their website, so I can finally talk about what I’ve been working on since January: I’m writing the new Avatar: The Last Airbender comic book! The art is by the amazing Gurihiru, the Japanese team behind many of the most awesome stories in Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Lost Adventures. The pencils I’ve seen have been pure comics bliss. I giggled when I first saw them. Out loud. No joke. I sounded exactly like my four-year-old daughter when she gets an ice cream cone. Only I am a thirty-eight-year-old man.
One of the best things about this gig (and there are many, many good things) is that I get to work closely with Mike DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, the creators of Avatar: The Last Airbender. I e-mail them, like, all the time, and they totally e-mail me back. It’s awesome. I get to see how they approach a story, how they think through characterization, how they build tension. I get to steal a little of their mojo. I’ve learned so much.
This isn’t the first comic I’ve done on Avatar: The Last Airbender. Right before the live-action movie was released, I did a short webcomic protesting the movie’s casting decisions. I still feel pretty strongly about it. If you get a couple beers in me and bring up the topic I’ll go off like an Asian Samuel L. Jackson. I have yet to see the movie, and now I have an even better reason to avoid it: the only A:TLA universe I want inside my head as I’m writing these comics is the animated one. The real one.
There’s so much more to say…about the comic’s plot, about how it relates thematically to my books at First Second, about why I think A:TLA expresses something quintessentially Asian American, about the folks in the A:TLA fanbase I’ve gotten to know, about the good people at Dark Horse who are guiding me on my first foray into mainstream-ish comics… but for now I need to go to sleep. I’ve got deadlines and our first full week of school to worry about.
I’ll post more soon!
(The image below is fan art I drew because I’m excited about this project– it’s not a scene from the comic or anything. Although an Aang/Monkey King team-up would be sooo cool.)Elon Musk has raised the alarm about artificial intelligence wiping out humanity, but the SpaceX and Tesla boss still hasn't warned you that AI may be coming for your investments.
When Google-owned DeepMind's AlphaGo conquered a human champion at the game of Go last year, it was widely regarded as a watershed in machine learning.
"Go is considered to be the pinnacle of game AI research," said DeepMind's Demis Hassabis at the time.
Bigger game, bigger stakes
But the money game is bigger, and there is a lot more at stake.
Last week the business news service Bloomberg reported that Japan's third biggest lender is taking AI into the equities market.
Lee Se-Dol, one of the greatest modern players of the ancient board game Go, reacts during a press conference after losing the second game to Google's DeepMind in Seoul on March 10, 2016. (Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images) "Mizuho Financial Group Inc. will start artificial-intelligence trading this month to bolster its Japanese equity business," Bloomberg reporter Takahiko Hyuga wrote, saying it would offering algorithm-based services to institutional clients.
The firm is far from alone. And like others who are already using AI, expecting to win at the stock market game, the Japanese giant has been far from forthcoming about how its trading strategies will work.
Just as AlphaGo did to beat a champion player, in theory AI can use machine learning, sometimes called deep learning, to pick investment strategies based on how markets have reacted in the past.
In the classic example of machine learning a computer is given thousands of pictures of cats, gradually using trial and error to create a complex mathematical description of cat-ness, allowing it to reliably recognize cat pictures it has never seen before.
The flash crash and computerized trading
In the case of markets, the computer would recognize various hidden clues for when markets will rise or fall, buying before a rise and selling before a fall.
Even before adding artificial intelligence to the trading process, the introduction of non-AI computerized trading has resulted in unpredictable market events.
During the flash crash in 2010 when U.S. stocks plunged by trillions of dollars over less than half an hour and then just as suddenly rebounded, fortunes were won and lost during the moments of chaos.
While a single British trader working from his London apartment took the blame for making the initial trade, the reasons for the complex cascade of events that actually led to the crash are still widely disputed by market experts. In such entangled systems, researchers say, flash events are pervasive.
Not Skynet yet
As AI creeps into just about everything, stealing jobs and creating an existential threat, according to experts that include Musk, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and physicist Stephen Hawking, it may be leading to a market environment more complex than humans can understand.
Among those who at least have a chance of comprehending the complexity of modern electronic market systems that include artificial intelligence and algorithmic trading is Andreas Park a finance professor at the University of Toronto's Rotman School of business.
'Not Skynet yet' says stock market AI expert Andreas Park, referring to the computer invented by the fictional Cyberdyne Systems that dominates the world in the Terminator series of films. (TriStar Pictures) "We're not going to have Skynet yet," he quips, referring to the artificial intelligence that becomes conscious and takes over the world in Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator movies.
"It is certainly new and different and it is amazing the kinds of things that people can come up with, but at the end of the day it's trying to predict what happens in the future," says Park. "Artificial intelligence at its core is predictive analytics."
So what if AI foresees a giant market crash of the kind that we saw in 1929, 1987 or 2008?
Whether human or artificially intelligent, every trader looks smart when markets keep going up and up as they have been since 2011.
Markets already high-priced
But as respected financial whiz and Yale professor Robert Shiller said on television last week, "The market is about as highly priced as it was in 1929."
"In 1929 from the peak to the bottom, it was 80 per cent down," he said in an interview on business network CNBC. "You give pause when you notice that."
Mark Kamstra, who has co-authored papers with the Yale economist, is quick to point out that Shiller was not predicting another Great Crash. Kamstra, Canadian Securities Institute Research Foundation Professor at York University's Schulich School of Business, says whether they use AI or not, the biggest advantage of modern computer trading is speed.
"Basically they have algorithms that have captured the wisdom, as best they can, of the traders and just implement trades more quickly than you or I could, standing in front of our computer," says Kamstra.
Rather that betting on giant rises or falls, current algorithms tend to make many trades sometimes less than a second apart, predicting and exploiting tiny differences in prices, creaming off a small profit that author Michael Lewis has described as something like a tax.
Kamstra says in normal trading that can benefit markets by making sure there is always a buyer for every seller, what markets refer to as liquidity.
Many of these artificial intelligence algorithms...are trained with typical data and the trouble with typical data is that it doesn't perform well when you get into atypical situations - Jonathan Schaeffer, AI expert
But when something really unusual happens in a market such programs are generally trained to get out and stay on the sidelines. That could have the opposite effect, removing liquidity when it is most needed.
The trouble is, as with the flash crash, once artificial intelligence programs are competing with humans and against other different AI trading programs, no one can be certain what will happen when markets receive an unexpected shock.
One of Canada's artificial intelligence pioneers, Jonathan Schaeffer, says most electronic trading programs described as AI really aren't.
Schaeffer cut his AI teeth conquering the game of checkers but now he's Dean of Science at the University of Alberta, host and collaborator with a newly established laboratory for Google's DeepMind, the first outside Britain.
"Many of these artificial intelligence algorithms...are trained with typical data and the trouble with typical data is that it doesn't perform well when you get into atypical situations," says Schaeffer.
That may be different from true AI, trained using machine learning with historical data. But that kind of AI is a mystery even to the people who build it because such systems learn by experience, not through programming, making the logical steps they follow a black box that programmers cannot see inside.
But whether trading algorithms step aside and let markets fall or think of some other way to make money, Schulich's Kamstra says such programs are single-minded. Their purpose is to make profit for the human masters who own them, not to stabilize the market for everyone else.
"Their duty is only to their shareholders," he says.
Follow Don on Twitter @don_pittis
More analysis from Don PittisPierre Jean-Louis, a visual artist from US, creates mesmerizing portraits of black women by transforming their hair into flowery galaxies. By turning their Afros into works of art in his series, “Black Girl Magic,” Pierre wants to let black women know how much he appreciates them for embracing their African heritage.
“A lot of [black women] are brainwashed to not appreciate their natural beauty,” Pierre told Bored Panda. “Especially in 2016.Earlier this year I saw so many black queens who feel comfortable enough and proud to show their African heritage so I decided to start this series to let them know how much I appreciate them and their natural beauty. I just want them to see how we black men see them when they’re rocking their natural hair. We see nothing but #strong #Goddesses & #queens thank you.”
More info: Instagram
Pierre Jean-Louis admires black women who embrace their African heritage
He takes photos from Instagram of black women who are showing off their natural hair
Pierre then edits them to turn them into galaxies, forests, and flowers
He started this photo series last September
“A lot of [black women] are brainwashed to not appreciate their natural beauty”
“I just want them to see how we black men see them when they’re rocking their natural hair”
“We see nothing but #strong #Goddesses & #queens, thank you”
Thank you, Pierre Jean-Louis, for talking to Bored Panda about your wonderful work!New Elsevier report provides evidence-based overview of gender and research productivity in Germany
Berlin, November 5, 2015 - Over the past five years, the number of female researchers in Germany has grown far more rapidly than that of male researchers. Female-only publications are the most internationally collaborative while mixed gender publications are more interdisciplinary than the mono-gender ones, highlights a new study by Elsevier launched today ahead of the European Gender Summit in Berlin.
Solid data on research productivity incorporating metrics on gender representation has been conspicuously absent from national debates on how to bridge the gender gap in science. The Elsevier report, "Mapping Gender in the German Research Arena", delivers a unique contribution to this debate by combining data on gender representation among German researchers with trends in research performance.
The main findings presented in the report include:
The number of female researchers in Germany has increased by 25 percent over the past 5 years (2010: 43,728 and 2014: 54,742); for males this increase has been 9.8 percent (2010: 111,605 and 2014: 122,593).
For Germany, female-only publications are the most internationally collaborative; while mixed gender publications are more interdisciplinary than the mono-gender ones.
In subject areas with gender ratios skewed in favour of males, female researchers are more likely to focus on similar topics as their male counterparts. In contrast, in subject areas with more balanced gender distributions, women tend to focus on different topics.
Female researchers in Germany are only slightly less productive than their male counterparts as measured by publication output (2.07 versus 2.34 publications per year); their publications in the period 2010-2014 have a somewhat lower citation impact (1.68 versus 1.75)
The difference between publication productivity between female and male researchers is smallest for senior researchers. For German junior researchers, the productivity of male researchers is 9.9 percent higher than that of female researchers; for mid-career researchers it is 17.6 percent; the percentage declines to 3.4 percent for senior researchers.
The study pilots a novel methodology to analyse gender in research combining two data sources: Scopus, Elsevier's abstract and citation database, and a large social media networking service. The data behind the analyses cover the year range 2010-2014.
With Germany holding one of the lowest percentages of female researchers in Europe1, findings presented in the report provide insights into existing gaps which should help drive further investigation and identification of underlying factors causing the discrepancies among male and female researchers.
"The results of this report should encourage German research institutions to examine their internal structures for possible discriminatory mechanisms that affect the route that young woman scientist take to advance to senior researcher," said Dr. Elizabeth Pollitzer, Co-founder of the Gender Summit and director of Portia Ltd, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving gender equality and the gender dimension in the STEM sectors, "Making full use of the potential of both their male and female researchers will maximize output and quality of research in Germany."
Angelika Lex, Vice President Academic Relations, Elsevier, added, "Over the years, the Gender Summits have shown us that gender diversity in research leads to more robust science--which benefits all of society. We see this study as a unique analytics contribution to help decision-makers design targeted interventions in support of gender equality in science -- an issue, which was recently underscored by the ratification of the UN Sustainability Development Goals2 and which we are deeply committed to at Elsevier and through the work of the Elsevier Foundation. "
"Mapping Gender in the German Research Arena", was developed by Elsevier's Analytical Services team, part of Elsevier Research Intelligence Solutions.
###
An infographic highlighting key findings of report can be found here.
1Figures 2012: Gender in Research and Innovation
2SDG Goal 5: "Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls"
Note to editors
To download the full report or view the infographic, go to: https:/ / www. elsevier. com/ research-intelligence/ research-initiatives/ gender-2015
To download an infographic highlighting the key findings of the report, go to:
Journalists who wish to schedule an interview to discuss the implications of the findings of the report during the Gender Summit in Berlin can contact: Stefanie Schieke, +49 172 389 6938, sschieke@apcoworldwide.com.
For more information about Gender Summit 7 Europe, please visit https:/ / gender-summit. com/ gs7-about or Facebook https:/ / www. facebook. com/ gendersummit. Journalists can follow the Gender Summit (@gendersummit) on Twitter and join in the discussions via the hashtag #GS7Eu.
For any other questions relating to the report, please contact Sacha Boucherie, s.boucherie@elsevier.com or newsroom@elsevier.com
About Elsevier
Elsevier is a world-leading provider of information solutions that enhance the performance of science, health, and technology professionals, empowering them to make better decisions, deliver better care, and sometimes make groundbreaking discoveries that advance the boundaries of knowledge and human progress. Elsevier provides web-based, digital solutions -- among them ScienceDirect, Scopus, Elsevier Research Intelligence and ClinicalKey-- and publishes nearly 2,200 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and over 33,000 book titles, including a number of iconic reference works. Elsevier is part of RELX Group plc, a world-leading provider of information solutions for professional customers across industries. http://www. elsevier. com
Media contact
Sacha Boucherie
Sr. Press Officer, Corporate Relations, Elsevier
+31 20 4853564
s.boucherie@elsevier.com
Stefanie Schieke
+49 172 389 6938
sschieke@apcoworldwide.comA summary of this weeks Safex Community Voice chat. Thanks to all those who attended. I know it was very short notice, but we managed to get quite a few in attendance.
A few points discussed:
Alpha Blockchain Development
The Alpha Blockchain is roughly 80% complete and will be due for a closed test during the month of December.
In its current state the nodes are talking to each other but in very specific environments. The next phase will factor in different hosting environments and network configurations.
Mining will be implemented once the early tests have been done.
PR Agency
Daniel had an interesting meeting with the PR Agency on the 20th. They are keen to be involved with Safex.
At this stage they are still researching the crypto market and discussing ideas with Daniel. If everything is in agreement they will kick off the PR campaign at the beginning of 2018.
It will be a rolling monthly contract and they will act behind the scenes, meaning Daniel will let them crack on with promoting Safex to traditional non-crypto audiences, but we won’t be hearing about it day to day.
New Marketing staff
Daniel mentioned that he has recently hired two new staff to work on the “Guerrilla Marketing” of Safex. Unsure exactly what role these staff will play but off-site SEO was mentioned elsewhere on the Discord channel.
It’s speculated that the two staff are members of the Safex Community. Unsure exactly who they are at this stage.
Website Redesign Launch
We had a brief discussion about the upcoming website redesign. It sounds like the only thing left to do is integrate the affiliate back-end system in with the website front-end system. They’re also be redesigning the system that allows visitors to buy Safex coins directly.
As Daniel is away for the next few days, he felt it wasn’t safe to assist Pavle on this remotely as it could cause issues. He would prefer to do it in person to avoid any potential day-zero bugs.
Safex Whitepaper
It was confirmed that the whitepaper will be launched at the same time as the website re-design and affiliate system.
The contents of the whitepaper were discussed but only at a high level.
Affiliate system
Some interesting notes about the affiliate system. The process will be semi-automated to help save time on administration.
Daniel mentioned that the previous Buy Safex system on the website was heavily inflated to deter people from buying, whilst he developed the new system
However, people still bought in which gave him confidence that the new process will be very successful.
Billionaire Asia Singapore Event
Daniel will be attending the MillionaireAsia Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Summit in Singapore on November the 29th.
At this event, Daniel will be highlighting the benefits and need for Crypto-Commerce, and its road to mass adoption.
Keynote speakers at the event includes Wall Street Investment Legend, Jim Rogers, along with a number of crypto and blockchain heavyweights.
The event will be attended by hundreds cryptocurrency investors and the media.The need-to-knows of Master Limited Partnerships (MLPs)
By Andrew Smith, CAIA
Master Limited Partnerships, commonly referred to as MLPs are often viewed as a tax advantaged structure for an energy infrastructure company. While this definition is not inaccurate, it is an oversimplification of the MLP industry. Companies structured as partnerships, including MLPs, do not pay income tax at the company level, providing them a tax advantage by eliminating the double taxation of a corporate structure. Many MLPs, unlike most partnerships, are publicly listed companies that trade on major stock exchanges. As is required by all public companies, MLPs must make quarterly and annual reports, and file reports in regards to any material information that affects the business with the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC).
As of October 31, 2014, there were over 115 publicly listed MLPs with a combined market capitalization of approximately $500 billion.
MLPs typically operate under a business model that follows one or more of the following:
Exploration and Production
The exploration and production business model, often called E&P, involves searching for energy commodities such as crude oil, natural gas or coal, and bringing these commodities to the surface.
Processing
Processing MLPs, much like a processing company that focuses on agricultural commodities, focus on transforming the raw energy commodities into a usable form. This may involve turning oil into gasoline and petrochemicals (such as plastics and other petroleum based non-energy goods), or simply cleaning the raw commodity by removing water and dirt. It could also involve separating the raw energy commodities into different qualities, for example, splitting natural gas into pipeline quality or natural gas liquids.
Storage
Storage MLPs do exactly what the name implies; they store energy, whether in its raw state, or post-processing. Storage of energy can take many forms ranging from tanks to wells and from above ground to below ground. Storage MLPs provide energy companies economic flexibility, allowing them to control the supply of such commodities in order to maintain equilibrium (or close to equilibrium) with the demand for such commodities.
Transportation
As the name implies transportation MLPs transport or move the energy commodities from one place to another. Often this is done through pipelines from the wells to the processing facilities, but once processes the refined energy commodities must be moved, once again to a storage facility or to be sold on the market. In North America, the majority of energy transportation is conducted via pipelines; however trucks, ships and railcars are still used to transport both raw energy commodities and refined products.
Comparing MLPs to Traditional Companies
MLPs differ from traditional companies in a variety of ways. One of the most obvious ways that MLPs separate themselves from the broader universe of publicly traded companies is by solely focusing on the natural resources sector. Another common attribute of MLPs that differentiates themselves from the universe of traditional companies is that they pay no corporate income tax, and therefore are able to pay a larger portion of their earnings to their investors. Traditional, corporate structure, companies pay federal and state (if applicable) corporate income taxes.
The ownership structure of an MLP is quite different from that of a traditional corporate structure company. MLPs have two different categories of ownership, as with all limited partnerships. There are general partners or GPs and limited partners or LPs. The GPs ownership interest in MLPs can be held by an investment company or fund, by the management team individually, or by a holding company (as is most common) typically a major energy company. LPs can be in the form of an individual and investment fund or a holding company as well, however legally, LPs may only take, as the name implies, a very limited role in the operations and governance of the company. GPs handle and control the operations and management of the company, and they typically own a much smaller portion of the company than the combined ownership of LPs. Further, unlike other publicly traded, corporate structure or registered investment companies, GPs have no fiduciary duty to the LPs, meaning they do not have to legally act on behalf of the best interests of the LPs. Having said this however, incentives in MLPs and most partnerships are aligned as such that the best interests of the LP and the best interests of the GP are one in the same.
Due to their legal structure MLPs have significant differences with traditional companies when it comes to governance. In contrast with the GP – LP relationship, management teams of traditional companies are controlled 100% by the combined shareholders. While management and founders of the company may own significant shares in a traditional company, all owners have one vote per share they own, and major business decisions are typically made by both management and shareholders by voting on such matters. Further, management of a traditional corporation legally has a fiduciary duty to act on behalf of shareholders, although often the incentives between managements’ interest and shareholders’ interests are not necessarily aligned the way that they are in an MLP ownership structure.
The MLP Business Model
Most MLPs (excluding exploration & production MLPs) operate under a fee based business model. A fee-based business model means regardless of the market price of the energy commodities being processed, transported or stored; MLPs receive a flat fee per ton of coal, barrel of oil or cubic foot of natural gas. This is often described as a “toll-roads” model, due to the similarity to toll roads and their fee based model for using the roads, regardless of the type of car or cost of the car for that matter that is using the road. Further, for the sake of stability of their business model, and the ability to predict costs, MLPs often have extremely long term contracts with the clients, on average ranging from 5 to 50 years, with the latter being quite common.
As a result of their fee based, or toll-road, business model predicting and/or calculating the revenue for an MLP is elementary. For predicting MLP revenue, analysts and investors would simply multiply the fee for using the MLP infrastructure ($ per barrel of oil for example) by the expected volume of the energy commodities. For actual revenue, the same equation is applied, however instead of using expected volume analysts, investors or management would use actual volume.
For E&P MLPs, the model is quite different. E&P MLPs typically purchase and manage mature oil and gas wells that are still producing, or can very quickly start producing energy commodities. For E&P MLPs profits are generated based on the amount of energy commodities they produce and the market price of said commodities. E&P MLPs commonly use futures and options to hedge their exposure to price fluctuations in the energy commodities they are producing, allowing them to lock in certain prices for a specific period of time.
Investor Benefits of MLPs
Investors in MLPs benefit from ownership when one or both of the two following occurs:
The MLP distributes cash (often referred to as dividends with traditional companies) in the form of distributions. Typically this is measured by dividing the nominal amount of the total annual distribution per share by the price of the share to determine what is known as the yield.
If the market prices of the MLP units increase to a price that is more than what the investor bought it for, the investor can sell and take a profit, commonly this is referred to as price appreciation.
Historical average yields for MLPs over the past decade or so has been 6.8%. This means that if an investor held $100 of their portfolio in MLPs each year the investor would have received, on average, $6.80 in distributions.
In comparison, Real Estate Investment Trusts and Utility stocks, two asset classes well-known for their income producing potential and their high-yield, have averaged approximately 4% yields per year over the same time period. Bonds and the S&P 500 have averaged only 2% yields, approximately.
MLPs, unlike registered investment companies such as REITs and BDCs do not guarantee the distribution of a percentage of their cash flow or income each quarter. MLPs typically have within their partnership agreements a set or variable level of distributions that they attempt or intend to achieve, on average however, MLPs distribute between 80% and 100% of their cash flows.
MLP History
The history of publicly listed MLPs dates back to the early 1980s. During the 1980s, beginning with Apache Corporation, corporations, mostly energy and gas, but some notable non energy companies as well, began to aggressively restructure as MLPs. By the mid-1980s there were MLPs that were involved in everything from cable TV to amusement parks. As a result, congress began to see revenues from corporate taxes decrease significantly. In order to prevent corporate tax revenues from diminishing further Congress passed the Tax Reform act of 1986, subsequently President Raegan signed it into law. Not only did this law remove many of the tax shelters that existed at the time, it clearly defined the modern MLP structure.
Another act, the Revenue Act of 1987 limited businesses that could be structured and treated as MLPs as businesses that earn at least 90% of its gross income from “qualifying sources”, strictly delineating those qualifying sources as transportation, processing, storage, and production of natural resources and minerals. In order to not anger any of the firms that took the time and underwent the expenses related to restructuring as an MLP were allowed to be “grandfathered” in and remain an MLP, however over the past 3 decades these companies have, for the most part, been converted to other structures or are no longer publicly traded.
MLPs, in the mid-1990s, had experienced a downturn in business and many |
future.
Amish settlements have become a cliché for refusing technology. Tens of thousands of people wear identical, plain, homemade clothing, cultivate their rich fields with horse-drawn machinery, and live in houses lacking that basic modern spirit called electricity. But the Amish do use such 20th-century consumer technologies as disposable diapers, in-line skates, and gas barbecue grills. Some might call this combination paradoxical, even contradictory. But it could also be called sophisticated, because the Amish have an elaborate system by which they evaluate the tools they use; their tentative, at times reluctant use of technology is more complex than a simple rejection or a whole-hearted embrace. What if modern Americans could possibly agree upon criteria for acceptance, as the Amish have? Might we find better ways to wield technological power, other than simply unleashing it and seeing what happens? What can we learn from a culture that habitually negotiates the rules for new tools?
Last summer, armed with these questions and in the company of an acquaintance with Amish contacts, I traveled around the countryside of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Everywhere, there were freshly planted fields, farmhouses with handsome, immaculate barns and outbuildings. At one farm we passed, a woman was sitting a hundred yards from her house on the edge of a kitchen garden. She wore the traditional garb of the conservative Old Order - a long, unadorned dress sheathed by an apron, her hair covered by a prayer bonnet. She was sitting in the middle of the garden, alone, the very image of technology-free simplicity. But she was holding her hand up to her ear. She appeared to be intent on something, strangely engaged.
"Whenever you see an Amish woman sitting in the field like that," my guide said, "she's probably talking on a cell phone."
"It's a controversy in the making," he continued. A rather large one, it turns out - yet part of the continuum of determining whether a particular technology belongs in Amish life. They've adopted horses, kerosene lamps, and propane refrigerators; should they add cell phones?
Collective negotiations over the use of telephones have ignited intense controversies in the Amish community since the beginning of the 20th century. In fact, a dispute over the role of the phone was the principal issue behind the 1920s division of the Amish church, wherein one-fifth of the membership broke away to form their own church.
Eventually, certain Amish communities accepted the telephone for its aid in summoning doctors and veterinarians, and in calling suppliers. But even these Amish did not allow the telephone into the home. Rather, they required that phones be used communally. Typically, a neighborhood of two or three extended families shares a telephone housed in a wooden shanty, located either at the intersection of several fields or at the end of a common lane. These structures look like small bus shelters or privies; indeed, some phones are in outhouses. Sometimes the telephone shanties have answering machines in them. (After all, who wants to wait in the privy on the off chance someone will call?)
The first Amish person I contacted, I reached by answering machine. He was a woodworker who, unlike some of his brethren, occasionally talked to outsiders. I left a message on his phone, which I later learned was located in a shanty in his neighbor's pasture. The next day the man, whom I'll call Amos, returned my call. We agreed to meet at his farmstead a few days later.
I couldn't help thinking it was awfully complicated to have a phone you used only for calling back - from a booth in a meadow. Why not make life easier and just put one in the house?
"What would that lead to?" another Amish man asked me. "We don't want to be the kind of people who will interrupt a conversation at home to answer a telephone. It's not just how you use the technology that concerns us. We're also concerned about what kind of person you become when you use it."
__ Far from knee-jerk technophobes, these are very adaptive techno-selectives who devise remarkable technologies that fit within their self-imposed limits. __
The Amish are famously shy. Their commitment to "plain" living is most obvious in their unadorned clothing - Old Order Amish even eschew buttons, requiring humble hooks instead. Any sign of individuality is cause for concern. Until fairly recently, Amish teachers would reprimand the student who raised his or her hand as being too individualistic. Calling attention to oneself, or being "prideful," is one of the cardinal Amish worries. Having your name or photo in the papers, even talking to the press, is almost a sin.
Like most modern Americans, I assume individuality is not only a fundamental value, but a goal in life, an art form. The garish technicolor shirts and hand-painted shoes I usually wear sometimes startle business audiences who show up for my speaking engagements. My reasoning: If I think for myself, why not dress for myself? Dye technology has given us all these colors, so let's use 'em! Still, I didn't want to make my idiosyncrasies the focus of my visit to Amish country. So I bought a plain blue work shirt, dark blue gabardine pants, and brown shoes. I hadn't traveled so drably in many years.
Amos runs a factory of sorts in the vicinity of three memorably named Pennsylvania towns: Bird-in-Hand, Paradise, and Intercourse. The sun was setting as I drove slowly down his unpaved driveway. I found myself inside a tableau that must have looked almost exactly the same 200 years ago. Several men and young boys in identical black trousers, suspenders, and straw hats were operating horse-drawn equipment in the fields beyond. One of Amos's grandsons pointed me to a plain wooden building beside the barn.
The aroma of cows gave way to the pungent smell of diesel fuel and wood chips as I entered the workshop. The whine of a wood-milling machine made it futile to talk. This was not the serene place the words "Amish woodshop" conjure up. My host finished cutting a 12-foot-long plank before we greeted each other. He then lit a kerosene lamp in the small office next to his workshop and invited me in. The office had no modern technology in it, but railroad posters were tacked on the walls, and wooden locomotive models sat on the shelves.
Amos had sawdust and hydraulic fluid in his beard. His blue-gray eyes fastened on me as he bounced back his own questions in reply to my queries. He had received the same eighth-grade education that all Amish youth are given, but it was obvious that Amos did some outside reading. When I asked him to describe his sense of community, he started out, "Hmm, how do you pronounce s-c-e-n-a-r-i-o?"
Amos runs a successful business crafting wooden furniture, which he sells throughout Pennsylvania and beyond - primarily to the "English" (the Amish term for non-Amish). It's a trade more and more Amish are getting into. Inside Amos's home there are no telephones, radios, televisions, vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, or other electrical appliances. In his shop, routers, mills, and sanders are powered by specially adapted hydraulic mechanisms connected to a diesel engine located near a large open door, exhausting outside the building.
This was a good case study in Amish reasoning: Far from knee-jerk technophobes, these are very adaptive techno-selectives who devise remarkable technologies that fit within their self-imposed limits. The price of good farmland and the number of Amish families are both increasing so rapidly that in recent decades they have adopted nonagricultural enterprises for livelihood - woodworking, construction, light factory work. This, in turn, has forced the Amish to adopt technologies that can enhance their productivity. And the interface with the English brings its own set of demands: When the State of Pennsylvania refused to certify Amish-produced milk unless it was stirred mechanically and refrigerated according to state health codes, the Amish installed stirring machines and refrigeration - operated by batteries or propane gas.
Amos, like many other Amish craftsmen, uses electricity in his workshop for certain tools. But the electricity does not come from public utility lines. Amos runs a diesel generator to charge a bank of 12-volt batteries. The batteries' DC charge is then sent through a converter to create homegrown 110-volt "Amish electricity." To generate more, he has to haul the diesel fuel in from town on his horse-drawn buggy.
To the obvious question why allow Amish electricity but not public electricity, Amos answered slowly and deliberately, "The Bible teaches us not to conform to the world, to keep a separation. Connecting to the electric lines would make too many things too easy. Pretty soon, people would start plugging in radios and televisions, and that's like a hot line to the modern world. We use batteries and generators because you can use the batteries for only a short time and because you have to fuel and maintain the generator yourself. It's a way of controlling our use of electricity. We try to restrict things that would lead to us losing that sense of being separate, to put the brakes on how fast we change."
__ "Does it bring us together, or draw us apart?" is the question bishops ask in considering whether to permit or put away a technology. __
Despite the reputation today's Amish have as old-fashioned diehards, their departure from Europe several centuries ago was driven by their success as innovators. They started out as radical religious libertarians - at a time when the price of religious radicalism was martyrdom. Catholics and Protestants were killing each other in a major religious war, but both sides took a serious dislike to these defiant theological purists, known at the time as Anabaptists, for their emphasis on adult baptism. (Today, every Amish household has a copy of Martyrs' Mirror, a text of more than 1,000 pages that details the excruciating and humiliating public executions suffered by Anabaptist martyrs in Switzerland, Germany, and Holland.) The Anabaptists developed a soil technology based on crop rotation, planting clover in their pastures, and sweetening their earth with lime and gypsum; they dramatically increased the yield of their land, and some of them became wealthy.
Ironically, those same Anabaptists helped set the stage for the fast-paced changes of modern life that today's Amish reject. It was the widespread adoption of Anabaptist practices that eventually produced enough food to free other agricultural laborers, creating the workforce that would be needed for the industrial revolution.
Toward the end of the 17th century, one of the Anabaptist leaders, Jakob Ammann, decided that his Swiss brethren had not been radical enough. Ammann and his followers, who came to be known as "Amish," broke with traditional Anabaptists, moved to the New World, and started farming in Lancaster County in 1710.
In today's Pennsylvania Amish country, a group of 20 to 30 families who live near one another constitute a "district." Each district has a bishop, and the bishops get together twice a year to discuss church matters. This includes raising the recurring questions about which technologies should be permitted in the community, and which banned or regulated.
While the say of the bishops is binding, the Amish come to their decisions quite consensually. New things are not outright forbidden, nor is there a rush to judgment. Rather, technologies filter in when one of the more daring members of the community starts to use, or even purchases, something new. Then others try it. Then reports circulate about the results. What happens with daily use? Does it bring people together? Or have the opposite effect?
Despite the almost organic ebb and flow of this evaluation process, the common goal is constant submission to the judgment of one's peers. On my visit, I was constantly struck by what seemed an alien conception of community. As a kid I was encouraged to "do my thing" while being nice to others; I've lived in five states and dozens of neighborhoods. Amish communities are not just tightly knit and immobile, they're authoritarian.
Yet there is some room for disagreement; consider how the bishops judged the automobile in the 1960s. Typically, the Amish have large extended families; most have dozens of cousins within walking or buggy distance. Every other Sunday, instead of attending church, the Amish are encouraged to visit relatives and the sick. Over time, it was felt that the automobile was enlarging people's traveling radius too far beyond their extended family, to diversions and recreations not related to the community, decreasing the social cohesion and personal connection the Amish so cherish. Some bishops accepted the use of the automobile under certain conditions, while others rejected it outright. The Amish are now split into traditional "Old Order" Amish who still stick to horse and buggy, "New Order" Amish who approve use of telephones and powered farm equipment but shun public electricity, and "Beachy Amish," named for the '20s liberal leader Moses Beachy, who permit both public electricity and automobiles.
While all orders now allow diesel engines in the barn to blow silage, their use is still resisted in the fields - the bishops don't want increased efficiency to interfere with the practice of fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, working together with horse-drawn machinery and handheld implements. Notably, some Old Order Amish allow some diesel-powered equipment in the fields - if it's hauled by animals. "Does it bring us together, or draw us apart?" is the primary question the bishops ask in considering whether to permit or put away a technology.
The bishops' rulings can take decades. In daily life, the Amish take their directions in dress, thought, behavior, and custom from a body of unwritten but detailed rules known as the "Ordnung." Individuals and communities maintain a separation from the world (by not connecting their houses to telephones or electricity), a closeness to one another (through regular meetings), and an attitude of humility so specific they have a name for it ("Gelassenheit"). Decisions about technology hinge on these collective criteria. If a telephone in the home interferes with face-to-face visiting, or an electrical hookup fosters unthinking dependence on the outside world, or a new pickup truck in the driveway elevates one person above his neighbors, then people start to talk about it. The talk reaches the bishops' ears.
In the middle of Amish country, it occurs to me that Internet culture itself grew out of a kind of virtual Ordnung - the norms of cooperation, information-sharing, and netiquette taught to newbies by the first generations of users. The celebrated "anarchy" of the early days was possible only because of the near-universal adherence to largely unwritten rules. But the Internet population has grown fast - so fast that the sudden influx of tens of millions of newbies has overwhelmed the capacity of the old-timers to pass on the Ordnung. In the process, the Internet loses its unique hallmarks, coming to resemble and reflect the rest of contemporary culture.
__ "Instead of a telephone shanty, some Old Order Amish leave their cell phone overnight with an English neighbor, who recharges it." __
"The Amish employ an intuitive sense about what will build solidarity and what will pull them apart," says Donald Kraybill, author of The Riddle of Amish Culture. "You find state-of-the-art barbecues on some Amish porches. Here is a tool they see as increasing family coherence: Barbecues bring people together." Asked what kinds of questions the bishops will likely raise about cell phones, Kraybill replies, "Are cell phones being used 'to make a living' or just for gossip and frivolous chatter? Will permitting cell phones lead to having phones in homes, and where will that lead... to fax machines and the Internet?"
"We don't want to stop progress, we just want to slow it down," several Amish told me. Conversations about technology often turn on where to "hold the line" against the too-rapid advance of innovation. Riding in automobiles to work, but not owning them, putting telephone shanties in fields, requiring battery power instead of electrical lines are all ways of holding the line.
And clearly a lot could be learned about the Amish hold-the-line philosophy by looking at those who either crossed the line or pushed it further out. So I sought out several of the more boldly experimental members of the greater Plain community (Amish and Mennonites and other religious groups sharing a kindred commitment to plain living). In ranging from farmers who ran small enterprises in barnside sheds to well-equipped machine workshops and multimillion-dollar crafts factories, I soon was directed to Moses Smucker, who runs a harness shop in Churchtown, Pennsylvania.
Moses is an early adopter. He didn't mind if I used his real name, a liberty that has made him the subject of a few other journalists' stories. When I arrived at his manufacturing headquarters, I took a look at some of the harnesses on display - one of them had a price tag of $12,000. If you've ever seen the Budweiser Clydesdales Christmas commercials, you've seen harness bells from Moses Smucker's Churchtown workshop.
In the back of the store, more than a dozen young Amish men were working at modern machinery powered by hydraulics and diesel-generated electricity. Upstairs, I saw a woman in traditional plain clothing seated in front of a PC.
Moses Smucker might look like Abe Lincoln, in his black suit and mustache-free beard, but he bore the same time-is-money air of any factory manager taking a few minutes out of a busy day to talk to the press. Where Amos was rough hewn and wry, Moses seemed shrewd and slick. His office was certainly in a different century from Amos's. An electronic rolodex and an electric calculator sat atop an old roll-top desk. I noticed a clock in the shape of a horse and buggy. The whip ticked back and forth.
"When I started this business in 1970," Moses said, "it wasn't accepted to have a telephone in the building, even in a business. But the telephone began to be accepted through popular disobedience. More businesses put them in and the bishops didn't stop them."
Will the bishops also eventually allow phones in the home? I asked.
"When the telephone first came out here, people put them in their homes," explained Moses. "But they were party lines. One time a woman overheard two other women gossiping about her. She objected. That wasn't what we wanted for our families or our community, so the bishops met and home telephones were banned."
__ Is the family meal enhanced by a beeper? Who exactly benefits from call waiting? Is automated voicemail a hint about how institutions value human life? __
I had heard the same story from several other Amish - in fact, this story seemed to be a key part of community mythology. A writer named Diane Zimmerman Umble, who grew up in Lancaster County and had family roots in the Plain orders, traced the story to its origin, a 1986 memoir written by an Old Order Amishman born in 1897. As a graduate student, Zimmerman Umble started investigating Amish community telephones for a course on contemporary social theory, and ended up writing a book on the subject, Holding the Line: The Telephone in Old Order Mennonite and Amish Life. Among her findings was the power of anecdote in the Amish decisionmaking process.
Anecdote, of course, is a key currency on the Internet, so I asked Moses if he'd heard stories about it. Although he used a computer in his business, he didn't believe the Internet as currently constituted would ever be permitted. Based on anecdotal evidence, he said, "It's too unregulated, there's too much trash, and there's a worry people will use it for purposes unrelated to work."
I asked another Amish workshop owner whom I'll call Caleb what he thought about technology. He pulled some papers out of a file cabinet, handed them to me, and said, "I share some of this fellow's opinions," pointing to a magazine interview with virtual reality pioneer Jaron Lanier. Asked for an opinion he shared with the dreadlocked-and-dashikied Jaron, he replied, "I agree with his statement that you can't design foolproof machines, because fools are so clever."
Caleb also discussed the Amish resistance to becoming "modern." They're not worried about becoming people without religion or people who use lots of technology, he explained; rather, the Amish fear assimilating the far more dangerous ideas that "progress" and new technologies are usually beneficial, that individuality is a precious value, that the goal of life is to "get ahead." This mind-set, not specific technologies, is what the Amish most object to.
"The thing I noticed about the telephone is the way it invades who you are," Caleb said. "We're all losing who we are because of the telephone and other machines - not just the Amish."
In Holding the Line, Zimmerman Umble writes: "Some Old Order people feel that relaxation of telephone rules reflects a movement toward an 'uncontrollable drift' which must be halted. Others see these steps as pragmatic choices necessary to hold the community together economically. The paradox in the Old Order story is that the telephone does both: It holds people together by making communication among community members possible, and it separates them from the world and from each other. The telephone is both evil and good."
Donald Kraybill, who is also provost of Messiah College, on the outskirts of Amish country, believes taboos about telephones are "a symbolic way of keeping the technology at a distance and making it your servant, rather than the other way around."
Can they make the cell phone a servant? My questions on this score were answered mostly with anecdote. I heard of one Amish man who was going to be late to a chiropractor appointment, so he pulled out his cell phone and called the receptionist from the bus he was on. Zimmerman Umble heard of a Plain order businessman who called his stockbroker from his company car phone, pushing three taboos at once past their boundaries.
Zimmerman Umble pointed out that part of what makes cell phones so handy - the lack of a wire - also poses a special challenge for the Amish. "In the early part of the community discussion, electrical and telephone lines carried substantial symbolic freight," she said. The wires meant that anyone in the community could easily see who was using electricity and phones. "But now, in the absence of the line, behavior can't be monitored in the same way. It is harder to maintain separation between home and business when you have a cell phone in your pocket. In that sense it tests the community consensus about what is allowable."
Calling around cell phone outlets in the Lancaster area, I found a merchant who has been selling cell phones to Plain folk for years. "A great percentage of my customer base is Amish and Mennonite," the merchant told me. "More Amish than Mennonite. We opened our cellular system 12 years ago. Within the first year, I had an Amish customer. He first called from his neighbor's house. He owned a painting business and told me he wasn't allowed to have a cell phone personally, but his bishop said he could buy one for his foreman to use in the company truck. It didn't take too long before I started getting quite a lot of telephone calls from the Amish."
This raised quite a few interesting consumer technology questions. Ordinarily, for example, one needs a credit card (and good credit) to secure a cell phone. "The Amish pay in cash," explained the merchant, who, along with most Amish-friendly shopkeepers, didn't want his name used. "We normally ask for a driver's license for the purpose of identification when we activate cellular service - of course, the Amish don't have driver's licenses. They weren't able to get phones for several months, since we weren't allowed to open accounts without driver's licenses. So we had to make a policy change to accommodate them. We ended up asking for another form of identification. But the Amish don't believe in photography, so we couldn't get a photo ID. Eventually we told them to get Pennsylvania state IDs without photographs.
"I've sold hundreds of cell phones to them, primarily business phones," the merchant continued, adding a few details about how the phones were used. "Some Old Order Amish leave their cell phones in their shanty. Some leave the phone overnight with an English neighbor, who recharges it for them; then the Amish pick up the phone in the morning."
It's a pretty safe prediction that when the bishops get around to their formal ruling, cell phones will not be deemed appropriate for personal use. In the 1910s, when the telephone was only beginning to change the world at large, the Old Order Amish recognized that the caller at the other end of the line was an interloper, someone who presumed to take precedence over the family's normal, sacred, communications. Keeping the telephone in an unheated shanty in a field, or even an outhouse, was keeping the phone in its proper place.
Though the Amish determination to allow phones at work but ban them at home might seem hard to accept, I appreciate the deliberation put into their decision. In fact, similar reflection might highlight conflicts between our own practices and values. How often do we interrupt a conversation with someone who is physically present in order to answer the telephone? Is the family meal enhanced by a beeper? Who exactly is benefiting from call waiting? Is automated voicemail a dark hint about the way our institutions value human time and life? Can pagers and cell phones that vibrate instead of ring solve the problem? Does the enjoyment of virtual communities by growing numbers of people enhance or erode citizen participation in the civic life of geographic communities?
"What does the Old Order story have to say to members of postmodern society?" asks Diane Zimmerman Umble. "The struggle of Old Order groups to mold technology in the service of community provides a provocative model of resistance for those who have come to recognize that technology brings both benefits and costs.... Their example invites reflection on a modern dilemma: how to balance the rights of the individual with the needs of the community. For them, community comes first."
Indeed, what does one's use of a tool say to other people, particularly loved ones, about where they stand in our priorities? In my own house, we decided to get a rollover to voicemail instead of call waiting - experiences on the receiving end of call waiting convinced us that both parties on the other end of the line get pissed off when you interrupt the conversation. No matter how absorbing the flame war of the moment might be, I make a point of suspending online communication when someone in my presence attempts to talk with me. And I've come to believe that face-to-face conversation should outrank disembodied conversation via cell phone or email.
I never expected the Amish to provide precise philosophical yardsticks that could guide the use of technological power. What drew me in was their long conversation with their tools. We technology-enmeshed "English" don't have much of this sort of discussion. And yet we'll need many such conversations, because a modern heterogeneous society is going to have different values, different trade-offs, and different discourses. It's time we start talking about the most important influence on our lives today.
I came away from my journey with a question to contribute to these conversations: If we decided that community came first, how would we use our tools differently?Recently lots of developers are seen facing problems with pubcenter ads. The impressions are at an all-time low still for some developers ads never show up (not even the test ads). There’s a little thing that developers should be mindful of and pubcenter will again start working for them. Heres a tutorial explaining how you could integrate pubcenter advertisements in your Windows Phone 8 apps.
Step 1. Visit pubcenter website and add a new application in it
Visit pubcenter website to create a new application and its ad unit
https://pubcenter.microsoft.com/
Note down the application ID and the ad unit ID which you just created.
Step 2. Add a reference to Microsoft.Advertising.Mobile.UI
Right click on the name of the project in solution explorer and choose Add>Reference. From the dialog box that appears choose Microsoft.Advertising.Mobile.UI and Microsoft.Advertising.Mobile and add it to your project. These references will enable you to use Microsoft’s pubcenter ads in your app. Instead of adding the reference you could have dragged and dropped the AdControl from Toolbox.
Step 3. Crucial step- Add the following capabilities carefully
Not adding all the required capabilities is main reason behind ads not showing up from pubcenter. Not choosing the right capabilities doesn’t lead to a syntax error and no error is reported while deploying the app. The following ID_CAP capabilities must be included in the manifest of the advertising-enabled app.
ID_CAP_IDENTITY_USER
ID_CAP_MEDIALIB_PHOTO
ID_CAP_NETWORKING
ID_CAP_PHONEDIALER
ID_CAP_WEBBROWSERCOMPONENT
Go to Solution Explorer> Properties> WMAPPManifest.xml and move over to capabilities tab. From there choose the following capabilities. You may require other capabilities based on the type of application you are building but these will be required for pubcenter.
Step 4. Add a reference to the page where you want to display ads
Add the following reference to the page where you wish to display ads from pubcenter.
xmlns:UI=”clr-namespace:Microsoft.Advertising.Mobile.UI;assembly=Microsoft.Advertising.Mobile.UI”
Step 5. Add the AdControl to your page
Add the AdControl to your page and insert the app id and ad unit id in it. If you are unsure where to put the code then have a look at the screen shot below. Also notice that the app id and ad unit id are set to test_client and Image480_80 respectively which is the default value. Also we have added an error occurred event handler.
Note: While debugging the app on emulator ads won’t show up if you are using a real app id and ad unit id. Instead if you use test values then a default ad will be visible
Step 6. Add the error occurred event handler in code behind
You could use this event handler while debugging to know the reason for ads not appearing in the app. Most of the times if the ad control is correctly configured the reason for ads not appearing is low fill rates. Also you could use this event handler to load ads from another provider if ads from pubcenter fails. The code snippet show how you could add Google Admob’s ads when pubcenter fails to get an ad.
Here’s an article explaining how you could add Google AdMob in your Windows Phone 8 app.
Note A few users have claimed that they can’t find this event trigger in their ad control. They might not be using the latest Ad SDK.
When you run the app in the emulator ads should now appear. Here’s a screenshot of the sample app i built.
Get the full source code of the app here,
Download full project source code pubcenter.zipBoredom can sometimes drive you to do crazy things. Give someone a bunch of paperclips, some sticky notes, and too much free time and wonderful things will happen. It can also inspire some truly horrible acts. I’ve already mentioned the horrific murder of Christopher Lane, who was murdered by three bored teenagers. That’s an extreme rarity, for the most part, but it’s an egregious act that helps highlight the power of boredom.
As is often the case with various human quirks, some of our most iconic characters of fiction are built around the extremes of these innate human traits. Heroes like Superman and Wonder Woman embody the noblest ideals for men and women alike. They set the highest of standards for the best of what humanity can be in terms of heart, compassion, love, strength, and charity.
Conversely, the villains that heroes like Superman and Wonder Woman face highlight the worst of the worst when it comes to human depravity. These characters are manifestations of the darkest parts of the human psyche. They show us just how bad humans can get if you give them enough incentive, hatred, and clown makeup.
That’s what makes characters like the Joker, Lex Luthor, and Apocalypse so terrifying. They are personifications of blood-lust, chaos, narcissism, and pretty much every personality disorder associated with Kanye West. They bring out the worst in people. Their conflict with other heroes mirrors the inner conflict many of us deal with.
I’ve talked about the varying differences between the classic hero’s journey and the more nuanced villain’s journey. Thanks to the success of characters like Walter White, Dexter Morgan, and the cast of “Suicide Squad,” there’s been a surge of interest in super-villains and what makes them tick.
Being a noted comic book fan, I can talk for hours about various villains, how they came to be, and what makes them so evil. I’ve already talked extensively about Walter White and comic book villains like Magneto. These characters embody a certain type of villainy, each driven by a set of motivations that highlight a villainous aspect of our human mind.
Most people are familiar with the villains driven by greed, narcissism, vengeance, or hatred. They’re usually the characters getting punched, shot, or blasted on lunch boxes or posters. Some of them often get compared to real-life politicians. So if villains can embody so many of these defining traits, can one embody the dark side of boredom?
Well, I can say as someone whose love of comics is only matched by his love of nudity that there is. There is actually a character, a major villain no less, whose motivations and evil is very much a product of boredom. Granted, it’s an indirect kind of boredom, but it’s every bit as devious. Ladies, gentlemen, and those of unspecified gender, I give you Vandal Savage, the poster boy for the evils of boredom.
Some may be confused. I imagine that even some of my fellow comic book fans are confused. Bear with me, though. There is some twisted logic behind this and boredom is a big part of it.
Vandal Savage is one of the most notorious villains in DC Comics. He’s not as well-known as Lex Luthor or the Joker, but then again, very few villains are. While he may not be an evil all-star, he does show up a lot whenever DC’s heroes need a daunting villain to face.
If you’ve watched shows like “Arrow,” “Flash,” or “Legends of Tomorrow,” then you’ve probably seen him show up in both minor and major roles. He’s also been a major villain in the old “Justice League” cartoon. In terms of sheer reach, Savage’s resume is pretty impressive, but his notoriety is not. There are many reasons for this, but some of it has to do with his origin.
Vandal Savage is not exactly on par with Walter White in terms of the journey he took to become a villain. In fact, it’s kind of mundane in terms of substance. He’s actually a real caveman who lived way back in the hunter/gatherer days of 50,000 BC. He would’ve been nothing more than a fossil sample to frustrate creationists had he not encountered an exotic meteor that crashed near his home.
That meteor, which is basically one of DC’s many mystical McGuffins, transformed Savage from a simple knuckle-dragging caveman to an immortal, super-intelligent being. He’s been running around, causing problems for humanity ever since. That means he’s been in the super-villain business for over 50,000 years. He has a lot of experience being an asshole.
There are a great many events throughout the history of DC Comics that highlight just how big an asshole Savage is. He has such a low regard for human life that even Lex Luthor finds him crass. Most of the time, he’s either trying to conquer humanity or destroy it. It’s basically typical super-villain antics.
However, what sets him apart and what makes him a potential warning sign for us, as a species, is what motivates him. Throughout his history, he’s given any number of typical excuses. He’s a big, mean bully who thinks he deserves to rule the world because he’s smart and immortal. There’s nothing about that to really set him apart from every other Biff Tannen wannabe.
Like many villains, though, writers have given him other motivations. One of the most recent and, by far, the most relevant occurred in major DC Comics event called “Final Crisis.” It came out in 2008 and it had Savage join an army of super-villains in a plot that would’ve essentially undid creation and remake it. Many villains had their share of reasons for joining this plot, but Savage had one that set him apart.
He joined this universe-ending plot for with simple purpose, to end his boredom. That wasn’t an indirect, off-the-cuff comment. That’s what he actually said to Lex Luthor when they talked about it. He wasn’t trying to conquer humanity this time. He just wanted his boredom to end.
Regardless of how Savage’s motivations and presence affected the plot, it’s an idea worth contemplating. Just think about it from his perspective, if you can, and try to get around all that wanting-to-conquer-humanity crap. Vandal Savage is over 50,000 years old. He’s seen, done, and mastered so much that what else can he do with himself?
He doesn’t age. He doesn’t decline, mentally or physically, in any way. As far as he or anyone else knows, he can’t die. He can be shot, stabbed, punched, buried, and everything else that David Blaine pretends to do to himself and he just brushes it off. Nothing about his condition ever changes.
On top of that, he’s super-intelligent. It’s been documented to some extent that very smart people are often prone to crippling boredom. Being so smart, it’s easy for a genius to master a task. Once they’ve mastered it, they get bored with it and look for another challenge. In a sense, idiots have an edge when it comes to killing time. If they’re always struggling with something, they have something to focus on.
It creates a perfect storm of boredom for Vandal Savage because not only is he a genius, he has unlimited time to kill. Being a genius, he can master pretty much any task. In the comics, he’s described some of the jobs he’s had. He’s been a poet, a priest, a laborer, a scholar, a king, a warrior, and pretty much anything a man could’ve been before 1850.
No matter what he does, he’s mastered every single skill and overcome every challenge he’s ever faced. Even if it’s not through sheer genius, the fact he has unlimited time ensures he’ll always figure it out. Given enough time |
lots of new music in the live action film. The Beast has a new song and Belle has a song and Gaston has a song. But LeFou doesn’t have a song.
Gad: Yeah, what’s that about? I’ve been meaning to ask you the same thing.
Menken: Well…
Gad: You were holding it for the sequel.
Menken: I’m writing a whole musical for you, Josh. We’re doing a project that is actually a Josh Gad vehicle.
But what would a LeFou song sound like, what do you think he would want?
Menken: You can’t just serve characters. What you're serving is the story. Where would LeFou’s song moment be?
Gad: I know what it would be. [Sings] “Food, glorious food.”
Menken: Frankly, much of Gaston is LeFou.
Evans: And is sung by LeFou.
Gad: The reason that I did the movie is because that song is such, it really is a duet. It’s an amazing duet, but it’s LeFou’s hero worship of this guy. He’s like a historian and celebrates this guy’s legacy and that’s what makes it so funny. And thank you for raising it an octave for Luke and I, because now we have to sing it live all the time.
Evans: That is our own fault. The curse of the two tenors.
91896382 Emma Watson, Dan Stevens and Luke Evans star in the live-action movie "Beauty and the Beast." (Walt Disney Pictures)
You revived a lot of old lyrics that were lost for this movie. What was that like hearing those lyrics again?
Menken: Great. That was great. And also, hearing at the end of the movie, the long lost verse from “Beauty and the Beast” that Howard wrote. Oh man.
I gotta say, [director] Bill Condon is really smart. Because it was really Bill who reached in and said, “I want to do that.” That was huge, Bill having that curiosity and willingness to open it up. There is a little treasure-trove of lost Ashman that’s wonderful.
When you’re actually filming “Gaston” what were the director’s notes? Did he say, “Don’t worry about going too big?” What’s the balance between villainy and comedy?
Evans: There was a lot of, there was a lot of…
Gad: I think she’s just saying we mugged it.
Evans: You mean we were theatrical about our performances? We had a lot of rehearsal. So we worked out the level and the size of our performances from the rehearsal room. Because it is a larger-than-life moment, in the film there’s this huge group of people being rallied by one to make the ego of another feel grand. And so there is a very sort of jolly atmosphere in that room and everybody’s had a beer or two and music is playing. I think we had a license to be a little larger than we would have been outside of the tavern because the tavern was a place of frivolity and happiness.
Gad: I remember one of my favorite songs growing up. Have you guys seen the original ‘Pete’s Dragon’? When they're going to the tavern and [Mickey Rooney is singing], “A dragon, a dragon, I swear I saw a dragon.” That sort of felt like that was the spirit of what we were doing. The song is so infectious that you want people to watch it and feel like they want to be in this tavern and jump onto the table and sing Gaston’s praises alongside you.
Menken: Also, Howard’s lyrics are hilarious. I actually found recordings of me working — because I used to keep them on cassette — and I get to, “Every last inch of me’s covered with hair.” And I just crack up, I just stop. “I use antlers in [all of my decorating].” Imagine, looking at that lyric for the first time. You had to know Howard too, he was just beating Gaston senseless. And it was delicious.
It’s a very happy villain song as well, it’s hard not to get caught up in it.
Menken: You know it may be one of the happiest villain songs ever, it’s true.
Evans: I was watching the audience [at the recent premiere], everyone’s really into that scene. There were people just moving along. It just rouses everyone.
Menken: They love Gaston. They did applaud when you died.
Evans: They applauded when I died.
Gad: I led the applause.
Evans: You did. You whooped along. I didn’t even hit the ground and you were already clapping.
Gad: My daughter said, “Daddy, why are you laughing, he’s horrible.”
Evans: Right here [points to chest]. It was wonderful.
meredith.woerner@latimes.com
Twitter: @MdellW
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As many admins of virtual infrastructures know, for the first time ever, VMware vSphere 6.5 received the long awaited encryption feature of both virtual disks content and vMotion hot migrations.
The VMs encryption works based on AES-NI algorithm, and the key management is carried out based on KMIP 1.1 standard. When I/O operation comes to the disk of the virtual machine, it is immediately encrypted on-the-fly, which provides complete security against data security attack.
Not only virtual disks, but also VMX configuration files, snapshot files and all other file objects related to the virtual machine are encrypted.
VM objects encryption is fulfilled externally. This way the guest OS doesn’t have access to the encryption keys. Encrypted virtual machines are always transferred between the ESXi hosts with vMotion, which is also encrypted.
To start virtual machine encryption, an appropriate storage policy should be assigned to it:
How VM Encryption in VMware vSphere 6.5 works:
User assigns VM Encryption policy at the virtual machine level.
For the VM, a random key is generated and encrypted with a key from the key manager (KMS key).
When VM is switched on, vCenter server receives the key from the Key Manager and sends it to VM encryption Module on ESXi server, which unlocks the key in the hypervisor.
Next, all I/O operations are carried out through encryption module, encrypting all input and output SCSI-commands transparently for guest OS.
All those things are compatible with third-party key management systems (and requires one of them) built on standard KMIP of version 1.1 or higher:
To decrypt virtual machine and then store it in regular format, just set default storage policy (Datastore default).
StarWind VTL The additional requirement of the long-term data retention significantly increases the overall cost of the final solution. Find out more: StarWind Cloud VTL for AWS and Veeam
Also, there is special PowerCLI cmdlets, which can encrypt or decrypt VM and detect which of them are encrypted at the moment. For example, this way you can encrypt VM with default encryption policy in the last PowerCLI update:
Get-VM -Name <VM name> | Enable-VMEncryption 1 Get - VM - Name < VM name > | Enable - VMEncryption
vCenter works just as a client in the encryption system. For key handling, Key Management Server (KMS) is used.
In privileges control mechanism, there is now new No Cryptography Administrator role. If it is assigned, the following privileges will be denied to standard administrator:
Manage key servers
Manage keys
Manage encryption policies
Console access to encrypted VMs
Upload/download encrypted VMs
Any external systems working after KMIP standard can be used as KMS:
When using VM encryption, the following things should be considered:
Yes, you will definitely need key management system (external Key Management Server).
Backup options are supported through Ethernet only (no SAN-to-SAN backup).
If you make backup copy for regular backup method, it will be unencrypted, if you recover it – everything will comply with target storage policy (that is, VM can appear to be unencrypted after the recovery).
The vCenter server can’t be encrypted itself – otherwise, it couldn’t be switched on at all.
Also, the following options are not supported: Suspend/resume VM encryption with snapshots and creation of snapshots for encrypted VMs Serial/Parallel port Content library vSphere Replication
For vMotion, encryption works on the VM-level, and for synchronization data transfer 256-bit encryption keys are used. Encryption of the vMotion traffic works on VMkernel level with widely used algorithm AES-GCM (Advanced Encryption Standard / Galois Counter Mode).
There are 3 policies for encrypted vMotion:
Disabled – switched off.
– switched off. Opportunistic – encryption only in case it is supported by source and target host ESXi, otherwise vMotion will be unencrypted.
– encryption only in case it is supported by source and target host ESXi, otherwise vMotion will be unencrypted. Required – will certainly be used.
Moving machines between the hosts is fulfilled by the exchange of one-time keys, which are generated and served by vCenter server, rather than KMS.
In general, encryption of virtual machines and vMotion migrations is great stuff, but keep in mind you will need external KMS server for that.
Also, recently VMware published another interesting technical paper VMware vSphere encrypted vMotion architecture, performance, and best practices” on different aspects of mechanism of virtual machines encrypted migration between the hosts.
Experiments described in the open document have proven the following:
vSphere 6.5 Encrypted vMotion migration works almost with the same speed vMotion does
CPU encryption load is low due to the optimizations made in the vMotion code
vSphere 6.5 Encrypted vMotion is the same reliable as regular vMotion
For example, let’s see the testing results of vMotion hot migration performance in enterprise infrastructure for virtual machine with Redis database manager.
Here is Microsoft SQL Server virtual machine migration for a long distance at varying network latency, which depends on datacenters location:
There are several more interesting pictures in the document, but there is only one conclusion – encrypted vMotion almost doesn’t affect virtual infrastructure performance.
Related materials:
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5 out of 5, based on 1 review 5 out of 5, based on 1 reviewKFC has long been known for thinking outside the box. After all, how else can one explain the ingenuity behind items like fried chicken pizza and the iconic — and heart attack inducing — Double Down Dog.
But KFC is pushing things even farther, only this time it’s tapping into the world of technology. In celebration of the chain’s 60th year in Canada, KFC put some of its best research scientists to work. After days spent holed up in a lab, running on little to no sleep, they finally emerged with a product that seamlessly blends cutting edge technology with their amazing chicken.
Behold, the Memories Bucket.
DON’T MISS: 10 hidden tricks that could completely change the way you use your iPhone
Apparently, all one has to do is link up their smartphone with a KFC Memories Bucket whereupon it’ll quickly print up a photo of your choosing.
While there’s no word if this crafty little creation will ever be available for mainstream use, it sure represents an interesting if not peculiar way to celebrate 60 years of chicken.
Lastly, it’s worth pointing out that both KFC and Pizza Hut are owned by the same company — Yum! Brands. Why is this relevant, you might wonder? Well it wasn’t all that long ago that Pizza Hut introduced us to a pizza box capable of turning into a movie projector.
So at long last, the dream of living in a world where our TVs are replaced by pizza boxes and our printers are replaced by buckets of chicken has become a reality.
It’s a marvelous time to be alive.
And now the pressure is on Taco Bell, yet another Yum! Brands-owned company, to step up to the plate with a wild invention all their own.Get the biggest daily stories by email Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email
THE fight to keep the UK together received a much needed boost tonight after a dramatic new poll showed support for independence has stalled.
An exclusive survey for the Daily Record gives the No side a six point lead - the same margin as two months ago.
But the Survation survey of 1000 Scots showed 47.6% plan to vote No a week tomorrow with 42.4% voting Yes. The poll was carried out between Friday evening and Tuesday morning.
When the 10% of people still to make up their mind are removed, that would give a referendum result of 53% No to 47% Yes.
The news will come as a major relief for Better Together boss Alistair Darling, who has been accused of presiding over a “disintegrating” campaign after a bombshell poll on Saturday night put the Nationalists ahead.
While it means the referendum result is still on a knife edge, it may signal the Nationalist momentum built on the back of other narrow polls may have peaked too early.
With the race tightening with just seven days to go, observers had widely expected the poll to show a lead for the Yes campaign as Survation has consistently put Yes support higher than other pollsters.
Daily Record exclusive poll results
It showed that men are almost exactly evenly split on independence, with 46.4% planning to vote Yes and 46.8% voting No. But a wider gap between women gave the Unionists their lead.
Survation found 48.5% of women are now planning to vote No compared to 38.6% who will back Yes.
The poll also showed considerable geographical variation in how Scots plan to vote.
The West of Scotland shows most support for Yes (51.3% Yes versus 39.4% No), whilst the No side are strongest in South Scotland (No 55.1% v Yes 38%).
Better Together Campaign Director Blair McDougall said: "This fight for Scotland's future will go right down to the wire, but it's one we will win.
"Alex Salmond wants us to take so many huge risks - over our pound, pensions and NHS. The last few days have shown that these risks are real. Separation would cost jobs and push up costs for families in Scotland. This is too important for a protest vote. There would be no going back.
"We don't need to take on all these risks. There is a better way for Scotland. We can have more powers for Scotland over tax and welfare, and keep the strength, security and stability of being part of the larger UK. For the sake of future generations we should say No Thanks to separation next week."JAIPUR: Finally, the 15-year-old agonising wait of Ugandan student Mujungu Mark ended, as he boarded plane for his home country with the money collected by some good samaritans on Wednesday.Mujungu Mark had come to Jaipur 15 years back to do his graduation. But he could neither complete his study nor return to his home as the Anti Corruption Bureau booked him in a case of attempt to influence the valuator for revaluation of his answersheet.However, the bureau failed to file any chargesheet against him in the court, leaving him stranded in the country for a long fifteen years.His wait for justice came to an end when he filed a mercy petition in a local court here requesting that either he be put in a jail or allow him to go back to his home country as he was not in a position to get a roof over his head and earn one square meals a day. He struggled to find a living by selling watches on the footpath.Mark said he was stranded in India as the Anti Corruption Bureau refused to give him a no-objection certificate (NOC) even though they did not file any chargesheet against him.Incidentally, three years ago, the Rajasthan University had also closed his case and a local court even allowed him to return to his country.After his mercy petition was heard by court on December 13, the court allowed him to go to his country for two months but he had no money to pay for the ticket and other expenses.Mark's lawyer Sudhir Badetia said they arranged money for his return to his home. He had to deposit Rs 12,000 for overstaying in the country after the expiry of his visa and work permit, besides Rs 30,000 for his flight ticket. We also paid him Rs 4,000 for his own journey expenses. Mark left by promising to come back as the court had given him only two months' permission.An emotional Mark, who is now 38, said: "I don't know whether my family members would be able to recognise me as they will be seeing me after 15 long years." He broke down when he said: "I will never see my mother who died a few months back."If you are a fan of Stephen King’s multi-novel epic tale The Dark Tower, you’ve probably been giving the film adaptation — currently in production with director Nikolaj Arcel (A Royal Affair) — a wary side-eye. The project was in development hell as far back as 2007, with Ron Howard pitching grand plans of a serialized, interwoven movie and television series and no one buying it. Then, suddenly, Sony had a “Dark Tower” film slated for February 2017, and Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey were cast and the movie was happening, even if fans were unclear just how much of the sprawling Dark Tower epic would make it into one film. We assumed it would be an adaptation of the first novel, The Gunslinger, but it turns out the truth is much more interesting.
Stephen King and Nikolaj Arcel took some time from the Dark Tower production in Cape Town, South Africa to talk to Entertainment Weekly on a podcast. King revealed that the story will “start the same,” which implies Idris Elba’s Roland and newcomer Tom Taylor’s Jake will start like at the beginning of The Gunslinger, but King implies the story will jump ahead as well.
“I expect that the movie will start where the book starts,” King explained. “You know, ‘The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed,’ so I think that nails it right in place for people. I’ve been pretty insistent about that, and I think everybody’s pretty on board with it.” However, this might not an adaptation of The Gunslinger at all. King added: “It starts sort of the middle of the story rather than the beginning, which may upset some of the fans a little bit, but they’ll get behind it because it is the story.”
We’re expecting a chase across the desert, but also to be dropped in the middle of a story? Skipping to a story in the middle would suggest something closer to an earlier draft of the movie by Akiva Goldsman and Jeff Pinkner, where much of the film was spent in our world with Jake trying to get back to Mid-Land.
Even more puzzling, after Elba and McConaughey were cast as Roland and the Man in Black, the other casting hasn’t revealed an Eddie or a Susannah, or really any other characters we’d expect from a Dark Tower movie. Actress Abbey Lee was cast as “Trina,” and a character with that name doesn’t show up until the seventh book.
If all of those references didn’t ring any bells, you might want to avoid the rest of this post, because things are about to get nerdy and spoilery for both the book and the upcoming Dark Tower movie.
The aforementioned draft of a The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger by Akiva Goldsman and Jeff Pinkner was reviewed online by Quint from Ain’t It Cool News earlier this year and outlined what that “old” draft might have in common with whatever final film is being made. That review had the screenplay starting with the Man in Black in the town of Devar-Toi, not fleeing through a desert, but other details have lined up with the casting. This screenplay has Jake know he has to help Roland find the Dark Tower while Roland is consumed with revenge. As the report puts it: “Goldsman and Pinkner decided to fold in Jake’s journey to Roland’s world from The Wastelands (complete with the fight with the Guardian in the old haunted house) with his entry into The Gunslinger.”
A new tweet by Stephen King looks like it could be confirming another detail about the movie and why it’s different than the book, and this one means that the major changes in the film version might coexist with the novel’s narrative.
The Dark Tower is close, now. The Crimson King awaits. Soon Roland will raise the Horn of Eld. And blow. pic.twitter.com/rqGSKM3dWL — Stephen King (@StephenKing) May 19, 2016
Dark Tower fans will recognize the Horn of Eld, and object that Roland kept as he was sent from the Dark Tower at the end of the book back to the beginning of his journey. Roland doesn’t remember that he’s chased the Man in Black before, the only evidence he lived through the novels is that he has the Horn of Eld, which he doesn’t at the start of The Gunslinger.
Stephen King saying Roland will blow the horn paired with the phrase “Last Time Around” is exciting. In short, it means the events of the novel happened, then the movie happened. Much like how JJ Abrams rebooted the Star Trek movie universe in 2009 by fracturing the timeline, this keeps the narrative of the book canonically separate from the movie (or movie series, if this does well).
This time around, it sounds like Tull might be populated with Taheen, and Jake might be the one who knows what’s really going on. It had been a slight hope since the script report claimed Goldsman and Pinkner’s Roland also had the Horn of Eld.
Whatever Dark Tower movie we get might not bear much similarity to the Dark Tower story that we read on the page, but we won’t be dealing with a direct adaptation. We can frame our expectations accordingly.News broke Tuesday afternoon that Ryan Nielsen was leaving the NC State Wolfpack staff to take a position with the New Orleans Saints. That’s an innocuous move on the surface, and problem didn’t move the needle for many fans - even those who are passionate for college football. But there’s a lot to like about this move the more you dig into it.
"A loud defense is a confident defense...Communicate" -Ryan Nielsen, NC St Defensive line coach — Tanner Massey (@TMass10) October 22, 2016
Nielsen joined NC State after bouncing around from one program to the next, including stays on Ed Orgeron’s Ole Miss staff back in 2005 until 2007, and a prominent role at Northern Illinois from 2011 to 2013. He really began to thrive after landing the defensive line coaching job at NC State.
Under Nielsen’s watch, recruiting stepped up. He showed a knack for teaching that quickly paid dividends, and culminated in a two-year stretch of great production in 2015 and 2016. This is a great read from 2015 that dives into Nielsen’s coaching style and relationship with his players.
Last year, four defensive linemen collected nine or more tackles for loss: Kentavius Street (9 TFL), Darian Roseboro (11), Airius Moore (14), and Bradley Chubb (21), who returned to school after getting a Day Two grade (second/third round) from the NFL Draft Advisory Board. Among that group, only Moore got less than five sacks.
Another thing to note about about Nielsen is the reputation he’s built among his peers at the college level. In 2016, Nielsen was nominated for the Broyles Award, which is given to the nation’s top assistant coach. Other nominees included both current LSU coordinators, Dave Aranda (defense) and then-Pitt offensive coordinator Matt Canada.
Along with Missouri offensive line coach Glen Elarbee and Nebraska linebackers coach Trent Bray, Nielsen was one of just three of forty initial nominees to not also serve as a coordinator for his team’s offense, defense, or special teams. Here’s what some of Nielsen’s players had to say about him, courtesy of the NC State media department:
Stylistically, Nielsen specializes in four-man fronts that feature a true nose tackle over the center and a three-technique disruptor. That’s a great fit guys inside like Tyeler Davison and Sheldon Rankins, as well as Nick Fairley (if he returns).
On the edges in his base looks, Nielsen prefers bigger ends similar to Cameron Jordan and David Onyemata more than smaller, quicker pass rushers like Hau’oli Kikaha - though he does have experience in using pressure packages that feature those stand-up ends.
Nielsen may not have the pedigree of other assistants around the league, but he’s landed in a great situation to make a name for himself. Three of the Saints’ top six defensive linemen in snaps played were first- or second-year players. With so many young guys - Onyemata especially, as he only started playing football in college - this is a big opportunity for Nielsen to dive into. Here’s a clip of him teaching from NC State’s media department:
This deep draft class of edge rushers looks like a great opportunity to give Nielsen more talent to develop; imagine Nielsen taking the natural bend and snap anticipation of someone like Derek Barnett and teaching him some new pass rush moves. I can’t wait for training camp.24 Brilliant Moments from NBC's Community Caught in Animated GIFs
By Dustin Rowles | Lists | December 9, 2010 |
There is no comedy on television right now better than NBC's "Community," and there arguably hasn't been a better comedy on television since "Arrested Development" left the air. If you haven't given it a chance, maybe a few of these memorable moments captured in GIF format will convince you. If you have seen it, here's your opportunity to relive those moments. If you don't care one way or another, and just want to see Joel McHale do shirtless pull ups or Alison Brie expose her cleavage, well, these are good for that, too.
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Dustin is the founder and co-owner of Pajiba. You may email him here or follow him on Twitter.
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Pajiba Love 12/09/10 | I Approve Of All Of This →Ed Gillespie in 2012 on “Face the Nation.” (CBS)
The Virginia gubernatorial primary on Tuesday delivered good news for Democrats and an ominous warning for the Trump-ized GOP. Democratic turnout was through the roof with more than 543,000 votes. GOP turnout was about 366,000. The more establishment Democrat, Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, won by a much bigger margin (56 percent to 44 percent) than expected. Republican Ed Gillespie, who had led by double digits in polling, won by slightly more than 1 percent. (A margin of less than one percent would have triggered an automatic recount.) Gillespie’s opponent Corey Stewart, a demagogue on immigration who made an issue over taking down Confederate monuments, vastly over-performed in his primary, just as President Trump did in the 2016 campaign season. Gillespie, who vastly outspent his opponents, wound up with about 160,000 votes, almost 80,000 votes fewer than the loser in the Democratic primary.
It may be that in the age of Trump, the Republican Party risks shriveling or splintering outside deep-red strongholds. Moderate Republicans in Tuesday’s primary might well have crossed over (allowed in a state with no registration by party) to vote in the Democratic primary for Northam, thereby boosting his margin and gravely damaging Gillespie. If this becomes a pattern outside Virginia, the GOP will be in deep trouble in 2018 and beyond.
Rick Wilson, a GOP operative and high-profile #NeverTrumper, noted that Gillespie made a hard-right turn on immigration and even on Confederate monuments at the end. “Ed chased Trumpism, and Stewart was the real deal to Trumpers,” Wilson explained. “By doing that, even if Ed survives the vote (and possible recount) he’s going to have trouble winning in Northern Virginia now.” The latter has become the barrier to the GOP in Virginia statewide races. If it cannot make inroads into populous suburban counties with more moderates and college-educated voters, statewide races become unwinnable for Republicans. Wilson wisecracked that “‘the precious Confederacy!’ isn’t a winning message.”
Gillespie barely scraped by, but in sprinting to his right to beat Stewart, he risks doing much worse in Northern Virginia counties than he did in his surprisingly strong 2014 Senate race against Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.). The loss of a chunk of voters in bigger population centers likely won’t be made up by downstate voters who picked Stewart in the primary, not believing that Gillespie was Trumpian enough.
Virginia may be an outlier — at least, that is what Republicans hope. If not, a significant party realignment may take shape in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District special election next week and in the 2018 House and Senate races. Moderates, women, college-educated voters and suburbanites could decide to exit the Trump GOP in droves. If the party is now the party of Confederate monuments and anti-immigrant hysteria, then it will become untenable for such former Republicans, an anathema to their sense of fairness, tolerance and rationality. They then may head for the Democratic Party. If they do, the GOP will be at risk in the sort of seats in which Trump vastly under-performed in comparison with Mitt Romney in 2012 and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in 2008.
Democrats will need to avoid going far left in order to benefit from GOP defections. They will also need a positive message that offers traditional Democrats and newly alienated Republicans an alternative to Trump-Stewart Republicans. They have time — and with a possible win next week in Georgia and in Virginia in November, they may get a shot in the arm from donors and newly recruited candidates anxious to compete against flagging Republicans. In short, Trump may do for Democrats what President Barack Obama did for Republicans — give them a new lease on life.Is there any smell better than the aroma of baking bread?
That’s just one of the many delights to be found on Middle Street, the newly proposed terminus of the Honolulu rail line.
Critics are wailing about Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s proposal, the result of running out of money to take the train route all the way to Ala Moana Center, the seventh-largest shopping mall in the United States.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
But that’s just stinkin’ thinkin’.
Middle Street is full of wonders, starting with Love’s Bakery — “the largest wholesale baker of original and distributed breads, buns, donuts and pies in Hawaii.”
Did you know that Love’s, established in 1851, has a little shop? Bet you did not. On Wednesday it was selling Small Love’s White-N-Wheat for $2.29 a pound and Diamond Bakery Original Animal Crackers for a similarly bargain price.
A couple blocks mauka of Love’s is the Apostolic Faith Church of Honolulu, home of the “Jesus Coming Soon” sign that freeway drivers can’t miss. Fern Elementary, where Mufi Hannemann went to grade school long before he became the city’s tallest mayor ever, and Fern Community Park, where he no doubt played, are right next door.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
Close by is T&L Market.
“Place is unreal cheap. Gives a lot of food for the price,” says Eugene E. on Yelp. “Curry is awesome as well as the fried chicken. Everything is great. Gotta try it.”
There’s a Chevron, an ATM and a store that sells liquor in the neighborhood, too.
Going in the makai direction, take a turn toward Diamond Head on North King Street. MD Restoration is on that block, there for all your water-damage needs. Walter’s Sound & Karaoke Shop is next door, then New City Nissan.
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
OK, back to Middle Street and heading makai.
While there is nothing of interest on the Ewa side, the Diamond Head side is home to what I’ll call The Hub of Honolulu Public Transportation (actually called the Kalihi-Palama Bus Facility, a name that simply doesn’t have the zing of The Hub). This is where Oahu Transit Services has its offices, home to TheBus and TheHandi-Van.
At The Hub — sorry, I mean “TheHub” — you’ll find city buses and vans arriving and leaving every 30 seconds or so. And best of all: There are public restrooms! And shade! And a place to lock up bicycles!
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
The fun is just beginning on Middle Street.
Back on the nothing Ewa side, a short walk will take you to the spot where the city parks its dump trucks. Who knew that’s where they were stored? Not me.
You are now close to all those concrete overpasses including the Nimitz Viaduct. Underneath is the perfect place to find shelter from the elements. And last time I checked, the authorities had swept out all the homeless.
Take a left on Dillingham Boulevard (which is actually the tail end of Kamehameha Highway — how about that?) and you’ll find ColorTyme Rent To Own, Cosco Air Conditioning & Refrigeration and — miracle of miracles! — Marukai Wholesale Mart.
On Wednesday, Marukai was offering plenty free samples. Score!
Cory Lum/Civil Beat
Across Dillingham you’ll find a large gray building with no signage. I’m told it has something to do with money, but what do I know?
I do know the large gray building next to that, however — it’s the Oahu Community Correctional Center, aka OCCC.
I could go on, but why bother?
All your needs are met on Middle Street: Bread. God. School. Booze. Fried chicken. Gas. Money. Cars. Japanese food. Karaoke. Restrooms. Jail.
Clearly, Mayor Caldwell and Council Chair Ernie Martin are on to something. Ala Moana simply pales in comparison.Dearly departed Formula One backmarkers Manor have officially ceased to be, therefore, their stuff is up for sale in order to pay off the team’s assorted debts. Everything from a 6:1 wind tunnel model of Manor’s stillborn 2017 car design to enough wheels to shame a hellaflush kid is up for sale. Who needs some F1 kit?
Gordon Brothers is hosting an online auction of the team’s stuff, which includes not only F1 parts, but heavy-duty equipment and even office furniture. Here’s the full run-down, as posted on their site:
4 x Manor Racing Formula 1 Rolling Chassis Show Cars (2015/2016)
2017 Manor Formula 1 Wind Tunnel Model (6:1)
Pit Lane Equipment
Manor Racing Drivers and Race Team Clothing & General Merchandise
Test Jigs, Engineering & Inspection Equipment
Large Quantity of Consumables
5 x Formula 1 Car Steering Wheels
2014/2015/2016 Car Parts to include 3 x Tubs, over 200 Wheel Rims, Tyres, Nosecones, Panels, Engine Covers, Rear Wings etc.
2 x Pop Up Trailers and Hospitality Trailer
Gazebo’s, Banner Boards, Flight Cases & Freight Cages
Office Furniture and I.T.
The most interesting bit of that, of course, is the model of the 2017 car they were working on up until a few weeks ago, when the team finally pulled the plug on any hopes of competing this year.
The Manor race car doesn’t look as complex as some of the other 2017 F1 cars we’ve seen so far this year, but it was, of course, still in development when work stopped on it.
Either way, it’s fascinating to look at photos of what might have been for the folks at Manor in 2017. Check out those cool upside-down-L-shaped parts on the wing that frame the nose, for one.
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If you’ve always wanted to own some crazy pieces from a Formula One team, now is your chance.TRIPOLI (Reuters) - A blast that killed three people in Libya’s second city Benghazi was caused by fishing explosives that detonated accidentally, not a car bomb as originally thought, a local government official said on Tuesday.
People gather at the scene of a car bomb explosion outside a hospital in Benghazi May 13, 2013. REUTERS/Esam Al-Fetori
But rights activists said the incident was symptomatic of deteriorating security in a country whose government exerts scant authority beyond the capital Tripoli.
The oil-producer is largely split into fiefdoms of armed groups that were instrumental in the 2011 revolution that ousted dictator Muammar Gaddafi and are now competing for influence.
“The vehicle belonged to a fisherman, who was killed in the blast caused by the explosive materials he was carrying in his car,” Tarik Bozribe, a Benghazi city councilor, told Reuters.
The car blew up on Monday near a hospital in the city in eastern Libya, killing the three people, including a child, and injuring another 14, the Health Ministry said.
Libyan fishermen often use explosives to snare their catch.
“The root cause of the accident is the weakness of the state. There is no control, no army and no security,” said activist Zeid Al-Ragas.
“These explosives are manufactured into bombs and thrown into the sea to catch many fish. A lot of people use it... The big question is: If fisherman can get these materials so easily, what sort of weapons can the militias obtain?”
In an example of Libya’s disarray, the armed forces chief deployed troops to Benghazi and arranged for rebel brigades to reinforce them to keep the peace after the explosion.
A number were recalled over fears they would fight each other, but this decision was again reversed late on Tuesday.
Libya’s president defended the decision, saying securing Benghazi was a task requiring the cooperation of different factions of the national army, the police and various, rival brigades.
“The security problem in Benghazi is different to any other city because of the many assassination attacks and the continuous explosions,” Mohammed Magarief told a news conference.
The decision came in face of protests in various cities by citizens calling for the government to act decisively to dismantle the “militias” they say are at the root of the security |
is almost complete. There is almost no pain in my foot anymore. Thanks for asking!
TMS: Thank you again for what, we hope, has been a relatively painless experience talking with us. We're very excited to see all your future endeavors. Thank you again for what, we hope, has been a relatively painless experience talking with us. We're very excited to see all your future endeavors.
Kelly: Thanks for the chat! And good luck with all your endeavors as well! Thanks for the chat! And good luck with all your endeavors as well!
The Tangle, see the Indiegogo campaign and its latest update: For more information about, see the Indiegogo campaign and its latest update: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-tangle-almost-done#/
Infinity Chamber is currently available to stream online via iTunes and Amazon.
-Dana CullingThe Journal of Contemporary Antisemitism, which is one of the few journals exclusively dedicated to the analysis of antisemitism, focuses on the multiple and changing manifestations of antisemitism in the contemporary world. While our interest is in the post-Holocaust era, submissions may include relevant empirical studies dealing with the 19th or early 20th century. Specifically, our focus is on 21st century forms of antisemitism, including but not limited to, antisemitism in the Islamic world, in Europe, on the left and the right of the political spectra, secular antisemitism, antisemitism in the church, and anti-Zionism. We invite scholars from all disciplines across the social sciences and humanities to submit: 1) original research articles reporting qualitative or quantitative research; 2) literature reviews; 3) conceptual or theoretical articles; 4) commentaries; 5) book reviews. Overseen by an international team of editors, this rigorously peer-reviewed journal aims to provide a forum in which scholars from diverse political and intellectual backgrounds can analyze, debate, and formulate effective responses to the ever-evolving and insidious threat of antisemitism.
Studies in Judaism, Humanities, and the Social Sciences
ISSN 2473-2605 (Print) / ISSN 2473-2613 (Online)
Studies in Judaism, Humanities and the Social Sciences is an interdisciplinary peer-reviewed academic journal published by Academic Studies Press. The mission of the journal is to publish original works of interest on Judaism through the “eyes” of the humanities and the social sciences. Its goal is to advance the systematic, scholarly, and social scientific study of Jews and Judaism, and to provide a forum for the discussion of methodologies, theories, and conceptual approaches across the many disciplines. Articles may be contemporary or historical in nature and can include case studies, historical studies, articles on new theoretical developments, results of research that advance our understanding of Jews and Judaism, and works on innovations in methodology. Studies in Judaism, Humanities and the Social Sciences encourages contributions from the global community of scholars. All articles in this journal will undergo rigorous peer review, based on initial editor screening and refereeing by anonymous reviewers. The journal will also publish book reviews of important new scholarship.
ISSN: 2473-2613
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Simcha Fishbane (Touro College)
MANAGING EDITOR
Eric Levine (Touro College)
REVIEWS EDITOR
Herbert Basser (Queen’s University)
EDITORIAL BOARD
Ira Bedzow (New York Medical College, US)
Jonathan Boyarin (Cornell University, US)
Benny Brown (Hebrew University, Israel)
Rachel Einwohner (Purdue University, US)
David Elcott (New York University, US)
Roberta Farber (Yeshiva University, US)
Rebecca Golbert (University of California at Berkeley, US)
Calvin Goldscheider (Brown University, US)
Klaus Hermann (Free University of Berlin, Germany)
Steven Huberman (Touro College, US)
Elazar Hurvitz (Yeshiva University, Israel)
Norma Joseph (Concordia University, Canada)
Shaul Kelner (Vanderbilt University, US)
Daniel Maoz (Waterloo Lutheran Seminary/Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada)
Tirzah Meacham (University of Toronto, Canada)
Ira Robinson (Concordia University, Canada)
Nissan Rubin (Bar Ilan University, Israel)
William Shaffir (McMaster University, Canada)
Michael Shmidman (Touro College, US)
Arik Tayeb (Sapir Academic College, Israel)
Donald Sylvan (Ohio State University, US)
Mervin Verbit (Touro College, US; Brooklyn College, US)
Lynn Visson (Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, US)
Laura Wiseman (York University, Canada)
Jeffrey Woolf (Bar Ilan University, Israel)
View Journal | Current Issue | RegisterThere is always an uncertainty after retirement for professional athletes.
They devote their entire attention to a singular goal in their profession: performing at the highest level every time they take the field of play. For many of these athletes achieving that means pushing aside other professional opportunities in pursuit of their goals. When the time comes to stop playing, there are not many career options waiting as a result.
One of those options is coaching. For former players it makes sense to transition into the role of a coach, given their knowledge of the game and playing experiences. As the American soccer landscape continues to grow, a helpful outcome produced is more opportunities each year to coach at all levels of the soccer pyramid.
That growth was accelerated by a 2015 partnership between MLS and the third-tier USL. The partnership mandate requires all MLS teams to have an affiliate team in USL, or create their own reserve team in the league. Since the LA Galaxy became the first MLS team to create their own USL reserve team in 2014, 10 other MLS teams have followed suit. The league is seen as a developmental ground for players, and a recent trend shows it is for coaches as well.
FourFourTwo caught up with four former MLS players who now ply their trade as managers in USL ahead of the start of the new USL season this weekend. Ezra Hendrickson is the manager at Seattle Sounders 2, Jason Bent is the manager at Toronto FC II, Jimmy Nielsen is the manager for the Oklahoma City Energy, and John Wolyniec manages New York Red Bulls II. All are first-time professional managers.
Jimmy Nielsen hopes MLS is in OKC's future. (Photo Courtesy USL)
Different paths brought these coaches to this point. Nielsen jumped into his coaching role less than a month after retiring, while Bent, Hendrickson and Wolyniec all spent time as assistants at their organizations before taking the newly created USL manager positions.
“I always knew what I wanted,” Nielsen tells FourFourTwo. “I wanted to be a player and when I couldn’t play anymore I wanted to coach. I actually planned to retire and promised my family we could travel for six months but I only kept that promise for two or three days.”
For Nielsen, stepping into the coach’s role in Oklahoma City came fairly easily. He said that serving as captain for teams in Denmark and at Sporting Kansas City gave him a “useful leadership role,” that prepared him to lead a team.
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Nielsen’s first two months at the club also were spent organizing an entire backroom staff from scratch, which gave him no time to fret about his decision. Having to start an organization from scratch proved a big challenge and the team struggled in its inaugural season. However, Nielsen led the team within one game of the USL Championship in 2015 and he believes the league is a “fantastic place to start” his coaching career.
Currently, Nielsen remains focused on staying in Oklahoma City, preferring to bring an MLS expansion franchise there instead of getting noticed by another team already in a higher level.
Bent said a career-ending injury at a young age inspired him to pursue coaching at a much younger age than expected. He worked different youth coaching jobs in Canada before returning to his hometown of Toronto to join the Toronto FC academy.
“From there I progressed and got an opportunity to coach with the first team as an assistant and I spent four years doing that,” Bent said. “That, along with being in the academy as a head coach, really helped me to develop my trade and understand how to be a coach. TFC II allowed me to put all those facets and skills to practice and running the team.”
Jason Bent is in charge of TFC II. (Photo Courtesy USL)
Learning how to really analyze video and take care of many more players than himself were some of the challenges that Bent says he faced. He added that being in charge of such a young team in 2015 accelerated both the development of his players and his coaching style.
Bent, like his counterparts Wolyniec and Hendrickson, believes that coaching in other roles before taking over a USL team was more about timing and which jobs were available. The situation at Toronto has allowed Bent to develop as a coach just like players develop, but it is only the first stop in what he hopes is a storied managerial career.
When asked where Bent’s ambitions would lead him, he immediately answered: Manchester United.
For Hendrickson, timing was the only thing that helped him land at a completely new organization in Seattle.
“I was very grateful that Sigi [Schmid] took the job in Seattle and I was able to come in and be an assistant,” Hendrickson added. “You hope the opportunity is there for you, but you never know if it’s going to be.”
Hendrickson played under Schmid for a majority of his 12 seasons in MLS, and jumped at the chance to join his coaching staff for the Sounders in their first year in MLS. He then stayed five years as an assistant before taking the Sounders 2 job in 2015.
The St. Vincent and the Grenadines international still maintains a desire to coach in MLS, but he understands how important succeeding in USL is every day. He says that it is frustrating to see his peers that retired alongside him coaching in MLS, but acknowledges his development as a coach would not have happened without his current positions.
“Frankly, five years ago if I went straight to an MLS coaching job I may not have this success. I don’t think I was really ready for that pressure,” Hendrickson added. “Now, I think, yeah, I am ready and have what it takes. Until that opportunity presents itself, I have to keep working.”
John Wolyniec carries on with the Red Bulls. (Photo Courtesy USL)
Wolyniec was the only coach interviewed who mentioned his eagerness to take coaching classes offered by U.S. Soccer while he was still a player. He started taking classes to obtain his coaching license in 2008 before ultimately retiring at the end of the 2010 MLS season.
“In a way, coaching helped that transition in my life. It kept me involved in the game and involved with the team,” Wolyniec said.
Before landing in USL, Wolyniec held a variety of different jobs in the Red Bulls organization, including stops as coach in multiple levels of the academy, the U-23 National Premier Soccer League team, and as a first-team assistant. He says he is in no rush to leave the organization he has been a part of for nine years.
Wolyniec says that his current position is the right job for him to develop as a coach, and although he would take what he felt was the best fit at any level, he is happy to continue his growth in USL.
With the MLS-USL partnership growing each year, more coaches are given the opportunities to begin their careers, and more importantly a larger pool of established coaches is available to be in consideration for MLS, or other higher-level jobs. The USL-to-MLS pipeline for players is opening and paying off, so it should be no surprise that the pipeline will open soon enough for coaches. For now, the managers are growing their skills, doing their best to win a USL championship, and waiting for that one phone call.
More features every day at FourFourTwo.com/us/Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption One resident of Fort McMurray said she had lost everything
A massive wildfire that has forced the evacuation of all 88,000 people from Fort McMurray could destroy much of the Canadian city, local officials warn.
The officials in Alberta province say the blaze that has gutted some 1,600 structures is expected to rage out of control through the rest of Wednesday.
A state of emergency has now been declared in the province.
The evacuation was the largest in Alberta's history. So far there have been no reports of injuries.
The blaze broke out south-west of the city on Sunday. Firefighters appeared to have a measure of control by Tuesday until a drastic wind shift overwhelmed them.
In pictures - Fort McMurray's evacuation
'It doesn't seem real' - eyewitness accounts
'Catastrophic fire'
"Bad news does not get better with time," said Scott Long, executive director of Alberta's Emergency Management Agency.
"It is a possibility that we may lose a large portion of the town," he added.
Fire services said high winds and hot temperatures would make Wednesday an "even worse day" than Tuesday.
Bernie Schmitte, an official at Alberta's Agriculture and Forestry Ministry, said the "catastrophic fire" had so far "resisted all suppression methods".
After flying over the burning city, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said the blaze had moved north and east across Fort McMurray.
If the winds behaved as predicted, she added, the blaze would move into the Thickwood and Timberlea communities, as well as the area around the airport.
Officials said the size of the blaze was now 7,500 hectares (29 sq miles) and it was being tackled by 100 firefighters. Wednesday would "again create explosive conditions", they said.
Image copyright AP Image caption Helicopters are helping battle the wildfire and more reinforcements are on the way
Image copyright Reuters Image caption Children are buckled into a car for a speedy evacuation
Image copyright AP Image caption Fuel is handed out to evacuees. There is none left in Fort McMurray
Image copyright AFP Image caption Nasa has released satellite images of the raging wildfire
Help from the army and air force is being sent to Fort McMurray but may take two days to arrive.
The chief of Fort McMurray's fire department, Darby Allen, said: "It's a nasty, ugly fire and it's not showing any forgiveness."
He said staff had worked through the night and all structural fires within the city were extinguished, but he added that other areas were still at risk.
"This fire will look for them and it will find them, and it will try to take them. And our challenge today is to try to prevent that," he said.
The latest update, at 18:30 GMT, said that the Waterways district had lost 90% of its homes, with 70% lost in Beacon Hill and 50% in Abasand.
A CTV reporter in Beacon Hill said there was almost nothing left. "It's just blocks and blocks of soot, basically," she said.
A terrifying experience: Szymon Bicz, eyewitness
Image copyright AP
"I'm on the road to Edmonton, after managing to escape Fort McMurray in a hurry. It's chaos here. Everyone has been advised to evacuate immediately. The roads are gridlocked.
The smoke was really overpowering. It was a terrifying experience. I was at work listening to the radio for updates, where they were saying it was contained initially.
Then it spread really rapidly. I drove back to my house and grabbed my passport and some clothes and started driving out of town with a colleague. My family have not moved over yet from the UK.
The thick black smoke was closing in and surrounded the car. People were driving up on paths and grass verges just to get out of there. I'm hoping my rented house is still intact but I just don't know.
The whole region is at risk. It's absolutely catastrophic, but people here are big-hearted. Volunteers on the highway to Edmonton are giving food and water as required."
Ms Notley praised Albertans for helping neighbours in need.
"We will get through this and we will come out stronger on the other side," she said.
Unseasonably high temperatures and strong winds have combined with dry conditions to leave much of Alberta and neighbouring Saskatchewan under an extreme fire risk warning.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he would send military aircraft to help if they were needed.
Image copyright @JustinTrudeau
Fort McMurray is a major centre of Canada's oil sands industry - with vast oil reserves - and a major evacuation of staff was ordered.
Suncor Energy said its main plant was so far safe but crude production was being cut.
Shell Canada said it was opening its camp to evacuees.
Canada Post has suspended all deliveries to Fort McMurray.
Fort McMurray: Canada's'manliest' city
On its tourism website, Fort McMurray describes itself as the "gateway to the north" - a region which is home to the third largest reserves of oil in the world behind Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.
It may be remote, but Fort McMurray's proximity to Canada's rich oil sands has helped it to become a hugely prosperous place, drawing oil workers from across the world.
It is not strictly speaking a city, but such has become Fort McMurray's importance in the region that it is commonly referred to as one.
Canada's National Post called Fort McMurray "Canada's manliest city" where men outnumber women by roughly three to two.The dead take no selfies.
So there might well never have been the remarkable selfie that 16-year-old Nate Scimio took after his heroism at Franklin Regional High School if he had faced a gun rather than two knives on Wednesday morning.
In all, Scimio and 19 other students, along with one staff member, were stabbed when a sophomore allegedly stormed through the school in Murrysville, Pennsylvania. Three students were critically injured.
One, a girl, was saved from bleeding to death when a classmate kept paper towels pressed against her wound. Another, a 17-year-old boy, was stabbed with such savagery that the wound in his abdomen was 2 inches wide and extended almost to his spine. The blade pierced his liver and diaphragm, missing his heart and aorta by a fraction of an inch. He was on life support after emergency surgery, but doctors remained hopeful he would survive.
And, as of the end of the day, none of the 21 victims had died. Scimio had managed to escape serious injury even as he shielded several students from the attacker and took a moment to pull a fire alarm to alert everyone else. A fellow student named Trinity McCool credited him on Twitter with saving her and a friend.
“Without Nate, me and Lindsay would’ve been injured and there’s not enough words to describe how much of a hero he is,” McCool tweeted.
Scimio survived to take a picture of himself in Children’s Hospital. The photo that might never have been shows him holding up his camera with his right hand while he points with his left to the bandaged wound on his right forearm.
“Chillin’ at Childrens,” he captioned the selfie he posted on Instagram.
Scimio most likely had instinctively thrown up that now wounded arm to ward off the attacker’s blade. The impulse would have done nothing to deflect a bullet, which would likely have torn through his arm and into him. He then might have been quite literally chillin’ at the morgue.
Instead of posing for a selfie with a half-smile in a hospital gown, Scimio and who knows how many of his classmates might very well have been as dead as the three soldiers who were mourned by President Obama on Wednesday in the aftermath of the latest mass shooting at Fort Hood. Obama attended a similar ceremony at the base five years ago, after a previous mass shooting left 13 soldiers dead.
Obama might even now be planning a trip to a memorial in this small Pennsylvania town 20 miles east of Pittsburgh if the mayhem at Franklin High had been perpetrated with a 9-mm pistol like the one the 2009 Fort Hood gunman used or the.45 caliber pistol the more recent shooter wielded.
Had there been a gun at Franklin High, the dead might very well have included the school safety guard known to the students as Sarge, who was stabbed in the stomach while trying to stop the attack. The very brave vice principal, Sam King, who then jumped in, might have been killed before he subdued the 16-year-old suspect.
Afterward, the suspect was placed in the back of a marked police car. He sat with his head bowed, as blank-faced as he is said to have been through the whole attack. He looked impossibly young, too small and scrawny to have done much harm without some kind of weapon in a school that boasts a great wrestling team.
Authorities identified the suspect as 16-year-old Alex Hibbal. He is said by police to have begun his rampage just after 7 a.m., when he allegedly burst into a classroom in the science wing brandishing two large butcher knives. Police say he continued to stab and slash as he returned to the hallway, causing other students to stampede away from him.
“Go to your cars! Go to your cars! Someone is stabbing people!’” a voice cried out.
Nobody could have outrun a bullet if the suspect had been armed with a gun, but anybody who managed to stay outside the reach of the blades escaped injury. One unlucky boy who was stabbed in the back reportedly was comforted by 16-year-old Kristen Beard, who remained at his side and made him a promise.
“We’re going to go to prom and have so much fun and you’re going to be OK,” Beard told her friend, according to NBCNews.com.
At least one student, 18-year-old Ian Griffith, is said to have assisted the vice principal in subduing the suspect and ending the carnage. Griffith, Scimio, and Beard would all seem to be good candidates for a scholarship awarded in honor of Frank Miller of Franklin Regional’s class of 1986, who went on to become a police officer of noted bravery and was shot to death in the line of duty, his bulletproof vest having proved no defense against a bullet to the head.
The mass stabbing suspect is said to be a neighbor of the vice principal and is described as quiet, shy, and a bit of a loner, but not friendless. He is said to like finding funny photos on Facebook. There were no early reports of him having been bullied. He is expected to be charged with attempted murder unless one of the most seriously injured victims takes an unexpected turn for the worse. The “attempted” would then be dropped.
The motive at this point officially remains a mystery.
“Initially, we don’t know what led up to this,” said Murrysville police Chief Thomas Seefeld.
Until Wednesday, the closest this high school of 1,200 students ever came to such an incident was in September 2009, when an email that appeared to have been sent by a ninth-grader threatened a gun attack. Police put the school in lockdown and searched the classrooms and lockers, with no result. It was later determined that somebody had hacked the student’s email account via a server in the Czech Republic.
At least when an all-too-real attack came on Wednesday morning, there was only the flashing of blades, not the roar of gunfire. The knives were enough to turn the school into what the police chief described as “a vast crime scene” and to force the cancellation of a lunchtime preview of the prom DJ. The prom itself is scheduled for Saturday and may well be postponed, but maybe Beard’s wounded friend will be well enough by then for her to make good on her promise to take him.
And, if the doctors’ expectations hold, everybody will survive along with Scimio to keep taking selfies.'My boobs looked better ten years ago... but I'm not complaining' says Salma Hayek
Like many a Hollywood actress Salma Hayek has spent a long part of her career focused on her look.
But when asked whether any part of her body looked better ten years ago, the surprise response was: 'My boobs'.
Though anyone looking at these stunning new photos for Allure magazine might beg to differ.
How to look good... fully clothed: Salma Hayek reveals the famous embonpointe that has won her millions of fans worldwide
The Oscar nominated Mexican film actress, 44, who shot to fame in America after starring in film Desperado added: 'They're not bad, by the way. I'm not complaining about them.' Quite.
Dressed in Stella McCartney and Yves Saint Laurent cardigan and skirt Hayek shows off the voluptuous figure that has won her a million fans.
And her famous embonpointe appears all present and correct in the stunning photos taken by Mario Testino for the September issue of Allure.
Salma however is amazingly un-precious and raised eyebrows when she famously breast-fed a hungry infant in Sierra Leone, where she was promoting a UNICEF initiative to eradicate tetanus.
She nonchalantly explained: ''If you have milk, you have milk, and if they're hungry, they're hungry.
Insults: Surprisingly the Mexican beauty dealt with insults about her looks - her father is of Lebanese descent
'I think it's a beautiful thing, because motherhood is a very strong place for women to connect and understand each other.'
But the actress who says that she is more assured about herself and her sexuality since hitting her 40s says it wasn't always the case.
Surprisingly the Mexican beauty dealt with insults about her looks - her father is of Lebanese descent.
September's cover girl: Salma in Allure magazine
She said: 'I got teased because I was too short, or I was too brown," she says.
'You would think in Mexico that would be something normal, but I did get teased,' she says.
But later her sultry looks enabled her to make it in Hollywood although she had to fit a certain mould.
She said: When I first started, I found that I had to play the part of something they could swallow in Hollywood, which was the sexy Latin girl, I was not dressing like that in Mexico.'
However, it seems her skin is now set to become her fortune.
The actress has developed a beauty line, Nuance, which launched this summer at CVS. Her beauty line is a tribute to her grandmother, who studied to be a beautician and made potions for government officials and their wives.
'She started working on my skin when I was 12 or 13. I never used soap on my face. Once, she shaved our heads and put egg on it and all these things. But I have to give her credit—my hair is great.'
But on the subject of the Hollywood ideal of holding back the years - she is clear on where she stands.
'I believe that every woman is entitled to fight to preserve her youth," she says. But not by becoming overly surgified by celebrity dermatologists.
'It's like the uniform of a generation. And it's not necessarily beautiful. It's not wrinkled-looking, but it's not beautiful.'
Youthful: The actress who looks amazingly youthful said she is not a fan of Hollywood's 'overly surgified' look
The actress is married to Francois-Henri Pinault, 49, the CEO of luxury brands firm PPR, which owns Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and Balenciaga, and others.
Salma and Pinault have a three-year-old daughter, Valentina.
Pinault was recently revealed as the father of supermodel Linda Evangelista's four-year-old son Augustin.
The cover girl is battling the CEO in a New York court for $46,000 (£28,000)-a-month child support.
Privileged life: Salma with billionaire husband Francois-Henri Pinault and daughter Valentina
Ms Evangelista, 46, argued she needs the money to pay for around-the-clock nannies and armed chauffeurs to take care of Augustin as a working single mother.
Salma has made no comment on the situation. But of her beloved daughter who speaks English, Spanish, and French, she said she loves sharing her privileged life with her.
She said: 'I never understood the point of being privileged if you don't get to have the privileges.
'Like, people who won't take their kids to an expensive restaurant, or won't travel with them, or make them pay for everything at a really young age.
'I think it's important that kids have responsibilities and understand the value of things, but I think it's great that my daughter gets to travel the world.'Reports of bombing in Hama province as Russian-led agreement intended to stop conflict between government and rebels comes into force
Syrian government forces and rebels clashed in the north-western province of Hama on Friday shortly after a Russian-led deal to establish safe zones took effect, a monitor and a rebel official said.
The zones, agreed to by Russia, Turkey and Iran, went into effect at midnight on Friday. The plan’s details will be worked out over the next few weeks but the zones appear intended to halt conflict in specific areas between government forces and rebels, and would potentially be policed by foreign troops.
Fighter jets fired at the rebel-held village of al-Zalakiyat and nearby positions in the Hama countryside, where the combatants exchanged shelling, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
For once, Putin is doing the right thing for Syria | Hamish de Bretton-Gordon Read more
The Britain-based war monitoring group said government forces shelled the nearby towns of Kafr Zita and Latamneh. There was no immediate comment from the Syrian army.
The de-escalation zones are the latest international attempt to reduce violence in the war-ravaged country, and represent the first effort to envisage armed foreign monitors on the ground in Syria.
The United States is not party to the agreement and the Syrian rivals have not signed up to the deal. The armed opposition was highly critical of the proposal, saying it lacks legitimacy.
Russian officials said it would be at least another month before details were worked out and the safe areas established.
The Syrian government supported the de-escalation plan but said it would continue to fight what it termed terrorist groups. Rebels rejected the deal and said they would not recognise Iran as a guarantor of any ceasefire.
Mohammed Rasheed, a spokesman for the Jaish al-Nasr rebel group based in Hama, confirmed that fighting had broken out after midnight.
With the help of Russia and Iranian-backed militias, the Syrian government has gained the military upper hand in the six-year conflict. The wide array of rebel groups include some supported by Turkey, the United States and Gulf monarchies.
The main Syrian opposition body, the HNC, which includes political and armed groups, denounced the plan earlier as vague. The High Negotiations Committee said the deal “was concluded without the Syrian people” and “lacks the minimum basics of legitimacy”.
Iran and Turkey agreed on Thursday to a Russian proposal for de-escalation zones in Syria but the memorandum the three guarantors signed has not been made public, leaving its details unclear.
In the tangled mess that constitutes Syria’s battlefields there is much that can go wrong with the plan, which emerged from a summit in Kazakhstan.
There is no clear mechanism to resolve conflict and violations, like most other previous deals struck by backers of the warring sides.
A potential complication to implementing the plan is the crowded airspace over Syria. The deal calls for all aircraft to be banned from flying over the safe zones. Syrian, Russian, Turkish and US-led coalition aircraft all operate in Syria.
It is not yet clear how the new plan would affect flightpaths of US-led coalition warplanes battling Islamic State militants and other radical groups and whether the American air force would abide by a diminished air space.
Russia and Iran – two of the plan’s three sponsors – are key allies of President Bashar Assad’s government and both are viewed as foreign occupation forces by his opponents. Rebels fighting to topple Assad are enraged by Iran’s role in the deal and blame the Tehran for fuelling the sectarian nature of Syria’s conflict, now in its seventh year.
Turkey, the third sponsor, is a major backer of opposition factions and has also sent troops into northern Syria, drawing the ire of Assad and his government.
Troops from the three countries are expected to secure four safe zones. An official with Russia’s military general staff said other countries may eventually have a role in enforcing them.Story continues below
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Do not, however, mistake this book for a canon of graphic novels. There is no Maus, Jimbo, or Persopolis included. That is a canon left for future debates.
"I was envisioning the huge, brick-like Norton anthologies of literature," Kick says, "something as epic and sprawling as that, but with the literature in graphic form."
To this end, around 75 percent of The Graphic Canon is newly commissioned material.
"Even though graphic novels have been gaining respect with critics and popularity with readers, there are huge holes as far as classic adaptations are concerned," Kick says. While the quaint Classics Illustrated comics (1941-1971) that digested everything from The Three Musketeers to The Moonstone into sequential paneled stories that eschewed irony or commentary, Kick notes that there has yet to be a book-length adaptation of any of the ancient Greek plays, the very foundations of Western literature.
What else was missing? "There's also no Paradise Lost," Kick says. "There are several full adaptations of The Iliad and The Odyssey, but no Aeneid. The entire Canterbury Tales has yet to be adapted. Even some of Shakespeare's minor plays are M.I.A. There has been no Anna Karenina or War and Peace, nothing from Dostoevsky except for a version of Crime and Punishment transplanted to contemporary Russia. Robert Berry is doing a fantastic job adapting Ulysses and putting it online, but there is no graphic novel of Joyce's masterpiece. Jane Austen and the Brontës have done all right, but there's nothing for George Eliot. There's a French-language adaptation of Candide, but nothing in English. Lyric poetry has been even less well-served, with individual adaptations appearing scattershot over the years."
Kick admirably did his best to fill these gaps with broad criteria for the selections. Any of the towering, undoubtedly canonical works were welcome, from the Bible to Don Quixote to King Lear. Pretty much anything from the ancient Greeks was sought, as well as "Kubla Khan," Pride and Prejudice, Leaves of Grass, and The Great Gatsby. Also wanted were the non-Western masterpieces, "some of the best writings ever produced by the human race, regardless of location," he says, pointing to The Tale of Genji (universally considered the world's first novel and Japan's crowning work of literature). Then there is the Incan play Apu Ollantay, all but ignored in the English-speaking world, even though it's the only surviving play from pre-Columbian Native Americans. "That alone gives it a unique status and a spot of honor," he says.
Beyond the most obvious choices, Kick says, "it still came down to whether the works are regarded as great, whether they've achieved classic status by being continually reprinted, retranslated, anthologized (in the case of shorter works). Whether they're still taught and debated. Whether they continue to inspire new works of art, cultural references, etc."Sen. Marco Rubio Marco Antonio RubioWhite House pleads with Senate GOP on emergency declaration Sixteen years later, let's finally heed the call of the 9/11 Commission Schumer urges GOP to reject Trump's 'destructive' national emergency MORE (R-Fla.) says religious believers are called to “ignore” laws that violate their faith.
“In essence, if we are ever ordered by a government authority to personally violate and sin — violate God’s law and sin — if we’re ordered to stop preaching the Gospel, if we’re ordered to perform a same-sex marriage as someone presiding over it, we are called to ignore that,” Rubio said in an interview with CBN on Tuesday.
“So when those two come into conflict, God’s rules always win,” he added.
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Rubio said Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision creating a constitutional right to abortion, is open to revision.
“It’s current law; it’s not settled law,” he said. “No law is settled. Roe v. Wade is current law, but it doesn’t mean that we don’t continue to aspire to fix it, because we think it’s wrong.”
The Republican presidential candidate, who is rising in the polls, encouraged the faithful to work within the political process to change laws that violate their conscience.
“If you live in a society where the government creates an avenue and a way for you to peacefully change the law, then you’re called to participate in that process to try to change it,” he said.
Rubio on Tuesday wrapped up his five-day swing through Iowa, which holds the first caucuses next year and has a large, influential evangelical population.
The Florida senator is fourth in the state, with 11.8 percent support, according to a RealClearPolitics average poll, trailing GOP front-runner Donald Trump Donald John TrumpREAD: Cohen testimony alleges Trump knew Stone talked with WikiLeaks about DNC emails Trump urges North Korea to denuclearize ahead of summit Venezuela's Maduro says he fears 'bad' people around Trump MORE by nearly 14 points.Pedal flipping is all about the quest. It's about finding new tones and exploring new gear through an addictive routine of buying, trying, selling and buying again. It's a lifestyle that's common to the Reverb community and one that's fueled a dynamic used market where tastes, trends and the laws of supply and demand dictate ultimate resale values.
With the Reverb market specifically, when a pedal sells, we record the transaction to our Price Guide to give us constant insight into shifts in velocity and pricing, which we sometimes refer to as "pedal hotness." Today, we're going to take a look at five cases where we've seen distinct upticks in the resale price of specific used pedals. In some examples, there are clear explanations for this, and in other cases the market forces are murky at best. I'll do my best to make sense of it below, but if you have better insight, let us know in the comments.
Please note, the graphs shown on this page are built to update as more transactions are recorded to the Price Guide. If you see this article weeks or years after its publication and the trend lines don't quite make sense, it's a good indication that the bubble around that particular pedal has plateaued or burst entirely.
Line 6 Echo Park Delay
Of course, one of most the obvious catalysts for a pedal going up in price is it being discontinued by the manufacturer. This appears to be the case with the Echo Park from Line 6, which was dropped from the catalog at some point in the last couple years. Though the pedal originally sold new with a price of $149, for a while, used prices were hovering around $ |
, they are eligible for recall to D.C. United at any time; also, I would expect to see other United players see some time in Richmond as well throughout the season.
All four players seem likely to be starters on opening day, but some face more competition for their spots than others. The transition of Jalen Robinson from center back to right back is likely to begin in Richmond, where he will compete against returning fullbacks Sascha Goerres and Alex Lee. I would think that Robinson would push the 34-year-old German player-coach to the bench, with Lee moving to left back. However, when Robinson first takes the field will depend on when he is fully healthy and recovered from his hamstring strain.
Michael Seaton will have to compete against Kickers all-time leading scorer Matthew Delicate, should he be signed, who has appeared in a couple of preseason games and scored a first half hattrick in a recent preseason game. Delicate was thought to be gone, having told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that 2013 was his list season with the Kickers, but his return in preseason games shows that Leigh Cowlishaw wants him back. Seaton started over Delicate for most of the season, but Cowlishaw chose the veteran to start in both playoff games.
Joe Willis is a guarantee to start every game for which he is with Richmond, and Christiano Francois looks to be the starter on the right wing. Brian Ownby and Nate Robinson, two of Richmond's best players last season and the team's two wingers, have both left the team. Ownby returned to the Houston Dynamo, from whom he was loaned, and Robinson went on trial with a team in Scandinavia where he tore his ACL. If I had to guess, I would think that Robinson, who was the 2013 USL PRO rookie of the year, will sign with the Kickers sometime this season, however.
One notable absence from this list is midfielder Collin Martin, who has featured heavily in the Richmond Kickers preseason games. It is additionally surprising due to the fact that the team currently lacks a true attacking midfielder, a role into which it looked like Martin would have been able to immediately step. However, due to the issues with D.C. United's attack so far this season, perhaps Martin will be thrust into the lineup sooner rather than later. Michael Seaton could benefit from Martin's absence and start alongside Delicate; George Davis IV, a USL PRO veteran, could also benefit from Martin's absence. However, Martin would step into that role should he be loaned to Richmond later in the year.
Another notable absence from this list is Conor Shanosky, who spent most of the season with Richmond but who also battled some injuries. Shanosky would be competing against returning Richmond Kickers William Yomby, Henry Kalungi, and Shane Johsnon, as well as the recently signed Hugh Roberts. Yomby was a finalist for defender of the year last season, and both he and Kalungi made the first team all-league (even though I think that Kalungi had a down year). Kalungi is also battling to return to the Ugandan national team, to which he has not been called in recently; last week he was on trial in South Africa, but appeared for the Kickers in their most recent preseason game. However, for the most part Shanosky started over Kalungi and with Yomby last season when all were available for selection.
What do you think of the loanees to Richmond? Anyone going to come out for some games this season?Social democracy, it’s a hell of a drug. The merest sniff of it has intoxicated tens of thousands of our young people. They gather in streets up and down the country chanting the name of its good-natured avatar. They flocked into marginals and canvassed with evangelical glee. Some have even tolerated the sober procedures of Labour Party conferences. But have they really been swept up in excitement at the prospect of a National Investment Bank? Or is the Corbyn moment the revelation of much more radical desires?
The debate around Acid Corbynism, a phrase coined for an event of that name at the recent The World Transformed festival, indicates that the latter might be true. The coinage was inspired by Acid Communism, a book that radical theorist Mark Fisher was writing before his tragic and untimely death – but the precise relationship between Acid Corbynism and Acid Communism is yet to be pinned down. For me, the clue to solving this problem and by doing so addressing the questions above, is the phrase ‘On Postcapitalist Desire’, the subtitle of Mark’s book. To understand what Acid Communism might mean, and therefore how Acid Corbynism might relate to it, we must start from those desires, produced within contemporary society but whose fulfilment points far beyond the limits of a capitalist world.
Pinning down such desires is no easy thing. It requires us to identify the parts of our lives that are most cramped and constrained by capital’s drive to expand itself. Capitalism is a world in which our own needs and desires are subordinated beneath the drive to add another zero to an accounting sheet. Fisher’s book was partly inspired an attempt to spark a new wave of consciousness raising groups initiated by Plan C, a political group of which Fisher was a member and I still am. Consciousness raising groups, which were the bedrock of the feminist movement of the 1970s, involve small groups of people meeting to discuss their lives and their problems. In doing so people come to realise they have similar problems and difficulties. In fact, the commonality of problems leads quite naturally to the conclusion that they must have structural causes and can’t be the result of individual failings as might previously be thought. From there we can recognize which of our desires can produce collective action to address them. Consciousness raising groups are machines for discovering post-capitalist, and post-patriarchal desires.
The example of 1970s feminist consciousness raising groups led Fisher to think about the other forms through which consciousness was being raised during that period. These include the heightened level of class consciousness derived not just from high levels of union membership and militancy but also its reflection in popular culture. In fact, the control exercised by working class and, lets be honest middle class, kids over the direction of popular culture and fashion was a powerful form of ‘psychic resistance’, as Bobby Gillespie once put it, against the indignities of class. In the 1970s, a working class hero was something to be.
It was amidst this stew of popular culture and politics that Fisher identified the impact of LSD as another form of consciousness raising, or in this case consciousness expansion. By this Fisher meant not just the direct affects that taking Acid had upon members of the New Left and the counterculture but also the more diffuse effects of psychedelia, which worked through pop culture to embed a notion that reality is plastic and changeable. The Beatles experiments with Acid, for example, led to a burst of sonic inventiveness which did as much to feed a feeling that a new world was being invented as did the change in their clothes and hair length.
From these examples, we can see how consciousness raising encompasses a series of functions. It involves identifying the structural causes of the social constraints that are placed on your life. In addition, it involves the feeling of increased confidence and capacity that comes with seeing yourself as part of a powerful collective actor rather than an isolated individual. And it also includes that expansion of social and political possibility that comes when what is presented as necessary and inevitable is revealed as merely contingent and therefore, in principle, as changeable.
Acid Communism is a politics that puts this last function first. It’s not a programme to be achieved or a final state to be reached; it’s the real movement of revealing and overcoming the premises now in existence with the aim of abolishing the present state of things. It’s an open-ended experimental communism that seeks the expansion of social and political possible beyond the limits imposed by capitalism.
So, what is Acid Corbynism in relation to this? Acid Communism must be a movement that passes through different iterations. Expanding what seems possible cannot be a one-time deal. Instead each expansion of freedom allows you to see further. Indeed, Acid Communism involves the widening and democratisation of freedom, as ever more people are given the confidence, material security and free time to explore what freedom means. The counterculture of the 1960s and 70s can be reinterpreted on this basis as a mass exploration of new ways of living. In distinction, the neoliberal era can be seen as a period of consciousness deflation or depletion. The reduction of life to a single model, Homo-Economicus. Indeed, Mark Fisher had begun to redefine his concept of Capitalist Realism along these lines, as a conscious project to undermine both the material basis and psychological resources upon which raised consciousness depends.
It’s in this light that we can see the Corbyn moment as a crack in Capitalist Realism, a crack through which a flood of pent up postcapitalist desires have burst. Yet it’s a contradictory moment. The 2017 Labour manifesto certainly pushed beyond what had seemed politically possible in recent years but looked at historically it’s not so radical. In fact, it represents a retreat from some of the measures that were being proposed in Labour circles of the 1970s. Since the election we have seen hints from the Labour leadership that Corbynism could go much further. John McDonnell has talked recently about being within and against the State. By this he appears to mean he wants to use the power of the State to undo the State’s own power, facilitating different and more diffuse forms of democratic power. Indeed, Jeremy Corbyn himself has talked recently about harnessing the power of automation to reduce the working week. If these ideas are pursued they could push far beyond the post-war social democratic settlement. Meanwhile, if reports are to be believed, some branches of Momentum and the Labour Party are being used as vehicles for consciousness raising, with the intensity of discussion and political education increasing rapidly. Perhaps this is what Acid Corbynism means. Perhaps it names those aspects and potentials of the Corbyn movement which facilitates the exploration of new social and political forms, pushing against, and eventually beyond the constraints of capitalism.
Acid Corbynism could then be seen as an iteration of Acid Communism, just one of the iterations that are currently visible. We might also find an Acid Communist dynamic in the municipal administrations of Spanish cities, such as Barcelona en Comu, or the attempts to build on Bernie Sanders’ campaign against Hillary Clinton. Each of these examples has their own peculiarities, their own strengths and weaknesses, but they share certain dynamics pulling their politics in one direction or another. They all represent examples of the electoral turn under taken by Left politics following the ‘failure’ of the horizontalist movements of 2011. Spain provides the clearest example. The 15M movement that swept through Spain in 2011 was like Occupy on steroids. Not only did it garner widespread popular participation and support but it was followed by a housing movement which exercised considerable social power by acting directly to address people’s problems. By 2014 repression from the Spanish state led many in the movements to declare they needed political power to go with the social power they already had. The situation facing the UK Left is just the reverse. We have the very real prospect of political power yet we have little social power to go with it.
This is a big problem because most of the forces and institutional logics that surround electoral projects drag them back towards compromise with the pre-existing sense of what it’s possible to do. A serious confrontation awaits any project that refuses to back down. The only forces powerful enough to drag an electoral party back the other way while preparing the ground for battles to come are social movements acting to put new issues on the agenda along with countercultural projects experimenting with new ways to address them. The Acid Communist project of our time must be to tempt those inspired and newly politicised by the Corbyn moment to step beyond electoral politics not just into projects of cultural renewal but also into projects of material solidarity, such as trade unions, renters unions and social centres, which can provide the material underpinnings for renewed explorations of freedom.
Those most sympathetic to this project have produced the slogan ‘Corbynism from Below’ but it’s a debate that’s not so far addressed the tendency of electoral politics to subsume and elide other forms of political activity. The hope that this won’t prove a fatal barrier lies in the buoyant nature of the post-election movement. Not only has a renewed Left confidence been infectious but the cracking of neoliberal inevitability has produced an outpouring of postcapitalist desires. Let’s face it, we’ve all been on a high but looking at the shifting Overton window shows that we’ve been hallucinating new possibilities into existence. This suggests that the excitement generated by the prospect of political power can be used to conjure up the social power required for radical change. If not then we’re in trouble. Acid Corbynism must act as a gateway drug else it will disappear altogether.LONDON, June 9 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Food shortages caused by climate shocks like drought or floods could exacerbate violence and riots in politically unstable countries, researchers say.
Fragile states that are poor and depend heavily on agriculture are most at risk of violent uprisings since they struggle to cope with climate change, according to a study published this week in the Journal of Peace Research.
“We’ve already started to see climate change as an issue that won’t just put the coasts under water, but as something that could cause food riots in some parts of the world,” said study co-author Bear Braumoeller from The Ohio State University.
The last time the world saw a severe food crisis was in 2007 and 2008, when extreme weather events hit major grain producing regions the year earlier, causing spikes in the demand and cost of food.
The higher prices led to social and political unrest in Morocco, Bangladesh, Tunisia and Indonesia, according to a 2016 report by Global Footprint Network and United Nations Environment Programme.
Drought is becoming more frequent and severe in places like eastern and southern Africa, and that – combined with the recent El Nino phenomenon – is taking a heavy toll on rural lives and economies.
Last April, a rice farmer in the Philippines was killed during protests demanding government assistance after drought linked by some to El Nino hit hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland.
El Nino, a warming of ocean surface temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific that typically occurs every few years, is linked to crop damage, fires and flash floods.
Moreover, the US-based Center for Climate and Security on Friday said factors like global water shortages, displacement or migration caused by climate change, and rising sea levels also posed serious threats to international security.
Braumoeller said having a stable government was key to placating growing civil unrest and violence in the face of food shortages caused by climate change.
“A capable government is even more important to keeping the peace than good weather,” he said in a statement. “Less vulnerable countries can better handle the problems that droughts or food price fluctuations create.”
Braumoeller said fragile states needed to address instability and invest in sustainable, “greener” industries to increase their economic growth, in order to cope with food shortages due to climate change.
"Development aid is important now and it is likely to be even more important in the future as we look for ways to increase climate resilience," he said. (Reporting by Lin Taylor @linnytayls, Editing by Ros Russell; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters that covers humanitarian issues, conflicts, global land and property rights, modern slavery and human trafficking, women's rights, climate change and resilience. Visit news.trust.org to see more stories)THIS SCEPTRED ISLE
Why does the Queen face right on coins but left on postage stamps? THE design of coins is determined by a tradition going back at least to the time of Charles II that the direction in which the head faces should alternate between the coinage of successive monarchs. The only exception to this has been the coinage of Edward VIII, who insisted on his likeness facing left. It is not clear whether this was an expression of rebellion against convention, or vanity, to show what he regarded as his better profile, containing his hair parting. Edward VIII abdicated before being crowned, and no new coinage was released into general circulation during his reign, although a few experimental pieces were produced. Some coins were issued in British colonies, but none with a likeness of the King, though an appropriate design (facing left) had been chosen. It was nevertheless determined that designs for the coinage of George VI, his successor, should be prepared as if that of Edward VIII had been produced and as if it had depicted him facing right, thus reinstating the original tradition. The coinage of Elizabeth II has been in accordance with tradition. Postage stamps are quite different. Ever since the first prepaid adhesive stamps were issued in 1840, all standard issues have shown the head of the reigning monarch in profile (except between 1953 and 1967, with a three-quarters view of Elizabeth II) and facing left. The direction appears to have been determined solely by the fact that the earliest were based upon a medal showing Victoria facing left: it is possible that the direction was selected to conform with the coinage then in circulation. The rule does not apply to commemorative issues: three such stamps were produced showing George VI and Queen Elizabeth; the couple are shown in full-face or in profile facing right. An early commemorative stamp of Elizabeth II also shows her full-face: commemorative issues since 1966 have usually shown a profile view based on the bust designed by Mary Gillick for the pre-decimal coinage. Regular issues have shown a crowned bust based upon a plaster cast by Arnold Machin, who also designed the decimal coinage. Since 1973, many have shown a profile silhouette of the Queen facing right. Certain postage stamps issued to commemorate royal weddings have not contained the Queen's head at all. John Richardson, Department of Human Sciences, Brunel University. SO THAT she can read the messages on postcards. Stuart Britton, Southampton, Hampshire (106127.2123@compuserve.com)
Add your answerThe previous X-films have established that Bryan Singer doesn’t particularly care for the X-Men as comic book characters; over the course of his films he has misused, underutilized or bizarrely mutilated characters and storylines from the comics. But with X-Men: Apocalypse Singer proves he doesn’t even care for the other X-Men movies, as evidenced by his shockingly cavalier attitude towards the most basic continuity with the last film… which he directed!
At the end of the last movie we left Mystique standing mutant and proud… and yet here she is once again hiding her true form at every opportunity. And at the end of the last film we saw Wolverine being picked up by Stryker, the guy who originally made him feral, took away his memories and gave him adamantium on his bones. Except - and this was major - it was Mystique pretending to be Stryker! The timeline had been changed… until it turns out in Apocalypse that Wolverine is, in fact, captured by Stryker. How does a filmmaker forget a detail like that from his own previous film? It isn’t even like Singer was directing a Jack and the Beanstalk sequel between these movies!
It’s quite clear that Singer just doesn’t give a shit. Never before has that been as evident as it is in Apocalypse where, amid the big action and the more colorful costumes and weirder characters (all clearly trying to ape the success of the Marvel movies), the story flounders, the character arcs are flat and the stakes get raised to ridiculous, civilization-destroying levels and then are ignored. It isn’t that X-Men: Apocalypse is a bad adaptation of the X-Men comics or that it’s a bad X-Men movie sequel, it’s just a bad movie altogether.
There is essentially no story in this film - it’s just a premise, played out straight. Apocalypse, an ancient mutant with an unlimited and undefined power set, is awakened in the modern world after a pre-credits sequence that looks like it comes from a Stephen Sommers movie. In the modern world Apocalypse decides to destroy humanity (because why not, a villain has to have an incoherent scheme) and then spends about 90 minutes gathering powerful mutants (and also Angel) to be his Four Horsemen. Meanwhile, the X-Men putz around and then they have a fight with Apocalypse and the movie ends.
You might think I’m kidding, but I’m not. There’s a small diversion when some of the X-Men (just the characters Bryan Singer cares about) get kidnapped by Stryker in order to work a Wolverine cameo into the movie, but the “story” is otherwise a straight line. Professor X and friends get all of Apocalypse’s history info dumped on them very early, and so there’s no discovery, no sense of learning what is happening. There’s a lot of wheel spinning for sure - the entire Weapon X sequence is a massive waste of time - but there’s no point to any of it. It’s all filling time.
Within that straight line “story” (again, if you consider ‘bad guy wants to destroy the world, good guys fight him so he can’t’ an actual story) there are no themes. Nothing has a larger meaning, despite lots of lines about false gods and other stuff. Further, almost none of the characters have arcs. Nobody learns anything, nobody walks out the other side of the movie all that changed from where they started at the beginning. Some characters may now live in the X-Mansion, some may be dead (trust me, you won’t care about those who died), Professor X may be bald (in the most dramatic enbaldening ever seen on screen) but everybody else is pretty much where they started, having moved nowhere as people. Even Magneto, who by the end of the film is guilty of global destruction on an unprecedented scale, just walks off happy when it's all finished.
Apocalypse is, for reasons no one will ever be able to articulate, set ten years after the last one, which was set ten years after the one before that. Which means that there are characters in this movie who are twenty years older than in the first one but barely look any older at all. Lucas Till’s Havok is probably about 40 in this film, but the actor barely even looks his real life 25. The ten year gaps have no bearing on story - Quicksilver is still in the exact same place we left him in the last movie, and there seems to have been no mutant action in the preceding decade. The only reason this movie is set in 1983 is for a handful of music cues, a couple of outfits (I think Jubilee’s outfit is anachronistic, but whatever) and a joke about Return of the Jedi not being that good (which is a helluva thing for a movie as bad as this to say). I would actually say that the ten year gaps drain urgency from the franchise - this is a world where the X-Men mostly just hang out and do their own thing, having zero adventures. What a fun concept!
Again, if Singer were using the 80s for any good reason - whether it be visually or thematically, somehow tying the story into the Cold War - I would give it a pass. But there’s no reason at all, and the movie doesn’t even read as the 80s on screen most of the time. Of course that’s because the movie reads as ‘weightless green screen garbage’ most of the time; I am sure that this film cost a ton of money and yet it looks so cheap and ugly that I assume most of that cash was used for the big Quicksilver sequence which contains the four minutes of this two and a half hour film that people will use in a futile attempt to claim it’s good. Outside of that scene it’s all drab, shitty FX (most of which are particle/sand FX that would have wowed us in 2002) or egregiously bad background replacements.
Maybe the green screen explains why the camera work is so bad. Singer is back with longtime DP Newton Thomas Sigel, and they have once again created a bland and indifferent look for their movie, but this time Singer has upped the ante by seemingly placing the camera in a random spot for every shot. Maybe he thought he would rearrange the frame in post? Maybe he just wanted to get to lunch? Whatever the reasoning, Apocalypse is full of shots that have no meaning or weight and that tell no story at all. They’re just establishing shots half the time. When a decent shot kicks in it’s an FX shot, which probably means a pre-viz guy somewhere down the pipeline blocked it.
But you know what? A movie isn’t just the story and the cinematography - it’s also the alchemy of the actors, the magic and passion they bring to the screen. In the case of X-Men: Apocalypse the assembled cast of excellent thespians brings the burning hot energy of embarrassment felt by a kid whose mom walked in on him masturbating. It’s a movie where everyone on screen is clearly ashamed of what they’re doing, and with good reason.
No one takes it worse than Oscar Isaac. He’s only human for about ten seconds, and he spends the entire movie in one of the worst make-up jobs I have ever seen in a major motion picture. The design is ugly but the execution is even worse; in a year where The Vision manages to be both unearthly and yet human why does Apocalypse look this ridiculous? Beneath that make-up Isaac is giving the performance of Tommy Wiseau’s life. There’s a scene where, after Apocalpse is awoken from his millennia-long slumber, he puts his hand on a TV. “What are you doing?” Storm asks him, and he hisses, long and slow, “Leaaaaarrrrrnnnnnnnning” and at that point I was like, oh we are FUCKED. This is one of the best actors of his generation and he’s been shoved into some kind of sub-Dick Tracy cartoon villain role. This is a guy whose performance in Inside Llewyn Davis is a high water mark for the craft of acting, and here he is mugging through six layers of blue latex. This is a travesty.
Also blue and giving a toxic performance: Jennifer Lawrence. Mystique has no reason to be in this film (honestly, she has just about nothing to do in the movie) and you can tell Lawrence knows it. She’s sleepwalking through the role, and you can tell that her eyes in any given scene are always pointed at craft services. She knows there’s a cup of tea or a snack waiting for her if she can just power through the next poorly written, incompetently blocked scene. Every now and again there is life in her eyes, and you realize that her phone buzzed in her pocket alerting her that her paycheck has been deposited.
If Lawrence is sleep walking Sophie Turner, playing young Jean Gray, is the walking dead. Never before has an actress whose skill I have seen employed in the past give as empty a performance as Turner does here. She’s a good actor! It’s frustrating to see these actors who can do the work being given direction and scripts that sap everything from them. Opposite her is Tye Sheridan as Cyclops, a character that Bryan Singer has hated from the beginning. Cyke fares no better here than in previous films, and neither does Sheridan, who is given absolutely nothing to do except take off his sunglasses and grimace a few times. Even a quick trip to the mall, which seemed to presage the start of a “Cyclops becoming a leader” arc fizzles out and the character, like everyone who isn’t Mystique, Professor X, Magneto, Quicksilver and Apocalypse, gets totally sidelined.
James McAvoy, bless his little heart, does his best. He has a lot of scenes where his eyes - always so wet he looks like he’s on the verge of crying - have to stare into a psychic distance while he grits his teeth and hisses some shitty dialogue. He really throws himself into it here, and if Professor X’s arc is a total fucking embarrassment (his story is about how he comes to realize wiping Moira McTaggart’s memories in First Class was a mistake, but nobody actually cares about his mind rape and they all just laugh about it at the end), at least McAvoy is giving it his all. And Michael Fassbender is congenitally unable to deliver a bad performance. Even when he’s hanging on poorly rigged wires in front of a green screen (seriously, he just sags in a weird way during his flying scenes), Fassbender is bringing the goods. Even when he has to CGI destroy Auschwitz while standing next to Olivia Munn in a very revealing bikini, he’s doing real acting.
Olivia Munn, by the way, may not have been aware that the camera was rolling in any of her scenes.
I would talk about the rest of the actors, but so few of them have anything to do or any scenes of note that I’ve already forgotten they’re in the film. Once again Singer jams his movie full of characters he cannot service; in the wake of Captain America: Civil War, where a dozen characters all had arcs and moments, his inability to juggle his cast rankles all the more. This is his fourth X-movie - by this point he should be able to do this better. And it’s worth noting, by the way, that he did a better job of handling an ensemble 21 fucking years ago in The Usual Suspects. What happened to the guy who directed that movie?
All of this could sound like Apocalypse, with its over-the-top blue villain and terrible performances all around, is a hoot. It isn’t. The first hour and a half of the movie is Apocalypse traveling the globe via Boom Tube giving mutants new costumes and tattoos, and there’s just no suspense or forward momentum. I was stunned by how BORING the movie is. And then, when we get to the big final battle, it’s all boring again. The shoddy FX work certainly hurts, but Singer also cannot create a good ebb and flow in his fight. It’s a bummer that this has to follow Civil War because the airport fight set such a gold standard for how big brawls should work.
How bad is the final fight? The Four Horsemen are barely utilized in it (and if anyone can tell me why in this movie Apocalypse even needs Four Horsemen - or even just why he needs Angel, specifically - I’m all ears). There’s no sense of geography. The final battle is just everybody pouring energy powers on a CGI Oscar Isaac. A character who can fly is killed in a plane crash. Mystique spends half the fight leaning against a wall, watching. It’s paced like an assembly edit, as if Singer thought someone else was going to come in and trim it down into something thrilling and fun. None of the FX have any weight, so characters just float around the screen like they’re in a video game where the gravity has been turned off. And the film’s stakes are so broadly cartoonish that they have no meaning, rendering the whole battle kinda perfunctory.
To say I hated X-Men: Apocalypse would be only hinting at my level of disdain for this movie, disdain that truly bubbled over in the post-credits sequence where I involuntarily exclaimed “OH GO FUCK YOURSELF” at the screen. This franchise has always been varying degrees of bad, with only X-Men: First Class being any sort of bright spot (and I know many of you will disagree, but eventually the scales will fall from your eyes and you will see X2 as the slog it truly is), but Apocalypse is perhaps the nadir of it all. It’s the splashiest and the most comic book-y, but it approaches those elements like 90s movies did, with a real air of shitty camp and condescension. All of Bryan Singer’s worst instincts and tics are on full display here, but none of his older filmmaking skill is present. And worst of all - even worse than the absolute pantsing this movie gives to the beloved Oscar Isaac - is that Apocalypse is DULL. It’s a boring movie, one that doesn’t need to be two and a half hours long and that fails at being amusing or interesting for any length of time. Again, the Quicksilver scene is good, but it’s four minutes in a Gehenna of a motion picture.
Someone save the X-Men. Someone storm Professor Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters and depose Bryan Singer. Someone end this madness once and for all. All of a sudden I find myself understanding Apocalypse’s motivation of ‘Let’s just blow it all up.’I may have pointed out once or twice that the disastrous home price bubble of a decade ago was closely intertwined, via numerous causal pathways, with decades of Hispanic immigration and diversity ideology. Here’s a new graph from a report by Zillow on different ethnic neighborhoods that makes my point for me: The green line represents the median home value in Hispanic neighborhoods and the blue line white neighborhoods across the country. The green line soared out of control before dropping 46.3% (and still being down 24.2%).
It’s widely assumed that the Hispanic Tidal Wave we are always hearing about regarding elections couldn’t possibly have had any impact on home prices because Hispanics are so few in number and so poor, but during the bubble, the median home prices in Hispanic neighborhoods was higher than in white neighborhoods, nationally. Here’s median home values in thousands of dollars:
You can see the on-going Chinese Money Laundering boom in the purple (Asian) line.
You can look up your own metropolis on Zillow’s handy page.
Here’s the enormous Los Angeles metropolitan area indexed to 2000=100. Versus their peak, white neighborhoods in Greater L.A are currently down 1.6% in median home price, while Hispanic and black neighborhoods are still down over 20%:
For example, from the Boston Globe, here’s a report on Boston:
Hispanic areas lag in housing recovery By Katie Johnston GLOBE STAFF FEBRUARY 09, 2015 Hispanic communities were particularly vulnerable to unscrupulous lenders during the last housing boom and the hardest hit by the bust, experiencing the sharpest drop and slowest recovery in home values, according to a study to be released Monday. The study, by the online real estate company Zillow, found that... Nationwide, Hispanic areas also suffered the biggest declines, with home values still down 24 percent from their peak nearly a decade ago, according to the study. Hispanic neighborhoods tend to have higher populations of immigrants who were first-time home buyers and were put at risk by lenders who waived credit checks and minimum-income levels, housing specialists said. Many of these subprime loans were for multifamily homes, which are popular among low-income residents because they can rent out units to generate income. All of this activity led to an increase in home sales and skyrocketing prices in lower-income neighborhoods. But then the housing bubble burst in the middle of the last decade, the financial crisis followed, and many workers lost jobs. The result: People who were barely making mortgage payments before the recession went into foreclosure, causing home prices around them to plummet.... “It’s the old story of what goes up fastest falls fastest,” said Barry Bluestone, director of the Dukakis Center for Urban and Regional Policy at Northeastern University. Yanko Matias, a native of the Dominican Republic, wanted a house where he and his wife could raise their two young children. So they bought a single-family home in Lynn in 2007, taking out a loan for the entire purchase price of $232,000. But in early 2009, Matias lost his landscaping job. He found another job at a rental company, but was making considerably less money and called the bank about modifying his loan to reduce the payments. The bank refused, telling him his house was worth only $180,000, less than what he owed on his mortgage. By the end of the year, he was in foreclosure. Matias, 39, who now works as a taxi driver and still lives in the house, has been fighting the bank ever since. But he has little hope his home will regain its value and fears he will eventually lose it. “I worry every day about it,” he said. To analyze housing values, Zillow used Census data to categorize ZIP codes by racial or ethnic groups that make up a plurality of the population and estimated the median home value within each area.... Many housing specialists, however, see the uneven housing recovery breaking down not by race, but by immigrant status. “They were basically the most innocent consumers on the marketplace,” said Eloise Lawrence, a staff attorney at Harvard Legal Aid Bureau who works with struggling Lynn tenants and homeowners. “They knew the least about what was happening, and they were the most eager to climb onto the first rung of the American dream.”... As disconcerting as it is that Hispanic homeowners were hurt so much by sagging home values, Lawrence, of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau, said the recovery of home values in white and black communities is almost as worrisome: “We may be in another speculative bubble.”
Original Article
Share ThisClose video Key barrier to presidential impropriety: shame Rachel Maddow notes that the rules for conflicts of interest are different for the president, and President-elect knows this and is not bothered by appearance of using the presidency to service his business interests. share tweet email save Embed
And our system simply isn’t designed to accommodate circumstances like these.
The New York Times published If Donald Trump faced one conflict-of-interest controversy, it would serve as the basis for a challenging test for his upcoming presidency. But at this point, the Republican faces so many conflict-of-interest controversies, it’s more accurate to think of this as a test for the entire U.S. political system.In fact, at a certain level, “conflict of interest” is an unsatisfying phrase, which fails to capture the scope and scale of the problem. For the typical American, it may even sound dull and legalistic. Maybe it’s better to frame this in a more direct way: the president-elect, fresh off his national victory in which more voters preferred the other candidate, appears to be using the office he does not yet have to advance his financial interests around the world.And our system simply isn’t designed to accommodate circumstances like these.The New York Times published a very detailed overview of Trump’s international investments, holdings, and debts, each of which create potential conflicts, and the article wasn’t short.
The globe is dotted with such potential conflicts. Mr. Trump’s companies have business operations in at least 20 countries, with a particular focus on the developing world, including outposts in nations like India, Indonesia and Uruguay, according to a New York Times analysis of his presidential campaign financial disclosures.
What’s more, the true extent of Mr. Trump’s global financial entanglements is unclear, since he has refused to release his tax returns and has not made public a list of his lenders.
But let’s not forget
Meanwhile, we still don’t know why Trump had his daughter, who’ll help run his business enterprise, join him for a meeting
For his part, Trump |
dogs.” Reporter: Does that play on fourth down illustrate the difference between Hoyer and Cutler? Fox: “I’m not going to get into all this... Had we had the coolness of the hot dog-laden press box, we might have gone there.”
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Yes, you can see the field a heck of a lot better from the high angle of the press box. And yes, they do have hot dogs up there. But it’s a fair question to ask (even if Hoyer’s answer would be more instructive than Fox’s).
One play shouldn’t decide who gets the starting job, though if it’s an indication of Hoyer’s failure to gel with Jeffery, that’s a different story. There’s no hint that Cutler is close to being ready, so this is a moot point. The Bears have a ton of problems beyond the quarterback position, so it’s even mooter. That’s a word, probably.Kevin Durant graced the cover of SI sporting a PowerBalance SI PowerBalance - the company whose holographic bracelets appear all over pro courts and football fields — has been forced to admit that its products do not enhance balance, strength, and flexibility, despite the company's previous claims.
The fact that a rubber bracelet with a hologram doesn't improve physical attributes probably doesn't come as much of a surprise to anyone.
Except, that is, to the many athletes that swear by them. Superstars Derrick Rose and Drew Brees have been counted among their endorsers
There's a whole host of companies manufacturing jewelry with similar claims that capitalize on those athlete testimonials.
The trinkets gained popularity in athletic circles because representatives from companies like PowerBalance and Phiten handed them out at professional training facilities across America. That prompted ESPN The Magazine to test them against a placebo and reach the same conclusion the company now admits to be true: the holographic effect is a hoax.
Also: What Is That Thing Baseball Players Wear Around Their Neck? WE FIND OUTLittle rain since July 2014 prompts Labor government to consider turning it on to top up water storage areas, particularly in state’s north-west
Victoria’s $4bn seawater desalination plant, which has been standing idle since it was completed in 2012, may be switched on for the first time to help deal with the state’s water shortages.
A lack of rainfall, particularly in north-west Victoria, has prompted the state government to consider turning to the desalination plant, which is near Wonthaggi.
Victoria’s environment and water minister, Lisa Neville, has toured the parched Mallee and Wimmera regions of north and west Victoria and said all options would need to be considered.
The west of the state was “doing very badly”, with water storage 31% in the Wimmera region and just 10% in the Werribee and Bacchus Marsh areas. Geelong’s water catchment is at 62% capacity, down from 83% a year ago.
Desalination: the quest to quench the world's thirst for water Read more
Melbourne’s dams were faring better at 75% capacity, albeit experiencing a 5% drop on last year, meaning the desal plant would not immediately have to top them up.
But water held by Melbourne Water in the north of the state could be diverted elsewhere, requiring the desal plant to kick in. The government is looking to use the Wimmera Mallee pipeline, a network of pipes stretching to the north and west of the state.
“Much of Victoria has received below average rainfall since July 2014 and in fact some parts of our state have received the lowest inflows on record, worse than the millennium drought,” Neville told Victoria’s parliament. “This is having an impact across many communities. We’re seeing families and farmers having to buy water, having to cart water.
“We’ve all learned from the millennium drought that we need to take action. We aren’t praying for rain – that’s what happened in the past four years and in parts of the state the drought never broke. We want to provide water security for Victorian communities.”
Neville referred to the desal plant as an “insurance policy” but its potential use could prove politically tricky for Labor given fears it may drive up water bills.
The desal plant was commissioned by Steve Bracks’s Labor government in 2007, amid the lengthy millennium drought, and was completed in 2012.
The facility cost $4bn but was immediately put on standby as the drought broke. It costs Victoria $620m a year to keep it online, even though it has never been fully operational. It was opposed by environmentalists, who said it destroyed important habitat and caused pollution.BERLIN (Reuters) - German unemployment dropped more than expected in July and retail sales climbed in June, data showed on Thursday, spelling good news for private consumption which is expected to drive growth in Europe’s largest economy this year.
The entrance of the Jobcenter in Eichstaett August 29 2013. Eichstaett is Germany's city with the lowest unempolyment rate. Picture taken August 29. REUTERS/Michael Dalder
Seasonally adjusted data from the Labour Office showed the number of people out of work decreased by 12,000 to 2.898 million. The consensus forecast in a Reuters poll had been for a drop of 5,000.
“The fundamentals for German household spending are very strong. Unemployment is at long-term lows, employment at highs. Wages are rising, inflation is very low and the uncertainty of the euro crisis has faded,” said Christian Schulz, senior economist at Berenberg Bank.
German consumer morale rose to its highest level in more than 7-1/2 years heading into August as shoppers became more upbeat about their future income prospects than at any point since 1991, helped by a robust labour market and low inflation, which currently stands at just 0.8 percent in Germany.
The jobless rate was steady at 6.7 percent, setting Germany worlds apart from euro zone peers like Greece and Spain, where around one in four people continue to be unemployed.
But some companies are still slashing jobs in Germany. Firms ranging from lighting maker Osram Licht AG (OSRn.DE) and solar company SMA Solar (S92G.DE) to Commerzbank (CBKG.DE) and industrial services group Bilfinger (GBFG.DE) have all announced they will be trimming their workforces.
Data from the statistics office showed German retail sales rose by 1.3 percent in June in real terms on the month - their strongest rise since January and potentially a result of Germans hitting the shops at the start of the soccer World Cup.
Schulz said retail sales had risen by 1.4 percent in the first half of 2014 compared with the same period earlier, suggesting they could grow by 2.8 percent this year.
“That is a very healthy clip which should make consumption a key driver of overall demand,” he said.
The German economy grew at its fastest rate in three years in early 2014 but that was largely due to mild weather so it is expected to slow or even stagnate in the second quarter before picking up again in the third.
Other recent data has pointed to a slowdown, with exports, industrial orders and production all falling. Germany’s VDMA engineering body has also slashed its output forecast for this year. Surveys have shown business and investor morale weakening but consumers remain a source of support.Russia maintains push for US to end support of Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces
Syria’s Idlib Province: Hardline Islamist HTS Says Women Have to Live With Male Guardian
Pressing for a full withdrawal of US forces from Syria, Russia has claimed that the Americans are training a “militant army” in the east of the country.
The Russian military’s “Center for Reconciliation” in Syria put out the unsupported claim on Saturday. It asserted that US special forces are training a “New Syrian Army” comprised of more than 750 former Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra fighters. The Russians said the camp is 20 km (12.5 miles) northeast of Jisr al-Shaddadi in Hasakah Province:
Despite the statements from the American side about its adherence to elimination of the IS terrorist organization, the “International Coalition” continues cooperating with the remaining terrorists in Syria…. The US instructors of the Special Operations Command tie up separate groups of militants at a training center new the refugee camp into new military units, called the New Syrian Army. The US instructors, according to refugees returning home, are saying after the training the new units would be relocated to Syria’s south to fight the Syrian governmental forces there.
No evidence was provided for the assertion.
Russia has already pushed the US to the side in the political maneuvers over Syria, but it is seeking to end American backing of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in the north and east of the country. The US withdrawal would clear the way for pro-Assad forces, backed by Russian airpower, to retake key positions which the SDF has taken from the Islamic State since autumn 2015. These include oil and gas fields in eastern Syria and the city of Raqqa in the north.
See Syria Daily, Dec 16: Russia Pushes Again for US DepartureA few weeks ago the American Legion in Morton Grove, Illinois decided to withhold it’s annual $2600 donation to that city’s park district because one member of the park board does not recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Hemant Mehta, as he often does, stepped up to the plate, had a fundraiser and sent them a check for $3000 to make up for it. But they sent it back, with a transparently absurd excuse:
After a local veterans group pulled its donations to the Morton Grove Park District in response to a park board member’s refusal to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, a Naperville teacher and atheist blogger asked his readers for donations to replace the roughly $2,600 in lost funding. But Hemant Mehta’s check for $3,000 is on its way back to him after being refused by Park District officials. In an email to Mehta, Park District Executive Director Tracey Anderson said the Park District board “has no intention of becoming embroiled in a First Amendment dispute.”
Riiiight. Because if the check would have come from a local church, I’m sure that’s exactly what they would have done and said. Hemant plans to donate the money to another local charity, almost certainly not the American Legion.Eryk Anders, former Alabama LB, going pro in MMA Copyright by WIAT - All rights reserved (WIAT) [ + - ] Video
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) -- The thud of pads isn't new to Eryk Anders. For twenty years, the sound of gridiron collisions was a drum beat for his life, leading him all the way to the 2009 National Championship game with Alabama. These days, the pads are much smaller, and instead of bodies slamming together, the noise is from lightning quick strikes and grappling maneuvers. Anders is an MMA fighter now, and after he competes for the V3 Middleweight belt on Saturday, he will be going pro. "I'm a winner man," said Anders before a sparring session Wednesday night. "If I have to strike, we can strike. If it goes to the ground, I'm very comfortable on the ground as well."
I'm a winner man...If I have to strike, we can strike. If it goes to the ground, I'm very comfortable on the ground as well." - Eryk Anders
That comfort in the heat of combat comes from tireless hours in the gym. It's a labor of love though. "I'm a workhorse. I like to be in the gym, I like to train and practice," said Anders. His insatiable appetite for improvement hasn't gone unnoticed. "He's one of the most devoted students I've ever seen," said George Wehby, the head Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor at Spartan Fitness. "That comes obviously with being an Eagle scout back in the day, and then playing for one of the best college football teams in the world."
While former players often rave about the lessons learned from Nick Saban during their times at Alabama, the discipline and work ethic is the only transitive teaching from Anders' former sensei. "You can't blame so-and-so for throwing an interception or dropping a pass," explained Anders. "I get in here, and it's all on me." Wehby agreed with Anders' assessment, adding, "When you're learning the fight game, you're the only one out there; you're the whole team."
He's one of the most devoted students I've ever seen...that comes obviously with being an Eagle scout back in the day, and then playing for one of the best college football teams in the world." - George Wehby, Spartan Fitness head Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor
Going pro will offer only very few difference in fighting according to Anders. "It's the same thing, the rounds are just two minutes longer each," he said. One thing that probably won't change, is the love and support from Alabama fans for one of their heroes. In a sport, much like NASCAR, where competitors rely heavily on fan support, Anders is way ahead of the game. It could ultimately help him achieve his dream of taking his game to the sports highest level, the UFC. "This is a business, so promoters put on events based on ticket sales," said Wehby. "So the more fans you have, the more tickets they're going to buy to come see you fight."
Copyright 2015 WIAT 42 NewsPrior to the announcement of the Wallabies team for the match against Argentina, I’d written about the three changes I expected to the starting team.
I had Tatafu Polota-Nau, James Horwill and Scott Higginbotham down as starters this week.
Meatloaf sung “two out of three ain’t bad”, but I would have been very happy with two! The only player I correctly identified to come into the team was Polota-Nau, who pushes James Hanson back to the bench.
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The time to consider making a large number of changes to the Wallabies team was last week after the drubbing from the All Blacks. I wasn’t expecting wholesale changes this week, but after making strong impacts from the bench for the second match in a row, I expected both Horwill and Higginbotham to start.
I couldn’t see Kurtley Beale making a return to the starting team. He showed so clearly last week that his best position is on the bench, where he can come on later and make a real impact. I can’t see Beale replacing Toomua at number 12 – or the coach pushing Folau to the wing so Beale can play at fullback.
Bernard Foley wasn’t fantastic but McKenzie was always going to give him time to get back into his rhythm after starting on the bench in the previous two matches. Individually Foley did some good things and his goal kicking under pressure was great, but the most important thing he did for the team was to provide some direction – something that was totally absent with Beale at flyhalf the previous two weeks.
As for Matt Toomua, I didn’t think he deserved the man-of-the-match award he received, but he was one of the better Wallabies on the night.
I think Tevita Kuridrani was best on ground, as he was outstanding and I doubt Adam Ashley-Cooper will get a look in at number 13 again any time soon.
An injury to Ashley-Cooper sees Peter Betham get an opportunity on the wing, with Henry Speight still struggling with a hamstring complaint.
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With Wycliff Palu also out injured it is surprisingly Ben McCalman who starts at the back of the scrum ahead of Higginbotham. McKenzie talked about McCalman’s superior work rate as the main justification for this selection but I think the Wallaby pack needs more impact in the forwards at the start of the match.
The biggest shock for me is that both Rob Simmons and Sam Carter will start again. I don’t think either performed well enough last week to retain their spot this week. That standard of performance can’t be maintained and sometimes the best way to achieve change is to make changes.
Would I have dropped both? Probably not, because there is only one lock banging down the selection door in Horwill. You don’t want too much disruption in the starting team or you would risk losing the little bit of momentum the Wallabies built up last week with that come from behind victory.
If only one lock was to go, who should it be? I would probably go for Carter as he hasn’t delivered a strong performance in any of the first three matches of the Rugby Championship. Simmons was really poor against the Springboks but had performed reasonably well in the first two matches.
The Wallabies lineout with Simmons in charge was reasonably good on attack but really poor in defence. There were three lineouts lost on their own throw – one was an overthrow from Hanson, one was confusion between the lifters, jumper and the thrower when Hanson threw the ball with no jumper going up and the other was good defence from the Springboks who got up in front of Simmons.
In defence the Wallabies were far too slow off the ground and when it was Simmons going up to compete, he was late getting up and as a result couldn’t get to the ball, wrapping his arms around the man instead. He gave away one penalty for this and was lucky not to give away more. The penalty count against him on the night was totally unacceptable and I think he’s very lucky to be retained this week.
What I would have done is brought Horwill in and given the calling duties to him to send a very clear signal to Simmons that he is under real selection pressure.
What about Will Skelton? I don’t think his recent performances warrant a spot in the squad. On that selection, I do agree with McKenzie.
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Instead, McKenzie has left things as they were with Carter and Simmons retained and I hope we don’t see this decision backfire.
If you’ve watched the Pumas play this season you’ll know that the Wallabies are in for one heck of a forward battle this weekend. Obviously the Pumas scrum is an absolute weapon but I’ve been so impressed with their general forward play.
I don’t know that keeping things steady as she goes with the forward selections for the Wallabies will be enough this week.
I just hope that come Sunday we’re talking about the performance of all four teams rather than the referees. The knock on decision in the All Blacks and Pumas match was terrible, but the decision to give Bryan Habana a yellow card for his slightly high tackle on Ashley-Cooper was diabolical.
I think it was a penalty but there is no way a card can be justified.1 of 15 View Caption
Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune The "Blood Moon" eclipse as seem from Millcreek, Sunday, September 26, 2015. People watch as a so-called supermoon begins to rise in Mississauga, Ontario, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015. It was the first time Sunday Clint Brown of Mason City, Iowa, mounts the head on his father's combine as the so-called supermoon rises on Sunday, Sept. 27, 201 A flock of birds fly by as perigee moon, also known as a super moon, rises above a medieval castle in Mir, Belarus, 95 kilometers Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune The "Blood Moon" eclipse as seem from Millcreek, Sunday, September 26, 2015. Lennie Mahler | The Salt Lake Tribune The supermoon rises as it simultaneously is eclipsed over the LDS Temple in Salt Lake Cit Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune A panel of four photos showing the progress of the "Blood Moon" eclipse as s Scott Sommerdorf | The Salt Lake Tribune The "Blood Moon" eclipse as seem from Millcreek, Sunday, September 26, 2015. Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune A rare super moon lunar eclipse, begins its transformation behind the Utah State Capito A flock of birds fly by as a perigee moon, also known as a super moon, rises in Mir, Belarus, 95 kilometers (60 miles) west of ca This Sept. 13, 2015 image provided by NASA shows the moon, left, and the Earth, top, transiting the sun together, seen from the So People watch a perigee moon, also known as a super moon, rises in Mir, Belarus, 95 kilometers (60 miles) west of capital Minsk, Be A full moon rises between clouds in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015. The full moon was seen prior to a phenomenon called a People watch a full moon rising in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015. The full moon was seen prior to a phenomenon called a Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune A rare super moon lunar eclipse, begins its transformation behind the Utah State CapitoTurkey urges US to prevent Gülen from dodging laws A spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Sunday laid out a case for the extradition of Fetullah Gülen to face charges that he orchestrated an attempted overthrow of the government in Ankara.Ibrahim Kalin urged the U.S. to not allow Gülen to “exploit its laws to avoid facing a fair and legitimate accounting in Turkey," in an opinion piece published in The New York Times.Kalin wrote that mounting evidence has surfaced that points to Gülen leading the attempt, noting that the coup “was planned and staged by his followers within the army."Several generals and officers involved have confessed to having links to Gülen.Levent Turkkan, aide-de-camp to the chief of staff for the Turkish armed forces, Gen. Hulusi Akar, admitted that he was a member of the Gulenist organization and joined the coup on order from his superiors within the group, according to Kalin.Akar reportedly told prosecutors coup plotters urged him to speak to Gülen, who lives in the state of Pennsylvania, to persuade him to join the overthrow attempt.“The United States should extradite Fethullah Gülen, a Turkish citizen, to Turkey, as is allowed under an existing treaty," Kalin said. “Turkey has already provided a number of legal documents to American authorities and will send more as further evidence is collected."U.S. officials announced last week receipt of extradition documents for Gülen, following the coup attempt that killed more than 240 people and wounded more than 2,000 others.The Justice Department is reviewing the papers, according to the White House.
US knows Gülen behind failed coup: Turkish minister The U.S. knows the July 15 coup attempt in Turkey was made by Pennsylvania-based preacher Fetullah Gülen, Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ said Sunday.In remarks made to a Turkish television channel Kanal 7, Bozdağ said: "I am sure U.S. President [Barack] Obama, the U.S. intelligence and secretary of state know this coup [attempt] was made by Fetullah Gülen. I am very sure they don't have any hesitation about this."The Turkish minister added there would be difficulties in relations between the two countries if Gülen maintained his life in the U.S. after the coup attempt."They [the U.S.] will also face great difficulties in relations between Turkey and U.S, if the U.S. government continues to keep Fetullah Gülen in the U.S. after the coup attempt," Bozdağ said."The U.S. government does not have any justification in defending and keeping Fetullah Gulen in the U.S.," he added.He said there was no obstacle in place in international law for the extradition of Gülen to Turkey.Separately, Bozdağ said he would be in the U.S. with Turkish Interior Minister Efkan Ala to discuss the extradition issue.He recalled the fact that Turkey had sent four files to the U.S. authorities on Tuesday regarding the preacher's extradition.Turkish government has repeatedly said the deadly plot on July 15, which martyred at least 246 people and injured more than 2,100 others, was organized by followers of Gülen.Gulen is also accused of a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary, forming what is commonly known as the “parallel state”.
Gülen’s case to be ‘very high priority’: US ambassador John Bass, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, said Wednesday the case of Fetullah Gülen, the expatriate cleric accused of being behind last week's failed coup, would be a “very high priority" for Washington. “It will depend on the scope and quality of evidence that is provided and how compelling that is. But I can assure you that we are committed to reviewing quickly as soon as we receive materials. It will be a very high priority for the US Department of Justice," Bass told a group of reporters before a July 4th reception U.S. consulate general in Istanbul, commenting on how long it might take U.S. officials to review the documents. Turkey accuses U.S-based Gülen of being behind the coup attempt and has demanded that he be extradited to face trial. Materials related to the extradition of the cleric, who lives in self-imposed exile in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, have been submitted to U.S. authorities. Last Friday's attempted coup by rogue elements of the military resulted in the martyring of at least 240 people and the injuring of nearly 1,500 others. Bass declined to comment on the future of Turco-American relations if Washington does not hand Gulen back to Ankara. “The United States government is focused on what we can do together between two countries to help Turkey pursue this investigation," he stressed. Bass also raised concerns about Ankara's steps to dismiss tens of thousands of public employees in the military, police, education sector, and civil service. “We see mass arrest or detentions and mass firings of people from positions of employment in a very rapid period [of] time without a lot of evidence having been presented for those actions, that creates concerns," he said. On how the thwarted coup affected operations against Daesh from Incirlik Air Base in Adana, southern Turkey, Bass said that there is still no electricity at the base. He said the Turkish government cut electricity at all air bases in response to the coup attempt. “The longer it continues, the more impact it will have on operations, which is not to benefit either Turkey or the United States or the other countries that are threatened by Daesh terrorism," he said. The defense ministers of Turkey and the United States also discussed over the telephone the situation at Incirlik Air Base on Tuesday. Turkish authorities have said coup plotters used the air base as main station for the takeover attempt. Air refueling tankers used in the coup were launched from the base, where 3,000 U.S. troops and U.S. aircraft are stationed in anti-Daesh operations.
Clash of Kings, QQ used by Turkey coup plotters for communication The plotters of last week's failed coup attempt in Turkey have used the QQ, a Chinese instant message software, and the Clash of Kings, a real time strategy game software, for their external and internal communication. The pro-Gülenist coup plotters both from military and non-military personnel have used the programs at the last moment. Turkey has foiled a deadliest coup attempt on July 15, when a part of its military had run their tanks through the streets and captured main bridges, airports and strategic points in Ankara and Istanbul. Millions of people took to the streets and squares, ran over the tanks, to defend the value of democracy following a call from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Almost 250 people were killed and more than 2,000 others were injured, when coup military opened fired on the crowd. The Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) leader Fethullah Gülen, a so called cleric who have been living in Pennsylvania, U.S., for several years, was the mastermind of the attempted coup. Gülen prompted / mobilized his sleeping cells in Turkey's state institutions for the last bite on Turkish democracy, but failed due to a comprehensive resistance of Turks. Pro-Gülenist coup plotters used QQ software for communicating with their overseas partners while using the Clash of Kings for communication inside Turkey. The FETÖ gang members have established private rooms in Clash of King using code names. They continued discussion over the Turkey coup plan under the guise of a war game planning to avoid intelligence tracking.
A former U.S. commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan, was the organizer of the July 15 military coup attempt in Turkey, sources said.General John F. Campbell was one of the top figures who organized and managed the soldiers behind the failed coup attempt in Turkey, sources close to ongoing legal process of pro-coup detainees said.Campbell also managed more than $2 billion money transactions via UBA Bank in Nigeria by using CIA links to distribute among the pro-coup military personnel in Turkey.The ongoing investigation unveiled that Campbell had paid at least two secret visits to Turkey since May, until the day of the coup attempt.The coup plot that was foiled by the comprehensive effort of Turkish Nation, including its citizens, politicians, media and police forces, was organized by the Fethullah Terrorist Organization (FETO) led-by so-called cleric Fethullah Gülen who has been living in self-exile in America for several years.American Intelligence, Military and other institutions are accused of supporting the FETO leader Gülen and his gangs for the military coup.Military sources said Campbell, who was the commander of ISAF between August 26, 2014 and May 1, 2016, had made some top secret meetings in Erzurum military base and Adana İnicrlik Airbase.İncirlik Airbase has been used by the U.S. Military for conducting the anti-Daesh campaign in Syria.Military sources said that Campbell was the man, who directed the process of trending / blacklisting the military officers in the base.If the coup attempt was successful, Campbell would visit Turkey in a short time, according to the sources.The Nigeria branch of the United Bank of Africa (UBA) was the main base for the last six-months of money transactions for the coup plotters.Millions of dollars of money has been transferred from Nigeria to Turkey by a group of CIA personnel.The money, which has been distributed to an 80-person special team of the CIA, was used to convince pro-coup generals.More than 2 billion dollars were distributed during the process leading to the coup.After taking money from their bank accounts, the CIA team hand delivered it to the terrorists under the military dresses.The sources said that some familiar figures in the Eastern and Southeastern part of the country had taken active roles during the process, while the members of the Gülenist gang have been used in central and eastern region.All officers who command a group of soldiers in a patrol station, unit, company, regiment, brigade, division, corps, or army were kept in close surveillance.In 2015, the pro-Gülenist officers in the İncirlik base established an investigation desk. They drew the map of all soldiers under their command. They investigated the soldiers' trends, their personalities and family background.All soldiers were categorized in three groups: opponents, neutrals, and supporters.A commander from the smallest patrol station to all military units had been blacklisted under the process.Soldiers who were marked as opponents to the junta, was debarred from the “financial support.”The military personnel who were in a neutral position received a difference in the amount of money, according to the importance of their position and ranks.The money transactions were started in March 2015 through the commissioned “courier”.The supports who also were categorized as “those who will move with us,” were provided a huge amount of money.All soldiers and officers in this category were considered as the devoted members of the FETO terror group.A bag with a large amount of money was found in the room of Brigadier General Mehmet Dişli, one of the top military officials detained for leading the coup attempt.Higher costs and rising demand have driven rapid increases in spending on core public services such as education, healthcare, and transport—while countries must grapple with complex challenges such as population aging, economic inequality, and protracted security concerns. Government expenditure amounts to more than a third of global GDP, budgets are strained, and the world public-sector deficit is close to $4 trillion a year.
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At the same time, governments are struggling to meet citizens’ rising expectations. Satisfaction with key state services, such as public transportation, schools, and healthcare facilities, is less than half that of nonstate providers, such as banks or utilities.
Governments need a way to deliver better outcomes—and a better experience for citizens—at a sustainable cost. A new paper by the McKinsey Center for Government (MCG), Government productivity: Unlocking the $3.5 trillion opportunity, suggests that goal is within reach. It shows that several countries have achieved dramatic productivity improvements in recent years—for example, by improving health, public safety, and education outcomes while maintaining or even reducing spending per capita or per student in those sectors.
If other countries were to match the improvements already demonstrated in these pockets of excellence, the world’s governments could potentially save as much as $3.5 trillion a year by 2021—equivalent to the entire global fiscal gap. Alternatively, countries could choose to keep spending constant while boosting the quality of key services. For example, if all the countries studied had improved the productivity of their healthcare systems at the rate of comparable best performers over the past 5 years, they would have added 1.4 years to the healthy life expectancy of their combined populations. That translates into 12 billion healthy life years gained, without additional per capita spending.
The McKinsey Center for Government The McKinsey Center for Government is a global hub for research, collaboration, and innovation in government performance.
It’s imperative that governments find a way to unlock that productivity opportunity. The challenge is that, until now, there’s been limited progress on measuring government productivity—even though productivity is a well-established and vital measure of the performance of national economies and private-sector businesses. As a result, it is difficult for governments to gauge the true return on spending, and debate is often focused on how to increase inputs and not the quality of outputs. Governments typically find it challenging to identify improvement opportunities by learning from other countries, or from other regions or sectors within the same country.
To help close this gap, MCG built a comprehensive database and benchmarking methodology—the Government Productivity Scope—to start to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of government expenditure. MCG applied the tool across 42 countries that together make up 80 percent of global GDP, focusing on seven sectors: healthcare; primary, secondary, and tertiary education; public safety; road transport; and tax collection. The research was supplemented with insights from more than 50 interviews with government leaders and more than 200 case studies. This paper presents the first version of MCG’s analysis, which we will continue to extend and refine in dialogue with government leaders and academic experts.
The initial findings point to dramatic differences in countries’ relative productivity. Even among comparable countries with very similar outcomes, the least-efficient government currently spends more than twice as much per unit of output as its most-efficient peer. And while most countries have struggled to contain spending growth, in every sector MCG found examples of governments that have reduced expenditure per unit while experiencing improved outcomes.
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These differences point to a tremendous opportunity for governments to boost productivity, save money, and achieve better outcomes for citizens. To realize that opportunity, though, governments need to deepen their functional capabilities in four key areas: finance, commercial, digital technology and data analytics, and talent management. As MCG shows, pioneering countries have reimagined and strengthened these functions so they play a more strategic leadership role in pursuing efficiency and improving outcomes. Across these areas, those governments have adopted an ambitious, structured approach to transform the effectiveness of the state.Seven reasons why lavishing a $1 billion subsidy on Adani is a truly inane idea
Josh Frydenburg and The Charge of the Lignite Brigade. (Image via michaelwest.com. Illustration by Michael Mucchi)
Michael West exposes the sheer WTFness of the Federal Government stumping up Adani's dud coal mine with a $1 billion taxpayer subsidy.
THE LATEST brainwave from the Federal Government is to lavish a $1 billion taxpayer subsidy on a foreign billionaire to build the world’s biggest new brown coal mine.
Seven reasons why this is a breathtakingly inane idea:
1. Sheer white-elephantness
The project’s bankers have long fled the scene.
Thermal coal is in structural decline.
The economics don’t stack up.
2. Tax: Forget it
Adani has been raking in $150 million of earnings (EBITDA) a year from its coal-port, but paid tax in only one year out of six and very little at that.
The proposed Federal loan is likely to be routed through another structure though – Adani Rail and Infrastructure – owned by an entity in the tax haven of Singapore, whose ultimate parent is a personal Adani family company in the Cayman Islands.
Again, forget tax.
3. Jobs: Under-delivery
Adani’s own admitted jobs number for Carmichael is 1,464. If that same $1 billion of taxpayers’ subsidy was to finance a solar project, it would create 9,000 construction jobs.
Adani gilded lily is far from rolled gold @MichaelWestBiz, the Shakespeare of Australian tax law http://t.co/WRsHxwxoDZ via @brisbanetimes — Matthew Rimmer (@DrRimmer) May 2, 2015
4. Water concessions
Coal mining is notoriously water intensive. Another subsidy flung Adani’s way is the recent water concession by the State Government. Queensland doesn’t charge miners for water and Adani’s Carmichael mega-mine will be draining the bores at precisely the same time the farmers need the water most.
5. “But this is a common-use facility!”: No it’s not
The NAIF proposal is for a “standard-gauge” rail-line compared with the state’s other “narrow-gauge” rail-lines, which are inter-connected.
This is a stand-alone thing, a stranded asset, a true white elephant.
Excellent analysis: @AdaniAustralia's dilemma: for Carmichael #coal to be viable, Adani Power will haemorrhage cash https://t.co/Dl2jUuqdU2 — Tim Buckley (@TimBuckleyIEEFA) December 7, 2016
6. “This is a nation building exercise. GVK will benefit too”: No, it’s not, and no they won’t
GVK has a market cap of $US130 million, debts of $US3 billion and still owes Gina Rinehart $560 million before it even begins to contemplate project finance.
7. “The project will help the poor |
have listened to their homilies and say that his message was one of truth-telling and denouncing evil.
Oscar Romero is still a controversial figure in this divided country, though. There are those who feel he was more guerrilla than man of God. But they are not out in the crowds today.
Oscar Romero: Latin America’s martyr and hero
The event began with a procession from the cathedral - where Archbishop Romero's remains lie in a crypt - to Saviour of the World square in the centre of San Salvador, several kilometres away.
Giant TV screens were placed across the capital so that those away from the stage can watch the ceremony.
'Stop the repression'
Archbishop Oscar Romero was not just a churchman. He took a stand during El Salvador's darkest moments, the BBC's Central America reporter Katy Watson says.
Image copyright AP Image caption The shirt Archbishop Romero was wearing when he was killed was displayed as a religious relic
Image copyright AP Image caption El Salvador formally apologised for the murder of Archbishop Romero in 2010
When the US-backed Salvadorean army was using death squads and torture to stop leftist revolutionaries from seizing power, he was not afraid to speak out in his weekly sermons, she says.
"The law of God which says thou shalt not kill must come before any human order to kill. It is high time you recovered your conscience," he said in his last homily in 1980, calling on the National Guard and police to stop the violence.
"I implore you, I beg you, I order you in the name of God: Stop the repression."
That was a sermon that cost him his life. A day later, while giving mass, he was hit through the heart by a single bullet.
Several conservative Latin American cardinals in the Vatican had blocked his beatification for years because they were concerned his death was prompted more by his politics than by his preaching.
Pope Benedict XVI finally reversed this in 2012.Dutch economy to post strongest growth in a decade
Press release Date 12 June 2017
Economic growth in the Netherlands is expected to peak at 2.5% in 2017, a growth rate not seen since 2007. The next two years are also likely to show robust growth, at 2.1% and 1.9%, respectively. Economic growth is broadly based and supported by all expenditure categories. The Dutch budget surplus will benefit, edging up throughout the projection horizon, from 0.4% of GDP in 2016 to 1.1% of GDP in 2019. Unemployment is set to fall to 5.0% in 2017, declining further to 4.4% by 2019. This is evident from the new half-yearly forecast that De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) published today.
Growth remains elevated in the years ahead, fuelling a sustained budget surplus 2017 is the fifth consecutive year in which growth in gross domestic product (GDP) is up from the year before. The strong economic performance seen in 2017 is driven by factors such as the pick-up in world trade and the recovery of corporate investment. GDP growth exceeds potential growth across the entire projection horizon, thereby closing the output gap, narrowing it from-3% on average in the 2013-2016 period to 0% in 2019. This means we expect the Dutch economy to perform at full potential by 2019. Over the projection horizon, the budget surplus of 0.4% of GDP in 2016 will edge up, to reach 1.1% of GDP by 2019. This will be mainly attributable to higher revenues from income tax, corporation tax, and VAT. Government debt will fall sharply, by over 10 percentage points, to 51.3% of GDP in 2019 from 62.3% of GDP in 2016, putting it well below the European debt threshold of 60% of GDP. The bright budget outlook will allow a new cabinet to create a buffer to draw on in more difficult times. Chart 1 Gross domestic product in the Netherlands Volume; 2008 = 100; year-on-year percentage change
Labour market recovery does not yet cause wage pressures Unemployment is set to drop to 4.4% of the labour force by 2019, representing nearly 400,000 people. The unemployment rate is set to fall at a slower pace during the projection years than in 2016, despite the sharp employment growth seen in 2017. This is because more people are willing to work, as those previously not active in the labour market are attracted by the more favourable prospects of finding a job. So far, the Dutch labour market is not characterised by overall tightness. Growing demand for labour can also be met from other categories of people than the registered unemployed alone, notably part-time workers seeking to work more hours. This is a key factor in the current absence of wage pressure. Chart 2 Supply and demand in the Dutch labour market Year-on-year percentage change; percentage of labour marketBritain is going full Orwell. The Tory government is proposing to include in the Gender Recognition Bill the ‘right’ to alter the sex on one’s birth certificate. So if a 32-year-old man decides that he is in fact a woman, he could be able to go to the General Register Office and insist that the word ‘Boy’ be erased from his birth certificate and replaced with the word ‘Girl’, or ‘Female’. Even though he was not a girl when that certificate was drawn up. Even though the midwife who declared ‘It’s a boy!’ when he was born, and the birth registrar who later wrote the word ‘Boy’ or ‘Male’ on his birth certificate, were telling the truth. That truth, that publicly recorded truth, that national truth, would be replaced with a lie. We’ve entered Ministry of Truth territory. The memory hole is real.
The Tory government’s trans proposals should alarm anyone who believes in reason and freedom. Revealed in The Sunday Times, the plan is to shake up the legal ‘gender recognition’ process to make it easier for trans people to identify as the opposite sex. Or no sex. One suggestion is for non-binary people, those who feel neither male nor female, to have the right to go back in time and stamp ‘X’ in the gender box on their birth certificate – a fitting image for the destructive, past-rewriting process that would be unleashed by this shake-up. And virtually anyone could do this. The government wants to scrap the current requirement of a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria before you can switch gender and allow for ‘self-identification’. So any bloke could self-identify as a woman, apply for the legal right to be recognised as a woman, and – boom – he’s a woman. Sorry, she’s a woman.
It’s madness. And most people know it’s madness. Ask any normal, decent member of the public if Dave, 32, born a boy, still in possession of a penis, and a five o’clock shadow on a rough weekend, is a man or a woman, and I bet you they will say: ‘Man.’ Not because they are prejudiced or ‘transphobic’ – the latest phobia slur designed to pathologise dissent – but because they understand reality. And truth. And biology and experience. They know that in order to be a woman, you first have to have been a girl. They know womanhood is not a pose one strikes in front of the mirror but is biological, relational, cultural and social. They know the man who wears a dress is a man who wears a dress. Which is cool, and his choice, and he must have the right to wear that dress. But he isn’t a woman. We know this. At some level he knows this. Why won’t more people say it?
Because it has become the great unsayable. To say there are two sexes – leaving aside that infinitesimally small number of nature’s hiccups that are intersex people – has become tantamount to a speechcrime. To say a man cannot become a woman – no matter how many hormones he takes or operations he undergoes – is now next to blasphemy. Even if you fully accept that these people are trans-women, and that they should enjoy exactly the same rights as every other person, from the right to speak to the right to work, you will still be hounded and harassed if you dare say, ‘They aren’t women, though’. As trans-sceptical feminists have discovered, the utterance ‘Men cannot become women’ is to the early 21st century what ‘Jesus is not the Christ’ was to the 15th. We must accept that the person with a penis and a birth certificate that says ‘Boy’ is a woman. We must accept the lie. Like Winston Smith in Nineteen Eighty-Four, beavering away at the past-altering Ministry of Truth, we are made to lie. Trans agitators’ greatest accomplishment has been the institutionalisation of lying.An immigrant mother who has lived in Connecticut without documentation for 24 years could be deported as soon as Thursday, leaving her four children behind.
When Nury Chavarria began annual check-ins with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2009, she was granted stays of removal year-after-year. She said it was always made clear that because she had kids -- one of whom has significant disabilities -- and no criminal record, her deportation case was just not a priority.
"But not this time," she said. "I went there June 21. Now they said to me, I need to leave the country."
Chavarria escaped violence in Guatemala in 1993 and entered the U.S. illegally. Her request for asylum was denied, and in 1998 she got an order for voluntary deportation but did not leave. Then, according to ICE, she was given a final order of removal in 1999.
Ten years after that, ICE found her in Norwalk working full-time as a house cleaner and the mother of U.S. children. In 2010, federal immigration deferred her removal for one year on humanitarian grounds. Now she’s checking in with ICE once a week.
As she stirred uncomfortably in a chair in her lawyer’s office in New Haven, Chavarria pulled her dress over an ankle bracelet worn by many people facing a final order of removal.
"I feel like a criminal. It’s embarrassing to me. In this hot weather I wear pants because I don’t want people..." she said as her voice trailed off.
Lawyer Glenn Formica said Chavarria’s case is not unique.
"Nury’s case is representative of the fact that last year, [there was] no problem getting her stay renewed. No concerns," he said. "This year, she was given the opportunity to file a stay, but was also told to have a plane ticket."
In a statement, ICE said that Chavarria is being allowed to remain free while she finalizes her departure plans, and that it’s monitoring her compliance.
Under the Obama administration, the deportation policy became known as "felons, not families." The priority was to not break-up families, but to focus on removing gang members and people who presented security risks. President Trump’s new immigration policy essentially eliminates those priorities.
"You can see in the administration's budget that this is something that they wanted to prioritize. They had requested huge increases in funding for interior enforcement," said Kate Voigt, Associate Director of Government Relations at the American Immigration Lawyers Association. "I think we’re at the beginning of seeing them try to carry out those threats."
With her youngest child seated nearby, Chavarria was asked about guardianship plans for her children if she’s deported.
"Not yet. Nothing," she said. "They depend on me. And also they don’t want to come with me to Guatemala. It’s not a good place for them. It’s a hard situation for me and I’m worried about my kids."
Hayley Chavarria, 9, is about to go into fourth grade. When asked if she speaks Spanish at home with her mom, she said, "Most people in my family speak English. But we sometimes speak Spanish for my mom."
Formica said it's just not realistic to imagine that Chavarria would put her children, who are U.S. citizens, on a plane with her back to Guatemala.
"As a country I don’t think we want people just abandoning their children and leaving those children to become public responsibilities," Formica said.
Volunteers with a group called Connecticut Shoreline Indivisible have amassed more than 10,000 signatures on an online petition on Chavarria’s behalf. Nationally, the group stands in opposition to much of the president’s agenda.
If her stay is denied, Nury Chavarria is to board a plane back to Guatemala on July 19.The fate of two of the big name titles missing from yesterday's US November top 10 has been revealed.
NPD analyst Anita Frazier told Eurogamer that Michel Ancel's well-reviewed platformer Rayman Origins sold just over 50,000 copies during its first four weeks on sale.
She didn't reveal where it placed on the chart, though, for some context, Super Mario 3D Land managed 625,000 and didn't make the top 10.
Sales of Origins were similarly underwhelming on this side of the Atlantic too, where the game failed to make the UK top 40 in its debut week.
Frazier also revealed that Sonic Generations was the 26th best-selling title of the month. No sales figure was quoted.
While Rayman's showing will no doubt disappoint Ubisoft, it can take some solace in Assassin's Creed: Revelations' performance. The publisher announced sales of the latest game in the franchise were up 10 per cent year-on-year on 2010's Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. That puts its first month total at around 1.26 million.Bitcoin — the frictionless Internet cash making waves worldwide — is gaining popularity among tech-savvy Edmontonians.
But local finance experts caution users not to bet the farm if speculating on the volatile value of the digital dollars.
Peaking at over $1,000 in late 2013, the value of a single bitcoin, or 1 BTC, is currently worth $934 CAN (VirtEX). The fact that the peer-to-peer digital currency initially started selling for pennies in 2009 has fuelled investor speculation, raising Bitcoin’s profile in the financial world.
Supporters hail the currency — which uses cryptography to control the creation and transfer of money over the Internet through digitally-signed messages — as the beginning of a future where money is free from central banking and state control.
“We live in a digital age where so many transactions occur online so what is the need for this central authority intervening?” asked Ted Noakes, summing up the argument for online cash.
A professor in business administration and finance at NAIT, Noakes said the lack of a central authority gives Bitcoin some distinct advantages. Transaction fees are lower than those imposed by credit card companies and monetary exchanges can be made internationally within seconds rather than days. Transactions are logged on the network’s shared public ledger, which is synced with all users.
While the virtual theft of bitcoins is a problem, the offline storage of “private keys” mitigates the risk. Every online Bitcoin address has a matching private key given to the owner that’s designed so that the Bitcoin address can be calculated from the private key, but importantly, the same cannot be done in reverse.
The experimental system means Bitcoin is not an official currency and most jurisdictions still require users to pay income, sales, payroll, and capital gains taxes on their bitcoin.
The recent announcements that Facebook game giant Zynga and major American online retailer Overstock.com will accept bitcoins as payment in 2014 is evidence that some businesses are cashing in on the currency. Mass acceptance could potentially stabilize Bitcoin’s value volatility, Noakes said.
“At the end of the day, if people accept it and believe it has value, then it’s accepted.”
In December, cash-for-gold business AaronBuysGold started the greater Edmonton area’s first Bitcoin exchange out of their Sherwood Park store. Owner Aaron McDermand says they buy, sell and secure bitcoins on a USB flashdrive or paper wallet for customers.
They’re exchanging close to $30,000 every week, he said, estimating that 80% of the people lining up are purely speculating while 20% use Bitcoin to send money internationally or buy items from online retailers.
“I think people are realizing that it’s here to stay. It’s not going anywhere,” McDerman said. “It could be replaced by something better or faster but something like Bitcoin will be in everyday use eventually.”
In Edmonton, Remedy Cafe owner Zee Zaida has been accepting bitcoins as payment for everything from bagels to chai lattes since July. Zaida pays the GST on the purchase up-front, then allows the customer to transfer bitcoins from their smartphone to Remedy’s iPad. Bitcoin prices change every hour, he said.
Remedy made $14,000 from three months of purchases the last time Zaida cashed out the bitcoin, he said.
“I’m happy and everybody’s happy. It’s been very positive, the only downside is when our stupid Internet isn’t working.”
Starting next month, the cafe chain’s Jasper Avenue location will have the city’s first Bitcoin ATM.
Remedy’s success was prodded along by local Bitcoin evangelist Peter Dushenski. Purchasing his first bitcoin in April 2013, Dushenski has since launched educational site Bitconomy.ca as well as the Bitcoin Edmonton Meet-Up group.
The roughly 60 local users come together every three weeks to share ideas and raise awareness about the currency, he said, adding they’ll host the city’s first CoinFest educational networking event on February 15.
“There is no city between Vancouver and Toronto where Bitcoin has a stronger and more connected entrepreneurial community than here in Edmonton,” said Dushenski. “I don’t think there’s been as important an idea since the dawn of the Internet itself. I do firmly believe that.”
However, Professor Max Varela, who teaches macroeconomics and international finance at NAIT, disagrees with the future touted by Bitcoin supporters.
“More than the future, I think it’s a thing of the past,” said Varela, pointing out that private currencies existed for years before state-issued currencies made them extinct.
The swings in bitcoin valuation are “too crazy”, he says, as the constant rise, fall, rise pattern fuels the consumer’s urge to own bitcoin but never spend it. People are curious about bitcoin, but view it as an investment rather than a currency.
“It’s a dangerous game they’re playing and I think it’s a bubble,” he said. “I think governments will eventually step in to regulate and possibly destroy Bitcoin.”
While $28.5 billion in bitcoin was notoriously seized in the FBI’s dismantling of online black market Silk Road, the Edmonton Police Service has no ongoing investigations involving Bitcoin locally.
The Alberta Securities Commission (ASC) is currently studying whether transactions using crypto-currencies have potential securities regulatory implications. The ASC asks people to seek the advice of a financial advisor before buying Bitcoin or the less popular Litecoin and Peercoin currencies.What is Bitcoin?
-A digital currency created in 2009 that eliminates payment processors (VISA, for example) and allows users to stay anonymous.
What are bitcoins?
-An online equivalent of cash that can be sent directly to anyone. Bitcoins are not physical coins, though some have been produced independently. Those are marked with a private key allowing them to be spent digitally. All bitcoins have an individual, private key.
Where do they come from?
Bitcoin miners use powerful computers in a race to solve community-shared, complex algorithms approximately every 10 minutes. Once solved, a block of bitcoins is released to the minor/minors whose computer or network of computers managed to do the job. Currently, 11,800,000+ bitcoins are in circulation. Twenty-five bitcoins are currently released at a time, but less will be released as time goes on. There will only ever be 21 million bitcoins created.
“Crypto-currencies are a relatively new phenomenon and should therefore be treated with caution,” said ASC spokesman Mark Dickey.
While Noakes sees a place for digital cash in the future, he agrees that people should be careful when it comes to speculation.
“Have some fun with it but understand this is no different than going to the track and betting on the ponies.”
matthew.dykstra@sunmedia.ca
@SunMattDykstra
Here’s how Bitcoin works:
Create a digital wallet
1) An account is created.
2) A digital wallet is installed on your computer or mobile device.
3) You will be given a unique alphanumeric deposit address for receiving bitcoins in your wallet. Every Bitcoin has a private key, which is saved in the wallet once you receive the bitcoin.
Buy bitcoins
1) Money is transferred to your digital wallet (wire transfer, bank transfer, money order, etc.)
2) Once funds arrive, you can buy bitcoins.
You buy bitcoins from other people; Bitcoin merely provides the platform for buyers to get their bitcoins and sellers to get their money. Bitcoins can also be sold.
How much is a bitcoin worth?
On today’s market, one bitcoin is worth about $930 US (www.bitcoin-otc.com/ticker.php), but they started out at much less than that. A bitcoin can be divided down to 8 decimals, so 0.00000001 bitcoin is the smallest amount currently possible. A ‘satoshi’ is.00000001 bitcoin.
Where can I spend bitcoins?
spendbitcoins.ca lists over 1,000 places that receive them, worldwide, from gaming company Zynga to major retailer Overstock.com.
http://bitcoinfaq.com/
https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/FAQSigning a top-tier Buck prospect is one of the biggest priorities for the Florida Gators in the 2014 recruiting cycle.
But their options have dwindled down since we last touched on this subject a month and a half ago.
Tallahassee Godby’s Jacob Pugh visited UF twice in April, but as anticipated, he decided to stay close to home and committed to FSU on Wednesday. The coaches could continue to pursue Pugh, but he lives eight minutes away from Doak Campbell Stadium and will be hard to steal from the Noles.
Denzel Ware has transferred back to Crestview after spending the spring at Opp (Ala.). He tried to pledge to the Gators following the Orange & Blue Debut, but Will Muschamp wasn’t ready to accept his commitment and things haven’t changed on that front.
At this time, that leaves Trent Harris (Winter Park) and Richard Yeargin III (Fort Lauderdale University School) as the top targets left at the position.
Harris lists Florida as his leader and could have already been in the class, but he postponed his May 24th decision after getting offered by Ohio State. He’s still expected to end up at UF, although the Gators will have to sweat out his visit to Columbus this summer.
Should Harris go elsewhere, Yeargin would become a must-get. He took a trip Gainesville on March 29 and was seen by the staff during the fourth and fifth week of the Evaluation Period. Florida is considered one of the favorites to land him, but there’s a long way to go in his recruitment and he doesn’t plan on deciding until National Signing Day.
The Gators have other targets at linebacker and defensive end who could potentially play the Buck position if they come to Florida, but look for the coaches to put the full-court press on Harris and Yeargin moving forward.Canada’s Ben Pakulski managed to edge past his competition to win the 2016 Vancouver Pro show.
Ben presented a very conditioned physique that was enough to give him the win. As well, Pakulski is one of the only bodybuilders on the IFBB Pro stage that can present the classic vacuum pose.
Many criticized the judging putting Brandon Curry ahead of Ben as he has a all round more complete physique. But nobody had the condition of Pakulski and the judges favored total condition.
Another shock placing was Johnnie Jackson placing fourth ahead of Maxx Charles. If you want to see the reaction to the placings, head on over to Muscular Development’s forum.
Results
1. Ben Pakulski
2. Brandon Curry
3. Fred Smalls
4. Johnnie Jackson
5. Maxx Charles
6. Paulo Almeida
7. Ranaldo Gairy
8. Henri Pierre Ano
9. Iain Valliere
10. Daniel Toth
11. Kenneth Jackson
12. Tomas Bures
13. Santana Anderson
14. Frantz Prevaly
Official Scorecards
Photos by David Bay of Muscular DevelopmentWe will now pause for a short romp through historical philosophy. We will focus to some small extent on the Enlightenment - the tremendous philosophical advances made in Europe in between roughly the end of the fifteenth century and the present (as it is a process that continues to this very day and this very book). No attempt at all will be made to do this in a strict historical order; rather we'll focus on certain key contributions that are relevant to the central thesis of this book.
Note well that this book is very definitely intended as a polemic. It is perhaps intentionally a bit disrespectful of the mistakes of our elders. This is because those mistakes get repeated over and over again - I teach physics at a University and advise students who are taking physics and philosophy and mathematics courses and hear over and over again how the same old shell game is perpetuated. I refer specifically to the fact that philosophy and logic courses time and again present rhetoric as if it is the logical content of the argument that matters, not the axiomatic basis from which the logic proceeds. They present all arguments as loaded questions9.1.
What, you might ask, is a loaded question, or its close cousin a loaded argument? It is a proposition that can be proven (or disproven) only on the basis of premises that are at least as dubious as the proposition itself. When I was a teen-ager I once wrote an entire fantasy story whose fundamental basis was the saying ``if you put your elbows on the table you squish a fairy''9.2. No kidding. Yes, even then my notion of ``rational discourse'' was perhaps a bit skewed.
Now, if I were to attempt to prove the proposition ``if I put my elbows down gently I can just trap a fairy without harming it'' and used nothing but the finest of facts and purest of logic to observe that any possible presumed physical form of a fairy would require some presumed force greater than zero, expressed in Newtons of force to be ``squished'', that there was no physical reason I couldn't apply my elbow to a table with less than this critical force, that by doing this inside of a fair trap would more or less guarantee a non-fatally injured fairy within the trap at the critical moment of contact, Q.E.D., would you accept this conclusion as proven?
Only if another proposition, the proposition that ``you are a complete idiot'' is true. To accept the argument you have to accept the premises upon which it is based - that fairies exist (first of all) and that they magically appear underneath all elbows that approach ``a table'' whatever one defines that to be. So fine, these are axioms, or conditional premises of the argument that cannot be proven and might be false and which you are (in fact) likely to disagree with. At least I hope so.
As the Pit of Despair made clear, however, all axioms are equally unprovable. They are assumptions. Unprovable is unprovable, right? Nice dualistic split, a bit simpler than the existence thing (a fact that has caused an entire system of logic wherein ``true'' stands for ``is proveable'', sort of moving the notions of logic closer to those of logical positivism). ``If it is an axiom it must be unprovable'' isn't an axiom itself (or even a real proposition), it is a part of the definition of the word ``axiom''. We cannot rank unprovability. It is equally unprovable to assert that invisible fairies do not exist. Maybe they are there, only invisible. Maybe they are Neutrino Life and don't much interact with ordinary matter enough to be detected. Yet.
All philosophical arguments but one are built on top of a set of axioms as unprovable assumptions, not on top of self-evident truths. All philosophical arguments are hence loaded. A common term for the ``proven'' answer to a loaded question, one that openly expresses the contempt one should rightfully feel for the attempt to convince you that the unprovable is proven, is bullshit.
Now, much of the prose so colorfully presented above is not terribly idea-original. The perceptive reader9.3 will observe that I've read and been influenced by many philosophers and thinkers of years past. Yes, I've digested my Plato, barfed up my Aristotle, danced with Descartes, listened to falling trees in the forest with Berkeley and God together, been smacked by Johnson, laughed hysterically at the grave and oh-so-wrong ``rational'' pronouncements of the Germans9.4 nodded thoughtfully at the Major Upanishads and some aspects of Bhuddism, Taoism, and Zen, and wept quietly as Philosophy attempted to pretend that the greatest philosopher, the seal of the philosophers as Mohammed is supposedly the seal of the prophets, never wrote the essays that destroyed the fundamental basis of philosophy as it was known up to that time.
I refer, of course, to David Hume.
Let's start out by taking a peek at what ol' David had to say about philosophy, given that he was, after all, a Famous Philosopher.
Robert G. Brown 2007-12-17The man, who is understood to be homeless, has been "living under the radar" in the library at St John's College, Cambridge.
It is thought he may have followed students into the building late at night.
He was reported to porters at the college and was asked to leave after he could not prove he was a student.
St John's College said he has not been seen since.
One member of the college said on Twitter the man had been "living under the radar" for six weeks.
The front door of St John's Working Library is unlocked when staffed, but locked outside these hours. However students can get in and out of the library 24-hours a day, seven days a week, using their access card.
To enter the building, the man would have had to creep in while students were accessing the building using their key cards or walk in during the hours it was staffed and then have stuck around.
The man was located by porters and asked to leave on Valentine's Day.
A spokesman for St John's College said: "The presence of a male in the library was reported to the porters who asked him to leave when he was unable to identify himself as a student of the college. He has not been seen in St John's subsequently".RB Leipzig midfielder Emil Forsberg has helped his side take the Bundesliga by storm, his five goals and seven assists a major part of the Saxony side’s outstanding form that puts them on top of the league going in to Matchday 13.
Want Emil Forsberg in your Official Fantasy Bundesliga side? Sign him up right here!
The talented Swede, like the club he plays for, has taken to life in Germany’s elite like a duck to water. We reveal ten things about the 25-year-old’s life and career so far.
1) Football in the family
Football is in Forsberg’s blood; grandfather Lennart played for GIF Sundsvall in the 1950s, father Leif ‘Foppa’ Forsberg became a club legend, scoring 143 goals in more than 400 games for the team during the 1980s and ‘90s, even having his No.10 shirt retired in honour of his achievements with the Giffarna. Known as ‘mini-Foppa,’ Emil went on to make it a hat-trick for the Forsbergs when he made his debut aged 17 in 2009. He scored 24 goals in 97 league appearances for GIF Sundsvall before moving to Malmö FF.
Watch: Forsberg's two excellent assists in Leipzig's victory over Freiburg on Matchday 12:
- © imago / Bildbyran
2) Football focus
Growing up in Sweden, Forsberg tried his hand at several other sports – including hockey – before opting to become a professional footballer. Asked what he would have been had football not worked out, the Leipzig attacker answered, "unemployed, or working with my dad in the fire department."
3) Malmö calling
Forsberg took time to settle into life with Malmö, but once he did, 57 Allsvenskan appearances yielded 19 goals, two top-flight titles and earned him Sweden's Midfielder of the Year award. Several appearances in the UEFA Champions League were another impressive addition to the Forsberg CV.
Read: Ten things on Leipzig striker Timo 'Turbo' Werner
4) Answering his country's call
It was little surprise that his country came calling, and having played for Sweden’s Under-19s, Forsberg won a first senior cap in friendly against Moldova in January 2014. To date he has won 24 caps, scoring the first of three goals so far in the EURO 2016 qualifying play-off against Denmark and starting all three of his country’s outings in France last summer.
- © imago / Eibner
6) Football in the family II
Forsberg’s wife Shanga is also a footballer, and like her husband she plays for Leipzig. They married on 17 July 2016.
7) Deal me in
With a first promotion to the Bundesliga getting closer, Leipzig handed Forsberg a contract extension early in 2016. "This club wants to be the best, and I want to be the best. I have developed all the time and have a major role in the club,” he said after inking in the new three-year deal. “It's perfect for me, I have much more to give and I want to give it to the club."
8) Move on up
Just as he had with all the previous moves up the career ladder so far, Forsberg has taken the step in to the Bundesliga in his stride. His first start came on Matchday 3, and he marked the occasion in splendid style, coolly slotting home the penalty that put Leipzig on the way to a 4-0 win at Hamburger SV.
9) Club form carries over for country
Forsberg is now an established international, and his most recent outing for Sweden saw him put his side ahead against France with a brilliant free kick that swerved away from a static and baffled Hugo Lloris in the French goal. The Leipzig man’s goal was worthy of winning the World Cup qualifier by itself, but despite a Paul Pogba equaliser, Forsberg’s sublime skill showed that he could take his domestic form onto the international stage.Pelosi greeted with “Impeach” Bush and Cheney buttons
January 18th, 2008, filed by Thomas Ferraro – Reuters
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she’s drawing heat from fellow Democratic lawmakers as well as people across the nation for refusing to move to impeach President George W. Bush or Vice President Dick Cheney.
“I go through airports, and people have buttons as if they knew I was coming,” Pelosi said with a smile, mimicking a protester pointing to an “Impeach” button on their chest.
But the California Democrat said she is sticking to her position that trying to remove Bush or Cheney would be divisive, and she added, most likely unsuccessful. If the House voted to impeach Bush and Cheney, a two-thirds vote would be needed in the closely divided Senate to oust them.
Many Democrats and civil liberties groups have accused the Bush administration of misleading the United States into the Iraq war and violating the rights of U.S. citizens with its warrantless surveillance program. The White House denies the charges.
(Original Article)Given last weeks news about the state of cryptography and the influence of the NSA on standards I decided to enter paranoid/tinfoil-hat mode. The result is that I do no longer consider my asymmetric keys as long enough. So I need to regenerate them. This should be an easy task, but I’m in paranoid mode.
The big problem is “can I trust my systems to generate a safe key”? I decided no, I cannot. Not without investing some time. Normally I would trust my distribution, but I had once to regenerate my SSH key because they got random numbers wrong:
by Randall Munroe (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 2.5 License)
So whom do I actually trust? This list is short: the Linux kernel (Linus tree) and FSF/GNU.
Whom do I not trust? That gets more complicated. First of all I do not trust any hardware. It’s impossible to verify that the hardware doesn’t have a backdoor and randomness looks random even if tampered with.
Of course I do not trust the US and any US-based company or company which has interactions with the US. As we had to learn the NSA is putting backdoors into products of US companies and the companies are not allowed to talk about it. This means I do not trust the Linux kernel of any distribution placed in the US or relations with the US. Obviously I extend this on all distributions of companies based in other spy countries (e.g. Five Eyes). This makes the list rather short.
I also do not trust binaries as there is no way to ensure that the binary reflects the source code of the package[1]. This further reduces the list. I’m basically left with Linux From Scratch or Gentoo – two distributions I do not have any experience with. Or use a binary distribution and create the required packages by myself (Linux kernel, GPG). Obviously there is still the risk of a tampered compiler but I consider this risk as rather academic.
Last but not least I do not trust my systems and myself. If I keep the key on the hard disk the security is basically reduced to the strength of the chosen passphrase. Hard disk encryption can add some security to it, but I prefer to have my system in suspend so the key might be in memory and there is always the risk of cold boot attacks. In summary I do not think that hard disk encryption is a solution for protecting the key. Also there is always the risk of an application attacking the system. Getting passphrase through an X11 keyboard logger is unfortunately trivial.
A solution to this problem is getting the key on an external dedicated device. But this is of course conflicting with my “I do not trust hardware” requirement. If hardware random number generators are involved in creating the keys or doing the encryption this would be problematic.
The requirement would therefore be a hardware device which keeps the key secure but does not generate it and is not involved in the session encryption. Today I ordered an OpenPGP Smartcard. This fulfills most of my requirements. It’s trusted by FSFE (Fellowship card), developed by a company which also develops GnuPG and is Germany |
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